Christmas 2014 Recap

Christmas Eve

Well it was quite a hectic Christmas.  I felt like Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn in Four Christmases as we traveled from one household to the next this holiday season.  There was some comfort knowing this is the last Christmas to run around since next year we will have a little one.  Randy and I decided to open Christmas Eve morning since the schedule was jam packed.  This was by far the best decision otherwise we may have never found the time to exchange gifts.  Christmas Eve we traveled to North Jersey in the pouring rain to spend the day with Randy's sisters family.  They do the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes but since there are so many courses, dinner isn't usually served until 10:00pm, which I have never made until this year. I am pretty sure we rolled out of there at least 5 lbs heavier than when we arrived.

Here is a video of the most amazing house in my sister-in-laws neighborhood.  Every year I look forward to seeing their beautiful lights.

After dinner on Christmas Eve, we made the trek back home but decided to stay at my sisters in order to be there when the kids woke up Christmas morning.  Nothing like going to bed at 2am and waking up at 6:45 to my nephew about ready to jump out of his skin with excitement that Santa had come. 
Around 11, we all went to my parents to exchange gifts.  My father is a big kid at heart so he was chomping at the bit to open presents. By early afternoon, this pregnant momma needed a nap.  I slept right up until dinner time at which point we headed back to my sisters.

My father bought Miss Olivia her first bike.  I got very emotional over this one b/c he said he might not be around when she is old enough to ride it but wanted to make sure he had gotten it for her.  I love his thoughtfulness but could kill him to talking that way.  He better be here to teach her to ride in 4-5 years. 

Thank goodness for having Friday off in order to regroup.  However, I took the quiet time by myself while Randy was mountain biking to organize our upstairs in preparation for baby.  I was a mad woman on a mission rearranging closets, washing baby things, and moving all my husbands things our of the baby's room.  Currently, he thinks her room is his personal closet, which is driving me crazy as I am in full blown nesting mode.

Saturday, we celebrated Christmas again at Randy's mothers since his 90 year old Grandmother was in town.  One would never guess her age since she is so hip.  At our wedding rehearsal, she was talking about twerking.  Let alone she goes nowhere without her iPad, which she can probably navigate better than me. 

Here is the infinity scarf I crocheted as a Christmas gift for Randy's dads wife.  Not to shabby for the second thing I have ever crocheted.

Finally yesterday I hosted Christmas for Randy's dad at our house with a luncheon.  There is no doubt that the holidays are absolutely exhausting, even more so when you're almost 7 months pregnant.  Even with all the traveling, the holiday still seemed to fly by.  While I enjoyed the unusually warm temps of 50-60 degrees, it didn't feel quite like Christmas without snow.

Crazy to think that next year we will have 3 stockings hung by the fireplace.

     
 

75 Days to Go

How far along? 29 weeks
Baby is the size of a: Butternut Squash
Total weight gain: I go to the doctor tonight for a weight check but he is not going to be to happy since I have been eating this instead of protein. 

Stretch marks: Nothing yet
Best moment this week: Brunch with Santa at The Reeds where we got married.  It brought back so many memories of our wedding day. Before going into the ballroom to eat, I stood in the exact spot where I paced before walking down the isle to marry Randy.

  
Miss anything? Being able to have a cocktail during the holidays.  The mimosas at brunch yesterday looked divine so I had a sip or two of Randy's, but I really wanted to swig the whole thing down.
Movement: She certainly is an active little girl
Food cravings: Carbs, Carbs, Carbs
Symptoms: Constipation
Sleep:  Since having the flu, I have been sleeping like a champ.  I guess feeling like complete crap for 3 days was worth it to be able to sleep again.
Belly button in or out? OUT
Labour signs? None
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. I have been getting more tired during the day but I think that's par for the course.
Exercise: None, unless you count numerous trips to the snack cabinet as exercise.
Looking forward to: Spending time with our families this week for Christmas.  It is crazy to think next year at this time we will have a 9 month old possibly crawling around. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hello Third Trimester

STATS

How far along: 28 weeks.  I can still see my feet but getting big.

How big is baby: She is approx 2.5 lbs and the size of a large eggplant

Weight gain: Honestly, not sure.  Last Monday I weighed 147 but then Tues night I got the flu.  When I weighed myself Friday I had lost 4 lbs.  I have not weighed myself since b/c I don't want to see the number since all I have been eating is carbs.  So I am sure I have put back on the weight and then some.

Sleep: Knock on wood, my sleeping has been better since being sick.  Fri and Sat I slept entirely through the night not even waking to pee.  Sun was a different story but had a good night again last night.

Best moment of the week:  Waking up Saturday morning finally feeling better.  My appetite was back so I asked my husband to take me to my favorite breakfast spot.  I am supposed to be on a high protein diet since the Dr. is concerned about my weight gain but that has gone out the window.  My first day back feeling good and I consumed banana fosters french toast for breakfast, bagel bites for lunch, and pork with noodles for dinner.  What can I say, I am addicted to carbs!  They just taste better!!!

Symptoms:  Boy oh boy has restless leg syndrome kicked in hard.  I use to only experience it in bed occasionally while trying to fall asleep.   But this week I have been suffering while sitting on the couch after dinner.  So much so that I was doing hot laps around my house last night to try and will it away. 

What I missed: I had to miss out on our Girls Annual Holiday Dinner at Melting Pot.  I was looking forward to it so much and already had dinner planned in my head from the first course - dessert.  However, I did teach myself to crochet in order to make a blanket for my girlfriends new little boy and another girlfriend of mine picked it up so it could be hand delivered.  Watch out as I get the hang of this crocheting thing, everyone might be getting crocheted gifts during the next year. 

Not to shabby for a first timer.

 

27 Down, 13 To Go

How far along? 27 weeks...last week of 2nd trimester

 

Baby Size: A Head of a Cauliflower

Total weight gain: 26 lbs

Maternity clothes? Mostly leggings and occasionally maternity jeans but the bands make my stomach/back itchy and dry. In addition, my pre-pregnancy leggings are starting to feel a little too tight.  However, I scored a killer deal on Cyber Monday from PinkBlush .  This is my first time ordering from them so I am anxiously awaiting delivery to check out the quality and fit.

Stretch marks? No signs of them yet.

Sleep: No, but nothing new there. At least I am past the tiredness from not sleeping.  It seems to have become the new norm.

Best moment this week: Partaking in my sister's annual gingerbread competition.  This year was bigger and better with more friends and family. I sat for 3 hours decorating my house below and loved every minute.  What else was there for me to do since I can't drink.  However, I think I consumed too many sweets while decorating b/c the next day baby girl was wild.

Miss Anything? Clothes not feeling snug around my waist.

Movement: Kicking like a crazy woman.  She was kicking me so hard in church on Sunday that a few times it made me flinch in my seat.

Food cravings: Apparently I love carbs too much b/c the doctor is concerned about my weight gain and wants me to cut back on carbs and load up on protein. FYI, in my opinion this is not the way to add protein to your diet.  I thought it could be a good afternoon snack.  Woof!

Looking forward to: My girlfriends holiday dinner on Friday.  We started this tradition a few years ago at Melting Pot since our lives took us all in different directions.  This year our group has grown even bigger as friends of friends have started to join.

Update: 26 weeks

 Just a little bump humor.

Baby size: My little girlfriend is about 2 lbs now and measures approx. 14 inches, about the size of a scallion, from head to heel. Her eyelids will begin to open and blink on their own.  She may be able to hear my voice and they say to play music for her.  She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid as well.

Weight gain:  I weighed myself Saturday night b/c I was anxious to see how many lbs were added after our Thanksgiving feast and was thrilled to see only 2 more lbs since my last doctor's appointment. 24 lbs in total so far.

Stretch marks: Not yet and I hope it stays that way.

Belly button: Definitely out.

Sleep: Still suffering from insomnia but the tryptophan from the turkey worked wonders as I slept through the night on Thanksgiving.  Maybe I need to start eating a turkey sandwich each night before going to bed.

Movement:  She is a mover and shaker.  I have discovered she especially kicks right after I drink something very cold. 





Best moment of the week: Cutting down our Christmas tree as a family of 3.  This year seemed extra special knowing that the baby was part of the process. 

It is tradition that we go with my sister's family each year to pick out and cut down our trees.  It took us about 15 mins to pick out a tree.  Actually my sister found our tree and we agreed it was a keeper.  On the other hand it took them 1.5 hrs to find the BIGGEST tree at the nursery.

Griswald's Family Christmas Tree

  Here is a pick of my brother-in-law and husband trying to get their tree in the house.  LITTLE FULL, LOTTA SAP!

Looking forward to: My favorite holiday activity is driving around to see all the houses decorated with Christmas lights.

Miss anything: Champagne but I had a 1/2 of glass last night while cooking dinner for my family. Figured a splash wouldn't hurt to celebrate hitting the 6 month mark.  I don't need gifts when baby girl arrives just bring the champs!      

Food cravings:  Really enjoying the sweets lately.  Never was one to crave sweet things but now dinner is not complete without some dessert afterwards to curb my sweet tooth. 

Symptoms:  Just a large belly.  Had a lady ask me last week if I was having twins after I told her I wasn't due for 3 more months.

24 Weeks: Pregnancy Update

Baby size: Girlfriend is as long as an ear of corn now and apparently gained about 4 oz since last week.

How far along:  24 weeks and 5 days.  Only 107 days to go.

Total weight gain:  Up 22 lbs. My total weight gain goal of 30 lbs went right out the window.
 
Exercise: Besides the miles walked in Disney last week, I have not exercised.  I had the best intentions of getting back to my running routine this week, but this polar vortex we are experiencing squashed that plan.  I just don't have enough motivation to layer up and run in 20-30 degree temps.

Stretch marks: No, and hoping I can avoid them.

Swelling: None.

Belly button: Pretty much out.

Sleep: I have full blown insomnia from 2-5 am each night.  Wed morning I commuted to Philly for work at 2:30am, which was nice b/c there is no traffic on the roads at that hour.  Last night I watched the local news which was on replay at 3am.   

Food cravings: Some sweets lately which is not like me b/c typically I crave salt.


Symptoms: My hips were hurting me in Disney from all the walking, insomnia and major constipation - sorry about the TMI. 

Movement: Yes! She loves to kick or punch me while I am relaxing.

What I’m loving:  Preparing for Christmas - only 35 days left!  Some people nest while pregnant, but all I've wanted to do is Christmas shop.  Most of the presents are already purchased or in the works and it's still a week out from Thanksgiving. This weekend we plan to hang the lights but our display will be scaled down this year since I can't hang off the roof like I did last year to outline the house.

Disney Recap

I will not bore you with all the details of our family vacay to Walt Disney World but touch upon the highlights.  I am certainly glad Randy and I were able to partake in this vacation but had my fill of Disney for a few years.  I think we are better suited for Caribbean beach vacations where the tempo is much slower and way more relaxing.  Needless to say, we need a vacation from our vacation.

Downtown Disney is good for two things - eating and shopping.  Both of which I am pretty professional.  Since all of Disney is already decorated for Christmas, it made the experience that much more enjoyable with the lights, garland & bows accenting every nook & cranny.  If you like seafood, Fulton's Crab House is a must visit.  Growing up at the shore, I have tried my fair share of New England Clam Chowder, but Fulton's takes the cake on the best chowder I have ever tasted.  It was thick and hearty and certainly didn't skimp on ingredients.  If you are looking for a fast & casual meal, Wolfgang Puck Express  is the place to go.  I was quite surprised at the quality of food for a quick service establishment. They offered a variety of choices for example our meals consisted of raviolis, spaghetti & meatballs, wood-fired pizza & rotisserie chicken.  If our hotel was closer to Downtown Disney, I may have had a meal there every day.

My favorite part of the trip was the dinner show, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, at the Wilderness Resort.  This musical show entertained our entire party ranging in ages from 4-72.  In between skits, they feed you family style starting with home-made corn bread, followed up by the BEST fried chicken, BBQ ribs & mashed potatoes and finished up with strawberry shortcake.

Prior to our trip, we were invited to test drive Magic Kingdom's newest dining hall Be Our Guest.  Their french themed menu inspired by Beauty and the Beast was delicious and very well executed.  Since we pre-ordered, upon arriving we confirmed our lunch selections at at touch screen and then found a seat where our food magically appeared.  It's so nice to have options other than hot dogs, hamburgers and french fries for the quick service meal plan.

Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Hotel was a hit among the family.  Their buffet style breakfast was so delicious that I went up 3 different times to fill my plate, and the kids loved the up close interaction with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto & Donald Duck.  My family joked they have never seen me eat so much.  Hence why I put on 6 lbs during the vacation.

Last but not least, the Osborne Spectacle of Lights may be the most breathtaking display you will ever see.  Who wouldn't love the dancing lights to Christmas classics, falling snow and over 5,000,000 individual lights?

22 Weeks

Baby size: Baby Frank is now 11 inches long and almost 1 whole lb.  She is the size of a spaghetti squash.  Since I had to google what it looks like, figured others might not know as well so see below.

Weight gain: As of yesterday morning, I had only gained 1 lb since my last doctor's appointment almost 2 weeks ago.  Total weight gain thus far = 16 lbs.  This may be surprising looking at the pic below b/c I feel like I look 8 months pregnant instead of 5 months.

Maternity clothes:  I got sick and tired of wearing leggings everyday so I tried to squeeze myself into the last pair of pre-maternity jeans still in the closet using the rubberband trick.  However, my husband informed me they looked a little tight in the legs so I rocked them one last time before giving into buying maternity jeans.  Overall they are not awful, but since I have no butt they slide down more than desired.  I look forward to the day when I can fit back into my Hudson jeans purchased during the Nordstrom sale and still hanging in my closet with the tags on b/c I didn't get them hemmed in time to wear prior to pregnancy.

Stretch marks: No and I pray it stays that way!  I try to lather on Palmer's Cocoa Butter as often as possible.

Belly button: Just about to pop out.

Sleep: It seems my internal clock thinks 6 hours of sleep is enough, so I wake up in the 4:00 hour every morning. 

Movement:  At my cousin's baby shower on Saturday, I felt a kick or punch for the first time. I forgot to mention anything to my husband about it until the following day when it happened again while he and I were sitting on the couch together.  When I said the baby was kicking me, he looked shocked but got to feel it which was amazing.  As the week has progressed, I have felt her moving so much more.  Most of the time it is small flutters, but every so often she really winds up and gives me a good nudge.

Looking forward to: We leave for Disney with my family this week so I am excited for some warm weather and hopeful for some relaxation.  Not sure how relaxing Disney can be when there is an hourly itinerary created by your sister but I plan to make the most of it.

Miss anything: Since I am really starting to feel fat, I thought wearing a pair of heeled boots to work would improve my self-image.  Apparently my calves weren't ready for heels after wearing flats all along and being much heavier b/c my ATTEMPT to run that day was an epic failure. I literally thought my calves were going to explode!  As a result, my run became a painful walk with a slow 1 block jog here and there just to get home and off my feet.    

21 Weeks

STATS:

How far along: 21 weeks - I feel like the first half has flown by.  I just hope the second half goes by as quickly.

Baby size:  Baby Frank now weighs about 3/4 of a lb and is approx. 10.5 inches long - about the size of a carrot.

Total weight gain: 15 lbs.  My goal of a lb per week in the 2nd and 3rd trimester to total 30 lbs at time of delivery went right out the window when I put on 9 lbs this past month.  I wasn't shocked since my stomach looked HUGE, but I was praying I only gained 6 lbs since my last Dr. visit.

Maternity clothes: Oh yes.  Not even my fat jeans fit anymore.  I can't even do the wiggle to get into them.  However, leggings and boots have  been a staple for me in Fall/Winter so it wasn't as hard of an adjustment.

Sleep:  I fall asleep so well but wake up in the middle of the night unable to get comfortable enough to fall back to sleep soundly.  I am a belly sleeper and have started propping a thicker pillow under my head & chest to raise my body off the bed a little more.  I am sure this won't last long but trying to take advantage while I still can.

Best moment of the week:  Yesterday the nursery and spare bedroom were officially completed.  All I need to do now is look for a glider and some artwork for the walls.

Food cravings:  Not craving any foods to the point where I have to eat it immediately or send the hubby out to buy it.  I am certainly still enjoying the baked soft pretzels like I have all along so far.

Symptoms:  Occasional belly pain after running or doing too much. I spoke to the doctor on Friday since my family was very concerned and she confirmed it is natural and called Round Ligament Pain since my pelvis is moving so much as the baby grows.  As long as the RLP doesn't last for hours, she said I am good to continue running.

Movement:  No baby kicks yet that I know of.  I assume all the movement is gas b/c it is much stronger than the described flutter.

Belly button:  Still in but very close to popping out.  This is quite a milestone too b/c I had quite the innie prior.

Wedding rings: Still on and doesn't seem like my pregnancy has affected my fingers yet.

What I miss: Being skinny.  I have already struggled with the weight gain and people's comments of "wow, your belly is getting big" or "are you sure your due in March" is not helping with my self image outlook.

TGIF

Well it has been an interesting week.  Randy decided that the original room we planned on being the nursery (which we called the laundry room b/c all it housed was clothes and an ironing board for the last 3 years) was to small and instead we would turn our spare bedroom into the baby's room.  So we have been busy preparing the upstairs for a complete overhaul.  The spare bedroom furniture was broken down and put in storage, we searched high and low for a futon that would fit in the small room, I steam cleaned all the carpets at 20 weeks pregnant, we made an unexpected trip to IKEA for a new bureau (as an IKEA virgin I was quite impressed), my dad painted 2 bedrooms, and the baby's furniture was finally moved in last night.

We could never have accomplished all this work without the help of my family, and I am eternally grateful to be surrounded by the most loving and giving people that would drop anything to help out.  This is especially wonderful since Randy and I aren't the most handy of people.  Lets just say, there was A LOT of tools, sweat and curse words to install a simple curtain rod!

 At least now we can say we put some love into her room. Not sure we had much love at the time of installation though. A stubborn Irish woman and a short tempered husband don't always make for the best combo haha.

Babies certainly require alot of paraphernalia and thanks to my older siblings I have been blessed with great hand me downs.  All the nursery furniture came from my brother and sister-in-law and looks brand new.

I am now on the hunt for a glider that won't break the bank.  I saw one at Homegoods that was cheap in comparison to those at Babies R Us, but it didn't match our color scheme.  This only gives me another reason to go shopping each week.  Wouldn't want to miss out on a great buy!


 


 

Gender Reveal

You've probably heard the new craze is to hold a gender reveal party and share the big news of your baby's sex with family and friends.  Of course, once we found out we were expecting and going to find out if Baby Frank was a boy or girl, my sister's wheels started spinning on planning a party around this concept.  It seems like the cake and balloon reveal are the most common ways to share the surprise and make the event even more exciting.  Honestly, I am so happy we went down this road rather than finding out by ourselves in a dark ultrasound room with an unknown technician.

Anyways, my sister bought pink and blue beads and asked each attendant to pick the color associated with their guess on the baby's gender.  It seemed like the vote was split down the middle.  Some people even came dressed proudly in the color they assumed was correct.

I was so sure the baby was a boy and even my husband jumped on the bandwagon the last week before the reveal.  All throughout my pregnancy thus far, he had been referring to the baby as "she" so I was quite surprised when he told me the night before he was now guessing boy.

19 Weeks

How far along are you? 19 weeks and 2 days

Baby size: The baby is as big as an heirloom tomato, weighing roughly 8.5 oz.

Cravings: I'm LOVING soft pretzels so I'd say more salty than sweet.

Weight Gain: 10 pounds.

Favorite moment this week: Finding out the gender so I could start shopping and complete my registry.
Fears: Delivery!
General mood: Good but my lower back begins to hurt when standing for an extended period of time.  I have already begun nesting. Things just need to be tidy anywhere and everywhere I go.
Sleep: Better now than during the first trimester when I would be awake from 2:30 -4:00 am like clock work.  I think my prenatal had something to do with it so I changed.
Exercise: I have been running 2-3 times a week at 3.1 miles each outing. I already need to wrap my belly to avoid RLP.  I plan to start doing lunges and squats on my days off as my mother swears this helps with delivery.   
Things I was surprised by: How great I've felt except for a 2 week span when absolute exhaustion took over my body.
Things I am most looking forward to: Putting together the nursery.  My sisters just bought me the bedding from Potterybarn, so I am anxiously awaiting its delivery.

Maternity Clothes: Oh heck yes.  My newly expanded hips don't fit in a pair of my old jeans.  Last week I moved 3/4 of my wardrobe to the attic since it no longer fit.   

Gender: Girl!

Summer Storms

I love sitting on the porch and watching a storm roll in while the sky lights up with cracks of light and loud booms of thunder.  However, I am not a fan when it has rained so hard that all the streets are flooded and you need to roll up your pants just to get to work.  On this dreadfully rainy day, here are some pictures of the derecho that rolled through PA two nights ago at our office.

Phighting Phils

Friday we took my parents to a Phillies game vs the Atlanta Braves.  Unfortunately, we lost the game but were able to enjoy a spectacular fireworks show put on by the Phillies for Independence Day.  My mother thinks their show is second best only to Disney World and that is saying something. Happy Monday!