25 Weeks!

How far along: 25 Weeks 2 Days

Total weight gain: I was officially up 6lbs at my appointment last week

How big is baby?: The size of an eggplant - about 14" long and 2lbs

Maternity clothes?: Some

Stretch marks?: None.

Symptoms?: Ridiculous charlie horses that wake me up!

Sleep?: Pretty good, I wish I could sleep in for once though.

Best moment this week?: Ordered the nursery furniture!

Worst moment this week?: That god awful glucose test. I really hope I passed!

Movement?: Tons!

Food cravings?: Egg sandwich... still.

Labor signs?: Nope.

Belly button in or out?: Still in, but there may be some movement happening. I finally took my ring out even though I still had about half an inch of bar left. It was time.

What I miss: Nothing at the moment.

What I'm nervous about: Weather or not I'll get a phone call on Friday telling me I failed my glucose test.

What I am looking forward to: The kitchen being nearly done!

Milestone: 25 weeks and well over half way!

Furnished

Over the weekend I placed the order for our crib and dresser! Everything should arrive by about September 12th, and hopefully shortly after that we can get that wall painted and start setting up. So exciting!

After Target discontinued the original furniture I had picked out (Delta Eclipse Collection), we saw the Delta Bentley Collection in-store when we were registering. It's similar, so I'm assuming it's the replacement for Eclipse. The only major difference is that the crib back is curved on the Bentley instead of straight across.

Here's the crib:

And the dresser, which will double as a changing table:

The bookshelf that we wanted was on sale last week for $20 off, so I picked that up last week:

The crib and dresser look completely different colors in the photos, but the models they have in store look the same, so they better show up the same color! They call it 'Chocolate', but it's basically Espresso, just like the bookshelf.

So that's that! Once it's all set up and complete, I'll do a "reveal" and show you the finished product!

In other news, our counter tops are in!!! They are in the kitchen, but not installed yet. By the end of the week they should be. We're coming into the home stretch!

24 Weeks!

How far along: 24 Weeks 2 Days


Total weight gain: Not sure, I have my appointment on Friday so I'll find out then.


How big is baby?: The size of a papaya - 13+ inches, over 1 pound. Last week of the papaya!


Maternity clothes?: Mostly maternity now. I guess I popped, some shirts and my pre-pregnancy capris still fit though.


Stretch marks?: None.

Symptoms?: Nothing really this week.


Sleep?: My sister in law lent me her body pillow - that thing is WONDERFUL!! For all you pregnant ladies, get one! Do it. I slept nearly 4 solid hours on each side without tossing and turning.


Best moment this week?: Work is better this week, thank God. Of course now I just jinxed myself.


Worst moment this week?: Nothing really. I'm just mad at Target for various reasons.


Movement?: A lot! My bladder is apparently his own personal trampoline...


Food cravings?: Still wanting that egg sandwich. Maybe this weekend we'll have a stove?


Labor signs?: Nope.

Belly button in or out?: Still in.

What I miss: Nothing at the moment.

What I'm nervous about: My glucose test on Friday.. eek.


What I am looking forward to: Buying some goodies today after class.

Milestone: Viability day!

Happy V-Day!

Viability Day that is.

I am officially 24 weeks pregnant, which is a pretty big milestone. If something were to happen and I needed to deliver, doctors would now try to save him, as he now has a better chance of surviving outside the womb than not surviving.

According to data years 2003-2005, 20 to 35 percent of babies born at 23 weeks of gestation survive, while 50 to 70 percent of babies born at 24 to 25 weeks, and more than 90 percent born at 26 to 27 weeks, survive. Scary but true statistics!


I'd much rather have him stay in there for another 16ish weeks or so though!

My weekly update will come later, I just wanted to highlight this milestone. I can't believe how fast time is flying, I'm almost to the 3rd Trimester already... eek!

Sew Cute

I got a pretty good start on the nursery goodies over the weekend.

After looking more closely at the patterns I purchased, I realized that they were using pre-made quilt panels. Yuck. Where's the fun in that?

So, I had to wing it a bit and come up with my own pattern for the quilt front and the bumper panels:

Thank God for all those quilting classes I took in high school or I would have been majorly screwed!

I used the measurements provided in the pattern pack and went from there. I'll pretty much be making the quilt from the pattern I have in my head (and what you see above), but the remainder of the bumper will be using the pattern I purchased. As will the valances and the crib skirt. I also found a really cute pattern for a changing pad cover that I'll be making if I have enough fabric leftover.

So yesterday I got all of the fabric ironed and my squares cut for the quilt front and the bumper panels:

This morning I sewed everything together:

I probably won't have much time to work on anything during the week, but by the end of next weekend I will likely have the quilt done and most of the bumper.

That's all for now! It's coming along nicely.

23 Weeks!

How far along: 23 Weeks 2 Days

Total weight gain: If the scale at the gym is accurate (which I'm doubting) I'm at +3 overall now. So I'm finally heading in the right direction.

How big is baby?: The size of a papaya - 13 inches, over 1 pound.

Maternity clothes?: Most of my regular clothes still fit, so I wear a little of both.

Stretch marks?: None.

Symptoms?: Nothing really this week.

Sleep?: My hips get sore when I sleep on one side too long, so I wake up constantly to re-adjust.

Best moment this week?: I saw a few kicks from the outside! It was very cool. Alien-esque, but cool :) Little guy is getting stronger!

Worst moment this week?: My week was pretty good.

Movement?: Lots! Although he seems to have been kind of lazy for the last couple days. I think he's making up for it this morning!

Food cravings?: I REALLY want an egg, ham & cheese breakfast sandwich. But I want to make it myself. No can do until the stove is back in the kitchen. What's weird about this craving is that I normally hate eggs.

Labor signs?: Nope.

Belly button in or out?: Still in.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm nervous about: Starting my new Fall class next week. My upcoming Glucose test.

What I am looking forward to: Getting started on the nursery and all the projects that go along with it.

Milestone: Seeing kicks/punches from the outside and getting our baby registry done. I also got my first "stranger comment"! The lady at the Joann's cutting counter asked me how far along I was, so it must be starting to look more obvious.


Excuse to crappy pic this week, I REALLY need a haircut...

DIY Nursery

After seeing some of the prices on nursery bedding, it was decided that I could just make my own.

After all, why spend upwards of $200 on a bedding set when half of it can't even be used anyway? I wouldn't even spend that much on bedding for myself! DIY is the money-saving answer.

So I found some patterns that I liked and went fabric shopping on Friday. I'm pretty excited to get started!

Here's the pattern pack that I'll be using for the quilt, crib skirt and bumper:

I know that the quilt and bumper don't get used that much anyway. The bumper can go on the crib for a little while at the beginning and the quilt can be used for tummy time or playtime on the floor. They'll get used.

I'll be using this pattern pack to make the valances:

I decided on Pattern A for that. I haven't decided on shades yet, we might just keep up the blinds that are in there now. If I do make a shade, it will also be the one from Pattern A.

Fabric shopping was fun, but frustrating all at the same time. I had this image in my mind of what I wanted, but do you think I could find it? Of course not!!

After searching the aisles for what seemed like forever, I came up with this fabric combo:

I knew I wanted the orange & yellow combo, but of course those ended up being the most limited color selections in the store! I'm really happy with what I found though, I'm in love with the yellow dragonfly fabric - so cute.

I'll hopefully get started on all this in the coming weeks. Of course there will be pictures to come!

Baby Shower Preview

My baby shower is in the works and I jumped at the chance to design the invites.

Why would I want to do this for my own shower? Why not!! I design the same things day in and day out at work, so this gave me a rare chance to get outside my comfort zone and design something fun!

I don't want to share the full design here, since they haven't been mailed, but here's a little preview:

And this little saying is on the backside:

I'm really excited about these. The little owls turned out super cute :)

Book Review: "Still Missing"

"Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens

SUMMARY from GoodReads

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel.

MY RATING

MY THOUGHTS

For lack of better description, this book was seriously MESSED UP. Like, really messed up.

Annie is abducted and held hostage in a mountain cabin for nearly a year and forced into some really screwed up situations. There were points in the story where I almost had to stop reading because it was pretty intense. The twist ending really threw me for a loop! The ending alone made the whole book worth reading.

I gave it three stars only because of the intensity of the storyline. There are some graphic happenings and it gets pretty descriptive. That may not be for everyone.

22 Weeks!

How far along: 22 Weeks 2 Days



Total weight gain: Not sure since our scale decided to stop working.


How big is baby?: The size of a banana - 11 inches, probably over a pound by now.


Maternity clothes?: Depends. Today I'm wearing all pre-pregnancy clothes, yesterday I wore all maternity. Everyday is different!


Stretch marks?: None.


Symptoms?: Dry skin. I've been moody, apparently pregnancy makes me cranky.. or maybe it's just the people I'm surrounded by.. lol


Sleep?: It was pretty good this week.


Best moment this week?: Getting my final grade for my web class! 99.45% baby! Woo!


Worst moment this week?: Realizing how far behind I am on everything baby related.


Movement?: Lots! He's a lot more consistent lately. He seems to kick a lot when I have the music turned up in the car.


Food cravings?: What don't I want at this point? Pretty much everything sounds good!


Labor signs?: Nope.


Belly button in or out?: Still in.

What I miss: I had a pretty crappy work week last week, it would have been nice to have a drink.

What I'm nervous about: That all we have for him is some clothes. We have nothing else. I feel SO behind on everything.


What I am looking forward to: Things changing at work, I hope it's for the better.

Milestone: More consistent movement.

Book Review: "Thirteen Reasons Why"

"Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

SUMMARY from GoodReads
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.


MY RATING:

MY THOUGHTS:
I loved this book, though I can see why a lot of people are put out by the story. It brings to light a lot of issues that you normally don't see in young adult books.

It's dramatic, touching and heart-breaking to read the words of a dead girl telling you what she went though and why she chose to end her life. You get a glimpse into how sensitive and impressionable teenage girls really can be. I'm not saying that every teenage girl is this way, because they're not. Regardless, being a teenager is difficult and one seemingly minor thing can sprial out of control in a heartbeat.

Would I recommend this book to others? Sure I would, I think this is the sort of thing that young people should read. It really puts things into perspective and if read by the right person, they might change how they act towards others. Now, will the people I recommend this book to actually like it? Probably not. It's dark, it's depressing. None the less, I found it a good worthwhile read. It's a story that sticks in your mind.

21 Weeks!

How far along: 21 Weeks

Total weight gain: +1

How big is baby?: The size of a banana - 10.5 inches, 12.7oz - although at the anatomy scan he was already 14oz!!


Maternity clothes?: Pants yes, I can still wear my regular shirts if I want to.

Stretch marks?: None.


Symptoms?: The skin on my belly has been itchy, but it's nothing a little lotion can't fix.

Sleep?: I wake up to pee A LOT. It's irritating.

Best moment this week?: Seeing the little guy on the anatomy scan! It was amazing :)

Worst moment this week?: There was nothing really bad about it.

Movement?: Yep! Especially around meal times, little guy likes his food I guess! Jamie got to feel a kick last week too.

Food cravings?: Still loving fruit. Nothing weird yet.

Labor signs?: Nope.


Belly button in or out?: Still way in. No sign of that changing in the immediate future.


What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm nervous about: The fact that we haven't been able to start on the nursery yet, hopefully soon. I did get the closet cleared out.

What I am looking forward to: Shopping!! Not that we know we're expecting a boy shopping is going to break me.. haha

Milestone: It's a boy!!! He looks healthy and we're very excited :)