Bump Date - 34 Weeks!

How far along: 34 Weeks!! 42 days to go till my due date! Baby Size: The size of a cantaloupe, weighs a little over 4.75 pounds , and is almost 18 inches long.
Weight gain:  14 pounds 
Maternity clothes: mostly all maternity

Stretch marks: nothing new that I can see   Sleep: getting up several times a night to use the restroom, ok most nights.  My cold is mostly gone, the coughing gets really annoying.  The coughing is worse the more I talk and I am sure my husband would enjoy less talking from me.  :)    Gender: Baby BOY!!

Movement: All the time and loving it!  
Best moment this week: doctor appointment on Wednesday, hearing his heartbeat is a wonderful sound and hearing that he is growing at a perfect pace is just what I wanted to hear yesterday!   Looking forward to: my third baby shower on Saturday that my mom and sister are throwing for us!!!

Food cravings: fresh fruit, mexican food, iced tea ( when I am hungry, my appetite is still not all there)     Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing, just not really an appetite (still)   Labor Signs: None, let's keep it this way for another 4+ weeks!   What I miss: NOT using the bathroom every 5 seconds (at least that's what if feels like) and my energy   Symptoms: just the same as always, but I am not complaining.  I had a pretty easy pregnancy (except for the morning sickness), but other than that, it's been great!  My left foot swells everyday, but it's nothing that I can't fix with an ice pack and propping that foot up.
Nursery: almost done!!  I cannot wait to show you all!
Belly Button in or out? in/flat with my stomach, I'm ok with that!
Wedding rings on or off? On!  
my ring ON proof!  I am so glad I have been able to wear it this long!  It still fits the same as before pregnancy.
Mood: nothing too bad, just the usual.
Random Bullet Points

• We have scheduled the rest of my doctor's appointments to the end of this pregnancy!  I cannot believe that we only have 6 weeks till the due date!
• I am so incredibly happy with switching doctor's like we did at 20 weeks.  Best decision I've made in this entire pregnancy.
• Everyone tell's me how tiny I am and I would have to agree.  I cannot believe that I haven't gained a ton of weight.  It's really true though, everyone woman carries pregnancy differently.
• I need to start preparing hospital bags, car seat in car, finish baby room, photo dump my phone so it is clear for when baby boy makes his appearance, organize my desk at home, have Andy finish his list of things to do before baby
• 42 days away is a daunting number....not going to lie
• I've been really good about staying away from the baby stores and departments until after my showers.  
• We are not attending a birthing class, more on that on a later date
• I am attending a breast feeding class in August and am hoping to learn more than what I've already learned from books and the internet
• I am looking forward to my 12 week maternity leave.....seriously I really am!  I'll take sleepless nights over work right now.  haha
• I plan on working up until I go into labor.  I needed to start keeping a waterproof pad with me so that if my water breaks while I am working, than it wont be so embarrassing.  LOL

Motivation went out the window many months ago

That title above, that's true story right there!  As the weeks go by and my belly gets bigger and bigger, the motivation at work goes away more and more at a time.  I noticed today that it's starting to get harder to type at my desk.  Kinda funny when you think about it.  :)  

This weekend was all about Baby Shower #2 with Andy's family!  I was so excited to have my first official baby shower and then the anxiety rolled in....I have come to realize that I HATE to be the center of attention.  My wedding, I LOVED that I got to marry Andy, but hated that I was the center of attention.  

I will do a more detailed post about the Baby Shower on another date.  Reason being why I am delaying, I forgot to charge the battery for my DSLR and had to rely on my awesome friend Melissa to take photos and I need to get them from her.  Rookie mistake over here!  We did have a great time with family and friends and are ever thankful for their generosity and love towards this baby boy! 

Smokey was locked up in our bedroom for the weekend.  Trust me, he didn't suffer.  He had our room, our 2 walk in closets, our huge bathroom and of course I opened a window up for him everyday to look out.  Keeley was in heaven playing with her friends Wrigley and Meesha and was so worn out by Sunday afternoon.  The poor dog wasn't wanting to do much at all.

45 days till Baby K's due date!!

Got gas Thursday on my lunch and then met up with my friend Ali for lunch.  My 3.7 mile trip to Lion's Choice gave me 92.4 miles to the gallon.  If only it would stay that way!  :)  HAHA!

Smokey is free from our bedroom!  Here he is playing and letting his belly hang!  LOL

Keeley is already on guard duty lying next to the new stroller!

Keeley taking a nap on the bump!  LOVE!

Andy putting together the new stroller!! 

Chicco Liteaway Plus in Snapdragon

Andy putting together the high chair!

Chicco Polly High Chair - Equinox

Sorry for such a random and boring blog post, but until next time......  

Cutting Costs and Doing What's Right for our Family

Have you ever owned a car that you absolutely loved but knew it was in the best interest for you and your family to get rid of it and go with something cheaper?  Not only has that happened once to us, it's actually happened twice.  No, its not the end of the world and yes we are happy with our decision, but sometimes it's always nice to think about those cars with all those nice extras and comfort that we use to have.  :) 

Back in 2009 when Andy and I started dating, he had a 2007 bright red SRT8 Charger.  HE LOVED THIS CAR!  Only problem with the car was, the payment!  I think he was paying around $600 a month in car payments for this car.  This was fine when he was living at home with his parents. When we decided that we wanted to move in together, Andy decided that he could not keep his beloved Charger.  He went to the Kia dealership in February and purchased a 2010 Kia Forte Koup.  I didn't have much say in the car because we were really still in the new phase of a relationship and to be honest, it was still a nice car.  For him to get rid of his Charger to get a Kia which was way cheaper in payments, cheaper in insurance, and cheaper in gas, really showed me that he was ready to settle down and move in with me.  I still feel guilty every once in a while that he gave that car up for me, but he always reassures me that its OK.  

July of 2012 we decided to trade in my 2006 Scion TC (that was paid off) because it had over 100,000 miles on it and we really needed a car with 4 doors.  I had LOVED the Kia Optima's and we decided to pull the trigger and purchase one.  Not only did I have to have all of the fancy options in the car; heated and cooled seats, leather seats, dual temperature zones, heated back seats, bluetooth, sunroof, etc, but I also wanted the bright blue color.  You know the top of the line Kia Optima!  LOL!   I LOVED the car except for the car payments.  We could afford the payments but knew that something had to give once we were pregnant and knew daycare costs were coming.

May of 2014 Andy was trying to figure out ways to save us money.  We cut his cell phone bill down, we cut out the gym memberships (we weren't using them anyways), we cut back on frivolous spending and then we thought about our car payment.  The Kia Forte Koup is paid off but it is only 2 doors.  The Kia Optima was still being paid on and had a good 4 years to go on the loan.  We knew that if we could trade in the car for a used car, we could lower our payments and save that way.  We took the Optima in and had an estimate on how much we could get for it (we also Kelly Blue Booked it before hand) and then was offered a number.  We test drove a used 2012 black Toyota Prius with 33,000 miles on it.  We liked the car and even sat down and started figuring out numbers.  Andy said the decision was totally up to me and something told me that night to not do it.  So we walked.  We did some more research and found out that we could get a brand new Toyota Prius for $25 more a month in payments (from the used price, we were saving $75 a month in payments on a new Prius) and get 0% interest financing.  We would also get the 10 year warranty on the car (since the warranty on the battery in the hybrid made me the most nervous).  I emailed the sales guy with the exact VIN # of the car I was interested in.  I once again got to pick the color of the car and I reallllllly wanted the Blizzard Pearl color with grey interior, its basically white with sparkles in the paint.  He came back with a price for us and we spent several days deciding if we should go for it or not.  

That Saturday I decided to finally pull the trigger and lets go for it!  We decided to go to a couple more dealerships to see if they could get us a better price.  The first dealership is located off a really busy road but once you pulled into their parking lot and the lots of cars, you realized how HUGE the place was!  I drove back to the Prius' and I did not see a white one. They had a TON of Prius' but not the one I wanted. I was considering a silver color but Andy knew I wouldn't be happy in the end with a silver one.  We decided to leave since they didn't even have the car we wanted.  The next dealership we drove to they were busy but had the white Prius that I wanted.  Someone introduced themselves to us and said they would be with us as soon as they could.  While waiting Andy asked if I would like to go back to the original dealership.  I said yes because I really liked our sales guy and I knew he was working that day. This dealership was SO busy!  We saw our sales guy who was super busy and someone asked if we would like some help.  I gave the sales guy the exact VIN # from the email and asked if we could test drive the car.  They had it and away we drove.  The car had 2 miles on it. We got back to the dealership and found our sales guy and said we were ready to trade in the Optima and get the white Prius from the email.  He went over to the managers to get approval and of course they were not happy with the deal.  They were going to purchase the Optima $2000 over what Kelly Blue Books suggests on the car.  Our sales guy came back and said the problem with the deal with that the white color is a "premium" color and it will cost us an extra $350.  I said explain that's fine but when I emailed you the VIN # of that exact car out there it is the white one and nothing was said about the premium color cost.  We had them there.  :) 

An hour later we were learning a bit more about the car and away we drove our brand new 2014 Prius off of the lot.  Yes this car is pretty basic, there is no fun sunroof or leather seats, there is no heated seats or even cooled seats.  But what it does have is AMAZING gas mileage!  We have been averaging around 52-55 miles to a gallon since we drove it off the lot. It's a blast to drive and is even like a game to see just how high we can get the gas mileage. We also received 0% interest financing and a full warranty on the car that lasts 10 years!  The warranty on the battery alone is 8 years.  I can handle that!

Andy test driving the Prius and asking, 

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sitting in the salesman office, waiting on the managers

My last ever photo of the Optima

The inside of the Prius

First selfie in the Prius!

So in all, our decision was the best one for our family.  If you are looking for a car that will sip gas and is fun to drive, I highly suggest the Toyota Prius!

Bump Date - 33 Weeks

How far along: 33 Weeks!! 49 days to go till my due date! I have been pregnant 237 days, HOLY COW!

Baby Size: The size of a pineapple, weights a little over 4 pounds, and is a little more than 17 inches long.
Weight gain: 12 pounds 
Maternity clothes: most all maternity

Stretch marks: nothing new   Sleep: getting up once a night but being sick this past week has been miserable.  Apparently, my body decided to take on a nasty head cold and wanted to make me miserable.  It's hard enough to breathe when you have clogged nostrils, but when you also have a baby that is pressing on your diaphragm, you are talking a whole new ball game!  Sunday night I was absolutely miserable because my back hurt so I needed to lie down, but I couldn't lie down because I couldn't breathe.  I was in tears because there was nothing I could do.  Andy suggested I jump in the shower and try to steam out my nose so that I could get some sleep.  He also set up the humidifier for me.  What a good husband he is!!   Gender: Baby BOY!!

Movement: All the time and loving it!  It use to be mostly at night, but its now all the time.  Sometimes when my arm is rested on my belly while typing at work, he kicks my arm and its so funny to feel.  Andy felt him kicking last night and said it was so weird which I have to agree.  
Best moment this week: getting the frames painted for the baby room!  Now to just get them hung!   Looking forward to: my second baby shower on Saturday!!!

Food cravings: apple slices and I picked myself up some donuts at Sam's.....I walked over to where the ice cream is located and in the exact words of Andy, "Bad Jessica, NO!  Get away from the ice cream"  LOL!     Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing, just not really an appetite   Labor Signs: None, let's keep it this way for another 5+ weeks!   What I miss: using the bathroom every 5 seconds (at least that's what if feels like) and my energy   Symptoms: exhaustion, head cold with pregnancy is NO FUN
Nursery: almost done!!
Belly Button in or out? in/flat with my stomach
Wedding rings on or off? On!  

Mood: nothing too bad, just the usual.

DIY Pacifier Clips

I LOVE Pinterest!  I am not a huge addict on Pinterest, but I have found some fun things to read about and even try out myself.  The one thing I found was pacifier clips.  Now I have NO idea if Baby Boy will even take a pacifier, but I thought this would be something fun and easy to sew myself.  You can also follow my Pinterest boards here.

I found this Pin and followed along with the directions from the website.

Supplies

• Scraps of fabric, cut to 4″x12″
• Coordinating Thread
• Mitten Clips, I used these: Dritz Mitten/Suspender Clips 2/Pkg-Nickel
• 1/4″ wide elastic or ribbon to coordinate. I used Dritz 0.25" Knit Elastic 
• Scissors, sewing machine, ironing board and iron

The End Result

This was the first one I made and I am IN LOVE with the cute puppy paw prints!!!!

I wanted to try out one with the minky fabric I have.  I didn't know it, but if you iron minky fabric, the "minky" goes away....but that's ok.  Its still cute!  Also as you can see near the clip that my sewing machine had a hard time going through all the layers of fabric.  It's ok though, I think it adds some character to the pacifier clip!  :) 

I fully plan on making several more of these and may even make some for my expecting friends!  

Head Cold + Pregnancy = NO FUN!

I have been battling this awesome head cold since Wednesday and I am OVER IT!!  I have been trying to stay away from the approved medications that my doctor allows and just dealing with the stuffy nose, the constant blowing of the nose and the scratchy throat.  I literally have been carrying a box of tissues around with me at all times (even in the car) and if I need to run into a store, I take at least 6 tissues in my purse so we don't have any issues.  The poor trash cans in my house have been over flowing of tissues....

Instead of my usual weekend recap, let's bullet point the weekend:

• We started watching "Orange is the New Black" and it isn't that bad!  We try to watch an episode a night so we don't watch the first season too fast.
• I've become addicted to drinking iced tea again.  My new favorite way to drink it, since I am steering clear of splenda, is mixing half unsweet tea and half sweet tea together.  I need to make some of my own at home so I am not going out to buy it every time.
• Tissues are my new best friend (obviously)....
• I decided to try out those nasal strips to open up your airway and help you breathe.  My verdict is that they are good but nothing really helps until the snot is officially gone. 
  
• I feel like I have NO room for food anymore in the belly.  I have been craving chicken fajitas from 54th Street Grill but I know it's not worth us going since I eat like a 5 year old (portion wise).
• I made my first pacifier clip for Baby Boy and LOVE it!  I will make sure to blog about it tomorrow!
• I am not a good "road tripper" anymore, just ask my husband; he will tell you!  We took a drive out to Illinois on Sunday and within that 45 minute drive, I made Andy stop once so that I could use the bathroom.  I made him stop one more time after we were leaving Illinois so that I could make it all the way home....LOL!
• Another great husband moment!!  Friday night he ran out and got me the following things: orange juice (to help get my immune system back to normal), golden grahams (because they are delicious) and cheese Doritos (because they sounded good)....#pregnancycravings
• I am bumming that I had to cancel lunch plans with Ali on Saturday.  This nose stuffiness is no joke!  Hoping we can reschedule very soon!!!
• My sister is a goof....I have proof in photos:
  

8 Weeks to Go!

Another work week down, 8 more to go to my due date!

(In case you missed it, I posted a late 32 week bump date last night.  You can read it here)

I am sure you are all tired of hearing me count down the weeks and days till Baby K 
"should" be here, however; I am just plain excited to get these weeks over with and spend time with this baby!  

1.     The weather in St. Louis has been absolutely GORGEOUS this week!  I am talking highs in the 70's and 80's this week.  Not too hot, but not too cold.  I'd be ok with summer being this weather all summer long.  :) 

2.     Speaking of the weather.....with this weather change comes either allergies or a cold to this soon to be mama.  The weather changed on Monday and since then I have been fighting a scratchy throat and stuffy nose.  I have taken a Zyrtec thinking it was allergies and it helps with the scratchy throat, but the nose is just killing me.  Not only is one nostril clogged (sorry for the visual) but this baby is getting bigger which is making it harder to breathe and then I only have one nostril to breathe through and I am not a mouth breather (insert sad song....) I'll be ok though, just chugging through it all.

3.     I've decided to take a break from my facebook (I have a personal facebook account).  I decided yesterday to delete the app from my phone and stay away from it for awhile.  I'd rather not get rid of it because we have a lot of out of town family and I am sure they would love to have me keep it so that I can post photos of the baby, but I am really sick of the drama that facebook causes.  Not only do things I see hurt my feelings sometimes (I blame that on hormones and really it's my own fault also so yes I take blame....), but I am tired of having people get upset at things that I choose to do with my life and then use it against me.  Plus, I am so tired of people posting animal abuse stories on there....it makes me so sad to see these photos.  If I could, I would adopt all of the animals in the world.  But for now, I have given a home to my adopted animals, Smokey and Keeley.

4.     My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Malaysian airlines flight 17 that was shot down yesterday by a missle.  I have a BIG fear of flying (it only get's worse every year....) and I cannot imagine the grief that these family and friends are experiencing in the loss of their loved ones.  

5.     I have the hardest time finding an eye doctor.  I have had glasses since I was 7 years old and every year I go to a new eye doctor because I just cannot find a good doctor or office.  My last eye doctor experience was not good where the office manager yelled at me because I asked about my insurance and what it covers....Since I am having a baby and will probably be in my glasses more than normal, I decided to go with glasses and contacts.  They both should be here in about a week.  

-     OH!  I also wanted to mention that I found a new FUN photo app to edit and play with your photos.  I have an iPhone so I know it is available for that, I am not sure on the android front thought.  It is called, Photofy and I used it on both photos above.  You're welcome for that awesome information.  :) 

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and I will chat with you all on Monday!  :) 

Bump Date - 32 Weeks

How far along: 32 Weeks!! 56 days to go till my due date!  

Baby Size: The size of a jicama, weights around 3.75 pounds, and is around 17 inches long.
Weight gain: 11 pounds (stayed the same from last week)
Maternity clothes: most all maternity

Stretch marks: nothing new that I can see, but you know if and when I do get stretch marks, I will look at them as a badge of honor that I earning in becoming a mother. :)    Sleep: getting up at least once a night to use the restroom, but nothing much else.   Gender: Baby BOY!!

Movement: All the time and loving it!
Best moment this week: doctor appointment was on Tuesday went fabulous, heart rate was 135 and measuring on track!  Also, my surprise baby shower on Wednesday from my work was awesome!  I plan on blogging about that at a later date for you all!   Looking forward to: my second baby shower on July 26th!!

Food cravings: apple slices or really any fresh fruit and ice cream     Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing except for the fact that eating in general is getting tougher and tougher to do.  My appetite is pretty much, non-existent.   Labor Signs: None, let's keep it this way for another 6+ weeks!   What I miss: my energy and not having to use the bathroom so much.  I can tell that baby boy is getting bigger and the minute that he even touches my bladder, is the moment that I better use the potty right then or else it won't be pretty.   Symptoms: lots of exhaustion....walking is starting to become a chore.  Something fun to point out, baby boy LOVES ice cream!  Every time I eat it, he goes crazy in my belly!
Nursery: almost done!!
Belly Button in or out? still an innie
Wedding rings on or off? On!  

Mood: nothing too bad, just the usual.  

Bump Date - 31 Weeks

How far along: 31 Weeks!! 63 days to go till my due date!  

Baby Size: The size of romaine lettuce or 4 navel oranges, weights around 3.3 pounds, and is around 16 inches long.
Weight gain: 11 pounds 
Maternity clothes: most all maternity

Stretch marks: none and I'm ok with it!   Sleep: not too bad, just depends on the night   Gender: Baby BOY!!

Movement: All the time and loving it!
Best moment this week: spending lots of time with Andy and family over the 4th of July   Looking forward to: the baby showers!!  So far we have one on July 26th, August 2nd and August 8th!  We are so blessed!!

Food cravings: apple slices, pop tarts (brown sugar cinnamon and smores) and cheese popcorn     Anything making you queasy or sick: just trying to eat in general, it's getting really tough to get food in the stomach with this growing boy in the way.   Labor Signs: None, let's keep it this way for another 7+ weeks!   What I miss: my energy!!! (Walking is really getting to be a chore now, but I refuse to drive around the campus at my work, so away I walk as much as possible. I just take my time, or at least I try too!)   Symptoms: exhaustion, the usual things I say every week :). Also, baby boy gets the hiccups at least 4 times a day, it's so funny how many times he gets them!
Nursery: almost done!!
Belly Button in or out? still an innie and its realllllllly stretched out!
Wedding rings on or off? On!  

Mood: it hasn't been too bad except just being really tired. I am looking forward to the weekend and catching back up on the sleep!