Week 30!

How far along? 30 weeks and 6 days…64 days to go!

Baby's Development:  Sophia is the size of a head of cabbage at just under 16 inches and almost 3 lbs!  She is gaining lots of brain wrinkles this week because of an increase in brain tissue and some brain monitoring studies show that when she is sleeping, she could be dreaming, although her sleep cycle isn’t aligned with mine.  Her  bone marrow is also taking over the production of bone marrow and much of the soft, downy hair covering her body is beginning to disappear because she is able to better regulate her own body temperature.

Maternity clothes?  Of course! Unless I find a random non-maternity shirt in the closet that is long enough..

Weight Gain? About 11 lbs over pre-preg. weight.

Am I Showing? For sure..there’s no hiding this bump! Just for fun...bump progression..

Sleep?  Could be better…could be worse!

Exciting Moment? I passed my 3 hour glucose test this week! Woohoo! The first hour was the worst! I was so hungry and irritable and dizzy after drinking that sugar-y drink on an empty stomach, I wasn’t sure that I was gonna make it for 3 hours without passing out! But I did… and Matt and I went and ate a huge lunch at Cracker Barrel when it was all over and done with! Why have I never had their pancakes before?  They were amazing!

We got our maternity pictures back and I am OBSESSED with them! Jess did such a good job and they turned out awesome! Although I am sure most of yall have seen them on FB, I’ll do a separate post with all of them so I can have it for the blog...sneak peek below!

We also had our second baby shower this past Sunday.  Matt and I are so blessed that we had so many people there to come celebrate Sophia with us! So much love and hard work went in to putting everything today and we are very thankful to everyone that helped out and came to hang out with us! We got our matress and our diaper pail, so we are very excited to be able to put some more of the big pieces in the nursery and get it put together! We are definitely stocked up on bibs, receiving blankets and onesies, too!

Gender:   GIRL!

Stretch marks? Nothing yet..no longer feeling the itchiness, either.  I wonder if she just had a random growth spurt or something last week?

What do I miss? Oh geez…I miss my regular clothes, being able to paint my own toes, not having heartburn 24/7 and not feeling the hip/lower back pain all the time. 

How have I been feeling? So/so this week.  I was pretty uncomfortable this weekend, especially Sunday..which was a bummer cause that’s when our baby shower was.  I don’t know if she was just in an awkward position, or what, but it was definitely difficult for me to get comfortable between my back, hips, and lower stomach…I kinda felt like my uterus was stretching some! I also felt some swelling in my legs Sunday, too…I’m trying to get in some extra water today!  I tried out my prenatal yoga DVD Sunday morning, but it didn’t do much.  I am feeling a little better today, though. :)

Movement:  Tons and tons! I will definitely miss it once she’s here!

Food cravings:  Still loving fruits!

Food aversions: Nope!

Rings on or off? Still on

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy!

Looking forward to:  Thursday morning officially starts our bi-weekly dr’s appointments, which we will have until 36 weeks when I will start going weekly.  Also, Matt and I are heading to the mountains for a long weekend with 3 other couples this weekend.  We leave Thursday morning after our appointment, so that means a 3 day work week for me! We plan on turning off our cell phones and just unplugging for the weekend and I can’t wait!

Sophia is 29 weeks!

How far along? 28 weeks and 6 days..just 71 days to go!

Baby's Development:  Sophia is about 17 inches long and almost 3 lbs…the size of a butternut squash! No wonder I am feeling such strong movement! Fat is depositing under the skin and her skin is becoming less wrinkled. Although the buds for her baby teeth formed earlier in the pregnancy, now permanent teeth buds are forming. Her bones are starting to harden and store iron, phosphorus and calcium, but they will still remain soft enough to accommodate birth. Ovaries are also well-developed at this stage…they are producing hormones and already contain millions of eggs.

= 

Maternity clothes?  Yep! My belly is starting to feel uncomfortable in some of my early maternity pants, though.  I am counting down the days until it gets a little warmer so I can just live in dresses!

Weight Gain? About 10 lbs over pre-preg. weight.

Am I Showing? Oh yea!

Sleep?  Sleep has gotten a little better.  I am still waking up a few times a night to find a new position or use the restroom, but since we got the new humidifier, I think we are both sleeping better.

Exciting Moment? We did our hospital tour yesterday.  I thought we were a little behind but there were other couples there that were due in like..2 weeks! I thought I had a big belly until I looked around and realized it was going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better! Haha I couldn’t wait that last minute, so I am glad we can make that off of our checklist.  Speaking of checklist, I made Matt a “Before Baby Gets Here” list, which I am sure he is super excited about! ;) We also finally found a frame to go around Sophia’s name in the nursery and are planning on getting some things painted and hung up on the walls in the nursery this coming weekend.

We went to Fogo de Chao this weekend with another couple as a late V-Day celebration and it was so yummy, but I think everyone left feeling a little miserable.  It’s not very fun going when you get full super quickly! But I did make sure to try a little bit of everything that came to the table…except the lamb, I can’t do that one.

Gender:   GIRL!

Stretch marks? Still none yet, but my belly and lower back has been super itchy lately. I have been putting on coconut oil and my Burt’s Bees belly oil on in the morning and at night.  I know that they ruled by genetics and blah blah blah, but it feels like I can actually feel my belly stretching more and more each day, so it makes me feel better in my mind. J

What do I miss? My normal clothes fitting, being able to bend over without it feeling uncomfortable, not having heartburn 24/7, and painting my toenails…it’s the little things.

How have I been feeling? Still pretty good…I’m definitely doing the pregnancy waddle..or “pregnancy swag” as I saw it being called the other day.  Random aches and pains and uncomfortable-ness here and there but nothing I can’t deal with.

Movement:  Oh yea..she’s dancing like crazy in there! Her little feet are always poking my right side and I can feel her little bottom around my belly button.  She gets hiccups pretty often and I always feel them really low, so I that’s what I am assuming I am feeling everywhere else. I was able to get some of the movement on video and I sent it out to everyone…it's a little dark, but check it out below!

Food cravings:  Still loving the berries…every morning my snack is a bowl of strawberries and blueberries.  I was craving chocolate pretty hardcore this week, but I think that has subsided some.  My newest thing is ice…especially from Zaxby’s.  I know some of my iron levels were a little low last appointment and that craving ice can be an indicator of that, so either it’s all in my head or they are related.  I have never in my life been an ice chewer, so it’s new for me.

Food aversions: Nothing…just gotta make sure to eat little meals often.

Rings on or off? Still on

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy!

Looking forward to:  Baby shower this weekend and working on the nursery!

Baby Whitman is 28 weeks!

How far along? 28 weeks and 6 days..78 days to go! Seriously!? Weren’t we just in the 100’s? Tim is flying by right now!

Baby's Development:  Sophia weighs in at about 2.5 lbs and is almost 16 inches long…the size of a Chinese cabbage!  She could be dreaming at this stage in utero, as well as blinking, coughing, and better breathing

Maternity clothes?  Yep and loving them!

Weight Gain? About 8 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight according to my scale and about 10 lbs over according to my doctor.

Am I Showing? Yep! It looks like there’s a basketball under my shirt!

Sleep?  Sooo sleepy.  I miss good sleep!

Exciting Moment? I had my dr’s appointment this Friday.  From now on until 36 weeks, my appointments will be bi-weekly instead of once a month.  Once I hit 36 weeks, they will be weekly.  Like I said…time is flying by! I had my 1-hour glucose test, which I somehow failed.  I am waiting to hear from the dr’s office to schedule my 3 hour and crossing my fingers I pass that one! I was pretty disappointed about not passing, especially since I don’t fit the “profile,” but I am trying not to worry about it too much.

I also got to eat lunch with two friends from high school on Sunday.  Danielle is due exactly one week after me and Melissa is due exactly one week after Danielle.  It was nice to sit and chat pregnancy with them because there is only so much that not pregnant people want to listen to before they get bored. Haha  I am interested to see when we all give birth.  Wouldn’t it be wild if it’s all on the same day? Totally possible!

Danielle, Melissa, and I

Gender:   Sweet baby girl!

Stretch marks? Not yet! I am still slathering on the Burt’s Bees and also coconut oil and crossing my fingers!

What do I miss? Just sleep right now!

How have I been feeling? Pretty good for the most part! I had one day last week where I my back and belly were hurting pretty bad.  It wasn’t cramps or contractions or anything…I was just very uncomfortable on my way home.  It was probably something silly like gas! I felt better when I woke up the next morning.  Still super tired and heartburn/indigestion like crazy!

Movement: She’s a dancing machine in there! I think she flipped or rolled around yesterday and then went back to being head down today.  I’m feeling pokes, jabs, and rolls all over the place!

Food cravings:  Grape slushes from Sonic right now! And fruits…back to grapefruits, strawberries, blueberries, etc.

Food aversions: None

Rings on or off? Still on

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy!

Looking forward to:  Matt’s mom is throwing us our second shower on Feb 24^th so I am super excited about that!

Week 27

How far along? 27 weeks and 6 days..85 days to go!

Baby's Development:  My uterus is about the size of a basketball and Sophia is just over 2 lbs and about 15 inches from head to toe…the size of a head of cauliflower! Her hearing is also improving and she might be able to recognize her Mommy and Daddy’s voices by now. Baby’s taste buds are also more developed and she can taste the difference in what I am eating, although she gets it about 2 hours after I eat it. Spicy foods may also trigger hiccups at this point and although Sophia gets them at least once every day or two…hers aren’t from spicy foods because I haven’t been eating them!

Maternity clothes?  All pants and most shirts.  I know it’s still a ways away, but I am excited about the weather getting warmer so I don’t have to worry about pants and just throw on a dress!

Weight Gain? 7 lbs over pre-pregnancy weight, but we will see what the Dr. says this Friday. 

Am I Showing? Yep! A lot of the people that came to the baby shower haven’t really seen me since I “popped” majorly and I got a lot of surprised faces and fun comments about the growing belly.

Sleep?  Meh…still more of the same.

Exciting Moment? Our very first baby shower was this past weekend! We had a blast and loaded up on some awesome goodies for Sophia! It was so funny…as we starting opening up our first gift, Matt all of the sudden say “Oh wow, it just hit me, I’m having a kid!” It was a surreal moment to say the least.  Our hostesses did such an amazing job with the decorations and the food was delicious! We are so thankful and so blessed!



My lovely hostesses



Me and hubby

Jamie and I have been friends since we were 6!

BFF's!

Sunday we braved the cold and wind and took some maternity pictures in the little downtown area of our town where we also took some engagement pictures.  Our friend Jessica took them for us and we saw a few sneak peeks on her camera as she was taking them.  They looked awesome and she is so talented, so I can’t wait to see them all!

Gender:   GIRL!

Stretch marks? None yet!

What do I miss? Nothing really this week

How have I been feeling? A few aches and pains..feeling a little more tired than usual, heartburn, etc. but nothing crazy! Just normal pregnancy symptoms I guess! She loooves to push on my bladder with her little head, so I am back to feeling like I gotta pee alllll the time!

Movement:  Yep! I am feeling hourly movement now.  Sophia is always super active right after I eat anything…especially strawberries!

Food cravings:  Blueberries! Any brunch foods, too.  I made crepes for breakfast this weekend and they were delicious!

Food aversions: None, really.

Rings on or off? Still on

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, happy, happy!

Looking forward to:  Our dr.’s appointment this Friday and getting to see the pictures that Jess took this weekend!

The Ultimate Hospital Bag List Part 2!

Alright guys…here is part two! This covers toiletries and any extras you might need. The last two parts will be things for baby and extra tips and tricks so stay tuned!

Toiletries:

·         We went to Target and got the travel sizes for shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and razors.  That way we wouldn't care if they got left at the hospital...

·         Nursing pads

·         Lanolin cream for your nipples!!! You will get sore no matter how well your baby latches and this is because you are nursing so often, about every two hours...

·         Makeup!!

·         Hair bands

·         Our hospital had a blow dryer in the bathroom and but check with your hospital because you might have to get any other hair tools cleared with them.

·         Lotion.  Dry air in the hospital leads to dry skin!

·         Chap stick!!  We happened to have some, and for good reason, all that breathing during labor makes your lips SUPER dry!

·         Glasses (if you wear em)

·         Contact Solution (if you need it)

Extras:

·         Your I.D.

·         Your "birth plan" if you want one, the hospital won't ask you for one or anything it’s just for you.

·         Breast Pump!  Take it and leave it in the car.... If, for whatever reason, your baby doesn't latch and you need to pump you will want to use your own.  The hospital has them that you can rent and stuff but you'll want to use your own anyway...

·         Nursing Pillow! (Boppy/My Breast Friend)

·         Birthing Ball if you want one (they are more for natural births). 

·         Your favorite juice or sports drink/bottled water whatever!  Great to have during your stay or while you are in labor.  I'd suggest, though, something other than water since the hospital will give you water and you will want to replace the sugars and stuff that you burned while delivering so Vitamin Water or something is better. Maybe something caffeinated for the Dad... He will need it. Also, if you want the epidural you will need to ask the nurses about fluids and things that are allowed once you get one. 

·         Your favorite hard candy.  We took Tootsie Pops, cause I love them and they are like the only thing other than Popsicles that they will let you eat once you are admitted.

·         Bag of snacks.  We took things like granola bars and crackers.... little things that we could keep in the room for when you get munchies at 3:00 in the morning while trying to figure out the breastfeeding/diaper issues!

·         Your own pillow! Same for the hubby! And a blanket for him since sometimes the hospital blankets they give the Daddy's suck.  They pretty much give the Mommy all the good stuff.

·         Cameras and chargers for the camera (nothing worse than a dead camera when you really need it!)

·         Phone and charger!

·         Movies?  Our hospital had DVD players so we took some movies!

·         List ready to go of the local eateries around the hospital that you and Scott love.  This way yall can send people out to pick food up for you!

·         Gum or mints. Visitors won’t want to smell your nasty breath and neither will that sweet baby! haha!

·         An iPod or something for music if you want it.

·         You prob. won’t need it, but the list of family or friends you want to call and brag about how much cuter she is than their kid!

The Ultimate Hospital Bag List from a new Mom!

My college roommate and BFF, Natalie has a sweet baby girl in August.  She was nice enough to email me a list of things she needed for her hospital stay, so I thought I would share it with yall!  I know that there are a million hospital bag lists all over the internet and Pinterest, but here’s one more from a new mommy.  I’m going to break it up a little bit, but this is a list of clothing you might need for your stay!

The Hospital Bag List- Part One

Clothing:

·         Granny panties.  Some that you don't care if you have to throw away.  I actually didn't use mine till I got home but you may need them so take them.

·         Fluffy Robe!  Even though those hospital gowns are great (pause for sarcastic sigh) you will feel better having something to wrap up in that is yours and you can always throw it in the washer when you get home to get the hospital yuck off of it.  Also, fun tip, ask for two hospital gowns, wear one with the opening in the back and then put the other on over top of that one with the opening in the front! That way while you are laboring you won’t worry about messing up your own robe and your backside won’t be all exposed to the world!

·         Your own comfy clothes for after delivery.  Nightgowns are the best because if you deliver vaginally you will have to clean yourself every time you use the bathroom so pants and shorts are a bit difficult. And button downs are ideal for nursing.  The hospital gowns they gave me I actually wore the entire time cause they were pretty comfortable and they had nursing openings in the front.  I actually took way too many clothes I went through bras and socks the most.

·         Nursing bras!  I have a couple of Sports Nursing Bras that I wore during labor and it was super comfortable! 

·         Socks (some you don’t care if they get messed up)

·         Slippers/house shoes or flip flops

·         Something nice to wear for pictures. Nothing fancy just a black or grey shirt or dress will do (since those look best in pictures) this goes for the Dad too!

·         Your going home outfit.  Comfort is key with this one.... jeans are prob. not the best idea.

·         Comfy clothes for the Dad!! Remind him that he needs pajamas or something cause the nurses will be coming in at all hours during the night... AKA no nakedness!

·         Shoes that he can easily get on and off. 

·         And again for the dad to be.. take something to pass the time since labor takes a while!  Maybe a couple of books that he read during down time while you are laboring.

26 Weeks! Last week of the 2nd trimester...

How far along? 26 weeks and 6 days..we are in the double digits now..92 days to go until due date and last week of the 2^nd trimester!

Baby's Development:  She is about 9 inches tall and right at 2lbs…about the size of an English hothouse cucumber.  Baby Sophia’s eyes have been closed so that the retina could develop, but they are now starting to open and her immune system is rapidly developing, too. Brain wave activity is also kicking in at this stage in development and she can hear and respond to noises with a possible increase in pulse rate or activity. Baby is also continuing to practice breathe by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid.

Maternity clothes?  Yep..I spent a good 20 minutes trying to find a non-maternity dress to wear to work today to no avail.  My bed looked like my closet has thrown up and I ended up in pants a t-shirt.

Weight Gain? 6 lbs over pre-pregnancy weight, but we will see what the Dr. says next week. 

Am I Showing? Definitely.  However…I still find myself surprised sometimes when I look down and I see a belly.  I think I was waiting to have a legit bump for so long and now that I do..I don’t know what to do with it! It definitely catches me off guard sometimes.

Sleep?  Uggh…let’s not even go here.  At least I’m preparing myself for a new baby…there’s the bright side.

Exciting Moment? We got the rug for Sohpia’s room this week.  Appropriately enough…the style name is “Sofia.”  It’s meant to be, I tell you.  I love it…it’s squishy and you can rub your face in it if you wanted to.  We also got a new fridge this week! Woohoo! Our old kept leaking water and the ice maker no longer worked, so it got moved to the garage as the drink fridge.

Gender:   GIRL!

Stretch marks? None yet…still lathering on Burt’s Bees belly oil.  That stuff goes a long way! I’m only on the second bottle since I found out I was pregnant and it is still 3/4ths full.  Not sure if it’s working or not, but I’m gonna keep using it!

What do I miss? Sleep and my clothes fitting… first world problems, I know, I know.

How have I been feeling? I have some aches and pains, but nothing crazy.  The indigestion/heartburn has increased and I can never get comfortable to sleep at night because I am always trying to flip over when my hip/sciatica starts hurting.  I tried the pillow in between the legs thing and it didn’t do much for me.

I am normally a very cold-natured person, but the last week or so I feel like I am always hot! I even turned off the heat last night…something I never do! I am always the one turning it on!

I am not feeling as stretched out as I was a couple of weeks ago..I think my body is getting used to the belly, but I am still feeling full very easily after I eat and if I eat too much I stay uncomfortably full for a very long time!

Movement:  Yep…still pretty consistently. Her movements will vary..one week they will be super strong all day long and the next week, they don’t feel as strong..it’s back and forth. I can also tell that she has moved locations.  I was feeling a lot of movement down low for a while, but now I feel it in the center on my belly, unless she has hiccups which I still feel low.  I guess she has flipped cause she was breech at our 20 weeks appointment.

Food cravings:  I am all about some sweets/baked goods and pastries right now.  I am trying to limit myself and get some salads in, but man is it difficult! I am still drinking my smoothies in the mornings and I have added a scoop of Amazing Grass Green Superfood, to it along with my spinach. I forgot how much I loved that stuff!

Food aversions: None, really.

Rings on or off? Still on

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, happy, happy! And tired…

Looking forward to:  Our first couples shower this weekend for our local friends.  We are also having our very talented friend, Jessica White take some maternity pictures for us before the shower.  She did some of our engagement pictures and they turned out great, so I am excited to see how these turn out! We are taking them in the town square again…they are filming a movie there right now, so I hope we will still be able to do them! My Dr’s appointment is also next week.  Although I am nervous about it because it’s my glucose test appointment, I feel like every appointment is one closer to having Sophia!

25 weeks...into the double digits!

Bare belly! Out of control!

How far along? 25 weeks and 6 days..we are in the double digits now..99 days to go until due date!

Baby's Development:  My uterus is about the size of a soccer ball right now and baby is 9 inches and more than a pound and a half….about the size of a rutabaga…whatever that is! Her skin is starting to turn pinker because capillaries are starting to form under the skin and fill with blood. Blood vessels are also developing in the baby’s lungs.  Nostril are also starting to open up this week and allows little one to practice taking breaths

Maternity clothes? All pants..half and half on shirts, although the regular ones are starting to get shorter and shorter.

Weight Gain?  According to my scale, I am 6+ lbs over my pre-preg weight.

Am I Showing? There is no denying this bump! I am nervous to see how big it’s going to get in the next 14ish weeks…I’m already feeling pretty stretched out and I still have the last trimester left!

Sleep?  I’m still waking up about every 3 hours or so..not fun at all. It’s starting to take longer to get comfortable when I wake up and rolling over takes quite a bit of effort. Plus, my hips are always hurting when I wake up in the morning.  It’s getting fun, guys!

Exciting Moment? This was a pretty low-key week for us.  We had some friends over this weekend to watch the Falcons game, so even though we lost..we had fun with them!

Gender:   GIRL!

Stretch marks? Not yet *crossing fingers*

What do I miss? Getting a full night’s sleep, not having the hip/back pain

How have I been feeling? I’m definitely getting nervous and anxious about being closer to the end than the beginning and I still have a bit of a ways to go!  I am trying to enjoy every moment and every little kick or roll I feel.  I know that there are so many women out there that will never be pregnant or get to experience it and I know how lucky and blessed Matt and I are, so I am trying hard to live in the moment and not waste this time away.  I do that too easily sometimes..I am always excited about the next phase and I am not a patient person (clearly…Matt and I got engaged after dating for a month and got pregnant 2 months after we got married!). But I am trying to enjoy the moments before Sophia gets here just as much as the ones after she gets here.

It also feels weird to not be able to move around as comfortably as when I’m not pregnant. I also heard that you’re really tired during the 1^st and 3^rd trimesters and during the second one, you get your pop of energy.  I never got much of a “pop” but I can start to feel the exhaustion of the 3^rd trimester coming on.  I think it has to do more with the crappy sleep I get than anything else!

Movement: Oh yes! She’s very active and quite strong.  I love watching my belly jiggle around when she moves.  She also gets hiccups quite often.

Food cravings:  Ice cream and baked goods..but I’m trying to stay away from those or limit how often I indulge.  I have started making a green smoothie in the mornings for breakfast.  I normally do fruit, greek yogurt, organic milk, spinach, and some agave nectar.  I also borrowed my Mom’s Breville juicer, so I am trying to get some greens in by juicing a couple of times a week in the evenings.  I’m still working on recipes..the first one tasted like pickles and kinda bombed.

Food aversions: Nope, just watching out for indigestion and making sure I am eating smaller meals so I don’t get uncomfortably full.

Rings on or off? Still on

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, happy, happy!

Looking forward to:  Getting closer to the third trimester J