Harper 3 months

Where has the time gone! Our once sleepy, yellow (jaundice) baby who never made a peep is now a chubby, loud, little girl who knows exactly what she wants. She started smiling last month but has really stepped up her game in the happiness department, we've even gotten a few giggles. If daddy is around? Total infatuation. 

Prepare for the baby spam. This month we celebrated her 1st Thanksgiving which was quickly turned upside down when she woke up with a fever & cold. We spent the holiday at my parents with my in-laws and grandma. Poor Justin was scheduled to work at 4 so our family time was cut short. The rest of the day consisted of 5 minute naps & temper tantrums because someone was overtired. She finally took a short nap on her Gee-Ma as my grandma and I housed a pumpkin pie. Black friday is typically its own holiday for me. With a sick baby I opted out which ended up being a good plan since I woke up friday morning sick as a dog. The holiday weekend did however get a little better when Harper gave us the shock of a lifetime and slept from 9pm-8am on friday. Just what this sick momma needed to feel slightly less dead.

Our smart cookie also learned how to hold her bottle this month. She can't do it completely by herself but she's almost there. Not bad for a 3 month old who was born 1 month early. She's also mastered tummy time. However, she will throw a royal fit unless theres a hockey game on to entertain her in said position. The older she gets the more content she is to hang out and look around. From 3 weeks to 2 and a half months she wasn't happy unless she was entertained 24/7. We thought we were totally screwed. She still has her moments but we continue to see the light at the end of the tunnel when she's happy to just hang with us. After Justin was finished working on friday we had another family first and purchased our 1st car as married couple! His current car is a bit too nascar and not quite enough dad. He's maintaining his manliness in a new Subaru XV Crosstrek. After looking for awhile we decided it was the one. Unlike his current car it's great in the snow and has plenty of room to toss a carseat in the back. We love outdoor sports like mountain biking and snowboarding so it is the perfect car to throw our stuff in and go have an adventure. All of our paperwork and bargaining took over 3 hours and little miss priss was perfectly happy to just chill. 

I'll probably say it every month, but month 3 has been my favorite so far. She's still tiny enough that she wants to cuddle with us but is old enough and developed enough to interact with us and her surroundings. Every morning I wake to her "crying" on the monitor and go in to a huge smile because she knows her fake yelling worked. With every nap is seems as though she's grown another month older and wiser. I feel like I finally understand the phrase "let them be little". Because even when the days are long I know we'll look back and wonder where the years have gone.

oh darling don't you ever grow up, just stay this little.

Why we chose to exclusively pump

Since Harper was born I've gotten asked "Are you breastfeeding?" approximately 7,000 times. At first I didn't know how to answer because yes, she was getting breastmilk. But no, not always directly from me. Harper was born just shy of 36 weeks with a host of preemie latch issues. She was also born with the worlds biggest tongue. Those along with some issues I was having made it nearly impossible to breastfeed. Before we left the hospital we had 2 meetings with the lactation consultant and it seemed like she was finally getting it with a shield. After 3 days home (and still no milk) it felt like things were going south. I began reading everything I could and eventually came to an article telling me shields decreased milk production. At this point we were trying to feed both sides for 10 minutes each, pumping and feeding her that with a syringe, 15 minutes of trying to get her to burp, washing all of the pump parts, changing her diaper, and getting her to nap. By the time the cycle finished it was time to start again. That was still not enough milk for Harper and not enough sleep for momma. No Bueno.

Harper's 1 week well baby visit actually ended up happening when she was 2 weeks old due to her jaundice hospital stay. Just like the "breast is best and pumping is the devil" boob thumpers, the doctor was less than impressed that we had already switched to only pumping. As she concluded the appointment by telling me I had a healthy baby, she also said she was going to schedule a 1 hour lactation consult before her next appointment to "get her back where she should be". Right after I knocked her out cold left the room I quickly scheduled her next appointment with a different physician, no consult. My baby was perfectly healthy, so we headed home and read up on just how to exclusively pump. Now, after 3 months I feel like we've gotten the hang of it & may have some helpful tips.

Here's what's up

1. Call your insurance company. Before you go and buy that $400 gem you read all about online, call your insurance carrier. Ours sent us a Ameda Purely Yours double electric pump with 2 sets of flanges, 4-6 valves, 4 storage bottles, and a carrying tote for all free. They also supply us with 3, 50 count refills of storage bags every 90 days sent right to our door. Call ahead while you're pregnant and before you register for gifts.

2. Free parts. Most hospitals have either a Medela or Ameda pump for you to use during your postpartum stay. If they have the same brand pump as you, take the parts! Ours had an ameda pump and we were able to leave with extra tubing, a set of flanges, 4 valves, and 12 storage tubes. Some may have the storage bottles, but take advantage of either! I still store small amounts of freshly pumped milk in the tubes and keep extras in my pump bag in case I make more than a storage bottle can hold.

3. Extra parts. Getting a few complete sets of pump parts will help you immensely. The parts that came with the pump plus the parts from the hospital still weren't enough. Our sweet friends recently gifted us 2 extra sets of storage bottles and it has made all the difference! It means no more washing in the middle of the night. Always have 1-2 extra sets of storage bottles than you have flanges and keep a few extra valves on hand. One night I was in a total panic that my pump had stopped working. After some research it turns out the tiniest of tears in the rubber can make the whole thing useless.

4. Nutrition. I cannot stress it enough, drink drink drink! I was a terrible water drinker before so this one was hard. I went from maybe 1-2 bottles a day to 1.5-2gallons. I recently added up and on average I produce from 1.5-2 liters of milk per day. The more you drink, the more milk you'll make. Eating is another thing. It's already hard enough to eat with a new baby, I keep a banana, protein bar, and giant mason jar full of water on the end table so even during the middle of the night I'm getting enough food and water to keep making good milk.

5. Storage. Most moms I know store their freshly pumped milk in either bags or storage bottles. If you're exclusively pumping and not just supplementing, this becomes a lot of work. To save time I pump and pour straight into the feeding bottles. We typically have 5-6 full bottles ready to be warmed, front left is the oldest that needs eaten, back right is the newest that can last. It cuts time and saves you from yet another round of dishes. We use the Latch by Munchkin bottles, they're rated as one of the best to go between breast and bottle as well as prevent gas with their anti-colic valve. Harper loves them and even did well in her preemie crappy eating days. However I have had some issues with them leaking around the valves. I purposefully chose them because they had less parts than the Dr Brown bottles, but I think next time we'll go with a simple design like the Phillips Avent bottles. I may have chosen the blue because I want a boy next time. Ahem, Justin ;)

6. Schedule. Just as a baby would want to nurse every 2-3 hours, that's when you should be pumping. Initially I pumped on that schedule, then as she started to stretch longer through the night and I went back to work my 2-3 hours turned to 4, then sometimes as long as 6. Not only did I end up with a nasty case of mastitis, but my supply decreased drastically. After a week of dragging myself out of bed on the 3 hour mark and sticking to the 2-3 hour rule my supply went back to normal and put out an extra 16-20 oz a day!

7. Accessories. My new favorite thing, a pumping bra. At first I thought I could wing it. Much to Justin's terror, I walked into the bedroom in an old sports bra with holes cut out of the middle. At first my redneck pumping bra worked, but as soon as the bottles began to fill they fell off. Our awesome friends who gifted us the storage bottles also sent over the pumping bra. It is a life. Saver. It also gives me the ability to pop Harper in the boppy and feed her while I pump. Hello multitasking. Second, get a good drying rack. We use the Boon Lawn with the Twig and Stem accessories. I can fit 4 complete sets of parts on here at once! Lastly, get a car adapter for your pump. Too many times I've been running errands and hopped in the back of my SUV to feed Harper wishing I could pump my ticking time bombs. Now, I can! Note: I have tinted windows and hand a blanket over the front and back headrests. No peep shows here :)

As long as my "factory" as justin calls it keeps going, I would love to keep feeding her breast milk until the 6-9 month mark. I would be lying if I said it wouldn't be nice to go between nursing and pumping, but this is what our situation calls for. You can read every article and have everything planned out, but once your baby comes you ultimately have to do what is best for them and yourself. These tips for pumping exclusively won't work for everyone, but this is what works for us. Plus....Bonus! Justin gets the experience of feeding her that he wouldn't get otherwise. 

We may have put her in a cat bed instead of the boppy at our friends house this weekend. 

Until next time, 

That girl in the ugly green boots.

Harper Two Months

I can't believe it's been 2 months since our little Harpie joined the family. It has been the fastest, slowest, best, and worst 2 months of our lives. Now looking back, we see why everybody says the time passes in the blink of an eye.

Since she was born, Harper has been very clear about letting us know exactly how she feels and what she needs. The stereotypical laid back first kid? Nope. Not here. If she wants to eat, has a poop, or just wants your attention you'd better do it now. Wonder where she gets that from ;)

It seems as though there have been more changes between month 1 & 2 than there from birth to the first month. She loves to make silly faces, nap on our chests, and wiggle around. We recent had to ditch the swaddle me wrap at night because she has become an expert swaddle ninja, escaping random body parts for us to find hanging out in the morning.  As of her 2 month birthday she loves to watch tv, specifically winter sports like hockey and snowboarding (you win, Justin) and Sofia the first. She loves tummy time and hanging out on her play mat. She also loves to read her books and has started smiling at us when we talk to her.

 

 

 

| Moccasins | Love my mummy onesie | Floral leggings from Carter's | Green syrup onesie from the Vermont syrup shop |

We have had so much fun watching her begin to change into the little lady she'll be some day. On days I'm frustrated or tired it's important to step back and soak up these sweet baby days because they won't last forever.

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them".

Xoxo

The Culotta clan

Harper's Nursery

The time has come to FINALLY share pictures of Harper's nursery! I had initially planned on posting these back in August but went into labor the night I took the pictures. Typical Harper deciding how things were going to go. Shortly after finding out I was pregnant I'd started dreaming of our baby's room, specifically of a little blue and pink mermaid nursery & the tiny baby that would sleep in it......Ten months later we have that nursery and a not so tiny little girl :)

| Tassel garland | Crib | Crib skirt made by Nana (similar) | Letters |

Quilt handmade by nana

Coral pillow from target, similar here

Bookcase from target | pink storage bins |

Piggy bank that Harper's GeeMa had specially made for her

| Glass turquoise knobs | White seahorse knobs | White shelves | Pink changing pad cover | Wire basket | Clear glass jars | Dada book |

We also gave my old dresser a face lift with a touch up and some new knobs. The shelves were still unfinished when the pictures were taken, however I plan on using them as a changing space with different books and decorations for each season. We love holidays here :) Still to be added to the nursery is a picture wall behind the recliner with some mermaid inspired glitter prints. Harper's room is such a happy place, we can't wait until she's a little bit older and can actually spend the night in it!

Until next time, xoxo.

Harper's Birth Story

She is finally here! Harper Lynn Culotta joined the family on August 26th, 2015 at 11:15pm weighing in at 6 pounds 2 ounces and 18 inches long. Welcome to the world baby girl! We love you so much already.

Harper made it VERY clear through labor & delivery (and pregnancy) that she would do things her way. I was initially due the 24th of September which was changed to the 17th after an anatomy scan, then changed back to the 24th once we were in the hospital. Hello confusion. The night of August 24th I texted my best friend excited that some early labor signs were starting. I told myself if I could sleep through my timed "contractions" then they weren't real. Much to my dismay, I woke up the next morning after a full night's sleep. I spent that entire day food shopping and walking laps through the mall. Later that night I told Justin I was having the contractions again and kept telling him it might be time. After the disappointment the night before we decided not to tell anybody what was going on. Around 11 o'clock I headed to bed. 12 passed, then 1, 2, and before I knew it 4am had rolled around and the contractions clearly were not going to stop. Justin woke up for work at 6 and tried to show up for a little bit. After making it through a handful of more painful contractions, he made the decision to head home around 9. By that time we were 6-7 minutes apart. I called the Dr. on call who assured me that they were probably Braxton Hicks but that I could still come in to get checked. After all, I wasn't due for a month and first babies never come on time. Harpie thought differently.

After an hour and a half commute to the hospital (thanks, Penndot) we were finally in the ER. By the time we made it there contractions were 5 minutes and I was in a fair amount of pain, no longer able to talk through them. The first person to come in and check was a student on rounds. "Well..." she said, "You're 100% effaced and 6cm". 6cm! We were so excited. They sent in a second Dr. who immediately pooped on our parade and told us I was indeed, 100% effaced, but only 3cm. The Dr. who did the second check was not the OB on call through my office. The two met up and made the decision if I didn't progress within an hour I would be sent home. With preterm babies, I was 35 weeks 6 days, they won't induce, break water, or do a C-section unless it's an emergency. An hour later I was in the worst pain of my life crying like an idiot through each contraction which were only 2 minutes apart. The new nurse in triage saw the pain I was in, heard my husband's opinion loud and clear (thanks babe), and took it to the doctors responsible for the decision. Thank God she was convincing, they admitted me and moved us upstairs to labor and delivery.

Despite being admitted, we were still in a waiting period to see what the game plan would be. Our new, awesome, nurse hooked me up to IV pain meds which promptly made me profess my love to said nurse as she rolled me upstairs and I thumb uped everyone we passed. 2 bags of pain meds and a morphine shot to the behind later and nothing could touch the amount of pain I was in. Contractions had moved to 1 minute apart and my nurses convinced the new OB on call to administer an epidural and break my water. Within 2 hours I progressed from 3 to 6cm. And then a half hour later I called the nurses and told them "There's something down there and I need you to check again". They thought I was nuts. Sure enough I was at 10cm and she was right there. Who's crazy now, guys. 

At 10pm we practiced pushing as the Dr. and nurses suited up. The entire night we had joked that I had to get her out before midnight when it was officially the 27th and Justin's birthday. At 11:05 he looked at me and said "you have 55 minutes". 10 minutes later the Dr. told me to back off pushing for a minute and we heard the most perfect little cry. The nurse popped her on my chest and there it was, our new family. I was so in love with this new little person until I turned to my left to see my husband falling head over heels for the same tiny human. Only then was my love for her surpassed.

We spent that night and the next in the hospital then headed home Friday morning. At her 1 week appointment the following Tuesday morning they were concerned with how jaundice she was and sent us for blood work to check her bilirubin levels. At a family picnic that night we got the call that she'd need to stay at the hospital to get light therapy. While there are many worse things to deal with, we were absolutely crushed. We'd just gotten our family home and now we had to leave our safe place. We spent 2 nights there in a tiny, 80 degree room on pleather couches. We were only allowed to take her out from under the lights to change and feed her. Feedings moved to every 2 hours to help flush out the bilirubin. Despite the circumstances, Harper was a happy little girl.

We were so excited to get the news Thursday morning that we could finally go home! We packed our bags and pretty much ran to the car. Since then we've been enjoying our time as a family of 3, living on little sleep and lots of coffee. Turns out things like cooking dinner, showering, and blogging are next to impossible with a newborn. But that's okay, we think we'll keep her :)

Thank you to everyone for following us through pregnancy, for all of the gifts, and all of the love you've shown us! We are truly blessed to be surrounded by you all as we do this thing called life. Until next time....

36 WEEKS & STYLING THE BABE

36 weeks....Where has the time gone?! As we passed 1 month until the due date, I couldn't help but look back on "the dark days" as I now refer to them. Just tonight in my parent's living room, Justin and I reminisced on how many nights he came over after work and stayed with me and the kitties on the couch as I ran to throw up about a million times. For a couple of months that was our life, that and wondering what this little hell raiser would be like.

Now we're less than 4 weeks from meeting the little person, we know that "it" is a she, we've both felt her move.... a lot, we've gotten married, moved, set up the room that is now covered in pink (spoiler alert: we're waiting on 2 items to FINALLY post a nursery tour) and washed all of the outfits that we'll soon snuggle her chubby little body. It's quite the physical and emotional journey growing a baby, even for the daddies, The closer we get we could not be more excited to meet her!

Plaid top and Maternity shorts

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 28 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? The past 3 weeks I've noticed a pattern where I can't sleep for 2 hours after I get in bed, I get up to pee all night long with a 2:30am run- no matter what. Also, the pregnancy dreams have been out of control. Example? Last night's old school military air raid nightmare that kept me up from 4:30 until  6am....

Best moment this week? Finally finishing up my wild schedule and focusing purely on baby prep, sleeping while I still can, and setting up work for after she arrives.

Miss Anything? Sleep. bending over to get anything, and riding bikes in the woods.

Movement? 24/7

Food cravings? Coffee, mandarin oranges, and breaded, butter-drenched fried chicken.

Have you started to show yet? Yep. A baby belly just screams to strangers "give me unwarranted parenting advice and never shut up".

Gender prediction? It's a girl

Labor Signs? I went almost a month with no BH. This week we're back to lower back pain, cramping, upper thigh pain, and feeling as though she may fall out any second. 

Symptoms? Everything above, horrible rib pain, and pain before I let down. Little did I know this could happen before the baby is even born....

Belly Button in or out? Out for the count 

Engagement ring on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! Although lately the random tears have been popping out of nowhere. Poor Justin.

Looking forward to? Looking forward to and dreading our now weekly OB appointments. I'm excited to see if there's any changes and even more excited Justin is off and can finally go with me!

This week has consisted of TONS of preparations. Food prep, nursery prep, and getting everything clean for baby girl. We were so blessed by everybody who came to the shower and sent us gifts. However, the one thing we didn't get a lot of was clothes. This of course was just so torturous to do on our own :) This week baby gap is having a huge sale with an additional 35-40% and free shipping, even on sale items. They had the matching items to bows I'd bought a couple of months ago as well as a smattering of kitty items. Kitties are a favorite among the Culotta's and who doesn't love some cat ears as we move toward fall and halloween? Here are some of my favorites.

Pink cat leggings. Leopard print dress. Cat ears headband. Sweater knit cat hat

Along with dressing our little kitty, I've been playing around with some new recipes for quick dinners or breakfasts that I can prep the night before. Two of the favorites this week were homemade Primanti's sandwiches and overnight oats. They were both delicious! We're total breakfast junkies in this house so anything quick is a go, plus with my food allergies we can never go grab big sandwiches together. According to him, they were as good as the restaurant. Score. There's no link for the sandwiches because Justin came up with them on his own. However, I did use this slaw recipe. The rest of it went a little something like this:

4 slices of bread

4 Steak-ums meat slices seasoned with Montreal steak

a mound of coleslaw on top of the meat

as many french fries as you can fit

a slice of tomato

1 slice of pepper jack cheese (J is the only one that did this since I'm allergic)

Since being pregnant and switching jobs, cooking has become a fun thing to do when I'm home. I love experimenting! My mom has gotten quite a few phone calls around dinner time asking "can I use this in place of that?" and "isn't the expiration date just a suggestion?". Aside from my momma pinterest has been another life saver. On the roster for the next few days are crockpot tuscan chicken stew, pumpkin cookies, crockpot wedding soup, and these apple cinnamon rings. If you couldn't tell by the lineup, I'm longing for fall and ignoring the 90 degree days we've been having. Every night when the temperature drops and you can smell campfire in the air it's just another reminder that the best time of year is almost here. 

Before the baby comes I want to prep a bunch of freezer meals but have no idea where to start. Any and all advice on how to do so would be wonderful. If you have some meals you can't live without I'd love to hear from you! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

PACKING THE HOSPITAL BAG

The time has finally come! I have to say it's incredibly surreal gathering items and packing them up knowing that when you use them, it's game time. Today is the mark of 35 weeks (even though there's no 35 week progress photo yet, whoops) which means we are just a short 35 days from little Harper's due date! Yesterday was my second to last 2 week appointment, they're scheduled slightly off due to the fact that they were pre-booked before my due date was moved. Baby and momma both checked out well, her heart rate is still "happy" as the doctor always says and she kicked her hands during the measurements. I only put on 2 pounds since the last time but somehow gained FIVE INCHES. Holy mother. Doc says she's in position with her head down and my body is already starting to get ready for d-day. Our next appointment is in about 2 weeks and we're praying that after the exam they tell us a little something something is going on so we can meet her already!

I've rounded up a list of things that we'll be taking with us to the hospital. Some are for baby, momma, and even daddy. I'm just slightly obsessed with reading what other mommies have packed and getting advice from friends with kids. Any and all advice on what to bring and not to bring is welcome!

Starting off are the obvious things we'll need while we're there.

• Tooth brush and tooth paste for both Justin and I.

• Breath mints...because everybody knows your breath gets gnarly when you're nervous (bonus points if you can name that movie!)

• Shampoo and conditioner

• Face wash

• Deodorant

• Chapstick. I decided to get one that sounded super yummy considering I'm a total foodie and won't be able to eat the entire time I'm in labor....

• Avent Thermal Gel Pads. I picked up the 4-pack from target. We also received the Lansinoh TheraPearl 3-in-1 Therapy Pads as a gift. Due to intense rib pain and premature production I threw these suckers in the freezer the other day and am already a HUGE fan! 

• Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads and Lansinoh Lanolin. I've heard the hospitals have the ointment but was unsure about the pads. Better safe than sorry.

• A band spankin new pack of granny panties. Because if you've had a baby or have heard the details of what goes down from your overly honest friends, you just know. Leave the cute ones at home. 

• Not pictured: feminine items. You get the idea.

For the daddy to be we have:

• I'm the Daddy T-shirt. He sent me the link for this within 24 hours of finding out that I was pregnant so of course it made it on the list :)

• Protein bars and powerade. If your husband is anything like mine, he's a big guy with a faster metabolism who can get hangry rather fast. Like grandma always said, keep them full and they'll be happy. 

• Earplugs. Between nurses coming in and out and machines beeping these seem like a must.

• Cigars. Because the guys have to celebrate!

• Full change of clothes. In case labor takes a little longer than we'd like.

For myself:

• Gray Knit Robe. This isn't the exact one pictured above. This is the Gilligan & O'Malley brand from target, mine is the Xhilaration one. Both are super soft and seem like a great alternative to the itchy hospital gowns.

• Lace Nursing Bra. I already wear this everyday and it is the most comfortable bra ever! It helps alleviate rib pain from the new weight and changes going on up there. It's not your average Ugly Nursing Bra like the other one shown. However, both are super comfy!

• Nursing Cami. Earlier in pregnancy before my belly got too big I tried on a few different brands and found this to be the most comfortable. Plus I'm a total sucker for gray and it comes in the perfect shade :)
• 2 changes of clothes. One going home outfit (leggings and a loose t-shirt) plus a pair of baggy sweats and an old t-shirt.

• Slippers

For Harper:

• Flannel  and muslin swaddling blankets. Since the temperature in September can be unpredictable and hospitals tend to be chilly, I packed a light weight and heavier option.

• Diapers. I know they say not to bother bringing these since the hospital will provide them. But at my baby shower there was a basket of diapers and markers for guests to write us "Late night diaper notes" so I covered my eyes and grabbed a stack so we can share a laugh or two at those first awful 3am changes.

• Pajamas. They're no longer on the website, but the white ones shown above are from Carter's.

• Coming home outfit. The leggings and onesie are both from target (the onesie isn't listed online). Gray headband. Baby moccasins from The Golden Polkadot. This company makes the BEST baby mocs around and they're much cheaper compared to some of their $50+ competitors. The sweet woman who makes them is selling and saving for infertility treatments to have her own squishy little baby. They're high quality and are super soft inside! Perfect for newborn feet.

We also have a list on the fridge with last minute items such as phone chargers, the boppy, his travel shower kit, my makeup bag, and our wallets with ID's and insurance cards. To make things easier, we're going to pre-register at the hospital to save time and avoid lengthy paperwork during labor. Also, due to my corn allergy (who knew IV lines and sutures contain corn starch?!) we're arranging a consult with the anesthesiologist to have a game plan on my file so everybody knows exactly what to do when it's game time. 

I apologize for the lengthy post, but through lots of help from fellow bloggers and friends we've compiled quite the list of "needs" for the big day. Hopefully this week we can get together a 35 week progress shot and put the finishing touches on the nursery to share with you all. Happy (almost) Friday!

MY BABY SHOWER & 34 WEEK BUMP UPDATE

Last weekend all of the special ladies in my life gathered together at my parent's house to celebrate our little Culotta. My mom and mother-in-law threw the prettiest baby shower ever! We are beyond blessed to have such great family and friends who love us and our baby girl so much. It was an afternoon filled with lots of yummy food, laughs, and loads of pink. 

We are definitely feeling the love, thank you all!

Mint and lace maternity dress from Pink Blush Maternity online

As you can see from the photos, we've finally put baby girl's name out there. Miss Harper will (hopefully) be joining in less than 6 weeks! I cannot believe how close we are. Opening all of her beautiful gifts only helped make that all the more real. Speaking of, who knew you could make so many cute things out of diapers?! We received a diaper wreath, cake, flower bouquet, and diaper babies! Somehow I think we'll find a way to put them all to good use ;)

My crafty cousin, Laura, made this adorable board for Harper so we can document her growth and development each month after she's born. The even better news is she's opened an Etsy shop to sell personalized boards! Her shop name is LadyMayCreations, she makes and sells monthly infant and school aged grade boards with chore charts on the way!

All of the creative gifts got me thinking that the daddy-to-be needed a little something as well. He put up with holding my hair, late night food runs, and hearing the endless disgusting details about my body changing. Yes, I am not below shoving whatever body part has morphed into something else into his face and yelling "see!". That being said, he also needed a bigger tool box and travel mug. So why not make a daddy toolbox out of it? The boy in the green boots loved it :)

Last but not least, the weekly bumpdate. Apparently, this is the watermelon week where you go from cute and pregnant to a grumpy beast who resembles a blimp. Too much belly for you yet? 

T-shirt dress from Target

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 27 pounds, we'll get an exact count at OB appointment on Wednesday

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? Not on my stomach, but I guess the tatas and bum are free game...

Sleep? I am still absolutely exhausted and not sleeping that well

Best moment this week? Where to begin! The baby shower, folding loads and loads of baby laundry, getting the nursery almost set-up, the list goes on and on.

Miss Anything? A good hard cider and campfire on the cool August nights we've been having

Movement? 24/7

Food cravings? Peaches, dark chocolate coconut ice cream, and iced coffee.

Have you started to show yet? Jokes.

Gender prediction? It's a girl

Labor Signs? Not so much. The braxton hicks have finally stopped

Symptoms? Insane rib pain and heartburn still

Belly Button in or out? Out 

Engagement ring on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! 

Looking forward to? Seeing baby girl's growth at the OB appointment this week.