31 weeks!

How far along?: 31weeks
Total weight gain: +20
How much does baby weigh?: Over 3 pounds now
Maternity clothes?: Here's my daily outfit: maternity leggings, long tank or dress, sweater, scarf, boots.
Stretch marks?: :( Unfortunately. Currently applying the cocoa butter with a putty knife.
Sleep?: Super tired all the time. I sleep in and in a few hours or so I'm ready to tuck myself back in and take a nap.
Best moment this week?: Setting up the crib!
Movement?: A lot and since she's bigger it's gotten much different feeling. I like it more now even though I'm starting to feel knees or feet in the ribcage.
Food cravings?: Sandwiches with lots of Hellmans.
Labor signs?: Nope, and hoping it stays that way for another 8 weeks!
Belly button in or out?: It's weird. Sticks out on top but it's still in kinda.
What I miss: My waist. Tried to go shopping after Christmas with a couple gift cards and I had to pass up on some really cute things because they didn't fit over the bump and I didn't know what they would look like on me without it.
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery. Getting a 3D ultrasound.
Milestone: Down to single-digit weeks left!

Knees in the ribcage :)

So I should be finishing up on organizing and putting away all of our gifts, but I'm feeling a little unmotivated at the moment... one reason being this David Tutera marathon on WEtv.


We had a good Christmas, super busy and overwhelming, but very good. We had a Christmas on the 23rd, four on the 24th, and two on the 25th. By Christmas morning I was totally overwhelmed and had a little meltdown before we left the house. I just couldn't handle any more at that point, so unfortunately I missed one on the 26th.

The stress of the holidays on top of being very pregnant although extremely exhausting (and hoping I never have to go through it again), was also exciting in that this was the last Christmas we will be a couple instead of a family. We’re so ready to have the holiday become fun and magical again. It’s crazy to think that this year she wasn’t here and next year she will be around 10 months old! The next time these mostly old and handed down decorations are put up will become something new and eventful.

Her room is starting to look more and more like a nursery! We now have the crib! Although there are plenty of things I have to add or finish before she gets here, some major stuff is now done. We got the crib on Christmas Eve (an early baby shower gift from Brett's parents) and the boys brought it in, took it upstairs, and put it all together in a matter of like 15 minutes!






Brett's younger brother Cole is super, and I mean SUPER allergic to cats. Not sure who came up with this idea that day but it actually worked! We're so glad we found a way he can visit!

It was very exciting and a huge relief to have the last, and most important, piece of furniture set up and in it's place. We still need all the furniture accessories you register for (crib sheets, matress pad cover, changing pad etc.) and make some decisions on bedding, but at least I feel a little more prepared and closer to the point of feeling ready to go and just relaxing, waiting for her arrival. Can't wait to be at that point. Can't wait until we have a little girl to wrap up in these blankets and put these cute tiny outfits on.






The gorgeous mobile that Uncle Cole got for her!


Hadley still needs a middle name! And we are having a little trouble deciding. I like Jane but we haven’t completely settled on it. I need some ideas. I don’t want a “filler” middle name... like one of those middle names that 7 out of 10 women have (Marie, Sue, Lynn etc.) but I don’t want something that overpowers Hadley either. Grace is pretty but I just think it’s becoming new generation “filler” too. I know I definitely don’t want Dawn, Lee (obviously) or Rae, but any other suggestions are welcome... and needed!


Ok, now back to this Christmas mess...

Sweepy.

(I am so exhasted so this will be quick. Attempting to get through this without falling head first into the keyboard.)

Well, I failed my hour glucose test. I go in at the end of this week for three hour test. Not excited. And to prepare I am currently eating puppy chow... but only because it was a homemade gift from one of my little students tonight and I feel like I better eat it while I still "can".

This week has been a major freak-out week. Hello! I am freaking out about getting stretch marks, my feet flattening (if it really does happen), being torn open... in one place or the other, saggy elephant boobs, flabby abs, etc. I feel like no part of my body is going to be the same after this and that is a pretty hard pill to swallow. Not trying to come off as shallow, but when your career requires you to stand in front of a mirror everyday and perfect the way your body looks & moves... I'd say it's a legitamite worry. You stand onstage next to these little girls in short shorts and a tight top and you'd understand where this comes from. Most girls feel this way that AREN'T in my field of work. And some are just somehow super lucky so.. we'll pray. And pray and pray and praaaay....

/End insecure blabbling.

How far along?: 29 weeks
Total weight gain: I have now hit the 20 pound mark. :/
How much does baby weigh?: 2 and a half lbs!
Maternity clothes?: I wear my maternity leggings a lot but that is about it. I tried wearing maternity jeans and I can't stand them. Too baggy in the knee area... yuck.
Stretch marks?: :( I had a little meltdown the other day when I found one... but it's really small and light, unnoticable really, and on the underside of my belly. But I'm still freaking out.
Sleep?: Sucks bad. Can't get comfy or make it through the night. It's bad when sleep starts getting exhasting.
Best moment this week?: Spending time with Brett. Christmas shopping. Getting a few things done in the nursery.
Movement?: Oh yeah. A lot. She's started pressing her tush (I think) up against my belly button area and it doesn't feel so good.
Food cravings?: Yogurt.
Labor signs?: No, and hopefully not for another 10 weeks!
Belly button in or out?: It's still... in. Kinda. It's doing weird stuff on top. I think it might be on its way to disappearing...?
What I miss: Being able to walk through tight areas. Mhmm, the belly bumped wet paint this past week.
What I'm looking forward to: Christmas break!
Milestone: Third trimester! And 8 weeks until considered full term... (yikes.)

Oh, yet another wonderful Monday evening.

Some of you want this, so here it is...

My Amazon Wishlist

Lately I swear God is testing me. Monday nights at dance have taken an unexpected twist. I teach all my really little ones on Mondays (babies through first graders) and the past two weeks have been... hmm... eventful? I blame part of it on the holiday craziness and the other half on the weird December weather we're having.

Last week we started out fine. My babies class is first (3-4 year olds) and for some reason they have developed this whole class ritual of fake falling... constantly. I have tried many different methods to get them to stop but it still is a real issue for some of the youngest ones. Let me tell you, it's hard to teach dance when the student is on their butt every 15 seconds. The very youngest (she is just so tiny and completely girly and adorable) is that one student in class that I have to keep close tabs on or she's off in her own little world. She likes to fall the most. Halfway through the class they seem to all forget about the fake falling, and just as this happened last week, this little girl had a real fall while just standing still. A REAL fall, like head to the wood, can't breathe because she's crying so hard type of fall. Of course I grabbed her as fast as I could and she arched back in my arms with her mouth open, bawling but not breathing. It seemed like forever until she did the WA-WA-WA-WAAAAH thing. Then suddenly she just stopped and got angry for a second, confusing me, before she full out wailed. It was kind of weird and scary, yet minutes later she was fine and totally over it. When class was over and I told her mom what had happened she said, "Babies get bumps! You'll find this out soon enough!" and shrugged it off.

Okay, so if that's all that happened last Monday it wouldn't have been worth even writing about... but then my next class came in. My pre-k & kindergarteners. I have 16 of them so it is always a somewhat trying class, although I have the patience of a saint. Okay, maybe that's pushing it but I am very patient when it comes to children. Usually. But asking to go to the bathroom during class frustrates me. Most of the time I say, "can you wait until (insert something here)?" because like every teacher knows, once you let one go, they all have to. Going to the bathroom is a fun activity for them I guess, but I don't know, I'm pretty tired of it.

So anyway, we do the always crazy tap-shoe-fastening session, take attendance in our circle, and then stand up and spread out for warm-ups. I swear, two toe taps in, little A walks up to me holding herself and squeezing her knees together, asking "can I go potty?" I'm about to habitually say, "can you wait until...." when she looks down, and so I look down and notice the little sprinkles dotting her pink tights.

And then the flood gates open... and no, I'm not talking about tears.
Ugh.

So I'm stuck there with the whole moving her and getting pee everywhere or just letting her get out enough that she can turn it off and we can make it to the bathroom dilemma and of course we had to be standing right in the smack middle of the studio floor. Not sure what I decided split-second but somehow we managed to get to the bathroom without leaving a trail. Still her clothes, even her shoes, were soaked. I ran around and managed to salvage some studio clothes small enough to change her into as Judy saved the day and cleaned up the puddle.

I thank the mighty Lord that he chose to laugh at me on a day where I at least had a student helper, or else there would have 15 kids running wild around a puddle of urine in tap shoes. I shudder at the thought. The mothers in the lobby just laughed and said, "Mommy training!" and little A walked back into class in that oversized t-shirt that hung to her knees with a little smirk on her face. Obviously my stress level then was a little heightened and the following classes had naughty kids that I didn't bother with and instead put into corners. "I still have another corner left! Who wants it...?” Mean, mean (pregnant) dance teacher.

My Primary (pre-k/kindergarten) class during Halloween Week.

So today I'm thinking, okay, last week we had pee and that means this Monday session HAS to be better. The babies are fake falling all over the place but whatever, we make it through. "Yell goodbye on three, ready? 1...2...3!" In comes my pre-k/kindergarten class. I ask little A if she needs to go to the bathroom during our tap-shoe-put-on-craziness. She says no. Woo hoo. A dad peeks in to give his daughter her missing shoe, but what's this? She's not here. She got lost on the short walk from Studio B to Studio A. How does that happen?? This student, however, and yes she is only 4 or 5, has a little record of coming to tumbling and then trying to skip her following class. So Dad retraces her footsteps and finds her, WHERE ELSE, the bathroom... being a good girl, going before class! Whew. Our problem of the night averted.

Or so I thought.

Once again... not two toe taps in, I scan the room and notice poor little S keeled over and puking... yes, PUKING on the floor. I run over and let her "finish" before trying to usher her into the bathroom. She looks at me and says, "But I went potty before class."

If the vomit itself was not a cruel joke, then this statement most definitely is.

"I don't need to go potty" she keeps telling me. I tell her that's not what I'm worried about and get her into the bathroom. She is staring into the toilet and acting oddly fine when I say I'm going to send her home. She frowns and asks why. I tell her if she's sick she needs to be at home resting, "don't you think?" and after quite the dramatic sigh she replies, "Suuure." Once again, Judy, clean up on aisle 4 while I wipe down tap shoes and ankles...


Seriously... how did that really happen? Out of all the years I've owned the studio I have only had one previous pee accident and never a puke story. And now? Back to back?!

I might skip Monday classes next week.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was great, aside from the initial stress. To make a long story short, due to ill-timed planning and terrible communication, Brett & I went to different places... although it was totally unnecessary. But ANYWAY, I had a nice time. I was able to make it to three Thanksgivings and there are awful pictures to prove it (see below)!

I feel like there is some disconnect between my brain and my body. It seems that when I look in the mirror I feel like I don’t look THAT big or THAT horrible, but then I see photos and I look HUGE and disgusting and my face looks puffy. Maybe this is the way everyone feels while they’re in that last trimester (yes I am now in my last tri!) but I really wish I didn’t have to go through the holiday season like this. Dodging cameras is not going to be an easy task.

The night before Thanksgiving while I was trying to fall asleep alone, I sent Brett a text about how much I was reaaaally liking a certain name. When I woke up the next morning he had shot me a text back about how much he liked it too. Honestly, there was a moment or two of disbelief on my end, figuring maybe he just said that because he knew how upset I was with him over the fact that we were spending a holiday apart for the FIRST time ever, and to top it off, the first holiday we are ENGAGED and most notably, PREGNANT, so I sent a few “OMG really?” texts to try to decipher his intention. Surprisingly, he was serious and responded about how now all we need is a middle name.  And that was it! OUR BABY HAS A NAME… Hadley. And we decided via text. Haha. 

UM, I JUST FELT A FOOT. Like seriously... a foot!! Pretty cool but also a little weird!

Ok, gross nasty picture time… go.

Me & my aunt Lezlie who is expecting late January. I'm hoping it's a boy!

Me & Brett at his parents' house.

My dad & me. He really dressed up for the occasion. ;)

Less than 14 weeks to go....

So my countdown has reached the double digits.... one more week and I will be in my third trimester! Holy cow, that's a little nerve-wracking really. I'm not really sure what makes me more nervous, the whole never-know-when-it's-gunna-happen labor thing or the fact that I will be away from the studio and it's supposed to run right without me. Either way, I think it comes down to the fact that I can't plan it all. So I guess all I can do is just hope and pray this final trimester goes as smoothly and easy as the last two.

Supposedly, I am going through this little thing called "nesting". The other night I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor with paper towels in one hand and a bottle of Mr. Clean in the other when Brett walked in. He said something like, "why don't you just sit down and relax?"... but that is starting to get difficult. I want so badly to start working on the nursery but we don't really have anything ready to go yet. Brett has to finish painting our hand-me-down changing table and so far that is the only thing we have to put in the room. Yay. I just feel like I don't even know how to begin. The room has been painted, but now I'm even a little unsure on the pink color we picked out.

I think it's too dark or too fuschia or something. I wanted to be able to use shades of light pink and hot pink with it but I think that it might clash. So now I'm debating on re-painting. Ugh.

And well, the baby is still unnamed. Although today was a bit of a breakthrough and Brett said "that's cool" to not only one, but TWO of my ideas over the phone. However, there's a good chance he just wasn't listening....

How far along?: 26 weeks
Total weight gain: 16 lbs.
How much does baby weigh?: 1.7 lbs... supposedly
Maternity clothes?: Finally caved and bought maternity leggings & jeans from Forever 21. Haven't worn them yet though. And by that I mean they just arrived on my doorstep today.
Stretch marks?: None. Crossing my fingers that it stays that way.
Sleep?: Sucks. I wake up from all the twisting & turning.
Best moment this week?: SEEING her move! It's really cool actually.
Movement?: She doesn't move while I'm teaching at all, but the minute I get home she's all over the place. Payback??
Food cravings?: Still chugging milk. And I've been waking up and eating ding dongs like all week.
Labor signs?: No, but I have been feeling totally uncomfortable. My belly feels so heavy.
Belly button in or out?: I don't think it's going to poke out. Thank goodness.
What I miss: Being able to do everything I used to... and I mean just moving around and doing things on my own. Standing on chairs at dance. Being able to bend over. And I still really miss margaritas and sushi. I had a dream about them last night. Haha!
What I'm looking forward to: The holidays and the break from work. It's getting frustrating since I can't really do much & my feet are starting to hurt... especially on Sundays.
Milestone: Double digits!! 97 days left! Eek!

Funny things from my students - Part 1

After telling my studio that I was pregnant, I have laughed a lot during class at some of the things these little ones... or not so little... come up with.

MM: No one kick or hit her in the belly, there's a baby in there! I know these things, my mom has had like a million babies.

PM: Ashlee, your belly is getting fat!
AB: It's not getting FAT, it's getting ROUND.
Me: Well she does weigh over a pound now!
AG: A POUND?! That looks like more than a pound!

LK: Have you had your baby yet?
(every week)

I got a homemade card from one of my first graders that had a drawing of me and a baby that said, not with these exact letters, "have a good time with your baby".

PS: When do you find out if it's a boy or girl?
Me: I find out in a couple weeks!
PS: Really? Are you sure? My mom was THISSSS BIGGG when she found out.

CC: (Talking to another student) She can't do it anymore! Cuz she has a baby bump!

HB: It's a good thing you are pregnant, I thought you were just getting fat.

CK: Do you know what you're going to name the baby?
Me: Not yet, I have lots of ideas but her daddy doesn't like any of them!
CK: Well what does he like?
Me: I'm not sure, he hasn't came up with anything yet.
CK: Soooo...(thinking).... that means you get to name her!!!

MM: What are you going to do with the baby after it comes out?

HD: Can I touch it?

BUMP PIC - 24 weeks (& 5 days to be exact)

I feel like I look bigger in pictures than I do in real life.

But maybe I'm just in denial.

Pumpkin pie & our attempt at making it

For the first time ever, probably as an unconscious attempt to become more mommy&daddy-like, Brett and I attempted to make a homemade pie. Pumpkin pie. Which is probably near the bottom on the pie making difficultly list. I seriously still have no idea what provoked this idea inside Brett’s head but while walking back and forth and down again through aisles at the grocery store, he just blurted out with the kind of delight that strikes toddlers when they get an idea, “Let’s make a pumpkin pie!” I had tried to talk him into pumpkin bars instead or even just buying pre-made, but he was dead-set on this whole making a pie deal. I mean, we just moved and are still living out of boxes, but what a great time to learn how to make pies! Such is life with Brett. He called our friend that actually knows what she’s doing for a how-to and then we continued our bobbing and weaving and back and forth aisle dipping to find what we needed. (We did cheat on the crust though, and purchased a box of Pillsbury pre-made pie dough.)

We arrived back home and immediately started preparing dinner. Yes, we whipped up both dinner AND desert, very ma & pa like, right? While dinner was cooking, we laid out all of our purchased pie-making magic and questioned why our “evaporated” milk was still very much a liquid. The whole attempt was pretty laughable, I must say. Half way through mixing the ingredients, my detail-cautious fiancé realized the recipe actually made TWO pies. Fortunately, the box of dough we had purchased came with enough for two, although having just one to ourselves already seemed a bit daunting. We figured we’d just give the other away… to someone who loved us before they tried our pie.

Then came the whole pie crust thing. Since we have both never made a pie before we were unsure of our next move once the dough was laid out in the pie dish. We knew what pie crusts usually looked like (and thankfully had a quite detailed reference on the box), but we had no idea how we were supposed to make this limp dough do... THAT. I figured it was just a matter of squeezing the edges precisely, but I’m pretty sure there’s got to be another trick to it. We were too confident in our ability to figure this whole thing out ourselves, so we decided not to look it up online or phone a grandma and just kind of pushed on it until it looked, well, pie-like. (For future reference, it might be helpful to make the edges even while you are forming it to the pie dish… or just not let afore mentioned, detail-oriented significant other do this part.)

We poured the orangey goodness into the sad little pie crusts and immediately it was obvious which pie we were keeping for ourselves and which one we would send to someone that would pat us on the back for trying and say “it’s okay, we still love you”. We placed tinfoil strips around the flawless edges (thankfully our friend gave us that little tip) and slipped them in the oven to bake.

Almost an hour & a half later, this is what we pulled out.

Apparently the recipe then says to jab a knife awkwardly into the somewhat middle, I guess, according to Brett.

We let them cool and after awhile I kindly offered to cut him a slice, to which after all that excitement and determination displayed earlier up and down the Target grocery aisles he answered with...

"It just doesn't really sound good right now."

Seriously.

And now almost two days later…

Anyone like pumpkin pie?

Our move / 24 weeks

Well after a very long, exhausting, and COLD weekend, we are finally all moved in to our new place. I can't even explain how nice it is to come home and park in a driveway instead of a parking lot, or to be able to do laundry without digging through the bottom of my purse for quarters. I mean I thought after two years I had gotten used to the noises of apartment living, the slamming of that damn hallway door that was placed so conveniently outside our bedroom wall or the footsteps and toilet flushes of the people living above us... but the past couple nights we've been here I have gotten some of the best sleep I've had in a long time.

I had thought at the time we signed the lease that we would probably only be here a year or so, until we were ready to buy, but after painting and cleaning, I could see us staying here longer and being perfectly happy with that. We'll see what happens though, obviously lots of changes are in store for us. And our landlord is 87 years old for heaven's sake. I thought he was going to croak before we even moved in.

So along with the weekend being long, exhausting, and cold, it also happened to be obviously stressful (duh) and tremendously sad as Brett managed to get bleach on the front of my black leather Christian Dior bag during the process. Ugh. Not only is it my favorite handbag that I carry 90% of the time but it's DIOR. I'm heartbroken... but still carrying it. Not the best time in our lives to have to replace a Dior bag, you know.

Ok, so have I even mentioned anything about being pregnant in this post yet? Well, I am still... very much so. I'm starting to look it and I'm definitely feeling it. I did a few cartwheels today during a tumbling class and I swear I saw stars for 20 minutes afterwards. Push-ups are also getting quite difficult but I need to feel good about some part of my body, right?

PREGNANT PERSON SURVEY TIME
How far along?: 24 weeks
Total weight gain: 15 pounds... thankfully it's all in my boobs and belly.
How much does baby weigh?: She should be a little over a pound now.
Maternity clothes?: No... although I will probably be purchasing some maternity tanks here soon.
Stretch marks?: None so far.... & crossing my fingers.
Sleep?: I hate sleeping on my side and lately I have been ready to pass out MUCH earlier than usual. I'm also waking up earlier.... which is good.
Best moment this week?: MOVING OUT OF OUR APARTMENT
Movement?: Yes, although it hasn't gotten more frequent yet. Still only feeling her mostly at night.
Food cravings?: Well, I go through about a half gallon of milk a day now, which is weird because I never used to drink it.
Labor signs?: No & hopefully not anytime soon. Still got 16 weeks to go!
Belly button in or out?: Still very much in... & hoping it stays that way.
What I miss: Sleeping on my back, sushi, tanning (I'll admit it), margaritas, t-shirts fitting baggy.
What I'm looking forward to: Thanksgiving! Mashed potatoes... mmmm
Milestone: Finally having a baby bump instead of rockin a beer belly.

Happy Halloween!

This was my costume for Halloween Week at the studio this year. The little ones had no clue what I was supposed to be though. "You're the number eight!!!"

After posting the pictures Brett said, "I don't get the bottom one. Why is that on there?" Wow. I guess my costume may have been lost on alot of people.... (I'm a Magic 8 Ball!)

Nursery inspirations

credit spearmint baby

I want these in white.

credit umbra

I love the tree in the corner of this room.

credit spearmint baby

credit spearmint baby

I WILL have this light from Ikea somewhere in our house.

credit ikea

 

credit spearmint baby

We're using this color scheme.

credit design dazzle

credit pottery barn kids

MY DREAM BABY CLOSET.

credit spearmint baby

credit spearmint baby

Naming frustrations

I'm finding baby names are one of those things (right along with wedding planning) that seem so easy and fun to come up with when you're a teenage girl and bored during study hall, but are a complete headache when it's the real deal. I guess the fact that Brett has to OK each selection makes it far (and I mean FAR) more difficult. I always just figured my future husband would agree to any name I wanted. HA! Who knew he would be as picky as me?

Brett has been super excited and eager for just about everything throughout our pregnancy, except baby naming. He has only missed one of my doctors appointments so far (even the 5-minute listen to the heartbeat and "do you have any questions?" appointments - he loves hearing her heart beat). He has had an ecstatic, hands on, let's-get-it-done approach to everything so far with the exception of what may be the most important part... naming our daughter. Bringing up the subject just seems to stress him out or maybe even scare him, to the point where he can only hear a few and then he's done, watching Gangland or Overhaulin' and saying to me, "we still have plenty of time, we'll talk about it later."

There has only been one name he has actually brought up himself, waaaay back in the early weeks, a dated boys name to which my first thought and only response was simply, "Why?!" He then listed a few like names to apease me (that for the record weren't any better), until he noticed my facial expression of 'no way' hadn't shifted. And that was that. "I guess we still have a long time, we can talk about it later."

However, since we have found out little one is a girl I haven't gotten any ideas out of him. I will send him the random text while he's at work and I find something that I toss around for hours making sure it's the "perfect" one before sharing with him. But so far, I haven't come up with anything he's really liked or even so much as said is okay. It's a pretty gruelling process really, thinking I have something and then getting the big fat N-O. Right now it doesn't seem like we will be able to easily find one that we both agree on, let alone love, and I'm scared that we will be in the hospital staring into our little baby girl's eyes thinking "ummm..."

And of course, our baby name book was one of the first things he packed for our move. A month in advance.

I guess we still have a lot of time though, so we'll just talk about it later.

22 weeks

5 months down and I still...

-fit into my jeans. Sure there's a little bit (okay, quite a bit) of muffin top action going on but they still button! I don't wear them though because I've always thought jeans were uncomfortable, and being pregnant hasn't changed my mind.

-climb (and fit) into the sink when I get ready. It is getting harder every week though.

-haven't bought a single piece of maternity wear and I will go as long as I can before doing so. I'm hoping I will be able to just get away with leggings and oversized shirts/dresses this whole pregnancy. Looking at maternity clothes stresses me out... I'm gonna get THAT big??

-feel that I'm growing more (and faster) in the chest department rather than the belly. And I HATE it.

-can do most everything during dance class. My balance is a little wonky now and arching backwards just won't happen, but I still can do all the ab work and pushups (and yes grandma, my doctor okayed this). Putting my nose between my knees is now impossible however.

-haven't had any weird cravings. Somewhat disappointed.

-haven't gotten asked if I was pregnant or even had somebody assume. Makes me feel like I play the "fat girl" part well. Thanks guys.

-haven't gotten Brett to agree on one of my perfect, super cute names for her. Currently working diligently on this.