Bumpdate: Week 24, National Arboretum and Basilica National Shrine

This Week's Details:

How far along? 24 Weeks

Size of baby? Ear of corn!

Stretch marks?

Sleep? It was finally this week that I had to resort to putting a pillow between my legs or behind my back. But after a couple of nights, that wore off and I was fine to sleep how I normally do. I'm hoping that it stays that way for a while!

Best moment this week? There were tons of good moments this week that I can't narrow them down to one. We drove up over the weekend to visit the Amish/Dutch Country in Pennsylvania, visited the National Arboretum and the Basilica National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (beautiful church!). We also got our first official baby present from our wonderful friends Natalie and Jonathan. And finger puppets? It's genius! I can't wait to play with her and these fun things.

Maternity Clothes? As I was leaving for Utah, my mom almost took me to a store but we ran out of time. I'm noticing that overall, it's just comfier to wear maternity clothes! I'm making some things work still but for the most part, there is nothing like wearing comfortable capris with a belly band. I've officially caved but it's all for her.

Missing? Nothing really. Just loving seeing her grow!

Movement? I have started to feel her more and more and I love it. There are moments where it still feels like it's just my stomach but then I remember to log away the fact that it is her kicking.

Food cravings? I feel pretty back to normal with these regard. I like the occasional treat but that's always how it has been.

Food Aversions? Lucky here too!

Bump? She is starting to show more and more everyday. I feel like it still hasn't 'popped' though.

Gender? Girl!

Names? Sticking with the ones we've picked out but just need to see her to be sure.

Labor Signs? Nope!

Looking Forward To? This next week Kyle and I will celebrate our third wedding anniversary! So crazy how fast time flies. We are going to take a trip down to see Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown and the Outerbanks. And I'm always happy to swim in the ocean especially with this growing belly. I also have an appointment next Thursday to see our little girl's face again!

We finally made a trip to see the National Arboretum and Basilica National Shrine. Amazing! We also took our little girl up to see the D.C. temple which is always amazing.

Bouquet for baby girl!

Bumpdate: 22 Weeks & A Strawberry Patch

How far along? 22 Weeks

Size of baby? A huge spaghetti squash!

Stretch marks? Not yet. Still diligently putting on cocoa butter every night.

Sleep? And it hits. The problem with sleeping. The last couple of nights, I've gone to bed and then I just sit there. I'm not sure if it's the change in the weather or my body (probably a little of both), but I could not get comfortable! Kyle was such a sweetheart and gave me a back massage to help but I still found myself not drifting off like I normally do. I resorted to the pillow between the knees and that seemed to help on the first night but the second night, it took me about an hour and a half to fall asleep. Ugh! I hope this doesn't start a trend.

Best moment this week? Flying out to Utah to visit family for a wedding, homecoming and blessing! Post to come.

Maternity Clothes? I've received some clothes from Kyle's sisters but I have yet to try them on. I'm still seeing what I can make work with what I have. Kyle was yet again so nice and suggested we take a family outing to Target to get a couple of essentials. And then...I had to admit that I can't zip up most of my skirts. I don't know what it is...I just don't want to have to buy any yet! I think it's the thought that I will only be wearing them for a short amount of time and I don't want to spend the money on them....but it looks as if this fight will come to an end soon.

Missing? Exercise! I've been trying to go on walks and eat well but I miss the daily morning hard gym workout. Until I was pregnant and my work schedule changed, Kyle and I were pretty diligent about getting to the gym every morning for a solid hour. And I loved being able to exercise my body and feel like I was making a difference. I know right now is the most important time to be exercising, but mentally AND physically, it's been a challenge for me. I feel like I am not making progress how I used to...but then I think about my little girl and how she needs me to exercise and I remember where my motivation should come from. Plus, I will need to be in some sort of shape once she comes so I can get back into the swing of things easier.

Movement? It might just be the fact that I now know what she feels like but I feel like she is moving ALL the time. The other night it seemed like she was pushing her feet and hands out and just holding that position for a couple of seconds and then releasing. I was laughing with Kyle the other day as I told him that it just felt like she was doing somersaults in a row for a good five minutes. I guess she's got to keep herself entertained somehow!

Food cravings? I've actually been craving healthy salads and fruit which is great! After our Utah trip especially with all the good food we had, I've wanted to get back into healthy eating and cooking.

Food Aversions? Nothing this week.

Bump? It was so funny to see family and hear all the different comments on my bump or lack of one. I heard "you're barely even showing!" to "cutest baby bump!". It probably also depended on how much I was eating. I had bought my dress for the wedding before I was pregnant so from my perspective, the bump was definitely showing through the dress.

Gender? Girl! It's so fun to have events with family where I think forward to the future and how this little girl will be loved by so many.

Names? We are trying to keep names quiet but told family this weekend and got all kinds of responses. I try not to let any response change my feelings about the names we've picked out for now. Kyle seems to be leaning to one name while I am leaning towards another. So for now, we will just have to see what her name is when we meet her.

Labor Signs? Nope! Although after being on my feet all day at the wedding, homecoming and blessing and traveling all over, I could definitely tell the toll it was taking on me and baby. So tired!

Looking Forward To? Feeling these little kicks more. It seems like Kyle hasn't felt her as much lately so I'm looking forward to her growing and packing a more powerful kick!

We went to pick strawberries this weekend and it was so fun! I loved seeing them all laid out and it was really hard not to buy more than we should have! The trip was also accompanied by a trip to Willard's BBQ (of course). I can't wait to make jam and pies and smoothies and more! We also got some sweet photos of our baby girl that I can't stop looking at!

I love her! And I love what Kyle said about her too!

Definitely a girl!

Bumpdate: 18 Weeks & Trip to Harper's Ferry

This Week's Details:

How far along? 18 Weeks

Size of baby? An Artichoke or Sweet Potato (but let's be honest...they can be found in different sizes so it's hard to know exactly)

Stretch marks? Still nothing. I've loved my nightly ritual of putting on cocoa butter.

Sleep? Still doing okay at this point.

Best moment this week? Kyle and I finding out this little one is a GIRL! We had cupcakes made with the gender color inside and opened one together. I'm so glad we did it this way and I hope we continue this tradition for each baby.

Maternity Clothes? I am still holding out on not buying any!

Missing? Still missing deli meat sandwiches every now and then.

Movement? Not yet! I'm sure they are moving a ton but it may take a bit for my body to register what the movements are.

Food cravings? After opening up our cupcake on Monday, I've found that cake in general has been a craving. I now see a pattern with sweets although I've always been a sweets lover.

Food Aversions? I find that hamburger meat is still hard from time to time. It also depends on the day. Sometimes I will be wanting milk or something with calcium and other times, that is the last thing I want.

Bump? A tiny one! It still just feels like my stomach to me but I think I can see something starting to poke through.

Gender? Girl!

Names? Now that we know the gender, we have really started focusing in on names. I'd say we have about 5 that we are seriously considering. Kyle has given her the nickname of Squish from the get go and that has stuck for now.

Labor Signs? Nope! Although I do tend to get cramps every now and then but I think that is just my body getting used to the new weight.

Looking Forward To? Our baby moon in two weeks to Miami and the Florida Keys!

Kyle and I took a day trip out to see Harper's Ferry and it was the cutest little town. It started to rain on our hike so we warmed up with some hot chocolate....and maybe some ice cream afterwards. 

Baby is a.....

...a GIRL! 

I can hardly contain my excitement. The morning before we found out, my nerves were all tied up in knots! I somehow got through the first part of the day and then went to pick up Kyle where we had the most amazing ultrasound with the sweetest technician. We told her from the get go that we didn't want to know the gender and when the time came for her to find out, she asked us to look away. Kyle kept joking that he was peeking and it was so hard not to look! It seemed that she was able to find out pretty quickly. At that point, I was sure it was a boy and up until we found out, definitely felt like it was a boy based on my lack of symptoms. We had her write down the gender and seal in an envelope. We went to our favorite Sprinkles Cupcakes where they filled cupcakes with the brightest pink fluff. Kyle and I drove around trying to decide where we wanted to do the reveal and found a quiet spot down by the Potomac near the Lincoln Memorial. I'm so glad we filmed it because there is no way to describe my reaction. Kyle knew it was a girl which is why he doesn't seem that surprised, but I was expecting to see blue. Oh little girl...we can't wait to meet you! You already have our hearts and we think you are the sweetest and best thing that has happened to our little family.

All different types of cupcakes filled with pink! 

You can't hide that color.

We also got to take home some pictures of her beautiful profile. 

She definitely has my thighs.

Before we found out, my mom had sent me these. She knows me too well. She said even if we were

having a boy, I should hold on to them for the future because a child of ours would need to have kitten things.

Once we found out, she sent us the cutest little dress and baby's first running shoes!

I found the BIGGEST balloon ever for a picture to document. 

We are seriously so excited and can't stop talking about it! Can't wait to meet you baby girl!

Bumpdate: 16 Weeks

Ahhhh bump photos. I never know the best way to frame them. But this has to be documented somehow. 

This Week's Details:

How far along? 16 weeks!

Size of baby? An avocado :)

Stretch marks? Still nothing but stomach is starting to get itchy which tells me there is growth there.

Sleep? I usually only wake up when Kyle starts to get up which tells me that sleep is going pretty well. I could only last a couple of minutes on my stomach the other night so I think those days are gone for now.

Best moment this week? As weird as it sounds, best moment was accepting that it is okay that I can't button up my shorts. I went shopping and got pants that will be a little more roomy and accommodating.

Maternity Clothes? I am still holding out on buying maternity clothes since skirts and dresses are doing an okay job right now.

Missing? I miss my morning energy at the gym. It may just be psychological but I feel like I am not able to just hop on the treadmill at 5:50 like I used to. It takes me a bit longer to wake up in the mornings so I'm hoping that I get some more energy as time goes on. It also totally depends on the day though. The other morning both Kyle and I were both able to get up and exercise without a problem.

Movement? I lay still every night with my hand on my stomach and try to see if I am feeling anything. I feel like I may have felt things in the past but it may have just been my stomach grumbling. I read the other day, for the first pregnancy, it's hard to feel anything before week 20. I am just so excited for the first bit of flutters!

Food cravings? A bad sweet tooth has crept in. I mean...I guess it's always been there but I feel like I need to have something sweet every night. Kyle went out and got me some cashew milk ice cream and I've tried to only have a couple of bites instead of a whole bowl.

Food Aversions? I'm doing better in this area. I've been able to get down most things especially with me getting hungrier.

Bump? Showing up a little more each day. I feel like it's a lot higher than I thought it would be, but that just may be the overall expansion of my belly as a whole. It's so fun to see it in the mirror.

Gender? I think Kyle and I officially decided we would have the doctor write down the gender and we will do our own gender reveal with a cupcake somewhere in the city. I honestly have no idea at this point. Kyle is still strong on the girl side but I can't say one way or the other. We will see!

Names? I laugh every time Kyle will bring up a name and I can say 'no' without even thinking that hard about it. I find that with names, in order to even consider it, I have to like it from the get go. There are some names that we used to like but they've slowly lost their appeal. Who knows? We could have a totally different name picked out by the time they come.

Labor Signs? Nope.

Looking Forward To? Feeling this little one flutter inside me and finding the gender!

Here are a few other things from this week: 

I went to a USU Alumni lunch and they picked a pretty great spot with a gorgeous view. Also, the scaffolding is coming off of the Capitol, revealing a newly renovated dome. It's extra sparkly now.

This book has been so fun! It talks about how different parenting is in France compared to America. The writer is very witty and it's been fun to look at why she thinks France has a better model to raising children. 

My mom sent us these items the other day. No, we still don't know the gender but this little kitty looks too much like Boo.

If it's not a girl, we will definitely hold on to these for the future (if we have a girl).

My bump was really showing one afternoon and this guy fell asleep on it (probably appreciating the warmth).

We took a Sunday drive out to Great Falls Park and watched the rapids. It was so peaceful.

I find that the more places we visit, the more excited I get thinking of taking our little one to explore! Also, I love Kyle.

Bumpdate: 14 Weeks

I can't believe we are already up to 14 weeks! It's been so surreal to know that there is a little one inside me but not really seeing proof until most recently. Yes, a tiny bump has been showing up and it's so fun to see it starting to poke.

AND.....the bump! It's barely there, but you can definitely tell through my workout clothes.  

And I got this little gem the other day and it made me so happy! I know most moms to be look forward to getting out of the first trimester due to morning sickness and being tired but for me, it's just exciting to see this little one keep growing!

This Week's Details:

How far along? 14 weeks!

Size of baby? A lemon!

Stretch marks? Not yet. I have a ritual every morning and night of rubbing in cocoa butter. Who knows if it will work, but it's a nice thing to do just in case.

Sleep? Last week I was pretty sleepy and felt like I wasn't getting enough rest but this week so far has been fine.

Best moment this week? Seeing the beginnings of a bump!

Maternity Clothes? Not quite but I think I may need a couple of new skirts soon.

Missing? Turkey Subway sandwiches! Isn't that funny? We have a Subway right by our work and I always have to remind myself that it's just safe and smarter not to get one. You never know with deli meats.

Movement? Nothing yet.

Food cravings? Besides turkey sandwiches, I haven't had any other major cravings. I do find that if I get hungry, I tend to want crackers and cheese but I think that may be my body's way of saying it needs grains and dairy? Not sure.

Food Aversions? Meat is still a little hard. Kyle had friends in town the other day so we went to Good Stuff Eatery and looking at the hamburgers was starting to make me a little sick. I'm happy to stay away from them for now.

Bump? Tiny tiny bump! It shows more when I'm in exercise clothes.

Gender? Still thinking it's a boy but who knows? We have less than a month before we find out!

Names? We circulate different ones every now and then but we definitely have our favorites!

Labor Signs? Nope.

Looking Forward To? Our next ultrasound in May where we will find out whether our baby is a He or a She!

A few more details as of late: 

General Conference is my favorite. We love listening to the prophet speak and the opportunity to be inspired the whole weekend. Kyle's cousin Mary stayed with us on Friday night so we still had our second mattress set up...which made a nice spot to lay back and watch from.

My work got us free tickets to the Washington D.C. filming of Jeopardy! It was so cool to be there in real life and see how the filming works. It was kind of like a celebrity edition but these were 'power players' or big political talk show hosts from nearby. They each played to win money for a certain charity. I keep telling Kyle he needs to get on the show because he does really well anytime we are watching at home.

Alex Trebek was really great and would come down during the commercial breaks for audience Q&A's. Filming took place in the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall. We had to wait about an hour and a half in line, with a rainstorm hitting halfway through but we were lucky enough to be moved down to the floor since they needed some extra people to fill the spaces. It was so cool to be so close!

Afterwards, we stopped in Georgetown to grab some brunch and I saw the most beautiful scene of these tulips in front of this old church with a bright red door.

We went out with some friends to visit GlowGolf, a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course. I hadn't been mini golfing for a while so it was fun to figure out the best angles to hit the ball. Kyle and I made a bet...whoever lost would be cleaning the bathroom for a month. Let's just say, by a lame 2 points, that I lost that bet.

Boo Radley LOVES Kyle. Anytime Kyle is on the ground, he likes to cuddle up by him. They both fell asleep like this the other day. I can't wait for this to be our baby!