Week 34

How far along: 34 weeks (as of 5.17.14)

Gender: It's a BOY!

Baby is: The size of a butternut squash.. about 19 inches long and about 5 pounds.

Weight gain: 39 pounds as of last week's OB appointment.  

Maternity clothes: Loving maxi skirts and dresses right now.. so, so comfortable and perfect for the warmer weather!

Stretch marks: Nadda.

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: Sleep is starting to become very restless.  I am up more than I'm not and I just can't seem to get comfortable.  I also have at least two leg cramps a night.. and they always tend to wake me from my deep slumber! haha

Best moment this week: Just knowing that we are one week closer to meeting our little guy.  I am beyond ready to meet him and see just who he looks like and be able to hold him and kiss him :)  I also found out that my job is secure for next school year, so I'd say that is a pretty good moment!  I can officially put in for my time off at the beginning of the year now.

Movement: He rolls and moves all day long and seems to rest at night.  I'm hoping that means he already has his days and nights straight! haha  He is becoming quite forceful with the feet in the ribs and poking of knees and elbows!

Cravings: Bagels, grapes with fruit dip, chocolate.  And Ice water.. I feel like I can't drink enough.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!  

Looking forward to: I am still looking forward to the end of the school year.  I am on my feet a lot and they are really starting to bother me.  I have had excessive swelling in my feet, legs and hands for weeks now, but pain is starting to creep in with the swelling.  I am down to a week and a half with kiddos and two (well, four) professional days.  Sweet summer is so close that I can taste it!  Not to mention, the start of summer means the arrival of H!

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend.  First, I'd like to thank each and every person who has or is currently serving in our armed forces.. and I hope you all took the time to think about those who have lost their lives fighting for our freedom.  

We traveled (last time before H's arrival!) to my parents for the weekend to celebrate my brother at his graduation party, and to relax with family.  The weekend consisted of a girls breakfast, pedicures with Abby & Katie, a little shopping, way more ice cream than needed, and a fun graduation party.  As always, I have a few pictures to document the weekend!

Presents are always fun!

My brother's best friend, Robbie, brought his smoker and he and my brother made chicken breasts.  They were beyond awesome!  Kudos, boys!

I may have stolen the dog pool and used it as an ice bucket.  Rooney didn't seem to care!

This guy is so proud of everything.. even when he finds a good stick!

Awesome cake.  So proud!

Nothing beats seeing a beautiful rainbow stretched over the serene country-side.  ps  - Denise, this is by your house!

We ended the weekend with two tired pups and a perfect sunset through the back living room windows. I can't get enough of that view!

Nursery Tour

I think I have spent more time thinking about and putting together Hudson's nursery than I have any other room in our house!  However, now that it is 99% ready, I am completely in love with how all of it came together!

I knew I didn't want a "theme".. and by theme, I mean jungle, ocean, etc.  I was more into the color scheme and knew the rest would come together.  When we found out we were having a boy, I immediately knew that I wanted black furniture for the room and light gray walls, but I didn't want everything to be strictly black and gray.  I decided to throw some white into the mix.  Bold, I know.  

I then did some searching on Etsy for things to hang on the walls.  I was immediately drawn to a canvas set that included an anchor print, a sailboat print, and an initial print.  If you have been following my blog for awhile, you might remember the post about my art project for the main wall.  My friend, Julie, and I ended up making these three prints on our own - and saved a ton of money!  From there.. my "theme" emerged without me even realizing it.  I guess you can see it is a sailor type.. mostly around anchors.. with a little chevron here and there.  

I love anchors, always have.. and have one tattooed on my wrist.  It was my daily reminder during IVF that I have grounded roots, but refuse to sink no matter what is thrown at me.  I want Hudson to feel the same way.  Fall seven times, get up eight.

I wanted things to remain simple for a few reasons.  One, he is a boy.  Most boys don't care about style, patterns, etc.  Second, I like simple things.  Classy, but simple.  

We found the perfect furniture on Wayfair's website.  We ended up getting a convertible crib complete with the future bed rails, which means this will be his bed that will go with him when he moves out many, many, many years down the road.  We also purchased a long dresser as well as a chest of drawers.  Again, this is his long-term furniture.  My parents got each one of us a bedroom suit when we were growing up with the understanding that it was ours when it came time to move out.  I was and am so thankful for that bedroom suit and we still use it to this day - it was just recently moved out of our master bedroom to one of our guest rooms.  16+ years and still going strong!

Sticking with my simple style, I found the perfect bedding on Pottery Barn Kids website.  It's white with a gray outline and gray embroidery.  All of his sheets are gray.  Chevron, polka dot, elephant, solid gray, and sailboats.  

Then came the walls.  I had the prints that I had made to hang above his crib.  The other walls were still bare.  We ended up going with simple, black book/frame shelves from Ikea for the other solid wall in the room.  I am so happy with how they turned out.  My mom bought me a wooden wall hanging with lyrics for the third wall.  The fourth wall is still blank.  That is my 1% that is not finished, and will explain why later!

So, without farther ado, I give you the full nursery tour complete with more pictures than you probably care to see!

I love, love, love these shelves from Ikea! They have a ledge that allows you to easily sit books and frames without them sliding off.  We used it to display some of his books and two of my favorite prints.

This chair may end up in our bedroom rather than staying here, but this is where we decided to put it for now. The print on the wall includes the lyrics to "You are my sunshine", which my mom used to sing to me when I was young.

This guy is stacked.  He has so many clothes between his closet and dressers!  I still need to take a few things out, but it came together pretty well.

He is stacked in diapers as well, thanks to our family and friends!

I love these wire bins from Crate and Barrel. I have them in both upstairs bathrooms to hold bottles, make up, etc. Great for organization! The jar is from there as well.

I went with the gray chevron sheet first.  Why? Because I love chevron!  Yes, I know the pillows and things need to come out of the crib.. and they will before he sleeps in it for the first time.

I love how the canvases look hanging above his bed. Simple. Also love his quilt.

This picture is totally crooked. I have another jar from Crate and Barrel housing his pacifiers. The container on the right is an antique sugar tin that was my Grandmas. I have two pictures coming from our maternity photo shoot to add to this dresser, and then the room will be 100% complete.. unless we add in some construction. Construction? Yes. If you look closely at the top of the dresser, you will see the top of the light switch for this room right in the middle. I have no idea what the contractors were thinking when they built our house and it never occurred to me that it would be an issue down the road. Dumb. We may make them come move it to the more "normal" location.

Anywho, there is his bedroom.  I am beyond pleased with how it turned out and hope he loves it in the future.

We also had to do some rearranging in the kitchen last weekend.  Our kitchen is far from big, and while it may look like we have a lot of cabinets, we don't.  I was able to move some things, get rid of others, and transport even others to the basement to open up a full cabinet to store the many, many things our tiny human needs/will need!  I spent a few hours last weekend sterilizing everything and drying it all on my awesome Boon Lawn and Twig :)  Our kitchen looked like it was being taken over by the baby! 

This cabinet it right beside the sink.. which I've been told is the best place for everything! I boiled a few things, but found that the Medela Steam Bags worked wonders and were much quicker. I highly recommend them!  Two ounces of water and three minutes in the microwave.  That's it!

I have one more "project" in the kitchen to make just a bit more space. I ordered a wall organizer to get rid of all of our papers, mail, keys, etc. that sit on the counter next to the stove/oven. I then plan to take all of our cooking utensils and place them in the basket on the counter to open up a drawer (we only have 4!) for the little guy's silverware and other items.

I guess you could say that my nesting phase has set in.  I am currently all about getting things organized and put away and making sure I am prepared for everything we have coming up this summer!  I am so beyond excited to meet our Hudson in just a few short weeks!

Week 33

How far along: 33 weeks (as of 5.10.14)

Gender: It's a BOY!

Baby is: The size of a durian fruit.. about 18 inches long and about 4.5 pounds.

Weight gain: 39 pounds as of this week's OB appointment.  

Maternity clothes: Loving maxi skirts and dresses right now.. so, so comfortable and perfect for the warmer weather!

Stretch marks: Nadda.

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: Still falling asleep early and sleeping well, minus the multiple bathroom breaks.  I am starting to wake up around 4:30 now and can't seem to fall back asleep, but still just lay in bed to get the extra rest.

Best moment this week: Realizing how close we really are to meeting Hudson.  I can't believe we have made it this far.. still seems so surreal.  We picked up a few more things that we needed this week and are so, so close to being 100% done and ready!

Movement: He is very active most days.  I love being able to watch him poke and prod from the outside.  Pretty amazing to see.  It is to the point where you can see him rolling around, too.. and I can even pick out which body parts are poking and prodding.  It is simply amazing.

Cravings: Bagels, steak, salad, green grapes and apples.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!  

Looking forward to: At this point, the end of the school year.  It is so close that I can taste it!  Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the kids, but their motivation is gone and they are done.. which makes every day a struggle.  We have a full week this week, a four day week next week, and a full week the following week with graduation at the end!  As teachers, we have 1.5 days the following week, but they are professional development and should go pretty quickly.  Then we are home free (well minus 2 contract days I need to get in before our little guy arrives!) and it's time to "nest" and get completely ready for Hudson's arrival!

This weekend was pretty eventful!  We went to Babies-R-Us Saturday to pick up the last few items we needed from there and then we headed to Hershey for some fun celebrations with the girls.  We began the afternoon by touring a new, local winery and then doing a VIP tasting.  I tasted water and the yummy snacks, haha.. but did purchase some wine for later!  From there, we moved on to a local brewery (Troegs for all of my beer lovers) where we had some awesome appetizers and picked up beer for our men.. who were at home babysitting all six kids :)  Finally, we ended the night with a beyond delicious Italian dinner at a local restaurant.  

We woke up early Sunday morning so Matt and Tony could do a 25 mile bike ride, went home and did some cleaning and laundry, and then headed off to the All Sports Banquet at my school.  My lacrosse team was recognized for winning our division for the fifth straight year in a row.  I was also honored to present the Female Alumni Athletic Award to one of my former field hockey players.. yes, I used to coach field hockey, too!  I am so proud of all that she has accomplished over her years as an undergrad and am excited for her new beginnings starting in June!  Congrats, Brynn!

Happy Monday, All!

Week 32

 

This week's bump picture brought to you by Old Main at Penn State University!

How far along: 32 weeks (as of 5.03.14)

Gender: It's a BOY!

Baby is: The size of a squash.. about 17 inches long and about 4 pounds.

Weight gain: 34 pounds as of last week's OB appointment.  

Maternity clothes: As I said last week, smalls are out and I am officially in all mediums, even some size large items.  It's crazy how much I feel like I've grown in the last week or two.  My feet, legs and hands are swollen 100% of the time.  My feet and legs do get worse as the day goes on (I am on my feet a lot at work), but they decrease in size a bit when I sleep at night.  I can fit about two pairs of flip flops at this point and that's it!

Stretch marks: Nadda.

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and sleep like a rock.  I have been sleeping great this week.. probably because I am completely exhausted.  I go to bed around 9.. I must admit, sometimes I struggle to make it that long.  I wake up on my own around 5 am every day.  I am ok with that.. I am more of a morning person and am much more productive in the morning than I am in the evening.

Best moment this week: Being able to pick out body parts that are "sticking" out of my belly!  On the non-baby related side, the best moment of the week was my little brother's college graduation.  I could not be more proud of all of his accomplishments thus far!  **More on this below**

Movement: He is very active most days.  I love being able to watch him poke and prod from the outside.  Pretty amazing to see.  It is to the point where you can see him rolling around, too.. and I can even pick out which body parts are poking and prodding.  It is simply amazing.

Cravings: Cereal, steak, salad, fresh fruit.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!  

Looking forward to: So many exciting things in the next month or so!  We have my brother's graduation party coming up, final decorations to put up in Hudson's room, hospital bags to pack, and final preparations and purchases to make.  I must say, I am also looking forward to the end of the school year.  We are down to four weeks with kids (only 3 five day weeks!) and two additional days without kiddos.  It is the homestretch all around!

This week was pretty exciting for my family.  My brother graduated from Penn State University with his degree in Civil Engineering.  We spent Friday in State College attending his graduation ceremonies (a civil engineering ring ceremony started the day), doing some down town PSU shopping, dinner, and of course dessert at the Creamery.  It was such a special day and I could not be more proud of him and his many, many accomplishments!  Throughout his time at PSU, he has not only been in school full time, but also working with the engineering contractors at school over twenty hours per week.  He was able to be a part of the building of the Pegula Ice Arena.. which is huge.. among many other things!  

Here are a few pictures to capture our day.

My brother and sister in front of Old Main.

The graduate.

Family Photo

The civil engineering department. There were over 1300 engineering students that graduated at his ceremony. There were approximately 8 rows of civil engineers.

My brother and his awesome girlfriend, Katie.

So proud of him!

Panoramic shot of the entire facility - Bryce Jordan Center.

My very proud parents with the graduate.

Happy Graduation, Andrew.  I am so, so proud of you and look forward to seeing what the future has to offer you!

Week 31

How far along: 31 weeks (as of 4.26.14)

Gender: It's a BOY!

Baby is: The size of a pineapple.. about 16 inches long and about 3.5-4 pounds.

Weight gain: 34 pounds as of this week's OB appointment.  

Maternity clothes: All day errr day.  Out with the smalls and in with the mediums (and even larges with some items)!  I actually had to buy shoes this week, too.  My feet have been incredibly swollen for weeks and I literally cannot fit into any of my own shoes - including sneakers and flip flops!  

Stretch marks: Nadda.

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and sleep like a rock.  Until about 1 am.  Then I'm up for a couple of hours and eventually fall back asleep around 3 or so and sleep until about 5:15.  I feel rested most of the day.. and then I go to lacrosse practices or games.  That literally drains every once of energy I have.  Don't get me wrong, I love my team and coaching.. but it is taking all of my energy!

Best moment this week: Realizing that we are down to single digits (in weeks) until we meet our little guy.  I literally cannot believe it!  I feel like some weeks have gone by slowly, while others have passed by in the blink of an eye!  I loved putting together all of his new things over this week.  It is just so exciting getting ready for him!  Our maternity photo proofs also came in.. I am so in love with them!  I will include a link below to a video the photographer made that includes some of their favorite shots.  I have no idea how I am ever going to choose which shots I want to buy!  I also received some amazing birthday gifts from some even more amazing girls in my life.  Chelsea and Kristen - words cannot even express my thanks!  Love you girls so, so much!

Movement: He is very active most days.  I love being able to watch him poke and prod from the outside.  Pretty amazing to see.  It is to the point where you can see him rolling around, too!

Cravings: Bagels with butter, steak, and salad.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!  

Looking forward to: So many exciting things in the next month or so!  Spending time with friends and family, my brother graduating from college, and the final homestretch to meeting our baby boy!  I am looking forward to getting into my nesting mode - though Matt will probably tell you I am already there!  I have bottles, pacifiers, etc. to sterilize and one last load of laundry.  I am hoping to start packing hospital bags within the next week or two, as well.  If you have any suggestions, please send them my way!

Link to our photo-shoot:  http://www.shareitvideo.com/watch.php?v=241555911413851

Major props to Blue Dog Imaging for their beyond amazing work!  **The song makes me tear up every time I watch it :)


I'm going to give you a little weekend re-cap in this post as well.  My sister and I attended a Paint Day at my school Saturday morning as part of her birthday gift.  We both enjoyed ourselves very much, and made "masterpieces" at the same time!  While she and I were painting, Matt and my mom were busy planting our flowers and mulching around our house!  My mom also cleaned my downstairs, which was beyond appreciated.  We then did a little shoe shopping at the local shoe outlet sale in town.  Sunday was spent finishing up the mulch, planting the garden, cleaning the upstairs, and doing what felt like endless loads of laundry.  I guess that maybe my nesting has begun :)  Here are a few pictures to document our fun!

My "masterpiece"

Abby's awesome painting!