18 Weeks...Happy Anniversary!

Joe and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary this week!!   We enjoyed dinner at Lindey’s in German Village.  I meant to take a picture but I guess we were too busy enjoying good company and all of the delicious food.  This anniversary is very special because it is our last as a family of two (well and two fur babies).  Next year we’ll have an almost 7 month old!  Baby can join us for dinner next year, but we will probably need to pick a more baby friendly restaurant.

Celebrating our three year wedding anniversary.

We also went shopping for some new chairs to go around our fire pit.  Many of our big gifts to each other this year have been items for the house.  We want to add some more furniture to the collection later  but it is a great start.  I imagine we’ll spend many nights out by the fire (listening to a baby monitor) next year.

Joe decided since I had a light week at work I needed to go enjoy a prenatal massage and facial.  He claims it was about time I go since he bought me this gift for Valentine’s Day (when it definitely was not intended to be a prenatal massage hehe).   It felt amazing, and hopefully I can treat myself again before baby is here.

We also picked up our crib from our coworker Chad.   Having a crib in our home makes it very real even if it hasn’t quite made its' way to the nursery (instead it is making a fantastic hallway decoration) since the room isn’t ready.  Joe finished hanging the crown molding, and we will start working on the chair rail next.  We also visited the Igoe’s while we were out and they had gotten us a really cute diaper bag.  We also finally started reading a book my Mom had sent us shortly after finding out we were expecting (guess we have been busy).  And the Marflaks sent us a Baby Bullet all the way from Charleston, SC!  I am super excited for this gift and can't wait to make my own baby food.  I also got my first nursery decor from Etsy, an elephant light switch cover.  It will be fun to see everything come together!

We celebrated with the Harris’ for a diaper party/Greg's 30^th birthday party.  Alison is a great hostess a did such a wonderful job combining the two celebrations.  Every time Joe sees Ashley he is so intrigued by her belly and wants to know when mine will match (don’t worry Daddy…well before Christmas!).  I loved listening to Ashley’s old wives tales to predict gender and comparing her answers to my own.

So here's my funny prego brain story of the week.  I went to the ATM to get some cash, and kept getting yelled at for not entering the correct pin.  I tried 3 or 4 times before finally giving up because I didn't want the machine to eat my card.  About 6 hours later when I opened my wallet to pay for something else it dawned on me I had been using my credit card, not my debit card, all along.  Oops!

Baby is the Size of a Sweet Potato

 

New for baby this week? Has it's own fingerprints.  Ears are in place and can hear Mommy.  Continuing to yawn, hiccup, swallow, suck, twist, bend, flex, roll, and flip all around as baby gets stronger.
Maternity clothes? I have one stretchy pair of jeans and one pair of shorts I can uncomfortably squeeze into.  I probably just need to give in to maternity pants ;)
Best moment this week? My best anniversary gift!!! I am pretty sure I felt baby move for the first time! I was oddly awake around 5 a.m. (when I am sometimes up for work but I wasn't working that day) and just couldn't fall back asleep.  Then next thing I know I feel these little flutters and it probably went on for 10-15 minutes!  Amazing!!!!
Movement? Yes!  But only once that I am sure of.  Looking forward to feeling more soon.  I probably should sit still a little more so I can notice it.
Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy :)
Looking forward to? Baseball and football games.  Enjoying the last of the beautiful summer days with fall like evenings.

17 Weeks...Family Reunion

We had a checkup this week.  Nothing but good reports from the OB. I am gaining weight appropriately and the baby still has a heart rate of about 160 BPM.  Our next appointment will be at 20 weeks when we will have our anatomy ultrasound!  Can't wait to get another peek at Baby Lude!

On Saturday afternoon we went to the Lude Family Reunion.  It was my first ever family reunion (my family is very small, so every holiday is a reunion haha).  Baby Lude is going to have a way different experience being surrounded by a very large family. (But don't worry even if there aren't as many you'll get just as much love from your Mama's side of the family too!!)  I enjoyed meeting a lot of new family members, all of which were very excited about Baby Lude.  We spent the day catching up, playing corn hole, eating lots of food, and enjoying the gorgeous day.  

My new furry friend Augustus. My belly miraculously looks tiny in this picture.

Joe and Josh

Some of the family.

Baby Lude's cousins Serena, Rylee, Gabe, and Cade (missing Greer)

Baby Lude's Uncle Josh, Aunt Val, Aunt Sarah, and nephews Cade and Gabe.

Sunday afternoon Joe's parents, Josh, Val, Sarah, and the kids all stopped by our house on the way home from the reunion.  It was really fun to see the kids all play on the swing set.  And hopefully there will be more visits in the future, especially since the zoo and water park are so close by!

Baby Lude also got a souvenir from Josh, Val, Rylee, and Gabe's beach vacation.  Thanks so much y'all!!!

So tiny and cute!

The rest of the week we have been pretty busy with work.  We did at least sneak in some time to enjoy some delicious burgers from Brazenhead and game night with our friends Geoff and Nicole.

Baby is the Size of an Onion

New for baby this week? Cartilage is turning to bone, putting on some baby fat, heart is now regulated by the brain.
Total weight gain/loss? After my weigh in at the OB...7 lbs!
Maternity clothes? Sneaking by with unbuttoned shorts and dresses :)
Sleep? Still can't get enough.
Best moment this week? Catching up with family.
Miss Anything? Highland Gaelic Ale (which Joe enjoyed at Brazenhead...yes Asheville beer has made its way to Columbus!)
Movement? No...hopeful to feel the flutters soon as baby gets stronger.
Food cravings? Fried pickles.
Anything making you queasy or sick? I had the most nauseous day of my entire pregnancy this past Monday.  It was so random, and I haven't had any of the symptoms back since.
Have you started to show yet? Absolutely.  No hiding this baby now.
Gender? Joe called Baby Lude a "she" when we were walking the dogs the other night.  Interesting since he has been saying boy all along.

16 Weeks...Maternity Pants!

I took advantage of tax free weekend and went shopping at Macy’s.  I had to laugh because their maternity section was hidden in a corner surrounded by all the kids clothes.  I am thrilled because I found not one but two pairs of maternity pants that fit well and don't even need hemmed!!!  The one pair is so insanely soft and comfortable I might just have to wear them forever.  So although I don't need to wear them quite yet I know the cooler fall weather is fast approaching.  And now I won't be stressed out trying to find pants that fit last minute.  I will probably be thankful for jeans weather because the shorts are getting awfully snug (I change into yoga pants or comfy shorts as soon as I get home from work...I guess I get spoiled being in scrubs all day).  I also grabbed a couple tops since it was buy 3 maternity items, get 1 free :)

My Grandpa and Lil came into town on Saturday.  It was their first chance to see our new home in Dublin.   It was a beautiful afternoon and we spent a good part of the day sitting outside on the deck catching up.  Grandpa also brought me a lil teddy bear he had at home that Grandma had crocheted clothes for.  It’s really sad Grandma won’t be around to meet her new great grandbaby.  But we are thankful to have one Great Grandparent around.  Grandpa also treated us to a belated birthday dinner at Local Roots.

That evening our friends Alison, Brian, Ashley, and Greg came over for a fire, drinks, and smores.   Ashley (who is due in October and has the cutest baby bump ever!!) and I couldn’t partake in drinks, but we of course enjoyed the smores.  Joe and I are really excited because Ashley and Greg are not finding out what they are having.  We love everyone's baby gender surprises as much as our own.  Alison and Brian somehow had not been over our house yet and brought us a housewarming bottle of champagne (we’ll enjoy that later!!).  They also brought a really sweet card and our first outfit for Baby Lude.  It's a 6 month outfit and so tiny! Hard to believe baby will be even smaller when we bring them home!  Even harder to believe our little one will be wearing this outfit by next summer.  Time will fly.

Little giraffes...so incredibly cute!

Joe (along with his awesome assistant!) has been working on the crown molding in the nursery.  Everything is coming together slowly but surely.  Oh and Daddy even got baby their first toothbrush today when he went to the dentist, isn't it cute?!

Sorry Baby Lude...I will probably make you pose for cheesy pictures like this too one day.

Joe also informed me that today is 6 months to the day since I worked my last day in Asheville and was driving HOME to O-H-I-O (not to mention trying to beat the snowstorm that was coming!).   What a busy and wonderful 6 months it has been.  Looking forward to the next 6 months even more!

Baby is the Size of an Avocado

New for baby this week? Growing hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows.  Muscles are getting stronger. 
Stretch marks?  No.  Although I have days I definitely feel like I am being stretched out.  Yesterday during my case at work I am convinced the baby decided they wanted more room to grow and were pushing all four limbs out in every direction to make that happen haha.
Sleep? I sleep a ton and love every minute :)  I figure I better enjoy it while I can.
Best moment this week? Finding some awesome maternity pants!
Movement? No although they say anytime between now and 20ish weeks I should feel something.  First time pregnancy means I probably won't feel baby as soon even though I am small. 
Food cravings? Carbs!  Pizza and spaghetti. Arby's was a must have after yoga today (horsey sauce and curly fries...yum!)
Anything making you queasy or sick? I made chicken tacos and was not feeling it at all.  I ate them, but really didn't want them.  This has been one of very few food aversions I have experienced.
Have you started to show yet? A growing bump.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy, pregnancy has been treating me well.  Not so happy I am starting to get a lil acne...oh the joys of hormones, am I 16 again?!
Looking forward to?  Going to the Lude Family Reunion this weekend.  Will be meeting some relatives from Joe's Dad's side.

15 Weeks...Where is this summer going?!

This pregnancy and summer are flying by!  Hard to believe it is already August. It was Laura's last week of summer break before heading back for the school year so we had a couple girls days.   One night we went to a movie, which I decided I should probably do more of before Baby Lude arrives.  We definitely take for granted how easy it is to just go on a whim and sit through a movie.  (Joe and I in general live a very last minute on the go lifestyle, so we will have some adjusting/planning in our future). Another night was a completely normal girl's night out, dinner and shopping. Except Laura decided we should go to Destination Maternity (I figure mostly so she could get a good laugh!).   It's pretty funny that one of my few non-prego/mommy friends was the first one to take me there.  But she's a "pro" since she already went there with all of our other pregnant friends at her bachelorette party haha.  I was thankful Laura joined me on this adventure.  She did a great job of letting the workers know I was "new", and keeping the experience from being overwhelming.  I only ended up getting a new bra and a pair of yoga pants (which as a side note are so insanely comfortable I might wear them forever). You wouldn't think yoga pants would be a problem but a couple pairs I own have tight elastic at the top that now digs into my stomach which isn't very comfortable in yoga class.  I did try on some maternity jeans with "the bump".  I fully expect Laura to do this for me one day!!! (A blog post about it has to be some kind of written contract, right?).  Maternity pants are going to be a little bit more of a challenge than I expected since I am so petite and short...so wish me luck!

How far along will I be when I get this big?! Hopefully close to delivery! :)

Joe and I finally had a free night to get some paint up in the nursery.  Of course we have to keep everything gender neutral so we picked Stonington Gray.  It's a nice light gray and we were really happy with it, especially once we got it on the walls.  You'll notice we didn't cut in along the ceiling.  That leaves Daddy at least committed to getting some crown molding up ;)  Or we'll just have an awesome multi colored uneven border! And apparently I need to find a new home for our random beach/camping gear before the closet gets filled with tiny clothes.  Mostly I am excited to decorate!  I am sure a lot of it is "fluff", but the lil nesting mama in me just can't help myself :)

Baby is the Size of a Navel Orange

New for baby this week? Arms and legs have both lengthened, making baby pretty much normal in proportion now.  Although the eyelids do not open, the eyes are still sensitive to light and Baby would move if I shined a flashlight on my belly (no I am not gonna try this...seems mean!).  The lungs are also developing as Baby is starting to make breathing movements.
Total weight gain/loss? I don't feel like I have gained much?  I will find out at the doctor in a couple weeks.
Maternity clothes? Getting close...but for now I have enough of my regular clothes fitting me okay.  It would be a bigger problem if I needed to wear jeans everyday.  Maxi dresses will be a nice help in the coming weeks :)
Movement? No...but I can't wait to feel it! 

Miss Anything? Mack Kells wings
Food cravings? Pickles...of the regular and fried variety. Wings.
Have you started to show yet? Yes.  I don't know that I am getting much larger but my bump is definitely a little firmer/rounder this week (Laura pointed this out but I didn't really believe her until today). All day today I have been feeling like things are stretching out.
Belly Button in or out? In.  Joe was commenting on how it is already starting to "button" a bit as it is slowly getting pushed out.
Wedding rings on or off? Still loose!
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy :)
Looking forward to? Grandpa visiting on Saturday.  Possibly still time for the fair?! Never ended up making it to the Irish Festival. I don't know where all our time goes.