Benefits of Staying Active During Pregnancy

When you're pregnant it's tempting to give into {what seems like} never-ending fatigue, but this isn't the time to be selfish. This is the time to think about what's BEST for you and your baby. No one can grow a healthy baby but you. You should take that very seriously and do the best you can. Walk your way to a healthier pregnancy! 

Growing a little one takes a lot of energy. And you know what's proven to give you energy?

No, not the bag of candy that sounds oh-so-good.

Exercise. 

That's right. You have to expend energy to get energy. But that's not the only benefit of exercise. In fact, if you're already living a healthy lifestyle of eating a nutritionally balanced diet and staying active, you should continue doing just that. Don't stop! There are so many benefits to an active pregnancy rather than laying on the couch.

As a runner, it was important to stay active throughout my pregnancy. An active pregnancy has benefits for mom and baby. I especially wanted to continue running. But even on the days where running was a little difficult or I was injured {yes, I bounced back from a running injury DURING my pregnancy!} I still continued to walk! 

I ran the Oklahoma City Half Marathon at 16 weeks pregnant

So even if your body isn't in running shape during pregnancy, walking brings the same benefits.

Benefits for Mom:

• Less weight gain
• Decreased Discomfort
• Mood stability {hellooooo endorphins!}
• Lower risk of gestational diabetes {also dangerous for baby}
• Lower risk of gestational hypertension {also dangerous for baby}

Benefits for Baby:

• Decreased fat mass
• Improved stress tolerance
• Advanced neurobehavioral maturation
• Teaching your baby to be healthy from the start

Being pregnant isn't an excuse to lay around and eat pizza and chips for 9 months. It's actually the opposite. It's the best time to live a healthy and active lifestyle. There's so much you can't control in your pregnancy and baby's development, but you CAN control how active you are. So do what's best for you and baby and get ACTIVE!

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Baby Must-Haves: My Favorite Accessories from Birth to 2 Months

Registering for baby gifts was a shot in the dark. Sure, some of the unsolicited parenting advice includes everything you "need," but then other parents say the same product didn't work for them. I remember feeling overwhelmed and inundated with accessories upon accessories. I didn't know which ones were necessary and which were not. But these items below are more for the parents than for the babies, so they're a safe purchase without the risk that the baby may not like them.


#1 NoseFrida
Okay, I'm getting the yucky item out of the way first. No kid like having snot removed from their nose, but the Nose Frida is far better than the old bulb that you get from the hospital! It looks gross, but there's a filter in place so that you'll never taste what you're removing.


Have I lost you yet?


No? Good.


#2 A Boppy (or similar pillow)
I loved the Boppy for myself and I'm so thankful we bought one. I love it because it's a pillow that never loses shape or deflates! It's perfect for supporting the baby while breastfeeding. It's also good for folding under my arm for support as my arm gets heavy from snuggling the baby for so long, if you're like me and sleep in a rocking chair with your new baby for the first few weeks? You can turn the Boppy upside down (to a u-shape) to support the baby's head and your head.


#3 Car seat cover
I fell in love with our car seat cover the first time we took the baby to the doctor. I felt like he was sheltered from the germs much more than he would have been without the cover. It's also really nice when grocery shopping because for some reason, women don't seem to realize there's a baby in the car seat when the baby is covered! So we don't get many admirers trying to kiss our baby's hands or touch his face. It's also really helpful when we go on walks on sunny or windy days!


#4 Swing
Matthew loves his swing, and I do too. Matthew loves the comfort of the movement to and the entertainment of the songs and monkeys swinging above his head. I like that it's a great babysitter when I'm working on something. In the early days, there were a few nights that he spent in the swing and I spent on the couch because that was the only way either of us could sleep.


#5 Diaper Genie (or any other diaper disposal container)
I'm in love with my Diaper Genie. We have it right next to the changing table so we can dispose of dirty diapers quickly. I have yet to smell a diaper from the Genie. It truly does seal off the smell to keep from sneaking into the room. Plus we went the extra mile and added a small stick-on baking soda to the inside of the Genie to keep the smell from the inside as well. The refillable bags are really easy to handle once you get the hang of it!


Note: I linked the specific models we have for each item, but I'm sure similar items would work just as well! This is not a sponsored post and I was not compensated. All opinions are my own.

Baby G's Birth Story

Going into labor is kind of a surreal event. You read up on it, you talk to people about it, you take classes on it, you've seen it on TV (plus I read blogs about it)... and yet somehow I was still in denial when labor actually started.

The week of my due date I could tell I was getting close. I had a couple of labor scares already and I could tell my body was progressing pretty quickly. My plan was to start maternity leave on my due date (Oct. 9), but on Wednesday the 7th, I was finished with work. There's something about working with kindergartners high school kids that made me yearn for a break before labor. And I'm thankful I didn't try to push myself.

On October 9 I woke up feeling different. Not bad, just different. It was like I was moving slower than normal and felt pretty tired. However I wanted to stay active, so about 4:00pm, with the promise to not push myself, the hubs and I decided to go to the gym. 

Shortly after I began walking (at a pace at least one mile per hour slower than my normal walking pace), I felt slight cramps across my lower stomach. Some of them were so strong I had to grip the treadmill and lift myself up on my arms just to keep my legs moving. Normally I would have panicked, but this is how one of the previous labor scares felt, plus there was no consistency to them, so I wasn't worried. Although I texted my mom how I was feeling and she responded, "that's how it starts."

Yep. Must be true.

Yet I continued on my walk. The cramps eventually stopped and I was feeling great. So great that I decided to call myself crazy and finish off the walk with a .25 mile run. Just one more run before labor started. {Spoiler alert / brag moment: I ran during labor. I'm a special kind of crazy.}

Walking slower than ever, I waddled out to the car and back into my house where I decided to take a bath to soothe the cramps that had returned. By about 6:00pm I realized my cramps weren't going anywhere, so I started timing them with the advice of my sister.

Much to my surprise my contractions were about 7.5 minutes apart lasting about 45 seconds. During one of the hospital classes, the nurse told us to call our doctors when our contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute for 1 hour. Knowing this rule, and still not fully convinced I was in actual labor, I continued my evening as normal... stopping to focus and breathe approximately every 7.5 minutes for 45 seconds at a time :)

My contractions began getting stronger, lasting longer, and were closer together. The hubs and I put our families on standby in case this was real labor. But out of nowhere, my contractions began to slow down, lessen in intensity and even stop for long periods of time. My average went from 6:15 between contractions to over 9:00 in an hour because my contractions had slowed so dramatically.

Defeated, we went to sleep. For about 20 minutes. Then the contractions returned.

This time the contractions were so fierce I could hardly walk or talk through them (which is another sign of real labor vs. false labor). By 1:00am I had a contraction so strong I had to get on my knees. I decided to stop being in denial and call my doctor to see her opinion on going to the hospital.

After a few questions, she said to go to the hospital! I was amazed. Again, it was surreal that this major event that people talk about so often was actually happening to me!

The doctor called ahead and said that we were coming, so everyone was already waiting and prepared. The nurse said they would monitor the baby and me for a couple of hours and if I hadn't progressed from my 40-week appointment that I might be sent home. At this point my contractions were so strong that I prayed it was real labor because traveling 30 minutes back home to labor for a couple hours, then having to travel 30 minutes back to the hospital seemed even more miserable.

Two hours came and went and I had no progression. Thankfully the nurse used her better judgement and told us she wasn't going to send us home! I was so relieved because within the next hour I had very little relief from the contractions that were coming quickly. After laboring three hours at the hospital I was only dilated to a 4...and they wanted me at a 7 before my epidural. At that rate, I would be in labor for another three weeks.

Taking a HOT shower relieved the contractions by about 50%, but I was still knocked to my knees during each contraction. A labor ball helped too, but at this point I knew the only relief from pain was to have an epidural.

My husband was AMAZINGLY helpful. All of my contractions were still in my lower stomach but radiating into my knees. So during every contraction my husband massaged my hip flexors where the pain was the most intense. At one point on the birthing ball, he leaned across me to rub my legs and I nearly bit his shoulder because the pain was so intense. Possibly a little overdramatic, but it was genuine.

After the fourth hour at the hospital, thanks to the shower and birthing ball, I was dilated to a 7! {Yeah, think about that for a second. From a 4 to a 7 in ONE HOUR...pain I tell you. Pain.} I was so thankful that my pain was actual progression! The nurse called for the epidural, which I still had to wait another hour, but at least there was light at the end of the tunnel!

So in all in my research, no one told me that getting an epidural was a 15-minute process. I thought it was nothing more than a needle in your spine. Done. No, it wasn't. It was a genuine 15-minute process. I've always heard that you have to stay still during the epidural, but I was shaking like I had a terrible case of the chills. But I wasn't cold. The nurse said it was hormones and was totally normal (something my sister warned me about too). This made it even more difficult to not move during the epidural. I really had to focus on not moving, which isn't an easy task when I couldn't control my shaking. But the epidural was incredible! The nurse said I had the perfect epidural because I couldn't feel my contractions, but I could still move my legs to readjust rather than relying on the nurses and doctors to move me.

The remaining hours consisted of the hubs and I dozing off (although we struggled with the combination of being too excited to sleep plus knowing we needed to rest because we hadn't slept in over 24 hours and didn't know when we might sleep again.) and watching football.

After the epidural was in place my contractions became irregular and less intense (a common problem), so the nurse gave me Pitocin to get things going again. However the baby must not have liked it because they had to increase my fluid levels to help the baby. I'm not sure what that meant, but I trusted the baby and I were in good hands, so I wasn't too concerned.

At the rate my body was progressing, plus the fact that my doctor wouldn't be available to deliver the baby after 3:00pm, my nurse was trying to get us progressed enough to start pushing by 1:00pm. Sure enough, around 1:15 or 1:30, the nurse and doctor came in and said it was time to start pushing! I requested for our families (who drove into town earlier in the morning) to come back in one more time before I started pushing. Then we were off!

I jokingly said that my goal was to push the baby out in three pushes, knowing that it would probably take at least an hour to deliver. But little did I know that my motivated goal had some truth to it.

The doctor and nurse were very calm though the whole labor which was especially important because the baby's heart rate kept dropping, causing a concern. They delivered this news to me in the most compassionate way possible, but I very clearly remember the doctor telling me, "we need to expedite this process or else we'll have to go an alternate route." She also warned me that the baby may not cry when he first came out because he might be "stunned," which I still don't know what that entails, but I know it probably isn't good. They even called in the NICU team in case they were needed immediately.

Knowing that the baby was in danger, I didn't care about anything other than delivering him as quickly as possible. His safety immediately became my only thought.

I saw his head with the first push. I wanted to keep pushing even between contractions to get him out as fast as possible. Plus, I was excited to actually see the miracle that had lived inside of me for 40 weeks {and one day}! In a total of four pushes (which was actually 12 because I pushed three times through four contractions...which I guess in the medical world counts as four pushes), the baby was out! When I first saw him, I heard my voice say, "cry baby, cry" as if my heart was willing him to cry.

His sweet cry was the best thing I've heard. A big wave of relief came over me when I could see him and hear him. A nurse quickly took him away to clean him up, run some tests and to make him cry even more. But when he got back to me it the sweetest feeling as he was placed on my chest!

The next couple of hours were filled with the most love, peace and bliss I've ever felt. Knowing our baby was finally and safely here, nothing else mattered. The hubs and I enjoyed our first moments of being a family of three.

A few hours later we moved into the new family unit where we stayed for the next couple of days. Soon after we switched rooms our families came back in to meet our new blessing :) Everyone fell in love with him as much as we had. But this new momma was too in love to give him up just yet :) so it took me a while before I let anyone else hold him :)

Even with the pain, I enjoyed every moment of labor. As I write this, I'm looking at our sweet two week old, I'm so overjoyed by how much love I feel for this little person! He's positively perfect and gives my life more meaning than I could have imagined! He is my greatest accomplishment and the hubs and I cannot wait to celebrate everything in life with him!

Baby G: 40 Week Update

How far along: 40 weeks... My due date! Here we go! Stay tuned for the next blog post...

Total weight gain: I didn't have a 40 week appointment, so I'm guessing around 23 pounds like at my 39-week appointment.

Maternity clothes: No, since maternity leave started it's either pajamas or gym clothes

Sleep: Getting less and less because my lower stomach keeps cramping. There were some nights where I wanted to sleep on the couch or in our recliner so badly!  I can tell my body is getting closer to delivery!

Miss anything: Nope :)

Movement: I'm cherishing my last few moments of his kicks and jabs :(

Food cravings: Nothing really

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still nope!

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, relieved, anxious, excited, a little sad 

What else happened this week: So I actually went into labor the day after my due date! Stay tuned for the next blog post of his birth story!

Looking forward to: Meeting him!

Exercise: So I really wanted to walk on my due date...but then my walk MAY have turned into a short run... So on my due date I walked 2.25 miles and ran .25 miles. But for the really crazy part, you'll have to read the birth story {next post}. As of 40 weeks, the baby and I have exercised 552.8 miles!

Baby G: 39 Week Update

How far along: 39 weeks! Ahh!!

Total weight gain: 23 pounds. When I say how many pounds I've gained I feel better than thinking about what my new weight is...

Maternity clothes: Yoga pants or maxi dresses are my preference, especially because my maternity pants are either white (not a good idea this late in the pregnancy process) or jeans, which aren't dress code appropriate at my school :(

Sleep: Actually sleeping isn't too bad most of the time, but sometimes when I wake up I'm incredibly uncomfortable. The baby really likes to lay under my left ribcage (probably because I primarily lay on my left side). So when he is under my ribcage it takes him a while to readjust so that I can lay back down comfortably again.

Miss anything: Nope :)

Movement: The baby has stayed really active, which is a great sign. At my latest appointment the doctor said that the baby's head was "definitely lower" (although he felt the same to me!), so that's exciting!

Then later that night I was having pains in my lower stomach so I was pushing on my stomach to help ease the pain and I SWEAR I felt the baby's head move back and fourth, in a motion like he was saying no. It was SUCH a neat feeling!!

Food cravings: A Frito chili pie sounded good at one point this week :) I don't know what it is about hamburger meat that I've craved so much during this pregnancy!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! It's amazing I've gone all this time without any real sickness (other than eating fake ice cream)

Wedding rings on or off: Still on! Yay!! I'm also excited I made it the whole time without needing to take my rings off!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! Although I've had a few weepy moments just thinking about all the changes that we're about to go through. I know they'll be worth it, but it's always sad when a chapter of your life ends.

What else happened this week: I finally took off for maternity leave... what a blessing! I wanted to try to work to my due date, but I'm thankful I didn't because I would have been super crazy. I think if I had a desk job I may have been able to make it, but being a teacher and students wanting my attention all the time... no. 

The hubs and I also saw a couple of movies this week in an effort to spend more time together :) 

Also, my stomach has taken this odd shape for the first time...

I think the above picture is proof that the baby really hasn't dropped being that it looks and feels like he's above my belly button.

Looking forward to: Meeting him! It's so crazy to think that contractions can start literally at ANY moment!

Exercise: Call me crazy, but I want to see how much longer I can run, so I've still been running a bit :) However, I've been walking more often and for longer distances than I've been running, so I'm not 100% crazy. Just 95%. As of 39 weeks, the baby and I have gone 550.3 miles!

Baby G: 38 Week Update

How far along: He's coming anytime! {In theory. Hopefully he won't come until after October 2 because that's our big crosstown rivalry football game that I really need to work!} This week has been the biggest change in my body for sure. I feel like the baby gets bigger from the time I wake up to the time I get home from work, and even bigger when I wake up the next morning!

Total weight gain: Right at 20 pounds

Maternity clothes: I have a love/hate relationship with maternity jeans. They're more comfortable but they never stay in place! As I walk around they always fall down! Other than that I'm still enjoying them :) 

Sleep: This is one of the areas that has also had a major change. Sleeping had finally gotten difficult and no position was completely comfortable. I even contemplated sleeping on the couch or in the baby's new chair for a while. However, I found a magical way to lay with a third pillow where if my upper body is elevated more than normal, it puts more weight on my hips rather than on my stomach, where it feels like the baby is sliding off to the side.

Miss anything: I had a brief moment where I missed eating cookie dough.

Movement: The baby is super wiggly at night! He even kicked a book off my stomach when I was recording him earlier in the week! It was so funny and unexpected! He also gets really active when Luke talks to him :) It makes my heart happy.

Food cravings: In the beginning of the week, my sweet tooth was back with a vengeance! But the second half wasn't as bad. But pretty much any carbs sound good. I'm still a fan of chicken and rice for the starch and protein.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Have you started to show yet: I'm carrying so much in the front that if you look at me straight on, I don't look as big as I do from the side. Then from behind the hubs tells me I look the same. So that's always nice to hear!

Wedding rings on or off: Still on!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy or tired. Those are my emotions this week :) The day I turned 38 weeks I worked a 16 hour day. I went to school at 7:30am and didn't get off until 11:30pm. I only had two short breaks. One was 5 minutes and one was about 10 minutes long. So over the weekend I definitely relaxed. Only to come back to work on Monday to work an 11 hour day. This is why I feel like I don't have time to exercise much anymore.

Looking forward to: Meeting him! But I'm going to miss being pregnant sooo much. I try to remind myself that I'll actually get to hold him and play with him, but I love feeling him move in my tummy all day long!

Exercise: I ran a whopping two miles this week, but I'm good with it! I'm happy to run at all! Sometimes the recovery is more painful and takes longer than the actual run. So far the baby and I have covered 542.02 miles together! I may try for 600 miles...

Baby G: 37 Week Update

How far along: The baby is officially full-term! 

Total weight gain: 21 pounds

Maternity clothes: It's either that, exercise clothes or maxi dresses

Sleep: Still pretty good, but I've come up with a 5-point turn to help me roll over. It used to be a 3-point turn, but the additional 2 points are definitely needed nowadays. 

Miss anything: Rolling over comfortably?

Movement: Sometimes it feels like the baby is hoola-hooping in my tummy :)

Food cravings: Nothing particularly.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Even my nauseated problem from last week (were it felt like I was eating too much) has gone away! 

Have you started to show yet: Yep, but there would be a problem if I wasn't showing at 37 weeks along...

Wedding rings on or off: Still on!

Happy or moody most of the time: This week has been a happy week!

What else happened this week: My school threw me a diapers and wipes shower, which was very kind of them. 

Plus my long-term substitute spent a few days with me to get him onboarded for when I'm out on leave. It relieves so much stress, you can't even believe.

Plus, my sister finally had her baby! Little Ella Maegan was born at 10:51pm at 9 pounds, 12 ounces and 21 inches long. So our baby has gotten a new girl cousin and boy cousin within in just over a week!

Looking forward to: The baby arriving! I'll miss weekends being relaxing and watching TV all day, but I know life is about to get so much better! We finally have everything ready for the baby to arrive. He even has a swing and crib mattress now! His room is arranged and ready to go!

Exercise: My days at school are getting longer and longer, plus you add a hospital class and a weekly doctor's appointment, I don't feel like I have much time to exercise anymore. But so far the baby and I have a total of 537.62 miles under our belt! I wonder if I can get to 550...

Baby G: 36 Week Update

How far along: I only have about four weeks left?! What?! I feel like I've exploded.

Total weight gain: Almost 20 pounds

Maternity clothes: I feel like I'm rotating through the same few shirts each week, and pretty much only two pairs of pants. I have a lot more than that, but they're not within my school's dress code, so I can't wear them :(

Sleep: Still pretty much normal. I've taken on a 5-point turn every time I roll over, but hey, at least I'm still sleeping pretty well!

Miss anything: Depending on the day it's either alcohol (primarily wine) or nothing. I've actually enjoyed eating more carbs than I allowed myself when I wasn't pregnant :)

Movement: The baby is so big that he hardly kicks anymore because he doesn't have room. It makes me sad because I always love feeling him kick, and he still will sometimes, but most of the time I feel him push against my hip and try to pop out of the top of my stomach.

The baby is also laying on a few random nerves. He's on a nerve in my right elbow, on my right hand between my ring finger and little finger, on my left thumb, and on my left leg behind my knee into my calf. Random, right?

Food cravings: Chipotle almost always sounds good. In the final days I want to help the baby get up to 8+ pounds before delivery, so I'm enjoying Chipotle's chicken and rice bowl pretty often nowadays. I also really wanted a grilled-out cheeseburger, so my dad fixed that craving!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Thankfully I haven't struggled with nausea at all this pregnancy! Although a few times this week I've felt really nauseous at night because the baby is invading my stomach space. It's like I've eaten way too much, even though it's just a baked potato with chicken, or something pretty small.

Have you started to show yet: Of course, but I haven't started waddling yet! One of my students asked if I've started to waddle and I replied, "I don't think so, but you watch me walk every day! You tell me! Do you want me to walk back and fourth for you to see for yourself?" Kids are funny.

Wedding rings on or off: Still on! Another goal of mine from the beginning and haven't really struggled.

Happy or moody most of the time: Emotionally I have up weeks and down weeks. This week was a down week. I think a lot of it has to do with whether or not my husband is home. I get more depressed when he travels. 

What else happened this week: The baby went to his first game at Kyle Field! And it was the newly renovated Kyle Field, at that.

Here we are outside of the stadium.

And the view from our seats. The game was fun, but the beginning was so crowded that I needed to stretch out my back and I couldn't do that very easily. Thankfully the guys sitting behind me left in the second half, so I lounged back and had all the stretching room I needed.

The baby also received a new baby {boy} cousin shortly after the football game was over! My brother -in-law and sister-in-law didn't want to find out if they were having a girl or boy, so everyone was anticipating they were having a boy... which was correct!

Looking forward to: My sister's due date is this week! So our baby may have two cousins within a week!

Exercise: I've still continued running, slowly but surely. I'm running about 3 minutes per mile longer, but I'll take it! Running at any speed is so much more fun than walking. Walking is less stress on your body, of course, but there's nothing better than a runners' high :) So far the baby and I have covered 520.12 miles together :) 

Baby G: 35 Week Update

How far along: Oh my goodness, 35 weeks?! When I first found out I was pregnant I felt like 35 weeks was forever away, but it feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant!

Total weight gain: I'm guessing close to 20 pounds. The baby has hit a growth spurt this week! I feel like I'm constantly eating! I even had two breakfasts at once!

Maternity clothes: Yes, almost always.

Sleep: Still hasn't been a problem. People often say that pregnant women have weird dreams but I really haven't had those either. Rolling over on the other hand is much more difficult.

Miss anything: I miss going to happy hour.

Movement: The baby must be laying on a nerve in my hand and in my elbow because certain movements, or when I put my hands on my hips it's pretty painful! But besides that, the baby doesn't have much room to kick anymore, so I mainly feel him rolling and shifting rather than kicking. Although I do still get some pretty solid kicks every now and then.

Food cravings: Cheetos and a grilled out hamburger have both sounded good this week. But neither have been really overwhelming cravings like spaghetti was in the beginning of my pregnancy.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Which I'm so thankful!

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah, and I have a student who reminds me that I get bigger every day.

Gender: It's a boy... or so they tell me. I have yet to meet him so I can't confirm :)

Wedding rings on or off: Still on! Whoo-hoo!

Happy or moody most of the time: Mainly happy but my pregnancy hormones have gotten way worse this week. If I'm not smiling, I'm crying.

What else happened this week: My birthday was on Friday and I really wanted to run into my new year (like last year I ran past midnight to run from my 25th birthday into my 26th birthday), but I hadn't run about 4 weeks. However, around 11:50pm, the hubs and I set out to start my birthday with a run and we ran a mile! It was about 3 minutes slower than I had been running up to 31 weeks (although maybe that's why running got so hard at 31 weeks...I was going too fast!) but I ran!

Then after I showered, I walked into the kitchen to find the hubs bought an assortment of gluten free cupcakes, cookies and bread! He even lit birthday candles :)

The next morning we went to a car set installation class (which is something I never thought I would do the morning of my birthday). So I spent a couple hours with this little guy:

It was so helpful though and I'm thankful we went (especially because we installed the car seat wrong...oopsies!)!

The rest of the weekend was filled with relaxation and productivity. The hubs arranged the baby's room, put together his stroller, pack n play and storage shelves. Then I did the first load of laundry of the baby's clothes and blankets, and I organized his closet.

Looking forward to: My sister having her baby! We're only 3 weeks apart and I feel like her due date is MUCH closer than mine! I mean, it is closer by three weeks, but it just doesn't seem like I'm only three weeks behind her!

Exercise: I finally ran again which made my heart SO happy! It felt great while I was running (for the most part) but the recovery took much longer than before. It took me a much longer time to warm up (about a mile of walking) but I was able to run longer too. At this point, the baby and I have exercised 521.62 miles together :) 

Baby G: 34 Week Update

How far along: 34 weeks left! It's crazy thinking that I have 3-6 weeks left before everything in my life drastically changes!

Total weight gain: I don't weigh myself between appointments, but at my last appointment I was up just over 17 pounds. But the way I've been eating I'd guess I'm close to 20.

Maternity clothes: All day, every day... except when I'm wearing the hub's shirts :) or a few select t-shirts that are still long enough

Sleep: Still going really well! The only times I wake up is when I roll over, need water or need to go to the bathroom. The baby doesn't keep me awake at all!

Miss anything: Wine. Not all the time, but just after a long day with 150 high school kids

Movement: Oh yes, he's gotten into quite a routine. He normally wakes up around 8:00 and stays busy for a while, then I feel him again soon after lunch, and again about 3:00. Then he's busy almost all evening and gets really active only one time throughout the night. Sounds like a perfect baby to me!

Food cravings: Wings N More in College Station sounded SO good this week! Too bad it's 3.5 hours away or else I would have gotten some after work. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Not even the soft serve from Jason's Deli! Score!

Have you started to show yet: Ugh. Why is this still on here?

Gender: A boy!

Wedding rings on or off: Still on! Yay!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy or crying. My hormones have seriously gotten worse this week.

What else happened this week: Some of my best friends threw me a lovely baby shower! I felt so blessed! And guess what? We didn't receive one package of diapers or wipes! It was all STUFF we registered for! I was so excited! I know diapers and wipes are necessary, but I don't mind paying for necessities. I feel guilty paying for accessories, no matter how convenient they are.

Super cute, gluten free cake! 

 I got to eat the baby :)

So many awesome gifts!

Our families also came into town for the shower, so I was able to show them around the stadium I work at on Friday nights in the fall! 

Looking forward to: Finishing the baby's nursery (mainly organizing) so we can put away all our new gifts!

Exercise: Walking has been a bit slow this week. I forgot that the second week of school is nearly as exhausting as the first week of school. All I wanted to do was take a shower and watch Breaking Bad when I got home. Although I was really productive in writing a classroom guide for my long-term sub during maternity leave, so that was nice. But at this point, the baby and I have exercised 514.2 miles :)

Baby G: 33 Week Update

How far along: 33 weeks... I seriously cannot even believe how fast this has gone.

Total weight gain: I'm up 17.2 pounds. I'm pretty happy with that number.

Maternity clothes: Now that I'm back to school I have to wear professional maternity clothes. Not just yoga pants and tank tops :( Although those definitely make an appearance when I get home!

Sleep: With school starting I've been sleeping like a rock. I hardly roll over. Oh, and I've adopted a two-point rollover. I go from my left side to my back. Rest for a second. Then from my back to my right side. And vice versa when rolling from my right to my left. This keeps my lower stomach from cramping, which is awesome.

Miss anything: Wine. For real. After the first day of school I wanted a glass of wine so badly. Of all the times to not be able to drink...

Movement: He's super active! And strong! I love it! Actually, on the first day of school during first period, within the first 5 minutes of class, the baby kicked SO hard! I grabbed my stomach and bent over because it was so sudden! Then I had to apologize to 21 freshmen and explain that I'm pregnant, not just crazy :) And actually, just before writing this I'm pretty sure he tried to crack my ribs. I've never felt anything like it. It felt like a quick stab! Crazy :)

Food cravings: Other than alcohol? Nothing in particular.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still not. This pregnancy has seriously been so easy!

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes, although it looks like I'm hiding a basketball under my shirt :)

Gender: A boy!

Wedding rings on or off: Still on! Yay!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy for the most part, but I'm also really teary sometimes. I struggled over the weekend because it was my last vacation of summer. On Saturday night I was really tired but I didn't want to go to sleep because I knew that meant school was coming even faster. So I tried to push off sleep but I got to the point where I was so tired I just cried. I felt a little silly crying "I'm just tired!" to my husband :) 

What else happened this week: The hubs surprised me with a little weekend staycation at a lovely hotel next to a lake! We had a blast relaxing by the pool all day {insert me craving a margarita or daiquiri}! 

It was a great early birthday present / babymoon part-2 / last weekend of summer trip. This was the night that I didn't want to go to sleep because I didn't want it to be over, and I didn't want school to come any faster.

While we were at the hotel we got our maternity pictures back! They look SOO good!! I'm so in love with them!

We also had our monthly appointment and growth scan to measure how big the baby has gotten. He was measuring at 34 weeks 4 days {a week early} and weighs approximately 5.5 pounds :) He's gone down from the 89th percentile in size to the 79th percentile. My doctor estimates that he'll weigh 7.5 to 8 pounds when he's born :) I wish that I could eat more and have the weight go to him {rather than me} because I LOVE chunky babies! I was hoping for a 8.5 to 9 pounder, but we'll see :)

Oh yeah, and school started.

Looking forward to: My baby shower this upcoming weekend! Our families are coming into town and my best friends have worked so hard to throw a lovely shower! I'm so excited!

Exercise: I'm starting to miss running more and more. When I attempt to jog my hamstrings feel really tight. Then I remember I'm carrying around 17 pounds more than normal, so running will be even more difficult. I enjoy going on walks, I just wish it didn't take so long to get in as many miles. So far the baby and I have exercised XX miles together!

Baby G: 32 Week Update

How far along: 32 weeks! 

Total weight gain: My last appointment was 15 pounds but I know the baby has hit a growth spurt since then, so I'm not sure!

Maternity clothes: I actually think {most of} my regular t-shirts still look cute, but I definitely rock maternity pants.

Sleep: Because my lower stomach keeps cramping when I roll over, I decided to sleep with a pillow between my legs and under my belly. That lasted all of three nights. Then the pillow was on my nerves. Other than that though I'm still sleeping pretty well. I've also noticed that the baby is more active when I'm more active, so as I'm falling asleep at night he starts to calm down too, which is pretty cool :)

Miss anything: Nothing, really.

Movement: Very active, which I LOVE! I know I'll miss this when I'm no longer pregnant. I really love holding my hands on my stomach and just feeling him move. It's the best feeling!

Food cravings: Nothing particularly sounded good or bad, which is positive.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. I even ate some soft serve from Jason's Deli and didn't have a problem! Yay!

Have you started to show yet: My maternity pictures would suck if the answer was no.

Gender: A boy!

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy or tired :)

What else happened this week: We took maternity pictures and I'm SO excited to see how they came out! We also took a prepared childbirth class which walked us through all the stages of labor, what happens immediately afterwards, what happens if we have a c-section, all kinds of stuff. It was really interesting and helpful.

Looking forward to: Seeing our maternity pictures and having a growth scan sonogram at my appointment next week. 

Exercise: I'm only walking at this point, but I still love staying active! It helps my energy level, although my back tends to hurt a bit more after exercising. Here's my point of view while walking, which I find adorable :)

And this is the hubs' point of view, which I also find pretty cute:

So at this point, the baby and I have been 503 miles :)