My Baby Collection!

I LOVE DEALS!

This sling is originally $39.95 at www.sevenslings.com BUT I had a 100% off promo code which left me paying roughly $12 for shipping and that's it!

This carseat canopy is originally $49.95 at www.carseatcanopy.com BUT I had a 100% off promo code which left me paying roughly $12 for shipping and that's it!

This udder cover is originally $34.95 at www.uddercovers.com BUT I had a 100% off promo code which left me paying roughly $12 for shipping and that's it!
















I purchased this crib from a friend...used for two of her boys and only a couple of years old!  Said the crib was close to $500 when she got it, now it's retalied at $350.  I paid $100 for it.  It has some blemishes that we can easily fix up with sand paper and paint.  The nice thing about this crib is that it changes into a toddler bed too!  Now, I'm on the lookout for a mattress and some bumper covers!










I purchased this changing table from a lady on craigs list for $35.  She lives in the Grand Rapid's area, and said she would hold it for me until I'll be in the area next to pick it up. She said all it could really use is another coat of white paint to freshen it up, there are no scratches, and it's sturdy and doesn't take up much space.  I really like the look of a changing table on top of a dresser...but hauling another dresser into our home would be too much clutter.  We are fortunate to have many dressers already.  Plus any dresser would cost significantly more $ compared to this steal I got!  Plus the crib is white, it will fit nicely as a "set"

13 WEEKS (final week of First Trimester!)

Hi world!  I'm just hangin out in here...

Baby is 6cm right now! A little bigger than my hair tie!

Yay! March 26th came FINALLY! I've been waiting as patiently as I could for this ultrasound!  It looks like my estimated due date of October 1 is tracking with what the doctor says. She reminded me that it is still an estimtaed date, and it could change as my pregnancy progresses.  The baby is healthy at 13 weeks on the 26th and is measuring 6cm which is 2in and 1cm.  The baby's heartbeat is 153bpm, which is concidered normal and strong.  What a little CUTIE!  The ultrasound tech was talking to me and doing her thing measuring, she'd occasionally tell me what she was doing, measuring my uterus, showed me my ovaries, etc. She said she was going to take measurements before the fun part (seeing the baby) So, I thought she'd warn me for the surprise, but she didn't.  I had my eye on the screen the whole time, and all of a sudden my baby popped up on the screen...INSTANT overwhelming feeling and tears in my eyes.  It really was the MOST amazing feeling ever.  I had butterflies and just wanted to jump out of my skin.  The ultrasound was a 3-D ultrasound which allowed the tech to see a better image at times too!  This picture is so sweet, but doesn't do justice compared to what I saw live.  If I could re-live that moment I so would! I think Will talks more at our appointments than I do.  lol  He definately is the talker in the relationship...he talks to complete strangers like they've been friends for 10 years.  He was surprised with the image of the ultrasound and said "it's not a dinasour anymore!"  haha.   Baby had (her) legs crossed and was moving around quite a bit.  Will can't wait to find the sex out.  He said he has some things in the works to make for the baby.......awwwwww!  But what it is depends on if it's a girl or boy.  I love it that he is SO in to this pregnancy as a male, it makes things that much more exciting for me!  The morning of the appointment I left the house not being able to button my pants...but it was the only pair of work pants I had that morning!  They fit completely the last time I wore them, which was only a couple of days ago (I only have 2 pairs of black pants right now, which lots of laundry lately).  Thank goodness for hair ties! They hold your pants together during pregnancy, and they describe how big the baby is!  Next week...I start the SECOND TRIMESTER!  Time flies! 

Time for some new work pants...or a belly band!!

 

 

Coming Soon! <3

Well, we spilled the beans with Will's Dad, older sister, brother-in-law, and his younger sister's (who passed July 2012) fiance this weekend!  Gosh did I feel anxious...so anxious I probably could have spoiled the surprise with my big nervous smile before they even got to see the wall.  They all came over thinking it would be a post-birthday gathering for Will, his dad and his sister, which it was...we had white chicken chili and salad for lunch and some homemade cheesecake topped with blueberries (Will told me that his dad's favorite desert was blueberry cheesecake).  It was my first time making it and it turned out OK, I thought it would have been a little richer, but practice makes perfect, right?!
So, we're still in the process of painting the baby's room...and we wanted to show the family progress on our "house projects" which at the moment is the wood floor Will is installing upstairs, new carpet in two rooms, and painting. Well, we decided to keep a wall blank and write our exciting news on it. I walked into the room first then Will, turned around and watched Will's dad walk in. He walked in close to the wall that our message was on.  He was so close he had to back up to get the bigger picture. He said "coming soon" as he processed it...while the others were walking into the room. He looked at the heart and the ultrasound and looked at me and walked toward me right away and gave me a big "Papa Bear" hug.  As this was happening, Will's sister, Tesia, had just seen the wall...and she softly said "oh my gosh" and looked at me and started to tear up.  She gave me a big hug too. Then I got a hug from Ricky and Dave.  I can't even remember if Will got any hugs (I'm sure he did...lol) it was such a bittersweet moment.  And I was sweating bullets I was so nervous...nervous excited that is, not nervous worried. :)  THEN, Papa Bear says (BTW Will and his dad call each other Papa bear and Baby Bear) I just want want it to be a BOY.  Haha...the other guys agreed and said "for your own sake."  Tesia kept quiet...Her and Mollie always said I'd be the one to have the girls. We'll just have to wait and see!!  Only 8ish more weeks until we can find out if the baby's gender!  Next weekend (Easter weekend)we're telling my family!

Kal-haven Relay

Woah baby bump!

The annual Kal-Haven Relay was the morning of March 23rd. This was the 6th time I've participated in this event. It's a 33.1 mile relay run on the Kal-Haven trail which begins in Kalamazoo and ends in South Haven.  NO, I didn't run the whole thing by my self!  Haha.  I think a marathon (26.2) is the longest distance I'll ever accomplish in one setting.  Quite a few runners run this solo, however. There are also two - six person teams.  This year we had a three person team which consisted of one of our friends who ran just over 23 miles, then me who ran 5, and Will who also ran 5 miles.  Instead of pinning our numbers to our shirts, we used the same race belt, you can notice it on Will in the picture below.  We passed the racing belt each time we made a runner switch.  This belt is what is emphasizing my baby bump, I wore mine under my shirt and didn't tighten it so it was creeping up my torso the whole time rather than sitting on my hips where it's supposed to.  We wore shirts which promoted the Cowboy Trail Run 5k in Augusta, MI on June 2, 2013 hosted by the Cheff Center which is a therapeutic horse riding center in the area. (http://www.cheffcenter.org/eventDetail.php?Cowboy-Trail-Run-12)  I had a lot of runners in passing ask about it.  Last year was the first one, which I didn't get to participate in, but I'll be there this year!  Any running buddies are welcome to join me and my baby bump!!! :)  Our friend who ran the majority of the relay's parents are pretty good friends with the owner of the Cheff Center, so she asked us to wear them.   

Will finishing the last leg of the relay, his FIRST Kal-Haven experience!





WEEK 12

How far along? I'm not really sure. I have counters and tickers from 4 differnet places and they all tell me something different. I think right now I'm between 11 and 12 weeks. I'll find out more next week on March 26 at my dating ultrasound that I am SUPER excited for.  I'm hoping the baby looks more like a baby and less like a dinosaur or a blob.  I think baby is the size of a lime this week...I bought one this week grocery shopping.  I'd say baby is a pretty significant size right now. I can't believe that I'm already 3 months pregnant.

Total weight gain/loss:  My scale isn't the most reliable, but it looks like I haven't gained or lost any weight. Although, if you look at my belly, you'd guess I gained 3-4 pounds.  3-4 pounds is what you should gain in the first tri-mester. Then, from Month 4 to Month 8 you should gain a pound per week.

Maternity clothes? I haven't purchased any maternity clothes yet. My work pants are pretty tight, however.  I am past the point of "sucking it in" anymore.  I'd like to try and avoid purchasing maternity clothes/clothes that I can't wear after the baby is born.  I'm happy that most of my pregnancy will be during the spring/summer/early fall so I can wear dresses or long comfortable skirts.  I'm planning to purchase some leggings too!  Anyone have any suggestions, please pass them along!

 

Stretch marks? nada now and hoping nada ever

 

Best moment this week: I got to snuggle baby Iris (Bill and Teresa's new 8 week old) all weekend! And, I loved to watch Will practice holding her and feeling comfortable holding a baby.

 

Miss Anything? Enjoying a glass of wine.

Food cravings: I've had peppermint cravings earlier in my pregnancy, orange sherbert, of course chocolate (but that happens even when I'm not pregnant).  I crave fresh peppers (yellow, and green mostly) and fresh fruits and veggies more than I used to.  Lemon water is my new favorite beverage (sorry, white wine!). Greek yogurt (plain) with honey and shaved almonds is another favorite.  Cereal (rice krispies or cheerios) is a safe hunger filler.  I'll choose to eat things like A-1 sauce with my meat now when I have really never been a fan of it.  I used to like eating mushrooms (raw or cooked) now I'll pick them out of my salad.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope!  I'm pretty lucky here.

 

Have you started to show yet: I say I'm showing, but it's not much of a baby bump, its more of my belly sticking out because my uterus is getting bigger and pushing everything up.  I certainly can't suck this gut in like I used to be able to.  I can't wait until there is a REAL bump...a bump worth showing!

Gender: Still too early to find out, but we are finding out the gender – and I can’t wait!

Belly Button in or out? In! Kind of anxious to see my belly ring get tighter!  I'm going to try and keep it in as long as I can stand it.

Wedding rings on or off? On! BLING BLING!  Well except for Will...he's been experiencing some bloating lately... (j/k, he does occasionally choose not to wear his rings, although it doesn't bother me that much, I still try to give him a hard time.  I'm glad he doesn't wear it when he's working with tools, but he says that the ring is uncomfortable at times)

Mood: Happy and content!!  But, tired!

Looking forward to: Telling Will's dad, sister, her husband, and their son (Will's nephew) this weekend that we are expecting!  They are coming over for a "birthday dinner"  Will's B-day was in Jan, his sister's was in Feb and his dad's was in March.  Then, we're going to tell my mom, step-dad, sisters and 2 brothers on Easter weekend.  I am hoping to also stop by my Dad's Easter weekend too and share the news with him, my step-mom and brother and sister. THEN we'll spread the news to our grandpas, grandmas, aunts, uncles, wedding party and some other close friends. Then, FINALLY post the news on Facebook for our friends and extended family to see.  It's been a process trying to plan this all out, and I'm hoping everyone we tell can keep it a secret until we make it public.  It's been hard for us to keep this on the DL, can you imagine how excited grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, etc. will be and how hard that will be to not share with anyone??  It's impossible to spread the word to everyone the same way, but I'm hoping that everyone will appreciate the ways we choose to share the news with them.  I'll make sure to post the excitement... which will hopefully be posted before you view this blog.  

 

Fitness report: UGH I feel like I'm going backwards in my fitness.  I feel completely sluggish...and have to run at a slower than usual pace to get a 30 min run in.  I feel fatigued and uncomfortable - to you marathoners out there, its like running at mile 24.  After my run though, I feel great! I hope that this is just a phase. I do enjoy the yoga class every Tuesday.  I wish they offered the class more often.

 

What I've learned: If you forget to put gym socks in your gym bag, you don't have to skip your workout!  Especially if you wear nylon knee high socks, they work just fine!  Yes, this week I wore my knee high black nylon socks from work to run in.  I did one time go sockless because I forgot my socks, and that was a major NO-NO...blisters galore!!   I wouldn't recommending running a marathon in nylon socks but if you're getting a 4 mile run in, they'll do.  If you don't have any socks, do some yoga - no socks required.  You'd be suprised how nice people are if you forget an item at the gym.  Sometimes I'll bring two pairs of socks or sports bras in my gym bag, to change into after my work out. If someone in the locker room asked if anyone had an extra pair, I'd gladly let them borrow my extra items. There is nothing worse than getting to the gym all motivated to work out and forgetting an essential item.  The front desk attendant loaned me his lock for the locker room this week!  I was willing to purchase one but they were all out.  I really enjoy the gym I use: Sherman Lake YMCA in Augusta, MI.  If anyone is from the Battle Creek, Galesburg, Augusta, Richland area...it's the place to be!

Baby's room!!!...Work in Progress!



The Start...can't wait for that carpet to be GONE!

FINALLY that yucky carpet is all gone!!!

Baby goes to Cheyboygan

We visited some good friends at their house in Cheboygan , Bill and Teresa, this weekend. Bill was Will's best man for our wedding. They have two kids, a 2 and a half year old and a newborn baby! We had a great time catching up and relaxing. It was fun to help out with the baby and snuggle with her as much as I could :)  Will got some practice this weekend! He is going to be such a good daddy! He sure is a natural!

No green beer for me this year!  We didn't really do anything to celebrate St. Patrick's day this year, not even eat a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal!  But we did get to visit some out of town friends!  Plus, no St. Patricks Day would ever compare to my visit to Tiffany in Boston one year. That place is crazier than Panama City during Spring Break!  And, the parade they have is crazy cool!

House Projects!

Will has been working hard on our new hardwood floors! He laid the whole living room last year and had some wood left over so he decided to rip the carpet up in our bedroom and in the hallway upstairs and lay the remainder of it! It looks great so far!  Here is the progress:

ONE

TWO...about halfway!



THREE...almost finished!






TA DA! Beautiful! :)



We went to Lowes (favorite store!) this weekend and picked out paint for the baby's room! We wanted to paint before the carpet was laid so we are jumping on this early! We choose Green Gecko (No VOC) :). 

Of course we looked at carpet too...for our stairs, and the two other bedrooms upstairs. It's a shaggier carpet, tan brown color that matches our wood floor well.  Measurements should happen this week and the install should happen shortly after! Excited to finally get rid of all of the old original carpet in this house and live in a house with clean fresh flooring!  YAHOO!
 



I purchased a used crib from a friend this weekend for a great deal! It's a crib and a toddler bed so we should get some good use out of it! We are going to sand it and paint to make it look brand new ... There are a little munchkin teeth marks in part of the wood... But other than that the crib is in good shape and only a couple of years old! We'll be on the lookout for a mattress for it and I'm hoping to invest in my mom's help to see some crib bumpers and make it look cute and comfy for the little one!



WEEK 9...or is it 10?

Starting to show a little!! A little sooner than I anticipated! Maybe I'm further along than I think I am? We will find out March 26! Or, maybe I'm just bloated? I know for a fact my pants are fitting tighter!

This week I watched my first labor clip. We choose not to have cable and internet at home (because we don't use it enough for what it costs) so I don't have access to all the baby delivery shows I keep hearing about, so, I used my smartphone to YouTube "natural birth, no drugs" annndddddd 1.cried tears of happy (I was by my self) and 2. Cried tears of freak out!!!! OMG! That really happens??? I really would like to do this birthing thing natural... But... Like Will says, with my pain tolerance and history of fainting at eye doctor appointments and regular dr visits, I will not rule out pain meds! Later that day when Will got home from drill, we watched the same YouTube clip together and another one too! He finally said, "ok, that's enough of that!"

A brag moment right here though: I've had 3 blood draws during this pregnancy so far and haven't fainted yet! I'm all growns up!! My mom told me when I was little that one day that when I start having babies I will just get over it (sight of blood and fainting) And, she was right! Well, I don't actually look at the blood... but I make it through able to walk to my car! My next challenge is seeing the blood and not fainting, if I can talk myself into it that is!