34 Weeks

34 weeks: well this is officially my last "bump" post and I still can't believe it! From the beginning of this pregnancy, I kept saying that I couldn't wait to meet our baby and I guess she couldn't wait to meet us either since she arrived six weeks early! From day one, Jordan and I had "girl vibes" and I had the feeling that I just KNEW the baby was a girl....and we were right! She is a little sweetheart and definitely has all of us wrapped around her finger already. I can't wait to dress her up in frilly dresses and bows then have mama/daughter dates to get our nails done and go shopping together! Jordan and I are so thankful that she is healthy and is making improvements everyday...she is a strong little fighter and already amazes me with the things she has accomplished! Your mama and daddy love you Miss Everly Rose!

Everly's Birth Story

I knew I wanted to be able to remember and recall every moment that happened when our baby was born so I'm thankful that I was thinking straight enough to be making little notes in my phone throughout the past few days and especially on the day Everly was born so that when she grows up and asks about her birthday, I can tell her every detail starting from the beginning of the weekend... **I apologize in advance for this being rather lenghty! But there is nothing gory about it!**

Jordan and I had our maternity pictures taken on Friday August 30th at 7:00pm. It was pushing 100 degrees with the humidity and of course we were having outside pictures taken. But we fought through the heat and got some really great shots (at least from the previews I have seen so far!) It was totally worth it though because I had been looking forward to our "bump" pictures for a while so a little heat was nothing! Jordan was also a real trooper and stood by in the heat and was helping me up and down through it all. I'm so happy we did the pictures when we did because we never would have guessed that less than 12 hours later we would be walking into the hospital labor and delivery unit...

After our pictures, we came home, had Jimmy Johns for dinner and then hung out with some friends that were in town for the Iowa football game the next day. It was a bunch of Jordan's guy friends so there was lots of football talk and other "guy talk" so I was emailing my sister some pictures and pinning lots of ideas for future crafts/projects on Pinterest. We all finally called it a night around 1:30 because we had big plans to wake up in the morning to go tailgating and enjoy a day of Hawkeye football!

I woke up around 2:30-3ish Saturday morning feeling like I was going pee so I got up to go to the bathroom and as I was walking there, some fluid came out, like I had peed my pants, so I kept going and hung out in the bathroom for a while. I had assumed it was my water that broke but refused to think that or admit it to myself because I knew I would start going crazy and freaking out! So, I laid back down in bed and went back to sleep off and on until about 6ish when Jordan woke up to go to the bathroom and when he came back to bed, I was laying there wide awake and finally said, "so I think I should call the hospital..." Of course he asked why and if something was wrong so I just calmly said, "well I think my water might of broken like 2 or 3 hours ago..." And that woke him up pretty quickly!! We debated back and forth about what to do because I wasn't feeling any contractions or any pain, no bleeding, or anything else besides some fluid still coming out every now and then. And again, I was just still telling myself I was peeing my pants because, you know, that's just what pregnant women do I've been told. We decided to look through the book we got at our birthing class (SO glad we went to it when we did!) and I went to the page about "Early Stages of Labor" that talked about when to call if you think your water breaks... Turns out that I met each and every criteria so we called and I felt like "one of those women" who call the hospital pregnant for the first time thinking they're in labor and then it ends up being a false alarm. The nurse told us to come in and get checked out and to bring a bag "just in case" so after hanging up the phone, Jordan and I just sort of stood there for awhile. Were we going to meet our baby today? It's six weeks early! This can't be happening! Then we stood in our closet just staring at everything...we didn't have a hospital bag packed yet (I KNEW I needed to get one ready, dang it!!) so we just grabbed our comfy sweats, some hoodies, the few nursing tanks/bras I had, and our bathroom stuff. Jordan's friends were awake when we left and I sort of laughed walking out the door and said, "you know we'll see you guys later to tailgate. This isn't really happening!" We finally got to the hospital around 7ish and the whole drive there I don't know why, but I was freakishly calm and Jordan was noticeably nervous. We talked about final baby names and what to do if we did have the baby today and who to call first... then we just stopped and said, "let's wait until we know what is happening..."

Once Jordan and I got to the hospital, we made the long walk after getting parked to the Labor and Delivery unit. During the whole walk, more and more fluid kept leaking out and I looked like I had sat in a puddle. I was walking with some serious bow legs and have never wanted dry pants more in my life! When I finally got checked in and hooked up to monitors, the nurses said I was contracting every 4-6 minutes and was 4cm dilated already which I just could not believe. I looked at Jordan and said, "I thought everyone always said getting to 4cm was the hardest?! How is this happening?!!!" After they determined I was clearly in labor, I got admitted right away in a labor and delivery room. That's when I sort of lost it because then we realized we were having a baby THAT day 6 weeks early ready or not! We got settled into our room, which happened to be right across from Kinnick Stadium and we had a perfect view of the big screen too! That made us pretty happy and gave us a good laugh because we had tickets to the game! Shortly after being admitted, I got hooked up to the antibiotics and fluids but since I was contracting so regularly and consistently, I didn't ever need pitocin or any other fluids. Whewww thank god! I had always said I wanted as few of interventions as possible so I'm thankful my body was doing its thing and progressing naturally pretty quickly. I was doing great with just breathing, massage techniques, using the birthing ball, and Jordan's help that I didn't need any other pain management until I hit 6-7cm and I started freaking out. I think it was a combination of the pain and being so scared that it was happening so fast and that we were going to have a NICU baby. There was just way too many thoughts running through my mind that I couldn't relax and I couldn't settle down. Finally, I caved and I asked for an epidural and by the time it got placed, I was already at 10cm and ready to push...turns out when I had asked for it, I was in the transition stage and things were progressing fast. The anesthesiologist got done taping my back and I felt instant panic and said, "I feel like I'm either about to poop or have this baby like NOW!! There is way too much pressure for this to not be happening...NOW!!" So my midwife was in there already helping coach and checked me and was like "yep you just went from 6 to 10 in less than 30 minutes and you need to start pushing now...let's meet your baby!" Since things happened in such a whirlwind, the epidural wasn't in full effect completely but I think if it had been, I wouldn't have been able to feel the contractions and know when it push. It took the edge off that's for sure but I still felt in control and could tell when I needed to bear down and push. I pushed for about 45 minutes and between pushes, we talked about tailgating and football and then made guesses about the sex. And at one point I said, "I just have one last request, when the baby is born, I want Jordan to announce boy or girl" so it was a very relaxed environment and everyone stayed calm and helped me to stay calm and confident throughout the whole day. A few times my midwife would say, "you can do this and you're going to. It won't kill you and I know you're scared, but you can do this." Then 45 minutes later of pushing, our sweet baby was born and Jordan couldn't see because of the cord so I got to announce and say, "it's a girl! We have a baby and it's a girl!" As she was placed on my chest and wiped down then Jordan said, "we have a daughter and you're the strongest mom I know..." He was pretty awesome throughout it all even though I know he was just as scared but he kept it together so I wasn't a mess. During a few of my panic attacks, he would remind me that we were in the best hospital in Iowa and that we were strong people so our baby would be strong. Sometimes just getting a hug and him holding my hand was all I needed to calm down and relax through a contraction.

Everly was checked over by the NICU team right away but her APGAR scores were 9 and 9! Jordan went with her to the NICU for them to do the vitals and check her oxygen/respiratory system because the lungs were the doctors biggest concern. She has thankfully been keeping her oxygen level right at 100% so she isn't on any oxygen or any medications. She has just an IV for antibiotics and right now the only things we are working on is her feeding and trying to get her established enough to eat on her own. She has an NG tube and I get to nurse her every 3-4 hours then I pump and whatever I pump, they use that to feed her with her tube. The NICU staff are all being super supportive with breastfeeding and they make sure she doesn't get a pacifier or bottle to interfere with the breastfeeding and getting that latch/suck down. Thankfully her only cords are the leads on her chest for heart rate, pulse oximeter on her foot, and then the feeding tube so it's definitely scary and intimidating but I know it could be so much worse. Seeing them place the NG tube today made me cry and was really tough though...she fought it and it was just awful to watch because I felt so helpless! She is a champ and is being super easy going so far. We're hoping she keeps making improvements each day so we can get out of the NICU sooner than later. They're thinking a week for now at minimum but said that can change and hopefully no more than 2 weeks max. Once she gets the latching and feeding down on her own, the other things we need her to work on and do on her own will be regulating her own temperature so she can be in a crib, keeping her oxygen levels stable and high enough, and consistently gain weight. We have a few milestones and hurdles to get through before we can go home with her but for now, we will celebrate every small victory that she accomplishes!!

The whole morning (and day for that matter!) was a complete whirlwind. We walked into the hospital not knowing what was going on and then was quickly admitted into the Labor and Delivery unit. Once we knew our baby was coming early, we finally called our families and told some friends. When my dad answered the phone, he was expecting me to talk about tailgating and the football game so he was definitely caught off guard when I said, "well actually I'm at the hospital and we're having this baby...today." Panic mode set in for my dad and he kept asking how I was doing and the baby and if either of us were in distress. I could tell her was worried but I reassured him it was not a life or death situation and that we would keep him updated as the day went on. Jordan then called his parents and had a similar conversation with all of them as well. I knew both families would be worried when we called since the baby was going to be six weeks early but we kept telling them we'd update them and to not worry. Which is funny because somehow Jordan and I were both staying relatively calm while our family and friends were the ones freaking out.... and some of our friends didn't believe us that we were at the hospital to have the baby! Like I said, since things happened so fast, we never once updated anyone after the initial calls/texts that we sent out! The next time we called people, we had news to announce that we had a baby girl! I don't think you could have wiped the smile off my face if you tried and those phone calls were some of the best ones I've ever made. When I called my dad, he asked I was doing and feeling and I just said, "Well I'm doing pretty great...just hanging out and recovering because I had the baby and you're a grandpa again to a little girl." That's when I could hear a sense of relief from my dad and he told me that my mom had bought a one-way plane ticket and was on her way up to Iowa. I also found out that my sister was on her way from Milwaukee! I've never felt more loved or lucky to have two amazing women in my life and I was so thankful they both got to be there with me and my new little family on Everly's birthday!

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better birthing and labor experience. It happened naturally and quickly, just like I had hoped and I had very few medical interventions. Jordan was an amazing husband as always and made a great coach, supporter, and teammate for me. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else by my side and even when he wasn't saying or doing anything, just the comfort of him beside me was enough love and support for me. I had a super easy pregnancy and felt good the whole time, minus a few aches and pains on various days here and there, but overall, I really had few complaints throughout the past 34 weeks. I can't believe it's over and that now I have a sweet baby girl. I've never felt an instant love for anyone or anything like I did the moment I saw her and when we first locked eyes. I knew in January when I found out I was pregnant that my life was going to change...and I knew in a second when I saw Everly that my life has changed for the better. Jordan and I are so in love already with her and can't wait to see where our adventures in parenthood take us.

33 weeks

33 weeks update: We had our first baby shower and it was a huge success. Peanut and myself got very spoiled with lots of awesome things including some must-have items and then some other fun and cute things that will be great to have around. It was so fun seeing all my family and friends together in one place to celebrate Peanut's impending arrival! The heat this week has been wicked hot and humid out so it's been a struggle to breath but I know everyone is feeling that way and not just me for being pregnant! It has made my walk to and from the hospital each morning and afternoon interesting...I feel like a hot sweaty mess before I even get to work and then I'm definitely a hot mess by the time I get home! Jordan and I have tickets to go to the first Iowa football game of the season this weekend and it's going to be a hot one! Hopefully I don't melt or go into early labor from being so hot at the game! Either way, we are hoping for a good game and a big win for the Hawks! And if anything does happen, at least the hospital is right across the street from the stadium! We are going to have a houseful of guests this weekend with some of Jordan's friends staying and also my brother and sister-in-law so I'm looking forward to a weekend of Hawkeye fun and good times with our friends and family!

a baby shower filled with love!

Daddy & Mama to be!

the cutest little Baby block cake!

sisters!

"my baby is having a baby!"
love you Mom

Yesterday we had our first baby shower for Peanut and it was a huge success in so many different ways! Jordan and I feel blown away at the amount of family and friends that we had show up to come celebrate the arrival of our baby and took the time out of their day to see us and spoil our baby. Peanut got A LOT of really nice, useful, and awesome things that I can't wait to get organized and use! I'm so thankful especially that my parents were able to be here for the shower and also that both my sister and brother drove from Wisconsin to spend the weekend with us and be part of the shower. It was also a fun weekend back home in Webster City seeing old friends and catching up with all of our old neighbors. Some things just never change and being back home is one of them - the good ol' days and it's great being around people where you can pick right up where you left off from the last time! Now that we are finally back home for the weekend, I can't wait to go through everything from the shower again later this week to get it all unpacked, play with it, and daydream about when Peanut is here to use it. I can't wait to meet our baby and now the shower made it seem so real and so close to the day we get to meet this baby!

32 Weeks

32 weeks update: Well there has been A LOT going on lately around the Easton household to say the least! We got moved into our new home and we are slowly getting unpacked and settled in. We also did our day long childbirth class...we learned a lot and definitely saw a lot! Jordan and I had some good laughs together during the day and by the time we got home, we were on information overload and both settled in for a nap. The class was definitely helpful though and now hopefully we just remember what we learned when delivery day gets here! My parents also have been here this week and so far they've been a huge help - when Jordan and I both got home from work today, we were surprised with a beautiful crib that they bought and had put together and already set up in Peanut's room! My mom and I also have been setting up a few other things in the nursery but the crib was a total shock...lots of happy tears! Other than all of that stuff, I have still been feeling pretty good even with the heat being ridiculously high this week! I can tell that I'm starting to slow down and can't quite walk as fast but I've been trying to stay as active as possible because that seems to be the one thing that helps with my swollen ankles and keep any other aches and pains away! Now I'm just really looking forward to our baby shower this weekend - can't wait to see everyone and for my family to all be together! It makes my heart so happy to know so many family members and friends are driving from near and far to come celebrate our little Peanut at the baby shower! Jordan and I are pretty lucky with the people we have in our lives!

happy birthday to me - it's moving day!

Whoo hoo Happy 26th Birthday to me today!! And it was moving day for me, Jordan, and Paisley which makes it that much more exciting! Since I'm a little too pregnant to be doing the loading/unloading and moving things around, I mostly directed where all of our things should go and unpacked some boxes as they were brought in. Turns out we have A TON of stuff for only being two people, wow! Now we are surrounded with boxes and bags everywhere but at least we finally have a place to call home! And more importantly, a place where we will bring our sweet baby home to and watch Peanut grow up for the first year! Hopefully we can get lots of unpacking and organizing done over the next few days but for now, I'm calling it a night! What a successful day of moving!

a day of learning and preparing...hee hee whoooooo!

Jordan and I spent the day at the hospital today.......learning all about childbirth and labor from 9-5! It made for a long day but I'm happy they offer the Saturday Seminar classes because we didn't want to do four Monday nights from 6:30-9:00pm after having a long day of work already! It made for a long day being at the hospital all day long and having information constantly thrown at us but we definitely learned a lot and I'm starting to feel more prepared about labor and our hospital experience! We saw some videos of birth, some of which were just animations and then we saw the real deal, and while they were helpful, it made Jordan and I both feel kind of grossed out by the whole thing! They passed around a plastic tray that had raised circles on it that showed the progression of the cervix opening up to 10cm and let me just say, that it is not normal to just have a hole of that size form on your body! Wow! But then I kept looking at it and was freaking out to Jordan saying, "that's not big enough! that's not normal! what is happening to me and how am I going to survive this?!!" It's safe to say that two of my biggest fears about labor and delivery are having an emergency c-section or hemorrhaging and bleeding out then dying on the table. I know, I knoooow....I'm being a crazy person but they are legitimate fears and both possibilities which makes it even scarier! All in all, the class was definitely verrrry educational, very helpful, and made us start to feel prepared for what lies ahead of us for when D-Day (delivery-day!) comes! We left with a helpful book and lots of techniques that hopefully we don't forget come the big day to meet our little Peanut!

31 Weeks

31 weeks update: holy smokes we are down to single digit weeks until Peanut's due date! Where have the past 31 weeks went?! It is so exciting that we are getting so close but also pretty terrifying because we have A LOT to do and get before we meet Peanut! I keep having the same dream several times now that involves me waking up and thinking either I have peed the bed or my water has broken then I wake up in real life and have to go pee that second. I think I am just getting really paranoid about where I will be and what I will be doing when my water does break! Jordan laughs but I think I am going to start putting together some stuff for a hospital bag because I am too much of a planner and organizer to not have some stuff together already! Other than that, I thankfully have still been feeling really great. I have obviously never experienced pregnancy before but this has been a lot easier and more enjoyable than I ever imagined and than people keep telling me it should be...so I am counting my blessings and am beyond thankful to have had a really normal, boring, and easy pregnancy so far! The countdown is officially on now...these next 9 weeks are going to fly by!

the search is finally over!

whoo whoo!! As of next Sunday, Jordan and I, along with Paisley and Peanut, will officially have a new place to call home!!! We found a beautiful townhouse that is available now that we get to move into on Sunday and I can't wait! I am definitely ready to start getting settled into a place of our own and I am sooo excited to get Peanut's nursery all set up! It's been quite the crazy last few weeks and we will have had three different addresses in the past three weeks but I am ready for our own little home sweet home!

30 weeks

30 weeks update: Another week down and we started our bi-monthly appointments with our midwife!! Peanut's heart rate was 136 which was the same as the last appointment and Peanut is still head down...the midwife thinks back out too which is really good and apparently "the ideal" birth position! Way to go, Peanut! For being 30 weeks pregnant, I have been feeling pretty good, but then again, I don't have anything to compare it to! I am able to make it through the work-day at the hospital and don't feel like I need a 1-3 hour nap each day when I get home (although, I don't turn one down if I have the chance to sneak one in!) and just my right ankle/foot gets a little swollen by Thursday or Friday but it goes away by the end of the weekend after a day or two of relaxing! I've still been able to sleep through the night and Peanut is sitting high enough that my bladder isn't affected too much yet so I haven't had to be making bathroom trips every half hour or so! I can definitely tell that Peanut is going through a huge growth spurt though because lately I have constantly been feeling hungry and I think that might have something to do with the fact that I don't always have room to eat a big meal in one sitting so I feel like I am constantly snacking! The good news is that I have only gained 22 pounds so far which means that I am still in the weight range I should be for total weight gain. Other than all of that, things have still been pretty boring and normal for the two of us so I'm continuing to count my blessings about that! 

29 weeks

29 week update: Just typing "29 week update" is crazy enough...I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that we are almost to the single digit weeks already (plus or minus a few days!). It is both super exciting and super terrifying at the same time. Jordan and I have SO much to do and get done in these next 11 weeks and they are definitely going to fly by! I have still been feeling really good and usually by the end of the week on Friday afternoon, my ankles have quite the swell going on. I guess that's what happens when I'm at the hospital for 40 hours a week and am constantly on my feet running from one treatment room to the next. But I'm also thankful that have semi-swollen ankles is one of my biggest complaints! Every now and then Peanut will be moving around and get positioned realllllly high up by/under my ribs on my right side and it's definitely not the most comfortable thing. I try to stretch my back out and twist to the side to give Peanut some more room! Because I'm carrying Peanut so high, usually the area right below my bra line is numb/tingly throughout the day from all of the pressure but I'd rather have that then Peanut sitting really low and making me feel like I need to constantly be running to the bathroom! Next week we have our 30 week appointment and then that starts our appointments that will be every two weeks.... We are still working on agreeing on a boy name and then coming up with a middle name for either a boy or a girl but I know we will find the perfect name eventually! And I'm pretty sure I felt Peanut have the hiccups a few different times now so that is exciting, just a steady rhythm of little taps! 

cloth diapering 101

This morning Jordan and I took a break from packing and moving to go to our first of three baby classes.... and it was Cloth Diapering 101!! We are also registered for a childbirth and preparation class along with a breastfeeding class in a couple of weeks. I know at first Jordan was pretty leary about this whole cloth diapering idea and didn't think he needed to come to the class with me because I could just relay all of the information to him while he still packed and loaded stuff up. However, I knew that just wasn't going to work or convince him that we could do this whole cloth diapering thing. Anyway, the class itself was pretty small with only about 8-9 other people. The lady who taught it was a past and current cloth diaper-er herself and the owner of the store we were at. She definitely knew her stuff and I loved hearing about her experiences, tips and tricks, and how it can be done by "newbies like us." We saw all sorts of diapers, inserts, covers, wipes, and the whole shebang. I can already see why it is easy to get sucked into the world of cloth and to be buying new cute diapers with specific designs/patterns/colors because they're all SO CUTE!!! As soon as the class was over, Jordan said, "we need to buy one of those wet/dry bags. Let's go pick out one with a cool design and pattern on it..." and since we got a $5.00 store credit for attending the class, we bought our first PlanetWise wet/dry bag that has bold and bright stripes of colors and it is super fun. I can't wait to use it! When we were driving home, Jordan said, "well, I definitely wasn't expecting to leave that class feeling like this but I am pretty pumped that we are going to be using cloth diapers for Peanut. I didn't think I'd be excited about diapers and getting to change them but this class made it seem a lot easier and realistic to do than I was thinking it would be. And I'm not gonna lie, saving the kind of money we'll save by using cloth is going to be pretty nice. Now we have to get Peanut a couple of Christmas print dipes!!" Yep, my husband is pretty awesome. I am so happy that he is on board with me now about going the cloth route! Can't wait to have a little fluffy butt baby in my arms! Now back to more packing, moving, and cleaning...almost done, wheeee!

28 weeks

28 weeks update: whoo all great news again from our latest appointment with our midwife! First off, Peanut's heart rate was strong and stead at 136 and I just love listening to that...it's so sweet! My belly also measured about 5-6 days behind but our midwife wasn't too concerned about that since that can change throughout the day depending on what I eat and drink, how active I am, or how bloated I might (or might not!) be! So if she isn't worried, then I'm not worried! The other exciting news is that I passed my gestational diabetes test! I was definitely pretty paranoid about this since I have such a big sweet tooth so I am pretty pumped that I passed it! I know I was low risk and not likely to have it but still, you never know! And Jordan was so sweet to wake up this morning at 6am on his day off to make me a high-protein breakfast of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon. Nom nom, so good and he is just so sweet! I love that he woke up early to make sure I had a healthy breakfast before the appointment and blood draw.... and I'm thankful that at the end of the night, he will rub my back and my belly then talk to Peanut. He's going to be such a great dad and I already can't wait to see the relationship he has with our kids. It's hard to believe that we are almost down to single digit weeks... holy smokes! I've been feeling great and am happy the weather hasn't been tooooo hot or miserable anymore. It definitely makes things more comfortable but I haven't been as miserable as everyone was making it seem like I would be so I'm thankful Peanut has made this easy on me this far!

cloth diaper stash is started!

Ok I admit it...I have a slight addiction to Craigslist. I check it every day multiple times. Like, I"m talking several times whenever I have some downtime to check it, I will look. Since the world of Craigslist has such a high turnover rate as I have learned, if you don't respond to something that you see and want right away, consider it gone when you sit down later to reply! So when I saw these cloth diapers being advertised, I jumped on it before I even finished reading the post! And then I realized, I was THAT person on Craigslist who emails someone 15 MINUTES after they posted whatever they are trying to sell. No shame here because it totally worked out in my favor!!!

Jordan and I have decided to enter the world of cloth diapering for Peanut (and future kiddos). It didn't take that much convincing for me since I will be the primary caretaker and home the most with the baby but I wanted to make sure we had a system that was still easy enough and do-able for Jordan when he is home and/or alone with the baby. We debated the pros and cons back and forth and finally decided that the pros have outweighed the cons for us. We are really looking forward to the benefits it will have not only on our baby but also our wallets and the environment! I know cloth diapering is an investment up front but it will more than pay for itself in 2-3 months and then we will be breaking even!

So here's the details about my latest score from Craigslist! I got 3 FuzziBunz all-in-ones one size diapers and 3 BumGenius all-in-ones one size diapers along with 15 inserts for $40!!!!! The family I bought these from said they tried the cloth route for only a few weeks off and on before deciding it wasn't for them so these diapers and inserts are practically new! A two-pack of the FuzziBunz and BumGenius sell new at Target and Babies R Us for $39.99 and a 3-pack of inserts is $15.99 so I got a huuuuge deal with this find! I have never been more excited about diapers before in my life and I can't wait to have a little Fluffy Butt in the house! 

27 Weeks

27 weeks update: welcome to the 3rd trimester!!! Wow!! Is that possible?! I don't even know how we are in the third trimester or where the past 27 weeks have went...they have definitely flown by that's for sure! It helps that this pregnancy (not like I have anything to compare it to!) has been relatively easy on me the whole time....minus a few episodes of nausea and a few aches/pains here and there, I think I was expecting things to be a lot worse! I'm just thankful that I'm healthy and that our baby is healthy as well! Sleeping is even getting comfortable again now that I have figured out how to arrange my numerous pillows and once I situated, I am able to sleep through the night which I am definitely enjoying for now because I'm sure once I get closer to the end, that will change! We are slowly narrowing down our "boy name" list, yay! We don't have middle names yet for either girl or boy but at least we have first names pinned down, for the most part. And we have also signed up for 3 different classes: childbirth preparation and labor class, breastfeeding class, and a cloth diapering class! Whoo whooo... I'm thankful to such an awesome and involved husband who is looking forward to taking these classes with me and learning all he can about how to be a good daddy and parent and how he can help out during labor. I feel pretty lucky to have such a loving and supportive partner and husband to be experiencing this with! Next week is our 28 week appointment which will include the gestational diabetes test and I'd be lying if I said I'm not nervous for it! But I definitely can't wait to hear our little Peanut's heartbeat again and hopefully get nothing but good news from the appointment!

baby registry fun

Yesterday Jordan and I spent the afternoon at Babies R Us registering for Peanut! And wow, it was both excited and overwhelming all at the same time! There's literally SOOOO much to choose from....does there really need to be 100+ different strollers and car seats?! And tons of cribs, bottles, and swaddles to pick from?! We went in with a good idea of what we want to have for Peanut and ourselves but that didn't make it any less overwhelming. We did have a lot of fun though spending the afternoon together doing baby stuff. Jordan was so sweet and cute with a lot of it too...he was more concerned about the colors/style for some of the things than I would have thought. And he was most excited for the ErgoBaby carrier that we registered for and has every intention of wearing it frequently with Peanut so I'm hoping we get that...otherwise, it might have to be a special Dad-to-be gift for him! We picked out an awesome travel system and I'm super excited for it. It's the Graco FastAction Sport travel system and it's in a nice aqua/black color with 3-wheels which made it easy to steer and navigate...perfect for walks with Peanut and Paisley! There were so many gadgets and cool things too for babies and kids so we added those to our list. We spent a couple of hours there and left with only 25ish items on our registry which made us laugh for how long we had spent there! Thankfully, we can add things from on-line so we've already done that and added things on-line to our Target registry. Nothing like researching baby stuff and then adding it right to the registry from the comfort of our own home and couch! It's crazy how fast time is flying and before we know it, Peanut will be here so it's making me anxious to start getting things ready for our special arrival... just how early is too early to start nesting?!!

24 weeks

24 weeks update: First off, does anyone notice anything different?!!.... no? Ok well I'll tell you what it is.... I went back blonde! I was getting bored with my drab and blah brown-ish/blond-ish hair and it just really wasn't doing anything for me. I don't even know why I let my hair get like that for so long....oh well, it's gone now and I'm back to being blonde and am loving it. It's so much more flattering (at least I think, haha) and is so summery!

Ok enough about that! This week has been a very exciting one between the job/internship offers and having an appointment with our midwife for Peanut! I love hearing such good news from her and hearing Peanut's heartbeat is always so exciting. Our midwife said that Peanut is already head down and added that 95% of the time, once they go head down at this point, they will stay in that position and just keep growing. So that was nice to hear - no more flips or gymnastics Peanut, stay where you are and keep on getting bigger and healthier. Please, pleaseeee, don't go breech! The midwife also said that I'm still at a very healthy weight and everything is measuring right where she would like to see everything measuring at for 24 weeks. 

As for me, I have been feeling pretty good minus a few aches and pains that show up here and there. It's usually the worst in the morning when I wake up from sleeping in an awkward position or having a cramp but once I get going for the day, then it isn't too bad at all. I have been incredibly lucky to be this pain-free and symptom free for so long... still no swelling in my feet or hands even with how hot/humid it has been which is also very nice! Now that it is staying warm out, my cravings and NEED for fresh fruit and veggies has definitely amped up a ton! I could (and do!) eat an entire fresh pineapple every 2-3 days it seems...it's so good and so refreshing! I always try to have some sort of produce on hand in the fridge already cut up so when I start feeling hungry and need a snack, I go for a healthy option rather than eating some candy or cookies...not like I always resist that urge for something sweet but if I get some fruit in me, that usually has enough natural sugar in it to do the trick! I feel AND see Peanut move around like crazy and often times find myself just staring at my stomach as it changes shapes when Peanut is moving around. It is a very surreal thing but very special at the same time. It's weird to think that in 3 1/2 months Jordan and I will become a family of four (can't forget about our first fur-baby, Paisley!) and that we will have our own baby. Now that is crazy...not just another niece or nephew for us to love on and spoil but our own baby to love on and spoil and teach and guide through this crazy life! It's going to be quite the ride and I'm glad to have such an awesome husband to be on this ride with!

BIG offer day!

Someone better pinch me quick because I think I must be dreaming today..... this has been a very special and incredible day! SO much good news, so much relief, and so much excitement! I don't really even know where to start...so I guess I just jump right in! A week or so ago, Jordan was in the office at school and happened to be in the right place at the right time because the principle walked in and started making conversation with another teacher who inquired about any teaching positions opening up. There just so happened to be a 5th/6th grade math/science class that she thought would be opening....so this kind teacher quickly introduced Jordan to the principle! And they got to chatting and exchanged contact information then a few days later, Jordan was approached to set up an interview! He had the initial phone interview and then they set up an in-person interview so we both had a pretty good feeling about things but didn't want to rely on it and get our hopes up just to be disappointed. So Jordan had the in-person interview today.....and 45 minutes later, they called him back and offered him the job!!! AHHH!!! Jordan is officially a real full-time employed teacher and I could not be happier!! He is truly so deserving of this and works so hard for everything...for our family and for himself to make things happen and to be a better person every day. He is amazing and he is going to be an incredible teacher! Those kids are so lucky to have him for their teacher and I can't wait to see him inspire all of his students and staff members as well. I'm so proud of him and admire his patience to stick out the job hunt while applying for several jobs without hearing back. I know it can get discouraging but he always stayed positive and that is one thing I really love about him!

The other big news is that I have received an internship offer from the University of Iowa Children's Hospital to complete a Child Life internship....starting in about 2ish weeks so that I can be done before Peanut is born!! My supervisor paged me before I left work and said, "we need to talk before you leave for the day." so I was of course freaking out and was immediately paranoid. When she offered me an internship position, it was really the LAST thing I was expecting! I had sort of written that idea off because I knew doing one in the fall wasn't going to happen and doing one in the spring seemed unrealistic with a new baby at home! And they are being so accommodating by letting me start now, mid-summer, and be done by mid-September. They told me, "kids in hospitals need people like you there by their side to support them and help them. We can see your potential and we don't want that to go to waste just because you didn't get certified." I feel so incredibly lucky and thankful for this opportunity!! I have always said how I work with some amazing kids and family...but I also work with some pretty amazing specialists and they are awesome for helping make this happen for me! 

Tonight we will be celebrating with some 312...oh wait. Well, Jordan will be celebrating with some 312 and I will enjoy a virgin strawberry margarita! I'm so happy that things are finally, FINALLY, starting to fall into place for us. Both of these things takes a huuuge weight off my shoulders and I'm thankful to have some of our prayers answered. Things are definitely looking up and looking great! 

22 weeks

22 weeks update: I am feeling Peanut move a lot more frequently now that's for sure! It's always a weird feeling looking down at my stomach and seeing it bulge out or be really lopsided when Peanut is squirming around and getting comfortable. I hope that's the sign of a healthy and happy baby! Jordan and I have a lot of fun daydreaming about what different sports and activities Peanut will do and how we can't wait to attend different events like that...it's exciting to think about but I also want to cherish every moment of every day before our baby grows up too fast! I have been feeling really great and still have lots of energy. This is truly the "best part" of pregnancy like everyone usually says. No signs of nausea and I'm starting to actually look pregnant so it makes it fun when strangers acknowledge it and want to talk about baby stuff. Sleeping is starting to get a little interesting...I can get comfortable on my side with a pillow between my legs but have found myself waking up a couple times a night with a cramp in my calf or needing to go to the bathroom. It's not much to complain about so I try not to at all because I this point, I know my bump is still minimal so sleeping shouldn't be, and isn't, a problem! I still don't pass up a chance to take a nap when I can though - usually when I get home from work for the day, I'll take an hour (or two!) nap before Jordan gets home and we have dinner. I've been hitting up garage sales like crazy and have quite the stockpile of clothes in all sizes going, a really nice practically new pack 'n play, some toys, maternity clothes, and some other baby essentials for all stages/ages! I love finding such good deals and quality items for such a cheap price for Peanut! I don't really have many cravings but I still love eating a lot of fresh fruit especially pineapple. I can eat an entire fresh pineapple in 2 days.....and am then left wanting more still! I've gained a bit more weight it seems so I'm up to about 13 pounds total that I've gained and thankfully, it doesn't really look like I have (or at least that's what Jordan likes to tell me!) and it seems to be all belly and boob weight! No swollen ankles and no swollen fingers - I hope the summer heat doesn't make me balloon up... guess I'll keep drinking 100+ oz of water a day to hopefully avoid any serious bloat and water retention! Today officially marks 4 months until Peanut's due date!! 4 MONTHS! Ah we have a lot to get done between now and then but I know the time is going to fly by...I can't wait to meet you Peanut but please don't come too early - we need to prepare a little more!

Here comes Mom and a girls weekend!

It's finally that time...... time for my mom's plane to be landing in about an hour and a half for our Girls Weekend to be kicked off! Eeeek! I can't wait to spend four days with my mom and get in plenty of shopping, spoiling ourselves and Peanut, some manis/pedis, and a baby shower. Not only all of that but also my sister and her girlfriend will be here on Friday night for the rest of the weekend too! Whoo hoooo! Jordan will be leaving for Chicago on Friday afternoon so it will be just us girls all weekend and I can't wait....he probably would go crazy if he stayed here with all of us for the weekend! Time to finish getting ready and head to the airport to pick up my mom!