23Dec 2013

{Pregnancy Tidbits} Weeks 38 and 39

by Nicole ⋅ 2 Comments

I can NOT believe today is Jellybean’s due date. December 23rd seemed SO far away back in April when I found out I was pregnant!! And yet here I am 40 weeks later with one fully “baked” belly. There have been a lot of ups and downs throughout the pregnancy yet it has been a journey and experience I wouldn’t change for the world.

We put up the Christmas tree a couple weekends ago and since then I’ve been trying to master taking a great picture of the tree. I also wanted to figure out how to do a silhouette of the belly in front of the tree. I’m pretty please with how the picture came out. It isn’t perfect, but I did shoot the photo in manual. The key was a low shutter speed and a pretty high ISO for any photo junkies (like me) out there. Anyways here JellyBelly and I are at 39 weeks …

Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 38 and 39

Cravings – Fruit … specifically clementines. I have been eating at least 2 a day. I don’t know why, but they really hit the spot!

Maternity Clothes – Oh yes!! In fact it’s pretty sad, but a couple of my maternity shirts don’t really fit anymore. The belly is just too big. The husband said the other morning that my belly has been getting “sneaky big” over the past few weeks. I think it just means Jellybean is fully grown (in utero that is) and ready to make her big debut. :)

Symptoms Tingling and numbness in my finger tips lasts all day now, which is a weird sensation. And there is of course the continued swelling in my hands/feet, congestion and trouble sleeping.

Movement Lots of it!

Missing Anything? Energy! There is so much I would love to do, however I’m just too tired to do most of it. I really miss having energy.

Highlights Scheduling an induction date. While I truly hope the baby comes without medical intervention it is nice to know we will meet our little one by a specific date. The end is in sight and the count down has begun!

Looking Forward To… meeting our baby girl!

Fears/Concerns… Not knowing I am in labor. I even went as far as to ask the the doctor if I would know I am in labor. His response was very nice and pretty hilarious. The doctor said “You would have to be drunk not to know.” While he did indicate it is very likely I will miss some of the first few contractions I was “assured” I would not be caught totally off guard.

Labor Signs NOPE :( I would love to feel a Braxton hick contraction or something indicating delivery day is getting closer.

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share? I would love to hear them!

18Dec 2013

Meal Planning for Jelly’s Arrival

by Nicole ⋅ Leave a Comment

I might be 9 months pregnant and extremely tired, however I can’t seem to turn off the planner in me. I’m pretty much “done” planning for the baby. There are a few things left to do at this point, but if they don’t get done before she arrives it will be okay. For example I still haven’t booked a newborn photographer, there are picture frames in the nursery that don’t have anything in them and I haven’t had my car cleaned {yet}. These are not big ticket items so I’m not worrying about them too much. I also haven’t washed any of the baby’s clothes, towels or sheets. Lucky for me, my mom is going to take care of the laundry once Jellybean arrives so for all intensive purposes I consider that “to do” done.

I have tried to prepare myself and the husband for the baby’s arrival. We have the hospital bag mostly packed, I’ve gotten a hair cut and have plans to get my nails done on Saturday (super important details … I swear!). One of the last things on my list is meal prepping. A lot of new parents laugh at how they are living off PB&Js and/or takeout. I’m certainly not one to turn my nose up at takeout, however it does get old pretty fast … not to mention expensive.

I have been brainstorming meals that freeze well for about a month. It was harder than I thought it would be to plan. My first problem is our freezer really isn’t too big and my second is/was finding the energy to precook these meals. I did my best to clean out the freezer on Sunday and then I got to cooking. I made some pretty good progress, but didn’t get through all the recipes I had planned.

Completed:

Turkey Chili (=6 servings)
Chicken Tortilla Soup (=4 servings – we ate one serving each for dinner the night I made the soup)
Pesto (x2 – we will need to cook the pasta and add tomatoes/chicken, but that’s easy enough)

Left to Cook/Freeze:

Meatballs
Lasagna

I am hoping to at least motivate to make the meatballs before JB makes her debut. But even if I can’t/don’t, it feels good to know we have a few home cooked meals in the freezer to fall back on when we don’t want takeout and we are too tired to cook.

Did you make any meals ahead of your baby’s arrival? Any recommendations on recipes that are good for freezing?

If you enjoyed this post, please add your tidbit by commenting below. Don’t forget you can follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

09Dec 2013

{Pregnancy Tidbits} Weeks 36 and 37

by Nicole ⋅ 11 Comments

I have really only been blogging about my pregnancy by month, but I figured since a lot could happen in these last 4-6 weeks I would blog about the 9th month in 1 or 2 week stints. It’s funny looking back at my belly photos. At 5, 6 and 7 months I thought wow that belly is big. Clearly I didn’t know what was in store for me … 37 weeks is even bigger! I kind of miss the cute little 5/6 month belly … I looked pregnant but not like I ate too much. It was my favorite pregnant belly size.

Check out Sophi in the lower left corner of the picture watching me photograph the belly. What a cutie! My little fur ball baby … love her!!

Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 36 and 37

Random Tidbits

Cravings – I’m not really craving anything at this point. I went from knowing exactly what I wanted for each meal to having nothing really sound good. It’s such a switch from the rest of the pregnancy.

Maternity Clothes – Obviously this is a yes =)

Symptoms Numbness in my hands as well as continued swelling in my hands/feet, congestion and trouble sleeping. The symptoms seem to be pilling on top of each other instead of replacing one another as they did before. While I won’t lie, I am uncomfortable at this point in the pregnancy, I do feel as as the baby is healthy/happy so I am okay with the aches and pains required to carry her. :)

Movement The baby moves quite a bit at this point. Her movements feel stronger by the day. You can literally see her moving in my stomach now. It’s fun, but also a bit distracting during meetings at work. A few of my colleagues have mentioned they can see her kicks across the table.

Missing Anything? Red wine. For the first time during my pregnancy I really missed being able to have a glass (or two) of wine. I blame the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Highlights Buying and hanging decorations in the nursery. The room is really coming together, which is very exciting. We also did a big shopping trip to Buy Buy Baby for “necessities” with my parents over the Thanksgiving holiday. I feel very prepared and ready (from a “stuff”) perspective for JB to arrive.

Looking Forward To… The next doctor’s appointment. I’m hoping to get some good news, such as I’m dilated or delivery should happen soon. Wishful thinking I know, but a girl can dream.

Fears/Concerns… The baby is going to be breach. At this point she’s sort of more sideways than anything else.

Labor Signs That would be a big fat NO. I haven’t had any contractions and according to the doctor the baby hasn’t dropped yet. In fact she’s still pretty far up in my rib cage at the moment.

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share? I would love to hear them!

02Dec 2013

{Pregnancy Tidbits} The 8th Month

by Nicole ⋅ 7 Comments

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! Mine was great. It was filled with family, lots of yummy food and a very cute Pomeranian. I’m a couple weeks late with this post, but the 8th month is over and I’m in the home stretch of pregnancy. It’s absolutely crazy to think there’s only one month left until we get to meet our little girl.

My friend Sara, from Photos from the Harty, took some maternity photos of me and the hubby, a few of which I plan to share in another post. This shot of the belly did include my face, but I cropped it out so it would be kind of consistent with the other belly photos I’ve taken. Here is the belly (ie present) at 35 weeks …

Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 32 to 35

Random Tidbits

Toes – My toes are no longer visible when I look down; thank you belly. I can, however, still touch my toes, which I am super proud of!

Cravings – Cinnamon buns/rolls … yummalicious! I am not even usually a cinnamon lover, but apparently Jelly is.

Symptoms

Swelling and Congestion – Continue!

Trouble Sleeping – I’m at the point where sleeping is difficult. I’m super tired, but getting comfortable is well, a challenge. It’s apparently nature’s way of getting me ready for motherhood. =)

Movement

Jellybean is on the move. It’s so much fun to feel her move and kick. Sometimes it’s like getting a massage from the inside and other times she just gives me a quick kick to the rib cage. I appreciate every movement … even the ones that hurt a little!

Maternity Clothes

Oh yes maternity clothes are a must. My belly is far too big for any of my “normal” clothes. Only a little while longer and I will need some “in between” clothes.

Missing Anything?

Sleeping! I know I will be getting up for feedings once Jellybean is here, but what I wouldn’t give right now for a just a couple solid and comfortable hours of good quality sleep.

Highlights

My Baby Shower – My friend, Rebecca, threw me the cutest baby shower at the beginning of November. It was so much fun to celebrate Jellybean’s impending arrival with so many of the amazing women in my life. Let me just say my friends have fabulous taste in fashion … my little girl already has a large wardrobe and an outfit for almost any occasion!! I would be remiss not to say a HUGE thank you to Rebecca for putting together and hosting such a perfect shower.

Looking Forward To…

D-day!! Both the husband and I are very much looking forward to Jellybean’s D-Day (delivery day).

Fears/Concerns

Going into Labor at Work – All the books say having your water break isn’t really like it’s portrayed in the movies. There is no huge puddle on the floor, however let’s be real … Who wants to have their water break at work?! Even if you take the whole water breaking experience off the table the idea of getting from work to my house or to the hospital while having contractions makes me anxious. Logically I know my chances of going into labor at work are probably pretty low I get a little very nervous just thinking about it!

Only one more month to go. I can’t believe we are going to meet our baby before the end of the year (hopefully!).

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share? I would love to hear them!

30Oct 2013

{Pregnancy Tidbits} The 7th Month

by Nicole ⋅ 1 Comment

This pregnancy seems to be just flying by, but feels so long all at the same time. Thank goodness for maternity/stretchy shirts and pants because my little one just keeps growing and growing. This picture was taken at the very end of the 7th month … HELLO jelly belly!

Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 28-31

Random Tidbits

Pants – I now sit down to put my pants on … ohhhhh so sad {blushing}. While I can successfully get dressed without sitting down it just feels “safer” and much easier to sit down. So my tush meets the bed or couch when the pants come on or off LOL. I feel like someone once told me – or I read it somewhere – that one of the most common household accidents is people hurting themselves while putting on their pants. Have you heard that or am I making it up?

Wedding Rings – Are now off *extreme sad face*. I absolutely LOVE my engagement ring and wedding band. Although I can still get the rings on/off, my fingers are just swollen enough to make the rings uncomfortable. The husband finally convinced me last weekend to stop wearing them. It makes me sad every time I look at my hand. I don’t know why I miss them so much, but I do. It just feels too early to have to take them off.

Cravings – I am over my coffee obsession. I crave something sweet after each meal … ummm yes that does include breakfast … though I do restrain myself, most of the time {evil cackle}. Even just a couple peanut butter M&Ms can curb the craving. Jelly and I just love sweets.

Daddy Approved Clothing – Jellybean now has a daddy “approved” outfit … the husband said monkeys were a must. Little did he know his mom would find a PINK monkey outfit. How cute is this outfit?!

Tidbits that Haven’t Changed

Gender – Jellybean is STILL a girl! Why “still” you might be asking? Since finding out the gender of our little one people have told us numerous stories of the ultrasound technician saying the baby was a girl and then on the day of the baby’s birth … BOOM it’s a boy! I’m pretty confident about Jellybean’s gender as we’ve been fortunate to have it confirmed by three different technicians at three separate appointments. So … JB is still a girl!

Due Date – December 23, 2013. Even if she’s late I’m praying for a 2013 baby and not 2014 :)

Symptoms

Swelling – My feet and fingers have entered sausage town … population 20!

Congestion – The stuffy nose and night time snoring continues.

Movement

Jellybean’s movements are getting stronger by the week. Sometimes the kicks are so strong it startles me. It shocks me (and the husband) how such a tiny little ~3 pound person can produce such a strong punch!

Maternity Clothes

Same as the 5th and 6th month – 90% maternity clothing with a sprinkle of my old clothes, sweat pants/shirts. The husband’s t-shirts are now tight around my belly so I’ve stopped wearing those. My husband is by no means a “big” guy so while it’s a little sad his shirts don’t fit around the belly anymore it isn’t shocking either.

Missing Anything?

Not worrying about what I consume. I’m fortunate not to have food allergies so having to inquire about what’s in food or worry about how it is prepared. Pregnancy has given me a whole new level of respect for people with food allergies. I’m looking forward to not having to worry about what types of food I’m eating.

Highlights

Making progress on the nursery – The room has been painted. Dresser, nightstand, rug, crib and glider were purchased (just waiting for all the pieces to be delivery). Now we just have to focus on wall decorations.

Looking Forward To…

Thanksgiving – My FAVORITE holiday is right around the corner and I can NOT wait. My parents and sister will be making the trip to DC since I can’t travel to Massachusetts. While this year won’t be exactly the same as what we are use to, it will be great to all be together for the holiday.

Fears/Concerns

Not being prepared – I feel utterly unprepared for our new life/reality. While the nursery is slowing coming together we don’t have diapers, a changing pad, onsies or any of those basic items. It was a conscious decision to hold off on purchasing this stuff, but I think the time has come to get some of the basics into the house.

Premature Labor – I am scared about going into labor early. The doctor asked me at my last appointment (31 weeks) if I had any contractions. I said no, but honestly I’ve never had a contraction … I’m assuming if I had a contraction I would know it, right? Just being asked the question made me realize how close to Jelly’s due date we are getting!

That pretty much rounds up my 7th month of pregnancy. Just 8 “short” weeks (plus or minus) until we get to meet our little one. I’m so excited!!

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share? I would love to hear them!

If you enjoyed this post, please add your tidbit by commenting below. Don’t forget you can follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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Tag Archives: 3rd Trimester

{Pregnancy Tidbits} Weeks 38 and 39

Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 38 and 39

Meal Planning for Jelly’s Arrival

{Pregnancy Tidbits} Weeks 36 and 37

{Pregnancy Tidbits} The 8th Month

Pregnancy Tidbits from Weeks 32 to 35

Random Tidbits

Symptoms

Movement

Maternity Clothes

Missing Anything?

Highlights

Looking Forward To…

Fears/Concerns

{Pregnancy Tidbits} The 7th Month

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