Last week of 2nd Trimester

What's Happening This Week:  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.

So I'm going to start trying to do a mini "survey" each week as I move into my 3rd trimester...just so I can remember how I was feeling :) Here's my 1st crack at it!

How far along? 27 weeks

Stretch marks? Not yet...PLEASE stay this way!
Sleep: No bueno. I guess this is just God's way of preparing me for many sleepless nights :) I keep thinking I'll get used to the giant tummy and new aches and pains...hopefully???
Best moment this past week: She has started to move like CRAZY during Matt's sermons. I love that...Of course, my mom said we'll see how much I love it when she's sitting in my lap and doing that :)
Movement: All the time and all over! It's amazing to actually see how much stronger she's getting! It's a very STRANGE feeling, but I love it.
Food cravings: Strawberries and mac-n-cheese (not together!)
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? Sigh...almost an outie. Outies freak me out.
What I miss: Diet Coke...what I wouldn't give to be able to drink a giant one EVERY DAY!
What I am looking forward to: My mom comes in town TODAY! We're going to start putting the nursery together!!!!! We're also going to shop until we drop at KUMC's Baby Daze. Get excited :)
Weekly Wisdom: Take time for your spouse, because things are about to get crazy :) I've heard this over and over...I should really listen!
Milestone: Do back pains count? ;)

Happy Friday!

Houston has had the most amazing weather this week...75 and sunny! All of this sunshine makes me want to fill my home with flowers, especially ranunculus. I just love the layers. So yummy!!! I'm also partial to hydrangeas and peonies.  What's your favorite flower?

pretty!

I love this necklace from Anthropologie...And, if I'm being honest, I actually love EVERYTHING from Anthropologie :)

26 WEEKS

What's Happening This Week: The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

That cucumber looks mighty large...no wonder I can't get comfortable!  Things with me haven't really changed since last week.  I will say I've had a difficult time sleeping, but I hear that's normal so I'm just trying to deal with it. 

In other news, I've changed my mind about the bedding...I KNOW! I KNOW! The one thing I had finally decided on has already been changed :) I really LOOOOVE the other bedding from Serena and Lily, but it's hard to decorate with since it's two very specific shades of pink and green. We already have some furniture that I want to use in that room and it just wasn't working with the fabric, so I had to shift gears (which, by the way, isn't an easy thing to do when you're already hormonal). So I found a company that does custom bedding and I love it. It's really sweet, has many shades to choose from, and is a little more in line with my eclectic tastes.   Also, it's going to save us money! :) You can see the picture of what it looks like all put together below as well as pictures of the swatches!

 

cribskirt

Outside of bumper

Crib Sheet

Inside of the bumper (It's SUPER soft!)

Trim for the bumper and the cribskirt

Ties for the bumper

I'm going to order a pillow in the bird fabric for my glider and have it trimmed in the pink circles and I'll probablly order the changing pad cover in the same fabric as the bumper and/or the cribskirt.  So many decisions!

25 weeks...MONTH 6!

I can't believe the 6 month mark is here! YAY! Only 3 more to go!!!!! :) I'm looking very preggo these days.  Some of my maternity clothes are even getting a little snugger.  I can't believe my belly is just going to keep growing.  Matt may have to roll me around before long. 

My to-do list is still pretty long, but I was able to start registering this week with my very sweet friend, Holly! She's such a saint.  I count her as one of the GREAT blessings in my life.  Her husband is also a pastor, so we have a lot to connect on :) If you want to see what all I've registered for you can see at http://www.laylagrayce.com/, http://www.target.com/, and http://www.babiesrus.com/  The Layla Grayce is more of the 'fun' stuff that I would never buy myself...but a girl can dream! All of the practical stuff can be found at Babies-R-Us and Target.  I really don't know what I would've done if I had to go register for all of that by myself.  The first aisle alone was overwhelming! THANKS FOR YOUR HELP HOLLY!!!!

The nursery is starting to come together---but only in my head :) But that's a start, right? My very sweet wedding planner, Emily Youngblood (http://www.blessedunions.com/), mailed me a book on nursery decorating by Serena & Lily. It's so amazing.  All of the suggestions in the book are helping me gather my thoughts and really nail down the style/mood I'm trying to create! I'll try to update as the room comes together (furniture, paint colors, wall hangings, etc!) 

What's Happening This Week: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Mobile for Nursery

So I've had ZERO luck finding a mobile that I like.  I don't want anything too baby-ish (ie: I would like something a bit more modern), and everything that I like is over $100. Yes, for a MOBILE. Silliness.  Luckily, I found a GREAT DIY mobile on projectnursery.com! YAY!

Here's a picture:

and here's the link to see the step-by-step instructions: http://projectnursery.com/2010/01/butterfly-mobile/

Another thought I've had is hanging tissue pom-poms...you see them in Martha Stewart's Wedding Magazine frequently (hanging inside wedding tents, etc).  I love this idea for a mobile! There's also a great shop on Etsy that sells these pom-poms.   Here's an example:

24 Weeks

I guess I've reached the point of the slower weekly change...the size of fruit inside of me hasn't changed! I can feel a difference in the power of her kicks, though! They seem to get stronger every week.  It's amazing, but also the weirdest feeling ever.  Matt and I took a video of her moving around in my belly...you can see her kick and squirm.  It's moments like that when I stop and think OH MY GOSH. THERE IS A REAL, LIVE  HUMAN INSIDE OF ME. WHAT????

Life has been a bit stressful lately-just a lot of things going on-maybe that is a prerequisite of any new year. I'm trying my best to relax and not sweat the small stuff.  My prayer group and my sweet mom have been God-sends in helping me keep things in perspective.  In other news, I finally picked the nursery bedding, which is very exciting to me!  It's from Serena & Lily (they have AMAZING grown-up furnishings, too! Check them out at http://www.serenaandlily.com/)

How the baby's growing: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Stone Christmas

Here's a picture of us in Beaumont for the Stone Christmas festivities with Andy (Matt's Brother), Vicki and their adorable children, Elizabeth and Austin.