Enough to make your uterus cry...

This was me and Baby Jackson on Sunday (and his mom Karen, of course).

This is me and Jackson (and a very excited Logan) on Monday night!

In just 11 short weeks, he'll be holding OUR baby!

Logan was so excited to see the new baby that he peed (I kid you not) 3 times during the 15 minutes that we were there!

Jackson David Thomas

Born on 5/24/10 @ 8:48AM

7lbs 11oz

Big Sister Allison, Karen, Baby Jackson, and David

Baby Bump @ 27 & 28 Weeks!

27 Weeks

28 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

 How Far Along?  28 weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss? 12 lbs

Maternity Clothes?   I'm seriously LIVING in dresses. I haven't felt this girly in a LOOOONG time. I've had such a hard time finding bermuda shorts and capris that look good and fit comfortably, so dresses have become my warm weather staple. It sucks to have to shave my legs so often, but on the bright side, I can throw on a dress and a pair of flip-flops and people think I'm dressed up.

Sleep?  I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Best Moment of the Week?  My ex-boyfriend's wedding! Pics to come!

Movement?   Constant.

Food Cravings?   Tacos/Enchiladas from La Tonalteca, Green Giant White Shoepeg Corn in a Butter Sauce, and strawberries

Food aversions?   Still steak and shrimp

Gender? GI Jane

Belly Button:  I can't stop touching it.

What I miss: having a functional air conditioning unit in my office. I am SWEATING!

What I'm looking forward to:  Our ultrasound this afternoon!

Milestones?  I received my first stranger belly touch last week. And, more importantly, we have entered the 3rd trimester! Won't be long now!

Contracting.

It's been an interesting weekend ladies... It actually started out pretty great and somehow we managed to enjoy ourselves AND fit a lot on without the time flying by. When we went to bed Saturday night I couldn't believe that we still had another day left of weekend. Sunday, however, things changed. It went well enough to start: I made breakfast, we did a little shopping, then we went out to my inlaws' house to shoot (or in our case: miss) some targets with my husband's new handgun. Once we left there I started having stomach cramps. We stopped at the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner and I ended up having to go out and sit in the car because they were getting pretty painful. Like, contraction painful. Kyle took me home and put me to bed where I spent the next day and a half completely incapable of getting myself into a comfortable position and feeling like a total bum for just laying around. It was nice to sleep in and play hookie from work yesterday, but I really prefer to do that when I'm feeling perfectly fine and can actually DO something. It sucked. And, no, I didn't call my doctor. I know every pregnancy is different, but I've been in labor before, and even though these cramps hurt, I knew they weren't the real thing. I didn't see the need to have my doctor send me to the ER just to be told to do what I was already doing (and have to pay a $135 copay). Dont worry, I was going to call if things got worse or kept up for much longer, but fortunately it all worked itself out. Kyle's co-worker told him yesterday that he remembered reading somewhere that loud noises can cause pre-term labor, so I've been forbidden from using the gun again until after V makes her appearance. I doubt it's likely that I nearly scared her out of me, but whatever. Kyle pretty much never puts his foot down, so if he feels that stronly about it, I won't argue. So here's the quick recap: I was having contractions, I laid around for a day and a half and drank water like it was my job, the contractions stopped, and I'm not allowed to shoot any more guns. All is well. V is active as always and I'm feeling just fine. So anyway, I've been working on my weekly bump post, but since I laid around and looked like ass all weekend, I don't have a picture for it yet. I'll post as soon as I get that taken care of.

How was your weekend? Better than mine, I hope!

Bummer.

I'm going to be honest, the last few days have been a bit of a disappointment. First, when I went back to Marshall's to buy my precious bag, it was gone. Gone! I could have cried. I decided to check out TJ Maxx yesterday because they usually have the same stock, but no luck. Instead, I picked up a different bag from the same collection, but I just don't have the same love for it. It's cute but it's not "the one". After some searching, I found my beautiful striped bag on JSimp's website for $65, so I'm thinking about listing this bag on Ebay to see if I can't offload it and order the one I really want. Here's what I ended up with:

I know it's a really small picture, so you might not be able to tell that it has little white and blue anchors all over it. It's adorable, don't get me wrong, but I had my heart set on the stripes. Wish me luck selling it!

Last night my pretty Ebay dress arrived. It's beautiful in person...but small. So very small. I've bought a lot of maternity clothing lately from all different brands and designers and I wear a consistent medium. In fact, a lot of maternity mediums have been a little big - for now - so I thought I was safe. Unfortunately, this dress is so tight around the hips that I'm nervous to wear it to the wedding for fear of ripping it wide open out on the dance floor. It looks ok when I adjust it and stand perfectly still but as soon as I move it bunches up right above my butt and looks terrible from behind. I hate to say it, but it looks like I'm going to have to create 2 ebay listings today.

And finally, I found out this week that several of my closest friends are going to be unable to make it to my baby shower in June. I'm still excited about the shower and feel blessed to have so many people who want to help me celebrate our little princess, but it kinda sucks that only a few of my friends will be there. Pretty much all of the attendees will be my mom or MIL's friends and Kyle's family members. I know everyone is busy this time of year and I certainly don't hold it against them that they have prior commitments, it's just disappointing. I thought about changing the date, but it's kind of late now and I'm sure that would just create a different group of people who would be unable to make it, so it really wouldn't fix anything. I know it's really a silly little thing and I'm honestly not letting it get me upset, it's just the combination of all these tiny disappointments over the last few days that have me in a bit of a funk today. Oh, and it's raining. Seriously?!? It is NOT supposed to rain on Fridays. Blah.

Baby Swag

Even though I really don't need one, I've been on the search for a cute diaper bag. Granted, I have probably 4 diaper bags sitting in a closet somewhere, but I still want a new one. We'll just call it a girl thing. Besides, while I loved my old bag, it's a heavy wintery fabric and color and I want something summery this time around. Fortunately, while we were out shopping over the weekend, I spotted this Jessica Simpson weekender tote that I think will be PERFECT!

I found it at Marshall's for $28 but was back and forth on buying it, so I passed. I was afraid it might be too big, but with 2 kids, I don't think there is such a thing. I ran a quick ebay search and found that people are selling this same bag for $80 and up, so now I'm even more determined to make this beauty mine! I figure I can pull a changing pad out of one of my rejected diaper bags and then this one will be perfect. I'm heading back to Marshall's this evening to pick it up! Cross your fingers for me that it's still there!

Also tonight, a friend of mine is picking up a Bumbo seat for me that she found at a local kid's consignment shop. It's exactly the color I wanted and even comes with the tray! In the stores, the seat plus tray runs around $50. My friend says she thinks they are asking around $20 at the consignment shop and that the seat looks brand new. I can't wait to get my hands on it! I just love seeing how everything is coming together!

We realized yesterday that we're now only 3 months or less from meeting our daughter! It sounds like a decent amount of time until I think about how quickly the last 6 months have gone. We still have quite a bit left to do, but as we check little projects off our list, I'm feeling less overwhelmed all the time. I just can't wait to see her precious face and hold her in my arms!

Pictures from Google Images

Inspired...

That's it. I am sooooo signing myself up for some dance lessons!

Baby Bump @ 26 Weeks!

My face looks wonky buy I LOVE my new dress!

Thanks babe!

How your baby's growing:

Baby's now the size of an eggplant! She's soaking up your antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes. The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.

How Far Along?  26 weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss?  12 lbs total - still doing great! Doc says I'm "carrying beautifully". He always knows just the right things to say!

Maternity Clothes?  Kyle bought me some tops and a dress for Mother's Day. The dress is from Old Navy and is not maternity but is cut well for it. Besides, I can never resist a nautical stripe. The tops are pretty cute too (and were picked up for practically nothing at Ross) but since I only have one pair of capris and no skirts, I'm not going to be able to wear them much quite yet.

Sleep?  I don't even want to talk about it. There is no such thing as a sound sleep anymore.

Best Moment of the Week?  Most of the people who work in my building just noticed last week that I'm pregnant. I thought it was pretty obvious as of a few weeks ago, but apparently not. Their jaws hit the floor when I told them how far along I am and they all said that I look amazing. That made me feel REALLY good! THEN.....I won a gorgeous Hale Bob maternity dress on Ebay last night for just $32 that I plan on wearing to a wedding in two weeks and probably again to my baby shower.

Adorable, right?

Movement?  She went straight Chuck Norris on the doppler today when our Doc tried to get her heart rate. He just laughed. It took about 10 minutes to get a good reading. He said he felt bad for me.

Food Cravings?  A cocktail. Lol. I bought myself some sparkling grape juice last night and that helped take the edge of my champagne craving a little, but not entirely. Also, I'm back to craving Mexican. I picked up some AMAZING tacos for lunch on Friday, made enchiladas on Saturday, ate leftover enchiladas for dinner last night, and have one left for lunch today. Surprisingly, I still want more!

Food aversions? Still just steak and shrimp from what I can tell.

Gender? Pink! Pink! Pink!

Belly Button: No change from last week. It's still only sticking out at the top.

What I miss: Mimosas. Sex dreams about Bruce Willis.

What I'm looking forward to: Wearing my new dress to my ex's wedding in 2 weeks (it's not weird, we're really good friends and his bride-to-be sang at my wedding)!

Milestones?  My feet were so sore after just a few hours of errands Saturday morning that by Sunday they were still throbbing and I could hardly bear to stand or walk around. Ok, not much of a milestone really except that it tells me we're getting closer to the end.

...because there had never been anyone like you...

In preparation for Vivienne's arrival, I've been sorting through all Logan's baby stuff and deciding what should stay and what should go. Last night I went through all the books on his shelf to pick out some special ones for V. There were a few that I bought while pregnant with Logan that I was never able to get more than halfway through without bursting into tears. In fact, that became my way of picking books for him. If something made me burst into tears right in the middle of the store, it came home with me. At the time, I thought the sobbing was just a hormonal thing, unfortunately I still can't get through those books without getting teary. My husband thinks I'm silly and even Logan giggles at me now when I try to read to him. I thought I'd share with you some of my very favorite books in case some of you could use a good cry as well.

"I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always.

As long as I'm living,

My baby you'll be."

"Because there had never been anyone like you...ever in the world."

"When we found out you were growing inside me, we were so happy! Even the angels were celebrating for us!
 

And because I'm now sitting at my desk with tears running down my face - and it's really hard to answer the phone when you're trying to hold back sobs - here's one of our very favorite silly books...

"I love you, my wonderful child."

All of these books can be found at your local bookstores, Target, Walmart, etc...or on Amazon, and would make a great gift for any mothers or moms-to-be in your life.

Rub the belly for luck!

As I mentioned yesterday, I was the VERY LUCKY winner of a $100 Beso gift certificate from Mandee of Raising My 4 Sons. I chose to spend my free moolah at Target since I'm in desperate need of some summery maternity dresses and I figured I could pick up a few cute outfits for V if I had any extra left over. Here's what I got for myself:

And for our little Miss V:

We are going to be some stylin ladies this summer! So a big THANK YOU to Mandee! If you don't already read Raising My 4 Sons, you should stop by. She has great giveaways pretty much every single day and her boys are freaking adorable! BTW, she's currently expecting bambino #5, and though they don't know the gender, I'm thinking pink for her too! Seriously, I think she could use a little break from the testosterone!

You might think I'm done bragging about the goodies I won, but you'd be wrong. I also won a gorgeous set of tissue paper poms from Prost to the Host courtesy of Shari @ Spearmint Baby (who is in labor at this very moment, so say a little prayer for her)! When I won, we were still a few weeks away from our gender determination ultrasound, so Shari and Alysia (Prost to the Host) kindly waited to hear our big news then helped me pick colors to match our crib bedding. I'm expecting them to arrive sometime next week, and I'm DYING to see them and get them hung over the crib! So a huge THANK YOU to Shari and Alysia for being so patient and helping to make Vivienne's room even more gorgeous!

Baby Bump @ 25 Weeks

It's still just a tiny bump.

How your baby's growing
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing
Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

Via

How Far Along?  25 weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss?  I don't weigh myself at home so until the next appointment, I'm sticking with 5 lbs!

Maternity Clothes?  I was fortunate enough to win a $100 gift card to Target from one of my favorite blogs (an entire post about that coming tomorrow), so I picked up a few more maternity dresses. They're so much easier to throw on in the morning (not to mention cooler when it's hot out) so I suspect I'll be living in dresses all summer.

Sleep?  Sporadic. I can't get comfortable so I toss and turn all night. I think I need more pillows...and a bigger bed. My dreams these days are full of Vivienne....holding her, nursing her, looking into her big brown eyes. She's all I think about anymore, apparently even when I'm sleeping. I can even remember, vividly, exactly what her little face looked like. It's the same every night. For the record, she's beautiful, of course.

Best Moment of the Week?  Logan telling me I look "so beautiful" over the weekend and discovering "Just Dance" for the Wii. A Mother's Day gift idea perhaps?

Movement? She's finally taking regular naps. Usually there is a short nap mid-morning, another lengthier one after lunch, and then an evening nap before dinner.

Food Cravings? Nothing really obvious. Maybe fresh fruit. I'm just hungry. Really hungry.

Food aversions? Steak.

Gender?  Girly girl!

Belly Button?  Out, but in a really strange way. Really, only the top part sticks out. I'll have to take a picture if I think of it.

What I miss:  Sleep. Doing things without getting winded. Not requiring 5 meals (or more) a day.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting her.

Milestones? The end of our 2nd Trimester is drawing near! Yay!!!