21 Week Bumpdate

WEEK 21

Baby is the size of a pomegranate!

Total weight gain/loss?  I lost a pound this week!  Yay now I am back on target to not go over the recommended weight gain if I continue to only gain one pound a week!!!

How far along?  21 weeks!!!  Over the hill now...

Maternity clothes?  YES!  I wore my first pair of maternity jeans yesterday!  They are still a bit loose around the tummy area but fitting into my old jeans is just a joke so this is the best I can do besides leggings!  I actually wore a real outfit yesterday, haha!  For some reason I feel smaller with normal shirts and jeans instead of my baggy tunics and leggings.  Mark thinks I look smaller because you can actually see my shape whereas when I wear baggy tops and leggings you don't see much (also has been hiding my growing bump!) but I figure the cat's out of the bag now so instead of fearing I look fat, I'm just starting to embrace my little bump!

Stretch marks?  None!

Best moment this week?  It's sure to be the weekend...we're playing beach volleyball (well I will be watching) and having a picnic!  Trying to embrace the so cal life before we're calling Texas home!

Miss anything?   Sleeping on my tummy!  It's the most hilarious thing but starting a few weeks ago, the baby does NOT let me sleep even remotely on my tummy!  The second I go from side sleeping to my stomach barely touching the bed I am jolted by a kick.  If I choose to ignore it (sometimes I wonder if it's just coincidence), I am greeted by another and another.  "Mama, you're squishing me!  Get off me!"  HA, no seriously that is what I bet baby is thinking!  Not even out of the womb yet and we're already co-sleeping here!

Movement?  Yup, yup, yup.  It always makes me smile and feel so connected to my little one.  Especially at night when I can't talk to baby because Mark is asleep but I just rub my tummy as baby kicks and moves all around and feel like we share this perfect little secret.  The kicks have been getting stronger and stronger, baby is so active and healthy, I love it!!!

Food cravings?  I was craving scrambled eggs last night and mmm they were so good this morning!  Also lots of fruit!  I love grapes, strawberries, and basically anything sweet!  I've been craving candy but luckily we don't have any in the house...YET! ;)

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Just sometimes after eating a big meal...I think it's from the indigestion but it's not nearly as bad as first trimester.

Have you started to show yet?  Pretty much all the time...I guess first thing in the morning (and after I pee because I literally have a huge bump full of water in the morning and once I pee it shrinks like halfway!) I technically may not look pregnant to someone who doesn't know me but my stomach is not flat.  And let me tell you, it did not look like that pre-pregnancy!!

Gender?  Surprisingly not many people have asked us what we're having!  Which is just fine with us, maybe because it's our first?  But still going to be a surprise!!!

Labor signs?  Nope!

Belly Button in or out?  Still in

Wedding rings on or off?  On!

Happy or Moody most of the time?  Mostly happy but I was pretty irritable yesterday.  Guess it just depends on the day.  Generally, I am very excited, anxious, and a little overwhelmed at all of the changes that will be happening in the next few months.  SO much to do, buy, plan, and just wrap my mind around.  But I am confident everything will turn out great and all according to plan!

Looking forward to?  Valentine's weekend!!!  I have been on a terrible sleep schedule lately (not falling asleep until 2 am and sleeping until 11 this whole week!) so one of my sleepless nights I found all these great Valentine's date ideas and now I have the whole weekend planned!  It's going to be SO fun and Mark has no idea what's in store!  I'll try to take lots of pictures!!

20 Week Bumpdate

WEEK 20

Baby is the size of a banana!

HALFWAY THERE!!!

Total weight gain/loss?  Gained another pound this week...but even if I gain a pound a week from here on out (which my doctor said I should be doing) I will only go 1 pound over the recommended! So not too bad and I am actually one day from 21 weeks so I'm gaining like a pound every week and a half.

How far along?  HALFWAY!!!  20 weeks baby!!!  This is both exciting and terrifying!  I am SO not ready for the baby!!!

Maternity clothes?  No but I just got an entire wardrobe full of them from my SIL Al!  Sooo many clothes and they are all so cute!!!  6 dresses, 3 skirts (which by the way are not even "maternity," just the stretchy, no elastic kind so I can wear them all the time!), around 15 tops, 2 nursing tanks, 3 pairs of shorts, 5 pairs of the CUTEST, most comfy jeans ever (black, dark jean, light jean, destroyed and white), a pair of soft, white linen pants and (my personal favorite) the cutest pair of jean capri's that I know I'm going to be wearing constantly.  They all fit me perfectly and I am SO excited to get to wear jeans again!!!

Stretch marks?  Nope!  My stomach has been feeling awfully tight lately though...not like it's being stretched but just a weird, tight sensation like it's full.  I guess it is full...of a baby!

Best moment this week?  Getting all the baby stuff / maternity clothes from Al today!!!  It was like Christmas!  Along with all her maternity clothes we got an infant car seat, two bases, two strollers, stroller adapters, a snap 'n go stroller, a swing (the BEST!), bouncer, playmat, kid tent, breast pump, breast milk storage bags, sterilizer bags, nursing pads, a boppy pillow and cover, tons of bibs, cloth diapers (to use as burp cloths), swaddle blankets, knit blankets, more baby clothes (jeans, shirts, beanies), an infant bath tub, the cutest hooded bath towels (a froggy and ducky!), a baby bath robe, a humidifier, baby safety kit, a crib skirt with matching crib sheet and changing pad cover, lamb sound machine, baby monitor, toys, a teether, drawer organizers, and probably more stuff I'm forgetting!  She is still giving us more clothes, toys, and bottles (once Sam outgrows them).  We are so grateful to them and all their help!

Miss anything?   Feeling light and thin!  I feel so heavy all the time, especially after eating.  Ha, and I'm only halfway!

Movement?  Constantly!  I'm always trying to think of new ways to describe how it feels...twitching, bumping, pulsing, nudging, rolling...it's like something is in your tummy moving around!  HA!

Food cravings?  PIZZA!!!  We made homemade pizza on Friday and it was HEAVEN!!!  The picture doesn't look that great but trust me, it tasted divine.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Not really, man I've already forgotten about that phase.  Things to look forward to for the next pregnancy...

Have you started to show yet?  Yes!  I got my first comment the other day at Target from a stranger who didn't know I was pregnant!  Granted, I was walking up and down the baby shampoo aisle and had a nursing bra in one hand.  Oh and we had just come from dinner so I was full and had a food baby on top of regular baby.  Anyway this lady re-stocking the shelves said, "Figuring out what you're going to need soon?"  I just laughed and said yes.  Then I ran to find Mark to tell him!

Gender?  Surprise...and we are getting SO excited!!!

Labor signs?  No but actually the other day I was having a terrible side ache (like when you've been running) and it was so strong that I couldn't really move without it aching.  I told Mark I thought I was having contractions!  It was so uncomfortable.  I tried out a lot of new stretches lately and he thinks it was delayed on-set muscle soreness but I think it was from wolfing down a snack in the car on our way somewhere.  I think I swallowed too much air or something... anyway it hasn't come back, thank goodness!

Belly Button in or out?  So far in!  I know the reason this question is on here is because your belly button is supposed to pop out at some point but I feel like the bigger my stomach gets, the deeper my belly button hole gets!  I can't imagine it popping out anytime soon.

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy...still stressed and overwhelmed but I did a lot of work on my registry this week.  I am registered with Baby List, an online registry that lets you add stuff from any store (ETSY!) to your registry as well as Amazon, PBK, and Babies 'R' Us!  Whew.  I am probably going to use the store registries for my showers and the Baby List registry for my own personal use and people who are out of town who wish to purchase something.

Looking forward to?  February!!!  I love the start of new months and February means candy, kisses, and love in the air <3 So much love in our house these days...for each other and our sweet, precious baby valentine.  We love you so much little baby!!!

The Rawlings Take Texas!

Guess what?!??  WE'RE MOVING!!!

In just a few short months we will be saying good-bye to Cali life and making ourselves at home sweet home in Houston, Texas :)

There are so many things flying through my mind these days as we get ready to pack up our little life and start our family in Texas.  We have to find new health insurance because the one we're on isn't in Texas, I have to find a new OB I can trust to delivery my baby just when mine was starting to grow on me, we have to find the best way to move all our furniture and cars across the country as inexpensively as possible, we have a lot of LA items to finish on our Bucket List before we leave for good, and most importantly, Mark has to find a JOB and we have to figure out where we want to live: in an apartment on our own, even if he hasn't found a job yet, or move in with my parents so we can really start saving for a home!

So, you're probably wondering why on earth we are moving if we don't have a job in Texas!  Well, we received an answer to months of praying about this decision a few short weeks ago.  Mark and I know we aren't going to be in LA forever because we can't have the lifestyle we want out here.  It's just too expensive.  Most of the families we know in our ward live in apartments with their 3-4 kids and that is just not where we see ourselves.  There is no way to save for a house because rent is so expensive and even if we did save, the cheapest houses are half a million dollars and those aren't even in nice areas with good school districts.  So we've always known we were going to move.  We just didn't know when.

We want to be by family so we have had our sights set on Houston, Texas!  Now that baby is finally a reality and we have a start date for our new life as a family of 3, we had started seriously praying about when would be the best time to move, before or after baby comes.  I know how I am when moving and it takes all my energy and focus to sort, pack, organize, unpack and organize some more until our house is perfect, with everything set in place!  I can't imagine being able to do all that with a baby so we were leaning towards moving before baby gets here but Mark hadn't found a job yet so we were praying about what we should do.

Well, Mark's boss is bringing on someone new to work for them, someone really experienced and high up there (since all Mark's co-workers are in their 20's like him).  Mark (being such an amazing person) wanted to let his boss know we may not be sticking around much longer, in case that might influence this new person's job responsibilities and power within the company.  Even though we weren't sure yet and Mark hadn't found a job, he basically told his boss, "I'm actively looking for another job and if I get one, I'm leaving!"  Talk about guts!  Well, Mark's boss is also kind of like his father.  He is his best friend's dad and he loves Mark like his own son so he gave him the deal of a lifetime.  He is going to continue to pay Mark his salary and provide insurance for our baby while we go to Texas and look for a job!  If Mark can't find a job there or we don't like it or for any reason want to come back to LA, Mark will always have a job working for him!  We couldn't believe his generosity and both of us knew this was the answer we had been looking for.  We are supposed to be in Texas!

We want to move before I'm too close to my due date so I still have energy to unpack and organize so our move date is April 4!  Time is flying and there is so much to do and so much up in the air.  At first, we were leaning towards getting an apartment so we could be all set up when baby arrives.  But my dad called me the other day and told me that it may be harder than we think to find Mark a job.  I guess there have been lots of layoffs in the oil industry in Texas and he said there are lots of people looking for jobs.  He thinks it might be smarter to save the money Mark's boss is paying us and live with them until Mark does get a job.  So much to think about and while it's been kinda overwhelming at times, we are both so excited and ready for this huge life change!  Texas here we come!!!

19 Week Bumpdate

WEEK 19

Baby is the size of a mango!

Total weight gain/loss?  15 pounds!  I'm about 5 pounds over the recommended weight gain so far but since I gained weight really fast in the first trimester (I think that was just my body's way of adapting to suddenly being pregnant and bloated) and it has now been slowing to a pound or so every couple weeks, I'm not too worried.  My goal is still to not go over 40 pounds!

How far along?  3 days away from 20 weeks!!!  I am almost HALFWAY done!  This is CRAZY.

Maternity clothes?  I might finally get some from my SIL this weekend, but so far leggings, tunics and slouchy tees are working just fine.  Leggings are sooo comfy, I don't know how I ever wore anything but them!

Stretch marks?  The ones on my boobs are gone!  Not sure they were actually stretch marks to begin with, maybe they really were just visible veins but I've been using the Honest Co. organic belly balm daily and it clearly has worked wonders!  Still haven't seen any on my stomach or hips.  I read somewhere they usually appear between 18-22 weeks if they are going to come (though that sounds  iffy) and it has given me hope!  If I hold on a few more weeks, maybe I will luck out!  HA, even though my belly is just starting to really grow!  We will see.

Best moment this week?  I drove down to Bakersfield to spend a few days with my cousins and grandmother and we had a blast!  I haven't seen them in a couple years and I got to spend time with all their adorable kids and we laughed a ton and helped Laurin with her house and talked all things baby!  It's fun they got to see me while I'm pregnant even though I'm not that big yet.  They got to feel baby move too!!

Miss anything?   Not peeing my pants every time I sneeze.  And getting sick all the time doesn't help!  Still currently getting over a cold...ugh.

Movement?  Yep, yep, yep!  My little bouncy baby over here loves to move around all throughout the day but especially in the mornings and evenings, when I first wake up and am going to bed.  It never gets old and I already have such a strong connection with our sweet baby.  I just feel like once they're actually here, all my stress and worries will melt away and I will realize this is the only thing that matters.

Food cravings?  I really wanted strawberry ice-cream the other day so Mark got me some.  Baby loves ice-cream :)

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Actually I have been feeling sick randomly after eating.  Also I have to burp a lot due to really bad indigestion, which doesn't help.

Have you started to show yet?  Yes I believe I truly have, like not just to myself.  This week, Sofia (one of the girls I sit for) said to me when I picked her and her sister up from school, "Wow, you look BIG!  How big is the baby this week?"  Haha and I now feel so self-conscious walking around places with my bump, like everyone must be staring and must know!  Haha!

Gender?  Surprise, surprise!

Labor signs?  Nope

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Kinda moody this week, mostly stressed and overwhelmed.  I started working on my registry for real and when I calculated the costs of everything it came out to $5,441!!!  Granted, I overestimated on everything (better over-save than under-save) and haven't included anything my SIL is giving me or our parents.  BUT STILL!!!  We are about to get $3,000 back from taxes and that is going straight to Baby Savings!!!

Looking forward to?  Mark and I are going on a picnic tomorrow to relax and might check off a few things on our Pre-Baby Bucket List.  I love him so much and while I love the baby more than ever, I'm going to miss it being just the two of us.  Mark and Catherine.  We seriously were made for each other, he is my other half.  When I left him to go to Bakersfield for one night this week, we both were dying to be back together!  I got home in less than 2 hours because it felt like we were magnets and he was just pulling me back as quick as possible!  I am so blessed to have him as my eternal companion and start a family with my favorite person in the whole wide world.

(Late) 18 Week Bumpdate

WEEK 18

Baby is the size of a sweet potato!

No bump picture this week because:

a) I got a terrible stomach virus at the beginning of the week and a sore throat at the end and never felt up for taking any pictures in between

&

b) I lost another two pounds and basically my whole bump from being sick so it would have looked weird

I am posting this 3 days into 19 weeks (since even though I was sick and stayed home I never got around to blogging about 18 weeks because I usually do it sometime after taking my picture!) so I'll try and only talk about last week.

Total weight gain/loss?  I lost another 2 pounds but gained them back for my 18 week check-up so total weight gain is 14 pounds.  It's been staying around here for a few weeks now so if I can keep it under 15 pounds for another month I'll be on track!  HA.

How far along?  Technically I'm 19 now but this is about 18 weeks!

Maternity clothes?  Still no official "maternity" pants or anything but lots of leggings.  I do have a few shirts with ruching on the side but I think I prefer flowy tops and tunics to them.  Right now my bump is still too small to noticeably look pregnant so I just feel like I look chubby with tight shirts.

Stretch marks?  They are fading!  Still only on my boobs but they don't look so bad and I think they might disappear.  Fingers crossed!

Best moment this week?  Hmm I was sick as a dog but the best moment was on Tuesday at my 18 week check-up.  The doctor listened to the baby's heart and said, "Wow, that's loud!  For 18 weeks!"  The nurse agreed and it made me happy :)  We've got a strong, healthy baby!

Miss anything?   Not being terrified of getting sick anytime someone coughs.  I swear, my immune system is SHOT!  I never used to get sick and now I've had the flu and sore throat in one week.  It probably doesn't help that I'm constantly around kids but hopefully I can get back to being healthy soon.

Movement?  Every day!!!  Multiple times a day!!  Mostly at night and especially when I'm lying on my back.  Mark has felt the baby move many times but I don't feel like he thinks it's as cool as he should, haha.  I always have him put his hand on my belly when I start to feel movement but once he feels something he just smiles and says, "Felt that!" and then takes his hand away while I'm like, "Hey, keep it there forever!  This is so exciting!!"  Haha, but for real!  I LOVE feeling baby move.  Any time I feel anything, I put my hand on my belly and say, "Hi baby!  Are you awake?"  and continue to talk to baby for a good 5 minutes.  The movement feels like a bunch of things...sometimes it's flutters, other times a twitch or popping but most of the time it feels like something in my tummy is doing the worm!  It's so weird!!!

Food cravings?  Nope but my appetite is picking up a bit!  This baby gets super hungry in the early mornings but I usually try to go back to sleep because if I get up to eat something, I can never fall back asleep!

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Well, other than BEING sick, no!  Haha, but it's no bueno when I go too long without eating.

Have you started to show yet?  My bump disappeared from being sick but I think it came back at the end of the 18 weeks.

Gender?  Esther just found out she's having a boy!  Kelli is having a girl!  What will Baby Rawlings be?  Only time will tell...

Labor signs?  No way

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy but also stressed out and overwhelmed for reasons I'll talk about in another post.

Looking forward to?  Getting back to being healthy, working out, and getting on a schedule because there is SO much to do to get ready for baby!!!  But I honestly just can't wait until I can hold this little one in my arms and see how beautiful they are. :)

17 Week Bumpdate

WEEK 17

Baby is the size of a chipmunk!

HAHA!  I couldn't help but choose this comparison over the standard fruit (pomegranate) this week!  I had the hardest time deciding which picture to choose...these were some other contenders.

I love my little chipmunk!

How far along?  17 weeks baby

Total weight gain/loss?  I lost 3 pounds this week!  I've been drinking 8 glasses of water a day (talk about increasing my already frequent need to pee!) and filling up on fruits and veggies instead of processed snacks (now that my nausea for all things green is gone) and what do you know?  Losing weight and feeling great!

Maternity clothes?  Yup, though I haven't bought any official ones yet.  Just very stretchy regular clothes...which I think are the best kind because I can wear them after pregnancy!

Stretch marks?  Sadly, they have arrived.  But only on the undersides of my boobs, which are probably a DD now (former B cup here) and Mark says you can't even notice them but I see them!  I've been really cracking down on my coca butter, body oil, and belly butter though and they actually appear to be lightening so fingers crossed they go away eventually.

Best moment this week?  I felt my baby KICK!! ! I've been getting up to pee 3-4 times a night this week (result of 8 glasses of water a day) and this morning sometime before 5 am I got up to pee as usual, my eyes half closed.  I'm sitting on the toilet about to get up when something in my tummy moved and kicked!!!  My eyes flew open and my jaw dropped.  It felt exactly how you might imagine it feels to have a tiny baby (size of a chipmunk) kick you gently from the inside of your tummy.  It was crazy!!!  It felt like a tiny foot!  I got back in bed and thought about waking up Mark but since he would be getting up in like an hour I decided to let him sleep.  I fell back asleep with my hand on my tummy, hoping to feel another one but nothing.  So exciting though!!!  There is actually a BABY in my TUMMY!!!!!

Miss anything?   Being able to walk. LOL but no seriously.  The past few weeks my lower back has been killing me.  I've always had problems with my tailbone area from when I popped it once during a modern dance class and ever since then it tends to stiffen up (especially after lots of walking or any kind of exercise) and I have to sit on it to pop it in order to make the pain go away.  That's just something I've dealt with my whole life.  But these past few weeks it's gotten way worse!  I've been researching it and we called Mark's brother who's a doctor and it's because pregnancy loosens all your joints in preparation for your expanding uterus.  Since my pelvic joint must have already been loose from dance and it happens to be very close to my uterus, the problem has just been exacerbated.  Also, for some reason I can't even pop it like I used to, probably because my joints are too loose down there.  I can't even imagine how bad it might become once baby is the size of a watermelon!  I know backaches are really common for all pregnant women but I have a feeling mine may be so much worse!

Movement?  Yes, yes, yes!!  See best moment this week.

Food cravings?  Not really...I've been eating super healthy so pizza actually sounds pretty good right now, ha.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Nope!

Have you started to show yet?  Yup!  Little baby bump!

Gender?  Surprise!

Labor signs?  Nope

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time? I think the second trimester burst of energy has finally started to kick in because this week I feel great and happy!

Looking forward to?  DISNEYLAND DAY tomorrow!!!  Our last one!!  Our passes expire on Jan. 10 and we will not be renewing since we don't know how much longer we'll be here and we imagine the next year might be so busy with our new baby we won't have much time to go!  It's been super fun the past year though, living it up with no kids!  I'll always remember our Disney dates and next time we go we will be bringing one (or more) kids with us!!!

16 Week Bumpdate

WEEK 16

Baby is the size of an avocado!

How far along?  16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  16 pounds!!!  This baby is getting big...at least the weight gain is steady.  I'm starting to work out every day and cut out sugar and processed foods so I'm not technically dieting but hopefully that will keep me from gaining too much.  I hope not to gain more than 40.

Maternity clothes?  Leggings and tunics all day long!

Stretch marks?  None!

Best moment this week?  This week was a rough one...all the excitement and build up leading up to Christmas and announcing and being with my family left me sad and depressed when it all ended.  I had a few pretty rough days where the tiniest things set me off and I cried for like two hours the two days before we left.  But actually coming home and sleeping in our own bed was probably the greatest feeling!  I am just so emotional these days, crying much more than my usual once a day pre-pregnancy self, ha!

Miss anything?   Sleeping through the night without getting up to pee!  Although it has been getting better, which I read happens in the second trimester.  Sometimes if I'm lazy I wait until morning and then race to the bathroom!

Movement?  Still no!  I don't think I ever felt anything before, just wanted to.  Any day now though, baby!!

Food cravings?  Nope and no aversions either! :)

Anything making you queasy or sick?   Nada

Have you started to show yet?  Yes, especially after eating!  See pictures above!

Gender?  Surprise, surprise!

Labor signs?  Haha no

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time?  Sad and depressed...worried I may have prenatal depression because I honestly have nothing to be sad about!  Hoping for the second trimester burst of energy to kick in any day now...

Looking forward to?  Knowing whether we will be moving or not so I can start buying baby furniture!