Mother's Day, Baby Showers, Nursery and other updates

So I can't decide whether to write this post chronologically or as it comes to my mind. It would probably be easier for you to read if I did it chronologically but it is easier on my brain to write things as they come to my mind so that is what you will get!

Mother's Day

I honestly never really gave much thought to those who didn't enjoy Mother's Day. Since I could remember I always spent the day honoring my amazing mom and any other moms in my family we saw that day. Once I was married I made sure Blake always had something for his mom as well  :) (as daughters-in-law do). I guess if I really thought about it, I could have understood how it could be a hard day for some who have lost their mothers or didn't have the best mother. That is until last year.

Mother's Day last year wasn't very much fun for me. At that point, Blake and I had been trying for a baby for awhile and I desperately wanted to be pregnant. I remember being in church as they talked about mothers and just yearning to be one. Of course my church acknowledged those who might be having a hard time on that day and including those who couldn't/weren't getting pregnant. I held back tears as I worshiped and prayed. I questioned yet again why we weren't pregnant yet while at the same time knowing that God will do things in His way with His timing. Right there I knew that next Mother's Day would be different. I didn't know for sure if I would have a baby, be pregnant, or on our way to having a baby in another way, but I knew Mother's Day 2013 would be different. I knew I wouldn't be crying because I still wasn't a mom yet.

And of course God is faithful. This Mother's Day I am 36 weeks pregnant. Baby is currently moving all around in my stomach as I type this. While this hasn't been the easiest or most comfortable pregnancy, everyday I am thankful for this gift. While the journey to get here was emotional and also not easy, looking back, I am thankful for it. It has made me appreciate the miracle of life and really brought God into this pregnancy as He should be. I've debated posting about our entire journey and I still might do it one day but if you are reading this and trying to get pregnant and getting upset and discouraged, PLEASE feel free to contact me and I would love to talk to you. Women don't always share about their fertility (understandably, it is private and can be uncomfortable to discuss in public) but I found that while we were trying, one of the things that helped me the most was talking to other women who had been through it. It was nice to know that we weren't alone. YOU aren't alone!

Ok, enough with the emotional part of the post.

OH! So my first Mother's Day. I know some people would say that I'm "not a mom yet" because I'm still pregnant but let me tell you, I've carried this child for the last 8-9 months and done my best to make sure I'm eating right, resting, and doing everything else this baby needs while dealing with all the fun pregnancy symptoms  I'M a MOM! :)

Saturday night we finishing rearranging the nursery because Blake's family was coming in the morning to see it and we finally had most everything we needed for the nursery. First here are some pictures...

Riley's new spot

View from the doorway. Riley wanted to be in the picture still. 

Curtains :)

Changing table/dresser. (I still need to finish putting away all the shower gifts) 

It is all coming together! So that night, I was relaxing in the glider (which is awesome!) and I had Blake turn off the lights so I could see what the lamp looked like. It was so nice and peaceful in there (no baby crying yet!) and reality that we will have a baby in a month is hitting both of us. Blake says that the room is missing one thing. So I continued rocking and thinking about all the long nights I would probably spend in this spot. I honestly was thinking about how I would need to make sure I had my iPod touch with me so I can watch Netflix and play on the internet while feeding.... when Blake walks in with a brand new iPad!!! He did catch my reaction on video and basically, my jaw just dropped and stayed that way. I had talked to him about maybe getting an iPad because I have other friends who nurse who have told me how awesome it is to have one but I never thought he would actually get me one. Especially once we decided that I wasn't going to work next year (more on that later). He also of course got me a super sweet card that I will cherish always.

The next day we had breakfast with Blake's family and lunch with my family. After that I was able to relax but of course, I still had some work that I had to do. Now for Father's Day, we will have a 1 or 2 week old. I'm trying to think about things I can do to get ready before the baby comes and I will of course do my best to spoil Blake that day but I already told him no guarantees! Blake of course has been the best dad and husband ever during this pregnancy. He has had to take on more since I have to rest more and have been so sick and uncomfortable and he has done it all willingly and without complaint. I really am the luckiest!

Speaking of lucky, I was blessed with 3 showers in 4 days! The last day of Bible study with my girls was supposed to be a fun/party night. We had decided to get together for dinner and a movie at our host home. So I show up and my girls say "Welcome to your baby shower!". I look around the the dining room is set with cute plates and a gift and all the girls are writing silly sayings on diapers. I was so surprised and overwhelmed at their thoughtfulness! There was a wonderful dinner prepared by some of the moms and the girls all chipped in and got us our pack n play!! I texted Blake to tell him about it and it turns out his boys threw him a surprise shower as well!! We are so thankful that this baby is so loved already.

My sweet girls writing on the diapers

Well, I have tons more to say but this is the time of night that I get sick and now that I've taken care of that, I'm tired and need to go to bed. (yes, I am throwing up again. Apparently it isn't uncommon in the 3rd trimester and I'm one of the lucky ones) :) I will try to post again soon!

Nursery Part 1

So we are making progress on the nursery! This room was our office/catch all and it was a mess! I had all this teaching stuff that "I might use again someday".... GONE! If you want to see some of the scary before pictures, scroll down a few posts.

So our color scheme is going to be be blue and yellow. I know blue is traditionally a boy color but I have always loved these colors together and if it is a girl, I can put purple and pink things in there and it will be fine :) So we (I mean Blake) got the walls painted and some of the big furniture in place. Of course it looks kinda empty now but I will post more pictures once the curtains go up and we get the bedding in and all that jazz. The room will probably still look kind of bare until the baby comes because there are several things (wall hangings, etc.) that I'm waiting to buy until we know the gender.

Room all taped up and all the furniture in the middle.

Blake painting the accent wall

Crib, accent wall, closet doors, and Riley posing :)

The other 3 walls are a very light blue. The dresser will end up also being the changing table.

We are so glad to have the majority of the work done! It was hard to find time and energy to make myself work in there and now that I'm in my third trimester, a lot of the work was left to Blake.

And now for some more pictures :)

28 weeks

31 weeks

So of course I'm definitely bigger. The comments I get are starting to be really funny because I hear about how big I am from some including a coworker who won't stop asking if I am having twins to other who say how little I am. I honestly don't care about the size of the baby or me, as long as he/she is healthy and growing :)

So this little one is moving around A LOT. One of my favorite things to do now is lay in the tub with a good book and watch the baby move. Not so much fun when I'm walking around my classroom and baby decides to get me good :) There are also certain positions that I like to try and sit in since it is hard to get comfortable nowadays but baby will quickly let me know if he/she doesn't like it.

We have 9 more weeks left to go (and I have 9 more weeks of school!) and I'm ready for June to be here. We have been to over half of our Bradley classes and have learned SO much. I love doing the relaxation practices because they involve Blake giving me a massage :) We have started doing a LOT of those these last few weeks because my back has been really hurting. I have a minor case of scoliosis right where it hurts so I'm pretty sure it is that acting up thanks to all my extra weight and not anything to worry about.

April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month but we are trying to keep May as clear as possible. Even though I am due after school gets out, I'm going to outline sub plans in case baby decides to come early. According to Murphy's Law, if I take the time to make the sub plans, the baby won't come until after school gets out, but if I don't prepare, the baby will be super early!

I guess that all I have for now. Plus I'm super tired and proud of myself for actually making it through this post :)

Zumbaversary

For a few years, I had several friends who told me I should try Zumba. They knew I was/am a dancer and I especially enjoy latin and hip hop dancing. I hesitated because I knew I would be picky because of my dance background. I would have high expectations for the dances and the instructor.

In January 2012, our neighborhood newsletter did an article on our neighborhood Zumba instructor (we have a neighborhood fitness center that offers different classes) and I recognized her as someone I used to dance with! We were on the same competition team but only for a year because she was a senior when I joined in 7th grade. We didn't have much interaction but I remembered looking up to her and the older girls and that she had been a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader (they had her signed picture in the studio). I was excited to read in the article that she was about to start a night class. I figured who better to take Zumba from than someone in my neighborhood who I knew was a great dancer!

I went to my first class February 7th (I was able to look it up because I posted about it on Facebook that day). I introduced myself to Brandi and reminded her that we used to dance together. She remembered me (or so she says!) and I really enjoyed the class. Basically an hour of dancing that focuses on getting you a good workout! I was hooked. Last Spring, I was only able to make the one evening class she taught and I made sure I was able to make it as much as possible. The classes are always so much fun and I swear I burn over 500 calories in an hour. I tried visiting other Zumba instructors because Brandi only taught 1 class a week I could make it do but none of them were the same. Not that they were bad by any means but I always felt like I got a better workout in Brandi's class and I LOVE her choreography. It always is on the beat, flows, fun, and challenging!

That summer I was a Zumba machine! I tried to make every class I could (sometimes 6 in a week!) and even scheduled my professional development around my Zumba classes. :) Of course I was on vacation for 3 weeks that summer but even then, I tried to do some Zumba dances while I was away in our hotel rooms. As I learned the songs better, I was able to focus more on making sure I was engaging all my muscles as much as possible. Of course, along with all the exercise, I was trying to eat better. By the end of the summer, I was fitting into clothes I hadn't worn in years.

Unfortunately, once the school year started, I started to gain some of it back. It is a lot harder for me to eat right while I'm teaching. I know it can be done but it takes a lot of time and preparation which I don't always have. I also am a stress eater so that didn't help and of course I went from 4-6 classes a week to 2sh a week. That is part of the reason why I went so hard core this summer because I knew once the school year started, it wouldn't be easy.

Of course at the beginning of October I found out I was pregnant! Luckily for me, whatever you were during before you were pregnant is what you can continue to do while pregnant (with modifications of course). I was excited to continue Zumba to help keep me in shape. The main things I had to keep in mind was not getting my heartrate too high and I got winded more easily. Then the sickness and exhaustion hit. This meant I was lucky if I made it to 1 a week. :( It also was frustrating going to class and not being able to go full out like I'm used to. I also hated not getting as good of a workout because I have to watch myself. I used to get home and be drenched and have jelly legs and now I sweat and am sore, but it isn't the same. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm trying to make sure I go at least once a week. It has also helped that one of the night classes is now a toning class which is "easier" for me to do. (It still hurts! but it helps that it has less cardio). The main thing I have to fight against now is making myself go to class after a full day's work. The good news is that I never regret it once I'm there. :) Exercise is good for me and the baby and at my last appointment, the midwife commented on my strong ab muscles! They are all thanks to Zumba because I definitely don't do any other workout!

I'm so thankful for everything Zumba has brought into my life this last year (including new friends!) and look forward to using it to help me lose the baby weight when the time comes!

Brandi and me (How can I not be inspired with an instructor who looks like this!)

And yes, I am still doing all my Zumba moves with my big belly. There is a video floating around Facebook that has me dancing at around 18 weeks. :)

23 weeks

23 weeks

Everything went really well at our ultrasound. Before I get into it, here is the pic when the baby was 12 weeks old.

The head is on the left and belly on the right. :)

The baby looked great at the 20 week ultrasound. It was amazing to see him/her! We told the tech that we didn't want to know the gender so she told us to close our eyes whenever it got close to that area (not that I probably would have been to tell anything). At the beginning of the ultrasound, she was trying to get a profile pic but the baby turned and looked right at us! He/she kept opening and closing its mouth. The tech kept talking about its cute little nose which is definitely mine. :) He/she also has a nice big round belly which Blake says is from him. :) The funny thing is that the baby kept trying to show us its hips and lower region! I hear all the time about people who want to know the gender and the baby is being shy but ours isn't! The tech kept having to tell us to close our eyes. Everything appears healthy (we could even see different heart chambers!) and the baby was measuring right around 20 weeks. I'm relieved because I feel really big and worried the baby would be big but I think I just appear big because I'm short.

Our sweet baby at 20 weeks. the head is on the left again and there is a hand waving hi. Can you see my nose? I'm starting to get excited about meeting our little one and seeing what they got from me and what they got from Blake. 

I am happy to say that I'm not really throwing up much anymore but I still am getting an upset stomach every now and then but it is SO much better than before so I'll take it!!

Last week (22 weeks) the baby REALLY started to move. They were moving before but not as much. There was actually a cool moment Thursday night when I told Blake that the baby was moving a lot so he should try and feel it. He put his hand on my stomach and said "Kick baby" and it did! Of course Blake then said, "It knows its father was speaking to it"

The baby can hear now which is cool to think about. It has made me love worship at church even more because I feel like I am singing to/with my baby. :) It is more than 11 inches long and weighs over a pound and can feel me dance. Wonder what it will think during Zumba Thursday night? My feet and legs have started to hurt more and it is getting harder to move around. It is crazy to think that I'm only a little more than halfway through. I feel so much bigger!

My mom and I went shopping on Saturday because I have 2 weddings plus 2 rehearsal dinners, showers, and my 10 year reunion to find clothes for! I am normally not a shopper (much to my mom's disappointment) and we have different taste in clothes (she is much more fashion forward than I am) so much of the time I am more stubborn when we go shopping. Since I am pregnant and my choice are much more limited and my body is no longer my own, I just let her take over. Of course she loved it. I wish I could have gotten video of her running all around the store finding clothes for me to try on. I swear I tried on over 20 different things. Whatever she brought me, I put on. I think I ended up with some pretty good stuff so hopefully I'm set for awhile.

Tuesday we start our Bradley classes! I'm excited but a little nervous because it just makes the whole giving birth thing more real. The thing I keep reminding myself is that when it is all over, I will have our baby in my arms and it will all be worth it. 

That's all I can think of for now. I'll leave you with a spelling sentence one of my students came up with this week. "Mrs. Beaver is having 4 babies so she is grumpier than usual."

Oh! I forgot to post what Blake put together a couple weeks ago. :)

Bump Pictures!

I'm assuming that most people who read this blog already know that Blake and I are expecting our first child this June! I keep meaning to get on here and post about our journey to get here and my pregnancy so far but I never get around to it. My goal for this post is to post the bump pictures I have taken thus far. I'm not taking one every week but I hope to keep taking them every 2 to 3 weeks. I have to be in the right mood to take it and make sure everything in the background is clean :) You will also notice that I didn't include my face in the first 2 and then in the one from today I look SO tired. :)

15 Weeks (12/16/12)

I can't remember if I am wearing my maternity pants in this picture or not but I started wearing them soon after. LOVE them and they really helped my bump to show instead of just looking like I have gained weight.

At this point I was still sick. I started feeling nauseous around 6 weeks and probably started throwing up a couple weeks after that (sorry TMI I know). The worst part was probably around Thanksgiving (11 weeks) and then again right before Christmas (14 weeks) because I caught a cold. Being pregnant has made me think about my precious relationship with food which I could probably write a whole other post on.

18 Weeks (1/6/13)

Starting to finally feel some relief from sickness. Not completely gone but was feeling good enough to go back to Zumba! (I think that deserves a separate post as well). This was right before I went back to work after the break. I appreciated the break SO much! We were busy but I also had time to rest which was MUCH needed. Started cleaning out the office which will eventually become the nursery.

This is also when I was first able to hear the baby's heartbeat on our home Doppler. It took awhile to find it but there is was! The times I've heard it, it has been around 150 and I'm pretty sure the baby swam away both time (already a stinker).

I got rid of 2 big black trashbags full of stuff. I tend to be a packrat because I think I will SOMEDAY need all this stuff but at this point, I DON'T CARE! Get rid of it all!!!

Our dog Riley kept wanting to cuddle and hang out with me but she hated trying to make her way through the mess. :)

We also got some sweet gifts for the baby for Christmas...

The frame is from Blake's sister Brooke and it is PERFECT because the nursery will be blue and yellow and I love that song. Blake's mom got us the super soft baby blanket. Brooke was also kind enough to give us some of her baby stuff she doesn't need like the bassinet in the picture and her stroller and car seat system!

I teach a Bible study to Freshman girls and they all got together to get us this onesie and blanket :)

We also got a gift from Blake's dad but I just remembered the picture is on Blake's phone. :( If I ever get it downloaded on my computer I will post it.

Week 20 (1/22/13)

I have popped! I am starting to wear all maternity clothes (I need to go get more soon!). I have been feeling pops from the baby for a week or 2 but it is hard to tell if it is baby or all the other stuff going on in my stomach (growing pains, etc.) Last night I was having trouble going to sleep because of all the activity so being the mean wife I am, I woke Blake up and grabbed his hand and told him to see if he could feel the baby. He insisted that he could and went back to sleep. I asked him this morning if he remembered (he was really out of it) and he said he did. Sickness is down to 1 or 2 days a week which I am thankful for but I'm really ready for it to be gone all together! It is starting to get harder to move around and I'm hoping that is just because I'm not used to the extra weight on the front of my body. I know I still have a long way to go!

Our 20 week ultrasound is tomorrow and I'm excited to see the baby and make sure that everything is ok.

Well, I know that there is a ton more I could post but I am patting myself on the back for getting this much on here. It is bedtime and hopefully it won't be months and months before I post again! :)