26 Weeks!!

How far along: 26 weeks !

Trimester: Last month of the Second Trimester!!!

Baby size: An English hothouse cucumber- 14 inches and 2 pounds! Getting bigger and bigger, which can be seen by my ever growing belly!

Toes: They're getting harder and harder to see every day.

Gender: BABY GIRL!

Movement: She keeps moving and flipping, but I can tell it's getting harder for her to move. I'm beginning to notice a pattern to her movements as well.

Cravings: Food. Please. Food. I just need food! My sweet tooth has picked up, though it could be because there are so many yummy sweet treats that are fall-iscious.

Aversions: I've tried chicken, and it's okay...still not my favorite though.

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, acid re-flux, some slight dizziness, and hip and back pain, but nothing to complain about :) Also, I'm beginning to experience Braxton Hicks contractions.

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: Your daddy got to really feel you kick this week. It was a very special moment and I was so happy that he could experience just a little bit of what I feel many times throughout the day.

What I'm looking forward to: The Apple Festival this weekend with dear friends! I'm so excited to get out and enjoy this cool weather. 

I feel like recently my stomach has grown exponentially. And I'm loving it! I mean there's no denying I'm pregnant with this little basketball belly. Of course, I know I'm only going to get bigger from here, but I welcome it. I love my ever-growing belly. It's fun to dress up, and it shocked me when I went to put on one of my "small" t-shirts and it barely covered my stomach! Once again, I love it!!

Bringing Home Baby; The Advice

I see shirts like this and they make me laugh. I just kinda roll my eyes and continue on with my life. But there is something to this shirt that makes sense. I can see why some people would portray this kind of attitude. Being a first time mom, I never realized how many people offer advice the instant they find out your pregnant. Then the advice continues once they find out if you're having a boy or girl. And with that advice comes their opinions. 

I'm not complaining though. It's just their way of showing that they care, even if they don't know me. I'm getting good at just smiling and nodding. But I believe this is a part of what it takes to bring baby home. Putting up with all the unsolicited advice that comes your way is just another thing you have to deal with. The best part is, you most likely know who has your best interest at heart and in the end...it's your body and your baby. All that matters in the end is how you feel.

Along with the unsolicited advice...the belly rubs! Once again, I just smile and nod.

25 Weeks!

How far along: 25 weeks 

Trimester: Last month of the Second Trimester!!!

Baby size: Average rutabaga - 13 inches and 2 pounds! Getting bigger and bigger, which can be seen by my ever growing belly!

Toes: They're getting harder and harder to see every day.

Gender: BABY GIRL!

Movement: She keeps moving and flipping, but I can tell it's getting harder for her to move. Things must be getting tighter in there!

Cravings: Food. Please. Food. I just need food! My sweet tooth has picked up, though it could be because there are so many yummy sweet treats that are fall-iscious.

Aversions: I've tried chicken, and it's okay...still not my favorite though.

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, some slight dizziness, and hip and back pain, but nothing to complain about :)

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: We had another doctor's appointment and everything checked out well! Also, it's now more apparent that there's a baby in my belly. It's like BOOM in your face! Haha. I love it!! And it's now big enough to rest my cups and things on, which comes in handy :)

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery! Now that I know what we're having, nesting has kicked in full force.  The crib is up, but that's about it.

My darling daughter...

I know we haven't officially met yet, but I feel like I know you. I've spent many hours trying to picture what you will look like. Will you be a blonde, a brunette, or a ginger? Will you have blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, or even hazel eyes like me? Your dad and I joke that you can have his looks and my brains and we'll be alright. No matter what, my darling, you are a beautiful girl. I'm seeing the world in a new light now, knowing that you will be joining our family, and I can't wait until I can see you discover it through your new eyes. 

When I first heard this song by Tyrone Wells I immediately thought of you. Now, whenever I hear it, which is often because I can't stop playing it, I tear up knowing that this is your song. There is just something about this song that sends a message straight to the place in my heart where you have taken residence. It is your song and there is none out there that suits you better. 

"You fit me perfectly, darling it's plain to see, you are a beautiful girl"

I can't wait until you're here so we can dance to the song together and I can whisper in your ear over and over again that you are a beautiful girl. That you are my beautiful girl and you make my world beautiful.

Bringing Home Baby; the Nursery

A lot of research has been put into this whole "having a baby thing." I have found out there is a lot more to bringing home baby than just popping them out and then placing them in a car seat to bring them home. Obviously I'm kidding just a little here. 

Even before baby comes home, baby has to have a place to come home to. A place for baby to sleep (eventually), a place for a diaper change, and a place to keep all of baby's cute adorable clothes that so many loved ones has purchased for them. A nursery. For some people the nursery is a shared room, either with another child or room that has another purpose. Other people set aside a special room just for their little new little one. Of course, this varies from family to family and it all depends on living situation. The hubs and I are lucky to have a room that we have set aside for our little girl. Now we just have to fill the room with lovely things.

Things I've found we need:

• a crib

Now this isn't our crib, just one like it. I'm saving sharing the final crib reveal for when our nursery is fully complete.

• a changing table

Once again, this isn't ours. We decided to go with a dresser that can have a changing pad added on top. This way the changing table can serve dual purposes.

• a crib mattress

Cribs don't come equipped with crib mattresses. Who knew? There are so many options out there with crib mattresses. There are foam mattresses and spring mattresses. We opted for a spring mattress when we registered. 

• a glider or rocker

I imagine a glider will be ideal for feedings and rocking my little one to sleep. Honestly, I can't wait to put ours to use!

• storage

I'm still on the lookout for a good bookshelf unit for storing toys, books, and nick-knacks. I have the perfect spot for a shelving unit just like the one in the top right picture. Now just to find the perfect piece.

There are more things that a nursery needs, but in my opinion these are the essentials. Of course, I'm a first time mom so this list might change as time goes by and we get adjusted to life with a little one, but that'll be for another post. If you see anything I need to add, please feel free to let me know! The goal this weekend is to work some more on the nursery. I'm ready for it to be ready, because, even though she has 3 and a half more months of cooking to do, I'll feel better when things are settled and ready. It's just my nature I guess. Oh well, here's to a weekend of organizing and getting things ready! And then once that's all done, I'll post all about our little one's nursery!

24 Weeks!!

How far along: 24 weeks 

Trimester: Last month of the Second Trimester!!!

Baby size: Ear of corn - a foot long and over a pound and a half!

Toes: They're getting harder and harder to see every day.

Gender: BABY GIRL!

Movement: Baby is wriggling around like crazy and getting stronger! We can now see her moving and kicking!

Cravings: Food. Please. Food. I just need food! My sweet tooth has picked up, though it could be because there are so many yummy sweet treats that are fall-iscious.

Aversions: I've tried chicken, and it's okay...still not my favorite though.

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, some slight dizziness, and back pain, but nothing to complain about :)

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: Spending the weekend with Jo's "aunts." We had a fun time with just us girls.

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery! Now that I know what we're having, nesting has kicked in full force.  The crib is up, but that's about it.

Ode to Pregnancy Emotions

Okay, so maybe not an ode. That just sounded good in the title.

But seriously, pregnancy emotions, what are you doing to me?! One minute I'm fine, the next I'm curled up in a ball on the couch crying and can barely contain myself, the next I'm mad at the world.

I hope I'm not the only one feeling this way. And when I get this way the only thing that seems to make it better is a Wendy's Frosty. 

I mean, just look at the yummy goodness. I dropped enough hints with the hubs, so let's see if he comes home from work with one. 

Anyway, I'm sitting here breathing deeply trying to get these emotions in check. I know they're not a true representation of how I'm feeling and they're all just out of wack because of these lovely things called hormones. But it's all worth it, right? The ups and downs will all be worth it once this baby girl is here!

Hiking

I love being outside. Well, let me rephrase that. I love being outside when the weather is lovely and there is a nice breeze and not so many bugs. This weekend the weather was lovely, though I could have done without some of those pesky gnats. So taking full advantage of the weekend, the hubs and I decided to go hiking. I absolutely love a good hike, and this was going to be the first pregnant hike. So we found where we wanted to take our little adventure to and set off. 

 It was such a beautiful day.

Ready to tackle those 2 miles! I was good until I had to go uphill, then it took me a little while. But I was ready for more when it was over! 

The original plan was to hike around the lake, unfortunately we couldn't find that trail. The one we hiked though was nice and shaded for us. The best part, no one else was there! 

We traveled to a little park a little way from the trail head. This canal was beautiful.

A great day hiking with the hubs. 

I can't wait until the next weekend we can go hiking again! Hopefully though we'll find a more rigorous hike, or at least a longer one. Those two miles just weren't long enough for me. Instead they left me itching for more! Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't an easy hike by all means. Going uphill left me out of breath and I had to take my time, but it was a lot of fun and it felt good to get out and moving.

23 Weeks!

How far along: 23 weeks 

Trimester: Last month of the Second Trimester!!!

Baby size: Mango - 11 inches long and over a pound!

Toes: They're getting harder and harder to see every day.

Gender: BABY GIRL!

Movement: Baby is wriggling around like crazy and getting stronger! We can now see her moving and kicking!

Cravings: Food. Please. Food. I just need food!

Aversions: I'm warming up to chicken, as long as it's fried. Good southern fried chicken does sound good at the moment.

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, some slight dizziness, and back pain, but nothing to complain about :)

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: This fall weather! The leaves are changing and the breeze is cooling things off! Also, getting out and hiking. It felt good to go for a walk and just enjoy being outside. 

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery! Now that I know what we're having, nesting has kicked in full force.  The crib is up, but that's about it.

To Cloth or Not to Cloth, that is the question...

Whether 'tis nobler in mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them.

Okay, enough of my Shakespeare rant. But I couldn't resist David Tennant as Hamlet. Amazing. Purely amazing. 

But seriously, to cloth or not to cloth? That has been the biggest question of my pregnancy and one I have been wrestling with for a while. Do we take the step and attempt to use cloth diapers or do we stick with the traditional disposable diapers. The heaviest weighing factor is the cost effectiveness. Disposable diapers cost a lot of money, around $2000 or more per child. But that cost is spread out over months. The cost of cloth diapers depends on the style of diaper that you buy and how many you buy. This is more of an upfront cost. But you can reuse diapers for each child you have. So it's only a one-time fee depending on how well you care for the diapers.

With the idea of me being a stay-at-home mom after this school year (this is the goal, we'll see if we make it - please pray that we do!), it shouldn't be too much trouble for me to keep up with a stack of cloth diapers and caring for the diapers. The thing would be getting a routine down (which I think I could do).

Everyone of my family members, especially the hubs, is against the idea. But the whole cost thing is really getting to me. I am trying my hardest to save as much money as I can, another thing helping me to get home for good. Of course I know there are coupons and I could coupon for inexpensive diapers, but I just don't know. There's something tugging at my gut that just leans towards the cloth!

Help! Do you lovely moms out there have opinions for me?! Advice? If I do go with cloth diapers, what should we go with? (Side note: I won't start officially cloth diapering until probably around 2 months or after we've established life at home with a new baby)

Any advice will be well taken and would be very much appreciated!

22 Weeks!

How far along: 22 weeks 

Trimester: Last month of the Second Trimester!!!

Baby size: Spaghetti Squash - 11 inches and I have a feeling she's well over a pound.

Toes: They're getting harder and harder to see every day.

Gender: BABY GIRL!

Movement: Baby is wriggling around like crazy! But I'm not complaining, I'm loving it! I just can't wait until I can start seeing her move! 

Cravings: Food. Please. Food. I just need food!

Aversions: I'm warming up to chicken, as long as it's fried. Good southern fried chicken does sound good at the moment.

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, some slight dizziness, and back pain, but nothing to complain about :)

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: UGA FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!! But more seriously, the weather has officially cooled down! It's been so much easier on this pregnant and prone-to-being-incredibly-hot body. Fall is officially here and that means just one more season until this baby girl gets here!!

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery! Now that I know what we're having, nesting has kicked in full force.  The crib is up, but that's about it. 

What's in a name?

The hubs and I have always known that naming our children would be important. We both have a strong sense of family ties and wanting to carry on family traditions. It might just be a southern thing, but we love to carry on and honor namesakes. So when it came time to choose a name for our little girl, we didn't hesitate. We knew what we would be naming her. Johanna Mary, or Jo for short. Johanna honors my great-grandmother on my father's side, though she spelled her name slightly different. Mary honors about six people on both my husband's and my side, including my mother-in-law. The nickname Jo honors my maternal grandfather and his father. 

I personally just love the name. It sounds good when said aloud and it just feels right in my heart.

21 Weeks and Gender Reveal!

How far along: 21 weeks 

Trimester: Second

Baby size: Carrot - 10 1/2 inches long and according to the last ultrasound weighs 14 ounces (we've got a fat baby!)

Toes: They're getting harder and harder to see every day.

Gender: BABY GIRL!

Movement: Baby is wriggling around like crazy! But I'm not complaining, I'm loving it!

Cravings: Food. Please. Food. I just need food!

Aversions: I still don't like chicken, but really it doesn't matter. I just want food nowadays, maybe that's why we've got a little chunk! 

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, and some slight dizziness, but nothing to complain about :)

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: Finding out the gender and sharing the news with our family! It was awesome having them all in one place when we told them our news. Now just for her to get here!

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery! Now that I know what we're having, nesting has kicked in full force. My goal is to get the crib set up today so I can work on the smaller details and the cutesy stuff.

Here's a quick photo snapped at the reveal. Everyone was so excited and I was so nervous when we opened that box. Even though I knew what was inside, I still had butterflies. But everyone is so excited. I'll have more pictures documenting the day later. One of my best friends is an amazing photographer and so she captured it all for us. I can't wait to see the pictures and share them all!

The Big Day!

Today was the big day! The hubs and I found out what we're having! But shhh...It's still a secret. Tater Tot was so unruly! First, the legs were crossed, then fetal position. And every time we tried to get a face picture, up went the hands to cover up! But it was so fun to see our little one! We even got a dvd to watch and share. It's exciting to see our little one grow bigger. We still have a little while before we actually get to meet our little one, but we're so excited!!

So the gender is still a secret until Sunday when we have our gender reveal party and we're able to share it with our family and friends! Here are the invites that I created for the party. They're nothing special, but I'm proud of them.

Yesterday we spent the day shopping and getting things ready. Because it's fall (almost), there aren't many "bee" things out there. Plenty of butterfly and ducks, but no bees. So we had to improvise. One of my best friends (an awesome photographer) is bringing her camera to capture everything, so I'll post those and everything after Sunday when the big reveal happens!

I'm so excited and so in love with this little one inside of me. I just can't wait until they're in my arms and I can snuggle. It's going to be wonderful!

Registry Items

So since we're finding out what we're having Thursday and the hubs gets off early Friday, we decided to take the day and go register for baby items. But here's the kicker, I know of a few things I want to register but I want to know what we need to register for. Like most first time moms probably do, I've been researching (thanks Pinterest for making it easier) and reading up on items.

Here are some items I've come up with that I've already put on my list:

Newborn Rock 'n Play Sleeper - Snugabunny

I've heard from friends that this little doo-dad is amazing and comes in really handy because it's easy to transport.

Ergobaby | Bundle of Joy - Original Black/Camel with Camel Insert

Yes please! I love the idea of carrying my little one close. The fact that this carrier is so versatile is just awesome! Plus, I've heard good things about the item.

WubbaNub Infant Pacifier

This thing wins major points on the cuteness factor. I don't know how vital it is for us to have one of these or even if they are good, I just think it's adorable!

Do you have any more items that are the "must haves" and that we won't be able to live without? I'd love all the input I can get! Otherwise, I'm going to be completely lost and I might just get registry gun happy and start clicking on everything.

20 Weeks!

How far along: 20 weeks (HALFWAY THERE!!)

Trimester: Second

Baby size: Banana - 6 1/2 inches!

Toes: They're getting harder and harder to see every day.

Gender: We find out Thursday!!

Movement: Baby is wriggling around like crazy! But I'm not complaining, I'm loving it!

Cravings: Food. Please. Food. I just need food!

Aversions: Slowly fading away! Now I just want to eat all the time.

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, and some slight dizziness, but nothing to complain about :)

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: Feeling those little flutters!

What I'm looking forward to: Ultrasound on Thursday! We get to find out if you're a little boy or girl!! And gender reveal on Sunday! I'm so excited to share the news with the family!

Apparently I'm really popping out. People are really taking notice. Even my students are noticing and asking questions. It's fun to see their eyes get big when they ask "Are you having a baby?" I just smile and say yes. One girl then went on to say "You're having a baby now?!" I just laughed and said "Not right now." Oh kids. They're adorable. This was after I was told that I had fluffy elbows. I don't know what that means exactly, but can I blame that on the pregnancy as well? I do love my kids and listening to their silly little antics. I can't wait to see what our little one comes up with. It's going to be interesting! Don't forget to vote on if you think it's a boy or a girl!

It's Wednesday

I started to title this post "Tuesday Tidbits" but then I got to thinking, it's not Tuesday, it's Wednesday! YAY! One day closer to the weekend! My week has completely been thrown off. Monday felt like I was still on summer vacation. I was running all over the place and didn't have enough time to sit down and really contemplate that it's Monday during the school year. Summer is over. At least, in the no school sense. It seems like summer is ending weather-wise too. I have to put on a sweater when I go outside in the morning! It's August! In Georgia! It's supposed to be sweltering out there and instead it's quite comfortable. Not that I'm complaining at all. In fact, I'm celebrating. Fall means we're closer to baby coming! And fall means apple festivals, leaves changing, cool weather, boots, and scarves. I love fall. No doubt about that. And this fall I'm going to be dressing a little differently. This bump gets bigger and bigger. So I'm imagining lots of leggings with boots. 

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I'm dreaming. I love all of these. Now I just the weather to officially cool off and stay cooled off. Just a few more weeks!! {{and a week until we find out what we're having!! I don't think next Wednesday night I'll be able to sleep a week!}}

19 Weeks!

I LOVE MY BUMP!

How far along: 19 weeks 

Trimester: Second

Baby size: Mango - 6 inches!!

Toes: I can still see them! I have proof!

Gender: Find out at in 1 week!!!!

Movement: Best feeling ever! The hubs felt kicks for the first time too! I love being able to share that with him!

Cravings: Food. Please. Food.

Aversions: Slowly fading away! Now I just want to eat all the time.

Nausea/Morning sickness: No more! Just tired now, and constantly out of breath. Round ligament pain, itchy and stretchy skin, heartburn, and leg cramps have found their way into the picture though.

Maternity clothes: Yes yes and yes. I love them. I'm definitely one of those women who is proud to wear my maternity pants. They're just too comfortable to pass up.

Best moment of the week: Feeling those little flutters!

What I'm looking forward to: Ultrasound next Thursday!!

Second week back at work and I'm slowly building up stamina. The stairs are killing me though. I get winded easily. But that's to be expected and I'm okay with it. I love this pregnancy. Sometimes I'm exhausted and sometimes I complain, but I'm loving being pregnant! Absolutely loving it. Don't forget to vote on what you think we're having!! Boy or girl?!