33 Weeks

33 Weeks

Brady and I enjoying our last day of Spring Break

How far along: 33 Weeks

Gender: Boy

Weight gain: This past Wednesday I weighed in at 136.9. So I'll round down and take 136! : )

Maternity clothes: On and off... I have been wearing a lot of gym clothes as we were out of school this week. However, the bathing suit in this week's picture is maternity. You can find it here. If anyone is going to be pregnant during the summer I definitely suggest it.

Stretch marks: Nope, but I have feeling they are coming. My skin has been feeling pretty tight.

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: I was sleeping great until about Thursday around 3 am. I woke up with killer cramps and lower back pain. I thought it was just Braxton Hicks. However, there was no regular or irregular intervals to watch. Just cramping. I did call the Dr. She said take two tylenol and drink a ton of water. Also, to take it easy and sleep on my left side. I followed her directions and have felt great ever since.

Best moment this week: Brian and I opted to stay home this weekend versus going to Hilton Head on vaca. I was kinda bummed, but now I am so glad we stayed. We got a ton done in Brady's room and I spring cleaned like it was going out of style. It was such a relaxing week. Plus, I got my maternity photos done! I LOVE them! Post to come.

Worst moment this week: Right now... knowing that school is starting back up tomorrow.

Miss anything: Nothing new.

Movement: TONS! I am loving this stage of pregnancy for the most part. I feel Brady move all the time and I am starting to be able to make out hands from feet and his head from his butt. Love this little guy so much!

Cravings: Watermelon and sugared corn on the cob. However, I think that is due to the season, not so much the pregnancy.

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: I am ready to bust out the next 5 weeks of school! We are so close to the end for sure! Also, our pool opened up this weekend. I can't wait to spend the next few weekends by the lake and poolside. Lastly, my college besties are throwing me my big baby shower next weekend! I can't wait to see everyone and spend time celebrating Brady!

32 Weeks and Charleston Shower

32 Weeks

Can we take a second to agree that my baby daddy is so fine!!!!!!! 

How far along: 32 Weeks today!

Gender: Boy

Weight gain: I jumped on the scale at my parents' house and it weighed in right at 136 (same as last week). I'll be able to have a more definite number at my appointment in a few days.

Maternity clothes: Yep! I have been wearing a lot of Old Navy and Gap's maternity tee's. They are super comfortable and you can dress them up or down. The dress from my shower is not maternity however. It was purchased at TJ Maxx.

Stretch marks: Nope! My mom thought she saw one the other day, but I quickly informed her that it was an indention from my leggings. (I may be slightly in denial if I happen to have a few at the end of this venture.)

Belly button in or out: Still in, but I am quickly becoming familiar with what the inside of a belly button looks like. Shouldn't be a few more weeks until I have the whole view!

Sleep: Really well the last few days. I have pulled out the body pillow and that has really helped.

Best moment this week: My baby shower in Charleston was absolutely beautiful. My mom and sister did a fantastic job putting it all together. It was so nice to have my closest family and friends there to celebrate. Plus we scored some awesome shower gifts that I am so excited to use when Brady makes his debut.

Worst moment this week: We are still working in the sunroom/playroom. Hopefully we will have most of the work done by the end of the week. (...and by "we" I mean Brian.)

Miss anything: Nothing comes to mind other than usuals.

Movement: A ton! The coolest moment of the week was being in our church's Easter service tonight. As we were singing Brady went crazy. It was like he was praising God with us! I'll admit it; I definitely had a hormonal mom moment and teared up.

Cravings: Same old, same old.

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: SPRING BREAK!

Now for a recap of our shower in Charleston:

 My mom and sister decided on a nautical theme.  It was even more beautiful in person! I wish I would have snapped a few more pictures (and better quality at that), but as always I was caught up in the moment of it all.

 Mema and Mom 

Aunt Wanda 

Only the best Aunt ever! She has taught me everything I know about being an awesome Aunt! 

Kelly, my hilariously fun sister

I can only imagine what kinda trouble her and Brady will get into.

My sister planned some really fun games that included a candy bar matching game and guess how many M&M's are in the bottle. Excitedly, I won that game! I am pretty sure I have eaten 400 of the 440 that were in there! We also played the measure that mama's belly size game. Not a fan. However, no one cut their yarn too, too big so I was able to avoid a hormonal break down. 

One of the other exciting moments of the shower was meeting this guy.

                          

My best friend, Martha, brought her 5 week old baby boy to meet his Aunt Randi!

Kane is one of the best babies! He was so chill and had such a sweet disposition the whole shower. I kept telling Brady to take notes. Also, I think we can all agree that Martha looks AMAZING for having a 9 lb. baby only 5 weeks ago!

A few of the other guests included my sister-in-law, Martha's mom, Marcia, and a few close family friends! Also, a big thank you to Brian's mom and sisters who couldn't make it, but were still super sweet to have Brady in their thoughts by sending some really fun gifts. 

We have received some really awesome items that I can't wait to use. Keep an eye out for some of our favs later this week. 

Thank you again to everyone who attended and "showered" us with love! Brian and I couldn't be more thankful for your graciousness and involvement as we prepare for Brady's arrival. 

31 Weeks

31 Weeks 

(Sorry for such an awful picture. We were super rushed for church this morning!)

How far along: 31 Weeks

Gender: Boy

Weight gain: Still at 135, but now that I am having biweekly checkups I will be able to update more frequently.

Maternity clothes: Oh yea!

Stretch marks: Nope. Fingers still crossed...

Belly button in or out: In, but shallow

Sleep: Some nights are better than others. I have started to use my body pillow more often and that helps with comfort. However, the leg cramps are back with a vengeance. I am really increasing the water intake and praying hard that they subside and quick.

Best moment this week: This week we took the entire fifth grade to Charleston. As tired as I was, it was a true privilege to experience so many "firsts" with my kiddos. Many of my students have never been on a big out of town trip. Watching their faces as they got to see and experience new things made all of the walking and exhaustion completely worth it. I felt as if I was getting a sneak peak of how magical it is going to be watching Brady hit milestones and grow.

Worst moment this week: Brian and I are in the process of claiming the dry rotted wall through our insurance company. Because we have chosen this route we may be at the mercy of their timeline versus ours. We are praying that the work is completed quickly and smoothly so that we aren't brining a newborn into a demo zone. Hopefully, we will have an answer by this week!

Miss anything: To sum it up: alcohol, sleep, my bikini (Word to the wise: Do NOT try on your pre-preggo bathing suit while 30 weeks pregnant and hormonal. It ain't pretty), and keeping up with all the non pregnant people out there.

Movement: Tons! The last two days have been different though. I am pretty sure little man is floating down under. I have felt a lot more pressure in my lower abdomen. I won't complain though because the relief my ribs are getting right now is AH-MAZING!

Cravings: Still anything fresh and fruity. Mama is LOVING avocados. Sadly, the store was fresh out this week. Bummer.

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: This upcoming weekend is my Charleston baby shower. I am so excited because it will be only close friends and family from home. I can't wait to spend time with those that are closest to me. This is including my best friend's, Martha, precious little boy. He is only a few weeks old and I have been dying to meet him! Also, SPRING BREAK! I have a massive to-do list, but Brian and I are making time for a few relaxing moments on the lake and at the pool! Such fun memories to make.

30 Weeks and Baby Shower #2

30 Weeks

How far along: 30 weeks! Yay for being in the 30's.

Gender: Bouncing Baby Boy

Weight gain: Went to the doctor today and weighed in at 135. That is a total gain of 16 pounds. My personal goal is to stay under 25 pounds total. Not sure if that is realistic or not...

Maternity clothes: YES! A huge thank you to my sweet friend co-worker, Abbie, who gave me a ton of maternity pants. Included were those super cute skinnies I am wearing in this week's pictures.

Stretch marks: Nope. Religiously slapping on the Palmer's 1-2x a day.

Belly button in or out: Still in, but it is definitely starting to become much more shallow by the day.

Sleep: This has been the toughest part of this pregnancy recently. (Which I guess means I have very little to fuss about.) As my uterus grows the more uncomfortable certain positions become. Sleeping on my sides are out of the question because its puts more pressure on my ribs. However, sleeping on my back has never been natural. Sooooooo.... I normally dose in and out of consciousness until my 2:00 am and 5:00 am potty breaks. : )

Best moment this week: Definitely my second baby shower. I had a co-shower with my friend, Jada. She is having a little boy, Samuel, who is due about the same time Brady is! We had the best time spending time with our girlfriends and sipping on margaritas (virgin, of course).

Worst moment this week: I have been struggling with comfort the last week and a half. I feel great at work while I am standing up and teaching (thank you, Jesus!). It is when I get in the car or want to relax at the end of a long work day that everything seems to hurt. I am working on wearing more comfortable clothes and stretching out during the day. Hopefully these will be easy little fixes.

Miss anything: After having a couple super tasty virgin margaritas at the shower I was hit with the overwhelming desire to gulp down a 'real' margarita. Can't wait for beach weather and a cold pitcher of lime goodness.

Movement: Tons and tons.

Cravings: Margaritas and such

Queasy or sick: Nope

Looking forward to: The fifth grade has a million exciting events coming up. This week they will be going on an overnight trip to Charleston. Next week is a Carowinds field trip and field day and then we are straight into Spring Break and Easter!

Now for a recap of Baby Shower #2.

A HUGE thank you to our friend, Brittany. She is a new mommy and was gracious enough to open up her home to host. There were so many awesome appetizers, along with an amazing lemon grilled chicken. But, as always, my favorite was dessert and drinks. I loved the peanut butter cupcakes and lemon-lime margaritas.

This shower was so fun because it allowed our small group of girlfriends from church to spend some much needed time together.  Everyone was able to make it and Jada and I were thrilled to celebrate these two special boys. 

 I am pretty sure I started crying while reading this card.  Hormones hit me out of nowhere!

 I absolutely loved the framed tux/suit creation from our friend Elizabeth. She always gives her personal art as part of her gift to friends. So, needless to say, I couldn't wait to see what she did for us. LOVE! I have already rearranged Brady's collage wall to make it fit.  Keep an eye out for it during the final nursery reveal!

Again, thank you to all the girls for joining us at the shower and for playing such an important role in my support system as a future mom, wife, and friend. Each of you bring something different to the table and I could imagine our small group being as wonderful as it is without all of you.

And as always one last BIG thank you to Ms. Kris of Kristin Dustman Photography. Definitely check out some of her other work as she updates her facebook page.

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.