24 weeks (11/23 to 11/29)

How big is baby?  Papaya still!  Apparently baby isn't doing too much growing right now!

Weight gain/loss:  To date:  +17

Stretch marks?  Same

Sleep?    Still doing good!  There were a few times I had to move to the couch.

Best moment this week?  Spending Thanksgiving with my family

Worst moment this week?  Almost passing out and throwing up!   I was sleeping and woke up feeling like crap.  Came out of no where and then was gone! 

Food cravings?  Nothing really this week

Belly button in or out?   In....for now

Movement:  Tons!  Baby is starting to kick a little higher up (thankfully not in my ribs yet).  But I can sort of tell baby's sleep patterns and when baby will be awake :)

What I miss:  Tying my shoes. I've resorted to leaving them tied and slipping them on :(

What I'm looking forward to:  Shopping trip with my two best ladies in the world!

Weekly wisdom:  Not so sure it's wisdom, but the best words out of anyone's mouth this week:  "It's the last time I have to work on Saturday/Sunday!"  Shaun is leaving his job that requires him to work 3 out of 4 weekends a month!  I'm so stoked to be able to spend more time with him and actually do stuff on the weekends!

Milestones:  Baby is growing fast-gaining 4 ounces since last week and now likely over a pound!  Baby is almost a foot long (ear of corn).  Brain is growing quickly, taste buds are continuing to develop; lungs are developing "branches"; skin is still thin and translucent, but starting to change to a pink color.

And it's time for a bumpdate!  Baby has officially popped!

23 weeks (11/16 to 11/22)

How big is baby?  Papaya still!

Weight gain/loss:  To date:  +11 

Stretch marks?  Same

Sleep?    Despite my cold, doing pretty good!  I started my Hypnobabies so I think that may have something to do with it :)

Best moment this week?  Spending vacation time with Shaun and getting the nursery done and finishing the apples!

Worst moment this week?  Getting sick!  I'm blaming it on the dentist office!

Food cravings?  White chocolate covered pretzels.

Belly button in or out?   Still in...but I can see the top half moving in an outward direction.

Movement:  Yes lots!  Shaun actually felt baby kick a lot!

What I miss:  

What I'm looking forward to:  Spending Thanksgiving with my family!

Weekly wisdom:  .....

Milestones:  Baby has nipples now; face is fully formed; can swallow; blood vessels in lungs are starting to develop; and is starting to listen to the outside world more (wonder what baby will think of the dogs barking and Minnie sleeping on my belly all the time).

Happy 40th Anniversary!

On October 16, we celebrated my parents 40th Anniversary!  Yep, you read that right 4-0 years of being married.  In today's "let's just split" mindset, this is AMAZING!  I'm so proud of my parents and was more than happy to help them celebrate!

My dad came to my sister and I earlier this year and asked for our help in surprising my mom with a renewal of vows and little get together afterwards.  So we planned and schemed, invites were sent, reservations were made, and my mom knew NOTHING (well for the most part until our lunch reservation called the home number and talked to my mom).

Shaun and I went home for the weekend using the cover of a dodgeball tournament.  My mom had off the entire week and was pretty crabby when we got there on Friday.  She apparently took off thinking her and Dad were going somewhere....oopsie!

Saturday arrived and so did their first surprise...a brand new kitchen table!!  Shortly after the delivery people arrived so did my sister and her family!  My mom was SHOCKED!

Then Sunday came.  She still didn't know what my dad had planned until we told her at breakfast.  When Dad told her they were renewing her vows she looked at him and said "No we are not!" and then started tearing up!  It was actually pretty funny.

We arrived at church and helped put on their corsages (which amazingly lasted a long time!)

Then came the renewal!

And blessing:

And after church with Deacon:

Family shot (how is that someone's face is always blocked?)  

Bigger family picture:

At the after party:  We got them an anniversary cake and put their actual cake topper on it!

Still in love after all these years!

And me and my Mommy (haven't had one taken with just us for a while!)

I had my cousin take some pictures during the day as well, but haven't gotten them from her.  So when I do, I'll post an update with my favorite from the day!

Do you believe in signs?

So before the deep freeze set in for the winter I noticed we had some color in our flower garden.

A little back story behind this flowers:  I had planted some perennials in early spring with the hopes that they would come back next year.

Well to my surprise a few of them "popped up" this year.

Out of all of the plants I planted in early spring (about 8 of them), these were the only ones to pop up.  By now you are probably wondering why this is such a big deal, right?  Well, the reason is below the surface.  See these beautiful flowers bloomed right above where we buried our beloved Kitty earlier in the year.  ::sob::

It's amazing to me how signs about our loved ones come about when we least expect it!

Miss you and love you always Kitty!

22 weeks (11/9 to 11/15)

How big is baby?  Papaya!

Weight gain/loss:  To date:  +11 

Stretch marks?  Same

Sleep?    Sometimes good sometimes not so good.

Best moment this week?  Seeing my family and deciding on a major change (more details to come in the future).....

Worst moment this week?  Being mad at Shaun...

Food cravings?  Cheerio Treats and egg salad!

Belly button in or out?   In for now

Movement:  Baby is starting to do some gymnastics

What I miss:  Being able to tie my shoes like a normal person.  Yeah I'm to that point already.  I told Shaun I already wish I could just put on a pair of flip flops!

What I'm looking forward to:  Seeing how the nursery turns out!

Weekly wisdom:  .....

Milestones:  Baby has more developed eyes and lips and almost looks like a newborn.  Baby is starting to sleep in cycles about 12-14 hours a day.

Week 21 (11/2 to 11/8)

How big is baby?  Banana ( how is a banana bigger than cantaloupe?)

Weight gain/loss:  To date:  +11 

Stretch marks?  Same

Sleep?  Comes and goes.  

Best moment this week?  Feeling lots of kicks and nudges.

Worst moment this week?  Pretty much everything!  From work to schedules...I'm so over it!

Food cravings?  Ice cream!  My go to stress reliever since I can't have margaritas!

Belly button in or out?  In. 

Movement:  Yep and lots of it!

What I miss:  Being happy/excited.....

What I'm looking forward to:  Being off of work next week!

Weekly wisdom:  I'm too drained to even go there.....

Milestones:  Eyebrows and eyelids are present.  (My two sites I depend are pretty lacking in this department this week :(  Apparently not much is happening!)

HALF BAKED aka 20 weeks (10/26 to 11/1)

How big is baby?  Cantaloupe (or length of banana-depends on who you ask!)

Weight gain/loss:  To date:  +11  Dr. says I'm right on track and should gain about 20-25 pounds by the end.  So not what I wanted to hear, but it's all for baby, right?

Maternity clothes?  You better believe it!

Stretch marks?  Same

Sleep?  Still doing great!

Best moment this week?  Seeing baby during the anatomy scan and learning all is well!  Baby is measuring about a week ahead of schedule and weighing in at a whopping 13 oz!!  The 3D pics that the tech took were pretty awesome as well!  I already told Shaun that the baby looks like him!

Worst moment this week?  Shaun's work schedule

Food cravings?  Cinnamon Bagels!

Gender?  We know....but due to some family members not wanting to know, I will refrain from posting.

Belly button in or out?  In.  But Shaun says I'll have an outie by the end!

Movement:  Yep!  Baby has been moving quite a bit and Shaun was able to feel baby.  I woke up Saturday morning (10/29) and had a nobby body part pushing out near my belly button and after feeling that he felt the "wave" of baby moving.  It was so cool!

What I miss:  Spending time with Shaun....

What I'm looking forward to:  Getting the nursery set up!  We've got the colors picked out, crib is ordered, and we both took a week off of work to get it done!

Weekly wisdom:  "Hang in there.  It'll get better"

Milestones:  Baby is swallowing more; also producing meconium-a black sticky by-product of digestion which will accumulate in bowels until first movement after birth.  Oh and the genitals are fully formed!

The outside:

The inside:

Check out the Simpson lips--totally Shaun!!

A progression: