7 Weeks To Go!

 How far along? 33 Weeks!

Total weight gain:  ≈ 17 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: Same as last week, it's harder to fall asleep and get comfy than it used to be.
Best moment this week: Hmm..this week was pretty uneventful. We had our prenatal appointment on Wednesday and everything is looking good! I asked the midwife if she could feel if he was head down or not and she helped us to feel around using different techniques. She guessed that he was probably head down, but it didn't seem like a sure thing. She was able to find his heart beat immediately based on his position and it sounds great! I also have been feeling super giant lately so I wondered if she could guess his size, but she said any guesses would be pretty unreliable. Based off of my size at birth and my frame now, she thinks he will probably be around 7.5 lbs...we shall see! I visited Tammy and Noel after our appointment and scored another bag of super adorable baby clothes. His closet is FULL!!!!! Poor hubby got very sick on Thursday so we had a low key week/weekend. Today we were supposed to go to Matthew's third birthday party, but he woke up with an even worse sounding cough this morning.  I was supposed to be having a couple girlfriends from school over for dinner while James played basketball but we're thinking he may just have to stay in bed. He never gets sick so it's really bumming him out that he has been down for the count the last four days. I am still trying to avoid my third round of this thing and only have mild symptoms of congestion so far. 

Miss anything? Being able to move around with ease. It's getting harder to get up from sitting on the floor and I feel like I am running out of room! Baby is very low and very heavy on my bladder and pelvic bone!  

Movement:Yes, although they are less rapid lately. I think he is just running out of room. Some of his movements are very, very strong and it's becoming more obvious on the outside when he moves. It used to be that my belly would only poke out during some of his movements but it seems like every little move he makes these days makes my tummy move too! It's constantly going back and forth, side to side. It's very funny to see your stomach do this on its own...sort of bizarre!
Anything making you queasy or sick: No...well when I eat too much, which happens often because I forget how little room I have in there (or I ignore it)!

Showing? Yes!

Gender: Sweet little guy!
Labor signs: No
Symptoms: Some back pain, pelvic pains, LOTS of pee breaks, and difficulty sleeping, but still can't complain too much--it's going pretty well! 

Belly button in or out? O-U-T

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Meh....off and on.

Looking forward to: Getting our maternity photos back from Sandy, not sure when we will get them but I can't wait to see! Also, getting really excited for the baby shower coming up on the 9th!

Baby’s size:A durian!? Look it up! These fruits are becoming more and more obscure!

Lately I find myself wondering what our baby boy will look like. As he grows, we can really feel him in my belly, and it's weird feeling the outline of what feels like a head, shoulders, feet, etc. Also, when I bend over or sit in certain positions he gets squished and has to move around, so suddenly my belly will become all deformed and I will have a big lump in the middle or the side of my bump. It makes him feel so much more "real" and it's hard to imagine that he can get any bigger in there!! I can't wait to meet him!! 7 weeks alternately feels like an eternity and the blink of an eye. Time always goes by too fast, and part of me is scared for it to come too quickly because I don't want him to grow up so quickly. I know, not even born yet and I am worried about him getting older! When I was hanging his little clothes up this week I was picturing him in his tiny little outfits and getting so excited; I hope he can wear some of his newborn sized onesies--they are so adorable!

Sleeping Baby Ashley

I gathered some photos of James and I as itty bitties so we can compare them to baby when he arrives. It's funny because James looks just the same to me as he does in his baby photos but I struggle to see myself in mine.

Sleeping Baby James

32 Weeks!!

How far along? 32 Weeks!

Total weight gain:  ≈ 16.2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: A little better this week but not great.  
Best moment this week: Getting the news about the job!! We also had a fun date night on Friday with another couple. We went to Native Foods and saw the new Hunger Games movie, which was fabulous and made me want to squeeze in reading the books before baby boy comes! On Saturday we watched baby Anabelle so that Ant & Mags could go see a movie. She is such a sweetie-pa-teetie and we had a lot of fun watching her. I never got the laundry soap I've been waiting on in the mail, but I washed and put away some of baby's clothes and blankets. It's nice to make a dent in these things!  This morning we attended a live raw foods cooking class in the park and then rushed over to get our maternity photos taken by our friend Sandy. The above pic was snapped on hubby's cell phone after our photo shoot since we had our chalkboard with us! :) 

Miss anything? Sleeping well and not having a crazy panicky, ruminating mind! 

Movement: Baby is movin' and a groovin'. He is so strong and sometimes his movements are downright startling! It's so funny when he pokes out a foot (or elbow, or hand-I really have no idea) and keeps it there for a moment and I have this big lump sticking out the side of my belly! 
Food cravings: No big cravings this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Showing? Oh yeah. And apparently from here on out, our little guy will gain half a pound a week!! I can only imagine how much bigger this already giant bump is going to get! 

Gender: Baby boy!
Labor signs: No
Symptoms: A bit of back pain and the trouble sleeping but nothing else really. 

Belly button in or out? O-U-T

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Less moody this week, but feeling stressy so probably a bit more irritable than usual (sorry bubs!)

Looking forward to: My next prenatal appointment on Wednesday, hanging out with cousin Tammy, and getting some more things checked off our to do list! 

Baby’s size: A Jicama. Which I had never heard of and when I asked James what it was I pronounced it like a 'j' instead of an 'h' and he proceeded to make fun of me for the rest of the night.

Mommy's big news & baby's nursery...

**Scroll to end to see sneak peek pics of baby's nursery decor!**

So here's something I never thought I'd say entering my 8th month of pregnancy...I got a job!! When people have asked me what my plans are now that I've graduated, I have joked that I will have nothing to do with myself because no one is going to hire a pregnant woman who can only work for a month or two--but that is exactly what happened!!

Congratulations Prezzies From Sweet Hubby!

We are ecstatic and I feel so incredibly blessed (and still a bit shocked). There are many reasons why this particular job is so perfect, despite the fact that we have a little guy on the way. First off, this is the job I have been drooling over for the past year. When my former colleague got hired to run weight loss counseling groups for a major health provider I told her 'oh my goodness that is like the perfect job for me!' I've kept in contact with her through email, and in early December I ran into her at the Evolution of Psychotherapy conference. We were both attending Judy Beck's workshop on "The Beck Diet Solution" and it turns out we are both pregnant! I told her that I was about to graduate and she told me that I should send her my resume so she could pass it along to her boss. Wondering if perhaps I should wait until I was ready to go back to work so that my resume didn't get lost or buried, I ultimately decided to go ahead and send it over. She sent my resume to her boss with the note that I was pregnant and due in March, so my hope was that she might hold on to it and contact me in the future if any positions opened up.

Well, two days later I got a voicemail asking me to come in for an interview. I was completely shocked and confused and I called them back to make sure they knew I was pregnant. As it was, it seemed as if that bit of information had gotten lost in translation along the way, but she told me to go ahead and come in anyway.

So after trying on many interview outfits that DIDN'T fit (I realized that I seem to be somewhat in denial about my size after attempting to button a pair of pants that barely reached my sides), I finally found a suitable outfit. I wore a stretchy-waisted knee length skirt with a black top and black cotton blazer and prayed that the button wouldn't pop open before the interview was over. It turns out that my friend recently transferred to a location much further from my house so I had to drive about 50 minutes to get to my interview. I was interviewed by three people and was a bit thrown by some of the questions they asked me (i.e. are you familiar with Adult Learning Theory?-cue panic!) When it came to the part about my availability, I laughed and patted my giant belly while trying my best to explain that I would need to take maternity leave in mid March if they were to hire me now, and would need at least 6 weeks of uninterrupted bonding time with baby. I really was just happy to be making a connection and meeting them, so I told them  I totally understood if I wasn't the right fit because of my situation and hoped that they would keep my resume on file for the future.

As I left, I was feeling less than confident about my interview performance, but I was also sort of ambivalent about what I wanted. Although this is a job I really wanted, the thought of leaving baby even part time after just 6 weeks made me want to curl up into a ball and cry. The next day I was called by a recruitment officer and did a second phone interview. When he got to the part about my availability and I awkwardly giggled my way through another "by the way I'm pregnant and due in March" speech, he seemed a bit concerned. He told me he would call me back, and later that night he did. He said wanted to discuss a few things with me and as I was listening to him and expecting a "ta ta for now" spiel, he suddenly said "so, do you accept?" I was jolted awake and stuttered out a "yes." From that moment on it's been a whirlwind of trying to fill out the necessary paperwork within 24 hours, scheduling CPR classes and drug screenings, and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I HAVE A JOB!

So...back to the reasons why this job is so perfect. It's a per diem position and I am only contracted for about 10 hours a month. They could need me more than this of course (and I will have to figure that out at the time), but when he told me this bit of information I was ECSTATIC! You mean to tell me that not only can I spend ample time with my precious baby boy but I can get experience in a job that I have desperately wanted with an awesome company?!? Yes please!!!

I am currently waiting on everything to "clear" but if all goes well I start my new employee orientation on February 3rd!!! I will probably train until I give birth and then I won't actually start working until 6 weeks after baby is born. Yes the drive is less than ideal, but with so few hours I can definitely swing it! I will be working evenings so I am hoping it'll be in a time frame where I can avoid rush hour traffic. Anyway...I am thrilled and I can't believe it-I feel very, very lucky to have been given this opportunity. 

In other exciting news, my mama has been busy sewing and has made us some absolutely ADORABLE baby gear! She has made him a blankie that is ridiculously cute, cuddly, and perfect and she used some of the leftover fabric to start making him a matching banner for his wall. I am SOOOOO in love! He is going to have the cutest little "nursery wall"!! I'm so grateful that she is taking the time to make all of these homemade gifts for baby. It makes the items so meaningful and I love that they are one of a kind. Here are some sneak peeks....aren't they precious?!?

Custom made blanket by Nana Barbie!

Banner by Nana Barbie!

**Update, she just sent this picture over too! Ah, so in love! It has a hot side and a cold side!!!

Pookie the Pineapple!

How far along? 31 Weeks!

Total weight gain:  ≈ 16.2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: Sleep has been awful lately. It started with anxiety that kept me up until 5 or 6 a.m. and I've now added back pain to the list of things making it difficult to get some shut eye. Waah. Hubby has been sweet and given me two back rubs but it feels like I may have a pinched nerve? A pregnancy related symptom I'm sure!
Best moment this week: No major moments this week but I am feeling good about getting some things checked off my to do list. James and I visited some pediatricians and we think we found someone we really like (who, at least so far, seems to accept our insurance. No one seems able to answer anything about the new exchanges with any amount of certainty). I also attended a free breastfeeding class that helped me feel more prepared for baby boy. Babies "R" Us offers this class and it is put on by a lactation consultant from Kasier. 

Miss anything? Sleep!

Movement:Yes and baby boy is getting stronger everyday! Last night as I was laying in bed, not sleeping, he was moving all over and I thought to myself "I am going to miss feeling him in my belly." It really is such a cool feeling to carry him around with me everywhere I go and feel all of his little (and big) movements. Growing a baby in your belly is pretty amazing and I have developed an entirely new appreciation for women's bodies; we are superheros! I feel so blessed that I get to be his mommy and I love reflecting on how we found out. What an incredible surprise!! <3
Food cravings: I had a major salt craving late last night but we don't really keep a lot of salty foods in the house. I was excited to find some leftover saltines from the last time I was sick in the cupboard  but was very disappointed to discover that they had NO salt on them! (Hubby agreed so I know it wasn't just me!) I ended up eating pickles AND peanut butter on crackers trying to satisfy this major salt craving...and this was after my nightly dose of chocolate chips! Woops! Thankfully these "overwhelming" cravings have been few and far between.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.

Showing? Yeah buddy.

Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Same as last week, very sleepy, a bit anxious, and quick to tears!

Belly button in or out? Very pokey outie!

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: See symptoms....

Looking forward to: Getting my special laundry soap in the mail so I can start washing and putting away baby's clothes, our cooking class at 118 degrees that Lindsey so generously gifted us for Christmas, and our maternity photo shoot!

Baby’s size: A Pineapple!!!

The first "new" piece of clothing daddy and I have bought for baby boy! Daddy loves anything with monsters so when I saw these at Costco I couldn't resist! So excited to dress up and snuggle our baby boy!!

2014... Let The Countdown Begin!

Wow. 2014 already? 30 weeks already?!?! I know the lovely lady might not share my sentiment, but the space-time continuum seems to have slipped into some sort of weird speed vortex. Einstein should have postulated about the effects of time on husbands with pregnant wives. It seems like just yesterday she was walking in the front door, with her 'I'm bad at keeping secrets' look plastered on her face. But I digress.

The wife and I have had several conversations as of late about our disbelief about being "parents." We were just getting used to the idea of being adults! We also talked about how for some reason, at every major stage in our lives, we've just assumed that we would magically be infused with the information necessary to make the right decisions... not so! Lots of reading, lots of classes, lots of preparation. While Ashley and I love this lil' dude on a level which words can't adequately describe, that same love can create a little bit of panic because you want to ensure you know, provide and do everything that you're "supposed" to. One day at a time!

On that note, we just finished our 6 week HypnoBabies course and I learned a whole lot. I'm glad that we took it when we did as we still have several weeks to re-read and prepare using the materials we were provided. It was awkward at times, but well worth the time and investment. Ashley and I both feel much more prepared than we did going into the course. We've also scheduled a vaccine workshop, a breastfeeding class and an infant CPR class. So glad the lady finished grad school when she did (God's timing is always better than ours, right?), she is such an amazingly driven, task-oriented problem-solver. Lucky to have her as a teammate.

Our New Year's celebration was low-key. We spent the evening with Anthony, Maggie, Anabelle, Billy and Lou Ann chatting and eating candy. It's always nice spending time with them, and I can't wait for "play-dates"... wow... I sound old...

The replacement part for the dresser Bevma bought us came late this week, so we were able to put it together on Saturday. It looks amazing! Such a generous gift. Loved the look on Ashley's face when the finished product was moved to the "baby closet." Daddy wasn't too happy about having to move all of his jackets, but it is a small price to pay to have a spot for all of our little man's clothes.

We also had a Pottery Barn shipment come in this week (the look on Ashley's face when a Pottery Barn shipment comes rivals the baby closet face). It was the mobile and a Boppy + cover Ashley had picked out  thanks to a generous gift card given us by my boss Jay and his wife Pam for Christmas. I love seeing Ashley so excited.

I'll throw it over to the lady now for her update.

How far along? 30 Weeks!! This feels like a big milestone!

Total weight gain:  ≈ 14.4 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: It's been harder to fall asleep lately.
Best moment this week: We had a fun New Years Eve with Ant, Mags, and Anabelle. I felt like I hadn't seen them in forever so it was great to just sit around for a few hours and and catch up. We barely turned on the TV for a minute before the ball dropped and had no official celebration so it really didn't feel like New Years Eve, but we still had fun! I actually prefer these easy nights in to going out...I think we are getting old! New Years Day was fun too; we went to lunch at Benihana's with Bev & Cori and it was so, so yummy! Our East Coast family always gets us gift cards to Benihana's and PF Changs for Christmas and we LOVE to use them! James and I put our dresser together this weekend (pics below) and it feels so good to be one step closer to having baby's little closet area set up. The mobile, boppy, and boppy cover that we ordered from Pottery Barn with another one of our Christmas gift cards came this week too! So exciting! As silly as it is, it's just so much fun opening those fancy little packages. The boppy cover is SO soft and adorable and the the mobile is just perfect! I refuse to take the boppy cover out of the plastic packaging until I am ready to wash it and put it on the boppy, but there is a picture of it in the package below! ;) I finally got my grades from my last semester and I got my 2nd A- of grad school in my final project course and an A in psychopharm. This left me with a cumulative GPA of 3.97, which definitely isn't bad, but I had to talk myself out of feeling upset because my 2 A-'s counted against my GPA while my 6 A+'s did nothing to boost it....flawed system I tell ya!

Miss anything? I miss falling asleep easily!

Movement:Yes, our little guy is very active in there!
Food cravings: Cereal with frozen blueberries! And (before Benihana) I was fantasizing about veggie sushi rolls! Yum, yum, yum! 
 Anything making you queasy or sick: I've had a few days of off and on nausea but nothing too bad.

Showing? Oh my goodness, I walked by a store window today and couldn't believe how giant my belly is! It feels like it gets bigger every single morning!

Gender: Sweet Baby Boy!

Labor signs: Some Braxton Hicks...at first I didn't think that's what they were but now I can tell the difference between when my stomach gets rocks hard from BH & when he is just hanging out with his butt/back forward.
Symptoms: Sleepy, emotional, slightly frantic! :) 

Belly button in or out? OUT!

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Oh me oh my -- I am afraid I am an emotional wreck. Very quick to tears and easily overwhelmed. I think it's this final stretch and realizing all I still need to do to prepare for baby and parenthood.

Looking forward to: I signed us up for a free breastfeeding class, a free infant CPR class, and a vaccine workshop. Also, this coming Monday night we are attending a parent information night for a group of pediatricians. Although not all of these events sounds terribly exciting, it makes me feel good to check things off my "to do list," and I feel like I am making progress toward preparing for baby's arrival. I ordered my special baby laundry detergent so I am looking forward to washing and putting away baby's clothing (although, I am a nut and don't want to do it too soon because I am worried about them getting dusty, lol. I need to take a chill pill!)

Baby’s size: A large cabbage or a cucumber! 

Mommy & Daddy hard at work putting together baby's dresser! Came out perfectly!

Love the neutral colors and wooden arm! So fancy!

The cover is polka dots on one side and cream and white stripes on the other. So cozy!