Happy {belated} Birthday...

...to my Mother.  I hope you had a wonderful birthday weekend!

mom's birthday - 2010

xoxo,
meghan

Bump: 19 Weeks

We had a great time with Brad's parents this weekend, which is why I'm a little late in getting these pictures up.

 

Brad's younger sister, Jaclyn, who will turn 13 a the end of March, has just discovered her love for Justin Bieber and is O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D!  So, we had a little fun with Bieber tats last night : )

I hope everyone had a great weekend and is enjoying watching the Oscars right now!  I have a Dr. appointment int he morning and then its back to the weekly grind.  

xoxo,

meghan

Drumroll Please...!

Brad and I are so excited to know that we're going to have a daughter...a daughter!!  That sounds crazy to say!

We had our anatomical ultrasound yesterday at 8:15am.  I knew I wouldn't be able to wait through the day, so I scheduled it first thing.  After waiting a good 20 minutes, we were finally called back by the tech (how are these people behind schedule with their first patients of the day?).  I plopped myself on the bed, laid down and out came the goo.  She assured me the goo was warm but when she squirted it on my lower abdomen it was HOT!  Too HOT!  I squirmed...told her it was very hot but I don't think she believed me because when she touched it with her finger, it didn't feel hot to her.  Because the skin on your finger and the skin on your lower abdomen are the same...right.  Whatever.  She started pressing on my belly with her magical wand, spouting off body parts, measuring this and that.  

Then she got quiet for a minute and I started to get nervous.  Oh no.  What does she see?  What's wrong?  Why isn't she telling us what she's looking at?  And then she asked us, "Are you sure you want to know what you're having?"  To which I quickly replied Yes!!  After a short pause she said, "Well, it looks like a girl."  Mind you, she showed no enthusiasm, whatsoever...she was kind of lame.  But when I heard the word g-i-r-l come out of her mouth I was shocked!  I turned to look at Brad who was smiling but I could tell he was equally as shocked!

We both had been thinking b-o-y for most of my pregnancy to this point and as much as I love everything girlie, I never pictured us having a girl first.  I just pictured a mini-Brad...in Levi's and plaid flannel!  Of course, I wasn't hoping for one over the other; I really just want a happy and healthy baby no matter the sex but I think I was delightfully surprised to find out we're having a little girl.

Fast forward to lunch yesterday, when Brad calls me to tell me that he was going to go out to get a couple baby outfits.  Oh my goodness, my heart melted.  My husband, a very manly-man, was going to go pick out little pink outfits for the daughter he just learned he will have.  Could I love him any more?  I didn't hear from him after his shopping extravaganza, so I called him on my way home from work to see if he had picked up anything.  He said he got a couple things and he'd show me when he got home.

As soon as he walked in the door last night, I couldn't wait to see what he picked.  Brad has good taste but I didn't know how that would transfer over to baby girl clothing.  Well, wasn't I surprised when the first thing he pulled out of his bag was this darling little dress!

Of course its plaid AND flannel, but so adorable...and pink...and lacey...and frilly...and I love it!  I think its my favorite out of all the things we bought yesterday...

I think its safe to say that our little girl is not going to lack a decent wardrobe : )

Brad's family is coming in tonight for the weekend and we wanted to surprise them with this news, so we told them that my ultrasound wasn't until next week.  They're going to be so excited when we tell them tonight!  I'll be sure to let you all know how that goes!!

I'm looking forward to lots more shopping this weekend with my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law!

xoxo,
meghan

19 Weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011

How far along: 19 weeks

Sex: Unknown. But we'll know very very soon!!

Maternity clothes: For the first time, I wore a maternity sweater that my mom got me for Christmas.  Its actually really cute and I think I'd even wear it post-pregnancy.

Sleep: I had been sleeping really well, until I came down with a cold.  Sleeping when you are sick is never fun. 

Best moment(s) of the week:  Last week, I got to have dinner with two girls that used to work at Pikimal with me.  I was so sad when they both left at the same time, so it was great to catch up with them!  Looking forward to doing it again soon :)

Movement: Still waiting...and getting a little nervous that I haven't felt anything yet.

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.

Morning sickness: Nada.

Symptoms: Nothing pregnancy related...just this stupid cold : (

Labor signs: Way too soon.

Belly button in or out:  Definitely still in.

What I miss:  I miss the MI snow.  Pittsburgh winters stink!

What I'm looking forward to: boy or girl?  boy or girl!?  And, my in-laws are coming into town this weekend.  We always look forward to having them!

Size and growth of our baby: Baby is now the size of a HEIRLOOM TOMATO!

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

(The use of the word "her" is not implying anything!  I wish we knew already!)

our first baby.

I think I have the sleepiest, snuggliest, cutest, most loving, best dog in the world.  These are just some of the pictures I've taken of him sleeping.  He snuggles up in the funniest positions sometimes, that I just can't resist capturing his cuteness!  He makes us laugh and we always tell him that its a good thing he's cute, because otherwise...well, you know what you want to do to a naughty dog sometimes ; )

I love watching him sleep...especially when he starts dreaming and his paws start twitching.  So funny!

And I think that I have a problem taking pictures of him.  He's our first baby, after all, but just wait until our real baby comes along : )

xoxo,
meghan

Bump: 18 Weeks!

Its a beautiful sunny day here, although its quite chilly and very windy.  Brad had to go into work for a couple hours this morning, so Moose and I headed to the park with my friend Melissa and her dog Otis.  It was really nice to get out and walk in the crisp sunny day!

After a couple errands this afternoon, a trip to Home Depot and a visit to our new favorite furniture store, Arhaus, we're back at home and just finished our mini photo shoot.

 

And, since I don't feel like my belly is growing, lets see a little side-by-side comparison...

What do you think?  It seems smaller to me...I hope everything is ok!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Enjoy the warm weather, if you still have it.  We're back into the 30's : )

xoxo,

meghan

18 Weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

How far along: 18 weeks

Sex: Unknown. But I'm counting down the days!!

Maternity clothes: Not yet, but things are starting to get snug.  I just ordered some stuff for Spring/Summer, that should be arriving soon.  Who knows if it will fit me at that point, but we'll see!

Sleep: I've actually been sleeping really well - haven't even been getting up in the middle of the night to pee.  But, I do wake up with an overly full bladder, for sure.

Best moment(s) of the week: Brad and I had a really great Saturday, as we celebrated Valentine's day a couple days early. 

Movement: Still waiting...and nervous!

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.

Morning sickness: Nada.

Symptoms: My lower back pain has subsided, but it still gets pretty painful sometimes.  I think I came to the conclusion that I must have done something to it, when I was playing with my cousin Avi in the snow (throwing her around, pushing her sled, etc) and building snowmen with Augie.  Ooops!

Labor signs: Way too soon.

Belly button in or out:  Definitely still in.

What I miss:  I don't think I miss anything right now...aside from the obvious family and friends back home.

What I'm looking forward to: boy or girl?  boy or girl!?

Size and growth of our baby: Baby is now the size of a BELL PEPPER!

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since Valentine's Day fell on a Monday today and Mondays are, well, Mondays...I decided that we would celebrate on Saturday instead.  So, I decided that I would take on the usually-a-husband-task, and plan a fun day for us.  

I cooked us a simple, but yummy breakfast in the morning..

cinnamon rolls (Brad's favorite), scrambled eggs with Italian sausage, tuscan toast, clementines & OJ

i even used our special Valentine's Day plates :)

so good!  one of my favorite breakfasts these days!

Mid-breakfast Brad got up, grabbed his keys and walked out the door.  Whenever he gets me a gift he keeps it locked in the glove compartment of his truck - and I knew that's where he was headed :)  But when he walked back into the dining room carrying a Little Blue Bag, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!  Who doesn't love getting anything in a Little Blue Bag!  I have such a thoughtful-gift-giving husband...

this note made me cry...until I got to the closing, which made me laugh!

This is what was inside the Little Blue Box and I loooove it!  Its an extra special gift because all of the locks on our interior doors have skeleton keys.  So, I will always remember that he gave this to me on Valentine's Day, in our 'skeleton key' house : )

Brad's gift this year totally trumped what I got him, although he loved it!

my two handsome men (one with a little bit of bedhead going on)!

After breakfast, we got a quick work out in (which I'm still sore from), did a little furniture shopping browsing, and then headed into Pittsburgh for our evening of fun! 

First stop: Carnegie Museum of Natural History.  Brad has been wanting to go to this museum since we moved here.  I'm not a huge museum person, but Brad is and I planned the day for him.

Next stop: Monterey Bay Fish Grotto.  I have been to this restaurant once before and remember the food and views being amazing.  I knew Brad would love it (we love good fish)!  It sits on top of Mt. Washington, with an amazing view of the city.  The entire right side of the restaurant is windows and if you are lucky enough to get a table next to the windows, you can see the entire city lit up and the three rivers.  Its a really beautiful view!  The whole experience was great - service, food, ambiance and of course, the handsome man I was with.

The whole day ended up being really fun and relaxing, which is what we both needed.  I'm thinking that I should plan days like this more often...why wait around for Valentine's Day?

Did you do something fun to celebrate with your sweetie!?  Do tell!!

xoxo,
meghan

Bump: 17 Weeks

I can't believe I'm almost at the halfway point!  Sometimes I still can't believe that we're really having a baby - ha!  Hopefully it will sink in in a couple weeks when we find out...BOY or GIRL! 

I really can't wait! 

Brad and I were at REI yesterday and they're having a really big clearance sale.  So, of course, I head up to the baby/child department to look at all the mini gear: mini puffy coats, mini fleece vests, mini SmartWools...oh my!  I think its a good thing that you have to wait until 20-ish weeks to find out the sex, otherwise you'd have WAY too long to shop for this little bambino!

Here are this week's belly pictures, taken by my in-house photographer : )

And for a little side by side comparison:

Why does the 16 week belly look bigger than the 17 week?  Hmm!?

Happy Sunday to everyone!  I hope you are snuggled and warm inside your home-sweet-home : )

xoxo,
meghan

17 Weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011

How far along: 17 weeks

Sex: Unknown. But can't wait for that gender ultrasound in a couple weeks!!

Maternity clothes: Not yet!

Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well through the night but waking up at 6am/7am having to pee.  At that point, I peel myself out of bed and don't even really get back to sleep for the next couple hours.  Maybe I should start going to bed a little earlier, to compensate!

Best moment(s) of the week: We had a really fun weekend consisting of a date night, trip to IKEA, test drove the new Jeep Grand Cherokee {and loved it} and had some friends over for the Superbowl on Sunday.

Movement: I haven't felt anything yet and am a little nervous to feel the first flutter.  What if it freaks me out!?

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.

Morning sickness: Nada.

Symptoms: The lower back pain continues.  I was grocery shopping on Saturday and was in SO much pain.  I've been feeling ok for the past couple days though.

Labor signs: Way too soon.

Belly button in or out:  Definitely still in.

What I miss:  I still wish we had more snow here.  Everyone else in the mid-west and east coast is getting pounded with snow...except Pittsburgh.  What the heck!

What I'm looking forward to: Gender Ultrasound, of course

Size and growth of our baby: Baby is now the size of a TURNIP!

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs almost 6 ounces now, and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.  This week might also mark the first time you feel baby move inside you, but don't worry if it's another two months before you notice anything. (Or realize that this time, it's actually not gas.)

Without further ado...

First belly shots since there's finally something to look at!

There's definitely a bump there...and it looks a lot more prominent in these pictures than it does to me in real life!  YIKES!

I was officially 16 weeks on Wednesday, but we've decided to do belly shoots on Saturday's because we need the morning light and its the only morning my photographer husband and I are together in the morning.  Although, this morning, as we were about to take these pictures I realized my camera battery was dead...so, we had to wait until this afternoon around 5:00pm-ish, which is why the lighting isn't awesome.  Regardless, you get the picture : )

I think this will be a weekly Saturday ritual (for the next 24 weeks, at least), so check back soon!

xoxo,
meghan

Menu Planning & Grocery Shopping

Through the past couple years, I have learned that I am a project person.  Projects typically have a beginning and an end; a start and a finish; a goal and an end result.  I don't know what to call the opposite of a "project person" but it would basically involve doing the same thing over and over and over, every day or every week with no end in sight.  I struggle with tasks that have no end in sight, which is probably why Brad runs out of undershirts and underwear so often...I hate doing laundry.  Its a never-ending task (not to mention that our basement is creepy)!  Another never-ending task that I'm learning I struggle with is grocery shopping/cooking dinner.  {At this point, you're probably thinking, "Oh geez, I bet Meghan makes a really lousy wife (and soon to me mother) if she hates doing basic household duties."} 

Problem: I don't like to come home from work and have to think of something to make. 
Solution: Menu Planning.

Despite the fact that I don't love to cook, I don't mind cooking if I know what I'm going to cook ahead of time and know that I have all the necessary ingredients on hand.  This is where menu planning comes in and helps me so much!  If I plan out what we're going to have each day of the week, and I grocery shop according to that menu, I don't mind coming home to cook.  When I menu plan, we eat well balanced dinners.  When I don't menu plan, well, we eat whatever we can find :)  I know this isn't a profound idea - wives and mothers everywhere have probably been doing this for years - I'm just catching on!

So, I've been trying to menu plan and grocery shop in a smarter way.  Sounds good, right?  Well, my next problem is that because I make my grocery list by going down my menu plan, my grocery list is very disorganized and I end up zig-zagging around the grocery store like a lunatic because I have garlic listed next to pasta or lettuce listed next to paper towels, when really produce should be grouped with produce, meat with meat, etc etc.  Brilliant, huh?

case in point.  ha.

With all of that being said, today I decided that there's going to be an end to my disorganized grocery lists and I came up with this!

menu plan + organized grocery list = happiness.

 
I'm going to use it this weekend and I'll be sure to report back with pros and cons!  Let me know if you'd like a copy!

Happy menu planning, everyone!!  Just call me June Cleaver :)

xoxo,
meghan

One Year Anniversary

Today is the one year anniversary of my Etsy shop, The Pretty Pearl!  I can't believe its been a year already - its really flown by when I think about all that has happened in the past twelve months.

I started The Pretty Pearl (my Etsy shop, not this blog) last year while Brad was in his first year of law school.  I found myself newly married, in a new city, with no friends and a husband that I rarely got to spend fun, quality time with.  I needed something to occupy my free time.  And, since we went from two incomes to my measly income, the extra money couldn't hurt.

original hangers made for my 'maids

Encouraged by a couple friends and fueling off compliments from acquaintances and questions as to where I purchased the hangers, I decided to start making and selling the very same hangers that I made for my bridesmaids.  I initially started out with the same white paint on a cherry finished hanger, and later expanded to offering other finishes of hangers and other colors of paint, to accommodate any brides color scheme.  I also started selling baby hangers, which are popular for flower girls and baby showers.

hangers I did for an old high school friend's wedding

baby hanger

It was really exciting to me that people I didn't know and had never met were buying something that I had made.  I was pretty busy during wedding planning season and then died down around September, which actually worked out great because that's when we bought and moved into our new house.  Things have picked up again since the new year has rolled around, as brides are scrambling to wrap up last minute details :)

natural hanger + white

white hanger + goldenrod yellow

white hanger + carnation pink

Its a fun little hobby for me and something that I never imagined I'd still have going a year later :)  Cheers to another great year!

xoxo,
meghan

16 weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, February 2, 2011 (Happy Groundhog Day)!

How far along: 16 weeks

Sex: Unknown. But we get to find out very soon!

Maternity clothes: Nope.  I finally put jeans on this morning after a couple weeks of pure leggings.  They actually still fit.

Sleep: Have been sleeping pretty well the past few nights...just getting up to pee around 3:30am, but that's become the norm!

Best moment(s) of the week: Had a check-up appointment on Monday and got to hear the heartbeat again.  I love that sound.  Also, go to go hang out with my Aunt & Uncle and two cousins on Saturday.  We played in the snow, I pushed Avi down the miniature sledding hill in their backyard and we built one snow-woman and one GIANT snow man.  Then we went over to Gram & Pap's for a DELICIOUS lasagna dinner.  So much fun!

Movement: Can't feel it yet - but was told that I'll be able to feel some fluttering in the next couple weeks.  I'm a little nervous that its going to freak me out...

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing too intense.

Morning sickness: I'm in the clear!

Symptoms: Nothing too serious, but I've had some lower back pain the last couple days...but that could be because I was throwing my 3 year old cousin around in the snow on Saturday...

Labor signs: Way too soon.

Belly button in or out:  Definitely still in.

What I miss: Snow!  Why is it raining and 45* in February!?

What I'm looking forward to: Gender Ultrasound, of course!  I'm counting down!

Size and growth of our baby: Baby is now the size of an AVOCADO!

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length.  His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.