Third trimester!

As of last week, I am now in the third trimester!  I will be 29 weeks tomorrow.  Time is just flying by!

My last post was about all the fun stuff I was looking forward to!  Sadly, today is the last day of my 10 day vacation from work and all that fun stuff is over.  But everything really was a lot of fun and I now have a lot of new things to look forward to!

First, a recap!

Last week, I got to see my two old college roommates and their new babies!  So much fun!  They both had girls.  I can't wait for Charlotte to get here and we can all have playdates!

Last Tuesday, we went to the live Price is Right show in downtown Milwaukee!  I wasn't sure how it was going to be when we first got into the theater, but it was actually a lot of fun!  Sadly, neither of us got to 'Come On Down!', but it was still a lot of fun being in the audience and yelling out prices to the people on the stage.  Of course, I think I'm always right and am awesome at all the games, so I yelled out prices just like everyone else and was probably wrong the majority of the time.  :)

Yesterday, we just got back from our 4 day mini-vacation to Minneapolis.  We had AWESOME weather there.  I think it was even nicer there than it was here in Milwaukee this weekend!  

We had a super nice dinner at this Italian restaurant called Ciao Bella.  Probably the most expensive meal we've ever had (well, Josh's wine probably made up half the total cost!), but definitely well worth it for our 5 year anniversary.  We never go out anywhere 'nice', so it was a good treat.  It got the salmon special of the day and it was a great choice.  We also got an amazing dessert.  I went in there definitely thinking I wanted the Tiramisu for dessert, but the waitress and Josh changed my mind and had me step outside my box, and we got the special of cheesecake with a huckleberry sauce with some kind of fruity gelato on top (can't remember what it was exactly) and it was AWESOME.  Here's a picture of the masterpiece:

Also, here we are all dressed up at the restaurant (well, the most dressed up I've been so far in pregnancy, haha): (and thanks to my friend, Liz, for letting me borrow some of her maternity clothes!)

The next day we went shopping ALL day at the Mall of America!  I made it the whole day walking around and felt completely fine.  I wasn't sure how I'd last, but I think having to be on my feet all day at work definitely helped with this.  Josh made out much better than me, but it's not as much fun to shop while pregnant because everything I want doesn't fit me. :)  I did find a nice dress to wear to an upcoming wedding though!  

That night, we saw the movie '42' and it was great!  I highly recommend it!

And the next day, we took the light rail to a Minnesota Twins game!  Josh and I like to see different baseball stadiums, with a lifetime goal of seeing them all.  The Brewers weren't playing there, so I wasn't personally invested in the game, but it was a nice day and their new stadium is beautiful.

Now, for all the new stuff to look forward to! 

My mom is coming into town this weekend!!!  She will be staying with my sister for a week, so I'm not sure how much I'll see her next week, but I'm hoping to make it up to Oshkosh one day I have off of work to hang out with her and my niece!  

Then, the next weekend is my baby shower!  I am so excited to see all my family and friends at that!  My mom will then be staying with us for a couple days.  She'll be here just in time for Mother's Day!  We're going to have a spa day somewhere in there, hopefully go out for breakfast at her favorite breakfast place when she's in town: The Peachtree Restaurant in New Berlin.  You can get a giant bowl of fresh fruit, which is why I think it's her favorite. :)  And hopefully we'll also get to do some shopping while she's here!

One of these days, we're going to have to start cleaning out the nursery so I can start to get things set up.  But I still have time for that.  And Josh is still in school til mid-May, and we all know I'm not doing this myself.  So I will wait for him to help.  :)  I suppose I need to get going on buying stuff for the nursery, though!

How far along: 29 weeks tomorrow!

Total weight gain: At my doctor's appointment 2 weeks ago, I was up about 16.5 pounds.  So maybe a tiny bit more since then?

Maternity clothes: I finally got to wear my new maternity shorts and capris with the nice weather!  It's always nice to change things up :)  

Stretch marks: None yet, yesssss.

Sleep:  Still pretty decent.  I did wake up once super early while on vacation just starving.  But I can usually sleep all through the nice just fine.  Fortunately, my leg cramps have been a LOT better lately and I don't think I've woken up with a bad one in over a week! 

Best moment of this week: Today, since it's beautiful outside and I have off of work!  And I am looking forward to going to the Brewers game on Wednesday with some girls from work!

Miss anything: Sleeping on my stomach!

Movement: Feeling her move every day!  (Which I hope I do--if I don't, I should probably call my doctor :)  

Food cravings:  Nothing great, but at the grocery store this morning, I had a sudden urge to buy a box of Orange Dream bars.  Yummmmm.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!  

Have you started to show yet: Uhhhhh, yeah.  I feel huge.

Gender: Still a girl!  Charlotte!! 

Labor signs: Nothing, thank goodness!  :)   

Belly button in or out: It's out, booooo.

Wedding rings on or off: Still on.  And still big on me.   

Happy or moody most of the time: I'd still say happy 98% of the time.  :)

Looking forw ard to: My mother coming into town and my baby shower in a couple of weeks!

26 Weeks! And so much to look forward to!

I am in my 26th week as of a few days ago!  I'm not exactly sure when the 3rd trimester starts--I've heard varying weeks--but I feel like this is my last week in the 2nd trimester.  After this week, I have 13 weeks left to go! 

April is such a great month.  Starting out with April 1st, the Brewers season has begun again!  Josh and I went to Opening Day.  While tailgating was cold, the game was a lot of fun and the Brewers won in extra innings.  And then they went on a nice losing streak after that game, but I still love them. :)

Last weekend, we went to Oshkosh to visit my sister, her husband and our niece.  We went outlet mall shopping and I got some baby clothes and maternity clothes.  And best yet, we then went out for a great steak dinner at our favorite supper club!  Yummmm.  I need to go back there at least once more before I have this baby for some goooood food!

The middle of the month has one thing to not look forward to--my glucose test on the 15th.  Luckily, my doctor gave me the great orange drink at my last appointment, so I can drink it at home first and then go in for my appointment to get my blood drawn.  I've heard it goes down better with a straw, so I plan on doing it that way.  

But thennnnn, the end of the month brings LOTS of great things!  Starting on the 20th, I have 10 wonderful days off of work!  I took a week of vacation a long time ago because Josh and I were originally planning this nice trip to California for our 5th anniversary.  We were going to see the Brewers play in San Diego and hang out there for a little bit, then drive up to Los Angeles and see the Brewers play there and hang out, and even try to get in the Price is Right audience.  But then I found out I was pregnant, and decided to skip this trip to save some money.  But I still have all the days off of work, and I will make the best of them!!

Here's what we have to look forward to:

--Saturday, April 20th:  This is a busy day!  We start out with a tour of the hospital I will be giving birth at.  Then, my good friend from my old church is having a birthday/bachelorette party!  I can't go to the whole party because we already have plans that night, but I will be attending the spa day of the party and will be getting a wonderful facial and manicure. :)  Then, at night, Josh and I will be going to the Mark Schultz concert at a church close to our home!!  Mark Schultz is a Christian artist and is AWESOME in concert.  You should check him out.  Here are a couple of my favorite songs by him: Walking Her Home and Love Has Come.

Tuesday, April 23rd: THE PRICE IS RIGHT!!!!  If I can't go to LA to be in the audience, then this is definitely the next best thing.  The Price is Right will be in Milwaukee at the Riverside Theatre.  They will be picking people from the audience just like on the show and playing the same games!  Drew Carey will not be the host (I'm not sure who is) and I'm sure the prizes aren't as extravagant, but I know it will be fun and I am soooo excited for this!  

**On a side note--if anyone has any good ideas for a t-shirt Josh and I could make, let me know!  Either something 5th anniversary related or baby related!? 

Sometime on my days off: Going to visit my two good friends and old college roommates, Liz and Melissa, and their two new babies!!  Yayyyyy. So excited to meet both of them!  They both just recently had baby girls--one a few weeks ago now and one just last week.  So happy for both of them!

April 25th-28th: Josh and I are going to Minneapolis for a long weekend 5th anniversary/"babymoon" (I hate that term, but I'm still using it, haha) getaway.  We are staying by the Mall of America and will definitely be doing some shopping and eating there.  We also plan on checking out Target Field and going to a Twins baseball game.  They're not playing the Brewers, but oh well.  We like baseball and seeing new stadiums.  Of course, they don't have a roof, so we are going to wait to buy tickets until we get there to see which day has the best weather.  We are so spoiled here in Milwaukee with our roof.

And saving the best for last: Our 5th Anniversary on April 26th!  I can't believe it's been just about 5 years.  It goes by so quickly!  We will be in Minneapolis for this, so I'm hoping to go out for a nice dinner there and whatever else the day brings.  

Here we are on that wonderful day 5 years ago:

And now I suppose for pregnancy related stuff:

How far along: 26 weeks!

Total weight gain: Not sure--I haven't been to the doctor in almost 5 weeks, but I go on Monday.  I'm going to guess about 17 pounds so far--but I have nothing to base that on. :)

Maternity clothes: Still loving them!  Just got some shorts for the summer (now it just has to warm up!) and a dress to wear to my shower next month.  

Stretch marks: None yet, yesssss.

Sleep: Is going ok.  I still need to get that pregnancy pillow I talked about in a blog weeks ago.  I've learned how to manage my leg cramps at night, but now to add on to that, once in a while, I'll wake up with a cramp on the side part of the bottom my leg (like ankle area) and side of my foot.  Not quite sure how you'd stretch those areas and unfortunately those cramps are worse than any calf leg cramp I've gotten so far.  I'm almost crying in pain from those!  

Best moment of this week: Well, this week kind of sucks because I've been working a lot and I work this weekend, but I will say today and tomorrow, since I have off and can watch The Price is Right. :)

Miss anything: Not really, this week.

Movement: Lots of it still.  I've heard of people getting jabs that hurt, and I've had none of those so far.  Maybe my baby is just weak like I am. :)

Food cravings:  Nothing new.  I still eat a good amount of salami sandwiches though!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!  

Have you started to show yet: Uhhhhh, yeah.  I feel huge.

Gender: Still a girl!  Charlotte!! 

Labor signs: Nothing, thank goodness!  :)  Working at Children's Hospital makes me very aware that my baby could be born this early and most likely survive, but I'm still hoping to make it until week 40. 

Belly button in or out: It's kind of half way in and out.  So weird.

Wedding rings on or off: Still on.  And still big on me.   

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy for the most part.  Except for a random moment of moodiness when I came home from work super tired and sore Monday night.  You can ask Josh about that one. :)

Looking forward to: Read the rest of this blog post.  I'm looking forward to everything!!!!

24 weeks!

According to my weekly emails, my baby has gained 4 ounces since last week and is almost a foot long.  Pretty soon, she'll be taller than me! :)  At this point, she is also starting to produce surfactant--which being a respiratory therapist--is very important to me.  Surfactant production isn't complete until week 35 though--so please, Charlotte, stay put until then.  At least.  :)

Oh yeah, we decided on the name Charlotte.  Or Charlie for short.  Josh and I are both bad at keeping secrets, so it's not a big deal to me if people know the name.  And this way, people can't steal it, right!?

At this point, I'm about 5 1/2 months.  Crazy!  While I'm feeling great still, there are some things that are getting hard to do because of my growing stomach:

-Painting my toe nails.  I just attempted to do this last night.  And while I was able to actually finish painting them, it did take longer than usual and was hard to get in a good position to not make them a total mess.  Next time it will either be Josh who does this for me, or I will have to schedule a pedicure...

-Stretching after a workout.  My stomach is getting in the way of me reaching my toes and doing all the leg stretches I was once able to do.  **If anyone has any good pregnant lady stretches--please let me know**  My intense nightly leg cramps make me need to continue my stretching!!

-Sleep comfortably.  I may have to break down and buy some kind of pregnancy sleeping pillow.  But I refuse to pay the outrageous prices of that Snoogle.  Kind of like buying stuff for a wedding, whenever they add pregnancy to the beginning of an item, it automatically raises the price.  I saw this pillow at Kohls and am hoping it might be the right one for me: "Boomerang Pillow".

-Go over an hour without having to pee.  This will probably make our drive to Minneapolis next month reallllly long.  :)

And I know this list will only get longer as I get bigger!  But just as I was starting to get down on myself for not being able to do things I once was able to, I came across this list on Pinterest of 10 things to love about being pregnant!  Just a good reminder sometimes. :)  This list is stolen from this blog: (with my own thoughts added in..)

1. Elastic waist bands (Yesssss!  I love maternity jeans!  Not having the zipper and button make pants so much more comfortable..)

2. Getting my doctor's full attention for longer than five minutes (Also true.  I looove my doctor and he listens to every stupid question I ask)

3. Watching the shrimp inside me grow a face and legs  (Crazy that there's an actual person inside of me...well....fetus is probably the more appropriate term)

4. Those 300 extra calories a day to use on strawberry Pop-tarts and vending machine chips (aww,

c'mon people, you didn't eat all fruit and veggies either)  (Or an extra Captain Crunch....or ice cream...)

5. Having a good reason to not cook dinner for three months  (Yup--just ask Josh what he ate for dinner during my first trimester of nausea and his answer won't be home-cooked meals)

6. Hearing the labor stories, even the horror ones, because every labor and delivery has its own

story (even the c-sections!)  (There's just something about pregnancy that makes every person who's ever been pregnant tell you all about how they gave birth.  And for some reason, I don't even mind....yet...)

7. An excuse for re-decorating an entire room (Thank goodness for Pinterest--so many good ideas on there!  I can't wait to start!)

8. Loading up on free magazines at the OB office (Well, this one I could give or take...I've never been much of a reader :)

9. Seeing my baby's elbow jut across my belly like a shark cutting its way through the Pacific (Haven't seen an elbow yet, but during moments of intense movement the other night, I could see my stomach bounce out with every kick.  I would love to see a hand or foot protrude from that area, but I'm sure that's all just a myth that that actually happens..)

10. A sense of pending adventure  (Or the impending sense of 12 weeks off of work this summer!)

I'm not going to do the questionnaire I did last week because nothing seems to have changed since then.  But I will leave you with a picture of myself...because I'm all vain like that.. :)

I just keep getting bigger!

Catching up: Weeks 12-22

Yeah, I know this isn't in order, and I just did a week 23 post.
But I'm catching up on the weeks I missed out!

These will just be pictures so I can document my progress and see how huge I've reallllly gotten. :)

Week 12: Nothing to show at all

Week 15: Mayyybe there's something there!?























16 weeks: Food belly!?

17 weeks: I see it!!

19 weeks: And in maternity jeans :)

20 weeks: Found out it's a girl!!

22 weeks: I feel huge!  And I got my haircut. :)

Week 23!

Week 23 might be a weird time to start this blog back up. But that's just how it's going to be.  :)

My due date is July 16, 2013.  A little less than 4 months away.   Time seemed to move so slowly in the beginning, waiting anxiously for my first ultrasound at 10 weeks.  But looking back now, at 23 weeks, I have no idea where the time has gone!  

This weeks' main talking point: working out! 

As we all might now, I am a big runner.  Josh and I have done about 1 half marathon a year, for the last 3 years.  We also do a whole bunch of random races throughout the year.  We love running and competing against each other.   Just working out in general has been a big part of my life since college. I just assumed that when I got pregnant, I would continue on with my workout routines like normal.  Maybe just scaling the intensity down..   Which is exactly what I did the first time I was pregnant this past summer.  And then I had a miscarriage in the first trimester.  While I am 100% certain that running and lifting weights did not cause my miscarriage, it can really just make your mind go crazy.  You start to analyze every little thing that you might've done, while reality is, most early miscarriages are the result of chromosomal defects.  

So, when I found out I was pregnant again this past November, I couldn't bring myself to run.  The mind is a weird thing sometimes.  I still went to the gym for a little while and walked on a treadmill.  But that was the extent of my workouts.  And I was ok with that.  And then, somewhere around week 7-8, intense nausea and sickness came about.  It was all I could do each day to get off the couch.  I was barely eating.  The thought of even going to the gym made me nauseous.  So I took a nice 3 months off of working out.  I was losing weight during that time anyway, so I felt ok with that decision. :)

So now, here we are.  I started going back to the gym maybe a month or so ago.  I mostly walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes at a decent speed and a small incline.  Obviously nothing like what I'm used to, but I'm ok with that.  It's just good to be getting back into it.  I also recently started adding the elliptical to my gym routine, which is nice.  It brings my heart rate up more than walking.  

Since I'm getting bigger, a lot of my old workout clothes just aren't cutting it anymore.  I didn't know if I wanted to buy actual maternity workout clothes, or just get a size up in regular ones.  And then I found these awesome tank tops at Old Navy.   They are baggy enough in the stomach that I feel like they should be made for pregnant woman! (But they're not maternity!)  I was even able to buy my regular size at Old Navy (XS) and they still fit so well, with room to grow!  

So here I am at week 23:

Here is the tank top at Old Navy: http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=53934&vid=1&pid=387760072

Those leggings in the picture are leggings I wore pre-pregnancy.  I just wear them down a little lower on my stomach.  I did end up buying a pair of workout shorts in a size medium this weekend though.  Definitely the biggest shorts I've ever owned, but they are so much more comfortable that my usual running shorts. 

I will most likely end each week's blog with the following questionnaire.  It seems like a nice way to keep track of everything I'm feeling week by week!

How far along: 23 weeks!

Total weight gain: Since my last doctor appointment this past Thursday, I am up 10 pounds.  I don't weigh myself at home though, so I probably won't have an accurate answer to this every week!

Maternity clothes: I love them!!  Maternity jeans are my absolute favorite.  I can still get away with a lot of my old tops though.  I love wearing tank tops with a cardigan over them.  I haven't had to buy many maternity tops yet. 

Stretch marks: None (hope I didn't just jinx myself there!)

Sleep: Just fine so far.  I wake up randomly almost every night with an intense leg cramp.  And I get up 1-2 times to pee.  But other than that, I can still sleep very comfortably.

Best moment of this week: Josh was able to feel her kick from the outside over the weekend!  

Miss anything: Running.  Amaretto sours.  

Movement: There has been a TON of movement lately.  I can feel her moving around all day.  It doesn't bother me yet, and it's definitely reassuring.  

Food cravings:  I had a craving for sushi the other day.  I have yet to fulfill that.  I do enjoy my daily salami sandwiches for lunch, as well!  But I've always loved salami sandwiches.  Hummus has also been big on my list lately. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular, yay!  If I would've answered this months ago, my answer would've been "everything."

Have you started to show yet: Definitely.  

Gender: Oh yeah--don't know if I've mentioned it.  IT'S A GIRL!!

Labor signs: I recently started feeling some Braxton Hicks.  I didn't know what was happening at first, but that's what they are, according to my friend, Liz.  My stomach just feels like it gets really tight once in a while, and then loosens up again.  Nothing intense, but I can definitely feel it.  Maybe only a couple times a day though.  I just didn't know they started so early!

Belly button in or out: In.  We'll see how long this lasts.  I feel it's definitely on its way to pushing out!

Wedding rings on or off: On.  And they're still a little big on me (always have been).  But it's still winter here.  

Happy or moody most of the time: I'd say happy.  Maybe this should be a question for Josh!?  :)

Looking forward to: Opening Day!!  Still 2 weeks away though. :(

I'm back!!!

Well, it's been almost 3 1/2 years since my last blog post!!  Crazy to think about!  I obviously did not finish my 101 things in 1001 days.  But I'm happy I kept up with it as long as I did. 

A lot has happened in that time.  I graduated from my Respiratory Therapy program at school!  And I got a job right away, yay!  I am now a Respiratory Therapist at Children's Hospital.  And I love it.  I am so happy with my decision to go back to school and 'change careers'.  Definitely worth the money spent and the time spent not working for a couple years, so I can be happier in the long run.  

Josh and I actually finished the renovations on our condo and SOLD IT!  Yay.  That was such a huge relief.  This actually just all went down a few months ago, at the beginning of this year.  I think it was a little over 4 months on the market before we got the offer.  And in those 4 months, we only had TWO showings.  And that second showing was our lucky charm!  I guess what they say is true--it really does just take one person to like it.  

And finally, it's a good thing we sold our condo, because we are having a baby!!  Alright--well, this development came along before we actually sold our condo (but after we put it up for sale).  But whatever.  :)  We have now moved into a wonderful apartment for the time being that is DOUBLE the square feet of our tiny condo.

And that is my main reason for starting up this blog again.  I wanted a good way to keep track of how things are going with this pregnancy and a good place to keep my weekly pregnancy pictures, so I can look back at them when I'm 9 months pregnant and think "wow, I guess I wasn't really was big as I thought I was then".  Because let's face it, I feel huge right now.  And I know I can only get bigger.  :)  

I can also use it to look back at how I looked in the possibility that I am pregnant again in the future, and compare week by week.  

And lastly--I just have more time on my hands!  (I say that now--talk to me in 4 months when I have a baby to take care of!)  Those condo renovations sure did take up a lot of my time.  While I love that my job has me working random days and I get a lot of days off during the week, Josh and all my friends work "normal" jobs and are not home during the week.  This will at least give me something to do once in a while.  Not that I'm complaining.  I love my time off. :)