Week 19 ramblings :)

It's week 19! You know what that means? It means that there are only 11 more days until we see Gbaby, and find out if it is a he or she :) I can't wait for an ultrasound - I was really spoiled the first 4 doctor appointments we had, because we got an ultrasound at each one. We haven't had one since early May - I'm getting a little anxious! I know, I know - it's not standard to get them at every appointment - I just WANT one at every appointment!

This was another standard issue week. I talk to my grandparents every Thursday - it's become a habit that I can't (and don't want to) break. I love that when I talk to my Granny, her greeting to me has become "hey little mama". She always wants to hear the details of what's happening. I love that our grandparents get such joy out of hearing the most mundane parts of the pregnancy - their excitement gets ME excited. It's things like that that make it sink in - THIS IS HAPPENING.  I had my first "oh my goodness, look, you're starting to show" comment (which was sweet and sincere - not "oh, you look like you've gained some weight") However, I still just feel fat and like I ate a really big burrito, not preggs with a real baby. I can no longer suck in at ALL, which means this is really happening -- EEK! I mean, I knew all along it was happening (duh), but it's kind of just felt like a dream - a dream with really bad nausea :)

We hate to see the weekends end, but definitely enjoyed a pretty chilled out weekend. Friday, my parents came to town and we took them to their first Food Truck experience :) Our favorite food truck wasn't there, which was a bummer. But we still enjoyed a relaxed Friday, followed by ICE CREAM! Side note - I found this app where you can make your pets talk. To say I'm slightly obsessed is an understatement. This is the video I sent my parents (and Cale) on Thursday night.

 

 

They took Cooper home with them, since we'll be out of town this weekend for 4th of July. I think we're all excited to see the Alabama fam this weekend. Don't worry, Daddy Jack - there's a pound cake coming your way!

What's that? You want to hear funny baby stories? Ok. I've got a couple.

Earlier this week, I was chatting with my mom about our gender reveal. I'm still not 100% certain how we want to reveal the gender to our families. I know it's not a huge deal, but it's our first baby, it's something fun, and I want to enjoy it. Well, mama, being the wise one that she is, told me she had a couple of ideas. Now, these are really only funny if you know my mama - she's usually a pretty proper southern lady - we don't say crass words like sucks or crap (sorry mama), nor do we call people hoes or reference strippers in casual conversation. Just keep that in mind.

Idea #1 - We let mama in on the secret of whether it's a boy or a girl, and she would dress in all pink or all blue.  Bailey and I would decorate a box. Some people let balloons out of the box. In her idea, we would actually put HER in the box, wheel it into the den, and she would pop out as the surprise. Now, does this sound anything like a stripper birthday cake surprise to anyone else?

Idea #2 - We get a  sheet cake, and decorate it like a nice landscape - a tool shed and different yard equipment scattered across the top. The inside of the cake would be blue or pink, dependent on the gender. She's still got me hooked, seems relatively normal, and Bailey would appreciate it....until the next words come out of her mouth "then you could write - what will it be? A shovel or a hoe?" UMMM..WHAT? I don't quite understand the shovel part. But did you just call your future potential granddaughter a hoe?!

Future baby Garner - if you happen to be reading this in the far, far future, especially if you are a girl - please note that t-bird loves you. She's just getting old and is starting to say whatever comes out of her mouth. PLEASE do not become a stripper or a hoe. love, your concerned mom.

 

 

How far along: 19 weeks

How big is baby?: Mango (6inches, .5lb)

Total weight gain/loss: No doctor's appointment this week, so no update on the weight gain (whew).

Maternity clothes: yes, yes, yes. I actually just ordered a ton from Motherhood - thank you mama and daddy for the gift cards, and motherhood.com for the fabulous sale :)

Sleep: That pregnancy pillow has been working wonders. Bailey's told me I've even snored a couple of nights. That only happens when I'm sleeping REALLY well or when I'm sick. Since I feel fine, I'm going to assume I'm sleeping GREAT

Best moment this week: Laughing with my mama over her gender reveal ideas. Hearing my granny call me "little mama". Hearing my pepa say "I've got you some watermelon"...see below :)

 

Food cravings: "Still fruit! Tons of blueberries and cherries. I'm really wanting watermelon, I just can't stand how expensive they are! Pepa - if you're reading this, I need a (few) Cordele watermelons pronto!" This was my comment on this last week. And it still rings true. I'm also glad I have at least 1 blog reader in my Pepa and Mawmaw. Pepa called me yesterday - he didn't just get me one watermelon - he got me EIGHT! Plus 5 cantaloupes. Plus fresh peaches. Mama and daddy brought them on Friday, along with the fresh cream corn (thank goodness mama didn't hold that hostage). All that being said - we've gone through 2 cantaloupes, 2 watermelons,  and a bag of cream corn. Bailey has one happy wife  :)

Food aversions: Still chicken.

Gender: We find out July 11th!

Labor signs: Negative, ghost rider

Pregnancy symptoms: Just a little bit of tiredness - nothing crazy this week. No hormones making me yell crazy things at my sweet and patient husband :)

What I miss: Honestly, not a lot! This second trimester thing is fun. :) Enjoying it as long as I can!

What I am looking forward to: July 11th - boy or girl!?

Milestones: hmmm..I'm not sure we crossed any huge milestones off of our list this week.

18 Weeks :)

It's week 18, y'all! Which means... 3 more weeks until gender reveal! Woo Hoo!

This week has been pretty uneventful - no knives were dropped, no feet were harmed :) It was a pretty normal week for Bailey and I.

I had a doctor's appointment on Friday with one of the midwives of the practice. Not my favorite person, and I'm sorta hoping she doesn't have to deliver our baby. Don't get me wrong, she definitely seemed capable, and I wouldn't have any doubts about her ability to keep myself and the baby safe. She's just way too granola for my taste. Talks to you like you're the actual baby. Newsflash, woman. I'm 25. I know I'm not as mature as I'll ever be, but I'm not 16 and pregnant. :) Baby is doing well - heartbeat is steady at 150, and my uterus (sorry guys) is measuring at 19 cm. or maybe it's inches. I don't really know. BUT, I do know that she told me the measurement (whether in inches or centimeters) should align with about how many weeks along I am. So, we're sitting pretty right now! I also had to do the early glucose test, since I'm a high-risk candidate for gestational diabetes. I've heard so many horror stories in regards to the glucose test. Those people must have never had a colonoscopy. Drinking that juice was a BREEZE. One small little water bottle filled with basically highly concentrated orange Hi-C? I got this. Granted, I wouldn't want to drink it on a regular basis. But it surely beats a salty-electrolyte solution :)The goob who took my blood? She was a different story. I know look like a pregnant heroine addict with this huge bruise on my forearm. Oh well - small price to pay!

Friday night, we went to Food Truck Friday in Duluth - I love food truck Fridays, and so does the baby :) Cooper loves the attention he gets for being the CUTEST pup there!
 

 

 

Saturday, Bailey and I spent the majority of the morning house-hunting. This baby isn't going to put off it's arrival just because we don't have a house yet. Although, if we didn't move until September, I wouldn't cry about it. "oh Bailey, I wish I could help you move that heavy couch. But you know, I just can't with the baby and all..." :D I know once we find out the gender, I'll be ready to start slowly working on the nursery, so the race is on. I do like knowing that we don't HAVE to find a house. Our lease isn't running out, we aren't getting kicked out of our townhome. It won't be the worst thing in the world if we don't find a home by November. It just would be a lot easier to move BEFORE the baby. I swear we've looked at 100 houses by now (ok, not really, it just seems like it), and I STILL don't understand some people's decorating tastes. One house we looked at had a whole bedroom holding hair supplies - and it wasn't the cheap stuff either. I'm assuming they own a hair salon, but still. Another home had the ugliest Doberhuahua statue - don't know what I'm talking about? Click here :) If you want to sell your home, THESE are the things you hide!

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I finally dug out the maternity clothes that friends and family had passed my way. I hung up SO many summer clothes, and still have two tubs of fall/winter clothes! I'm not crying about it :) I appreciate it (and so does Bailey's wallet) more than you can imagine!

 

 

 

 

 And now, for our regularly scheduled baby bump picture and questionnaire (also, this dress makes me look super awkward - I thought it was flattering, until picture time rolled around. oh well):

 

 

How far along: 18 weeks

How big is baby?: A sweet potato!  (5.5 inches, 5 oz)

Total weight gain/loss: After losing 7 lbs the first trimester, I've officially gained back 2 of those lbs.

Maternity clothes: I may or may not be sporting a maternity dress today :) All of my normal fitting clothes from before are out of the question now - I can still wear some of the looser pieces, though!

Sleep: Last night I had trouble sleeping due to back pain. I don't know if it's just the way I slept, or if this is a new trend...we shall see!

Best moment this week: Potentially finding a house that our little family can grow into :) we shall see!

 

Food cravings: Still fruit! Tons of blueberries and cherries. I'm really wanting watermelon, I just can't stand how expensive they are! Pepa - if you're reading this, I need a (few) Cordele watermelons pronto!

Food aversions: Still chicken.

Gender: We find out July 11th!

Labor signs: Negative, ghost rider

Pregnancy symptoms: I've had a little bit of swelling in my hands and feet this week - it's mostly been when I've been outside walking around in this heat for long periods of time, though! I had my first hormonal breakdown this week, and got upset with Bailey for the silliest of reasons. Even while it was happening I realized how dumb I sounded, but I couldn't stop. Lots and lots of apologies ensued afterwards.

What I miss: Honestly, not a lot! This second trimester thing is fun. :) Enjoying it as long as I can!

What I am looking forward to: July 11th - boy or girl!?

Milestones: hmmm..I'm not sure we crossed any huge milestones off of our list this week, unless you count a healthy baby's heartbeat at the doctor's office. I totally do :)

 

Week 17 is here!

Week 17! I know I can't start off every post saying "I can't believe it's already week ...", but it's true! The weeks really do fly by :) This week was definitely full of crazy busy-ness (side note - I don't know if that's really a word, but I typed it as business - then realized THAT's a real word, with a totally different meaning).

The week started off pretty normal - nothing to write home about. I had no doctor's appointments last week, nothing too crazy with the baby. I did, however, end my Wednesday with a trip to the urgent care. Or at least attempted a trip to urgent care - who knew they all closed at 6? It seems like the point of an urgent care is to be open when doctors offices aren't! Bailey and I ate supper on Wednesday night, and as I was cleaning, I managed to drop a steak knife on my foot. It didn't hurt at all, but I looked down and was literally standing in a small pool of blood, and watching blood squirt out of my foot at a rapid pace. I'm just glad it happened at 16 weeks and not 3 weeks earlier...3 weeks earlier and I would have gotten sick all over the floor too! Bailey and I are both freaking out - he's normally pretty calm in situations like this, so I'm fairly certain my panic caused his! Long story short, we got the bleeding to stop and decided urgent care would be best..it looked like it need a stitch or 2. Couldn't find an open urgent care, just ended up coming home, propping it up, and icing the foot. Moral of this story? 1. hold knives securely at all times. 2. come up with a better emergency plan before gBaby gets here. :)


This weekend, gBaby attended his/her first wedding! Good news - we only had to stop 3 times down there for a potty break, and NONE on our way back to Macon. I hope bailey was just as impressed with me as I was :) It was a beautiful weekend, and a gorgeous, fun wedding. The bride and groom are in St. John this week, and I'm extremely slightly jealous!

We spent Father's Day in Dublin with my mama's side of the family. I loved getting to celebrate my awesome dad, along with the other dads in our family. It was even more exciting to think that this time next year, we'll be able to celebrate Father's day with OUR BABY! I love knowing that our baby is going to have a Christian daddy who leads his family with prayer and love. I'm proud of the man that Bailey is today, but I can't wait to watch him become a daddy :) (I love this sweet birthday card he got from my Pop and Granny - For some reason I can't get it to rotate, but it says "we know you will be a great father to our great grand....")

Mama and Daddy got Bailey a clever/cute/awesome father's day gift - a daddy tool belt! It's a tool belt that has all of the essentials for Bailey - gloves, wipes, pacifier, ear plugs, butt paste, Febreeze, tongs, goggles, and SO much more (ok, maybe some of that is for the baby...if Bailey starts using the butt paste and pacifiers, we've got bigger issues).

After such a busy week/end, we came home last night and CRASHED - I think that was probably the best night of sleep I've had in 17 weeks :)

I have a doctor's appointment this Friday - I always get excited to see the baby and hear the heartbeat! I have to take an early glucose test this week, which I'm not really looking forward to. I'm hoping it's one of those things that people speak so poorly of, so I build it up in my head to be awful. Maybe because I've made it so awful, it won't be as bad as I hoped, right? A girl can dream :) Bailey doesn't work on Fridays anymore, so he'll be able to go to this appointment with me! He hasn't been able to go for the last 2 appointments, so I'm excited for him to get to see the baby! and THEN - the 3 week countdown is on until we find out if we're having a boy or girl. I can't wait to finally not have to use the term "it" when referring to our baby :)

Week 17 bump:

I have got to learn to take these pictures first thing in the morning when I get ready and my hair and makeup is fresh :)

How far along: 17 weeks

How big is baby?: A turnip - THIS one makes me laugh. 

Total weight gain/loss: I don't know! I don't weigh myself at home, and I don't have another doctor appointment until Friday!

Maternity clothes: No maternity clothes yet! My mama gave me a gift card to the Motherhood/Pea in the Pod cluster of stores, so I'm excited about that! We're heading to the beach in September - I'll definitely need maternity bathing suits by then...mine are already getting a little snug!

Sleep: The past two weeks I've had pretty disturbing dreams that have caused me to wake up crying in the middle of the night. Besides that, sleeping pretty well!

Best moment this week: Does finally taking my heels off after the wedding this weekend count?

Food cravings: Fruit - and pickles! I just hate saying I crave pickles...I've always liked them. and I don't eat them with anything weird. so it's not TOO cliché :)

Food aversions: Still chicken.

Gender: We find out July 11th!

Labor signs: Negative, ghost rider

Pregnancy symptoms: My appetite is getting better! yay! I'm still just tired, but at least I'm not crashing at 6:30 PM anymore!

What I miss: I miss buying clothes in my normal size :)

What I am looking forward to: July 11th - boy or girl!?

Milestones: Bailey's first father's day!

Post is Coming Tomorrow!!

Our internet is down :( I've got the post drafted, and I promise it'll be up by 9am tomorrow :) I'll get to work early just for the people who I know are going to hassle me about it (ahem...Ashely Brooke)

Week 16...already?

These weeks are really flying by! I think we stay so busy during the week, I don't even realize that a new week has crept up!

Not much has changed this week, pretty status quo. I finally had the energy to do laundry this week! Woo hoo! Spent an hour on Friday just FOLDING clothes that had been taking over our laundry room floor, plus an additional 5 loads of laundry this weekend. My mama is going to be so embarrassed that I put that on the internet (FYI - she raised me better than that). Baby and I rewarded our efforts with some R&R by the pool this weekend. I've heard that your skin can be more sensitive to sun when pregnant - I can now confirm that's true! My shins are the one part of my body that NEVER burn...so I proceeded to put sunscreen everywhere except my shins. Bad move - weirdest sun burn ever. Note to pregnant self - sun screen goes anywhere the sun shines.

We're heading to Savannah on Friday for a friend's wedding this weekend. I can't wait to see how frustrated Bailey gets when I have to stop every hour for a potty and/or snack break :) My bridesmaid's dress is officially good-to-go (thank heavens for corset backs and amazing seamstresses).

People continue to ask if Bailey and I have chosen a name yet, which is a pretty normal question to ask at this stage in the game. We have a tendency to agree on a lot of things, or at least are able to come to a fair compromise. Baby names? Well, they may just end our marriage ;) I kid, I kid. We have decided to just stop with the baby name debate until we find out if it's a boy or girl. No use arguing over something that hasn't happened yet, right? After we told the Garner family we were expecting at Easter, Harrison asked us if we had thought of any names. When I told him that we hadn't decided on one yet, he proceeded with the following:

- Henrietta (after his baby brother, Henry)
- Roxie Rocket
- Dez
- Austin
- Allie
- Parker (must do kung-fu)
- Ella (must wear a red hat)
- Maddie (must play basketball)

I started to notice a slight trend in these names (there were probably 10 more than what I listed above), as I have a love for Disney channel (judge away), and asked him where he got the names. "Um, Brittoni. They came from Disney. Where else would I get names?" Well played, little guy, well played.  

Week 16 picture (no bump, just the standard stomach I've had for the last 25 years :D)

How far along: 16 weeks

How big is baby?: Avocado...makes me think of guacamole. yum.

Total weight gain/loss: I don't know! I don't weigh myself at home, and I don't have another doctor appointment until Friday!

Maternity clothes: Still haven't busted out the maternity clothes. I have, however, started rigging a few pairs of pants with a ponytail holder. Must. Make. Them. Fit. My sister in law passed down a huge tub of maternity clothes, and a sweet friend from church gave me another tub of clothes yesterday, so I shouldn't have any shortage of things to wear :) I did also happen to stumble across a sale at Motherhood Maternity today - BOGO. I'm in!

Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well - trying to train myself to sleep on my side. I keep the air on 70 at night - Bailey sleeps under a mound of blankets. I sleep with a sheet and still wake up hot.

Best moment this week: 

Food cravings: Still craving a lot of fruit! I've gone through 3 bags of cherries...in 3 days. at $8/bag, NOT a cheap craving.

Food aversions: Still chicken.

Gender: We find out July 11th!

Labor signs: Let's hope not!

Pregnancy symptoms: Still just tired

What I miss: Pants fitting properly!

What I am looking forward to: July 11th - boy or girl!?

Milestones: well, I felt a weird flutter on Friday (06.06). I may have felt the baby move. I may have just felt gas. At the risk of not sounding too crazy, lets just go with gas :)

Surprise! We're Having a Baby (15 weeks late...)

If you're reading this, then by now you know Bailey, Coop, and I are expanding our family! There's a baby on the way come November 24th. We all know the people who post WAY too much information about there soon-to-be babies and WAY to many pictures of their babies - I don't want to be one of those. My intention was to start this blog when we found out we were pregnant, and update weekly - I'd love to have something to look back on later down the road, and for family and friends to follow along if they'd like. Since we found out, ohhhh 10 weeks ago, I'm a little bit behind :)

I found out I was pregnant on March 21st, 2014...in my office bathroom. Such a fairy tale, right? I hadn't been feeling well that week, so I thought "what the heck, why not just check?". There's a CVS right by my office, so it was easy to swing by and pick up a test (or 3). Of course I couldn't wait to take the tests - I took the first one...positive. I couldn't believe it, so I took the other two - tests don't lie :) Needless to say I was the least productive that I have EVER been at work. I came home and surprised Bailey with a present - a onesie that said "my dad rocks". To say he was surprised was an understatement!

Our first appointment was March 28th with Dr. Michael McDaniel. I couldn't tell anyone I thought I was pregnant, and had no way of asking for referrals for doctors. I did LOTS of googling, and found this practice. I remember looking at the doctors online and told Bailey I thought I really would like Dr. McDaniel, as he was active in his church and participated in medical missions trips. When I called to make my appointment, guess who was the doctor with the first appointment available? Dr. McDaniel!

Bailey went with me to our first appointment, and has been to most of them since then. We didn't learn much at the first appointment, except that we were in the "early stages" of pregnancy - so early that the doctor couldn't even predict a due date. We did find out that our baby looked like the eye of a rabbit.

Our next appointment was on April 11th - this was the appointment that would confirm if there was indeed a baby growing. We had an ultrasound and found out our due date of November 24th.

We've had several appointments since then full of bloodwork, tests, and ultrasounds! We've got two more coming up, and finally get to find out the gender on July 11th - I'm literally counting down the days!

We told our families around 8 weeks. We told my parents and Cale on the weekend of April 11th for lunch. Bailey and I were at his parents the following Easter weekend, where we were able to tell his parents and siblings. I have to say, next to my mama, our nephew Harrison's reaction was my favorite. He's so excited to be getting a cousin! We told our grandparents and the rest of the world on May 17th (12 weeks). We incorporated this picture of Cooper into telling our family and friends:

I thought I'd do a little questionnaire week by week to see how things change!
How far along: 15 weeks, 3 days

How big is baby?: I find it so weird that the pregnancy apps compare the baby to a fruit or vegetable, but this week the baby is the size of a navel orange!

Total weight gain/loss: I can't promise I'll answer this question every week, but right now I'm pretty comfortable with it :) I was getting sick 4 and 5 times a day, and have actually loss 7 lbs. Thankfully, I'm getting less and less nauseous each day, so I'm sure I'll compensate for that loss soon!


Maternity clothes: I haven't broken out the maternity clothes yet. Even though I've lost weight, the weight I do have is shifting into weird places. Things are starting to get a little tight. I plan on making my normal clothes work for as long as possible...I definitely lucked out with a sister in law who just happened to be getting rid of all of her maternity clothes right as we found out we were pregnant, so I definitely have quite a few pieces to begin my "collection".

Sleep: My first trimester I was super exhausted, but I also wasn't sleeping well. As much as I love Cooper, I have to partially blame him. He's a snuggler and has to be touching me at all times throughout the night. I kicked him out  sweetly persuaded him to sleep in his own bed (it's amazing what a treat before bedtime will do). That, combined with not being nauseous at night, has made a TREMENDOUS difference in my sleeping habits.

Best moment this week: Two weeks ago we did the genetic testing ultrasound and we received the confirmed results - as far as the doctor can tell from testing, our baby has no genetic mutations. 

Food cravings: I don't really crave much yet - although things do just sound good. I hate to even admit it because it sounds so cliche, but I've been on a pickle kick lately. The good news is I don't eat them with chocolate or ice cream or anything weird :) My whole first trimester I could really only stomach carbs and fruit - I'm still loving fruit. I've eaten 2 pints of blueberries in 2 days. Whoops!

Food aversions: Chicken - it really grosses me out right now! UNLESS it's Chick-fil-A.

Gender: We find out July 11th!

Labor signs: Let's hope not!

Pregnancy symptoms: At week 15, just tiredness. Luckily alot of my energy is coming back, but I'm still ready to crash at 8:00 every night!

What I miss: There's not much that I miss - just my energy :)

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender!

Milestones: hmmm...I can't think of any huge milestones this week!

If you're still reading this, then you must either be truly bored or family :) My goal is to post weekly, but