Vacation and MOVEMENT!

An 8 hour car ride is not particularly fun while pregnant but we managed.  Dan didn't complain about having to stop at every other rest stop on the way up or that he had to drive the whole time while I sat in a reclined chair.  He's a trooper!  The dogs are so well behaved in the car so that really helped too!

Although Fenway figured out how to open the windows on his own so we pulled over to make sure the child locks were set on the doors in case he tried to figure out how to open the door too!

Baby Girl had lots of firsts during our trip to MA.  She went to her first Red Sox game at Fenway Park and saw the Red Sox win!

She went to her first wedding and danced (more on that in a minute)!
 

She went on her first boat ride and got a great tour of Boston Harbor.

Look at the size difference of the bump in just 4 days!

She went for her first ocean swim too but I'll spare you the bathing suit picture.

But the best first of all, we got to feel Baby Girl move!  On the first Saturday of our vacation I thought I might have felt a little movement when I was lying in bed, it just felt like little bubbles and I got excited but didn't tell anyone in case it was just in my head , I wanted to feel her move so badly.  Then the next day we went to Dan's Uncle's wedding.  When the DJ blasted the music for the bridal party to enter I swear I felt some flutters in my stomach, Baby Girl was dancing!  But again, it was just quick little movements so I wasn't so sure.  But then on Sunday night when I was lying in bed I felt a full out kick, then a second!  I woke Dan up and had him put his hand on my belly and he felt it too!  She was practicing her Rockettes high kicks.  Every night since then I feel her moving in there, it's not always as strong as that first night, but there's no doubting it's her! 

Week 22 Update and Pictures!

Okay, I'm a little late on this one, only 2 more days till week 23!  At week 22 Baby Girl is 11 inches long, the length of a spaghetti squash!  This is the head to toe length now that her legs are more proportional!  She was busy this week, aside from growing another half an inch she is developing tooth buds below her gums and her eyes have formed but the irises still lack pigmentation.  Her pancreas is also developing this week!  Her skin is sporting deep wrinkles because it's expecting a layer of padding (fat) to fill it in. 

We spent the last week in Massachusetts between my parents' house and a rental on the beach with Dan's family.  It was an awesome time and I can't say I'm glad to be back home.  Our vacation included lots of firsts for Baby Girl, including MOVEMENT, but that deserves its own separate post so expect that shortly!

My baby bump tripled in size over the past two weeks!  I'll blame it on the relaxation and the yummy vacation food!  I loved being in the ocean, the water was clear enough to see my feet even when I was up to my shoulders, and the waves were small enough that I didn't have to worry about getting knocked over; it was so relaxing and refreshing!  Both Baby Girl and I were spoiled all week long and I must say, while it took a bit of getting used to, I enjoyed everyone offering me the most comfortable seats and not letting me carry anything!  Baby Girl was showered with gifts this week too.  There's no doubting that this little girl will want for nothing!  She got so many beautiful outfits and accessories, her first teddy bear, her first dolly, a nice comfy play mat, and Aunt Ami even gave her her first international gift, beautiful booties from Switzerland!

Now it's back to reality but I decided I'm not going to stress. Our nursery still needs a lot of work before I can get in there and organize Baby Girl's things and decorate.  Dan will be traveling a lot for work starting next weekend but my parent's have offered to come down to help get the nursery in order.  Dan's been worrying that he'll be on travel when I go in to labor but I haven't stressed about that either.  I'll more than likely be in labor for quite a while so he'll have some time to get home.  The delivery is not going to be a fun time, that I know, but the moment we meet our beautiful girl will be amazing and it will be special whether he is there for the full delivery, just catches the very end, or meets her in the hospital after she's been all cleaned up. I know his August schedule so I'm just going to schedule the childbirth class for a day that I know he's home, yes 3 months away is way early to take the class, but I'd rather just take it while I know he's home! And apparently I have a lot to learn, I've been asked a few times what my birth plan is...right now it involves 3 steps; call the doctor, get to the hospital, and get Baby Girl out of me.  There's more to plan than that?

Here's my squash photo shoot from the beach!  The south shore has some gigantic spaghetti squashes and they scared me a bit, so I went with the slightly smaller looking butternut squash instead, but everyone agreed that it looked to be 11 inches. Excuse my squinting, the sun was way too bright.
 

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 4 lbs overall.  Yes that’s another 3 pound weight gain from last week, but I’m sure that pattern won’t continue now that I’m back from vacation! 

Maternity clothes?  Yes!  Although I’m getting frustrated with maternity shirts, they are not made for short people and even with my belly they are still way too long.  I asked the clerk at the maternity store for advice and she just assured me that they’d fit by 7 months; great, what am I supposed to wear for the next 2?

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  I just expect to wake up twice a night. 

 

Best moment this week:  MOVEMENT!!!!! 

Miss Anything?  I’m pretty content this week. 

Movement:  Yes!  Separate post to come…

Food cravings: Nothing in particular but I had my fill of seafood last week! :-)

 Anything making you queasy or sick: Bananas, Sweet Potatoes, and the trash can.

Have you started to show yet:  Yes, I am obviously pregnant! 

Gender prediction: Woo Hoo!  Baby Veale is a girl! 

 

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!  

Looking forward to: Picking out bedding for the nursery. I haven't found anything I'm in love with yet, except an overpriced crib skirt so I'm hoping to find something else.  I'm planning on checking out a different store this week.

Baby's first Sox game!

We took Baby Girl Veale to her very first game at Fenway on the 19th against the Chicago White Sox.  We went with Baby Girl's Grammy, Grandpa, and Auntie Deb.  Fenway is always a great time with an amazing atmosphere and great people.  But this was turning out to be a boring game.  The White Sox led by one run for most of the game and hardly anyone from either team was getting hits.  But the 9th inning made it awesome!  Ross came up to the plate and got a walk off home run so the Red Sox won by 2!

I may have a new craving that's unfortunately $7 a bag...Fenway Park's kettle corn is AMAZING! The 7pm game had us out way past my bed time and I passed out as soon as we got back in the car!  All in all it was a great night and a great start to our vacation.

Carrot Photo Shoot!

I can't believe there is a 10.5 inch long baby in there!!!  I wish I could do the pictures from the beach every week!

Week 21 Update!

This week Baby Girl Veale is 10.5 inches long, the length of a carrot!  This week her eyebrows have grown and her eye lids are developed.  Her main focus right now is to grow and gain weight!

Not too much has changed on my end this week aside from an ever growing belly.  I've been feeling great and eating well.  Our 9 hour car ride was much more pleasant than the one a few weeks ago, I lasted 7 hours into it before my back started hurting from the seat, the last time it happened 5 minutes in!  And it would have been an 8 hour car ride had it not been for the hourly rest stop breaks!

The rest of this week and all of next week we are spending in Massachusetts.  I spent half the day yesterday in the pool and it felt fabulous.  The weightlessness in the water definitely relieved a lot of the pressure I've been feeling.  It's so great to see all of our family and we are already having a great time.  Tonight we are heading to Fenway for a Sox game!

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Up 1 pound!!!  That's a three pound increase from last week...so that's what mac and cheese does to a body!  While I'm hoping to continue to gain, I'll have to keep an eye out so it doesn't continue to be a 3 pound a week gain!

Maternity clothes?  Yes! I can still wear most of my non maternity dresses and tops and I just bought a size up in regular sizes for a bathing suit but maternity pants and shorts are amazing!!!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  SO uncomfortable at night lately.  I think I only got a half an hour of sleep on Sunday night in 5 minute increments.

Best moment this week: Spending time with family and friends and hanging out in the pool!

Miss Anything?  I’m pretty content this week. 

Movement: No L  Come on Baby, start letting me know you are there!

Food cravings: Nothing in particular but I have been loving mac and cheese and pasta in general.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still can't eat bananas or sweet potatoes and the smell from the trash can is still the most horrible thing aside from cigarette smoke.

Have you started to show yet:  Yes! 

Gender prediction: Woo Hoo!  Baby Veale is a girl! 

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!  

Looking forward to: The beach!  Also, Dan getting the floors done in the nursery so we can set up the crib and also the dresser, I need somewhere to put all of these adorable new outfits we're receiving!  

Banana Photo Shoot

I was hesitant to post these because I was too comfy to change out of my sweatpants for the picture and I have crazy hair going on, but I guess that's just part of the joys of pregnancy so here ya go! The belly is definitely growing!

The next few posts will be from Massachusetts!  Are you so excited?  I am!  This week's produce shot will be in front of a pool and next week's on the beach!  I wish I could be so lucky every week!

Pink.

No banana pictures yet, we've been busy the past two days picking up the crib and dresser!  The boxes are so big that they both could not fit into the SUV together so we split the trips up over two days (of course I didn't complain about two trips to Babies R Us in a row!)  Turns out the crib box wouldn't fit into the back of the SUV alone either so we put it up on the roof!  We were quite the sight.  Dan tied it tightly to the roof looping the rope through both the rear and front windows.  Then we went to get into the car and realized we could not open the doors because of the rope.  So he had me climb in through the back hatch (wearing a dress, that was fun) and sit in the back seat and then he jumped through his window to get in.  We got lots of stares from people on the drive home, but WE GOT THE CRIB!  But both boxes are sitting on the fist level because we can't set them up until the floors get done, so now I'm even more anxious for that project to get completed! 

But this delay in being able to jump in and start the nursery is giving me even more time to think about how to decorate.  As soon as we left the anatomy scan Dan said to me "so now how do you want to do the nursery?"  (Keep in mind we really thought we were having a boy and had great plans for a Red Sox nursery, so now it was back to the drawing board.)  Without hesitation I replied "PINK!"  Dan laughed and said "anything else?"  I had to think about this one for a second, I mean what else is there?  But I did come back with "Sparkles!" Yes, this little girl is going to be a princess. After some playing around on Etsy I decided that pink and flowers will be the theme instead of sparkles, haha!  Here's some of my inspiration pictures:

 Flower Wall Decals

Our walls are already a similar shade of blue, just a little brighter.

 

 Flower Name Letters

Now we just need a name...

 Tiered Ruffle Crib Skirt

Week 20 Update! Halfway!!!

This week our baby girl is the length of a banana, 6.5 inches!  This is just the crown to rump length so the legs add to that as well.  I can’t believe she’s already that big!  This week she is developing the sleep pattern she will most likely adhere to as a newborn.  Once I start to feel movement I should be able to tell whether we’ll have a night owl or an early bird on our hands!  From here on out Baby girl will spend most of her time growing and gaining weight and so will I!  :-)

Today marks the halfway point!  20 more weeks to go!  What’s going through my mind?  It goes something like this “ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!!!!”  While I am so excited to be able to hold my little girl, I’m a little nervous about all that’s left to do.  I’ve been reading so much about what to expect during pregnancy but what do I do with an actual baby?  We’re signing up for a baby care class because I’m so nervous.  There’s also a nursery to set up, lots of supplies to buy, and registering for the hospital and day care.  I also can’t help but get a little teary eyed.  In 20 weeks I’ll have to share Baby girl with the world.  Right now she’s all mine, 24 hours a day I know where she is, right with me!  :-)  Yes this is completely irrational and I’d rather have an actual baby than a bump but if I’m being completely honest, it makes me a little sad!

It appears that my forgetfulness has increased this week.  I have an awful time remembering names now.  I’m often times saying “I ran into COL……….ah…..” and having to have the person I’m talking to jump in to save me.  I don’t know what it is but if I start assigning everyone new names then just bear with me for 20 more weeks!

How far along? 20 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  down 2 lbs overall.  That’s up a pound from last week.  Soon Baby girl will start gaining weight more rapidly so I will too!

Maternity clothes?  Yes!  I now own 2 maternity dresses, 2 skirts, 1 pair of pants, and 4 shirts.  I can still make a lot of my non maternity clothing work but maternity clothes are way more comfortable.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Better, I have only been waking up once a night lately. 

Best moment this week:  Finding out Baby Veale is a girl!  And getting to see her during the anatomy scan and learning that she’s perfect and hearing her heartbeat…yes, it was a good week!

Miss Anything?  I’m pretty content this week. 

Movement: No L  Come on Baby, start letting me know you are there!

Food cravings: Nothing in particular but I have been eating a lot of ice cream/frozen yogurt, soup, and salad.

 Anything making you queasy or sick: I’m doing much better on this front.  The trash can is all that’s really making me sick and I still can’t eat pork but can handle a little bacon if it’s mixed in to something.

Have you started to show yet:  Yes!  I have a bump.  It’s still not too obvious in a lot of outfits but if I wear the right thing then people can definitely tell!

Gender prediction: Woo Hoo!  Baby Veale is a girl! 

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!  But I do get teary eyed easily…let’s blame it on the extra female hormones in my system!

Looking forward to: The beach!  Also, Dan getting the floors done in the nursery so we can set up the crib, hint hint HINT! 

It's a....

A baby girl!  Baby Veale is a she!

The anatomy scan was wonderful!  Baby girl's limbs and organs all measured perfectly for her age and our due date is still set for November 28th.  According to the ultrasound Baby girl is almost a pound! The doctor told me to keep doing what I'm doing because everything was great. So I will continue to eat ice cream once a day because clearly that's what is making Baby girl grow.

The 20 week scan was much different from our last at 13 weeks.  The 13 week scan showed all of Baby girl on one screen with plenty of room to flip around and wiggle her arms and legs.  This time Baby girl looked squished in there. I guess the bigger she gets the more squished she'll be!  She was a little bashful at first and put both arms across her face.  She was trying to hide from the camera.  But as the scan went on she became a little ham and was posing with her hand flipped beneath her chin.  Near the end she was getting tired of all the probing around and rested with her hand behind her head.

Yes, family, I did get to take home some pictures and you'll see them soon when we visit, but in the mean time I feel a little funny letting the internet view the inside of my uterus!!!

Dan and I are still in shock.  We were both convinced that our little girl was a boy; we even had a great name picked out and were really set on it.  We were both so surprised to find out that we are having a little girl!  I'm so excited and think that raising a girl will be so much fun (and expensive, there's so many adorable things to buy for little girls...) but I can't help but be a little nervous.  Teenage boys seem so much easier than teenage girls and I shudder a little at the thought.  And poor Baby girl, her Daddy has already been pondering ways to chase off the boys!  But we have quite a lot of time to enjoy our little princess before we have to worry about that stage!  :-)

Baby girl Veale is already spoiled!  Her Nana and Aunts went shopping for her already and got quite the bounty!  We may as well start calling her Princess Veale!

  I am so excited for a future filled with pink, flowers, sparkles, and tutus...not that that's any different than now, but I'll have someone else to share pink things with! :-)

Anatomy Scan

Today is our second trimester anatomy scan.  The doctor will measure Baby Veale from crown to cute little rump.  They'll examine the four chambers of the heart, the spine, brain, kidneys, bladder, stomach, and sex organs.  So we should find out today if Baby Veale is a he or a she!!!  The main purpose of this scan is to make sure Baby V is growing appropriately and that our due date is correct.  I'm so nervous to find out if Baby is healthy but so excited to get to see him or her and to find out whether I should be saying "him" or "her" from now on! 

Mango Photo Shoot!

This week Baby Veale is the size of a mango at 6 inches long.  Well apparently, Northern Virginia does not get good mangoes in July because the biggest mango at the store was only 4 inches long.  Not that I'm crazy enough to pull out a tape measure and see how long the mango is...  So pretend this mango is 2 inches longer!

Don't eat the baby prop, Fenway!!!

Bump's growing!

Week 19 Update!

This week Baby Veale is the size of a large mango, 6 inches long and half a pound!  Baby Veale is developing nerve cells in his or her brain for his or her sense of smell, taste, sight, and sound.  And hair may be starting to sprout from his or her scalp.  By this time next week I should no longer have to say "his or her"!  Yay!

We had an eventful week and got to spend four days up in Massachusetts with family.  My appetite has grown significantly this week and I am eating much more than I had been able to thus far into the pregnancy.  I'm sure the weight gain will start soon, I have done a lot of reading that suggests gaining a pound a week for the rest of the pregnancy is normal.  I still find it hard to grasp that I might gain 25 pounds, can I really get that big?

My belly did expand over the weekend (due to baby or the party and two cookouts???) and I certainly look pregnant to everyone who knows that I am but I still doubt it's obvious to strangers, especially since I've been living in baggy clothing.  I did flaunt the baby bump in a bikini at the cookout this weekend, definitely the most comfortable option.

Today I'm wearing maternity clothes for the first time and, my oh my, are they comfortable (thanks Melissa)!  I'm now also convinced that I need to get down to Motherhood Maternity because these pants and shirt fit so well and are nice enough for work.

And to end, here's a shot of how we have to walk Wally on his least favorite day of the year, the 4th of July (Excuse the blurry quality, Dan tried to get an action shot).  He is so scared of Fireworks that he tried to drag me home and was just choking himself with his martingale collar...

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Down 3 lbs overall, but that's another .5 lb increase from last week!

Maternity clothes?  After a failed shopping attempt at Target I was scared maternity clothes would all fit horribly.  But Melissa let me borrow an outfit of hers and I have renewed faith in maternity clothing, I'll have to get out to Motherhood Maternity this weekend.  I'm wearing maternity pants and a top for the first time today and am so comfortable!

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep: Better! This week I've only been waking up once during the night.

 

Best moment this week:  Hearing Baby's heartbeat at my doctor's appointment,158 and strong!

Miss Anything?  Hhhmmmm, not really.
 

Movement: No :-(  The doctor assured me I'd feel Baby moving by 22 weeks and that there will be a consistent pattern by 26 weeks.

Food cravings: Nothing really.

Anything making you queasy or sick: anything with a strong scent.  Bacon (pork in general), sweet potatoes, bananas, and onions are still on the aversion list among many other things.

Have you started to show yet:  My belly has definitely grown but I doubt strangers would guess I'm pregnant.

Gender prediction: July 9^th can’t come soon enough!!!!

Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
 

Looking forward to: MONDAY!!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

Baby Veale and I (that's right, I'm a "we" now, I don't do anything alone) flew up to MA for the weekend for a surprise 60th wedding anniversary for my Grandparents.  They were truly surprised and it was such a wonderful event.

After 60 years they were kind enough to feed each other cake with a fork and not smear it in each others face. 

It was so great to be able to see my family and catch up, and they were all excited to see the Baby bump!  And we also got our thoughts verified; Baby Veale will in fact be one spoiled baby as Great Grammy and PopPop and Great Auntie Pat came bearing gifts.  How cute are these??

Baby's first stuffed animal:

Take a guess who this is from:

These adorable sleepers have foldover mittens, how smart!

Baby wasn't the only spoiled one, Mom treated me to a manicure and pedicure and she also turned the hot tub down to 96 degrees so that I could go in.  It was amazingly relaxing and I think Baby enjoyed it too! And Dad V made some of my favorite dessert, pistachio lush, mmmmm!

We have another doctor's appointment today and will get to hear Baby's heartbeat!  I'm so looking forward to it!