18 and 19 weeks

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! :) I'm a little bit behind!  Last week, Bryce and I were in Colorado celebrating Christmas with my family, so that set me back on my updates.  We are currently 19 weeks!  Yikes!  I can't believe we are almost halfway there!

18 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks!

Baby bump:  Still working on it! :)  The Gremlins I ate over Christmas certainly have helped make it bigger!

Gender Prediction: ?  Right this second... I'm not sure.  I was convinced it was boy, until the last few days after having a couple dreams about having a little girl.  I need a little more time I guess!

Weight gain: About 8 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Maternity shirts on the reg right now... I really like the longer length!  As for pants... Not quite yet.  Still just using the Bella Band.  And maternity leggings, of course.

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out:  In, but starting to get shallow!

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep: Fantastic!

Best moment this week:  Hands down, would be Bryce feeling the baby move for the first time!

Worst moment this week:  Going back to work and bad dreams about the baby.

Miss anything:  Holiday cocktails, wine and sushi.

Movement:  Yes!  Best part of my day!

Cravings:  Anything spicy, raspberry tea and half tea/lemonade

Queasy or sick:  Feeling great overall!  Eggs and onions still make me sick.

Happy or moody: Happy!

Looking forward to:  Our 20 week anatomy ultrasound!!!!  Can't wait to see this babe again!

Strollin'

The first major purchase we made for Baby Hawk was the stroller and car seat combo.  Talk about stressful.  I started looking at strollers when I was about 5 weeks pregnant.  One thing I knew for absolute certain was that I wanted was a jogging stroller.  Momma's gotta get back in shape somehow, right?  Baby Hawk has already ran a half marathon, so I'm sure he/she already has momma's love of running, right? ;-)  What I wasn't sure of, was if I would need a non-jogging stroller as well.  I really didn't want to have to fork over money for two strollers.  Maybe I could use a jogging stroller as a regular stroller?  So began my search...

I consistently found that BOB strollers are the highest rated and well-respected jogging strollers out there (most specifically, the BOB Revolution.)  Additionally, my sister-in-law used one with my littlest nephew, and all the strollers that I saw at the Kansas City Marathon were BOB's.  There must be something to these strollers... and now I'm really interested.  

The next thing I was concerned with, was finding a car seat and adaptor that would work with the jogging stroller to make my own travel system, so I wouldn't have to buy a second stroller.  Sure enough, the BOB Revolution was compatible with the Britax Infant B-Safe car seat.  A car seat that I was interested in prior to searching for jogging strollers due to the high safety and ease of use ratings.  Unfortunately, the car seat does run on the heavy side, but that seems to be par for the course these days.  In our search, we didn't find anything that felt significantly lighter.

Yes, the BOB stroller is looking better and better.

Our last step was to actually see the stroller and try it out.  Off we went to REI.  We were immediately sold.   It is lightweight, easy to maneuver, and even easier to fold up for storage.  I had absolutely no problems lifting and fitting it into the cargo area of our SUV for transportation.  The front wheel has a swivel option for every-day use, and a lock option for use when running.

To top it off, REI had the stroller, as well as the car seat in stock.  In orange.  They even put the stroller together and made sure the wheels were properly filled.  We were sold.

I might be slightly obsessed with this stroller... I know that's kind of weird.  I seriously can't wait to stroll my little peanut around the neighborhood in this bad boy, then head out for runs when he/she is big enough and the weather cools down.

One purchase made, 999,999 more to go.

17 Weeks

How far along: 17 weeks

Baby bump:  Looking more like I should lay off the holiday treats more than a legit baby bump.

Gender Prediction:  Momma's boy.

Weight gain: 5 to 6 lbs... Varies slightly throughout the day.  5 in the morning, 6 in the evening! ;-)

Maternity clothes:  Nope.  Still not yet.  However, I did hit up Express this weekend to find a dress for out department Christmas party.  I figured I could get away with it just by going up a couple sizes...  Even though I was prepared for it, it was still a little depressing.  I probably won't try to do that again!  Ha!

Stretch marks:  None so far!  *Crossing fingers*.  Trying to down water and stay as well-hydrated as possible.  Currently looking into finding a cream or oil for extra mositurization, like Tummy Butter.

Belly button in or out:  In like Flynn!

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep:  Sleeping great when I'm actually sleeping.  I just wish I could get a solid night of sleep without having to take a bathroom break.... Maybe I would feel a little more refreshed during the day.

Best moment this week:  The food at work!  Everyone has been bringing in chili, soups, cakes... yum!  Just in time for my increase in appetite ;-)

Worst moment this week:  Return of the headaches and sinus congestion.  Blah.

Miss anything:  Have I ever mentioned that I really miss beer?  And I would give my left arm for some sushi... the spicy tuna and salmon with asparagus rolls have been calling my name for weeks. 

Movement: Feeling just a little!  Usually at night when I'm sitting or lying down.

Cravings:  Again, the usual suspects:  Milk, orange juice, limeade, cherry limeade and now, raspberry tea or half tea/half lemonade.  Also making it's way onto the tops list: anything spicy.  Chips and salsa, Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwish, hot pepper cheese, hot wing sauce (I put it on everything) and sriracha.  Only had to enlist the assitance of my trusty Tums once! ;-)

Queasy or sick:  Eggs.  Bleh.  

Happy or moody:  Why have I not added "emotional basketcase" to this list?  Mostly kidding... But seriously, I can tear up at the drop of a hat.

Looking forward to:  More movement!!  Seriously kid, kick it up!  I also am excited for our 18 week appointment on the 23rd!



Christmas Decor

Christmas is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite holiday.  I love spending time with family, decorating with lights, candles, and my favorite colors, listening to Christmas music (all day, every day), snuggling up watching Christmas movies by the fire, and celebrating the coming of Jesus. 

This year... was... a little different.  When it was time to start decorating, I still wasn't feeling so hot.  Headaches were plaguing my every waking hour, so I decided to keep things as simple as possible, but still make it feel like Christmas.  First up, was the tree!  

In an attempt to work toward making our Christmas decor a little more "kid" friendly, I decided to add red to the mix!  Yep, believe it or not, I added some color!  This was the first time that we've had red anything at Christmas... I started with a few red ornaments, a tree skirt, stockings and even some candles.  Before this year, everything was white, ivory, gold and silver and all the ornaments were uniform.  Very formal.  And while I do love the look of the formal tree, the red makes it a little more festive, and the non-uniform ornaments (which we have had but were placed on the smaller tree located in the basement) make it a little more sentimental.  As if I need any more sentiment in my hormonal, pregnant life.

Another favorite in Christmas decor is the Nativity set.  I've had my eye on this Willow Tree set for quite some time!  I received it as a gift for my birthday this year, and I can't wait to add more pieces in the years to come.  Three wisemen, you're up next!

This year's mantel was very simple.  Partly because all I cared about were the stockings... And mostly because putting up anything else just seemed like too much of a headache.  Like I needed more of those.

Here are the major reasons why I decided to stray from my non-traditional tree and use the unique ornaments on our main tree.  These bad boys have a lot of sentimental value to me (yes, even the beer ornament; no, not because I'd give my left arm to have one.)  I had tears streaming down my face as I took each one out of their wrapping from the year before... How could I not place them on the main tree to be prominently shown each day!?  Here's a quick glimpse at a few...



Our engagement in 2010.



A Bryce purchase for our first tree in our first apartment in Kansas City (although it is hanging toward the back!)
2011



Our wedding, April 2012.



Italy trip, 2013.





We're having a baby! 2013.



My absolute favorite new decoration this year has to be this sweet little thing!  I can't wait until we can get one with Baby Hawk's first name on it!





I thought this pic was too cute not to share ;-)

Our first baby!  Little Ozzie man.  He can be a stinker, but he's so stinkin' cute  ;-)

16 weeks

How far along: 16 weeks!

Baby bump:  It's getting there! Definitely getting bigger.

Gender Prediction:  Boy

Weight gain: 4 lbs

Maternity clothes:  Not yet.  Still just rocking the maternity leggings so far.  I occasionally will wear a maternity shirt because I like the longer length.

Stretch marks:  None so far!

Belly button in or out:  In.  Although I did take my belly button ring out this week.  Baby bump + belly button ring = not hot.

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep:  Still sleeping great.  Still waking up around 3am for a bathroom break.

Best moment this week:  Feeling a little movement?!

Worst moment this week:  Watching all the Victoria's Secret Runway Show commercials.  It should be a crime to show those in a pregnant woman's home.

Miss anything:  Beer.  Wine.  Jimmy John's Italian Night Club.  

Movement: I'm going to say yes to this one!  I don't necessarily feel the "flutter" that so many other women speak of, but I feel a sort of "knocking" sensation, like baby is saying "Hi Mom, I'm here!"  I felt it last week, and thought it was just a muscle twitch or gas... but I feel it this week a little stronger and a little more frequent.  Although I could be crazy and it could all just be in my head.

Cravings:  The usual suspects:  Milk, orange juice, limeade, cherry limeade, fruit.  These have been my main cravings since week 6.  Also this week:  Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich and rotisserie chicken sandwiches with hot pepper cheese and horseradish sauce.

Queasy or sick:  Eggs still make me queasy.  I got sick on them during week 7 or so.... Up until the past week the thought of eggs made me want to vomit.  In fact, they actually sounded good over the weekend.  Until I took two bites.  I still can't do eggs.  

Happy or moody:  Happy, mostly!  I'm still super sentimental and can cry at the drop of a hat.  For instance, during How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  Or during Church.  My goal for this pregnancy is to make it through Church at least one time without tears.  

Looking forward to:  More movement!!

Announcements

Announcing that we were going to have a baby was much more fun than I ever anticipated.  I typically tend to shy away from any sort of spotlight, but it was so nice to see everyones excitement at the thought of a baby Hawk!  Our parents knew right away, around 6 weeks, and luckily (although sometimes painful!) they kept our secret until we were ready to share with the rest of the world, which was around 12 weeks.  

We first started off by telling Bryce's family.  It was pretty exciting for his momma since it's their first grandchild!  She set up a nice little holiday get-together to celebrate my birthday, as well as Thanksgiving (since we couldn't make it to his hometown for that weekend.)  To announce it to the family, she ordered a "birthday" cake for me.  When she brought out the boxed up cake, the family sang "Happy Birthday" to me.  After they finished singing, I opened the box, and revealed this... 

Seriously?  I can't.  So cute!

For my friends, my mom knows how much I love Christmas, and she sent us this ornament to commemorate our announcement!  I couldn't love it any more than I do.  It is beyond!  I sent a picture of this to some of our friends to announce!

The last big announcement we made was on Facebook!  I took a picture of our stockings hanging on the mantle with the newest stocking in the line-up:  Baby Hawk!

 My Christmas loving heart, be still! 

In between all of this, I worked up the nerve to tell my boss.  Turns out, he suspected before I even told him and was very happy for us. Phew, what a relief!

It was so much fun announcing and coming up with cute ways to share our good news!  Although I do have to say that as much fun as the big announcements were, I did really enjoy telling people in private/individually.  I will never forget the kind words, smiles, and for some, the tears.  ;-)  There were even a few people that really surprised me 1) by their excitement 2) their willingness to share personal stories/experiences/etc.  

So fun!

15 weeks

This week's bumpdate is actually coming to you on-time!

How far along: 15 weeks, 3 days

Baby bump:  Looking more chubby, that's for sure!  Even Bryce thinks I'm starting to look more prego this week.

Gender Prediction:  Still saying boy!

Weight gain:  3 lbs

Maternity clothes:  The pants are definitely tighter, and I officially no longer have a pair of dress pants that will button. 

Stretch marks: None thus far

Belly button in or out:  In

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep:  Sleeping well, actually!  Although a couple nights this week I woke up thinking someone broke into our house.  So bizarre.

Best moment this week:  2 days in a row without a headache.

Worst moment this week: Long days at work and weird dreams at night!

Miss anything:  Beer.  Obviously.  It's highly likely this will be on the list every week.  I also miss lunchmeat.  I could seriously go for a lunchmeat sandwich or a sub.  

Movement:  Maybe?!

Cravings:  Citrus beverages, fruit and fruit snacks.

Queasy or sick:  Feeling great, and hungry for just about anything!  However, the thought of some of my favorite green veggies makes my stomach churn... I did get some raw veggies, plain greek yogurt and dry ranch powder to see if I can rekindle my love for broccoli!

Happy or moody:  Happy!

Looking forward to:  Baby movement!!  

14 weeks

Sorry... I'm a bit behind!  Thanksgiving got the best of me!  Nothing quite like doing a 14 week update as you head into week 15. ;-)  

How far along: 14 weeks!

Baby bump: Still not much of a bump.  It looks and feels so much bigger in my head than it does it pictures.  Looking more like I ate a few too many rounds of turkey and dressing than anything... ;-)

Gender Prediction:  Momma's boy!  In my head, I always pictured our first child being a little boy that looks just like Bryce.  Can't wait to find out!!

Weight gain:  2.5 lbs at my 14 week check-up (Tuesday before Thanksgiving.)  Probably 10 after my Thanksgiving indulgences.

Maternity clothes:  Maternity leggings are the bomb.com.  Seriously.  I did find out this weekend that I have a couple pairs of jeans I can still button.  Mostly still just using the Bella band, though.

Stretch marks:  Nope!  Hoping this will always be a no.

Belly button in or out:  In

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep:  Still getting up at 3 am for a potty break, but before and after, it is serious lights out.

Best moment this week:  Hearing Baby H's heartbeat for the first time... Most beautiful, train-like sound I've ever heard!  ;-)  

Worst moment this week:   Headaches.  Still having headaches.

Miss anything:  The Chiefs are on in an hour and it's holiday season... What do you think?!  Adult beverages are my main miss right now.

Movement:  Not yet.  My doctor said I should feel it sometime within the next couple weeks!

Cravings:  Lucky Charms and fruit snacks.  Pretty sure I've never had a craving for either my entire life.

Queasy or sick:  Feeling pretty good lately, except for the headaches!

Happy or moody:  Mostly happy, but anything can make me cry at the drop of a hat.  I teared up twice today in church during two different songs.  Hormonal much?

Looking forward to:  Our 20 week ultra sound! :)  Annnnd, finishing our Christmas decorating today.  Annnnd also today, perhaps a Chief's win?!