38 week bump update

As I'm starting to update my blog I stumbled upon my last pre-baby post! I had it all written, I'm not sure why I never published it? It was in fact my last post before Carter Jane arrived (gosh, I miss being pregnant!).... 

Maybe this will be my last post before baby? eek! Currently as I'm writing this it is the start of my 39th week... I'll recap on my weeks from 31-38 since I've been such a slacker with bump updates I'll add it all into one! At my last ultrasound which was at 36 weeks Carter's weight was approximately 6 lbs 15 oz - just about 7 lbs! If I go full term with her [which that looks to be the case] her estimated weight will be 8-8.5 lbs! The bigger the baby, the easier to dress, right?! 

How far along? 38 weeks  

Gender? It's a GIRL! My sweet baby Carter Jane 

Nicknames? CJ, baby Jane. Janey. 

Total weight gain/loss? As of my 38 week appointment on Thursday, I've gained a total of 36 pounds. yikes! 

Maternity clothes?  After 30 weeks hit I pretty much told myself I wasn't buying any more maternity clothing.  My favorite go - to basics throughout this pregnancy have been the couple of pairs of black maternity leggings from Target and basic black tanks with the ruching on the sides.  The clothing that I purchased from LOFT Maternity has been the best! Mixing those pieces with some non - maternity that I had from before I lost weight for my wedding worked perfectly [another reason it's great to be a clothing hoarder].  The dresses I'm wearing in my top two photos are both LOFT Maternity, here's photos of two others that have been favorites: 

Sleep? OH gosh. Some nights I am very comfortable, others I feel like a straight up insomniac! I can tell that I'm not sleeping so light anymore because I am able to deal with my husband's snoring a lot better! I think this cartoon picture I saw on Pinterest pretty much sums it up! 

Best moment this week [these past few weeks]?

• Carter's kicks and jabs - I know I'm going to miss them and having her little movements all to myself! 
• Feeling baby hiccups
• Surprise baby shower at work - how cute!

• My husband reading bedtime stories to CJ and cracking me up with his funny voices
• All of the love and help my family has shared with getting our house baby - ready!

Symptoms? My energy has officially gone downhill, which I'm so not used to.  That paired with the horrible sciatic pain that I have been having in my left leg has led me to be much slower with getting things accomplished and walking! Any time we go somewhere my husband cracks up at my snail pace. Also, I've been having wacky hormone rages, especially towards our two kitties that love to be anywhere and everywhere that is baby related.  They think it's their cat palace! I've given up on trying to discipline and hope that when Carter arrives the kitties will get the point. 

Food cravings? 

• Coffee. I still have limited myself to one cup a day - but I am counting down the days until I can indulge and have more.  
• Shrimp.  I was dying for grilled shrimp on a big salad one night for dinner.  My husband put together some sort of delicious marinade and I am officially obsessed. I love grilling season!
• Roast beef paninis from Pasqualina's, the Italian market / deli local to us.  Something about the combination of roast beef, provolone and hot peppers that is to die for! I only ever eat half and only on occasion but it is so good! 
• Everything sweet and chocolate that you could imagine! Cookies, cakes, donuts etc... 

Food aversions? Nothing like in the beginning of my pregnancy.  

Labor signs?  I've had many braxton hicks contractions, but none that are the real deal yet! 

Belly button in or out? still mostly in. 

What I miss? My energy and being able to move around quickly.  

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting our little girl.  With one week away the feeling is so surreal i'm anxious, excited and nervous! 

Nursery? The nursery is 98% complete! The rocking chair that I ordered will be delivered by Monday or Tuesday and I need to finish ironing the panels that came for the windows - I will share photos when both of those things are in place! 

Mood? Energetic - today! We'll see about tomorrow... 

23 week baby bump

Soooo I missed weeks 21 and 22. OOPS! Time is flying and I've been busy with some projects I've been working on the side.  Since I've been MIA here are my past two weeks in pictures: 

 

{attended a baby shower, birthday celebrations, new items for our home, date night with the hubs, I put together some fresh florals for my Valentine's, and some shopping trips to Home Goods, Babies R Us and Target]

As of today I am 24 weeks + 2 days.  Here I am last week with a 23 week photo: 

                      {I really need to stop taking these photos at the end of the day - tired.eyes.}


How far along? 23 weeks  

Gender? Definitely a GIRL! My sweet baby Carter Jane 

Nicknames? CJ, baby Jane. Is it weird I already have nicknames for her and she's not even here yet?! 

Total weight gain/loss? 11 pounds since my last doctors appointment 4 weeks ago.  I have another today.  I think today will be a game changer in the weight department.  I feel huge!

Maternity clothes?  Yesterday I purchased two tops from Target while I was looking for a new lamp for our house.  I definitely like the more body conscious tops/ tanks with ruching at the sides.  I picked the two tops up without trying them on - 1 ruched and 1 baby doll style. Woah, the baby doll style does not work for me, makes me feel bigger than I am.  They have some super cute knit dresses out too, I wish it wasn't 1 degree outside so I could start wearing them with slip on sneaks or dare I say it, sandals!

Sleep? I haven't been waking up AS early as I was sharing with you all during my last blog post around 20 weeks.  So that's good.  Since I'm up multiple times a night having to go to the restroom, sometimes it's pretty difficult for me to fall back asleep.  I think they call this "training for when baby comes".  

Best moment this week? She's kicking! Well, not enough that I can share with my husband yet... Her kicks are VERY sporadic and sometimes I find myself staring at my stomach wanting her to kick again.  I hear from non-first time moms that will change soon.  

Symptoms? Emotional - I cried hysterically to the trailer of "The Theory of Everything".  Just to the trailer.  Take a look: ahhh. 

other symptoms: Mood swing-ish {sorry to my husband}, tired in the afternoons around 3-4pm it usually hits me.  

Food cravings? 

• Starbucks black tea/ lemonade unsweetened.  Very specific and very good! It's the most refreshing drink ever.  I wake up some mornings daydreaming about getting one.  
• Seafood.  I know I can't have a lot of it, but I've been indulging now and again.  My husband made one of our favorite guilty - pleasure meals on Valentine's Day... Peppered Shrimp Alfredo.  Delish! {Find the recipe HERE}
• Salads.  I guess that's not a bad thing! 

Food aversions? I've been getting better with eating chicken.  Nothing else in particular the past week or so, but sometimes that can change daily.  

Labor signs? x

Belly button in or out?In.

What I miss? Drinking multiple cups of coffee a day.  Decaf just isn't the same.  

What I'm looking forward to? Seeing CJ in an ultrasound on Thursday! Also my Mom and husband will be going with me so it will be fun to watch their reactions.  

Nursery? Well, we have the crib - yay! My husband, Darren put it together the day after it came as per my request nagging.  The nursery collection is growing.  I purchased a few things from Home Goods to pair up with some things I already own {two cute new mercury lamps with grey drum shades, three grey stitched baskets for storage}. They were typical Home Goods steals! I could literally spend an entire week's pay in that store.  I have to practice self control.  

Mood? Antsy! A friend of mine asked me yesterday if I was nervous / excited for Carter to come. Although we are no where near ready as far as having everything we need for her yet, I'm want her to get here already! I can't imagine how I'll be feeling at 30 some weeks.  Ha! 

I'll leave you with the CUTEST photo of my niece Brooke "organizing" her cousin Carter's clothing in the nursery.  break.my.heart. 

20 week baby bump

Hello! So... I've had a very busy week and am just getting to my 20 week baby bump update. {As of today I am 21 weeks + 1 day.} I couldn't not snap a picture, this is major! HALFWAY. wow. Time is really starting to tick now.  

   

{please excuse the tired eyes, this photo was taken after a day of work, and after being up since 4:30am!}

How far along? 20 weeks 

Gender? Definitely a GIRL! My sweet baby Carter Jane.

Total weight gain/loss? 10 lbs from the start of pregnancy.  

Maternity clothes?  I still haven't gone full blown maternity yet.  My favorite type of outfit consists of: my Ingrid & Isabel maternity leggings, a black cami, flowy cardigan and a scarf! {oh, kind of like my 20 week picture I shared with you!}  I did just purchase this cute top from LOFT today in size xl which will be good as my stomach keeps getting larger! I think this week i'll go ahead and order some maternity boyfriend jeans I've been eyeing up.  

Sleep? Still overall pretty great - especially since my doctor let me know I didn't have to sleep directly on my left side like I thought and that I do have the option to sleep on my right side if it feels more comfortable.  I'm typically up by 5:30/6am, this morning was 5:30am! HUNGRY. gotta love it!

Best moment this week? I'm an ultrasound - a - holic.  I love seeing my little girl on the monitor.  On Thursday of this past week I had my level two, 20 week ultrasound.  My mother-in-law and bestie came along to "meet" baby Carter and it was such an amazing experience to share with them.  Nothing is better than hearing that baby is doing well and everything is growing appropriately.  Carter is currently 13oz, just under one pound! little cutie. We saw the four chambers of her heart, looked at her brain and all of her little limbs were measured.  


Symptoms? Hungry very early in the morning, sometimes I'll also catch myself out of breath.  

Food cravings? this week I had a few interesting ones: 

• a hot dog, french fry, birch beer combo from our favorite pit stop on our way to our family cabin...aka no where local! 
• klondike bars
• creamed corn casserole {my husband has made a version of this before in the crockpot and I can't get it out of my mind}
• chocolate orange cookies {I think they call them "pillows"} from Tabora Farm - which I stopped to get this week and they were SOLD. OUT. break my heart! 

Food aversions? Chicken.  I used to love chicken, now I barely eat it at all throughout my pregnancy unless it's camouflaged in a recipe and not in huge pieces.  Strange. 

Labor signs? x

Belly button in or out?In.

What I miss? Nothing this week, I've been too busy to miss anything! 

What I'm looking forward to? More sunlight in the day.  It seems like its starting to not get dark so early, or maybe that's just my imagination? 

Nursery? My husband and I ordered Carter's crib two days ago and it should be arriving this week.  I plan to order her curtains this week or maybe next.  I found these super cute ones:

I've been shopping around and they are a steal at $26.99 per panel! We have three windows in Carter's room and I think to start I am going to order three panels and see how that looks.  I don't want overkill with ruffled curtains and I think one panel will be enough for each window.  We plan on also getting black out shades for each window so that will take care of keeping sunlight out at certain times of the day.  I also want to get to the antique store in town on one of my days off to peek around and see if I find anything cute for Carter's walls.  I've already started a small collection of items, I will share with you soon! 

Want to see my other nursery inspiration? Follow my Carter Jane's Nursery Pinterest board! 

Mood? Motivated!

19 week baby bump

19 weeks! WOW! In less than a week I will be hitting the halfway point of my pregnancy.  I remember when I booked my first doctors appointment and how slow the days went by until that appointment. Now, time is FLYING! I officially have "baby brain" and thoughts of my daughter consume my days and nights! 

How far along? week 19, day 4

Gender? GIRL! My sweet baby Carter Jane.

Total weight gain/loss? I haven't weighed myself since last week, where I was up 8 lbs since the start of pregnancy. I have two doctors appointments next week, so I'll wait to hear where they say I'm at.  No need to rush any info about weight gain.  

Maternity clothes?  I haven't purchased any this week, I am in need of some new pants! I did, however pick up this super cute dress from LOFT today.  I got a size large to cover the baby bump, it's a little big in the arms, but it is so cute and easy to wear!

{image via LOFT.com}

Sleep? Sleeping great! Usually fast asleep by 8:30, if I have the day off usually I'll stay up a little later the night before.  We have dinner plans with friends this Friday at 8:30pm, wish.me.luck.

Best moment this week? Conversations with my husband about baby Carter.  He cracks me up! He referred to a pack and play as a "snatch and pack".  And he shared his concerns about his daily routine with Carter when I'm not around... "How will I go to the bathroom with her? Do I set her down? Where?" ... "If we go somewhere what do I dress her in? How do I know what she wants when she is crying?" so. cute.  It will definitely be a learning experience for the both of us! 

Symptoms? I've been feeling great this week! {knock on wood}

Food cravings? Still veggies, veggies and more veggies!  Tonight I made myself eat some chicken to get some meat in my system.  Salads, black bean burgers, and chipotle black bean hard shell tacos have been my go - to! 

Food aversions? Nothing major this week.   

Labor signs? x

Belly button in or out?In.

What I miss? A glass of wine when I'm out to dinner.. but that's the only time I miss it.  

What I'm looking forward to? Spring! Move over winter.  

Nursery? We have two guest rooms in our home, I've decided Carter's bedroom will be in the front room of our upstairs which I'm excited because it gets great natural light and is larger than the "middle" bedroom that I originally thought would be hers.  My goal this week is to start organizing and flipping our closets.  Since we live in an older home with small and limited closet space my clothing is currently in the guest bedroom that is now going to be hers.  

Mood? Energized!

18 week baby bump

Before 16 weeks hit I didn't really take many belly photos because well, there wasn't really much to see!  It was that confusing "did she eat too many cookies?" phase that is now definitely over. Below are photos from weeks 16, 17, 18.  

I'll be more consistent with photos from here on out, I promise! {Plus, I'd like my husband to start getting familiar with our new camera before baby CJ gets here}

How far along? 18 weeks

Gender? GIRL! My sweet baby Carter Jane. Here is her latest photo, she's waving Hello!

Total weight gain/loss? +8 total (from start of pregnancy)

Maternity clothes? I've purchased some maternity leggings, a few tops.  LOFT has so many great long flow-y tunics right now that are a perfect fit.  Many more maternity clothes will need to be bought in the next few weeks i'm sure! Especially pants!

Sleep? I am having the CRAZIEST dreams I have ever had! 

Best moment this week? Feeling more flutters and tiny movement.  I also broke down and bought just a few pieces of clothing for Carter.  I was having the "itch" so I picked up some goodies at Target.  I couldn't say no to some of the clearance bibs and swaddle blankets! Yikes, with how much I love prints, i'm not sure if this little lady will ever own anything solid. lol! 

Symptoms? My nausea came back! For two days straight everything I ate came right back up.  It was 10 times worse than in the beginning of my pregnancy.  After two days I felt amazing again, energy was back up. 

Food cravings? sweets. still! My gosh, I need to calm down with that. Also veggies: salads and veggie sandwiches.  

Food aversions? Some days chicken and any type of meat.  

Labor signs? x

Belly button in or out?In.

What I miss? Not having food aversions. lol!

What I'm looking forward to? Darren being able to feel the baby kick! 

Nursery? I've picked out some of Carter's bedding, I'm excited to share that in another post ... stay tuned for my nursery inspiration board!

Mood? Excited!