33 Weeks and Counting!

This week has been amazing! My parents came into town from Texas to throw me a baby shower with family friends (How awesome are they?!), and my Hubby's Grandparents were in town as well (from Indiana) for the shower. Hubby's younger brother was in town to see all the family before he moves to Hawaii *so not fair*, the boys had fun playing video games and hanging out most of the week. Unfortunately Hubby wasn't able to be there for the shower because of work, but family was there in full force : ) I'll post pictures as soon as I can wrestle the camera away from Nana Mo. 

Maternity Clothes: I picked up two more tops today, I'm really excited about my green top. If I pair it with an electric orange necklace it will be perfect for Halloween or seasonal activities. 

 

Weight Gain/Loss: The doc has me drinking Protein shakes in an attempt to put on even more weight before my next appointment. I get to be lazy and eat more so I feel like I'm on a vacation of sorts. *munching on a protein bar as I type* 

Sleep: Finding a comfortable position is even more difficult and when I do find one it's the most awkward/painful looking contortion of my body. But you know what....it feels good. Naps are a blessing, as is sleeping in on the weekends (if I don't worry myself into waking up and cleaning the entire kitchen again).  

Best moment this week: Seeing my mom (Nana Mo) fall asleep on my chair and being snuggled up to by my puppies. Seeing my dad (Papa Mo) put together a Pack n' Play while he listens to football. He looked at it when it was all done and said it was a pretty cool contraption for baby Melody. : )   

Movement: Melody is moving around quite a bit, she even likes to push her butt up into my ribs to make me move.  

Food cravings: Any food will do I just want more!   

Belly Button: My belly is getting bigger and my belly button is getting even more stretched out! It's almost gone. Only a few more centimeters and I might have to change my blog title to "Bye-Bye Bellybutton Hello Belly".  

What I love: The gorgeous weather!

What I miss: Being able to look down with out bending over to see my toes.  

What I am looking forward to: Hubby getting home to see the pile of baby shower gifts in our house! And setting up Melody's crib!

Shower pictures to come...... 

Creepy Baby Cakes

Lately I've found myself going back through the archives of one of my favorite sites, Cake Wrecks. They take a humorous look at professional (that term is used loosely) cakes gone horribly wrong. Anywhoo, I found, re-found, and unearthed some very creepy baby shower cakes. Some of them are so amazing ridiculous that I just had to share the love. 

First up....

Yumm. Ugly plastic babies coated in gobs of icing, and snuggling up to some odd ducks. 

Yet another creepy baby shower trend is the belly cake. 

The nails aren't helping this go down any easier. 

Again with the creepy plastic doll covered in fondant. 

The blank stare from the 'beby' is taking me back to a horror flick kinda fear. 

And for our final outlandish baby shower cake.... 

I proudly give you 'birth in cake'.

*WARNING!* 

THE FOLLOWING CAKE IS NOT FOR THE EYES OF CHILDREN

Now is the time to pick your jaw up off the ground ( trust me, mine was down there too).

Yes, the censor bars are necessary. I can't believe someone even commissioned this cake let alone thought of it!

CRAZY!

Well that's it for now. 

I found all of these cakes at CakeWrecks.com so please give them the credit for fining these *lovely* gems of sugar. And please go check out their amazing site.

Week 31!

We are in the home stretch, the final trimester! The hubby and I will see our gorgeous baby girl in about 62 days (but who's counting anyways right?). I can't explain the mix of emotions that comes over me when I think about the arrival baby Melody. Happiness at being able to hold her in my arms and seeing her with her Daddy (I can't wait for that moment when he holds her and has the biggest grin imaginable!). The sense of responsibility to protect this precious little bundle and give her the best of this world. And of course the need to protect and care for her. But most of all I just want to see her plump little face!

Well enough about what I want and on to what you want... more info!

Maternity Clothes: My birthday wasn't that long ago and I received a gift card for Motherhood Maternity which I made prompt use of in the last few days. : ) I also got a gift card for Kohl's that I plan on hoarding until after Melody arrives. It is sitting in a lovely hand-made, tie-dye duct tape wallet that I also got for my birthday (Thank you J!).

 

Weight Gain/Loss: I am tipping the scale at a healthy pregnancy weight that I have never once seen in my life. Let's just not speak of this topic ok? 

Sleep:  It's a toss up. Heartburn doesn't help the attempt of sleeping but Melody makes the actual act of sleeping a little difficult these days. I toss in my sleep and apparently I have passed this habit on to my  daughter. Oh joy. Mid-day naps are now my best friend. 

Best moment this week:  Every time Hubby puts his hands on my belly Melody calms down and I get a break from the constant barrage of kicks, tumbles, punches and acrobatics in my belly. I've started to use this to my advantage! Mwahahaha! 

Movement: I started using an app on my iPhone that tracks kicks, a kick counter. If you don't feel more than 10 kicks in an hour you call your doctor and get an extra check up. I opened up the app and sat down to count kicks and wouldn't you know my little girl kicked me 30+ times in a 15 min. period. How's that for a healthy active baby!

Food cravings:  Anything that doesn't repulse me. 

Belly Button: Belly Button? Whats that? Oh you mean the little thing in the center of my belly that is quickly disappearing. 

What I love: Eating whatever want and not really exercising. I feel like I'm cheating but I'm not! (Love It!)

What I miss: Running, of all the things to miss. I know I'm crazy but I miss being able to run myself ragged, get absolutely exhausted by exercising, not going up the stairs. 

What I am looking forward to: Setting up baby furniture and finishing Melody's room. 

Week 25

How far along: 25 Weeks!

Maternity clothes: Still wearing the same ones, nothing new yet. But as my belly starts to grow even more I might have to venture out and find something to cover it up : )

Weight Gain/Loss: Weight gain is right on track, but I still need to eat more protein. I just can't bring myself to eat meat too much these days so I find myself snacking on Peanut butter. 

Sleep: Amazing! The last few nights have been great. I go to bed, put me head on the pillow and *zonk* I'm out until morning! But then I end up taking an 3 hour nap (which is ridiculous!). I would feel guilty about the nap but I was too tired to care. 

Best moment this week: Telling DH that our Little Angel of a Girl can rearrange my insides if she wants, and him getting to feel it! The look on his face was priceless. 

Movement: Tons... our sweet little girl likes to play with mommy's insides. Especially after meals and at bed time, it's a riot. 

Food cravings:  I want carbs, bread and noodles all the time! I have to remind myself that you need to add veggies and meat to make a meal that will be appetizing to the non-preggos. 

Belly Button: I used to have a belly button. Now I just have a small divot/dent in the center of my stomach and I have a feeling that it will be disappearing soon. 

What I love: TPS (Tummy Positioning System). DH came up with it when he was trying to locate someone in my belly. He seemed a little freaked out by the fact that I don't have to put my hands on my belly to tell where our daughter is. He got over it though. Now he asks where she is so he can chase her with a Popsicle!

What I miss: Being able to bend over with out adjusting the baby.

What I am looking forward to: Filling up the closet with more great little girls clothes (that aren't too girly). And at such great prices too!

Milestones: I have a Glucose Test coming up in a few days to tell if I have Gestational Diabetes. Every woman gets this test when they're pregnant so it's nothing to get worried about. The only thing I dread is having to taste the heavily sugared drink they give you for the test! Bleh. 

Drum Roll Please.....

DH and I had the great opportunity to go have an anatomy scan and discover the 'anatomy' of our dear Little One!


So.... Pink or Blue? Which will it be? 


It's a Girl!

Week 21/22

Week 21 and 22 will be rolled to gether in this post because DH and I have been so busy with teaching basic dance/flag skills and show work to our new colorguard. Horay for Guard! I'm so excited to be the new Colorguard Director to a small guard in Fredericksburg, VA. DH and I can't wait for the season to start and the girls to improve more than they already have in the last week. 

Anyhow, that's what we have been busy with this week.... here is how the baby is doing. 

Maternity clothes: Just the normal tops and jeans for now. However I might have to go out and get some more workout clothes and professional clothes now that I am teaching!

Weight Gain/Loss: Still need to put on the pounds! I'm snacking more and eating more protien (bleh) but its all for the good of the baby. 

Sleep: The baby seems to sleep just fine. No more waking up Mommy by punching, but I can't seem to sleep at night. Naps durring the day are no problem, but heaven forbin I should have a normal sleep cycle. 

Best moment this week: Getting kicked in the bladder while trying to teach dance work to my new colorguard.  

Movement: ALOT! This kid gets so excited for Sour Cream and Onion chips its too funny!

Food cravings: Fruit.

Belly Button: Innie. 

What I love: Looking at baby furniture. 

What I miss: Right now, nothing. I'm just enjoying the moment with my hubby and our baby. 

What I am looking forward to: Watching our little one sleep. 

Milestones: We have had an up-tick in movement last week and this week! We go in for an anatomy scan next Wednesday so we should (hopefully if the baby is cooperating) be able to tell exactly who we are expecting! I can't wait to find out!

Week 20

How far along: 20 Weeks!

Maternity clothes: I spent 30 mins. getting dressed the other day and came to realize that I have very few maternity tops, and even fewer tops/t-shirts that are large enough to get around my belly. So I broke down (again) and went out to get some discount maternity tops from Ross. Boo for having to spend money but a big fat YAY for more tops!

Weight Gain/Loss: I have currently gained only 6-7lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight. The doc told me to eat more and gain more weight! I have never before in my life been told that I need to 'gain' weight, guess I better start working on that : ) More food for Mrs. Piggy (I could seriously just camp out next to the fridge and snack all day long). 

Sleep: I'm sleeping just fine, but the dogs aren't and they continue to wake me up at 3am every morning!!! I guess they know what's coming and are trying to prepare me for it. But really? 3am? Now I just have to take an extra nap during the day. Oh well.

Best moment this week: Hearing our baby's heart beat at a STRONG 140 today. DH and I got to hear it with the doppler, a small handheld ultrasound like machine that can pick up on the sound. 

Movement: Sporadic at best right now but that is to be expected. The doc said I should be able to feel the baby more frequently as we get into week 25 and on. 

Food cravings: Sugar, I just had to get that jumbo pack of Sour Patch Kids and have them hidden in the pantry. A small hand-full a day isn't bad : )

Belly Button: Still an innie. The doc also measured my belly today, she said it's at the perfect size for how far along I am right now. 

What I love: Dinner with the DH and friends

What I miss: Throwing on whatever I wanted to in the morning and looking just fine.

What I am looking forward to: The dogs' reaction to a messy, loud, tiny human!

Milestones: We finally got an appointment at the OB center! It only took 4 weeks. and now they tell DH and I that they don't to anatomy scans past the 16 week mark (that would have been nice to know). Now we have to wait 3 or 4 weeks for an appointment at a Radiology center that is 2 hours away. They are nuts!

The Big Move/ 19 Weeks

The Move!

So now that DH and I have finally gotten everything settled out here in Virginia I can make my first post from our new home! We are fortunate enough to have a great home, in a quiet neighborhood and close to all the action. Shopping is close and so is DC! I can't wait to go to all the museums and events out there, just so much to see and do. But I think the thing I am most excited about is going to the local Farmer's Market this Saturday. Probably silly but I missed the home-made Amish baked goods, especially the loaf of poppy seed bread, yum!

The puppies are very entertained by the fact that they have a small backyard to run around in and a neighbor to bark at. And I love that we have three floors to spread out all our stuff on! That means we actually have to get some more furniture but hey I'm not complaining : ) We might have more room than what we know what to do with but I love it here. 

                                                                 Home Sweet Home

Week 19

How far along: 19 wondrous weeks!

Maternity clothes: I broke down and got a pair of shorts (I never wear shorts!) and a pair of capris, it feels great with all this hot weather moving in.

Sleep: It's hot out here so sleeping with the fan on high and the window open is different but I'm getting used to it. The baby doesn't kick at night because s/he can perceive light now and most likely sleeps when I sleep. The only thing I have to contend with at night is pushing a dog to the side so my ever-growing belly has room on the bed!

Best moment this week: searching through racks of baby clothes just to see what they have and guessing what we are going to get (girl or boy).

Movement: not much this week that I can feel, admittedly, my mind has been elsewhere (moving in).

Food cravings: I really want a cup of the instant Ramen noodles, but with all the preservatives it's not good for us pregnant women. But I'm still tempted just to buy a huge box of them an stash them until after the baby comes.

Belly Button: still an innie but its now 3-4 inches out from where it used to be. my belly is getting huge!

What I love: Nectarines! I can't get enough fruit this week. I bought a bag of nectarines and DH only got to have 1 before ended up eating them all.

What I miss: Being lazy. DH and I have started to go to the gym more frequently and I am much more active than before we knew I was pregnant, imagine that. 

The famous ever-expanding belly!

Woo-Hoo Week 19!

Apparently DH could not resist getting something to decorate the baby's bathroom with. 

The Frog head actually bounces up and down! We got a matching polka-dot trash can too. 

The Crib will be coming soon, I'll post pics when it's all set up.

Week 15

Sorry I skipped a week, DH and I were on the road to Virginia from California (and our mental health is just fine thank you). Nothing really amazing happened baby-wise in week 14 so I promise you didn't miss much. But I will make it up to you by posting more pictures later this week. 

How far along: 15 wonderful weeks!

Maternity clothes: Nothing new but I am loving my sweat pants and yoga pants.

Sleep: this week has been pretty good for sleep except for last night. I just couldn't find a comfortable position, I think I flipped and changed spots at least a dozen times. 

Best moment this week: DH and I went out on an impromptu date night to this lovely Italian place in Fredericksburg for dinner. The architecture was gorgeous and the food was great. Just getting to sit down, talking, and being together was exactly what I needed. 

Then, a few nights later, we went to see my little sister-in-law play at her band concert. She had a solo and ROCKED it! After we all went to Rita's for a post-concert snack/dessert. All in all a wonderful week! 

Movement: I love how every once in a while I get these twinges in my lower abdomen, it's the baby stretching out! Little One does this at least once a day, usually in the evenings after dinner. 

Food cravings: Nothing odd or strange but I want sugar more and more, especially chocolate. 

Belly Button: Still an innie and I don't see that changing any time soon. 

What I love: I love curling up in bed at night with DH and putting both our hands on my belly. 

What I miss: I miss having our own place. We are looking for a house right now and I can't wait to cook dinner in my own kitchen and go to bed in my own home!

As soon as Mom e-mails me the photos she took I will be able to post them! So keep coming back to check for them