Magic number 33

This was a fun little thing to put together of the progress of my belly through 31 weeks, which was July 16. I realize I'm very behind in pictures. I will be taking one today, 33 weeks. I've had some personal family matters come about and been busy with work and overall just had very little energy. Excuses, excuses I know. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks Today (7 weeks to go to due date!)
Size of baby: size of a Honeydew! (and weighs 4.2 lbs and is 17 inches long)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Officially 20 lbs, yikes!
Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity pants and shirts. Regular T-shirts are starting to fit weird are just about too tight to wear!
Gender: Baby Dewey is either a Girl or a Boy :)
Movement: Kicking & hiccups! Now I can start feeling when Baby is changing positions. And the kicking downward is uncomfortable!! Head is down.

Sleep: Starting to get less and less sleep, but still tired.
What I miss: Nothing really...my regular clothes?! Being able to bend over?!
Cravings: Food?! Fruit & Veggies...and cookies.

Symptoms: Have some heartburn/indigestion, hiccups for both baby and me. Can now tolerate dairy?! And some swelling in the feet. :(
Labor Symptoms: Had my first braxton hicks (?) contractions last week.
Milestone: Another doctor appt this week, back to every 2 weeks
Best Moment this week: I felt baby make a full body shift multiple times through the night. And the head banging downward is...awkward.

What I'm looking forward to: My belly growing (more)...though not sure how much bigger it can get...and to meet baby!

 I think I'm officially waddling, though that may be my perception. I know going down stairs I definitely have a waddle to my step. I'm a lot slower when walking, or generally getting ready. Baby's movements are draining the energy out of me. We share hiccup sessions each day together, though mine feel like they hurt more than Baby's. We push each other back and forth when Baby pushes out my belly button (ouch) and when Baby sticks their butt out. Maybe we're giving each other a high five?!


Still have to get Baby's room ready and wash all the clothes and set things up. Have a few other things we need to do before the arrival. Seems like time is just flying by right now...of course don't hold me to that quote once I'm a week away :)


Overall, things are good and have been good. I think this has been a great pregnancy, minus the morning sickness and now some uncomfortableness, it has been great. I'm pretty lucky I know :)

The Thirties Are Here!

This week went by really fast. I know the next couple weeks are going to continue to fly by, just until the last minute when it will go so slow and I'll want this baby out! My sister (in law) Steph is due with her second baby TODAY! We're thinking good baby thoughts for her and hoping this baby doesn't take his time coming out. We're so excited!

 

Ok, ok, I know, no photo again. I will post some tomorrow, pinky promise. I just came off working overnights and my day today was all over the place. Spent some good time catching up with phone calls to family :) Pinky promise, belly pictures!

 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 31 Weeks Today (9 weeks to go to due date!)
Size of baby: size of a squash or 4 large naval oranges (and weighs 3.3 lbs and is 16 inches long)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Officially 20 lbs, yikes!
Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity pants and shirts. Regular T-shirts are starting to fit weird are just about too tight to wear!
Gender: Baby Dewey is either a Girl or a Boy :)
Movement: I've been kicked and can feel hiccups! Now I can start feeling when Baby is changing positions. And the kicking downward is uncomfortable!! Noticing movements up high but can't tell what body parts are what yet.

Sleep: Starting to get less and less sleep
What I miss: Nothing really...my regular clothes?!
Cravings: Food?! Been on a peanut butter kick this week...but whats new?!
Symptoms: Have some heartburn/indigestion, hiccups for both baby and me. Can now tolerate dairy?! And some swelling in the feet.
Labor Symptoms: Had my first braxton hicks (?) contraction!
Milestone: Had another doctor appt this week, back to every 2 weeks
Best Moment this week: I felt baby make a full body shift multiple times through the night! 

What I'm looking forward to: My belly growing (more) and feeling MORE and constant movement AND the short time until I can meet Baby!

Well this week I had another doctor appointment, just a regular check up. I'm back to going every 2 weeks to get checked out. I guess normally by week 36 (?) is when people start going every 2 weeks or so, but I'm starting early since I was a bit higher risk. No problem for me, gives me something to look forward to!

Yep, I've officially gained 20 lbs. Ugh. I know it's really not that much, and most of it is the belly, baby, water, and all that jazz inside. I still feel pretty (most days) and know I'm not a huge cow...yet. Just kind of a shock to see that number. Oh well, here's to a healthy baby. That's what I'm telling myself about some of the...shhh...stretch marks...shhh...I'll be just fine. None of this will matter as soon as that baby is here. Ya know why? Cause I'm a MOM! :)

Here's to you Baby Dewey

My letter to you, Baby Dewey - 

Sitting here having peanut butter & crackers at 2:30am I can't help but rub my belly and think of you. Do you know how much you are loved? I tell you this all the time, and I'm sure you know it and hear it by now, but I just wanted to remind you. You are loved so much by so many people. 

First off, I'm mommy talking. I've referred to myself as mommy this whole time and I'm getting used to calling myself that but I know the minute I see you it will be more real and have a different feel to it. From the first time I found out I was going to be a mommy I've been excited to feel you grow inside my belly and it has been such an amazing journey so far. Hiccups and whole body shifts and movements have definitely been the strangest but most interesting to feel and watch! I can tell you do not like to scrunch up, you are stretched out most of the time.


I must admit, while exciting this whole parenthood thing is a bit scary to think about. I'm sure you're scared to come out into the real world and experience all of this. We will learn together and I promise to teach you amazing things and be right there for you to lean on when you've had a crappy day. That's what mom's do. I've had some pretty good role models. My mom, your grandma or should we call her "Me-ma" for now, is such an amazing woman. I can't wait for you to meet her. She is also very excited to meet you. She's been the single most best influential person in my life and has taught me way more than I ever thought possible. You will be spoiled, there is no doubt in my mind.

As for daddy, he is pretty excited to meet you too. Him and I talked long ago about having kids and we've been excited to meet you for longer than you've been in my belly. He has all of these ideas of where to take you, what to do for fun. You will love him. He's such a great guy and best friend and husband to me, he will be so amazing with you.

I can't wait to see how much your personality is like mine and daddy's. How much you look like us. 

So many other people are excited to meet you too. You have a whole other set of grandparents, some great grandparents, an uncle who is pretty excited to be an uncle, an aunt and many cousins to list a few. 

I'll continue to dance with you, share stories with you, try new foods and read you stories baby until I meet you, then we'll do it all over again. We've got less than 10 weeks until your appearance. If I had to guess when you'll show up, I'd say later rather than earlier. After all, you are a Dewey :)

With lots of love & belly rubbing,
Mommy

23 weeks

Quotable Tuesday

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”

“The most important things in life aren't things.”

Happy Birthday to my Gramps

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa!! Today is his birthday. He is one amazing guy. Wish I was back in Colorado to help celebrate. I'm sure we would have lemon pie/cake. Or cookies. He's a sweets kind of guy. I miss him very much!

Happy Birthday Gramps!! I love you!

 

{September 19, 2009 at our wedding}

{Jim and Gramps, Father's Day 2011}

{Me, Mom and Gramps, Father's Day 2011}

 

Dinner @ Dewey's Italian Bistro

I know it's been a while since I've posted a cooking/food post. I've been busy with work and being pregnant has kind of taken my motivation for taking pictures of my cooking and creating new dishes away. I still have been cooking and making some pretty good dishes, I might add, but just haven't had the motivation to post about them. My bad!

Anyway, here's to last Tuesday night's dinner (again, evey intention of posting this LAST week, geez). Ah-may-zing. First off, we all know how much I love pasta. That's a given. I decided to make meatballs. From scratch. I remember watching an episode of Giada at Home on Foodnetwork where she added Parmesan to her noodles and Rachael Ray where she made meatballs and added mozzarella cheese to the middle, so I took that inspiration to make these meatballs with Parmesan cheese. YUM!!

I used fettuccine noodles, a bottled creamy tomato vodka sauce and sage pork sausage for the base. 

I used 1 lb of pork sage sausage for the meatballs. Added about a cup of dried bread crumbs (any kind will do, I used italian seasoned), and about 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, and a good sprinkle of garlic salt. I was able to make 18 meatballs out of just 1 lb, though the breadcrumbs do help to add consistency. I baked them on a cookie sheet, covered with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) at 400 F degrees for about 15 minutes. I cut one open to check doneness.

Next, I just cooked the noodles regular and simmered a creamy tomato vodka sauce, out of the bottle. I know, not very creative there, but the meatballs were really my main focus for the meal. Hang with me a second.

After the meatballs were done, I added them to the sauce and let simmer a few more minutes. While this wasn't a difficult dish to make, it had been a long time since we'd had meatballs with spaghetii. Overall, a great and mostly simple dish to make.

Happy Pasta Eating!

CountDOWN in single digit WEEKS!

What a milestone today is...30 weeks. Now begins the countdown, literally count DOWN, in weeks as we approach single digits of weeks left. I think just saying that out loud gets me more excited than anything. While this entire pregnancy I've been thinking about my body and how it has changed and how it will change, and preparing for this new person that will be with us soon enough, I may have forgotten to really sit back and think how exciting it all will be to be a MOTHER. Don't get me wrong, I have known this all along, I have just taken it for granted and it has been in the back of my mind. 

While parts of labor and raising a child is scary to think about; being responsible for another person - yikes! It is also exciting. I'm excited to have someone that is a PART of ME and Josh. We created this person through the love we have for one another. WOW! 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks Today (10 weeks to go to due date!)
Size of baby: size of a head of Cabbage (and weighs 3 lbs  and is 15.8 inches long)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Since last Dr. appt: 16 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity pants and shirts. Regular T-shirts are starting to fit weird are just about too tight to wear!
Gender: Baby Dewey is either a Girl or a Boy :)
Movement: I've been kicked and can feel hiccups! Now I can start feeling when Baby is changing positions. And the kicking downward is uncomfortable!! Noticing movements up high but can't tell what body parts are what yet.

Sleep: Starting to wake up throughout the night
What I miss: Nothing really...my regular clothes?!
Cravings: Food?!
Symptoms: None, have some heartburn/indigestion, hiccups for both baby and me. Can now tolerate dairy?!
Labor Symptoms: Nothing yet really.
Milestone: Doctor appointment on June 15th marked my last "every-two-week-appts".
Best Moment this week: Baby woke me up in the middle of the night (2am) to move around and kick and hiccup. Practice for later?!

What I'm looking forward to: My belly growing (more) and feeling MORE and constant movement AND the short time until I can meet Baby!


My goals for the next couple weeks:

• reduce stress BIGTIME!
• relax & light exercise
• wash clothes, blankets & get Baby's room in order
• install carseat in the car
• take birthing classes
• take a tour of the hospital, scheduled right now for this Tuesday!
• go on more dates & evenings out with the Hubs
• narrow down a name for our Baby!?!?

Sorry no picture for today's post. I was lazy. That's it, just lazy. I'll post some more this week :)

Almost Three-Oh

Hard to believe I'm quickly approaching the big three-oh (weeks of pregnancy that is) for the milestone.

Had some fun taking pictures a few days ago. I'm getting the hang of it :)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 29 Weeks on Saturday...I'll post on time one of these days.. (74 days to go!?)
Size of baby: size of a Butternut Squash (and weighs 2 1/2lbs  and is 15 inches long)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Since last Dr. appt: 16 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity pants and shirts. Regular T-shirts are starting to fit weird are just about too tight to wear!
Gender: Baby Dewey is either a Girl or a Boy :)
Movement: I've been kicked and can feel hiccups! Now I can start feeling when Baby is changing positions. And the kicking downward is uncomfortable!! Noticing movements up high but can't tell what body parts are what yet.

Sleep: Have been tired and now starting to wake up throughout the night
What I miss: Nothing really...my regular clothes?!
Cravings: Food?!
Symptoms: None, have some heartburn/indigestion, hiccups for both baby and me. Can now tolerate dairy?!
Labor Symptoms: Might be starting to have Braxton-Hicks ?!
Milestone: Doctor appointment on June 15th marked my last "every-two-week-appts".
Best Moment this week: Baby kicked Josh in the head when Josh was talking to my belly :)

What I'm looking forward to: My belly growing (more) and feeling MORE and constant movement!

Ok, so the weirdest thing I've eaten so far in this pregnancy has been......grape tomatoes. Not too weird, huh? Well I've never been a tomato person, and to eat them plain, raw, by themselves...WOW! Atleast they are healthy. Also been on an ice cream kick, ugh. Oh well! Also, still on the grilled cheese kick and wanting bread and dairy. Not too much else that is strange.