33 weeks - less than 50 days left!!!

How far along? 33 weeks

Weight gain: Up 19 total.  I gained 3 pounds at my last appointment, not bad.

Belly measurement: About 42 1/4" up an inch and a quarter!

Stretch marks? Not that I can see.

Sleep? It depends.  Some nights I'm up a lot and other nights I'm not.  But generally speaking, I have to roll over a few times and pee a few times so I'm up every few hours.

Best moment this week? Enjoying my last few days of summer vacation and getting some more fluff mail!  I had a coupon for 20% off at one of the cloth diaper websites, so I got 6 more bumGenius 4.0's (the new ones).  I wish they had more cute color choices though...

Food cravings: Sweets in general.  Just walking by a pastry shop or the candy aisle triggers a "gimme, gimme" response, just like a 5 year old.  Luckily, I haven't cried, screamed, or thrown a tantrum when Mike suggests I skip the sweets like a 5 year old, but we still have 7 weeks of pregnancy!

And I've been super thirsty, so a lot of water.

Weirdest symptom: I don't know if this qualifies as a symptom but I now have to do the double attempt when getting off the couch.  You know, the rocking motion to get some momentum. Cute.

Funny Pregnancy Moment: I'm a bridesmaid in my cousin Jen's wedding this weekend (soo exciting!) and I was discussing with Mike how I'm a little self conscious about being in front of people so pregnant and I said I was afraid I'd look like a big, purple, moose.  His response, "Wouldn't that be a hippopotamus?"  Thanks, babe.  Fortunately, I don't think I look like either and my cousin was so kind as to pick a dress that works with the baby bump!

Labor signs: Thankfully, nothing yet.  I went window shopping at the outlets yesterday, and I started to feel some stretching kind of pain in my lower abdomen which I think is most likely Ezra moving south.  I also can feel Braxton Hicks contractions every once in a while, but no pain, just tightening.

Belly button in or out? In, but definitely outward bound!

Movement? Mostly I can feel his feet in my ribs.  But at the dr's this week she showed me how to feel for his body parts.  He's still head down, which is great, but I can feel his little bum and his knees and feet now.  Sometimes I swear I can see his little foot trying to get out of my belly!

What I miss? Honestly, sleeping on my back.  When I have a headache/backache or I can't get to sleep, I could always fall asleep on my back, so sometimes its frustrating to not be able to lay on my back.

What I'm looking forward to: Shopping for baby clothes.  I've already started a little, and just getting a little taste I can tell it will be totally addicting.  Hopefully I don't require a shopping intervention in a few months.  It will be fun to see what he can actually fit into when he gets here and then be able to pick out some cute outfits for him.  I'm especially looking forward to putting him in something cute for Halloween!

I also have a gift certificate to a spa in town and I'm seriously contemplating a prenatal massage when I go back to work... that is something to look forward to!

Weekly wisdom:When 8 months pregnant, pay the money for a pedicure.  You really can't reach your feet no matter how you position the chair, table, ottoman.  It's a lost cause.

Milestones: The midwife confirmed that we will most likely be having an over 8 pound baby - just based on my height and how he "felt" in my belly.  Right now, he's supposedly around 4 - 4.5 pounds.  Halfway there baby!

Here's a belly picture:

Baby Shower

My mother, mother-in-law and 2 sisters in law threw me my baby shower last weekend.  It was perfect!

I'm not an easy one to surprise and Mike is not very good at surprising but he did a great job, and I really had NO idea that my shower would be that day.  My BFF Jess told me she was working so I was sure it couldn't be until the next weekend at the earliest, when she would be done with her second job on the weekends.  Sneaky...

For the last few weeks Mike's been telling me things to throw me off track - which is incredibly infuriating to someone with control issues.  I hardly left the house on the weekends without making sure I was "shower ready" with hair did, make-up and a somewhat flattering outfit.  This is not my usual summer routine. ::insert ponytail::  And, being in full nesting mode, it was hard to not worry that we wouldn't have anything for the baby (irrational, I know, but I can't help it sometimes).

Someone did tip me off before we left (and Mike called and told me to "put on a nice shirt" heehee), but that's ok.  They had the shower at my church hall.  My mom did baby blocks decorations with blue table cloths.  My in-laws did all the cooking - meatballs, kielbasa, sausage, and ziti, salad, fruit salad, and lots of goodies for dessert.  My mom made dynamites (basically a spicy sloppy joe).

It was so great to see so many wonderful ladies all in one place!!  There were people from near and far.  I felt so loved.

They played a baby shower bingo game with the gifts that ended up getting pretty heated.  Apparently I know a lot of competitive ladies!  Fortunately, no one got seriously hurt (I kid, I kid) - and I think people were entertained.  They also played a game where they put melted chocolate bars in diapers and people had to guess what chocolate bar it was by looking, smelling, and even tasting.  It was hilarious to watch grown women sniff a diaper with what looked like poop in it.  There were a few people (Mike included) that had a difficult time even looking at them, lol.  It was very realistic.

We got everything a baby could need!  All the big ticket items - stroller, car seat, pack n play, excersaucer, bouncer.  We got tons of lotions, baby toys, bottles, a boob basket (I knew I could count on my Aunt Nina to take care of my boobs, lol), cute outfits and everything else that you can think of.  We also got some gorgeous handmade gifts - lots of blankets (knitted, crocheted, and fleece), a scrap book to just fill in the pictures, handmade booties, a leather bound album that must hold around 1000 pictures. And gift cards galore - which I'm sure we'll be able to use for all of our cloth diaper needs, as well as for storage for all the great stuff we received.  It is difficult to avoid the baby clothes departments though - I might need an intervention eventually.

My mom asked me if there are things that we still need, and I honestly had a hard time thinking of things we need.  (I can always think of things that I'd like) I'm so blessed!

Here's some shower photos:

The decorations

Tons of presents, Ezra is so lucky!

All the wonderful friends and family

cute banner

Diaper game (I promise, it's chocolate)

Me, my BFF, and my niece helper - who I think was more excited about the gifts that I was!!

cutting the cake (duh)

Soon-to-be Mom and Dad (Mike always looks like he's trying to run out of the picture, lol)

I really can't thank everyone enough (thank you cards are almost in the mail). We really are so so so blessed to have so many people who want to take part in the arrival of our baby.  Even without the gifts, this baby is loved already :)

I know it's not the end of the week, but I'm doing the poll anyway ;)

How far along? 31 weeks 5 days

Weight gain: Up 16, yes I gained 6 pounds in three weeks.  I almost fell off the examination table at the doctor's office when she told me.  I'm still doing well at only 16 pounds at this point, so I can't complain.

Belly measurement: About 41"

Stretch marks? Not that I can see.

Sleep? I can honestly say, I think my body is trying to get me ready for having to get up every 2 hours with a little baby, so I'm up every 2 hours peeing, or switching sides, or just twiddling my thumbs.  At least I have 2 more weeks before I go back to work!

Best moment this week? My shower!!!  It was so much fun.  I got to see so many special ladies and I just felt so loved.  Ezra has some very cute clothes, and just about everything a new baby can need.  We got all the big ticket items, small ticket items, and very few duplicates as well as some very thoughtful handmade gifts.   His nursery is filled!  Now I just have to figure out where I'm going to put it all...

I'm going to do a separate shower post once my mom shares her pictures with me.

Food cravings: Strawberry poptarts and grilled bagels, YUM!

Weirdest symptom: Not necessarily weirdest but definitely most uncomfortable - Gas.  Sleep farts and sneak farts.  Apparently, while taking a nap, I almost gassed my husband out of the living room unbeknownst to me.  Sorry hunny.  And sometimes, just from standing up, walking, moving, or any other activity, one sneaks out.  Fortunately, it hasn't occurred in any really embarrassing situations, but I think it's only a matter of time...

Funny Pregnancy Moment: I went to a Red Sox game with my family last night and the man sitting at the table behind us sucked the ketchup out of a ketchup packet.  Yes, he put an open ketchup packet in his mouth and proceeded to suck the ketchup out of it.  Twice.  I gagged.  I think my mom thought I was going to throw up on her. But, seriously dude, you're in public and you look like a moron.  I was surprised how little control I had over my own gag reflex.  Pregnancy is definitely weird.

Belly button in or out? In, but definitely outward bound!

Movement? Mostly at night, another reason why I'm awake.  I think my ribs bother him because he's always trying to push them out of the way.  Sometimes I feel like my entire belly is jumping up and down!  And I can feel hiccups pretty much daily now which is fun and exciting!

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to: Maternity leave, lol.  I am not looking forward to going back to work in 2 weeks (well less than 2 weeks, but I'm trying to pysch myself out).  I just know it's going to be sooooo hard to go back to work, the bigger I'm getting.  I just keep telling myself "it's only 6 weeks, it's only 6 weeks."

Weekly wisdom: If you are waiting in a line to go to the bathroom, say at Fenway Park, and all you are going to do is change your shirt in one of the 4 stalls, please let the pregnant lady go in front of you.  And that goes for your friend, too.  Because I almost peed on the floor.

Milestones: "They" say he's between 3.5 and 4 pounds this week.  I have to say I've been neglecting my pregnancy books so that's all I've got... ;)


Just for comparison...

Today, 31 weeks 5 days

28 weeks

So I guess 6 pounds in 3 weeks is totally believable...

Camper+Pregnancy+Broken ribs+2 dogs =

What on earth was I thinking? heehee

Mike and I went camping last week (hence no update) in our camper and we decided to take the 2 dogs.  Well, as relaxing as we expected it to be, we should've left the dogs at home from the beginning.  There was barely enough room on the bed for me, Mike, and Ezra, let alone the 2 crazy dogs.

Needless to say, since we were only about 45 minutes from home, we brought them back early.  But neither of us were prepared for the uncomfortable bed.  Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder, and I don't think I'll ever leave my memory foam mattress again.  If we had both been comfortable and gotten enough sleep, we probably would have had a better time.

All things considered, it was still fun, relaxing, and worth it.  We got to go to the beach often, which is great.  I got a tan.  And we spent *quality* baby-free time together (we didn't even fight, that much).

Our 3 year anniversary happened while we were camping, and Mike decided we should go to Newport for the night.  It was so sweet.  We ate at the Red Parrott (yummy), walked Thames St., went by the spot where he proposed, and drove down Ocean Drive to look at all the rediculously-enormous mansions on the water.  We even got out and watched the sunset over the cliffs.  It was wonderful!

Here's some cell phone photos of the trip...

I'll update at the end of the week from my dr's appointment (Preview, I gained 6 pounds!!!! in 3 weeks) and my shower!

Happy Anniversary!

So three years ago today, M and I tied the knot. I almost can't believe it's been three years...

I think back to how neurotic I was about wedding stuff and I laugh because I'm about that neurotic about baby stuff, too. (Mom, shhhhh, I know what you're thinking). The day was perfect, even with the problems - yes, I screwed up the directions to the reception in the program, so shoot me. We had the only 60 degree rainy day in August - but our pictures were still beautiful inside the reception hall. The food was delicious, the dj did an awesome job, and we had the best 200 friends and family anyone could ask for to celebrate with!

And now we have little Ezra on the way. As much as we both wanted to already have started our family, I can't help but be thankful for God's timing. It took us a year and a half to finally get a sticky baby, and the timing really couldn't have been better - even though that was a hard reality to come to.

We have so much to look forward to in the next year and so much to be thankful for right now. I've decided to make this a "thankful post"

Today, I'm thankful for:

- a perfect house, with a perfect yard - exactly what we both always wanted - and the price wasn't bad either!
-we both have stable jobs that we usually like
-2 cute but crazy dogs
-lots of helpful family and friends - especially when painting, moving or picking up furniture, recovering from accidents, or just for a laugh and some company
-we make each other laugh more than we make each other yell or cry
-little Ezra... he's changed us so much already and we don't even know him yet

I'm sure this next year will be the most crazy with our new addition, but I know that August 10, 2011 I'll have even more to be thankful for!