The One With Week 16 & Some Holiday Fun

How far along: 16 Weeks.  I think my belly feels LARGER than it looks.  Yeesh. 

                             

Size of babe: An avocado (Brynn's favorite!) and I think this calls for guacamole for supper!

Husband: Still taking good care of his girls! 

Maternity Clothes: Yes.  I ordered some great pieces from Loft and Gap during all the sales last week! This new black top is so comfy! I'm also at that weird stage where low band elastic is too tight and the belly isn't quite big enough for the full tummy elastic. So I'm doing the rubber band trick on my maternity jeans...because I'm cool like that.  And you may find me mostly in sweats and dresses until this sorts itself out!

Loving: Christmas time! Brynn is at the BEST age and I have a long list of festive fun for our family in the next few weeks (hows that for alliteration?!) 

Loathing: Nothing really and I'm sooo thankful for that! 

Movement: I think I've felt a few punches, but nothing significant. 

Symptoms: Easing up!! YAY! I am FINALLY feeling {almost} back to normal.  I still have to eat a decent breakfast and lots of snacks throughout the day, but I'm making it until around 7 or 8 at night before I start feeling yucky...so hopefully the queasiness is saying goodbye!

Craving: Now that I can start thinking about food again I've been inhaling... Cheeto Puffs, pineapple, sliced Colby Jack cheese on Ritz, fruit Popsicles, and I'm back on my sweet tea addiction.  

Best Part of the Week: Brynn and I had the best day on Friday.  I felt really good, we went Christmas shopping and just had a great day together.  I love my kid so much!

Missing Most: Sleeping through the night. 

Can't wait for: Wednesday! We find out gender {as long as baby cooperates, which is not typical} & I CAN'T WAIT!!! I was feeling pretty patient about waiting until our 20 week appointment, but when my doctor offered to let us find out before Christmas i couldn't pass it up! 

We aren't the secret keeping kind of people {I HATE surprises} so we will be telling our family by lunch and I'm sure sharing on IG Wednesday afternoon.  So get in your votes!

Gender: I still vote girl! And so does Brynn! I think Daddy is secretly out praying us for a boy.  HA!

Now, on to some holiday fun! 

Brynn loves looking at Christmas lights! Now that her car seat is forward facing she can see everything and gets so excited, "more Christmas lights!! Look!"

In a few weeks my entire family is getting together to go look at lights and I can't wait!

Last Tuesday we headed to LCU for the Big Blue Family Christmas.  I was blown away by all of the decorations and everything they had for the kids to do! 

Looking at the Christmas trees with Grams.  At the end of the night I asked her what was her favorite part and B said, "with Grams!" 

She is very curious about Santa this year.  She sat right in his lap and I could tell she was over the moon!

That time we took a family picture under the blue lights...#beblue

1st year at LCU's family Christmas and this year.  Shes trying to run away from us in both!

On Thursday she hung out with Aunt DeAnn. 

I just love this cutie face!

On Friday we ran all over town trying to finish up Christmas shopping {I'm waiting for a few things in the mail then I will be DONE!} and this little cutie did great! Normally going more than one place is really pushing her patience, but Friday she was content just to see all the Santa's everywhere!

1st stop: Hobby Lobby. 

Then to Target! As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, "Yay! Target!" We typically have the same cashier every time we go and he always supplies the stickers. 

Last week she drank all of my Sonic drink, so I smartened up and got her her own.  Whenever she would see her drink she would yell, "my sonic!"

Then I took her through the car wash {which she normally likes} and she LOST it.  I had to reach back and hold her hand to calm her down.  As soon as we got home she ran to Jonathan and cried so hard.  Broke my heart! 

I posted this picture on IG Friday with this quote, 

"My best gift of all 

is not under the tree.

Yes, you are my joy,all year throughout, my kiss and my cuddle without any doubt.You're my glee and my gigglewith friends far and near,making memories to fill uswith laughter all year.
You're my love and my joy-a gift I'll always carry through Christmasand forever.
You are my merry!" 

--Marianne Richmond 

It's from this book that I found at Target. 

I buy her a book every Christmas and write a special note to her and this one is so sweet and sentimental.  I love it! Maybe one day she will sit and let me read more than one page to her.  

On Friday night we met up with mom & dad to shop for our Angel Tree gifts...but first...the daily inspection of the neighbors decorations! 

At supper she was being a HAM. 

I'm also looking for a gingerbread house kit that is egg and peanut free..any suggestions? 

I've been trying to be more proactive in making Jesus the focus of our holiday.  I enjoy all the lights, decorations, food, movies, music, and family time that Christmas brings but I think it's important to find a good balance between the "commercialism" and the reason we celebrate...Immanuel: God With Us! 

I found this kit at Hobby Lobby and I think it will be a great new tradition for our family.  

It comes with 12 ornaments, each with a name of Jesus on the front and a scripture on the back.  Each night you read from the little devo book provided and hang a new ornament on the tree.  I can't wait to start it tonight! 

This is going to be a packed week with Christmas programs, work parties, a trip to Holland Gardens & a family carriage ride...oh yea, and a gender reveal!! Say a prayer that our little one will cooperate Wednesday {Momma will be drinking an early morning coke to get them going!} Hopefully next time we talk we will know if it's more pink & bows or, the totally foreign to me, trucks & blue!

*insurance update*

We get to keep our doctors!!! We are switching insurance companies to make it happen. If you are local and ever need a good insurance guy to help you sort it all out, let me know!

The One With Week 14

How far along: 14 Weeks!! Adios, 1st Trimester!!! I will NOT miss you one little bit.  Whew, that was brutal.

                                  

Size of babe: This ultrasound picture was from week 12.  The tech tried to get us a good profile, but little stinker wouldn't budge and kept its hand right on top of its face...hence the beak looking profile.  

Brynn will ask me, "see picture my baby?" and she will open this on my phone.  So adorable! 

This week baby is the size of a lemon.

Husband: Still being our hero.  He's pretty much taking care of most meals & entertaining Brynn in the evenings while I'm sick and resting.  I'm pretty sure he's counting down the days until I feel better. We love you J! 

Maternity Clothes: For sure.  After getting ready for church Sunday morning, I now have a pile of clothes that I was SURE would fit that absolutely do not fit.  I have some birthday money marked specifically for maternity clothes and plan to shop Wednesday while B is at Grams! Yay!

Loving: Still enjoying my 9:00 bedtime and afternoon naps. An entire week off for Thanksgiving break! The little bit of energy I'm getting back.  

Loathing: When I wait too long to eat.  When I have to think about what I want to eat. When Brynn asks me to get her a snack.  Just looking in the pantry or fridge is enough to do me in.  

Movement: None yet.  

Symptoms: Still dealing with the occasional nausea and all day queasiness.  It's not constant, which is great, but it seems to come out of no where when it does hit. I feel like I coped with this so much better the first go around! 

Tossing and turning all night long. Weird dreams. And crying at the most ridiculous things! 

Best Part of the Week: I got this little treat in the mail...

I've had it in my Amazon cart for a while and the price went WAY down last week and before I knew it I clicked purchase!

And these 2 sweet pictures of Miss B from last week make my heart so full!

Aunt DeAnn popped into Brynn's Thanksgiving Feast at SNS Thursday.  How CUTE is she!?

Worst Part of the Week: Dealing with insurance.  Seriously, its such a mess. A major mess.  We have a meeting today that will hopefully help us make sense of our options.  But at this point it looks like we will be switching doctors...and hospitals and I'm so upset about it.  We LOVE our doctors and trust them completely.   Over the past month I've just prayed that God would work this out in His way and as of now it seems His way is not my preference.  So I'm doing my best to just go with it.  Is anyone else in this boat with insurance? Any advice? 

Missing Most: My motivation.  A clean house. 

Can't wait for: Thanksgiving!! Bring on the second helpings! And cousins, and puzzles and football and family time!

Gender: I still say girl.  I think baby and instantly think girl.  

We just started discussing names this weekend & I found this fun app called "Baby Name." You & your hubby download the app and connect accounts.  The app brings up names (and meanings, which honestly I'm pretty sure they make up half of them) and you swipe left if you don't like it and right if you do.  Then it shows you a list of names you've both liked.  It's been pretty funny for us to see what matches.  We have 5 matches so far...2 of them are the same name but with different spellings and so far every one has been a name we've discussed in the past. But it has brought up a few that we really love! 

It also has some really ridiculous options that make me lol! 

I've always kept a list of names I like on my phone, but when it comes down to actually naming a real live kid they have all seemed to go out the window!

Happy Thanksgiving week! I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing, food and family filled week! I don't know about you, but I'm SO looking forward to this super cold and raining weather headed our way...favorite!

The One with 11 Weeks & Halloween

This afternoon I had a small moment of energy & relief from the "all-day sickness" so I decided to blog our Halloween and a little baby update. 

How far along:  11 weeks (tomorrow)

Size of babe: Accoring to babycenter.com ... a fig. 

Husband: LIFESAVER.  Between the negative amounts of energy, a bout with the stomach bug, and the constant nausea Jonathan has been doing double the work around the house and I'm so thankful for that. 

Maternity Clothes: Ummm, yes.  Already into maternity jeans and I'm not even sorry about it. 

Loving: Early bedtime! I've been falling asleep at like 8:45 every night. Also loving time change, the cooler weather and all the holidays approaching! 

Loathing: Eating. Standing. Sitting. Cooking. Basically anything that doesn't involve me being able to lie down. 

Movement: I haven't felt little one yet, but at our last ultrasound it was all over the place! It is so crazy to me that a person is growing in there and I can't even feel it...creepy & awesome. 

Symptoms: Fatigue.  Wow, so much fatigue.  My poor home has never been such a disaster & I can't remember the last time I cooked something other than a quesadilla (and even that is taxing.) 

This is typically what I look like. 

Nausea (and all that comes with it.)  If I eat a good breakfast I can make it through the mornings ok (school days mostly.) I start to go downhill around 3:30 and then evenings/nights are the worst.  

Best Part of the Week: Wednesday we had our first appointment with my doctor and got to see little one jump and move all over the place! Hearing that everything looked great and baby was measuring on schedule was perfect! 

Worst Part of the Week: I can't think of a "worst" except that I do not feel like myself.  So ready for this sickness to be over!

Missing Most: Productivity. I so want to clean/cook. I just can't makes self so it!

Can't wait for: The sickness to be GONE.  Oh wait, have I said that already? Honestly, I think I should mention that if I didn't feel sick I would probably be paranoid that something was wrong.  So I guess this is the better of the two. 

Gender: I feel like it's a girl.  But only because this pregnancy has been almost equal to what it was with Brynn.  I'm thinking we should know gender right before Christmas!

Now a little Halloween!

Wednesday night we went to Monterey's (where our Tuesday/Thursday school is) Family Night and it was so fun! 

Aunt DeAnn did another incredible decoration job!

Friday  night we went to a Halloween party at some friends house and she chose to be a ballerina! 

Jonathan stayed in character (Tony Romo.)

Saturday was Trunk or Treat at our church.  It was so cute to watch Brynn carrying around her little pumpkin and taking candy from people. Her momma and daddy really appreciate her candy loot!

Then she helped Grams and Pops pass out candy!

It was a great and festive week.  And we are gearing up for another busy week.  So I think I'll go nap! Have a great week!