The Ugly Truth

Oh heyyyy. It's me blogging again already. Are you surprised?

Yeah, me too.

My baby has been so good lately that I have had more time to do domestic, house-wifey-type things.

Things like laundry, cooking, taking long walks, play time, organizing, and...taking down the Christmas lights.

Yeah, who wins the Wifey of the Year award? This girl.

I even had lunch with some girlfriends yesterday and had time to get in some shopping. It was superb. We are absolutely loving this weather.

So, shopping made me remember something I forgot to blog about. Although it's something I would prefer to forget.

This post should really be titled "The Truth Sucks."

Rewind to about 4 weeks ago. Brian and I were doing some last minute Christmas shopping and were in a hurry. He dropped me off at Crate and Barrel and headed over to Dick's with Carson. As I'm checking out at C&B, the cashier looks at me and says,

"When are you due?"

BAM!

Like a brick hitting me in the face.

After a few seconds of silence (I was in shock and embarrassed). I responded with, "Um, I had him 3 weeks ago."

Silence (from both parties).

Trust me, I wanted to hurdle that counter and go Teresa Guidice on her ass.

But I didn't. I smiled as she gave me a look of pity and apologized.

Moral of this story? Don't ever, I repeat, EVER ask a woman when she is due unless you absolutely, with 100% certainty know she is pregnant.

Lucky for that cashier, I wasn't just a gal with a few extra LBs or spare tire.

The truth and sucky part to this story? Your stomach doesn't return to normal right after popping out a kid. In fact, it takes a long time. At least for most.

But it's okay. I've come to terms with my muffin top for now. Thank god I can wear my fat girl jeans with the belly band and feel somewhat normal. The belly band sort of helps suck everything in.

This pregnancy stuff is life and body changing I tell ya. I'm convinced I will never wear a 2-piece again.

So, I didn't smack the bitch, but I wanted to.

In other news, sparkles are back in! I know they have always been somewhat in style, but I seemed to come across a lot more of them on my shopping outing.

I just love this sweater I got. Not too flattering for the belly, but I know with time, it will get better.

But this one does great things for the belly. Nice and loose fitting.

Love the pattern.

And I scored some jeans that actually fit me well for $19.95 at H&M. Can't beat that! No size reveal for you...ha!

I keep wondering when Kansas City is going to get winter weather. The large knit sweaters and Uggs are collecting some dust.

For now, I'll enjoy the amazing sunshine and my afternoon strolls with my baby. Only 5 more weeks until I go back to work. Not looking forward to that day. There will be monsoons and overflowing rivers. Being away from my little angel is going to be tough.

Although the truth can sometimes be ugly, life is sweet.

Something for a Soon-to-be-Daddy

When I was 9 months pregnant and carrying my haus of a child (yep, my sweet baby was 9+ pounds), packing a hospital bag was one of the last things I did. I know they tell you to have it ready within 6 weeks or something crazy like that, but I just somehow knew Carson was coming late.

As I threw in my granny panties and nipple cream (let's not sugar coat anything here), I decided Brian needed a Hospital Survival Kit. Let's be real, he was about to endure a fun-filled experience of his wife in labor and bear the brunt of my pain.

I envisioned f-bombs, insane hand squeezing, probably some name calling...mixed in with some, "Sorry to take this out on you babe."  I'm a sucker for pain and when you put that with my bossiness and dominant personality, you get a crazy pregnant lady with a spinning head like the chick in the Exorcist.

Lucky for Brian, I never got to the pushing stage and knew I wanted the drugs. And shockingly, I mentally controlled the contractions I had prior to the epi and was quite calm. I even surprised myself.

Back to the Hospital Survival Kit.

I gathered his favorite snacks (Beef Jerky, Zingers, Cheez Its, Reese's Pieces), granola bars, trail mix, some good magazines, Cherry Dr. Peppers, chap stick, Kleenex, movies, and adhered heartfelt, some funny, notes.

 

I really enjoyed seeing Brian's smile when I brought out the bag as we headed for the hospital to welcome our little one. I told him to read the notes only when he went for that item. So, throughout our three-day hospital stay, he not only enjoyed a snack (especially for the first 16 hours when I couldn't eat), but got to read a little note from Yours Truly.

And that's how you earn points with the soon-to-be daddy-o before cussing him out. :)

Due Date

That's right, I am 40 weeks plus one day today. And still no signs of baby coming. Boo.

Are we ready? You have no idea how ready we both are to have this baby here. The anticipation, waiting, anxiety, excitement, nervousness and elation are beyond their limits.

I've seen his crib empty for too long.
I've smiled as I washed all his clothes and put them away.
I've sat in the glider and rocked dreaming of him here.
I've laid fully awake at night unable to turn my mind off.

It's crazy to think that 40 weeks have come and gone, and he will finally be here no more than a week. 

We had an option to induce tomorrow morning, but decided it was best to not force him. We are going to give it one more week and see what happens. If he doesn't make his debut, by all means, I'm forcing him out!

We might have ourselves a little turkey baby, but as his soon-to-be Uncle Eric put it, "It will be the best Thanksgiving we've had to date!" Love how excited he is.

We're all excited.

But we're not so sure about this guy:

Jake knows something is up. For several months now, he has taken on some new interesting habits:

• Eating toilet paper: He has NEVER done this, but now we will find him pulling toilet paper off the roll or rummaging through the bathroom trashcans.
• Being attached to me: Jake is clearly Brian's dog. Don't get me wrong, I love him and he loves me, but Brian and him have an unexplainable bond. Well, Jake has found a new attachment to his momma.
• Sleeping in the nursery on the comfy white rug: We will find him sleeping in Baby K's room, a room he never used to go in. Maybe he just likes the rug, but I like to think he is excited to protect baby.

Oh, and eating sawdust. When Brian was making the floating shelves for the nursery, we caught him eating sawdust. What!? This dog typically never chews/eats weird things. Sorry Cal, no remotes or thongs for this pup:)!

So the waiting game continues. Hoping to have baby here very soon. My blogging will most definitely be spotty for awhile (who am I kidding, you're already used to that from the past 9 months!), but I'll do my best to post pics and updates.

Na, Nuh, Na, Nuh, Na, Nuh, Na -- Na, Nuh, Na Nuh, Nuh! -- Na Na Na Na Na (to the tune of the Final Jeopardy Round)

36 weeks & Busy As Can Be

Can you believe I am only two days shy of being 36 weeks!? I can't. It's just crazy how soon he will be here.

We've been extremely busy lately and on the go non-stop. I don't know how we have found time to finish the nursery between sporting events, family in town, showers, work and other miscellaneous things.

I went to my first Sporting KC game last week. It was quite the experience. The score ended at 2-2, and that was it. I was confused by that, but I guess that's just soccer. My favorite part were the fans. Soccer fans are SO loud and energetic. The entire game. I also enjoyed watching "The Cauldron" section. And the suite we were in thanks to Brian's company. I indulged on pretzel sticks with cheese, chicken wings and an ice cream bar. Baby K was in heaven.

Here's a few pics from some other things we have been up to:

How about them cats? Ranked 11? Unbelievable.

The Royal is always a great time. I didn't get to partake in the beer and dance party, but it was a good time. The smell of my clothes and hair when we got home was all to familiar to college...specifically Pats.

Mmm...beer. Root beer that is. I had never been to Noodles & Company before, so we tried it last week. I was stoked they had Root Beer in a bottle!

At class last week, the guys got to try out "The Empathy Belly." It's supposed to give them an idea of what the gals are going through. A body suit that weighs 25 pounds. LOL. Brian was a trooper. 

Belly to Belly pic. I look Chinese. I was laughing so hard because the body suit looked so small on him compared to some of the other guys.

And...here's a 35 week pic, with our new awesome stroller!

I don't know how my husband seems to always get his way talk me into purchasing something different than what we had planned, but it seems to happen a lot. See everyone, I'm not as bossy and dominant as you all think!? LOL.

Anyways, we went to the store to get our stroller/car seat travel system and ended up leaving with something completely different than what we had planned. I will say that Brian is extremely functional and always looks at the parts and pieces of things. This stroller was way more compact, lighter, and a lot easier to fold up.

I suggested we put Jake in it and give it a whirl around the block, but Brian didn't let me. He's a fun hater sometimes.

How far along: Almost 36 weeks
Size of Baby K (according to Baby Center): 6 pounds, 18 and 1/2 inches long
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Crenshaw melon...whatever that is
Total weight gain: Probably 25
Sleep: Getting better, but I now get up about every 2.5 hours to go to the bathroom. It's just preparing me for when he is here!
Movement: Still active. He is head down and should stay that way. The doc said it would be hard from him to make a turn at this point.
Unglamorous body changes: Some stretch marks just started popping up. Seriously. I am not happy.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular these days. Still just ice and anything cold. 
What I miss: Being able to easily pick my self up off the floor or get out of bed. It's so hard these days!
Strange experiences: Stares from strangers. It's quite odd...haven't you ever seen a pregnant lady before?
Milestones: At the end of week 36, I will be considered full term.
Best moment this week: Feeling accomplished. We have just about everything ready and it feels so good.

33 Weeks

Boy, have we been busy. Getting ready for the boy of course. Only 7 more weeks, which feels like an eternity, but it will be here before we know it.

We finally purchased a glider for the room, and it is starting to look more and more complete. Our accent wall of squares turned out great, I love the dark furniture, my sweet hubby made some awesome floating shelves that look like they were crafted by a professional, and the bedding is just plain adorable.

Pictures to come soon, promise.

We had our family in town last weekend and I had my first shower. It was so much fun! I'm not a huge fan of opening gifts in front of a bunch of people, but all the cute little baby boy stuff definitely makes me smile:). I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.

Our childbirth classes are going great. It's nice to hear what to expect (somewhat) and getting my brain prepared for what's to come. This week, we talked all about labor and delivery and the stages you go through. Did you know there is a whole stage dedicated solely to delivering the placenta? I didn't.

Get this...

There is a couple in our class that wants to keep the placenta. The teacher said to bring a cooler of ice to the hospital to take it home in.

Utter craziness, I say.

Sorry, I am not an advocate. In fact, I just think it's plain weird. I have actually heard of people keeping these in their freezers. Why!? Imagine reaching in for some frozen chicken and accidentally pulling out your placenta.

Bump Check...ready go!

How far along: 33 weeks
Size of Baby K (according to Baby Center): 4 pounds, 17 inches.
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Weighs as much as a pineapple
Total weight gain: I had a doctor appt on Tuesday and I have only gained 23 pounds! I was pretty happy to hear this because I truly thought it was more. At my shower, we played a little game, and someone guessed 15. LOL, this is why I love my friends:)
Sleep: Pretty much terrible this week, but Tylenol PM has helped tremendously the past two nights. I just can't seem to get comfortable. And if I wake up to go to the bathroom, it takes me hours to start snoozing again.
Movement: Active. I'm starting to get better at knowing whether it's his head, butt or foot when a bump protrudes from my belly. It's pretty surreal.
Unglamorous body changes: Eating is getting hard. I eat extremely slow and even if I don't eat much, I feel like I devoured a cow. Oh, and I'm also starting to get the "growth" line. It's not super dark, but I hear it goes away.
Food cravings: This isn't a food, but lots of ice water. Did I mention I didn't like ice in my water before? 
What I miss: Wine and cute clothes.
Strange experiences: I had a hair appt and drove to my stylist's old salon. The salon she left about 2 years ago. Pregnancy brain at its finest!
Milestones: He's starting to lose the wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening.
Best moment this week: Sitting in the new glider and just looking around the nursery imagining him here. :)

In a Fog: 32 weeks

Source: flickr.com via K on Pinterest

I drove into work this morning surrounded by a thick heavy Kansas fog.
That's how I feel lately.
Overwhelmed. Stressed. Consumed.

Are we ready? Do we have everything?
Have we prepared ourselves to bring a baby into this world?

The list is never ending and my moods are all over the place.
Brian is exhausted with my honey-dos.
Why can't I shut my mind off at night? I need sleep.
I don't want to think about gliders, going into labor or whether to use a bassinet.

Big changes to come. Only 8 more weeks.
What will we name him? We pretty much already know.
Will he look like mom or dad?
Will I know what do when he cries?

He will be loved. And the light of our world.
My outlook on life has already started to change.
I have a baby growing inside of me. A true miracle.
We are anxious for his arrival. And ready for our lives to change.

32 Week Update: Check out that bump!

How far along: Just a day shy of 32 weeks
Size of Baby K: Still think this is off, but I'll stick with Baby Center's updates: 3.75 pounds and 16.7 inches long.
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Weighs as much as a jicama.
Total weight gain: Who knows, I wish I would never have included this question!
Sleep: Bad back pain, getting up a lot, trying to get comfortable and shut my mind off...
Movement: Still very active and pushing on my bladder!
Unglamorous body changes: I feel huge and couldn't stop waddling if I tried. It's getting harder to breathe.
Food cravings: Nothing particular as of lately.
What I miss: Goat cheese! I had to order my favorite sandwich from Farmhouse in the River Market without it last week. If you haven't tried the Fried Green Tomato sandwich from here, you should! 
Strange experiences: Still getting sick occasionally aka vomiting. I think the prenatal vitamins are the culprit.
Milestones: He will gain a third to half his weight during the next 7 weeks.
Best moment this week: Getting closer to finishing the nursery. Still have a few small touches left. I can see the light...

We start our childbirth classes this week! Pray that I don't run out of the room scared out of my mind.

Um...thanks.

I never knew what it would be like to have strangers ask you questions about your pregnancy or co-workers comment on your growing belly, or to just have anyone and everyone give their opinions about your body changes.

Here are the comments I have received the past few weeks:

From the account rep at the video production company we use, woman. Hadn't seen me in 2 months:
"Wow...you're looking...round."

From co-worker, male:
"Where did that thing come from!?"

From complete stranger in store, woman:
"You're going to pop my dear."
My response: "I actually have a ways to go..."
"Oh really."

From co-worker, male:
"I saw you waddling in today as my wife was dropping me off for work in our minivan."

From neighbor, woman. You know the one...CN:
"You're looking quite plump these days!"

From co-worker, male:
"With what you're wearing today and your size, you look a lot like (Insert another co-worker's name here) did 3 years ago."
Sidenote: This person was not pregnant 3 years ago.

The more awkward part of these comments/conversations is the way they expect me to respond.

How do you react to something like that?

Um thanks...I know I'm growing, but my body just grew a brain. C'mon. I deserve some kudos.

29 weeks

Another week passed and I missed the 28 week update. Oops. Sorry.

The good news is that we are making some super-duper progress on Baby K's nursery. The trim and walls are painted and complete, we are just working on the accent wall. We hope to finish it up this weekend.

Brian loves taking these kind of pics.

The color on the wall looks gray in this photo, but I promise it's not. It's a muted blue. Brian thought it would come out looking gray, but he confirmed that I was right with the paint choice this time!

The furniture has also arrived, but is still sitting in the garage. I can't wait to see Brian put the crib together! He's pretty handy, but let's hope for an easy-peasy process. He had some struggles collapsing an exer-saucer we purchased from Heather's co-worker. I think every cuss word in the book was used before he finally figured it out. 

Another thing we have been tackling is trying to find daycare for our sweet little man. It is much harder than I thought it would be. If you want your child in the best daycare centers, simply sign up for another hefty monthly mortgage payment. Seriously, these centers charge $1,200 - 1,400 per month. It's just crazy.

Ok, how about a 29-week bump update?

How far along: 29 weeks
Size of Baby K: I'm now convinced this has been off all along. According to babycenter.com, Baby K is 15 inches long and 2.5 pounds. But according to the sonogram I had yesterday at my appointment, he is more than 3 pounds. Probably explains why he is in the 70% percentile. The technician said this was a nice size!
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Butternut Squash.
Total weight gain: 24 pounds, yikes. I think the average is 25-35 pounds. Hoping it slows down some:)
Sleep: Last night = horrible. Woke up at 2:30 to pee and couldn't get back to sleep until 4:30. Oh and the back pain is back, boo.
Movement: I'm his punching bag and I'm perfectly ok with that. I love feeling him move around in there so much.
Unglamorous body changes: Same as before, but bending over is harder than ever. It's even hard to get up off the floor from sorting laundry or putting on tennis shoes.
Food cravings: This past week was Chicken salad sandwiches (had one 3 different times for lunch) and sweets! Thanks to the baby shower and wedding I attended this past weekend.
What I miss: Cute clothes that make you feel sexy and being able to wear heels without your feet feeling like they were put through a meat grinder.
Strange experiences: All the lovely comments I have received lately from people including strangers. Post to come about this!
Milestones: His muscles and lungs are maturing and his head is getting bigger to accommodate his growing brain.
Best moment this week: Finding out that he has hair! The sonogram tech pointed it out to us. I was balled until I was one, so I am really hoping for Baby K to have hair still when I deliver:).

27 Weeks: Nursery Planning & New Ride

Hi friends!

I rolled over the 27 week mark this past week and am only three days shy of moving into the third trimester. Yikes! Boy, do I feel so behind. We are definitely making progress with the baby's room and getting prepared, but everything seems to take much longer than expected.

We have finally applied a coat of primer to the room (bye bye fugly lime green) and painted the trim white. Woohoo! It's one big white box as of now, but will soon be transformed into a cute, yet classy (hopefully!) nursery for Baby K. We are ready for paint, just struggling a bit with paint colors/ideas. The furniture comes Friday, so let's keep our fingers crossed that we get a whole lot done this week. Here's our thoughts as of today. Yes, it changes daily:)

I hope to have a mini-reveal soon.

Speaking of mini...we got a new family vehicle! Introducing our new ride:

A mini van!!

Ok, just kidding. We didn't get a minivan, but I will say that they are super functional and definitely made for having a family. I've made a road trip in the Greens', and they are quite comfortable.

Rather, we picked up a Toyota Highlander. It was only a matter of time before the Mazda had to go. Brian loved this car, but it is much too small for a baby and all their gear.

Bye bye Mazda. Brian was pretty sad, but he's pretty excited about our new family car.

So spacious! Now, when we travel, I don't have to worry about Jakey Boy trampling Baby K in the back seat. Jake can have the third row all to himself!

I didn't like the whole "buying a car" process and how long it took last weekend, but we are both in love. And...we sold Brian's car in three days on Craigs List. Yes, three days. I'm a pretty happy lady. I semi-pushed for us to do a trade in, because I was so nervous we weren't going to be able to sell it quickly on our own. However, Brian ensured me it would happen. Sure enough, a 16 year-old girl from Branson. MO, now drives it. 

Time for an update on the protruding belly and Baby K.

How far along: 27 weeks
Size of Baby K: 14.5 inches long, almost 2 pounds
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Head of cauliflower. (What!? Some of these are weird!)
Total weight gain: Still don't know...probably 20 pounds. Doc appt next week.
Sleep: Seems to be better lately, back pain isn't as bad as it was surprisingly
Movement: I think we might have a future soccer player. Or just a little man who can kick some ass.
Unglamorous body changes: Ready for some honesty? Gas! Yep, major symptom of pregnancy. Pretty much sucks.
Food cravings: This week was Thai food for some reason. Had it twice. Yummy.
What I miss: Sipping on a glass of wine on the back deck
Strange experiences: Having bigger boobs! I was the girl who was called "Kansas" in middle school because I had no hills, so this change is weird for me. I finally bit the bullet and had to go buy new bras. Why? Because my normal ones have too much lift/under pad and were making me look like a pregnant chick that was trying to flaunt her ta-tas.
Milestones: He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes and sucking his fingers!
Best moment this week: Planning the nursery

26 Weeks

Another week down and another week closer to the third trimester! Only two more weeks. Can you believe it? I seriously feel like just yesterday I was living the easy life with no worries.

These days, my mind is consumed with daycare, child birthing classes and what brand of bottles to register for. Boy has life changed for me.

We accomplished a lot this past weekend on the baby front. We started cleaning out the baby's room (currently an office), started registering, and purchased baby furniture! I have no idea where we are going to put all this crap and make room for all the baby stuff, but I'm taking it one day at a time. Who knew that a tiny little person needs so many accessories? A swing, a bouncer, an exer-saucer, a jumping swing...the list goes on and on.

This is the future room of Baby K. Don't worry, we will be saying buh-bye to that horrible lime green. This was the color the previous owners had it...it's quite fugly in its current state, but was actually quite cute for their little girl. They had it accented with pink.  

 Most of the crap that was in the closet. It was definitely our "junk closet." Some of our finds were quite interesting, including:

• A DU composite from 2000 (I laughed at how much hair Brian and all his friends had back then! Ha!)
• The x-ray from Brian's skiing injury in Colorado
• Old College binders, files, folders and projects (Hello...Media Planning proposal, why did I keep you?)
• A Cox cable connector box from my apartment in Manhattan
• Ten baskets (Why do I keep everything?)
• Our Unity Candle from our wedding
• A caricature drawing of Brian and I
• A cork board of college pics that hung in my college house on Bertrand
• A travel bag that had sand lingering at the bottom

And we had to say goodbye to that office furniture. Sold it for some much needed moo-lah!

Now for a prego update!

How far along: 26 weeks
Size of Baby K: 14 inches, a pound and two thirds  (he's growing like crazy!)
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): English Hothouse Cucumber
Total weight gain: Not sure...and I'm not sure I want to know:)
Sleep: Still just middle of the road. It's definitely better when your husband doesn't wake you up after coming home after midnight from work happy hours.
Movement: Still very active. My favorite is when you can see him move from just looking at my belly.
Unglamorous body changes: Growing outwards, swollen hands (my ring is fitting more snug)
Food cravings: Still anything cold! Watermelon, I can't get enough. And for some strange reason Caesar salads.
What I miss: Summer Shandy
Strange experiences: Got sick exactly one week ago 15 minutes after going to bed. It was odd, however, I have had other strange vomiting experiences since the sickness has passed. One time, about 6 weeks ago, I had to run out of Nebraska Furniture Mart to throw up in a bush. No lie.
Milestones: His testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum -- a trip that will take about two to three days. How's that for a milestone!?
Best moment this week: Purchasing baby furniture and registering!

Prego Update (Finally!): 25 weeks

Well friends, it has been almost a month since I last blogged. Sigh.

What have I turned into!? I really never thought this blog would fall so flat, but let me give you a little insight as to what my life has been like lately.

Yes, I'm pregnant and tired, and I complain about me feet and my back (did I mention how hot it is outside, holy smokes), but to be completely honest, this blog doesn't suck due to baby Kutter. Well maybe just a little.

We have traveled somewhere every weekend in July. Yep, four weekends in a row for me. And three of those include long nights staying up past 1:00 AM. Watch out folks, this lady is looking for some props! Or just a cookie. I really like cookies these days. And ice cream. Or both, mixed together. Blizzard, anyone?

If you ask me, I'm a pretty active prego chick. I have all kinds of fun trips and adventures with friends to tell you about (with tons of pictures). But really, I haven't had one minute to even think about blogging. However, my counterpart at work gets back next week! Can I get an All-eh-freakin-lu-ya? OMG, I am so pumped to not have to work so many hours.

I am now 25 weeks pregnant and boy do I have a baby bump. I swear it showed up over night. Even a guy at work said "Man, you are really starting to look pregnant!" I replied with a sarcastic, "Why Thank you." He then proceeded to say he didn't notice it much until now. Well thank you coworker, thank you for pointing out the obvious fact that I have a baby growing inside of me and it's only going to get bigger. Have you seen how tall my husband is? I swear, if this kid is more than 9 pounds, I might have a heart attack. Don't get me wrong, I want a healthy baby boy, but I'd prefer he stay under 8 pounds. My goods will appreciate it:).

In other news, I got a promotion at work. Wahoo! I am now big timin' it with a senior in front of my previous title. My responsibilities haven't changed one bit, but I'm a happy camper.

So, a good friend of mine pointed out one of her friend's blogs to me: It's called Cubbies and Nooks. She is prego and blogs about her experiences in the most hilarious ways possible. I literally almost peed myself when she started using words such as dookie and miracle shit and provided funny illustrations with her posts. I wish I was that funny. Check it out if you want a good laugh.

Well after reading some of her posts, it made me realize just how sucky I have been with this blog and documenting this beautiful time in my life. I know I will want to go back someday and read all about my glamorous experience:). Right?

Anyways, she inspired me to write more about how I'm feeling and what's going on with all these crazy changes, so I have stolen her nifty idea of prego tidbits and slightly altered it. I plan to do this weekly from now until baby comes. It's a goal people, so don't get your hopes up!

This week you get 2 updates because I am very behind: 23 and 25 weeks

How far along: 23 weeks
Size of Baby K: 11 inches, just a little over 1 pound
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Mango
Total weight gain: I had gained 10 pounds at 21 weeks so maybe 12? We don't have a scale at home, so this will be hard for me to keep track of accurately.
Sleep: OK. Not great. Back pain sucks. And I wake up 2-3 times a night to pee.
Movement: A few flutters, but no kicks:(
Unglamorous body changes: getting bigger of course, almost non-existent belly button (not an outty yet), darker veins
Food cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. Ice cream, pickles, anything cold. The weird thing is...before pregnancy, I didn't like ice in my water or beverages. Now, I can't get enough of it.
What I miss: My daily cup of coffee. I still have it a couple times a week, but not every day.
Strange experiences: Brushing my teeth makes me gag. This started very early on when I was really sick and has since continued. I wonder if it will ever go back to normal post pregnancy?
Milestones: Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds his keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now - such as Jake barking or the vacuum won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.
Best moment this week: Started really thinking about the nursery and getting excited for the planning. We are SO behind, but will soon enough have a nursery.

How far along: 25 weeks
Size of Baby K: 13 1/2 inches, a pound a half
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): Rutabaga. Go ahead, click the link. I didn't know what this was either:).
Total weight gain: I had a doc appt this week, so this is accurate! 14 pounds.
Sleep: Still pretty mediocre. Thinking I might need to see a chiropractor.
Movement: YES! Kicks galore! And ones you can see. What a surreal experience.
Unglamorous body changes: The obvious - getting bigger, starting to not see my feet, thicker hair (even my hair stylist noticed)
Food cravings: Icee's from gas stations. Love them. Probably because of the coldness.
What I miss: Being able to wear whatever I want. My wardrobe choices are slowly diminishing to fewer and fewer choices. Boo.
Strange experiences: Hot feet. Brian calls them my "heaters". I can't sleep with my feet under the covers, so they hang out over the side of the bed. I have even had Brian put bags of frozen vegetables on them. It's pretty much heaven.
Milestones: His wrinkled skin is beginning to smooth out and he's starting to look more like an actual newborn baby. He's also growing more hair - if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.
Best moment this week: Seeing Brian's excitement when he felt Baby K kick for the first time.

You might be wondering why I look like absolute crap in the above photo. Well, it's because I had the worst experiences with air conditioning yesterday. At the doctor's office, the power had went out --- so no AC. I was absolutely miserable for an hour straight. Then, I had to stop by Hobby Lobby on my way home and it seemed that the AC wasn't on. I was sweating bullets. I asked the cashier what was going on and she replied, "Yeah, we haven't had AC for 3 weeks." What!? That's insane! It was 110 degrees yesterday! So, I was forced to shower right when I got home. I felt disgusting.

More posts to come on our recent adventures. Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week!

Baby K Revealed

I signed into my blog today for the first time in weeks. Where have I been? The dashboard/backend has completely changed and I don't typically do very well with change. Why is the editing window so freakin' small? I better get used to it though because life is about to change big time come November!

The Kutters have been busy...including finding out what we're having.

It was such a cool experience. And one that I will never forget.

The Ledbetters hosted a revealing party for us and it was so much fun! We really enjoyed sharing our special news with some of our closest friends.

Here's how it works:
Each person comes wearing the color of shirt they think the baby is. Blue was very popular.

Next step, the parents-to-be come out wearing the color of shirt of what they are having. And if you want to include the whole fam, include your dog!

And the verdict is...

IT'S A BOY!!

 Jakey is going to be a big brother!

He had a bow on when we first came out, but that didn't last too long.

Thanks to everyone who made it to the party! We appreciate all your love and support!

Now, time for the sonogram pics!

 

Other than the exciting news of our little man, we are busier than ever. Sorry blogging has taken the back burner for me, but I promise to step it back up someday.

Next up, something every weekend in July and then hopefully we can plan the little stud's nursery and get registered!

Wishing everyone a great weekend!!!