Nesting

Ahhh the wonderful burst of organizational, motivated, let's get-er-done right now that comes with the end of pregnancy! Honestly, I don't remember ever having 'that' with Judah (probably because my dear Ethan was still a BABY! They're a mere 18 months apart..)

But this time around? Watch out. I'm on a roll! The other day while sitting outside watching the kids decorate our driveway (side note: our new fave outdoor activity? Each boy has a box of chalk and mama lounges in a chair and watches the masterpieces unroll!) -- anywho, I was sitting outside and had this urge to write down EVERYTHING that needed to be done *ideally* before baby comes....

...yeah that was a BIG list. I then took my crazy long list and organized it into categories of
*TO DO
*TO BUY
*TO GET FROM ATTIC --which is a 'Joe' list...I'm not climbing up there!

I fit it all on one sheet of paper (with 3 columns - hooray for dorky-ness!) and am now planning how to work through it all.

This morning I awoke with some strange, strong, desire to conquer a part of that list! So I did. Booya. I'm calling it nesting.

8am this morning I plopped myself in the boys room with my cup of decaf coffee, my phone, turned on classical radio and got to work!

My goal today: Go through ALL the big boys (Ethan and Judah) clothes and pack away stuff that doesn't fit, pull out the upcoming/current sizes and clean off the top of their dresser (which was piled HIGH with jammies and other random clothes!) FOUR (yes...4!) hours later I emerged victorious! Those kids had a lot of stuff crammed in that dresser/closet!

I think some of my nesting energy must've rubbed off on Joe because he came in and helped with some of the BIG moving (which obviously I can't do!) - we had the boys' bunk beds staggered to we could sit in the bottom and we (aka: JOE) re-arranged them so they are right on-top of each other now (think classic bunks). This way we made room for the crib! wahoo!

Our home is a 2 bedroom so we have to be creative with beds and toys storage; hence the changing of the bunk configuration and we are going to invest in a mini-crib...I found out about mini cribs a few months ago and LOVE LOVE the idea! Babies never take up all of their crib anyways so why do you need a full-sized one? Plus, we make small babies and our older 2 were out of the crib by 1.5 and 2 yr old.

All this jibber-jabber to say that my nesting is in full-swing and hopefully we'll have the 'boys' room set up and ready to roll soon! I didn't take any 'before' pictures today partially because I was lazy and partially because I was embarrassed of how messy their dresser/closet was! I WILL take pictures of the finished product though:) We're planning on throwing some blue paint on the walls as well to make it a 'boys' room (they have lovely white walls now).

Ahhhh nesting. Please stick around...I only crossed a few things off my massive list!

34 weeks!

How Far Along: 34 weeks! Didn't I just do my 33 week post? Like I always say....time is flying!

Size of baby: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. (thanks, BabyCenter.com!)

Milestones: His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. (Thanks again, BabyCenter.com!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I would guess 20...I don't have a scale but I know I'm getting bigger!

Maternity Clothes: Yep:) Maternity for anything other than lounge/workout clothes. I wore a non-maternity top today (shown in the pic above) and it was fine in the morning but by the evening it was riding up and my belly was making an appearance:) *Hence my hands under my belly hiding the skin!*

Gender: BOY:)

Movement: Yep! He gets REALLY crazy right around the time I'm exhausted and want to go to sleep...gee thanks bud:) It's kinda hard to get comfortable and sleep when you have an active baby in you.

Sleep: Piggy-backing off the 'movement' thing - I love to sleep but my babe likes to play when it's bedtime:) It takes a while to fall asleep and I'm up once (sometimes twice) a night to visit the potty. Thankfully I am still able to take naps almost daily - there are a few days a week were my schedule won't allow it.

What I miss: Lately I've been missing sleeping on my back - it's hard to find a comfortable position on my side but I freak out about laying on my back...it's only temporary though! Soon enough I'll be laying on my back with my cute baby next to me!

Cravings: I've been eating a lot of grapes and clementines lately and guzzling water...currently chocolate chip cookies sound good to me!

Symptoms: big ole belly, swollen fingers, my little waddle, starting to get some sharp pain around my tail-bone, lots of braxton hicks. The end is in sight - no time for complaining:)

Best Moment This Week: I've been able to work out 3-times/week though my whole pregnancy (dance-cardio-class) and last Friday our normal instructor was out of town and her sub didn't show up.....so yours truly taught the class! (background: I've been in 'training' to teach for a while now so I know all the choreography) I gave myself a pat on the back for teaching an hour class (obviously showing the lower impact option) at 33.5 weeks! p.s. it was a blast:)

What I'm Looking Forward To: Two things...
#1: my birthday is next Tuesday! I don't have anything extraordinary planned yet but I always enjoy my 'special' day and I wanted to make it past my birthday with this babe and all is looking well for that!
#2: my appointment in 2 weeks (36 weeks) and to see how things are 'progressing', I've been having lots of braxton hicks and hoping they're all doing something!

33 weeks!

Me with my 3 boys! I figure I should have some pictures of my prego belly with my adorable kids - glad I did:) Aren't their little bellies so cute?? yes they are.

Onto my weekly updates:
*like our new walls? I do!*
How Far Along: 33 weeks! It's flying by!

Size of baby: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (like a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. (thanks, BabyCenter.com!)

Milestones: He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. (Thanks again, BabyCenter.com!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 19 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Yep:) Maternity for anything other than lounge/workout clothes.

Gender: BOY:)

Movement: All the time! He lets me know he's in there:)

Sleep: Once I find a comfortable position (key word: once) then I'm good to go! It does take me a while to get comfortable...

What I miss: I recently started getting (I think it's called) acid reflux - I remember having it with Judah near the end...not so fun revisiting what I recently ate...ick. It's worse when I'm laying flat - which makes falling asleep a little more difficult too! Enough with this complaining. I am so excited to meet this little man! All the discomfort is SO worth it:)

Cravings: I just ate a HUGE bowl of grapes and then followed it with a HUGE bowl of watermelon. All within 20 minutes. I guess I'm craving fresh fruit!

Symptoms: Typical 3rd trimester symptoms: big belly, tired, swollen fingers, hard to move, etc...

Best Moment This Week: Ethan's been asking when the baby's coming and I respond with "September" - I then explain that September is the month after August that we're in....that makes me so excited! I think the boys (Ethan especially) are getting anxious to meet their baby brother.

What I'm Looking Forward To: I don't want to say the end quite yet..I enjoy being pregnant and never want to take it for granted! I am looking forward to enjoying my mid-30's weeks before the end:) Bring it!

Little Dreamer

Ethan has been talking a lot about his dreams lately. He loves to tell me all about them when he wakes up and the other day I had this ingenious idea to write it down! *don't ask why it took this long for me to think that up....prego brain? Still a valid reason:)*

Here's Ethan's dream from the other day word-for-word as he told me (I had to write SO fast to keep up with him! That boy has his mama's fast talkin' skills!)

Ethan's Dream:
I was a superhero - batman of course. There was three bad guys in it, they turned me into a cow! The police came with snowballs connected to their back and one snowball was coming about to crash but I got up! The girls were in something circle like. It was a half circle. There were two girls in the circle thing and there was an inside line. And there was a pig police and there was a girl police. I went flying up in the air to grab something that was a claw and the police told me they had food in their car...the police car was white. There was dirt on the ground. There was a control on the half circle and a computer on the half circle with just buttons. That's the end of my dream.
Now imagine that being told to you at 7am from a very animated/fast talking 4 year old! whew. I'm tired re-living it:) Sure the dream isn't told in a coherent story-format but I think it's pretty-stinkin' cute - what a great imagination (or dream life). It's a fun (albeit tiring) way to start the day to hear about all his dreams!

8 months!

How Far Along: 32 weeks - 8 months!

Size of baby: By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. (thanks, BabyCenter.com!)

Milestones: He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. (Thanks again, BabyCenter.com!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 18 pounds- I had my appointment yesterday so I actually know my weight:)

Maternity Clothes: Yep:) Maternity tops for sure; maternity bottoms when I 'go out' and regular sweats and cotton shorts for lounging (or really anything besides Church and tutoring!)

Gender: BOY:)

Movement: He's my little mover!

Sleep: I get really tired at night but it takes forever to fall asleep! I think it's hard to find a comfortable position in our bed. I'm still napping pretty much everyday on the couch (which somehow I fall asleep right away!)

What I miss: Joe, Jordan, Ty, Christie and Luke did the Warrior Dash this past weekend and I admit I missed not being able to run in it too...but a BABY is SO worth it! I'll be in it next year - watch out!

Cravings: I've been drinking a lot of Gatorade and water - trying to stay hydrated in this wonderful summer heat! Chewy cookies have been a yummy treat too:)

Symptoms: My growing belly:) My fingers are starting to swell just a little..it's getting harder and harder to remove my ring at night. I'm sooo hoping I can wear it all the way to the end though!

Best Moment This Week: I had my 32 week appointment yesterday and I brought the kids with me - side note: they did AWESOME! - it was really neat to see their reactions to hearing the heartbeat:)

What I'm Looking Forward To: We recently picked up some paint to spruce up the house a little before the baby comes - I'm totally looking forward to that! I remember spending LOTS of time in the living room late into the evening with new babies and am excited to spend it in a 'pretty' living room:)

sleeping boy

I love peeking in on my kids when they sleep:) I always go in their room every night before I go to bed and just stare at them and smile....so precious.

For the past few months I've been having to wake Judah up from his nap so he doesn't sleep too late (and then have a hard time going to bed at night). Most days I go in...rub his back...start talking to him about the rest of the day...etc... Well, today I went in and just stood and stared at my not-so-baby boy snoozing away and was in awe of how OLD he looked!

His head on his little pillow....
Laying on his side with his legs crossed...WAY TOO CUTE! He was out cold - the room was dark so my camera flash was super BRIGHT - he didn't move an inch. I could stand and watch him sleep for hours:) After about 5 minutes of staring and taking pictures I did wake him up though...

31 weeks!

**I realized that I'm wearing the same top (from working out) in my last weekly shot! opps. Can you tell I don't change my clothes after I work out on Wednesdays? I don't see why because it's so HOT I keep on sweating!**

How Far Along: 31 week! into the single digits countdown...wow!

Size of baby: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. (thanks, BabyCenter.com!)

Milestones: He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. **yes he is!* (Thanks again, BabyCenter.com!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 17ish pounds

Maternity Clothes: Yep:) I've been getting by with non-mat workout shorts and just recently bought the next size up...Girls XL:) It's the way to be frugal I tell ya! They fit the same as womens size S!

Gender: BOY:)

Movement: ALL THE TIME. literally. I notice when he's NOT moving more than when he is moving:) I love it!

Sleep: I want it a lot. I have a hard time falling asleep at night and going more than a few hours without a trip to the bathroom...bummer. I'm back to my daily naps (I had like 3-4 weeks of not daily naps...I wish that had lasted longer!)

What I miss: With this HEAT WAVE we're having I guess I miss being able to sit outside for long periods of time and enjoy the heat; now I sit outside for long periods of time and I get braxton hicks! Ah well:) Thank goodness for kiddie pools and AC!

Cravings: Watermelon sounds delicious right now!

Symptoms: My growing belly:) Really tired. Hard to get up and down off the floor:)

Best Moment This Week: Realizing I'm into the single digit countdown! 9 weeks or less...wow! Both my boys came early so we'll see.....

What I'm Looking Forward To: I have my 32 week appointment next week - I'm looking forward to seeing how things are going! Appointments are always fun:)