Scarf Swap!

I recently participated in a scarf swap between bloggers, coordinated by Jessica over at Jessica Lynn Writes! I have never done anything like this before so it was a completely new and very exciting experience! 

My scarf swap partner Courtney also is living in Germany, which made the whole mailing process go a lot more smoothly than it could have haha! 

I actually just picked up my package from the post office today so I haven't had a chance to wear my scarf yet, but I did get a chance to take a picture of my goodies. 

She also sent me a nursing cover and little scarf/bib for baby which was SUPER nice of her! 

It really was a great experience and I hope to participate in something like this again! 

Little Baby ...

We decided on the first name for our baby girl quite awhile ago. It took a lot longer to decide on the middle name and we were originally going to wait until she is born to reveal the name but I decided that I am bad at keeping secrets. I actually almost slipped up and wrote/said the name several times over the past month or two. 

So the moment you have all been waiting for (or not). Our baby girl's name is...

Elsie Mae 

A little background on the name and the decision process. 

We liked the idea of naming the baby something with German roots since we are in Germany and Jay's family is originally from here, so we spent at least a couple of weeks looking up names when we were just sitting around. One day I came across Elsie and asked Jay about it and he said that was his great grandmother's name. I never knew what her name was because they just always called her great grandma and I only met her once before she passed away several years ago. I thought that was pretty cool because we are both a little old fashioned and enjoy not only older names but also that it's related to family. 

Then we spent just as long trying to figure out the middle name. We really liked a certain name as a middle name but decided against using it because we might want to use it as a first name if we have another little girl someday so we spent awhile thinking of middle names that sounded nice with Elsie. I happened upon the name Mae and pitched it to Jay and he said that was his great grandma's middle name too. 

So it turns out our little Elsie Mae will be named the same as her great great grandmother. I think it's a really cool coincidence that we just happened to really like this name. It makes me wonder if great grandma is up there or rather down here somehow whispering in my ear to name the baby after her. I guess we'll never know. 

25!

Had my doctors appointment today! Everything is going really well! Baby girl is getting so big and it is so cool to see her moving around on the ultrasound. I also passed all of the tests they took last time which is great news! The only thing getting a little low is my iron but there is some in my prenatal vitamins... if only I could remember to take it every day. Maybe I should set an alarm! 

Good news for everyone waiting patiently...we decided on her middle name and will be announcing soon! 

I took two pictures this week, one yesterday (left) and one today (right). My legs definitely blend in to the couch a little.. sorry about that haha. 

How far along: 25 weeks! 

Gender: Girl! 

Name: Coming Soon!

Weight: Baby is estimated to be about 1 pound 11 ounces. She is getting so big! We won't talk about my weight gain anymore haha. 

Maternity clothes: Yes, and lots of leggings. I'm all about comfort these days.

Stretch marks: Nope

Belly button in or out: In 

Rings on or off: I can only wear it for about one day then I have to take it off before my finger gets itchy and red :( 

Sleep: I've pretty much come to terms with not sleeping very well ever again haha

Best moment this week: Seeing baby girl at my doctors appointment today! She was so cute and kept sucking and it was so cool to see her mouth moving! She's getting so big! 

Worst moment this week: This morning I really wanted to sleep for another hour but my sides hurt so bad I had to get up. If anyone has any tips/tricks for sleeping comfortably feel free to pass them my way!

Miss anything: Not really

Movement: Yep! It's my favorite thing ever!! I think she had hiccups this morning too for the first time (or the first time I've noticed)

Cravings: Nothing in particular. I do eat a lot of taco bell though...

Aversions: None right now, Yay!

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: My next appointment in two weeks. Still trying to get a good 3D picture of baby. She has yet to be in the right position.    

Yum!

Do you like cookies? How about brownies? 

Then you have to try these cookies that taste just like brownies!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 large egg
1 cup of Nutella

Optional:
Chocolate chips or walnuts or whatever else you like in your brownies!
(The pictured cookies have butterscotch chips in them)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Mix ingredients until there are no more flour clumps
Form 1 inch dough balls and place on pan about 2 inches apart
Bake 10 minutes,  middle will be a little soft but sets while cooling

These are seriously the most delicious cookies I've had in awhile!  They are the perfect sweetness and, just like their brownie counterparts, pair well with a glass of milk! 

Viability!

Today I have reached viability! Which pretty much just means that if something were to go wrong and baby had to come out that she has a better chance of surviving (with a ton of medical help) than not. It just gets better every day after this point :) The next big milestone will be the 3rd trimester! Wow! I feel like this pregnancy is flying by. I think it will only speed up with the holidays! 

(the shadow from the flash just kills me but this was the best picture of the 5 I took)

Since I don't have a job or any real reason to dress nice I tend to wear whatever is comfortable, which during the week is leggings/ yoga pants and a t-shirt or sweatshirt. I try to dress nicer on the weekends so maybe I should start taking pictures then haha! I feel like I look huge compared to my last bump picture! 

How far along: 24 weeks! 

Gender: Girl! 

Name: Thinking about revealing it soon, we shall see :)  

Weight gain: I'll find out again next week. 

Maternity clothes: Yes, and lots of leggings. I'm all about comfort these days.

Stretch marks: Nope

Belly button in or out: In 

Rings on or off: Off right now because they are STILL making my finger all itchy and red :( 

Sleep: I've pretty much come to terms with not sleeping very well ever again haha

Best moment this week: I found a super cute dresser for baby's room! I wasn't planning on getting one because we have a lot of closet space and shelving BUT when it's free... 

Worst moment this week: Nothing I can think of 

Miss anything: Not really, maybe just being able to sleep comfortably. 

Movement: Yep! It's my favorite thing ever!! 

Cravings: Nothing in particular. I do eat a lot of taco bell though...

Aversions: None right now, Yay!

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: My appointment next week! Hoping to get a good 3D picture of baby! 

23 Weeks!

Had my doctors appointment today! I start going every two weeks from now on which is really exciting! It's so much fun to see baby girl! The doctor tried to get a good 3D picture of her face but the umbilical cord was in the way so hopefully next time we can get a good one, but we did get some good profile pictures this time! 

Slightly different angles

How far along: 23 weeks! 

Gender: Girl! 

Name: Any guesses? Hehehe 

Weight gain: Right around 10 pounds I think if I'm converting from kilos to pounds properly 

Maternity clothes: Yes, and lots of leggings 

Stretch marks: Nope

Belly button in or out: In 

Rings on or off: Off right now because they are making my finger all itchy and red :( 

Sleep: Depends on the night. 

Best moment this week: Seeing the baby at my doctors appointment today! 

Worst moment this week: Sitting around at the doctors for over 2 hours today, and having my blood taken 3 times, for my glucose test. Hopefully it went well! I'll know it was okay as long as I don't get a call from the doctor tonight or tomorrow. Fingers crossed. 

Miss anything: Some yummy drinks.

Movement: Yes! Several times a day! It's starting to develop a pattern I think. 

Cravings: Nothing in particular. 

Aversions: None right now, Yay!

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: The long weekend ahead!