this past month...

i am currently 35 weeks today but here is some belly for you at 33 weeks.

-the doctor confirmed today that she is head down! i already kinda knew that because when she has hiccups i feel them way low and i can feel her little legs and arms attacking my ribs. just hope she stays head down for the next five weeks!

-we took the childbirth prep classes offered by the hospital. so glad we chose to do it in one weekend though, (9-3 sat/sun) instead of once a week for six weeks. even though i knew everything that was brought up in the class regarding L&D (i know.. i'm a crazy person and have been obsessed with this stuff since i was in kindergarden so nothing was knew to me) i'm still glad we spent that $75. i think it was helpful to brian and i did get to learn our hospital's specific policies and procedures, which have made me a lot less nervous about a hospital birth! not that i would ever do a home birth. i believe that modern medicine is here for a reason in case of those emergencies. but when it is not an emergency, birth is not a medical event that needs a lot of intervention. but it seems things have changed at the hospital front from ten years ago and they seem to really be hands off and willing to let you have choices and a say in what goes on. for some reason i thought i wouldn't get that unless i really stood up for myself and didn't let them take advantage of me being a first time mom. just glad to know it won't feel like i'm on an assembly line and that i have options.

-i've been having so much fun making things for her little room and getting things ready. i know, i know she doesn't and won't care one bit. but come on, this is the fun part! so far i've sewed her crib sheet, changing pad cover, painted/filled frames, made a mobile, sewed some fancy burp rags, made a few flowers and bows for headbands (i'm still hesitant to put them on the actual elastic yet because i don't know what size i want them. i want to get the most use out of them and who knows if she'll have a small or big head.), and have washed all newborn size clothing (what is it about that tiny size that makes them to die for?? even if it's just a plain pair of grey leggings.. i'm still in love with them!). still left on the list is... paint the changing table, sew the bed skirt and pillow for chair, chose coordinating fabric for the crib blanket that her great-grandma is making as a gift, buy our carseat and stroller, and have the cutest little baby to cuddle all day long! hopefully her room comes together nicely and i'll share some pictures soon :)

-as for none related baby things around here. well there really isn't much. we're just too excited! okay we have gone to an aztec game, bought and decorated our christmas tree together! which was such a fun night! (the lady at the check out at home depot, who i think didn't see my belly under my coat, asked if it was our first christmas together because we apparently looked so cute picking out a tree. aww good to know it still looks like we like each other haha), went to brian's cousin's wedding, and i had my mom and grandma over for a yummy homemade dinner for their birthdays. lucky brian did get to go on a snowboarding trip to tahoe with a few buddies for a long weekend. halfway into the first day though he hit his head really hard. so hard that that was the end of snowboarding for him for the rest of the weekend. i felt so bad he didn't get much fun in :(

hope everyone's christmas preparations are going great! i can't believe how fast it has snuck up! i feel like i have to the best gift ever but i'm not allowed to open it...

30 weeks.

30 week bump.

this is a little late cause i'm now 31 weeks but you get the idea :)

feels like everything is going so much faster now!

i can't believe it's already time to take down fall decorations. feels like we just had halloween and now thanksgiving is over! this thanksgiving i was so overwhelmed with gratitude. i can't even think about being thankful without tearing up (maybe we'll blame that on the pregnancy hormones). we just have sooo much to be thankful for.

last week my sweet family threw the cutest baby shower! these girls are amazing at this sort of thing and it definitely showed. pictures to come later because i didn't get a chance to take any. but just think vintage, burlap, lace, doilies, fresh flowers, mason jars, the most delicious homemade breakfast foods, and a hot chocolate bar! it was perfect. and i was so happy to see all who came to share this special time. saying thank you isn't even enough!

this past month things have definitely changed on the pregnancy front.

-i've started feeling a TON of soreness/pressure on my pelvic floor muscles. didn't think i could be so sore without having done a hard workout. if i don't get off my feet enough i can barely walk!

-we are loving honey bunches of oats, fruit, and unfortunately candy.

-i'm starting to get a little anxious with it getting so close. there is no turning back! i have this vision of how her birth will go but i know i can't control any of it and that scares me. i want my body to do what it needs to without complications/intervention. i want her to be healthy and able to go straight to my chest, skin on skin. i'm working hard on not letting myself think about how things will go on birth day.. because we won't know until it happens. but there is just so much anticipation!

annnd we have finally agreed on a middle name! i wasn't totally in love with it at first but now i think it is just perfect! ...like it has been her name all along.

but something has to be a surprise so you'll just have to wait and see :)

Quinn's Dear Santa,

okay maybe my dear santa.

but i think i've finally found the perfect diaper bag!

...that doesn't look like a diaper bag but still has all the great features of one!

i found it on the babies r us website but they also have their own site with other products.

its a timi & leslie in the dawn style.

i've been searching for something that doesn't look like a typical diaper bag but that also has the features of one... like being water proof on the inside in case of spills, has lots of pockets so it's not just a gaping hole of mess to search through (i need organization!), and preferably the option of wearing it as a messenger bag too.

so here you have it plus more!

-detachable stroller straps and shoulder strap

-insulated bottle holder with clip-on handle

-key fob

-padded/large changing pad with mesh pocket for diapers

-mess bag for soiled clothes or what ever else you need it for

-three outside pockets

-six inside pockets

-zipper pouch thing for mom's essentials with inside zipper pocket and credit card slots

all the comments i've found about it are great and i watched the youtube videos that show every detail of it... which made me want it even more!

it is definitely more than i would ever spend on a bag because that's just me.

but i think considering the price of most diaper bags, the little extra is definitely worth it with all the extras it comes with and how nice it looks. and because it does look great i would totally use it way more than just having a typical diaper bag.

26 weeks.

lets see... at 26 weeks

-i've started to feel the heart burn coming back.

-occasional leg cramps.

-lots and lots of braxton hicks. they aren't really painful just super uncomfortable.

-feeling little body parts up in my ribs.

-having a really hard time going to sleep at night.

-i seem to get really hungry at night. but that might be that i could not be getting enough during the day.

-getting more emotional.

-foods we are loving: honey flavored greek yogurt (i could eat it at ever meal if i let myself!), preferably the lucerne brand...i noticed a difference when i got yoplait once but lucerne is definitely better!, kiwi, banana, and string cheese.

-yoga class is becoming a little bit more difficult. i have hard time taking it easy and not pushing myself like i used to.

-any exercise for that matter is getting difficult. the braxton hicks come full force! can't even power walk at full speed :(

-we haven't agreed on a middle name yet. since Quinn is a name that goes both ways i really want her to have a definite girl middle name. suggestions are welcome! :)

-weight gain: 15 lbs. and belly measurement was exactly on target.

-my face surprisingly has gotten and stayed really clear! i already have skin prone to breakouts and with all the hormones it got worse. but lately it's been awesome and it feels so good to not worry about that when i'm already feeling chubby. hopefully i'm not jinxing myself here!

and to end, a cute husband quote...

almost all the furniture for her room is white and at this point there isn't much else in the room/on the walls to liven it up yet. so brian thinks it's so boring and plain and was complaining about it. i tried to explain to him the rest of my plans for the room and that there is more color coming. i told him at least i'm not doing some crazy, frilly pink and purple princess theme and he replies, "well that would be fine because she is my little princess".

a little more belly...

(24 weeks)

because who doesn't love a little baby bump!? right? ...well sorry if you don't.

but let's be honest here and just say that this is officially becoming Quinn's blog.

it seems to be the most exciting thing going on around here so i just can't help myself. don't worry i'm sure we'll all get used to it :)

this little big bump and i have made it six months together! oh do i just love my growing bump! sometimes i go into her room and just sit. and be reallly happy. i think about what it will be like being a family of three. what it will be like when my nights become a routine of bath time, stories, and lots of cuddling... and of course the occasional poopy blowouts and tantrums.

but i'm pretty sure it will all be worth it!

23 weeks.

taken two days before our 23rd week!

i'm kind of sad that i haven't been that great at documenting my belly growth with fun/creative pictures. these self mirror ones just aren't my favorite.

anyways... meeting this baby seems like it is foreverrr away! the first half of pregnancy really just flew by for me. i'm guessing it's because we kept it to ourselves until our 12 week ultrasound and were so nervous those weeks leading up to it, and then i was half dead until 18 weeks so i feel like i did nothing, and next came just looking forward to finding out the sex and if she had all her body parts. but now that we know this pregnancy is a keeper, she is healthy, and i'm feeling much better it's going much slower. i'm not complaining i just can't wait to meet our sweet girl that is going to melt our hearts! i really am enjoying feeling her move and also these last few months of life baby free.

lately i've been playing music on my phone and pressing the speaker right up against my belly. boy does she go crazy over it. not sure if it's because i'm bothering her or if she actually likes it. sorry baby, we'll never know and i like feeling you move too much to stop.

and just so i never forget because it was so cute...

husband was hugging me/giving belly a rub goodbye before i left for work last week and he asked "can you leave Quinn here?" haha i just about died! brian isn't the sensitive/feeling kind of guy so when he says little thing like that it just melts my heart and shows me he really is excited for his little daughter.

sneak peek of Quinn's nursery

spice racks used as book shelves

framed mirror to be painted coral

brian is not a fan of this crib but i've always loved it! i love that it looks a little old fashioned and that it's not super bulky!

can't go wrong with a $20 rug!

(cause we all know the kid is going to make a mess of it eventually)

i've always been obsessed with this pillow!

(so i'm glad you're a girl Quinn so i can finally have it in my home because it doesn't go with our living room or bedroom)

lovely fabric for a fitted sheet and changing pad cover

(i've never been a fan of the bedding sets and the site i found to create your own is ridiculously expensive! so i'm making the sheet with this pretty fabric and still on the hunt for a softer yellow, preferably stripped, for the bed skirt)

these soft blue curtains but floor length

Q is for...

our sweet baby GIRL Quinn!!!!

...and this is how we told our families :)

(these are all 20 weeks)

performing well :)

scary looking skeleton fetus

her none scary side

our little Quinn is apparently quite the dancer! it took the sonographer a good amount of time and me moving from sided to back to side to get all the measurements that were needed. she just wanted to keep moving all around. we saw her little legs running on my bladder, playing peek-a-boo, and waving her tiny little hand at us!

my favorite part of the day is when brian says to me as he wants me to come over to him, "bring me my daughter." i about died! how cute is he to say that :)

oh man i'm still in shock! for a while now i've thought it was girl. at first i was like, i really think it might be a girl but then i just thought am i just thinking that because that's what i wanted. and i didn't want to be wrong about it so i kept an open mind. we already had our girl name picked out since our first pregnancy about a year ago but weren't too sure about our boy options. so the last few weeks i kept trying to find boy names that i felt like i could call my little boy but nothing really seem to fit. and now i know why :)

it's a....

boy or girl?? two more days and we will have an answer!! i can't believe i'm about half way through already! i feel like i've gotten so used to 'the baby in my belly' that it's so crazy to me that it really is a little baby boy or a little baby girl. and finding this out will make it so much more real that this little person is going to be a part of our family, in our little home... with it's own personality and needs. and i will be the mom of this little person! i will be the one responsible to teach and love our little person. i sure hope that i can do this! it's such a huge responsibility, but then i also remember it is the most important one you can have here on earth! what a blessing it is to be trusted with this sweet little child! i'm so glad our Heavenly Father knows us and what we need. i know this little person is coming to us to teach us so much, to show us more love than we can imagine. this adventure will not be the easiest but i know it will be the best and most rewarding thing we ever do!

19.5 weeks

18 weeks.

18 weeks today!!? what? where has the time gone! before we know it two weeks will have gone by and we will know what this little babe is! any guesses? i'm voting girl and brian is, of course, very sure it's a boy. so we'll see. i don't have any major intuitions about it being a girl i'm just hoping for it :)

we are feeling pretty good these days. as expected, i'm super tired but with cramps (almost like period cramps) and bad back aches if i do too much. so i've been trying to let myself rest more often. i've learned that a hard work out and then being on my feet the rest of the day usually is not a good idea. especially if i haven't eaten much! lately i don't really have an appetite but that is not a good thing when you HAVE to eat. i still have some sick days/times but i'm so glad it's lightened up the last couple of weeks. right now we are loving fresh cold cucumber slices, juicy melon, i guess anything fresh and cold containing lots of water sounds good, and mexican food. and of course those random cravings, like muddy buddies, which i make and then only eat a few bites of as the rest sits there days later getting stale.

18 weeks (i was on my way to the gym so not the best picture)

i always forget to stay in a cute outfit to get a belly picture because i live in pajamas once i get home.

our little adventure and a little baby bump

since our days off from work are opposite we don't have a lot of time do much together. so we took advantage of my wednesday off this week and stayed the night camping in big bear. i guess we are counting it as a our two year anniversary adventure too... since it's coming up on monday!

morning sun

making breakfast

driving to the trail

post hike baby bump [16 weeks]

....i had just drank a ton of water so it might be more my bump than baby's bump.

and i guess i should give a little pregnancy update:

sickness- up until about now i've had the worst nausea! only thrown up a total of i think four times but i wish it was more because at least there was a little relief afterwards. i was always to the point where i'd start walking to the toilet but then nothing would happen and i'd just keep feeling like i could puke at any second...all. night. long. in the beginning it was pretty much there all day but the worst once the evening hit. then eventually it got less in the day, which was great because i could make it through work, but then still horrible at night.

i always had to eat to keep it from getting worse so i just felt like i was always eating and never exercising because i was too sick. now it's still there in the evening/night but i don't feel like i'm dying.

food/cravings- it's hard to say i have certain cravings because i feel like had them before i was pregnant too. (doesn't everyone?) but i do notice a few things that are different. i looove really cold water! like lots of ice! it just tastes so good. i've always liked spicy/sour things but now i really want them. i think the sour candy helps settle my stomach a bit too. and luckily i don't get heartburn from them yet. only at night from drinking sooo much water. and water! i feel like i can never drink enough! i'll drink so much my belly hurts but still feel like i haven't had a single drop. and then of course i start having to pee every 10 minutes!

i was eating all the time because i was always hungry and needed to help the nausea but now i don't ever really feel like eating and i have a hard time deciding what sounds good. which is really annoying because i start feeling sick if i don't eat something.

one thing i hate is my total lack of motivation around the house. i usually love cleaning/organizing everything and i do a great job keeping up with all the chores on a regular basis. mostly because it feels so good to have a clean home and i don't mind making/keeping it that way. but now it doesn't even bother me anymore to let the dishes sit for four days when i used to do them right away, or let the bathroom go a few weeks instead of weekly. i think now that i'm not as sick it's getting better but man i have lots of things to catch up on! lets hope that nesting stage hits full force in the end so i make up for all the time i didn't care.

and of course there are all those symptoms of pregnancy that you forget actually happen until you are pregnant... constipation, extremely sore boobs, preggo brain (or forgetting everything), being able to smell eveeeerything! (i used to have to hold my breath when i would open the fridge or cabinets), breakouts, unable to get comfortable at night, being super grouchy, and there's probably lots more that i can't think of right now. at least some of these only last a little while but then there are lots more that will be coming my way...stretch marks, feel free to stay away.

too many ideas!!!

some of my favorite nurseries... i think i'm in trouble if i have a boy.

love the ikea spice racks on the wall that are used for books in this one!

definitely using that idea! ...but put a little higher so crawling baby doesn't eat the nice books.

also love the chevron rug!

love this teal color dresser...good thing this color is good for a boy too because it seems to be in every nursery design i'm drawn to!

love all these fabrics!

and this yellow crib which is sold in white is my very favorite!!

and seems to look so good in yellow in all three of these rooms!

i'm hungry and i have to pee...

...is the story of my life right now.

it might have taken us a couple of pregnancies to finally get a real one, but i'd say it's totally been worth it! i couldn't imagine not having the experience of miscarriages now because i've seen how much i've grown, how much we've grown as a husband and wife, and i wouldn't change it for anything! but most of all it has made me love this little bean sooo much more!

(even if i feel like poop most of the time)

i told my doctor as soon as we found out which was a day before four weeks.

(and in the target bathroom because i was too impatient!)

because of my history she put me on progesterone suppositories to keep my levels up and low-dose aspirin which basically is just a blood thinner. and then had me schedule a seven week ultrasound to verify the pregnancy. those three weeks from the time i peed on the stick to our first ultrasound felt like the longest three weeks of my life! i was so incredibly nervous and would go from being happy about the positive test to just wanting to cry and begging for the worst not to happen again. i just didn't know if i could go through it all over again...not just emotionally but physically.

in my head i really really thought it was going to happen again. i thought we would go in, have the staff say congratulations blah blah, then once the little ultrasound thing was shoved in me we'd find an empty sack, just another big black whole without a fetal pole, then sit in the lab forever, while i'm trying not to cry too hard, to wait for more blood tests to be taken.

i'd done it twice before so i knew what to expect and i thought it would be the same routine that day. but this time as soon as the little wand went in me the heartbeat was beating away and i could see our little one and it's soon to be placenta!!!

i couldn't believe it! i was in shock! i just cried.

here we are at seven weeks:

and lucky us!

i thought that first ultrasound was our real first one but really it was just to verify the pregnancy. so we got to see our babe looking a little more like a human again at 12 weeks!

this was the best! it's little arms and legs were moving all around! and you could actually see it's fingers and toes! (they don't really show on the pictures though)

so here we are at 12 weeks:

(i know they say 13 weeks on the picture but i think the nurse practitioner's measuring was a little off)

ahhh now all i can think about is how crazy it is i'm actually growing a tiny human inside me and that it's going to have to come out of me!!! i can do it, i can do it!

saturday adventure

we don't get too many of these due to brian working weekends but...

a couple saturdays ago brian crawls back in bed

real close to me around 5 in the morning.

i told him he was going to be late for work and he says

i'm not going i want to spend the whole day with you!

lets just say i was super excited :)

(what a nice husband)

we cuddled tight and slept some more,

enjoyed the hot day at mission trail,

and ended it with some slurpees.