27 weeks

This is the final week of my second trimester!

I’m beginning to feel a little less comfortable on a daily basis and just over the weekend got some serious back pains –I’m not sure if that’s pregnancy back pain or I did something to it. I’m actually heading to the acupuncturist this afternoon to see if they can give me some relief! Other than my back I have noticed some little changes, like the size of my belly growing daily, the increasing struggling to put on my own socks or tie my own shoes, my discomfort and trouble sleeping, and heart burn! While I am my no means complaining as I am so very thankful I didn’t have these things sooner or experience other issues early on in my pregnancy, I hate to think of feeling this way for another 12 weeks! Thankful I have a husband who is overly concerned with my comfort, safety, and feelings that he tells me every day how beautiful I am, how much he loves my belly, and is now helping me with those hard to reach tasks I knew were inevitableJ

On another note – we got the rest of the furniture for the nursery this past weekend and I am so glad to have that done and have items that I love – I can’t wait to put together her room! Whenever I get nervous that there is too much zebra print and not enough pink, Jimmy reminds me that the walls will be pinkJ So we should have a good balance of the two! Her room will definitely be a little diva complete with a nursery chandelierJ I’ll be sure to post pictures once complete.

Other than that not much new on the pregnancy note. We still find it so hard to believe that I have a baby girl growing inside me and that in just a few months we will meet her and our lives will forever change. We also found out a few days ago that my best friend Katie is having a baby girl too so that is very exciting – another generation of best friendsJ

My weekly update says she’s still the size of an eggplant although my other one said a head of cauliflower. It also says my uterus is the size of a basketball which seems huge! Either way, here’s the little development update on our peanut.

Baby's lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means he's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress.

confessions

I read quite a few blogs and have found that often times several of them do “brain dumps” or confessions so I stole their idea and bring you confessions from the heartJ

1.   I can’t go to the movies without getting a fountain pop.

2.   I eat a string cheese every day.

3.   Lately it’s a good week if I get 3 workouts in – sigh.



getting a rub down during the chicago marathon

4.   I haven’t loved being pregnant and find it hard to understand what women mean when they say this. What’s so great about getting fat?! Partially kidding but mostly not.

5.   I don’t call my best friends enough.

6.   I haven’t given up caffeine while pregnant – limited myself yes, completely refrained no.

7.   I love reading about celebrity’s lives for no apparent reason.

8.   Jimmy and I love to cuddle and sometimes sneak into our bed just to cuddle for a little bit after work or in the middle of the day on the weekends.

snuggling up the weekend we got engaged - jul09

9.   Every Sunday at church I get teary eyed when worshipping because I think about my family and friends all over the country doing the same thing, and because of all the times I was alone and living in different places worshipping by “myself” this brought me so much comfort.

10. I still cannot believe we are actually having a baby.

the test don't lie - aug10

11. A few weeks ago I bought a package of “Be My Valentine” zebra cakes, brought them to work, and ate the whole box within a few days.

wedding cake - yummy!

12. I am so thankful for where we are financially and the lack of debt we carry as a young couple. This is such a good feeling as we start a family and face an unknown income change (I plan to cut back to either part time or less hours once baby girl arrives and we are still unsure of what that will look like in my pay).

13. Jimmy and I found a new ice cream place in town – Orange Leaf – where you pick and serve yourself yogurt out of tons of options, pile on the toppings, and then pay based off how much it ways. It’s amazing and I think about it at least 5 times during the day….I wish we lived closer to this establishment.

14. Giving birth freaks the crap out of me and I pray my water doesn’t break at the office, how embarrassing!

15. One day I hope we own a lake house.

16. I cannot wait to meet my new nephew and am super jealous that mom and dad get to see him tomorrow. Seriously, look at this face!

samuel william gardzelewski - 2 weeks old

26 weeks

Yesterday marked 26 weeks, less than 100 days to go!

I started having Braxton Hicks contractions this past week which somehow makes the actual birthing experience so much more real to me. I didn’t know what it was the first few nights I experienced them but after talking to my sister and doing a little online research I confirmed that’s what is going on. They happen mostly at night although yesterday I felt them for most of the day. My stomach starts to hurt quite a bit and tighten, my stomach then gets really hard, and some swelling and “expanding” feels as if it’s happening elsewhere too….

I also decided that I will not watch any more birthing videos, unless they make me at class. I have watched one too many on youtube and they just freak me out. So this is my official vow to stop!

A new routine we’ve started is daddy time at night. Each night Jimmy talks to baby girl while we lay in bed and I swear every time he tells her “kick for Daddy” she does! He has also begun playing his guitar for her at night, which I think is just the sweetest thing – I think she likes itJ

Our next appointment is in 2 weeks – on the 8^th and then we start going every 2 weeks, still so crazy to me!

Here’s an update on our little eggplantJ

Baby's now the size of an eggplant!
Baby's soaking up your antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

new bows

I've posted several new bows on my bow blog - pop over and check them out!

http://jennasbows.blogspot.com/

Here's a preview of what you'll find!

weekend review

I had a great long weekend this past weekend. Isn’t it amazing what you can done with just 1 extra day?

Last week I mentioned that one of my closest friends was coming to town so that I was planning to spend the weekend with her and that I did. Her parents live 30 minutes or so outside of Springfield so we met up and spent most of our weekend out there. Friday afternoon Jimmy headed back to IA to get some work done on our vehicle and I stayed home. Friday night I headed over to Erica’s parents and enjoyed some yummy dinner and catching up with them. Saturday we got up early and hit the road to Branson for some outlet shopping. I found a few good buys but mostly enjoyed the day shopping with girls and a yummy lunch at my favorite Mexican place, Cantina Laredo – so good! We then headed back to her parents as we had invited her 2 cousins and sister in law, whom have also become friends of mine, over for dinner. We made a delicious dinner of salad, roasted potatoes, coconut chicken, and strawberry cake and enjoyed lots of laughs as we all caught up on each other’s lives. I think we scared Erica and Natalie away from getting pregnant anytime soonJ

Sunday we went to church then Erica and I ran to a few places in Springfield she wanted to check out before grabbing some lunch at McSaltys, grabbing some new spring colored ribbon at Michael’s for me to start my Spring bow collection (I'll post an update once pictures are up on my other site) and then lounged at my house for a few hours before taking her back to her parents place. My plan was to drop Erica off and head back to Springfield for the night but her mom twisted my arm into staying for dinner and then staying the night againJ

I made it home on Monday morning after a great weekend of catching up with such a good friend. Erica is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet, so kind, fun to be around, and someone I know I will always be friends with – wherever life takes us!

Monday at home I hit the gym and Sams club, then settled in for some bow making and awaited the arrival of my hubby. He got home pretty early so it was nice to spend the evening together doing nothing but snuggling up on the couch by the fire after a weekend apart. It’s crazy how much I miss this man after being away just a day or two.

This weekend also marked 25 weeks pregnant and I can’t believe I’m approaching the third trimester. Pregnancy update to come later this weekend.

Hope you enjoyed your long weekend.

favorite things

A friend of mine was telling me how every year for Christmas her mother in law does a favorite things package for all the girls – it might contain cleaning products, socks, food, etc. that were her favorite things throughout the year and I thought it was such a great idea. But, since I don’t have kids (yet) and Christmas just passed I thought I’d share some of my favorite thingsJ

In no particular order:

Chanel “Chance” Perfume – I absolutely love this Chanel scent and have for years. I used to only use it for special occasions as it’s a little pricey but now it tends to be my daily perfume.

“Kissing In Paris” body cream and body scrub & “Secret Wonderland” body cream – I got both of these scents for Christmas and LOVE them. I love the body scrub and lotion combo together from Victoria’s Secret and this “Secret Wonderland” scent from Bath and Body is just good.

Matrix Logics Age Revitalize Shampoo & Conditioner – the hair stylist I went to while I lived in North Carolina used this product and since then it’s been the only thing I’ll use. I have a hard time finding it in salons but order mine in the big jugs online.

Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer – I recently started using this primer before applying my daily make up and love it. I can really tell a difference in how fresh my make up still looks at the end of the day compared to before when I wasn’t using a primer. This one is relatively inexpensive and I can pick it up at Target, WalMart, etc. instead of making a special trip to the department or beauty store.

Bare Minerals – I have used Bare Minerals foundation, eye brightener (well-rested), bronzer, and mineral veil for the past 5+ years and never turned back. I love how light it feels on your face yet the full cover it provides, when needed. I also love that it has sunscreen in it.

String cheese – I love string cheese and have one almost every day. For me it’s a good, filling snack that is healthy too. I’ve tried lots of different string cheeses and must say I’m a bit particular about them. But since I’ve landed on this one I never stray and always buy this brand, Sargento.

Ugg Boots – I adore my Uggs. I got mine a few years ago for Christmas from Jimmy and live in them in the winter time. They keep my feet so warm and since my feet always tend to be cold it’s a good match.

Joe’s Jeans “The Muse” – my old jeans are amongst one of the few things I miss about not being pregnant. I love a pair of cute, comfortable, and stylish jeans and my Joe’s are the perfect fit. I also really like the pairs I have from White House Black Market.



Diet Coke – can’t live without it. Sad but true. During my first trimester my doctor suggested avoiding foods and drinks with aspartame so I gave up my beloved Diet Coke. But just this past week I’ve treated myself to a few and have been reminded just how much I love itJ

Dove Chocolates – no this is not just a pregnancy thing, my sister and I love love us some dove chocolates. I can very easily eat a half a bag in one sitting so I have to set out just a few and allow myself to snack on them throughout the day. Awww I wish I had some right now, oh wait, I do!

Coach – I think I’ve mentioned this obsession on here before but I have a thing for anything Coach. Call me high maintenance, vain, whatever – as I remind my husband after every purchase, it’s all about the quality. While I say that somewhat to gain a reaction from my husband I really do believe it. Coach stands behind their brand 100% - if you ever buy something and the seams, fabric, strap, whatever start to come apart, rip, etc. they will replace it, that’s it – easy enough, isn’t it?! PS – I can’t wait to use my Coach diaperbagJ I’ve contemplated using it as a laptop bag for work a few times but have been saving it up for little Miss’ arrival.

Pizza – my all time favorite food. While my favorite pizza chain is Pizza Hut – hand tossed cheese with extra cheese and breadsticks, my favorite local place is McSalty’s. I think I’ve mentioned it in my blog before but its pure goodness. They have this great wheat crust that is not too thin and not too thick and loaded with cheese. Yummy!

Asics Running Shoes – the thing I miss most about not being pregnant is being able to run for long periods of time without having to walk to slow my heart rate. When it comes to running shoes I don’t buy anything other than Asics. I have run 5 half marathons and 1 full marathon – all training and races have been completed in my trusty Asics. These are the ones I have right now.

Pure Beech Sateen Bed Sheets – I bought this brand of sheets when I got my first place out of college and now only buy them when it’s time to replace our sheets. They are the most comfortable sheets ever and whenever people visit they comment on them. We currently have them in brown but in the past have had the white and light blue – I love all the color options too, which tend to change slightly with the seasons. The only place I’ve found them is Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Jimmy – my absolute favorite thingJ

Alright – that’s all for now. What are some of your favorite things?

24 weeks - 6 months

They changed our due date at our last appointment but I am just getting around to changing my pregnancy ticker on here and my weekly updates. Our due date is now May 1^st which actually makes me almost 25 weeks. But, I wanted to post my 6 month picture and give an update on this last week so here goes.

We had our monthly appointment on Tuesday and had another ultrasound because at our 18 week ultrasound the tech wasn’t able to get a good picture of her full spine or her mouth and nose – two things our doctor likes to see. So of course I wasn’t going to object to another glance of our little girl. Turns out this little girl is stubborn (Jimmy says after her mama, I disagreeJ) and still wouldn’t let us see her spine. She is in total breech position – head between my boobs and her butt is just under my belly button (no wonder I feel all her kicks in my lower abdominal on the left side!) and her spine is to my back so there was no seeing it in the ultrasound. She did give us a good shot of her little face though – her hands were in front of it for a while but she moved them just long enough for us to get a good look and our tech to get a picture for the doctor. Nose and mouth development and separation looks good. I also must add that I think she looks exactly like the picture I have of me at the hospital! I don’t think they do this anymore but when my mom had us the hospital gave her these little stat cards with our picture on it and I have mine in my wallet. It will be interesting if that is really what she looks like.

Our doctor did seem a little concerned about her position and the fact that I’ve never felt her kicking anywhere other than my lower abdominal, meaning she’s likely always been in a similar position to now and never really head down, along with the fact that my sister has had 2 breech babies. But, she also said she doesn’t get too concerned with their position for another 8 weeks or so.

So my next appointment is a loaded one – I will have another ultrasound in hopes to see that spine and check her position, take the gestational diabetes test, and have my regular check up with the doctor. This will also be our last 4 week appointment, they will then go to every 2 weeks – isn’t that crazy! I just know how fast the time goes between appointments now while they are 4 weeks apart, I can’t imagine how fast they will go once it goes to every 2 and then to every 1 week!

So our prayers the last few nights and chats with baby girl have been that she will change her position on her own and we won’t have to deal with the decision of doing something about her being breech or just scheduling a c section. I really feel ok with either way, I think knowing this soon is good so it can prepare me for either way, and I must say since both my sister’s babies were breech I wasn’t too surprised. So please add our request of continued growth and health for our babe and for her to change positions!

And here’s my 6 month picture (which was actually taken at about 6 ½J)!

6 1/2 months - taken on Jan 11th, 2011