29 Weeks

29 weeks! Eek! I can't believe that next week I will be in the 30th week! While two and a half months seems so far away, 10 weeks sounds much closer!

I have had a cold the lost few days...nothing major; just sniffles and sneezes. It has made me a little more tired the last couple days which is why I am a day behind again  and have no chalkboard :)

Sleep:  Sleep is going pretty well still!

Body Changes: Belly definitely feels bigger this week! My belly button is also getting stretched a little more too. I had my belly button pierced in college and then took it out after a few years because I always had troubles with it and it left a permanent hole. I'm starting to hope that the piercing hole doesn't start to look weird!

Food: I ate too much in general in the last week. Last night for dinner (around 5:30) I had a small bowl of mac n cheese and a small helping of trail mix and for some reason I felt like I was going to explode all the way until I went to bed.I think lunch time is what does me in. I don't really have time to eat any snacks when I am at school so I eat too much at lunch and the full feeling just carries over into the evening. I better start working on that asap because I hate feeling so stuffed!

Symptoms: It feels silly to complain about something so small like acne - but that is the only symptom I have had this whole pregnancy. I am glad that is really the only thing that has bothered me!

Movement: Little baby has started to really love pushing on my ribs. It is usually only the left side and it doesn't last very long but he is pretty strong! I have also felt more defined movements the last couple days. Like his arm or leg is pushing really hard on my stomach and I can feel it move. It's a strange but really cool feeling!

Things We Bought/Did: This week we haven't bought or done anything baby related. We did a two week childbirth class the two weeks before and we are going to a breastfeeding class next week but this week was a week off! We are looking at a car tonight and another one tomorrow  - so maybe we'll get that for that baby ;)

Third trimester!

Yesterday was the start of my 28th week, which is also the beginning of the third trimester! I can't believe I am in the last couple of months! I have about 12 weeks left until we get to meet our little baby!

Yesterday was a crazy busy day and I didn't get time to update the blog. I had a doctor's appointment in the morning first thing. I set up all my appointments back in October but two weeks ago my doctor decided to start the two week visits this week so I had to add yesterday's appointment so it was in the morning. I am glad I don't usually go in the morning because they were way too busy!

My doctor measured my belly and said I was right at 28 weeks which I am glad to hear :) I haven't gained any weight in the last two weeks but she said I'm ok for now. We listened to the baby's heartbeat which was 140 bpm. That is pretty much all my appointments are! 

Sleep:  We finally bought a humidifier this week and I think that Clint is benefiting from it most :) He has been having a hard time sleeping but the last three days he slept really well! I also am really good we got the humidifier! I can breathe while I sleep!!

Body Changes: Even though I didn't gain any weight the last two weeks I think my belly is a little bigger :)

Food: I have eaten a lot of peaches in the last week!!

Symptoms:Nothing new or different but I have been having a few leg cramps early in the morning lately which are more annoying than anything else.

Movement:The little pipsqueak sure loves to press on my left ribs and my right hip bone! I think he's stretching to his full length just to test out the space. Luckily it doesn't last that long and if I sit kind of sideways (the opposite he is stretching), it gets him to move!

Things We Bought/Did: We received our stroller and car seat in the mail yesterday! It only took a few minutes to get the wheels and the sun shade put on and then I zoomed around the house like a dork :)

Can't wait until there is a little bundle of joy in it!

27 Weeks

 We had our first of two Childbirth classes tonight and I forgot to work on the chalkboard yesterday so just a picture will do this week!

The last week of the second trimester! It felt like the first trimester flew by but the second one has taken forever! Probably because the first four weeks you're pregnant, you have no idea and then the next few weeks, you hardly tell anyone!

I also have good news! I passed my glucose screening! They did say that my iron level is low so I had to get a vitamin to help boost that. My dad said that it runs in the family. 

Sleep:  I have heard that as time goes on it becomes more uncomfortable to sleep, but so far I have been sleeping pretty well!

Body Changes: Not much is new here either!

Food: I have been in the mood for some Raisin Bran a lot the last two weeks...and I even add more raisins!!

Symptoms: I was reading a couple different weekly pregnancy charts and it mentioned a few symptoms I have been experiencing lately - although very mild. One thing I notice at night (usually when I wake up) is cramps in my calf, just below my knee. A good leg stretch helps those out! I also have had the stuffiest nose! Again this is usually in the morning when I first wake up. I have been meaning to get a humidifier to help add moisture to our room.

Movement:The baby has been having way stronger movements this last week! Sometimes they are so big/sudden that they make me jump a little. You can also see the movements from the outside now!

Things We Bought/Did: We registered last weekend, which I wrote about yesterday. While we were registering, we were looking at pack-and-plays and were trying to decide if we wanted to go simple on this item or stick with the one we originally liked. We ended up going simple! So simple that we bought it actually because it was on sale! We don't really need one that has a changing station since the baby's room is on the main floor and the swing we already have has a musical mobile so we skimped on that too. A plain simple play yard is all we wanted.

It has a foresty theme which I obviously love!

Originally I had thought about doing cloth diapers only but I don't know if we could handle it or not. So we are going to try a mixture of cloth and disposable to see what we like. When I first started looking into cloth diapers I though Clint would be totally against it but when I mentioned it, he said "sure". He's still all in with the idea and even discusses the different cleaning methods and styles. Another reason he's a keeper ;) I found a few helpful blogs to get us started and they say you should try a few different brands to figure out what you and baby like. So I ordered several cloth diapers off ebay and can't wait to get them! Here are a few:

So cute!

Registry

Saturday Clint and I finally marked registering off our list. Of course I have been excited to register because it would give us a chance to actually look at all the things that babies need but I knew Clint was not as excited. He is definitely excited for the baby but shopping is definitely not his thing. Luckily he knew that it may take a little while and we planned it in advance so he was ready! 

We started at Babies R Us and then went to Buy Buy Baby. Both places have a lot of the same things but they also have several different things which was nice. I know that some people like to register for some things at both places but for the most part we did not. I don't want to have to deal with returns or duplicates. Obviously I am excited about everything we picked there are several things I can't wait to get (either from some wonderful family member or friend OR ourselves :)!

Here are a few things I'm excited about:

Doorway Jumper! I have always loved these things! It's portable (as long as the doorway has trim around it) and it also has a musical mat that they can jump on.

Bear Robe...precious is all I can say!

 We already have a couple mouth thermometers and we registered for an ear thermometer but for some reason I think a temporal thermometer is ideal for (sleeping) babies.

Boon Lawn drying rack...I like handwashing dishes often but just lay them out on a towel to dry but with tiny baby things/parts, I don't want them rolling away! The grass mat keeps them in place until they are dry.

gDiapers...these are one of  the brands of cloth diapers I am going to try. I have already purchased a couple different brands on ebay (new ones) and they are all so cute! Double bonus...they are better on your budget and better for the Earth! I kind of wish there wasn't a g on the back but at least it's a simple logo.

ALEX wooden activity cube...I pretty much want all wooden toys! I think Zoe would be less likely to grab them and chew on them (but I could be wrong...she loves to chew everything). But they are also adorable!

 

Cute little wooden xylophone!

 We didn't register for many clothes for a couple reasons. They would probably end up on the clearance rack before people shopped and people will end up picking out their own outfits (which is fine - if it's cute ;) However, there were a few really cute peas on a pod outfits/bibs, etc.

This giraffe play mat is so stinkin' cute and soft!

I have been stalking Amazon for this frog nap mat but they have been out for a while. So if I can't get the froggy mat I will probably get this cute thing! Or both!

Did we pick out some fun stuff or what!?!

Names

Clint and I have been trying to decide on a baby name off and on the whole time I have been pregnant. We haven't discussed names a whole lot but as we get closer we are starting to more. We have a few names picked out and I am not worried now about deciding on just one until we meet our little pipsqueak. Clint has recently been very curious about the meaning of these names though. I have never really cared about the meaning of names because I think the person makes the name. However, Clint looked up both of our names on some site and it is funny how true both of our names fit our personalities. Here is what mine said, for example: 

• Your first name, Leslie, creates an independent, forthright, practical nature. 
• You desire to work on your own or to occupy positions of authority where you have opportunities to organize an area of interest and where your decisions are heeded.
•  You want to be successful financially and have an interest in investments and stocks. 
• Being consistent and stable in your nature, you are decisive, capable, and efficient, though not always tactful in expressing your opinions. 
• Your appreciation of art and music is focused around how to make these activities into viable financial opportunities. 
• At times, you create misunderstandings with others as it is not easy for you to be diplomatic. 
• Although the name Leslie creates the urge to be creative, independent, and self-sufficient, we point out that it causes a materialistic, somewhat self-opinionated approach that frustrates higher humanitarian qualities. 

Pretty much sums me up other than the investments and stocks line! 

Here is what Clint's says: 

• While your name of Clint gives you an intense desire to be of service to others, it brings out a practical, technical nature, and you become involved in fussy little details that detract from the fulfilment of your greater ideals. 
•  You are a very patient person and will work hard one step at a time to accomplish your goals. 
• Not interested in large undertakings, you are content to live from day to day to save for your future. 
• Always budgeting carefully, you do not believe in frivolous spending. 
• You tend to be thorough in building a solid foundation of fact and logic, but you are not especially imaginative or investigative. 
• Although the name Clint creates idealism and the urge to help others, we emphasize that it limits your versatility and scope, tuning you to technical details. 

Again, pretty true! Check out what your name means here. This site was found through Google so obviously it's just for fun!

Week 26

26 weeks down, 14 more to go! Today I had a doctor appointment. We got to hear the heartbeat as usual (150 bpm). I also go to do my glucose screening. I drank 10 oz. of a glucose mixture that tasted like semi flat Orange Crush. 

It was cold so it wasn't too bad. I had to drink it in 5 minutes  and then wait an hour for them to draw my blood to see how fast I processed the sugar. I should get a phone call tomorrow to see how it went...keep your fingers crossed it comes back good!

Sleep: I went back to school yesterday so of course I had to get up in the middle of the night the last two nights! Although last night was mostly because Zoe decided she needed to pee too!

Body Changes: I have gained about 11 pounds and some days I definitely feel like there is no where for any more weight to go! Then Clint reminds me that there is ;) Also - exciting news is that I can now see in my belly button more! It has stretched open somewhat recently. You probably don't know this but I have a weird fascination with my belly button. I like to make sure it's clean (who doesn't??) but my belly button is so small I can't see in it! Now it's perfect! Clint clearly thinks I'm coo-coo (especially when he catches me staring at it in the mirror).

Food: Other than eating more throughout the day, my diet hasn't really changed. Nothing makes me sick; I haven't had any cravings; smells haven't bothered me. The only real change is that I have tried to be healthier - I eat wheat bread, drink lots of water, try to eat less sugary foods/drinks, etc.

Symptoms: Nothing to report here!!

Movement: Clint has definitely been able to feel more movement in the last week. He gets excited which also makes me feel excited :) I have also recently felt more movement near my ribs. Everything so far had been really low - like below my beloved belly button. Now I have felt more higher movements.

Things We Bought/Did: We haven't really done anything new in the last week but I am looking forward to registering this weekend!

Today I had my students guess what I would be having because I didn't tell them before leaving for break. I wasn't sure that they could keep a secret from my team members ;)

First they colored the word boy or girl. They also chose a baby to color.

They wrote three predictions (gender, hair and eye color). 

They glued their prediction on a chart paper. I showed them my gender reveal video with the balloons - which they loved! It was fun to share this news with them!

Baby Room Update

Deciding what to do in the baby's room was a tough decision. There were several ideas I had and it was hard to pick one. I had it narrowed down to an owl/fox/orange/turquoise theme and a Harry Potter theme :) I decided to go with the first. Maybe our little boy will end up loving Harry Potter as much as me and will want that later on!

I saw this cute room on Pinterest (of course) and really liked the turquoise molding! I also really liked the walls...either they are wallpaper or textured. My mom searched how to create this look using paint because wallpapering is not happening!

First we painted the walls antique white to get rid of the funky tan (that every room in the house was painted with when we moved in). Then we bought a quart of a lighter brown and mixed it with glaze. Mom rolled on the glaze and then I used a wallpaper brush and brushed it up and down several times. 

I had several "special" techniques!

Here's a close up of a wall. This is a pretty close match of the actual color.

 Here are several shots of what the room looks like now. I used the filtering site I mentioned previously to edit the photos. 

This was super easy to make and it really adds some orange!

We made these curtains out of a flannel fabric. It's hard to tell but there are turquoise birds. They really show up well because of the molding. I think I may go buy more of this fabric and make some sheets!

This was another project my mom worked on. It is the cutest pillow!

There are a few different prints that I have seen and want to frame to add some more excitement and color. I also have a few shelving options that we might add as well. Then of course we have to have the room actually ready for the baby! We need a chair, mattress, changing pad, and lots of other things! Good thing we still have about 14 weeks!

Craft City

For the Christmas holiday my mom came to Indy for 2 weeks and stayed with Clint and I. I had previously mentioned working on the baby room while she was here. So the first day she was here (Thursday) we started looking at ideas. We took a break Friday to prepare for our Gender Reveal Party and mom and Dale helped us with several things around the house (finishing the bathroom and hanging things on the wall - which I blogged about here). After the party we got to work on the baby room and a few other projects. I am going to share the baby room in a separate post so watch for that!

Project #1: The very first project she helped with was fixing my computer! It has pretty much been dead since my birthday in October. She completely rebooted it and installed Windows 8 on it. I'm not a big fan of it but she made it work like the old Windows so its fine now. I now have Adobe Photoshop back in my grips! Quick sidenote - I just discovered Pixl-o-matic. It's like Instagram but for your computer. You can do all sorts of quick filtering with your pictures. I tried out a bunch so brace yourself :)

Project #2: I found a cute picture on Pinterest that displayed your last name and the year you were married. We found a fancy font to write it in and then my mom taught me how to print the image using Posteriza. She then traced the image on the back with a pencil. We taped the poster to the wall where we wanted it and I traced the image on the front of the poster, transferring the pencil on to the wall. She then painted the image. 

Awesomesauce

Project #3: A couple months ago we decided that we wanted to put up crown molding in our bedroom. Clint started it one evening. Well he realized that he wasn't going to finish it that night like he thought - he was tired and crown molding is really tough to put up because of the angles. So it sat unfinished for a while. Mom is really good at caulking so she told Clint that messy angles weren't that big of a deal! So Dale and Clint finished it one night and mom spiffed it up nicely!

Looking good! Mom also helped hang these canvases up too! (Not that they were hard.)

Project #4: This project was a bonus! Mom forgot what time they were supposed to leave on Wednesday and they accidentally missed their flight. They couldn't get another flight until the next morning. So we decided to tackle one more project! I found this really cute bag on Pinterest and wanted to make one!

We set out to JoAnn Fabrics to find similar fabric. We picked an orange fabric that we actually used in the baby room because I like it so much! We searched everywhere for something blue and white but no such luck. I was really holding out for the stripes! So we headed to Hobby Lobby to see what they had. We found a blue and white fabric but it was just too busy for me! We found a gray and white chevron fabric that I really liked but just wasn't sure if I liked it enough. After debating forever and thinking about just waiting and looking some more, I decided to get the gray. We were now working on a time crunch! I was going line dancing that night and I knew Mom and Dale were leaving the next morning and wanted to get to bed early. We hurried through it but it turned out great! I did all the sewing except for one part. Mom did all the directing but I am getting so much better at sewing! Here is the finished product:

The outside has a pocket (it sort of blends in with the pattern) and it has ties on the end to tighten it up. The inside has 3 pockets - 2 horizontal rectangles and one long rectangle (for bottles and such). Isn't it fabulous!?!

Project #5 - This project is still ongoing. Mom taught me how to crochet and we started working on a gray and white chevron blanket (much like the bag!). There isn't much to share yet but I'll keep you updated on the progress!

Now stay tuned for the baby room! Here is a sneak peek of the banner we made!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Today marks 25 weeks :) Only 15 more weeks until we get to meet our baby boy! Seems so far away but also so soon! 25 weeks has flown by so fast. I think part of the reason it has gone so fast is because I have been very lucky with an easy pregnancy (so far...no jinxes!). 

Sleep: Nothing really has changed here lately. I haven't had to get up in the middle of the night to pee in a while (except a few days) although I do have to get up by 6 or 7 (especially on the weekends of course!). I try not to drink too much water before bed and that definitely helps. I think my full nights of sleep will be ending soon though!

Body Changes: I have gained anywhere from 9-11 pounds (depending on the time of day) so far which is pretty much where I want to be. I know you gain a lot at the end so I am trying to pace myself!

Food: I have found myself eating a little bigger breakfast and pretty average sized (or smaller) lunch and dinners. I think that has helped with weight gain. I have experienced the pain of eating too much a few times and that hopefully is enough to teach me a lesson! When I go back to school next week I know I'll have to get better about taking small healthy snacks and water (especially).

Symptoms: Hormones aren't really body changes that you see - more a symptom - but I definitely think that is a big area that changes with pregnancy! I have never been a very emotional person but being pregnant sure brings that out! Clint has been a very supportive husband when I have my days! I'm sure he has no idea how to deal with me because he isn't used to it but he is great :)

Movement: Lots of movement is going on in there at all times of the day (and night!). Hopefully this is a sign of future dance parties!

Things We Bought/Did: With my mom being here the last two weeks, we got a huge start on the baby room! I will blog about that later though :) Can't wait to share it!

I am excited to start a new year with such a big change coming to our lives! I'm not big on New Year's resolutions but hopefully I can keep up the blogging this year like I have the last few months!