30 Weeks

How Far Along:
30 Weeks Along (02/20/2014). Happy Birthday to Me!

Cravings:
Smoothies. I LOVE smoothies all of a sudden. Which is strange considering it is freezing outside! 

How Am I Feeling:
The heartburn is under control, but the itching is not! What's that about anyways? I remember having the same problem with Anniston. Like my legs - especially my calves - cannot get attacked enough. I literally look forward to the daily loofah scrub in my shower and body butter - lots and lots of body butter.  

Belly Button: 
Well, my belly button popped out! It is very strange to me. And weird to see it when I put on tighter fitting shirts! Once again, not quite sure why belly buttons are so fascinating to me during pregnancy. But they are. 
Sleep:
Great! I have been sleeping fairly well this pregnancy! Still waking up for frequent bathroom breaks,  but I have gotten a lot better about just going the second I wake up, rather than lying there contemplating how badly I REALLY need to go. Waiting six more minutes and then actually going.

Miss Anything: 
  My Baileys and Hot Chocolate. I am craving one - or two - or three - of those too. Very badly. But next winter they will be there waiting for me! 

Movement:
Boy does this baby move! And it's not just a kick here and there. It's my entire stomach doing the wave for me. ALL the time. It's very surreal and strange feeling. Yet, I don't ever want it to stop! That was the thing I missed the most once I had Anniston. It's a feeling you can only get from pregnancy. Or going down a really steep roller coaster. 

Most Exciting Moment This Week:
It was my birthday on Thursday! It was an amazing day! I woke up to yummy blueberry pancakes, an Aveda gift card, a massage appointment, an early dismissal from schooland snuggle time with Anniston and Nickolas all afternoon! It was a perfect day and to top it off, school was cancelled on  Friday too! So I am soaking up my EXTRA long weekend! Happy Birthday to Me!

Looking Forward To:  
It is Angela's baby d-day week!! So literally ANY day this next week she could have this baby! The anticipation is killing me! I cannot wait to see the baby, hold the baby, hear it's name and it's little cry! Babies are just the sweetest :) Our bags are packed for SF and we are ready to go anytime!
About Baby R:
It's about 16 inches long and weighs right over 3 pounds! It's getting so big! It's brain developing at a rapid pace now and starting to form grooves and wrinkles. It can even regulate it's own body temperature now.  Because of this, the baby is starting to shed some of it's lanugo this week - which is the downy body hair that covers a lot of infants. Anniston still had some on her shoulder and ears when she was born, so it'll be interesting to see how much hair baby #2 has!

Here is me at 30 weeks with Anniston! 

28 Weeks

How Far Along:
28 Weeks Along (02/07/2014). Welcome to the 3rd Trimester! 

Cravings:
Fruit. Lots and lots of fruit! Anniston is craving them too! We snack down on clementines, strawberries, smooties and bananas like a boss lately! 

How Am I Feeling:
My back is starting to ache and now I am having my rib pain return. I actually forgot all about this process, but the memory of it comes back quickly! Dr. Taylor just says its because I am so short that my ribs have to really expand to make room for baby. Lucky me...

Belly Button: 
Anniston has really become amused by my "button" lately. Well, for that matter, so has Nickolas. They constantly rub it and "tickle, tickle" it. And strangely enough, it is actually starting to pop out a little bit! It never did that with Anniston, so maybe it's an indicator that it's a boy?!
Sleep:
Besides the frequent bathroom breaks, I have been sleeping pretty soundly. I definitely have been looking forward to the weekends though! I have been taking naps when Anniston takes her naps - I even got Nick to jump on board with me! It just feels so nice to have that break in the day and we both pass out immediately! 

Miss Anything: 
  Having my back cracked. It needs it badly, but I am thinking I might hit up the chiropractor soon! I didn't do that with Anniston, but I figured it might help a bit?

Movement:
Hiccups are back! These are forgotten fun things too! I completely forgot that babies get hiccups inside of you! So when it first happened, I was kind of taken aback, but now it fun feeling baby move so much! I have tried to get Anniston to keep her hand on my tummy long enough to feel the baby,  but she's way too busy for that! 

Most Exciting Moment This Week:
 I have finally started sewing Anniston's bedding and baby's bedding! I am so jazzed about the fabric already! I think if I could just sew all day, every day, I would be happy. Then again, my back would really be out of whack and then I would complain more! 

Looking Forward To:  
It's my sister's baby month! So literally ANY day this month she could go into labor! Crazy to think that it is that time already!! I am so anxious to see what she is having, what she is naming it and what it will look like! Babies are WAY too much fun!
About Baby R:
It's about 14 inches long and weighs right over 2 pounds. It's eyes can open and close and it even has eyelashes now! How crazy is that?! Hopefully they are just as long and plush as Anniston's!

Here is me at 28 Weeks with Anniston. 
I still cannot believe I did that to my stomach or to poor Lilyan. That will NOT happen again. EVER.

Anniston is 19 Months Old!

You are 19 Months Old Today!

While Anniston was 18 Months She:

Was really into nursery rhymes and loved saying parts of them! She sings them to my tummy all the time!

Went potty consistently - at home and at daycare! She still wears diapers because mom isn't ready to fully train her yet!

Loves coloring and putting stickers on everything! 

Is wearing 18 month clothes, size 5 shoes 

Loves singing and dancing to music. 

Got car sick on our trip back from Neenah, WI. 

She wore her fairy wings around the house a lot and would fly!

Had tea parties in her castle and in her bathtub. She always tells us if the tea is "too hot" to drink or 
"it okay mommy, it not too hot now."

Had a scab on her forehead the majority of the month. She does NOT stop picking it! 

Has a new favorite phrase. Instead of no, she says 
"never ever, never ever."

She weighs 22.1 pounds (23%) and is 31.5 inches long (35%). 

26 Weeks

How Far Along:
26 Weeks Along (01/24/2014)

Cravings:
Well due to Nick's sudden love for baking, I am loving his amazing banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. Good for warming my heart, not good for my growing body. 

How Am I Feeling:
Itchy. I remember this happening last time in the winter, but I just forgot how annoying it is! I literally lather myself in lotion and still feel dry and itchy! Other than that, the heartburn has gotten a little better with the Zantac, so I am very grateful for that!

Belly Button: 
Completely flat now! I don't know why I find my changing belly button so amusing. It's the little things. 
Sleep:
Really good actually. The body pillow still hasn't came out yet, and I have been sleeping pretty soundly. I wish I could say the same for Anniston. Last week was pretty rough for some reason, but she seems back to herself this week!  

Miss Anything: 
  Warm weather! We have had ri-dic-u-lously cold weather here lately. I am just over bundling Anniston and myself up and hiding under a blanket all the time. Spring can come please!

Movement:
These past few weeks Nickolas has gotten to see and feel quite a few large kicks, bumps and punches! It is so fun to watch his reaction. Anniston still doesn't quite understand what is happening to my tummy yet. But she definitely gives it daily rubs! 

Most Exciting Moment This Week:
My cousin Amanda had her first baby on Thursday, January 23rd! She named him Zachary William and he looks perfect! They live far away, so for now, we will just see him in photos! Last weekend, my parents came up and we set up our new baby furniture and we moved Anniston's stuff downstairs. For now she will just use the new stuff, until I am ready for the big move! I love the new furniture and can't wait to start decorating!

Looking Forward To:  
Decorating the new nursery! It's so fun to plan! We just can't seem to decide on a paint color/fabric swatch/etc. So once I pick my fabric, I think I will feel much better! 
About Baby R:
It's about 10 inches long and weighs about 1.7 pounds. It's eyes can open now so if I shine a bright light near my tummy the baby might move a lot more!

Here is me 27 Weeks pregnant with Anniston. 

24 Weeks

How Far Along:
24 Weeks Along (01/10/2014)

Cravings:
I love applesauce and yogart at the moment! My throat has been really dry lately and that always feels so good and it doesn't hurt that it tastes so good too!

How Am I Feeling:
Great! I am definitely feeling like I am growing. My belly is feeling heavier and my back is starting to ache a bit, but I know it only gets worse from here, so I better not complain now! I guess when I word it all like that, it doesn't sound too great! 

Belly Button: 
Almost flat now! I can't believe how quickly it's all changing! Mine never actually "popped out" with Anniston. It was just incredibly flat the second half of my pregnancy. 
Sleep:
Other than bathroom breaks 3x a night, I am doing good sleeping still! I will admit I found myself hugging more pillows than usual this morning. So I might be breaking out the body pillow soon. 

Miss Anything: 
Working out. Once again. I just need to find the time/energy/motivation to do it. After the holidays and the cold, I am just eager to do something motivating! 

Movement:
Holy Yes! This child moves insanely a lot. Maybe Anniston moved this much and I just totally forgot. Or maybe I have a very busy baby that is about to bless my life. Hmm...Either way, I am well aware that there is a little one growing inside of me now! 

Most Exciting Moment This Week:
Angela's shower was a huge success! She was so happy with everything! The food was delicious, it was fun to see all our family again and exciting to look at all the new baby stuff! We also have the Hoover Holidazzle tonight (my work party). And I helped plan again this year so I am anxious to see that all come together!
Even More Exciting Moment This Week: 
Anniston went potty in her potty! Twice in a row now! Are you clapping for her too? I just can't believe it! And she just sat and did it right away. No waiting, no prompting. She is ruling and I wasn't even planning on really training her yet...so not sure where this is going, but I never imagined I would get so excited about potty!! 

Looking Forward To:  
We have another very busy month - shocking, I know! But the Holidazzle, our friend Carl & Jackie's wedding in Iowa, setting up the new baby furniture with my parents and a trip to Neenah to see Scott & Gracie Jae! No wonder it feels like this pregnancy is flying by! 
About Baby R:
It's about 8.5 inches long and weighs about 1.5 pounds. It can hear loud sounds now so I use my belly buds to play songs in my tummy frequently at night. The baby's face is almost fully formed already and it has eyelashes, eyebrows and hair! But fun fact: their hair is just white for now because it hasn't formed any pigment yet! 

Time to Compare:

Pregnant with Anniston at 25 Weeks

Anniston is 18 Months Old!

You are 18 Months Old Today!

While Anniston was 17 Months She:

Had her 2nd Christmas and we celebrated it 3 times! 

She learned to say Santa and Snowman very well and she got a Fisher Price Digital Camera from him! She plays with it frequently and yells out, cheese! 

She got croup and needed to get a steroid shot. It broke our hearts hearing her cough, but the shot and humidifier helped tremendously!

Got a sled for Christmas and we went sledding in the backyard!

She started saying potty, sitting on the toilet and flushing on her own! No, no. She hasn't gone in the potty yet, just practicing because she thinks it's fun! But she's showing a lot of signs that she is ready!

We made a jumbo snowman and had so much fun doing it!

She wears a size 5 in shoes, 4 in diapers and we are transitioning into 18 month clothes! She's getting so big so quickly! 

She got her top 2 canine teeth in! Her right one is almost completely done and her left one is tiny, but their growing! Thats a total of 14 teeth! 

She can count to five! It is the most adorable thing I think I've ever heard!

She talks. A lot. And repeats. A lot. 
It is so impressive and so cute! 

She got a big castle and a life size Elmo for Christmas. She loves bringing Elmo and her babies into her castle to read! 

Say Cheese!

Sledding and Snowball Fun!

Jumbo Snowman!

22 Weeks

How Far Along:
22 Weeks Along (12/27/2013)

Cravings:
I am into making casseroles and soups at the moment. We've been busy with a lot of family and friends, so large batches of things seem to work best! 

How Am I Feeling:
Busy is an understatement! We are hosting my sister's baby shower next weekend and as I write this, I can think of 73 other things I should be doing! But I am so excited for it! It's going to be adorable! 

Sleep:
I have been a champ lately and staying up quite late! I think it's excitement from the holiday madness and party planning! And I will note again that I still haven't whipped out my body pillow yet, so that is progress! And it also keeps my Nickolas very happy! 

Miss Anything: 
Aerobics classes and mulled wine. Not together. But I really enjoyed doing aerobics last winter and having mulled wine...so they have both been on my mind. Frequently. 

Movement:
Yes. And there's A LOT of it! Nick can feel it frequently now! It's pretty exciting and surreal to know we are to that point already! I feel like I've been so busy this pregnancy that I haven't had time to really realize that This. Is. Happening. Don't worry, the active baby inside of me is now reminding me!

Most Exciting Moment This Week:
It was Christmas!! I can't believe it is  here and gone already! But it was amazing. It snowed the perfect amount, we got ridiculously spoiled and the fun is still going! We got to catch up with friends and see a lot of family too! Now that Rachel is gone, Nick's dad Rick is here to see baby Tobin and spend time with family (25th-1st)! So it has been a ridiculously fast month with lots of family time. We are feeling very blessed! 
Worst Moment This Week: 
The heartburn monster has returned. He is still a beast to put up with and I am popping in Tums like you wouldn't believe. I know last time I found that 

Looking Forward To:  
New years and Angela's Baby Shower! I just keep looking forward to my weekends and so many exciting things are coming up! Bring on the chaos! 
About Baby R: 
The baby is now about 11 inches long and almost 1 pound! I don't know where all that other weight is coming from! But this week, they are really starting to resemble a newborn! The baby's eyes have formed now, but the irises still lack any pigment. 

Time to Compare: 23 Weeks with Anniston

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from Our Family to Yours!

20 Weeks

How Far Along:
20 Weeks Along (12/13/2013)

Cravings:
Holiday sweets are getting the best of me right now! I am loving anything and everything mint!

How Am I Feeling:
Overwhelmed and Excited! I feel like I have a lot to get done and this month is just flying by! I will say I feel ahead on my holiday shopping though! Amazon.com is the Bomb!

Sleep:
Back to normal! We got a new mattress since our last pregnancy and it makes a WORLD of difference! We went from a full to a king and a extra firm to a Temperpedic! No body pillow needed yet! 

Miss Anything: 
Buying regular clothes. There are SOOO many cute winter sweaters and skinny pants right now! I just wish they made it all in maternity too!

Movement:
 I definitely am feeling something now! Nick doesn't feel the baby yet, but I am guessing it will be any time soon! 

Most Exciting Moment This Week:
This week was full of excitement! Baby Tobin was born on Thursday, December 12th! He is so perfect, small and sweet! We cannot wait to spend more time with him this weekend! 
Extra Most Exciting Moment This Week:
We also got to see the baby this week in our 20 week ultrasound! It was VERY VERY active and busy! We actually had to have another tech come in to try to get the images. She told us even if we wanted to find out what we were having, we wouldn't have been able to because it was so busy! We didn't get any 4D images this time though. I was kinda bummed, but it's okay at the same time. The last ones kinda freaked me out a bit. 

Looking Forward To:  
Spending time with family! I am excited to FINALLY announce that Nick's sister Rachel is here from Washington! We had to keep it a secret to surprise Jennifer, but now that she's here we are so very excited! 
We also have Nick's stepdad Scott and Gracie coming up tonight for Christmas this weekend! 
Then we have Christmas in SD on the 24th & 25th and finally Nick's dad is flying in from WA on the 25th-1st! Busy times, but love seeing all the family! 

Sorry for the Lack of Bump Photos! Pregnancy brain took over, but at least you can look at Baby R!!

Check Out my 21 Week update with Anniston

Cutting Down the Tree

Well despite the RIDICULOUSLY cold weather (-10) we braved the cold and stuck to our family tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree! We got to the Tree Farm at 4:30, it was closing at 5:00, and the lady told us congratulations because we were their first and only customers all day! Anniston was a champ the entire time! I swear she likes the feeling of being cold! And huge props to Nickolas for sticking his body into that tree to cut it down - don't worry, we clapped for him!

But, it had to get done because all our weekends are completely booked! I am so happy we did it and am absolutely in love with our tree! It is massive - we weren't really planning on that - but luckily we have a vaulted ceiling, a ladder and a LOT of ornaments to fill it with! Cheers to holiday decorating, music and hot chocolate!