BUMP REPORT – 30 Weeks

What a whirlwind of a week!  That is an understatement for sure:)  Last week we drove from Colorado to Florida in 3 days.  Prior to the trip I was experiencing a lot of apprehension about the looming drive hanging over my head.

THE DRIVE.  Though the drive was long and was not easy, I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how well my body responded to 28-30 hours on the road.  We drove through Colorado, Kansas (which felt like 5 years straight), Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.  We stayed overnight in Missouri and in Georgia.  Overall, I felt pretty comfortable.  The one small complaint/issue I experienced was swelling in my feet and ankles.  Prior to the road trip, I had yet to experience any swelling.  I did some research and learned that the swelling was due to my lack of circulation because I was sitting in a car for such long periods.  To help combat the swelling, any time we took a pit stop for gas, I walked around for at least 5 minutes to get my circulation going.

ARRIVING IN FLORIDA.  We finally arrived in Florida on Wednesday.  What an exciting feeling after traveling for what felt like ENDLESS days.  We checked out our condo (which is beautiful, I might add), went to the grocery store to get groceries, and got my first Florida run done (at sea level!!!!! —great for a high-altitude gal!).

So far while I have been in Florida, my friend Kristin and I went to Disney World Magic Kingdom, gone to the beach and pool everyday and worked out everyday.  Disney World was fun because it was my FIRST time to ever go there in my entire life!  The humidity was pretty unbearable, but the magical experience of Disney trumped the moisture in the air.

5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.  July 26, 2008 marked the day that I married my best friend.  On Friday we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary by going out to dinner at the Tiki Bar on Port Canaveral.  We actually got to see them gutting two small sharks at the restaurant!!  How crazy.  It was neat to watch but I felt a bit queasy watching the shark get cut open.  Needless to say, I did not eat shark for dinner, but we did indulge in a decadent chocolate cake dessert as part of our anniversary celebration.

PREGNANCY WEEK 30

My age: 27

How far along: 30 weeks

How big is baby: the size of cabbage.  She is 16.5 inches long and weighs 3.5 pounds.

Exercise/Activity Level: I somehow managed to workout all 7 days this week despite a hectic travel week!  Some of these days the exercise was pretty limited (like a couple of my runs were only about 1.5 to 2 miles long because of limited time availability).  I did no weight lifting this week except for one day, so my gym workouts were cardio only.  My cardio goal is to always complete at least 40 minutes (40 minutes for 40 weeks of pregnancy!).  I exceeded that cardio goal on all of my gym days this week.

My 7 days workouts consisted of: 4 outdoor runs (1 in Missouri and 3 in Florida, lol) and 3 gym workouts.  Since we are now in Florida and I have a new gym, I incorporated the rowing machine.  Normally I wouldn’t think the rowing machine would work very well during pregnancy because I have a huge belly and no core strength.  Turns out, as long as I focus on using my leg and arm muscles to perform the exercise, I can somewhat eliminate the core part of the movement.  I think the rowing machine is going to be a new staple of my cardio at the gym.

Maternity clothes:  This week I have worn shorts, tank tops, dresses and swim suits.  That is all.  But mainly shorts or swimsuits.  Such is the life of living on the beach, I guess!  There was one day that I forced myself to put on “real” clothes at night because all I’d worn that day was: my workout clothes (to workout) and then a swimsuit all day.  I have a feeling this is going to be a new norm for me.

Stretch marks: None.

Belly button: A bit of an outie.  🙂  I predicted this would happen by 30 weeks.

Sleep: My sleep has been incredible this week!  We traveled for several days and I think the pure exhaustion of the trip helped me sleep like a baby (even in hotel beds).  Now at our condo in Florida we have a super comfortable bed and I LOVE my fantastic sleep!  Keeping my fingers crossed that this lasts a while.

Newest baby milestones this week: Baby girl’s eyesight and brain development are continuing to improve in the womb.  She can also now regulate her own body temperature, so she is shedding her lanugo hair that covers her skin.  She continues to put on more body fat!

Best Moment of the Week:  This week my husband and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary.  It is so special to be married to someone as incredible as Eric is.  I love him 100 times more now than I did when we even got married 5 years ago!  In August, we will have known each other for 9 years, and in February we will come up on our 9-year-anniversary of being together.  We have been through so many ups and downs over the years.  We feel that God has blessed our relationship beyond measure.  This baby girl is just one piece of proof that God is blessing our lives!

On our anniversary this week we celebrated by going out to dinner at the Tiki Bar on Port Canaveral.  It was really fun to go out, have a good meal and eat a delicious dessert.  5 years is a big deal!

Worst Moment of the Week: Last week’s worst moment of the week was about my failed 1-hour glucose screening test.  I want to update you on my glucose tolerance test (the 3 hour test I had to take to screen for gestational diabetes).  Thankfully I found out that I passed the test and I do not have gestational diabetes!!!!!  I am so relieved and thrilled by this news!  Out of the 4 blood draws (fasting glucose, 1 hour, 2 hour, and 3 hour draws), I passed all 4 with flying colors.  My numbers were no where near the cut off range.  Praise the Lord!

Food cravings: Yogurt (Muller Greek Corner), milk, fruit roll ups, salad, fruit, ice cream, and FOOD!  My appetite has really grown lately.  I feel like I’m starving a lot.

Food aversions: None.  In fact, I am actually loving chicken now!

Symptoms: Terrible heartburn (boooo!!) and growing belly.

Movement: She has started pushing herself into certain spot and pushing into that spot HARD!  When I was at the doctor 2 weeks ago, the doctor said she was lying in the transverse position (lying across my belly, not up and down).  I can feel her pushing into my sides a lot.

Gender: Girl

What I’m looking forward to: My parents and 2 of my younger siblings are coming to Florida for a week-long vacation!  I can’t wait to see my dad, mom, Mark and Christine.  It’s going to be so much fun having them here, playing on the beach, swimming in the pool and just spending time together.  My brother and sister are heading off to start their freshman year of college in a few weeks, so this will be my last chance to spend time with them while they are still “kids.”

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Not a thing!  This time in Florida is just what the doctor ordered for my 3rd trimester!  Relaxing on the beach and at the pool is amazing.  What am I praying for?  I continue praying for a healthy baby girl and a healthy pregnancy.

Next appointment: TBD.

My Purple & Teal Baby Shower

This past week my best moment was the baby shower my friends threw for me.  It was such a beautiful shower and I had such a lovely time.  Everyone who came was so wonderfully generous in showering our baby girl with gifts. Three of my girlfriends have been planning this baby shower for quite some time.  Dana, Mandi and Ashley coordinated the shower together.

The shower was hosted at Dana’s house.  The July afternoon weather was HOT but it was sunny and beautiful.  You could not have asked for a more pretty day.  The party was held  in the backyard.

The guests who came were mostly friends, not family.  Since I’m not originally from Colorado, I do not have any family members who live in the state.  Eric, my husband, has an uncle and aunt and their son who live in the state, so I was glad Aunt Sue could make it to the shower as the one family representative.  My family threw me a surprise baby shower when I was back in the Midwest for a visit in June.

The theme of the baby shower was more of colors: purple and teal.  We had a sundae bar (which was amazing!!).  The sundae bar was perfect with the hot summer afternoon.  We had a fun ice cube game that we played. Inside of frozen ice cubes were little plastic babies.  Each guest put an ice cube in her drink and once someone’s ice had totally melted and the baby was fully exposed, she could announce, “My water broke!” and win the game.  That was fun!

The other game we played was baby gift bingo.  Each lady had a bingo card with different baby items on it.  As I opened gifts, they crossed off the items….5 in a row/diagonal won!  I thought that was a creative way for guests to be more interested in what the gifts were.  My shower planners were so smart!

Overall, it was a lovely day.  I felt so happy and special.  It’s a day I’ll remember for a long time!

We had an ice cream sundae bar!  It was delicious and perfect on such a hot July afternoon.

My friend Ashley made this adorable fruit salad.  How artistic!

This is the sign in table.  The adorable turquoise chevron thing is a hair bow holder filled with lots of precious hair bows my friend Dana made. 

The girls did such a beautiful job with the decorations for the baby shower.  The theme colors were purple and teal/turquoise.  It was a sundae bar baby shower.  Everyone enjoyed the delicious sundaes since it was so hot in late July. 

3 of my amazing girlfriends coordinated the baby shower together.  They 3 of them put together such a beautiful day.  This picture is me with the hostesses (from left:) Ashley, Dana, me and Mandi.

So many wonderful gifts.  The guests played “baby bingo” while I opened gifts.

Some of the many ADORABLE little girl outfits we received!  Can’t wait to dress her up in her stylin’ clothes.

Here are some of the gifts we received from our amazing friends.

 

Eric and I are so extremely grateful for such wonderful friends.  It is hardly enough to say that we appreciate all of the gifts we received…but we are truly so blessed!!

BUMP REPORT – 29 Weeks

PREGNANCY WEEK 29

My age: 27

How far along: 29 weeks

How big is baby: the size of butternut squash.  She is 16 inches long and weighs 3 pounds.

Exercise/Activity Level: I worked out all 7 days this week.  Normally I do like to take one complete rest day, but I skipped a rest day in case I end up with an extra rest day this week due to our road trip across the country.  We have 3 full days of driving and my goal is to do some sort of exercise each day, but we will see how it pans out.  This past week my 7 days of workouts consisted of 3 outdoor runs (still loving my support belt!) and 4 gym workouts (although I slacked on weight training a tad this week–only 2 days of weight training, the other days I did only cardio for 40-60 minutes and no weights).  My runs are still going well!!  Still slow and steady with walking breaks, but still going strong with a smile on my face:)

Maternity clothes:  Nearly all maternity at this point.  I wear a lot of tank tops, shorts, maxi skirts and dresses.  The dress I’m wearing in this week’s picture is not a maternity dress, and I doubt I’ll be able to squeeze into it much longer.

Stretch marks: None.

Belly button: A little piece of my belly button is now slightly sticking out.  So I’d be lying if I said my belly button was an innie.

Sleep: Sleeping is fairly decent as of late.  My “pillow cave” is really helping.  We will see how having a new bed for 6 weeks in Florida goes:)  This week we will be in a couple of hotels during our road trip.  I am taking my body pillow.

Newest baby milestones this week: Babies start reacting to sound and light at this point in fetal development.  Her head continues to grow to make room for her ever-expanding brain.  Fat deposits continue to form under her skin, plumping her up.  🙂

Best Moment of the Week:  The best moment of the week was definitely my baby shower.  Three of my girlfriends have been planning this shower for quite some time, and it turned out beautifully.  We had a nice turnout of guests and it was such a blast!!  The theme colors of the baby shower were purple and teal/turquoise with a sundae bar.  The sundae bar was perfect on a hot summer July afternoon.  Here are just a few snapshots from the shower.  I will do a full blog entry about the baby shower later this week…so stay tuned!

Pictured above are me with my 3 amazing shower planners (Ashley, Dana and Mandi)!  They did such a wonderful job and I am so grateful for their friendships.

 Here are a few pictures to show the shower.  The sundae bar was amazing:)

Opening gifts.  My little baby girl is going to be STYLIN’ in her adorable outfits she received!

Worst Moment of the Week: I failed my 1-hour glucose screening test.  Believe me, I felt devastated.  I shed many tears and felt pretty low.  So I took the 3-hour glucose tolerance test (checking for gestational diabetes) on Friday morning as a more in depth test.  The test was AWFUL…I was so sick.  I felt like I was going to pass out, felt like I would throw up, had violent shakes, was dizzy, was so hot I was sweating buckets and felt just terrible.  Thankfully after about an hour and a half I started feeling a bit better.  My sweet mom and sister both spent time talking to me on the phone and the distraction was much appreciated.  I now have a bruise on my arm from getting my blood drawn 4 times.  I am supposed to find out the results of the GTT test by Monday/Tuesday.  Keeping my fingers crossed for good results.

Food cravings: Fruit, ice cream, mashed potatoes, milk and string cheese.

Food aversions: I ate chicken again this past week.  Baby steps:)

Symptoms: Heart burn, frequent peeing, ever-growing belly, etc.

Movement: Very active little girl in there.  Cute story: one morning I woke up nestled up to Eric’s side, and he was delighted that he could feel all of her kicks against his own belly (since my belly was pushing into him).  Normally the body pillow is between us in bed (sad, I know), but it wasn’t that morning so he got to feel her kicks when I was still sleeping.  He loved that.

Gender: Girl

What I’m looking forward to: Arriving in Florida.  We should arrive on Wednesday night (after driving full days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday).

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Praying for our drive across the country these next few days.  I am writing this blog on Sunday night, but by the time it’s posted on Monday morning we will be several hours into our endless drive.

What I miss: Having more energy.  Oh, and also being able to shave my legs without grunting and straining.

Next appointment: Not sure.  I need to set up an OB doctor visit in Florida for next week.

BUMP REPORT – 28 Weeks

PREGNANCY WEEK 28

It is great that the 3rd trimester is here.  I am excited for this phase because it puts me just that much closer to the final result: our baby girl being here.  Time is starting to pass by very quickly, so I have a feeling that this final trimester is going to fly before my eyes.  I also am looking forward to all of the relaxing I get to do these next few weeks/months before the baby comes.  We leave for Florida for our 6-week-trip on Monday.  I’m now done working (which is nuts to be jobless since I’ve always been a tad of workaholic!) and it’s just time to relax and enjoy these last few months.  Eric will be working while we are in Florida, but I won’t.  I have several people coming to visit, so that will be fun.

With all of this extra time on my hands, it’s time to start kicking reading into full gear.  I have SO MANY books that I’ve bought since I finding out we were pregnant.  Some of these books I have already finished reading, and others I am still working through.  I wanted to share these books and let you know what I think about them:

1. What to Expect Before You’re Expecting.  I bought this book about 4-5 months before we planned to conceive our baby.  This book talks about all the ways it’s good to prep your body for the marathon of pregnancy.  It also talks about how to cope with a pregnancy that just isn’t happening and things that could be wrong.

2. The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy.  This book will have you laughing your head off!  It’s written as a alternate route to a more formal pregnancy-info book.  The author says in the book you will learn all of the things your doctor won’t tell you.  I loved this book, but don’t recommend it as a stand-alone book.  I think there is also value to reading an educational pregnancy book in addition to this book.

3. The Girlfriend’s Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood. I actually haven’t started reading this book yet, but plan to do so soon.  If it’s anything like her first book, I’m sure it will be super practical and useful approach to motherhood.

4. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy.  I was sent this book for free from our health insurance (yeah I know, score!).  It is a very informative/educational pregnancy book.  I like it much better than What to Expect when You’re Expecting though.  It has really good pictures and graphics.  I find myself picking this one up a lot.

5. What to Expect when You’re Expecting.  I don’t love this book.  At all.  In fact, when I was newly pregnant and reading this book, I felt very overwhelmed and scared by some of the information I read.  My doctor advised me to stop reading this book!  So I did.  I have recently picked it up again and started reading bits and pieces, but not letting myself get to that scared place again.  It does have useful information, but I like the Mayo Clinic book much better.

6. Your Pregnancy for the Father-to-Be.  I am not reading this.  Eric is.  We bought this early in the pregnancy….  I don’t know if it’s good or not, but I think he likes having information to tap into that is geared towards him as a soon-to-be daddy.

7. YOU Having a Baby.  I just started reading this book last night.  So far I LOVE it!  It’s kind of like an educational book with humor tossed in!  I have a feeling that I will actually read this entire book from cover to cover.  I like it’s style.

8. 100,000 Baby Names.  Obviously I am not “reading” this book, but using it for ideas for our little girl’s name.  Deciding on a name is super hard!!  I like knowing the meaning of names, so this book is great.

9. The Mommy Diet.  Alison Sweeney is the host on the Biggest Loser (a show I’ve watched for years), so I picked this book up.  It’s general book about how to eat, exercise, and dress during the stages of your pregnancy.  It’s a nice book, but pretty surface information that I already knew.  I like it, but I haven’t really learned anything new from reading the book.

10. Belly Laughs.  Jenny McCarthy is a pretty funny lady.  This book was a one-day read.  I read it when I was about 5 weeks pregnant and really enjoyed it.  She doesn’t sugarcoat anything about pregnancy.  She is super real about what happened to her and puts a hilarious twist on it!

——————————-

PREGNANCY WEEK 28

My age: 27

How far along: 28 weeks!!  Welcome to the 3rd and FINAL trimester!!!

How big is baby: the size of kabocha squash.  I’ve never heard of this before:)  She is 15 inches long and weighs 2.5 pounds.  If you look at the picture I found from Baby Center below, it shows how baby currently looks in the womb.  It’s just CRAZY for me to think that she is getting so big.

Exercise/Activity Level: I am absolutely LOVING my Gabrialla Maternity Support Belt!  I mentioned last week that I had purchased one Amazon and tried it out with great results.  Well, after a full week of use, I can say that I am a believer.  Using the belt while running has been absolutely great.  I feel so much lighter and feel less impact in my belly.  I feel much “safer” I guess…like my baby is more protected while I am pounding the pavement.  I have also worn the support belt to the gym and it’s ok, but I don’t know if it’s fully necessary to use it at the gym because I stick with lower impact exercise there (usually a combination of the arc trainer or stair master and weights).  Overall, this past week’s workouts went really well!  I did 6 days like I usually do (3 outdoor runs and 3 gym days).  On my one rest day of the week, I was in a total funk.  I think there may have been a correlation with my funk coming on a non-exercise day.  Exercise just keeps me sane and feeling so good.  It’s hard work to exercise every day, but totally worth it.

Maternity clothes:  One day this week I put on a maternity shirt that I was wearing at around 17-19 weeks a few times.  For whatever reason, I haven’t worn it since then, and let’s just say it fits a slight bit differently than it did 10 weeks ago!  Granted it was a size small, and I more typically wear size medium.  I have started wearing more dresses and shorts since the weather is full-swing summer.  For a while I was uncomfortable wearing shorts, but I bought a pair of jean shorts (made by Indigo Blue via Motherhood Maternity) with side panels that I love….  I love how they still feel like regular button-up shorts that go under my belly.

Stretch marks: None.

Belly button: Flat belly button.

Sleep: My sleep is by no means great, but there has been an improvement since last week!  I found a useful trick that has tremendously helped me: I place my body pillow in front of me, and then about 2-3 regular pillows right behind me (like I’m in a cave).  Adding those extra pillows behind me has made a world of difference in my sleep quality!  Thank God!

Newest baby milestones this week: Baby’s lungs are continuing to develop.  Baby is busy coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths. Her sleep now includes the REM phase which means she is dreaming!

Best Moment of the Week:  Getting a lot accomplished on the baby’s nursery.  I will eventually post pictures of the finished product, but right now we are still missing a few things: a glider chair and ottoman, a crib mattress (and all of the crib sheets/set).  So just to give you an updated glimpse of baby girl’s nursery….

Worst Moment of the Week: I decided that it would be a fun experience to go garage saling.  I haven’t been to a garage sale since I was a kid.  I have heard that people find so many great baby items, so I thought it would be worth my time to check this thing out.  So on Saturday morning, I got up and started driving around, turning at the bright “SALE TODAY” signs posted on neighborhood corners.  I had a major fail.  In 2.5 hours, I went to about 11-12 places and bought zero items.  Now perhaps my strategy was off….maybe I should have looked up specific baby-focused garage sales and mapped out a plan…I don’t know.  But let’s just say this: I was sweaty, exhausted, worn out from looking through people’s junk and by the time I got home, I had a full on melt down.  No more garage sales for this lady in the near future.  (That is, unless I have someone to guide me in the correct paths of garage saling.)

Food cravings: Fruit, string cheese, milk, ice cream, orange pop and orange sherbet.

Food aversions: I finally ate chicken this week!  That was a winning moment.

Symptoms: Ribcage pain (sharp pain!!–I even went to the doctor last week to get this checked out, and the severe pain is from my ab muscles tearing), heart burn, less than perfect sleep, hunger pains, and frequent trips to the bathroom.

Movement: She is moving like crazy.  My belly will be jolting all over the place and Eric and I are kept entertained:)

Gender: Girl

What I’m looking forward to: My baby shower this weekend.  I have three girlfriends who have put this shower together and they have kept me really in the dark about the plans.  It will be so good to see everyone, especially since we will be leaving for our 6-weeks-in-Florida trip two days after the shower.

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Praying a lot for our 28-29 hour drive to Florida next week.  We leave on Monday and will drive for 3 days.  I know that it will be an adventure, but part of me is nervous about that many hours in the car.

What I miss: Little things: like bending over to tie my shoes, or getting up off the couch with ease:)

Next appointment: Tuesday, July 16: tomorrow!  This is when I will have my 1-hour glucose screening test.  I am hoping this goes well and I pass.  I have to consume this drink tomorrow morning before I get to my appointment.

The fun “juice” I get to drink tomorrow morning for my gestational diabetes testing

My adorable husband and dog:)

My 7 favorite pregnant bloggers

The Pregnancy Blogging World.  When I first became pregnant, I knew right away that I wanted to document my pregnancy with a blog.  As soon as I got a positive pregnancy test, this blog was created (it was a secret blog until I was 13 weeks along).  I try not to post a lot of pregnancy updates to facebook, but rather direct people to this blog for all the ins and outs of my pregnancy.  Little did I know that I would find other ladies who were also documenting their pregnancies via blogs just like me!  It has been such a ball to keep up with other pregnant ladies.  It sort of feels like we are all going through this together.  Even though I have never met a single one of these girls in person, I feel as if I know them because we read up on each other’s lives/pregnancies regularly.  It feels so GREAT to get positive comments, uplifting words and motivation from these gals!  Here are my favorite 7 pregnant bloggers:

Kearney Keepings (http://kearneykeepings.wordpress.com/)

Kearney Keepings – Becky is 34 weeks pregnant with a little boy.  She is so sweet and uplifting whenever she comments on my blog (or other ladies’ blogs).  Every week when I read her weekly “Bumpdate” I always am left laughing or crying — or both!

The Baby Doctor’s Wife (http://thebabydoctorswife.wordpress.com/)

The Baby Doctor’s Wife – Carin is married to a pediatrician and is 30 weeks pregnant with her first baby, a little girl “Miss Nugget.”  She continually  keeps me motivated to keep on moving!  She is a fitness enthusiast who still runs and works out daily. 

Beer, Bait and Books (http://themiddaughs.wordpress.com/)

Beer, Bait and Books – Summer is 35 weeks pregnant.  She and her husband have decided to keep their baby’s gender a surprise until birth.  She is such a fun and positive personality type.  I always end up laughing when she writes something funny in her blog — which is a lot! 

Life as a Curious Katie (http://acuriouskatie.wordpress.com/)

Life as a Curious Katie — Katie is 37 weeks pregnant and only weeks/days from meeting her little daughter!  She does weekly updates with her chalkboard, which I love (especially since I also do chalkboard updates).  She is a really sweet girl and I’m sure will have the sweetest little daughter.

All in the Family (http://thearnolds.wordpress.com/)

All in the Family — She is also due in October with their first baby.  She has the cutest maternity fashion and I’m always entertained by her weekly updates.  She has a goal to complete 60 minutes of exercise per day, which is really inspiring!

A Written Purpose (http://awrittenpurpose.wordpress.com/)

A Written Purpose — Mary Helen is pregnant with her 2nd child, a little girl!  She is also a runner just like me.  Her son Damian is the cutest little boy with his curly hair.  MH always is so uplifting and sweet.

Sparkley Pink Lemons (http://sparkleypinklemons.wordpress.com/blog/)

Sparkley Pink Lemons — I love her tagline “turning lemons into sparkling moments…”  This dietitian is having a baby boy this fall.  Her blog is full of DIY and recipes.  I always enjoy reading through her blog!

BUMP REPORT – 27 Weeks

PREGNANCY WEEK 27

My age: 27

How far along: 27 weeks – LAST week of the 2nd Trimester!!!  Here is a recap of the 2nd Trimester now that we are wrapping it up:

2ND TRIMESTER- WEEKS 14-27

How big is baby: the size of head of cauliflower.  She is 14.5 inches long and weighs 2.2 pounds.

Exercise/Activity Level: Still keeping strong with my workouts.  6 days included: 3 outdoor runs and 3 days of cardio/weights at the gym.  At the gym one day this week, I was leaving and the girl at the front desk said to me, “Great job, by the way!  I think it’s amazing that you are still working out with your pregnancy.  I see so many women who are pregnant who don’t workout and cancel their gym membership.  You are doing great, keep it up!”  It made me feel really good to hear such positive reinforcement like that.  Sometimes it’s just good to get a pat on the back for a job well done.

On another note, my running continues to be more of a challenge, but I continue to push through.  After hearing good feedback from other pregnant runners about the Gabriella Maternity Belt, I decided it was time for me to invest in one.  I ordered it on Amazon early last week and it arrived over the weekend.  Everyday I was tracking the package through the mail since I was so excited for it to arrive.  On Sunday’s run I tried it out and I think this is just the edge I needed.  Overall I felt lighter and felt that I could run longer without having to stop to take a walking break.  I definitely plan to continue using this belt on my runs and even wear it to the gym too.  I got a black one since most of my running shorts or capris are black.  It hides fairly well under my clothes, which is nice.

I wrote a post this earlier week about our BOB stroller.  I am just WAY excited to use it once the baby is here!  Eric says we need to store it away in the garage since we have no reason for it to be out right now.  I told him that I still just need to “look at it” for a few days.  🙂

Maternity clothes:  Gosh, I love my maternity clothes!  It’s almost sad to think that I will eventually have to put them away.  They are so cute and many of them are so comfortable.  I feel chic in many of my clothes since my friend gave me her goldmine of maternity clothes!!

Stretch marks: None.  I moisturize super well daily to help keep things this way.

Belly button: Flat belly button.  See the picture above with my running belt.

Sleep: Sleep is pretty rough lately.  I am trying to figure out how to solve this.  I don’t think there is going to be a solution, haha!

Newest baby milestones this week: Baby’s lungs and immune system are maturing this week.  If she were born today he would have an 85% chance of surviving!!  That is great to think that we are getting safer!!  Baby girl’s brain tissue and neurons are all developing quickly.  Her brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby.

Best Moment of the Week:  Getting to relax and enjoy the 4th of July holiday.

I made mini fruit pizzas for the holiday.

My hubby and I on 4th of July.

My best friend and I enjoying Independence Day!

My friends got a beagle puppy about a month and a half ago.  Luckenbach “Luke” curled up on my lap to take a snooze. 

Worst Moment of the Week: I don’t think I had a worst moment of the week:)

Food cravings: Cucumber sandwiches, fruit, orange sherbet, milk, orange pop and ice cream.

Food aversions: Chicken.

Symptoms: Growing, ribcage pain, bathroom runs.

Movement: I think I have a little gymnast in there.  This baby is active ALL the time.  It’s like she is constantly awake and bouncing around.

Gender: Girl

What I’m looking forward to: Getting the nursery finished.  Eric has been working really hard on nursery related projects.  He painted the crib and the dressers, which was a HUGE project.  I painted the nursery walls (gray walls with a dark purple accent wall).  I also put together a shelf all by myself.

Here is our inspiration for the room:

…and here is what the nursery currently looks like (a small sneak peak!):

Here are a few pictures I took the other day while Eric assembled the freshly painted crib.  He did such an AWESOME job with the crib and I am so proud of him.  He also redid the dressers too (which you can see in the pictures).  They now have knobs on them.  I will put more pictures up later once the room is more complete.  Here are the crib assembling pics:

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Functioning on less-than-quality sleep.  I know this is only going to get worse….

What I miss: Sleeping well:)

Next appointment: Tuesday, July 16.

BOB Stroller—check!

Well folks, we got a BOB stroller!  I have been going back and forth on what kind of jogging stroller I wanted to end up with.  Originally, when I was thinking of getting a Jeep jogging stroller.  After much research and comparison, the BOB wins.  In Colorado pretty much everyone has the BOB.  I don’t like that it’s a “thing” and everyone has one.  So I wanted to be different and skip getting a BOB.  Well, after doing a lot of hard thinking on it, I decided that I don’t care what people think of me!  The BOB stroller really is the best when it comes to joggers, so I really do need the best.  I am a runner and therefore I need a BOB.  I’m SO excited about this stroller!!  Part of my mother-in-law’s gift to us was contributing a certain dollar amount towards a jogging stroller.  So thanks, Dian!

As soon as we got it home I made Eric take a picture of me with the stroller.  Can you see my excitement?!?

Let’s talk about the BOB.  We got the BOB Revolution.  The Revolution model is a bit better than some of the jogger models because it has more features.  If we were getting a BOB, we were getting the right one.

Now, one of the first things I noticed about the BOB was how incredibly LIGHTWEIGHT it is!  I mean, seriously light!  Other strollers can feel heavy and clunky, but this stroller feels like you are pushing a feather.  Not only is it really lightweight, but it also GLIDES like a bird soaring in the wind.  It’s just effortless.  I am going to borrow my friend’s baby and take him out on a run in the BOB one of these days.  I just can’t wait to use it!!

Here are some of the stats (from Bobgear.com):

• Swiveling front wheel allows for superior maneuverability.  Locks forward for increased stability when jogging or if the terrain turns tough.
• Easy, two-step folding, lightweight frame for convenient transport and storage.
• State-of-the-art, adjustable suspension system provides an exceptionally smooth ride.
• Accessory Adapter allows for quick and easy attachment of BOB Infant Car Seat Adapter or Snack Tray.
• Ultra-padded, adjustable reclining seat for enhanced seating comfort. Five-point padded harness helps keep your child comfortably secure.
• Multi-position canopy adjusts for protection against the elements. Large viewing window lets you keep an eye on your baby.
• High-impact polymer composite wheels with pneumatic tires and tubes take on tough terrain.
• Low Boy Cargo Basket provides plenty of undercarriage storage. Additional space in large seatback pocket. Internal seat pockets provide a great place for snacks and toys.
• A simple twist of the front wheel tracking adjustment knob keeps you rolling straight.
• When engaged, the parking brake helps secure a stopped position.
• Padded handlebar for comfort; wrist strap helps you secure stroller when strolling and provides handy fold lock when folded.

Uh oh, look who likes riding in the stoller?  Silly dog!  He will be doing the running outside of the stoller, but I wanted to use him as a test subject.

Work Baby Shower

I work at the best place in town.  I work at a chiropractic office in Colorado, and we have the best staff and patients around!  A few weeks ago, Bridget, my boss’s wife approached me about dates to possibly get together for a baby shower.  This totally blew me away!  I am so honored to know such fine people.

The baby shower was such a blast.  We had it on Friday night.  Ladies were drinking margaritas and lemonades.  I wanted a margarita….so guess what?  I got a virgin margarita!!  It was so great.  Salt on the rim and all.  I should remember this for later when I’m craving for a sweet drink.  My friend made cucumber sandwiches as part of the food selection.  I absolutely LOVE cucumber sandwiches.  That was probably my favorite part of the night!

Since it was a small shower with only ladies from work, it felt very intimate and relaxed.  We sat around chatting and laughing for hours about all sorts of things.  Mainly childbirth and the like….  I learned so many things about birth and mommy-stuff that night!  Our laughter and stories kept us going until nearly 11pm.  I feel so blessed and grateful for the generosity of my friends from work.  Thank you, ladies!

BUMP REPORT – 26 Weeks

PREGNANCY WEEK 26

My age: 27

How far along: 26 weeks

How big is baby: the size of an English hothouse cucumber.  She is 14 inches long and weighs 1.8 pounds.

Exercise/Activity Level: Exercised my usual 6 days this week.  I’m still feeling really good overall!  My 3 outdoor runs all included bouts of walking intermixed with running, but that’s okay by me.  My calves continue to feel tight when I run and my body just feels “heavy” and slow.  I’ve started to notice strangers staring at me while running (or working out at the gym)….  I don’t think a lot of pregnant women still make the effort to run because it gets so difficult, so seeing a running pregnant lady is unusual for people to see!  I take the stares as a compliment.

Maternity clothes:  Wearing maternity every day.  This week I wore dresses a few days and it felt very freeing.  The shirt I’m wearing in this picture is the same shirt from 16 weeks.  Looks a little different from 10 weeks ago!!

Stretch marks: None.

Belly button: Flat belly button…it’s getting closer and closer to poking out.

Sleep: My sleeping has taken a total 180 this past week.  I had been getting great sleep and then BAM—sleep issues galore all of the sudden!  I am just having problems getting comfortable and in the midst of that, I’ve been waking up 1-2 times to pee during the night.  I think I may have figured out that sleeping on my right side feels worse and left side feels better.  Once I switched to the other side of the bed to accommodate my left side better, I have gotten 2 solid nights of sleep.  Hopefully writing about it doesn’t jinx me.

Newest baby milestones this week: Baby girl now has eyelashes she can bat (hopefully NOT for the boys).  Her kicks are getting so strong that she is starting to keep me from falling asleep.

Best Moment of the Week:  The birth of my nephew Silas!  It was amazing hearing all about the labor and delivery from my sister.  Everything went smoothly:)  Because he lives in a different state, I didn’t get to meet him in person, but I did get to meet him via Skype in the hospital.

My sister and her family.  My two older nephews are excited about the birth of their baby brother!

Silas Jonah.  Born June 26, 2013.  My precious nephew.

Worst Moment of the Week: Getting a weird pain in my side that caused me to worry like a madwoman!!  Everything was just fine though, I’m pretty sure it was just a severe round ligament cramp/pain.  I soaked in the bathtub and it felt 10 times better.

Food cravings: Ice cream, fruit and cucumber sandwiches.

Food aversions: Chicken.

Symptoms: More belly growth, feeling a little more tired than I was before, sleepless nights and MUCH more frequent urination.  Like peeing every 45 minutes.

Movement: This baby is kicking like crazy.  I love it!  Daddy loves to rest his hand on my belly all of the time so he can experience her movements too.  He just loves our little girl already.

Gender: Girl

What I’m looking forward to: 4th of July holiday this week.  Looking forward to time off work and time to relax and enjoy memories with friends.

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Getting things done before Florida.  This summer we will be living in Florida for 6 weeks due to a project for Eric’s job, so I feel a sudden pressure to get “things done” before we leave.  We only have a few more weeks until we make the temporary move.  Thankfully we have been working on baby-related projects whenever we have spare moments: the nursery got painted (I proudly did the whole thing myself!!), my best friend helped me sew curtains (they look so nice, and not homemade at all!), and Eric has been working on refinishing and painting the two dressers for the nursery.  We hope to wrap up a lot of these projects before we leave so I can relax when we return back to Denver from Florida at 36 weeks.

What I miss: Feeling light.  I feel heavy and slow…like I move in slow motion:)

Next appointment: Tuesday, July 16.