29 Weeks, Pringles, & Hormones

29 Weeks

It sure has been a whirlwind in the Anderson household.  Between sharing a car, tiling our sunroom floor, and finding a major dry-rot surprise in one of the walls we have been trying to catch our breath all week. (I mean this just as much physically, as I do metaphorically.)  Through it all I am amazed at how calm and at peace we have felt with each big decision we have made.  I see God in so many aspects of our marriage as each trial leads us closer to Him.

However, hormones are still real no matter how calm and collected your disposition may be. To prove my point I have one story from this week that makes me laugh when I look back on it. Through all of the craziness in that last two weeks I have felt very confident in my ability to handle the day-to-day stress of my job as a 5th grade teacher.   If you have ever worked with kids you know that there can be those days where you just want to go home and drink.  I have had those days this year as I am sure I will every year.  Yet, I love what I do and who I do it with: the kids, my coworkers, my administrators. It is a great calling and I am thankful to be a part of it. 

On this particular day we (my kids and I) had had a GREAT day.  They were rocking out their work and I felt like my A game was on. It was towards the end of the day and it was time for self-selected reading.  This is a time where I conference with small groups while the remainder of the class finds a comfy area to read and enjoy their snack.  I was feeling good as the kids broke for their spots and then it happened. One of my boys grabbed his snack pack of Pringles and placed the entirety of the contents in his hand.  It was at this moment that his reading buddy thought it was a wonderful idea to clap his hands together and throw all of the cracked and crumbled Pringles into the air. In that very instant my energized, cheerful mood switched like a spark.  I felt rage start from my toes and rise all the way to the tip of my scalp.  Never in my life have I felt such a change of mood so quickly.  Both boys were giggling as it happened and then they saw my face.  Their faces changed just as quickly as my mood when their eyes met mine.

Thankfully my mentor, Diane, walked in and could tell something was up.  She told me to take a walk for a couple of minutes while she watched my class.  I was met in the hallway by our school nanny. (She is literally a nanny/volunteer. She cares for us by bestowing wisdom and spoiling the fifth grade team rotten.) If you don't have a work nanny you should really invest in one! She calmed me down instantly and I was able to return to our classroom.  I am pretty sure if the two of them hadn't intersected in that moment I would have done something drastic.... like take snack away for the rest of the year! Who knows what I was capable of in that moment. 

This situation taught me three things: 1. Pregnant women should not be held accountable for anything they say or do in a moment of hormonal rage, 2. Every pregnant woman should have a support system to care for them in these moments and 3. One Pringle is made up of a million small, annoying crumbs that you will never completely be able to clean up. (Note: I am still finding them throughout my classroom... ugh.) 

Now on to this week's stats.

How far along: 29 Weeks

Gender: Boy

Weight gain: I weighed in at 132 at this week's apt. My total weight gain has been 13 pounds.

Maternity clothes: My co-workers told me it was time to buy real maternity pants. My pre-pregnancy pants no longer zip like they did in prior weeks. This makes them saggy in the butt and thighs but tight in the waste. Not a good look. So... I bought some skinny jeans from Blushmaternity.com. We will see in the girls approve once they come in.

Stretch marks: Nope.

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: This is where I feel the most pregnant. I am struggling to get comfortable still. I have a body pillow I have never used from our guest room that I am going to try this week. We will see how that goes.

Best moment this week: So many great things! I passed my glucose test and finally got my hair done did! Also, we had a Macy's gift card left over from Christmas that I found. This allowed me to get the Jack Rogers (or as Brian calls them "Jolly Ranchers") sandals I have been drooling over.

Worst moment this week: We have been told that our car is STILL NOT ready after two and half weeks in the shop. We are beyond ready to have our car back.

Miss anything: Nothing comes to mind.

Movement: YES! Brady likes to post up in my right rib cage. I will push him downwards. He will then proceed to kick me in the lower stomach and float back up to my ribs. Brian thinks he is propelling himself back up when he kicks.

Cravings: Avocados. YUM! Oh, and ice coffee but with limitations, of course.

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: Having our sunroom (old dining room) tiled and new windows (due to the dry rot around the old ones) put in! I am can't wait to start decorating that space.

28 Weeks

28 Weeks!

How far along: 28 Weeks I still can't believe we are already in the third trimester. This pregnancy is flying!

Gender: Boy

Weight gain: I am guessing around 10 pounds still. I don't feel like I have on much this week. I have my next check up this week so I can be more approximate.

Maternity clothes: Surprisingly the green pants in my pic are NOT maternity and I was able to button them with no belly band... as for the rest of my wardrobe, it's quickly diminishing. I did, however, find out that ROSS has a maternity section. It is extremely small, but well-priced. I bought two dresses, two shirts, and one bathing suit. The suit is not maternity, but is serving for motivation purposes.

Stretch marks: Nope

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: This has been the first week I have "felt" pregnant. I have had virtually no real pregnancy symptoms. This week changed all of that. The first few night I woke up 3 to 4 times with the worst charlie horses ever... like I literally woke up cursing it hurt so bad. I asked around at work and the verdict was I needed to up my potassium and water intake. I began to eat a banana at every meal and I doubled up on my water. Finally, no more cramps! Crisis adverted. Now if I can just figure out how to stop peeing every 90 minutes.

Best moment this week: Sadly, Brian has been working all weekend, but that has left lots of extra free time to redecorate the house in the spirit of spring. We are beginning to clear out our formal dining room to make way for a great sitting/ play room for when Brady gets here. Also, since the accident last week little man has NOT stopped moving. It is so reassuring to know he is healthy and active. I am trying to savor every little kick and punch.

Worst moment this week: Not being comfortable at night. Wah!

Miss anything: Just ready for Summer!

Movement: Lots and lots!

Cravings: I am loving avocados. I am definitely loading up my pinterest board on different recipes. Also, smoothies are one of my favorites as the warmer weather starts up.

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: I am heading to Charleston this weekend to visit family! Excited to love on my little niece and spend time with the parents.

Nursery Preview

Baby boy's room has been such a fun project.  Most of our around the house projects require stripping, sanding, and painting. This one though has been straight up decor with a few crafts thrown in. Such a nice change of pace for sure. 

We stuck with the navy blue color.  This particular color is called the "writer's ink cup". When the sun shines in it does have a more teal appeal, but overall I feel it definitely has a navy hue. 

                

The crib is one of my favorite pieces in our house. It is a Jenny Lind. We found ours on craigslist for $100. However, you can find the same one here.  I also love the teddy bear.  It was Brian's when he was a little boy and I can't wait to see Brady holding it!

I have been playing with the prints collage above the crib for a while, but I am finally happy with the results.  All of the prints, except the compass print, were free printables via pinterest.  I purchased the compass print from etsy. You can view that print along with some other great pieces at MKKMDesigns. She has some awesome travel prints and is super quick with responses. As for the frames, most of them were purchased at goodwill.  The bottom wood frame, along with the gray driftwood on the top left were found at TJMaxx. 

Originally I planned to purchase some spice racks or this awesome Pottery Barn shelf for Brady's books. However, I am big fan of up-cycling decor.  So when I remembered having these white shelves (all handy-me downs from mom) I thought why not put them to good use! The same went for the shelf with the baskets and hooks.  I decided to hang it lower so that when Brady is more mobile he can hang his coats all by himself. (Wishful thinking, I know.)  The boat is another sentimental piece from Brian's childhood. I loved the contrast of the dark wood and white paint. As for the toy box, that was a treasure find at a yard sale years ago.  $5 dollars and two samples of yellow/green paint later Brady had a fun colored piece that will store all of his fun things. I am still debating on whether to stencil his name or leave it plain.

On the opposite side of the room is Brady's dresser/changing table.  We found a gorgeous piece on craigslist for $70.00.  We debated on painting it white or leaving it the beautiful cherry color.  The natural wood won.  I was somewhat skeptical but once we took off the plain knobs and replaced them with the navy and white compass pieces (Hobby Lobby) I fell in love. I am still working on decorating the pedestal side.   I have found a really cool vintage brass tray that will hold some cool glass jars. More pics to come on that later. Also, Brian is in the process of building a wood beam that will hang above the dresser.  I got the idea from my inspiration picture. 

Below are some cool pieces that I have been collected to place on the beam.  The baseball canvas was a gift from Brian's brother and sister-in law.  I purchased the bubble gum machine at a consignment sale.  The lantern was a $12 score at local thrift shop.  The anthropology-inspired 'B' and colored mason jar are DIY projects I completed over the snow days. I will share tutorials in a later post. 

                                      

My latest project was the DIY no-sew banner that will hang below the beam, above the changing table.  I absolutely love all of the colors and fabrics.  Full tutorial to come.

 

We are still on the hunt for the perfect glider, along with a few odds and ends we need to finish up.  All in all I feel that we have accomplished a ton and I am loving the overall look so far.  I can't wait to spend time playing games, reading books, and caring for our precious baby boy in this space. 

27 Weeks & all of life's blessings

27 Weeks

How far along: 27 Weeks

Gender: Boy

Weight gain: Brady weighs right around 1.5 pounds. As for me, I am up 9 pounds which puts my weight at 128.

Maternity clothes: I bought my first pair of maternity work trousers from Old Navy. OH MY GAH! I love having elastic versus buttons and zippers.

Stretch marks: Nope, thank you Palmer's.

Belly button in or out: Still in!

Sleep: Much better than last week. Definitely needed the extra rest, but I am loving the daylights savings time. A couple extra hours of daylight is so nice.

Miss anything: Nope

Movement: I did go a few days with no movement. I was somewhat worried, but thankfully after my monitoring at the hospital (see below) I was reassured that Brady is most definitely active and healthy.

Cravings: Nothing in particular. I am eating mostly cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, and apples. I am working on pulling in some more protein into my diet. However, meats aren't the most appealing.

Queasy or sick: NOPE!

Looking forward to: The weekend. I am hoping to finish up some of the decorating in Brady's nursery and begin planning the transformation from formal dining room to sunroom/playroom. More to come on that decorating venture very soon.

Worst & Best moment this week:

I wanted to put these two together this week.  As many of you know I was in a minor car accident yesterday morning.  Nothing serious, but being pregnant always makes the "minors" in life seem major. My commute to work is primarily 75% country backroads.  [Yes, I work in Gastonia.]

As I rounded one of the narrow curbs I hit a slick spot and fishtailed.  Due to the 45 MPH I was driving and the mix of gravel and wetness my overcorrection was a huge mistake. It caused me to spin twice and land in the ditch opposite of the direction I had been driving.  After a mini screaming meltdown by myself in the car I found my phone and called Brian. Being the amazing husband he is, he calmed me down and helped me assess myself.  I had no injuries, no pain, and the car seemed to still be able to drive. The worst damage at that point was the hideous mascara that was running down my face. Ummm... if you know me I am one of those ugly criers, so this was a pretty horrendous sight.

Brian had already left the house at this point and was at the scene within a few minutes. We looked at the car and decided we could drive it home and contact the insurance company from there.  On the way I called the doctor's office and they suggested I head to my hospital's birthing care unit to be monitored for a bit. In the meantime my fifth grade team shot into action.  DD (my mentor) subbed for my class, got lesson plans together, and found an additional sub for the rest of the day. Amy and Patti also were texting and calling to make sure I was okay.  I felt so loved and had such a sense of peace about being out.  If you are teacher you know the feeling of not having prepared for a sub at such short notice. (That  sub crate only gets you so far.)

As it would seem the worst was over... not even close. We got the car home and waited to set up a time for the collision agent to assess the car, which wouldn't be until the next day. So off we went in our SUV to uptown towards the hospital.  About five minutes down the road Brian noticed the temperature gauge shot up.  He thought maybe it was low on anti-freeze.  We stopped and re-filled the radiator; unfortunately, within a few miles we back to an empty radiator.  There was no way we were making it to the hospital in this car.  Again, small mini panic attack on my end.  Brian remained calm as a cucumber and so we began what seemed like an endless journey to the mechanic's.  Stop. Refill the radiator. Drive a few miles. Pull over. Repeat. Finally, we made it to the repair shop.

At this point we were out both of our cars and I still needed to get all the way to uptown to the hospital.  Amazingly, we were able to reach our friends who were vacationing in Hawaii.  They, without thinking twice, offered us their car until they returned. Again, we were shown tremendous support without any questions asked. As we arrived at the hospital we were prepared to wait the usual two hours to be seen and then another hour for the doctor. However, we were pleasantly surprised at how quickly they admitted us and how kind and loving the whole nursing staff was. We were given a "tour" of the birthing triage center that we will be using when the real deal happens.  Also, because we were there during the shift change we met many of the nurses we will be working with during L&D.  However, the best news we received was (after 4.5 hours of monitoring) Brady looked happy and healthy. We discussed on the way home how despite the long monitoring process how nice it was to spend uninterrupted time together, just our little family. We have been so busy working and staying busy with the house and baby prep that we haven't gotten much "us" time.

To sum it all up, I wanted to make this the "best & worst" part of the week because although this seemed like the day from Hell itself, Brian and I both agreed that God used this crazy day to show us so much of His goodness.  We had so many people reach out to us, offer us support, alternate transportation, meals, and prayer.  We also were able to take an average work day and spend some quality time in conversation that we unknowingly needed.  Lastly, we were thankful for His protection in my life and little Brady's.

"Give thanks to the Lord; for He is good, His mercy endureth forever." Psalm 106:1

25 and 26 Weeks

26 Weeks

I have definitely gotten behind the last few weeks, but I am rallying! Here is a recap on the last two weeks! 

How far along: 26, going on 27 weeks.

Gender: Boy

Weight gain: I had my last check up about a week and a half ago. My total weight gain was 8 pounds. I am guessing it went up another 1/2 to 1 pound since then. I am weighing in at 127ish. I am planning to start my Tracy Anderson preggo workout again this week as well.

Maternity clothes: Mostly the belly band. However, I am on the hunt for some long baseball t's and maxi dresses for the spring. My goal is to buy more versatile pieces that I can use to bridge the gap between pregnancy and the "fourth" trimester.

Stretch marks: Nope.

Belly button in or out: Still in

Sleep: I have slept great until the last two nights. I am not sure if was due to a different mattress or my growing belly, but I really struggled to get into a deep sleep. I found myself waking up a lot to rearrange pillows and switch to my other side because my hips hurt.

Best moment this week: Brady's room is pretty close to being done. I love sitting in there and just looking at all of his small things. I am putting together some pictures for a 'sneak peek' post this week. One of my biggest joys has been bringing his room to life!

Worst moment this week: My stomach is growing and I feel it 100%. I have felt most of ligaments and muscles in my abdomen stretching and pulling to accommodate this growing baby. Man, oh man, is it uncomfortable.

Miss anything: Sleeping however I want.

Movement: Tons! Most of it is really exciting. I have had a few jabs that making wanna yelp, but so thankful to know he is active.

Cravings: YES! With all of this warm weather I am dying for a cucumber martini or a strawberry mojito.

Queasy or sick: Nope!

Looking forward to: As I type this my best friend is in labor with her baby boy (a.ka. Brady's first bestie)! I cannot wait to meet him and hear all about her birth experience.