23 weeks

Good morning!  I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!  As of Saturday I am currently 23 weeks pregnant.  The bump says half-pint is the size of a papaya..  That was shocking to me...a papaya, that's quite large considering how little time half-pint has been in my belly!  This past week my mom and sister were able to feel half-pint move.  We were sitting at the table eating Thanksgiving dinner and HP was moving like crazy.  I told my mom to give me her hand...I had to remove the roll from her hand.  She initially thought I just wanted to "see" her hand.  I put it on my belly....low and behold HP moved and she said, oh my gosh, you just made my day!  It made me smile!  My sister was next in line.  She was joinkingly telling me to stop breathing so she could feel it.  HP moved for his/her auntie in no time!  Apparently, HP likes to move a lot when I'm eating.

  Other than more and more movement, nothing to really report, which is the way I like it!  We have our 24 week OB appointment this week and holy cow....24 weeks!!!  Simply shocking to me.  It seems like yesterday when I was 12 weeks!  I will leave you with my 23 weeks belly pic.  B also took a 23 week belly pic, but he would disown me if I posted it.  I will ask him again tonight, because it's pretty funny!

Happy Monday

B turned 30!

This past weekend we celebrated B's entering into a new decade.  Friday we spent a low keep evening just the two of us, but look out, when Saturday morning hit, we were on the go and haven't stopped since! 

Saturday morning B ran the Living History Farms Race.  He has some company when running, my sister and our friend joined him in the chilly 33 degree weather to run through fields, creeks, ditches, mud and water!  They were all warm and clean prior to the start, but a little wet and muddy at the end. 

  It was quite interesting to see the costumes people wore.  That day I saw Santa and his eight reindeer, a couple of cows, hula girls and a naked indian.  Oh and Willie Nelson!  Yep, they ran 7 miles in those costumes!

Before:

Please note B's tuxedo shirt....

After:

All in all they had a blast!

That evening we gathered with B's family and my fam to celebrate his entering his 30's! 

I got him a golf themed cake.  He loves golf!

B had a great birthday and the cake was a huge success and tasted delcious! 

Happy Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a blessed holiday.

Today I look back at this year and all that I have to be thankful for, family, friends, health and our sweet puppy, but there are a couple things that really stick out in my mind.

First, I am so thankful for the time I was able to have with my dear grandma Stella.  I feel so blessed that I was able to be so close to her and share so many memories with her for 27 years.  Each and everyday I miss her dearly, but although she is gone from this earth, I know that one day we will see each other again.  I know that I have someone watching over me and it seriously breaks my heart that she won't be able to come and hold half-pint when he/she is born.  I am know that my child will always have a guardian angel. 

Secondly, and some of you might think I am seriously crazy, but I am so thankful for the tough road of trying to concieve B and I have been on.  Having to lose two pregnancies was one of the most difficult things we have ever had to go through.  But I am so thankful we did.  This journey and those two losses have made me realize how strong I am as an individual.  I found strength in places I would have never imagined.  I got through, perservered and now we are expecting our healthy baby.  I am also so thankful to have gone through this because it made our marriage so much stronger.  We had to suffer with each other and I was amazed at how we were able to lean on each other when we needed.  I am now more confident than ever that we can make it through anything!

This Thanksgiving, I give thanks to those that are with us on this holiday, those that we have lost and now watch over us in heaven, and the one that makes everything possible.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Etsy love

I have been head over heels for this seller since I was turned her way by Holly at Life in the Fun Lane.  SaSea Boutique makes adorable screen printed pillows in which I own a few!  They are deliciously divine and her new creations are surely not to disappoint!  I was looking at her Etsy site today and fell in love with two more pillows...

This would be perfect on our couch!

This one on our guest bedroom bed!  I'm simply loving them!  I think they may be my next Etsy purchase!

22 weeks

This week I am currently 22 weeks along in my pregnancy.  Half-pint is moving like crazy and the other day I could feel him/her move all the way across my belly.  Seriously, it was by far the strangest thing thus far during my pregnancy, although very surreal and exciting all at the same time!  We are currently in the process of picking out furniture and we got our registering all done before the holidays!  I will leave you with my 22 week belly pic.

Please excuse the doorknob that I took out of the pic, it looked like it was sticking out of my belly, which made it look weird!

Thanksgiving cooking

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and this year is going to be a little different than the rest.  We usually all gather at my mom's house to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then stuff our faces until we pop.  This year since my grandmothers recent passing we are changing it up a bit and going for a very small gathering of people.  Just the immeditate family and my grandpa too of course. 

 

   My grandma was the one that taught us all how to cook.  Cooking is the thing that has really brought our family together.  When we gather, it's usually around a meal and without her there this year, my mom, sis and I are going to try and pick up where she left off.  So this year I will be picking up another staple other than Green Bean Casserole, we call it organge jell-o with apple salad.  My grandma has made it since I can remember and it's so easy, yet so divine!  My grandpa even gave me a little preparation trick!  He's too cute! 

  My grandma always brought the pumpkin pies to Thanksgiving and this year my grandpa is making them!  He even practiced his pie crusts the other night and brought them over for us to sample.  They were delicious! 

 

  My hope this Thursday is that we can remember my grandma Estella, celebrate our family and honor her by cooking a delicious meal!

 

  Here's to a short week and happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday my love!

Happy birthday my love!  You mean more to me than you will ever know.  I honestly believe that you were truly made for me.  As I was looking back, I've now been with you through 7 birthdays and I can't wait to celebrate many more with you.

Our journey has not always been the easiest one, but there is no one else I would rather be on this road with than you.

4 years ago today we were engaged to be married...I was on top of the world...Now I can't wait to celebrate your 31st birthday next year with our new addition.  I have no doubt in my mind that you will be the most amazing father.

Today, I celebrate you and your wonderful heart and spirit.  I am so blessed to have you as my husband, my soul mate, and my best friend.  Happy Birthday my love, I hope all your birthday wishes come true!

21 weeks.

I am so late in posting this, but I am now 21 weeks pregnant.  I can now feel half-pint kick more and more often, and the kicks are getting stronger by the day.  B was actually able to press on my belly and feel the baby kick.  I also apologize for the crappy picture.  I was trying to hold my sweater back, take a self portrait and Ruby's butt is in the back.

I am hoping in the coming week that my belly rounds out!  I have bump envy of some of my friends of their cute round tummies!!

It's really sad...

That I am looking forward to waking up to this one morning....

I know, I know, in the middle of February I will be complaining that I hate snow and Iowa is the bane of my exsistence.  As for right now, I can not wait for snow!  The pretty snow, not the ugly dirty brown snow on the roads, but the fluffy white snow that's around right after it snows.

  Next week is Thanksgiving and the day after turkey day, I am in serious Christmas mode!  I have to admit, it's not Christmas without snow and I've already been listening to Christmas music at work for the past week...

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches

This my friends it what I have been eating for breakfast each and every morning since oh say mid August.  Every morning I sit in my office with milk and PB & banana snadwich and eat to my little hearts desire.  Since being pregnant cereal in the morning just wasn't cutting it.  I was starving by 10am and meat has not sounded good during this pregnancy so peanut butter has been my protein during these past 21 weeks. 

There really is no other point to this post other than to tell you to try a PB & banana...Seriously, it's quite possibly the most delcious sandwich I've ever had! 

My PB&B attraction started many, many moons ago, when my nanny Jeanne would make them for me.  Ever since we've been the perfect couple!  Nutritional and delcious!  Try one, I promise you will not be disappointed you did!!

Merry Christmas Love B, A, Ruby & Baby

Today I recieved our proof from photo affections for our Christmas card, and I couldn't be happier!!  I absolutely have been so impressed with this site!  They fixed Ruby's eyes as they looked a little scary with the flash of the camera!  So here's what's going out to our friends and family this year!  I've blacked out certain info to protect the innocent!

Seriously, check out that website!  It's wonderful and no they didn't pay me to post this!!!

Christmas card pictures

We decided to have our Christmas card taken this year by my sister.  She greaciously offered for us to come on over to her casa and she was more than happy to take them.  Of course having a dog in the pic usually proves the need to take about 100 more that you actually should.  Well I've found a great site from Kari called photo affections and I've found THE ONE we will be using, but I thought I would share the pic we are using....  I will post our actual card when I get the proof back!

Along the way we had some that just wouldn't work.....

That would be our niece Stella yelling Mommy, mommy can I have a peanut butter cup.... I just couldn't not post this one!

Cute clothes

I just couldn't reisist sharing these with you!  My dad and stepmom sent us these a long, long time ago, actually when I was pregnant the first time.  Well we put the whole box of goodies in storage and I got it out the other day and I was so happy I did!!!  We got a stuffed Ruby look alike, she thinks we have another puppy and is very curious about it. 

Here are two onesies that I just about died when I saw....First, a little story, my dad has always called me peanut as a nickname...here you go!

It's Ruby on a onesie!  How stinking cute!  My stepmom took a pic that I emailed them, turned it into an applique and ironed it on a onesie...I just about died when I saw it!

A close up!

The other one...

They are just sooo tiny and cute!! I can't get over them!

20 weeks

I had a come to Jesus meeting on Saturday morning when my ipregnancy application on my phone jumped out at me and yelled HALF-WAY THERE!  Holy crap, I'm half way done with this pregnancy!!  Yikes!  I feel like there is still so much to do, so much preparing and all I can think of what I am going to get B for his 30th birthday next week! 

To be honest this summer I hit a pretty low point when I had miscarried a 2nd time and wasn't sure I wanted to try again.  I didn't know if I was cut out to carry a baby or if my body could.  In all honesty, I didn't know if I would ever get to celebrate being 20 weeks pregnant or if the dream of having a biological child would ever come true.   Well it has, and being 20 weeks pregnant is a dream!  I feel almost perfect, until I eat too much and my tummy is just way too full.  I sleep very well and finally starting to have a bump is pretty darn fun!

On Friday we had our anatomy scan and everything looked very good.  Half-pint is weighing 11oz. but we have to go back again this week because HP was moving around too much, the tech couldn't get the spine or abdomen measurements that they need.  A little back story on this....A week from this past Friday we had to go in for a ultra sound to rule out placenta previa.  I didn't have that, but the baby was all curled up in a ball and wouldn't move.  So I asked the tech, what should I do so that next week they can get the measurements needed for the anatomy scan.  She said oh have a pop before you come.  I did and HP was moving wayyy toooo much!!  Seriously it was pretty funny!  The tech said to B, I'm going to have to have you come back so I can measure the spin and tummy....B said, Oh A doesn't mind at all!!  So we will be going back this week for another ultra sound.

I will share a couple of ultra sounds pics and my 20 weeks belly shot! Yes, I am sporting Iowa hawk gear...and they lost...BOOO!!!

Some ultra sound pics or half-pint

Happy Monday!

Christmas table

This is what I would love for my Thanksgiving table to look like....Now I only need.....EVERYTHING!!  Doubt I'll be having my table looking like this around Christmas, but a girl can always dream!

Frustrated...stumped, the whole bit!

B and I have been looking for houses since we moved.  That would be 1 year and 2 months.  We have found NOTHING that we remotely like.  Now with a child on the way, we sped up our search.  Fast forward to this week, a seller approached my sister and said would B & A be interested in our house.  My sister said well I can see, he said the price is XYZ.  The price was in our price range, we went, we saw, we loved it!  We forgot to ask the price ourselves..DOH!  B emails the owner, he comes back with a price that is 30K higher!!!  30K, this is not a drop in the bucket, that is a HUGE difference.  The owner said they looked at what they had in it, and they came to the conclusion that they needed to ask more....My thought, then you should have never told my sister the price was XYZ.

So today, I am frustrated beyond belief....I will report back if anything changes, but most of my hope is lost at this point!

I can't stop drooling

Over these delicious nurseries!  I love looking for inspiration and all of these nurseries are simply fabulous!  Any little bambino would be lucky to stay in here! 

Now here's my vision....Something very light and airy.  Very neutral but has a lot of texture to it.  Nothing that screams boy or girl, and a place that both B and I won't mind being in the middle of night! I want the nursery to be a place of serenity for us and the little one.  So here are some inspirational images I've been drooling over!

So what do you think...Can we attain this look?

19 weeks

First, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  Yesterday my iphone ipregnancy app said I am now 19 weeks pregnant!  Nothing really to report other than this is the last week that "they" as in medical professionals measure half-pint from crown to rump.  Next week the measurements will be from crown to feet.  This week half-pint is 6 inches long and weighs 8.5oz.  I am feeling more and more movement each day and although it still feels like a little gas bubble or butterfly, you can tell exactly what it is.  There's no other way to describe it!  I am feeling great and I think I am starting to look pregnant, not just like I have been eating way too much McDonald's!

 This week we have our anatomy scan and my mom is going with us to see her 4th grandchild!  We could find out the sex this week, but we have decided to wait until half-pint is born.  B and I both are thinking it's a boy.  No real reason, just a hunch.  Both of our mom's think half-pint is a girl....we shall see in March.

Have a wonderful week!  Here is my 19 week belly shot!