Five on Friday: Babymoon Recap

We are back from a relaxing babymoon!  We chose to rent a cabin in Boone for several days...low key, relaxing, and the perfect choice for R and I to connect on our last few days before we enter a whole new world with an infant.  

We started our journey with a road trip.  Lady and I took our very first selfie!  We are a bit sad that she may not be able to join us on all of our future travels with a baby.  We will have space for a pup in our jeep but not in our car.  We love bringing her when we travel, it's good for her to get away from home and we love spending time with her.  She absolutely loved the mountains and her first romp in the snow.

We prepared our own meals in the cabin.  I preferred this so much to dining out out every meal.  We planned a menu did a big grocery haul - I'm so glad we did.  One of the days we were there the roads were extremely icy and we didn't want to come off the mountain.  This was the very best part of our vacation!!!  R and I love to cook together...we also happen to love to eat.

We saw some snow!  We saw even more rain, sleet, and ice...it was a "winter mix" as described by the weather channel.  It's been such a mild winter and we haven't seen anything white this year. Lady enjoyed it so much and it made for a pretty view.  The perfect weather for napping and cuddling.

 A wood burning fire place is the cabin's biggest and best feature.  R enjoyed building a fire every day.  We have always had a gas fireplace so this was a nice change.  Our fire pit hasn't had a lot of action since we moved into our townhome because we live on a hill so R has had severe fire withdrawl.  By the end of our trip he was an absolute pro.  Oh and it was yet another thing that Lady loved...we left her bed just left of the hearth and she was in heaven after her chilly play trips outside.

So we planned a spa trip and a fancy dinner out one of the days we were there.  Our plans had to change though - when we arrived at the spa, one of the massage therapists could not make it because of the weather and we were faced with the decision to come back in the afternoon or only one of us would be able to get a massage.  We decided to cancel for another time.  It was really icy and we had to travel on a curvy mountain, which may be completely normal for a lot of people but we don't drive in those conditions often and didn't want to chance it.  As the day progressed we decided to cancel our dinner reservations - it was just too comfortable in our lounge clothes by the fire to get out in chilly slush.  Below is a monochrome "bump" shot and pretty much my babymoon uniform - Liz Lange tank (complete with dog hair), cardigan, leggings and Ugg slippers.  I was actually trying to video our nugget kicking but she stopped as I was trying to film it.

That's it for the babymoon recap.  Basically we went up a mountain - enjoyed some quality time together and ventured back down the mountain to go home.  We did enjoy breakfast out a couple of mornings at Boone Bagelry, because it was on the way to the grocery store.  Other than that we were total hermits - books, movies, and games were our entertainment.  It was the best plan for us!

Hookin' up with these ladies, because I missed the fun last Friday.

A morning with our baby girl...

We had our 3D/4D ultrasound this morning and got to spend a few precious minutes looking at our sweet girl in real time.  Unfortunately our appointment was during nugget's naptime and she did not want to be disturbed.  I tried drinking something cold and sweet, I tried laying on my side but the poor thing just looked so put out that we were trying to snap photos of her.

Some stats:

• She is head down cuddled in the left side of my tummy with her head facing my left hip.
• She likes to suck on her fingers.
• She frequently makes faces - pouty lips, sucking faces, sneering, and she sticks her tongue out.
• My girl likes to ball up - feet pulled into her face and hands in front of her face.
• At 31w2d, she weighs 3 pounds and 7 ounces.  She is measuring a bit smaller than average, 35th percentile actually but the ultrasound tech told me that everything was normal.  I asked the doctor about it today and he was not alarmed about it.
• After seeing her today, my guess is that she has my nose (poor child) and R's jawline and lips.
• Her mommy and daddy think she is really cute.

 It looked like she was waving at us.

In this picture you can see that she is actually laying with her hands folded underneath her which I think is adorable.  I really wish she had been more alert during our session but she was super active from 7am to about 10am and was probably ready for a nap.  My doctor only does the 3D u/s appointments in the middle of the day, so I probably didn't have much of a chance keeping her awake for it.  I'm thrilled that we received so many pictures though and at different times during the appointment we were able to see all her features.

I was torn on whether or not to do it.  The appointment is optional and not covered by insurance but in the end I think it was worth the time and money.  They were able to measure my baby and check my fluids so I know everything is okay.  Also the entire experience is pretty magical!  It will likely be the last time we get to see her before her big debut in just a few weeks.

Bumpdate: Week 30

Change of location courtesy of our Babymoon cabin!

Size of the baby: Size of a small cabbage, just over three pounds...

Total weight gain:  Up 20 pounds, though I'm not looking forward to that scale after all that babymoon eating!

Maternity clothes:  Nothing new and hopefully nothing more through the end of my pregnancy.  It was difficult in the mountains this week with no decent cold weather clothing, my regulars don't fit right now and I didn't want to have to buy a whole new Winter wardrobe. 

Gender: Our daughter!

Nursery:  No progress since we were away on vacation.

Sleep:  I love to sleep.  I went to bed early most of the week.  And naps, oh I love to nap!

What I miss:  I would have loved to have had some wine on our trip, my husband brought along a few that looked delicious.  It's harder to get up from the sofa, R had to help me several times this week.  It's sometimes difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position, I'd love to be able to sleep on my back again!

Cravings:  Cold cereal and milk, milkshakes, cheese and crackers - I just noticed that it was a big dairy week.

Other symptoms:  Well - I'm getting bigger so that means more stress on my back and more pressure on my bladder.  It can also feel really uncomfortable at times.  I'm out of breath when I talk and I have terrible pregnancy brain.  Seriously - sometimes I forget what I'm saying mid sentence, I make up words, I use the wrong words, I walk into rooms and forget why...thank God for the notes app on my phone.  I write notes to myself ALL THE TIME.  Oh yea, I'm still having reflux.

Best moments:  She's moving all the time!  My girl gives a few strong movements everyday but most of the time she just wiggles and makes little waves in my stomach.  It's easy to get my fetal kick counts in, especially at night when she doesn't care to settle down.  We went to a cabin in Boone for our mountain babymoon and got snowed in!  Well not really, we could get up and down the mountain if we needed to but we actually saw snow.  Oh it was relaxing, we spent several days reading, watching movies, and cooking together.  R and I had the best time, we brought Lady along and she had a great time alternating between a snowy mountain romp and laying in her fireside bed. The best is yet to come though, we have our 3D ultrasound scheduled for this upcoming week! Our baby shower is this weekend too and the 9 week countdown to our due date begins!

Bumpdate: Week 29

Size of the baby: A butternut squash and she should be close to 3 pounds

Total weight gain:  19 pounds

Maternity clothes: Not really maternity but I finally bought new bras.  I had to go up a band size and I'm so much more comfortable now!  Normally I think of bras as an investment but I don't know my body will change before nugget arrives so I chose to pick up a couple of Maidenforms from Target and I'm thrilled with the quality so far.  And they are really pretty!  I'm trying to enjoy it for the next 10 weeks because I've researched nursing bras and they are certainly function over beauty.

Gender: pink pink pink

Nursery:  Not much progress since last weekend.  R hung some pictures on the wall and our mobile.  We took a few pieces of furniture to my moms to get them out of the room and brought back my childhood pine toy box which we are going to use for storage in her closet. My mom gave me quite a few quilts that were handmade by my grandma and some of my old baby clothes.

Sleep:  Great, I'm taking at least one nap a week too.  And it's not uncommon for me to fall asleep for a few minutes when R and I are watching a movie or show in the evening.

What I miss: Ha!  Shaving my legs, comfortably at least. It's really hard to paint my toes and shave my legs so I might have to rely on hubs for that. I miss my second trimester energy too, I can tell that I get tired much more often.

Cravings:  Holy peanut butter cookie craving, I nearly made a batch at midnight the other night. And ice cream, even in freezing temperatures I'm craving cold dairy!  Another weird one, I HAD to have Lucky Charms cereal this week, the crazy part?  I wasn't even sure what Lucky Charms tasted like, I don't remember the last time I ate them, and it's certainly not a common cereal in our house.  R bought two single serving cups from Target, good call because I don't think I'm a big fan.

Other symptoms: No stretch marks yet, fingers crossed!  No linea nigra either.  No swelling thankfully.  I'm slowing down, not sure if it's the weight or the pressure of the baby on my back but I have to take more breaks now.  I'm also out of breath fairly easily, I sit for my weekly rounds at work now and I can't talk for too long without a break.  I'm still taking Zantac and I prop my head up a bit more to sleep which seems to be keeping my reflux in check.  When I'm cleaning or standing for long periods I wear my maternity belt and it helps support my back - this thing is the jam!

Best moments: Shopping for the baby!  I purchased a few cute outfits for her and took advantage of the Nursery Event at my local PBKids to get even more goodies.  Oh and she found the top of my uterus!  She hasn't budged from my lower abdomen and this week it's like she looked up and realized that she had twice as much space to stretch out in.  Now I feel her everywhere!

Bumpdate: Week 28

Size of the baby: A Chinese cabbage, about 2.5 pounds and she can open her eyes!

Total weight gain: 17 lbs so far

Maternity Clothes: Yes!  I went to Destination Maternity over the weekend and hit up their Buy 2 Get 1 red line sale especially since I had a savings pass from December.  I bought an Ultimate Support Belt and it's fantastic!  I plan to try it out at work this week to see if I can minimize the strain on my back.  I also bought three tops by Pea in the Pod, a pair of Motherhood bootcut jeans, and a pair of Destination Maternity black slacks for work.  One of the tops is going to be perfect for my maternity shoot!

Gender: Sugar and spice.

Nursery:  The original curtains I purchased didn't work out and but the replacements came this week and I love them!  Three walls are painted, only the accent wall remains and we received our recliner/glider as a gift from R's mom on Saturday.  It's coming together and I'm thrilled!  Next weekend we can get something pretty on the wall and hang our mobile, then R wants to start on the furniture.

Sleep: It takes me a bit longer to get to sleep because she is so active at night.  I've noticed that I'm more tired than I was in the second trimester and this week I needed a nap by Thursday.

What I miss: Nothing really this week, I wish I was able to talk to patients at work without feeling out of breath.

Cravings: Clementines are difficult to find in the dead of Winter so I've been eating more fresh pineapple. I got a hankering for tater tots this week and I'm still enjoying my morning OJ.

Other symptoms: Some slight back pain at the end of the day.  I'm propping my feet up at work but I haven't had any swelling.  In general I've felt okay but feeling "heavier" and sometimes it's hard to move for long periods.

Best moments: I went to my routine OB appt this week, everything is on track and now I'm doing fetal kick counts daily.  I use the Baby Kicks app to keep track, though sometimes she moves so much I don't even have to start the timer. I also set up my 3D ultrasound for the end of the month, it's optional and not covered by insurance but totally worth the splurge to see her little face! I enjoyed a maternity shopping spree this past weekend; I don't usually shop at the mall and even more rare to try on clothes - I'm not much on clothes shopping usually but I loved finding some cute scores on sale.

Five on Friday

Woo Hoo for Friday!  And all the things that brought me joy this week...

I bought a belt.  It's not pretty, it's not fashionable but it is oh so helpful!  I got this jewel from Destination Maternity for about $30 and it's helped support my back this week while I'm rounding. I'll probably do a full review after wearing it a bit longer but first impressions seem good.  Wearing it does make you feel the need to urinate more (because of the pressure on your lower abdomen) and it's a pain to remove every time you go to the bathroom but if you're standing and walking for long periods it's a back-saver.

Yum yum!  R made this delicious deep dish pizza over the weekend and it was massive!  I've had leftovers several times this week.  R used the same crust recipe to recreate Pizza Inn's chocolate chip pizzert - it was really close to the original but we both decided we like it with thin crust better.

And then there was this.  A nursery sneak peek! And also to share our new glider/recliner that my mother in law gifted us (with the tag still attached-oops).  This room is certainly not finished but I'm happy to share this peaceful little corner.

via

Speaking of our baby girl's room.  We are attending a nursery event at PBKids this weekend and I'm so excited.  They are having a sale right now with an additional discount for the even RSVP. We also have some promotional money to use from my mother in law when she purchased our bedding on Black Friday.  I can't wait to buy Nugget some special goodies!

image via

Oh and the last thing that makes me happy happy happy!  We booked a babymoon and we can't wait to plant ourselves in comfy clothes with no cleaning, no nursery tasks, no to do list, and no work!  We will definitely be picking up some Fre bubbly for the trip.

Fridays are for sharing...

Bumpdate: Week 27

Size of the baby: a head of cauliflower

Total weight gain:  16 pounds

Maternity clothes: Everyday, but no new purchases.  I love changing into pajamas as soon as I get home from work and I've become fond of R's t shirts and pj pants for lounging.  I think I might purchase a couple new tops just so I can have a bit more variety, it stinks wearing the same things over and over.  I depend on scarves, cardigans and jewelry to spice up my current pieces on rotation.

Gender: This bunny is a girl

Nursery:  S.L.O.W.L.Y. -coming along. In about two weeks we will have a lot more accomplished. My husband has had a lot of overtime lately so things haven't progressed much.  We received the crib mattress, changing pad, and curtains and we are going to focus on the walls before going any further.

Sleep:  Great, I love sleep actually.  I have to get up several times to potty but I pass out just as quickly.

What I miss:  Champagne would have been nice on NYE but the Fre alcohol free brut was an excellent substitute, even R had a glass and enjoyed it.

Cravings:  Fruit is delicious to me, I actually passed up cake this week because I was craving an orange.  I wanted a cheeseburger this week too, with tater tots so hubs had to swing by Sonic on his way home...it's a weird craving for me since I don't eat red meat often.

Other symptoms: No swelling thank goodness and my husband noted that my belly button is getting "flatter" but I'm still not an outie!  I also haven't had any stretch marks so far but I've been using creams and trying to hydrate.  I'm still taking zantac 2-3 per day to control my reflux, and this week I had a horrible night where I was sick for several hours with burning and nausea.  I can't complain that I've had one bad night in six months.

Best moments:  Best friend set the date for my baby shower - she and her mother are the best hostesses.  Planning a shower and entertaining is exhausting business and I'm so thankful that they offered to throw a party for my baby.  It's at the end of the month and I have the perfect dress for it.  I had a few people touch my belly this week, not going to lie it was a bit weird but at least the attention has been positive.  I enjoyed a low key New Years Eve at home with my husband followed by a couple of days off to start Spring cleaning...the BIG clean out and organization before our baby arrives.  Our babymoon is booked for late January and a class with our pediatrician is booked for early February - our weekends are filling up fast!

Five on Friday

It's been a couple of weeks with minimal blogging and I realized I never got around to doing a holiday recap.  I decided the quickest and most efficient way to document Holiday 2014 is to combine it with a Five on Friday post - because otherwise I'll keep procrastinating.

Our Christmas Eve.

My favorite day of the year!  Starting with a movie marathon camp out in the living room by the tree and breakfast in bed.  We did our usual baking and food prep for an amazing seafood pasta dinner.  It was the most relaxing day of our holiday vacation.

Lady loved Santa "Glamping"

Our "Eve" dinner.  No mussels for the pregnant girl this year, we chose to do shrimp instead but R found an amazing Cajun seafood sauce recipe that was perfect for our meal.

Christmas Day.

We were spoiled - Santa was extra generous this year!  We had the opportunity to spend time with both families, it was a long day but very festive.  We went to my moms in the early morning for gifting and lunch.  She made an amazing meal - seriously every delicious Southern food possible was on the table.  We went to see R's family in the afternoon and as usual my mother in law had some amazing sweets dotted around the kitchen - I filled up on haystacks while we were there.  Both families sent us home with mounds of food and we certainly didn't starve for the next week.  We received some really nice gifts, and it was hard to pick a few favorites.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Festive Drinks.

So I've had an odd glass of eggnog and hot cocoa since Winter started but I was hoping for something a bit more fun over the holidays.  We went to Total Wine to investigate some alcohol free options and purchased Ariel Cabernet and Ariel Chardonnay along with Fre Brut to try.  R was a good sport about sampling it, though he had his own wine at home to enjoy.  On Christmas Eve, I tried a spritzer "mocktail" with the Ariel Chardonnay, seltzer water, lime, and pomegranate seeds - it was a decent drink and very pretty in the glass.  It felt fancy.  The chardonnay has a fairly weak flavor, this would probably work better with a sweeter wine.  I had a glass of the Cabernet with dinner, it has a much better flavor - more acidic and less sweet than grape juice but without the deep rich flavor of actual wine.  I think if you really want something to bring to a party or if you are looking for something a bit more special to drink with dinner this would fit the bill.  The Fre Brut was really good, a real treat!  Both R and I toasted midnight on New Years Eve with a glass of this, we had real champs in the fridge and he chose to partake in my alcohol free version.  I was expecting a pricey version of sparkling grape juice but I was pleasantly surprised at how close this tasted to a good sparkling wine.  It would make a fine mocktail too, we plan to pick up another bottle for babymoon mimosas.

"Spring" Cleaning.

We toasted the new year and R went to bed so he could work on New Years Day.  I took a couple of days vacation and started "nesting".  This was the first year that I wanted the tree down and decorations put away so I could have a fresh, clean slate.  After packing up the holiday madness I started a list with chores for each week until mid-March. I'm thinking a complete overhaul of our closets and cabinets with some organization is going to be necessary.  I want to toss or donate items that we don't use and get rid of extra clutter.  We also have to do seasonal chores - flip mattresses, shampoo carpets, dust fans, wash drapes, etc - I'm sure I won't have time once Baby Girl arrives and it would be nice to be able to get everything organized before she is here.  It's actually my excuse for failing to blog lately, every afternoon I'm trying to mark tasks off the list.

New Years Goals.

• Obviously, household cleaning and organization.
• Finish the nursery.
• Prepare some freezer friendly meals.
• Write out a budget for the weeks I'm on maternity leave.
• Work on office organization and simplify my files so whoever is covering for me has an easy transition.
• Save money for two big household purchases that we hope to make later in the year.

I normally set goals specific to certain months but this year I'm giving myself a break. Since our lives are about to change big time with a little one, I don't want any additional pressure.  I've been warned by friends that we will get on a groove eventually and flexibility will be key.  Maybe one day, I can get back to "one book a month" or "exercise 3x per week" but I don't want to set myself up to fail by expecting too much of myself, too soon.

Thanks for sticking it through, I know this was a long post.  I'm behind on my bumpdates and I plan to post my 27 week update soon.  FYI -most of my ideas for upcoming posts are baby related, this is a lifestyle blog and right now that is the direction of my life.  Hello 2015, I can't wait to see what you have planned for us!

And cheers to the lovely hostesses of the weekly Friday link-ups: