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.

99....

Believe it or not, today marks 99 days left til Kensington's arrival!

Can I just blurt out that I am slightly freaked out that we have reached double digit numbers...

ALREADY!

Seriously, wasn't July just yesterday when I found out?

I think the funny part of this is that I can't get that song

"99 bottles of beer on the wall..." outta my head.

I guess this version will be more "G" rated, and we will have 99 bottles of formula, or something!

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!!

25 weeks and looking forward to stuffing my face for Turkey day!

Pics taken at 25 wks

1. How far along? 25 wks
   
2. Maternity clothes? maternity pants and mix for the tops
   
3. Stretch marks? still no :)
   
4. Sleep? I feel like a broken record here, but leg cramps and back issues making sleep a little more difficult
   
5. Best moment last week? might have to say my first prenatal massage...AMAZING! (can't wait to schedule another one!)
   
6. Movement? I think she is going to be a dancer or kickboxer...she literally kicked/punched for an hour and a half straight last night!
   
7. Symptoms? back problems, leg cramps, linea negra, itchy belly, a little nausea again yesterday only (hopefully a one day occurrence, but most likely not!)
   
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
   
9. Labor signs? nothing!
   
10. Belly button in/out? same old news here...but MAYBE the bottom is coming out a bit more
    
11. What I miss? my back not bothering me all the time...I am fearful that this may be more of a problem as I get bigger and keep progressing...silly back!
    
12. Looking forward to? THANKSGIVING! Time with family and being thankful for everything that we are fortunate enough to have...my sister in law is coming in from London and I can't wait to see her in person again (been since we went to visit back in July) So she gets to see Kensie-belly in person for the first time! Fun fun all over again :)
    
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

Your baby's the size of an eggplant!

During month six, the average fetus measures about 13.6 inches to 14.8 inches and weighs about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.

your baby at 25 weeks

• She's enjoying her new sense of equilibrium -- she now knows which way is up and which is down.
• She's growing more fat and more hair too!

May the G Force be with you

Last weekend my family was in town to sorta celebrate my birthday

and go to G Force Karts!

I, of course, did not ride these things, although I wanted to very badly

We had bought Groupons a while back and they expire in December, so this seemed like a great time to get family together and have fun!

We met up with my cousins and a few others and had a BLAST!

my big kid (aka my husband) right in front, followed by my sister and friends/family! Lillie (My sister's little girl) being super cute!

Corbin (my sister's son) slapping his helmet to get ready!

Corbin ready to go!!

my husband, the speed racer! (love him big time)

and all this can be complete without some snippets of video!

1. Corbin

2. sister

3. husband

4. my cousins

Old Wives Tales Part 2

So a long while back I had mentioned these old wives tales...

I finally re-found the ones in a book I have about pregnancy and they were just as hysterical this go around

So I will share them with you, so you can chuckle too

1. A lot of heartburn means your baby will be born with a full head of hair
2. Your baby will be born with a hairy birthmark if you see a mouse while you're pregnant
3. Eating berries causes red splotches on your baby's skin
4. Taking a bath can hurt, or even drown, a fetus
5. Stretching your arms over your head can cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the baby's neck
6. Your baby will be cross-eyed if you wear high heels

I think #6 is my favorite,

followed closely by #2 (only because I used to work with mice at my job)

You heard any funny ones??

24 weeks

Pics taken at 24 wks

1. How far along? 24 wks
   
2. Maternity clothes? maternity pants and mix for the tops
   
3. Stretch marks? no, thankfully!
   
4. Sleep? every once in a while I get those crazy leg cramps...and I have been having such back problems that I have been having some issues trying to get to sleep
   
5. Best moment last week? the weekend being spent with family (including my cousins!)...maternity clothes shopping and the go carting...tons of fun!
   
6. Movement? she is my little wiggling monster, and I love her!
   
7. Symptoms? back problems, leg cramps, and a linea negra (this has actually been there for a few weeks, but I keep forgetting about it!...but energy good (I think I have been nesting some already, especially with sorting through all my sister's hand me downs from her girl from newborn til 2 years!)
   
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
   
9. Labor signs? nothing!
   
10. Belly button in/out? popping out even more on top now, but still straggling behind on the bottom
    
11. What I miss? waking up without back issues...
    
12. Looking forward to? my FIRST prenatal massage this Saturday and then my chiropractor on Monday, maybe my back will feel better by next time!
    
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

Your 10.5-to-11.8-inch fetus weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces and every week she gets closer and closer to being ready to survive (and thrive!) in the outside world.

your baby at 24 weeks

• Her see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque.
• And it's got a new pink glow, thanks to the small capillaries that have recently formed.

Magic

Every morning when I first wake up around 6:15 ish,
I lay in bed for a while...

Sometimes I find it hard to go back to sleep
(I really don't get out of bed til about 6:40,
mainly due to having to take medicine and wait 30 min before I can eat!)

So I lay there and think about the day to come,
listening to the snoring man that I adore beside me...

Then the magic happens

Little Kensington kicks or punches

And all is right in the world

It is such a magical feeling
(and also makes me feel reassured that all is somewhat ok in there)
knowing there is another being in my belly and that she is waking up too

Then mommy-to-be stumbles outta bed, gets ready and feeds the both of us

I think that may be my favorite time of day,
either that or after dinner when I eat dessert
and she kicks wildly again

Such a happy baby girl, growing bigger each day

Mommy can't wait to see/hold you!

23 weeks!

Pics taken at 23 wks

Last one shows a cute maternity shirt I got from my friend M over at Park & Belmont (go check out her blog!)

(I had been eyeing this shirt ever since the first time I had gone into this maternity boutique...so I was stoked to actually get it..)

Proudly says: pregnant is the new sexy

1. How far along? 23 wks
   
2. Maternity clothes? maternity pants and mix for the tops...the pants are just SO comfy that to bother with normal pants just seems silly!
   
3. Stretch marks? no, thankfully!
   
4. Sleep? pretty good lately, even with the time change!
   
5. Best moment last week? spending time with my sister and getting to see the hubby do another autocross this past weekend, plus the weather was absolutely perfect!
   
6. Movement? sporadic throughout the day, and I LOVE it!
   
7. Symptoms? still the back stuff, doubt this will go away...occasional leg cramps...but energy is up and I have been trying to get things settled and figured out in the house
   
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
   
9. Labor signs? nothing!
   
10. Belly button in/out? waiting on the bottom half of the belly button to match the top half and come out already!
    
11. What I miss? probably going to say the longer days...now with the time change, I get home from work and it's dark...which makes me sleepy. Makes it a bit harder to be productive around the house!
    
12. Looking forward to? this coming weekend we celebrate my birthday when my family comes into town, I even get to see my cousins! We are heading to G Force Karts (I will be watching), but seeing everyone have a blast will be joy enough for me (plus there will be food....did I mention, I really love food!)
    
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

your baby at 23 weeks

• She's forming little nipples (yeah, really!)
• Her face is fully formed now -- she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out.
• She's listening to your voice and your heartbeat -- and even to loud sounds like cars honking and dogs barking.

Dear Kensington,

I want you to know that even though you are still growing inside my belly, that I loved you from the very instant I knew you existed. I don't know if I will ever forget that day. It was about 1 am on July 1st, 2011. Your daddy was still sleeping in bed and we had planned on getting up around 2 am to get our bodies adjusted to a different time zone (London!)

After finding out the news myself...I whispered out to your daddy that, well, you are going to be a daddy!!

Then neither one of us could go back to sleep!

We were so thrilled with the news that you were in my belly that we could hardly contain ourselves...but we couldn't call anyone...it was 1 am in the morning! No one else would be up for hours!

Over the past couple weeks I have been feeling you kicking/punching and squirming around in there, and I must say that despite that being one of the oddest sensations ever, it is also one filled with so much joy. To know you are in there and moving around makes my heart flutter in anticipation of your arrival (even though it's still months away).

Your daddy felt you kicking around in there for the first time before he had to take an 8 hour long test on October 30, 2011. He was super excited and I was thrilled that he, too, could feel somewhat of the sensations I was feeling.

Of course, you always seem to be moving around after I eat some food...so I guess you are already like me in that you love food. You REALLY loved warm chocolate chip cookies since you were movng SO hard that you could even see my belly move...I love cookies too! (sweet tooth mamma!)

I will have to say, that you are already wrapping your daddy around your little finger. I will tell him that you are moving around and to give me his hand so I can place it on my belly...and then you stop moving, like you are just teasing him with the knowledge...then he takes his hand away, and off you go again, moving around!

Be nice to your daddy! He is going to spoil you so badly when you get here...and I know he is so in love with you already, just like me.

We have been slowly getting things ready but have tons more to do before you arrive...so in the meantime, keep growing big and strong, healthy and beautiful...we can't wait for your arrival in early March (but I would be fine with late February too!)

We love you so much already, but I know once we are able to physically hold you in our arms, we will love you even more (if that's even possible!)

Sleep tight in there Miss Kensington,

Mommy and Daddy love you!!

Finally getting my Halloween post up

Ugh, I think I have been too busy for my own good...

or maybe just lazy...

But I am going to say busy all day, which makes me lazy at night!

Anyways, I wanted to share a picture of our house all decorated for Halloween.

We were going to play some scary music from inside our house to top it off, but I am glad we didn't.

We could hear these cute kiddos saying..."That's scary!" or "This place is creepy!"

I guess things look a lot different in the eyes of a kid...I thought our house looked amazing!

Made me wanna put on a costume and go Trick or Treating again!

We had pumpkins we had carved, ghost lights up the side of our driveway, a cemetery arch that blows up with air and had lights, little pumpkin lights hanging on the porch, a sign on our door, plastic bags that looked like pumpkins filled with leaves on the lawn, a couple of headstones, and some fake spider webs with spiders.

We have talked about maybe doing some sort of walk through in our garage for next year...but that all may change since we will have a small munchkin of our own!

22 weeks and counting!

Pics taken at 22 wks

1. How far along? 22 wks
   
2. Maternity clothes? finally bought a couple pairs of maternity pants...for comforts sake...so mixing those in with regular pants still...and the shirts are a mix too.
   
3. Stretch marks? no, thankfully!
   
4. Sleep? good nights and bad nights, mostly due to my back
   
5. Best moment last week? My husband felt Kensington kicking/punching in my belly before he had to go take an 8 hour exam on Saturday...hopefully she gave him some good luck!
   
6. Movement? sporadic throughout the day, and I LOVE it!
   
7. Symptoms? my back has been killing me, unfortunate...too much sitting/standing at work...really wish I could schedule in some laying down time!
   
8. Gender? Baby girl...Kensington!!
   
9. Labor signs? nothing!
   
10. Belly button in/out? waiting on the bottom half of the belly button to match the top half and come out already!
    
11. What I miss? sleeping in, not that I really slept in past 7:30 anyways, but I now find myself waking up at 6:30 on the weekends...NO alarm necessary! (But it does give me some great time to sit and read)
    
12. Looking forward to? some relaxation...not as much going on the next week...then my birthday is almost here
    
13. What's going on with Baby A? (from www.thebump.com)

your baby's the size of a papaya!

During month five, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.

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your baby at 22 weeks

• Now that he's got more developed eyes and lips, he's looking even more like a newborn.
• He's sleeping in cycles -- about 12 to 14 hours per day (hint: they're probably those times you're not feeling any kicks!).