22 Weeks & Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day, friends! We spent the day hanging out and eating BBQ sauce smothered food with my family. We are so appreciative of our friends and family members who serve our country and all of those who have lost their lives protecting us. As I drove home today, passing flag after flag and car lined streets all happily celebrating, it was humbling to stop and remember those loved ones grieving their soldiers. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you!

A little bit of how our holiday weekend went. 

This photo was pre-sunburn. A little too much sun....and icing.

While it was nice to finally relax, Justin and I have been pulling our hair out trying to get everything done with the wedding countdown just under 2 weeks. Last weekend we were officially allowed to start moving things into the apartment. Justin was stuck on a lovely 9 hour Saturday shift so my parents and soon to be in laws helped move everything in. We were so fortunate to get an early wedding gift with about 1/3 the items on our registry from our family so we were able to set up our home even more :) Sunday night we took a break from the madness and headed to a live action sports show, Nitro Circus. In short, it's a bunch of grown men and women plummeting their bodies down ramps and over jumps on everything from motocross bikes to recliners on wheels. Justin was just a little bit excited as the show was starting, obviously.  

A few days after the show we received yet another extremely generous wedding gift from family members which turned out to be our living room furniture and almost all of our new "home" decor. We absolutely do not feel worthy of all of the love and help we've received as we move into the next phase of life but we are so blessed by it! We need a few more days to get the apartment together but mark my words, there will be house tour. Although it may be a few days late (like the weekly update) and it may skip a week entirely (like we skipped week 21).....oops.

Here's to yet another fat girl picture. Soak it up, twigs ladies.

Dress is last season from Nordstrom. Similar found Here and Here

How far along? 22 weeks. Finally wearing something other than Nike Pros and a tshirt.

Total weight gain/loss? 16 pounds!

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Still good but I need at least 10 hours after a long day. Say what.

Best moment this week? Finally getting to set up our place where baby girl will spend her first years and watching her do the wave in my belly every time I lay down.

Miss Anything? Mountain biking with my man. Cold beer on a Friday night (& the radio up).

Movement? Yep

Food cravings? Anything spicy or carb loaded, pickles, and chinese takeout. Additionally, the egg bacon bagel obsession has returned.

Have you started to show yet? See photo above

Gender prediction? It's a girl.

Labor Signs? No

Belly Button in or out? I have become more obsessed with my belly button than the children I watch are obsessed with The Belly Button Book. My poor button is stuck in the strange flat stage where it can't decide if it's an innie or outie. Sigh, only time will tell.

Engagement ring on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! 

Looking forward to? Letting the bump get some more sun this week as the weather calls for 80's and sunny!

I hope you all had a fun, safe weekend. Cheers!

Ringing in 20 weeks with a scare

We've made it! This week marks the halfway point on our journey to meet little baby Culotta. As sick as I was the first part of my pregnancy, the time thus far has flown. Every time I feel her kick or flip around, I know I'd gladly spend those months with my head in the toilet all over again. Even though I'm only halfway with this one, it's a whole new look into just how much our moms do\did for us as we approach Mother's Day. Sadly, we completely missed the 19 week picture and update due to nailing down last minute wedding details and crazy work schedules.....We also got everything together to move into our NEW PLACE next Saturday! We found the perfect apartment close to everything we do with bike trails running through our back yard. As of 6 days from now, it's ours :)  

After we missed we 19 we finally thought we'd get back on schedule with posting on the days the weeks switch, but little lady had other plans. The beginning of last week I started cramping which slowly turned into bad cramping and lower back aches. By Thursday afternoon after I'd called the OB to report, I'd missed 3 calls from 2 of their offices all saying to get to labor and delivery at the hospital and get there now. Justin agreed we needed to go so we sat in rush hour traffic through the burbs all the way into the city. I don't know if it was the anxiety alone or the fact that there was a baby pushing on my bladder but the trip to the hospital felt like an eternity. Once we arrived they wasted no time doing exams and running tests. I should add that peeing in a cup not once but twice when you can no longer see your feet turned out to be just the bit of humor we needed. Despite the nerves in the room there was a happy moment, Justin finally got to feel her kick! We learned this week that she gets super irritated by anything resting on my belly, including maternity pants, and begins kicking whatever is in her way. Naturally, she was upset by the fetal and contraction monitors on my belly which finally lead to her high-fiving her daddy.

After about 2 hours we got the final report that the cramping was from dehydration due to the recent temps in the 80's and 90's. The lack of fluids caused my muscles to cramp up in waves mimicking light contractions. Whew. No doubt this child is dramatic like her momma because there's nothing like an early labor scare to ring in 20 weeks. Ever since then she has been incredibly active, reassuring us all the more that she's healthy, but we'll be damned if we think she's going to let her birth go the way we want. In other news....

Last week my family and I headed east to Philadelphia for one of my best friend's baby shower.

Belly party! Baby Matthew and baby Culotta finally got to meet.

As you can tell by the pictures above, shortly after arriving home I came face to face with the realization that I have to lean forward to see my feet when I stand. 

And finally, the 20 week panic celebration picture.

How far along? 20 weeks & lacking energy to wear anything but spandex and a tee.

Total weight gain/loss? 13 pounds!

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Great!

Best moment this week? Getting to watch Justin's face when he finally felt baby girl.

Miss Anything? I turned into the Mexican grinch when I couldn't crack a beer or sip a margarita on Cinco De Mayo.

Movement? YES!

Food cravings? Salads, chinese lettuce wraps, sweet tea, and fruity pebbles (which J will shameless go out of the way to buy extra boxes of. Um, keeper).

Have you started to show yet? Yes

Gender prediction? Girl.

Labor Signs? No, but apparently dehydration is no joke. ha.

Belly Button in or out? Halfway in, halfway out. 

Engagement ring on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! 

Looking forward to? Our OB appointment on Wednesday & finally moving our stuff into the apartment!

It's a......GIRL! & 18 Week Update

After our 18 week gender and anatomy scan on Friday, we finally found out that Baby C is a SHE! The little lady is still due September 24th, but weighs in about 3 weeks heavier. Her legs and head are much longer and larger than the rest of her is measuring, she can thank her dad and I for that. Typically the anatomy scan lasts 10-15 minutes but she was so active (& uncooperative) that we got to see her for over a half hour! Considering she was merely a shrimp at the last ultrasound we were just a little excited about our extended time with her ;)

Little lady!

Of course we couldn't wait to share the news with our family and friends. Due to Justin's work schedule, we had to wait SIX HOURS after the appointment to tell anybody which may have been worse than not knowing at all. The fun ensued as soon as he was home and we somehow ended up with about 67 pink outfits. We cannot wait to see her face, toes, and already chubby belly in person. Knowing there's a baby coming gets you excited, but seeing their little face and body with both of your features makes it so much more exciting!

As far as the 18 week update goes, see my feet? I can't.

How far along? 18 Weeks, and still perpetually late at posting.

Total weight gain/loss? 9 pounds. See face, belly, and boobs for the packed on pounds.

Maternity clothes? Yes! My old yoga pants and t-shirts aren't cutting it anymore.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Great!

Best moment this week? I don't know if it ever loses it's excitement, but feeling her actually kicking.

Miss Anything? Beer & (heartburn free) salsa.

Movement? Yep!

Food cravings? Egg bacon bagels and sweet tea are still my ultimate favorites.

Have you started to show yet? Yes

Gender prediction? Girl, and we were all right!

Labor Signs? No

Belly Button in or out? Halfway in, halfway out. See ya bikinis.

Engagement ring on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! 

Looking forward to? Getting our apartment mid May and setting up the nursery! So many plans in the works, post to come :)

17 Weeks & Exciting news for Pittsburgh PRC!

As we're well into our 4th month, we often find ourselves looking back saying how quickly the time since we first found out about Baby C has passed. Then on the other hand how it feels like forever since we walked into the infamous RV, hands shaking, and left excited about our baby on the way. No matter how long you've been trying (or not trying at all for that matter) it is still incredibly overwhelming and a little scary to get the confirmation that you are in fact carrying another little human inside of you. Never for a minute did we doubt our decision to carry and raise our baby. While that may be an option for some, no matter our circumstances or the timing of things, babies are a blessing. 

That being said, we still visited a pregnancy resource center before seeing a regular OB and are so thankful to have had Choices Pregnancy Center be with us the day we found out. Like most pregnancy resource centers, their services for expecting moms (pregnancy testing&ultrasound) are free of cost. The only reason we could see them when we did was because they had a mobile unit (you guessed it, the RV...) located near us as opposed to their home center over an hour away. Today, we got the news that our local Pregnancy Resource Center has raised enough money to have their own mobile unit! This allows them to cover the areas that Choices center can't. That means more healthy mommas & babies.  I cannot contain my excitement!

As for our babe.....

How far along? 17 Weeks (17.5 at posting....)

Total weight gain/loss? 5 pounds

Maternity clothes? My jeans no longer button so here's to hoping for (maternity) shorts and dress weather.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Great!

Best moment this week? Feeling baby C move like crazy whenever I lay on my stomach!

Miss Anything? Hard apple cider. This may be my answer every week until October.

Movement? Yep!

Food cravings? Homemade egg bacon bagels. All. Day. Long.

Have you started to show yet? Big time! I'm so happy it looks like a baby and not a sloppy belly anymore.

Gender prediction? Still feeling girl, but the closer we get to finding out the more I don't know.

Labor Signs? No

Belly Button in or out? In

Engagement ring on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! 

Looking forward to? FRIDAY! We find out if we're team pink or team blue! :)

16 Weeks

First off, thank you for all of the social media love! We had a great holiday weekend and loved getting to share it (despite the fact that Justin and I couldn't manage to get even one together). As for the 16 week picture, I'm late on posting it....again. How do people actually keep up with this on their second child? I suppose I'll gain these "Mom superpowers" at some point along the way. As for now, the weekly fat girl picture...

How far along? 16 Weeks 

Total weight gain/loss? 4ish pounds. 

Maternity clothes? Nope! Maxi dresses have been a life saver with the random heat wave.

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep? Great! I now require a nap to make it through any normal day.

Best moment this week? Hearing baby C's heartbeat at our OB appointment & booking the gender scan!

Miss Anything? Being able to get off of the couch without looking like I'm having a seizure.

Movement? Yep! Anytime I lay on my stomach the little man or woman goes crazy. Probably pissed it's being crushed.

Food cravings? Salad, chipotle, and anything sour.

Have you started to show yet? Big time.

Gender prediction? Girl. 11 days until we know for sure.

Labor Signs? No.

Belly Button in or out? In, but looking a little suspect.

Engagement ring on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! 

Looking forward to? Going to bed tonight.

15 Weeks & Spring Happenings

How far along? 15 Weeks (I'm currently 15 weeks 6 days, but am a little late posting the picture)
Total weight gain/loss? 4 pounds, feels like 40!
Maternity clothes? Nope! Although it is getting a little hard to button my prefatty jeans...
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep? Sleeping a lot more than I used to, aside from peeing all night long.
Best moment this week? Getting to walk in the warm sun.
Miss Anything? Hard cider. And being able to lift anything other than upper body at the gym...
Movement? I've felt little he or she quite a few times, always after Justin plays guitar!
Food cravings? There's been a major cravings switch this week. Even though I was so sick I only wanted carbs and fried food. Now it's all fruits, vegetables, and chipotle.
Have you started to show yet? Yes. Baby popped out big time this week.
Gender prediction? Girl...It started off boy but recently switched teams. Justin still thinks girl.
Labor Signs? No, and not looking forward to that part.
Belly Button in or out? In, but looking a little suspect.
Engagement ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! Unless I need food.
Looking forward to? Our OB appointment tomorrow!

I hope everybody had a great Easter Sunday! As for us we spent the day at church then back to my parents house for dinner. We had a great day with Justin's family and mine all together under one roof. Usually we get started on holiday fun earlier, but this year the party didn't start until the day before. Most of our Saturday consisted of crafting manly Easter baskets (is there even a thing?) & dying Easter eggs.

Our kitty Dexter just being Dexter.

And spent some quality time with my big brother....who seems to be resembling Gomez from the Aadams family?

My mom and I topped off the holiday weekend with a walk around the local lake on a sunny Monday. This of course left us wishing for green trees and kayaks to float in. As most of the wedding planning is nearing the end we're looking forward to warmer days and the 16 week check up tomorrow. We'll get to hear baby C's heartbeat and attempt to convince the Dr. to send us for the anatomy & gender scan 2 weeks early. Hopefully this time next week we can report pink or blue, as for now we're forever stuck on team green. Cheers.