Pregnancy Update

Each week I give you an update on what's going on for the week with the baby and show you my bump but I haven't give much insight to my pregnancy to this point.  What's crazy is I'm 31 weeks and I haven't yet provided any update on my pregnancy.  That is until today.  So here's a quick rundown.

It took us about 5 months to get pregnant with this little guy. 

We found out we were pregnant on Addie's birthday.

I take a prenatal vitamin, folic acid, iron, and a blood thinner for this pregnancy.  I also take a thyroid pill for my underactive thyroid.

A couple visits ago to my OB I was measuring "larger than normal" so as a precaution, my OB wanted to do another ultrasound to check on the little guy.

This is what we saw on Friday:

A chunky monkey.  

As of Friday, he was approximately 4.25 lbs which is about 2 weeks ahead of scheduled (based on weight).

I'm also measuring larger than I should because I'm sitting in the 95th percentile for water.

This all translates to: the next 8 weeks of this pregnancy I'll continue to get larger and larger and will likely be rather uncomfortable.  Fingers crossed he doesn't flip positions with all that extra water but if he does my doctor will try to manipulate him into position before she cuts into my uterus.

I'm also planning to go even earlier than the scheduled c-section date based on Addie coming early (water broke at 38w4d) and that he is measuring large.  So I'm thinking he'll come between September 13th and September 19th.  If he does not, we'll have the c-section on September 20th.

So that's the plan, and the most recent update.  I'll keep you posted as we approach September!

-stephanie

PS.  Don't forget to enter the Kidz Gear headphones giveaway.  

Product Review & Giveaway: Kidz Gear Headphones

About a month ago I told you about your family vacation to Myrtle Beach.  It was awesome, I miss it and am already thinking about the next time we'll be going.  This time with a new baby to experience it with!  We knew from last years trip that we needed distractions for Addie along the way.  A lot of things to keep her occupied because we knew she wouldn't stay interested in any one thing for a long period of time.  We invested in portable DVD players that attach to the headrests in our car but knew that she'd likely be watching a movie while we wanted to chat or listen to music without hearing a lot of movie noise (over and over and over...).  So I started doing my research on kids headphones and found a great company called Kidz Gear.  

I honestly cannot say enough about Kidz Gear's products.  The quality of the product is amazing.  I love that the cord is longer than the typical headphone cord.  This is especially important when your kids are watching a movie in the car and you might need some extra cordage.  The fit of the headphones is awesome, I can actually get these on my head as well but they adjust down to a size that would fit a smaller head as well. 

Addie loved them and has since watched several movies in her room with the headphones on as well.

The headphones come in a variety of cute colors to choose from and at a price point that's affordable there's no reason not to purchase one for each of your kids!

But first, check this out...

Giveaway  The great people at Kidz Gear are offering one of my readers the chance to win a Kidz Gear headphone, carrying bag & the headphone splitter cable of your choice!

How to Enter  Just follow the instructions in the Raffelcopter widget below.  Make sure you complete the first task as it is a mandatory task.  Once you complete the mandatory task, all other tasks are optional but do increase your chances to win!  The giveaway is open to US only and will close at midnight on Monday, August 4 , 2013.  Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

31 Week Bump Update

Another week closer to meeting this little big guy.  I say big because I have a feeling he's going to be a chunky one.  The weather has changed here from the unbearable near 100 degree days to hovering right around 75 degrees.  I now know what it would be like to live in San Diego and I can't say that I wouldn't love it.  This is beautiful weather!

Please excuse my dirty mirror.

Due Date? September 27th is the official date, however we have a scheduled c/s for September 20th.

How far along? 31 weeks

How big is baby? The baby is the size of 4 navel oranges about 16.25" and about 3.3lbs.

Weight gain? +24

What's going on with baby?  Baby is gaining more weight as baby fat is filling in underneath the skin.  His color is becoming less red and more pink in color.  By now, his irises can dilate and respond to changes in light.

Stretchmarks? Nothing new.

Sleep? Really really deep sleep.  I'm very happy that I'm getting such good sleep at this point.  If only it stays this way.

Best moment this week? My parents have been fostering a stray and her puppies so Sunday Addie got to play with the puppies and it was hysterical.  They chased her around and nipped at her toes while Addie ran around the yard saying, "stop doing that" and "ouch".

Movement? I thought the movement was slowing down but this week he's been very active and it's kind of creeping me out.  Only because it's really quite uncomfortable.

Food cravings? Oreos.  Lots of them.  Covered in milk.

Gender? Boy!

Labor signs? none.

Belly button in or out? In and slowly thinning.

What I miss? Still missing out on cute summer clothes.  I'm hoping that once I deliver I'll be able to bounce back relatively quickly so I can enjoy dressing for my favorite season, fall!

What I am looking forward to? 

Milestones? Nothing that I can think of.

Next doctor's appointment? This morning where we have an ultrasound to check the size of the baby.  The past couple times I've been measured the doctor has been a little bit alarmed by the size of my stomach.  I have a feeling I'm carrying a lot of water like I did with Addie but I also think this guy is a chunky monkey.  

-stephanie

Congrats to Will & Kate!

I'm sure by now we all know that the future King has been born. The first pictures are beautiful but what I love most is that Kate is wearing something similar to what Princess Di wore when she left with Will.

Princess Diana & Prince Charles with baby William.

Will & Kate with their little one!

Love it!  I actually really love her dress and am hoping to find something similar for when I leave the hospital.  Maybe Rick and I will set up a mock photoshoot when our little one is born.  I just need to get the wave down and that great wind shot!

-stephanie

Recipe: Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

Addie's not a huge fan of breakfast unless it's pancakes and they're covered syrup.  So I had to figure something new and fun that she would like to eat each morning but I wanted it to be healthy still.  One morning I opened the freezer and Addie noticed the popsicles, she then proceeded to ask for a popsicle for 10 minutes before I nearly had a meltdown.  Then I had an "a ha!" moment in which I thought just freeze some yogurt and she gets to eat a popsicle for breakfast and I win because it's healthy.  Not to mention easy!

It's really very simple.  Whatever fruit your child will eat or you have on hand, toss into the popsicle mold and then fill with your favorite yogurt.  We stick with vanilla yogurt and I only had blueberries on hand.

You can also drop some granola in a bowl and then dip the yogurt popsicle into the granola.

Addie loves it!  I ask her if she wants a popsicle for breakfast and she immediately shouts "yes!".  It's been awesome!  So easy, I just grab one out of the freezer and pass it off to her and can pack up our lunches and she doesn't move until she's finished it.

I found out popsicle molds at JoAnn's last year for cheap but you could also check out the selection at Zulily on sale today.

-stephanie

Adalyn is 2 1/2!

I can't believe my little Addie is nearly 3, in fact she's 2 1/2!  As of yesterday, Addie officially turned 2 1/2 and so much has happened since she turned 2 back in January.  You're doing a lot of talking.  It still makes me laugh that at 1 I was asking the doctor his thoughts on you not speaking much and now we can't stop you from talking.  Some of my favorite words you say are:  Tinkabell, poonsa which means spoons, ice cone which is ice cream cone and all of your dolls are baby Liam.

Stats:  Addie is coming in right around 36 inches in height and weighs about 31 pounds.  She is wearing 2T clothes and occasionally can fit into a 24 month, just depends on the item.  Her shoe size is a size 6.

Sleep Schedule:  Sleep is still something we struggle with.  Nap time starts around 1:30 and you sleep about 2 hours.  I've been waking you at he 2 year mark so as to make sure you're not over sleeping and ruining the night sleep schedule. Yesterday you even skipped your nap which is never a good idea.  You were super cranky and whiny later in the evening so we avoid that when possible.  At night you go to bed around 8:45 and wake by 7 each morning.

Foods:  You still love cheese, any type of cheese and any form you can get your hands on, you're happy with.  Sauerkraut and hummus are still two of your more favorite items that shock me.  You love all things fruit and some veggies.  You're finally getting into meats which is a relief!

Firsts:  The only first I can think of is your first major fall in which I though we would end up in the hospital over.  You fell off of your slide and hit your head on a patio chair causing a large goose egg on the back of your head.  Very traumatic for me but all was well.  You do have a pretty hard head so I guess it makes sense.  You are officially potty trained (minus at night - we don't trust that yet)!

Favorite Toys:  Right now you're all about your water table we bought you a couple weeks ago.  The difficult thing is the weather has been so hot that it's been hard to sit outside in the heat.  It doesn't stop you at all.

The next update I give will be of your little brother coming into this world and his stats before we'll have an update on your 3rd birthday!  I can't wait to see you as a big sister!  

-stephanie

30 Week Bump Update

I can't believe I'm giving you my 30 week update.  It feels like just yesterday I was announcing that I was pregnant.  I've been traveling for work the past couple days and I have to say I'm really started to feel exhausted and uncomfortable.  My feet and toes are swelling if I stand too long and my sides feel like they're ripping apart.  Only 9 more weeks and I'll have a little baby to keep me up at night!

Due Date? September 27th is the official date, however we have a scheduled c/s for September 20th.

How far along? 30 weeks

How big is baby? The baby is the size of cabbage about 15.7" and about 2.75lbs.

Weight gain? +22

What's going on with baby?  As the baby continues to practice breathing, hiccups become more regularly.  Weight gain will continue at about a pound per week until delivery.

Stretchmarks? Nothing new.

Sleep? Same as last week.  When I do stay asleep it's really good deep sleep however if I get woken up, chances are I'll be awake for at least an hour before falling back to sleep.

Best moment this week? It's my best and worst moment.  I love to travel, even if it's for work so when Wednesday rolled around and I had to head out, I was excited to see some coworkers I only see maybe once a year.    It's also my worst moment because I skyped with Rick & Addie Wednesday evening and she immediately pouted out her lip and said she missed me.  It broke my heart but makes me even more excited to see her this afternoon!

Movement? Definitely slowing down during the day but I do feel an occasional jab which makes me stop and have to catch my breath.

Food cravings? Nothing right now really.

Gender? Boy!

Labor signs? none.

Belly button in or out? In and slowly thinning.

What I miss? Cute clothes.  Summer is usually one of my favorite times of year and I hate that I'm feeling huge right now.

What I am looking forward to? About 5 or so hours from now when I should be seeing Addie.  Spending the entire weekend with her out and about.

Milestones? Nothing that I can think of.

Next doctor's appointment? July 26th where we'll have another ultrasound.  

-stephanie

Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I found this recipe on Pinterest, well sort of.  The picture I pinned looked good and the details were in the description so I pinned it before I actually clicked back to the site.  Of course, once I get there the recipe is for an entirely different cookie that didn't seem easy or contain ingredients I had on hand.  So I decided to take the description from the picture and changed it a little for what I thought might taste good.  After calculating out the calories for the amount of cookies you can make, these are just under 100 calories each!

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup brown sugar

Smash the bananas until they're smooth, add the peanut butter and smooth until creamy.  Add the oats, chocolate chips and brown sugar and mix until fully combined.  Scoop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  

If you're like me, I like my cookies with a sprinkling of salt on the top so I lightly salted mine.  These are best the same day and still warm.  The next day they're good but get a little gooey.

-stephanie

Frugal Find: Kids Edition - Lowes Build & Grow!

Finding fun projects for your little ones is hard, especially when you're a working mom and most all the fun stuff happens during the week.  When I'm working.  So when I found out about the Lowe's Build & Grow events I was super excited.  Basically it's a big event for young kids to have the opportunity to go into Lowe's and create a project.  You can sign your little ones up online and it's completely FREE!

Addie had to turn in her registration paper at the desk to pick up her packet.  When the lady asked her name she said "Adlyn Gace" which means Adalyn Grace.  I love how she says her name.

She even got this cute apron & mini hammer.

The picture above is basically what happened the entire time.  Rick did most of the constructing while Addie watched all the other kids.  If you can't tell in this picture, she's actually holding the hammer, but clearly paying zero attention.

How cute is she in the apron?!

Taking a break from all that hard work.

This was the most she helped, applying the stickers to the wheels on the car.

She immediately started playing with the car and has taken it pretty much everywhere since then.

She loved it so much but more so because of the other kids she could watch.  

Not only does Lowe's have these kids workshops but Home Depot does as well and I've just found out about a kids workshop at Michael's Craft stores as well.  You can sign up for the Lowe's events here, Home Depot here, and Michael's here.  The Michael's events do charge a small fee.

If you know of any other kids workshops that are free, please let me know because we're enjoying them so much!

-stephanie

2013 Fourth of July Recap

I'm behind on my recaps and fourth of July is no exception.  We decided this year to head out to watch the fireworks at a local lake that my in laws own a small cottage on.  We headed out on Wednesday early evening.

The inlaws also have a boat so boarded the boat and headed out for a quick boat ride.  Addie hates this life vest.  It sits right up under his chin and squishes her face.  But, safety first.

We docked over at the winery that opened that day.  It's gorgeous at the winery. They've got a lot of work cut out for them but the place is gorgeous!

Somehow I didn't take any pictures of Addie and the fireworks.  We were out on the boat watching them from the lake and it started to rain on us so I'm sure we were distracted.  Addie was a little bored by them and kept saying "go fireworks".  Overall the night was really nice and we had fun.

The next day was the fourth and we headed to the local community parade.  It was packed.  Loads of kids including about 15 - 8 year old boys sitting to our right.  Poor Addie, she didn't have much luck getting loads of candy.  This picture sort of breaks my heart.

I love this girl so much.  She did have a few kids who gave her a piece of candy if she wasn't fast enough.  I'll make sure to raise my children to be like these kids and aware of the younger children around you.  I couldn't believe some of the parents didn't at least tell their kids to watch running around her.  Anywho, she enjoyed the parade and I think next year will be a better age for her to be a bit quicker.

We finished up the holiday with a cookout with my best friend and enjoyed the rest of the day very low key.  I can't believe next year Addie will be 3.5 and I'll have a 6 month old baby.

-stephanie

29 Week Bump Update

It's been super raining and ugly out in Columbus for the past 2 weeks nearly non stop so today is finally gorgeous out.  All the windows in the house are open and a nice breeze is flowing.  I may have to make myself a pina colada, virgin of course!

Due Date? September 27th is the official date, however we have a scheduled c/s for September 20th.

How far along? 29 weeks

How big is baby? The baby is the size of butternut squash about 15.25" and about 2.5lbs.

Weight gain? +20

What's going on with baby?  From here until delivery the baby will grow substantially.  Movement will decrease because of the lack of space.  I'm already feeling this slow down which is actually somewhat nice.

Stretchmarks? Nothing new.

Sleep? When I can sleep it's pretty deep.  If I do get woken up I sometimes can't get back to sleep.

Best moment this week? I'll be honest, this is lame, but I'm feeling very solid about where I am at work. Feeling just overall on top of things which is helping me not stress when I'm at home.  

Movement? Slowing down a bit but some of the jabs are pretty solid.

Food cravings? Fair food still.

Gender? Boy!

Labor signs? none.

Belly button in or out? In and slowly thinning.

What I miss? Cute clothes.  I'm feeling large and in charge and have 3 more months to go.

What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow I'm taking Addie to a fun kids workshop.  Fingers crossed it goes well and she loves it.

Milestones? No huge milestones really.

Next doctor's appointment? July 26th where we'll have another ultrasound.  More on that to come.

PS.  Last few days to enter the Sprout Organics Food giveaway.  

-stephanie

Weekend Fun: A Few Weekends Late...

In Columbus, we have a lot local festivals for various reasons.  Latino Fest, Greek Festival, Jazz & Rib Fest and a couple weeks ago was Comfest.  Comfest is short for Community Festival and it's basically a big hippy festival.  I've heard rumors of pot smoking and women walking around topless which is probably why I'd never gone previously.  It's just not my scene but a couple weekends ago we had nothing going on, weather was nice and it was early in the day so we decided to check it out. 

We figured it was free so if it was too weird for us we would just leave.

Addie's hair is long enough for pig tails and I can't get enough of them!

There were a lot of bands out playing so when we heard a band at the entrance Addie immediately stopped and began dancing.

This girl is into music like you can't imagine.  I love it.  I think she gets it from me.

I love this picture even though I cut off half her face.  It's so simple and sweet.

It's not a festival without some crazy yummy food.  Addie wanted a corndog.

I couldn't help but snapping a pic while she took a big bite.

You can't have a corndog without some fries right?

She's scraping the bottom of the barrel here.  Those crumbs still taste like fries.

She spent a lot of time on the swings.

Such a big girl on the big kid swings.

I'm glad we went when we did because it was definitely getting a little weird by the time we left.  Mornings at Comfest are good for kids but the later it gets the older you should be to see what you may see.

PS.  Don't forget to enter the Organic Sprouts Food giveaway.

-stephanie

Steal of the Day: TOMS on Zulily

Toms are on Zulily today and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be ready and waiting to purchase mine at 9AM sharp!  Make sure you check them out before they sell out too soon.  If you're not signed up through Zulily already, make sure you sign up now!

Refreshing & Easy Summer Drink

Being pregnant in the summer isn't the easiest thing.  It's not easy because it's so hot, you're carrying around 30 extra pounds (at minimum) and in my case, a toddler who can't seem to stop hanging on me.  It gets really exhausting and sometimes I just want to sit down and have a drink.  Unfortunately, I can't toss back a cold one so I have to find alternatives and I found one I love.

I made salsa a few weeks ago and had half of a lime leftover to use.  I decided to juice that sucker to death and a couple ingredients everyone has on hand to create a really light refreshing drink.  

Ingredients

1/2 lime, juiced to death

lemon or lime juice to taste

sugar to taste

ice

water

Directions

Juice your lime (or lemon if you want lemonade) and toss it into a large glass of ice, add lemon or lime juice along with sugar to taste.  Add water and adjust until you find that right combo.

If you're not pregnant, you may want to toss in a little rum to make it really delicious.  Either way, it's so light and refreshing and a perfect summer drink!

PS.  Don't forget to enter the Sprout Organic Foods giveaway.

-stephanie

Product Love: Sprout Organic Foods

Snacks are a difficult thing in our house.  Not because you have to make them but because we're always giving snacks but we want them to be easy and healthy.  And if it's something that you can easily transport and just toss into the diaper bag or purse, even better.  We recently had a chance to try out Sprout Organic Foods and love them.  Not only does Addie love them, I tried them out and also love them!

Addie loves them both, I've only tried the crispy chews and omg! they're awesome.  If you've ever had fruit leather it tastes a bit like that but better.  If Addie sees one of the bags she's all over it.  I love how they're they perfect serving size and I can just toss them in my purse to have on hand in case a meltdown is coming. 

Want to know about other great Sprout Products and where you can find them? Shop online here or find a local retailer. 

Giveaway  And how cool is this?!  Sprout is offering one of my readers a chance to win 4 flavors of the Fruit & Veggie Crispy Chews and Fruity Yogurt bites.  That's 8 sample packs total!  

How to Enter  Just follow the instructions in the Raffelcopter widget below.  Make sure you complete the first task as it is a mandatory task.  Once you complete the mandatory task, all other tasks are optional but do increase your chances to win!  The giveaway is open to US & Canada and will close at midnight on Monday, July 15, 2013.  Good Luck!

In case you don't win, make sure to use the following coupon code to save money when purchasing through Amazon!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Sprout Foods. This could include the Sprout Foods providing us w/ content, product, access or other forms of payment. Check out the new Sprout Foods website at www.sproutorganicfoods.com.