Baby Pino: 17 Weeks

How far along: 17 weeks

Weight gain/loss: Lost one pound. This past week I lost 1 1/2 pounds. I think it mostly has to do with stress and dealing with Grandma's passing, but every time I go to eat I'll have three or four bites and feel full and just can't eat anymore. Has anyone else experienced this during pregnancy? What'd you do to make sure you ate full meals?

Gender: GIRL!!!

Movement: Nothing much this week.

Sleep: Not so great. A lot of tossing and turning and getting so hot!

Maternity clothes: Maternity pants and tops, some maternity dresses and some regular dresses.

Symptoms: Baby Girl feels like she's kind of low; lower than normal and I feel like I'm squishing her when I sit down. No appetite.

Cravings: Nothing really. I can't seem to put my finger on what I'm craving!

Aversions: Pretty much food in general. Nothing sounds or tastes good.

What I miss: Drinking. Ha! I could've really used a drink or two or four last week.

Best moment this week: Hearing her heartbeat at my appointment on Tuesday. Also, getting to see my family that I haven't seen in many years, at my Grandma's service.

What I'm looking forward to: The crib gets delivered this weekend and I'm looking forward to getting that put together. Not quite sure if I'll be the one to take on that project or if Kevin will be (he tends to get frustrated when putting furniture together).

Baby Daddy: He's accepted the fact that he will have a daughter. It only took a week and some good talks with my family members to get him excited about his Baby Girl. He's been talking to her a lot this week. :)

Around Here

I've been home (meaning, my parent's house) the past couple days, helping get things ready for Grandma Hank's service tomorrow.

It really is exhausting planning something like this. Your mind isn't really in the right frame to plan a funeral or service and then a reception afterwards. But, Grandma is totally worth it and it'll all work out.

One thing I will say, if you ever wonder what you can do for a friend who has lost a loved one, take them food! It is really nice to not have to worry about what you'll have for dinner or who is going to cook. You can't really think about much else, let alone what you're going to eat. My family is very grateful to the friends who have generously brought over yummy goodness to us. :) And the friends who are helping with the reception are simply a Godsend.

I've been spending most of my time working on a slideshow/movie of Grandma's life (much like the one I put together for Kevin's Grandpa back in March). If I can figure out a way to post it, or link to it I'll try. During the process of going through old photos of her, we discovered she wrote a little autobiography of her life, about 20 years ago. It's really interesting and you realize all that she accomplished in her life.

Baby Pino: 16 Weeks

How far along: 16 weeks

Weight gain/loss: Gained 1/2 pound so far

Size of baby: 4 1/2 inches long; 3 1/2 ounces; the size of an avocado

Gender: A GIRL!!!

Movement: Little flutters here and there. Nothing super noticeable. She was surprisingly calm at the ultrasound compared to last time.

Sleep: Good. I don't have to get up as much to pee, so that's always a plus.

Maternity clothes: Maternity pants and tops, a mix of maternity dresses and regular dresses. I purchased a pair of skinny maternity jeans from Old Navy today and I may just wear them after I give birth. They stay up and are comfy!

Symptoms: Heartburn here and there. It's getting harder to lean over to grab things because my belly gets in the way. Weird dreams.

Aversions: Chinese food. I just want to gag if someone mentions it for some reason. Cooked vegetables. Anything sweet.

Cravings: Nothing in particular this week.

What I miss: Not being hungry all. the. time.

Best moment this week: Obviously, finding out that the little one is a girl! We thought for sure it was a boy, but I was happy either way. Kevin is still coming to grips with having a daughter. ;) Also, I was able to visit BFF Maygan and her sweet Madison for a couple days and it did my baby heart good!

What I'm looking forward to: Starting on the nursery. I've had a girl nursery picked out in my head for the longest time; even before I was ever pregnant (no surprise there), so I'm excited to get that project going.

Baby Daddy: Thursday morning I woke up and Kevin wasn't in bed. I looked on the floor to see if maybe he fell off the bed (hey, it was really early and I wasn't thinking straight). So I walked down the hall and he was sleeping in our guest room. He said I was snoring so loud that he couldn't sleep in our room because I was keeping him up, but that he didn't want to wake me because he knew I needed the rest. HA!! Very sweet of him. I felt pretty bad.

Thank you for the kind words on my post yesterday. You all lifted my spirits. :)

The sadness and sweetness that is the circle of life...

Friday evening my Grandma Hank passed away, kind of suddenly. It came as a shock because it happened so fast. I've been kind of all over the place, emotionally, since it happened. Grandma was a huge part of my dad's side of the family. She helped raise a lot of grandchildren and she was the glue that held everyone together. She always had an update for what the family members were up to. She loved jewelry, plays, cruises and the woman loved to shop! It's always hard to lose a close loved one, but I do know she is in a better place. She has both her legs (she had to have one amputated a couple years ago due to diabetes) and she's back to her feisty self up in Heaven.

Within the same life event that occurred this weekend, we found out that we will be blessed with a sweet baby girl. We are so shocked and excited! We both thought for sure this little one was a boy, but God has a plan for us and that is to raise a daughter. To be honest, I'm terrified of raising a girl. I just hope we can raise her to be strong, smart, practical and caring. When we found out today that the baby was a girl I couldn't help but cry, and I knew my Grandma was there in the room with us. She was the first person I thought of when I heard "Well, it looks like you're having a baby girl!"

The circle of life is a bittersweet thing.

Baby Pino: 15 Weeks

How far along: 15 weeks

Weight gain/loss: Gained a total of 1/2 pound so far.

Size of baby: About four inches long; 2 1/2 ounces; the size of an apple.

Gender: Well, we were supposed to find out yesterday, but the little stinker kept his/her legs crossed the entire time! He/she even kicked with his/her legs crossed! We get a re-do next week, so we'll see...

Movement: Little flutters. On the ultrasound yesterday he was moving and kicking like crazy!

Sleep: Pretty good. I haven't had to get up as often in the middle of the night to pee.

Maternity clothes: Maternity pants, some maternity tops, regular dresses. I finally took two other pairs of work maternity pants to get hemmed today so that'll give me a couple more outfit options during the week.

Symptoms: I've been having bouts of nausea the past few days. It's not all the time, and the fact that extreme exhaustion no longer comes along with it makes it easier to handle. Back pain if I've been on my feet too long. Heartburn here and there.

Aversions: Anything sweet. Eating too much. It does not feel good to be overly full when you're pregnant. Probably one of the most uncomfortable things I can think of.

Cravings: Food in general. I'm usually most hungry at lunch; less so at breakfast and dinner. I saw a root beer float on the menu yesterday at lunch and immediately had to have it. It was pretty darn good!

What I miss: Nothing really.

Best moment this week: Getting to have a 3D/4D ultrasound yesterday and having my dad, mom, brother, my cousin Carley, and of course Kevin all there to experience it. Even though we couldn't tell the gender, it was still pretty special. Mom cried. ;)

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out the gender.

Baby Daddy: Kevin looked so nervous at the ultrasound yesterday. It's always a littler nerve-wracking going into them because you pray everything continues to look good and healthy.

Here are some pictures of the little one! The 4D ultrasound makes his/her head look a little weird. Promise it's formed at this point. Ha!

Sweet little profile.

Sucking his thumb and rubbing his ear! This is something my brother did when he was a baby!

Legs completely crossed!

Projects and Deadlines

I have a list of things I want to get done with our home and two separate deadlines in which I want them done by.

{Boy, do I sound demanding!}

The first deadline is by Thanksgiving. My family will be coming up to spend Thanksgiving with us in our new home and I'm so excited to have them. But before they get here we need to get some things done. Mind you, this stuff is not necessary, but it just eases my mind to have this stuff done and look nice when company arrives.

1. Have bookcases installed on each side of the fireplace in our family room.

2. Paint the breakfast table and chairs.

3. Re-install the chandelier above the breakfast table so it's centered.

4. Install the chandelier over the dining room table.

5. Find two nice chairs, a small table and rug for the dining room/formal living room.

6. Order a small table for the entryway.

7. Install a doggy door for Stella leading into the garage.

Writing all that down has me kind of anxious. I think we need to get started on this stuff sooner rather than later.

Here's my list of things I want done by the time I'm 30-35 weeks pregnant (which would be around February):

1. Paint nursery.

2. Install crown moulding. 

3. Buy and set up crib.

4. Order crib bedding or have it made.

5. Paint and get new knobs for dresser/changing table.

6. Paint night stand (if it's a boy, if it's a girl I have a different nightstand I want to get).

7. Paint bookshelf.

8. Install chandelier.

9. Hang any extras like pictures and what-not.

We'll see if any of this actually happens by my unrealistic deadlines.

Wish us luck!

Tuesday Talk

I think I forgot to include "symptoms" in my pregnancy update yesterday. One of the main symptoms has been heartburn. Lord have mercy! I didn't think it'd come on this soon, but it definitely has and it doesn't matter what I eat. Anyways, just wanted to jot that down so I have it on record.

Last weekend was pretty productive. I cleaned up the house most of the day on Saturday. This home is bigger than our rental was so it takes me a lot longer to clean up. The floors are a dark laminate hardwood too, so I see every little speck of dust. Oh well. They're not too hard to clean so I can't complain.

Saturday night we went and saw Kevin Hart's show and it was pretty much hilarious. We had tickets to sit in my company's suite which was really nice. However, some other people had tickets and decided to invite 30 of their friends up to the suite (the suite is only meant to hold like ten people) and that just ticked me off! So being the pregnant-short-fused woman that I am, I went and got security and got them all kicked out. Ha! I know, I'm mean; but I paid for our tickets and we weren't able to enjoy the show with these people going in and out, walking in front of us and talking really loud. I just wasn't having it. Other than that it was a great show.

Sunday I took a very expensive trip to Home Depot and then finished painting the outside of our front door. I think it looks great! Even Kevin said he liked the way it turned out. Here are some before and afters. I also added some extras to give the door a little more curb appeal (the knocker and kick plate). The only thing left I want to do is replace the house numbers with something that looks nicer. I haven't found anything I like though, so I'm still giving it some thought.

My heart has been so heavy the past few days. My blogger and twitter friend Julee's husband passed away over the weekend in a very bad car accident. He left behind Julee and their sweet baby girl, Preslee, who is only ten months old. My heart is so crushed for them. Even though I don't know her IRL, I still feel like I do because I've been a reader ever since I started blogging and we tweet back and forth. I cannot even fathom what she is going through. But, she has so many wonderful family and friends that have surrounded her with so much love, and prayers have been lifted up over and over for them I know she can get through this.

I hate that it takes something so tragic to remind me of how fragile life is. It's good to remember to not take your loved ones for granted because this life is short. Far too short.

Baby Pino: 14 Weeks

It's growing!



How far along: 14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: According to my scale this morning I've lost a pound. I didn't have much of an appetite this past week and was eating smaller portions than usual.

Size of baby: 1 1/2 ounces; 3 1/2 inches long; about the size of a lemon.

Gender: We find out on Sunday!!!

Movement: Little flutters here and there. I usually feel them while I'm laying down, but on Saturday I felt them while standing up.

Belly button: I have my inny, but it's getting more shallow by the day.

Sleep: Pretty good.

Maternity clothes: Maternity pants and now transitioning to some maternity tops. Dresses are regular.

Aversions: Anything sweet. It just does not taste good to me.

Cravings: Layered bean dip, chips, mashed potatoes, tacos. Pretty much I crave salt around the clock. Not good for swelling!

What I miss: Nothing too much!

Best moment this week: Getting things organized in my head in regards to the nursery. Looks like we'll only have to purchase a crib (yes, we need to buy a crib because the one I got off Craigslist is a no-go) and a chair/glider. We have the dresser/changing table, bookshelf and nightstand. So that's a huge relief money-wise.

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out if Baby Pino will be a he or she. Also, feeling more movement.

Baby Daddy: Kevin touches my belly more and has started putting his head on it and talking to the little one. Melts my heart. :)



Love-Hate Friday

I'm taking the lead from K and partaking in her version of Love-Hate Friday.

Love: Stretchy pants.

Hate: Headaches. They are of the devil.

Love: I've just now decided I will be stopping by the grocery store after work to get ingredients needed to make Seven Layer Dip.

Hate: Nosy co-workers. I generally tend to not talk too much about personal details at the workplace. But when co-workers try to get all up in my biz-nass? I am not a fan.

Love: The way our front door turned out! I started this project last weekend but was only able to do the inside. I plan to finish the outside of the door this Sunday.

Hate: Kahlua's stinky breath. It's pretty much unbearable.

Love: We're going to see Kevin Hart tomorrow. [My] Kevin loves him, and I like him too. I got the tickets during a silent auction at work and we get to sit in my company's suite. Sweet! (Did you catch that right there? ;))

Hate: One of my friend's home got broken into yesterday. During the day! She has an alarm on her house and two dogs. Scary! She's okay though.

Love: Earplugs and eye masks. I sleep with both on a nightly basis. Life. Savers!

Hate: Pinchy bras.

Love: Maygan's baby. I can't wait to go visit in a few weeks!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Pizza, sparkles and sleep

Has this week taken forever for anyone else?

It was an interesting day at work today. A little too long for a post, but interesting nonetheless.

Right now in my pregnancy I have good days and bad days. Lately, I've had more good days than bad. However, today I was miserable and felt like I did six weeks ago. Hoping it is just a fluke.

The weather today was amazing! A nice wind all day and it was in the mid-70's. It was so nice to not sweat to death when I walked out of the office. I can smell that fall is in the air. Yesssss!

Kevin and I had leftover pizza tonight for dinner and just sat on the couch and talked while we watched football. He's had a couple rough days at work, and I have too so it's nice to just vent to one another. We're so different that it's good to get someone else's perspective on things.

Right now I'm watching "Bling it On" on TLC. The stuff this lady makes is a little tacky, but who doesn't love sparkles!!! It's a fun show.

Tomorrow is Fa-riday! We have a nice weekend planned so I'm looking forward to the end of the day tomorrow.

Am I the only one who wakes up in the morning and the first thing I think about is how I can't wait to get back in bed at the end of the day?? Didn't think so. ;)

xoxo,

The night I made dinner

Last night, I never got around to working on our finances and writing thank you notes like I had intended. Sometimes, I think it's better when I don't make plans, that way when I actually accomplish something I surprise myself with my productivity. Ha!

My BIL came over last night with pizza and he and Kev watched the A's play baseball. Funny story: BIL was mid-sentence talking about something when he stops, looks at me and says "Wow Kays. You've got a belly going on there." Ha! Guess it was the first time he noticed.
I partook in the pizza-eating then caught some zzz's. I didn't sleep that great (and I don't think Kevin did either thanks to my tossing and turning) because it was so flipping hot! What is with this weather!!??

Today, has been yet another busy day. You ever have those days when you start on something and it leads into an even bigger project and you can't ever get done because there's always something else that has to be done beforehand or you're waiting on someone else before you can move on? That's been my day. But I'm trying to take deep breaths.

I spent my lunch break at Babies R Us. I just wanted to see some of the items in person that I'm thinking about putting on our registry. One thing I noticed is that all the cribs seem to sit a lot lower than the one we have. I never really noticed that and now it's having me second-guess my crib purchase. Luckily, my friend Kate suggested this book so I'm going to start on it soon so I can be more in-the-know about baby stuff. :)

OH!! And the most important topic of today is that my BFF Maygan had her baby, Madison today! I'm so excited! Girlfriend seemed to have had an easy labor. She started having contractions last night, checked into the hospital this morning around six-ish and was 10cm by this afternoon. I hope mine will be that easy! I was glued to my phone all day today waiting for updates and pictures.

This evening I managed to complete the thank you notes and make chicken tacos for dinner! I am quite impressed. I can't remember the last time I willingly made dinner on a week night (since I've been pregnant). I think Kev was just as surprised, and definitely thankful.

I listened to the presidential debate while I cooked. Political debates make me anxious so I try not to watch them, and instead choose to read the highlights in the news the next day. Just the way I roll.

Peace out!

These days

It is currently 4:30 in the PM and I'm at work. I can no longer focus on work tasks. It's been so stressful today that I just feel like crying. So instead I'll blog. ;)

I want to document a week in our life. It will probably be boring to you. However, a week in the life posts happen to be my favorite to read.

Yesterday, went by too fast. My day consisted of:

Meetings from 8-10am

Front desk coverage from 10-10:15am and 12-1pm

Lunch from 1-2pm

Meeting from 2:30-3pm

Front desk coverage from 3-3:15pm

And in between all that I was expected to work. Oh! Not to mention after being away on a business trip the previous Thursday and Friday.

Since I didn't leave until after five o'clock I hit traffic. If I don't leave a little before five or right at five I am stuck in The Traffic.

I got home a little before six. Then I changed into comfies and tried to nurse my pounding headache with some water. No such luck.

I somehow managed to make dinner and Kevin got home and we had dinner together at the table. We always try to make it a point to eat dinner at the table together when we're home. I hope we can keep that tradition alive when Baby Pino comes along.

I turned in for the night at about 8:30 and that was pretty much the entirety of my day on Monday.

Today, I woke up at my regular time but decided I needed some more rest, so told work I'd be in at 10:30. Ha!

I had cereal before work. Remind me not to eat cereal again. Or rather, not to drink milk. Baby Pino is not a fan and I was sickkk this morning. So sick.

Work has been very stressful today. There are requests coming in from every which way and all of them seem to take an hour plus to resolve. And let me tell you: pregnancy brain is a real true-life thing! I don't feel like my mind is the same as it used to be at all. For my job I can't just recall things like I used to. I have to go way back and research what I did in the past and it's really driving me nuts.

On top of that I just feel emotional and sensitive today so I'm feeling off.

I'm hoping Kevin will make dinner tonight.

On my agenda for tonight is to write thank you notes to the nice friends and family that have been so kind to us during our move and baby news, and to also set out our budget. I usually set out a budget a few months in advance but I've been really slacking since we've moved.

So this is a little bit Negative Nancy-type post, but it's the mood I'm in, so I'm going with it. I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day. It will be a new day at least!

The end.

Baby Pino: 13 Weeks

It seems my bump looks different as the day goes on (which I've read is normal). But here's yesterday's bump in the late afternoon, making an appearance. Please excuse the no makeup and non-brushed hair. ;)

 

How far along: 13 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Gained one pound

Size of baby: Apparently, he's the size of a medium shrimp.

Gender: We find out in two weeks!

Movement: I think I feel little flutters every now and then. Nothing consistent though.

Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well. Maybe one bathroom break in the middle of the night, so I'll take it!

Maternity clothes: All maternity pants, regular tops and dresses.

Symptoms: The nausea has subsided some. Yay! I feel the worst in the morning but it goes away eventually. Still really tired but not as often.

Aversions: Kevin put some olives in the spaghetti he made last night and I was not a fan. I usually don't mind them.

Cravings: Smoothies, chips, potato salad. You know, all the healthy stuff. ;)

What I miss: Nothing too much this week.

Best moment this week: Mapping out my maternity leave (thank you, Kallie!!!). I know there's still a ways to go, but I like just knowing a general idea of how things will look as far as my time off goes. Also, put the crib together. I got this crib off Craigslist a while ago for only $50! It was the exact one I had in mind. It was taken apart when I bought it so I wanted to make sure it's still use-able once put together. There are some things that need to be fixed and it'll need to be painted, but it'll work!

What I'm looking forward to: Going home at the end of each day. Ha! I just don't enjoy being pregnant at work right now. Also, this being my last week of my first trimester! (At least I think it is. All the info online is very convoluted.)

Baby Daddy: We got a new dining room table this weekend. It's very fancy. Kevin is under the assumption that our kid will stab the table with forks and knives. I guess he thinks we'll just let our child run amok with dangerous utensils.