Our Babymoon - Charleston, SC

Just wanted to get up a post to document our Babymoon in Charleston. It was an absolutely wonderful trip with good food, exploring and much needed relaxation. We even took a lonnngg nap one day! I promise not to overshare on the food photos, but I am going to share the names of all of the wonderful places we ate, since food was one of the main attractions for us. I didn’t have a bad meal the whole time we were there, which for me was big since it was the last week of me not tracking carbs before my gestational diabetes class. I tried to make some good food choices but could not deprive myself while on our last little vacation, just the two of us. Anywho, let me get started.

We stayed 4 nights at the Fulton Lane Inn in the heart of Charleston at King and Market. We booked the Cathedral Suite, and I absolutely loved everything about the place. I cannot say anything negative except that I wish their in-room continental breakfast had more options. I was fine with the healthy choices, but Jonathan would have enjoyed something a little heartier if available.

Once we checked in and settled, we were hungry from our 7 hour drive. So first night I just had to eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp. I absolutely love the movie Forrest Gump and actually watched it while packing the day before we left. Hushpuppies, Shrimp Po Boy for me and Crab legs for Jonathan. 

Then back to hotel for me to lounge in the jetted tub for awhile. (I kept the water cool enough to be safe.)

Our first full day was spent checking off two things on my pregnancy wish list. We had a 4D Ultrasound done at Bond With Baby in Mt. Pleasant. It was so amazing seeing our baby boy’s face and to see him moving around, yawning, and scrunching up his forehead. He kept his little hand up in his face majority of the 40 minutes, but we managed to get some awesome shots when he would stretch or briefly give us a good view.

Lunch afterwards was at the best BBQ place we have ever eaten. Melvin’s also in Mt. Pleasant is a must in my opinion.

I had booked a session with Abbey Medley Photography to meet with us at Folly Beach at 6 to take our Maternity Photos. She was wonderful, professional and had all the poses for myself and Jonathan, so that we didn’t even have to think about it. I highly recommend her if you’re in the area! Will share her photos in my next post. I absolutely LOVE them. Once we finished, Jonathan and I walked the beach a while and he took this one of me, made me feel so beautiful.

 

That evening we were late finally getting out to eat. We went to Fleet Landing Bar and Restaurant. It was packed, so we lucked out and found two open seats at the bar. Menu wasn’t a huge selection but I had the Mixed Green Salad with Seared Shrimp. Delicious! Since we had kept telling baby we would give him ice cream during the ultrasound if he would just cooperate, we had to keep our promise. <3  After dinner, we walked to Belgian Gelato and I had the Chocolate Hazelnut Cone… and oh my Jesus… It tasted just like the little Ferrero Rocher Chocolates. I am drooling just thinking about it.

Tuesday morning we woke up and had breakfast at Sweetwater Café. 

Afterwards, we visited the South Carolina Aquarium. It wasn’t too crowded and had a lot to see. The rescued Bald Eagle and Sea Turtles were my favorites.

For lunch we went to this little place called The Griffon. Coolest little joint COVERED in dollar bills, with the friendliest staff and quick service. My Reuben and pasta salad was sooooo yummy.

Tuesday was also a day of rest for us. We went back to our room and napped for 3 whole hours, and was very nice to do so. We got ready and dressed for dinner and made our way to Sticky Fingers for some ribs. Together, we did the platter for two, and ate a whole two racks. I did receive a couple compliments/laughs for the shirt I wore.

Again, jetted tub to unwind for the evening before bed and to soak my poor swollen feet.

Wednesday was our last full day to enjoy. I really wanted to check out a popular breakfast place called Toast before our scheduled tour with Palmetto Carriage Works. When we showed up, there was a pile of people waiting outside the door for a table. We figured we would get our name on the list if it wasn’t too long. We were told 15-20 minutes, no biggie. But the owner saw us giving our name and I guess with my belly showing she wanted to take care of me, and had our name moved to the top of the list. I was blown away by her kindness and felt flattered to be catered to a little. Definitely wished we had eaten breakfast there every day. While I behaved and had fruit, yogurt and toast, the table beside us ordered the extra thick Deluxe French Toast that looked to die for. After seeing it, Jonathan and I both kinda wished we had been bad instead.

Carriage Ride was very nice with about 16 of us on board. The gentleman that was our tour guide was wonderful and kept us laughing the whole time while Tom and Jerry leisurely strolled through Ansonborough.

On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped in at the fancy Peninsula Grill to pick up a slice of their famous Ultimate Coconut Cake to enjoy that evening. Definitely worth the $13 if you love coconut like I do. Then we got ready to ride about 30 minutes away to Johns Island to see the Angel OakTree. It is estimated to be about 500-600 years old and was amazing to see in person. Pictures to not do it any justice on just how massive it is. 

The last meal we had was at the Charleston Crab House. Finally got me some crab legs of my own to enjoy with the Snowcrab Steampot. It also had potatoes, corn and sausage in it seasoned perfectly. Last night with a jetted tub at my disposal, I dropped in a Lush bathbomb that I had been hanging on to for a special occasion. Boy do I sure wish we had one of the tubs at home. And then we had that amazing slice of cake.

We woke up Thursday morning, had some raisin bran for me and pastries for Jonathan delivered to the room so we could stay in and pack up. We had a long ride ahead of us and Jonathan was so sweet to drive the entire time so I could sit back and relax.

Charleston was such a wonderful place to visit for our Babymoon. Everything we ate was wonderful and in walking distance from our hotel. We truly had an incredible experience everywhere we went. I am so glad that we decided to take the trip just the two of us, to be husband and wife together on vacation one last time before we become Mommy and Daddy to our precious little boy. Things sure will be different soon and I feel so blessed for all of the miraculous things that are happening in my life.

29 Weeks Pregnant - Gestational Diabetes

Good news to report on from my last appointment. I have lost 2 lbs since changing my diet (for hypertension). My doctor was so pleased with that. My Blood Pressure meds are working and keeping things under control. No protein in urine. Holding on to hope that we will avoid the scary preeclampsia altogether. Due to the medicine I am on, we are now going to be having weekly appointments. I did get the go ahead from my Dr to go on our babymoon. So when we return, I have an Ultrasound on the 23rd, then a Non-stress test on the 30th. And we will be checking in every week until the end.

Yep, not only is the gestational hypertension getting me, but the diabetes is as well. I failed my 1hr glucose screening miserably. The cut off for passing is 140 or below… I was 206. Terrible. Of course my Dr is on vacation so I haven’t yet been able to discuss next steps directly with her. But they are already referring me to a gestational diabetes clinic to learn what I should be eating. They didn’t even mention a 3hr test. I assume that is because with a number as high as mine, it would almost be a waste of time.

I know I am not perfect by no means, but honestly I am a fairly good eater. And the fact that I failed so badly makes me feel like diet change alone is not going to be enough to help. And exercise is something I am not sure I am allowed to do much of with my hypertension. (I will be asking about that.) Mentally I am trying to prepare myself with the mind frame that I will need to start insulin. Or maybe with my PCOS I may be able to try Metformin? Not sure, will have to wait for my Dr to return to the office and speak with her about what my next steps are. Shots don’t scare me, giving myself a shot it another story. We will just have to cross that bridge when we get to it.

With that being said, I was a big cry baby when I got the news. Not so much because of the diabetes, but simply because it just feels like my body is starting to let me down. Infertility made me doubt my body so much to begin with, now finally pregnant and my body is just not doing so great. And I have no control. I feel like I just wasn’t made for pregnancy. But then I am reminded that I wouldn’t be 29 weeks pregnant now if this wasn’t already a part of my story that’s been written. God already knows how everything is going to turn out for me. At the same time, He also knows my baby boy's story from beginning to end. He is watching over the both of us and I know in my heart that we will get through this. I just pray that we make it to a point where baby is healthy enough and weighs enough, that if/when he comes, we go home from the hospital together. An extended NICU stay is what I think my biggest fear is at this point if he was to have to come early. While I know he would be in the best hands, no Mom wants to leave her baby at the hospital while she goes home.

Jonathan and I leave for Charleston, SC on Sunday. Our much needed Babymoon. I cannot wait to just get away and relax. We have a couple fun things already planned. A 4D Ultrasound on Monday morning, followed by Maternity Pictures that evening. I cannot wait to see his little face on the ultrasound, really hoping he cooperates and also looks perfectly healthy. I wonder if the tech will be able to estimate how much he might weigh. I am also very excited to be doing maternity photos. It was something I wasn’t sure I wanted, because I don’t feel too good about my physical appearance currently. But I would more than likely regret it if I didn’t have them done. Jonathan has said for a while that he only wants one child, and as of this time, I am completely on that same page. I don't foresee us going through any medicated cycles in the future, so unless God has other plans, this baby boy will be our one and only. <3 So I definitely feel the need to document this time in my life and do all the things, as this is likely the one time I will have this experience. And I do want to be able to look back on it, not only at the difficulties I am facing, but at how beautiful of a time this is. My dreams are finally coming true. I am a Mom and absolutely cannot wait to meet our son.

28 Week Update - Gestational Hypertension - Other Happenings

We have finally made it to the third trimester! And I am starting to feel the pressure of pregnancy. I am thrilled to have made it this far without anything significant happening. Until now. Last Wednesday night, I had finished cooking dinner and went in the livingroom to sit down and eat (yes we are those people). Well while watching Family Feud, I was seeing like a blinking/floater type thing in just one spot of my vision. This worried me, so after dinner I decided to check my blood pressure. 147/102. Not good. I was able to relax, prop up my feet awhile and it did come down to 123/85, but still seeing it that high had me VERY worried. I am a usual 120/80 person, and had been checking on occasion, which it had been a little bit elevated previously, but nothing like that. Next morning I continued to monitor it, 138/100, 145/95, 137/95 … not going down. So I called my OB who told me to come in at 3:30 to be checked out. They also had high readings checking me… so immediately Dr told me, "You’re not going to work tomorrow and you are starting BP meds tonight." Of course she talked about all the scary things, hospital stay, early delivery, NICU, this possibly developing into Preeclampsia at any given moment. Urine test showed fine while there, but she ordered a full work up to check my blood as well. And told me I would need to come in Monday AM to check BP again before finding out if I could return to work. I walked to my car extremely upset and scared and overwhelmed with all the fears and shock. I boohooed on the phone to Jonathan, then proceeded to call my mom and do the same to her. When I got home, I immediately got comfy on the couch and took my first dose.

Dr. called me Friday to tell me my bloodwork came back normal, and to see how I was feeling and what BP was. It was lower but not where she wanted it, so she had me double the dose. (200g 2x a day). Side effects have lessened now that I think my body has adjusted, but at first it had me soooo sleepy. Felt like I was kind of in slow motion. Heavy feeling on my chest. And INCREDIBLY painful nipples for about 30 minutes to an hour after taking it. The nipple thing is still happening but everything else has become less noticeable. And Hallelujah it is working. Monday morning had it down to 126/84 and that was with my stress level pretty high from nerves, so they let me return to work.

Being 28 weeks today, I am feeling glad to still be doing well and have been praying constantly that the Blood Pressure stays controlled, that this doesn’t develop into Pre-E and that I stay pregnant as long as possible so baby boy can continue to grow. Most of my reading/googling shows that women with high BP usually induce around 37 weeks. So mentally I am preparing myself to only have 9 weeks to go. There is the occasional one that says she went to 39, or even until their due date. But those are few and far between. Once induction gets brought up by my Dr, I will make it known that I would prefer to wait as long as possible before doing so, and ask her what the exact risks we are facing if we wait. But mostly I just want baby to have as much time as possible inside me as long as he is thriving.

Next on the list is my glucose tolerance test. I am 5 days out from the big test day and staying hopeful that I will pass. My fingers and toes are crossed, but with the amount of weight I have gained, I guess I won’t be surprised if I have to come back for the 3hr test. Although I could really use a win right now to boost my spirits. I’m emotional, worried and fearful of what could happen. Sometimes, like yesterday, I was just so teary after getting off work, I almost started crying to my chiropractor when giving him the most recent update. And Jonathan had to do some consoling and comforting once I got home.

Once I have my appointment next week, I will be sure to give an update on if I pass, current weight gain and IF we get approval from my OB to go on our babymoon to Charleston the following week. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!! I NEED THIS GETAWAY!

Other updates, our bedroom is complete and we have moved back in. While we are now back to working on baby’s room. New subfloor is down, and trim was completed yesterday. Painter comes Friday and lastly carpet has been ordered! I cannot wait for the nursery to be done with construction so I can set up the crib, start organizing the closet, putting some clothes away, and I can hang the couple of things I have purchased so far for his room.

We still have to buy a dresser and glider, and that will really be it as far as big things go. I am anxious for my baby shower to arrive so we can get the last things that are actual must haves and get those set up and ready to bring home a baby. The bassinet being the biggest thing I am anxious to get.

I cannot believe that we will be mailing out invitations soon for MY baby shower. It seems so surreal. I will be 34 weeks at that time, so really going to be cutting it close for getting things done. But I am staying positive that God is taking care of me and baby and that we will make it to 37 weeks or later! I have to stay in that mind frame until I have reason not to, or I start to get all worked up.

A couple weeks ago, Mom and I made our annual trip to the Southern Women’s Show! Which was a wonderful time as always, shopping and snacking and doing some needed walking. I tell you though, my body was exhausted after all that walking. All kinds of aches and pains! But I made it through the whole event, which I am proud to say. That evening she, my Granny and I took Ed out to dinner for his birthday… my favorite, Maggianos. Look at that plate of Mozzarella!

Racing season is back in full swing and things are going really good so far with the truck. Jonathan was able to get his first ever win at Virginia Motorsports Park on 3/24. I was sadly not there for that race, but really needed to be home taking it easy since it was the day after the Women’s show. And then last weekend, 1^st points race of the year at Richmond Dragway, he was able to runner up! Woohoo! I was able to make it up there around 7:30 after being on the sofa resting for over 36 hours and seeing my BP come down more with the higher dose. Baby Bump and I were so excited to get to be in the picture!

25 Weeks Pregnant

Well here we are, only 15 weeks left to go until our due date! 105 days to go, and feeling more and more excited every day. I will say that lately there have been so many people that try to “scare” me and say things like “Well you better get your sleep now!” or “Your life is about to be so different.” And my personal LEAST favorite, “Well you’re going to find out how tough it is soon.” Okay, I get it. Having a baby is hard and time consuming and overwhelming and completely life altering… but I also knew that before getting pregnant. I am mentally prepared for sleepless nights full of dirty diapers and a crying baby. Possibly shedding tears myself on more than one occasion. I am more than ready for the difficult period figuring out breastfeeding, and juggling house work, and not to mention continuing to work my part time job for Jonathan’s company while on maternity leave from my full time job. I am now and always have been one of those people that puts my mind to something, and I make it happen. And I do not foresee that changing after having giving birth to my son.

I am not sure why people feel the need to make comments like that constantly. I’m sure most have good intentions, but sometimes it just comes off like they are down playing my ability to handle what is to come or like I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into. I know every pregnant woman ever has had to deal with these comments, but sometimes I just want to reply with, “Trust me, I know, and it’s going to be the greatest thing I will ever do.” I am so excited and ready to give up any selfish habit I have so I can take care of my child to the best of my ability. To be able to still maintain my home. To be able to get back into shape. To be able to juggle all of the demands a new mother has. I am a 28 year old woman with every capability of doing this. I am ready for all of the sacrifices. Giving up my “me time”, my tv shows, my weekend naps, my fun girls nights. It’s all going to be worth it. Its not forever, and because I know this, I am fully able to embrace what is to come. Yes there will be hard days and times when I’ll be so behind on house chores. I will feel so disconnected from my friends and the rest of the world I am sure. But nothing compares to the great love and joy I am going to get to experience with having and raising my child.
 

Now that I got that off my chest, here is a little update on how things are going. I am feeling really good for the most part. My only real complaint is still just my hands/fingers/wrists. Oh how I hope they regain feeling after delivery. They are numb all of the time. They also hurt sometimes, and I am pretty clumsy because of having no feeling and weakness in my grip. My back is bothering me a little less, which I give credit to regular stretching for that miracle. I am tired, but I also am not sleeping very well in the evenings anymore. Tossing and turning for comfort, plus the moment I lay down, my nose gets stuffed up on whichever side I lay. Kicking is much more frequent and stronger now, Jonathan has been able to feel him a couple times. Which he things is sooooo weird. And I am starting to have tree trunk ankles in the evenings… haha! At least that’s what I am calling them. Just a little swelling on the average day. But on days where I stand more than others and have a lot more to do, they look pretty crazy. Most of my shoes are too tight for comfort. The swelling does go down though with elevating them and overnight. At my 24 week appointment, blood pressure was normal, urine was good, heart beat was strong, and yet again… weight gain is up (28lbs total so far). I do hope it slows down these last 15 weeks, but I am not stressing it anymore. Because at that appointment my Dr told me that I look fine, I don’t look like I am piling on the pounds (looking at pictures I would have to disagree…talk about a round face, double chin and HUGE nose). She also said with the carpel tunnel I’ve had since 12 weeks, and the swelling in my ankles/feet… I am clearly going to retain lots of water all pregnancy, which some women do. And I should expect to lose a lot of water weight following delivery. I am trusting her knowledge and giving myself a much easier time, now that I can visibly see my ankles swelling to help wrap my mind around some of the weight gain actually being fluid retention. We are just chugging right along with the next appointment being on 4/9. They sent me home with my fruit punch flavor glucose drink to do before coming next time so we can test for gestational diabetes. I am nervous about it, but staying hopeful that I will be lucky and pass. They will also check for anemia at that time. Then following that appointment we will proceed forward with a checkup every two weeks.
 

Home projects have slowed way down, but should be picking back up soon. We are hoping to have the nursery done (painted, carpeted) and ready for furniture in the next 3 weeks. At least that’s our goal. That way, when we going on our babymoon to Charleston, our guy can go to town and get the hall and living room done while we are away. That’s our hopes. And of course I will share any progress when we start making some again. Our bedroom is done though, and I think the carpet I picked out goes really well with the wall color.  

Last weekend, myself and a few others put on a baby shower for my long time best friend Jessica. She is due with baby girl number 2 in April and I was so excited to be able to be a part of making her baby shower special. I decided to take on the task of baking her cupcakes FROM SCRATCH! And they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. I made Vanilla Bean Cupcakes and Chocolate Cupcakes, some had Vanilla Bean Buttercream and others had StrawberryButtercream. I received a lot of praises for how yummy they turned out. Thankful for Cupcake Project for the awesome recipes I followed word for word.

This weekend is the St. Patrick’s Day race at Virginia Motorsports Park, which Jonathan races at every year. He hasn’t gotten lucky enough to win at this event or at this track yet for that matter, so keeping my fingers crossed that the truck runs good and this year he will bring home a win one day! Saturday will be the first race I attend of the just getting started season. I’m not sure how many I’ll end up making it to later on in my pregnancy, and once baby boy is here I doubt I’ll make it to any in the later part of the season. So going to get out now while I still can and enjoy being at the track. Hope you have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday!

20 Weeks Pregnant & Weekend Recap 2/2-2/4

As promised, I am getting a post up today! We have reached the halfway point of pregnancy, 20 WEEKS! Crazy to think it is halfway over already, but I am so thrilled to be so much closer to meeting our son.

We had our 20 Week Appointment/Anatomy Scan yesterday. It was so awesome getting to see our baby for the 3rd time now. Thinking it’s probably our last ultrasound with the OB (as long as everything continues going good), but Jonathan and I do want to do the 3D/4D ultrasound once we get a bit further along. So we will most likely go to an imaging place to have that done at some point.

Baby weighed in at 12oz, heartbeat 157 and measuring SPOT ON for his June 27th due date. Made me so proud that he is right on track. We got to see him wiggling all around, his little boy parts, his precious little feet and all the other good stuff. Fingers, arm and leg bones, 4 chambers of his heart, kidneys, diaphragm, skull, umbilical cord, etc. He seemed to really enjoy keeping his little hands up by his face, but we did manage to get a somewhat decent profile shot of him this time. Seeing his precious nose had me tearing up. (Oh how I hope he gets Jonathan’s cute nose and not my big one! Lol!)

We learned that my placenta is anterior, which I’ve read is ideal. My Dr did weigh me as usual and I am right at 20lbs gained, just like I thought. Not great, but she still didn’t seem worried or concerned. Just said to remain mindful. Maybe cut out pastas, breads and some sweets. Which I need to do anyways…trying to keep in mind that I have the glucose test in the next 2 months. And I realllyyyy want to pass! I did bring up the hand numbness and she said it is completely normal. Some women carry more water weight and swell more than others (Hi there! That's me!) and that this causes the Carpal Tunnel symptoms. Blood Pressure was just a smidgen high, but they said it’s most likely due to me not feeling very good.
Since Monday, my allergies have been going absolutely crazy! Apparently tree pollen is high in my area right now due to this brief warm up we’ve had in VA. Usually I don’t start taking my daily allergy pill until March so I haven’t had that in me. (I’ve since started once a day Claritin.) But when I say I have bad allergies, I mean BAD! Slam clogged up, can’t breathe, sinus pressure, headaches, constant nose blowing… BAD. Benadryl doesn’t help at all, and since being pregnant has me limited on what I can actually use, I went ahead and ordered me a Navage Nasal Irrigation thingy to give a try… it should arrive on my doorstep today. It sure does look intimidating, but the reviews are awesome. Especially from fellow seasonal allergy sufferers. I am anxious and nervous to give it a try this evening in hopes of finding some relief!

Other happenings: Saturday 2/2 was the Champions Banquet for Richmond Dragway, it was our second year attending. Jonathan’s 3rd year coming in the top 10, even if he just barely squeezed in there this year with 10th place. Its such a nice event to be able to recognize the all the winners from the previous season and honor fellow racers for various awards. Plus getting to see all of our racing friends/family. Some we don’t see at all during the off season, so it’s a great chance to socialize and just catch up with the people we spend majority of our spring, summer and fall weekends with.
The Wilson Family is just a few of our closest friends at the track. They have pretty much adopted Jonathan into the family as a part of “Last Straw Racing.” They are really an awesome group of people that would do anything for you and just have been wonderful to get to know over the past couple years. Clark’s wife Katie and I have become such great friends and I feel so lucky to have her to talk to during both of our pregnancies. (Her little boy due in March.) They will definitely grow up together at the track and will one day, in the FAR future, be each other’s friendly competition in Jr. Dragsters.

Sunday we went to Applebee’s for lunch with my Dad, Stepmom and Grandma to celebrate my Dad’s birthday. He turned 55 on 2/4.

The rest of the day, Jonathan and I BOTH took a nap and then I got up to cook dinner and get ready to watch the Superbowl. Not a fan of either team really, but I always enjoy halftime and the commercials. Also, wanted to share that my Enso Rings came in and I absolutely LOVE them. I've been lost without my wedding rings and was so happy to put this comfy colorful stack in their place. I highly recommend them to anyone that is pregnant and experiencing swelling and weight gain like I am. Or if you just want to switch it up and not wear the fancy diamonds all the time.

19 Weeks Pregnant

Well I have not updated the blog in a while and felt that today would be a good day to do so. Today marks exactly 19 weeks pregnant.
Also, on this day last year, I found out that my first pregnancy (on round 2 of clomid) what not going to be successful. Also, known as a “chemical pregnancy,” I began to miscarry only a few short days after confirming with my OB that indeed I was pregnant, but HCG was too low and I was not going to have this baby.

I remember that heart wrenching grief like it was just yesterday, and at the same time it feels like it was a lifetime ago. That loss has molded me and shaped me into who I am today and has made me EVEN MORE grateful for this baby boy that I am currently feeling wiggling around in my tummy.


So here’s a little update on how things are going so far this pregnancy.

1. I have gained more weight that I think I should, but am doing much better at accepting the weight gain gracefully. Your girl likes sweets! I’ve been doing lots of reading online and MANY women do not stay in the 25lbs area that they say is “best”. At my last appointment at 15 weeks, I had gained 12lbs. Which my Dr. didn’t seem worried or concerned about. I brought it up and she said she likes to see about 10lbs total in first 20 weeks, which I am over, but every woman is different. She DID say she wouldn’t be surprised if I gained another 4lbs before my 20 week appointment…. Well, I’ve doubled that (according to my scale), with another 8lbs. So, total weight gain by my calculations so far is 20 lbs. Not happy about it, but not beating myself up either. We will see how bad I get fussed at by my doctor next week.

2. Due to my weight gain, my back and feet have been hurting more than usual. My right hip, where the most significant part of my scoliosis curve is, has been giving me a hard time. My chiropractor has gotten me to start stretching multiple times a day which is helping reduce the pain. I’m thinking I will finally go to the gym and try my first 10-15 minutes on the treadmill soon, just to see how I do. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t done any “working out” since even before getting pregnant. So if I can get in the gym twice a week just to walk, I think I will start feeling a bit better about that.

3. CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME … my only complaint I have about being pregnant. I never knew this could be a side effect of pregnancy until I entered the 2nd trimester and my hands started going numb while laying down/sleeping. The numbness was waking me up constantly and becoming a nuisance, so I ordered some night time wrist braces to wear. They have helped tremendously while sleeping. Unfortunately, the numbness/tingling has become more regular and happens during the day as well now. My wrists are weak and hurt off and on. It will just randomly act up, sometimes my whole hand, sometimes a couple fingers, and in the evenings before bed, it even travels upward and my forearms start to hurt.

4. Baby’s is moving around in there! I can feel him wiggling away. Even though right now it mainly just feels like little tapping to me. Which I can only guess is what some people describe as gas bubbles or butterflies. I think it just feels like someone tapping with one finger. Twice now, I have felt what I assume is baby turning/rolling to a different position. That is the weirdest feeling. No way to describe it other than he is briefly at an angle that pushes on the front of my uterus. It so weird, but I love it.

5. Last thing I've recently noticed, swelling. I had one day last weekend that I could tell I was swollen. My heels were hurting pretty badly, whether I was standing or not. My toes looked pretty puffy compared to normal. It felt really tight when I tried to make a fist, and my rings were not going to come off until swelling went down. I assume I am just starting to retain some water, which makes me nervous for what is to come since I am only about halfway through at this point. (Just tried to take off my wedding rings while typing this…not happening.) So I guess that means I will be holding my hand in some ice very soon to get them off, and will be ordering a larger size silicone ring to wear through the rest of my pregnancy and until I can get my rings back on and off comfortably. This makes me pretty sad, but hey, gotta do what I gotta do.

6. Names. Nothing set in stone. I have one name that my heart is set on, that Jonathan isn’t the biggest fan of. But the more people ask us if we have a name, the more he talks about it and shares what I like (with their happy approval), the more I think/hope it is starting to grow on him. He has yet to make any alternative suggestions, so I am keeping my list of back up names to myself until he volunteers some name ideas himself.

That’s about all that I can really think of to update on with my pregnancy so far. We have our 20 week appointment and anatomy scan next Thursday. I am looking so forward to seeing our little boy again for a bit longer of an ultrasound while confirming he is most definitely a boy. (At this point if the NIPT blood work was wrong I would be flabbergasted).

We have been in the process of remodeling at home. We started in the baby’s room. My old “junk room” no longer exists… all junk has been purged. Once it was empty, Jonathan started tearing down the hideous wood paneling, which was glued to the sheetrock… so he tore down the sheetrock and put insulation in the exterior walls since the house had NONE. Then the 70s style acoustic ceiling that was hung beneath the sheetrock ceiling also had to go. To our dismay, we uncovered some NASTY looking mold that was hidden all this time. (My head almost exploded lol!) Jonathan treated it and cleaned it, the mold was not currently active fortunately. And we discovered that condensation from the air handler in the attic is the culprit. Which, this is only happening when the A/C is running in the summer. Lucky for me, Jonathan is an HVAC guy, so this is something on the to-do list to get fixed before the springtime. But due to the mold, we now also have to do the same exact remodeling to our bedroom which is also beneath the air handler. We know that the mold is probably even worse in there. As horrible as it is, I am so glad that we have discovered all of this now and getting it done before baby arrives. I would have been devastated if our son was in our home breathing it in. I cannot imagine having to go through all this with remodeling with a newborn in the house. Plus, the mold might be the cause of mine and Jonathan’s constant sinus issues. Lastly, I have said for 7 years now that I absolutely HATE the ugly wood panels… and now we are finally getting rid of them and making my home into something more that I can love and be proud of and decorate! (Wood panels are HARD to make look pretty with decorations.) We have high hopes to get both bedrooms done quickly, and then also complete the living room and hallway. Leaving wood panels in the kitchen only to do a FULL kitchen remodel at a later time.




We did hire some guys to hang the new sheetrock, mud and repaint. They are doing and excellent job so far. So this weekend, we move our bedroom furniture to the baby’s room temporarily and start the demo on our room so they can come back and get started in there. Painting and carpet will come after walls and ceiling are complete. But I have big plans. Paint colors are already picked out and I am THRILLED to get to decorate the baby’s room and the rest of the house once all this remodeling is complete. Just hope everything continues to move smoothly and quickly so I can start all my fun and have my house back to normal! I DESPISE sheetrock dust.