Time to share the good news!

Someone at home is going to be a BIG sister :)

We are pumped to announce we are expanding to a family of 4 in October 2014!!

Happy to be Thankful

Today is Friday folks!

Can't complain there

AND

next week is Thanksgiving!

I'm kinda secretly pumped about this because my husband and I are having his family over to OUR house

Turkey Day at OUR house

This is a first!!

We luckily just bought a nice sit.down.let's.eat type table

which was (and still is for that matter) extremely HEAVY.

It's got a marble top and is about 6 ft long

and stunning!

My husband and I are in charge of all the side dishes

his parents will bring the ham and dessert

(no turkey here this year folks!)

I am headed to shop for most of the stuff today

and am excited about what I plan to prepare

Yummy sides include:

green bean casserole

crock pot mashed potatoes (and side bar of cheese, bacon and chives)

cranberry sauce

crock pot mac n cheese (thanks to a recipe from my friend Kelly)

sausage and sage stuffing (from a farmer's market)

and fresh chicken gravy (from farmer's market)

I'm drooling thinking about all this food

and I am kinda happy to not have to travel this year

Normally we would go to one set of parents

then the other

be super stuffed

and pass out

lights.out.gone.

food coma

(and beer coma too)

So, I am thankful and happy this year for being able to have my family over and share with them

Any of you have family traditions you do?

We typically go around the table and say what we are thankful for...

which always gets me emotional (especially when the kiddos say something super sweet!)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Butterflies and Tumblin' Tots

This past weekend we went to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

They currently have a Butterflies Live! exhibit going on

which is rather extraordinary!

Naturally, we were there when the gardens opened 

BUT

we were the ONLY 3 people inside the exhibit

the whole time we were there

We walked around and stared in amazement

Kensie was thrilled with all the butterflies

but I may have been a little more excited!

I have never seen SO many butterflies

in one place

and all different kinds

It was pretty magical

Sunday, The Little Gym was having an open house

We decided to go in and see what it was all about

At first, Kensie was really shy and sitting in my lap

Staring at all the other kids and adults

But she slowly crept out of her shell

and by the end of the open house

She didn't want to leave!

Of course, at home Sunday evening

We were changing her crib sheets

and she decided to make her bed into a jumping mat

Jump

Jump

Jump

and flop on her bottom

Totally the cutest...

Then we sang no more monkeys jumping on the bed

accompanied by 3 monkey animals she has

and she was bouncing the monkeys right along 

and trying to sing the song too

Love her big

No Leap Day baby here

So I seriously was convinced that I was going to have my little girl on Leap Day yesterday.  Ever since I found out that 2012 was a leap year and that I was due with her March 6th...it just seemed that she would be destined to truly celebrate her birthday once every 4 years (on the actual day)...not saying there would be no birthday celebration, cuz I don't roll that way, no sir!

But, alas, she did not come yesterday.

I think she was being stubborn and just KNEW that her real birthday would only happen once every 4 years, and she was NOT about to have that.  I mean, I thought for SURE she was coming to meet us yesterday.

I woke at 2 am and started timing contractions

Naturally, these were sporadic and lasting different amounts of time and weren't the "true labor contractions"...but I was having them nonetheless...and they continued to go on from 2 am til almost 10 am, without really stopping...which in my head meant something was destined to happen yesterday and that oh.my.goodness. we are about to finally meet our sweet girl

But, she is stubborn...

We have been trying our best to "help her along the way..." with spicy food at every meal since Tuesday night (except for breakfasts...) and we took a REALLY looooooong walk today since it almost got to 80 degrees outside.  But, she remains in there for now, milking the whole cuddly/cozy effect being inside my belly has on her.  

I guess I can't blame her...

Apparently my poor mother carried me an extra week past her due date (I apparently did not want to be born on Halloween!) 

So, we shall continue to play the waiting game with this girl...but she better know that come Monday evening when mommy starts to be induced, she better start making her way into this world, cuz I don't think I am going to wanna wait much past then!

In other news, miraculously the swelling that has been plaguing my poor feet has completely disappeared...not sure why or how this happened, but mommy is VERY thankful!

Baby Kensington's Room!!

My sweet little Kensington...

I hope you enjoy your room as much as mommy and daddy did/do in getting it ready for you...

(Beware, you are about to enter the realm of a future Diva)

...

...

...

The craziness of baby shower gifts and a room that needs to be fixed!

Coming in her doorway

Panning around her room...

towards her walk in closet

Her crib (put together quickly one night by her daddy!)

Photo album and frame that I can't WAIT to fill up with cute pictures and memories!!

A look into her crib, complete with crib mobile, blankie and stuffed animals

More animals and knick-knack boxes of baby things

Mommy and baby rocking chair with homemade blanket from a friend, boppy close by and a cute owl night light

Baby Calendar to fill out on her wall

Walk in closet...already packed full of stuff!

Cutest lil shoes for teeny tiny feet!

Can't wait to snuggle her in this fluff and puff snowsuit...especially since it's been snowing ALL day here...of course there will probably be none here when she actually comes...

A lovely sign of her nickname also from a friend...hanging in her room

Sassy door jumper...she won't be able to use this for a bit, but it was too cute to not put up already!

Baby girls Pack n play...she will most likely be living in this bad boy for a while, or at least enjoying naps and all as we stay downstairs throughout the day while I am home with her

Her swing/bouncer combo

So, all in all, baby girl, we are SO ready for your arrival and we really cannot wait for you to come into this world :)

36 weeks down, 4 or less to go!

Pics taken at 36weeks

1. How far along? 36 weeks
2. Maternity clothes? maternity clothing
3. Stretch marks? not one :)
4. Sleep?since my massage and feeling much better (no more sickness!), I have been sleeping through the night, although I tend to go to bed super early (8 or 9pm) so that makes me wake up at 6ish
5. Best moment last week? attending a birthday party for a 1 year old (my cousins son)...getting to see all my family there AND getting pictures of Kensie at our 36 week check up yesterday...I will post more on this later
6. Movement? mover and a shaker...still!
7. Symptoms? linea negra,swelling in ankles and some in hands, Braxton Hicks,itchy belly again, headaches that persist throughout the day
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
9. Labor signs? other than my Braxton Hicks...no real labor signs
10. Belly button in/out? Out...
11. What I miss? eating what I want...found out info at 36 week appointment that I may need to watch what I continue to eat these last 4 weeks...again, I will post more on this later
12. Looking forward to?celebrating my cousin's birthday up in MD at Dave and Busters this weekend!  I love arcade games!
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

Your due date is just four weeks away. Hasn’t time flown? Your once-poppy seed would probably be able to breathe on his own if he was born right now. (If not, he’d probably need some TLC, but he’d likely be okay.) Most of his systems are in working order at 36 weeks. Since baby really could decide to make his arrival any day now, try to put in a little prep work. For example, if you took a child birth class a few months ago, you might want to reread any materials you were given and practice some of the breathing techniques you learned with your partner. Go over your plan for getting to the hospital, and all the what-ifs (like, if you go into labor while you’re at work, will you go home first or straight there?). You might also want to remind your boss and colleagues of the status of all your work projects, so they know exactly where to take over if you’re suddenly out of the office. Week 36 is also a good time to enjoy a date with your partner. We’re guessing you won’t be up for dancing, but a nice dinner might be just what you two could use.

Your baby's the size of a coconut!

She's still in the 17.2- to 18.7-inch and 4.2- to 5.8-pound range and continues to beef up.

your baby at 36 weeks

• She's getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on her own.
• Her skin is getting smooth and soft and her gums are rigid.
• Her liver and kidneys are in working order.
• Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.

Baby Showers Galore!

My husband and I are very fortunate to have wonderful co-workers as well as amazing friends and family.

We each had a shower at work

on top of a friends/family shower thrown back home

It was all amazing 

and

quite overwhelming!

My work surprised me and got me to come to a full on decorated lunch room complete with presents, decorations, and cupcakes by telling me that I needed to come see where some home made dumplings were being kept for me in the fridge.

Yes

I am a SUCKER for food

To my wonderment, my entire lab was standing in there waiting for my arrival...then the fun began!

We ate cupcakes made by one of my co-workers and I opened my gifts and marveled at each cute outfit, toy, etc!  It was all very generous and sweet!!

My husband, earlier in the same week, was given a card and gift certificate to one of our registry places.  I couldn't believe how nice that was considering he hasn't been working there very long.

The finale of baby showers ended last Saturday back home with friends and family.  It was SO great to see just about EVERYONE we invited!  There was even a good friend that flew in from Georgia to see us!

Diaper Cake from friends/family baby shower, made by Samantha

We played a few games (including guess how big around my husband and I are while hugging, the guys had balloon bellies and had to take shoes and socks off and put back on without popping balloon bellies, and a diaper relay race between boys and girls...naturally, girls won!)

We were literally showered with gifts and amazing things.  I couldn't believe it all.

Diaper Stroller/Bassinet from friends/family baby shower made by Amanda

And of course, reality set in a teensy bit more.

Yea, we are going to have a baby here in about 30 days

O.M.G.

I feel at times we are overly ready, with room set up, diapers, wipes, toys, blankies, butt paste...you name it...

Then, other times, I worry about what if something happens and I have no idea what I am doing!

But then, I have to think to myself, everything will be O.K. and tons of other women have gone through the exact same things...and look how they are and how wonderful their children are...

So, hurry up March 6th, I am ready to see my baby girl!

The 35:35 of pregnancy!

Pics taken at 35 weeks

1. How far along? 35 wks (this means I am 35 weeks and have 35 days left to go!!)
2. Maternity clothes? maternity clothing
3. Stretch marks?still none, feeling very lucky
4. Sleep?hmm, well, let's just say that I have some knots in my back and they prevent me form getting comfy...then I just tend to wake up at 5:30 for no reason...it's all good though, I look at is as preparation for when baby girl arrives...there probably will be little to no sleep!
5. Best moment last week?  Multiple baby showers!  I will have to post on this when I get a chance and get things nestled into her room...but each of our works and also a friends/family one that was planned out!
6. Movement?still alien baby...maybe even worse if possible...it's is crazy when I lay on my side on the couch and look down...I literally think I see the outline of her foot push up and then graze my belly, then disappear...hopefully these are just her love kicks and not saying something like "mommy, I hate that Cinnabon you just fed me!"
7. Symptoms? linea negra,swelling in ankles and some in hands -->getting harder to wear my rings :(, Braxton Hicks are back in effect, back issues (hoping a massage on Saturday will fix this!)
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
9. Labor signs? other than my Braxton Hicks...no real labor signs
10. Belly button in/out? Out...
11. What I miss?  seeing my feet while standing and looking down, laying around comfortably, being able to give myself a pedicure, shaving my legs with ease (when you get that big belly in the way, it makes things a lot harder!)
12. Looking forward to? getting to see family again this coming weekend as we celebrate my cousin's sons' 1st birthday!  Oh and little Matthew is THE cutest!!  Can't wait to spoil him!
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

Growing, growing, growing. Yup, baby and you. You’ve reached 35 weeks, and your uterus has grown about 1,000 times its original size, a number that might sound exaggerated to everyone else -- but to you it probably feels more like a million. You can expect to gain about a half-pound a week before birth, and baby’s beefing up, too. At 35 weeks, some moms-to-be feel like they have a ton of stuff left to do before baby’s arrival. Others can barely wait for baby to make his debut. Either way, try not to stress. Baby will show up when he’s ready, and he won’t care if you haven’t checked every little detail off your list.

Your baby's the size of a butternut squash! 

He's about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. From here on out, he won't get much longer, but he's plumping up. He's now about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds, and he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth.

Share this with family and friends

your baby at 35 weeks

• Now, his hearing is fully developed, and he responds best to high-pitched noises.
• If it's a boy, his testes have probably fully descended.

Christmas Celebrations

I always love Christmastime spent with family.

My husband and I always have multiple Christmas celebrations, one with my family, one with his and occasionally one of our own :)

This year we had a mini-celebration with his family earlier on since his sister and her boyfriend were in town from London!  We were both SO excited they were able to come back over since they had just been here for Thanksgiving!!  That was present enough for me :)

It was nice to see them trim the tree and decorate and then to sit around and hang out with one another.  I was thrilled to get a wonderful tempurpedic pillow...this thing puts me to sleep and keeps me asleep!  I can't say enough good things about it, but for a 7+month pregnant woman, this thing is amazing!

We then bustled over to Massanutten to meet up with my family at a house my parents found and rented for the weekend.  Getting to see my sister's kids is always fun.  They are exploding with energy and luckily my husband is always willing to help waste some of it and keep them occupied.  I can really tell they love their uncle :)

We had planned to go to the indoor water park and spent much of one day there.  I spent most of my time on the lazy river and the pool part, just sitting and relaxing.  It was very nice!  Of course I did miss not being able to go on the slides and tube rides, and of course the adult hot tub which was really hot (according to my mom).

The next day was Christmas and my husband and I may have been first awake around 5:45...actually he woke me up and was so excited.  Did I mention how adorable he is?

We had to wait til almost 7:30 for the kids to get up and outta bed and creep downstairs to see what Santa had brought.  They were both really cute and barely awake as they gazed upon to gifts.

We spent the rest of the morning opening gifts and looking through stockings and saying thanks for all the wonderful things.  Then it was on to cooking!  We had a wonderful meal that filled us all up and gave us tons of energy for the afternoon-which was good since we went to the arcade.  We were going to go tubing down the slopes, but it had been SO warm, that we figured it wasn't worth it-plus the kids (and us adults) always enjoy the arcade.

We wrapped things up Monday morning and headed back home where my husband and I went to his parents house to spend more time with his family, especially since his sister and her boyfriend were leaving out on Wednesday.

We planned to go to the movies to see the Sherlock Holmes movie Monday evening and went to Cinebistro-really loved the movie!

His sister and her boyfriend stayed the night with us and ended up finishing up the tiling work in our guest bathroom the next morning before the Harlequins rugby game came on...their favorite team!

It was fun to watch rugby and to get to learn more of the rules and afterwards they headed back home.

All in all, I would say we had a very nice Christmas!

30 weeks!! 70 days to go

Pics taken at 30 weeks

1. How far along? 30 wks
2. Maternity clothes? maternity...but I do enjoy yoga/sweats a lot too
3. Stretch marks? still no :)
4. Sleep? sleeping like a log ever since I got my wonderful tempur pedic pillow from my sister-in-law!
5. Best moment last week? spending time with family over the Christmas holiday
6. Movement? felt her first hiccups tonight, but she still has her crazy wiggly moments
7. Symptoms? linea negra, leg/toe cramps, upper back pain, crazy dreams
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
9. Labor signs? nothing!
10. Belly button in/out? pretty out there, but this thing tends to change depending on if I am sitting or standing...more out when I sit
11. What I miss? being able to be on my feet for long times without having my feet hurt and my upper back start to feel some pain
12. Looking forward to? spending this next week OFF from work and with my husband...doing whatever we want!
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

your baby at 30 weeks

• His skin is getting smoother.
• But his brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue.
• He's now strong enough to grasp a finger!

29 weeks, 11 more to go!

Pics taken at 29 weeks

1. How far along? 29 wks
2. Maternity clothes? maternity, but still a regular t-shirt every once in a while
3. Stretch marks? still no :)
4. Sleep? been amazing recently, thank goodness
5. Best moment last week? well, since this includes today, finding out I PASSED MY GLUCOSE TEST!!!!  (all that horribleness of yesterday is now worth it in my mind)
6. Movement? crazy crazy wiggly machine...with a few punches and jabs to keep me in line
7. Symptoms? linea negra, itchy belly, less back pain, still more pressure due to growing baby
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
9. Labor signs? nothing!
10. Belly button in/out? kinda flat...is that even an option?!?
11. What I miss? what I was missing was indulging in sweets, thinking I should go ahead and begin parting with my beloved sweets...but, that's a thing of the past now!  This girl is enjoying her sweets over the holidays :)
12. Looking forward to? Holiday break, which will begin for me tomorrow once I finish work...then I don't go back to work til Tuesday Jan. 3rd!  This means lots of family time, celebrating and also getting things done for Kensington (visiting day cares and doing in home projects...tiling the guest bath, etc.)
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

Your baby's the size of a squash!

Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, we weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but he's still got a ways to go -- can you believe he'll triple in weight before birth?

your baby at 29 weeks

• He's getting a little cramped in there, since he's growing so fast. But you probably already realize that, since you're getting all those jabs and kicks.
• He's growing white fat deposits under his skin, and his energy is surging because of it.
• Feel a subtle twitch? It might be baby hiccupping.

27 weeks- Oh, hey 3rd Trimester! Nice to see you too!

Pics taken at 27 wks

(wore a tight tank top just to get the full bump effect!)

1. How far along? 27 wks
   
2. Maternity clothes? maternity everything, for the most part (a sparse regular t-shirt here and there if I'm feeling like it though)
   
3. Stretch marks? still no :)
   
4. Sleep? after a Holiday party staying up til 2 am, I slept like a log!
   
5. Best moment last week? registering for baby shower, Holiday party with friends and catching up!
   
6. Movement? wiggle machine!
   
7. Symptoms? linea negra, itchy belly, feeling like I fill up with smaller meals (eaten throughout the day), some slight back pains...may need to go for another massage and chiropractic appointment!
   
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
   
9. Labor signs? nothing!
   
10. Belly button in/out? seems to be out except for the very middle, still quite odd!
    
11. What I miss? soda, I have been trying to be better since I had some issues and needed to get some more calcium...so I have been chugging milk and OJ with calcium in it lately (along with oh so yummy water!)
    
12. Looking forward to? Christmastown at Busch Gardens this Saturday with family! Should be really nice
    
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

your baby at 27 weeks

• She's practicing inhaling and exhaling with her rapidly developing lungs.
• It's official: Baby's showing brain activity! And her brain will keep on getting more complex.

26 weeks, and under 100 days to go!

Pics taken at 26 wks

1. How far along? 26 wks
   
2. Maternity clothes? maternity pants and mix for the tops
   
3. Stretch marks? still no :)
   
4. Sleep? did pretty well this week
   
5. Best moment last week? all the wonderful time spent with families for the Thanskgiving holiday
   
6. Movement? baby girl is a mover and a shaker!
   
7. Symptoms? my feet have been cramping recently more so than the legs, back is feeling better (maybe due to the yoga/stretching), linea negra, itchy belly
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
   
9. Labor signs? nothing!
   
10. Belly button in/out? the belly button is more out than not mow
    
11. What I miss? the holiday break, days off from work and spent with family
    
12. Looking forward to? a Holiday Party with some amazing friends on Saturday (I get to wear my new hot red dress!!) and FINALLY getting around to registering for baby things :)
    
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

your baby at 26 weeks

• Her eyes are forming, and his eyes will soon start to open.
• And her eyelashes are now grown, too.
• She's getting her immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up your antibodies.
• She's taking breaths, too. They're of amniotic fluid, not air, but it's still good practice.

Thankful

November may be one of my favorite months

(I could be slightly biased since I was born this month too)

But I really LOVE Thanksgiving time
For me, this is a time to be around all my family and join together in making a wonderful feast
and also share what we are all thankful for
(I am so sappy that I tend to get emotional when we do this, but I love to hear what the kids usually say since they are so sweet and innocent!)

So this year I will share some of my thankful things with you:
-my husband
I don't know where I would be without this guy, he keeps me grounded and sane and can cheer me up from anything. He makes me laugh non-stop and I know that he loves me unconditionally. I am so thankful to have him be a part of my life

-my family
this includes my parents, sister and her kiddos, my cousins, aunt, uncle and also my husbands family (as well as those that have passed on and meant so much to me). I still get so excited to go home to see family...to me there is nothing better than being with those you love and who love you too-it's such a special and wonderful feeling

-the growing baby girl in my belly
what more can I say, I feel blessed to have this little sweet gal kicking around in my belly non-stop...she already makes me smile and I can't imagine loving anything/anyone more than I already do (is it March yet...I would REALLY love to get to hold her already!)

-my puppy dog
Okay, so my dog really isn't a puppy anymore, but he will always be my puppy in my mind. He got me through some tough times living alone during my first year of grad school and the way he wiggles his entire body each and every time I come home from anything brightens my day.

-my friends
I have a great group of friends that I wouldn't trade for anything. We always have the best times together no matter what the occasion or how fancy or just plain simple it may be.

-my health
I feel fortunate to be healthy (and hopefully continue this way through the rest of my pregnancy). Of course I have days when my back aches, but I can't complain when I know others suffer from much worse...I wish them better health

Naturally I am thankful for other things, such as yummy homemade desserts and things like green bean casserole and Dr. Pepper...but those tend to be much farther down my list in comparison to the big ones I have shared.

I hope wherever you are, that you have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!!