35 Week Bumpdate

Today I am 35 weeks and 4 days. 

My doctor appointment went great!  I have been pretty uncomfortable lately with my hips hurting and not sleeping well so was very anxious for my doctor appointment today to see if there are any changes down south ha.  Thankfully I am already dilating,  about a half centimeter so the doctor said it's definitely likely that I could deliver a week or two early.  Woo! Obviously I want to wait until Gemma is ready and everything but this time around I'm just over it. 

Elsie and Bump with Santa last weekend! 

How big is baby:

Doctor says almost 6 pounds and about 19 inches, but I am skeptical. He had measured Elsie being over 7 pounds and she came out at 6 pounds 2 oz. He thinks that Gemma might be bigger. 

Maternity Clothes:

yes! and mostly leggings or sweatpants haha

Weight:

Right around 20 pounds! I'm pretty proud of this considering at this point with Elsie I was about 10 pounds heavier. 

Movement:

She moves a lot but it's not as dramatic as before since she's running out of room. 

Stretch marks: 

Nope

Belly button in or out: 

In, but getting pretty flat. 

Food Cravings:

Desserts for sure! 

Symptoms:

Sore pelvis and hips. Not sleeping well anymore either. 

What do I miss:

Sleeping well. Being able to walk around as much as I want without feeling like I'm 85. 

What am I looking forward to:

Christmas! Elsie opening her presents and then taking down all of the Christmas stuff the day after Christmas haha. I'm ready to get the house in order for Gemma's arrival. 

Elsie's Daily Routine (21 Months)

Here is Elsie's daily routine on a typical day when we are at home or just run out for a little bit at a time. This is mostly for me to look back on but maybe some of you might find it interesting.

7:00-8:00 Wake up, drink 6 oz milk

8:00-8:30 Eat breakfast, oatmeal or waffles with fruit typically

I usually let her watch some Elmo or Daniel Tiger until about 9:00

9:00 Free play, listen to music, get dressed (if we have errands to run this is when we go do that also, before lunch)

10:00 Snack (sometimes we skip this snack if she ate a lot of breakfast)

11:00-12:00 Eat lunch (she always gets water with her meals)

After lunch she usually watches a show or plays for another 30 minutes to an hour before nap time

12:00-13:00 until 14:00- 15:00 Nap time. If we are at home she usually sleeps close to 2 hours. She doesn't fall asleep if we are out as easily as she used to so we try to nap at home.

I also just take her back to her crib for nap time or she walks herself, set her in, turn on her sound machine and tell her it's nap time. She usually doesn't fuss too much and will play in her crib with Elmo or a book until she's ready to fall asleep.

14:30-15:00 Wake up and have a snack

15:00-17:00 I try to keep the TV off and put music on for her to listen to while she plays. Sometimes I result to putting the TV on while I make dinner if she isn't playing well.

17:00-18:00 Eat dinner (While at the table, she sits in a regular chair and has for awhile now)

18:00-18:30 Take a bath and then drink milk, usually around 6-8 oz depending on how much dairy she's had during the day

18:30-19:30 Play or watch a show, wind down for bed time

19:30 Bedtime

She does really well if we have something going on and she needs to stay up later than 19;30 but if we are just at home this is usually when she goes to bed. For months now, when I tell her it's time to go night-night she will get her Elmo and walk herself back to her room to go to bed. I set her in her crib and read her two books which she gets to have in her crib with her, and put on her sound machine. She usually blows me a kiss goodnight. Sometimes, once I close the door, she gets mad for a minute or two and whines (doesn't typically actually cry) but then she looks at her books in her crib until she falls asleep. Usually, she is out within 5-20 minutes. She sleeps through the night until morning.

32 Week Bumpdate!

32 Weeks Today!

How big is baby:

The size of a squash or something that is about 3.5 pounds. Doctor said she weighs around that and is 16.5 inches. A little on the smaller side of average but Elsie was only 6lbs 2oz so I don't expect Gemma to be any bigger than that.

Maternity Clothes:

yes!

Weight:

Around 15-16 pounds. I haven't gained really any weight the past couple of months but I think it's mostly because anytime I did gain weight I got sick and lost it. I've had a horrible immune system this pregnancy. But doctor says my weight gain is fine because Gemma is growing healthily. 

Movement:

So much movement! My whole stomach moves when she does. 

Stretch marks: 

Nope

Belly button in or out: 

In, but getting pretty flat. 

Food Cravings:

Desserts for sure! 

Symptoms:

Sore pelvis. Some mild heartburn which I didn't really have last pregnancy and is definitely no fun. And gas pains, sorry if that's tmi but it is the realily of pregnancy haha. 

What do I miss:

Sleeping well. Being able to walk around as much as I want without feeling like I'm 85. 

Best moment of the week:

Getting to see our baby girl! We got so many good pictures again! She apparently loves to get her picture taken.

What am I looking forward to:

Christmas! And getting closer and closer to Gemma's arrival!

27 Week Bumpdate!

27 weeks and 4 days today! Third trimester here we come! Doctor says Gemma looks perfect! 

How big is baby:

The size of a yellow turnip. Doctor says she's about 2.6 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes:

yes!

Weight:

Around 14 pounds which is less than I gained with Elsie at this time

Movement:

So much movement! I feel her move randomly throughout the day. 

Stretch marks: 

Nope

Belly button in or out: 

In 

Food Cravings:

Desserts for sure! Every night almost haha

Symptoms:

Crappy sleep, some left wrist tendinitis or something annoying

What do I miss:

Sleeping well but this is just the beginning ha!

Best moment of the week:

Getting to see our baby girl! We got so many good pictures again!

What am I looking forward to:

Diaper party with Jay's friends in a few weeks and my next appointment of course

Gemma loves to show off her cuteness! I can't get enough of that little face!

Elsie Lately

Elsie is really changing and learning so many things everyday. I swear she says at least one new word a day now, even if I can't get her to repeat it. The days go by so fast and slow at the same time. 

She's always giving me this look!
So glad my friend was able to capture it!

Here are some of the things she does/ has done lately that I want to remember:

One day at lunch, she hugged her cheeseburger and said "aww".

She wants to stand on the window all the time and look for birds while flapping her arms like a chicken.

She's obsessed with animals and their sounds for example the "dow" goes "moo". Lions, tigers, and bears go "rahh!" Sheep and goats go "bah". Cats go "now". 

Also knows her facial features and likes to grab our noses and say "nooo" or poke or eyes and say "eye". Ears are "eee". 

Calls her beloved Elmo toy "Moe" and he goes everywhere with her.  She also likes to put diapers on him and pretend feed him a bottle.

She also does crazy toddler things now like climbing on the dining room table and sitting there with a big grin, and of course coloring on the walls. 

23 Week Bumpdate!

Had my doctors appointment today! I'm 23 weeks 2 days. We got some great 4d pictures and a profile picture of Gemma. She looks a lot like Elsie I think. I go back in 2 weeks. No more waiting 4 weeks between appointments!

How big is baby:

The size of a chinchilla or just over 12 inches long and about 1lb 5oz

Gender:

Girl!

Maternity Clothes:

yes! I feel like I've really popped these past few weeks. 

Weight:

Around 12 lbs I think

Movement:

So much movement! I feel her move randomly throughout the day and she usually moves a ton in the evening. 

Stretch marks: 

Nope

Belly button in or out: 

In 

Food Cravings:

Desserts for sure! Brownies and ice cream. 

Symptoms:

Hip pain when I walk a lot.

What do I miss:

Feeling comfortable in clothes but nothing else really.

Best moment of the week:

Getting to see our baby girl! We got so many good pictures!

What am I looking forward to:

Baby shower this weekend! 

Elsie's 1.5 Year Update

Our little girl is such a big girl these days! 1.5 years old already! 

She's such a sweetie and loves to give hugs but also has a a bit of the toddler rotten-ness. 

She says more words now: No, oh no, hi, bye, dada, mama, meme, dog ("doh'), up ("uh"), ow, hot, all done, moo, meow ("now"), down, and "dat" (for what's that?)

Her favorite things are: Her Elmo doll, coloring book/ crayons/ colored pencils, and watching tv

She started finally eating pb&j and other sandwiches. She still loves chips. She's picky on vegetables but usually will eat broccoli but loves fruit. She started using a spoon to eat oatmeal by herself. She also still gets a sippy of whole milk in the morning and again in the evening (12-16oz).

She's very active and loves to play outside and run, she can really run now, I can't wait until she starts playing in one area and actually knows to stay in that area haha because she usually tries running off. Her favorite is playing in dirt/rocks or climbing the playground equipment. She also has a newfound love for the swing and no longer wants to sit on my lap :( she has to sit by herself now.

19 Week Bumpdate

Went in for my monthly appointment this morning. Baby girl is looking great! She measures average for 19.5 weeks and has all four chambers of her heart and everything else they look for around this time. It's so cool to watch the ultrasounds. They are so detailed!  I go back the end of next month and get to do the lovely sugar test, so it'll be an extra long appointment. I've been eating pretty healthily compared to last pregnancy and I'm not too worried about the test but hopefully it goes well. 

(In this picture I'm 19 weeks 4 days)

How big is baby:

The size of a hedgehog or a mango and measuring right on track with her due date

Gender:

Girl! doctor double checked today

Maternity Clothes:

yes! I feel like I've really popped this past few weeks. 

Weight:

Still around 6 or 7 pounds. Haven't gained any weight the last 4 weeks, which is great! 

Movement:

So much movement! I feel her move randomly throughout the day and she usually moves a ton in the evening. Jay even got to feel her movements on the outside already a few days ago! She's a lot more active than Elsie was. 

Stretch marks: 

Nope

Belly button in or out: 

In 

Food Cravings:

Desserts for sure!

Food Aversions:

None

Symptoms:

 Sore boobs and hip pain when I walk a lot. Sleeping was getting really uncomfortable too but I got out the pregnancy pillow and now sleep is going much better! 

What do I miss:

Feeling comfortable in clothes but nothing else really.

Best moment of the week:

Getting to see our baby girl! 

What am I looking forward to:

Announcing baby girl's name! Finishing her blanket that i am working on, and shopping for some cute clothes for her when my mom comes to visit this month. 

15 Week Bumpdate and Gender Reveal

Let's get right to the good stuff...

My doctor is 99% sure it's a girl. He spent quite awhile double checking just to be sure. 

I'm officially a girl mom! I'm so excited for Elsie to have little sister so close in age. I never had a sibling close in age (only a much older stepsister that didn't live with us) and I really always wanted one so I'm really happy for Elsie and baby girl. 

How big is baby:

The size of an avocado or a yellow canary and measuring right on track with her due date

Gender:

Girl!!

Maternity Clothes:

Yep I've pretty much given up on regular jeans, I can do the hair tie trick but it's not comfortable for long

Weight:

I'm 6 pounds up from my pre-pregnancy weight

Movement:

None yet that I'm sure of, I've thought I felt something a couple of times but it's so hard to tell

Stretch marks: 

Nope

Belly button in or out: 

In 

Food Cravings:

Desserts for sure! Mostly brownies or ice cream. I also like Subways tuna fish subs which is a little weird for me. 

Food Aversions:

None

Symptoms:

 Sore boobs and some mild back/hip pain. 

What do I miss:

Feeling comfortable in clothes but nothing else really.

Best moment of the week:

Getting to see our baby girl! 

What am I looking forward to:

Picking out a name!

Last but not least, the bump! It's actually a bump now! This pregnancy is flying by!

12 Week Bumpdate

Today I am actually 12 weeks 4 days (picture taken yesterday). I think there is a little bump forming already!

I just had my doctors appointment. Baby is doing great!  He/she was wiggling around in there.  It is crazy how much bigger the baby gets in 4 weeks! I go back in 3 weeks this time just because they aren't open the week after for a holiday.  Doctor said if the baby cooperates then we may be able to find out the sex next time! We found out around 16 weeks with Elsie so fingers crossed. 

How big is baby:

The size of a hampster

Maternity Clothes:

I did get a pair of maternity shorts this week.  I still fit in my pants but they get really uncomfortable really fast

Weight:

I actually haven't gained anything. The nurse congratulated me haha.

Movement:

None yet

Food Cravings:

Desserts for sure! Mostly brownies or cake. Gelato. All that yummy stuff!

Food Aversions:

None this time. I had pretty severe food aversions with Elsie and couldn't eat or even think about meat. Not with this baby, thankfully!

Gender:

Hopefully we will know in 3 weeks!

Symptoms:

 Sore boobs, and still chewing gum between meals to avoid gross tastes in my mouth. No more nausea though!  And my energy is coming back! 

What do I miss:

Nothing really.  Maybe a bit more energy. 

Best moment of the week:

Getting to see baby!

What am I looking forward to:

Seeing our baby again in 3 weeks and finding out the sex. Showing a bit more so I don't look like I just ate too many desserts haha

Milestones:

I don't know if this is a milestone but I already have to start taking iron supplements. I took them with Elsie but not until later on. No big deal though. 

Elsie's 16 Month Update

Our girl is 16 months!

Elsie has 13 teeth

She says: mama, dada, oh yeah, all done, no, ya, baby, ow, and dog

She eats pretty much anything these days. She's really loving fruit right now!

She's a very silly, giggly little girl.

Big News!

We are having another baby! 

The due date is January 22nd.

I'm currently 9 weeks +1 day.

I haven't had terrible morning sickness but  have had a considerable amount of nausea the past few weeks. No food aversions like I had with Elsie though! Having a toddler makes it so much harder to deal with.  The first trimester fatigue has really kicked my butt. Thank god for nap time!

I've had two doctor appointments already! Both went really well.  Both times baby had a visible heart beat and last week I got to see the baby wiggle a bit. I go back at 12.5 weeks.

It is a bit early.  Just like with Elsie we found out right away.  We've known since about 4 weeks. However, it is a really hard secret to keep and has been increasingly hard to hide from friends here. Being away from family, we didn't want everyone here to find out before family did so.. we decided to announce. Praying everything keeps going well!

Elsie and baby will be about 22 or 23 months apart depending. We are really excited to have two babies close together!  Can't wait to find out in a couple months if Elsie will have a baby sister or brother! 

14 Month Update!

Elsie is 14 months!

Some of her favorite things are:

-Her Elmo toy and magnets

-Saying "No!" to everything

-Walking! She still needs something or someone to touch to stand up but once she's up she's on the go!

-Kix cereal, ice cream cones (just the cone, no ice cream), and bananas


She brings me shoes to put on after she tries to put them on herself and also brushes her hair.

She blows kisses!

She is drinking approximately sixteen ounces of whole milk a day split in to 3 sippy cups. She does not have a preference for any certain type of sippy cup. She also eats 3 meals and at least 2 snacks a day but would prefer to constantly eat if I let her. She knows where the snacks are and will try to get in that cabinet if she's hungry.

She no longer wants to be carried or in the stroller she'd much rather walk everywhere.

Sometimes she takes 2 naps a day if we have been busy but she does fine with 1 nap a day also.

She almost has 10 teeth since her 2 bottom molars are almost all the way in.

Our little girl is definitely a toddler now!

Elsie at 13 Months

I couldn't decide whether or not to keep up with monthly updates but Elsie has learned so many things in the last month that I couldn't help but document it.

This month she:

Learned how to walk. After weeks of taking only 2 or 3 steps, this last week she really started going.

Started using some baby signs!  I've been modeling them for months! I was beside myself when she whipped out the sign for "more" and the sign for "milk" (which she uses for any drink).

Started clapping when she's excited, doing the "roll it" motion in the pat-a-cake song, and waving bye bye (when she feels like it). She even blew a kiss to her Meme on video chat haha.

Can climb up stairs, which she does at the playground to go down the slide.

Says: dada, mama, dog, hi, bye, and baby

Elsie turns 1!

My baby is 1 year old now!

It's a very bittersweet milestone.

We love her so much! It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since she was born!

She had her one year checkup on Monday and weighs 24 pounds and is almost 30 inches tall. Girl loves to eat!

We had her birthday party on Saturday.  Elmo themed of course!

We had a yummy chicken burrito bowl bar and nachos. 

The Birthday Girl!

It took her a minute and some help from daddy to figure out what the cupcake was for but then she LOVED it! So much mess but so worth it!

We were so happy to have so many friends and her Meme (grandma) here for her birthday!