......and we're back!

Hi ladies! I'm happy to announce that we are back in business! I am done with my paper (crossing my fingers here that we don't have any more re-do's) and just waiting on my lovely and beautiful scholarly editor to get back to me and then I can officially turn my paper in! Which means, blogging can resume! I know its New Years Eve....so I won't chat your ear off. I just wanted to share a few things on my mind.

1. Pregnancy. I have 5 weeks left. Seriously. I kind of can't even believe it. On one hand, I am ready to be done....like yesterday. This pregnancy has been tough, to say the least. Everything hurts.all.the.time. Like places that I won't even share with you....its not comfortable. I had a doctors appointment yesterday and found out that little mister has already dropped...which explains the "bowling ball between your legs" feeling. But probably the weirdest sensation is feeling him touch my hip bones. I can't express how strange of a feeling it is to have something (or in this case, someone ;) hit your bones FROM THE INSIDE. Obviously he's just not floating around in my bones...but he can still hit them and its not fun. Anyways....as ready as I am to be done, done, done....I am also extremely anxious. Instant butterflies the second I think about the labor and delivery process. I'm more nervous this time around than I was with Hannah, and I think its because I really just gave birth 19 months ago. It's still pretty fresh in my mind. Eek. Anyways...moving on and trying not to think about THAT. I have a feeling this little man is going to come early, and as long as he gives me a couple more weeks to get some things done, I am A OKAY with that.

2. G's room. We are finished! Noah and I had to cancel plans one weekend since we were sick, so we were stuck at home all weekend with nothing to do. We decided to get into the baby's room and ended up finishing it that weekend! We've put together all the furniture, I've washed and put away his clothes, set up his toys, set up his dresser and changing table...I've even half packed his diaper bag for the hospital! It's a huge relief to have that done! I still need to add decor; his walls are looking pretty bare, but the essentials are done! I don't want to share pictures quite yet...I want the little man to be the first one to "see" his room before I post them on the internet, but we went with a nautical theme and I've been thinking about some ideas for decor and I just can't make up my mind. Here are some of my inspirations...

3. ISO shops on Instagram. A new friend introduced me to these closet shops on Instagram yesterday, and I am already obsessed! Basically its women selling baby clothing, either new with tags or very gently used on Instagram. You just follow the shops and then when you see something you want, you comment with your paypal email. It's all designer brands (Zara, Freshly Picked, Boden Baby, Gap, etc) and its all discounted (and some of it literally still has tags on it!) I might have purchased a pair of Freshly Picked moccs (brand new, never tried on) for Hannah today to go with her "meeting baby brother" outfit. Tell me these aren't the cutest little things you have ever seen....

Anyways...if any of my mommy friends want more info, let me know! I'd be happy to share some of the shops I have been stalking. :)

4. New Years Resolutions. I've been thinking about what resolutions I want to make this year. I want to make some resolutions that I will actually stick to. I've been known to make the typical "lose weight" resolution and then forget about my new healthy eating and diet plan a few weeks later. I'll share what I come up with tomorrow.

5. Hannah. My little girl is growing up SO fast. I can't believe she is 19 months old! I know I say it all the time on this blog, but it truly is amazing the kind of love you have for your baby. I honestly never knew in a million years that I could love someone this much. She's just the coolest little girl and I love that I get to spend my whole day with her...everyday! She is getting more and more of a personality every day...and a sassy one, at that! She already has "the eye" that she gives me when she's annoyed by me...and I swear she has already rolled her eyes at me on TWO separate occasions. She loves playing Mama to her babies...she feeds them, bathes them, puts them to bed...its pretty adorable. She is going to be the best big sister to her little brother! As ready as I am to meet G, it just reminds me how precious little time I have left with Hannah as my one and only. Noah and I decided to not make plans with anyone for New Years Eve this year, as it is our last holiday as a family of three. We are spending the whole day soaking up our time together and have plenty of fun activities planned for Nan's.

I hope everyone has a wonderful (and safe!) night tonight. Happy New Year friends!

Bump Update: 34 Weeks

34 Weeks! 

How far along? 34 weeks... 42 more days...seriously?! How is this even possible?
Size and growth of Baby? Baby G is about 4.75 pounds now and around 17.75 inches long (about the size of a cantaloupe)
Maternity Clothes? Umm...if that. Seriously, most of my maternity clothes don't even fit anymore. I wish I was kidding.
Weight Gain? I'm up around 25+. My next appointment is on the 30th and I'll know for sure then.  
Stretch Marks?  True story....one day my sides were KILLING me...like my skin was getting super irritated from the panel on my maternity jeans, so I went upstairs to change and see what was going on. My stomach was COVERED in red irritated lines. I FREAKED. Like....meltdown of the century. I was sobbing so hard that I wasn't making sense. Nana was scared, Noah was trying to comfort me but couldn't help but laugh. Eventually I calmed down. The next day I woke up to check on my new "friends" and they were gone! I've been battling extremely dry skin this pregnancy so we are pretty positive it was just a rash caused by dry skin and my maternity panel. In hindsight...I might have overreacted. ;) Buuuut...I can promise you that I have been lathering my stomach in my Mama Butter and check for those pesky little lines everyday. 
Gender? Still boy! 
Movement? Oh goodness, does this kiddo move! Sometimes I swear that he is trying to break free. I know he is head down and I can often tell exactly which body parts of his are kicking me or poking out. I can even push his little bum bum back in when he gets a little greedy with the space ;) It's pretty fun and definitely keeps me at ease feeling his constant movements...but I do have to say that they can be quite painful and I often have to catch my breath after a really good jab. 
Sleep? Ehh....could be worse. I have to flip a billion times in the night, which is no easy task with this giganto belly. I also wake up to use the restroom about 7 times a night. Hannah is also teething her molars AND starting to have night terrors (poor baby!), so if I'm not up peeing, flipping, or massaging out leg cramps...I'm rocking a fussy toddler back to bed. Aye iy iy! My only saving grace is that I have started taking daily naps when Hannah naps...I'm pretty sure I couldn't function without them! 
Food Cravings/Aversions?  Not too many cravings this go around. Now that I'm deeper into my third trimester, some of my first trimester symptoms are starting to creep back in and smells are starting to bother me. So....I'm having aversions to anything that smells "weird", haha.
What I Miss? Hmm...not being pregnant? Haha! No, I do love being pregnant...but I'm officially at the "big and uncomfortable" stage and I'm just ready to meet this little guy! 
Symptoms? Heartburn! This one is a sucker. I've gone through a shocking number of bottles of Tums. Muscle cramps...always at night and always the ones that make you shoot out of bed yelling. Braxton Hicks galore! Nausea, again. :( Crazy dry skin and lips. Extreme exhaustion....most often I'm just too tired to even eat! I tried explaining it to Noah the other night...it's like I'm still hungry and WANT to eat, but the physical act of picking up my fork and having to chew is just way too much to handle.  
Best Moment of the Week?  We finished the nursery! I have been down sick with a horrible cold and ended up having to cancel some weekend plans. Since we were stuck at home, we decided to get into the baby's room and we ended up finishing it last weekend! This past week I purchased his furniture and put it together. I still need to get his mattress and put together his bedding, and then add decor. But I feel so relieved that we have this huge thing *mostly* checked off our list! 
Worst Moment of the Week?  Probably just still trying to get over a cold while being pregnant and chasing a toddler. I am relieved though that Hannah seemed to stay clear of it. 
What Noah is saying...  "You should start making freezer meals for when the baby comes!" <----ummm yes, I'll get right on this in all my spare time. ;)
Other Thoughts? I honestly can't believe that I only have 5.5 weeks left. I still feel so overwhelmed with everything I want to get done before he gets here! 

Busy busy busy!

Hi friends!

Just wanted to pop in and say 'hi!' and to let you all know that I am officially going on a bloggy break....not that it wasn't obvious by my lack of posting. ;)

I am STILL (seriously) trying to finish up school. I had a deadline of the end of November, which I fortunately did meet.....kind of. I technically did finish my paper, emailed it in and anxiously awaited word from my directors. Unfortunately....it was not good news. Apparently the paper requirements have changed in the year and a half I have been gone and nobody thought to tell me (hello....I even went to one-on-one meetings with these people!!!)...I guess I am partially to blame, I could have asked them if everything was the same....anyways.....I did a giant majority of my paper wrong. Two weeks of writing non stop for nothing. I literally burst into tears in front of my teacher and cried for two days straight when I found out.

They agreed to go ahead and give me a "pass" in the class so that I didn't have to repay for it, however they will not submit my transcripts for my certificate until I finish the paper in the correct way. So I technically got my paper in on time and got my "pass".....but now I just have to spend a few weeks fixing it up. Exactly what I wanted to be doing with my month of December.

I am stressed to the max. Finishing this paper is my priority, but we haven't done ANYTHING in G's room. We haven't even ordered his furniture yet. His laundry needs to get washed, toys need to be organized...I've come to the realization today that I probably won't even have time to send out Christmas cards this year. :( Enough of my ranting....I've been stressing about not posting updates on here in a while and I just have to let it go. So no more blog until school is done!

Have a great holiday season, friends!