23 weeks!

Apparently I am just going to skip week 22...oops! It's been a wild couple of weeks at work, and the little blog took a back seat to sleep & time with the hubby.

How far along: 23 weeks and 4 days

Total weight gain: Maybe almost 5lbs total? We'll see on Wednesday!

Maternity clothes: Loving some of the cute new maternity clothes my Momma picked up for me this week.

Stretch Marks: Nope- but my tummy was feeling very stretched today. Strange feeling!

Sleep: I slept RIGHT through my alarm today. Thankfully my sweet hubby woke me up out of a dead sleep.

Best moment this week: Again, so many! Baby girl is moving around like CRAZY, which has been really fun. We got to work on some of the baby room projects this weekend. We painted the glider & dresser which turned out REALLY well! And we hung this adorable chandelier that my Momma made for us! The room is definitely pretty girly. Things are coming right along!

Miss anything: Wine. For sure.

Movement: Ooooh yes! She is an active little one. She gets going around 9/10ish in the morning, then again in the mid afternoon, and then again around 9/10 at night. No super hard kicks or punches though! Rich has been able to feel her too which is AMAZING!

Food cravings: Strangely enough, I was craving cheeseburgers for a few days last week. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Gender: Pink pink pink!

Symptoms: Hip pain has been a lot better, thankfully. Still loving yoga & warm baths!

Belly Button In or Out: Still in.

Wedding Rings on or off: On!

Happy or Moody: Happy!!!

Looking forward to: Rich's "New Daddy Bootcamp" class on Saturday! I cannot wait to hear how it goes for him. How freakin' cute is he???

{22 weeks photo- I think!}

{I got the cutest little shower invitation in the mail! And it's a shower for ME!}

{My family was here on Saturday helping paint the glider & dresser for the nursery, as well as other miscellaneous projects around the house. Apparently my sisters needed a quick power nap! They certainly deserved the break after all their hard work!}

{Momma hard at work! Check out the cute chandelier in the corner that she made!}

{Up close view of the lovely chandelier!}


{The glider- BEFORE}

{The glider- mid update! Ottoman not pictured.}


{Fabric that will be used to make new pads for glider & ottoman}


{Dresser- BEFORE}

{The dresser! Also mid update. And the mirror is not attached}

{We decided to have some painting done over the weekend. It was a big job & since we talked them down to a reasonable price, we decided to go for it! We couldn't be happier with the results. The space looks so much newer and warmer. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Above is the BEFORE picture..}

 {And the AFTER!}

That last picture was taken today. Feeling really good and loving the crazy amounts of energy that I have! Again, sorry for the missed update, but hopefully I made up for it with the pictures!

21 weeks!

How far along: 21 weeks & 4 days! (A little behind in getting this week's update posted!)

Total weight gain: Guessing somewhere between 2-5lbs. My goal is no more than 25lbs total- we shall see!

Maternity clothes: Busy trying to plan an outfit for our maternity pictures in October! So fun.

Stretch Marks: Nope!

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well again, thank goodness!

Best moment this week: So many "bests" this week! But probably the highlight for me was getting our crib on Saturday! Rich & I had a great time setting it up together, and it looks amazing! Typically we keep the door to the nursery closed, but I have been walking by and opening the door a TON just to get a quick look at where our sweet little one will sleep!

Miss anything: Definitely my old bras. Yikes!

Movement: Definitely feeling movement now! It started on Monday/Tuesday this week. I wasn't exactly sure what I was feeling, but now that it is pretty consistent, I know what it is! Still not enough for Rich to be able to feel it, but I'm sure that will start soon! It's so incredible!

Food cravings: Nothing really. Just enjoying having my appetite back.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Gender: It's a girl! YAY!

Symptoms: Holy hip pain! This was a rough week, for sure. I had training in Chicago, which meant 2 1/2 hour of driving JUST to get to my 8 hours/day of training. Ick! Too much sitting meant a LOT of pain for me. But thankfully, I am feeling a lot better due to my heating pad, warm baths & lots of yoga.

Belly Button In or Out: Still in

Wedding Rings on or off: On!

Happy or Moody: Happy! I am so excited for a little girl. Rich is going to be so stinkin' cute with her!

Looking forward to: Rich getting to feel the baby move too!

 

 {The awesome fabric I got to re-do our glider!}

 

{Some of the loot Baby GIRL Stiles has started to accumulate!}

 

 {Baby's first tutu!!!}

 

{The CRIB! Isn't it beautiful???}

{21 weeks!}

Observations on having a GIRL!

It's only been a few days since we found out that a precious little girl will be joining our family. Rich thought it was going to be a girl from the beginning, but I wasn't so sure. I never had a strong feeling either way. I really enjoyed the two little Safe Family boys that we had with us for a few months, so I thought maybe the Lord was trying to prepare me for a boy. Given that I come from a family of girls, the idea of having a baby boy freaked me out a little.

But, it's a girl! So while that reality is still sinking in, I've been noticing different things about little girls.

*Since all the summer baby clothes are on sale now, I noticed that the majority of baby girl swim suits are two pieces. Really? A bikini for a baby? How awkward. I pray that our baby girl will feel comfortable in her own skin and enjoy fashion, but always practice modesty.

*After spending time at Rich's school football game & observing mass amounts of teenage girls, I noticed that very few of them actually speak respectfully- either to their parents, or their peers. This makes my heart really sad and my skin crawl a little bit. I have very high hopes that our daughter will always be kind and gentle with her words, especially when in public.

*I've noticed that some of these rude little teens turn into rude little Mom's who raise more rude little teens. This observation is more about me than our daughter- but I hope that I will be able to show the love of Christ at sporting events, in the school, or whenever I am in a situation that could become tense or competitive. I am definitely not a competitive person myself- I am much happier celebrating other people's victories than fighting for the win myself. I just hope that I will be supportive and encouraging of our daughter's achievements, but help her realize that winning isn't everything.

That's really all I've got for this Saturday morning. I have NO expectation that I will be the "perfect mother", but I trust that the Lord will equip Rich and I as we begin this adventure. I will do my best to lead by example and admit when I am wrong. I am just so excited to meet this little girl & get to know her!

20 weeks!

We are half way there! I can hardly believe how quickly this is going. And it's only going to go faster with Fall, Thanksgiving & Christmas on the way. So much to be thankful for & excited about. The Lord has truly blessed us and we are just overwhelmed by His blessings!


How far along: 20 weeks!

Total weight gain: I have finally gained weight! I'll give credit to all the delicious food in Hawaii, but I am up 2 lbs from when I originally started. Never thought I would be excited about gaining weight!

Maternity clothes: Love them! Especially the cute dress my Mom & sister got for me this week!

Stretch Marks: Nope!

Sleep: Other than my CRAZY dreams, I am sleeping pretty well for the most part.

Best moment this week: Getting to see our baby again at the appointment! It was amazing to see how much growth has taken place over the last few weeks. To see actual fingers & toes, the spine, the nose! It is just so amazing to me! God is so creative and this process is too amazing for me to comprehend!

Miss anything: Probably my cute normal bras :)

Movement: Possibly, although nothing for sure. But baby was definitely moving around like crazy during the ultrasound.

Food cravings: Nothing really sticks out...I'm still a pretty big fan of fancy salads though!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!! She was being a little shy, so the ultrasound tech only gave us a "90% guarantee", but she was pretty confident. We are so excited to have a daughter!

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good this week!

Belly Button In or Out: In- but it's getting shallower!

Wedding Rings on or off: On!

Happy or Moody: Happy! I am so excited for a little girl. Rich is going to be so stinkin' cute with her!

Looking forward to: Feeling movement & getting the nursery together!

 

{Sharing the news with Mom, Dad & Lauren!}

 {Mom & Dad when we shared the news!}

 {It's a GIRL!!!}

{20 weeks!}

19 weeks!

I am slacking a little bit in getting these updates posted in a timely fashion! I just started my Case Manager training at work, and it is sort of sucking the life out of me...only another week & 1/2 left, and then I'll be back to normal! Anyway, here is our update for week 19!

How far along: 19 weeks

Total weight gain: I think I finally might have started gaining weight...we'll see next week!

Maternity clothes:They are here to stay! I'm looking forward to getting some maternity leggings once it gets a little cooler.

Stretch Marks: None yet.

Sleep: A few rough nights here or there, but overall it's been pretty good.

Best moment this week: Going to the Cubs game with our friends Dana & Chip! It was really fun having a day out with friends, sharing constant baby talk with Dana. Also, I signed us up for all of our baby classes. Rich is even taking a "New Daddy Bootcamp" class- isn't that adorable???

Miss anything:I'm doing a lot better & not craving too much.

Movement:Maybe??? I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is actually the baby.

Food cravings: Panera. Gotta love it! And they are building one right here in Woodstock!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really! Thank the Lord!

Gender: Hoping to find out next week!

Symptoms: I've been feeling pretty good this week!

Belly Button In or Out: In

Wedding Rings on or off: On!

Happy or Moody: Happy! I am just SO excited for our appointment!

Looking forward to: Definitely our next appointment! Once we find out the sex of the baby, we can really start getting the nursery together. 

{19 weeks}

18 weeks!

How far along: 18 weeks & 4 days

Total weight gain: I think I finally might have started gaining weight...we'll see next week!

Maternity clothes: I should really remove this one since they are here to stay! I did get to wear one of my cute Fall sweaters today since it was so cool out. Made me very happy!

Stretch Marks: None yet.

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well. Definitely prefer to be on my left side though.

Best moment this week: Finally starting to really "show". I think it's pretty obvious that I am pregnant, not just chubby!

Miss anything: Margaritas...especially after having spent a week in Hawaii with no fruity drinks!

Movement: Still no definitive movement. Any time though...

Food cravings: Soups! That's kind of random, I know.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I have to say, I think my normal appetite is back. Confession- I even ate a double cheeseburger on vacation! And a steak! Guess I am okay with red meat again :)

Gender: Unknown- hopefully baby will cooperate at our next appointment!

Symptoms: The headaches have not been a problem this last week. Thank the Lord! Maybe it was due to being on vacation, or maybe I am just adjusting to this stage of pregnancy. Either way, I don't miss them!

Belly Button In or Out: In

Wedding Rings on or off: On!

Happy or Moody: Happy! I cannot wait to meet this little one!

Looking forward to: Our next doctor's appointment on Wednesday 8/29. That will be our big "20 week" appointment, so I am pretty excited for that. Lord willing, we'll be able to find out the sex of our baby. I think things will seem even MORE real at that point! And I can't wait to start feeling movement! Eek!

 

{Waimea Canyon- Kauai, Hawaii}

17 weeks!

How far along: 17 weeks

Total weight gain: I lost another few pounds! What the heck!? I am down about 5 lbs now. My doctor said it's not a big deal, and that I'll start gaining eventually. Never in a million years did I think I wouldn't gain weight nearly 5 months into my pregnancy!

Maternity clothes: Love love love them. Especially my cute t-shirts. Cannot wait for Fall clothes though!

Stretch Marks: None yet.

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well. Still getting up about 1-2 times per night.

Best moment this week: We had our next appointment. I had a lot of questions, which my doctor was happy to answer. She is just the greatest! One question I had was when to do the classes offered to us- since our baby is due right off the holidays, I really didn't want to be doing them during Christmas. She suggested maybe doing them in late November. That way I won't forget things, but also won't feel rushed. They couldn't find the heartbeat using the doplar again, so they did another quick ultrasound. It was AMAZING to see how much our little one has grown since our last ultrasound!

Miss anything: Not really. Feeling pretty content this week.

Movement: Still nothing for sure.

Food cravings: Still fruit & cheese.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. Things are getting better on that front!

Gender: Unknown-I told the ultrasound tech that if she happened to see anything, that we want to know the sex of the baby. Unfortunately, she said that the baby had his/her legs tucked up tight, so there was no way she could tell at that point. Bummer! I am starting to think it's a girl though...

Symptoms: Oh, the headaches. Really hoping they are not a problem in Hawaii. That could really take away from our vacation!

Belly Button In or Out: In

Wedding Rings on or off: On!

Happy or Moody: Happy! I have felt really productive lately which is great.

Looking forward to: Relaxing in Hawaii with my sweet husband! Sleeping in, snuggling, and swimming! What could be better than that?!

{Right before we left for the airport!}