mrs.messi's musings

14 weeks

2011-10-28T10:43:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been so long since I updated. Life has been crazy!

We had our NT at 12 weeks. The doctor thinks that the baby's left foot is clubbed. As far as he can tell the right foot is normal. That combined with a thick nuchal fold measurement and elevated bloodwork, give the baby 3 markers for Down syndrome. We are going for another ultrasound to take a second look at the foot and more bloodwork on Nov 5.

M and I both firmly believe that God has a wonderful life planned for this baby, and that He won't give us, as parents, anything we can't handle. Thoughts and prayers appreciated!
How far along? 14w5d

Total weight gain: Grand total so far is +2. It is hard to believe because my bump is definitely forming. I've even had several strangers comment.

How big is baby? The size of a lemon

Maternity clothes: 95% of what I wear is maternity. This weekend I have to pull regular clothes out of the closet to make more room for maternity clothes.

Stretch Marks: Nothing new

Sleep: So-so. Some nights I sleep like a rock, some night I have trouble falling asleep then wake up a lot.

Movement: YES! I've been feeling flutters on and off since 11w6d! It only last for a minute or two, and it isn't everyday, but I certain now that it is the baby saying HI!

Food cravings: Not really. I am finally getting to eat a little more normally.

Food aversions: Meats

Symptoms: M/s is easing up. Still having a lot of nausea, but only vomiting every other day or so. I've also been having bad headaches, which stinks because Tylenol is worthless.

Belly button: In

What I most looking forward to: We go for our genetic scan and squential screening on Nov 5. I just want to hear that my baby is ok!

Weekly wisdom: God's plan is the best plan!

Weekly joy: Cuddle time with Felicity. She really only cuddles if the TV is on, so sometimes I let her watch Dora or a little bit of a Disney movie, so I can trick her into sitting on my lap.

9 weeks

2011-09-21T15:51:00.003-04:00

How far along? 9w4d

Total weight gain: I'm still just up one lb.

How big is baby? The size of a grape

She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear.

Maternity clothes: I mostly wear maternity now. It makes life easier and me more comfortable.

Stretch Marks: Nothing new

Sleep: Felicity is teething, so I've been getting up with her a couple of times a night. I need more sleep!

Movement: No

Food cravings: None

Food aversions: Food is still my enemy

Symptoms: This weekend was epic as far as morning sickness goes. At one point, M had to pull the car over so I could throw up, and I peed myself so bad that my jeans were soaked. We were on our way to a meeting a couple hours away, so we went to Target to buy new undies and pants. Target didn't have a single pair of matnerity pants in my size! So then we had to stop at Kohls. I threw up so many times during the car ride, that M finally just turned around, since we were going to be so late.

GAH!

DH just kept reminding me that it was this way with Felicity, too. I know it will all be worth it in the end! I told DH that this kid better be freakin' cute

Belly button: In

What I most looking forward to: Tomorrow is my first appt with the MD! I am crossing my fingers that she can find the heart beat!

Weekly wisdom: If you have older children, make sure you give them special Mommy time.

Weekly joy: SIL found out she is having a boy. I can't wait to find out with this LO is!

8 weeks = 2 months

2011-09-12T09:26:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't been updating the blog. Things have been crazy here. Felicity and I went out of town for Labor Day weekend, and I have been so nauseous and tired. I feel like I can barely get through each day, much less tell people on the internet about it! LOL

How far along? 8w1d. Thankfully the last month went pretty quickly!

Total weight gain: I think I am up 1 lb. It flucuates by a pound or two.

How big is baby? The size of a kidney bean

The baby's hands and feet are starting to poke out

Maternity clothes: Yesterday I wore maternity pants and they were much more comfortable. I think I will be making the switch in the next couple of weeks.

Stretch Marks: Nothing new

Sleep: I love sleep...I just wish I could sleep more than 6-8 hours a day

Movement: No

Food cravings: Definitely not...I am still trying to find foods that don't make my stomach churn

Food aversions: Still pretty much everything :( :( :(

Symptom: My biggest sx is still m/s. Even with the highest dose of Zofran, I am very nauseous and vomiting pretty frequently. I hate it! I am tired, too, and lazy! LOL

Belly button: In

What I most looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat at my appt on Sept 22, wearing maternity clothes without shame :)

Weekly wisdom: keep trying to find the foods that keep you from throwing up

Weekly joy: We had our first u/s on Thursday. The baby looks perfect and is measuring right on track! We told our families that night - F wore a Big Sis shirt that I made for her. On Saturday, we took a picture of her in it to a wedding to tell the in-laws. Everyone was SO SURPRISED! I really thought at least our mom's suspected, but both claimed that they had no idea.

I am just so amazed that F is going to be a big sister! She seems so much older already!

5 weeks

2011-08-26T16:51:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! I promise to do a catch-up post on the last year of our life very very soon. I just haven't had the time to even think of where I would start with such a thing. I don't want to get behind on my weekly pg posts, though. So here you gooooo....

How far along? 5w5d

Total weight gain/loss: Not really checking. I would assume I'm the same though.

How Big is Baby?: The size of a sesame seed

The brain and heart are starting to develop!

Maternity clothes: I confess, I wore maternity pants yesterday. I had to take Felicity to her kidney specialist, so I knew I would be much more comfortable in them. Once we got our in public, I felt a little foolish, because they make my bloat look much more like a bump. I had this fear that someone would ask me if I was pregnant, and when I told them 5 weeks, they would start laughing! Thank goodness that didn't happen! LOL

Stretch marks? Nothing new

Sleep: Still having trouble falling asleep. By mid afternoon, I am very tired.

Movement: No

Food cravings: No

Food aversions: Food wasn't as gross this week, but I still don't have much of an appetite

Symptoms: I've felt a little better in week 5 then I did in 4. The bloat is down some (but still annoyingly there, making my pants feel tight!), but the nausea hasn't affected me as much. I did gag and throw-up once.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I am looking forward to: First appt next Thursday!

Weekly Wisdom: Nap any chance you get.

Weekly Joy: I shared the secret with a few select friends so far (MC, TH, MM, EJ). Everyone seems very excited, which makes me more excited!

4 weeks and C25k

2011-08-19T09:23:00.004-04:00

How far along? 4w5d
Total weight gain/loss: I don't think any so far
How Big is Baby?: The size of a poppy seed

Maternity clothes? No, but the bloat is out of control! I'm hoping it goes down so I can stop sucking it!
Stretch marks? Nothing new
Sleep: Some trouble falling asleep, but I feel very tired during the day. Yesterday I got an hour long nap which was wonderful!
Movement: No
Food cravings: No
Food aversions: Most food is very unappealing :(
Symptoms: I've been nauseous on and off, and have had a few headaches. So far the worst sx is just feeling blah and tired.
Belly Button in or out? In. It never popped with Felicity, so I wonder if it will this time
What I am looking forward to: Having my first sonogram! That is still a few weeks away though
Weekly Wisdom: Feel grateful for the blessings in your life!
Weekly Joy: Getting my BFP! Since we weren't trying, it really feels like God wants us to have this baby now :)

I started the Couch-2-5k program 8/8/11. So far I've been able to get my running sessions in. I really haven't exercised since I tried to follow the C25k program before I got pregnant with Felicity. I really hope I will be able to complete it this time...but I'll be listening to my body. We'll see!

Another sweet blessing is on the way!

2011-08-19T09:09:00.003-04:00

Wow, I can't believe I haven't updated my blog since last August! A whole year has flown by! It has been a wonderful year...Felicity is such a joy!

I'm back to blogging :) Can you guess why? Another BFP! Here's the story...

M and I agreed a while back to start TTC August '11. I felt at the beginning of this cycle, that I wanted to wait a little bit longer, so we decided to take it cycle by cycle to make sure we were both on board. I went to the beach and had all the ovulation signs while I was there. Got home, DTD, then had more ovulation signs. I freaked out, M just laughed, and said, "Well, it's up to God now."

Thursday, August 11, 2012, there was a gorgeous butterfly on our front porch. I have never seen one up close before, so I felt like it was something special. I told M about it, and he said that maybe Celia (our angel baby) sent it to me.

That afternoon, I was looking at Felicity's baby pictures. I told M that I couldn't believe how much she had grown, and that I can't wait to have another tiny baby in my arms. (Again, I'm thinking that is a little down the road)

Then in the evening, M, Felicity and I were playing on the floor. She was going back and forth between us giving kisses. Then she started kissing my belly over and over. Then M kissed it and taught Felicity to say "Hi Baby." You have to understand that M was rubbing my belly long before I was ever pregnant with Felicity to tease me. He would do it in public to see if he could get our friends and family to ask if I was pregnant. It drove me nuts.

While Felicity was in the tub, I decided on a whim to take a pg test. I left it on the counter, finished F's bath, nursed her, put her down. I went upstairs to get ready for my run and glanced at the test. Then I did a double take. You guessed it... BFP! WHAT?!?! I ran down stairs to show M. He was taking a nap (he was also on the couch taking a nap when I told him I was pg with Felicity, oddly enough). He was so happy, and I was bouncing off the walls.

Based on LMP I am due 4/22/12, and Felicity will be 22 months old. BFP was at 3w4d. Crazy, huh?

I am in shock and excited!

Felicity's Birth Story

2010-08-13T10:43:00.007-04:00

I am finally sitting down to write Felicity's birth story. I will do my best to remember details, but many parts of that day are a little hazy. The thing I remember most is the relief and joy I felt when I finally held her in my arms!

We got up early - I think the alarm went off at 5:30. I took a shower (and shaved my legs, of course!), then called the hospital to make sure they had a bed available. We stopped to take some pictures on the front porch and headed to Prince William. It was a good thing we arrived when we did, because a few hours later almost every L&D room was full and the nurses were running around like crazy.

The nurse hooked me up the monitors and IV. The baby's heartbeat was strong and clear, and I was still contracting about every 2 minutes. She said the doctor wasn't in the building yet, but would come to check me as soon as she was so we could get things moving. Since it was the 8th day of constant contractions, I was so sure I would have dilated some more. Dr. N came in around 8:00 and gave me the disappointing news - still 2 cm, but at least I was 100% effaced. She said that she would break my water and start Pitocin. Since I was hoping for a more natural birth (ie no epidural), I asked that they hold the Pit at least a little longer, in hopes that I would progress once my water was broken. Breaking the water was not the most comfortable feeling, but I was so excited that the baby was definitely coming. Once that water is broken, there is no going back!

The contractions were getting stronger, so I figured my cervix should have played along. No such luck. Dr. N checked again at 9:00- still 2 cm! The nurse hooked up the Pit and we waited. My mom arrived around that time. She knew I was disappointed that I was being induced, but we were all staying positive. At that point, I just wanted the baby out. Within the hour, the contractions started to get very painful. I couldn't believe how much they hurt. The nurses kept offering the epi, stating that my contractions would be much more painful with the Pitocin than if I had progressed on my own. I definitely wanted to keep trying to go natural. I sat on the birthing ball and my mom and M both rubbed by back. Over the next hour or so, I was doing everything I could to breathe and stay comfortable. The contractions were very close together, so much so that I was not getting enough time in between even reposition myself.

Then Dr. N came back again. I was 3 cm. So began the next part of our journey - the epidural. Since I was only 3 cm, the contractions were right on top of each other, and it seemed like I would be in labor forever, I asked for the epidural. My nurse came in and told me that the nurse anesthetist had a couple of rooms to go in before she could come to me. It felt like hours before she came. Finally, around 12:30 it was time. It was so hard to hold myself still for the epidural. They were trying to insert it between contractions, but that was only about a 15 second window. As soon as it was done, the nurse anesthetist told me that I had a "Wet Tap." Basically the epidural needle went in to far, poking a hole in the dura. Therefore, spinal fluid was able to leak out of the spinal column, leaving the brain without its normal cushion. She explained that I would probably have a spinal headache and that I needed to lay flat. When they were cleaning up the epidural equipment, the nurse anesthetist said, "That hasn't happened to me in 6 years, and now it just happened two patients in a row. I guess I need to slow down a bit." I was like are you kidding me? Maybe she should have slowed down a bit BEFORE she put the needle into my spine. I was frustrated, but thankful that the pain eased up.

I did feel relief from the epidural almost immediately. They did have to give me more medication than normal, since some of the medicine was also able to leak out and I would frequently start to feel sensations and pain. The nurses kept asking me if I had a headache, but as long as I was laying flat, I could really only feel a dull pressure in my head. My mom and M were watching HGTV, and I dozed in and out. The nurse checked me again around 2 - I was 5 cm and I finally felt like things were moving. I had to keep adjusting, since my head and back were hurting. At 2:30 I told M to go get some food at the cafe, since he hadn't eaten lunch yet.

A few minutes later, I started to feel an achy sensation in my hips. I told my mom and she helped me readjust in the bed again. When that didn't help, I asked her to go get the nurse so I could be checked again. I was stinking 9.5 cm! The nurse asked me to push, and I did, which got me to 10. It was time to call the doctor! I tried to call M, but of course, he wasn't answering his phone, so my mom went to get him. As I watched the nurses setting up the room for delivery, I had butterflies in my stomach (amazing that you can still feel that, even with the epidural!). I just kept praying that everything would be ok.

Our nurse came in and said that Dr. N was in surgery, but that I was ready to push, so they were going to call an OB Hospitalist in. Matthew and my mom came back and everyone was in a flurry. Next thing I knew I was pushing away. I was surprised when Dr S came in. She is a doctor from my regular OB practice, but I hadn't gotten to meet her while pregnant. She was so positive and happy. She actually left the office to come deliver for me!

As soon as I sat up to push, my head started pounding. It was a dull but thick, throbbing pain. I decided to just ignore the pain as much as possible, and just focus on my baby. I couldn't really feel that I was pushing, but I could feel the urge. I could only tell how effective my pushes were based on what the nurses and Dr. S were telling me. It wasn't too long until they could all see the baby's hair! Matthew told me later that the hair would show during pushes, but then would go back in between. Dr. S called for a mirror. Honestly, being able to watching during the pushes was so strange, but it really helped me focus. The mirror gave me great motivation; I had two great pushes and her head was delivered. Since I was watching in the mirror, I could see that her face was blue and the cord was wrapped around her neck. Dr. S moved so quickly to unwind the cord and start suction. She told me to push with all my might. I beared down and grunted and out the baby slipped. It was so amazing to see her be delivered!

The baby was still blue, and Dr S was rubbing her back with a towel and it seemed like the nurses were all running around. After about 45 seconds, she started crying and her arms flew out. That cry was the most amazing sound! I was so excited! I think that M cut the cord next, then they laid the baby on my chest. She was screaming so loudly, and I couldn't believe that I was finally looking at her face! Her cheeks were so chubby, which I didn't expect, and she had so much hair! She was born at 3:39pm, after 45 minutes of pushing and was 7#4oz and 20" long.

When they took her to weigh her and wash her off, I noticed that Dr S was very busy working on me. I actually saw her hands moving inside my stomach! I asked her what she was doing, and she told me not to worry. I really wanted to know, so she told me that my placenta had torn, so she was scooping out my uterus...so strange. I also had postpartum hemorrhaging. I remember noticing that Dr S was covered in blood, and they she kept pulling out completely drenched pieces of gauze. I also had a 2nd degree tear, that required 4 stitches.

The nurse brought me some Diet Coke, and said that caffeine would help my headache. As soon as she said that, I again became conscious of the pounding in my head. She told me to lay as flat as possible, and to keep drinking the caffeine. At that point, I was able to nurse for a little bit and the room settled down.

The nurse came to take the baby to the nursery from her tests, first bath and medications. An hour or so later they were ready to move me to a postpartum room. Since I had to lay flat, the nurse decided to bring my bed down to L&D so I could just be wheeled down. After they took out my cath, I really needed to go to the bathroom. Matthew and the nurse helped me to the toilet. A few seconds after I sat down, I felt totally woozy and passed out, probably since I had very little fluid around my brain. The nursed pulled the call bell, and all the sudden I was smelling ammonia. I looked up and there were 4 nurses looking at me anxiously. They helped clean me up and moved me back to the bed. M told me after that he thought I had passed out from seeing all the blood, since seeing it made him feel funny, haha. Honestly, the sight of my own blood didn't bother me a bit.

After we settled into our room, they brought the baby back to me to nurse again. It was so strange to have to lay on my side to nurse, since I wasn't able to sit up to nurse her. Nursing was so strange and amazing. She looked so sweet and I felt to incredibly close to her. I don't remember too much about the rest of that night. I know that M's parents and sister and my dad visited. I thought I would care how I looked, but I felt so bad, that I was totally fine just laying there in a daze while they held the baby.

The next morning my headache had not improved. They sent an anesthesiologist in to do a consult. He recommended a blood patch. That is a procedure by which approximately 15-20 mls of blood is taken and injected into the epidural space at the site of the spinal fluid leak. The blood clots and seals the hole in the dura which stops fluid from leaking out. The procedure was done about 24 hours after Felicity was born. I didn't feel the immediate relief I was hoping for, but the headache did ease some. The anesthesiologist said that I might have the pain for up to 6 weeks. Luckily, the headache eased up by the time she was a week old.

Felicity went down to the nursery for a little bit that night so Matthew and I could sleep. It was so hard for me to rest for the couple of hours she was there, so I had the nurse bring her back. I was finally to the point that I could walk myself to the bathroom, as long as I was clinging to my IV pole.

We were supposed to be released on Saturday morning (she was born on Friday). We saw the pediatrician, and my doctor and they both said we were clear to head home. As we were getting ready to leave, I slipped in the hallway and twisted my ankle. Honestly, I really wasn't ready to be walking on my own yet, since whenever I was upright I felt dizzy. So, we had to stay another couple of hours to make sure my ankle was ok. I declined the xray, since the pain wasn't too bad (how could it be when I was hopped up on Percocet) and I had minimal swelling. It was one last burst of excitement.

It felt so good to be at home. I mostly stayed on the couch, while M took care of me and Felicity. Recovery was an uphill battle, but it was worth every minute. The next couple of weeks were rough, but we managed. Felicity is the sweetest little girl, and I thank God for her everyday!

I hope that I didn't miss anything major, though it is possible that I left some stuff out :)

Felicity Diane is here!

2010-06-25T14:25:00.003-04:00

Felicity Diane
June 17, 2010
7 lb 4 oz, 20"
Cute as can be!

Birth story coming soon!

Last day pregnant!

2010-06-16T20:02:00.004-04:00

How far along? 39 weeks! I'm being induced tomorrow - more on that below

Total weight gain: I've lost a few lbs over the last week or two. Total weight gain for pregnancy is 40 lb. I'm hoping to lose about 15-20 lbs over the next few days!

Appointments: So my 38 week appt was pretty uneventful. Was 1-2/80%/-1. Then had a trip to L&D (check until "Symptoms" below), where I was told I was only 1 cm. At my 39 week appt was I was "very big" 2/80%/-1. I'm very curious to be checked again in the morning. I feel like I should have made more progress, but you never can tell how stubborn your cervix is!

How big is baby? Baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Maternity clothes: Yes - I've started dreaming of wearing regular clothes :)

Stretch marks: My "stretch dots" of my hips are now little jagged lines. Bummer

Sleep: I was walking up at night because of contractions. The doc gave me Ambien, and the last week or so have gotten 6 interrupted hours a night

Movement: Definitely has decreased, but I still love feeling her move. I feel so bad when she gets the hiccups!

Food cravings: Not anything that I could call a real "craving." When I have freezy pops, I tend to eat like 6 at a time, though!

Food aversions: My nausea and vomiting has returned some, but it hasn't really caused aversions. More like I will eat something, then regret it.

Belly button: An innie! The edges pop up more when I have contractions, but the middle stays in. I'm glad, since the inside of my belly button is very brown! LOL

Symptoms: So at 38 weeks exactly (last wednesday), I started having contractions at work. By 3 pm they were 5-6 minutes apart. I called the nurse, and she said I could go in or wait it out a little and see if they got worse. I went home early, and Matthew and I went for a walk. By the end of the walk (maybe 5:30 or 6), they were every 2-3 minutes. We put everything in the car and headed to the hospital. They hooked me and the baby up - contractions were still every 2-3 minutes, and her HB was 140-160. They checked me and I was still 1-2 cm. An hour later I was again 1-2 cm and the nurse said I could go home. I was shocked. I asked how would I know when to come back, since the contractions were already so close and causing a far amount of pain. She said I would just know. I asked for more specific answers from the doc (who I never actually saw). The nurse came back and said the doc wanted to keep me overnight and check me again the morning. They gave me nubain and phenergan to help me sleep. I felt loopy right away, but was able to sleep a little bit, even though I could still feel the contractions and had to keep repositioning.

In the morning, I was still 1-2 cm. I was so disappointed! They sent me home. M and I spent the next day walking at the mall for about 3 hours. I threw up in the food court after just a few bites of a sandwich - totally embarrassing, but we kept going. I also found this adorable all-white dress for Felicity's baptism party at Carters. Then M took me to get a pedicure. The nail polish I chose was called "Hurts so good." At the time I thought it was fitting, now it feels like a mockery!

I have had very consistent contractions since then - usually about 5 minutes apart. Some definitely hurt more than others. My doc went ahead and scheduled an induction for tomorrow morning (June 17). She explained that after experiencing the contractions for more than 7-8 days, the likelihood of fetal distress increases. I was really hoping for a natural labor - but a healthy baby is way more important!

Let me tell you, 7 days of contractions isn't fun.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting Felicity tomorrow! I will definitely post a birth story and pics once things settle down!

Weekly Wisdom: Try not to analyze every pain...it will drive your crazy!

Weekly joy: M took me a one last date as "just us" tonight and bought me roses. He is such a sweet husband. I can't wait to see him with our daughter!

We have a full-term baby!

2010-06-07T22:17:00.004-04:00

My 9 month belly shots :P

How far along? 37w5d Full-term is 37 weeks. It is such a blessing to be this pregnant!

Total weight gain: I think I was +40 the other day. Sigh

Appointments: Had my 37 week appt last week. A teeny bit more progress - 2 cm/80%/-1. Also found out my GBS was negative.

How big is baby? baby is now considered full term, even though your due date is still three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. She weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.

Maternity clothes: Actually, went out for a walk in pre-pg work-out clothes! Felt very proud.

Stretch marks: I don't think I've gotten any more

Sleep: Last night I slept sooo soundly after playing volleyball for 2 hours at the in-laws

Movement: Poor girl is out of wiggle room.

Food cravings: Not really...I've actually had decreased appetite

Food aversions: No

Belly button: Still a shallow innie

Symptoms: A ton of contractions. I actually thought my water broke the other day. I soaked through two pairs of undies in just a couple of hourse. The doc told me to come in...here's what happened.

On the way to the hospital, I starting throwing up and had to stop at McDonald's to have diarrhea. Not enjoyable, but it made me think that I could actually be in labor.

When I got to the hospital, the hooked me up to the monitors. Contrax were still very irregular, HB was steady. The nurse did the strip test for amniotic fluid and checked me. She said I was very soft, but closed. I told her that at my appt on Tuesday I had been 2cm dilated already. She said that was impossible. I blame her fat fingers. But anyway...

The fluid come back negative - I wasn't leaking. Turns out I have a yeast infection! Ewww. The nurse asked if I have been uncomfortable down there. I was like, "Well yes...I've been uncomfortable for months!" She said that I should be thankful that I'm not in labor since it would be extra uncomfortable to push the baby out with such a bad infection.

The doc sent me home.

Since then I have lost some bits of mucus plug. It really feels like my body is getting ready!

What I'm looking forward to: Going into labor! I feel so ready

Weekly Wisdom: Accept help. My mom and sister came over to help clean the other day...having a clean house has really helped me relax!

Weekly joy: Being full-term. I love hearing the doc say I'm ready to go any minute!

36 weeks = 9 months = almost there!

2010-05-26T10:07:00.004-04:00

This pic is me at 35.5 weeks and my friend at 33 weeks at her shower. I can't wait for our "twin" girls to be born!

How far along? 36 weeks - holy cow! Sorry I missed 35 - opps!

Total weight gain: Do you really want to know? I'm up 39 lb!

Appointments: So, besides the technician being a "B", the sonogram went well! Baby is measuring a few days ahead and my fluid levels are normal. The tech refused to let us see the baby's face and gender. So I guess we just have to hope she'll be cute and hope she's a girl! I also had my 36 week appointment yesterday. They did the Group B Strep swab and an internal exam. I am 1-2 cm dilated, 80% effaced and baby's head is at -1 station. I didn't expect any progress, but I am so glad my body is preparing for labor!

How big is baby? baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Maternity clothes: Still wearing the ones that fit! It's amazing to me how many of my clothes are too small!

Stretch marks: The couple on my underbelly have gotten wider and more scary looking. Luckily I can only see them in the mirror

Sleep: I wish I could sleep better. I am only sleeping MAYBE three hours at a time now, with bathroom breaks in between

Movement: On most days, this baby doesn't like to stay still. She loves hanging out in my ribs!

Food cravings: Just random small things. Like last night at 2 am, I had to go down stairs for some Diet Sprite. I couldn't sleep until I got some!

Food aversions: Not really - but a lot of food that I normally like doesn't appeal to me right now.

Belly button: Still a shallow innie

Symptoms: I feel like everyday I feel a little bit worse...I'm trying to be a trooper, though...

What I'm looking forward to: Giving birth. I've actually been studying up on natural childbirth. I can't wait to see what my body can do.

Weekly Wisdom: When you feel emotional and have to cry, just let it out!

Weekly joy: Matthew has been so sweet, doing so many little things to take care of me. I really appreciate the small stuff he does! Also, I hit a "big" milestone 35/35 last week. When you are 35 weeks pregnant, there are only 35 days left to go! I can't believe we are under a month now!!!

2010-05-17T15:24:00.002-04:00

How far along? 34w5d - late again :)

Total weight gain: Don't know - don't wanna care!

New question - Appointments: I thought I would add this since I'm going to be going to the doc a lot now! At my appt on Thursday, I was still measuring 1 weeks behind (3 appt in a row!), heartbeat was perfect at 150, and baby was still breech. I have a sonogram scheduled for Thursday to measure baby's size and check presentation.

How big is baby? Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Maternity clothes: Yes, definitely. I'm going to be looking into buying more scrubs pants - I only have 1 pair that I can say actually fits!

Stretch marks: A few on the underbelly and a few "stretch dots" on my hips...very annoying!

Sleep: I wake at least once every night. I wonder when I will actually have a good nights sleep again. Probably not for a looooong time!

Movement: I don't feel many kicks anymore, mainly just squirming and hiccups. The other day I didn't feel anything for about 8 hours. It made me very nervous, but after I laid down on the couch and daddy talked to my belly, she started moving. I don't like being scared like that!

Food cravings: The other night it was apple juice, yesterday it was lemonade. Weird!

Food aversions: Not really

Belly button: Still a shallow innie

Symptoms: I hate the heartburn the most out of any sx right now... I HATE it...and live off Tums!

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing baby girl on Thursday! I'm hoping for a great profile shot and a confirmation that she is indeed a girl!

Weekly Wisdom: Sleep as much as possible!

Weekly joy: We asked my sister and her fiance to be Felicity's Godparents :) I ordered our strollers - one travel system and a jogging stroller! I can't wait for them to arrive!

33 weeks!

2010-05-10T10:18:00.004-04:00

How far along? 33w5d - I wish I hadn't gotten into the habit of doing this 5 days late! I'll try to be on time with 34 weeks, even though that won't be much of an update!

Total weight gain: I didn't weigh myself this morning. I'm considering stopping all together, as it is hard to see the numbers climbing. Baby is healthy, I'm healthy - who cares about the number on the scale?

How big is baby? baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Maternity clothes: Some are too small or too short now. It's so weird to think about outgrowing maternity clothes! I'm determined not to buy any more!

Stretch marks: A couple more small ones on my underbelly. They aren't totally scary though...maybe I'll be brave enough to post a pic at some point!

Sleep: I sleep better when M is not in the bed, but then I miss him so much! Catch 22

Movement: It is starting to feel like she is running out of room!

Food cravings: Not really

Food aversions: Not really

Belly button: Only the tip of my pinky fits in now. I don't think it will pop though

Symptoms: I don't think there have really been any "new" sx. One annoying thing is that when I sit for any length of time, my hips get very stiff, so when I get up to walk, I can barely move!

What I'm looking forward to: At the last couple of appts my belly has been measuring small. I can't wait to get measured again on Thursday. I can't wait to see if Baby and I have been growing! I feel like my stomach has had a growth spurt, but we'll see

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy the little kicks while they are still little!

Weekly joy: Mother's Day was yesterday and it was wonderful to finally be acknowledged as a Mother!

Maternity Photos

2010-05-08T13:42:00.004-04:00

Oh my, I love our maternity photos! We used our wedding photographer, who we love working with! We spent about an hour this morning with her at the Manassas Battlefield, which is were we had our engagement pictures done also. Such a great time, and I'm thrilled with how they turned out. Check out Debbie's website, MoonShadow Photography.

Here's a sampling of some of my favorite shots!

2010-05-03T20:30:00.002-04:00

How far along? 32w5d

Total weight gain: Up another lb...steady

How big is baby? By now, baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb.

Maternity clothes: Yep

Stretch marks: Haven't really changed...just a few on the underside and a couple of purple dots on my hips

Sleep: Depends. I definitely don't get enough!

Movement: I love watching the baby move. I could do without her pushing on my lungs, though!

Food cravings: Not really

Food aversions: Not really

Belly button: Shallow, but an innie

Symptoms: The swelling is not fun! I've started wearing Ted hose to work. Boo :(

What I'm looking forward to: Putting all the baby gear into the nursery

Weekly Wisdom: Put your feet up as much as humanly possible

Weekly joy: Matthew put the furniture into the nursery today!!! I love looking in there!

31 weeks and late again!

2010-04-26T15:19:00.002-04:00

How far along? 31w5d

Total weight gain: Still gaining a lb a week

How big is baby? This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Maternity clothes: Certainly. I am starting to worry about my scrubs. I've been getting away with drawstring pants and bigger tops, but it's just not cutting it anymore. Not sure what I'll wear to work once these clothes don't fit!

Stretch marks: No change to my few little ones

Sleep: I've actually been sleeping better since Matthew moved a mattress on the floor!

Movement: I love watching my whole stomach move! I can also feel actual body parts a lot. I think her butt is parked on my left side

Food cravings: Not really

Food aversions: Not really

Belly button: Shallow, but an innie

Symptoms: Waking up in the middle of the night with heartburn is not pleasant. I could do without the swollen feet and legs, too!

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing her face...I keep trying to imagine what she will look like

Weekly Wisdom: Sleep alone :P

Weekly joy: Sorting through all our baby gifts. It definitely makes everything seem more real!

30 weeks - a little late :-D

2010-04-19T14:10:00.002-04:00

How far along? 30w5d

Total weight gain: I think about 31lb

How big is baby? Baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Maternity clothes: Yes - except the dress I wore to my baby shower was a non-maternity maxi dress. I felt fabulous wearing "normal" clothes!

Stretch marks: Just the same little ones that haven't changed or gotten any bigger

Sleep: Matthew announced this morning that he is moving out of our bed for now. I guess my tossing and turning is keeping both of us awake :(

Movement: I lots of rolls and jabbing knees and elbows now. I read that at 30 weeks the baby is sleeping 95% of the time. I think 95% seems high, but she does seem to have mellowed out a bit

Food cravings: Not really

Food aversions: Not really

Belly button: Still an innie!

Symptoms: The heartburn and swollen feet are the worst

What I'm looking forward to: Working on the nursery some more - I can't wait to have it done.

Weekly Wisdom: Put your feet up as often as possible, even if they aren't swollen

Weekly joy: My baby shower! Once I get some pics I will dedicate a post to it!

29 Weeks

2010-04-07T12:02:00.004-04:00

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain: +1 - still gaining steadily, but safely. I have to keep reminding myself this is for the baby and is a-ok!

How big is baby? Baby is growing rapidly now. This week she weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is getting bigger to accommodate his growing brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.

Maternity clothes: 100%

Stretch marks: I found a few small ones on my hips last week :( So far they have stayed small and light.

Sleep: Some nights are great, some nights I barely sleep.

Movement: She's a very active girl!

Food cravings: I woke up in the middle of the night the other day and HAD TO HAVE Sierra Mist. An hour later I woke up and HAD TO HAVE m&ms. I felt like I was being controlled by food!

Food aversions: Red meat isn't as gross as it used to be!

Belly button: Still in.

Symptoms: The swelling has definitely been the worst symptom this week. I even took off my rings :(

What I'm looking forward to: Being able to poop again! LOL

Weekly Wisdom: Drinks LOTS of water (same as last week)

Weekly joy: Eating Easter candy!!!

Easter Belly

2010-04-05T10:01:00.005-04:00

My daddy always said I was a Winner!

2010-04-01T12:10:00.003-04:00

So I LOVE entering blog giveaways! I never expect to win, but it is always such a thrill when I do! Over the last couple of weeks I have won...(wait for it)...4 blog giveaways! I probably entered 100, but winning 4 still seems impressive! So this post will be a BIG THANK YOU to the bloggers who's giveaways I've one plus a little bit of bragging over the great prizes!

First - I won Simply Stacie's Patient Style Giveaway. I got THESE super comfy chenille socks. They will definitely be in my hospital bag!

I also won Simply Stacie's Expressiva Nursingwear Giveaway! I'm still waiting for my $35 gift card to arrive in the mail, but I will probably order THIS shirt...

Then I won Murdock's Mama's Surprise giveaway. It was so exciting to get a scrapbooking idea book and Iowa lottery ticket in the mail! Can't wait to try some of the pages!

And the 4th giveaway was Making Lemonade's b. children's wear giveaway. I picked THIS adorable onsie from her site...

7 months

2010-03-31T10:39:00.004-04:00

How far along? 28 weeks = 7 months. I can't believe we only have 12 weeks to go!

Total weight gain: Up another lb - trying not to think about it! I would stop weighing myself at home, but I don't trust the scale at the doctors!

How big is baby? By this week, baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Maternity clothes: Most definitely. I also have to wear M's PJ pants now, haha

Stretch marks: Fingers crossed - not yet!

Sleep: The last two nights have been ok, but some nights I wake up 5-6 times

Movement: She's kicking as I type :)

Food cravings: Nothing really stands out this week

Food aversions: I have been avoiding marinara since it makes my heartburn even worse, still not eating too much red meat

Belly button: Still in.

Symptoms: Heartburn, swelling, throwing up. I would not categorize this as an "easy pregnancy"

What I'm looking forward to: The crib is arriving tomorrow!

Weekly Wisdom: Drinks LOTS of water

Weekly joy: Found out we have a Dippin Dots at the mall now - the milk shakes are amazing!

{Friday Confessional}

2010-03-26T09:49:00.003-04:00

Ok, this is my first time participating in the Glamazon's Friday Confessional. I've been reading her confessions for weeks, but today decided that I will actually join in. Not sure how interesting my confessions will be - but they'll be honest!

M hurt has been complaining about ankle pain for about a week. I've encouraged him to ice it, elevate it and take Motrin. Does he? No. But when he told my mom about it last night, she suggested he get an xray. Since then he has been limping around like a baby and took off work today. I hope there's not a fracture so I can tell him to just suck it up.
The most annoying part of this whole thing is that he didn't get out of bed this morning at 4:40, so I couldn't spread out and steal his pillow
I slept like CRAP last night thanks to back pain and 3 charlie horses - I really wanted to ask M to go sleep downstairs
I judge people who automatically want an epidural without even considering a natural birth. I don't judge people who GET epidurals, just people who never consider NOT getting one
That's all I can think of for now!

2010-03-25T09:52:00.003-04:00

How far along? 27w1d

Total weight gain: +27...1 lb per week. My doc said I am still on track. She said that most people don't gain their last 4-5 weeks, so I am still within 25-35 total. It just seems like SO SO MUCH! I can't wait to get back on Weight Watchers!

How big is baby? HUGE! LOL. Baby is as hefty as a head of cauliflower, weighing in at almost 2 pounds. Length: about 14 1/2 inches. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Maternity clothes: Fo' Sho' (Is that how you spell it? Haha)

Stretch marks: Fingers crossed - not yet!

Sleep: This morning I overslept by a glorious hour!

Movement: Definitely feeling movement and a few sets of hiccups. The hiccups are so precious but I feel so bad for Baby Girl when she has them. Hiccups are so uncomfortable to the hiccuper.

Food cravings: Nothing really stands out this week

Food aversions: I ate red meat - TWICE! I had a burger at Five Guys this week and M made tacos. Actually he tricked me - I bought ground turkey for the tacos, but he made them with ground beef instead. Of course, I didn't know this until AFTER dinner!

Belly button: Still in. But I figured out that if I push on the area around my belly button, it will pop out. It looks so weird and feels spongy. Ew! Matthew is grossed out and refuses to touch it!

Symptoms: Heartburn is a biotch.

What I'm looking forward to: My shower - I bought a potential dress yesterday! The best part is that the dress is non-maternity...go me!

Weekly Wisdom: Eat a good breakfast everday

Weekly joy: So M was gone on a retreat for the weekend. I didn't feel Felicity as much as I normally do while he was gone, but I didn't think anything of it since I still felt her occasionally. He got home at 1am, and I was in bed already. When he came to bed he started talking to the baby right away. Immediately she started kicking hard. It was so sweet how she recognized his voice and said Hi to her Daddy! I can't wait to see him hold her!

Let the 3rd Trimester begin!!!

2010-03-23T20:27:00.002-04:00

{Top 2 Tuesday} Things I can't live without

2010-03-23T08:58:00.004-04:00

So today's topic is THINGS I can't live without. THINGS - that excludes my people, right? I'm going to give me top 2 material things. Ready?

TOP 2 THINGS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

Seriously, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Diet Coke. I don't drink it every day, but whenever I drink soda, it is almost always Diet Coke. I don't think it is for the caffeine, I just love how refreshing it tastes. Recently I have been on an Orange Soda kick, but I think that is pregnancy related!

I love all types of lip balm. There isn't any brand or flavor that I am loyal to. Actually, when one gets low, I like to go out and buy a different brand to use next. But honestly, I am balming up these lucious lips multiple times a day. In fact, in 10 grade I was voted best lips in the class! LOL

{Weekend Wind-up} # 2

2010-03-22T08:47:00.004-04:00

Ok bloggers, join me again for the Weekend Wind-up! Just use the code on the left sidebar to get the badge and start blogging about your weekend!

So my weekend was pretty quiet - for once!

M spent Friday and Saturday as a leader on an 8th Grade Confirmation Retreat, so I had the house to myself. Luckily, I wasn't home that much to feel lonely!

Friday night I hung out with two girlfriends. We ate at Bella Vita, a new Italian Restuarant in town. I had the Chicken-o-philly, which was delicious! We had Tutti Frutti for dessert. Honestly, Tutti Frutti is good - but not that good. I wish we had Frostys instead! LOL. We also got in a couple episodes of "Big Love."

I love that show. But this season it has gotten a little weird for me. Bill is really a jerk to the wives, they have too much going on. I feel like the focus has really moved away from the polygamist marriage, which is what was the most interesting to me at the beginning. Bill juggling his wives was better than Bill juggling his business/political life.

When I got home on Friday night - at maybe 12:30, I decided I couldn't go to bed without ordering our crib and mattress. The Graco Lauren crib in white was onsale from Walmart, PLUS the shipping was $0.97! I had a $100 gift card left over from Christmas, so my total for the crib and mattress, with tax and shipping was only $80! SCORE! I got a message on Sunday saying that it shipped - can't wait to see it set up in our nursery!

On Saturday, I went to M's cousin's Baby Shower. She doesn't know what she is having yet and only has a few more weeks to go. I don't understand how people can deal with the suspense of not knowing the gender! That would drive me crazy! The fact that she doesn't know drives me crazy! LOL.

Then I went SHOPPING! I really needed some spring/summer bottoms, and ended up getting three pairs of capris at Kohls. Old Navy's selection sucked. And I couldn't resist a couple of shirts, too!

Sunday was low-key - we slept until 12:30, and M made Chocolate Chip Pancakes for "breakfast." Then we went to work organzing the Craft Room. I opened sooo many boxes, and got rid of a lot of stuff. Some of it I was sad to see go - but honestly, you can't hold on to things forever.

We also uncovered several letters I wrote to M while we were dating and I was away at Virigina Tech. Oh, young love! It was funny to see how we talked to eachother and how much our relationship has grown-up.

Last night we had a Wegman's Cafe date and went grocery shopping. See what I mean - our relationship has matured :)

Now, go write about your weekend and leave me the link!

Sniss, Snart and Piver What?

2010-03-19T09:26:00.005-04:00

So I want to share an embarrassing story about myself. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard or witnessed M's unconditional love for me.

I'm sure you have heard the terms "Sniss" (when you sneeze and piss at the same time) and "Shart" (when you go to fart and shit instead). Well over the last months or so, snissing has become an almost daily occurence for me.

Last night M and I watched a childbirth videa on Instant Netflix. It was made in the 70's or 80's and we made fun of most of it. But it did have some valuable information, including a natural birth. When it was over, we were sitting on the couch talking about birthing and how crazy it will be and whatnot. M held his hands up in a circle and said he couldn't imagine something that big coming out of me. Then I made the same hand circle and put it between my legs, commenting that I couldn't imagaine even opening my legs that wide. M pushed my legs back, as if I was in stirrups to test it out. Well, as soon as my legs were back, I farted (pretty much in his face) and started peeing controllably. I started laughing so hard that I couldn't stop the pee from flowing.

Let me tell you - I soaked through my underwear and pants, leaving a HUGE PUDDLE on the couch. M started yelling, "You fissed! You fissed!" I was dying.

When I went to the bathroom to peel off my pee drenched clothes, M cleaned up the pee. It was such a sweet gesture and made me fall in love again. I honestly thought he would leave it for me to clean up (and rightfully so!).

Later in bed we made up all sorts of word combos for unfortunate bodily functions that can happen together:

Sniss - a sneeze piss
Shart - a shit fart
Fiss - a fart piss
Snart - a sneeze fart
Piver - a piss while you deliver
Shiver - a shit while you deliver

Oh the joys of a pregnant body!

Happy St Patrick's Day and 26 Week Update

2010-03-17T10:55:00.006-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I love this day because #1 I'm Irish and #2 Kelly Green is my favorite color #3 I love the Traditional Irish dinner my mom makes every year!

Matthew gave me this Irish Love Knot necklace for Valentine's Day last year - I love it!

Now for the baby update!

How far along? 26 weeks - I'll start the 3rd Trimester this week!!! (26w6d)

Total weight gain: Aye yigh yigh. The weight gain...I'm up a little bit again. +25. I have a doctor's appt tomorrow, so we'll see if she is concerned at all. I feel concerned - I can only gain 10 more lb to stay within the recommended 25-35. Honestly, I don't feel like my diet is that bad. I guess I have to keep in mind that my body will do what it needs to do, and I can always lose the weight later.

How big is baby? From BabyCenter.com -
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

Maternity clothes: Most definitely

Stretch marks: Not yet! I check every day! LOL

Sleep: The last two nights I slept great...the night before I couldn't fall asleep until 5am.

Movement: A ton!

Food cravings: Still love the iced coffee - trying not to give in very often!

Food aversions: Red meat

Belly button: Still a fairly deep innie - see yesterday's pics!

Symptoms: Heartburn like crazy, constipation, hands and arms falling asleep, especially at night. Overall, feeling ok, though!

What I'm looking forward to: Ordering our crib this weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: Not feeling very wise at the moment...

Weekly joy: I asked M the other night what he was most looking forward to for when the baby comes. He said, "Taking her on walks and watching her explore the world." My heart just melted! So sweet!

So much excitement!

2010-03-16T16:10:00.003-04:00

I feel like I have so much going on these days! Here are my Top 3 Things to be excited about today!

99 days - Only 99 days until my due date! I can't believe how fast 2nd Tri flew by. I mean...it seriously WHIZZED by!

New niece or nephew - We found out yesterday that my brother and his wife are having their 2nd! I can't wait to meet their new little one in November. That brings our niece/nephew count up to 7!!! We have 3 nieces, 2 nephews and 2 yet-to-be-announced!

Home progress - slow and steady wins the race, right? The craft room is starting to come together. Painting is done and we are starting to move furniture in. I have a lot of work ahead of me with the unpacking and sorting that needs to happen before we can start on the nursery. I just wish we weren't so busy, so we could dedicate more time to the house!

And just for fun - some BELLY SHOTS!

{Top 2 Tuesday} Celebrity Styles!

2010-03-16T09:57:00.003-04:00

Today we are talking about our favorite celebrity styles.

#1 has got to be Kate Winslet. She always looks so amazing! I would love to share her stylist :)

#2 is Lauren Conrad. I know, I know...LC. But honestly, the girl has great fashion sense and almost always looks terrific!

{Weekend Wind-up} # 2

2010-03-15T02:22:00.003-04:00

So I made a Badge you can now use to join in the Weekend Wind-up! Check out the code on my Right Sidebar and join in the fun!

My weekend has left me feeling sicker than when I started!

Friday night I went to Panera with a friend, then to our monthly Beta Sigma Phi meeting.

Saturday morning I had to work :( Luckily, the morning went pretty quickly! Aferward, I went to Tony's NY Pizza with some of Matthew's family. Tony's is a local hot spot with what some say is the best pizza around. I don't usually get pizza - I love their Grilled Chicken Salad!

That evening M and I volunteered at a charity event to help raise money for a local hospice organization. The event was put on by a local BSP chapter, and several of my sisters and their husbands also volunteered. The theme was St. Patty's, so of course the room was filled with green! Here I am with three of my sisters - two of them are also pregnant!

Sunday, M and I went to chuch, took a super long nap, went to the grocery store and did laundry. I also found time to finally watch Jason and Molly's Wedding. I don't know why, but I think they are so great together. Hope they have a very successful marriage!

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection :( Going to the doctor tomorrow!

JOIN IN THE WEEKEND WIND-UP AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK!

The Mommy View

2010-03-14T19:53:00.003-04:00

Do you see my feet? Yeah, neither do I!

{Wish List Wednesday}

2010-03-10T11:22:00.004-05:00

I feel like I'm jumping on bandwagons all over the place! But why not, right? I found this fun one through The Foster Family!

Right now I am really wishing for a completed Nursery!

25 Weeks Today

2010-03-10T09:45:00.002-05:00

How far along? 25 weeks

Total weight gain: Haven't gained in a few weeks

How big is baby? From BabyCenter.com -

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Maternity clothes: The only pre-pg clothes I can get away with now are yoga pants (and I wish I had more than 1 pair!) and open cardigans

Stretch marks: None yet. I did have a horrifying dream last night that I had them ALL OVER my stomach. Each one stretched from top to bottom. It was not a pretty sight!

Sleep: Interrupted and not comfortable. I really miss good sleep!

Movement: She is especially active at night. Funny, isn't it? Felicity, let your momma sleep, please!

Food cravings: I don't think anything really stood out this week

Food aversions: Still red meat. I can barely look at it

Belly button: Hasn't changed at all. I'm starting to doubt it will pop, which is fine with me

Symptoms: Achy body, still having some nausea and vomiting, heartburn, bad sleep, swollen hand and feet...and my nails aren't even growing fast. Not fair!

What I'm looking forward to: Last night I was thinking about how sweet M will look when he holds her. I can't wait to see their daddy/daughter moments

Weekly Wisdom: Take your shoes off and put your feet up as much as possible

Weekly joy: We bought our first piece of nursery furniture on monday - a dresser/changing table combo!

{The ABC's of ME}

2010-03-09T13:47:00.004-05:00

I saw this on The Life of An Army Wife, and decided to play along. Head over to Katie's blog to check out her answers, too!

A. AGE: 23
B. BED SIZE: Full...and now that I sleep with the body pillow it is feel a little cramped! There definitely won't be room for any kids to jump in bed with us!
C. CHORE YOU HATE: Cleaning the bathroom is the absolute worst! I hate it. I don't clean it until it is just to nasty for me to stand
D. DOG'S NAME: I don't believe in dogs, lol.
E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: My cell phone - I hate feeling disconnected from the world. My cell screen broke last night and I FREAKED out! We don't want to get a new phone through AT&T since we want to switch to Verizon in October (when our contract is up), so I'm getting a Go-Phone to put my SIM card in until then
F. FAVORITE COLOR: Kelly Green and Royal Blue
G. GOLD OR SILVER: White Gold. I would say Platinum, but I don't own any, lol
H. HEIGHT: 5'3 3/4 - gotta get that extra 3/4
I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: I played piano in HS. I would love to get a piano and take lessons again
J. JOB TITLE: Pediatric Nurse
K. KIDS: First one due in June
L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: M and I live in a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 3 level townhouse
M. MOM'S NAME: Sherry
N. NICKNAME: Lisa is technically my nickname, since my legal name is Elizabeth
O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: Not that I can remember. I stayed in hospitals a lot of a baby
P. PET PEEVE: People chewing with their mouths open...UGH! I can't stand it
Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: "As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: Righty
S. SIBLINGS: I'm the 3rd of 6
T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: Should be 7, but is usually more like 7:30
U. UNDERWEAR: Bikinis
V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: Radishes- they are veggies, right?
W. WAYS REASONS YOU ARE LATE: I am almost always early
X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: I broke my leg a couple of years ago
Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: Coconut Snowball Cookies at Christmas time...yum-o!
Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: The penguins are so cute! I haven't been to the zoo in years, though!

{Top Two Tuesday} Names!

2010-03-09T12:19:00.003-05:00

This is my first week participating in Top Two Tuesday. Click on the button above to check out The Undomestic Momma's awesome blog! All you have to do is list your Top Boy and Girl Names...simple, right?

Girl Name: Felicity Diane :) I love the name Felicity, mostly because it is just so darn cute. And I love that it means "Full of Happiness." I really hope our little girl is just that. Diane is my mom's middle name.

Boy Name: Benjamin Matthew. I have loved that name Benjamin for years now. As soon as I told M, he said he liked it also, and we immediately "named" our first son Benjamin. Matthew is after M, of course.

Click on the button at the top of this post, then get to posting about your 2 favorite names! Of course, let me know you are doing it, so I can come check out your blog post!

Weekend Wind-up

2010-03-08T11:01:00.005-05:00

So, it's Monday again! I actually had a great weekend, leaving me feeling very refreshed!

Friday night - I went to Logan's Roadhouse for dinner with a couple of girl friends. Yum yum yum! The Anything and Everything Salad is a favorite of mine, and I scarfed down several of their delicious rolls, too!

Afterward, we went to see Johnny Depp. I mean, we went to see "Alice in Wonderland." Besides the very annoying and loud teenagers, I really enjoyed the movie. I've never seen the cartoon Alice, so I didn't know what to expect or know the characters. Very entertaining, though, and of course I loved Johnny!

On Saturday, I went to a Mom Yard Sale and found a couple of cute outfits for Felicity. I've been trying not to buy too much, since I know people will give us stuff, but sometimes things are too cute (or too cheap!) to resist. After that, we went to Red Robin..."YUUUUUUM" I had the Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap. If you've never tried their Honey Poppy Dip, it is super delicious!

I spent the afternoon "returning" with a couple of girlfriends. We ended up going to three malls just to return stuff (none of which was mine!). I did get a chance to browse Destination Maternity and come out with...

I got one other shirt, but I can't find it online. It is basically a white short sleeve T, but it had royal blue flowers all over it. Very cute and very me!

On Sunday, M and I went to church and then went out to lunch! It was my first time at Fuddruckers, and I wasn't too impressed. I like Red Robin much better! I had the classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich.

The rest of the day we spent working on things around the house. I got laundry done, mopped the kitchen floor, cleaned the LR and watched some HGTV :) I also was able to cook raw meat for the first time in 6 months! We had chicken over cheesy noodles and broccoli.

Our little girl scout delivered our cookies...two boxes of Tagalongs for M, and a box of ThinMints and Somoas for me. Going to have to make those two boxes last a while!

We also took a walk, since the weather was so nice. I was so out of breath after just going up our street - how pathetic! I guess this baby is pushing on my lungs or something.

So there you have it - the Weekend Wind-up!

Oh, and if you thinking "No wonder this girl is gaining weight like crazy - look at all the food she is eating!" don't worry. I'm thinking it, too!!!

Now tell me about your weekend! I would love a comment here or a link to your blog!!!

Happy Friday :)

2010-03-05T13:59:00.003-05:00

So I haven't posted since Wednesday, mostly because I feel like the only thing I want to do is complain! So first - let me vent. Then I will give you a reward for listening to me!

1. Why, oh why, am I still throwing up? It just seems cruel of my body to still be nauseous 6 months in to this pregnancy. I know they say that with baby girls, the mom is more likely to experience nausea and vomiting, but I thought that was just going to be a 1st Tri type thing. Think again!

2. Why is my house such a mess? When we moved in back in May, I had such high hopes for getting everything unpacked and organzied by the end of June. Well, since I am not the one doing most of the projects, I didn't have much control over that. M is doing a great job getting things done on our house, so I can't complain about his effort...but it just seems like it is taking forever! I really want to start working on the nursery, but that can't happen until the craft room and the new basement closet that M is building are done.

3. Heartburn and constipation. If anyone wants more details on that, let me know!

4. People's negative reactions to our name choice. Seriously, if you don't like it - KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Felicity is not the most run of the mill name, but it certainly isn't unheard of. And to the people who think it is spelled with a "Ph" (yes, several people have asked if it is a "Ph" name!) - you are dumb!

Alright, are you ready for your reward???

There are more fabulous deliciousness at Cupcakes Takes the Cake!

Big Baby Belly

2010-03-03T19:44:00.006-05:00

Do you think I've popped? ;-P

24 Weeks = Viability!

2010-03-03T09:28:00.005-05:00

So I am now 6 months. The main reason this is so so exciting is that if little Felicity was born today, she would have a fighting chance to make it. After 24 weeks, the baby is viable outside the womb. This is such a comforting thought to me. I am dying to meet our little girl and see what she looks like!

I also finally got my first stranger comment! On Sunday after church, we were talking to an older couple. I guess Matthew had met the husband before, but they didn't know each other well. Well, the man pointed to my stomach and asked if we were having a baby. It threw me off at first, but after a second I was able to gather my thoughts and respond with a smile that yes, we are due in June!

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain: Haven't gained any more...thank goodness!

How big is baby? From BabyCenter.Com - Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Maternity clothes: Probably 98% maternity clothes now

Stretch marks: None so far!

Sleep: Depends on the night. Some nights I sleep right through, others I wake up 4-6 times. Luckily, I don't have to get out of bed to go to the bathroom and can usually fall back asleep once I readjust.

Movement: Mostly what I feel is very low. I think it is because I have an anterior placenta and baby is still breech. Sometimes I have to put my hand down my pants to feel her kick from the outside! LOL

Food cravings: Iced or Frozen Mochas! Trying to to give in to that too often!

Food aversions: Meat still

Belly button: It is getting more shallow and wide, but still a deep innie

Symptoms: The Heartburn makes me take Tums, the Tums make me constipated, the constipation makes me take Colace. It's a vicious cycle! Other new sx = sweaty feet. Gross, I know, but it happens almost every day at work!

What I'm looking forward to: See our baby's face!

Weekly Wisdom: Take a nap when you can

Weekly joy: Getting that first stranger comment, and now lots of stranger smiles and nods is exciting

Another New Look

2010-03-01T13:41:00.003-05:00

So, I just can't seem to settle on any look for my blog. I'm trying to make my blog attractive, easy to read and still "me."

What do you think of this look so far? Is there anything you would change or do to make it better?

Also, I created an email address specifically for the blog, so you can email me whenever you want to say something, but don't want to leave a comment. The new email addy is mrsmessismusings@hotmail.com :P

Third thing is the new sig...check it out below...

Lastly, I would love the help of a creative reader/follower to help me make a button (and maybe find a way use a different font in my header). I really don't have a clue how such things are done!

The shopping has begun!

2010-02-28T21:59:00.003-05:00

I want to share with you all my first few purchases for Baby Felicity...

The front says "YUM." The cutest part is a huge cupcake on the butt...check it out HERE. Seriously, the cuteness is beyond words!

My mom and I went shopping for fabric for the quilt she is making for the nursery. The pattern is going to be blocks with 4" and 2" squares. The pink fabric with embroidered flowers will be the big squares, then the plain pink and white with with flowers will be the small squares. The back is white flannel with pink flowers. The edging is pink satin. I can't wait to see the finished product.

The picture is crappy...but IRL the fabric is adorable!

We also found this rug for the nursery for $11!

It has ballet shoes, shooting stars, a crown and pink dress. The edge is pink (don't know why the pic makes it look tan!). It's adorable.

We also went to a thrift store and found 3 cute sleepers with the tags still on!

Now I am incessantly checking and adding stuff to my registry :)

Shoes!

2010-02-28T19:53:00.006-05:00

So today I decided to clean out the bottom of my closet. Of course, that meant taking an inventory of my shoes and paring some down. When I laid them out to see what I had, this is roughly what it looked like. Sad thing is that you can't see all the shoes in this pic!

I did end up getting rid of about 10 pairs, but I held on to the rest. Hey - I'm patting myself on the back for giving any of them up!

How many pairs of shoes do you have?

Happy 101

2010-02-26T14:05:00.003-05:00

A big, big thank you to Meredith at La Buena Vida for awarding me the Happy 101 blogger award! I love Meredith's blog because she really shares from the heart. She is a new mom to beautiful Lizzy, going through the ups and downs of having a new born. She also blogs about photography, books and life in general. Check her out and let her know I sent you :)

The Rules:
- List 10 things that make you happy
- Tag 10 other bloggers and link back to the person who tagged you

Here are some things that make me happy:

Date Nights - Last night we went to Panera, brought the laptop, and spent an hour or two just being together and dreaming and planning for the future. I love those simple nights we spend together
Books - I love escaping into another world, even for a minute
Nursing - I love being a nurse. There is such joy in helping people every day, working to make their lives better. I especially love when a toddler tearily says "Thank You" or "Buh-bye" after you give them their shots. Kids are just so precious!
TheNest.com - I have become internet friends with so many wonderful ladies through the nest's message boards.
Night-time nursing bras - Yes, I bought two already. I figured that I would need them eventually, and they are really really comfortable for bed.
Mascara - The little black tube that makes a huge difference for my face
Yummy "Fancy" Coffee - I don't drink regular coffee, but I do drink the fancy drinks. They are as good as dessert! The new ones from McD's are delicious!
Long Showers - There is nothing like a 20 minute shower! Whenever I have the time to take a nice, long, steamy shower, I always seize the opportunity. I think very deep, wise thoughts in the shower :)
Pictures - I love looking at pictures. I don't even care whose pictures they are!
Comments on My Blog Posts - I love reading people's reactions and responses.

I would love to pass this award on to:

1. My Happy House
2. Leslie G
3. I Just Need My Coate
4. Humes, Party of 3
5. Happily Ever After
6. Celeste's 101 in 1001
7. Book Hooked
8. You Paid More Than Me
9. Black 'N Gold Girl's Book Spot
10. A Penny Saved

Time for Friday Follow :)

2010-02-26T11:59:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the seventh Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! This is my third week participating (I think!). It is all about sharing and having fun.
Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:

* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky on any of their sites – Only need to on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots
* Follow as many blogs as you’d like
* Comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow
* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one – but you can follow each host blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

Work-out Review: Gabrielle Reece: The Complete Fit and Healthy Pregnancy

2010-02-25T10:07:00.004-05:00

I was so excited to try this work-out. I did it for the first time last night, and man, am I hurting today. My legs are the most sore - I guess 5 months of relative inactivity will do that to you. I'm going to wait until the soreness goes away, then do it again. I'm aiming for 3-4 times a week. The session, which included a warm-up, work-out and cool down, took about 25 or 30 minutes. I didn't sweat, but I could feel my heartrate going up.

What I liked: I love the Reece is actually pregnant in the video. There are work-outs for each month, and you can watch her pregnancy progress as you go through the video. I also like that you can do the whole thing in 30 minutes - I don't think my schedule could handle anything longer.

What I don't like: You need all sorts of equipment - a mat, an exercise ball, a stretchy band thing, free weights, a sturdy chair and someone to help you. Reece's trainer is in the video and he helps her by hold things and whatnot. Since I didn't have any of those things on hand (mine are buried in the basement somewhere!), I just modified the work-out the best I could.

Overall: The DVD was pretty good. I'll definitely keep using it - at least until I find something better.

I can't wait for the snow to melt and Spring to come so I can go for walks (or maybe be brave and run)!

23 weeks already?

2010-02-24T10:10:00.003-05:00

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain: Let's just not talk about it today...

How big is baby? baby weighs about as much as a large mango -- just over a pound. (Length: more than 11 inches.)

Maternity clothes: Probably 95% maternity clothes now

Stretch marks: None so far!

Sleep: Last night I brought my huge college body pillow into bed with us. I slept like a baby!

Movement: This little soccer player loves to kick! Let's hope it doesn't mean she'll have mommy's soccer play legs when she grows up!

Food cravings: Not really this week

Food aversions: Meat still

Belly button: It is getting more shallow and wide, but still a deep innie

Symptoms: This is a new one that I am adding to the survey because honestly, aren't you curious? The newest symptoms are heartburn (thank God for Tums - too bad they are constipating!) and swelling. My right hand ring doesn't fit anymore. I'm hoping my wedding ring will last a month or two longer.

What I'm looking forward to: Still waiting on my first stranger comment

Weekly Wisdom: Sleep with a body pillow! Trust me, it makes a huge difference!

Weekly joy: I love when M rubs and kisses my belly!

This morning on the way to work I heard the song "Walking Her Home" by Mark Schultz. I've heard it before, but every time I listen to it, the lyrics make me cry. So, I thought I would share it with your all!

You can listen to it HERE.

Looking back
He sees it all
It was her first date the night he came to call

Her dad said son
Have her home on time
And promise me you�ll never leave her side
He took her to a show in town
And he was ten feet off the ground

(Chorus)
He was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him
Down that old road
With the stars up above
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love
He was walking her home

Ten more years and a waiting room
At half past one
And the doctor said come in and meet your son

His knees went weak
When he saw his wife
She was smiling as she said he�s got your eyes

And as she slept he held her tight
His mind went back to that first night

(Chorus)
He was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him
Down that old road
With the stars up above
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love
He was walking her home

He walked her through the best days of her life
Sixty years together and he never left her side

A nursing home
At eighty-five
And the doctor said it could be her last night
And the nurse said Oh
Should we tell him now
Or should he wait until the morning to find out

But when they checked her room that night
He was laying by her side

Oh he was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled when he said this is not the end
And just for a while they were eighteen
And she was still more beautiful to him than anything
He was walking her home
He was walking her home

Looking back
He sees it all
It was her first date the night he came to call

Baby Shower on a Budget - I Need Your Help

2010-02-23T16:45:00.002-05:00

I'm helping to throw one of my best friend's baby shower on the end of May. We want this baby shower to be beautiful and special for our friend, but we are definitely on a budget.

I would love if you could comment with ideas you have seen or used to make a shower gorgeous and fun without breaking the bank. We are open to any and all great ideas!

"Just Today"

2010-02-23T14:38:00.002-05:00

I found this cute survey at Murdock's Mama's blog and thought I would play along :)

Outside my window... it is gloomy
The time is... 2:40
Today I feel... achy, bloated and crabby
I am thinking... I wish I had a yummy coffee drink
At the moment, I am thankful... Hershey's with Almonds
I am going... to the post office for the second time today when I get off work...bad planning on my part!
I am wearing... Scrubs
I wish... I was at home watching dumb TV
I am reading... "Herself" by Leslie Carroll...I just started it last night, so I don't have an opinion on it yet
I am working on... completing our baby registry
I am hoping... for a healthy baby
I am hearing... office chatter
I bet you didn't know... that we don't have TV
One of my favorite... ways to relax is catching up on everyone's blog posts

Join the Fun! Copy & Paste and fill it out on your blog! If you do this make sure you comment so I can check yours out!

Deep Breathing

2010-02-23T09:27:00.003-05:00

So this post will have many "themes" - pregnancy update, work vent, probably some other stuff, but I don't know what yet. I'm going to start typing and see where it gets me.

So - first let's talk about my little messi baby. Baby girl has been kicking up a storm the last few days. She is not strong enough yet to take my breath away with her soccer kicks, but there are visible from the outside. I love laying in bed at night and watching her move and kick.

I had my 22 week check on Friday - everything was great. HB was 158, belly measured right at 22 weeks. I discussed my weight gain with the NP. She said if I hadn't brought it up, she wouldn't have. She doesn't seem concerned. To me 20 lbs at 22 weeks seems like a lot. She said she thinks I will still end up around +30 to 35 - which is recommended. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm going to continue being careful what I eat, and I also bought some prenatal work-out dvds I'm going to use until it is warm enough to get outside for walks.

On Saturday, I spent the day at the spa with my sorority sisters. I got my first facial - it was just alright. Honestly, I can't seen any difference in my skin. Also, my fingernails are already starting to chip (of course!), but my toenails are an awesome pinky red that I can't get enough of. I sort of wish I had just stuck to getting a pedicure!

Last night my mom and I went looking for fabric for the baby's quilt. We found some cute stuff, but nothing we loved. Hopefully going shopping again on Saturday. My sis-in-law went out and bought 10 or 11 outfits for Felicity the other day. Most of them are 0-3 months and they are stinking adorable. I can't wait to start playing baby dress-up. My SIL always puts my neice in the cutest clothes (especially dresses!), so I'm sure I would love anything she picks out.

Phew - after all this thinking about the baby, I don't even want to talk about work. Maybe that's a good thing. But if you have the chance to send some good thoughts, prayers and vibes my way, I bet it would make today's work day a little better!

Winners!

2010-02-22T16:52:00.003-05:00

I'm very excited to announce the 100 Followers Goody Bag Winners (chosen through random.org):

# 15 Jen J

"Wow...you got to 100 quick! We became friends thru the Nest & I just like being able to keep up with you thru your blog! :o)"

# 23 Mr and Mrs Stoneking

"I am a follower already! :)"

# 8 Angel

"1) I love your colorful background. It's very cute. 2) I like that you are a very regular poster. 3) I love seeing your cute pregnant self!"

Ladies, you have 48 hours to email me at mrsmessismusings@hotmail.com with your mailing address. If I don't hear from you within 48 hours, I will choose another winner.

Again...

...to all my readers! I am so amazed that anyone would read this blog! I appreciate all of you that follow, and LOVE LOVE LOVE to read your comments!

If you follow me, but I don't follow you, leave me a comment with your blog address so I can check you out!

Giveaway Reminder

2010-02-22T08:35:00.003-05:00

If you haven't already, don't forget to enter my good bag surprise giveaway here. The giveaway ends today at 5pm!

Yippee - 100 followers! Giveaway time!

2010-02-19T19:08:00.003-05:00

I am so thrilled and honored to have 100 followers as of today! Thank you all for reading, and especially for the comments. I have to admit, sometimes I write stuff just to see if anyone responds!

So, tonight I am throwing a party complete with goody bags! That's right, folks, you can win a goody bag! Don't get too excited...they are just a small token of my appreciation.

Three lucky readers will win a surprise something-something from me!

Since this is a giveaway to thank you for following, you must be a follower to win :)

To Enter (leave separate comments for each to get multiple entries!):

1. Mandatory - tell me what you like about my blog or what you would like to see more of

2. Blog about my blog and leave me the link

3. Let me know if you are an old or new follower

The giveaway ends Monday, Feb 22 at 5 pm.

Again, thank you all for caring enough to follow and read my silly little blog!

Date Night and Friday Follow

2010-02-19T08:40:00.004-05:00

So last night M took me out on a date!

I wore...

We ate at...

We saw...

When we came home, Matthew surprised me with (homemade!)...

Also, join me in the Friday Follow, hosted by One 2 Try! Check out her blog to find and follow other awesome blogs! If you leave me a comment and follow me, and I will definitely return the favor!

22 weeks

2010-02-17T09:51:00.004-05:00

First, I want to say THANK YOU to Sara at The Breathing Post for my 2nd Beautiful Blogger Award!!! Sara, you are so sweet to think of me! Thank you for supporting my blog. Readers, please head over to The Breathing Post and tell Sara I sent you!

Bow for a baby update!

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain: Haven't gained from last week...phew!

How big is baby? baby has stretched to the size of a spaghetti squash and weighs almost a pound. (Length: nearly 11 inches.)

Maternity clothes: The only pre-pg clothes I wear these days are cardigans (open), Tshirts and PJ pants

Stretch marks: None :)

Sleep: Thanks to a terrible cold, I've been sleeping very poorly.

Movement: She kicks and moves all day long!

Food cravings: This am I couldn't think of anything but an iced mocha from 7-11! I had to have it and it was sooo good!

Food aversions: Meat still...gross!

Belly button: It is getting more shallow and wide, but still a deep innie

What I'm looking forward to: Working on the nursery

Weekly Wisdom: Invest in panty liners

Weekly joy: I love that M can see her kicks from the outside. She is getting so strong!

Click to help feed families!

2010-02-17T09:07:00.002-05:00

Help SERVE of Manassas, Virginia. It's the shelter and most importantly, the Food Closet for the area. They desperately need a new walk in freezer. Voting today and every day until the end of the month might help them win what they need.

Please take a few minutes - you register your e-mail and a password to vote. And no, I'm not getting junk from Pepsi. I think they just want legit votes.

VOTE HERE!!!

Looky what I just discovered!

2010-02-16T14:12:00.001-05:00

A drug rep brought us a treat today...and now I am addicted! UH-OH!

It's the Little Things

2010-02-16T09:23:00.005-05:00

There have been a few little things in my life recently that have just made me happy and thankful. Honestly, the little things in life are awesome!

1. Two nights ago, I went to wash my face. The water was cold. I waited and waited, but it never heated up. Immediately I imagine the worst - that we would need a new water heater. By the time I was home from work the next day, M had fixed the water heater. Apparently the element needed drained and replaced (or something like that!). I am so thankful for a handy husband.

2. It's so great to be a giveaway winner! Jessica at Forever Young: A YA Lit Blog emailed me this morning letting me know I won a copy of "The Lonely Hearts Club." I can't wait to receive it, read it and give you all a review!

3. Who doesn't love free stuff? Bloom Grocery Store had a program that for ever $10 you spent, you received a little sticker. When you collected enough stickers, you received a Cuisinart item! Look at what I got for free (each is valued at $29.99):

I'm also planning a giveaway! Keep a lookout for it to start sometime in the next 7 days!

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-02-15T19:57:00.004-05:00

I was so thrilled and excited to see that Kate at Whimsical, Whamsical, Whumsical gave me a Beautiful Blogger Award! I have been seeing these pop up on different blogs I follow. Each blog that has one so far is truly sensational, so I am honored Kate picked me!

Kate has an awesome book blog. She reads and reviews books from a variety of genres and posts awesome reviews. Her blog look is absolutely to die for, too. Green and damask - gorgeous!

I would like to pass the award on to some awesome lady bloggers. I have been reading some of these blogs for a while, and some I just discovered. All of them have something great to offer - please check them out! Of course, tell them that mrs.messi sent you :)

Disney on Ice

2010-02-15T19:30:00.003-05:00

M took me to see Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic for Valentine's Day. It was so fun driving into DC together. What an adventure finding street parking was - thank you, blizzard! We only live about 40 minutes from downtown, but this is the first time we have driven in...we need to do it again soon. The show was at the Verizon Center, which is right near Madame Tussauds and The Spy Museum. I definitely want to go back to explore some more!

I loved the Belle was the featured Princess - she is the best, after all! They did a vignette of Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Pinocchio, Mulan, The Incredibles and a few others. There were over 60 characters total - I loved it!

M's favorite scene was "I'll Make a Man Outta You" from Mulan.

Can't wait to see another Disney show!

Bring some Sunshine to your day (An Award!)

2010-02-15T09:27:00.005-05:00

I was so thrilled to receive my first blogging award today! Thank you Short Southern Momma for thinking of me! I love you blog - it is always so fresh and you post so many cute things!

Readers, check out her blog and tell her I sent you!

And now for the Sunshine Award:

The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world. I am now going to pass along the sunshine and present this award to some of my favorite bloggers who make my day "A Sunshine Day!"

The rules, once this award is received, are as follows:

1. Post the logo on blog

2. Pass the award on to 12 fellow bloggers

3. Link the nominees blogs so other can get to know them

4. Let nominees know they have won this award by commenting on their blog

5. Share the love and link to the person who received this award from.

Again, thanks Short Southern Momma for nominating me!

Here are the ladies I want to shout-out to. Some of them I have been following for a while, some I just discovered. But they all have one thing is common - they are all positive and uplifting ladies!

1. Bless This Nest
2. Princess and the [sweet] Pea
3. Momma Maven in the Making
4. The Life of an Army Wife
5. Smooth as a Baby's Blog
6. Little Woman, Little Home
7. World of Dennifer
8. the luckiest
9. The Adventure's of Mrs. Emmypants
10. My Happy House
11. The Domestic Princess
12. Growing a Lemon (I love this one especially because
we are both having girls at the same time!

Congrats to all my Sunshine Award Winners! Pass it along!

Follow Me Friday

2010-02-12T10:45:00.003-05:00

Still figuring out how this works. Apparently, people come to your blog and follow you, then you check them out and follow back :)

Here's where I found this...http://momentsofmommyhood.blogspot.com/2010/02/friday-follow-blog-hop.html

Check it out and of course, follow me :P

Question for my momma readers!

2010-02-11T22:10:00.005-05:00

I am working on registering...what an overwhelming task!

I would love to get recs on your favorite baby items? What are your must haves?

If you aren't a mom yet, what items do you dream about having someday?

Spill it and help me out!

PS I'm also trying out a new signature and added the reactions clicky for you all!

Dear John

2010-02-11T12:13:00.003-05:00

A nestie friend was kind enough to send me this book when she was paring down. It wasn't until I started reading it, that I realized I've read it before. But since I couldn't remember how it ended, I kept reading!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads.com:

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.

This book was a classic Nicholas Sparks: love story that doesn't work out just right, but still has a tearful bittersweet ending. Now I am looking forward to seeing the movie so I can compare!

Blogs on the Blog

2010-02-10T21:40:00.003-05:00

The more I get into blogging myself, the more I enjoy finding new blogs! Women (for some reason, I haven't come across very many blog's written by men...probably since I stay on websites aimed at women!) just have the gift for gab! I love how people's personalities come out in their writing styles and subject choices. I thought I would share some of my favorite blogs with all of you!

Do me a favor and comment back with links to your blogs and blogs that you love!

In no particular order:

La Buena Vida

The Domestic Princess

Reading is Sexy

Jenni From the Blog

withTWOcats

365 days: 30+Mommyhood

And the Suzanne Goes To

And here are my blog confessions:

1. I am more likely to read posts that have pictures. Therefore, I've been *trying* to incorporate more into mine.

2. If you have a good giveaway, I will be your follower :)

3. I sometimes stalk blogs without leaving a trace of my ever being there. I'm going to get better at commenting on great blog posts (not just those tempting giveaways!)

21 Week Update

2010-02-10T16:31:00.003-05:00

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain: 19 lbs...I'm trying to get over it.

How big is baby? The length of a carrot and 3/4 of a lb
Maternity clothes: I'm starting to forget what my pre-pg clothes were like...

Stretch marks: Still keeping my fingers crossed - not yet!

Sleep: Since we have been having so much snow, I've been getting extra sleep...loooove it!

Movement: Girlie's kicks are starting to hurt momma!

Food cravings: I keep buy ice cream, but forgetting to eat it!

Food aversions: Meat - I don't think I will ever want to eat red meat again!

Belly button: It is getting more shallow and wide, but still a deep innie

What I'm looking forward to: My first pregnant comment from a stranger

Weekly Wisdom: Be careful on the ice!

Weekly joy: Getting to hear the baby's heartbeat and see her on the sonogram were amazing!

Too bad it took an accident to get there...

Drat that ice!

2010-02-08T20:33:00.004-05:00

Last night I slipped on the ice and fell hard on my back, wrist and hit the back of my head. Nothing seemed broken, and I was trying to stay calm.

When I went to get ready for bed (15 minutes later), I noticed that my underwear were soaked. The liquid was clear and did not smell like urine. (I even made M smell it just to check!). I called the doctor on call. She said to go to the ER if I had enough leaking to feel my panties, and to come into the office today.

Well, the leaking stopped, and I was able to fall asleep. When I woke up this morning, I had a tightness at the base of my ute on the left side, which hasn't gone away, and I still hadn't felt the baby move.

When the cramps got worse about 30 minutes later, I called my doc again. She said she would meet me at the birthing center. I was able to get M on the phone, and he came right away to pick me up.

I spent the afternoon strapped up, listening to the baby's heartbeat and monitoring for contractions. The heartbeat was perfect 150-160s, and I didn't have contractions. The doc thinks the cramping and pain I'm feeling is either round ligament pain or a pulled muscle.

They also did an amniosure, which tests for ruptured membranes, that was negative. She said I may have had a tear in my membranes that was small enough to heal on its own, which is not common but a likely explanation for the fluid discharge I had last night.

They also did a sonogram to check my fluid levels - everything was great there, too. Baby was breech and on her belly, so we couldn't get another gender shot, so we are assuming she is still a girl :)

I am still super sore, mostly in my neck and hips, but I'm sure that will go away.

M was awesome the whole time, making sure I was comfortable and such. I could tell how worried he was. When we heard the heartbeat, the relief was so evident on his face. I know he loves this little girl as much as I do.

Tomorrow they are calling for 12 more inches of snow - Heaven help us!

Hot Bread!

2010-02-06T21:28:00.004-05:00

Mmmmm...just pulled some delicious homemade bread out of the oven. I have never actually made a loaf of regular bread before. The recipe claims to be "super easy," and I will just add that it was a learning experience!

Since we currently have 2 feet of snow on the ground, which basically means I am homebound, I had to find a constructive way to fill my day. I pulled out all my scrapbooking supplies, but quickly realized that I was lacking inspiration. Then I had the grand idea to make a loaf of bread. It was a small miracle when I realized that I had a packet of yeast in the pantry (how did that get there?) plus all the other necessary ingredients.

Flour was quickly everywhere, I had sticky dough all over my hands and arms and feet (!!!), and I was just thankful there were not any witnesses!

The best part was when the timer finally went off, and I went into the kitchen to see the uncooked loaf still sitting on top of the stove. How on earth did I forget to put the bread into the oven after all that time and effort?!?

The final product:

Super Easy Bread for Beginners

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable shortening
1/2 cup milk
3 cups all-purpose flour, approximately

Preparation:

In large bowl, add the warm water. Slowly stir in dry yeast. Continue to stir until yeast is dissolved.
Add salt, sugar, shortening, and milk to bowl. Stir.
Mix in the first 2 cups of flour.
If needed, begin adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough chases the spoon around the bowl.
You do not need to use up all the flour called for in this recipe, or you may need more flour than called for. The amounts vary depending on many factors, including weather, which is why most bread recipes only give an approximate amount of flour needed.
Turn dough out onto floured board and knead, adding small spoonfuls of flour as needed, until the dough is soft and smooth, not sticky to the touch.
Put dough in buttered bowl, turn dough over so that the top of dough is greased. Cover and let rise in warm spot for 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured board and knead.
Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
Form dough into loaf and set in buttered bread pan. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Score dough by cutting three slashes across the top with a sharp knife. Put in oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Turn out bread and let cool on a rack or clean dishtowel.

My Dream Nursery

2010-02-05T10:18:00.002-05:00

Christy at The Domestic Princess graciously agreed to create an idea board for Felicity's nursery. She has been an awesome "online/blog friend" to me for over 10 months now. I love stalking her blog which is full of decorating ideas, recipes, product reviews, fashion, giveaways and more.

When I told her my ideas for the nursery, I basically just said I wanted blue walls, white furniture and pink accents. What she came up with is better than I imagined and totally do-able for us. For all the details about the idea board, including where to find all the products, click here.

We are going to turn Matthew's office into the nursery, which means that Matthew's desk will now be moved into my craft room. This isn't such a big deal, since my craft room at this point is just a boring room with white walls and boxes everywhere.

We have so many home projects to complete before the baby is here...
*Matthew is in the middle of building more closet/storage space in the basement
*Paint and set-up the craft room/office
*Decorate the nursery - which includes bead board and a little paint
*Make the laundry room a laundry room, rather than a room without a walls and a cement floor that houses the washer and dryer

Getting the laundry room done might be a little far fetched...maybe if I should Matthew this post he will be extra motivated :)

I'm a winner!

2010-02-05T09:05:00.005-05:00

Knotties&Nesties on Etsy have a great blog of women designers, artists and crafters who have teamed up to support each other. Whenever I check their blog this is something new, fabulous and HOMEMADE! Right now they are doing awesome daily giveaways that you should definitely check out!

I am the lucky winner of these adorable booties from BellePapillon:
I can't wait to put them on Felicity!

Thanks you to Knotties&Nesties on Etsy and BellePapillon!

20 week belly shots

2010-02-03T19:48:00.003-05:00

Took my 20 week belly shots tonight. There doesn't appear to be too much difference between 16 and 20 weeks. The main difference I can feel is how firm my belly is now.

The Bun is Half-Baked!

2010-02-03T11:14:00.003-05:00

How far along? 20 weeks today! I can't believe this pregnancy is half way done! I am getting more and more excited every day to meet our little one!
Total weight gain: 16 lbs - it seems like so much whenever I look at the scale! Unfortunately, besides my belly, the main place I can see weight gain is on my love handles - yuck! As long as the doc is ok with it, I know I shouldn't be concerned!
How big is baby? The length of a banana - about 10 inches. At the U/S on Sunday, she weighed 11 oz, which is a little above average. She also measured a few days ahead.
Maternity clothes: I would say about 85% maternity clothes now. I have received some clothes on loan from a couple of friends - it's nice not to have to purchase a whole wardrobe!
Stretch marks: Still keeping my fingers crossed - not yet!
Sleep: I haven't been sleeping as soundly, I think that when I roll over it wakes me up. I am still considering getting a pregnancy pillow to help me lay still
Movement: This girl moves all the time! I feel movement probably almost every hour and kick several times a day
Food cravings: Still loving fruit.
Food aversions: Meat
Belly button: It is getting more shallow and wide
What I'm looking forward to: Holding her in my arms
Weekly Wisdom: Tell your baby you love him/her everyday!
Weekly joy: On Sunday we found out that baby is a girl, and we named her Felicity Diane. Telling my parents was amazing - they both got a little teary...so I did, too!

Belly shot will come tonight!

Books and a smoothie!

2010-02-02T21:38:00.004-05:00

M just went out to get gas for my car. I asked him to pick me up a Frutti smoothie from 7-11 while he was gone. Turns out the sweet man had to go to 4 7-11's before he found one with a Frutti machine. Mr. Wonderful went to 4 stores in a blizzard to satisfy my craving! Love him...

Anyway, what I really wanted to blog about tonight was my awesome experience with another NBC Elf Book Exchange. I was able to send my elf "Under the Dome" and a hard cover edition of "Little Women." The free shipping from Barnes and Noble made it possible to stay close (Only $2 over!) the $25 budget.

I was thrilled to receive books from RevJen. She sent

Check out Jen's Blog My Brain's Comfort Food

Baby.Messi is a GIRL!

2010-01-31T21:10:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful sonogram today! Baby Girl was so precious wiggling around on the screen! She is healthy and strong. I was overwhelmed with love for that little girl!

We decided to name her Felicity Diane. Felicity has been on my name list for a long while, and Diane is my mom's middle name. I am so excited to be honoring my mom, who is such an amazing lady!

Here's some photos from today's excitement...

Poll Time!

2010-01-28T19:02:00.002-05:00

Do you think Baby.Messi is a BOY or GIRL?

Here are some baby facts to go on:

Heart rate was 165 at 14 and 18 weeks

Skin - Lots of mini break-outs

Craving fruit, strong aversion to meat and greasy food

Lots of morning sickness

Hair growing slowly

Beautiful fingernails

Weight gain at high end of normal range

So, ready for the poll?

1 more blog "upgrade"

2010-01-28T15:26:00.003-05:00

The more I get into blogging, the more I want to work on the layout and look of "mrs.messi's musings."

So, I'm going to start adding a signature to my blog posts!

Besides that, not too much going new going on in life. I am dying for Sunday to come, since we have our gender ultrasound! I get nervous just thinking about raising either an oldest boy or an oldest girl. I feel nervous about being a "good mom." There just seems to be so much to learn and know!

2010-01-27T10:47:00.002-05:00

How far along? 19
Total weight gain: 14 lbs
How big is baby? The size of a heirloom tomato
Maternity clothes: Still sneaking in a few of my prepreg shirts...won't be too much longer though!
Stretch marks: Still keeping my fingers crossed - not yet!
Sleep: I love sleep!
Movement: Yes! I love feeling the baby move!
Food cravings: Still loving fruit...and I've been thinking about bbq wings all day today!
Food aversions: Meat
Belly button: The same
What I'm looking forward to: We find out the gender in 4 days!!!
Weekly Wisdom: Go to bed earlier
Weekly joy: I felt the baby kick from the outside for the first time a few nights ago. M was right there and he got to feel some kicks, too! Can't wait for that to happen again!

Bitter is the New Black

2010-01-25T12:38:00.003-05:00

I received this book as a gift from my 1st Nestie Secret Angel...unfortunately, I still don't know who that kind GPer is! (If you are reading this, I would love to know who you are!).

Here's the synopsis from GoodReads.com:

Jen Lancaster was living the sweet life-until real life kicked her to the curb.

She had the perfect man, the perfect job-hell, she had the perfect life-and there was no reason to think it wouldn't last. Or maybe there was, but Jen Lancaster was too busy being manicured, pedicured, highlighted, and generally adored to notice.

This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment checks and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good.

Filled with caustic wit and unusual insight, it's a rollicking read as speedy and unpredictable as the trajectory of a burst balloon.

Here's what I said:

My copy of this book is roughly 400 pages. I didn't realize it was non-fiction until page 396. Embarrassing. Fortunately, the fact that Jen in a real life person makes this book that much more hilarious. Definitely a easy, chick-lit read. I'm looking forward to starting the next one. I will also be checking out Jen's blog, www.jennsylvania.com

Since I'm at work and it is only 12:47, I'm going to go look in my car to see if I have another book to read out there!

Awesome signed book giveaway!

2010-01-25T10:17:00.004-05:00

Heather at See Heather Write is doing an awesome signed book giveaway here.

I entered to win "The Pilot's Wife" by Anita Shreve...if you haven't read this book before, it is very very good!

Here's the synopsis from goodreads.com:

With five novels to her credit, including the acclaimed The Weight of Water, Anita Shreve now offers a skillfully crafted exploration of the long reach of tragedy in The Pilot's Wife. News of Jack Lyons's fatal crash sends his wife into shock and emotional numbness:

Kathryn wished she could manage a coma. Instead, it seemed that quite the opposite had happened: She felt herself to be inside of a private weather system, one in which she was continuously tossed and buffeted by bits of news and information, sometimes chilled by thoughts of what lay immediately ahead, thawed by the kindness of others...frequently drenched by memories that seemed to have no regard for circumstance or place, and then subjected to the nearly intolerable heat of reporters, photographers and curious onlookers. It was a weather system with no logic, she had decided, no pattern, no progression, no form.

The situation becomes even more dire when the plane's black box is recovered, pinning responsibility for the crash on Jack. In an attempt to clear his name, Kathryn searches for any and all clues to the hours before the flight. Yet each discovery forces her to realise that she didn't know her husband of 16 years at all. Shreve's complex and highly convincing treatment of Kathryn's dilemma, coupled with intriguing minor characters and an expertly paced plot, makes The Pilot's Wife really takes off.

Congratulations, Giveaway Winner!

2010-01-21T20:01:00.003-05:00

Congrats to #49, Jodi!

jodi said...

Starbucks rules! You know where to find me if I win! =)

Thursday, January 21, 2010 12:10:00 PM

I was amazed to have 51 comments, and now 52 followers! How exciting for my little blog!

Thanks to everyone who is now following. I'll try to keep things interesting for you! There will be another giveaway soon!

2010-01-20T09:52:00.005-05:00

How far along? 18 weeks :)
Total weight gain: 12 lbs
How big is baby? The size of a bell pepper or a yam
Maternity clothes: Still pants and some shirts. I can't wait for my coat to arrive in the mail
Stretch marks: Still crossing my fingers that none will show up!
Sleep: I slept so well last night! I just wish I could get more.
Movement: I can definitely identify some kicks now!
Food cravings: Yesterday I ate a 7 serving bag of Chex mix. That can't be good!
Food aversions: Meat
Belly button: The same
What I'm looking forward to: Our big u/s in 10 days!!!
Weekly Wisdom: Buy Tums
Weekly joy: I love everytime I feel movement!

Check out this awesome website! "Make Room For Baby" demonstrates just how that baby fits in there!

New layout

2010-01-18T20:19:00.002-05:00

What do you think? Is the blog easy/hard to read?

I'm still getting used to it!

EDIT: Couldn't stand it, so I went back to the same old same old :)

Monday Monday

2010-01-18T10:25:00.004-05:00

So, it's only 10:25 am, and I've already had an exciting day!

First, I was on the radio - Hot 99.5. Kane was talking about pregnant women and how he thought it was offensive for them to be called "Hot" or "Sexy." I called in and said that I feel like any compliment is a good compliment. I do think I would rather hear "Beautiful," but I'll take what I can get!

Second, I was hit on in 7-11. I was stopping on my way to work to get a Frutti Smoothie (if you haven't tried them yet, they are delicious!). I was walking by the drinks and there was a 50-something man holding his chest. I asked if he was ok. He said, "Are you a nurse? I need you to check me out!" The whole time he had a pained expression on his face, so I was already wiping out my cell phone. I told him I was going to call 911. He started laughing and said that he was just trying to get me to "Check him out." EWWWWW! That won't stop me from getting smoothies at 7-11, though!

I also ordered some maternity clothes! What I really need a coat, but I also wanted the free shipping, so I had to get some shirts too :) Here's what I came away with... (all from Motherhood Maternity)

And a quick reminder to join the giveaway!!!
http://http//mrsmessi.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-first-giveaway.html

I also found this great giveaway! When My Own Little Corner gets 200 followers, so will give away a $25 Amazon gift card!

The Name Game

2010-01-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

So naming a baby is a difficult job...that's why I'm trying to name a bunch of babies, so that next time we don't have to go through trying to come up with something we both like, that sounds nice, that doesn't have bad nicknames, etc.

We have two definite boy names: Benjamin Matthew (Matthew after DH) and Patrick Harley (both of our Nanas are Patricia, my Granddad was Harley)

Girls names are not so easy. There are two that I like, but Matthew hasn't agreed to either yet. Audrey Diane (Diane is my mom's middle name) and Felicity Kathleen (Kathleen is M's mom's name).

Here is how I am trying to convince M to agree to Audrey. My due date, June 23, is St. Audrey's Feast Day. Coincidence, I think not. St. Felicity is the patron saint of infertility, and I prayed to her when my ob/gyn suggested IF testing. What's funny is both the names were on my girl name list BEFORE we were even TTC. I just don't see how Matthew can not agree!

I gave in and read Twilight

2010-01-15T15:01:00.003-05:00

Took me long enough, right?

For whatever reason I could feel in my bones that I wouldn't like this book. It was mediocure at best. I feel like I've given the story a fair chance. I've seen both movies and read the first book. Would I read the others? Probably not. I could be convinced to watch the movies, though.

Tonight I want to start my next book. I want something light, then will probably go to something more intense. Vote on what you think I should read next!

PS I also posted the poll on NBC!

The Love Dare - Day 10 <3

2010-01-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

So a week and a half into TLD, and it's going well! I did miss two days in the middle, but I'm planning to double up this weekend to make-up!

Yesterday's Dare was to "Think of a specific way to greet your spouse today. Do it with a smile and enthusiasm. Then determine to change your greeting to reflect your love for them." Well, when I came home from work yesterday, M was in the kitchen making dinner (pasta and sauce! yum!). I brought the mail in and gave him a package and then sat at the couch. Whoops! After being home for at least 10 minutes, I remembered the Dare. So I went outside, and came back in. When I said, "Honey, I'm hooooooome," he looked so confused! I went into the kitchen, gave him a big kiss and told him how lucky I am to have him as my husband. Saved! Our after work greeting is definitely something I can improve on.

I remember growing up, my Dad would always go right to my Mom and kiss her after work. That has turned into one of the best memories I have of my parents. I was so sweet and inspiring to see their daily love for each other.

BTW, I'm loving all the replies for the giveaway! Keep 'em coming!

My first giveaway!

2010-01-14T14:42:00.006-05:00

Thanks to everyone who is a follower! I'm proud to say that 25 people care about what I have to say, or at least cared enough to click "Follow" :)

In honor of YOU, I'm doing my first giveaway!

You could win one of the following (since I love starbucks, books and babies!):

1. A $10 Starbucks Gift Card

2. A $10 Barnes and Nobel Gift Card

3. A $10 Babies R Us Gift Card

Here's how you can enter to win:

1. Become a follower of the blog and leave a comment telling me. If you are already a follower, just comment and let me know.

2. Let me know which gift card you would choose and what you would do with it.

3. Promote this blog and contest via your blog. In your comment, don't forget to leave a link to your promotion.

Rules: Since this is my first giveaway, I'm limiting it to readers in the U.S. and Canada . If it's successful, I may be able to open up future giveaways to my other readers. I have to be able to contact you, so leave an email address. That's it! Now enter...and tell all of your friends about it.The contest ends on Thursday, January 21. I will pick a winner using the Random.org number generator.

Don't forget to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry, or they will be counted as one.

Special thanks to Angel at The Simple Things for the contest rules that I copied right from her contest post!

This is what's up

2010-01-14T10:21:00.004-05:00

Ok, I know you are all wondering what's going on with mrs.messi. Here's the honest truth...baby.messi hates me! That's gotta be it. The nausea and vomiting has continued...I am currently sitting at my desk at work the vomit on my scrubs. Real attractive and sanitary, let me tell ya! Besides that, due to some excruciating round ligament pain, I am now on pelvis rest. M was a real fan of that one...not. Honestly, I'm kind of enjoying the break. What a bad wife I am.

I'm reading "Twilight" right now. I know that it should be an easy quick read. It is easy, but I can only read a few pages before getting bored. I don't know if it is because the movie left a bad taste in my mouth, or because I just don't see how it can live up to hype.

So far I am loving PaperBackSwap! I've sent 5 or 6 books, received 2 and ordered one other. Seriously, why didn't I sign up for this before!

One more thing...once I have two more followers, I'll do my first giveaway! Spread the word about my blog!

2010-01-13T09:57:00.003-05:00

How far along? 17 weeks
Total weight gain: 10 lbs this am! I freaked out when I saw the number. I kept getting on and off the scale hoping it would change, but it didn't! LOL. I checked out this pregnancy weight calculator, and it says I am at the low end of normal weight gain, so I guess I shouldn't worry!
http://www.fortunebaby.com/pregnancy-weight-gain-calculator.html
How big is baby? 5 inches from head to butt...baby is really getting big! That's the size of a onion, according to thebump.com
Maternity clothes: I feel like my answer never changes. Pants all the time, some fitted shirts. What I really need are new scrub pants. The elastic is killing me now!
Stretch mark: None, and I am doing belly butter every night and keeping my fingers crossed
Sleep: My dreams are crazy. Last night I had a dream that I was an unwed mother in the early 1900's living on the prairie. Random.
Movement: I've been feeling the baby more often...not quite on a daily basis yet.
Food cravings: I had pancakes three times this week...delicious!
Food aversions: Still meat, and I can't see that changing
Belly button: The same
What I'm looking forward to: a firm round bump! I check every morning to see if I've popped. No popping action yet.
Weekly wisdom: Belly butter feels better when M rubs it on
Weekly joy: The pancakes! J/k. More movement

Let me tell you though...I still have not been able to enjoy pregnancy. The nausea and vomiting is still a daily struggle. I can't wait to feel better!

Crop Weekend

2010-01-11T14:37:00.004-05:00

I spent the weekend cropping with 20 other scrapbookers. It was so great to get out of the house and be able to focus on getting some pages done. I really want to get caught up before the baby comes! I did 18 pages - 9 full layouts. Here are some samples...

4 month belly

2010-01-06T21:45:00.007-05:00

I'm definitely starting to feel bigger. Wearing scrubs and non-maternity clothes as much as possible definitely works to camouflage the bump. I don't think I normally look like this when I go out. And I can't deny that something about these stretchy pants makes me look even bigger!

The Love Dare

2010-01-06T10:17:00.003-05:00

Last year a movie came out called "The Love Dare." It was about a man and his wife who were struggling in their marriage. He made the commitment to change when his dad offered him a book called "The Love Dare." The Love Dare is a 40 day journey in which you make concious decisions to treat yourself with respect and love, while doing daily devotionals. Here's more info...

http://thelovedarebook.com/index.html

This morning on the nest, someone said that if we all started TLD today, we would complete the 40 days on Valentine's. I think M and I have a terrific marriage, but there is always room for improvement. I'm going to take the next 40 days to give him the best Valentine's gift ever...unconditional love. I know that some days will be challenging, but Matthew's worth it!

Here's the link to the nest posts.

http://http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/28856333.aspx

http://http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/28864852.aspx

I'm going to do my best to keep this a secret from M...so shhhhh :)

16 week update

2010-01-06T10:11:00.002-05:00

How far along? 4 months today
Total weight gain/loss: Still around 7, which is at the top of the normal range. I'm so scared I'll be the lady who can't an insane amount of weight and can't lose it!
How big is baby? The size of an avocado
Maternity clothes: Still mostly pants, but I ordered some shirts with my ON GC last night
Stretch marks: Nothing new...and crossing my fingers!
Sleep: Still having trouble. Last night I did have a great labor and delivery dream. The labor was so easy then I went right to nursing my perfect baby boy. Someone had abandoned a baby boy at the hospital so M and I decided to adopt him. I woke up with a smile on my face!
Movement: Yes, but very irregular. Looking forward to a kick!
Food cravings: Loving fruit
Food aversions: Meat, anything greasy
Belly button in or out: Same
What I am looking forward to: After that dream, an easy labor and delivery ;-)
Weekly wisdom: If you are still having crazy m/s at 4 months (like I am!), don't worry. It's gotta end sometime!
Weekly joy: Feeling the baby move more

Found some neat giveaways!

2010-01-05T21:30:00.005-05:00

Who doesn't love free stuff, right?

http://pinkydd.blogspot.com/2009/12/lets-shake-things-up.html

Pinky Doodle Designs is giving away Medium Sized Quilted Tote Bag that is super cute and very versatile!

http://helixelementaljewelry.blogspot.com/2009/12/dichroic-heart-pendant-give-away.html

Helix Elemental Jewelry is giving away a Heart Pendant. If I win, it would make a great gift my for little sister!

PaperBackSwap

2010-01-05T20:48:00.003-05:00

So, through the nest.com, I learned of a great website called www.paperbackswap.com
Basically, you list books that you are willing to part with, and as people take your books, you earn credits that allow you to request and received other used books. When you list your first 10 books, you get 2 free credits to start yourself off. For me the problem was choosing which 10 books to list as my "trial" set. I want someone to request from me just so I can figure how this whole thing works! I'm going to save my first 2 credits until I get a little further into WBC. I'm sure there will be a task that I don't already own a book for and viola! I'll be checking out PBS!

Squirrels in the Attic

2010-01-05T17:49:00.001-05:00

So when M was installing a ceiling fan over the weekend, he found a dead squirrel in the attic. It was nighttime, so he looked around, but couldn't find any hole to the outside. Then today he hear scurrying, so he went to take a look. Seems that a squirrel family chewed through our house and is living between the roof and the attic walls. EWWWWW. M is "exterminating" then going to patch the hole up. He said if they don't get out, they will just die up there. DISGUSTING!

My house is grossing me out right now!

Books books books

2010-01-04T12:57:00.007-05:00

I LOVE to read. I've been reading since I was very young, and always have aleast one book going. I remember when I was little staying up reading in bed with a flash light. Many nights I wouldn't go to sleep until the batteries died!

There is a great board on The Nest called The Nest Book Club http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/4110118/ShowForum.aspx

This board is full of women who are passionate about books in general, and who read and recommend books from every genre.

From Jan 1 - March 31 I will be participating in the Winter Book Challenge, which is a 36 tasks agreed upon by the board, which can be filled by reading 36 books. Some tasks will be easy to complete, since I have books sitting on my shelf at home that fit perfectly. Others will strech me to go out of my reading comfort zone (A sci-fi book? Do I have to?).

Here is a link to the task list...http://bookbio.pbworks.com/Winter-Book-Challenge

I am also giving myself a reading challenge for 2010: To read 50 books in one year. Normally that wouldn't be difficult, but with a baby on the way, I think 50 will be hard to reach.

I'll keep you all up to date on what I'm reading :)

Keeping thinking about a giveaway!

2010-01-04T10:05:00.005-05:00

I keep entering giveaways on other blogs, so I've been considering doing one myself. Here's the thing...I have no idea what people want!

Leave a comment on what YOU would like to win from a blog giveaway, and once I have 25 followers, I'll do it!

Happy Anniversary and 2009 Recap

2009-12-30T22:30:00.014-05:00

Today is our 3rd Wedding Anniversary. I always love looking back on the year to reflect on all the wonderful things that have happened. Here's my top 10 list of 2009 (in random order!):

1. Getting pregnant

2. Buying our Townhouse
3. Going to 2 Steeler Games at Heinz Field, going to a Steeler/Redskin preseason game at Fedex, going to the Steeler Training Camp at Latrobe...and best of all...a Steeler Super Bowl Win!
4. Trip to Hershey Park for my birthday5. Trips with the family to PA (Kennywood!) and Treasure Lake

6. Becoming a Beta Sigma Phi Sister7. Meredith's Wedding

8. Weekend at Betty's in Deleware9. Having all 6 Verry kids together for Christmas...still waiting on photos for that...will have to make do with this one of me and my big sis...

10. Spending as much quality time with Matthew as possible and enjoying every minute

2009-12-30T10:55:00.004-05:00

How far along? 15 weeks! For some reason 15 weeks seems like a big milestone for me. I'm super excited today!
Total weight gain/loss: Up 7 as of this morning...but since I refilled my Zofran rx, I have been really stopped up...So I bet it is some of that!
How big is baby? Our baby is 4 inches from head to butt...the size of an apple, per babycenter.com. Wouldn't that be a big apple?
Maternity clothes: Pants 100%, but mostly regular shirts. I am going to buy some long maternity tanks so I can wear my regular tops longer (LOL, same answer as last week!). I got a Old Navy GC for Christmas, so that will go to more clothes
Stretch marks: Nothing new. Matt bought me Palmer's Tummy Butter for Christmas (awww), so hopefully that will help keep them away (yeah right!)
Sleep: Still very tired, wish I could sleep more. A 10pm bedtime is not early enough
Movement: YEEEESSS! Felt the baby tapping last night, can't wait to feel it again
Food cravings: Nothing major, though I could go for a Frosty right now
Food aversions: Since I was without Zofran for most of the week, I had trouble with food
Belly button in or out: Hasn't changed
What I am looking forward to: Celebrating our 3rd Anniversary tonight
Weekly wisdom: I'm not feeling very wise at the moment
Weekly joy: Feeling the baby move was amazing! I will never forget that!