33 Week Update

I'm now 33 weeks pregnant & Reese weighs a little over 4 pounds, measuring at about 17 inches long. She's the size of a pineapple this week!



How am I feeling? Positively exhausted the past couple of days! I'm really uncomfortable & had a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions yesterday. Work was tiring & Cam wanted to go the park after I got home, so I was pretty worn out after our trek there & back. I started to get a little concerned when they woke me up at midnight & even considered going to the hospital, but they ended up subsiding & I fell back to sleep. I'm trying to slow down today which is not easy for me, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to deliver a healthy full-term baby girl.



Any new changes this week? I got sick about a month ago in the middle of the night with horrific pain in my stomach, side & back with nausea & vomiting. I thought it was a fluke because of something I ate, but when it happened again this weekend, I realized I'm actually having gallbladder attacks. After a high fat meal on Saturday evening, I woke up at 1am with the exact same symptoms as a month ago. After waking Mike up, he went online & I was having every symptom of a gallbladder attack. It lasted almost 3 hours & was seriously as painful as labor at times! Normally I don't eat high fat meals, but there are those days or special occasions where it does happen. I'm going to talk to my OB at my appointment Monday, but I can tell you that I'm scared to eat these days in fear of going through that pain again. I'll be sticking to low-fat meals for now though.

Otherwise, Reese is doing good, moving TONS & growing like a weed! I'm so thankful to be having a healthy pregnancy so far & want to keep it that way.



Weight gain? 12.5 pounds. I lost a half pound between last week & this week... maybe because of the gallbladder thing? Maybe because I was running mad with Cam's birthday & party?

Cam's Birthday Weekend

In the pictures above, you'll see my two year-old little boy & in the pictures below, you'll see my three year-old little boy! Doesn't he look so much more mature as a three year-old?! Granted, they were only taken about 14 hours apart, but still...



We had quite the whirlwind weekend celebrating the birth of my favorite son! You can hop over to Cam's blog to see more pictures from his fabulous birthday weekend! I still can't believe my little guy is three!

My Baby Boy is THREE!!

I cannot believe that my Cameron Michael is three today!! We love every minute spent with our boy & thank God everyday for blessing our lives with such an amazing, sweet child.





Cameron's birthday is so much more special to me than my own since it was a day that changed my life forever. He was born at 6:54 pm after only a little more than three hours of extremely intense labor. This fits his personality to a T since he's not the most patient little guy! When reading my friend Lauren's blog earlier this year, I discovered the words of an incredibly touching book that brings tears to my eyes each time I read it. After the first time I read it, I knew I wanted to buy this book for Cam for his next birthday so that's exactly what we did.

On the Night You Were Born

By Nancy Tillman

On the night you were born,
The moon smiled with such wonder
That the stars peeked in to see you
And the night wind whispered,
"Life will never be the same."
Because there had never been anyone like you... ever in the world.
So enchanted with you were the wind & the rain
That they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.
It sailed through the farmland
High on the breeze... Over the ocean & through the trees...
Until everyone heard it & everyone knew
Of the one & only ever you.
Not once had there been such eyes,
Such a nose, such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.
When the polar bears heard, they danced until dawn.
From faraway places, the geese flew home.
The moon stayed up until morning the next day.
And non of the ladybugs flew away.
So whenever you doubt just how special you are
And you wonder who loves you, how much & how far,
Listen for the geese honking high in the sky.
(They're singing a song to remember you by.)
Or notice the bears asleep a the zoo.
(It's because they've been dancing all night for you!)
Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.
(Listen closely, it's whispering your name again!)
If the moon stays up until morning one day,
Or a ladybug lands & decides to stay,
Or a little bird sits at your window awhile,
It's because they're all hoping to see you smile...
For never before in story or rhyme
(Not even once upon a time)
Has the world ever known you, my friend,
And it never will, not ever again...
Heaven blew every trumpet
And played every horn
On the wonderful, marvelous
Night you were born.

So Cameron, it is my wish for you that you never forget how absolutely, positively special you are! Mommy & Daddy could not ever ask for a more loving, funny & unique son as you are. The book is so true when it says, "There had never been anyone like you.. ever in the world." Thank you so much for blessing our lives... we could not imagine life without you. Happy 3rd birthday, my beautiful, amazing baby boy! We love you more than you'll ever know.

32 Week Update

Holy cow, I cannot believe I'm now eight months pregnant! Where has the time gone?! This week Reese weighs about 3.75 pounds & is 16.7 inches long. She's now gaining about a 1/2 pound a week & will gain a third to a half of her birth weight from now until then! Things are only getting tighter in that cramped belly of mine!



How am I feeling? Same discomfort of pelvic, back, rib & sternum pain. This week has been especially bad since I've been really stressed since we've had some bad news in our family. We were told a week & a half ago that Mike's Aunt Elaine was given only 6 months to live after discovering that her uterine cancer had spread. We were so devastated to hear that since we love & adore her so much & actually thought she was doing well. Unfortunately we didn't often get to see Aunt Elaine since she lived in Illinois. Well, at the end of last week we got the call that Aunt Elaine had passed. As heartbroken as we are, we're thankful that her suffering wasn't prolonged & she passed in her sleep in the comfort of her own home. Mike just got home from been out of town since Saturday for the funeral & then work so things have been pretty hectic around here. Not to mention that I made the long trek to Ft. Lauderdale for my Uncle Keith's wedding this weekend. The wedding was on the beach & absolutely gorgeous, but I felt a little low since Mike & Cam were supposed to be there with me. Thankfully Matt & Kelly volunteered to watch Cam so that I didn't have to drag him nearly ten hours in the car by myself & I was able to relax & enjoy the wedding. We are so incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends.






Any new changes this week? More leg swelling! BOO! This time it's been more consistent which makes me think it's probably here to stay. It seems that my body tries to get rid of the excess fluid at night which makes me run to the bathroom quite often. In addition to that, I've also been waking up a horrible sweaty mess in the middle of the night which is so gross! I also had quite a bit of Braxton Hicks contractions since last week from all the running I was doing but they seem to have lessened so far this week.

I had a routine OB check-up yesterday & all looks wonderful. My doctor said that Reese's growth is right on track. As he was trying to listen to her heartbeat, she was jumping all over the place which was funny. The doctor even commented, Holy cow, she's having a party in there! That's my active girl!

Weight gain? 13 pounds.

And here are some pictures from my uncle's wedding on Saturday...



I was finally able to meet my cousin Kristin's daughter, Maggie & catch up with her & her husband, Timmy. Maggie is 2 months old so there will be a 4 month difference between her & Reese.



The wedding location was perfect!



And after 21 years together, they finally tied the knot! So happy for Uncle Keith & Amy!

31 Week Update

Here I am at 31 weeks & Reese is measuring at nearly 16 inches!! That is insane to me! She weighs about 3.3 pounds & will be getting bigger very quickly with a growth spurt on the way.



How am I feeling? Very uncomfortable. My lower back feels super weak & sore as does my pelvis. Work continues to be really busy & I'm spending a lot of time on my feet, rushing around like a nut. I seriously cannot imagine what I'm going to feel like in a month or so when I'm already this uncomfortable. Compared to my pregnancy with Cam, I'm feeling way more uncomfortable sooner! My ribs & sternum have been feeling bruised in the evening & my leg cramps are in full force during sleep. Last night would have been extremely amusing had there been a camera filming me attempt to leap out of bed from a dead sleep & find it very difficult to stand up. As I was struck with a horrid left calf cramp, my right ankle cramped & I seriously could not get out of bed! It was awful. Unbenounced to me, Mike noticed me struggling while he was in his sleep but later told me that he fell back to sleep before he could actually assist me. Nice! I've also been having Braxton Hicks contractions here & there, especially when I'm really stressed & busy.

Anything new this week? I got my RhoGAM shot yesterday since I'm Rh negative. If Reese is Rh positive, I'll get another shot after she's born. BUT, since Mike is Rh negative like me, there's no way she'll be positive. And when he reads this, Mike will joke, That's if I'm the father. Ha ha, he he, ho ho!

Weight gain? Still 12 pounds.

Disney Vacation

Recently we made the decision to take a mini Disney vacation to celebrate Cam's 3rd birthday instead of throwing him a big party. I figured it would be a great way to take our last trip as a family of three before Reese arrives in November. We've gone to Chicago a couple of times since Cam has been born, but I consider this our first true family vacation.



After checking into our hotel on Thursday afternoon, swimming & relaxing, we headed out for an evening at Downtown Disney. We had an absolute blast at the T-Rex Cafe which I would recommend to any family with kids. Granted, it's definitely not cheap, but worth it for a special occasion. Cam was in awe of everything around him as we ate. We took advantage of the cooler weather & strolled around Downtown Disney after dinner. It was so wonderful to feel an actual cool-ish breeze after months of constant heat & humidity. Hop over to Cam's Blog to see pictures from the T-Rex Cafe & our breakfast with the characters on Saturday morning.



Friday morning we excitedly headed out for the Magic Kingdom. I was almost as excited as Cameron since it's been so long that I've spent a full day there.... probably 15+ years.



Cam couldn't wait to see Cinderella's Castle so when he first spotted it, we were all super excited!



We planned this trip for when school would be back in session & crowds would be less & it could not have been more perfect. We basically had zero lines the entire day & walked onto any ride we wanted.





We even caught a cool 3D show! Reese wanted to try on my glasses & have a looksie too...





Cam even grabbed a 45 minute nap & it he was rearing to go afterwards.



We hit every single ride we wanted to go on! Cam's first ride ended up being the Haunted Mansion & I wasn't sure how he'd react to it. He seemed fine but I'm not so sure he loved it since Mike heard him say, I don't like rides! after we were off. Oops! But I rode everything as a kid & I'm hoping Cam will be the same & not be afraid of everything so I was trying not to make a big deal out of it. I think he'll end up being one of those kids who loves roller-coasters, but we'll see.





As we decided we were ready to leave the park, we posed for one last picture in front of Cinderella's Castle when the sky opened up & we were stuck in a horrific storm.



We got soaked as we made our way to the front of the park & had to finally take shelter when it was far too bad to make it back to the monorail. Luckily we did because I haven't seen lightning bolts like this in a long time!



I cannot tell you just how much fun we had on our mini vacation. Cam was an absolute angel & it was just so great to have a few days of solid family time. I seriously enjoyed every second of it & will never forget our first true family vacation.

30 Week Update

I cannot believe I've hit the 30 week mark! That's always seemed like a big milestone to me in pregnancy.. the home stretch! Reese weighs almost 3 pounds & is 15.7 inches long at the size of a cabbage. She's my Cabbage Patch Kid!

Oh & I look like a worn down old lady in this week's picture because that exactly what I felt like! Mike took this while I was still in my scrubs & not yet showered. I've retired my scrub top since it no longer fits over my belly!



How am I feeling? At the moment? Exhausted! Work was super busy the past two days & I put in longer hours. I've been getting us packed for our Disney mini vacation since I got home today so I am wiped! I cannot wait to have our first real family vacation! We're taking Cam for his third birthday as a last hurrah before he has to share the limelight with his sister. The weather isn't supposed to be as hot as it normally is so hopefully I survive our long day at the Magic Kingdom on Friday. Cameron is going to be in awe of everything he sees!

Otherwise I felt great over the long weekend, but as soon as it was back to work on Tuesday, I felt like crap yet again. I am SO much more achy & in pain in my hips, pelvis & back on workdays & it has to be related to the stress, extra time on my feet & lack of relaxation.

Any new changes this week? I had a routine OB check-up yesterday which was thankfully uneventful. I'll be seeing the doctor every two weeks until I hit 36 weeks & begin my weekly visits. My swelling has been off & on & luckily off way more than on. But anytime I'm on my feet too much & not drinking enough water, I can feel the tightness in my legs & feet. Yuck!

Weight gain? 12 pounds.

What's For Dinner?

Yesterday we had a nice, open afternoon so I decided to make an eggplant Parmesan recipe I had seen on the Food Network.



This would be a good recipe for anyone who is vegetarian.



It's not great as a weeknight meal since it does take some time (unless you make it ahead of time), especially if you follow the step of salting the eggplant slices for an hour to remove their bitter juices. But, it's perfect for a weekend meal to serve a crowd. If you don't plan on serving many, you could always freeze a good amount like we did. I've been wanting to make & freeze meals for when Reese is born, so this worked out very well. We used jarred sauce instead of making our own.



It was cheesy deliciousness! Click here for the recipe.



And trust me when I say you won't regret it!

Long Weekend

It is so incredibly nice to be in the midst of a long, holiday weekend! Having that one extra day off of work makes all the difference in the world!



We're enjoying our time together as a family this weekend & have spent time with friends too. Before heading to Matt & Kelly's house yesterday, Cam was able to play in the bath. Mommy was able to multi-task by cleaning the bathroom as he played in the tub! That kid could seriously spend hours in the tub if I let him. Luckily now that he's older I'm able to get things done as he bathes. Many times I'll sit on the floor outside the bathroom & fold laundry as he plays. Or I'll tidy up his room which is right next to the bathroom, popping in & out to check on him. He's a good boy though & just uses his imagination to play with his toys & cars in the tub.



He loves to play the "dumping" game where we pretend we really don't want him to dump his toys but he does anyway. We say, Don't dump it! Don't dump it! And he gets a huge smile on his face & dumps the whole thing. Such a stinker.



Before church this morning we're heading to Panera since a certain chocolate croissant caught my eye when I was there Friday & has been calling to me since! We have absolutely no plans after church which I'm very excited about. Last weekend we were gone from early morning until Cam's bedtime both Saturday & Sunday so we had zero downtime & no time to get anything done around the house. It will be nice to get some things done & just relax.



Unfortunately on Friday as I was hanging out with Cam in his room, he bashed his chin on his bed & bit his lip. Luckily it wasn't his teeth that were affected but the poor guy was gushing blood from his mouth & screaming as we tried to ice his lip. He's a tough cookie though & hasn't been fazed by it since.



Tomorrow morning we'll be heading to Lauren & Josh's pool & then relaxing before it's back to work. But, we only have two days of work since we head to Disney on Thursday to celebrate Cam's 3rd birthday. I cannot wait to enjoy a weekend getaway with my family!

Hope everyone is having a nice, long weekend!!

29 Week Update

I'm now 29 weeks pregnant & Reese weighs about 2.5 pounds at 15" long & is the size of a butternut squash!



How am I feeling? I haven't taken iron this entire pregnancy since I had such an intolerance to it when I was pregnant with Cameron & lately I've been suspecting that I could possibly be anemic. I've found that I'm short of breath a lot, have heart palpitations at times & just feel so worn down. A lot of these symptoms could just be related to the pregnancy in general, but I know I'm at a greater risk for anemia now that I'm in my 7th month of pregnancy & my little Reese is needing more & more from me. It's standard for doctors to test for anemia at the beginning of pregnancy & I was fine then, but it's rare to be anemic that early on. Once you hit about 20 weeks, you're at increased risk because of the rise in blood volume & the baby's additional needs. So, I've started taking a liquid iron supplement called Floradix that is more easily absorbed & kinder to the GI tract! I've also changed my prenatal to a whole foods vitamin containing iron which is also better tolerated & can even be taken on an empty stomach. And to top that off, I'm taking a probiotic supplement to help with digestion.

Since I'm a dietitian, I know what I should be eating each day but it's not always easy when things get hectic. I've started making a breakfast fruit smoothie each morning with a scoop of ground flax seed for a dose of omega-3s & a serving of Metamucil. I feel like a 90 year-old woman on the mission to keep things moving! And speaking of moving, I've also been wearing my new pregnancy "girdle" to help with the pelvic pain & pressure I've been dealing with. Nothing makes me feel sexier than when I strap that bad boy on each day! Getting ready for work has begun to feel like a science experiment with all my belts, straps & contraptions!



Any new changes this week? Besides my list from above? No, not really!

Weight gain? 10.5 pounds.