SNOW DAY!

Had to cancel dance tonight because of the weather. Thank goodness I got smart and decided to come home last night BEFORE the weather hit... so at least I'm snowed in at home instead of 80+ miles away! I really hate cancelling right now though since my time is currently becoming limited. Recitals are stressful anyway, but add going into labor and taking care of a new infant in the last 3 months and... wow, I don't know how I'm going to pull it off. Plus competitions in those same last 3 months. Yikes. I'll get through it, and the show will be awesome - but only because I will have some good help!

The nursery is almost finished! Yay! The only things left are curtains, recovering the glider cushions, finding a rug, and adding some more stuff to the walls. We are also looking for a quilt for the crib, something simple and elegant. But really, if little Hadley decided to make her appearance early, the room would be ready for her. I debated on taking pictures until it was truly finished, but I'm just too in love with how everything has come together so far to wait. I had to post these! However I did leave out a few walls because they are not what I want the finished look to be. So here is just a (major) sneak peek!

More wall stuff is on the way...

 .

Hopefully that bottom shelf will be filled with books soon!

Haven't gone too crazy buying clothes - yet. I've been good. :) I'm sure this will fill up after the shower though. Also getting another closet rod to put below. 

Icky picture, but you can see how much bigger the bump is now!

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.)

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?

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!)

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.