Baby Talk: Maternity Picutres

A really quick post this morning!  Ryan and I are scheduled to have our maternity pictures taken in a few short weeks and I cannot wait to get glammed up and capture this really important and special moment in our lives.  I'm thrilled that Brett Dorrian will be once again doing my hair and makeup for the shoot- she did my wedding hair and makeup and a few personal gigs for me as well and then she is going to do the photography as well!  Brett is incredible- if you haven't seen her before you have to check her out here!

I have a few ideas for the shoot....
(all pinned on my Pinterest board)

 

And yes I want Dupree to join us!  We are headed to the MN Landscape Arboretum- our wedding spot!  

Any suggestions or other ideas that I definitely need to consider?

Linking up today with Kristin!

Cheers,

4th of July Recap

We had an awesome 4th of July!  This is my favorite holiday all year!  I just love how relaxing it is and I love any excuse to spend time with family and friends.  

The day had the perfect start... breakfast at Original Pancake House!  Yes I love breakfast and I crave this...

We spent the day at my parents house... which I realized I haven't shared with you yet!

This is obviously from the backyard... we love it here!  Lots of room to run and do fun activities like....

Fly a Kite...

Shoot guns... yes, we traded in the wave runner at the lake for guns in the country...

Even my sister learned to shoot a gun... a sight I never thought I would see...

A water balloon fight and slip and slide (not pictured)...

A little wrestling....

And inside their beautiful new home we had time for,

A little resting...

A bloody nose...

Some card games...

And lots of food...

A bit of a photo fail as I only took a picture of the watermelon... which quickly disappeared!

Ryan and I finished the night with my nephew Jaxon and Dupree watching fireworks.  Dupree was a little nervous at first.  Ryan tried to cover his ears so the booms weren't so loud!

And I loved that Jaxon joined us- I have the best nephew ever!  And nieces too- they went to Excelsior with my sister but they are the best too!

I hope you had a wonderful and safe 4th of July with your friends and family too!

26 weeks

Pumpkin this week...

~ His eyes are forming and will start to open soon.  Will they be blue like Ryan or brown like mine?
~ Eyelashes have grown in too.
~ Soaking up all my antibodies for life outside of my belly.
~ He is taking breaths, of amniotic fluid which is good practice!

Size of the Baby?

13.6-14.8 inches long and 1.5-2.5 pounds.
A little head of lettuce!

Total Weight Gain/Loss?

Total weight gain thus far is 20 lbs.

Maternity Clothes?

I bought a bunch of things from Destination Maternity and I can't wait to wear them.  I'm getting sick of wearing the same things.  And I scored big at Heartbreaker with their maxi dresses!!

Stretch Marks?

Knock on wood still stretch mark free but I need to be better about putting on lotion- I've been bad lately.  Lazy!

Best Moments?

We had a doctor appointment on Tuesday morning.  It is always good to check in with our doctor and get a healthy report.  It's nice to hear baby's strong heartbeat too!  We don't listen as often anymore at home since he is kicking and moving lots.  But I love hearing the doctor say that he sounds healthy!
And hitting the 100 dyas until baby is born mark!  That's crazy!

Movement?

Yep!  He is sitting more on my right side so I feel lots of kicks on the right and just below my chest.

Nausea/Vomitting?

This week has been okay.  I've been more lightheaded and tired than weeks before but haven't lost my breakfast this week- yet!

Labor Signs?

Nope!

Gender?

A little Mr.

Belly Button In or Out?
Still in but creeping up to the surface.

Wedding Rings On or Off?

Totally on!  I did have a swollen finger moment this last week when we took a walk but as soon as I got back in the AC, my fingers shrunk again and all was easy to move again.

Sleep?

I've been hitting my pillow and instantly asleep.  When I wake up in the morning it's harder to find a comfy position but I'm still loving my body pillow.  Also- before I was pregnant, I ALWAYS had to sleep under the covers.  Now, I can't sleep in the covers- too hot!

Wisdom?

Remember when I wasn't pregnant and I tried to pack my day so full- work, coaching, gym, dinner, friends, husband...??  Yea I'm still trying to do that but I'm exhausted!  Between a growing baby and I think the heat, I've been really tiered.  I need to listen to my body and give myself a break.  I just keep thinking though about how much life will change in a few short months and I'm trying to pack it all in before then... and while we finally have nice weather!

What am I most excited about?
A weekend with NO plans.  That's right- NO PLANS!  And I can't wait.  We will do as we please and try to relax a little bit.  I'm also excited to celebrate the 4th of July today!  My family is spending the day together- yard games, relaxing, perhaps a nap, and dinner!  I can't wait!

Happy 4th of July,

Weekend Shenanigans: Catching Up!

I've been a little m.i.a. lately in the blog world- sorry friends! Life has just been super busy but no excuse- let me catch you up on the last two weekends.

Weekend of June 21st-24th...

Friday was the HUGE storm!  We were at a going away party for Ryan's good friend, James who was moving back to Philadelphia with his girlfriend Lauren.  The wind was blowing at 70+ mph and then the power went out!  We sat in the dark, with candles and celebrated James.  It was sort of a bummer that the power went out but it was a memorable going away party for sure!  

On Saturday the 22nd our good friends Gavin and Trisha got married!  We have not been to a wedding since last August so it was super fun to get fancied up and celebrated our friends' new marriage!  

Gavin and Ryan were high school friends and now Gavin and Trisha live super close to us!  We are so happy to spend the coming years with these awesome friends!  

 

 

 

We also LOVED spending time with Ellie, Tim, and Landon!  How cute is Landon?!!  And I'm thinking Ryan looks really good with a little guy in his arms!

Ryan and I stayed at the hotel where the reception was which was super fun and a nice little night away!  

On Sunday we got up and headed for Hibbing, MN!  What the heck is in Hibbing, MN you ask?  Well my good friend Annie was celebrating her 30th birthday so she rented a cabin for the week.  There were about 20 people who joined for the celebration.  We played lots of yard games, went on a pontoon boat ride, and ate lots and lots of snacks!  I'm going to let the pictures do the talking...

 

It was a fun weekend but work took over our lives and got really, really busy!  So we cut our trip short and headed home a little early.  

This last weekend we enjoyed lots of time with friends and family!  On Friday we headed to my good friend Shaun and Justin's home to have dinner.  Shaun and Justin bought a beautiful home in Minneapolis.  Shaun and I dove together since we were 11 or so and I'm so glad to have Shaun back in MN after a few years in NY!  But I'm a blogging failure and didn't snap any pictures- sorry!

Saturday we got a little home work done before we headed to my parents house.  I only have one cousin who lives in Alaska.  We don't get to see my cousin and his family very often.  The last time I saw Zach and his wife, Aimee was back in 2008.  Aimee and their two boys- Odin and Phoenix- were in town, traveling the lower 48.  Zach couldn't get out of work so he didn't make the trip but it was really fun to catch up with Aimee and to see their kids!  It was awesome to see my grandparents with all five of their great-grandkids-- something that has never happened before!

Odin, Phoenix, Grandma, Grandpa, Rose, Jaxon, and Laura

Later Saturday night we went out to see all of Ryan's college friends.  We haven't gotten together for quite a while so it was really fun to see everyone at once!  Yard games, dancing, catching up, and a bonfire!  And I lasted past midnight!  What a trooper right?!  

Sunday was busy with errands and catching up on life at home.  Sunday finished when we enjoyed dinner with our friends Mike, Danielle and their daughter Alyssa.  They came over for kabobs and veggies- yummy!  It was the perfect way to top off the weekend!  

Cheers to finally being caught up,

Baby Talk: Cheers to July babies!

As of yesterday I was at the 6 month mark of pregnancy!  I was also at the 100 days until our baby is due mark!  This is just crazy to me!  Time has flown by and on the other hand I am jumping out of my pants ready and excited to hold our son!  Can it be October yet?!  

Today I wanted to 'cheers' to all the July babies I know that will be born!  A few already jumped the gun and were born in June but in total I think I know seven babies that will be born in July (or were supposed to be born in July)!  That's a lot!  5 girls, 1 boy and 1 surprise!  So congratulations to Briana and Illiana on their new little girls!  And best wishes to Jessica, Gretchen, Rachel, Robin, and Erica on your little ones!  A few of these babies I will get to meet right away and others I will only get to see on Facebook or Instagram but I can't wait to celebrate each one of them!  

And secretly I'll be really happy when July babies are all born because I only know one September baby to be born and then.... it's our turn!  YAY!!  

Linking up with Kristin,