BUMP REPORT – 35 Weeks

PREGNANCY WEEK 35

My age: 27

How far along: 35 weeks (only 35 days to go!)

How big is baby: the size of a honey dew melon.  She is approximately 18.5 inches long and weighs 5.5 pounds.

GOODBYE FLORIDA.  Look what has happened in regards to growth since we have been in Florida!!  How crazy.  We actually got to Florida when I was 29 weeks pregnant, but it was hard to make a collage with 7 photos (because of the odd number), so I just started with the 30 week picture.

FLORIDA BABY GROWTH:

What have you been up to: Our time in Florida is wrapping up.  We are packing up and getting on the road for our trek across the country to Colorado.  Home sweet home.  We were originally supposed to leave early on Tuesday morning (Sept 3), but Eric’s project needed him for an extra day, so our drive begins super early Wednesday (Sept 4).  We are going to drive from Cape Canaveral, FL all the way to Dallas, TX on Wednesday.  Thursday we will drive from Dallas, TX to Denver, CO.  So our drive is going to be a very LONG two days, but this is better than three days.  This route is entirely different from our route out here, but it will be fun to switch it up a bit.  Drive time is estimated at 29 hours, so realistically it will take 30+ hours with stops taken into consideration.  If you think of me on Wednesday or Thursday, send a little prayer up (lol — I’ll need it!).

We had our last Florida doctor visit on Friday.  My doctor said that everything looks great with the baby.  I’m glad I was able to get such good prenatal care while in Florida.

As I mentioned last week, my sister Melody and her husband Andrew were in Florida visiting us last week.  We had such a fun time spending time together.  We had a full week of fun in the sun (and the occasional showers).  We went to the pools a lot, played in the waves on the beach, went to “feed the gators” at mini-golf, took a boat tour of the Banana River and saw dolphins and manatees, ate out at a few on-the-water local restaraunts, went running, worked out, played games and the husbands played tennis.  It was a blast spending time with them.  Here are some photos to highlight our time together:

Melody, Andrew and Eric somehow were all matching.  These guys are twins and they didn’t even plan it!

My sister and I.

Melody and Andrew.

My sister and I on the beach.

Playing around in the pool.  These guys never sat still — they were always jumping, diving and flipping in the pool!

This was a rare moment when they guys sat still 🙂

Melody and I could often be found floating around the pool.

We went on a boat tour of the Banana River.  The 2 hour tour featured manatee and dolphin viewing.

A group shot on the boat tour.

It was really neat to see tons of manatees and dolphins right outside of our boat!

Eric and I enjoying manatee and dolphin watching.

Enjoying the pool.

This was post-run one morning…it was SO HOT outside.  And THIS is why I do mostly treadmill running now 🙂

Andrew and Eric are good friends (and brother-in-laws).

My sis and I on the beach.

It was so much fun seeing them!

Exercise/Activity Level: I exercised my usual 6 days this week.  3 days of cardio/weights and 3 days of running.  My running went really well again this past week.  Two of my runs were fantastic and one was really tough and somewhat mentally defeating.  On that particular workout, I coached myself that “Katy, in just a few weeks you have to get through BIRTH!  You can do this run, it’s nothing compared to birthing a child!”  That was a crazy thought, but it gave me the mental capacity to get through that run.  Running was 100% treadmill based this week — on my run yesterday I ran for 41 minutes STRAIGHT without any walking breaks (3.5 miles).  WHOOP, WHOOP!  Running feels better than walking does at this point.  Weird, I know.

HERE is a picture of what I’d like to think I look like while I run:  (this is pre-run one day)

HERE IS THE REALITY of what I actually look like when I run:  (haha—this is real life!)

Maternity clothes:  Swimsuits and workout clothes.  Looking forward to wearing “normal clothes” now that we are going home to Denver.

Stretch marks: None.  I use lotion religiously.

Belly Button: Outie.

Sleep: I’m still sleeping pretty well.  As long as I keep my water consumption limited to 9pm and earlier, I am usually only getting up an average of once per night for bathroom runs.

Newest baby milestones this week: Our little girl is putting on lots of fat to give her a softer and more filled out body.  She is putting on an average of a half pound per week.  Her length is almost birth length, but she will still gain another 2 pounds before birth in a few weeks.  Her kidneys are fully functioning.  Her lungs are almost full term.  This baby is nearly fully cooked!

Best Moment of the Week:   Getting to spend the entire labor day weekend with my husband.  I can’t remember the last time we had uninterrupted “just the two of us” time like that.  I know we need to cherish it while it lasts.  Baby is coming soon and then our twosome becomes a threesome.

Worst Moment of the Week: Nothing in particular.  Just getting a little worn down from pregnancy exhaustion.

Food cravings: Eating lots of healthy foods!  I still crave apples with peanut butter like crazy!

Food aversions: We went out for breakfast over the holiday and my eggs did not settle well with me.  Yikes…I felt super nauseated after eating them.

Symptoms: Starting to get waves of nausea (GREAT, I’m so excited it’s back!).  Lots and lots of braxton hicks contractions.  My hips and joints make popping sounds since relaxin (hormone) has kicked in since birth is nearing — I am shocked at how easily my hips and wrists pop.  I also am really noticing exhaustion kicking in.  I just feel worn out a lot.  Naps are becoming a daily deal for me.

Movement: Eric thinks our daughter is a gymnast!  She sure has a lot of energy like her high-energy-personality momma!  She is constantly on the go.  She occasional gives a super strong kick, which is suprising considering how cramped she is in her space.

Gender: Team Pink

What I’m looking forward to: Seeing my friends at home!  Eric and I have absolutely loved this time away from our day-to-day lives, but we really are so excited to get home and see our friends.  I also REALLY missed our church, so I am so excited to go to our church!!

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Our drive.  I. CAN. DO. THIS.  My doctor said to keep a very strict schedule of stopping to get out and walk.  Circulation is key to avoid blood clots.  I also bought some knee socks, so I am going to be super stylin’ with those babies on!

What I miss: Friends and my church.  Only a few days until I get to see my friends (yay for girls’ night planned for this weekend) and only a few days until I get to go to my church!

Next appointment: Monday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m.

BUMP REPORT – 34 Weeks

PREGNANCY WEEK 34

My age: 27

How far along: 34 weeks (countdown – 6 weeks left)

How big is baby: the size of a cantaloupe.  She is approximately 18 inches long and weighs 5 pounds.

What have you been up to: This week has been so much fun.  My sister Melody and her husband Andrew are currently here in Florida visiting us.  We have really been enjoying our time with them.  I will post more about that next week.  I’m a little delayed on writing my BUMP REPORT this week because it’s hard to pull away from the fun in the sun and spend time on the computer!  Thankfully it’s the morning so I’m the only one awake – so I have time to write.

This past week we had our ultrasound!  We were SO EXCITED to see our baby girl since we hadn’t had an ultrasound since 19 weeks.  It was really cool to see her and how much bigger she is.  Also, we were only expecting to see the regular 2D sonography, but the ultrasound tech occasionally would turn on the 4D imaging so we could see different things.  At first, I could barely tell what was what, but then when we saw her face it was such a crazy experience!  Our little girl has chubby cheeks, hair on her head and my nose!  We could see her opening and closing her eyes, and even making faces.  Eric and I agree that we are so excited to meet her in person in “real life” and see those features for real.

In the waiting room before the ultrasound.  We were so excited!

Post ultrasound with our photos of Baby Lute!

Proud momma!  Do you see the resemblance?  Haha, just kidding!

Exercise/Activity Level: I did 6 workouts like usual for this week.  3 runs and 3 cardio/weights days.  On my cardio/weights days, I’ve been using the rowing machine for cardio almost exclusively.  It’s interesting doing the rower with a big belly, but I make it work!  For weights, I’ve focused on free weights and kettle bells this week.

For running, two of the days were treadmill-based and one was outside (it was overcast, yay!).  Running continues to be hard, but I keep having really empowering/successful runs each week, so I feel really fulfilled!!!  This week I had a new 8-months-pregnant accomplishment: I ran for 36 minutes STRAIGHT without a single break for walking.  3.1 miles (5K distance) took me 36 minutes (a far cry from my pre-pregnancy pace)….I really felt on top of the world.  Go me!  I know this won’t be possible too much longer.

My sister and I post-workout yesterday….I can’t believe how big this belly is!

Maternity clothes:  All maternity.  Still swimsuits.  Only one more week left in Florida, so I will probably never have opportunities to wear those swim suits again this pregnancy.  I am looking forward to wearing more fall-like clothes…leggings with boots and cardigans.

Stretch marks: None.  My sister is going to jinx me though, she is shocked that I don’t have any.  I told her, “heyyyyy, I still have 6 weeks, hopefully I’ll still be ok!”

My belly is pretty huge, but thankfully still streak-free!

Belly Button: It’s out.

Sleep: Sleep is great.  My no-drinking-any-water-past-9pm rule is working flawlessly!  I average one trip nightly to the bathroom.  Otherwise I sleep like a rock.  I’m sleeping better now than I have in my 1st and 2nd trimesters.

Newest baby milestones this week: Baby continues growing rapidly!  She is putting on lots of body fat to fill out her frame.

Best Moment of the Week:   We had our hearts melted watching her on the ultrasound this week.  As I mentioned, we were not there for a 3D or 4D ultrasound, just the normal 2D sonography.  But the ultrasound tech turned on the 4D imaging multiple times to “double check” something.  I think she just wanted to give us a thrill so we could see our baby’s face….and I admit, it was really crazy to see our baby.  She is pretty squished in the womb, so her arms were covering part of her face.  But we could clearly see her open and close her eyes and even scrunch up her face to make a pouty-face!  So neat!!

Worst Moment of the Week: Getting into a fight with my poor husband….  I can’t wait to get these hormones back to normal.

Food cravings: My eating is still really healthy.  Still no dessert/sweets or junk foods consumed in over 3 weeks.  I’m pretty to the book on eating.  My snacks I crave are apples and peanut butter or greek yogurt.

Food aversions: None.

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions.  Trouble rolling over.  Feeling heavy.  Feeling like my belly is huge.  Can’t touch my toes.  Need assistance to get up from the couch.  Hip and joint pain (that has DEFINITELY kicked in!!)…I think it is starting to cause me to walk a little differently (uhhhmm, waddle?)

Movement: She moves so much.  My entire belly gets mis-shapen when she rolls around, lol!  She still gets the hiccups a lot too, sometimes as much as 3 times per day.

Gender: It’s a Girl

What I’m looking forward to: I’m looking forward to this last week in Florida.  I want to enjoy every last drop of time we have left!!

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Our 28-30 hour car trip back to Denver next week.  I think it will be fine, but I am slightly nervous with how much more frequently I have to pee now compared to the drive out here.  We did a 3-day drive here, but our plan for the way home is to shove it into 2 days.  It will be hard, but we think 2 15-hour days will be better than 3 days.

What I miss: Simple things…like tying my shoes without struggle or painting my toe nails.

Next appointment: Friday, August 30 at 9:45 am.

BUMP REPORT – 32 Weeks

PREGNANCY WEEK 32

My age: 27

How far along: 32 weeks (only 8 weeks to go!)

How big is baby: the size of a jicama (some sort of vegetable I had never heard of before).  She is approximately 17.25 inches long and weighs 4 pounds.

What have you been up to: This past week we had my family visiting us in Florida.  It was so much fun!  My dad, mom, and two youngest siblings were here for an entire week.  For the first part of the week I was still fighting off a cold, but we still managed to get lots of fun and sun at the beach and the pool.

Also, we have finished our prenatal classes.  We took a 2-hour breastfeeding class and we took an all-day 8-hour birthing class on Saturday.  It was fun to see other expectant couples (mostly due in September or October) and to be educated with some helpful information.  The childbirth class was very thorough and we feel like it was a great asset to be more prepared.

Aside from all of that, I have been reading a lot since I have a lot of built-in beach time!  I finished a couple of books.  I really loved On Becoming Baby Wise.  I definitely recommend that one.  We will try to follow the guidelines this book teaches on putting your baby on a 3-hour routine.

Exercise/Activity Level: I completed 6 days of exercise this week.  Of the 6 days I did 3 runs (2 were outdoor runs and 1 was inside on the treadmill) and 3 gym cardio/weights workouts.  I have still been reaching my goal of doing 40 minutes of cardio (40 minutes for 40 weeks) during my gym workouts.

My runs sure are getting interesting….some days I feel “great” (whatever that really means at this point!), and other days I feel like I can barely run for 3-5 minutes at a time before breaking into walking.  My calf muscles have really been acting up for me.  They get extremely tight and it forces me to take more walking breaks.  If it weren’t for my darned calves, I’d probably be running the entire distance straight-through!  Well, maybe:)  Eric ran with me on Sunday, and I apologized to him that I had to stop to take walking breaks and his response was: “Well, I’m pretty sure it’d be a lot harder to run in this heat/humidity with a watermelon strapped to my belly!”  I appreciated his kind words.  It’s the truth, though!  Anyway, we are living in gated community, so when I run outside, I just run around the perimeter of the grounds.  I see lots of palm trees and peacocks.  Speaking of the peacocks, some of the female peacocks have brand new BABY PEACOCKS!!!  They are so adorable!  Wow, I am getting on a tangent:)

A photo I snapped at the gym of this 32 week belly.

Maternity clothes:  Still wearing mostly swimsuits.  Since all I do is go to the beach & pool, workout and sleep, I rarely wear normal clothes.  Sundays for church give me a reason to wear something nice.

Stretch marks: None.

Belly Button: It fluctuates between flat and out.

Sleep: My sleep is flawless.  Until last night where I woke up 3-4 times to go to the bathroom.  I think I drank too much water too soon before bed.  Aside from that, I really am basking in the blissful world of great sleep.  I know one day this will end.  For eternity 🙂

Newest baby milestones this week: Baby is hiccupping like crazy!  Since I first felt/saw her hiccups last week, she continues to get the hiccups on a regular basis.  The frequency seems to be about every-other day.  Eric really enjoys feeling her hiccups, but he said he feels bad for her.  I explained that babies aren’t annoyed by hiccups the way we are.  Speaking of Eric, he has been talking to the baby a lot lately.  It really melts my heart when he rests his head on my belly and has a conversation with our baby.  He keeps expressing his excitement to finally meet her!

Best Moment of the Week:  My best part of the week was getting to spend an entire week with my family!!  It was such a blast!  We went to the beach, went to the pool, watched a launch, went to Titusville to see my late grandparents’ house, church and grave, played games and ate mom’s home cooked meals.

Me with Mark and Christine.

We spent a lot of time hanging out at the pool.

We spent even more time hanging out on the beach!

Christine built a sandcastle.  She is about to start college next week with an engineering major…hmmm, we have so many family members who enjoy building things!

Eric fishing and Mark (attempting) skinboarding.  You can see one of the cruise ships in the background that just departed.

Mom and Christine relaxing on the beach.

Me with my youngest siblings, Christine and Mark.

Mark and I.  I can’t believe he starts college in a few days!

Christine and I.

Where are Mom and Dad?!?  Oh, there they are, making friends with strangers as usual 🙂

We got to see Grandpa and Grandma’s graves.

Dad, Mom, Mark, me and Christine visiting our grandparents’ graves.

Eric, Mark and Koda hanging out on the patio.

Waiting to see the launch!

Me with my family right before we saw the rocket launch.

Worst Moment of the Week: Yelling at my mom.  I regret even having to write this because it is bringing me to tears just thinking about it.  My mom is the sweetest and most loving woman anyone could ever meet….and I yelled at her over something so silly and stupid.  Under normal circumstances I would not have said hurtful things, but in my hormonally pregnant state, I irrationally criticized her.  Thankfully it is in the past and she forgave me, but I still regret letting my hormones get the best of me.

Food cravings: Last week I wrote a post about my 10 pregnancy health goals because I totally revamped and cleaned up my diet.  I have been eating healthy for an entire week and feel SUPER great because of it.  The first few days I was having strong sugar cravings, but now those are under control.  My go to foods are: fruit (peaches, grapes, apples, watermelon, cherries and blueberries), greek yogurt, string cheese and granola bars.  These snack foods are essential when I’m on the beach.

Food aversions: None.  Although I’m avoiding all sugar and desserts (as well as processed foods).

Symptoms: I got my first Braxon Hicks contractions this week.  I can barely touch my toes (hard when I keep needed to repaint my toenails), mild heartburn and growing belly.

Movement: This baby is definitely growing like a weed.  Her movements are constant but the type of movements I am feeling has changed drastically.  Where I used to feel a lot of kicks or jabs, I am now feeling more wiggling, rolling and stretching.  I think she is running out of room in there!

Gender: Girl

What I’m looking forward to: I’m looking forward to our doctor appointment this Friday.  When I was there 2 weeks ago, the doctor mentioned that we might look at scheduling an ultrasound to see baby before we make the big trip back home (which is still a few weeks away).  I’m excited to see how baby is doing and also excited about possibly getting that ultrasound scheduled for within the next couple of weeks!  We thought we were done with ultrasounds, so this will be so fun if we do get to see her again.

What I’m nervous about/praying for: Nothing really.  I’m so content.

What I miss: My family now that they are gone. 😦

Next appointment: Friday, August 16 at 9:45 am.

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.

My nephew was born!

My sister Maggie had her baby!  Her due date was approximately July 1st.  She went into labor on Wednesday and gave birth at 9:50 p.m. to Silas Jonah.  I’m so excited that Baby Silas is healthy and adorable:)  We got to Skype with them in the hospital on Thursday night.  I drilled Maggie on some of the details of the labor and delivery (since that will be me in 3 months).  Everything went really well.  I’m so excited to be an aunt to Baby Silas!

Silas Jonah

Born: Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 9:50 p.m.

Stats: 7 pounds 1 ounce, 21 inches long, brown hair 

My sister and her beautiful family of 5!

Maternity “photo shoot” – Pregnant Sisters!

I live in Colorado and I have for 5 years ever since my husband and I graduated from college, got married and made the move.  My entire family lives in Indiana (except my brother Luke who is a missionary in Nicaragua), where I’m originally from.  When I went back to Indiana for a visit, it was fun to see everyone.  My older sister Maggie is also pregnant.  She is due July 1st with her third son.  I’m so excited for her baby to make his entrance into the world!  It was fun to take a few pictures of each other when we were together.

It’s so fun to be pregnant at the same time.  I just wish we didn’t live so far apart!  My sister Maggie pulls of pregnancy GLORIOUSLY!!  She is 36 weeks in these photos.  I hope I can look half as good as she does at 36 weeks!

Surprise Baby Shower!

Last weekend I flew back to my home state of Indiana to help celebrate my brother and sister’s graduation from high school.  Little did I know that I had a surprise baby shower that my sisters and mom had been planning and scheming about for a while.  Our plan for Saturday afternoon was for all of us girls (Mom, and sisters Jill, Maggie, Melody and Christine) to meet up at Maggie’s house to then go shopping and eventually out to dinner.  My mom drove me and Christine to meet up with the other girls.  On the way there she said, “We need to stop at the church to pick up a pot roast container for the graduation open house tomorrow.”

So we pulled up to the church and my mom asked me and Christine to run in and grab this pot roast container.  (I thought—you are making the pregnant girl go in and get it?)  Christine led us to through the church and I peeked through a window and saw a baby shower going on.  I said, “Christine, we CAN’T go through there–there is a baby shower going on!!!”  It didn’t dawn on me that the baby shower was MY PARTY for a few more seconds.  “SURPRISE” yelled the guests….only then did I catch on!

What a great honor to be completely surprised by people that I care for and love.  There were about 20 people who came out and blessed us with generous gifts for our baby girl.  I feel so loved.

Here are some snapshots from the shower:

Me hesitantly walking through the door.  I really thought I was invading on someone else’s shower!

“Whoa, you guys got me good!”

Playing baby words scramble game.

The food table.  They even got a chocolate fountain!

My sister Melody (in purple) and friend Brittany (in blue).

Me with my sisters: Jill (black and white), Melody (purple), me, Christine (brown) and Maggie (36 weeks pregnant)!

Eric’s Grandma Helen, me, my mother-in-law Dian and Eric’s Aunt Denise.

My gorgeous momma and I.

More games…

Purple and teal….wonder where they got that idea?  How intune are they?!

Playing the “drink apple juice from a bottle” race….guess who won?  Yes, I won it!!  I smoked Mom and Brittany!

Opening gifts.  I got so many nice things.  What a blessing!  This specific gift was Purdue University onesies:)

My mom drinking juice from her bottle.

Pretty decorations.

My little sister Melody and I.

My big sis Maggie and I.  I’m 22 weeks and she is 36 weeks!

These baby cousins got to “meet” while still in the womb.

22 weeks at my baby shower.

22 weeks pregnant at my baby shower.