29 weeks

How far along? 29 weeks + 5 days

Weight gain: we'll find out Friday @ my 30 wk appt 

Sleep: sleeping great (:
Best moment(s) this week: getting brackets for the shelves for the nursery (lame, I know) - one step closer to having Baby M's room finished!
Movement: this little one moves all.the.time
Food cravings: nothing

Symptoms: Still breathing fire and now my ribs feel bruised (from the inside from the kicks / punches). 

Gender prediction: Mike dreamed for the first time this past week that it was a boy (and that we delivered the baby at his grandmother's house...no thanks!) Haha -- I've had girl feelings lately, go figure.
Labor signs: I've had some intense Braxton Hicks contractions 

Stretch marks: none 

Belly button in or out: crossing over to an outtie!
Looking forward to: My 30 week appointment on Friday! And, we're making a big push to get things ready at our house this coming weekend since we're throwing a shower for my cousin, Amber, who's getting married in October! (: 

Random facts about Baby M: Baby is between 15.2-16.7" long and weighs between 2.5-3.8 pounds. Baby's brain can also breathing and body temperature now. 

Showering Baby Martin

This past weekend was Baby Martin's first baby shower! (Not including the awesome surprise shower thrown by the ladies in my community group!) Melbert and Carolyn have been 2 of my very best friends for a super long time now - we've gone from rec softball, to high school sleepovers, to being roomies at Clemson, to celebrating weddings, to now celebrating babies together! I love these girls like the day is long and am so thankful for the shower they threw me and Baby M (and Mikey)! My heart is overwhelmed by the support and encouragement that we've already been shown throughout this pregnancy. And, it brings me joy to know how much our sweet little one is already loved (and spoiled). One of my very favorite things from the shower was the fact that it included starting Baby Martin's library! Melissa and Carolyn know both me and Mike all too well and knew that we are already reading to Baby M and that a book collection is going to be essential this little one (is it too early to get it a library card?!). (:

"aunt" Melbert & "aunt" Carolyn, THANK YOU for taking such good care of me and Baby M! Baby M sure does love you two already!

28 weeks

[Shout-out to Meredith for doing the chalk board this week! She's AWESOME!]  

How far along? 28 weeks + 3 days

Weight gain: +16.2 pounds total. I must give a shout-out to Mike, Jeff & Sam @ 4Balance Fitness right now. They've been AWESOME at keeping me motivated at the gym while monitoring what I'm doing, making sure that not only am I safe, but that Baby M is safe as well. I have felt awesome throughout this pregnancy and I attribute a whole lot of that to these guys (and gal)!

Sleep: sleeping great (:
Best moment(s) this week: Hearing wee one's heart beat at my 28 wk checkup! AND, Baby Martin's very first Baby Shower!! (: Thanks SO very much Melissa & Carolyn!
Movement: Now I'm feeling kicks in my ribs [still mainly on the left side]. I'm hoping that means the little booger has stretched out some - at the 3D ultrasound it was crunched up like a taco (head and feet together). 
Food cravings: nothing

Symptoms: Have I mentioned that I have outrageous heartburn ALL.THE.TIME? Nope? I didn't think so...

Gender prediction: Still feeling boy!
Labor signs: nope!

Stretch marks: none 

Belly button in or out: it's starting to poke out a little
Looking forward to: little by little getting our home ready for this little one! and, my appointments have moved up to every 2 weeks instead of every 4 weeks, so we'll get to hear the heartbeat and check on the bambino more often!

Random facts about Baby M: According to The Bump baby still weighs between 1.5-2.5 pounds and is still 13.6-14.8 inches long (but has moved from a rutabaga to an eggplant), but is now developing more fat. Also, Baby M's lungs are developed enough that chances of survival are greatly increased if it were born now! 

27 weeks

[this may be one of my very favorite pictures so far]

How far along? 27 weeks + 5 days - Welcome to the THIRD TRIMESTER!!

Sleep: sleeping great (:
Best moment(s) this week: By far the highlight of this pregnancy has been the 3D ultrasound! Mike & I saw our sweet baby last Thursday night for the first time in a month and a half (and probably the last time until it's born!)...this was seriously such a treat!
Movement: still going strong!
Food cravings: nothing

Symptoms: Heartburn. Heartburn. And more heartburn. There aren't enough TUMS this side of the Mississippi to help me.

Gender prediction: I've been feeling boy lately, and have dreamed that it was a boy again (this makes 4 baby boy dreams now...). 
Labor signs: nope!

Stretch marks: none 

Belly button in or out: it's still really flat
Looking forward to: Baby M's shower this weekend!!! And, planning a baby-moon (:

Random facts about Baby M: *Side note from last week's random fact that its eyes would soon be opening and closing -- well at the 3D ultrasound its eyes were opening and closing!! The tech said she thought maybe we were a little farther along than we'd originally thought -- I plan on mentioning this to the OB at my 28 wk appt. this week to see what her thoughts are! Baby is still in the 13.6-14.8" long & 1.5-2.5lb range, but has somehow transformed to the size of a rutabaga?! Wee one is also practicing breathing!

 

mmmm i love that face already! 

and that sweet profile!

yawning (the stinker yawned the entire time we were watching)

sticking out its tongue (:

Deck Progress

Mikey's been working hard on the deck! He's gotten most of the flooring laid and we have high hopes of getting it mostly finished this weekend! All that's left (for now) is to finish laying the flooring, to put up the railing and posts and to find some cute string lights. We're both super excited about this addition to the house and can't wait to spend lazy evenings out here eating and reading.

Nursery Inspiration

Baby Martin's nursery is coming right along! The crib is set up, the soon.to.be.recovered chair is already in place and the dresser we were recently gifted is waiting to be filled up! I've been scanning blogs, Pinterest, and Etsy looking for the perfect decorations and finishing touches.

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This has been one of my favorite verses throughout this pregnancy. My heart rejoices in knowing that our Creator knows this little one and has set "it" apart for great things. (: I'm thinking that I'll paint my own version of this to hang somewhere in the nursery. 

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Ahhhhhh. The alphabet wall. I'm hoping to be able to utilize some of the wall space in the nursery for a wall similar to this one...

I'm still swooning over the crib bedding. Since we decided to put the nursery in what was the guest room and the walls were already painted gray (this mama is done painting walls in the house) I decided I'd try to find "neutral" bedding to match. Trust me, cute gender neutral bedding (and clothes for that matter) aren't easy to come by - so when I found this "Not a Peep" bedding from The Land of Nod I knew it was what I had to have. Our awesome community group went in and got us some of the sheets and the crib skirt and Honey got the quilt and a changing pad cover to go with it! I seriously can't wait until it's all in and set up!

My inspiration for our dresser and changing area have come from the blog Little Baby Garvin. [This is also where my the chalkboard idea came from.] Our dresser is oak and we're not painting it - the only changes will be to add new knobs. We're also going to put a shelf or two (like the ones seen here) above the dresser for books / picture frames / trinkets / baby things. I've commissioned my dad to build us a changing area similar to the one seen here. I'm not sure what color it'll be yet...maybe I can convince Mikey to let me paint it something funky that doesn't match at all...(: - and I'm loving the mirror with the garland above it. Seeing as how I already have my burlap banner, all I need now is a mirror!

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26 weeks

How far along? 26 weeks + 3 days
Sleep: sleeping great
Best moment(s) this week: OD & Cathy gave us an oak dresser for the nursery! Thanks guys (: Now we have the chair and dresser in the nursery too! It's coming along slowly...next up: get the chair recovered. 
Movement: still feeling Baby M move, but I think it's flipped over and is now facing my back because the kicks / punches aren't as strong as they have been...
Food cravings: still nothing (thank goodness, because at this point I would probably weight 100 extra pounds)
Symptoms: heartburn and Braxton Hicks contractions
Gender prediction: not leaning one way or the other right now
Labor signs: still having Braxton Hicks contractions

Stretch marks: none (yet) thank goodness
Belly button in or out: it's really flat
Looking forward to: 1. Having a 3D ultrasounds this week!! 2. Decorating the nursery

Random facts about Baby M: Baby's eyes are forming and will soon begin to open and close, and it has eyelashes! Baby is still in the range of 13.6-14.8" long and between 1.5-2.5 pounds (now the size of a head of lettuce - the past 3 weeks the size doesn't seem to have changed much...) 

*The bird at the top of the chalk board is what's on the crib bedding. 

25 weeks

 

How far along? 25 weeks + 5 days
Sleep: so thankful to still be sleeping great!
Best moment(s) this week: 1. Technically this was last week (oh well), but I got Baby M's very first shower invitation (thanks Mel & Carolyn)! 2. Seeing some of the crib bedding--i LOVE it! 3. Getting some very minimal, but very necessary cleaning out of things that have been in boxes since we moved in
Movement: lots!
Food cravings: still nothing
Symptoms: still having wicked heartburn & now occasional back pain (could be from sitting at my desk all day)
Gender prediction: still thinking boy (this baby is sitting super low & supposedly boys sit lower...but what do I know?)
Labor signs: Some Braxton Hicks contractions here & there
Belly button in or out:"shallow" is how Kayla kindly referred to it...hey, I'll take it
Looking forward to: finally getting to schedule our 3D ultrasound! And, totally un-baby M related, but celebrating Amber's 1st bridal shower this weekend!  
Random facts about little one: Little Mc is between 13.6 - 14.8in long and weighs 1.5-2.5 pounds (about the size of a head of cauliflower)! Baby also knows which way is up & which way is down now!