Lately

June has proven to be the quickest and busiest month we've had in a long time! We have something almost every night, in addition to the regular busy-ness! Unfortunately, my body has decided that it's time for me to slow down, but more on that later.

1. The first week of June Mike started planting a flower bed in our front yard. I took some pictures a couple hours ago, but have decided not to post them because almost all the pots (plants that have not yet been planted) are laying on their sides due to the crazy storm we had last night/this morning. Mike has been busy planting some calla lilies and oriental lilies in the flower bed after he pulled up the ugly bushes that came with the house. Once he pulled them up, we realized that we had a massive amount of ground to cover. Neither one of us is proficient in garden design, so this is very much a trial and error thing. I'll post pictures when it is finished!

2. Earlier this month we worked super-hard to get the baby's room ready... mostly because we had maternity pictures coming up! It's a good thing we got a head-start on that (before the shower) because we found out that they are discontinuing our whole bedding theme and everything was on clearance! I would be really annoyed if we had waited, and everything was discontinued, and we weren't able to continue the adorable Noah's Ark theme! (And NO, his name will not be Noah) Here are some pictures!

3. Maternity Pictures! On June 8th, we had maternity pictures taken by Nate Crouch Photography, (http://www.natecrouch.com/) and we had a blast! We've been friends with Nate and his wife, Sarah for years. It was such a fun shoot, and it was especially fun because it was with our good friends. We have not bought the package yet, so if you want to see the pictures, you'll have to head over to my facebook page.

4. I am down to doctors appointments every 2 weeks now, and this will continue until week 35 or 36, when I'll start going every week. It's getting tiring and killing my sick time... but then again, it's kind of fun because it's getting closer all the time!!

5. My energy has taken a significant nose dive. It's like I'm back to the first trimester energy level. I can bring a basket of laundry down the stairs, put it in the washer, take a load out of the dryer and fold it and... I'm DONE. SO tired. Plus, last week I was sick with another round of coughing, head congestion, no voice, etc. We had family over for Father's Day celebration a week early, and getting ready for company and cleaning up afterwards completely took it out of me, even though my fabulous MIL came over and helped. She's an angel, by the way. :) Mike is having to help me out a little more, but honestly I don't think he understands how much more he'll have to help me once baby comes. He's in for a rude awakening.

6. We went to our first baby class on Saturday, Newborn Express. This class included instruction on how to care for your baby in the first month (touched on breastfeeding, car seat installation, bathing, soothing, feeding, swaddling, etc) and also Infant CPR. We met some really nice couples, and even a couple who had their baby 5 weeks early, so their baby was actually at the class! It was definitely an eye-opening experience for Mike, who realized that he didn't know as much as he thought about caring for a newborn. He was a bit overwhelmed, but so glad to have the information.

7. We start our 5-week Lamaze class this week. It's becoming more real now! I'm really excited to watch Mike go through these classes.

8. Blood pressure scare:: Yesterday at church I was feeling extra-puffy, and I had a hunch that my blood pressure was too high.... well I was right. After we saw The Green Lantern yesterday, we stopped at CVS and I had my pressure tested twice, at 138/87 and 135/88.... scared me to death! In church I felt like my knees were puffy, and I could hardly hold a pen b/c my fingers felt so big. I called the doctor and because of the lack of other symptoms, he said that I didn't have anything to worry about... whew! We're not ready for a baby at 33 weeks!! My BP is usually in the 100s/70s, so this was a pretty big leap. But I go for my regular 2-week appt on Wednesday so we'll see what it is on that day.

This is me at 33 weeks 3 days... livin' LARGE!

That's all that has happened up to this point. Plenty of crazy times to come! But I say, bring it on!! Only 6.5 weeks till baby!!! Woo hoo!

Pregnancy Must-Haves

I have been wanting to make a post like this recently and now I'm finally getting around to it! Here are some of the top products that have made my pregnancy easier and more comfortable so far.

1. The Snoogle Pillow: This has kept me comfortable when sleeping in bed, especially since you're supposed to sleep on your left side, and I almost always roll over on my back... this keeps me supported around my neck, back, between my knees, and even under my belly! I would recommend this to any of my pregnant friends, or really anyone who desires total comfort when sleeping! When I first started using it, I had one of those "where have you been all my life?" moments. The only problem is that it takes up a lot of space on the bed, leaving precious little space for my sweetie.

2. Boppy Pregnancy Wedge: Yes, another pillow. I like to use this when sleeping on the couch (or just laying down anywhere) because it goes right under the belly. Mike kept telling me that I needed it, but I told him it wasn't necessary because I would often just bunch up a blanket and put it under my belly. But he went out one night and bought it, and it's been wonderful. I'm kind of a princess when it comes to my pillows, this is why I love it so much.

3. Good water bottle: I drink more water than a fish, so having a good, sturdy water bottle has been important. I have a Rubbermaid water bottle that I refill constantly. This sounds like a small thing, but always having that water has kept me energized on a number of occasions!


4. Mesh lumbar support: This has been a back-saver for me in the past few weeks as I'm getting more and more uncomfortable in my work chair. I spend what seems like 4,986,235 hours in it each week, so comfort is a must. I bought it at Fry's Electronics for $6.99 and it has more than paid for itself! It could also be one of the reasons for the disappearance of my sciatica... hmmm... It's mesh, too, so it keeps me cool in this super-hot home office.

5. Motherhood Maternity stores: OMG. They have the best clothes! The prices are reasonable, the staff is helpful, and the clothes are comfortable and very cute. Most of what you see me wearing in pictures came from Motherhood. Their prices are reasonable enough that I can buy new clothes when I have outgrown some of my maternity clothes. I didn't know you could outgrow them though!

6. Preggie Pops: These little babies were wonderful when I was in my first trimester, especially weeks 6-10, as I would feel a little green if I went too long without something in my tummy. They are kind of sour, but not too much, and are a good distraction when not feeling so hot.

Well that's all I can think of for now. I'm sure that after the little dude comes, I'll post again, with my "Mommy Must-haves." That will be a fun post!

Growing Bigger and BIGGER!

That's pretty much all that's going on with me these days! Today I am 30 weeks and 5 days pregnant and I can't believe that we get to meet our son in hopefully about 9 weeks! I also can't believe that I'm actually going to get bigger, and this baby only weighs about half of what he should weigh at birth! Crazy! I really can't complain too much because so many women have very difficult pregnancies that include a lot of sickness and bed rest... but sometimes it feels good to have a good, old-fashioned whine! But I won't do that here. :)

One very good thing is that my sciatica has all but disappeared in the 3rd trimester! This is a huge praise because it was almost debilitating most days starting in the 2nd trimester. Now I'm struggling with getting comfortable just about anywhere. A few weeks ago I dealt with the worst allergies ever, and spent a few nights sleeping in the reclining sofa because it was easier to not be flat on my back or on my side at night. Then I tried to lay down one night in bed and got no sleep.... so I started sleeping in my LaZBoy recliner in the upstairs game room. Slept like a baby! Then I got lonely and so Mike moved it into our bedroom so I can at least be in the same room with him. This has made a huge difference... until this week. Nothing is working! I'm tempted to try sleeping in the bed tonight just to see how it works.


Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've been sleeping differently, but it has been helped tremendously by this little baby--- the SNOOGLE pillow. I freaking love it!! I would recommend it to all of my pregnant friends, as it supports you in all the right places! The only problem is that it puts up a wall between Mike and me at night... but sometimes if I wake up before him, I see him snuggling right up to it! So cute! Soon I'll put up a post about pregnancy must-haves! It will definitely be on the list.


Also getting thru work is getting harder because I'm running out of breath if I don't sit up perfectly straight. Not sure how I'm gonna make it the next 9 weeks!


But probably the most fun has been the increased activity in my belly. It's so neat to feel that little one moving around so vigorously, almost all day long, and fun for Mike to feel it. He gets a kick out of looking at my deformed stomach sometimes, and how it changes shape. Truly a miracle!


Well, June is upon us now, which means we are starting the busiest 2 months ever. This month I start going to the doctor more often, we have child birth classes, baby classes, maternity pictures, in addition to our normal summer busy activities. Hopefully I can keep up with the blogging. Haha, right!!