Weeks Change to Days: 35 Day Countdown!!!

Jiminy Cricket! 35 is the magic number! Today marks 35 weeks which also means only 35 days to go!

It has been pretty quiet lately. HAHA! Psych! As usual, we have a plate full of things that we are diving into. But, I think we've been taking it all with stride thanks to level heads and support from loved ones.

We recently made a trip to the Great Dairyland! It's always nice to cruise around Lake MI to the Milwaukee area to see my parents and siblings. And, this particular trip was full of family fun. To kick start things, my lovely mom planned a baby shower for me. And, to end the weekend, she also planned a surprise retirement party for my dad. {No wonder I have such a great hostess gene!}

The drive was great! Snow was finally starting to melt, spring in the air, sun peaking through the clouds... And, as usual we stumbled across some Journey just as we were heading into Chicago! Life is good. {DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'} I must admit, my husband is becoming quiet the experienced Chicago driver -- thanks to his navigating wife. We make a good team. And, we love road trips. We have some of our best and most thought provoking conversations when we drive. Helps pass the time and so does belting music when things get lame.

The shower was lovely. It was touching to see close friends and family. Some we haven't seen since our wedding and others even longer! We were "showered" once again with gifts, hugs, and well wishes from everyone. Baby muffin is already so humbled. Mom is so good to us! And, thank goodness for brothers! My brother Matt, brother-in-law Grant, and Eric all hit the road to Milwaukee for the Sprecher brewery tour. Eric is a bit spoiled from his production experience at New Holland so he wasn't too impressed. But, it was special to hear that he enjoyed "cackling" with the guys more than the tour itself. I'm glad those dudes {all very different} can entertain one another in good clean fun.

We literally had to shoe {shoo?} some of the gals from the shower out of the house to make it to the car dealership for one of mom's great plans. You see, my dad's retirement gift to himself is a new Toyota Tacoma {Much deserved!}. So, mom made a pact with the dealership that they would call her when it was in and if dad inquired, they would say it wasn't in yet. Mean, just mean. But, it allowed us women to meet the guys after the Sprecher tour and take a picture with dad's new truck. It was quite the adventure and "a beautiful thing" as Dad would say.



The whole Seib-family! Growing each day!

Dad's surprise retirement party took place at the Fox and Hound restaurant. An awesome setting tucked back in the woods. Just a small group of his closest friends, coworkers, and some family. Unfortunately he was feeling under the weather but mom convinced him that the family needed to celebrate his achievement over brunch since all the kids were in town. Let me tell you, the love and the energy from everyone must have perked him right up! He was surprised by all of the people that traveled a short distance and also with the fun gifts that he received as recognition for his hard work. You see.... dad is a private guy. A hard working German man. The kind of guy that always worked 2-3 jobs - jobs he didn't even like and shifts that caused him to sleep in 3 hr increments at a time. He is an inspiration -- not many people can comfortably retire at age 55 nor do they stay employed at a company they don't like for 30+ years! But, my dad did and it brought him to a great place. I'm so proud of him! And, over all of the years he was able to keep a strong faith in God. In fact, I'm sure that's what got him through it all. {One of those lengthy conversations on the ride back to MI!}

---------------------------

On the homefront - we got good news about the house. So, Eric has spent the last week going there for a couple hours at time to work on plumbing repairs. Next step, FHA appraisal/inspection. Then repair more according to their standards. Then inspect again. Tentatively scheduled to close on the house end of April {Conveniently, a week before baby is due}.

Our 34 week appointment was a breeze. Muffin was all jacked up on something because she was moving around so much we could barely hear her heartbeat. All is well. She's not measuring as big as anticipated {Good grief, thank goodness!} and I got a high five for only gaining 2 lbs in the last 2 weeks. Head is down but cocked a little to the right side and her little butt is always popping out from under my rib. So, she's in a decent position now, she just needs to wiggle down.

Holy roundness!

How Far Along: 35 weeks

Size of Baby: Size of a honeydew melon. 18 inches and 5.5 pounds of cuteness!

Belly: Fricken stretch marks are creeping in! I'm not sure when they took up residence on the underside of my belly... but Eric pointed them out the other day. Oh well. Still loving the tumtum! Eric said to me this week, "Babe, is it weird that I can't even picture you without your beautiful belly?" He is so sweet! But really.... what did I look like?!

Movement: Not a whole lot of room to move these days. No more summersaults. Just some rolling movements and some kicks. And, man, do those hard kicks make me jump sometimes. I enjoy watching my belly morph as she moves. She's getting big!

Symptoms: None? Is that possible at 35 weeks?!! The only symptom I have {other than frequent urination which is.... duh!} is occasional swelling of the feet. I'm feeling pretty good these days.

Food Cravings: Nothing in particular. Loving me some watermelon from time to time and I drink milk like its going out of style.

Gender: Getting excited to make her woodland animal themed nursery in the new house.... eventually

Moods Ups and Downs: Because I've been feeling so great, my mood is great! I think I'm more pleasant now that I was pre-pregnancy. No joke.

What I miss: As much as I miss late nights, conversations with human beings {you know, someone more interesting than my dog}, beer, adventures, ect... I'm content these days. I'm happy just to be comfortable, functional, sleeping well, and still able to do many things on my own {Though, telling Eric that I can't do laundry anymore because I lost my balance and nearly feel down the stairs is probably the best thing yet!}

What I'm looking forward to: Last baby shower tomorrow! I'm not going to lie, I'll be glad when it's over - I'm tuckered out. But, I'm excited to see the tribe and more family. Hopefully muffin will grace someone with her presence. She is so dang shy around the belly touchers! Oh, and I'm excited to go get a pedicure with my girl, Alex! She's hosting this shower at her home and she deserves a little TLC too. {Thanks to my friend Jordan for the pedi gift certificate! Just in time for warmer weather and a round belly!}

Milestones/Moments: So close to being less than a month away!

Whip out the flip-flops, Michigan. It's supposed to be in the 50s soon!

32 Weeks 5 Days: Things are "rounding" out nicely ;)

Greetings ya'll!

Oye! I wrote this last week and my draft fell victim to the outer space of the immense intraweb.... so here's to trying to remember what I wrote about...

Almost 33 weeks! In fact, tomorrow will be just 50 days til our due date. Holy buckets! Time is just surging past us day by day. And, soon our corner won't look like this....

6ft snow walls lined the roads earlier this month.... safe to turn the corner no prob!

Our 28 week appointment went well. The glucose test has been rumored to be “gross and terrible” so I was a little apprehensive. The drink itself wasn’t too bad {This from a girl who is known to like flat soda}. Personally, however, I think the gut-ache following the chug is what is unpleasant. And, lucky me, I passed! The remainder of our appt. was just taking measurements and checking vitals. According to our OB we should expect a huge baby, but she is healthy.

 

I spent the beginning of that weekend playing with babies {and their moms} at “finger paints and pizza” night at Ashley’s. It also marked the start to Alex’s birthday weekend… which her mama drove all the way from WI to surprise her!!! How sweet is she! I had a great night {Harley themed!} but had to turn in early. I just can’t hang like I used to.

 

Eric’s Aunt Cookie turned 60 this month. Her birthday party happened to be at New Holland so I flew solo since Eric was working. It was nice to see so many people show up to celebrate her! Patti {my mother-in-law} even brought a baby blanket for Mini Muffin that Cookie knit for Eric when he was born. It is in great condition and her attention to detail was evident. She was even scanning it over for loose ends when she saw it! Then, Eric showed up out of nowhere! He took his lunch break to see his Aunt. How sweet is he?!

 

 

The house-buying situation consumed much of this month {again}. Unfortunately things slowed to a hault mid-month due to a change in bank negotiator… blah blah blah…. Long story short, things will be moving as slow as a typical short-sale {average of 3-4 months to close} for us. So, our realtor suggested that if we are really in a hurry that we keep our eyes open for other houses on the market. Hey, we don’t have too much to lose! But, we came to the conclusion that at this point we will just plan to stay put. We love our house and we have very understanding and flexible landlords. So, if something comes up in the near future, great. If not, we have a roof over our head for our little nugget! Unfortunately I had already starting packing…. A strategy to ease my burden when I’m a basketball. Now all the boxes have to find new homes….

 

 

 

 

 



Looking forward to warm weather and sunny skies!

Valentine’s day came and went. We didn’t have any plans since we are on opposite schedules. That’s life. The flame still burns the other 364 days of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m getting the itch to start my garden. Don’t ask me why. I know very well what type of conditions the weather must be in order to do this. But, we’ve had more sunny days lately which makes me want to just dig in the dirt {barefoot and without gloves!}

 

Cory’s 30^th birthday just passed. I enjoyed putting together a little giftbox of all of his favorite things with Eric's help.... Monsters, jerky, vitamin water, Cabela’s card, gas card, gun shells… everything short of a fishing pole! I think he liked it! I volunteered to DD to the Embo that night. What a great turnout! There had to have been 25 people there to celebrate our charming, selfless, and funny friend! The end to the evening was one to remember. Steve, DD#2, locked his keys in his truck and it took 7 guys 30 minutes to break into it {Thanks to my “hoarding” tendencies, I had a wire hanger in my trunk}. Just when everyone’s buzzes were killed, Steve got pulled over for having a headlight out on our trip back to finish the evening off. Unbelievable! But, Cory had a great night and it was definitely one to remember.

 

Cory and I during Eric's 30th bday party... Old men.

 

 

 

We are so fortunate to know people who have recently had kiddos. I spent countless hours sorting through bags and bags of little human clothes passed on from co-workers, friends, ect. It was an overwhelming challenge {mentally and physically} but I finally have everything labeled in boxes for every quarter of her first 18 months! During this process I could feel my house caving in on me and my good friend, Ashley, came over to help ease my burden. We might not have done much, but just reorganizing boxes, moving totes around, consolidating all the baby donations… It all gave me peace {if only for a couple days….}

 



Sushi at a baby shower. YES!

We had our first baby shower!! My lovely family at New Holland Brewing Company made me feel so special with the “Allison’s Favorite Things” theme. Katie Jo is the baby shower master! There were Doritos, Kit-Kats, walking tacos, sushi, Twix bars, fruit, fruit snacks, cheesecake bars! She really knows how to make a girl feel special! It was a collaborative effort by many of my favorite people. Andrew McDonald even pre-made about 100 little mini-pepperoni pinwheels {I’m sure it took him at least an hour!}. I can’t explain how tickled that all made me feel. Then, there was the gift opening…. I made the girls save and fold all of the tissue paper {freak!}. Haha. We got lots of wonderful things to kick-start the sweet life of little muffin-butt! Generous gifts, of course! These girls just love and give. I can’t wait til it’s my turn to be the giver again {I’ve been feeling rather “take take” lately since we’ve had wedding showers and baby showers in the last 6 months.} It’s humbling.

 

 

 

Childbirth class was this past weekend. Of course, we sat in the back row and snickered back and forth for most of it! It was insightful and we both learned a lot. I'm hoping our presenter, Debbie, will be our nurse when the time comes. She is more chill than our OB!

 

30 week appt was sometime this month, 32 week appointment was today. Thumbs up all around. Her head is perfectly positioned {today} and her little rump is always poking out under one rib cage. My uterus continues to measure high. 2 weeks ahead these days {She said it could mean that I'd go a couple weeks early but I don't want to get my hopes up}.

 

I started leaving updates in the bathroom for Daddy :)

 

How Far Along: 32 weeks 5 days

 

Size of Baby: Muffin is the size of a Bok Choy. What?! She is 4lbs and almost 16.5 inches long.

 

Belly:  1 little stretch mark on my hip. I check it multiple times daily haha. It is about half and inch now. Oh well. Belly Belly Belly!! I just love the thing and so does everyone else! It’s getting much harder to make my non-maternity clothes work….  

 

Sleep: The tiredness is coming back. I've talked myself into going to bed earlier but it’s hard not seeing Eric at night.

 

Movement: Tiny Dancer!!! This baby loves to move! She’s still very active at night 11pm to 1am. But, that doesn’t mean she isn’t moving all throughout the day too. I think she sleeps for an hour and then parties hard again. The spot she kicks the most legitimately feels bruised and tender. But, she likes to hide from all my friends. Not for long!!

 

Symptoms: Mild ligament pain, dizziness, frequent bathroom trips, back ache, trouble positioning {but not yet having trouble sleeping! Wahoo!}  

 

Food Cravings: Chocolate {Oh my!}, specifically Hershey Kisses. Pineapple.

 

Gender: Little girl clothes ARE so cute! Especially ruffle butt things!

 

Mood Ups and Downs:  I’m a little ornery these days. Mostly if I get annoyed I just keep getting annoyed. No tears. Thankfully Eric just takes my ups and downs in stride. He always seems to be in such a good mood… why is that?!

 

What I Miss:  Putting on socks and shoes without becoming winded. Well, doing anything without becoming winded!! I took Porter to the dog park and only “managed” to walk 3 laps around the park. Pathetic! But, in my online yoga workout I learned that your heart enlarges 12% when you are pregnant. No wonder we ladies are feeling so tired, breathless, and out of shape!

What I'm Looking Forward to: Shower in WI this weekend!!  And, dad's retirement party.

Milestones/Moments:  50 days! I'm going to start a little journal of letters to my precious daughter!

 

Be good everyone! I leave you with this photo of a man and his possessed dog!

 

 

 

 

 

28 Weeks: A Guide to Surviving an "Arctic Blast"

Third Trimester.... Here we are!

Dear Readers: This post was intended to be written 4 weeks ago! Thankfully I've been keeping notes on a sticky note. As per usual, life has taken many twists and turns resulting in a delayed post. {Kudos to you if you make it to the end of this weeks novel!}

Well, on January 1 I turned 26.... that's all. Haha! It was nice to go to breakfast and dinner with friends. And, Eric bought me a "replacement" ring since my fingers are becoming little sausages...

Eric switched from 1st to 2nd shift at Harbor Steel after the first of the year. Who would have thought that the grumpy "big boss" would have offered Eric this opportunity since he and his wife don't believe in outside childcare!?! Big K has a heart! It is reassuring to me that Harbor is a company that supports it's employees and cares enough to spare us the cost of sending our little muffin into a strange home or agency... not to mention the financial backhand that goes along with it! Needless to say, it's been an adjustment getting used to the new schedules. Some days get lonely sitting here cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry. But, it makes me appreciate the weekends with my hubby and the times he comes home for dinner. Porter and I have even delivered some hot meals to our favorite steel worker! And, the occasional date or adventure we get to take together reminds me how important my best friend really is to me. Even he can turn a trip to Home Depot into a good-time!

:: Picture me literally paging through my day planner as to not miss a beat::

I also started a babysitting gig after the New Year to supplement some income to pay for un-paid maternity leave. I'm still trying to decide if my body needs the workout and the stress of overseeing two very adorable {but painfully dramatic} little girls. I've never in my life {many years as babysitter, nanny, sister, aunt} seem a three year old have such intense tantrums. Thank goodness its only 8 hours a week of such torture... I mean, training.

Our 24 week appointment went well. They gave me a little goody bag {re-usable!!} of formula, pamphlets, and that glorious glucose drink everyone raves about. Unfortunately, days later, Porter decided he was thirsty and drank the glucose test. I got a phone call from Eric that started like this, "Babe, you need to call the baby doctor..." Ok.... {Why would he know that I need to go see the doctor? What does he know about me that's wrong... that I don't?} He proceeded to explain the situation and that I needed to call to get a NEW bottle of friendly orange sugar syrup. No problem. Porter on the other hand was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor for quite some time. {That is his "safe place" that he retreats to when the boys are shooting guns or bows in the backyard. What a ninny}. And, Eric reassured me that the vet said he should be fine. Everyone is back to normal!

Our good friends Steve and Amanda got engaged mid-month! We are so excited for them and their son, Hunter. Steve is one of Eric's oldest friends. I love hearing their stories! And, I'm so glad that Amanda came into the picture. She is a warm soul with a little sas and attitude. I love that she is a spit-fire like me. I can't wait to celebrate their eternal promise to each other.

First sunny day in weeks. The drifts and snow piles will just get worse!

 

As if the country hasn't already heard, Michigan has recently been punished by Mother Nature. The "Arctic Blast/Frozen Tundra/Polar Vortex" {Also known as a b.l.i.z.z.a.r.d. where I hail from in WI} recently graced us with its presence. It has been a rough year to live in the middle of four corn fields. I will be telling mini-muffin for years that it was the worst winter I've seen in my entire lifetime. A series of stormy, windy days so bad that it kept her daddy away from her mama one night because a 4ft drift across the road and dozens of ditched cars came between us. It also happens to be the year that two plow trucks went off our driveway into a ditch, a neighbor's tractor broke down and sat for days in the storms of our yard, and the mailbox hasn't been seen in over a week. The snow on the side of the road is a good 4-5 feet tall. The stop sign on our corner looks like it's floating in a snow-bank. Through all of it we have been supported by friends and neighbors. Cory has braved our driveway many times. I will be making his a gift-basket full of all of his favorite things. We appreciate him more than he knows. Hopefully the major storms are over and we won't find ourselves stranded for days {again}. I'd rather not use my earned-time-off on snow days.



Our back door



Same yard... another storm.... snow wall after plowing.

 

The bulk of this post's delay is due to the stress-free, non-consuming nature of house hunting. ;)  We've been in search of a home since October with the hopes of weaseling our way into a different pad before the baby comes. Earlier in January we found a great house and our offer was accepted! But, because we refuse to take the easy road in any situation, we are dealing with the joys of a short-sale. Fortunately for us it's moving faster than most short-sales but it doesn't mean there are less hoops to jump through. We've been busy scheduling home inspections, plumbing repairs, appraisals, signing mortgage paperwork, ect.... Its been stressful.... and we don't even know when we will be able to close the deal. Our realtor and mortgage loan officer are shooting for mid-March. Nothing like being 8 months pregnant and moving into a new house! But, the up-side is that I can sit here and dream about all of the possibilities of making the house our home! It will be years before all of the repairs are done but we have to start somewhere. For now we'll stick to making the home up to code! We'll keep you posted. :)

Our potential house!!!

Now for updates on the little buggy!

How Far Along: 28 weeks

Size of Baby: Muffin is the size of a large eggplant. She is 2.25 lbs and almost 15 inches long! She can sense light and is busy packing on some fat. And, her cute little eyes now have eyelashes.

Belly:  No stretch marks yet! But, I feel so large already... I just keep telling myself that I don't have the length in my torso for her to go anywhere but OUT! Joys of the belly - I'm loving all the belly rubbing from my co-workers when I waitress on the weekends.

Sleep: I haven't been napping at all and I've been up very late. My body might just be prepping for motherhood or I might be subconsciously waiting for Eric to get home from work so I can see him for 10 minutes a day....  Regardless, I've realized the need for a pregnancy-body-pillow. When I roll into a position I rarely move in my sleep all night. I've been shoving pillows in between my legs and behind my back to keep me on my side.

Movement: We've been feeling outside kicks since week 23. Since then she has gotten much stronger! Eric has been able to catch a couple good kicking sessions at night. She tends to be very active between 11pm and 1am {wonderful for those trying to sleep}. Just this week I've noticed a little bit more of a pattern to her activity and I enjoy catching glimpses of my belly move out of the corner of my eye. I'm getting to know her already, too... she likes to wiggle and kick after I eat clementines.

Symptoms: Some ligament pain from growing baby and back-pain when on my feet too long. Insomnia. 

Food Cravings: Strawberries and clementines. I can't get enough of fruit! Just this week I started wanting chocolate too...... {GREAT!}

Gender: Baby girl! Working on names.

Mood Ups and Downs: Oh. My. Gosh. This has not been a problem for me for some time. Week 27 was just a mess! I cried everyday last week, sometimes multiple times a day! The worst was Wednesday. On Tuesday I ventured out to shovel {I was feeling like a worthless member of society and I wanted to play in the snow!} After several 15-30 minute shovel sessions I had cleared enough space to turn my vehicle around so I could safely leave the next morning. Then the storm came!!! Wednesday after work I barely made it in the driveway in 4-wheel drive and then proceeded to struggle through 3 drifts. I started balling. And then, I couldn't turn it off for almost 45 minutes! But, my husband came to my rescue in the work plow truck and saved the day! 

The news from work that my hours may be cut soon due to The Affordable Care Act and lack of funding was a shocker. Thankfully Eric held me together during my break-down in the kitchen that night. He's been working 12 hour days to keep us afloat and he still manages to be strong for me. I don't know what I'd do without him! I literally sat on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck like a little kid and watched TV after that and then retreated to bed.

The rest of the ups and downs have been less severe. The new Budweiser commercial with the puppy and the horse... don't get me started!

What I Miss:  My wedding ring {had to take it off last week so it wasn't stuck forever!} The ability to easily bend and put on shoes/boots.

What I'm Looking Forward to: New house and a nursery! 28 weeks appointment!  

Milestones/Moments:  We've officially hit the 3rd trimester! 86 days to go...

Bundle up, friends! Mr. Groundhog saw his shadow.... 6 more weeks of God's humor on the way :)

22 Weeks: He or She? Read to see!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all staying warm and enjoying family. I know I am! I haven't been to my parent's house on the 25th in years. It was a nice change of pace to be here and soak in the comfort of familiar traditions. From cinnamon rolls in the morning to dad's "one gift an hour" plan -- it just feels like HOME! Something we probably will not be able to experience as often in years to come since we'll be carting around our little bundle! 

December has been a surge of business. {What's new!} Alex and I got back to the gym a handful of times. It was intimidating at first but our first day back was as if we never had taken a break! In fact, some of the "regulars" that we people watch are still their. Such as "swishy pants guy," "running girl," and "PINK." Now, please do not think that we are judging any of these folks. After all, it's a judgement free zone! We just don't know their names. I'm hoping that if we frequent the gym more often we will see "braids." She is this sweet little 70ish year old lady with hair to her knees and she wears it in pigtail braids. She is inspiring! 

Speaking of December, I find it amusing that Michiganders are constantly complaining about the snow. Ummm..... Yeah. I have no comment for those people. Let's enjoy it, shall we! I had oodles of fun at Steve and Amanda's this winter. They have the PERFECT sledding hill at their new house. Our craft/sledding night was a hoot. Eric was convinced {briefly} that sledding is a "dangerous" activity for pregnant women. Well, even so, I don't care! It's sledding for darn sake! We {mostly the woman} must have gone down the hill 2-3 dozen times riding on a slew of sleds - 2 saucers, 2 sleds, a toboggan, and even a snowboard. Nothing beat Ryan and Ashley's tandem stand-up toboggan ride. {No worries, I was conservative with my sled selections!} Ahh white powder! I was out of breath, face numb, but smiling ear to ear! 

We had our 20 week ultrasound on the 16th. I can't believe how fast the little nugget has grown! {FYI: We had the same technician that we had at our 8 week appointment and I feel bad for calling her a wet blanket. She is a warm and pleasant lady with a super cool job!}. Our little bean was moving and wiggling all over the place! But, had it's legs crossed for most of the appointment. And then, she turned the screen to "check" for the status. She then took a couple shots, wrote a note, and put the pictures in an envelope. We opted for the option to find out the gender of our baby outside the walls of the ultrasound room. So, that night we handed it off to our good friend Alex. 

She and Ashley planned a fun little reveal party for us. It was great to be able to celebrate with friends that we see weekly, even daily. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of our friends. Every milestone in our lives we eagerly anticipate celebrating with them. We all have this general regard for eachother's well-being. I think it speaks mountains about the character of these people. They are our light and our energy. They know our hearts and they rejoice with us and grieve with us. And, we are fortunate to be god-parents to one of the kiddos! I think it's a rare thing in life when your friends are closer than your family. {Not that we don't have great families! We just have stellar friends!}

The ladies at work even had a little party the day after we heard the news. Judy turned gender prediction into a fun little game. She had everyone vote on pink or blue paper and I brought in color-filled cupcakes the next day. Their vote : 14 girl, 5 boy.....

Ok enough sap, ya'll are like..... GET TO THE POINT!!!!

So, we tortured our families for about a week's time with the baby news. But, it was important to us {maybe just me} to reveal the news in person during Christmas parties. Having family long-distance makes those moments specials. Now that everyone is in the loop it is time to make baby V public!  Ladies and Gentlemen......  little baby VussMuffin...... is...... a.......

GIRL GIRL GIRL!!! 

Yes-sir-eee we are expecting a baby girl in May! She will have great hair and I'm sure she will be a giggly little clown. Eric and I were {secretly} hoping for a boy but we are elated to have a little girl. It just melts my heart these days when he leaves for work in the morning. Naturally I am in bed when he leaves {although I should be up and dressed by then} so he kisses me goodbye, says "I love you," wishes me a good day, and tells me to get out of bed. But, now he will put one hand of my forehead and one of my belly, kiss me, and say "I love my girls!" I MELT. This baby girl is going to be so loved. I can't contain my joy! Family, babies, love, life!! 

Ok, now that you've gotten the news I'll wrap up this post since anything else I write will be pointless.

How Far Along: 22 weeks
Size of Baby: Baby is the size of a spaghetti squash! SHE is 1 lb and forming tooth buds! 
 
Weight Gain: Total gain: 12lb eek! 

Belly: The belly is getting roundy! She's moving her way up. So far mostly carrying high, big, and round. In fact, my whole self is getting round -- holy thighs and booty!
Sleep: Rarely do I nap, but when I do I sleep for hours!
Movement: She likes to move throughout the day. I definitely feel her after I eat. Hoping that those little kicks will soon be felt from the outside.  

Symptoms: The lower back pain vanished one day. Now, I'm dealing with carpal tunnel. My doc said its from typing and sleeping on my hands. My aunt also had this during her pregnancy from waitressing. So.... looks like this is my destiny since I type and waitress haha.
 
Food Cravings: Wings last week.
 
Gender: GIRL!!!

Mood Ups and Downs: Pretty good lately!
 
What I Miss: My clothes. I've been getting creative with my options. Thanks to Em for some hand-me-down maternity clothes!

What I'm Looking Forward to: Seeing her pretty face! 


Alright everyone! Hug your mom or your dad.

18 Week 5 Days: There's No Mistaking It!

Hi everyone! I hope you are all in good health and well-fed. How was your Thanksgiving? 

We have completed our go-rounds of Thanksgiving parties! What a blessed couple weeks it has been. I might sound like a repetitive possessed Furby, but Eric and I really do have to most rad support system, which makes Thanksgiving a plentiful holiday for us. God is continually good!


It started {again} with Friends Thanksgiving with the "Tribe." Benny and Brooke were generous enough to  host and let us bring Porter so he could blow off some steam before hosting the Fitzgeralds the next day. There was sooo much food and it was all delicious. Patti arrived the next day with her clan. Yes, we hosted. And, with that came a little slap to the face when we discovered how much it costs to fry a turkey {Thanks for Sonja for the awesome wedding gift}. But, for first time turkey fryers we managed not to burn the house down. Turkey wasn't half bad either but it might take another trial or two to get it just right! Thanksgiving day we spent with the VandeVusses. Donna and Sid prepared some great food and, as always, the house was bursting at the seams with full bellies and good company. And now, I am bursting at the belly too. Too many Turkey-day dinners for this preggo.
 

Oh man! The scale is going to brake soon.

I'm sure that some of you followed the recent scare we had on Facebook involving me being "hit" by a car. When God wraps his arms around you He does it tightly!! We are sooooo fortunate that my car/person collision was not any worse than it was. Needless to say, I am going to be much more careful when walking across the road, even if I have the right of way. Thankfully the lady hadn't picked up much speed after the stop-sign! We had a follow-up appt {just in case} and everything looks great. My vitals were regular and baby's heartbeat seemed strong. Now, I just have to try to remain stress-free because I think that is more damaging than the pain after the accident. ~ Thanks for your diligent prayers! ~

I'm getting pretty revved up to see my family for Christmas. I'll be there for 4+ days!!! That hasn't happened in a long time. I can't tell you when the last time I spent Christmas day with my mom and dad. I fully expect there to be cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, celtic women christmas cds, a fire, and jammies!  Eric, unfortunately, doesn't have any vacation left {thanks to our honeymoon} so he will only be coming for the weekend following. Regardless, I love being in town to see my parents, siblings, neices, and extended family. Christmas with the DuPont's {all 60+ of them} is a unique experience filled with magic, crowded hallways, hugs, kisses, gratitude, and genuine regard and love for one another. I love being part of such a wonderful family. And, I'm glad that Eric has been able to survive the chaos over the years. Not to mention that I am eager to be able to help ease mom's stress of preparing her home for the blissful disorder! 

Another anticipated moment soon approaches. The gender ultrasound!!! I can't believe that I changed my mind! {No backbone!} I was really adamant about waiting until birth to be surprised. But, life isn't about me. I happen to be married to a wonderful man who not only hates surprises, but he has anxieties about being under-prepared for things. In an effort to alleviate the stress of house hunting and baby prepping we'll find out for this little nugget. The delight, however, comes from the compromise that we made.  Once we are settled into a permanent living situation and nestled into our lives we'll have another baby or two. It will be at that time that we will be surprised in the hospital! {In the mean time, I don't want to hear and griping or complaining about the decision that has been made. Our baby = Our decision. Sorry to sound heartless but all the unwanted, negative opinions really pinch pregnancy hormones/nerves}

I'm very eager for the reveal! We aren't too keen on the idea of being told in an office and celebrating with the wet-blanket technician on Dec 16th. So, we have decided that we will send the "envelope" to a friend and have a little get together! Then, we will reveal the news to our family members at each of the Christmas gatherings. {Might be easier said than done. Hoping people can keep their lips sealed until the last event. If not, those family members will forfeit their rights to family secrets in the future. BOOM!} Now I just have to get crafty and figure out how we want to announce the news......



How Far Along: 18 weeks 6 days

Size of Baby: Baby is the size of a bell pepper. Baby is busy moving and flexing. Its gender can be determined at this point!

Weight Gain: Total gain: Thanks to feasting 9 lbs. {I'm debating removing this section soon}

Belly: The belly is alive and well. It hates elastic and loves to be rubbed. It is enjoying cocoa butter.

Sleep: I've been sleeping better and dreaming less. Usually only up once a night to pee.

Movement: Move pronounced movements this week. The goldfish swimming feeling is still there. But, every now and then I get a little "jump" feeling or light jab. I want kiddo to get the hiccups. I hear it feels funny. 

Symptoms: Lower back pain continues but that is about it. It hasn't gotten any worse thanks to stretches, strengthening, changes to how I sit at my desk, and avoiding my lazyboy.
 
Food Cravings: Nothing specific. Sweet and salty maybe.
 
Gender: Dec 16th is our ultrasound!

Mood Ups and Downs: Not too bad lately. Just getting annoyed with all the "expert opinions" from people.
 
What I Miss: The gym.... I'll be going back after what Thanksgiving did to me.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Surprising family with the gender reveal! 

Milestones/Moments:   Working on getting our Christmas tree up! I told Eric that I didn't want to decorate for Christmas this year since we might be living out of moving boxes... well that's not happening. Thanks to Ash and Woody we have a tree to use!

Be good! Don't hit any pregnant ladies that are crossing the street! 

16 weeks: 2 days I WANT A REAL BUMP!!!

For weeks I've been consulting with my boss to see if my "bump" has emerged. She denies it's presence. I'm impatient!!

I just want society to think that I am pregnant rather than extra rolley-polley. Let's be honest, I'm sure I'm weeeeeks away from this goal!!! Grow baby, grow!! In the mean time, I'll try not to eat my entire kitchen. In fact, I've determined that being pregnant over ALLL the major holidays is probably just as torturous as being pregnant in the hot summer. For me, it started with Halloween. {Shiny Light bulb} "Ooohh excuses to buy candy!" {Light bulb Dims} "But I don't want to get huge before I'm even bumperific!" {Light bulb reaches night-light status} "Hmmm, Thanksgiving feast, Christmas baking, New Years, Valentines, Easter candy!!!!" I'm doomed! At least I've been consistent with healthy food during the work day. Smoothies, nuts, yogurt, salads, soup. But, once 3pm hits I'm in the "free" zone. The level of "free" is quite variable. Some days free means buying into the Butterfinger craving. Other days it means ordering a small pizza and eating all but one piece so Eric won't judge me for life. Bah! I'm getting hungry!



Mmmm!! Lunch. Salad bar at work is a joy to have! {This looks enormous but the plate is 8 inches}

 

It's been longer than I'd like since my last post. I'll admit, I've been busier now that I'm back on my feet. Which reminds me that my back is killing me lately. {Isn't that supposed to happen when you are size huge and ready to pop out a kid?} I'm sure that my 12 weeks of vegging have something to do with this. My back muscles need to be woken up. Thus, I'm going to be committing to prenatal yoga. Stretching and strength. Sounds like a no-brainer. Because, let's face it, if I've got back pain now, little muffin and I have got a lonnnng way to go!

Speaking of LONG, the moment I got pregnant I've developed this insanely intense allergy to living. Eric calls me "The Mucus Queen." It's quite endearing! Apparently in week 15 "congestion" is a pregnancy symptom due to inflamed mucus membranes. {Gross!} Combine that with my allergies and you've got a total basket case. I recently spent over an hour at the allergist feeling like a total alien....Trying to get meds approved, switched, talking to countless staff, getting samples....   Needless to say, my new remedy has me using 3-5 tissues a day rather than 29. Winning!

Baby muffin continues to grown. I'm feeling a whole new sense of bonding with my muffin-top lately as I'm determined that it is starting to "pop." I'll find myself watching TV and rubbing or holding my pudge. One day it will feel like a bump!



16 weeks! Feeling great! I think I'll make avocado and chicken wraps for dinner! {Bad angle. Look at that booty tooch!} 

Our dish to pass!

Our social life continues. We have the greatest friends ever. I love our little unit of support. We've been busy in the last weeks with a Costume Party for Halloween, {Ashley and I dressed up as deer... the cutest one's ever (refer to facebook!)}, Friendsgiving complete with disco ball, Hunter's 1st birthday party {The most child-focused I've seen Eric yet}, Ben and Brooke's new house, and a visit from Patti and her clan! {Thanks for the lasagna, Mike!} Even in the midst of my panic to plan for un-paid maternity leave we found comfort in our friends and in faith the last weeks! Psalm 145: 14-16 "The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food a the proper time.You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing." Our blessings continue, our support grows, and our love expands!!


How Far Along: 16 weeks 2 days

Size of Baby: Baby is the size of an avocado. Mini muffin can hear now and has toenails. In the next few weeks he/she will double in size.

Weight Gain: Total gain: 4lbs

Belly: I just want the bump!! My uterus is between my pelvic bone and naval. It's getting a little harder. Not a nice, round, noticeable bumperoo yet.

Sleep: I get up 2 times a night like clockwork to go potty. I've had one nap in the last couple weeks. 

Movement: This is supposed to get more predominant this week. But, what I'm feeling isn't much different than before. It's like I'm housing a goldfish sometimes.

Symptoms: LOWER BACK PAIN! Usually after standing/working on my feet for 2+ hours.  And, vivid dreams.
 
Food Cravings: Lettuce, Wavy potato chips and french onion dip.
Gender: I'm caving in. I want to know. Figures. I'm weak!

Mood Ups and Downs: Sunday's are a bad day for to me {ask my husband}. When I'm in a mood I get bratty, sarcastic, and I cry. At least we have 6 good days, right? Eric needs to learn to let me sleep when I say "get the dog out of here, I have 2 more hours."
What I Miss: Ownership of my body

What I'm Looking Forward to: 16 week appt tomorrow!!

Milestones/Moments:   I just love it when Eric rubs my belly and talks to baby. It's the most precious moment that I have with him on a daily basis. I just love my husband!! Have I told anyone that?!?!

Be good! Don't blow away!!!

13 Weeks 3 Days

Hi Ya'll! I hope you are staying warm and well-fed. I'm loving slipper weather {more specifically, slipper-socks.... best invention ever!!!}

We made it to the 2nd Trimester!!!Whew!

I'm ready to regain my energy, which, I think is in the works. Saturday night I was not a hermit and got my bootay off the lazy-boy for a night on the town with my girls. What else are White Tail Widows supposed to do when their men are in the woods?

I volunteered to be the DD for Karaoke Night {wonder why!}. This seemed like a good idea until I had my first episode that many refer to as "pregnancy brain." I think it should be called "pregnancy black-out" as I felt like I was having an out of mind experience. Of course, the moment we pull in I'm ready to twerk and siiiiiing for all the townies at the bar. All I have to do is remove the glasses from my face, clip my keys to my purse, and lock the door using the door buttons. That's my fool-proof system... and I literally think about it every time I'm in the works. NoPe! Not this time! I took 6 steps from the car when it hit me that my glasses were still on my face and my keys were MIA. I walked to the car mumbling to myself. I began to curse, loudly, when I realized my fate! Long of the short... there were other drivers who were sober {Thanks Amanda!!} Sidenote: I was in bed after 1:45 a.m.!!Be proud!

The magic energy burst continued into Sunday. After we took a family trip to rescue Mr. Bob Brown{my vehicle} we did a little yard work. It started out as little. We took a break for lunch and then I turned into an OCD 78 year old man out in his yard, aside from pruning every branch and leaf I could see. Eric remained inside because a 1:45 bedtime turns pregnant ladies, or maybe just me, into a version of Dracula... fangs and all. It was best that we were in different areas of the home........Then I vacuumed the house {OCD style also - brush, handle, extender, ever nook and cranny}, re-organized the kitchen {Which is when Eric realized I was crazy and decided to go hunting}, baked 2 batches of muffins, and headed to watch the Packer's spank the Vikings. If this continues I will catch up on all of my laundry and then some! I'm just glad that I was able to enjoy a day doing "Allison" things. MARTHA STEWART IS BACK!! {Hopefully}

Apparently preggo selfies are harder than they look....What a cute lil bumperoo!!!... Should be popping soon! 
{I just realized I haven't changed my calendar all October. And, November is this week. HA!}

How Far Along: 13 weeks 3days

Size of Baby: This week our baby is the size of a peach or lemon.




Fingerprints!!! {Creepy: If it's a girl it already has 2 million eggs..... ew}. 3 inches in length :)

Weight Gain: Back to where I started. I'm not complaining.

Belly: I can feel the top of my uterus {per my doc's direction} :) And I've got a "full" feeling all the time... Not to mention that my muffin-top has relocated to about 2 inches above it's normal habitat. Whose body is this?

Sleep: I could use a nap... but I'd rather catch up on life.
 
Movement: This little swimmeroo has been moving more this week. Flutters after dinner and sometimes in the morning. Not gas - I'm sure. The term flutter is pretty accurate but sometimes its more like a quiver {that's a gross word}

Symptoms: Seldom - gut pains and headaches. Whoop!! Otherwise just hormonal... ask my husband.
 
Food Cravings: Meatloaf, gushers, broccoli {We'll see how long I can hold out on the gushers}

Gender: That's a whole other blog/post... I'm going to lose this battle. I'm a people pleaser!  
 
What I Miss: My clothes. I need a wardrobe with loose wastes and more sweater/cardigans! Salvation Army I'll be visiting soon.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Adding pictures to the scrap book!!

Milestones: Begin phase 2!!! 

Go ahead! Put on your slippers :)