Completed Room!

Michael's room is finished! This week I finally completed my project for his room...the wooden letters and the shelves on the wall. I must say, everything looks amazing! I was kind of worried about how the letters would turn out as I'm really not that artistic..but I'm very happy with the end result!

The shelves also turned out better than I thought they would. The bottom shelf has little knobs on it which I hadn't anticipated at first, but they will come in super handy! The top shelf will have books and other little decorations and the bottom shelf will have all the diaper lotions, wipes and what not on it. The little knobs can hold burp cloths, pajamas and bibs...basically whatever needs to be hung. 

And here is the completed finished product! 

Week 29 - 11 weeks to go!

Countdown: 13 days till my Lamaze birthing class, 44 days till my 22nd birthday, 48 days till my baby shower, 75 days till baby arrives!

How far along: 29 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain: 13 lbs
Maternity clothes?: Yup! Yet I’m still managing to find cute tops that are non-maternity. I also bought some awesome and adorable night gowns to sleep and lounge around in…love TJ Maxx!
Stretch marks?: Nada. Still slathering on that anti-stretch mark mustela cream and it’s working wonders!
Belly button, in or out?: It’s a cute little outie
Sleep: I’m now sleeping on a mountain of pillows to avoid heartburn. Super comfy! And the cats have decided to train me for when the baby comes along & they now wake me up every morning around 4:30 jumping on my bed, biting my feet, meowing their heads off until I feed them or just lock them out of my room.   
Cravings: Iced green tea with lemonade! So delicious and refreshing.
Showing yet?: Growing more and more every day, therefore my back is hurting more and more every day.
Happy or Moody?: Happy! I'm with my family & friends and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Movement: Constantly kicking and moving around! I’m feeling it more and more because it’s getting a little more cramped in there as each week goes by.
Best moment this week: Finally completing my shelf and wooden letter project. The baby room is practically finished!
Things I miss: Bikini bathing suits, being skinny, frozen margaritas etc etc..
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: AUGUST!! I cannot wait for that month to roll around and for little Michael to finally be here!
Due Date: August 11^th

Week 29 – 11 more to go! This week has been particularly exhausting for me…but- I’m officially all unpacked and moved into my room. The pictures I posted last week show all the progress I made in decorating and starting to set up the room for little Michael. My goal for the week was to purchase, decorate and set up the shelves and wooden letters for the walls in the room. Check! I’ll post pictures of all that in my next update. 

This past Tuesday, I met my new doctor who happens to be pretty awesome! She’s a Major in the Army, was head of the OB/GYN department in various military hospitals, has deployed to Afghanistan and is returning to active duty next year. Have I mentioned that she also speaks French? Winning! Anyways, the appointment went really well..everything is progressing perfectly, baby’s heartbeat is nice and strong, only gained about 12 or 13 lbs! I was given the bloodtest for gestational diabetes, have yet to find out if I have it, but I’m thinking that I probably don’t considering how healthily I’ve been eating. Sad news though – I’m back to being anemic = not fun at all! I’m constantly tired, but tired in epic proportions. So tired that sometimes I’m too tired to even talk. It’s awful. I need to lay down all the time, the slightest activity exhausts me and makes me wants to lay in bed all day. Therefore I’m back to taking iron pills along with my prenatals, vit C and magnesium supplements. Hopefully I’ll start feeling stronger bc anemia is super lame. Next doctor’s appt is coming up in about a week…now I’ll be seeing her every two weeks for the next 6 weeks, after that, I’ll see her once a week till Michael arrives! Time is really flying. It seems like just days ago when I found out I was pregnant…

My next post will be all about the shelves I bought, painted and set up and the wooden letters I decorated and hung! 

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds like a butternut squash and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Baby Michael's Room!

Last Saturday, I spent the entire day sorting through all the baby items and clothes that I have accumulated over the last few months. I folded all the clothes up and put them in the drawers of the dresser. I realize that I am 12 weeks away, so I plan on washing them again once I am a bit closer to his arrival. Same goes for the crib bedding and the sheets in the bassinet. I really wanted to set everything up though to see what it would look like and help the room look more put together...it's all I could think about while I was in DC! I put the toys I have gotten so far, in a basket. Those will get washed in a couple of months...he won't really be able to play with them for a while anyways. 

Its amazing the amount of clothes this little boy has already. Onesies galore! All colors, designs, sizes...Little shorts, pants, overalls, hats...too cute! I definitely DONT need anything in the 0-3 month category and probably nothing for 3-6 months either. Our friends have been such a blessing giving us all these clothes items..I am so grateful!

I absolutely LOVE the way the room looks! Everything matches so perfectly...from the crib to the bedding to the walls...love it!! His room so far, is just PERFECT. His little bassinet is where he will sleep for the first couple of months, at the foot of my bed. It has wheels so I can roll it around, and has a little changing table. Extremely useful for when the little ones are still teeny tiny and look lost in a huge crib. 

I am so excited to keep decorating with shelves on the wall, little frames here and there and his name in block letters on the wall behind his crib! I'll post more pictures as I continue decorating and arranging the room.

Week 28 - 12 weeks to go!

Countdown: 50 days till my 22nd birthday, 54 days till my baby shower, 82 days till baby arrives!

I have been lagging in my blog updates, but so much has happened in the last week that I just haven't had the time. 

I'm back home with my family, finally!! The week we spent together in DC was amazing and I wouldn't have had it any other way. The weather was beautiful and we were able to spend some quality time together as a family...something we hadn't done in a really long time. 

My parents arrived on Saturday, the day before my graduation. The next day was Mother's Day and my college graduation. It was so surreal to be leaving the place I had spent the last four years of my life. I am proud to officially call myself an American University alum. This past semester was by far, the most stressful of my  college career but I managed to make it through and get that Bachelor's degree. After the ceremony, we went out for lunch at Le Chat Noir, a little French restaurant close to my apartment. Food was delicious and we all had a great time together! At the end, my mom and I were given our Mother's Day roses...my first little Mother's day flower! 

The rest of the week, my parents and brother would usually go out during the day while I worked and then would come to DC for dinner at my apartment or a restaurant. Wednesday night, we got together with David and his mom (Christine) and had an amazing time! We went out to dinner and then hung out in old town Alexandria. It was the first time we were all able to meet and while I was pretty nervous about the whole thing, I was so happy it went exceptionally well. 

Thursday was the parent's reception at Sequoia for all the commissioning seniors in the Hoya Battalion. It was crazy to think that after spending 4 long years with all these amazing individuals, it was all coming to an end. The great part about it is that the Army is a small world and we are all bound to run into each other again at one point or another. My parents were happy to have been able to meet all the other parents and my fellow cadet friends after having heard so much about all of them over the years. After the reception, we walked the Georgetown waterfront, took tons of pictures and sat by the water.  My blood pressure dropped enormously while we were there and I had to go home and rest. I nearly passed out on the sidewalk...not a good feeling. 

 

 

 Friday...last day in DC...by then I was all packed up and ready to go. I woke up super early to attend the Georgetown commissioning ceremony and see all my close friends become 2nd Lieutenants in the US Army. While I was sad that I couldn't take part in the ceremony with them (my turn was delayed until at least February - pregnant cadets cannot commission) I was extremely proud of each and every one of them. They are some of the smartest, most amazing people I know and I am so proud to have been a Hoya cadet alongside of them. Truthfully, I was really sad that it was all ending. After the ceremony, and halfway through the pinning, I had to leave. My parents picked me up, we loaded up the Uhaul and said goodbye to my adorable little apartment on Connecticut Ave. I still can't believe I won't be back there...

 The drive was long, but I drove most of the way, so it helped pass the time. We made it back home around 9pm and promptly went to bed. The cats were sooo happy to see us! Little Remy seemed like he was definitely planning on holding a grudge but Benny was beyond happy to be reunited with his humans. Coming back was so strange...it felt like I had never left. To be honest, it also STILL hasn't hit me that I won't be leaving..at least not for a while. I haven't lived at home longer than about a month in the last 4 years so living here for almost a year will definitely be weird for me. 

Saturday - 28 weeks!! I spent the whole day unloading a Uhaul, unpacking my stuff, sorting through baby clothes and organizing the baby/my room. I was EXHAUSTED by the end of the day, but I got a lot accomplished so more power to me! Pics of the room to come!

How far along: 28 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: 11 lbs
Maternity clothes?: Yep! Bought some more shorts and capris from Motherhood Maternity on Saturday...buy 3 get 1 free!
Stretch marks?: Still nothing, phew!
Belly button, in or out?: Out out out
Sleep: Pretty good...although I had 3 hours of excruciating heartburn at 2am the other night. Worst. feeling. ever. While I laid awake suffering, the palms of my hands and feet started to itch like crazy. Needless to say, it was a bad night.  
Cravings: Cottage cheese...
Showing yet?: Yup!
Happy or Moody?: Happy! I'm back at home and finally am able to relax!
Movement: All the time, so when I don't feel him I start to get a little nervous..
Best moment this week: Being back home!
Things I miss: DC...and the people there...
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: the birthing class I'm taking in June & my baby shower!
Due Date: August 11^th

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Week 27 & Third trimester begins!

Countdown: 1 day till Graduation, 6 days until I move back home, 59 days till my 22nd birthday, 63 days till my baby shower, 91 days till baby arrives!

Week 27 Bump!

Week 27 has begun...and along with it, the third trimester! Woo its the final stretch! I've been pretty lucky this whole pregnancy and haven't been plagued with many typical symptoms...ex: no morning sickness, no food aversions, no serious weight gain/bloating, etc. However, I have the worst back pain ever. I think I can attribute almost entirely to the fact that my front weighs so much more than it used to. My boobs are officially two cup sizes larger (B to a D - holy crap) and my belly is getting bigger by the minute. So all the weight I gained, which by now I think is around 11 pounds, is added weight that my poor back has to lug around. I can barely sit or stand longer than like 15 minutes before my back is screaming in pain. No fun. This week I also unfortunately caught a horrible cold/have been suffering from awful allergies so I've been congested, coughing, wheezing and sniffling. Not fun either. 

Sadly, it was my last week babysitting for one of my families. I have been with them for 2 years so leaving for the last time on Friday was super sad. :( Luckily, I'll be back in DC in the fall to visit them. It was just weird as I have been taking care of this little girl since she was born! I'm going to miss her so much. 

School-wise - finished the semester with a 3.93 GPA - Woo!! I love that my last semester in college and probably the toughest one is the one where I get my highest GPA. Why couldn't I have worked a little harder all throughout the four years? Oh well. 

Today was an awesome day. Got amazing jumbo crabs w David from the QD, then peach fro-yo and strolled along the Georgetown waterfront. Got a nice tan while doing so too...! The waterfront was packed today though with a bagillion people. Kind of annoying, but whatever. We saw the Avengers in Imax 3-D earlier in the week - awesome movie. Standard superhero storyline, but it was pretty funny. I can't wait for the Dictator and What to Expect When You're Expecting to come out! lolz

After lunch and Gtown, I headed back to campus and took pictures with my best friends Laura & Laura for graduation! They graduated today, and my grad is tomorrow so today was our picture day. Hard to believe that only 4 years ago, we were moving into our dorm rooms across from each other. The trio has remained strong!! Love these girls :)

Laura, Me, Laura. The Triplet Trio!

Afterwards, my parents finally arrived in town!! They came over and hung out for a bit at my apartment, then we went to dinner at Tesoro - amazing little Italian restaurant right down the street from me. Got some delicious appetizers and pizza. Yum! Then went back to my place and had pie & tea. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and we're going to Le Chat Noir for lunch after my graduation ceremony. My mom is AWESOME and totally deserves a day of recognition. Not to mention, the day after is her birthday! My mom is my best friend and biggest supporter and has always been there for me, no matter what. I think I can honestly say that I would not have been able to get through these last few months (not to mention the last 22 years of my life) without her. I love her so much. Moms are the best. Along those lines, tomorrow is my first Mother's Day!! Although Michael isn't here yet, I'm already his mom & I can't wait for him to come out so we can finally meet!! Crazy to think..wow. 

Best mom/friend in the whole world.

So recently I've been thinking that I kind of want to get those cheesy newborn pics done...where the babies are sleeping and wearing adorable little hats, "posing" on random objects or in baskets, etc. I also want the standard mommy/baby, daddy/baby pics. I think those would be so cute!! I looked on Etsy to see what kind of cute little hats they had for boys and these are what I found. Too cute for words and I must have one!  

I also decided that I need to have some fun with Michael when he's a babe w/ a pacifier & make some of these...hehe too funny! They sell for like 10 bucks on Etsy, but all you really need is some felt and glue, and voila - a mustache pacifier! Can get real creative and make all kinds of little mustaches! People are going to think I'm crazy...

Well tomorrow is the day I have been awaiting for the last 4 years - GRADUATION!! I will finally have that Bachelor's degree and the ability to say I went to college. I can't believe I seriously considered dropping out my freshmen year. What a mistake that would have been...Time flew by and it was definitely worth it 100%! Gotta wake up really early & sit through a painfully long ceremony...so now I'm going to bed. I'll post again with pictures!

How far along: 27 weeks
Total weight gain: 10 or 11 lbs
Maternity clothes?: Sometimes... for now I'm rocking non-maternity long summer dresses
Stretch marks?: Nothing!
Belly button, in or out?: Out..
Sleep: I love sleep so much.
Cravings: Fro-yo & tuna. I don't know what it is with this weird tuna craving I have...
Showing yet?: Yup!
Happy or Moody?: Happy! The family is here and graduation is tomorrow!!
Movement: Non-stop.
Best moment this week: Parents arriving today
Things I miss: Being skinny and able to wear belly shirts in the summer :(
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: Graduating tomorrow, hanging out w my family all week, and moving back home on Friday!
Due Date: August 11^th

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Little updates & springtime!

Other things I forgot to mention in my previous post...this week while babysitting my little kiddies, I noticed that there was a robin's nest in a bush in front of their house! The little bird babies had just hatched probably a day or two before. I got some sweet pictures of them! I love spring time and the presence of new life everywhere!

How far along: 26 weeks
Total weight gain: 10 lbs
Maternity clothes?: Maternity leggings (God’s gift to women) and now I’m rocking non-maternity summer shirts
Stretch marks?: Nada!
Belly button, in or out?: Out..
Sleep: Sleeping well although this morning I woke up at 5 am wide awake & could not fall back asleep.
Cravings: Fresh salads & smoothies
Showing yet?: No hiding it!
Happy or Moody?: Happy! I have officially finished my undergraduate education & will be graduating in 1 week!!
Movement: All the time…super active little man!
Best moment this week: Finishing all my classes, finals and papers!
Things I miss: Not peeing every 10 minutes
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: Graduation and the arrival of my parents in DC!
Due Date: August 11^th

 So along the topic of fresh salads - here was my delicious lunch today: most amazing salad ever! So easy to make: Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, tuna, chick peas, beets, pepper & balsamic vinaigrette! So many things in there that are healthy and good for you.

Week 26 - 14 weeks to go!

Today is day 1 of week 26. I am officially 6 whole months pregnant and starting my seventh month! In 2 weeks or so (depending on which doctor you're talking to), I'll be starting the 3rd trimester. I can't believe how fast time is flying! It feels like yesterday when I found out I was pregnant...and I was one of those people who found out 5 weeks in..I can't wait for August!!

Countdown: 7 days till my parents get here, 8 days till Graduation, 13 days until I move back home, 66 days till my 22nd birthday, 70 days till my baby shower, 98 days till baby arrives!

This week was pretty awesome - didn't really have to work too much as one of the little kiddies I nanny for was super sick with some crazy flu. Monday was the last day of undergraduate classes! I turned in my thesis paper early and got an A-! The amount of stress that paper gave me was incredible but I am so happy its over. So far I have gotten an A and and A- in 2 classes. Now I just need to wait on my teachers to post final grades in 3 more classes. I took the GRE on Wednesday....screw that. Standardized tests SUCK! I was never good at math, and I remember hating the SAT because of that. Well, this was a good reminder as to why I hated math so much. Official scores come out in a couple of weeks, we'll see what happens. Either way, whether or not I get accepted to the school that I applied to, I'll be happy. If I got in, awesome! If not, at least I tried, and I can always try again at a later date. In the mean time, more time to spend with baby Michael! 

I ordered the matching dresser this week for the baby room and it arrived 2 days later. The box looked like it had been run over by a truck, but surprisingly everything inside was in perfect condition! I'll post pictures of it once its finished being set up.

My biggest dilemma right now is trying to find the best baby stroller and infant carseat out there. Strollers are easy, I found one that I am completely obsessed with and due to the fact that this is probably one of the most popular brands of strollers, and that I have actually used one before, and that practically everyone on the street is using one, I know it must be great quality. The color is absolutely amazing! This is definitely my dream stroller. (Baby Jogger City Mini Single Stroller in blue/gray)

Finding the carseat is another story. I'll probably have to shop around in person for that one because you can't really tell the quality or "comfiness" of it through an online picture. Luckily, I still have time to find and secure both those items. 

Yesterday, Laura T and I had a girls date night! We went out to the Georgetown Waterfront and got fro-yo. Yum! I absolutely love Georgetown so it was nice to go back there and hang out. There were tons of people since it was so nice out. And every yacht owner in the DC/VA area brought their boats to the docks. Jealousss. We got some great pics from our little evening out!

Awesome dress I found at Marshalls - not even a maternity dress!

 

Definitely getting this picture framed. Love!

The yachts at sunset. Wish I was on one.

View of the Kennedy Center...so beautiful.

Earlier this week, and yesterday morning, I went shopping with Laura A to Target and Marshalls. I'm starting to run low on clothes that still fit my growing belly. I take back anything I ever said about Target's maternity section being great - it SUCKS. There is no variety and the clothes are awful. Everything I ended up buying (with the exception of the maternity leggings) are from the normal clothes section in the women's department. Luckily, it seems as though the style this summer is loose fitting tops - perfect! I don't really even need to buy a size up! I can stick to a small (for now) and totally get away with it, with room to spare. Those maternity leggings however - SOO COMFY! I was never a leggings person, quite frankly I thought I looked like a sausage, but those bad boys are amazing. Definitely recommend those to any pregnant chick looking for comfortable bottoms. 

That's it for now, I'm off to take my last final of my undergrad career! Hopefully I won't be in for any surprises. I definitely could have taken more time to study. Ooops...

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Giants vs. Redskins??

Crisis: David is a Redskins fan and I'm a Giants fan! Which team will baby Michael be a fan of?! He's going to be born right in time for football season and we need to make sure he picks the right team. (which in my opinion is obviously the NYG. - superbowl champs...duh!!)  I looked online and found adorable baby gear for both teams...it's going to be a tough pick. 


(I'm also becoming slightly obsessed with the collage-making feature on Picassa...if you couldn't tell)

The crib has arrived!

The crib I ordered has come in! There were a couple of complications as one of the railings was badly dented/scratched but we got it replaced and now the crib is perfect! I absolutely love it. So happy I decided on the espresso color and not the cherry...cherry was just way too red. The crib will be going against the light blue wall (the other 3 walls in the room are a tan shade- as seen in picture) and now I just can't wait to set up the bedding and see the finished product! 

Just a little side note: the countdown continues! 

(Also I am 1 GRE and 1 Final away from the end of Undergrad related work!)

Countdown: 10 days until my family arrives in town, 11 days till Graduation, 16 days until I move back home, 69 days till my 22nd birthday, 73 days till my baby shower, 101 days till baby arrives!

Room Ideas!

For the past few weeks, I have been literally dreaming about how Michael's room will look once I get home to start decorating it...I have tons of ideas ranging from tissue paper pom poms to block letting on the walls. So I put together a little collage of some cool things I found online that are making me so excited to get started!

I think I'm probably going to end up going with the white lettering since the back wall against which I will put them is light blue. The other walls are tan like in the bottom left picture. The pom poms may end up being blue, white and brown...with different shades of blue probably. Now I just need to think of ideas for other things to put on the walls...I put a few picture frames in my registry that have spaces for footprints and adorable baby pictures. Can't wait!!