Easter with Baby Blair

This Easter was a special one for us this year. I loved having our little one sort-of in the picture with us. The light was pretty icky, but we managed to get a few photos! Little lady sure is making my tummy big and uncomfortable, but we love her anyway. :) It's also great to have my sister around too! I'm not sure how we ever managed around here without her. (Don't ask me what I'll do when she graduates and leaves!) Anyway, here are some photos. Jonathan has had to get used to our photo-taking tradition, but he's a good sport.

And yes, we did all plan to match. We're cheesy like that. :)

23 & 24 week update

Our little girl is a whopping pound and a half...or close to it these days! I can't believe she's getting so big. We still have a ways to go though! People are starting to notice my bump more, so that is fun! I've been able to tell for a very long time, but it's finally more round and popping out! I can't believe 6 months have already gone by! We cannot wait until she gets here! 

How big is baby: The size of an ear of corn | 24 Weeks 4 days

How I'm feeling: It's been another great 2 weeks. I'm a little tired after traveling quite a bit, but it's not a whole lot more than usual. I feel pretty huge these days, but I'm great other than that! :)

Weight gain/loss: 11 lbs. Still doing about 1 lb. per week. I guess that's pretty on track.

Maternity clothes: Not really. Dresses are what I live in these days. I did pick up a pair of maternity shorts from GAP, but they don't fit well. They are super baggy, but at least I have something that I can throw on to go to the store when its a million degrees outside. All my other things that fit are on the dressy side.

Stretch marks: Nope!

Sleep: Sleep is great these days. I haven't even woken up at all during the night...and I usually drink at least a glass or two of water before bed, so that seems pretty good to me!

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I'm not having any cravings still. I do love super cold drinks, almost frozen chocolate milk and things like that. I had my glucose screening test Monday morning and was one point away from passing. I didn't really remember that I had it and treated myself to my favorite ice-cream places while I was traveling...for 3 nights in a row. It just so happened that those were the 3 nights before my test. Now I have to do the 3 hour glucose test. Bleh. Oh well. I'm hoping everything is ok for that one next week. 

Movement: Goodness! I definitely feel her move all the time! It's actually starting to get uncomfortable now. You can see her kicking and moving around when she's closer to the outside of my belly. I can also feel when she kicks whatever is in the opposite direction. It was so hard the other day that it was keeping me from falling asleep. I can only image what it will be like when she gets bigger! Eek! 

What I'm loving: I still love feeling her move, at least when it doesn't hurt. It's been fun to pick up a few more things for her little room. Pottery Barn Baby had the sweetest collection in her nursery color when I went the other day. I was so excited because I've been looking for the past month for sheets and such. It's coming along and it's so exciting! I cannot wait to get her furniture in her room so I can really do some decorating! :)

Symptoms: Nothing much. I haven't even had much back pain! (Knock on wood!) It's so nice to feel good these days!

Exercise: I did a lot better last week. I was back to running/walking and barre workouts. This week I traveled a lot more, so I haven't done quite as much. I'm still feeling strong, but I still want to try to work in some more strength exercises. 

What I'm looking forward to: I can't wait to make it to the last trimester. We're only a little over 3 weeks away! Crazy! We will actually have a big house warming party and cookout the day I hit 27 weeks! I didn't think about that until today. It will be like we're celebrating that too! :) A sweet friend of mine just found out she's pregnant as well. I'm looking forward to being on this journey together. It makes it easier when you're not alone in your boat!

Best moment of the week: I can't say there's one. It felt really great to do 2 consecutive shoots and still feel fine! The worst was locking my keys in my car at dusk (my first time) and not passing the glucose test. Oh well.

Mood: Pretty good I guess! I've had a lot going on lately, so that's been kind of draining. However, we're planning a mini staycation VERY soon. I'm sure that will bring the refreshment both of us need! Honestly, I've felt like being a recluse in our little house. Oddly enough I just want to clean and organize too. Maybe its because we love it here or we just really need some time off. I guess it could be that "nesting" thing people talk about too. 

Little Jen or Little Jonathan?

I love thinking about what our little girl is going to look like when she arrives. I found a few old photos the other day and couldn't help but put them together. Jonathan and I definitely didn't look anything like each other as kids, so I'm very curious as to who she's favor more. Curly or straight hair? Brown or blue eyes? We'll find out in 17 1/2 weeks or less! I hope at least one of our babies (if we are blessed with more) has Jonathan's curly locks. He and his sister have the best hair! One thing is for sure, our little girl is lucky to have my man's genes. By his half alone, she's sure to come out cute! We can't wait!

21 & 22 week update

Sorry for the strange coloring in this photo. I need to find a better room in our new house for these photos! Speaking of the new house, we are all moved and settled in! That's part of the reason I missed last week. We are so very happy to be in our new home. It is so beautiful and we feel so blessed! Little lady has grown a lot in the past 2 weeks as well. She now weighs a whole pound! I can tell she's bigger when she rolls around and kicks me. We can see her kicking and not just feel it now. It's such a strange and wonderful feeling.

How big is baby: The size of a spaghetti squash | 22 Weeks 5 days

How I'm feeling: I'm feeling great again this week. I was VERY tired last week, but I probably overdid things with packing and moving. I don't like not having my full energy. I'm not so great at taking breaks or relaxing, but I'm trying to get better at it. My back hurt quite a bit while painting and packing, but I feel like that's expected. It's much better now!

Weight gain/loss: 9 lbs. One pound a week doesn't seem so bad considering all I ate during the move! 

Maternity clothes: I'm finding that maternity clothes make me look HUGE compared to my normal ones. The only thing that works are my maternity pants. ( I think it's partially because they're really well-made.) Dresses are my friends. :)

Stretch marks: Nope!

Sleep: I'm still sleeping pretty well. Now that my tummy is bigger I wake up a time or two when I change sides. I don't feel like I need quite as much sleep as a few weeks ago, so that's nice.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I still don't have any cravings...food sounds good all the time in general. I didn't do so great with eating healthy these past 2 weeks. It's a lot harder to make nutritious meals when your whole kitchen is packed away in boxes. Let's just say I ate a lot of Chick-fil-a. ;) I can definitely tell a difference in how I feel when I eat things that are healthy and when I don't. Now that the move is done, I'm back on the nutritious band wagon. Greek spinach salads are my current favorite...olives, artichoke hearts, hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers, and some mozzarella. It's so yum!

Movement: Little girl moves ALL THE TIME. I read that she's only supposed to be awake for 6 hours a day, but it seems like more than that to me. She is kicking, punching and rolling around a lot more these days.

What I'm loving: I love being in our new house! It makes me so happy to think about how we'll be bringing our little one home here and raising a family. I walk in every room and imagine her in it. We can't wait until she's born!

Symptoms: Nothing really! I'm just bigger and hungrier! :)

Exercise: I tried to take thing pretty easy last week during the bulk of our packing, moving and painting. I knew I was already expending plenty of energy, so a brisk walk here and there was about all I managed. I'm back to running and barre again this week though. I'll take working out over painting or moving any day! 

What I'm looking forward to: FINALLY setting up the nursery. Jonathan says we should wait to buy anything much until after a few showers. We honestly need the gift cards, but I'm so impatient! We HAVE to buy a new car though. It's the tippy top of the list. All she has right now is curtains because I found them for a steal of a deal. Our little one could sleep in her basinet for a while, but that might kill me. I'm just praying that the Lord will provide for us and work things out. He has already blessed us so tremendously with this place, it's almost hart to ask for more! I've never felt like my cup has run over so much in my life. His grace is so rich. It brings me to tears to think about it all! We still have so many desires and things we are hurting over, but He has given all we need. We feel and see His hand of provision everywhere.

Best moment of the week: Moving into our new home! 

Mood: Overwhelmed with joy! 

20 week update

HALF WAY!!!! I can't believe we're over half way to meeting our little miss. It still doesn't seem real that it won't be just the two of us pretty soon. I know the next four months are going to fly by so quickly! We've got lots to do before we're ready for her entrance into the world. People are asking what kind of things we want and I still have no clue. I'll take any recommendations from you other mamas! 

How big is baby: The size of a mango | 20 Weeks 5 days

How I'm feeling: I've had another good week for the most part. A little back pain has started, but I can't really complain. I'm feeling a lot "bigger" these days! There's no hiding my bump now...although other people still say they can't tell. I think that's partially because I'm tall. Baby has a lot of torso before she needs to push out. I've also been more tired lately. On Sunday I took a 4 hour nap and was still ready for bed at 9 pm! I'm trying to rest when my body tells me I need it. I feel bad sometimes when Jonathan is getting a lot less sleep than I am, but hey, he's not the one making the baby! 

Weight gain/loss: 7 lbs. It seems like I'm definitely gaining now. Judging by my bump, little lady seems to be getting bigger. It feels strange to step on the scale and watch it go up, up, up. It's all for a good cause though. ;) Some people predict I'll be small the whole way, but I know I could also start gaining like crazy and be gigantic by the end. We will see I guess. I'm trying to learn to be ok with whatever my body needs to do for this little one! I've started saying, " Babe I feel huuuuge!" to Jonathan. He always responds with a quote from Madagascar when the boy hippo says to the girl hippo, "Girl...you HUGE!" Then he tells me it's just my tummy that's bigger. Good man, good man.

Maternity clothes: I pulled out my maternity pants again, but I have to wear the belly band thing with it or they won't stay up. They sure are comfy though! 

Stretch marks: Nope!

Sleep: I've been so much more tired this week. My body must be taking all my energy for making our little one. Some days I'm great and others I can't seem to wake up! 

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Boy have I been ravenous! It's been a little harder to eat healthy this week since we're packing up our whole house. All that work just doesn't make me want to cook much. However, baby doesn't seem to like greasy foods at all. I had some frozen pizza this week, with lots of added veggies even, but it didn't sit so great. 

Movement: Ah, feeling her move is the best thing ever. There were a couple days when I didn't feel her as much, but she was so active last night. I ate (a lot) of strawberries before bed and she must have liked them...or the sugar. She must have been practicing for gymnastics in there! She was moving for a solid 30 minutes or longer. It's still a lot easier for me to feel her than Jonathan. I guess when she moves and kicks I can feel it from the inside too.

What I'm loving: It's been so fun to pick up more things for baby girl's room. I found her curtains on sale the other day and I think I've discovered a great deal on a nice gliding chair! I love this part! 

Symptoms: Nothing that staying away from fries and  pizza can't fix. It's also getting harder to be comfortable in bed and on the couch. I'm trying to savor it now, because I know I'll be even more uncomfortable later. 

Exercise: I'm really loving (and hating) my barre workouts. I can still run fine, but I can't go for nearly as long without a bathroom break. Something about running or walking makes that worse. I probably need new workout clothes that don't press on my bladder. Anyway, the barre workout is great and I can tell a difference in my muscle tone, even if no one else can see a difference! 

What I'm looking forward to: Finally getting moved! Our house is chaos right now. I'm glad April won't be too crazy with work so that I can organize for my sanity.

Best moment of the week: Feeling our little lady move and thinking about how she'll be here in less than 20 weeks!

Mood: Nothing but happy and excited this week! It's a little disheartening when I can't get as much done as I'd like, but I'm learning to be ok with that. 

Finding out...

"It wouldn't be so bad if we had a baby this year..." he said. January of 2013 rolled around and we started to feel more "settled" with where we were in life. A few months prior we had finally moved out of our tiny little newly-wed apartment and into a house. We were ok with the fact that we might stay in our little town for a while. Maybe it was that fact or the prospect of a new job opening up that made Jonathan say those words that night. The truth is that I'd been wanting a little one ever since we got married. I think it's just part of being a woman. Of course, I was only 21 when we said "I do" and definitely not really wanting to embark on that journey quite yet. But that didn't mean that I didn't hope for it sometimes. After that night we didn't necessarily try to get pregnant, but we definitely weren't careful about making sure we didn't. We wanted to be content with whatever God's timing might be for us.

Fast forward to November. I was a mess. After several months of being late or not having my period at all, my heart was discouraged. It takes a toll emotionally to hope for something that doesn't come. It was always sad, yet somewhat of a relief to get a negative answer. I stopped wanting to even think about it. Through October and November I was almost certain that it wasn't going to happen. I couldn't have been more wrong.

After coming home from visiting my family over Thanksgiving, I seemed to be unusually emotional. I even cried once. If you know me at all, you know I don't ever cry. If I do, something is very wrong or I feel wounded in some way. I didn't think that being pregnant was possible, but after being 2 weeks late I decided that I should pick up some tests to confirm what I already knew for peace of mind. Thus I was shocked to see a very faint second line on the test. Then I really cried! It only lasted a few minutes because I didn't want to get my hopes up for nothing. I figured I should wait and retake the test in the morning to be sure. Needless to say, I barely slept at all that night. It was hard to keep the secret but I wanted to be absolutely certain before telling Jonathan.

The next morning I waited until after Jonathan went to work and immediately took another test. There was no denying it this time. Two bright prink lines stared back at me, confirming what I thought to be impossible. I was shocked, overwhelmed and overjoyed. I literally couldn't sit down for 30 minutes. I'm pretty sure I danced around the house with my hands on my stomach. All I could do was thank God for the miracle that He had given us.

After somewhat composing myself, I rushed over to Target to find some creative way to tell Jonathan. All I could think of was to call and see if he wanted to come home for lunch. I found a "congratulations on becoming a dad" card and some little white baby socks. I put them in a Christmas bag and figured I'd say it was an early Christmas present. He came home, I made tomato sandwiches and then we sat down on the couch. I told him to open the card first. I was so nervous, and I'm pretty sure I was shaking. I'll never forget is face when he looked up at me and said, "Is this for real?" Yep, it was for real! The only other time I had seen that kind of joy on his face was on our wedding day. We sat there, hugging in silence for a little while and just soaked in the moment. Neither of us say much when we feel big things, but we can look at each other and just know. It's like time pauses for us for a little while. Of course, I told him on the busiest day of his work week - Wednesday. He said it was a little hard to get anything done after that! I know I didn't get any work done...or if I did it wasn't much! I was brainstorming how to tell our families for a good bit of the afternoon. (I'll have to put that in a separate post though, because this is getting way too long!)

Our first ultrasound was a few weeks later. She looked like just a little peanut then, but she was our little peanut. We didn't know she was a girl yet, but we loved our little one so much already. Thankfulness overwhelmed us. Wednesday, November 28th will always be a day we remember. It's the day we found out our little family of two had become three.

19 week update

It seems surreal that we are a 3 days shy of being half way to meeting our little miss! We had our big half-way ultrasound on Monday and I was shocked to see how much she's grown in less than 4 weeks. It seemed like she doubled in size, and apparently she'll double in size again in the next few weeks! They did say that she's behind for "normal" growth by about 4-5 days, but that some babies are small and other are big. They estimate that she will be on the smaller side because of my frame, but you never really know. She's certainly an active one though! She moved around for us all during the ultrasound. We saw the details of her sweet little feet kicking, her hands by her mouth and that little heart pumping away. I thought her nose looked small and a little pointy like mine. We saw a little of her in 3D but you couldn't make much out to me. I still can't believe that she will be coming home with us. It's hard to imagine that little one being in my arms. I feel too young for that still! I've always wanted this "one day" but never dreamed about actually holding my own little one. As strange as it may sounds, she doesn't feel like ours quite yet. I hope the Lord prepares my heart for motherhood because I can't really wrap my mind around it all.

Also, does it look like the bump is smaller than last week? I thought it "popped" and would stay, but apparently it still comes and goes. I also don't like wearing tight outfits, so the change from week to week probably isn't as noticeable. I never have shown off my silhouette so why start now right? I'm sorry to disappoint if you were hoping for that. I feel like i'm doing really well just to keep up with these entries every week!

How big is baby: The size of an heirloom tomato | 19 Weeks 4 days

How I'm feeling: I have felt wonderful this week. I must have entered the "honeymoon" phase. I'm glad of that fact because I need to pack up the whole house this week! We move in a week and a half! 

Weight gain/loss: 5 lbs. I feel huge but no one seems to think that but me. I never wore my waist belts so high, so I'm not sure if I'm bigger there or not. They've definitely moved a notch or two! My doctor assures me I'll be gaining plenty more these next few weeks. Baby girl is growing on track, so I'm not worried. Besides, like I said, I already feel enormous. 

Maternity clothes: Only this dress! You wouldn't think its maternity though, and it actually makes my bump look smaller than other non-maternity outfits! Strange!

Stretch marks: None still!

Sleep: Sleep feels like the most wonderful thing in the world. Since I feel like I need so much, I should probably go to bed a lot earlier...

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Food is still marvelous this week. Sunday I had a burger for lunch and pizza and ice cream for dinner. That didn't make me feel so great, but I never does. They say the baby will start tasting whatever I'm eating, so I want to make sure it's good, healthy food for the most part. 

Movement: Little girl is moving on a daily basis now. She is most active at night (that I'm aware of at least) just before I go to bed. It's easier to feel her when I lay down too. 

What I'm loving: I love feeling more pregnant these days! Sure, it's really strange when I look in the mirror but I love it nonetheless. It feels amazing knowing our little one is growing inside me. It feels so much more real now that I can feel her move and see my growing bump.

Symptoms: A few back aches here and there, but that's about it.

Exercise: I've done ok with exercise this week. I'm still running a few times a week and try to walk for 20 minutes if I can't fit anything else in, except for Sundays. I've only done the barre workout once, but I need to get back to that. I love walking in this glorious weather we've been having, but I have a harder time getting motivated to do push-ups and muscle intense movements. Ha! I'm a wimp at heart.

What I'm looking forward to: Moving into our new house and starting the nursery. I've found a few little things here and there. I cannot wait to pull the room design together. It has been a little harder than I thought to find things though. Apparently seafoam and coral aren't the most popular decor colors these days. We may have to make a lot of items, but that will be ok too.

Best moment of the week: Seeing our little girl for our 20 week ultrasound. (See above.)

Mood: Besides getting cranky when I'm tired (that's normal though), I feel so elated. I think I feel emotions with a bit more intensity these days, but it's hard to tell for sure. I'm usually an emotionally steady person, so I hope that doesn't really change much. 

18 week update

How big is baby: The size of a sweet potato | 18 Weeks 5 days

How I'm feeling: It's been another great week. We traveled with some of our youth to a conference and didn't get a whole lot of sleep over the weekend. That made me a little more tired than usual, but that's not much to complain about. I'm feeling more and more exited theses days!

Weight gain/loss: Definitely 5 lbs. I guess the large amounts of food I've been eating has finally caught up with me!

Maternity clothes: None this week! It's been warm enough to pull out my Spring dresses, with the exception of a few days here and there. If it's cold, I just freeze in my Spring dresses because they're comfortable. Ha! Several of my dresses are going to work perfectly for pregnancy. The longer I'm pregnant the more I think I won't be wearing much maternity...at least that's what is looks like right now! We'll see about how true that statement turns out to be when I'm humongous this Summer.

Stretch marks: Nope!

Sleep: I love sleeping. It usually takes me a few hours to really wake up in the morning...even when I do it's very hard to focus. I feel like like a sloth until about 10 am.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I just love food...all kinds. I'm still sticking to a healthy diet as much as I can though. If I make mac-and-cheese, I make sure to have something green and leafy with it. I still haven't had any cravings...besides just wanting food in general. Anything really, really cold seems to appeal to me late at night, but that's about it.

Movement: Yes! Yes! Yes!!! We finally felt our little one moving around for the first time last night. It was so special. It felt like little thumps here and there. She seems to like my left side a lot. I can't wait for more! Before last night we didn't feel anything very definitive.

What I'm loving: I love my little bump! It's finally popping out a bit more, so it makes getting dressed in the morning a lot more fun! :)

Symptoms: Not much except morning sluggishness. 

Exercise: This week has been good! I started my prenatal barre workout again. Boy does it work a lot of muscles! Some people say they are so sore from pushing that they can barely walk the next day after giving birth. I'm trying to be as fit as possible for the big event! :)

What I'm looking forward to: I'm so excited to get to the half-way point in a little over a week! I can't believe how quickly this time is flying by! I'm also looking forward to thinking on names more. Nothing is jumping out to us, so I think we'll take our time. I also think it'd be neat to see her and then name her. Of course, we'll go into delivery with options, but I think it would be so special to name her right after she makes her entrance into the world.

Best moment of the week: It was most certainly when we felt our little girl move last night! I would have been awake all night just soaking it in if she didn't stop being so active after 15 minutes or so! 

Mood: Just more and more excitement! I'm feeling pretty elated these days...and very, very thankful.

Nursery Inspiration | Oceanic Elegance

I'm so excited to have finally dreamed up some inspiration for baby Blair's nursery. Since neither Jonathan or I are very fond of pink hues, it was a little hard to think of something that would be suitable for a little baby girl's room. We definitely don't want to go overboard, but create a look that will transition well as she grows and will be easy to chance if we have more kids. I wanted to find something elegant, classic, clean and cheery as well. Figuring out which idea would be pretty easy and not too expensive either was also a challenge. After a few weeks of brainstorming, we finally settled on this inspiration.

I couldn't be more excited about her little nursery now. I'm not exactly sure what to call this moodboard, but I know the room will be mostly white on white with touches of seafoam and pale coral throughout. I hope to add hints of sea related decor but nothing too much. I'm pulling lots of inspiration from the Grecian coast, where you can find beautiful whitewashed limestone buildings everywhere. I already have quite a few things in a seafoam hue, and I'll shop around for the best deals on the rest! I think it may become my favorite room in our new house! I hope it will be a very calm and serene place for our little family.

After quite a while of feeling icky, I'm so glad to be able to prepare something sweet and exciting for our little one. I wake up everyday so thankful for her little life. One reason I love the ocean is because of it's vastness, depth and mystery. I cannot wait to be in this little room with my tiny little girl and teach her about the God who made it all. It is such a monumental privilege to help her see, that like the ocean, God is vast, deep and mysterious, but also immeasurably more than we can imagine. This I know: God has created her for a purpose. I'm honored to play a part in her story and watch it's beginnings unfold in this little room we're creating for her.

17 week update

How big is baby: The size of an onion | 17 Weeks 6 days

How I'm feeling: I have been feeling so wonderful this week. I had a few very bad days last week, so I'm incredibly thankful to be feeling like myself for a while! 

Weight gain/loss: 3-5 lbs? I still can't really see a difference there yet...not that I'm complaining. My clothes still fit, so I count that as a blessing.

Maternity clothes: I wore my maternity jeans again this week to a shoot but they kept falling down every minute or so! It was super annoying so I doubt I'll be wearing them much until I really need them. Tops are a different story. I know I think way too much about what to wear these days, but finding flattering outfits feels so awkward. I guess I don't like to draw attention to my tiny little bump. I love flowy things these days. My sweet friend Ashley was so kind to let me borrow a few blouses (I didn't have any) for a while!

Stretch marks: Nope!

Sleep: Sleep is bliss. I could sleep all day.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I have been able to eat anything the past couple of days. I still prefer healthy items over fried and fatty things, but that doesn't mean I haven't indulged some. Let's just say that a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory and a big, juicy cheeseburger with bacon found their way onto my plate somehow...

Movement: Not really, but I can't wait!

What I'm loving: It's been so fun to plan baby girl's nursery this week. I picked up a few things and chose the color scheme. I think it may become my favorite room in the house!

Symptoms: Nothing new these days. My bump still comes and goes quite a bit. Sometimes I don't even look pregnant at all. Then other days I feel huge. 

Exercise: I haven't been to great about working out this week. Today was the first time I went for a run in at least 6 days. Although, I've been working and traveling a lot. I know I've been able to get some just because my job is pretty physical, but not a lot.

What I'm looking forward to: Moving into our new house so we can start setting things up! Baby girl has been getting some clothes this week, so we kind of need her closet soon. :)

Best moment of the week: I loved purchasing baby girl's first outfit this week. It's so precious!

Mood: I've felt so much excitement this week. I guess it has finally sunk in that we're having a little girl! Thinking about things for when she arrives has become more real...thus, the excitement!