{bump two} 30 weeks

Baby :: appx. 15.7inches & 3lb {a large cabbage!}

Baby is surrounded by a pint of amniotic fluid, but that will go down as he grows bigger and bigger!
70 days til Due Date!

Hello from sunny Scottsdale! Our babymoon has officially come to an end {sad face} but Kenley and I are still here basking in the sun and spending quality time with each other and my mom {it doesn't get much better than that} for a few more days. I'm excited to share what we did while Jason was here {tomorrow} but first, let's have a look at this pregnancy during week 30! Shall we?

Size of the baby?  
TheBump and Baby Center say somewhere around the size of a head of cabbage or a cucumber...but this baby is definitely bigger than that. At our last appointment, Ziggy was measuring 2w and 1d big! I'm anxious for our next ultrasound {on the 2nd} to see if he's still as large and in charge. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss? 
I am on vacation and definitely not weighing myself while I'm here! Last time I checked, I had gained 25 pounds but my weight seems to be fluctuating quite a bit - so who really knows!

Maternity Clothes?  
This week I am living in my maternity swimsuit {same one I had with Kenley} and non-maternity cotton dresses {also, already in my wardrobe} which has been an awesome break from maternity jeans! 

Stretch marks?  
Nope. None to be found so far! Hallelujah! 

Best Moments? 
Spending the week with my little family in Arizona! It's been so fun having that quality time and a break from regular life. Definitely refreshing and much needed before welcoming a new family member!

Movement? 

Ziggy is still a ninja. The movements seem to be either tiny little hand or feet flutters or giant rolling all over the place movements. The big ones are getting more painful and uncomfortable but feeling this little guy move is always reassuring, special and truly amazing so I welcome it.

Food Cravings? 
No real cravings at this point. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? 
Not really, though I absolutely cannot eat chicken.

What I miss?  
Not being huge. I've reached that point where I am pretty uncomfortable most of the time. I miss this days where my clothes fit normal and getting comfortable in bed took less than 10 minutes. I love having the experience of growing my baby boy, but I'm ready to have this little one on the outside and get back to this body being mine again.

Nausea/Vomiting?  
Only time I'm feeling nauseous lately is if I go too long without eating or don't drink enough water.

Symptoms? 
Major belly skin stretching! It's so itchy, no matter how much lotion or belly butter I put on. Baby is also very heavy and feels low so I'm feeling a lot of pressure. And, per usual, my lower back is an ongoing complaint.

Labor signs? 
No labor signs yet! I have been having some very mild cramping way down low and some of those fun shooting pains that go straight through the hoohah. Whether that means anything or not, I don't know but I can definitely tell we are reaching the final stretch.

Gender? 
BABY BOY. 

Belly Button In or Out?
The button is still in, but it's super shallow.  

Wedding rings On or Off?  
Rings are on and still fitting normally. My fingers seems to swell quite a bit when I exercise and when I'm laying down for bed - so I've been taking my rings off to workout and to sleep.

Sleep? 
What's that? Sleep has been a total struggle fest lately. Getting comfortable is nearly impossible and I'm up quite a bit to use the potty. Plus, my mind is on overdrive. I'm constantly thinking about all things baby and it's hard to turn it off. I actually have been using a childbirth hypnosis I found on youtube some nights to help me relax and clear my mind - which has actually been helping!

What I'm looking forward to?  
My Sprinkles!!!! I have two coming up in the next couple of weeks and am SO EXCITED! Both invites have arrived and from what I can tell my besties are putting together some really great celebrations for my and Ziggy. It just means so much to me and I can't wait to see all of my friends and family and celebrate my baby boy!

  

Can I also just say how crazy it is to officially be in the 30's??? Ziggy will be here some time in the next 10ish weeks and the literally blows my mind! I am getting SO excited to meet him!

weeks 10, 20 30!

30 weeks with Kenley.

Preparing for Childbirth

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that I am a major proponent for women understanding their bodies, their health, their healthcare options and advocating for what is best for them and their family. You also probably know that pregnancy and childbirth fascinate me and I quite literally can't learn enough about it. Yes, I have gone through the labor and delivery process before {you can read Kenley's birth story HERE} but I know that every experience and every baby is different, so my passion for learning about the options and the process is just as strong as it was 3.5 years ago. No matter what kind of birth experience you desire, it's important to be educated! A quote from one of the recent books I read really stuck out to me:

"Birthing is so integral with life—so common—that choices surrounding it often get relegated to chance. We tend to go along with what everyone else is doing, assuming that must be for the best. Living in a technological society, we tend to think that the best of everything is the most expensive kind available. This is generally true, whether we are talking about cell phones, cameras, cars, or computers. When it comes to birth, it ain’t necessarily so."  —Ina May Gaskin

This quote is exactly why, I personally, think educating yourself on the process of labor and delivery and the different risks involved with different interventions {or lack thereof} is so very important. Going with the flow is a fantastic quality but when it comes to your health and the health of your baby understanding the process and possibilities and standing up for what is best for you is crucial. You wouldn't buy a house or a car without doing your research so why would you have a baby without doing the same? 

When preparing to give birth, whether it's your first time or your fifth, I have a few things that I would recommend to all my friends {like you guys!} no matter what kind of birth experience they hope to have.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
I have been wanting to read this book since I was pregnant with Kenley but just never quite got around to it. It's a classic in the realm of natural childbirth so I was curious what all the fuss was about. Overall, I really liked the book. The first section is birth stories, and normally I'd be all over that. I love me a good birth story. BUT, these particular stories seemed more like an ad for The Farm {the community Ina created with a team of midwives for women to give birth at}, so I was a little offput. I ended up skipping over most of that section and getting to the good stuff. Whether you want a natural birth or are sure that you do not, I would recommend this book. It is very biased towards natural birth, but I figured that would obviously be the case. Even though I know I will give birth in a hospital and will likely request an epidural {again} it is still empowering and incredible to read information on how our bodies were made for this and how our emotions affect the process. You can't give yourself a heart transplant without medical intervention but you absolutely CAN {even if you don't want to} give birth without it. For me at least, it really motivated me to trust myself and my body to get my baby here and even though I will have help from doctors and nurses, I don't need {or want} to utilize everything that they have to offer.

Birth Plans for Dummies

I know, I know. It sounds so ridiculous right? But this book was actually really educational and super helpful. Even if you aren't planning on writing a birth plan, this is a good one to check out. It was kind of like reading a childbirth education class. It was a quick read as it was to the point and got right to the information. This really doesn't have any kind of bias towards natural birth or not, it simply delivers the facts and the options that women should be aware of before birth. If you are planning on putting together some kind of birth plan, absolutely read this book. It was a huge help to me {details on my birth plan for Ziggy coming up at some point soon}.

The Business of Being Born

I love this movie. Again, incredibly biased toward natural childbirth, but so so so educational. It's really eye opening and something all women should see before giving birth {in my opinion}. I wrote a longer review on the movie when I was pregnant with Kenley, you can read that HERE if you'd like.

Childbirth Education Classes

These classes seem to be a sort of a right of passage for first time expectant parents and while a lot of people roll their eyes at them I think they are so helpful. Sure, everyone learns differently, but I found the classes we took so extremely helpful and beneficial. It's so important for the daddy-to-be {or whoever your birth partner may be} to understand the process as well so they know what to expect and how to help you. I knew Jason wasn't about to read books on childbirth, so for us this was the perfect way for us to learn together. We decided we didn't need or want to take a class this time around, though, I know a lot of places offer a condensed refresher course for second time parents.

Birth Stories

Every woman's experience is so very different no matter what her plans or intentions are which is why I LOVE reading/hearing birth stories. I think reading the experiences of other women {or asking friends/family to share theirs} is an awesome way to learn about all the different things that can happen throughout the process. I am lucky to have had quite a few amazing women share their birth stories right here on mama and mou and believe me when I say I go back and read them often...especially now! 

So there you have it. My personal opinion on preparing to bring a baby into this world!
If you have any books, movies, blogs, etc that you recommend on the topic PLEASE pass it on...I can't get enough!

Mom's Favorite Baby Products

For some reason, tiny little humans need insane amounts of stuff. Amongst all the things moms and kids need to make life "easier" there is one thing every mom absolutely needs...mom friends. I'd be lost without my mama friends, which is why I turned to them to ask what their "Can't Live Without" baby/kiddo items are. I have favorites from when Kenley was a baby but was curious if there was new stuff that had come out in the past 3 years that I just couldn't live without or something maybe I had missed the first time around. There were a few things that popped up on multiple mom's lists, so I had to share what seem to be Mom's Favorite Baby Products.

Rock N Play Sleeper - This showed up on multiple mama's lists and I'm not at all surprised because this was probably my most favorite baby product with Kenley. We have the "My Little Lamb Deluxe" version but there are a ton of different options and seem to be even more since Kenley was born. We used this as our bassinet for those first couple of months but then continued to use it around the house and when we'd visit friends and family. It was so lightweight and easy to fold up and move around plus it's perfectly cozy for baby.


My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow - I definitely preferred this pillow over the Boppy {despite the ridiculous name} because it was foam so supported better and wrapped all the way around me so it stayed in place. A couple other mamas had this one on their list as well. I just have a generic green cover but have seen way cuter covers come out since Kenley was born.



A Bottle Warmer - This was one of those things that didn't seem like a must have but absolutely was once we started using it. I can't tell you how much time it saved us once we added bottles into our nursing routine. We also used it with my homemade baby food when Kenley was older and it thawed those baby food cubes in a snap. We have The First Years Quick Serve Bottle Warmer but another mama recommended the Born Free Tru-Temp Bottle Warming System.


Swaddle/Sleepsack - I realize not all babies like to be swaddled, but my kid did and we LOVED and SWORE BY our swaddles. My absolute favorite is the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle {mentioned by a couple other mamas as well} followed by the Summer Infant Swaddleme. And. Katie, suggested the Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit for after baby outgrows the swaddles.
  

Baby Lounger - We have a Fisher Price Snug-a-Bunny Bouncer which worked great with Kenley but there were a lot of different versions of loungers popping up on other mama's lists like the Boppy Lounger, Fisher Price Sit Me Up and the Bumbo {which we also have and like}. This is one of those things that is a personal preference, but having a couple different options around the house isn't a bad idea since they all offer different functions. Contemplating if I should add the Boppy Lounger to my registry!

 

Sound Machine - I think some kind of sound machine was on nearly every mama's list! We have the Cloud b Sleep Sheep and have no complaints but some others that were mentioned and look awesome are The Dohm Sound Machine and the Aden + Adnais Serenity Star.


Carrier/Wrap - I didn't use any kind of carrier for Kenley outside of her car seat carrier. Since I was playing man-to-man defense with her, I just held her when she was fussy and either got nothing done or just one-handed it. With Ziggy coming, I'll be outnumbered during the day and figure I'll have to play more of a zone defense so I think being able to wear him will be a huge help. I was happy to see a couple different mamas mention different carriers on their lists so I have some to look into. Their faves were Lilllebaby Carrier and Solly Baby Wrap.
  

NoseFrida - I'm totally weirded out about this thing, but when almost every single one of your mom friends has this on her must-have list...it's not a coincidence. I haven't used it but know moms swear by it. I'm putting in on my registry, stay tuned...

What are your must-have baby products?

{bump two} 29 weeks

Mom :: +24lbs // Baby :: appx. 15inches & 2.5lb {a butternut squash!} though we now know our baby boy is already bigger than this!

Baby lungs and muscles are continuing to mature and his head is getting bigger to make room for his developing brain!
77 days til Due Date!

As you read this me and my little family are at the airport about to hop on a plane! IT'S BABYMOON TIME! I am so excited to get out of the cold and have some quality time with my most favorite people! Scottsdale was super chilly to start off the year so I've been stalking the weather like a psychopath and Mother Nature listened to my prayers! Looks like we are going to have some great weather and this mama can FINALLY get some color on this dry, cracked, winter white skin of mine! HOLLER! 

Week 29 has been kind of an emotional one. Monday, I had my 28 week OB appointment and got the routine Tdap shot for whooping cough and it did not sit well with me. I can't for the life of me remember if I refused this with Kenley or if it just didn't effect me last time, but this time it totally knocked me on my booty. I was one of the lucky few to experience all of the "mild" side effects and spent all day Monday throwing up, achy, with chills, no appetite, headache, possibly a fever {never checked} or in other words MISERABLE. Thankfully it only lasted a day - but then I've had sort of the post-flu-hangover feeling where you're just run down after feeling so awful.

On top of that weirdness, I've been SO emotional. We're talking crying at the drop of a hat - sometimes for no reason, sometimes for a small reason and sometimes for reasons I'm likely just making up in my head. Let's just say after the past week I am ready to get the heck away from real life for a bit and relax. This vacation could not be coming at a better time!

Other than feeling like crap and crying, no real baby related stuff has really happened this week - no cravings, no aversions, no new purchases, rings still fit, belly button is still in, no stretch marks, sleeping is still rough and this little man is VERY active! I imagine that post-vacation I will be full on baby mode with 2 sprinkles, maternity photos, appointments every other week AND less than 2 months til baby. So I am off to relax, enjoy, savor, tan, and sleep so that I am refreshed and ready to get ready for this baby when I return!

Happy Monday my friends! 

29 weeks with Kenley.

 

US Navy 90th Birthday Party

Last week, I recapped my cousin's wedding in Colorado but the purpose of our trip out West was actually twofold. After celebrating Ben & Emily our focus was immediately switched to my mom's side of the family and in particular my cutie grandpa who turned 90 years old on January 13th. My mom and Aunt Tina {with a teeny bit of help from myself} worked so hard planning and executing a 90th birthday celebration that was perfectly Grandpa George. 

My grandpa served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1947 and the stories he has told us throughout the years are legendary. It seemed fitting and completely perfect to honor his service and his stories and use the Navy as the theme for the party. Per usual the incredible Erin designed the invitations which set the tone for the celebration.

My mom put together an incredible brunch spread, my aunt nailed the decor, I did my best attempt at some coordinating deserts and we finished everything off with some of my grandpa's most favorite things  - licorice, jelly beans and peanuts. 

As wonderful as all the details turned out and the plans were executed, the people who were there to celebrate absolutely made the party. Not just our family but my grandpa's nearest and dearest friends as well. 

This party was beautiful, thoughtful, special, emotional and truly George. I feel so blessed that our entire family was able to make it out to Colorado at the same time so that we could celebrate this special man together.