35/35

Wow....I just can't believe it. Today marks our official 35 weeks of pregnancy and 35 days until my due date!! I actually get a little emotional thinking that in around a month from now, our little girl will be here in my arms. Simply amazing. I don't have a whole lot of update on our little girl this week since our next check up isn't until next Monday (the 3rd) but I will write what I do know.

Sophi Update:

Baby is the size of a honeydew melon! Sophi should be averaging about 18 inches and weighing about 5 1/4 pounds this week. I believe that she may be smaller than this going off of our last ultrasound but we will find out for sure next Monday. Development wise, her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products (Yum!). Most of her basic physical development is now complete and she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. Few weeks....yikes! I'm so excited yet terrified all at the same time. So she has been head down for several weeks now which is just where we want her and although she may not be doing baby gymnastics anymore due to her running out of room, she sure is getting good at kung fu! Sometimes she kicks me in just the right place and knocks the breath out of me. I can't imagine how much stronger she will get over the next 5 weeks but I am so excited to find out! More on Sophi next week after our check up. :)

Mommy Update

How far along? 35 weeks today!
Weight gain/loss: At my last check up I was down a pound and had gained only 20 pounds. Got on the scale this morning and it was up 5!! Hopefully this weight sticks. This makes me so happy!!!
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep? I've actually been sleeping decent lately. I don't have a fancy pregnancy pillow so what I've been doing is snuggling up with one firm king size pillow and putting another pillow behind me. It forms some sort of cocoon around me and helps support my back, hips and belly. Only downfall to this is that it's quite an obstacle to get over and then get back into when I have to get up to pee at night which is generally about every 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Best moment this week? Hitting my 35/35 mark today and other than a congested nose, feeling fabulous! :)
Movement: She's quite the active little lady. I definitely feel her kicks, punches and rolls getting stronger. Last Sunday morning I was driving and could feel her toes tickling the bottom of my rib cage. That was too cool!!!!
Food cravings: Nope. I'm a little disappointed that I never got the pickles and ice cream type cravings. Well, there are still 5 weeks left to go I guess.
Belly button in or out? It's in mostly but when Sophi gets a good stretch in that direction she pushes it right out! It's so funny to watch.
What I am looking forward to? A lot of stuff actually. I'll run down the list:
*Tomorrow is the 29th, it's the day that I will be married to my best friend and most amazing man I know for a year and a half.
*Saturday starts a new year! I know it will be a great one for our little family!
*Monday I get to see our little girl on the big screen again and just pray that she is growing the way that she should be.
*Sometime this week I will get my first shipment of Rockin' Green cloth diaper detergent. I can't wait to prep all of our super soft fluff!!
Weekly wisdom: Sometimes, even when you want something to work so bad that it hurts, you have to realize that it wasn't meant to be and move on. (More on this tomorrow or something)
Milestones: Again, 35/35! I won't elaborate anymore other than....HOLY CRAP IT'S SO CLOSE!!!!!!! :)
Stuff I still need to get done: Finish buying stuff for baby, finish the nursery, figure out who goes onto my call list for when the time comes, pack my hospital bag, get car seat and base installed, get house cleaned.

Nesting, where are you?!
I can't believe that my nesting phase hasn't set in yet. As a matter of fact, I've been kind of lazy lately, only cleaning when I have to. I see stuff that I want to get done but just would rather be doing something else. Soooo, I've decided to join Amber over at In Search of Greener Grass and take the 21 days to get organized challenge! Starting January 1st and lasting 21 days (except Sundays) I will get my life organized and ready for Sophi's arrival! Won't you take the challenge with me??

35 Week Bump

With my silly face on

Oh Glamorous Pregnancy!

.....or not so much. I want to write about all of the not so glamorous things that have come about lately...

First let me start by saying that as of about a week ago, doing anything below the belly has become very difficult to pretty darn impossible. Here are some things that I have a hard time with:

Shaving. My legs. My lady parts. Forget it. I get out of breath, off balance, can't see and so I've decided that I'm just going to leave all of this alone from now on or at least until right before my due date. Then I'll figure something out. Besides, Mitch isn't home so I don't have anyone to impress anyway these days! So for now, I look something like a wildebeest. A super sexy wildebeest....yeah...

Putting on socks and shoes. It has become laughable to try and put socks on. People say that it's great being the most pregnant during the cold season but I say to them: Yes, it's great unless you don't have anyone to help you put your socks and shoes on!! Oh how I miss flip flop weather just for the sake of being able to wear flip flops. I have to contort myself into some crazy yoga-ish positions to get my socks on and again, by the time I am done, I am out of breath. Fun! :)

Clipping my toenails. Oh now here's a good one!! I attempted this a few nights ago and between not being able to see and being so completely uncomfortable due to the position that I had to get myself into in order to reach my toenails, I almost cut a toe off! If my mom (the nail tech) could see what an awful job I did, she would be ashamed I'm sure. We've talked about a pedicure but one, her schedule is jam packed right now and two, I am wearing socks and shoes every day so we're just going to wait until closer to due date to do a pedi. Which leads me to my next two things...

Taking off toenail polish & putting lotion on feet. Taking off my polish is almost as painful as clipping my nails (minus the hazard of cutting off a toe of course). Oh the things we take for granted when there isn't a ginormous baby bump in the way! And putting lotion on??? HA HA HA! My feet have been kind of dry lately with the weather change so I've been trying to make sure that I put lotion on every night before bed. This process takes probably close to 5 minutes. Just imagine pregnant me on the side of the bed contorted in all of these crazy yoga-ish positions again. Yeah, it's not pretty, certainly not GLAMOROUS and let me tell you, my feet are looking SEXXXXXXY these days!

Some other things that have come about or gotten worse:

Braxton Hicks (BH) are not my friend!! I've been having BH contractions for a couple of weeks now and while they are not painful, they certainly are not comfortable. Don't know what they feel like and wanna try it out? Ok, contract your abs as much as you possibly can and while you are holding them in, have someone punch you in the stomach. Yep, it feels something like that. Like my abs cramp up and no matter how hard I try to relax, I can't. It's super annoying especially when I can feel them wrap around into my back. FUN!!!

Pregnancy gas....really ladies, need I say more?? This is one thing that I'm glad Mitch isn't here for. When I'm home alone I'm not so ashamed of my gas. It is pretty bad too. I'll wake up in the middle of the night sometimes just to...um...release some pressure? And pretty much every.single.time I sit to pee...I fart. Can't even say that I have lady-like "toots" or "poofs" anymore. I pretty much sound like a man. It's so far from glamorous!

Drooling...seriously. I wonder if I made a "Kammi drools a lot" doll how good it would sell. I mean, why not, right? They have all of these dolls that pee and poo out right now that are crazy popular. Why not a drooling doll?? Ok seriously though, I wake up several times a night in a puddle of drool. Then, I have to slide my head around the pillow to try to find a dry spot to go back to sleep on so that I don't drown! And unfortunately, space is limited on my pillow. Because of my neck issues I have to sleep on one of those orthopedic contour pillows so there is no flipping the pillow over to the dry side. I wake up, slide my head across the pillow like eating a corn cob and pray for a dry spot. Then I pray that I can stay in that spot long enough for the rest of the pillow to dry so I can have a dry spot to move to for the NEXT time I wake up in my drool. Sexy, right?? I think I need to have a standby pillow case.

Round ligament pain. Thanks to these lovely ligaments, I wake up every morning feeling like an 80 year old woman. I creak and ache all over for at least the first 30 minutes I'm awake. I have to lay in bed and stretch (but not too hard b/c I wouldn't want to pull anything!) for several minutes while the dogs cry at me to come and let them outside. Then, I have to slowly...very slowly...get out of bed, stretch my neck out, stretch my legs out (but not too hard b/c I wouldn't want a charlie horse) and then rise. Oh and during all of this...the gas monster usually shows up at least once. Oh yeah, I am so dead sexy!!!

Mucus. Sometimes I feel like I have that family of partying mucus from the Mucinex commercial living in my nose these days. Except, most of the time, my snot monsters are red. Yep. I get up in the morning and between 7:30 and 12:00 I usually blow my nose 5 times and most of the time I get blood. Yummy, I know, but this isn't the best part. The best part is that, no matter how many times I blow my nose and think that everything is free and clear, I can be sitting here just breathing and I blow snot bubbles. Oh, c'mon, isn't this just the sexiest, most glamorous thing ever?! Disgusting. So I try to blow again to no avail. Just have to wipe, pray no one has seen what just happened and move on.

Oh yes, pregnancy may be beautiful and all of that but it is certainly not all glamor and glitz!

Stuck in a rut

So on a more serious note...I have been stuck in a major rut lately. I've had a lot on my mind and it's time to vent it all out.

First and foremost, I miss my husband. I miss him so bad. He's been gone for almost 4 weeks now and it still has not gotten any easier. I know that with Christmas being this weekend that it doesn't help with me missing him, only makes it more difficult. All of the little things just make me break down. I see couples out and about hugging and kissing and loving on each other and I want to cry. I sit here in an empty house and think about every single little thing that I wish that he was here for. And while I know that I have an amazing support system of family and friends, I still feel so alone without him here with me. He is not just my husband, he is my best friend and my missing link. Without him, I am not fully me. I hate even putting this out there because I know that everyone is just going to tell me that everything is just going to magically get better once Sophi is here but I just don't believe that. I don't believe for a single second that the birth of our child is going to make me miss my husband any less. Sure, I will be plenty busy and tons of happy when she is here but I will still not be complete until he is back home in my arms and we are a family. I've been crying now for about the last 12 hours. I hate feeling so weak. This is not who I am at all but without him, this is who I have become. I just feel like screaming sometimes just to scream. I don't think that it would make me feel any better though really...just an urge. There's a Dave Matthews song, Grey Street, that keeps coming to mind. One of the lines in the song says "she feels like kicking out all the windows". That's pretty much exactly how I feel. Miliani knows that I'm down too. She keeps coming over to my chair and standing her front paws on me to try and comfort me. She and I have grown closer since he's been gone. I'm certain it's because we both miss him so much. I hope things start to get a little easier soon.

Christmas just doesn't feel like Christmas this year at all. Usually this time of year we have our big tree up, presents all around and stockings hung. Me and Sandra have usually made at least one batch of cookies and I'm usually busy planning the big Christmas dinner for the family. This year I don't have any of that. No Mitch, no Sandra, no presents under the tree because I had to ship them all off weeks ago, no planning Christmas dinner. I just feel so lost. I miss hearing Sandra's little giggles as we listen to Christmas music and eat cookie dough while we get ready to bake. I miss the stockings all hung on the wall, I miss planning our Christmas dinner. I put a mini tree up, sure but it's not even Christmas yet and I'm contemplating taking it down. I hate feeling like this because I usually love this time of year but it just feels like the whole season is lost this year.

I'm worried about Sophi. The last ultrasound that we had @ 31 weeks, 3 days she was measuring small (in the 29th percentile). I had gained 21 pounds and Dr. Barnes didn't seemed concerned at all. When I went for my check up last week, I was down a pound. 20 pounds total @ 33 weeks, 3 days. The doc says he's not worried but has ordered us another growth ultrasound for the 3rd. I don't know how or why I'm not gaining. Maybe it has to do with the way I've been feeling lately? I don't know. I'm just praying for a good ultrasound in a couple of weeks to help ease my mind. The good news is, she is quite the mover these days and is getting very strong! Sometimes she kicks me (or elbows me) and I almost feel winded. Sunday morning when I was driving to church I could feel her little toes tickling the bottom of my ribs. That was actually pretty cool. So, even though I do worry about her growth and my weight gain, those little kicks and punches have been quite reassuring.

Sorry this blog entry has been a bit of a downer. I don't want anyone to think that I am not enjoying pregnancy or that I regret any of this because I do enjoy every little thing. I'm even learning to embrace the not-so-fun stuff. Just need to get it off of my chest sometimes. So if you've actually made it this far, thank you for listening. :)

A little fluff helps to ease the pain

Today is Monday and while I'm in good spirits, it's still difficult not having my Mitchy here. Saturday was a particularly hard day. I just wanted to lock myself inside and cry all day long. Saturday marked him being gone for 2 weeks. I know that's not a long time but this is now officially the longest we've been apart in almost 3 1/2 years. Plus, I don't like to use pregnancy hormones as an excuse but let me be honest, these pregnancy hormones are turning me into one big emotional mess!

So since I was having such a rough day/night Saturday, I decided to go play in the nursery for a bit. I pulled out all of the cloth diapers and cloth related items that we have so far and play with them. I know it sounds silly but just imagining our little girl in all of that adorable fluff really helped to lift my spirits. Soooo....I took a picture of my latest obsession so that I could be a shameless attention whore:

It's so cool to me how just going in there and dreaming about our little girl always has a way of making me feel better again. I can't wait to meet our little angel and see what she looks like, to be able to touch her and rock her, to take care of her every need. I can't believe we are down to one day shy of 7 weeks until due date!!!

Now...since I'm at it...I want to post a couple of pictures of my devilishly handsome husband in his desert gear. I know, I already have these on FB but I wanted them here too...he's hot, why not? :)

Standing on the back of a C-130:

In the cockpit of a B1 Bomber:

And time stands still...

You know, I've gotten a lot of advise throughout this pregnancy. Most of it I've taken with a grain of salt because, let's be honest, everyone's experience is going to be a little different but the one thing that I can truly say people were right about is this...time stops flying and seems to take a break and rest it's wings in the third trimester. Looking back, we've gotten to this point fast but it feels like a lifetime since the 30 week mark and yet it's only been 2 1/2 weeks. I can look at this as either a good or a bad thing. On the good side of things, there is still a lot that needs to be done/purchased before Sophi arrives and this way I don't feel quite as rushed. On the bad side, with Mitch gone, I just want time to move faster. I want it to be one month, then two and so on and so forth until he is back home. Also, I'm starting to get a little uncomfortable the bigger I get. It gets harder to put socks & shoes on every day and I've officially become the dreaded heavy breather in the room. :) But I've made a promise to myself that I will embrace the bad with the good since this may be my only pregnancy ever.

So I've got a few neat things to share. I'll start with an update on our little girl.

Sophi Update
So this week Sophi should weigh about 3.75 pounds and measure about 16.7 inches long. She should now be putting on about 1/2 a pound a week and will gain a third to half of her body weight in the next 7 weeks! She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (and lots of it apparently!). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Our last doctor's visit was last Friday. It was also our last ultrasound to make sure that our little girl is healthy and in place to come out of there! It is amazing the things that these ultrasound techs can tell from these shots! Sophi has Mitch's bubble butt, a ton of hair, pouty lips and her second toe is longer than her big toe! She has an amazingly strong heartbeat (163 bpm),is weighing about 3 1/2 pounds and is indeed head down just like she needs to be (good girl!). Dr. Barnes did say though that she is measuring small. At 31 weeks 3 days she was measuring 29 weeks 6 days. Nothing to be alarmed about. She's just small. He says that she is in the 29th percentile.

She is a VERY active baby and kicks the crap out of me all of the time. She's nice and does let me sleep at night though. Let's hope this continues once she gets here! One can only hope anyway. :) It's so neat to feel her when she really gets bumping around in there. Like she's playing a drum machine or something.

Oh and, I do not have pictures of the last ultrasound because she was being a stubborn butt and wouldn't turn to face us. She faced my spine the entire time. Silly girl. Don't know who she gets the stubborn streak from.... ... :)

Mommy Update

How far along? 32 weeks, 2 days
Weight gain/loss: About 21 pounds gained. I swallow hard even as I type that. I say "about" because I've stopped weighing myself so much because we all know that I'm obsessed and just need to let go.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep? Sleep is hit or miss. Especially with Mitch gone. I miss having him to snuggle up to at night and pass out. Tylenol PM does not cut it. As a matter of fact, it almost seems to bring Sophi to life which is not good when mommy wants to sleep. I usually have 2 or 3 nights of bad sleep followed by one really awesome night of sleep. This seems to be the pattern.
Best moment this week? While it's not completely baby related, the best moment of this week was getting to hit the town and go shopping with mom on Saturday. We had a blast together and it helped take my mind off of Mitch being gone for a little while.
Movement: Constant movement it seems. Even if it's just a little. She is very active. I swear I live for every kick or punch. Carrying a baby has been such a surreal experience for me and I wouldn't trade it for anything (except for maybe having her here in my arms). :)
Food cravings: Ok this is kind of funny...pretzels dipped in Chik Fil A sauce is definitely my new thing. I went through Chik Fil A for breakfast this morning and almost asked the girl at the window for some sauce for later! Pathetic, I know but it's so good!!!
Belly button in or out? Still in but barely....mom thinks that it won't pop out at all. It's actually tender to the touch lately too. I'm sure this has everything to do with all of the stretching my skin is doing right now.
What I miss the most: Mitch. I know, I'm a sap but I miss having him here with me. I miss him rubbing the belly or putting his mouth on the belly and talking like she can hear him better if he uses the belly like a megaphone. It's precious moments like these that we will always have whether he is here or half a world away.
What I am looking forward to? Christmas of course!!
Weekly wisdom: The show must go on! :)
Milestones: Ordered most of our cloth diaper stash between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Still waiting on some things to get here but I got some super deals and I'm so excited to have all of that fluff!! Can't wait to put it on her cute little bum!
Stuff I still need to get done: Finish buying stuff for baby, finish the nursery, figure out who goes onto my call list for when the time comes, pack my hospital bag. I know that there is more but that's all of the big stuff my pregnancy brain can think of right now. :P

Now for some fun stuff! Pictures!! Here are a few shots of the nursery. It still needs some work (stuff hung on the walls) but should have it all done by the end of the month.

Sophi's crib with "Daddy Dog" inside and the gorgeous butterfly mobile that my Secret Elfster, Michele got for us.

Sophi's view of her mobile:


Wall with her name and some butterflies:

Glider/recliner with boppy. Window w/ treatments in the back and more butterflies:

Laundry basket and dresser w/ changing pad & basket. I still need to decorate this wall, clearly :)

Bookcase/Shelving unit with lamp and pretty picture hung above. Still need to add pictures to this wall too.

It's definitely come a long way but there are a few more finishing touches and it will be all ready for Sophi!

I found some super cute Big Sister/Little sister shirts for Sandra and Sophi. I couldn't resist, really. :) Had to take a picture of them before sending Sandra's up to her:

Aaaaand here is my 32 week bump shot:

Well, that's it for now! I'm sure that I will have another update soon. Until next time!

Ultrasound Ultra Cool!

So I wanted to start this blog entry off by saying that I have the most amazingly wonderful doctor and staff in the entire world. I love going for our prenatal visits and always dealing with the same smiling faces. They always know our names and are interested in what is going on in our lives. Monday we had our 29 week check up and Mitch was telling our nurse about how this would be his last visit with me before deployment and she was asking him how I was holding up and stuff. Well, I guess Dr. Barnes overheard because when he came in to talk to us and check me and stuff, the first thing out of his mouth was thanking Mitch for his sacrifice and asking about where he will be going and what not. So we all talk for a few minutes and he walks us out to the lady at the check out counter and our ultrasound tech was there too. He proceeds to tell her that he wants to do a surprise ultrasound for us since Mitch won't be here for the final ultrasound or the birth. I lost it. Started crying like a pregnant lady. :) So we get in there and start doing the ultrasound. This was the first one we've had in over 10 weeks and my has our little girl grown since then! So we're looking at the screen and talking and laughing and such when our tech (wish I could remember her name!) says "let's try this" and put away the wand and grabs another one and sticks it on the belly. Mitch says "What's that one do?" and after a few seconds she says "This!" and the ultrasound goes 3D/4D!! Amazing! And there I went again....crying like a pregnant lady. So anyway, they gave us 14 pictures and a dvd recording of the ultrasound so that Mitch will have something to take with him on deployment. How special!! They are definitely getting a big batch of Christmas goodies from us this year! So now that I've blabbed...here are some pictures!

3D Pics First 

Profile shot. In the video, she looks like she is drinking here:

Another profile shot. Crazy how you can see all of the bones in her spine/mouth:

That would be a foot right next to that pretty little face! She's all sorts of snuggled up in there!

My mom couldn't make this one out so I don't know if anyone else will be able to but her face is turned sideways & almost looking straight on. There are two dark spots where her eyes are and you can see her little nose and lips. She's so perfect!

Perfect little foot imprint :)

Alright now on to the updates...
Sophi Update

So wow, here we are in the start of month 7. Things are progressing well and Sophi girl is doing all sorts of new things. Thebump.com says that for the next four weeks, she will be the size of a squash (see measurements in picture), more specifically for this week, the size of a butternut squash. She has been crazy energetic these days due to the formation of white fat deposits underneath her skin. Also, this month all five senses will finally be functional and her brain and nervous system are in high gear development mode. :) Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. Hopefully she gets her smarts from her daddy! Also, her bones are soaking up about 250mg of Calcium each day now so mommy has to make sure she drinks lots of milk!

Her movement is getting stronger and stronger. Sometimes she wakes me up in the middle of the night but where I thought this might bother me, it doesn't. It's kind of neat waking up to our little girl jabbing me in the belly. The only time I'm really ever uncomfortable is when she presses up real high and it constricts my breathing a little but it's not too difficult to convince her to go back down some so I can breathe again. She isn't kicking as much these days. More stretching than anything. It's so cool when she gets a good stretch going because my whole belly shifts to whatever side she is stretching too. We really get a kick (no pun intented...hehe) out of it! Also, when she does push out on me and I push back at her, now I can actually feel her in there vs. just feeling like the belly was bulging out. It almost feels like there is a knob under my skin and I'm pushing it back in. It's so amazing!! Again, I thought it would be all weird to feel a baby moving around inside of me but I look so forward to every little kick/stretch/hiccup that comes along! I love her so much!!

Mommy Update
How far along? 29 weeks, 3 days. 74 days until due date!
Weight gain/loss: Well I guess all of the weight I gained at my last visit was needed because I have leveled out again. I was 157 this Monday which puts my total weight gain at 17 pounds.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep? Sleep has been better lately. The last couple of nights I haven't even taken any Tylenol and have only had to get up a couple of times a night to pee.
Best moment this week? Definitely getting the surprise ultrasound on Monday and getting to see our little girl again!
Movement: Every day, several times a day. We had a command meeting on base the other night for family preparedness (getting ready for deployment) and she was rolling around so much in there I thought I might lose my stomach! Mom says she's doing baby gymnastics! LoL!
Food cravings: Nothing in specific right now. I've been trying to curb my sweet cravings and stick to the healthy foods again.
Belly button in or out? Still in but barely....I'm really surprised that it hasn't popped out yet but it is still very close to surfacing. I'm betting I won't be able to hold out much longer here.
What I miss the most: Having the energy to clean the entire house in one day. That probably sounds silly but I have to break my chores up into different days of the week now in order to have the energy that I need to devote to my honey when he gets home.
What I am looking forward to? Our second baby shower this weekend! I just know it's going to be fabulous!!!
Weekly wisdom: Get off of the scale!!!! Jillian Michaels and Tony Horton will be there when the doctor clears you to work out again AFTER Sophi is here.
Milestones: One baby shower down, one to go! There is still a lot to do this week though. I've been very lazy about getting in the nursery and getting things done. Mitch leaves next weekend though so, we need to get cracking!!

Baby Shower #1
So our first baby shower was this past Saturday (Nov. 13th). Mom got a group of her long time clients/friends and friends of the family together for a shower for us. We had a great time. Even had a glass of wine! I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite pictures from the day. :)

Why yes it is! :)

Proud Mommy & Daddy

Had to sneak a pic of my little Jaiden man in :)

28 weeks, 4 days baked

Smoochy Smoochy!

Mitchy was such a trooper letting me put ribbons all over him. :)

Cutting the cake :) It was sooooo yummy!!!

Well, that's all for now!! Next week I will have another baby shower update and hopefully some more nursery pics to share!

90 DAYS?!?!?!?!???!!!!!

Can somebody please tell this pregnancy to slow it down a little!! I can't believe that in around 90 days (only 90 days!!) our little Sophi girl will be here in my arms. It makes me think of all of the things that we still haven't done yet...which is a lot. I know that we will have everything ready for her when she gets here though...that's what I keep telling myself anyway to help keep me calm. :)

I had my last 4 week update on Monday and now we move on to every two week visits. This last visit was one that I was nervous about because I had to do the one hour glucose test. I was so freaked out that something would be wrong and I would end up with gestational diabetes. Well, it turns out that my sugar number and the number for my iron level were absolutely perfect! Yay, no insulin shots! I am such a baby when it comes to needles! Also, even though I had a ridiculous weight gain (see below), the doctor says that I am measuring right on and that I had hardly gained anything at all so I had to gain weight at some point! She made me feel all sorts of better but I'm still trying to curb the cravings.

Alright on to the updates....

Sophi Update

Ok so we are still in eggplant mode. :) I guess thebump.com ran out of fruits so in the last several months, we only get one fruit a month. The biggest update for this week (week 27) is that Sophi's lungs are undergoing some serious development right now and she is starting to practice inhaling and exhaling. Since there seems to be a shortage of oxygen in my womb, she will be breathing amniotic fluid for now. :) Also, with more brain tissue developing, her brain is very active now. Let's hope she gets her Daddy's smarts! She weighs almost 2 lbs. and should be measuring at about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She is beginning to sleep and wake at regular intervals now (like kicking me all night long last night!), opening and closing those beautiful baby eyes and possibly even sucking on her fingers.

Sophi has been super active today. Like a disco party in my belly! It's really neat getting to feel her bump around so much in there. She is also starting to give me new movements. Instead of small random kicks, it now feels like she is stretching against me when she moves. It's so weird. One side of my belly pushes out and gets really hard for a few seconds and then slowly goes back down. It would be so amazing if I could see inside when she does these things so I knew exactly what's going on in there. She is still sitting very low. I have hardly felt any movement above my belly button. Most of the action stays down low. She loves to use my bladder for a trampoline...hello kegels!! :) Last night, we tried the flashlight game for the first time. If you don't know what that is, I lay down and one of us shines a flashlight against the belly. Baby is supposed to go nuts but I guess Sophi wasn't really feeling it much. She only gave us a couple of good kicks. I tried it again this morning though since she was much more active and she had my belly rockin' and rollin' all over the place. Such a super amazing feeling!!


Mommy Update

How far along? 27 weeks, 1 day and only 6 days away from my third trimester! Crap!!!
Weight gain/loss: 18lbs. gained...I'm so ashamed! I went to the doctor's for my regular 4 week appointment on Monday and the nurse weighed me TWICE!! She weighed me once and then went to write it on my chart and was like "Can you step back on the scale again? This thing says you've gained 8 pounds since your last visit", regrettably, the scale didn't lie. I gained 8 pounds in 4 weeks. Time to buckle down on some of these cravings.
Maternity clothes? Got a super cute pair of skinny jeans and some really soft/pretty sweaters to wear for winter time! Now if it would just drop to below the mid-day 80's here maybe I can wear them!
Stretch marks? Still no. I talked with mom though and she said that she never got any with me or with Justin so that gives me some hope since they are hereditary
Sleep? Not without a handful of Tylenol and some Nighty Night tea. And sometimes those don't even work. It's getting super hard to get comfy and when I do, I can only stay there for about 2 hours before I want to cut my hip off from hurting so bad.
Best moment this week? There have been a few best moments, really. We have her bedding in the crib and the curtains hung in the nursery which feels good. Also, getting to hear her strong little heartbeat at the doc's on Monday was pretty awesome!
Movement: Yes! And she is getting stronger and stronger! I'm waiting for the day when I see the foot print on the belly.
Food cravings: Pumpkin ANYTHING!!! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice latte...I know what you're thinking...I am not Bubba from Forrest Gump reincarnated! LOL! ;)
Belly button in or out? Still in but barely....this ship is definitely starting to surface. And with 13 weeks to go still...I have a sad feeling that I may lose my innie for a little while. :)
What I miss? I miss my brain the most right now. Seems like day by day it slips farther and farther into pregnancy brain land. I sure hope it comes back after Sophi gets here. :)
What I am looking forward to? Getting to spend Thanksgiving with Mitch and my amazing family and eating lots of yummy food!!
Weekly wisdom: I still need to focus on not obsessing on weight gain. Also, not baby related but, take every opportunity to tell the people that you love how you feel about them. Be close to them and take everything in while you can. Deployment really stinks but I will say that it has made me appreciate my time with Mitch SO much more this last month especially. I know that I always tell him how much I love him and appreciate him but I didn't realize how much I take for granted the small things like the way it feels to snuggle close to him on the couch. Feel his warmth or smell him. I'm trying to take all of these things in as much as possibly before he's gone. :)
Milestones: Um, how about the fact that I'm down to 90 days and only 6 days away from the third trimester!! Yikes!! Monday was our last every 4 week check up. We are moving on to every two weeks now. Also, getting the bedding in the crib and the curtains hung was a big deal. This morning I ordered a couple of more things that should be here within the next couple of weeks but until then....

Here are a couple of pictures of the bedding and the curtains!  We picked the bedding up at Land of Nod and the polka dot curtains are from Pottery Barn Kids. 

We have been looking at outfits to bring her home in also. I felt it is important to have something picked out before Mitch deploys. I don't feel like it should be just me picking out such an important outfit! Here are a couple of the sets we have been looking at. Whichever one we end up with, I will find a super cute newborn knit hat to match on Etsy.

Well, my handsome husband has just arrived home so I'm off to spend the evening with him! Until next time!

Is this thing on????

Wow I can't believe it's been almost a month since I updated this blog....what a slacker I am!!! :) These last few weeks have been crazy busy and it doesn't look like things will slow down any time soon. The next 5 or 6 weeks we will be trying to get as much baby stuff done as possible (along with having 2 baby showers) and trying to get everything in order for Mitch to leave next month. Then after that, I will be picking myself up off of the floor and finishing up all things baby before Sophi arrives. I can't believe she will be here in about 3 1/2 months....15 weeks...that's not really that long. LoL! And I'll say again, pregnancy has been fabulous to me and has gone by entirely too fast!!

Just a warning...I have a feeling that this will be a pretty long blog so if you plan on sticking it out...you might want to grab a comfy chair and a drink. ;) Let's move on to the updates...

Sophi Update

From thebump.com:Baby is the size of an eggplant. Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Ok so I totally copied and pasted the above info from thebump.com but only because reading it made me tear up a little. And I must say that we will definitely be trying the "daddy's ear to the belly" thing. Plus, I can't believe our little Sophi is an eggplant finally!! YES!! She has been a papaya for the last 4 weeks and so this is HUGE for me!! I will say though that she is an eggplant baby with mad karate skills! LOL!! She has been kicking like crazy and I feel new and stronger movements at least once a week. It's amazing getting to feel her squirm around in there every day now though. Definitely helps to keep the "is my baby ok" worry down some.

We painted the nursery (well, Mitch mostly painted) a couple of days ago and I was a little concerned because I hadn't felt her move much throughout the day since I was moving around so much. Well, after I settled down into my rocking chair to watch Mitch put together the crib and dresser, the party came to life inside my belly! She was kicking me so hard that I felt like my insides were going to bruise and she was (what felt like) running her fingers or toes across my belly constantly for about 45 minutes. Mitch got to feel her and we both had a super cool proud mommy and daddy moment. :) I love that he has been able to feel her a lot more these days. It's helping him get more interested in things like wanting to keep his hand on my belly in case she moves or getting down and talking to her. These things just make my heart melt 100 times over!!

Mommy Update
How far along? 25 weeks today
Weight gain/loss: About 13 lbs. gained. It's starting to come on quickly now! I've gained 6 lbs. in 5 weeks. I'm trying not to freak myself out over it but it's difficult at times.
Maternity clothes? For sure! And it looks like I'll be moving up in size soon. Almost gone are the days of the size small maternity clothes. I'm hunting for a pair of cute maternity skinny jeans though to wear with my boots this winter!
Stretch marks? Nope! I've been using this super awesome 100% cocoa butter bar that Dahna (Mitch's big sis) sent me and it makes my skin feel amazing!! I may not have any stretch marks yet but I do have one seriously hairy happy trail and my veins are starting to form a road map the more my belly grows. :)
Sleep? Well, aside from getting up 3 or 4 times a night to pee, my sleeping has been ok. I am starting to have some hip pain so I take a couple of Tylenol right before bed and some nights we drink some chamomile tea and I usually get a pretty good night's sleep.
Best moment this week? Definitely getting the nursery painted and the crib and dresser put together. We still have a long way to go but this is a huge start for preparing for Sophi!
Movement: Every day, at least once a day for anywhere from about 15-45 minutes at a time. It's amazing to feel her move around so much and know that what I'm feeling is her and not have to wonder "Was that baby or do I have gas?" LoL! She is getting stronger and stronger. She has started really kicking pretty hard and even pushing back against me if I push on my belly sometimes. It's such a super cool feeling!!
Food cravings: Lately I have been craving strawberries and bananas. Which is good right? Right....well except most of the strawberry cravings come in the form of a strawberry milkshake!! LOL!! At least I am eating my bananas though minus the ice cream part. ;)
Belly button in or out? Still in. I don't think it's moving out yet but I'm definitely getting more paranoid since the belly is growing so fast now. I've been keeping a close eye on it! LoL, like there's anything I can do to stop it!! ;)
What I miss? This hasn't really changed since last time. I still miss being able to do things without feeling like my body is going to fall apart on me so easily. Just helping out a little with the nursery had my hands cramping and my hips and back aching. I also really, really, really, really miss running in the mornings with the dogs. Mitch has been taking the girls running lately and I so wish that I could join him but my body just won't allow it at this point. So I walk. It's kinda boring but I do it anyway because I have to do something and running is out of the question.
What I am looking forward to? Whatever comes next. With Mitch leaving so soon I'm trying not to look too far forward because then I just get sad about him going so instead of looking forward to big things, I'm looking forward to every little movement, heartbeat, hiccup that comes from inside and lets me know that Sophi is doing great and growing every day.
Weekly wisdom: Stretching is your best friend!! I have to make myself stretch before doing anything these days. It takes a few extra minutes out of my day but it definitely helps. In the morning, I get out of bed and stretch like I'm about to run a marathon (lol) but it makes my body feel a little less decrepit so it's worth the time that it takes. Also, stop worrying so much about weight gain. There is a baby in there and she needs me to put on weight. I have to stop being such a freak when I see the scale move!
Milestones: We got the nursery cleared out, painted and the crib and dresser together! Don't worry....there will be pics posted further down into this blog. I told you it would be a long one!! teehee ;)

So a couple of things that I just want to document that weren't in the above mommy stats are:

Holy gas bubbles Batman!!!! I thought that maybe, just maybe I got lucky and wouldn't get the dreaded pregnancy gas....buuuuuut....boy was I wrong!!! If you know me well, then you know that I am very modest about passing gas. I won't even do it in front of Mitch (even though he doesn't have a problem ripping it up around me!!). I will run to the bathroom, shut the door, turn on the fan and sink so that he doesn't hear me. Well, lately I haven't had much warning and the evil fart monster has started showing itself! It's so embarrassing for me but Mitch is a champ and sometimes even acts like he doesn't hear it when I can't make it to the bathroom in time. Guess this is something I should get used to. No matter what though, I could never be the girl who gets into "fart wars" with my husband....that's just nasty!

Is this a dream or is it really real???? I have been having the most insane, violent, nutso, VERY realistic dreams during this pregnancy but the further I get along, the more real my dreams become. I dream that someone is chasing me with a gun/knife trying to kill me or they are killing people all around me. I dream that Mitch is cheating on me and that I catch him and in some violent manner kill the girl that he's with. Every vulgar word that I don't say while I'm awake comes out in my dreams. I wake up with my heart pounding so hard, I wake up in a pool of sweat from running so hard in the dreams, and sometimes I even wake up bawling my eyes out. Super freaky crazy nutso pregnancy dreams!!

Are we sure this isn't the first trimester??? Seriously though, the first trimester is where I'm supposed to be all pukey and emotional and all the bad stuff but really, it was a total cake walk (Mmmm...cake) for me! I'm paying for it now though!! I have been so emotional lately. I mean, I've always been one to wear my heart on my sleeve but lately that thing has been threatening to jump!! I cry or get my feelings hurt super easily right now. Just in the last week, Mitch, being the amazing husband and lover that he is, has had to comfort me twice when I've woken up from nightmares and have been a complete wreck. I mean seriously crying uncontrollably over a flippin' DREAM! WHAT?! I mean, who does that?? Me, I'm that girl! LoL! Also, what's up with the morning sickness??? Isn't this supposed to be the time when I have all of this energy and feel great and can eat what I want and not have to worry about this stuff??? Nope, I can't brush my teeth with toothpaste...or I'll puke in the sink and if I even think about eating something that Sophi doesn't like? She just makes sure it doesn't stay down for long and mommy is making a mad dash to the toilet to get it back up. I swear I think that the carpet is wearing thin in the path from the living room to the bathroom between my 100 times a day pee trips and random vomit breaks. Ugh!! I still have it easier than a lot of ladies though so I am thankful for that!!

Now for the fun stuff....

Wait...it's been fun reading so far, right? Hope you haven't fallen asleep on me yet!! hehe :)

So Justin and I had the opportunity to go visit our Dad for a few days around the first of the month. It really was a super nice relaxing time. Not only did I need some time away from all of the things that have been consuming my mind lately but we both needed some good quality time with our Dad and Dana (dad's beautiful fiancée). We also got to see/meet some of our family that we never really had a chance to get to know before. All in all, it was a great weekend and although it isn't baby related, I wanted to post a few pics anyway. :)

Justin and Dad fly fishing for trout at Blackhawk (Dad's office)

Here I am on top of a huge stump from a white oak

Dad and Jus together after one of many catches

The three of us on a bench in Helen, Ga. Cool little German town north of where Dad and Dana live.

Me and Dana on the bench. Check out the gorgeous fountain behind us!

The three of us in front of the windmill

Nursery Time!!!

It's about stinking time, right?!? Ok, so I'm just going to post pics and narrate for you. :)

Mitchy getting the room taped off and ready to go

Drop cloth is down, walls are taped and paint is open...let's get this party started!

Mitchy started on the trim work

Mom painted one side of the room

I worked on the other...

Posing for the paparazzi ;)

Then I did some observing...

And....then I took a break to play with Jaiden :)

Hubba Hubba!!

Whoops! Busted for checking out Mitch's booty!!

Proud Daddy next to our fully assembled crib

Whatcha doin' in there Daddy?? Mitch taking the dresser pieces out of the box while Liesel and Miliani check out what's going on. Enzo was sitting on my lap.

Mitchy worked hard late into the night...

And the puppies slept.

View from the door. Crib is to the left, dresser is to the right and the rocker is where I would like my future glider to go (hint hint Christmas present...lol)

Our crib that I am soooooo in love with!

The dresser that will also be the changing table

We obviously have a lot more to do but this is a great start we think. :) We will be ordering the bed set and curtains in the next couple of weeks, I need to steam clean the carpets and get the wall art ordered and put up but we just know that everything will turn out beautifully and are so super excited that we are now just one step closer to being ready for Sophi's arrival in a few months. :)

Well, I hope you all have enjoyed this entry but I have been working on it for 3 hours now and it's time to eat lunch with my handsome husband and then I think I'll bake a pumpkin cheesecake....yummy!!!