Baby Bump @ 33 Weeks!

Well, as you can see in the background, Vivienne's room is finally starting to come together. Her bed is made, her tissue poms are hung, and I've been working really hard to go through all of the goodies from our baby shower. I separated out all her newborn clothes and have folded and waiting in one of her drawers, but they actually still need to be washed. I should probably get on that. I have the rest of her clothes separated out by size into labeled boxes. I did the same with Logan and found it to be really convenient and cut down on the clutter. I mean, do I really need her 6-9 month stuff hanging in the closet already? Nah.

So anyway, I'm starting to feel pretty prepared for her arrival. I think I've picked out her coming home outfit and I started packing our bag. I've been having some anxiety lately just thinking about the c-section and recovery. I almost think it was easier the 1st time around, not knowing what to expect. Instead, I suspect I'll spend the next 6 weeks remembering how much pain I'm going to be in afterwards, plus this time I'll also have a 3 yr old to take care of when we get home. On the positive side, you can't imagine what a comfort it is to know that I'm not going to be doing it all alone this time. Kyle is going to take off work for the 1st week - I told him he might as well take the whole week since he'll be using 3 days while we're in the hospital. What's another 2 days, right? And I'm EXTRA lucky because my Mom is going to take vacation the next week and come down to spend the days with me, so I'll have 2 weeks of help while I get back on my feet. Then I'm on my own.  Eeek!!!

Soooo...yeah....let's get to the baby stats before I freak myself out. I'm going to skip the survey this week because nothing much has changed in the last 7 days.  Maybe switch to bi-weekly...

How your baby's growing:

You are one hot mama -- literally. A 20 percent metabolic rate increase throughout pregnancy can leave you begging for a cool breeze no matter what the weather is like. Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and her brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, she'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, she's started to keep her eyes open when she's awake. This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (about the size of a pineapple or canteloupe) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Vivienne Jane in 3d!!!

Our 3d ultrasound was last night. I wish I could say it was an amazing experience and Vivienne was cooperative and we got beautiful pictures....but I'd be lying. My little booger planted her pretty little head face down in my placenta and decided to take a nap, giving us a really nice view of her spine and the back of her head. We spent about 20 minutes flopping side to side on the table, standing, sitting, flopping some more...just trying to get her to move. I finally resorted to poking and we got her to wake up and roll over for us. Awesome! Until she pulled both her legs up in front of her face to play with her toes. I poked at one of her little feet until she put it down and we were able to get these shots. It was amazing to see her, don't get me wrong, but I guess my expectations were a little high. I mean, for what we spent, I had hoped for more pictures. Anyway, now I'm even more anxious to finally see her face to face. These next 7 weeks are just going to DRAG by, I'm sure of it!

Vivienne was pouting because we were poking her to try to wake her up.

She looks EXACTLY like my husband in this picture.

Snuggled up against my placenta with her little foot up by her head (on the left).

Pretty in Pink and Oh-So-Sweet Baby Shower

I'm going to share my pics from the shower, but just be warned, there are probably a ton more to come. I mostly just took pics of the food and decorations, so I'll have to go through my sister's pictures to see if she got any good people shots. So let's just focus on the food and crafts for now, shall we?

The candy buffet! Mmmmm! I printed out those cute little labels and tied them on with pink and red ribbons and also added ribbons to the ends of the tongs just to make them a little cuter.

Strawberry filled cupcakes AND strawberry pies.

Baby carriage watermelon (made by an amazing family friend) and super fancy fruit tray. I think I ate about 6 slices of that pineapple!

This is the "food" table....obviously we were more focused on the sweets.

Dessert table with cupcakes, pies, candy buffet, and a chocolate fountain. The bunting hanging on the wall was super easy to make.  I just cut scrapbook paper into triangles, folded over the top to make a pocket  and then taped it closed over the ribbon. The whole project took about 2 hours.

Gift table + drink station. The strawberry lemonade was a HUGE hit! I suspect I'll be making that again at home a lot this summer.

One last close up of the candy buffet because I'm so pleased with how it turned out. We had wax soda bottles, salt water taffy, spice jelly beans, rock candy, candy buttons, caramels, and swirly lollipops.

Our centerpieces were really simple but cute. I taped lengths of red and pink ribbons around these vases then sprinkled metallic glitter and gumdrops on the tables.

Admiring the fruits of my labor.

PS. Overhead lighting is REALLY unflattering.  :(

Baby Bump @ 32 Weeks

Taken at my shower on Saturday

How your baby's growing:

Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge. She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for her body to fit in your increasingly cramped womb and will make her eventual exit (only a few months away now!) much easier. (If she's still head-up, don't panic -- there's still time for a flip before birth.) By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

How far along? 32 Weeks!

Weight gain?  I'm not sure really. I still haven't bought a new battery for my scale at home.

Maternity clothes?  The purple top from this week's picture isn't maternity, but the pants definitely are!

Sleep?  What's that?

Best moment this week?  Definitely my baby shower! It turned out even better than I had imagined and I was blown away by the generosity of our friends and family. Pics and details to come later this week.

Movement?  Today she's focusing all her punches on my cervix and bladder. Kyle says it's "payback for getting it on yesterday." I love my husband.  :)  The little princess, however, is on my naughty list today.

Food cravings?  Pineapple. I think I must have eaten at least an entire pineapple by myself this weekend between my shower and the 2 parties with Kyle's family yesterday.

Food adversions?  Nothing new to report here.

Labor signs?  Freaking Braxton-Hicks.

Belly button in or out?  Deeeefinitely out.

What I miss?  Feminine grooming that doesn't require acrobatics and a series of well-placed mirrors.

What I am looking forward to?  Our 3d ultrasound tomorrow is definitely the highlight, but I'm also waiting for a few baby-related packages to come in the mail so I'm excited about that too!

Emotions? Can tired count as an emotion? Because that pretty much sums it all up.

Milestones:  Ok, no real baby milestones this week, but I have a good Logan one. He has now added the word "freaking" to his vocabulary. I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed. Better than words he could have learned from me, I guess. For now, we think it's kind of funny/cute.

Spiderman...Spiderman...passes out and smudges his face paint!

My mom and I took Logan to the local fairgrounds last weekend for "Kids Fest". We've been going to this event since I was in middle school - partly because the fairgrounds are 2 mins from my mom's house and partly because my oldest friend's mom is the organizer. In high school we always got rangled into volunteering to help out. Exactly what a bunch of teenagers want to do: spend a Saturday afternoon in June standing out in the heat and keeping an eye on a bunch of little brats! Lol. Now that I have my own little brat to chase around, Kids Fest is a lot more enjoyable. It's grown every year and this year they had probably 25 different inflatable slides, moon bounces, and tunnels, plus tons of arts and crafts which Logan had no interest in whatsoever, and live entertainment. We all had a great time in spite of the heat and my swollen feet and ankles. We stayed about 3 hours - though it felt like we were there all day - and Logan passed out in the car less than 5 minutes after we dropped my mom off. Here are our pics from the day...

His 1st time even SEEING a horse in person and he hopped right up there like an old pro. Made his mommy and grandmas VERY proud - we're horse people.

Logan and Grandma spinning.

I ended up having to hold his head still from behind so she could finish. He HATES having his face messed with. When we put sunscreen on him, it takes two of us, and you'd think we were torturing him.

Spiderman w/ a very crooked/wiggly face web.

On our way to the bathroom, we got picked up by a fire truck.

I think we learned our lesson about facepaint. He had it on for about 20 mins before he passed out and it ended up like this. Then as soon as we got home, he tried to rub his sleepy eyes and ended up with gray/pink smudges all over. SUCH a mess!

Swallowing a Squirrel

Last night I dreamt that I swallowed a squirrel. Seriously. You see, when I lay on my side - like a good little pregnant lady - my crazy little munchkin thinks it's trampoline time! She's still laying transverse (sideways) in there, so when I'm on my right side, she's feet/butt down and head up. So she jumps. As hard and fast as she can. She must have been really getting into it last night because her antics infiltrated my dreams. I dreamt that I swallowed a pregnant squirrel to live in there with her so that it's baby could keep her company, but then the squirrel didn't like it in there and was bouncing back and forth as fast as it could trying to find a way out. Eventually I gave in and threw up the squirrel because I was afraid it was going to end up hurting her. It was some seriously crazy shit. When I told my boss this morning, she asked if I did a lot of drugs before I got pregnant. Lol!

Baby Shower Confession

I'm a control freak. There. I said it. This extends to pretty much every aspect of my life. I can't help that I like to be the one in charge...the head honcho...the decision-maker. The people in my life have just learned to accept it and get out of my way.

Anyway, it probably goes without saying that my baby shower is no exception. I came up with the theme, designed the invitations, and have been involved in pretty much every step of the planning process. Like I said, I can't help myself. I freaking LOVE to throw a party! So, really, why should everyone else get to have all the fun? The planning is almost more exciting for me than the event itself, though - don't get me wrong - I like presents too.  :)  My mom - the official "Hostess" - booked the location, sent out my invitations, and  handed over the reigns. So, since my shower is on Saturday and I'm nearly out of projects, I thought I'd share a few of the fun details with you!

My Inspiration Board

We'll have vanilla cupcakes with fresh strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting that will hopefully look just like the picture. There will also be a yummy candy buffet, a chocolate fountain, strawberry lemonade, sweet tea, and assorted fruits and veggies to munch on! The only major changes from the Inspiration Board are that we won't be wrapping the utensils and napkins in candy bracelets...because I didn't buy any. It also looks as though our dumdum topiary was dismantled (eaten) by my sister's kids. Otherwise, we've stayed pretty true to my vision.

My sister has taken on the task of organizing the games and the rest of the decor. A few close friends volunteered to pick up the plates/cups/tablecloths/etc and help us set up the day of. Mom's handling the rsvp's though her reports back to me are usually something like "Aunt Somebody called and said they couldn't make it." Awesome, mom...."Aunt Somebody"? Lol. It's really been a group effort and I kind of like it that way so that there isn't a whole bunch of pressure on any one or two people. That's the reason I turned down my MIL's offer of a bridal shower and why I have never let my friends throw me birthday parties when they've asked. I feel guilt over letting people do that much for me. I'd rather do my share and help out as much as I can. (Aaaaaaand it's possible that I might also like to make sure things are done to my liking...)

Now, I know that Miss Manners would say that it's totally inappropriate for me to be even the least bit involved in the planning of the Shower, but honestly....Miss Manners can suck it.

Baby Bump @ 31 Weeks!

Is it just me, or does it look bigger when it's covered up?

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

How far along?  31 Weeks!

Weight gain?  18 lbs and holding steady.

Maternity clothes?   I just bought the cutest "swing skirt" from Old Navy. (That's it in my picture up there.) It's not maternity but the waistband is really stretchy and comfy. I just bought it in an extra large and it sits nicely around my hips without cutting into my love handles.

Sleep?  I think it's time to reinstate my lunch hour nap. I can barely make it through the day as it is and now my delicious coffee beverages taste gross to me. Ugh.

Best moment this week? Taking Logan to a Kids Fest at the state fairgrounds over the weekend and seeing old friends.

Movement?  She actually grabbed my finger...or tried to...on Thursday night. I was walking around Macy's poking a big lump right above my belly button when I felt her grab at me. It was the first time I could really tell what you were doing. I almost cried right there in the Cosmetics Dept.

Food cravings? Rita's Italian Ice - preferably strawberry and mango. Pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries....fresh fruit in general. I'm rarely hungry for real food lately, I just want fruit and drinks.

Food adversions?  Coffee/lattes have now joined the yuck list.

Labor signs? Just the occasional ouchy Braxton-Hicks contraction.

Belly button in or out? I can definitely see it poking through my shirt today.

What I miss? Taking a deep breath. Buying things in a size that isn't preceeded by an X.

What I am looking forward to?  My work shower on Thursday and my big shower on Saturday! Yay! Also, our 3d ultrasound on the 22nd!

Emotions? Still grouchy.

Milestones?  Nothing major that I can think of...

Canon in D

This is why I walked down the aisle to "Sea of Love"...

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

My Ex-Boyfriend's Wedding

Here are a few pics from my ex-boyfriend's wedding a few weeks ago. It was really beautiful but I didn't take very many pictures. I can't believe I haven't posted these yet!

Me, my boobs, and my hunny.

The bride and groom being freaking adorable as always.

My girl Ashley and I snatched the bride for a quick pic.

She stole the fairy/butterfly wings from one of her flower girls and wore them the rest of the night.

First dance.

Cute picture except that my dress is so busy and flowy, you really can't see the bump.

One last photo op with my mister before we called it a night.

Baby Bump @ 30 Weeks!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. As baby's skin smoothes out, her brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. She's also adding some brawn -- her grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

How far along?  30 Weeks! Because of our scheduled c-section, that gives us only 9 weeks to go (unless she decides to come early, which I've told her is perfectly fine with me as long as she gives me at least another 6 weeks).

How big is baby?  Petite. She's measuring about a week behind, but our doctor has decided not to change our due date. She just might be a little small and that's ok with us. I've been trying to stock up on newborn size jammies for her, but it's weird for me to buy newborn sizes. Logan started out in 0-3mos clothing so at first I avoided buying newborn for V until I realized that she'll actually be newborn size unlike her Monster-sized brother!

Weight gain?  18 lbs! I've gained about 6 during each of the last two months and then a total of 6 during the months before then. I've really been slacking on my exercise and watching what I eat the last month though, so I'm hoping to break the 6lb cycle this month so I can keep my grand total under 25.

Maternity clothes?  I can still wear a few non-maternity tops though most of them are getting too short now. My yoga pants still fit perfectly and are definitely my go-to outfit when I get home at night. Non-maternity maxi dresses are still my favorite but now the knee-length dresses are starting to get too short. I think it's about time to retire them until after the baby comes.

Sleep?  I'm so bitter about my current lack of sleep. I have over and hour long drive to work each morning and it's becoming increasingly harder to do without stopping for coffee. I was trying to be good about my caffeine intake, but I figure a little caffeine is better than a car accident. And don't tell me to go to bed earlier, because it doesn't matter when I go to bed, I still toss and turn all night.

Best moment this week?   Kyle's birthday last night. He loved all the presents from our babies!

Movement?   According to our ultrasound, V is lying transverse (meaning long-ways across my stomach rather than head down like she should be). This gives her the ability to stick her butt way up into my lungs while simultaneously punching me in the cervix or bladder. It's a nice feeling, I can assure you. Other times, she flips over and sticks her butt way down into my pelvis and it feels like she's going to pop right out. That might actually be an even more unpleasant feeling because the pressure is intense!

Food cravings? Fresh strawberries tops this list for sure! I stopped last Friday on my way home from work and bought 4 pints (quarts? whatever the hell size container they come in) with every intention of eating them straight out of the carton until they were all gone. Unfortunately these weren't as sweet at the last batch we bought so I still have 2 containers left.

Food adversions?  Beef....it's definitely NOT what's for dinner in our house lately!

Labor signs?  I feel cheated. My Braxton-Hicks contractions hurt! I had a few last night and they were so intense that I felt like I might either throw up or pass out because my head started spinning. I guess V is just making up for the fact that I didn't have any of these with Logan.

Belly button in or out?  It's out, but sunken. Does that make sense? My belly button itself has basically turned inside out, but the whole area around it is kind of sunken in so it doesn't really show through my tops. I think it's just the way V is laying right now. Maybe if/when she turns, it will all pop out more.

What I miss?  How about "What will I NOT miss once I get this baby out of me?" I won't miss tossing and turning all night. I won't miss vericose veins on my girly parts that hurt when I stand or sit on the toilet. I won't miss feeling like I injured my groin muscles. I won't miss constant back pain. And I certainly won't miss not being able to find a comfortable position to do anything in. I sit at a desk all day and it hurts. I think I change position at least once every 5 minutes but no matter what I do, I can't get comfortable. It ssssssuuuuuucks!

What I am looking forward to?  Getting the old couch out of V's room so I can get the furniture arranged and start hanging things on the walls. Re-finishing her 2nd dresser. Scheduling our 3d/4d ultrasound. And, of course, meeting her in a few weeks!

Emotions?  Grouchy and short-tempered. I've always been a little hot-headed, but my temper has been flaring up over less and less lately. My poor boys. Fortunately for Logan, Daddy steps in whenever Mommy loses it and sends me to time out.

Weekly wisdom/quotes?  You may get enormous vericose veins in and/or around your vagina. You probably won't be able to see that particular part of your anatomy at this point without the aid of a mirror, but you will be able to feel them and they will hurt. I honestly don't have any clue what you're supposed to do about them, but a bag of frozen peas between the legs seems to help take the edge off for me most of the time.

Milestones?  No real "milestones" this week. I passed my 1hr glucose test and our ultrasound results came back perfect, so it was all good news but nothing really exceptional.

Happy Birthday/Father's Day to my husband!

Today is my Kyle's 31st birthday! I took him out on a little mini date last night to one of our favorite restaurants then we went home and snuggled on the couch. Not exactly an exciting evening, but we're about to become the parents of two. You can't expect too much from us.

For his birthday, I ordered him a bunch of shooting targets and whatnot so he could play with his new handgun, but unfortunately they won't be coming in for a few weeks. Poo. Since he can't be without presents on his birthday and the ones I ordered should arrive just in time for Father's Day, I figured I'd pull a little switcheroo and give him his Father's Day gifts tonight.

Each of the kids picked out a few gifts for Daddy (meaning, I went shopping on my lunch break and bought presents that I'm going to put their names on). From Vivienne, he's getting a dirty diaper trash bag dispenser for his car and a sappy book to read to her about daddies and daughters. Then I decided to finally get Daddy the Nerf swords that he's been trying to talk Logan into wanting for months. (Logan always picks out something else and poor Daddy leaves swordless every time.) They will be strictly outdoors toys though because these suckers are about 3' long and our house is definitely not big enough for Nerf sword combat.

On Father's Day, Kyle will be getting his awesome birthday presents which consist of a shooting target stand, some small clay disk targets (that he most likely won't be able to hit because he's a pretty terrible shot...but don't tell him I said that), and a pack of zombie paper targets. I think he'll be most excited about bustin' a cap in some corpses! I can't wait to see his face when he opens them! I'm sure he'd never guess that I'd buy him something like that, which will make it even more fun for me.

If it seems like I'm shopping for a teenager rather than a 31 yr old man, well what can I say, my husband likes his toys. I guess part of the fun of being a parent is getting to buy your kids all the stuff you wish they had when you were young (and then getting to play with all those cool new toys). Hopefully he'll enjoy all his birthday and Father's Day gifts, because he's an AMAZING husband and father and he absolutely deserves all of this and more!

Never trust a big butt and a smile...

I've been a really crappy blogger and I'm sorry! I promise I'm going to try to be better and post more than just my weekly belly shot from now on! To make it up to you, here is a video of my Monster shakin his groove thang. These aren't his best moves...not by a long shot...stupid Wonder Pets was distracting him. I'll try to get a better video another time, but for now, enjoy!