40 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 40 Weeks!!!

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper should be about the size of a small pumpkin. She should be around 20 inches long and weigh approximately 7.5 pounds. Since she's weighing in at more than the typical baby, I'm going to guess she's somewhere around 8-8.5 pounds at this point. 

Total Weight Gain: My weight gain fluctuates but I'm guessing I've gained between 35-40 pounds total this pregnancy. 

Maternity Clothes: Still half and half. At home, I lounge in all of my old t-shirts and Kev's sweatpants. In public, I stick to maternity pants and maternity tops for the most part. But if I'm wearing a dress or skirt, most of them are pre-preggo items. 

Stretch Marks? I'm happy to report that I've successfully made it throughout this pregnancy without any stretch marks even close to my stomach! I only have the few on my left hip! I owe it all to Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Butter lotion. It's a miracle worker! I highly recommend it to all of you preggo mama-to-be's!

Sleep: I've been able to sleep amazingly well lately! I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and I sleep all night. I usually get up around 4:30-5:30 and potty then I climb back in bed and fall right back to sleep. Then I wake sometime around 7. Needless to say, I've been soaking up as much sleep as I possibly can!

Best Moment This Week: Finishing up everything in preparation for Harper's arrival! Everything is done. Now we just need her to get here!

Miss Anything? Regular clothes, cute shoes, and normal size feet/legs/ankles. 

Movement: Harper is constantly moving. But now she moves the most during the day and less and less at night! Hallelujah! Maybe our baby girl has finally gotten herself on a normal schedule...  just in time for her arrival?! I hope so!

Food Cravings: Ice cold drinks, bean and bacon soup, and hot dogs... needless to say, we've been eating at Mayberry's a lot over the last week!

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions, lower back pain, and some tightening!

Symptoms: I'm still swelling in my legs, ankles, and feet. My acid reflux has gotten worse... guess I jinxed myself when I was bragging on it getting better last week. I've been nesting non-stop! Like seriously, it's gotten out of hand. I've cleaned, reorganized, did all the laundry and dishes, and vacuumed almost every day in the last few days! My greatest fear was that Harper would come and I'd have to leave my house in a mess! Lord knows when we return home we'll have lots of visitors and I know I'll have no energy to worry about cleaning and straightening up!

Belly Button In or Out? It's still in!

Wedding Rings On or Off?  Still off just in case my fingers were to swell! 

Mood: Getting anxious and excited!!

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl! We go in to the hospital tonight and start the induction process. The plan is to start me on Cervadil tonight at 7:15pm to soften my cervix. Then at 7am tomorrow morning they'll start my pitocin. By tomorrow evening, we should be holding our baby girl in our arms!!! (: 

Just a Side Note: I'm going to take a week or so off from the blogging world to get the hang of life with our baby girl. In the meantime, I've wrote a few blogs ahead of time to be published each day and keep you ladies entertained. If I feel up to it, I'll try to get on here and share some pictures of our baby girl when she arrives. But just in case if I don't have time or feel up to it, feel free to follow me on instagram at saramholt or on facebook at facebook.com/semoore2. I'm sure I'll be updating those two sites on a more regular basis. 

Keep us in your prayers ladies and I'll check back in in a week or so! 

38 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 38 Weeks... We're getting so close!

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper should be about the size of a leek  (these fruits and veggies sure do get stranger and stranger). She should be around 19.75 inches and weigh approximately 6.8 pounds. But according to our last ultrasound a week ago, she's  surpassing the typical weight gain by about a pound. Looks like I'll be pushing out an eight to nine pound baby in a few more weeks!

Total Weight Gain: As of Friday, I'd gained two more pounds at my doctors appointment which puts me right around 37 pounds total. However, over the weekend, my swelling in my legs and feet have actually gotten somewhat better so I'm not sure currently where that puts me as my fluid retention is the major part of my weight gain.Hopefully, that helped me drop a few pounds :P 

Maternity Clothes: With the warmer weather this week, I've been able to mix it up. I've been wearing pre-preggo maxi dresses and skirts but I pretty much stick to maternity tops unless they're of the flowy and loose variety. When I'm at home, I lounge around in yoga pants and old t-shirts. Occasionally I steal some of the hubs basketball shorts because they swallow me whole... which sorta makes me feel good and not so much like a whale :P haha 

Stretch Marks? Still just the few stretch marks on my left hip! Hoping I can make it the duration of this pregnancy without adding anymore!

Sleep: OMG! That is all I do do these days.  Friday night I slept for eleven hours and then I laid down twice for a nap on Saturday. On Saturday night I slept another eleven hours and then spent the afternoon laying around. I'm definitely in that end-of-pregnancy tired-all-the-time phase! But I'm going to soak it all up because when Harper gets here, I'll be entering the no-sleep phase. 

Best Moment This Week: Finding out that our baby girl is quite healthy despite her kidney/bladder issue. We were relieved to know that this issue may affect her when she's first born but will not be a long-term problem as it is quite easy to treat if it doesn't correct itself outside of the womb. In other great news, we also found out that if Harper has yet to arrive by her due date, we will be induced either the night of her due date or the day after as my doctor hopes for her to be delivered during the day! We're so happy to at least have a set deadline and know that she'll be here by a certain point!

Miss Anything? Being able to move around as freely as I used to. I seem to forget that I can't just jump out of bed anymore or just bend down and pick something up. 

Movement: Harper moves less and less these days as she's running out of wiggle room. However, that doesn't stop her from wiggling when her Daddy talks to her. I swear, she will go all day without moving but as soon as Kevin puts his hand on my belly and starts talking to her, she goes nuts! She's most definitely going to be a Daddy's girl! 

Food Cravings: Ice cold drinks and hot dogs... which is weird because I've always been a cheeseburger kind of girl but if I catch the sight of a hot dog, that's all I can think about! Thank goodness a Sheetz just opened a mile from our house and I can fix those cravings in a hot minute! Even better, I can get three hot dogs for $1 and a free fountain drink. I'll take that :P Those deals couldn't have come at a better time for a prego woman!

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: I've had quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions lately. Other than that, just the fact that I've began to dilate and efface; though Miss Harper has still not dropped any!

Symptoms: You know, just the usual. My swelling has actually gotten better over the past few days. I'm guessing it's due in part to all of that napping I've been doing so I've been able to stay off of my feet. However, I've noticed that even though my feet and legs aren't swollen as badly, my face is starting to puff up! But thankfully, I only have a couple of weeks left to go and I can deal with that. My acid reflux is starting to flair up again. It's gotten pretty intense in the evenings but I've discovered if I wait a few hours to lay down after snacking or eating, it seems to be a whole lot better and doesn't give me near as much trouble. 

Belly Button In or Out? I still have an inny. I've been waiting for my belly button to disappear but it's still just hanging in there. 

Wedding Rings On or Off?  I'm still not wearing them in fear that my hands will start swelling and they'll have to be cut off. I just don't want to take that chance. 

Mood: I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not having mixed emotions these days. I'm so excited about meeting my daughter and I can't wait to get her here safely and in my arms. However, at the same time, I'm nervous about all of the changes that are going to take place. I'm worried about how it's going to affect mine and Kevin's relationship; how I'm going to tackle all of my OCD notions with a new baby (i.e. keeping the house neat, clutter free, and organized); how am I going to function on no sleep; and am I even going to know what to do enough to be a good parent? All these thoughts run through my head and I start to freak out a little. However, I've been reminded they're all completely normal  thoughts and you just take it one day at a time. Hopefully, I'll be able to remember that when she arrives though!

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl and finishing up those last couple of items on our to-do list! As of this weekend, I should have just about everything checked off of the list... or at least all the ones that I really wanted to accomplish. We're also looking forward to our second set of maternity pictures that will be taken on Friday (:

37 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 37 weeks and officially full term!

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper should be about the size of a swiss chard (whatever the heck that is). She should be around 19.25 inches and weigh approximately 6.3 pounds. According to our ultrasound this morning though, she's weighing in around 7 pounds and 4 ounces. Yikes!

Total Weight Gain: Currently I've gained about 35 pounds. As I mentioned in my post this past Sunday, I had gained six pounds in one week... most of which is fluid. Thank goodness! 

Maternity Clothes: Maternity clothes during the day... pre-preggo clothes at night.

Stretch Marks? Other than those few stretch marks that suddenly appeared on my left hip, I'm in the clear. 

Sleep: Sleeping amazingly well. I generally get up once during the night to potty but then I can go right back to sleep. 

Best Moment This Week: Getting to see my daughter's face! I've never been able to see the full frontal version of her face but at our appointment on Friday I did! I am in love with her chubby little cheeks and can't wait to kiss on them!

Miss Anything? Just my pre-preggo body! I just want to be able to remember what normal legs, ankles, feet, and toes look like. Mine have been swollen for so long that I've forgotten what they used to look like!

Movement: Harper's movements have become more sporadic over the last couple of days. She typically moved most in the evening and during the night. However, I'm feeling her now during the early afternoon and early evening. Fingers crossed she's adapting more to a normal person's schedule and w'e're not going to have a nocturnal baby on our hands!

Food Cravings: Still just ice cold drinks!

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there.

Symptoms: Mainly just swelling. This week my swelling has gotten much worse! Over the past couple of months, the only thing that really swelled was my feet and most of the time it was just the right one. Now, both of my legs and feet look like tree trunks. No lie! My toes are so swollen I can't even bend them now! haha But on a positive note, my acid reflux has gotten much better! It'll still hit me every now and then but it isn't happening as often thank the Lord. I've noticed that I'm popping less and less Tums these days and I'm able to get by with just one Zantac pill a day.

Belly Button In or Out? It's still in but it's still just a tiny sliver. My thumb nail fits in it perfectly. haha

Wedding Rings On or Off?  I can still wear them but I chose to take them off. With my rapid weight gain, I was a bit afraid my fingers would start swelling as bad as my feet. Due to the fact that Kevin had my rings custom designed and made, I was a bit nervous about wearing them and potentially having to have my rings cut off. The thought of them not being able to repair my engagement ring and wedding band is a little to much to bear. I'd just rather go without them. 

Mood: Super excited! Harper can arrive at any point now!

Looking forward to: Taking our birth and baby class this Friday and Saturday! It makes it seem that much more real that she really is set to arrive any day now. Which leads me to the next thing I'm looking forward too.... meeting our baby girl! I can't wait to get her in my arms and watch her and her daddy bond. I know Kevin is going to be such a great father. Just the way he oohs and ahhh's over her in my belly confirms that. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when he gets to actually hold her and dote all over her. 

36 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 36 weeks

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper is about the size of a crenshaw melon. She should be around 18.5 inches and weigh approximately 5.75 pounds. 

Total Weight Gain: As of my last doctor's appointment which was this past Friday, I'm pretty much maintaining my weight gain at this point. I'm hanging somewhere around 30 pounds... give or take a few. 

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much maternity clothes these days but I still lounge around in my pre-preggo lounge clothes while I'm at home.

Stretch Marks? Well it's official... I have a couple of stretch marks... on my hip of all places! But at least it'll be hidden by bathing suits and underwear so that's okay! At least all of the noticeable places are still stretch mark free! And you best believe, I'll start applying lotion to my entire body from here on out!

Sleep: I've been waking up more and more during the night these last few days but I fall right back to sleep after rolling over. 

Best Moment This Week: We have several things to be thankful for this week! Kevin and I had a great babymoon! I'll blog about it later this week.. sorry I haven't done it sooner! We also had our last baby shower on Sunday and we were beyond blessed with goodies. And last but not least, our doctor's appointment went great on Friday! We found out Harper was head down so we didn't have to schedule a c-section as we originally thought . We also found out I was 1-2 cm dilated and am 50% effaced so we were told she may make her way earlier than expected which is fine with this baby mama!

Miss Anything? My pre-preggo body...selfish...maybe...but I know it's all worth it!

Movement: Her movements are less frequent these days as she's running out of room but they are also much stronger when she does wiggle and squirm! So I'm kind of thankful she's slowed it down a bit. haha

Food Cravings: Sweet tea and salty fries especially if they're from Mickey D's! 

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there. 

Symptoms: Just the usual... acid reflux and swelling.

Belly Button In or Out? Believe it or not, it's still in! It's barely a sliver. so I'm waiting for my belly button to pop out any day now!

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still on! 

Mood: Super excited!

Looking Forward to: a few things this week! Since I'm at the 36 week mark, I have to go to the doctor weekly so we'll be going back on Friday to check on Harper Doodle. I'm anxious to find out if we've made any more progress in the dilation and effacement department! I'm also looking forward to our Breastfeeding Basics class this Saturday... though I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about it! The whole concept is a bit scary so I'm hoping I'll feel a bit more relieved after the class. But just in case I don't, I signed up for the Breastfeeding Beyond the Basics class to get even more info! I'd rather be prepared then not! 

35 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 35 weeks

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper is about the size of a honeydew melon. She should be around 18 inches and weigh approximately 5.25 pounds.

Total Weight Gain: I go back to the doctor on Friday but I'm thinking around 30 pounds total.

Maternity Clothes: For the most part, I've stuck to maternity clothes this week. They're just more comfortable. But I still lounge around in my pre-maternity yoga pants and some of my bigger t-shirts. 

Stretch Marks? Not a one! I'm hoping since I've made it this far without any that I'm home free! 

Sleep: I've been sleeping great lately. Part of it is because I'm on spring break and have been nesting non-stop so by the end of the day, this girl is exhausted. The other part I think is due to the fact that my husband is now officially on day shift and is not working nights anymore and I sleep so much better when he's at home sleeping in the bed next to me.

Best Moment This Week: We have quite a few things to celebrate this week! One being that Kevin and I are currently on our last vacation before Harper arrives. I'll be blogging about our babymoon later this week when we get back home. The second exciting thing thats happened is that we finally ordered Harper's outfit for her newborn pictures. I worked with an amazing lady on etsy who is creating just what the Hubs and I envisioned for her to wear. I'd love to tell you about it but I want it to be a surprise so you'll have to wait!! The last thing that I'm super excited about is getting more items checked off of our "Before Harper Arrives" to-do list. At this point, we just might have everything accomplished before she arrives! We only have a few more things to finish and our goal is to get most of those done this weekend. This makes for one very happy preggo mama! 

Miss Anything? Still missing my normal looking legs and feet. They're so large these days it's embarrassing to wear short dresses or skirts haha

Movement: Harper's movements have slowed down a lot this week. I'm guessing she's running out of room. At first it concerned me but she still gives me a quick kick or jab here and there to let me know she's still hanging in there. 

Food Cravings: Still just craving ice cold drinks. The icier the better! This particular week, it's been ice cold sweet tea, Sundrop, and Coke. 

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: Just Braxton Hicks contractions here and there

Symptoms: Still the usual. My acid reflux has gotten better during the day but has began to hit me at night. It usually strikes around midnight or so.  I've started chewing gum in my sleep (not sure how safe that is!) but it's definitely helped keep the reflux down and allows me to get back to sleep without having any more problems throughout the night. My legs, ankles, and feet are still swelling. My right one is still continuing to swell much more than my left. By the end of the day it's so swollen that I can't put any weight on it and it's starting to feel bruised. In addition, I can now only wear sandals because my other shoes are too tight. Thank goodness for warmer weather! And did I mention it's becoming practically impossible to buckle and tie my shoes... like seriously! I need someone to help me if they don't slip on lol

Belly Button In or Out? In and it's just about closed over. I give it a week, two tops and it'll be completely gone!

Wedding Rings On or Off? On 

Mood: The closer I get to my due date the more anxious and excited I am to meet our little girl! 

Looking Forward to: We have lots of exciting things happening this week! I'm looking forward to our doctor's appointment on Friday. We'll find out for sure what position little Miss Harper doodle is in. For most of my pregnancy she's been frank breech (meaning her butt's down and her feet are over her head). If she's still breech, we'll be going on and scheduling her c-section which makes me excited since I can choose her birthday and know when she's coming. Also, on Friday, after our doctor's appointment, we'll be taking our maternity pictures as long as the weather cooperates. Then on Sunday, we'll be having our last and final shower. This will be our biggest shower yet as it's being given by my family and all of our church is invited. I can't wait to see all the goodies Harper is going to end up with!

34 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 34 weeks

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper is about the size of a cantaloupe (yay for another fruit that I recognize!). She should be around 17.5 inches and weigh approximately 4.75 pounds.

Total Weight Gain: Last Wednesday, I found out that I hadn't gained any weight since my prior doctor's appointment that I'd had two weeks earlier. The doctor said from here on out I should be maintaining my weight for the most part and only gain about a pound a week. I informed her the only reason I hadn't gained any weight in those two weeks was because I'd lost about five pounds from food poisoning! haha But I'll trust what the doc says and if I am only going to be gaining about a pound a week, at this point, my total weight gain should be somewhere around 28-30 pounds which should put me right around 35 pounds when I deliver. I think I can live with that!

Maternity Clothes: I'm still mixing it up which makes me so happy and feel somewhat normal! For the most part I stick to maternity jeans and pants but I did successfully wear some non-maternity jeans last week and no one knew! Score! And thanks to the new summer fashions, I was able to purchase some cute non-maternity items over the weekend that are going to serve perfectly for the duration of my pregnancy as well as after. I didn't want to purchase anymore maternity clothes with Harper arriving so soon but I was in need of some more outfit choices. So over the past couple of weekends, I've picked up some cute maxi dresses, maxi skirts, and tunic style tops... most of which came from Old Navy! You can't tell they aren't maternity items thanks to how they are made and I'll be able to get lots of use out of them after Harper arrives. 

Stretch Marks? Still none! Though I'm getting nervous as my stomach seems to get larger and larger by the day! I'm wondering if applying cocoa butter three times a day is a little too much? 

Sleep: I'm back to being exhausted at 7pm each night. I lay down around 8:30ish and usually fall asleep around 9. Then I wake up around 12:30 or 1 and can't fall back asleep. But hey, I'm glad my body is getting me used to this crazy schedule because after a few weeks of it, I've been able to function off of it. So when Harper arrives, looks like those feedings may not wear me out afterall! 

Best Moment This Week: Meeting our precious future son-in-law. Some of our best friends welcomed their second child into the world last Wednesday and we went to see him before our doctor's appointment. It was so surreal to hold him knowing that that will be Harper in our arms in just a few short weeks!

Miss Anything? Normal legs, ankles, and feet! 

Movement: Harper is constantly moving these days. I'm pretty sure we're going to have a gymnast on our hands!

Food Cravings: Just drink! I can't get enough of it!

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: Well the acid reflux just won't get out of the picture. Over the last week it's gotten much worse! I wake up several times at night feeling like I'm going to spit out fire! The only other symptom I'm having these days is the continuous swelling of my legs, ankles, and feet. It's seriously gotten out of hand and I can no longer wear my maternity skinny jeans without fear of not being able to get them off at the end of the day. I try to stay off my feet as much as possible while at work (which I might add is next to impossible as a teacher) and I keep them propped up as soon as I get home. I've also been watching my salt intake but none of that is helping. They just get larger and larger with each passing day! 

Belly Button In or Out? It's definitely in. Over the last week, my belly button has practically disappeared. I'm pretty sure by next week, it'll have completely closed over!

Wedding Rings On or Off? On.. Though this past Wednesday, I had to take my rings off because my hands started swelling. But by the end of the day, they'd returned to normal so I was able to put my rings back on. Apparently it was just a fluke because I haven't had any trouble since.

Mood: I'm getting anxious. It's hard to believe Harper is going to be here within six weeks. I remember telling Kevin I was six weeks pregnant. It felt like her due date would never arrive and here we are just weeks away from it!

Looking Forward to: Our baby shower today! My generous coworkers are throwing me a shower after school. I can't wait to see what goodies Harper gets! I'm also super excited about mine and the hubby's babymoon! We'll be heading to the beach next week for one last vacation before Harper arrives!

33 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 33 weeks

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper is about the size of a pineapple (yay for a fruit I recognize!). She should be around 17 inches and weigh approximately 4.25 pounds.

Total Weight Gain: I go to the doctor tomorrow and I'll find out for sure. I had gained about 25 pounds at my last appointment but then I lost around five pounds when I had food poisoning. Though from the looks of my swollen lower half, I'd say it's safe to assume I've added all of that water weight back on. So since I'm averaging about a pound a week, I'd say I've probably gained around 27 pounds at this point. But I'll let you know next week!

Maternity Clothes: I'm still able to mix it up. For the most part, I wear maternity clothes to work because they're just more comfortable as I have to bend and squat down a lot to assist my students. However, when I'm at home, I lounge around in all of my t-shirts and pre-prego yoga pants and athetic shorts. Yay for elastic waist bands :P

Stretch Marks? Still none!

Sleep: I've been having trouble sleeping the last few days :( I go to sleep really early and sleep amazingly well until in the wee hours of the morning when I wake up and can't go back to sleep. I guess my body is learning to run on five hours of sleep! 

Best Moment This Week: Having our first baby shower this past weekend! Harper got some of the most adorable things! I can't wait for her to get here so she can use them (:

Miss Anything? Normal looking legs :(

Movement: Harper is still quite the wiggle worm. Though, she still keeps most of her movements to the evening and morning hours. I rarely feel her during the day. Let's hope that isn't an indication of what her sleeping habits are going to be like when she arrives!

Food Cravings: I can't think of anything particular that I had to have this past week! 

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: My acid reflux is still there but thankfully, I can still stop it with Zantac 150. I've also had lots of trouble with my feet, ankles, and legs swelling. My legs look like tree trunks and by the end of the day, my shoes don't fit because my feet are so swollen :( But on the bright side, the doctor says that is the way to be because when Harper arrives, I'll drop half my weight in just a few days when my body sheds all the water. So I'll take the extra water if it'll help me lose the weight sooner :P

Belly Button In or Out? In

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

Mood: Excited

Looking Forward to: Meeting our future son-in-law (yes, Harper's husband has already been picked out for her!). Some of our best friends are having their little boy today at 11:30! We'll be going to see him tomorrow morning before my doctor's appointment. I can't wait to hold him! It's going to be weird holding him though knowing that that will be Harper we'll be holding in just six or seven weeks from now!

32 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 32 weeks

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump App, Harper should be the size of large jimaca...whatever the heck that is. It says in everyday terms, she is around 16.7 inches and weighs about 3.75 pounds. From what we found out from our doctor's appointment last week, she's right on schedule with our baby app. She weighed in at 3 pounds and 12 ounces and she's currently in the 76th percentile for her weight. 

Total Weight Gain: Well I'd gained 25 pounds at my appointment last week because I'd retained more water. However, Wednesday night, I came down with food poisoning and spent three days in bed sick as a dog and not eating at all and barely getting a whole glass of drink down a day. With that said, I dropped about 5 pounds, so now I'm back down to about 20-22 pounds after shedding most of that water weight!! 

Maternity Clothes: Well after my bout with food poisoning last week, my maternity clothes are a bit big again so I'm able to go a bit longer with my pre-maternity wardrobe. Even luckier for me is we've had quite a lot of warm weather here in NC over the last week so I've been fortunate enough to be able to break out my maxi dresses and maxi skirts. FYI, they fit wonderfully over pregnant bellies! But despite being able to stretch out my pre-maternity wardrobe for a bit longer, I did break down and spend some birthday money over the weekend on some more maternity tops. I'm sure in the next few weeks my weight is going to be picking back up and I figure I might as well look cute in some of the cute spring fashions. Plus it helped that Motherhood was having a huge buy one get one 50% off sale. I'm a sucker for a good bargain (;

Stretch Marks? I still haven't spotted any! Fingers crossed ladies...fingers crossed!

Sleep: With the exception of having spent three days holed up in bed from being sick, I've actually slept pretty good over the last week. I just hope it continues!

Best Moment This Week: Seeing our little Harper doodle's face! Last Wednesday we had a doctor's appointment and ultrasound scheduled to see Harper. It just so happened to be my birthday and Harper made sure to give me the most amazing birthday present ever. For the first time, Harper kept her hand away from her face and let us get a good glimpse of her precious chubby little cheeks. She even shot us a giant smile! Ahhh! My heart melts just thinking about it! 

Miss Anything? Nothing at this moment! 

Movement: Harper has moved a ton over the last week; though most of her movement occurred while I was sick. Apparently, when you're sick, your baby is expected to move a whole lot more due to all of the noises going on in your belly. I'd vouch that there is complete and total truth to that because Harper didn't sit still for more than five minutes the first day I was sick as a dog! Now that I'm feeling better, she's calmed down quite a bit but she still gives me one of her soccer kicks whenever she thinks I've forgotten about her!

Food Cravings: After being sick, Gatorade was the only thing that made the list this week!

Gender: A precious baby girl

Labor Signs: None since last week!

Symptoms: My acid reflux has made a complete comeback. The Zantac 150 is still working, I'm just finding that I'm having to take it a lot more frequently than I was. I'm also having to keep some TUMS on me again at all times.

Belly Button In or Out? In

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

Mood: Excited

Looking Forward to: Our baby shower this weekend! Kevin's family is hosting our first baby shower at our house this Saturday. I can't wait to see all of the cute things little Miss Harper doodle is going to be showered with!

31 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 31 weeks

Baby Size: She's about the size of four navel oranges. In everyday terms, she's right around 16 1/4 inches and weighs about 3 pounds and 3 ounces. 

Total Weight Gain: I go to the doctor tomorrow and they'll tell me for sure but I'm guessing close to 20 pounds.  

Maternity Clothes: I'm still just wearing maternity jeans and pants. However, I think I'm going to go do a little shopping tomorrow and pick up a few maternity tops. For the most part, I can still wear most of the shirts in my closet but I know in the coming weeks my belly is going to get huge and I'll feel more comfortable in a maternity top than my pre-pregnancy shirts. 

Stretch Marks? Not a one! I've made it this far without any so I'm hoping I can keep it up!

Sleep: I've been waking up more and more throughout the nights. For the most part, it's due to just being uncomfortable sleeping on my back. A quick turn to my side and I fall right back to sleep. 

Best Moment This Week: We had quite a few great moments this week. The first being that we finished up Harper's nursery! It turned out perfect and I can't wait to do a reveal post as soon as we have our baby showers and get everything stored and put away. Another great moment we had this week was finally getting around to cleaning out the closets and making some trips to Goodwill and Salvation Army. You have no idea what a relief it was for this OCD girl to get her closets organized again! And last but not least, I am happy to finally report that Harper officially has a pediatrician! 

Miss Anything? My feet looking and feeling normal. Over the last couple of weeks, I've had a lot of issues with my feet swelling. Of course it's due to the fact that I teach and am on them all day. I'll be looking forward to the day Harper comes and I no longer have cankles haha

Movement: Harper is quite the wiggle worm. Her movements occur more often now and they are much stronger. I love laying in bed and watching her move all across my belly! It truly is such an amazing sight to see!

Food Cravings: This week it was banana nut muffins and toast with grape jelly. 

Gender: A girl

Labor Signs: This week I started experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. They started out mildly at first and then became pretty uncomfortable for an hour or so. But after a few hours, they stopped and I haven't really noticed them since. 

Symptoms: At this point, I'm really only having trouble with swelling in my feet and face. I've tried drinking more water and staying off of my feet and it seems to help. As for the acid reflux and indigestion that I was having all of the time, it's diminished greatly due to taking Zantac 150.

Belly Button In or Out? In

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

Mood: Excited

Looking Forward to: finishing up our cleaning and organizing. We've pretty much accomplished all of the cleaning, organizing, and throwing out unused and unwanted items within the house. Now we just have to tackle the shelves and closet in the garage and our two outbuildings!  

30 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 30 weeks

Baby Size: She's about the size of a cabbage. She's approximately 15.7 inches and weighs about 2.75 pounds. 

Total Weight Gain: When I went to my appointment last week, I had gained 25 pounds! I about fell over when I stepped on the scale. I knew there was no way I had gained 7-10 pounds in one week! Especially when I had been walking 3+ miles a day and had actually cleaned up my eating habits. After meeting with my doctor, they discovered I was retaining fluid. After spending my days off my feet and my evenings with my feet propped up, I'm thankful to say I've lost most of that fluid and have now currently gained about a total of 18 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: I'm still mixing it up. I've found a few cute maternity tops but unfortunately, this bump just isn't big enough and the shirts swallow me whole! So I'm still just wearing my normal shirts and alternating between maternity bottoms and pre-maternity bottoms depending on how they're made. 

Stretch Marks? Still none thanks to my cocoa butter ritual!

Sleep: I've been tossing and turning more since I'm having to sleep on my left side to help with this fluid retention. I'm usually a stomach or right side sleeper so it's been a huge adjustment; but in the end it's worth it. 

Best Moment This Week: Marking off more of those items on my "Before Harper Arrives" to-do lists. Her nursery is just about complete! 

Miss Anything? Not that I can think of!

Movement: Harper moves constantly..especially when we're watching the Carolina Tarheels do their thing on the basketball court. She's definitely going to be a Tarheel like her mommy & daddy! 

Food Cravings: A frosty glass of sweet iced tea..preferably with the tiny ice cubes! My mouth will water just thinking about it!

Gender: A girl

Labor Signs: None... let's keep it that way!

Symptoms: I'm thankful to report that my acid reflux is FINALLY under control thanks to a prescription of Zantac 150! It does wonders and is completely safe during pregnancy!  I was told to take one in the morning and one at night. However, I only take it when the reflux hits and it still works perfectly!

Belly Button In or Out? In

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

Mood: Excited, Happy, & Accomplished!

Looking Forward to: Getting our garage and closets cleaned out and organized. We've done a lot but we still have to get things taken to Goodwill or Salvation Army so we can finish going through and organizing the little things.

29 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 29 weeks

Baby Size: She's the size of a butternut squash. In everyday terms, she is right around 15 1/4 inches and weighs about 2.5 pounds.

Total weight gain: Somewhere around 18 pounds. I started back at the gym this past week and have been eating much healthier snacks and drinking more water. Thanks to that, I was able to maintain my weight for the week (:

Maternity clothes? Still wearing my pre-maternity dresses and shirts and mixing it up with pre-maternity and maternity pants. 

Stretch marks? Not so far. I've been lathering on the Vaseline Cocoa butter every time I get out of the shower.

Sleep:  I'm still sleeping pretty well. I wake up occasionally during the night if I'm in an uncomfortable position but after getting comfortable again, I fall right back to sleep. 

Best moment this week:  Two things this week! One, scheduling our maternity picture session! Yay for photos of the baby bump. Two, getting the house cleaned! Saturday and Sunday, I woke up EARLY in the morning. By early, I mean 5:25! Since I couldn't go back to sleep, I decided to do some cleaning. By cleaning I mean I vacuumed; dusted; mopped; cleaned the bathrooms; did all laundry; washed dishes; cleaned out our freezer, fridge, and pantry; took out the drawers and shelves of the fridge and washed and wiped them down; and did some organizing. Our house hasn't been this spotless since before we moved in and I'm loving it! Let's hope I have the energy to keep it all nice and neat over the next couple of months! 

Miss Anything? Not that I can think of!

Movement: We have quite the wiggle worm on our hands these days. She moves morning, noon, and night. I woke up the other night to Kevin laughing. As I had slept, he had been watching Harper move all around in my belly! It's funny to think that she can move all around and I'm so out of it that I don't even realize. 

Food cravings: Honeycrisp apples (the best apples ever!) with a side of peanut butter

Anything making you queasy or sick: No. 

Gender: Girl {Our little Harper doodle!}

Labor Signs:  No

Symptoms: It seems that this week I have been bombarded with pregnancy symptoms! The acid reflux has been flaring up in full force. I've got a doctor's appointment today and you best believe I'll be asking for something stronger than TUMS. I probably eat 5 tums a day and they only provide some minor and temporary relief. Over the last couple of days, I've also noticed my feet swelling at the end of the day. I've also been waking up in the middle of the night from cramps in my calves. Those bad boys are no joke! But on a positive note, I'm in full nesting mode and I'd definitely say it's a side effect of pregnancy but I'm loving it!

Belly Button in or out? In but it's getting very small!

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Mood:  Happy and Excited!

Looking forward to: Going to check on Harper today and getting Harper's closet cleaned out this week. My dad is coming over Thursday to install another shelf in Harper's closet. Then I can begin to organize all of clothes (: 

28 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 28 weeks! Yay for making it to the third trimester!

Baby Size: She's the size of a chinese cabbage. In everyday terms, she is still somewhere around 15 inches. We also found out last Friday that she currently weighs 2 pounds and 2 ounces. 

Total weight gain: I've gained somewhere around 15-18 pounds. Looks like I'll be heading back to the gym at least 3 days a week so I can keep this weight down and stable!

Maternity clothes? I'm still wearing all of my pre-maternity shirts and alternating between pre-maternity and maternity bottoms. 

Stretch marks? Lucky for me, the answer is still no!

Sleep:  I've been tossing and turning more over the last few days but thankfully, I've been able to go straight back to sleep when I wake up during the night. 

Best moment this week:  Passing my glucose test and seeing Harper at our doctor appointment last Friday! 

Miss Anything? Not particularly!

Movement: She's still moving around mostly in the evening or at night. Every now and then I get a kick or a wiggle out of her during the day; but usually only because I'm squatting down or something is pressing against my belly. I guess that's her way of saying "move it". 

Food cravings: Cereal in Milk. I've been alternating between Lucky Charms and Frosted Flakes. Is it sad that as soon as I get home, I have to fix a bowl as a snack? And by bowl, I mean filled to the top and then a refill to make two? 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still just the acid reflux. I seriously feel like a fire breathing dragon these days. Now I understand why babies are so fussy that suffer from acid  reflux. I can barely tolerate it so I can't imagine how it feels for the little people who don't know how to fix it.

Gender:  A sweet baby girl {Harper Londyn}

Labor Signs:  No

Symptoms: Just the acid reflux

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Mood:  Excited

Looking forward to: Marking some more things off of our "Before Harper Arrives" to do list; finalizing Harper's baby shower details; and celebrating Valentine's Day with the hubs later this week (: