Bumpdate: 32 weeks

 

following along: weeks 5-12 , weeks 13-16  , weeks 17-19 , weeks 20-22, week 23 , week 24 , week 25, week 26, week 27

  28 weeks, 29 weeks, 30 & 31 weeks

 

How Far Along? 32 weeks, 5 days

Gender: GIRL

Weight Gain: Had been sitting pretty right around 20lbs, but I'm sure this indulgent weekend put me well above!

Maternity Clothes:  I'm living in leggings and long sweaters and I'm mainly wearing nursing bras at this point too.

Nursery: I found a pretty lamp for the room at Homegoods on major sale. I hate overhead lighting so I'm excited to have two decent lamps in her room...I just need to swap out the wattage on the light bulb, but that's an easy fix. 

 

Movement: We've had lots of hiccups this week and I can feel that she is getting bigger. I love when I can feel her move in two places at the same time too.

 

 Symptoms: A little more heartburn this week, but nothing horrible. I also am a little more uncomfortable just sitting because of the position she is in and I find myself adjusting constantly. Sleep is eh.....I'm up probably 5-6x at night because of constant pressure on my bladder.

 

Sleep: Still not able to nap which is annoying, and like I mentioned, sleep is starting to dwindle a bit too.

Joel: We had the best weekend together ever. It was the perfect getaway for both of us. It was so relaxing, so cozy, so fun and it had been a while since Joel and I got to just enjoy each other's company without anyone else to share with....it was so nice.

 Workouts: Only two! Yoga and kickboxing. I had great intentions to get in a hike while we were on our babymoon, but the bed and my book were just too enticing, so I didn't fit it in. It's been a lot colder around here so my walks have greatly decreased, but I really want to try and fit in a few more walks this upcoming week, even if it's just a mile or two here or there.

Mood/Mental State: Great. I'm really proud of the place I've been in the last few weeks and while I have no idea if that will change, I'm enjoying the here and now and praising myself for not going into panic mode quite yet.

Cravings: Nothing specific because I'm indulging in everything! Honestly, when I'm on the other side of this pregnancy, I think I need to take like a 3 month break from all bagels.

What I Miss: Being on vacation makes it a touch harder to not miss drinking.....two times I sort of pouted...when we checked in they were giving away free glasses of champagne, and I just wanted like ten of them! And then at the spa, lots of groups of girls were just lounging with mimosas and I wanted very badly too as well - but I got over it. Knowing that mimosas are waiting for me in just six short weeks helps a lot!

Random Things:  32 weeks was a big milestone. When I was pregnant with Leo, my doctor said that when her patients hit 32 weeks, she likes to take a big sigh of relief, and that always stuck with me. Now, my eyes are on the 35 week prize!

Best Moment of the Week: Our trip to Kohler. From the massage, to reading my book at the spa, to bowling with Joel, playing cards at the bar, scrabble by the fire, sleeping in, and just totally relaxing....it was a heavenly trip!

Looking Forward To: So I have another really fun week ahead! My best friend from Cali is arriving on Thursday, we have one of my best friends weddings on Saturday, AND I have a little sprinkle on Sunday! I can't even stand it!

Babymoon Bliss

We spent this past weekend up in Kohler, Wisconsin at the American Club and had the absolute most perfect weekend getaway ever. 

Of course, it started off a touch bumpy - but every good parents vacation does, right? 

Joel had been in Ohio for business since Sunday, and then after a really cold Halloween, Leo started to get sick. I was anxious about it knowing we were going to be leaving on Friday, and like clockwork on Thursday, he spiked a fever. 

Thankfully the fever was only 24 hours, so when we left him on Friday morning with my parents, he was just congested - and grandparents are good for that! So, even though it made it harder to leave him, we climbed in the car Friday morning at 10am, and hit the road.

 

Joel and I both admitted that we were even excited for the 2.5hr car trip up to Kohler. We weren't rushing, we could listen to any podcasts or pandora stations we wanted to, we were stocked up on starbucks and the color of the leaves were literally perfection.

We stopped for a quick lunch on the way up, and then checked into the hotel right about 1pm.

 

Our room wasn't ready, but we anticipated that, and made spa appointments for Friday afternoon. Joel had a pedicure and I had a massage both scheduled for 2pm, so we left our bags at the main hotel and walked over to spend the rest of the day at the spa.

 

My massage was heavenly, mainly thanks to that giant body pillow that I actually wanted to steal. Laying on my stomach felt like pure bliss! 

After the appointment, we hung out at the pool reading books, drinking tea, snacking on spa goodies and just totally blissing out.

 

Joel loved the pool - and the cold plunge - and I could've spent the entire weekend on the lounge chair. Literally every worry just melted away while you were down there, it was just so lovely.

We pulled ourselves out of the spa at almost 6pm to finally get into our room, shower off and get ready for dinner.  The hotel had caught wind that we were celebrating a babymoon so they had a bottle of sparkling cherry juice waiting in our room....and it actually wasn't half bed.

For dinner, we stayed at the hotel and decided to sit at the bar at The Horse and Plow. We took our time ordering.....we started with pretzel bites, split the bison burger and then capped it off with an amazing s'mores dessert. 

Joel and I love sitting at bars for dinner, and its something you can't do with a baby, so it feels extra special nowadays too. We played a ton of rounds of Golf and had a really, really fun night.

Saturday (and really, the entire weekend), was cold, gray and rainy, and so while I wanted to join Joel on a walk (he ran), I decided against it and enjoyed the hour he was gone in bed, reading, with a latte and a cinnamon roll.

 

When Joel got back from his run, we got ready for the day, and decided to hang out in the lobby and play a round of scrabble.

The American Club is just that kind of hotel. It's cozy and wintery, and sitting by the wood crackling fire, playing scrabble and drinking tea is pretty much Heaven.

After scrabble we went into town (Sheboygan) to have lunch at Field to Fork.

Another cup of tea for me, a fantastic lunch for both of us, fueled us for our afternoon activity.........bowling! 

 

It's been years since Joel or I have bowled, but we had SUCH a fun time. Joel had a couple of beers, we were able to fit in 3 full games in the hour that we bowled, and I pretty much searched out bowling leagues to join for when we return home ;)

Not kidding...and not sure why but I was loving on tea this weekend....we grabbed another tea and watched the Iowa game in our room. 

It was an INCREDIBLE game - a big win over Ohio State, and a really fun game to watch. 

After the game we got dressed and decided to have a drink downstairs before we headed out for dinner.

The bartender made me a really yummy (and annoyingly expensive mocktail), but it was pineapple, cranberry, and club soda in a martini glass with a lemon twist. 

 

We had dinner back in Sheboygan at Stefano's, and if you ever find yourself in Kohler - I would highly recommend you fit dinner at Stefano's into your itinerary. 

I didn't take many pictures, but we started with a great cheese plate and then each had bowls of pasta that were just so authentic and delicious - and we didn't leave the place feeling grossly full.

It was a perfect, romantic, lovely dinner spot.

Sunday morning we planed to have brunch at the hotel, but neither of us felt like a heavy buffet so after enjoying sleeping in a bit (thanks Daylight Savings!) we  (sadly) checked out, and stopped for a quick breakfast at The Daily Harvest in Sheboygan (wouldn't run there, but it fit the bill).

 

 Joel indulged me by letting me listen to Christmas music the entire ride home, and we were home snuggling our little Leo just two and half hours later. 

The weekend was so relaxing, so zen, so easy and so us, and it was just what we needed after a whirlwind of the last few months (and an upcoming whirlwind of the next upcoming months!).

Bumpdate: 30 & 31 weeks

 

 

following along: weeks 5-12 , weeks 13-16  , weeks 17-19 , weeks 20-22, week 23 , week 24 , week 25, week 26, week 27

  28 weeks, 29 weeks

 

How Far Along? 31w5d

Gender: GIRL

Weight Gain: 19.5lbs

Maternity Clothes:  I'm living in leggings and long sweaters

Nursery: We started making some headway! The crib is up, the changing table has been moved out of Leo's room and into the nursery, along with the glider and ottoman. That means that Leo's room got some changing too - a new dresser and a big new white day bed. I'm actually loving the way Leo's room is looking, but I need to organize the dresser in the coming weeks.

Next up for the baby; I want to spray paint a collage of mirrors I took from my mom. They will be getting a fresh coat of gold. I need to find some black out drapes and I'd like to find a shelving unit as well.

 

Movement: All. Day. Long. Some movements are getting more and more uncomfortable and a few have stopped me in my tracks too. 

Symptoms: Feeling more pregnant. I feel like I'm moving more pregnant-ly and breathing is getting a little heavier too but overall - I'm really, really thankful for how this pregnancy is treating me.

Sleep: No matter how tired I am (and I've been feeling really tired lately) I cannot nap. It blows. Thankfully I sleep well at night about 80% of the time.

Joel: Did major work to get the nursery started which has been enormously helpful. I just have the motivation for nothin' so thankfully he is great at getting jobs done. I try to take Leo out of the house for a few hours on the afternoon so that he can work in peace, and it's always really fun to come home and see the progress.

 Workouts:  Does packing boxes count? I've been with my parents almost every day for the last 2 weeks packing up their old house and then unpacking in their new house. A few days I overdid it on my feet but I'm glad that I was still able to be around to help them. We still have a lot of work to do but I'm happy not to see a tape gun for a while.

I also made it to yoga and kickboxing.

And in another note on workouts, I got a note from my doctor today to start my gym maternity leave as early as December 1st, so we'll see how I'm feeling in the next 4 weeks.





Mood/Mental State: Great. The last two weeks I've felt really calm, cool, and collected and my 32 week doctors appointment didn't make me panic like the appointments normally do which was a really refreshing mental break.

Cravings: Halloween candy has been making wayyyyy too many appearances. 

What I Miss: Not being pregnant ;) That's going to stay....I'm starting to get excited to get to the other side.

Random Things:  Our 32 week appointment today went fantastic - such an amazing feeling to leave the doctors after a healthy report. Baby measured right on track at 32 weeks, heartbeat was 148, and the doctor sent me on my way until 35 weeks!




Best Moment of the Week: Getting my parents into their new, much anticipated house and a very healthy doctors appointment

Looking Forward To: Our babymoon! We are heading to The American Club in Kohler, WI this weekend for lots of spa services, sleep, books, and time together. We both are so excited to check out for a few days, spend some low key time together, and just relax.

Weekend Recap

We had a great weekend over here. It hit that perfect balance of relaxing, productive, and fun - so you really can't ask for much more than that. 

We have school on Friday mornings, which is one of Leo's favorite days of the week, so it always kick starts our weekend off right.

 

Friday afternoon, Leo and I walked to my parents house, Joel picked us up on his way home from dinner, and we just hung out. We decided to do baths, catch up on our DVR, and sort of fend for dinner. 

Saturday mornings are my favorite morning of the week. We let Leo come cuddle in bed with us when he wakes up and watch a show, and then Joel takes him downstairs and they bring me up coffee and breakfast. It is heavenly - and this week they decided to go to Menards afterwards so I got an extra long session and it allowed me to finish my book (more to come on that later). 

We took a walk to my parents house when they got home and then I spent the entire afternoon with my parents helping them pack their kitchen. They are moving into their dream home this Wednesday so it's all hands on deck.

I got home at 5, threw together a salad and some dessert, and we walked down the street to our neighbors to grill burgers and hang with them.

We really lucked out in the neighbor department. I've been family friends with my girlfriend for years and years and she and her family just recently moved back to CL too, so it's been perfect having them a stone's throw away.

Plus, they have a 15 week old baby girl, so I anticipate lots and lots of Saturday nights with them for years to come. 

Sunday was perfect. It was cold, rainy, and our plans for the day were to spend time with family, carve pumpkins, and make dinner. 

Leo wasn't the biggest fan of the slime, but we had fun doing them anyhow. The football game was on, I got to light all of my fall candles...it was pretty close to perfection for me!

And they're the perfect little addition to our front porch (I'm just hoping deer and chipmunks leave them be for the next two weeks!). 

 

I made my mom's family famous lasagna that was SO good, we had baked apples for dessert, and then sent the girls on their way back into the city. 

 

This week is going to be crazy getting my parents moved but I'm SO excited for them and cannot wait to spend lots and lots of time at their new casa. 

Bumpdate: 29 weeks

 

following along: weeks 5-12 , weeks 13-16  , weeks 17-19 , weeks 20-22, week 23 , week 24 , week 25, week 26, week 27

 

How Far Along? 29w6d

Gender: GIRL

Weight Gain: 19.5lbs (I was up 22lbs at this point with Leo)

Maternity Clothes:  I have a feeling I'm going to live the next 9 weeks in leggings and long sweaters. I found really cheap, comfortable leggings at Nordstrom Rack (brand is Abound and they were $10). They're nothing amazing, but they're comfy, I sized up, and bought two pairs and wear them pretty much if I'm not in workout clothes.

Nursery: We bought a dresser for Leo's room which is good because in the next few weeks the dresser that Leo has been using will go into the nursery. It will be slightly annoying because that means we will have to change Leo in the nursery, but it just didn't make sense to me to buy a whole second changing station (and diaper pail) to be used for only 6-10 months (or until Leo decided to potty train). 

 

If it does turn out to be a huge pain, we can always figure out an option B, but Leo is really only getting changed 4ish times a day, and I just don't think it will be that big of a deal............ 

  My sister-in-law also graciously gifted us an old swing and an extra Rock and Play so that was pretty awesome too since I think it will be really nice to have an extra RP on the first floor. 

Movement: YES - and lots. Baby girl has had lots of hiccups this week too. At my 24week appointment the doctor pointed out that the baby was sideways, and I'm fairly certain she still is. I can feel her head and butt (not sure which is which) which I love.

Symptoms: Not horrible this week. Had some emotional moments which isn't always fun, but it is what it is. Also, my hormones when I'm pregnant pump out lots of anxiety, so I do have to battle that everyday. I really don't like being alone or bored - both of which bring my anxiety to a head - so I've been spending lots of time with my mom.  

I also find myself sitting a lot more. I'm pretty used to staying busy or being on the floor with Leo, but both of those are getting a little more tiring, so I'm much more apt to take a seat than I am when I'm not pregnant.

Sleep: Really well this week and I don't think I've taken any afternoon naps lately. Sometimes I'll lay down and read for an hour, and I do try to take it pretty easy during Leo's nap time, but I'm always pretty excited to go upstairs for the night and turn in.

Joel: Supportive while I lost my cool a few times this week.

 Workouts:  Fit in yoga and kickboxing this week, but my walks were a little weak this week because the weather was a little off. The forecast looks fantastic for the next two weeks so hopefully we can fill in some of those gaps.

Mood/Mental State: More anxious this week than last but trying to not tailspin.

Cravings: Much healthier week overall than last - but I don't really restrict myself much (and probably could a touch more...but whatever!).

What I Miss: Not being pregnant ;)

Random Things:  I think I nested a bit this weekend which was nice. I loved getting a few pieces of furniture from my parents and found myself just sitting in the living room looking at them all weekend long. I'm starting to get excited about tackling the nursery now that we're kind of making baby steps toward progress.


Best Moment of the Week: The fall-like weather and time at home with my boys.

Looking Forward To: A healthy, calm, low key week that will take us into the THIRTIES! That feels like a really big milestone and one that I'm so excited and grateful to see. 

Weekly Menu

Thai Meatballs with Pre-Bagged Asain Salad // Kale Salad // Chicken Pitas and Sweet Potato Fries // Pumpkin Turkey Chili with the best corn casserole ever!
 

 I really do enjoy putting dinner on the table during the week. The whole process - meal planning/grocery shopping/cooking/cleaning....it can be a hassle - there is no doubt - but there is something about the fall and winter season that allows me to enjoy it again. I don't have fun with it during the summer months I've officially decided. 

I also am finding that I feel better physically and mentally right now staying busy, so I'm trying to keep my afternoons filled with productive tasks - like making dinner. 

I cook a pretty consistent 20 or so recipes, but I'm constantly looking for new and easy recipes and pretty much only use Pintrest or Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers as my sources! 

Weekend Recap + House Updates

 

On Friday afternoon we were supposed to head to Iowa to spend the weekend with Joel's brother and his family, but a few of their kids got sick, so we decided to stay home. 

We ended up joining my parents for dinner for a fun Oktoberfest dinner at the country club and then coming home and catching up on a few shows we had DVR'ed over the week. 

Saturday the weather was super cruddy, but we spent most of the day helping my parents start their move. They are moving out of their house in 10 days, so we helped box stuff, take things to GoodWill, and the most fun....take a few pieces of their furniture to our house! 

My mom had two antique tables that were her parents that aren't going to work in their new house that she gifted to me and I am OBSESSED.

They made a hugggggge improvement in our living room/dining room space and they're just such beautiful tables with so much history, I feel honored to have them at our house now. 

 

This piece isn't an antique, but it won't work for their new house so I'm going to try and make it work for us. Our house has a lot of square footage and open spaces, and I like pieces that help fill the space and keep it cozier.

 

It needs to be styled, but it's got great storage and fits this wall perfectly. 

 

I popped into World Market on Friday and ended up buying this dresser for Leo's big kid room. 

 

It was the floor sample so it was already built (major win for Joel) and on major sale (major win for me) and it majorly cute (major win for Leo) so everyone wins! 

They're are a lot of moving pieces for the nursery/big kid transition, so it will sit empty for a few more weeks, but I'm glad that I finally found a piece that we actually need. Some forward progress! 

Saturday night we walked over to our neighbors to watch the Cubs play the Dodgers in the first NLCS game. 

 

 They served chili which was perfect for the super windy and stormy night, and thankfully the power only flickered so we could watch the entire game. Sadly it didn't go in our favor, but I'm really hoping the Cubs can come out on top.

 

After taking a bath, Leo always gets wrapped up in a robe or towel and wants to play "baby". He literally makes his entire body a limp noodle and it just cracks us the heck up. It's the cutest darn thing. 

 

Sunday morning was perfectly fall - it was 50 degrees and windy and crisp, so we decided to treat ourselves to latte's and cinnamon bread at Starbucks before taking our groceries home.

We spent Sunday afternoon doing things around the house, and then I made some pumpkin turkey chili and cornbread casserole for my parents and us for our Sunday night dinner.  

Bumpdate: 28 weeks - HELLO 3rd TRIMESTER!

 

 

following along: weeks 5-12 , weeks 13-16  , weeks 17-19 , weeks 20-22, week 23 , week 24 , week 25, week 26, week 27

 

How Far Along? 28w6d

Gender: GIRL

Weight Gain: didn't get on this week but I'm guessing 16/17lbs

Maternity Clothes:  Same....in maternity pants and select normal shirts for the most part. My workout clothes have been fine but I'm probably ruining them.

Nursery: Nothing.....eek! Now that Leo's birthday party is behind us, it's our next big thing. We are getting a few things from my sister-in-law this weekend, borrowing a crib in the next few weeks from my cousin, doing an Ikea trip and having a sprinkle that should help motivate some movement in this department!

Movement: YES - and lots. I love it, even though it happens 24 hours a day - and oftentimes on my bladder.

Symptoms: Walks are getting harder. I get some pretty solid round ligament pains during my walks that really slow my pace and lately have been forcing me to stop in my tracks. I remember them happening with Leo but I thought it was closer to 33/34 weeks. 

 

If I don't have to bend down, I won't. It seems to take longer to regulate my breath when I'm relaxing/sitting. I think it's just the weight on my lungs, but I take these like deep deep breaths...It's kind of annoying. 

Sleep: Pretty good this week. I fall asleep instantly and try really hard to not look at my phone when I get up to use the bathroom (2ish times/night).

Joel: Was a huge help at Leo's 2nd birthday party - and was really appreciative of what I did to pull it together too which was nice. We were able to go on TWO dates this past week which was a treat, and we both feel like we should be doing that as often as we can before the baby comes and date night takes a backseat for a while.

 Workouts:  Was able to get to yoga and kickboxing, take a really long walk with Joel and Leo on Sunday, and fit in a few other walks throughout the week as well. The weather has been just beyond fantastic, so we are still able to walk most days at least once, if not twice. CocoPop (my parents) live just under a mile, so they're a great destination in the afternoon to walk over to and just pop in and say hi.

Mood/Mental State:REALLY good. I had a great doctors appointment on Monday that really reassured me and made a different in my mental state all week long.

Cravings: Holy cow, after I found out that I passed my glucose test last Tuesday, I sort of went hog wild on all. the. treats. On Tuesday after the nurse called to tell me that my results were normal, I had to treat myself to an apple cider donut, and then Joel came home with a pint of ice cream as a celebratory treat which was sweet but sweet. Then with Leo's birthday....we hit the sweets WAY too hard this week.

What I Miss: My energy and mimosas.

Random Things: We had Leo's 2nd birthday party which was the first time a lot of my family had seen me since my belly has really made its appearance so that was really fun seeing everyone and getting excited.

Best Moment of the Week:  Finding out I passed the 1hr glucose test and celebrating Leo's 2nd birthday party.

Looking Forward To: A healthy week, less sugar, and a weekend in Iowa with Joel's brother's family.