Nursery: Before and After

Now that our nursery is (almost) complete, I have some before and after pictures to share! Bryan and I worked hard to redo this room and I love how it came out. I peek in often just to check up on everything. :)

Before: It wasn't always this messy! I just took the pictures in process of cleaning...



After: All that's missing are decorations!





A close up of the crib and bedding set.


Eventually I need to paint the door to match the closets and trim, but I'm happy for now!

Make over projects:
Painted walls
Painted trim
New baseboards painted and installed
New closet doors painted and installed
New blinds installed
Window valance
New fan installed
New electrical plugs/switches/plates installed
Furniture assembled (obviously!)

27 Weeks

Baby is the still length of an eggplant!

"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

Weekly Survey
How far along: 27 Weeks
How big is baby: The length of an eggplant. She is almost 2 pounds.
Weight gain: Up 2.4 pounds for a total gain of 16.8 pounds.
Stretch marks: None yet.
Maternity clothes: Exclusively.
Sleep: It's been ok.
Best moment this week: Arranging the nursery furniture - all that's left is decorating! We also decorated a ton in our living room this weekend.
Food cravings: Nothing particular.
Food aversions: Fish and plain chicken...
Symptoms: Minor back and hip aches.
Exercise: Yard work and a dog walk.
Gender: GIRL!
Movement: All the time! :)
Belly button: In - although a lot shallower.
What I miss: Not too much this week.
Labor signs: No Way
What I'm looking forward to: Everyday :)
Milestones: Officially in the 3rd trimester! 91 days to go!
Quote(s) of the week: Nothing exciting this week.

The Week 27 Bump!

26 Weeks

Baby is the still length of an eggplant!

"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

Weekly Survey
How far along: 26 Weeks
How big is baby: The length of an eggplant or a hothouse cucumber. She is approximately 1 and 2/3 pounds.
Weight gain: Apparently last week might have been vacation weight because I'm down 2.4 pounds from last week for a total gain of 14.4 pounds.
Stretch marks: None yet.
Maternity clothes: Exclusively.
Sleep: Meh, my hips and back get a little achy some nights, even with the body pillow. I'm still only up once a night, max.
Best moment this week: Pretty much finishing the nursery! Everything is painted, new electrical is installed and ALL the furniture is assembled! All that's lefts is to decorate and arrange the furniture which we'll do over time.
Food cravings: Nothing particular.
Food aversions: Just fish...
Symptoms: Minor back and hip aches. Also, for the first time my belly felt heavy and uncomfortable!
Exercise: Yard work and a dog walk.
Gender: GIRL!
Movement: I love feeling her everyday. :)
Belly button: In
What I miss: Not too much this week.
Labor signs: No Way
What I'm looking forward to: Everyday :)
Milestones: Less than 100 days! And - Not a milestone per se, but 26 weeks is exactly half a year. :)
**NEW** Quote(s) of the week:
Guy at Work: "Sooo, when are you going on leave?"
Me: "Well, I'm due the end of October, so I still have more than three months."
Guy at Work: (Surprised) "Oh. You're going to have a BIG baby!"
Gee, thanks!

And one that made me feel good from a woman at work: "You just look so cute!"

The Week 26 Bump!

Vacation - Myrtle Beach

As mentioned in my previous posts, Bryan and I took a long weekend to visit friends in Myrtle Beach, SC. Emily and I spent the mornings walking along the beach and browsing baby stores (she's due October 7th!) while Jason and Bryan played golf.

We enjoyed a day at the beach and the pool for a much needed tan and ate at a ton of yummy restaurants. On our last evening there we took some pictures on the beach that I wanted to share. I think these are probably the first pictures of us together since I've been pregnant.





And a bonus bump progression. I can't believe the dramatic difference between 20 and 25 weeks. I feel like the bulk of that growth has been in the last week as well! (Click photo to enlarge.)

25 Weeks (+1 day)

Baby is the length of an eggplant!

"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

Weekly Survey
How far along: 25 Weeks (+1 day)
How big is baby: The length of an eggplant.
Weight gain: Looks like we've had a growth spurt! After two weeks of minimal gain, I'm up 2.8 pounds for a total gain of 16.8.
Stretch marks: Nope.
Maternity clothes: Exclusively.
Sleep: Still up no more than once a night. On work nights I can make it till our 5:15 alarm clock. I also must have the body pillow to keep my back from hurting.
Best moment this week:Vacation! We enjoyed a relaxing weekend in Myrtle Beach visiting our friends. It's nice to have a tan again. :)
Food cravings: Nothing particular.
Food aversions: Looks like still fish. We went to a seafood restaurant at the beach and I could seriously not stomach any fish! I did enjoy a crab cake and lobster bisque though.
Symptoms: Nothing major.
Exercise: Two 3 mile walks by the beach and a dog walk.
Gender: GIRL!
Movement: I can feel her every day. I can feel her kicking almost as high as my ribs.
Belly button: In
What I miss: Beer!
Labor signs: No Way
What I'm looking forward to: Getting the nursery put together!
Milestones: Nothing major.`

The Week 25 Bump! I've added a new angle - straight on!

24 Weeks (+1 day)

Baby is still the length of a papaya!

"Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop. "

Weekly Survey
How far along: 24 Weeks (+1 day)
How big is baby: The length of a papaya or an ear of corn. She is about a foot long and just over one pound.
Weight gain: Another small gain of 0.2 pounds for a total gain of 14.
Stretch marks: Nope.
Maternity clothes: Exclusively.
Sleep: I've been getting up around 4 am for the past week to go to the bathroom.
Best moment this week:Painting the nursery! Bryan and I were busy this weekend - we painted the nursery green to match the bedding I purchased as well as painted and installed new baseboards. Left to do - paint the trim, paint and install new closet doors, replace all plugs and outlets and install the new fan. I took some before pictures so hopefully in a few weeks I can share our before and afters!
Food cravings: Nothing particular.
Food aversions: None.
Symptoms: Nothing major.
Exercise: Dog walks.
Gender: GIRL!
Movement: I can feel her every day. I'm pretty sure I can physically feel (as in by touching the outside of my stomach) where she is sometimes as well.
Belly button: In
What I miss: Bending over normally.
Labor signs: No Way
What I'm looking forward to: Vacation on Thursday! We're going to visit our friends Emily and Jason in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Milestones: 1. - 24 weeks marks viability! If baby girl was born today, Dr.'s would do all they could to keep her alive.
2. - I registered at Babies R Us last week. I also made a registry online at Amazon.com.`

The Week 24 Bump!