4 month update

Growth

Alex had his 4 month checkup this week. He is weighing 16 lbs 7 oz- which is in the 72 percentile. So. kinda big but mostly average. I thought for sure he would be in the 99% for height since nothing seems long enough to fit him, but he only measured 26 inch, which is 86%- still a pretty tall kiddo. He's wearing mostly 6 month clothes now, but still has a few 3 month outfits that fit.

Sleep

Sleep is not so great. I can't remember the last time I had a 6 hour stretch of sleep. Actually, it was probably a month or so ago when we left him overnight with grandma & grandpa.  We were still using his swing up until a week or so ago, but since the motor has given up trying to move his heavy butt & Alex is figuring out how to roll out of it (he never actually did-thank god) we decided it was time to suck it up and make him use the big boy crib. We're a few nights in and he seems a lot more comfortable stretching out in the crib, but doesn't sleep as sound and is waking up every three hours.  He's also much better at calming himself down now. We have let him fuss for a bit some nights and he's put himself back to sleep a few times, but more often he just wakes himself up even more, so it's easier to just nurse him when he starts to fuss since  it only takes like 10 min to put him back down. 

Eating

About the same, we're exclusively breastfeeding still. We did find a bottle that works better, this one- with this nipple, but he still has to be in the mood to take it- which is never at night. So sometimes he'll take some formula on the weekends when dad and grandparents are around to feed him. The doctor talked to us about trying rice cereal or oatmeal in the next few weeks. Can't decide if i'm excited for him to start other food or not, I know it'll be extra cost for us but breastfeeding all the time is really exhausting. I have at least another two months of boobie duty though- just have to keep reminding myself that it's what's best for my little boy!

Likes

His new favorite toy is this walker. It has lots of buttons he likes to pound on, plus it lets him practice putting weight on his legs which he's really good at- strong boy! He is also drooling like crazy lately, and loves anything he can chew on- particularly sophie the giraffe.  It seems like everyone has one, and it's because her little legs are perfect size for baby's mouth! Such a good purchase. The teething rings we got for him are hard and too big for his mouth. I'm going to look for some different kinds, there's got to be some good ones out there. We've been watching some disney movies together (ah, the joys of SAHM), Monster's Inc was a BIG hit, lots of coos and giggles.  Which reminds me, he laughs! I love it, it's really the best sound ever. He has the goofiest chuckle and will throw his head back with it- such a little cheese already!

Postpartum:

5 lbs left! I really haven't done much exercising , but breasfeeding does wonders!  I wonder if I breastfeed for 5 years if i'll be a size 2... ; ) But really, my hips will never be that small again. My goal is just to tone everything up now, big hips can be hot if you're in shape! (look at Sophia Vergara and Kim K!)  Am I really using a Kardashian as a role model- yup! Don't judge. ; )

Newborn Must-haves

Newborn Must-haves

I expected Alex to need every single product I read about online. I would say the first month is really simple: diapers, butt cream, and a good sleeping spot. Of course if you're not exclusively breast feeding you'll need bottles and all sorts of other fun stuff. I assumed Alex would be a large baby so only had size 1 diapers on hand (dumb), so having some NB diapers just in case is a good idea too. 

Every kid is different, but these were our most used products for the first month or so when they're in the Eat, Poop, Sleep routine. 

1. I mentioned having a good sleep spot.. the first few nights we tried a few different options (big boy crib, pack n play, and this Swing) The pack n play was in our room but we have two cats that were not on board with being shut out of our bedroom, & as a paranoid FTM I didn't want them clawing the baby to death while i slept. Since Alex refused to be swaddled since day 1 the big boy crib was not snug enough for him. The first few weeks were a mix of holding him while he slept and putting him in the swing, 4 months later we're still using the swing for the most part. We're trying to transition him to the crib now since he is way too heavy for the swing to even move anymore. hah!

2. I was so excited to dress my new little guy in all sorts of little outfits. He literally wore these white onesies with the built in mittens for weeks. He loved to claw his face and eyes & his little fingers were so tiny it was scary clipping his nails!  These aren't anything special but they do the trick, word of advice they shrink like crazy when washed. 

3. Alex didn't have many big fits, when we had tried everything to get him to stop crying and didn't know what else to do we tried some gripe water that I got from my shower & it worked every time! We only had to use it a few times but it's well worth having!

4. I've given up on Alex taking a pacifier. He did for a little bit in the beginning but I just can't seem to find one he will keep in his mouth! It's a good idea to buy lots of kinds, hopefully one of them will work!

5. I absolutely love this monitor. 

6. If you hate doing laundry, like me, then these are a must Changing Pad Liners. It's way easier tossing these in the laundry than taking the actual changing pad cover off every time shit gets a little messy.. literally. ha!

7. Alex had some diaper rash the first week or so. We tried desitin, and it was ok, but I prefer this a&d ointment. It's more of a gel than a cream, & cleared up the problem really fast. Alex hasn't had to use it since!

8. Speaking of ointments... the first few days of breast feeding can be rough. Even though I only had to use this for a week or so, it was well worth it! I had an off brand the hospital gave me that wasn't anywhere close to as good as the Lansinoh brand. A little goes a LONG way, so a small tube would be fine. 

Two Month Update

Growth

Baby Alex is growing like a weed! He is already nearly 13 lbs! Every day when we get dressed I find new clothes that don't fit him anymore. I think he'll be in size 2 diapers pretty soon! 

Sleep

He is definitely more consistent than he was last month, but there's always room for improvement ;) At our two month appointment our doctor told us he should be able to sleep 10-12 hours at night now....um, yeah right! We are getting lucky with 4-5 hours stretches. He suggested we give a big bottle when we're putting him down for the night. So the next night we forced him to stay away and take this bottle, we could only get him to take 2 oz and then after waking him up 3000 times he was REALLY awake and wouldn't go back down for a while...Needless to say, we didn't try that again. I know i'm new to this whole baby thing but I think Alex is still pretty young to be expected to sleep through the night..even though it would be really nice. (Also, doctor said to let him cry it out.... let's just say mom is not too impressed with this dude)

Eating

Like a Boss! Clearly, my 13lb baby is a little chunk. He has approximately nine rolls on his legs. He took a bottle of pumped milk (and every now and then formula) at night for a while, but the last two weeks or so he isn't taking the bottle so well. He won't eat that much from it, & usually having to wait a few minutes to get the bottle ready wakes him up so much that it's not worth it. I've been tempted to try co-sleeping to try and get some extra zzz's but it makes me nervous, so for now I will crawl out of bed in zombie mode every few hours to feed my little man. 

Likes

He likes staring at things on the wall. Particularly a shelf in our living room, lighting fixtures, mirrors, etc. Loves his hands more than ever. He finally has some interest in toys- so that's fun. It makes me laugh that we have some elaborate flashy toys but his favorites are the really simple rattles (and hoop connect thingys).  He also likes anything that plays music, & he thinks its funny when I try to sing him little songs. 

Postpartum:

I am feeling about 95% back to normal. My skin is still not the same as it was pre-baby. I've heard that your skin and hair...and hips, are never really the same. I've lost 4 or 5 lbs since my last update, so I have about 10 lbs to go still. I had to go swim suit shopping a few weeks ago, for a boating trip we took with some friends... I wasn't expecting to have to worry about swimsuit season this year! I've never really been self conscious about my body before- it kinda sucked! I found a swim suit that kept my boobs under control so that was nice.. but even though I got lucky with no stretch marks on my tummy, I'm still getting used to having a "mom" tummy- I need to get some good Ab workouts in! I'm not taking as many walks with Alex as I want to, it's been so hot here during the day that it limits the time I can take him. I can't wait for fall! 

one month

I can't believe it's already been a month! Actually, yes I can..my days are feeling considerably longer since little A was born. 

Growth

Currently weighing 9 lb 8 oz, up from 7 lb 12 oz at birth. I think he's gained all of that in his cheeks! :) We had to move up to size 1 diapers about a week or so ago. He still fits in mostly all the NB clothes we have, but is also filling out the 0-3 month clothes much better now.

Sleep

It's been changing so much it's hard to give a summary! He doesn't seem to enjoy sleeping very much, you would think babies are born knowing how to do basic things like sleep, poop, eat..but they definitely have to learn how to master these things. Baby A has started sleeping in his crib and is doing Ok! Sometimes he just wants to be held all night which is understandable since he's so little, but mom and dad are not loving sleeping in our rocking chair! 

Eating

Breastfeeding is going really well, all things considered. He had a perfect latch from day 1 but over the last few weeks his latch has gotten a little...rough. He is doing pretty good at sticking to a 2-3 hour schedule though, with longer stretches at night. I started pumping a little this week. He took his first bottle, which was a little bittersweet. I know it will make my life so much easier, and we only plan on doing it like once a day (at night time). More to come on how this works out for us!

Likes

Seems like at this age they like to eat, eat, eat. A thinks anytime I am holding him I should stick my boob in his mouth. Sometimes sucking his fingers is second best. Oh, he LOVES his hands.. a little too much. We had to take them away from him the first two weeks since he clawed at his face ALL.THE.TIME! But he's got his friends back now. He also likes tummy time, he's so strong! He can lift his neck and turn his head side to side. I think he'll be turning over before long!

Postpartum:

My postpartum experience has honestly been harder on my body than my entire pregnancy. I had a relatively easy pregnancy so I guess I can't complain too much. I could barely put any weight on my hip for the first 3 weeks after birth. After a chiropractor appointment, massage, and doctor's checkup the verdict was sciatic nerve pain. I had some sciatic nerve pains while pregnant, and this felt much worse.. it felt more like my hip was out of place. I was limping so bad it looked like one of my legs was longer than the other! It's finally feeling better though, it's nice being able to carry the baby around and not worry that my leg will give out! In other news, I'm down 20lbs since delivery! I gained about 35 total, so just 15lbs to go to get back to normal! I'm hoping to start a good workout routine in a few weeks, but for now walking will have to do. 

Birth Story

I loved reading birth stories while preparing for my little one's arrival. I knew I wanted to have all the details of my own labor saved somewhere, so I could look back and remember the experience. It's been hard finding the time to record these details though! I already feel like most of the delivery was kind of a haze (maybe because of the drugs!). But here goes nothing!

On Monday June 17th we went in for our 39 week checkup. My midwife informed us I was about 2.5 dilated and about 80% effaced, which was a little further along than the week before so we were pleased! I had read a little about having my membranes swept but wasn't planning on going that route until after my due date (June 22nd). But when it was offered, I knew there wasn't much risk associated with the procedure so I thought, why not! It hurt having it done but not much more than having your cervix checked. They say labor can start anytime after you have it done, but if it's going to work it'll be within 48 hrs- thinking about this made me have a mild panic attack! I wanted to meet our baby but felt really nervous about what was to come.

Monday night came and went and I was convinced the sweep didn't accomplish much. On Tuesday morning I still felt like there was a chance something could happen today. So I did what any logical women would do- I got as cute as possible- just in case I had to deliver a baby! Did my hair, got an appropriate amount of makeup on, jewelry, you know all the hospital essentials. (more to come about all the silly things I brought to the hospital with me and never touched).

Sure enough, I started to feel REAL contractions around 1 in the afternoon on Tuesday the 18th. I asked my husband to stay home after lunch just in case things went quickly, and it was getting harder & more annoying to time them myself while I was trying to breathe through them! They weren't regular enough to be concerned until around 4. We decided once I was at 5 minutes apart that they were regular and painful enough to go to the hospital (5 minutes was the recommended time from our doctor as well).

I should note that my contractions were in my back the whole time. This sucked. Apparently a tilted uterus + posterior cervix makes for some painful back labor. When we arrived at l&d they hooked me up to the monitors and had me lay on my back on this super high, uncomfy, hospital "bed". WTF? I'm still pissed about this. As if I'm not in enough pain you want me to lay in the worst position possible and "stay still". HA! So, go figure, they couldn't get a good read on my contractions because I couldn't sit still. They checked my cervix and I was only at a 3. Frustrating that all the pain I had been feeling hadn't dilated me more than half a cm. They gave me an hour to walk around and they would check me again. Walking was better than laying but my contractions were getting more intense to the point where I would have to lean on the wall in the hallways of l&d every few minutes to get through them. I was still a little self conscious at this point, I mean I was writhing in pain in front of not just the nurses, but whoever was walking around visiting- I just felt awkward. Anyway, after an hour of all that fun I hadn't progressed AT ALL. Plus the nurse, who didn't seem super sympathetic, basically told me I wasn't having regular contractions. She kind of made me feel like I was imagining this all in my head! (BTW, since they weren't timing my contractions my husband was and they were down to about 3-4 min apart while we were there--but what do we know...)

So home we went... in tears. Well I was in tears. Eric was great through all this. It was hard for him to see me in so much pain and not get any relief. The most frustrating part was that we had no idea when to go back at this point. I mean, I can't check how dilated I am at home, all I can go by was my contractions. When we were leaving and I asked the nurse she said when they are 3 minutes apart and you can't talk through them... which is exactly how they were, and they were sending me away...??? Anyway, I took the lortab they gave me and hoped I could go home and sleep off these "braxton hicks" : P

We got home around 6 and the next 6 hours are such a blur. Like I mentioned- back labor is no joke. I literally tried every position, everything that was recommended in my childbirth classes and there was just no relief. Well, one thing temporarily helped- a hot shower. I took 3 over the course of a few hours...needless to say, all the work I put into being "cute" when I delivered was the LAST thing on my mind. Makeup all over, didn't even brush my hair after showering- I looked a hot mess! I did care, but physically could not do anything to fix it haha. By about 10 I was completely worn out. I could barely keep my eyes open and would try to sleep for a few minutes in between each contraction. If I was laying down when a contraction came on, I would literally wake up screaming from the pain..it was terrible. My two cats and my husband are probably just as traumatized as I am from watching me do this for hours...

After midnight we were convinced this wasn't going to stop tonight & that driving to the hospital and being turned down again wasn't as bad as doing this for the rest of the night. Eric told me after that he was ready to throw a fit and make them admit me or give me something for the pain. Right before we left my contractions quickened up drastically like 1-2 minutes apart all of a sudden. I had a few contractions in the car that were torture. I was in tears as we got to the hospital because I was preparing for a similar experience that we had earlier. The ladies in the ER were super sympathetic though & rushed me up to labor and delivery.

The nurse in the admit area didn't even hook me up to the monitors this time since it was clear I was having them so close together. When she checked my cervix I had progressed to a 6.5! So exciting. I had planned on seeing how the pain was before deciding whether I wanted an epidural or not. It was basically the first thing I asked for when I got there, and sure enough, they delivered very quickly. My nurse blew up my vein pretty bad putting my IV in. It made a huge mess- blood everywhere. I was really nervous about being stabbed in my spine... especially because you have to hold still through your contraction in order for them to do it correctly. It was pretty difficult but the relief was instant, I went from writhing in pain and crying to making jokes, and being in awe of how great I felt.

After getting my epidural I still progressed at a great rate. They checked me every hour or so, and I would add another cm to my dilation. I was fully dilated by about 4 am. Labor and delivery was really busy that night and I had to wait on my doctor to break my water. Eric got a quick nap in but I was just too excited to sleep!

When it came time to push, I told the nurse I was feeling a little more than pressure down in my crotch. I didn't want to up my epi medicine because I felt like it was important that I still feel the pressure in order to know when to push. My nurse was really great and seemed like she knew her stuff, she told me that she would recommend upping it before I push & that if I have the epi in I may as well not be feeling any pain. I was easily convinced and maxed that sucker out! I still felt enough to push, enough so that I could tell them when a contraction was coming and didn't have to wait to be told.

Going into the delivery I expected pushing to be worse than the contractions for some reason.. but pushing was easy! I only had to push for less than an hour, and that was with a good minute or so between groups of pushes. The last push was definitely the most intense but it still didn't hurt terribly.

They put little Alex right under my chin once he was out. All I remember about this part was feeling a huge relief that he was here & that I had really did it. I had prepared myself for him to be covered in nasty stuff but he was perfect and had his eyes wide open with curiosity. I remember looking up at Eric and it was probably the happiest I have ever seen him look. He had tears in his eyes so of course that set me over the edge and made me cry like a baby. And then they took Alex to be weighed and he cried like a baby! Actually screamed, the nurses were really impressed with his set of lungs. He got an apgar score of 9.9 which means he was super healthy and responsive. Eric even told me he got a grip on the measuring tape and ripped it!

I had a little bit of complications after he was out. A few stitches, and a placenta that wouldn't detach and had to be manually removed (this was just as fun as it sounds). Let's just say, an epidural can't help everything. The doctor kept asking if I was ok throughout this.. it was very painful but I didn't care because I could look over and watch my baby getting checked out by the nurses. I just wanted her to hurry and finish so I could hold him again.

Everyone tells you having a child changes your life, and there really is no way for you to imagine the way that you will change, it's like nothing else in this world. This first week has been a lot of work, extremely exhausting, but everyday when he does something new, or looks my direction with his big eyes it makes the 9 months of pregnancy, and pain of delivery, and frustration of not having a quick recovery worth every second.

Jenny Martinez Photography

Alexander Eric makes his debut!

Alexander Eric made his debut at 7:57 am on June 19th, weighing in at 7lbs 12 oz and 21 in long! Mama and baby are doing well and loving life! I'll give all the deets as soon as I have 5 minutes to breathe! So.. Basically in 18yrs ;) until then, here's some pics of our little angel

37 Weeks....almost 38!

18 days until my due date.

Not that I'm counting... ; ) 

We had our doctor appointment on Monday and it went well! First time we didn't get an ultrasound but that's ok! She did check to see if I'm dilated & I am at 1 cm and 50% effaced (or thinned out)..

I'm happy with that- I've been having some minor cramping that I wasn't sure counted as BHs or what, but it seems as though my body is at least starting to get ready for what's to come! 

Oh and the best news was I lost 2 lbs! I was probably more excited about that than I should have been. I've heard that it's possible to loose the last few weeks for whatever reason.. I figure as long as my little guy is putting on the lbs that's all that matters. Plus, I'm definitely not starving myself.. in fact, I probably have already gained it back from all the celebratory snacks I rewarded myself with ;) 

I'm feeling kind of nervous.. some days I really just want him to stay in there & then randomly I'll feel super ready and hope that he comes that night. I think I actually said last night, "I'm in the mood to have a baby tonight" hah! Let's just hope I'm feeling "up to it" at the same time that baby boy is feeling up to it ; )

Anyway, here's some photos:

Looking like I may pop at any moment ^^

(Also, possibly the only photo my husband and I have together the entire pregnancy... oops!)

Don't mind my no-makeup/mean muggin.. holding a camera to do a "selfie" takes much more concentration when pregnant. 

And this, just because I think it's sweet.

Baby's Hospital Bag

I have been "researching" what I should pack in my hospital bags, and the online consensus is that you don't need to bring much with you to the hospital. That being said, I would much rather over pack than be pissed I didn't think to bring something that would make me or the baby more comfortable. Since it's my first time doing this whole mommy thing, this post is in no way advice about what to bring- just wanted to share what I have decided is important for me to have! :) If i'm forgetting anything vital- please let me know!!

Baby Boy's Stuff:

1. aden + anais swaddle blanket

2. Warmer Velour Blanket

3. Mittens & Socks

4. Nursing Cover

5. On the Go Sleep Sheep- don't know whether I'll use this but since our hospital really encourages the baby rooming in I figure some white noise may help.

6. Changing Pad

7. Sleep Dress- I read somewhere it's easier to change the diapers in these, but I've also heard they basically only wear a shirt and diaper and swaddle while in the hospital. So, I figure I'll bring one just in case. 

8. Two burp cloths

9. Lanolin Wipes

10. Spare Diaper- wipes and diaper mostly just in case we need it on the way home.

11. Baby brush and nail file

12. Lanolin- just in case breast feeding is rough. 

13. Pacifier- I am pretty set on not using a paci for as long as possible..but again, just in case. : )

14. Going home outfit- complete with matching hat, of course.

15. Backup outfit- one of these is a little smaller than the other since we could have anywhere from a 7lb-11lb baby! 

And of course, I've got to include the baby bag, and boppy that will be coming along with us! 

Honestly, the baby bag was the easy part. I'm still working on my bag... it's hard since a lot of the stuff I need to pack I also need/want to use in the next few weeks. I have a feeling hubby will be packing my bag as I'm timing my contractions! : )

36 Week- 1 month left!!

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain:  30 lbs- I'm about done putting it on! Can't wait to go for a run. 
Maternity clothes? Yes, got a few "about to pop" outfits at Target for the next month. 
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: I've heard about pregnancy insomnia before and it's the real deal... I'm gradually finding out things that help- like sleeping on the couch, watching The Office on my phone until I doze off, eating a middle of the night snack, sometimes my snack is just 5 Tums and that helps.. 
Best moment this week: Had a prenatal massage that was crazy good. Best part was being able to lay on my stomach!  Also, saw little guy sucking his hand at our doctors visit. He's pretty cute already. 
Miss Anything? Shopping for "regular" clothes, being able to pick things up, lots of little stuff- honestly, just trying to enjoy having him in there for the rest of the time since I'm sure it will feel like something's missing when he's not there!
Movement? Lots of hiccups. For the most part, I haven't felt him very high at all- it's like he keeps his legs balled up and doesn't stretch them out too much, but today I felt the weirdest thing- it was like he was kicking off the top of my belly near my ribs and like bouncing on it! Crazy boy. : )
Food cravings: Ice, Trail Mix (except it seems as though I just pick out the dried fruit), Salads (particularly ones with berries in them- like Zuppas Nuts about Berries salad- I have wanted to go get one everyday this week), peanut butter on bagels. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really! 
Gender: boy
Labor Signs: nope. I hope he's at least thinking about packing his things and getting ready to meet us!
Symptoms: heartburn has gotten lots better since I started Zantac, I just have to remember to take it which is hard with my scatterbrain. Like I mentioned, sleep is becoming very difficult both physically and mentally. Sore feet- all.the.time. (Have been doing Epsom Salt foot bath's everyday- it's really been helping!)
Belly Button in or out? It's definitely still on the "out" side of the spectrum, but my belly has finally caught up with it and it's not noticeable through shirts anymore which is very nice : )
Wedding rings on or off? I feel bad I haven't been wearing them much. : (
Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty evenly tempered the last week or so! Just getting really nervous! Oh, and I cried in Target today because they discontinued the raspberry strips I'm addicted to. But seriously, WTF Target!? Not ok. 

Nursery: DONE-ish! I'm glad we got an early start on the nursery back in February because the last two months we have been slacking BIG TIME! But, I'm happy to say we got it to a point where we were happy taking pictures and showing everyone! : )

Ta-Da!

Also here's another instagram photo of my bump. Follow me @PandaMontana

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain:  28lbs

Maternity clothes? sometimes i try to wear non maternity things and it lasts about 5 minutes.

Stretch marks? nope. i scratched my belly a few days ago and when I got a glimpse of the purple marks my scratching left I freaked out thinking they were stretch marks! 

Sleep: not much deep sleep. every little noise seems to make me wake up-which is not like me at all! 

Best moment this week: we had our childbirth class yesterday. It was a long day, but it was fun being with a bunch of people going through the same thing as we are, and it made me grateful to have Eric- I know he'll be able to help me get through labor!

Miss Anything? nope not really! I am looking forward to getting back in shape though!

Movement? yeah there's no ignoring it when he's dancing around in there! & hiccups every few days.

Food cravings: ice :) i heard that it could be a sign of iron deficiency but my doc says I'm all good! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: I've had the occasional "practice" contraction, or braxton hicks whatever you want to call them, but it's only happened maybe three times which is normal at this point. It's usually when I've been doing lots of walking. 

Symptoms: not feeling too horrible the last few days. I started taking OTC Zantac for my heartburn and it's helped a little. Still uncomfortable/heavy feeling a lot but I think i'm just getting used to it. My hips haven't been as bad the last week though!

Belly Button in or out? out

Wedding rings on or off? I can wear both in the morning but by the end of the day they are basically stuck on  

Happy or Moody most of the time: very happy! but much more emotional than I normally am.

Baby Gear:  we have just about everything that we need and then some! we have been slacking getting the finishing touches done on the nursery though. 

31 WEEKS

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain:  24lbs....yikes! 
Maternity clothes? yep, basically all i wear now. My new favorite piece is this Tank Top from Gap, it's getting warmer and all my non maternity tanks can't keep my boobs under control! The thicker straps on this one are definitely "essential" ; )
Stretch marks? still doing good!
Sleep: waking up with heartburn pretty regularly. started sleeping with a tower of pillows and it's helping a little. Also, absolutely have to have pillow in between legs at night or my hips are so f'd up the next day it's impossible to walk about. I haven't had any extreme pregnancy dreams, but this week I have been dreaming a lot about labor and meeting our little boy. In one dream he was born with LOTS of black hair (which is unlikely) and was literally the cutest thing I could imagine, but then he grew a beard just like Eric! It was so freaky and disturbing but pretty funny. 
Best moment this week: Not really baby related but we got a new couch and rug for our living room. I have been unhappy with this room for the last three years so finally getting it updated is a HUGE deal : )
Miss Anything? sleeping on my belly, having a glass of wine at Saturday lunch with the in laws, staying up past 10.
Movement? Yes, trying to enjoy the last few weeks that he will be able to squirm around in there. He's suppose to be going head down here any day, he was breach at our last appointment but he still has plenty of time to flip! 
Food cravings: Still ice- yum! Blueberry eggos, and these <-- I literally could eat two boxes a day if I didn't feel so ashamed of myself! In my defense they are only like 45 calories each.... : ) 
Anything making you queasy or sick: just heartburn, yuck. 
Gender: boy
Labor Signs: i have been trying to pay close attention to any tightening, but really don't think i'm having much yet-which is good!
Symptoms: breaking out AGAIN, thought that was gone... and just feeling huge and uncomfortable. 
Belly Button in or out? can your belly button burst? sometimes i feel like mine may just literally pop and just leave a hole or something. it's gross- i hope it goes back to normal. 
Wedding rings on or off? since I have been eating 10lbs of ice a day my swelling has gone down a bit, but i still only have my band on. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Excited!! & nervous. I'm nervous about delivery and breastfeeding, I like to be a women with a plan but realistically you can only prepare so much, I am definitely scared of the unknown! 

Baby Gear:  Our backordered rug FINALLY is here! & I found a crib sheet that I love love love. Now we just need to put up shelves and frames and then i'll be ready to post nursery pictures! :D

Here's a few extra pictures just for fun :)

That's the Gap tank that I want to order in every color. Notice my obnoxious pregnancy boobs being kept in line- thanks Gap!

Oh, and just a little baby wave. :) My mother in law pointed out that he may come out with 7 fingers...uh oh. :)

29 Weeks

It has been a few weeks since I've given an update on my growing bump! Third trimester has been a big adjustment, I didn't appreciate how good I was feeling 2nd! But i'm still in good spirits- just nervous what the next two months will bring!

How far along? 29  Weeks

Maternity clothes? I sucked it up about a week ago and started wearing real maternity jeans. Before trying them on I was not excited at all- they look weird on the hanger and you think there's no way this will end well....but i was wrong! The support band is a MUST when your belly feels like it could touch the ground. My stomach muscles were so sore but wearing supportive pants did the trick!
Stretch marks? no but my baby belly isn't quite as cute as it was 2nd trimester- kinda vein-y looking now haha
Sleep: depends on the night
Best moment this week: we bought a new "mom" car! No mini-van yet  ever.. but we upgraded from sedan to SUV & LOVE it!
Miss Anything? walking quickly... i hate slow walkers and now i am among them : P
Movement? still moves the most at night. Eric will talk to my belly, and play Tupac for him and it makes him squirm and kick like crazy!
Food cravings: Ice Tea & Ice cubes... not sure if this is because of the warmer weather or what. I am becoming quite the expert of where to get the best ice in town ; )
Anything making you queasy or sick:  just heartburn, it makes me gag. : (
Gender: boy
Labor Signs: nope. kind of scary that I'll have to worry about that pretty soon!
Symptoms: Oh hell, it seems to be something new every day. I'll go ahead and say it- 3rd trimester SUCKS. I know some people have terrible 1st trimesters but for me this is 10x worse. No energy, swollen everything, super emotional, weird muscles i didn't even know existed hurt like crazy, & the baby's kicks don't really feel as cute anymore- they kind of hurt a little! That's all .... :)
Belly Button in or out? out- another perk of the marternity pants is that they smush it down so it's not as obvious. 
Wedding rings on or off? my engagement ring is off : ( but still have my small band on, my sausage fingers have been upgraded to bratwurst fingers
Happy or Moody most of the time: just either very happy or upset over nothing. so frustrating not having control over your mood!

Baby Gear:  We had our baby shower last week and got so much fun stuff! Lots of cute clothes, the playpen I really wanted, a fancy baby monitor- there's only a handful of things left to buy!

joovy play pen- Excited for this- all the reviews say it's big enough to use as the baby grows.

Summer Infant Touch Monitor- This has all the bells and whistles- now we're just trying to find a good spot to place it in the nursery!

My favorite baby purchase so far! ; ) We ended up getting the 13 Sorento and are obsessed with it, it's so comfy and fun to drive. 

And this is just ridiculous. Pregnancy swelling at it's finest.