In the blink of an eye...

Whoever said that first had to have been a mom.  Things really do change quickly around the 8th month!  Connor is on the move and now neither of us sit still. Not quite crawling but he might as well be. 

When they say "they do something new every day" that's no lie.  Last week for instance- I woke up to him playing in the crib one day and when I looked at the monitor- there he was sitting.  Then during play time he did it a couple times.  I was so impressed he could go from laying to sitting and he was doing it VERY quickly.  Then I put him down for his 1st nap a few hours later- left him awake to fall asleep on his own.  I was watching on the video monitor again because he was really starting to cry and then all of a sudden he was sitting, pulling the crib rail and then boom- standing.  I rushed in there because, as you can see from this picture the crib came to his mid-chest and with that big-ole-head he could easily fall out. 

Needless to say I lowered the mattress before his next nap!  Something else new that he started probably 2 days before the sitting/standing- hitting himself in the mouth with the back of his hand while saying "ahhhhh" so it makes an "ah-ah-ah" sound.  When he cries Greg taps his mouth and it makes the noise and distracts him from crying.  He now does this to himself.  The funniest is when he starts to cry and does it to himself then!  It's fun because it's the first thing he's done to mimic us where he's remembered and does it on his own without us doing it first.  He'll also hit his mouth on our chest or arm if we're holding him.  Pretty cute.

Baths have gotten a little crazy.  He's all over the place in the tub, trying to stand up or splashing while trying to grab toys.  He loves to get on his knees and "bite" the tub edge.  Like this...

Connor has been quite busy lately with play dates.  Every week we've been getting together with other Mommy friends.  I'll be sure to get some pics this week of the babies playing.  He and his girlfriend Hailey are getting lots of quality time during their daily playdates.  They like to play the "mine" game and steal toys from each other.  They're getting pretty close to kissing on their own too...

I have a feeling I'll be writing a new blog post in a few days all about his crawling!  Until then, like always I have to end the post with an adorable pic.  Look at this chunky little butter-ball!  Don't you just LOVE HIM!?!?!

7 months is so fun!

Connor is now 7 months old and he's just such a fun little man....

....or big man weighing 19lbs 15oz on the 18th...still less than his Daddy at 7 months (and 2in taller).  He laughs and smiles on cue, I can distract him from tears just by smiling at him.  He's hilarious to watch play with his toys and even more so in the bathtub.  The newest adorable thing he does is stick his tongue in and out while he feels his teeth with it.  I can make him giggle for a few minutes straight which just makes me laugh and I feel like we're playing the "haha game".  Did anyone ever play that when they were younger?  It would still make me laugh if I did it now- you lay face up w/ your head on someone's stomach...then someone on yours and so on (with a few people) and you go around diong "ha" then the next person "haha" then the next "hahaha" and so on.  Sounds dump but by the 5th turn you're hysterically laughing.  That's what it's like when Connor starts laughing. 

He hasn't really progressed in the attempt to crawl- he still sits up long enough to reach for things and fall.  He's gotten better about not falling and pushing himself backup when he's almost down.  He's started to reach for higher things like the table and the top of the tub and kind of attempts to stand. 

As I said earlier I started making Connor's baby food.  I didn't know if I'd last long because at first it seemed time consuming, but it's really not bad and I'm actually enjoying it!  Greg & I loved to host mini parties- we used to do this a lot more before Connor.  I loved looking at fun new recipes (and old ones) for appetizers and party food and we'd spend a few hours making food.  Well we don't do that so much anymore, so making baby food is kind of my alternative.  So far I've made single fruits and veggies that we've frozen in ice cube trays- carrots, sweet potatos, apples, pears, peas, butternut squash, rutabaga, mango, strawberries, papaya, peaches; and then foods you can't freeze like bananas, avocado and melons.  We've also done a few mixed things that he hasn't tried yet but they're in the freezer and ready for the next 2 weeks- a chicken, sweet potato, apple meal and another with fish, leek, carrot and cheese.  Right now we have 11 ice cube trays in the freezer!  He seriously likes it all which is GREAT because I don't know what we'd do with a picky eater since neither of us are picky. 

Daddy's little monkey loves bananas!

We got 5 inches of snow about 2 weeks ago which was FABULOUS because Greg was off Monday and Tuesday for "snow days".  NC doesn't know how to handle snow and even people with SUVs were going 5mph with the first inch.  Here are a few pics of our snow day-

My parents and Glenna came last weekend to see us (or just Connor).  We tried a new meal- Hungarian Goulash.  It was AWESOME.  I recommend- we got the recipe from his boss' wife who found it on Wolfgang Puck.  We did our 1st new "Odd Thursdays" meal- a chicken chinese meal with red peppers, leek, parsnips, zucchini and a tiny bit of hoisen sauce.  It was delicious and we didn't even need rice with it.  We're trying a roast chicken this Thursday.  So far we're doing well with the new meal resolution- we've even done it more often that every other Thursday:)  Instead of trashing the unused leek and parsnip like I'd usually do in 2 weeks- we used it for Connor!  Another reason I love making baby food.

Connor playing with Auntie G and Putney wants the attention...of course.

My book reading resolution is going well- I finished the N.Sparks book on like the 9th and I've been deciding what to read next- I have a few to choose from and only a couple days to decide.  I'm leaning towards "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by the same guy as "Kite Runner".  Greg's recommendation- I wouldn't normally pick this kind of book (based in Afghanistan) but that's what this resolution is all about.  Another possibility is "The City of Fallen Angels" about Venice, Italy.  I'll let you know what I decide next blog...

Until then here's a cutie pic of our man at 7 months old:)  Love him!

Resolutions

So far so good on the resolution for my blogging!  It has only been a week...aren't you proud of me?!  This past week, after my last blog post (or shall I say my short novel) I've been constantly thinking what to blog about next.  With everything Connor does I think "blog that".  But since it's only been a week and he hasn't done much I figured I'd write mainly about my 2011 resolutions.

But first I have a few things that Connor has been up to lately.  He has 2 bottom teeth about to plunge through his gums.  I can see both of them.  One has broken skin a little bit and I can feel the sharpness.  I'm excited that he won't be one of those 1 in a million babies who doesn't teeth until 2 years old, but I'm also not excited for the biting.  The great thing- so far he hasn't been more fussy, hope it stays that way. 

Connor's new favorite thing to do- reach for everything.  This isn't all that new, but it's his main focus in life at this point (other than 5 poops a day).  Whether he's sitting on his butt, in his exersaucer, in his johnny jump up, or in our arms, he reaches for whatever he sees- toy, his food, our food, the shinny drawer handle, everything.  During his floor play time he'll reach, and almost get on his hands and knees...but more so his hands and a knee/foot combo.  Then he rocks a little and it ends in a face plant or a side fall.  After that he rolls front to back a few times and rotates until he reaches what he wants.  It's pretty cute and I'm kind of anxious for a crawl, but also not. 

Other than this, Connor's mostly been playing with his 2 best friends, Putney and Hailey.  Here's a picture of Connor riding Putney, he loves to do this now too:

...and a pic of Connor and his #1 girlfriend Hailey in their Christmas gifts to each other:

Connor has already had a busy 2011 with more parties to go to than us.  His friend Haydie Cain turned 3 on the 2nd so Connor dragged us to Wilmington to go to Jungle Rapids.  It was a great time and Haydie and her friends were all over the place in there.  Connor is a little young but he did enjoy his first time in the balls (then we marinated him in germ-x).  Then yesterday Connor's first of many girlfriends turned one- Genevieve (Evie) King.  It was an exciting time for Connor and his friends- he even skipped his nap to watch Evie dive into her first cake.  Here's a picture of Connor (7mo), Sean (4mo), Evie (1), Hailey (7mo) and Lila (5wks):

Back to my resolutions.  I ended the last blog saying I want to blog more so that's obviously the first one.  Specifics are what will keep you on top of your resolutions- so more specifically, I will post a new blog at least every other week, so at least 1 per 14 days. 

Another resolution is to read one book a month.  Non baby!  I realized that I haven't finished a non-baby or pregnancy book since we went to Italy in August 2008.  Sad I know.  I didn't think I'd have much time with Connor because, believe it or not, being a stay at home mom is MUCH busier than working a 9-5 job, most days.  However I've been reading this week during feeding times (which really only totals 45 minutes a day) and in the evening instead of watching TV.  I'm 2/3 the way through my first book of the year- "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks.  Of course I'd start with my favorite author!  Don't be surprised if half my 2011 reading is his.  It's a great book so far, and the main character was a Marine and it takes place only 30 minutes from our house so I've been enjoying comparing the fictional book to real life.  So what's next?  I have no idea- I'm taking book suggestions.  I have a few that I've gotten over the years but other than that I really need some ideas.  So please- post a comment with a must-read!

So my third resolution- budgeting.  Yes we're a single income family now but we do live in a low cost area so it's not imperative that we budget, but I spend way too much on Connor's clothes!  And clearly on my own.  I also have never really budgeted before and lets be honest- I get pleasure in dealing with numbers!  It's how my brain works I can't help it.  So to create an excel spreadsheet with numeric equations is just straight up fun for me.  I don't know how I never thought to do this before, I mean I love math, and finances, and organization.  Well I'm going to do it this year!  I already started my excel spreadsheet and maybe it'll help me spend less on clothes and more on Connor's college fund!  Do you know what they expect in-state tuition to be in 18-20 years?  BabyGap and Gymboree cargo pants and onesies aren't going to magically turn into college cash. 

For my (our) 4th and final resolution.  New meals.  On odd Thursdays.  So about every other Thursday we'll cook a new meal from one of our 15 cook books or online recipes.  In addition to cook books, we probably have 50 recipes in our recipe box that we've never tried.  Every Thursday is just too much, and I didn't have my act together this past Thursday to do it so we'll go with odd Thursdays.  Maybe it will lead to creating new recipes:)

Best of luck with all YOUR resolutions! Here's an adorable pic of Daddy's little DC United fan to end the post with:

6 months of overdue blogging...

Dang I'm really bad at this. Well a lot has happened since I last posted- Greg got home from Afghanistan 3 days after that post so we've been very busy. No excuse I know. Well I'll continue with my posts by starting out with his first 6 months. Right from the beginning Connor was stronger and seemed older (and bigger…) than most babies his age. He’s always been a few weeks ahead of the typical timelines of development. He had a very strong neck right away, slept through the night VERY early. He was alert pretty early on too. I had a couple tough days…with emphasis on “couple”. He was a great baby right away- sleeping for a 4 hour stretch the night he was born. By 4 weeks he was sleeping through the night (7ish to 7ish with 1 wake up for a last feeding around 11pm). He probably would have slept through earlier but I woke him up if he got close to 5 or 6 hours.

Funny story time- Connor had me laughing pretty quickly- night #4. My mom heard him around 3ish but he makes a lot of noises in his sleep- so she waited to grab him about 30 minutes. By the time she picked him up- he had blown out his diaper. As in pooped so hard and so much that his diaper was off and he was kicking his feet in it all happy and smiling (as much as a 4 day old smiles). He’d gone through his sack, blanket, sheet, and mattress cover. As much as it hurt my incision to laugh- I couldn’t help it- it was so hilarious. Two days later he still had crap in his toe nails.

Putney was pretty good with Connor right away. When we brought him back to my parents house she ran right up and licked him- which she’s NEVER done w/ a baby before. She was a little timid at first but after a couple weeks she just comes right over and licks him all over. She still won’t let us put him on her like a horse, but we’ll get there.

My mom and I made the trip from VA to NC after about 3 weeks. She stayed with me for 10 total days and my Dad came down for the last few. They came back the next weekend too so I wouldn’t be all alone…or because they were already super attached to Connor. Connor and I got in our routine (if you’d call it that) pretty quickly. I didn’t quite have a schedule at first- I mostly just did whatever I figured he needed- he’s so chill that I really didn’t struggle with feeding or sleeping. I had visitors EVERY weekend until mid-September but I went to VA then so I really wasn’t alone. During the day I ran errands or hung out with Amber & Hailey and then by Thursday I was cleaning for my next guest. Time was flying quickly, thank goodness.

Thank you to everyone that visited this summer: Mom & Dad (3 times); Ann & Allison & the twins; Katie & John & Amy; Glenna & Megan & Lindsey; Bev; then the big Labor day crew- Glenna, Leah & Brandon, Soph & Kevin, Kerry & Dish, Stac & Matt, Krit & Donnie; then Judy & Betsey. I felt blessed to have all of you come down and visit…I guess there wasn’t much begging going on when I have Connor with me…and the beach down the road!
At the start of Connor’s 4th month we took a trip to VA with Amber, Hailey & both dogs on September 15th. He was GREAT in the car. Greg turned 30 on the 22nd and we celebrated with Connor’s grandparents and we even sang Happy Birthday even though Greg wasn’t there. Connor braved another 6 hour car ride, the first with just Mommy (and the dogs) to head back to NC and prepare to meet Daddy. The 3rd best day of my life was October 2nd. With the first 2 being our wedding and Connor’s birth (not the birth part, that sucked, but the meeting him part). Yes Greg’s past 2 homecomings were amazing, but this one can’t be explained in words. Connor was an angel while I got the house all ready and did our big grocery trip and marinated Greg’s favorite first meals. Of course, I was not thrilled that Greg was the LAST flight and he was coming in at 3am…but I went with it (of course complaining some). I barely slept- probably 1 hour. Then I got up and got all ready, grabbed Connor and put him in the carseat, where he fell right back to sleep. Amber came along to take pictures for us- because I couldn’t not capture that moment! I have never been that excited, or had my makeup look that good at 3am (yes I’ve had makeup on at 3am in the past, but by then it was all smeared…ahh the good ole days). It was beyond wonderful to hug Greg and hand off Connor. Here’s our first family picture (Connor was 3.5months old):

Greg got right into the swing of things with Connor. Putting him in his carseat to go home and feeding him a bottle at 5am (so that we could sleep in til 9!). We showed Greg everything Connor could do- smile, roll over, spit up, poop, pee in the bathtub…big things;) The Skins won the next day, whoop! Greg had to work a few half days the next week but then he was off after that and we got to enjoy lots of family time! We took Connor on his, I think 16th trip to the beach (he was always covered with UPV gear and SPF, don’t judge!). We went to the South end of Topsail and the weather was beautiful!

My fam came down around October 14th for a week at the beach w/ the Hayes fam. He got lots of beach time and was really good all week. The following weekend we went to Longwood (23rd) for Greg’s CVAC 10 year reunion. The soccer team won CVAC championship in 2000- almost all of the guys made the trip. Kinda weird- Connor’s only the 2nd baby between all those guys…then there’s my laxers- Connor is one of 15 of our babies! We continued north to the McSween’s on October 24th and stayed there for the week. Ann and Dave took off a lot, Connor got to play with his cousins,

Connor was baptized on the 30th

and watched Mommy run a 6k and Daddy run the Marine Corps Marathon on the 31st!  Frank & Danielle flew down the visit us the first weekend in November. Connor enjoyed his first firepit. We had a great 3 weeks with family and everyone really enjoyed seeing Connor, and seeing Greg with Connor. The only bad thing about 3 weeks of family time is that Connor got VERY used to being held. It took about a week, but I did break it. Until the next weekend when we went to NOVA again for Vets day, my 27th birthday, and Caruso’s wedding. We had our first date night without Connor for my birthday and our first overnight without him for Caruso’s wedding. Connor was very good for Nan & DaddyMac!

After a week or 2 of down time back in NC we headed to NOVA again for Thanksgiving, staying with my parents. The Reagles family joined us for the trip. It was great that Connor got to see all my family again- it had been awhile. There were about 30 people at my parents for Thanksgiving day. Grammi & Pappy watched Connor & Hailey while the 4 of us went to the Skins v. Vikings game (we won’t discuss the outcome) and then again when Amber & I went to see Michael Buble at the Verizon Center on November 30th. It was a great trip once again, bet then we needed a break. Had a few weeks back at home before we headed up again for Christmas. A few times over Thanksgiving weekend we tried sitting Connor up. Once I got back I tried it a little more- the first day I had my hand behind his back, the 2nd day I just held his hand and the 3rd day he was sitting up on his own, I even tested him and he lasted 10-15 minutes a few times! We also started some rice cereal in his bottle (blah blah blah they say it’s not a good idea, whatever) Thanksgiving night and he slept well, like always.

Back in NC, on December 4th- we thought we’d try a few new things- we knocked off his 5th feeding, his 3rd nap, and we started spoon feeding rice cereal- yes all in one day. But it worked and is still working. If he wants that 3rd nap, we let him take one for 30 minutes or so but for the most part it’s helped him nap longer for his 2 naps. We started feeding him solid foods on the 14th. Amber and I had baby food making day that week and we fed him carrots for his first solid food. He loved it, no surprise there. Was NOT expecting it to come out the same color & texture it went in- his diaper the next morning really shocked me (for those of you who got the graphic pix text- you know what I’m talking about).

We went home to NOVA for Christmas again- up on the 20th back on the 29th. Connor tends to get a little off his sleep-all-night schedule while we’re traveling, but other than that he adjusts pretty well. Right before Christmas we made a quick trip to NJ to see Connor’s great-great-Aunt Betty, his great Gramma, and great aunts/uncles & cousins. Back in VA we had 2 Christmas mornings where he was spoiled at both and somehow managed to get everything in the car to head back thanks to my expert tetris playing hubby. He also saw his first snowfall on Christmas day and the day after.

He also saw his first snowfall Christmas day and the day after... 

Now that I just gave you the 411 on Connor’s first 6 months…let me wrap this blog up!

A few milestones & firsts…like I said before, Connor was pretty quick & early with a few things, like sleeping through the night at 4 weeks. He had his first long car ride (took 7 hours) at 3 weeks and he only cried 10 minutes, amazing. He started smiling (and does so a lot, almost on cue) at 6 or 7 weeks. He started scooting on his back, either backwards or turning in the opposite direction, at about 2 months. He rolled over from his stomach to back at almost 3 months on September 15th. Almost 2 weeks later on the 27th he rolled from his back to stomach. I first saw his thumb in his mouth at 3 and ½ months. He’s been growing at a pretty normal pace, for a big guy, weighing 11lbs2oz at almost 6 weeks; and 13lbs 7oz and 24.25in long at 2 months. I didn’t get him weighed at 3 months but he was 15lb13oz at almost 15 weeks. At his 4th month checkup he weighed 16lbs 10oz and was 26.25in long (the same weight as Daddy McFatty but 2in longer!) He was still scooting on his back at 4 months- so much so that one day he started by the TV and 3 minutes later he was by our backdoor (about 7 feet). He also found his voice around 4 months- he screams or screeches like a little girl, it’s hilarious. At 5 months he started to laugh, especially when we’d tickle him or toss him in the air. For some reason he thinks Putney’s hilarious too- and she doesn’t have to do anything. At his 6th month checkup he punched in at 19lb 1oz and is almost 28in long. There’s no question that we have a big little boy who is ever growing & progressing at a speedy pace!

Connor is a very lucky guy to have so many friends that were anxiously awaiting his arrival (along with impatient Mommy) ~ twin cousins Keegan and Adeline, as well as Jackson, Evie, Wyatt and Hailey. Connor was also excited to finally meet his newest friends ~ Olivia, Hadley, Siena, Elsie, and Molly and cannot wait for his 2011 friends baby Gregory and baby Powell. Congrats to all the recent mommies and daddies!

And now, to finish this well-over-do, way-too-long blog post- Happy 2011 to everyone! We celebrated with our friends & neighbors in NC while we had a sitter at my house to stay with 3 sleeping babies. It was a great night and start to the new year! My resolution- do I even need to say it? Clearly to POST MORE BLOGS.

I'm a little late with the post, but YES, Connor is here!

...and 3 months old now.  I know I slacked BIG time.  But I'll be better now.  I'm not a huge writer (numbers are my thing, obvi) so I've been avoiding this because I have A LOT of blogs to write.  As you can see from the header above, Connor was born on June 16th.  So I'll write a few blogs to catch you all up, starting with his birthday!  Well I was SEVENTEEN days late and I was NOT happy about it.  Wow, is it discouraging when you wake up every day and are not in labor.  Even harder without Greg around.  Luckily our families & friends occupied my time and put up with my "emotions" for the wait.  I was WAY too prepared, that was the problem.  My bag was packed from like May 25th.  Carseat installed May 20th...oh and I even ordered annoucement envelopes and labeled & stamped them!  But he wasn't budging.  I had an appointment that afternoon to schedule my induction (either that afternoon or next AM I assumed) but I woke up at 5am with contractions.  Went downstairs and Dad was on his way out the door for work and I told him "today's the day".  Went to the hospital around 10ish and they were 3 minutes apart and I am a wimp when it comes to pain so I thought it was awful.  I was 5cm.  At 1pm I was still there so they gave me the epidural and pitocin to speed things up & take away the pain...which was awesome!  Greg called WHILE the needle was going in my back, great timing, he had no idea what an epidural was- he was all gitty & wanting to chat it up.  He called 6 more times throughout the day:) 

They broke my water at 4:30pm and I was around 8 cms.  By this point I had Mom, Dad, Glenna, Ann, Allison, Bev, Judy & Betsey at the hospital and then later Dave, Katie, John, Brian and Tyler joined our crowd.  Belvoir is small, I was the ONLY one in labor so my 13 visitors & cheerleaders took over my room & the waiting room watching So You Thing You Can Dance while eating pizza.  Around 8/9pm I got to 9 cms.  At 10:30 I told them I was getting a push feeling and could feel the pressure of my contractions and when they checked they said I was back to 8 cms and had to get the more experienced Doctor (aka old man Doc).  I knew it...he was coming to tell me I needed a C-Section.  I was very upset, started crying, then got freaked out at the thought of surgery and started shaking.  Then I calmed down and accepted it and asked "can we get this done by midnight so I can have him the same day I started labor?"...but what I really meant was "today is the 16th and I don't like odd numbers so can we get the party started before it's the 17th".  Plus 16 is the #8 twice.  Yes, this was seriously on my mind.

They were quick, but only by 19 minutes!  At 11:41pm the Doctor goes "we've gotta niner".  Mom & I look at eachother (can't see past the blue sheet) and say "niner?"  She stands up, and looks at me and says "you have a 9 pound baby".  WHAT?  Three doctors, THAT DAY, all guessed 7, 7.5 and 7lb11oz.  They were way off.  He started screaming, mom went to cut the cord & take a few photos, then Greg called within 2 minutes of him being born!  I put it on speaker so he could hear and they brought Connor over to my side so I could see him.  It was great having Greg on the phone since he couldn't be there in person.  It was an amazing feeling to see him and I couldn't wait to hold him.  I actually didn't get to for another 2 hours but when I did I was so in love with our little-big man.  Here was his first picture of our "family"...Greg being my cell phone.  Then the 1st pic of Connor, then the moment I first held him:)

Well I'll be sure to post a few more things that have happened the last few months later but I wanted to at least get this started.  And he's starting to squirm so this is all I've got for now!

6 weeks left. WOW.

Oops it's been quite some time huh?  I'll be better once he comes...in 6 weeks-ish.  At 34 weeks he's about 4.5lbs and 18 inches long...and he feels about that big in there.  I had an appointment this past week and he's in the head down position:)  I can't tell which body part is which but my doc kind of showed me.  He's moving a lot and all over the place so it's hard to tell- but now that he's like 18 inches I guess his legs and arms are long enough to reach to different areas. 

The nursery is getting there- I just did 4 loads of baby laundry this weekend!  Who knew it'd be so fun:)  I know, I know I won't be saying that for long.  I ironed the cribskirt & curtains & sheets (ya I know I'll never do that again) and I put all the clothes away in the dresser & closet.  Organizing a baby closest is difficult!  Especially when I still have a few showers to come.  My closet- easy- tanks by color, shortsleve by color, longsleve by color, etc.  But I am 1 size!  So do I do winter by sizes, summer by sizes, do I put the 12+ stuff away for now?  Decisions decisions!  But at least I finally decided on my chair- I got the Little Castle rocker/glider w/ ottoman in white...and yes...slipcovers.  It'll come while I'm in NOVA but someone will let them in for me.  I can't wait!  Other than that- I'm slacking on the wall decor big time.  Amber's going to paint a blue elephant above the crib, but other than that I need some wall decor stat!  Guess I better start looking since I'm heading to VA in less than 2 weeks.

If you didn't know- I'm going to VA the month of May to deliver at Fort Belvoir and then heading back to NC about 2 weeks later.. in time for summer, to get into the grove of things at our house and be here in time for Amber & Bobby's baby girl.  I'm partial to this plan but in the end it'll be best to be surrounded by family & friends who are close by...and I'll be closer to Leah's wedding.  So other than nursery nesting- I've also been house-preping.  Setting up all those spring time things that need to be taken care of and preparing the house to be ready & clean when we get back.  My parents & Glenna are coming to get me- poor Andy- I have a list for him! 

Here are a few pics from my recent progress and recent fun weekend activities:

(Leah's Bachy in C-ville)

(Kibler fam shower)

(MeMa's quilt...and J&B got me the BOB!)

(Cousins at shower...and McSweem fam at Easter/Ann's Bday)

These were from 2 weeks ago- so I'm a little bigger now but the only pics I have are in a swim suit... and no thanks I won't be posting those!  Funny thing- tanned out back yesterday- and clearly my stomach is a little closer to the sun than the rest of me- didn't think it'd be THAT different.  Luckily I put sunscreen on before I got too red and it's faded today- but it looked hilarious yesterday! 

Hopefully sometime in the next 3 weekends of SHOWERS:) I'll get another post in here!  Excited to be busy busy busy! 

Week 29

So it's been awhile since my last post but there hasn't been much development...on my end that is.  Getting bigger of course, but nothing new now that I'm in the third trimester.  I have been going to bed early but haven't really been "tired" or in need of a nap.  Tired of working, that's for sure! 

McBaby (another nickname we like) is now about 2.5 lbs and 15-17 inches long.  I feel him move around a lot- pretty much all the time.  Haven't felt (or I haven't recognized) any hiccups yet.  I'm starting to notice that my belly is in the way more...like when putting on socks or shoes- kinda hard!  I have another appt and my glucose testing in a few days.  Should be interesting because I am a candy & sweets freak.  I seriously need to be on the show "Intervention" but for candy.  My desk drawer is FILLED and I have a HUGE bag at home- people love giving pregnant women candy!  No insane cravings other than my love for fruit, candy & dessert.  Emotions are kinda kicking in- which is normal since things are a little emotional lately- but I even started tearing up in a Criminal Minds show!  And that's happened in CSIs too- whenever the victim's families find closure- I get all choked up...then I laugh at myself.

It's hard to think I'm less than 3 months away.  Hopefully the time goes by fast (but not fast enough for me to get a tan first).  Weather has been nice lately which just puts me in a better mood.  Did some yard work today and I'll probably do a little tomorrow since I probably won't be able to in a couple weeks. 

Here are a few pics (including the new belly/heart one at the top) that our friend Nikki took.  She's a great photographer and she came and took some pics for us a couple weeks ago.  Normally people do these when they're a little bigger but we don't have that option.  Here are a couple that I love:

I'll post some more belly pics next weekend.  It really has grown & I am enjoying it:)  As long as it goes back down fast!  Happy St. Patty's Day everyone- please drink some green beer for me!