Bump: 32 Weeks!

I can't believe its been five weeks since I posted my last belly picture.  Seriously...time is flying by and we're not ready yet.  Well, we're ready to meet this little lady but we're not prepared, as in...nursery isn't even started yet {gasp}.  It seems that the past months worth of weekends have been eaten up by weddings and showers and different events back home in Michigan.

This past weekend, we actually had two weddings to go to in the GR area.  One in Grand Rapids on Friday and one in Grand Haven on Saturday.  It was definitely a whirlwind weekend, but we got to spend some time in two of our favorite places.  Grand Rapids, of course, and Grand Haven, where we got engaged.

So, here are a few bump sightings from this weekend (32 weeks + 3 days).  These first two were taken on the pier in Grand Haven.  It was pretty overcast and chilly and the water was rough...splashing up against the pier.

This one was taken at the Saturday wedding we attended at Camp Blodgett, which is a beautiful camp nestled right on Lake Michigan.  Brad and I couldn't take in enough of beautiful Lake Michigan.

I'm feeling quite large these days and especially uncomfortable with these 90* temperatures.  I'm just glad I don't have to go through the entire summer with this big belly!!

xoxo,
meghan

32 Weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, May 25, 2011

How far along: 32 weeks

Sex: Girlie Girl!  Although, funny story...Brad and I went down to WV this weekend to visit some of our best friends and on the way down we stopped for gas, snacks and potty at Sheetz.  As we were paying for our milkshakes the lady helping us goes "So, when are you due?" To which I replied "July 20."  Then she goes "You're having a boy?"  "Umm, no, its a girl."  At that point, she just stared at my belly with this unsure look about her, so I piped up "Well, at least that's what the doctor told us!"  She didn't look convinced!

Now Brad and I are worried that we're going to have to do a lot of returning pink for blue...

Maternity clothes: Basically, whatever is comfortable!

Sleep: Sleeping is becoming more and more uncomfortable...lots of tossing and turning.  AND!  Last night the power went out around 7:30pm, which means that I had to go to sleep without the AC and my fan.  It was a rough night, but thankfully the power came back on around 6:30, so I was able to get a couple cool hours of sleep.

Best moment(s) of the week:  We had a great time visiting Andrew & Natasha down in WV on Saturday.  They took us to one of their favorite pizza places, which was delicious, and then we convinced the boys to take us to see Bridesmaids.  There were some funny parts, but we were all a little disappointed.  All the funny parts you see on the previews are the funny parts in the whole movie.

And!  Last night I went to a lactation class at the hospital I'm delivering at and it was really informative!  I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of breastfeeding, although it was definitely a no-brainer decision for us, so I'm feeling a little more prepared in that department now.

 
Movement: I feel her all the time!  Its like I hit 30 weeks and "BOOM".  She's definitely a little wiggle worm in there.  In fact, I can feel her right now and I think she just finished having the hiccups.  Did you see the video I posted yesterday?

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.

Morning sickness: Nada.

Symptoms: In addition to being hot pretty much all the time thanks to this 80 degree weather, my feet are really sore all of the time.  Its like waking up the morning after wearing an uncomfortable pair of heels all night.   You step out of bed for the first time and "ouch!"  Sore feet!

Labor signs: Not yet...

Belly button in or out:  Its still an innie, but its almost to the point where its level with my belly.  Does that make sense?

What I miss: Sleeping on my back and stomach.

What I'm looking forward to: A long weekend in GR!  We have two weddings to go to (Friday and Saturday) and its also my birthday on Sunday!  I'm definitely excited for a little get-a-way with Brad.  Poor guy has been working so much (work-work and house work) I think he needs it more than me : )

Size and growth of our baby: Baby now weighs as much as a LARGE JICAMA!

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Spring in Michigan.

I kind of skipped right over a few other fun things that happened two weekends ago in MI.  One, was getting to spend some much cherished time at my parent's house. 

My boss was nice enough to let me work a few days from home, so I didn't have to drive back and forth from PA to MI two weekends in a row, so I got to spend a week at home-home!  We spent a lot of time on the deck since my parent's backyard is so beautiful this time of year.  Its so full of life and is so relaxing to sit back there and just listen to the birds and watch the squirrels and see what the latest blooms are.

These were always my favorite when I was little!

And, the man behind of all this gorgeousness, my Daddio!

On Sunday, we had our dear friend, Rosie, over for dinner.  She's basically part of the family and loves to come over for little visits.

We had some delicious salmon on the grill and my mom made a strawberry pie, per my request :)

I think I will always remember this week...

xoxo,
meghan

Dancing Queen.

Within the past week or so, once in awhile I get lucky and get to see my belly wobbling around when I feel her moving.  Its usually so subtle and so quick that by the time I get Brad's attention so he can see it too, she's done.  But!  This morning she was going crazy in there, so it left me plenty of time to snap some footage.  (pay attention to the right half of my belly)

I know it looks weird and seems weird, and I thought that feeling something moving inside me would totally freak me out, but its actually the coolest, most amazing feeling.  I'm sure I'll miss it once she makes her debut...although we can't wait for that!

xoxo,
meghan

GR Baby Shower

My friends threw me such an intimate and lovely baby shower last Sunday.  It was hosted at Molly's cute little house in Holland, MI.

In leau of cards, everyone was asked to bring a book instead.  And it was really funny when we we taking this picture and realized that Erica had her book backwards.  Could that man's face be any scarier on the back of a children's book?

We all had a good laugh.

We didn't play any games but we did some really fun activities, one of which was decorating little onesies using stencils and fabric that we ironed on!  I love that all of my friend's personalities shine through on the onesies that they created.

It was such a fun day to cap off a great weekend.  Thank you girlies, for making me and this baby-to-be feel so loved : )

xoxo,
meghan

All pictures courtesy of the lovely Jessica Wright.  Thanks for sharing, Jess : )

31 Weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011

How far along: 31 weeks

Sex: Girlie Girl!

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity at this point.  Sometimes I sneak in a few pre-pregnancy shirts/tanks but they're kind of getting a little short in the front :)

Sleep: I feel like I shouldn't complain because I am still sleeping pretty comfortably with all things considered, but I have noticed that its getting slightly more uncomfortable...more tossing and turning, etc.

Best moment(s) of the week:  Another great weekend in Michigan.  I headed to GR on Thursday and got to see so many of the people that I miss so much.  Started off with a haircut at Pure Salon with Jackie (and for those of you who know me, you know how much I treasure my time in Jackie's chair), then I was off to visit with a couple other friends who I hadn't seen in awhile.  Friday was girls night at Stephanie's new house, Saturday was Molly's wedding shower and Sunday was my baby shower.  It was definitely an action packed weekend and was so much fun.  

And, when I got back home on Sunday night (after a 6+ hour drive in the rain), I walked into our house to see that Brad had finished the trim in the kitchen, moved the refrigerator from the dining room to its proper place in the kitchen and even started and finished laying the hardwoods in the living and dining rooms.  What a man!!  I think I need to go away for a week at a time more often :)

 
Movement: MUCH MUCH more the past 4+ days.  Not so much kicking and punching but more of a "rolling around in there" feeling.  I love it!

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.

Morning sickness: Nada.

Symptoms: So happy to have seen my chiro today after over a week : )

Labor signs: Not yet...

Belly button in or out:  Half and Half!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back and stomach.

What I'm looking forward to: A weekend at home - lots of housekeeping to catch up on.

Size and growth of our baby: Baby is now the size of FOUR NAVAL ORANGES!

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

30 Weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011

How far along: 30 weeks

Sex: Girlie Girl!

Maternity clothes: Lots of maternity pants and a good mix of maternity + pre-pregnancy shirts.

Sleep: I'm at my parents house in MI this week and surprisingly haven't been sleeping very well.  Lots of tossing and turning, but I suppose that's the name of the game at this point.

Best moment(s) of the week:  Had an absolutely wonderful weekend here in MI with my parents.  The weather was beautiful, we spent lots of time on the deck, grilled dinner a couple nights, went for a nice long walk with my Dad in one of our favorite parks, my mom ran lots of errands with my yesterday (and will today too)...its been a very relaxing time at home :)

 
Movement: I feel her right now :)

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.

Morning sickness: Nada.

Symptoms: Back pain.  I'm really missing my chiro appointment this week and am looking forward to Monday, in that regard :)

Labor signs: Not yet...

Belly button in or out:  Its still about half in/half out, but becomes a little more of an outie each day, it seems!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back and stomach.

What I'm looking forward to: Looking forward to a day of errand running with my mom today, dinner tonight with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and a fun weekend in GR!

Size and growth of our baby: Baby is now the size of a HEAD OF CABBAGE!

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (about as much as a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

29 Weeks!

Today's date: Wednesday, May 4, 2011 (I can't believe its May already!)

How far along: 29 weeks

Sex: Girlie Girl!

Maternity clothes: Lots of maternity pants and a good mix of maternity + pre-pregnancy shirts.

Sleep: Its been a lot cooler this week, so my sleeping temperature has been fine...but...the bigger this belly gets, the more tossing and turning I do at night.  I shouldn't complain, though, because I'm still sleeping through the night, right! :)

Best moment(s) of the week:  Nothing too exciting but this past weekend was fun.  We had a really productive Saturday morning, then went out to run a bunch of errands (Moose got a hair cut and a bath and looks oh-so-handsome), and even picked up the crib!  My parents came into town Saturday evening, so we got to have dinner with them and visit a little bit.  On Sunday, we drove out to Greensburg for my cousin's First Communion, so we got to spend time with the Mucci gang, which is always fun!

 
Movement: I was starting to get nervous because I hadn't been feeling her very much, but the last day or two she's been moving around a lot.  Phew :)

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.

Morning sickness: Nada.

Symptoms: I've still been pretty warm/hot, but the cooler temperatures this week have helped with that.  I've been really tired again and usually fall asleep on the couch around 10:00 and only wake up when Brad turns off all the lights in the living room and tells me its time to go to bed!  And then I fall right back asleep and don't wake up until 8:30am!

Labor signs: Not yet...

Belly button in or out:  Its about half in, half out.  The top half is starting to poke out...ahh!  So weird!

What I miss: A smaller body : )

What I'm looking forward to: I'm really looking forward to a few days at home-home this weekend and then a really fun weekend in GR with my best girlfriends!  I'm throwing a shower and being given a shower...all in one weekend!

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

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.