Pregnancy: Week 20! BOY OH BOY!

I am OVERJOYED to announce that we will be expecting a precious little BOY coming in December! We are over the moon excited for our little man to arrive and I couldn’t be happier. Here is the story for how we found out!

Our ultrasound was scheduled for Friday, July 17 at 7:00 a.m. All week leading up to the appointment I was so excited and anxious. I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing our little peanut on the screen and finding out if we were going to have a son or a daughter. The night before I could barely sleep because I was so excited. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. wide awake with excitement.

A co-worker of mine told me to drink something with some sugar in it to wake up the baby for the ultrasound. I chugged a huge glass of orange juice and we headed to the hospital for my appointment. In the waiting room I was just giddy and couldn’t stop talking to Jordan. It was 6:45 at this time so Jordan was still waking up… ha!

When we got in the room and the ultrasound technician set everything up I was just overwhelmed. This was such a surreal and amazing experience. She put the wand on my belly and there is was… OUR CHILD! I just couldn’t help but tear up. It was so beautiful. She started moving it around and almost instantly I saw our baby’s legs and… I knew right away that it was definitely a BOY!! We are having a son! Both Jordan and I were in shock. We absolutely thought we were having a girl so this was a huge surprise.

The rest of the ultrasound was just perfect and my co-worker was definitely right… the orange juice did the trick. He was a wild man! He wouldn’t stop moving for the ultrasound tech and she could barely get pictures of him because he was so active. It was a blast. I loved seeing all of this little body parts and especially loved seeing his face. I could already tell he was a handsome little man.

Jordan was all smiles as we watched him move around. It was such a special moment for me to see my husband so excited to be seeing our son for the first time. GAH! I just loved it.

After our appointment I just couldn’t help but cry out of complete joy. Unfortunately Jordan had to rush off to work afterwards but we were able to celebrate later that evening and next morning. I had so much fun calling our parents and close friends and telling them the news.  It was such an incredible day. 

Love this precious little face and hands! I just can't wait to his cheeks! 

How far along: 20 weeks!

Baby Size: Wait for it… our little BOY is about 10-12 oz. and the size of a banana! (6.5 inches).

Weight gain: Haven’t checked recently but I bet I have gained some pounds the last couple of weeks! ;) 

Maternity clothes: Yes! I have had a few people give me some of their old maternity clothes which is really wonderful and I plan to buy some more this weekend maybe?! 

Stretch marks: Nope! And I got some cream to start rubbing on the belly!

Sleep: Starting to get a few pains in the night when I turn over but nothing too bad.

Best moment this week: Finding out TODAY that we are having a BOY!!!! So wonderful to see our son on the ultrasound this morning. I definitely cried.

Looking forward to: Nursery planning for our little man! 

What I miss: Nothing!

Movement: Feeling some jabs now! LOVE it!

Food cravings: Anything! I am finally not sick anymore and so I am eating everything up with great enthusiasm.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just the thought of hot coffee. 

Gender: BOY BOY BOY BOY!!!

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Some aches and pains in my stomach and back.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Excitement!!!

Nursery: Looking like crazy on Pinterest for ideas.

 
Workouts: Night walks with my sweet husband. 

A few of my co-workers I work with on Friday threw me a blue celebration when I got to work that day for lunch! It was so sweet and very very special! 

Pregnancy: Weeks 16-19

Well, I am back again to share the details of weeks 16-19 of my pregnancy. Last week I posted my 12-15 bumpdates which you can see here. Time is continuing to go crazy fast and I feel like I will blink and we will have our baby. 

How far along: 16 weeks!

Baby Size:  Baby is 3.5 ounces and the size of an avocado. (4.6 inches).

Weight gain: Still no weight gain and lost a little more due to puking. Boo!

Maternity clothes: Got some maternity jeans and they are wonderful! I will probably live in these for the next 6 months!

Stretch marks: No sign of these yet. I really need to get some belly butter to help prevent.

Sleep: Still sleeping like a rock! 

Best moment this week: My appointment today! Heartbeat was 159 (LOVE!)

Looking forward to: Celebrating Father’s Day with my Dad and Father-in-law. Love them!

What I miss: Probably this week I miss being able to exercise as much.

Movement: Still nothing. But I am ready and waiting for it to happen.

Food cravings: Unfortunately carbs, carbs, carbs!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still getting pretty queasy with different smells and my normal foods of eggs, fruit (besides watermelon), and coffee.

Gender: Will find out in ONE MONTH!

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: Getting a bigger belly! Makes the nausea not seem so bad.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Excited to be 4 months pregnant! 

Nursery: Looking at some ideas on Pinterest and getting closer to deciding on colors.

 
Workouts: (feeling sheepish) not much right now…


Didn't get a picture this week. oops!

How far along: 17 weeks!

Baby Size: My babe is as 5.9 ounces and as big as an onion! (5.1 inches).

Weight gain: I think I have gained some weight back this week. Been feeling a little better. Crossing fingers that it ends soon!

Maternity clothes: Loving maxi dresses and my maternity pants. Sooo comfy!

Stretch marks: No sign of these yet...still haven’t ordered the cream.

Sleep: I love my sleep. 

Best moment this week: Having my sister come up for a couple of days to hang out and seeing my parents!

Looking forward to: Making a trip to IKEA with my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws tomorrow! Getting a dresser for the baby room! SO excited!

What I miss: Not missing much lately.  

Movement: Still nothing but I am wondering if I just haven’t noticed them yet…

Food cravings: Macaroni and Cheese! Hilarious because I haven’t had the box kind in a long time but it is all that sounds good right now. Pregnancy is so funny!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes, but not as sick. Just trying to stay away from certain triggers.

Gender: Oh my goodness it is getting so close. Three weeks!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: Still nauseous but I am used to it now.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Happy, happy, happy!

Nursery: Getting a dresser this weekend! Will post pictures later!

 
Workouts: Walking a couple times a week and trying to still lift those weights.

How far along: 18 weeks!

Baby Size: Little one is 6.7 ounces an as big as a sweet potato! (5.6 inches).

Weight gain: I think I am actually gaining my weight back! Woohoo!

Maternity clothes: I have bought a couple of dresses that aren’t maternity but are stretchy and I love them! 

Stretch marks: Still nothing… 

Sleep: Sleeping on my side more and if I turn really quickly I sometimes get a sharp pain in my belly. Heard that it is normal though.. 

Best moment this week: BABY FLUTTERS! I felt them yesterday and it was A-MAZING!

Looking forward to: Spending the weekend with my family for the Fourth of July and relaxing. 

What I miss: Nothing really.

Movement: Yes! Those tiny cute little baby flutters.

Food cravings: Still loving my mac-n-cheese and now crazing chex mix! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Certain smells and foods. 

Gender: Two weeks, two weeks! 

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: Still having some nausea but getting better. Tightness in my belly as it is getting bigger. And I have started getting the lovely heartburn… awesome.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: SOO excited. 

Nursery: I got a TON of stuff at IKEA last weekend and I am so excited to start getting the room put together.

 
Workouts: Walking

How far along: 19 weeks!

Baby Size: Little dear is 8.5 ounces and as big as a mango! (6 inches).

Weight gain: I have gained three pounds! I never thought I would be excited to have gained weight but I am!

Maternity clothes: I am going to have to buy some more maternity shirts pretty soon. Won’t be able to get away with not having any for very much longer. Oh well… Shopping!

Stretch marks: Not that I have seen. 

Sleep: Sleeping great but I feel like I can’t get enough. Love those naps on the weekends!

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat today! That sound will never get old to me I swear.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender NEXT WEEK!! I am over the moon excited.

What I miss: Nothing!

Movement: Love those tiny flutters.

Food cravings: My macaroni and crackers.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not as much this week but still fruit and eggs.

Gender: ONE WEEK!

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Still a little nauseous and heartburn

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: JOY!

Nursery: Making progress this weekend!

 
Workouts: Night walks with my hubs. 

Pregnancy so far...

Hey there!

I know I have once again abandoned you bloggers for an extended period of time but life has just been so busy lately. I just feel like the summer flew by and now fall is upon us. Hooray! 

Along with that, pregnancy has been a whirlwind. It was incredibly rough in the beginning because of being sick alllll theee timmmeee and then after I was over the morning sickness (HA! more like 24/7 sickness) I just wanted to start enjoying the pregnancy more. Now it just seems like time is racing on and I cannot even believe that I am almost in the third trimester of this pregnancy! CA-RAZY! 

I would say over all this pregnancy has been such a joy to me and I really feel like my relationship with my husband and my relationship with Jesus has really grown through this time. I have had to rely on my husband for much more than I am used to, especially in the beginning and I have had to really put my trust in Jesus during the times of struggle and exhaustion. 

Well here I am now 26 weeks along and ready to share with you all about my pregnancy with my precious bundle. I will be posting my bumpdates in the next couple of week from the first two trimesters. 

How far along: 12 weeks!

Baby Size: According to my What to Expect app, the babe is a full half-ounce and is the size of a large plum. And we found out at last week's appointment that the babe has a healthy heartbeat of 170 bpm!

Weight gain: At my appointment last week they said I hadn’t gained any weight yet. That will probably not be the case at my appointment in two weeks. However, I have been throwing up a LOT so who knows…

Maternity clothes: Since my pants no longer button, I have been wearing a lot of comfy dresses and skirts and I was able to find several pairs of maternity pants and shorts as well as a belly band at a garage sale a few weeks ago. Score!

Stretch marks: No sign of these yet, but something tells me I should be as proactive as possible so I plan on purchasing some Belly Butter.

Sleep: I have been sleeping really well ever since I borrowed my friends Bump Nest pillow. I am usually completely exhausted by the time I go to bed so I sleep like a rock at night. Thankful for that right now!

Best moment this week: Probably reaching the 12 week mark. I feel so much more at ease now that I have made it to this milestone.

Looking forward to: The graduation party for my brother-in-law. A lot of my husband’s family will be in town and it will be a lot of fun to have so much family time.

What I miss: Coffee! Since probably week 11 coffee has been one of the things that has really triggered the nausea so I am really missing my decaf iced coffees.

Movement: Not for awhile.

Food cravings: Rootbeer and orange juice. Also, basically any food that will stay down.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Almost everything at this point but the main triggers are coffee, eggs (ick!) and fruit (which is really sad).

Gender: Yes, we plan to find out as soon as possible! I think we both think that we are having a girl. But we will be ecstatic either way!

Labor Signs: Will start answering this in about 28 weeks...

Symptoms: Lots and lots and lots of nausea and fatigue. Crossing my fingers this goes away soon.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Very tired and sometimes discouraged because of all the puking but mostly EXCITED about the little life that is growing inside of me!

Nursery: We will start on nursery progress probably after we find out the gender. However I am going to make my first big nursery purchase in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

 
Workouts: Unfortunately, I have really been only able to walk a few times a week since I am mostly sick all of the time. Hoping to start with some home workout videos soon though!

How far along: 13 weeks!

Baby Size: The little babe is a close to an ounce and is the size of a peach (3 inches long).

Weight gain: We will find out next week at my appointment.

Maternity clothes: Definitely wearing the belly band and maternity pants more often now.

Stretch marks: No sign of these yet. Crossing fingers!

Sleep: Still sleeping really well but I have been having lots and lots of crazy dreams.

Best moment this week: Having a couple of days this weekend where I wasn’t puking up everything I ate! It’s the little things in life right?!

Looking forward to: A relaxing weekend with very few plans and lots of sunshine!

What I miss: Still missing coffee and also strawberries. Both of these things make my tummy worse. 

Movement: Nothing yet.

Food cravings: Ice cream and rootbeer.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still most everything makes me queasy but the triggers are still coffee, eggs (ick!) and fruit.

Gender: Little over a month until we find out! So excited!

Labor Signs: Not for a while I hope!

Symptoms: Still having the nausea and fatigue.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Getting more and more excited the farther along I get!

Nursery: Dreaming up big plans for it right now.

 
Workouts: Still just walking every night at this point.

How far along: 14 weeks!

Baby Size: The little pumpkin is as 1.5 ounces and as big as a lemon! (3.4 inches).

Weight gain: I actually have lost around 8 pounds because of how sick I have been but that will hopefully change soon! (crossing fingers!) 

Maternity clothes: Loving the hair tie trick and belly band.

Stretch marks: No sign of these yet. Crossing fingers!

Sleep: Still sleeping really well and have definitely been loving the bump nest pillow I have!

Best moment this week: 

Looking forward to: Getting outside this weekend and working in the garden.

What I miss: Still missing coffee and most fruit.

Movement: Nothing yet. Still a little early I suppose.

Food cravings: Craving random foods like orange juice, French fries and carbs!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still most everything makes me queasy but the triggers are still coffee, eggs (ick!) and fruit.

Gender: we will find out in 6 weeks! EEK!

Labor Signs: Not for a while I hope!

Symptoms: Still having the nausea and fatigue.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Happy to be having a few good days where I feel pretty well.

Nursery: Lots and lots of ideas but nothing yet.

 
Workouts: Lifting some weights and trying to walk as much as possible. 

How far along: 15 weeks!

Baby Size: The little squirt is 2.5 ounces and as big as an orange! (4 inches)

Weight gain: Still haven’t gained any weight back due to the sickness. But hoping it will continue to get better!

Maternity clothes: still loving my belly band!

Stretch marks: No sign of these yet. Crossing fingers!

Sleep: LOVING my bump nest pillow!  Seriously, if you are pregnant and don’t have one of these, you should get one!!

Best moment this week:  Made the babe announcement on Facebook! Wooo! Big step if you ask me!

Looking forward to: My 16 week appointment! AHH! Loving hearing my sweet little one’s heartbeat!

What I miss: What else is new? Still missing fruit and my energy!

Movement: Nothing yet. Hoping for some movements soon though.

Food cravings: Watermelon and ice cream.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Same stuff makes me queasy but the triggers are still coffee, eggs (ick!) and fruit.

Gender: 5 more weeks! Woot!

Labor Signs: No way!

Symptoms: Still having the nausea and fatigue.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Excited!

Nursery: Lots and lots of ideas but nothing yet.

 
Workouts: Lifting some weights and trying to walk as much as possible. 

 Well there you have it. Those are the first four bumpdates that I did. I will be posting more soon! Thanks for following along! 

Back in the groove // BIG SURPRISE!

It is no secret I have been absent for the last 6 months. I have really had to step away from the blog for a while but I am so glad to be back. It has been a whirlwind of job changes, holidays, busy schedules and... a big surprise! 

We are SO excited to announce that... JORDAN AND I ARE EXPECTING IN DECEMBER! We are overjoyed to become parents and I feel so blessed to be carrying this precious gift. 

This will not turn in to a mommy blog but there will be weekly bump updates as well as other posts regarding baby. Also, the next couple of weeks there will be more baby posts than usual since I have a lot to catch you up on! 

Stay tuned for an update on how we found out about our little pumpkin.. 

I am really looking forward to joining you all again in this blogging world! 

I'm back!/Five on Friday

Hi Ya’ll

I know, I know… I haven’t written in a while. Life has just seemed to be SO crazy lately. I haven’t had the time to sit down and actually type anything in the last several months. I have a LOT to update you with but for today I am just going to jump back in to one of my favorite posts… FIVE ON FRIDAY. Here we go!

-ONE-

Last Saturday we went and got our Christmas tree! I have never had a real tree before so I was PUMPED! It was so fun to go pick out the tree and then take it home and decorate it! I love Christmas. 

 Seriously... that face. Up to no good. 

-TWO-

Tonight I am having a Christmas craft night with some girlfriends! I can’t wait to drink hot chocolate and make some pretty decorations. These are some of our inspirations! EEK!

-THREE-

Tomorrow we taking our pictures for our Christmas card! I can’t wait. They aren’t going to be anything fancy or anything but I am still just so excited! I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Here is a little peek into some of my inspiration for our pictures.

-FOUR-

Tomorrow night we have a beautiful winter wedding to go to. A college roommate of mine is getting married and I am SO excited to help her celebrate her wedding. It is going to be so beautiful. She is going to have a hot chocolate bar! How cute is that?! I love winter weddings.

-FIVE-

This week I had the college small group I lead over for a Christmas party! It was so great hanging out with them, playing games, eating yummy food and laughing… a lot!

Don’t worry folks! I won’t disappear again! Have a beautiful weekend! 

The Song

Hey all!
I want to tell you about an amazing movie that just came out! If you haven’t seen the movie, The Song, yet you absolutely NEED to!!

I was given the opportunity to participate in THE SONG Blog Tour, of which I am delighted to be a part, along with many other inspiring bloggers. I was able to view the film before it even came out in theaters. I am SO glad I signed up for this because this movie was AWESOME!

I love movies that have purpose. Movies that make you think about your own life and how you are living it. This movie definitely did that for me. This movie had the perfect amount of sweet romance that made you just let out a heavy sigh with every sweet comment and moment. But it also had a lot of rawness and reality to it. I like that they didn't hold much back and that they made it as real as possible. It touches substance abuse and adultery as well as heartbreak and bitterness. It made me think a lot about my own marriage. Jordan and I have been so busy lately that we haven’t had a lot of quality time together just the two of us. This movie helped me to realize that we need to slow down and focus on each other. It also made me think a lot about how we try to fill so many voids with other things instead of turning to God. Whenever I start to make something in my life more important than Jesus that is when I will start to feel discouraged and empty. In that moment I can either turn to God to fill me and make me whole or I can turn to something else to fill that spot. God is the only one that can satisfy. Everything else is meaningless.

This movie is a great flick for couples and for a girl’s night. I definitely think I am going to try and do see it in theaters with my husband for a date night. I promise that you will NOT be disappointed by this movie and it is SO worth seeing. Grab your honey or your girlfriends and get to the theater nearest you! 

Here is the trailer for the movie in case you haven’t seen it yet!

Enjoy!

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday Y’all!!

I don’t know about you but I am SO pumped for the weekend! I have a pretty relaxing schedule this weekend and I couldn’t be happier about it!

-ONE-

Who else is pumped to have Christina and the girls start Five on Friday up again? I sure am!

-TWO-

One of my best friends is EXPECTING!! I cannot even tell you how excited I am that she is going to have a little one! I think about it all the time and whenever I see any baby items I just want to buy all of it for her sweet little babe. I just wish we didn’t live two hours apart! Keshia when you find out what you are having just know I am going to go crazy and buy your little one all sorts fun stuff! Maybe items like these cute little outfits. These little clothes make me want to squeal because of how adorable they are.

-THREE-

I have had had several coffee dates this week and that really fills me up. There is just something about sitting down with someone, drinking your favorite hot beverage and sharing your heart with them. It makes my heart really happy.

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-FOUR-

I have been really trying to hold back the fall desserts so far (trying not to gain 50 pounds…) but I am going to definitely give in this weekend. I found a few recipes on Pinterest that just look too good to be true! Don’t these just make your tummy grumble and your mouth water?! Just me? K, cool.

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-FIVE-

Can we just take a moment to appreciate this… I know I am obsessed with my cat but seriously, isn’t this adorable? These two fight most of the time but then they have their moments where they cuddle with each other and it melts my heart.

Have a great weekend!!