9 Week Bumpdate!

 

Baby Size: Baby has officially made its transformation from a embryo to a fetus!

 

Gender:  No clue but I can't wait to find out!

Weight gain: None that I know of I haven't weighed although my stomach has felt hard as a rock and like my muscles were stretching.

  

Maternity clothes: Bought my first pair of maternity jeans but they are way to big right now.

Stretch marks: I found what I think is a little bitty one last night. :(

 

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Sleeping better this week! Only waking up once!

Best moment this week: My cold clearing up.

Worst moment this week: Some really bad lower back & rib pain.

Miss anything: My clothes fitting comfortably.

Movement: Nope

Cravings: Nope

 

Queasy or sick: Nope!!  

 

Looking forward to:  The end of my first trimester!

Mood: Happy happy happy!

Doctors Appointments: Not til next month

Five On Friday: Scattered Edition

Who am I kidding every one of my Five posts are scattered! I am actually pretty happy today, this week has seemed to go by quick. Especially since my cold is finally easing off.

 

1} My muscles in my stomach have been so tight this week. Seriously you would think I have been doing crunches all day everyday with how hard my stomach was. I was talking to my cousin last night about it and she said "oh get ready for the belly!". Well, this morning I woke up to quite the little pooch! Now let me start this off by saying I am no longer my size 2, super skinny high school self. I haven't been in a while, pretty much since I have been with Paul I have gained a good bit of weight. I am not proud of it but hey, that's life. He just says our weight gain is a testament to how happy we are lol. Anyway, because I am a short curvy girl I have been reluctant to post "bump" pictures. It is kind of intimidating seeing all these super skinny preggo's with their itty bitty bellies who are farther along than I am when mine looks like that already. But I decided this is my blog, my belly and my story. Once again I am really trying to live by the, "I will not compare myself to strangers on the internet." But it is hard y'all! Annywwayy here is my first official bump picture that I just took in the bathroom at work. I am really not wearing the best outfit to showcase it but I just wanted y'all to see this little belly that is starting to cause my clothes not to fit!

 

2} Christmas cards. I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas cards. It has always been something I looked forward to doing once I had my own family because we never did them growing up. Last year (our first Christmas as a married couple) we had pictures taken for them, I designed them and never ordered them. What?! Well see that's what happens when you are a flat broke newlywed who can't commit to a card and end up running out of time & money. So this year, no excuses. We are doing a Christmas card! Thing is, I have searched and searched and can't find one that I love that you can also customize the wording on so I am creating it myself on Zazzle. This is where you come in, I need help with the wording, I want to include the baby somehow but can't figure out how to do it since we have technically already announced it.

 

Here are a few ideas I have seen around the web:

"Merry Christmas from our {expanding} family to yours!"

"May your Christmas be a bundle of joy"

"The best gifts don't come under a tree, Merry Christmas from our soon-to-be family of three"

 

Clearly I need some help. I am terrible with clever wording, I can do the design and pictures all day long but I need some serious help from you witty people out there. Also I need some opinions on the picture, I have it narrowed down to a few. What do you think?

3} Monday me and the hubs decided to go on a date night! I have been so sick and exhausted here lately we haven't really done anything. So we went to Movie Tavern and saw the new Thor movie. If you have never been to a Movie Tavern you need to get online, find one near you and go! I am such a brat now it is pretty much the only way I will watch a movie. First off you get to sit in these big comfy leather chairs (big enough to curl your feet up in) that are pretty much recliners without the foot stools, they do lean back though. That's not even the coolest part, this place is a full bar and restaurant and you eat while you watch your movie! Now I know what you're thinking; the food probably sucks, I don't want waiters coming in & out during my movie, I don't want to eat in the dark, etc. Well let me just tell you the food is great, the waiters are so quiet you hardly notice them and there is enough light from the screen to see your food!

{this was during previews it's not usually that light but look at those chairs!}

We are going back next week for premiere of Catching Fire!! I know, nerd alert but I am so excited!

 

4} Friday night my cousin John & his wife Jamee had their beautiful baby Zane! Seriously, how gorgeous is this kid?! He sure did love his UGA onesie & hat we got for him, he even wore it to go home in! :) As soon as this cold completely goes away I will be squishing those chubby little cheeks!

5} Speaking of baby cousins, Tuesday night one of our cousins on Paul's family was rushed to the hospital completely unresponsive. Her sugar kept bottoming out and she slipped into a coma for about 12 hours. She is awake now but the doctors have no clue what is going on and are continuing to run tests at Egleston. So please keep this little sweetheart in your prayers!

 

Well that's it for me today! Y'all have a good weekend!

 



Five On Friday!

Ooo Friday you have never looked so good! After a long week of being sick I am ready for a relaxing weekend and hopefully kicking this cold to the curb. Linking up today as usual for Five On Friday!

 

1} First and foremost I was to say Thank You so much to everyone who congratulated us on our big news! We are so excited and I love being able to share this journey with all of y'all!

and in case you missed it we are expecting!!

 

2} Speaking of babies, this week was would have been my Mom's 43 birthday and my Nanny posted this picture of her to Facebook. I have said before that there are very few pictures of my childhood, well there are even fewer of my Mom so I was shocked when I had never seen this picture. Then it dawned on me, I have never seen a picture of her as a baby until now! It was striking to me how alike we looked as babies! Her face was a little fuller but I bet if I would've been full term mine would have been too. And the funny thing is my sister looks the exact same too I just don't have a picture of her on my computer. (my Mom actually had to go back and write on all our baby pictures so we could tell who was who)

Mom on the left, me on the right.

 

3} Did y'all watch the CMA's? I know several people have done a full recap so I won't do that but can I just say it was amazing!! My girls Lennon & Maisy singing to T-Swift and Maisy running up to hug her and forgetting to say what she was supposed to, too stinking cute! I am by no means a Taylor Swift fan but I am a huge Alison Krauss & Vince Gill fan so the stripped down version of "Red" was pretty cool. Of course Brad & Carrie were hilarious. But in my opinion this was the best part of the night, I straight up baby cried. It didn't help that this was two of my favorite artists singing one of my all time favorite songs that I remember singing as a little girl in my Papa's truck. At the very end where they showed Nancy Jones with tears running down her face, ugh got me right in the heart!

4} And I am pretty sure everyone will agree with me that it is time for Tim & Faith's title as King & Queen of country music to be reassigned to these two.



They are perfection!

 

5} Continuing on the music theme, are y'all watching The Voice? This is Jacqui Lee from Team Christina and she is insane especially for only being 16!!

 

 Y'all have a great weekend!!

 

 

 



8 Week Bumpdate!!

This will be my last catch up post, I wrote this one last week after our Dr. appointment this week and I will start the weekly update this week.

How far along: 8 Weeks & 2 days!

Baby Size: Baby Stephens is the size of a raspberry!

We actually went to the doctor yesterday and our Little is measuring 1.34 inches! The doctor said that is absolutely perfect and even though it is early we both look so healthy he believes we are 95%+ in the clear so we can go ahead and announce it!  

 

Gender: Still no strong feelings either way! I am just so excited for when we can find out!

Weight gain: Actually lost 1 pound when the nurse weighed me yesterday. So that is 3 lbs. up from my pre pregnancy weight.
 

Maternity clothes: My belly band turned out to be kind of a bust maybe once I get more of a belly it will work better. I actually can't stop wearing my Old Navy Active pants. I can't find them on the website but I wear them as leggings. They are thicker than normal leggings, still have a skinny leg but also have a control top! They are amazing!  

Stretch marks: Only the preexisting ones :/

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Still waking up at 2 & 4 a.m. to pee! Having a hard time getting comfortable and staying asleep. Although I am constantly exhausted and got to bed no later than 9-10 p.m. which is crazy early for me!

Best moment this week: Hands down hearing/seeing the heartbeat yesterday! It was the most magical moment of my life!

Worst moment this week: I have caught a nasty sinus cold! Sore throat, throbbing sinuses and ever worse exhaustion. First trimesters & colds do not go together!

Miss anything: Still missing sub sandwiches! Also missing my energy I have been such a slack blogger, photographer, editor, friend & wife because I am SO exhausted!! They say that gets better though. Fingers crossed!  

Movement: No kicks or anything but seeing that heartbeat flutter was enough movement for me!!

Cravings: Still at the stage where nothing is appealing. I eat because I have to for my little! Although my Granny did make me her famous chicken casserole this weekend and it was amazing, the first thing that has went down without any nausea! I do notice I am leaning a lot more towards veggies, meat is still grossing me out.

 

Queasy or sick: No queasiness, just the "cold" sickness.

 

Looking forward to: Everyone's reactions!!

Mood: Sick & exhausted

Doctors Appointments: I am going to be adding this category because I want to remember every possible detail.

After a big insurance mix-up/disaster at my {supposed to be} first appointment {at my regular lady doctor} we decided to make a switch to another OB/GYN group. Honestly, one of the best decisions I have ever made! At my old doctor I was treated like a number. We walked in to our new office for our first appointment yesterday (11-4-13) and immediately I liked it. It was a lot warmer, smaller and welcoming than my previous place. After a short wait I was called back for the required preliminary pee test, blood pressure check and all that good stuff then we went to another waiting room. After a few more minutes we were taken to our Doctor's private office. A million things flew through my mind, something is wrong with me, I am not really pregnant, what is going on? After I calmed down and looked around the office and noticed our Doctor was an Army Doctor, UGA (among many other) graduate/fan (GO DAWGS!), a Christian (bible verses everywhere) and a family man (there was hardly any space for all the pictures!). I knew right away that this was the perfect fit for us! When the Doctor came in and started to ask questions getting to know us I was blown away, I had no idea there were still doctors who valued their patients like that anymore. He wanted to address all of our questions/concerns and get to know us a little before we even started the examination! He thoroughly addressed my concerns with my Mom's condition and assured me that even though there was no need to worry that for his & my peace of mind he would do certain tests in the third trimester and monitor my heart. I can not even tell you the weight that was lifted off my shoulders at that moment. I am thankful that he took us into his office beforehand because how awkward is it talking to someone with your feet in the stirrups. Needless to say once we started all the examinations I was completely at ease. After the initial prenatal work up I was sent to another waiting room to wait for our ultrasound! I was still nervous up to this point, preparing myself for the possibility that there wouldn't be a heartbeat but the moment she rubbed that little wand on my belly was the moment my life changed forever! All I saw was that little flicker on the screen and the tears were a rolling! Then when she turned the sound on and I heard that precious little heartbeat the flood gates opened! I have never felt such joy and relief! Then the Doctor came back in to take a luck and told us everything was absolutely PERFECT! That I was perfectly healthy the baby was measuring perfectly and that he normally wouldn't say this but we were doing so good that we were around 95%+ in the clear to go ahead and start telling people! Talk about ecstatic! All in all I couldn't have been more pleased with our appointment, I really feel like I am in the right place at this practice.

5/6 & 7 Week Bumpdate!

I have been writing these "bumpdate" posts and just saving them in my drafts. Idk if anyone will really be interested in these but they are more for my memory anyway! Here is a catch-up of the first few weeks!

 

How far along: 6 weeks! We just got our pregnancy "confirmed" even though after 6 home pregnancy tests I was pretty positive there was a little in there! (We thought we were 6 weeks when we found out but turns out we were only 5. So this is a combo of the two weeks)

Baby Size: A itty bitty sweet pea!

Weight gain: None that I know of maybe a pound or two. I just feel bloated all the time.  

Maternity clothes: None yet but my smaller pants are feeling a little snug.
Stretch marks: Well unfortunately I have a couple pre-existing stretch marks on my hips from my post wedding weight gain but no new ones yet. Although it seems inevitable :(
Sleep: For about 2 weeks now I have been waking up around 4 a.m. to use the bathroom and to gulp down about a gallon of water. Very very thirsty.
Best moment this week: Telling a few members of our close family! I know we technically shouldn't have told anyone yet but we had to! And having our announcment pictures taken!

Looking forward to: The end of the first trimester when we can tell EVERYONE!

What I miss: Sleep! But I know I have to get used to that!

Movement: Not yet...

Food cravings: Honestly nothing really. I am pretty much having to force myself to eat.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Any kind of meat! Especially chicken. The hubs and I were making some buffalo chicken dip to take to Cody & Lauren's house and when I was fixing the chicken I about lost it!

Gender: No idea really. I can't shake the feeling that it is a girl but that could be because everyone in our families wants a girl. I know everyone says this but I just want to have a happy, healthy baby!

Labor Signs: Definitely not!

Symptoms: Lots of trips to the bathroom, a few touches of nausea and mood swings. I had a full on meltdown when I dropped my camera and my husband was running late. I mean crazy crying, it was insane. (Sorry babe!)

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Exhausted but happy!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How far along: 7 Weeks  

Baby Size: Baby Stephens is the size of a blueberry!

Gender: Chinese gender chart & ring test say girl. No strong feelings yet either way but we will be happy either way!

Weight gain: 3 lbs. total. 

 

 

Maternity clothes: None yet but I did buy a belly band to go over the button of a few of my jeans that I can't button comfortably anymore. Yoga pants are my best friends right now.

 

 

Stretch marks: Only the preexisting ones :/

 

 

Belly button in or out: In

 

 

Sleep: Ooh that would be nice! I wake up twice to use the bathroom usually about 2 & 4:30 a.m.. I don't think this is really baby yet just a result of all the water I am drinking.

Best moment this week: Telling Paul's grandparents. We drove out to their house to tell them and after the squeals and hugs his Grandma squealed, "Go get them the thing!" They had bought us a stroller a few weeks back because they "had a feeling" this was coming. How sweet is that?!

Worst moment this week: Waking up (for the second time) at 4 a.m. to go to the bathroom and stepping in a pile of dog poop. Apparently Hank was not feeling well and left me a present beside my bed. Yuck!

Miss anything: Turkey subs!

Movement: Nope!

Cravings: None whatsoever. I don't want anything at all but I still make myself eat because I know my little needs it.

 

Queasy or sick: Goodness gracious this is the worst it has been. Eating, not eating, riding in the car, smelling onions, smelling meat, brushing my teeth. Pretty much I am constantly nauseated here lately. Hoping that passes soon!

 

Looking forward to: Hopefully hearing the heartbeat at our appointment Monday!

Mood: Still exhausted but happy!!

Announcement/Fall Pictures!

Today I thought I would share the rest of our announcement/fall photoshoot! I knew for a while now exactly how I wanted to announce my pregnancy thanks to good ol Pinterest {I wish I had thought of these on my own but who does that anymore when Pinterest does it for you lol}. And I also knew without a doubt that Valerie Shelton Photography would be taking them. She has captured us every step of the way and I can't wait for her to capture all of our new "steps"! Anyway, get ready for picture overload and excuse my horrible chalkboard writing I had to do in the car on the way there {Yay procrastination!}.

 

 

This was actually the day of our supposed to be Dr. appointment turned insurance disaster so that is why it just says 2014 we weren't for sure on a due date. Well, there it is! Sorry for the picture overload!

 

 

Happy Birthday In Heaven!

 

Happy 43rd Birthday to my beautiful angel in Heaven!

 

Growing up I never imagined my Mom not getting to be a Grandmother to my children. I remember thinking about what they would call her and how much she would spoil them. But I never saw her not being here.

So far I have only had one real breakdown about it and that was the night we were discussing who we wanted to tell right away. Without even thinking I mentioned her name and quickly remembered I would never have that chance. But someone left a comment on our facebook announcement yesterday (I know it is early but the Dr. said I could!) that said "I am sure your Momma hand picked this baby with Jesus." And I cannot stop imagining that. Although my child will never know her on Earth I have to believe that she knew "it" even before I did!

 

I miss her every minute and there are 100 things a day I wish I could tell/ask her. But I am so very thankful that she taught me exactly what a Mother should be. I will do my very best to raise this child as she raised my sister and me.

 

Today I can hear her singing her special birthday song, "I say it's your birthday.. nah nah nah nah nah.. I say it's my birthday tooo!" and I can't help but smile.

 

"With all my heart(s) forever!"

 



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