17 Weeks

Each Tuesday is another milestone in this pregnancy and I love putting together these updates to remind me where I am in this journey and to share with family and friends. This past week has flown by and I am sure the next few months will do the same. November feels far away but I keep getting reminded that this precious time in our lives will go by so fast, which is why I am trying to slow down and enjoy each part of the journey.

How far along? 17 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 2 pounds

Maternity Clothes? I am loving my stretchy pants and can't wait to wear some lightweight dresses this summer.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Doing a bit better during the night but finding it hard to fall asleep at night when I have a million things on my mind. Still loving naps when I can get them!

Best Moment this Week? Loved spending the weekend in the mountains and seeing my family. It was so relaxing to just get away for a few days and have some nice down time.

Miss Anything? I sometimes miss having coffee or a cocktail, but only sometimes...

Movement? Nothing yet, but I am getting anxious for movement since it usually starts around 18 weeks.

Food Cravings? The only craving I have had over the past week is for coconut macaroons from this amazing bakery in Salt Lake. Needless to say I haven't been able to get one yet, but hope to have some soon!

Anything Making you Queasy? I do find myself getting a bit carsick when I am a passenger in the car for more than 10 minutes.

Gender Prediction? We still think it is a girl and will know for sure in about 3 weeks.

Labor Signs? Heck No! I am no where near a point of thinking about labor yet.

Belly Button In or Out? In

General Mood? Doing good and really enjoyed having the long weekend. It will be hard to get back into the work routine this week. I am feeling like there is so much to do over the next few months, so I need to work on putting together a list so that I can tackle things one at a time. I love that summer is almost here and the warm weather does wonders for my mood!

Looking Forward To: Finding out the gender, putting together the baby's room, and seeing my little belly grow and grow.

The next few weeks are filled with anticipation until our next ultrasound in mid June when we find out the gender. Once we know what we are having, the real planning can begin!

Weekend Retreat

We are headed out of town today for the holiday weekend and I am so ready for some rest and relaxation. We have rented a lodge for the weekend and have 15 of our family and friends joining us for a great time up on the Grand Mesa. This lodge has breathtaking views of the Grand Mesa, plenty of space for all of us, and a fantastic patio that is perfect for reading a good book. I am so excited to see my family and spend some quality time with the people I love the most. I plan to disconnect from my phone, read lots, nap often, and enjoy some good food! Hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

16 Weeks

Each Tuesday we reach another weekly milestone in the pregnancy and this week I am 16 weeks along in this pregnancy. I wanted to start doing weekly updates to track the progress of the pregnancy, share the journey with family and friends, and have memories to reflect back on down the road. Each Tuesday, I will be answering the questions below to track the progress of the pregnancy and share fun things like cravings, favorite moments, and what I am looking forward to. Hope you enjoy reading the weekly pregnancy updates!

How far along? 16 weeks

Total Weight Gain? Almost 2 pounds

Maternity Clothes? I have transitioned to a few pairs of maternity pants/capris and they are so comfortable! Most of my tops will continue to work for the next couple of months.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Doing good during the nights but finding that I could use a nap each day around 2ish.

Best Moment this Week? Excited for my doctor's appointment tomorrow and loving my little baby bump!

Miss Anything? I have been craving sushi lately and really missing my all time favorite philly roll!

Movement? Nothing yet, but can't wait till the day I can feel our little peanut move.

Food Cravings? I have mostly craved dairy for the past few weeks including any kind of cheese, lots of milk, and I love Greek yogurt! My current love is provolone cheese :)

Anything Making you Queasy? The smell of cigarette smoke or car exhaust almost sends me over the edge!

Gender Prediction? I have thought it was a girl from the moment I took the test... we find out the gender at my 20 week ultrasound appointment. Can't wait!

Labor Signs? Heck No! I am no where near a point of thinking about labor yet.

Belly Button In or Out? In

General Mood? Doing great this week and so glad to be feeling better and starting to get some of my energy back. Overall I am just enjoying this process and basking in the happiness of having a baby and becoming a mom!

Looking Forward To: Finding out the gender, putting together the baby's room, and seeing my little belly grow and grow.

I have my 16 week check up at the doctor tomorrow and looking forward to hearing the baby's heartbeat and making sure everything is going great. And then we only have 4 weeks to go till the next ultrasound!

Summer To-Do List

With Memorial Day Weekend just around the corner, summer is almost here and I have put together a summer to do list. I was inspired to put together this list by one of my favorite bloggers, Mish Mash and can't wait to see what kind of list she posts. With this summer being the last summer before we have a baby and our life completely changes, I thought now is the perfect time to create a list of memories we want to create as a couple before our little one arrives. I can only imagine summers in the future with our kids to include pool parties, trips to Disneyland, lots of sidewalk chalk and popsicles, and plenty of sunscreen and play clothes. I can't wait for the next chapter in our lives but I am also soaking in the alone time that my husband and I have with each other now. Here is our summer to do list so far...

• go to the pool at least a few times together
• have a picnic in the park and nap under the trees
• enjoy our season tickets to the ballpark and have plenty of ballpark food while we are there
• play mini golf
• visit the farmer's market as often as possible
• use my homemade ice cream maker each weekend to make us delicious frozen treats
• sleep in on Sundays and enjoy homemade breakfasts on the patio
• put together the baby registry at Target
• remodel the guest room into the baby's nursery
• try at least five new recipes on the barbeque
• finish a few good summer books
• create this goal sheet to rotate on a weekly basis
• start taking a prenatal yoga class at the gym twice a week
• sleep in as often as possible and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts

I am looking forward to the start of summer (which I consider Memorial Day weekend) and we are headed up to a lodge for the holiday weekend with about 15 of our family and friends. I am looking forward to some down time with the family, catching up with everyone, and enjoying the breathtaking views from the lodge! Bring on the sunshine and summer!

Maternity Must Haves!

The second trimester of this pregnancy has been so much more enjoyable that the first. From about 6 weeks till 14 weeks, I had nausea most of the day, headaches a couple times a week, and was completely exhausted. Those weeks were tough on me but I had amazing support from my husband, family, friends, and even my office. I learned to love ginger ale and ginger cookies and go to bed at about 8pm each night. Since I am now starting to feel better and get some of my energy back, I have a few maternity must haves for all pregnant moms. 

• Maternity Pants: this should be a given, but once I transitioned to stretchy pants it made the world of difference. It really helps you feel comfortable when you can breathe in your pants and move around comfortable as your belly starts to pop out. Motherhood Maternity is my favorite place to shop so far and one of the only options at our mall.

these are my favorite capris right now

• Summer Dresses: I love a breezy summer dress in lightweight fabric and will be living in these this summer. They are super easy to pull on and help you feel comfy and confident as the body changes and the belly grows. 

I have this dress in blue and absolutely love it

• Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes: I have been completely exhausted at night and often stumble into bed without taking off my makeup. These wipes have been great for a quick makeup remover and then I can hop right in bed. 

love these wipes and usually find them on sale at Target

• Red Mango Frozen Yogurt: I am absolutely addicted to the pomegranate and original flavor of frozen yogurt at Red Mango. I love getting a bowl and topping it with tons of fresh fruit and don't feel guilty since it counts as a 'healthy' dessert. 

just looking at this picture makes my mouth water

I am loving this stage in the pregnancy when I have a little baby bump, have started feeling better, and really getting excited for our 20 week appointment so that we kind find out if we are having an adorable baby girl or a handsome baby boy!

Happy Mother's Day!

It is just barely sinking in that today is my first taste of what a Mother's Day feels like. Even though I don't have the official title of 'Mom' until the baby comes in November, I still feel like I am a mother already. I am taking care of this little peanut and doing my best to keep it healthy and happy until this little boy or girl arrives in November! I look forward to the thousands of memories that will be created as a mom and know that this role of mother will be the most important role of my life. I look forward to decades of motherhood and can't wait for our little one to call me Mom someday...

As I think about motherhood, I can't even begin to grasp how I will be the kind of mother that my mom has been for me for the past 26+ years. My mom is the most incredible woman I know and can accomplish more in a day than any normal human being. She is kind, caring, generous beyond belief, my best friend, my confidant, and the person that knows me better than I could ever know myself. I look up to this woman and hope that I can just be half of the mother she has been to me and count myself so incredibly lucky to have her in my life and in the lives of my future children. I love you Mom!

And to my mother in law Carlene, you welcomed me into your family over 7 years ago and have made me feel like a daughter from the beginning. You have raised a great man for me to share my life with and continue to be an influence in our lives. Thank you for your support, understanding, and the kindness you have shown me throughout the years. I look forward to seeing you step into the role of Grandma soon. I love you and love being a part of your family. 

Happy Mother's Day to all of the beautiful moms out there!

Next Book Club Selection - Survival in Auschwitz

I just got home from book club and it was great to see the girls and talk about the book. Everyone loved the book and enjoyed the entire thing. I think we were all pleased that it was an easy read and could be enjoyed by just about anyone.

Several of us brought suggestions tonight for the next selection, so choosing the next book was a bit challenging. We decided that since the last two books have been lighthearted reads, that we would challenge ourselves with a more deep and somewhat dark book. The next selection for book club is 'Survival in Auschwitz' by Primo Levi. This book tells a story of an Italian Jew that spent 10 months in the German death camp Auschwitz and told his story in this riveting memoir originally published in 1947. I can already tell that this book will be tough to read but hopefully inspiring and touching as well. I just ordered my copy online and hope to start reading the book sometime next week!

Book Recap - The Art of Racing in the Rain

I spent last night on our patio in my comfy clothes on my lawn chair and with a great book. I finished the current book club selection 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' and loved the book. I enjoyed how easy this book was to read and how charming the story was. I also love that this book would appeal to just about anyone whether you have a dog or not. The sweet story of this family and the highs and lows of their lives keeps you fully captivated in the book and makes it a hard book to put down. I am looking forward to book club tonight and seeing what the other girls thought of the book, but I would guess they loved it too! I will post our next book selection in a few days... Happy Reading!

Baby G - Due this Fall!

I am ready to officially announce my pregnancy on my blog and share with the world that my husband and I are expecting our first baby on November 6th! We are absolutely overjoyed with the news and excited for the next chapter in our lives. We have had two ultrasounds and the baby is doing fantastic and looks very healthy. Today I am 14 weeks along and just getting into my second trimester. As much as I have emotionally enjoyed our news, the physical symptoms of nausea and exhaustion have been a hard adjustment. The last few weeks have been quiet around the house because most of my time has been spent sleeping or resting on the couch. I am hoping for more energy and less nausea in my second trimester and can't wait to find out the gender of the baby in June.

I would love to continue blogging and sharing information about our lives and soon to arrive bundle of joy. I will continue posting about recipes, crafts, parties, book club, and more and will also add in updates about the pregnancy and plans for the baby. Baby G will be arriving this Fall and we couldn't possibly be more excited!