28 Weeks

Sunday, July 29, 2012

The third trimester has arrived! I can't even believe it. Thankfully, we have a few more weekends like this one, where we can just relax and go at our own pace, before the craziness begins in the middle of August.

How far along? 
28 weeks.
Total weight gain? 23-25 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Absolutely!
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I'm not taking the sleeping for granted, and am looking at the "don't" as practice! I did break down and buy a maternity pillow, which now that I'm used to it I think will help a lot.  
Best moment this week? Having lots of time at home with the hubs, and no extra events after work, or on the weekend! Sometimes, we're kind of hermits, and I'm totally ok with that!
Miss anything? Not really. 
Movement? Constantly! She is a wiggle worm. In her last ultrasound her feet were at her face. Maybe she's practicing her yoga moves!?
Food cravings? It differs all of the time. Nothing too consistently. 
Anything making you queasy or sick? No.
Labor signs? No.
Symptoms? None really. I feel very lucky that things have gone quite smoothly. 
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? Half on. The engagement ring is resting peacefully in my jewelry box. With the heat and humidity lately, it's just not happening!
Happy or moody most of the time? When I'm not tired, I'm very happy :)
Looking forward to? First, our 28 week appointment on Wednesday! I'm also excited for a girls dinner on Thursday when Maureen is in town. It's sure to be a great week.

All of Noelle's nursery furniture has arrived and, like all of her other things, is packed up waiting to move at the end of the month. I'm starting to get antsy about the move. I think it's more that I just want it to be over and done with. The piles of boxes in my dining room is starting to get to me. To be in the new place, unpacking, and getting organized will be a relief. Then we'll really get to start preparing for our little girl to be here!


Strawberry Pudding Parfait

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Two weeks ago when my mother-in-law was in town, she, Dave and I went to dinner, and shared a delicious strawberry shortcake. Well, this week I got a craving for that same dessert, but the hubs wasn't such a fan of the actual shortcake part. So, I decided to come up with something that he could enjoy too. 

I didn't use a recipe, or look around online, I just thought about how I could transform a dessert that I loved, into something that he would enjoy too. 

Here it is, my Strawberry Pudding Parfait!
strawberries cut into bite sized pieces, stir in sugar to taste
one box of vanilla instant pudding (chill before making parfait)
heavy whipping cream whipped into stiff peaks, blend in sugar to taste
layer in your serving dish

There could be some variation with this recipe. I've seen strawberries flavored with orange zest, and you could sweeten your whipped cream with vanilla, too. I decided to keep it more basic this time, but might mix it up the next time around.

Enjoy!

Wednesday Wisdom

Noelle's Nursery Preview

Monday, July 23, 2012

I'm so excited that Noelle's nursery is "coming together." I use that phrase lightly because until we move, all of her things are in boxes.  I can't wait until we move, get to unpack, and really set up her room. Boxes are piled in our dining room labeled "Noelle's Room - Downstairs" and for the next month I just get to daydream about setting everything up!


Clockwise from top left: clock, mobile, crib, birdie pillow, bedding, chair, dresser.
Hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

In other news, if this heat continues, there's no way I'll be wearing my engagement ring much longer. The wedding band, thankfully, is still fitting perfectly!

Have a great week, all :)

26 Weeks

Sunday, July 15, 2012

This week was pretty good! Nothing to major going on, but it's nice to have relaxing time at home.

On Monday we had a "parents-to-be" dinner with friends who are having a baby next month. They're also having a girl. It's nice to have friends who are going through the same things as we are, at the same time, and that hopefully the little ladies will grow up to be great friends!

Yesterday, we had a very nice shower at Maggiano's with the hubs' side of the family. Everything was great - food, friends, and everyone's generosity. Baby girl got lots of nice gifts, and is already so loved. We came home afterwords, and I got to really look at everything. Unfortunately, with the move next month, I've already had to pack things into boxes. I can't wait until we're in our new place and I can unpack everything!

How far along? 26 weeks.
Total weight gain? 20 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Pants and dresses. I love that the style of tops "these days" allows me to keep wearing many of my pre-pregnancy shirts!
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep? Eh. It is what it is I've decided, and am just looking at it as practice for when Noelle is here, and keeping me up most of the time. 
Best moment this week? Yesterday's shower with the Silverman "side," and getting Noelle's nursery furniture ordered.
Miss anything? Not really. 
Movement? Yes, lots of kicks and wiggling!
Food cravings? Lemonade and ice cream. Not together. 
Anything making you queasy or sick? No.
Labor signs? No.
Symptoms? Small headaches here and there.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy, especially now that the temperatures have cooled down a bit, and it's bearable to commute to work on public transportation. 
Looking forward to? Several weekends without plans which means a lot of time to relax. Also for continuing to pack and get organized for our move in August. 

Here are some pictures from the shower that I wanted to share. 

Bette and me
Dave, Pam (look in the mirror!), me and Kate
The whole group
It was a really great week, and I think things will be starting to move pretty quickly the next few months. I'll do my best to post more often. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

24 Weeks

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th of July, friends!

Baby Noelle is doing great, growing and moving a lot. We had our glucose test this week, and should find out the results soon. I'm not really concerned, but we'll see what the doctor says. The test wasn't that bad either, I was pleasantly surprised, actually. Everyone had hyped it up to be this big bad thing, and it was alright. I don't really mind orange soda, which is what the drink tasted like (except flat). The worst part was all of the blood draws because I have small veins that roll and they always have a hard time finding them. Luckily I had a great nurse who was able to find a good vein quickly.

How far along? 24 weeks.
Total weight gain? 15-18 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Pants and dresses. 
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep? Mostly good. Still toss and turn quite a bit, but it's becoming easier to fall back asleep. 
Best moment this week? Today! The 4th of July! A day off, and time with family = perfect!
Miss anything? Not really. 
Movement? Yes, lots of kicks and wiggling!
Food cravings? Nothing in particular. 
Anything making you queasy or sick? No.
Labor signs? No.
Symptoms? Small headaches here and there.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy and less stressed now that our apartment search is over! We found a new home for our little family yesterday!
Looking forward to? This short week, today off, and of course, as always, the weekend! 

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable day, week, and weekend. Hopefully you all are able to take some time off to spend time with family, and carrying out any traditions that you have. We'll be spending time with family in the suburbs, and it's sure to be a great time!!