BABY LUCAS: WEEK 16

Week 16 and he is the size of an avocado. Guacamole, anyone?

4 months or 2/5ths of the way cooked. Chris and I have decided on a name for baby Lucas, but I'm going to sit on it for awhile to make sure it feels like the perfect fit. Who knew naming a kid could be so difficult!?

I picked up running again as of last Friday and my goal is to run one mile a day {if able} until I literally pee my pants and can't anymore. It's made me feel a lot better about myself and I always get a good sweat from running. {Side note: I've only ran 3 days this week}

We had our 16 week appointment this week. The heart rate Doppler wasn't working so I got to see little man on the sonogram and wow, he has doubled in size! To be honest, I hate being the last patient of the day. I always feel rushed and like they aren't as thorough. I wasn't even told what his heart rate was or given a photo from the sonogram. BUT, it was extra special to be able to see his tiny feet and hands wiggling around on the screen!

I can't wait to start feeling him move! They say it usually happens around week 17, so I'm patiently waiting to feel the "bubbles" to be reminded that he is really there! I know Chris can't wait to be able to feel him too. He gives him nightly kisses and I know he is just waiting until he can feel something back.

We are looking at cribs this week and will hopefully make a decision on one soon! I'm starting to get the itch to paint his room and get everything set up. It must be the warmer weather!

I did buy this tassel to use for the shower and to hang on his wall/crib (it would only hang on the crib in the beginning while he is still in the pack and play). I had the seller switch out the mustard gold with silver.

I'm contemplating doing an accent wall with silver stars for the nursery. Something similar to the photos above. The good thing is they are removable so we could easily take them down as  he grows and/or we sell the house.

The only other things I have bought for him recently were a few pairs of footed, zip-up pajamas that I found on sale and a set of aden + anais bibs that were a great deal.

I did purchase a new maternity dress to test out for a wedding next weekend, but other than that I have been good living in dresses and leggings for now!

I'll update the post later with our 16 week photo, we took it late this week.

BABY LUCAS: WEEK 15

Week 15 and baby boy is the size of a naval orange! He is about 4 inches long now and Chris and I are in shock that in about a month we are half way through this journey. I feel accomplished, but I know we still have SO much more to prepare for.

Nothing new in terms of symptoms. I feel really great and like myself so I am really enjoying pregnancy right now! Mid week I did notice a change in my appetite. I am SO HUNGRY! I'm hoping this is just a growth spurt (most likely not), so I am planning on stocking up our pantry with lots of healthy snacks.

This week I am going to make all the effort to send out thank you notes to friends and family who have showered us with gifts and cards because it really means the world to me that we are so loved and I want everyone to know that! I also desperately need to remember to send in our hospital registration form that has been filled out for 10 weeks... yeah, that's embarassing.

 On day 1 of week 15 we hosted my family for a pot luck lunch to get everyone together and to celebrate our growing family. My heart is always so happy when I am around them!

I got my stitch fix maternity box and Chris picked out this dress for me to keep from it. I really love the color and it also has a nursing top so I can wear it once little man comes.

Chris and I put together the IKEA kallax shelving that is going in his closet after my family left and we went for a walk. I feel so great that I can start organizing the closet and all of his tiny clothes! The photo below is a good example of how these shelves can come in handy with books, toys, extra storage and more. 

I actually really love the striped baskets in this example and plan on getting the same ones. I'm looking for woven baskets for the top storage instead of the green canvas ones shown and I'd like to do a pop of color in the closet.

I'm that crazy girl who practiced a newborn wrap style with my dog. Technically they will be around the same weight, right? Chance LOVED being wrapped up, so hopefully little brother feels the same. His eyes keep closing and he was so relaxed. 

See ya later week 15! You can definitely see the bump better in this photo with my hand underneath :) He is definitely growing!

BABY LUCAS: WEEK 14

Week 14 and baby boy is the size of a large lemon!

Chris did some Google research and found out the "stretching" feeling I've been having on and off is actually round ligament pains. They aren't actually really painful (in my experience), so good news there. :)

This week I've been getting lots of comments on people actually being able to see my baby bump. It's taken some time to get used to, but I'm finally not shocked when friends reach for my belly.

My app says that now little man's ears are fully formed and he can hear my voice, which made me tear up one morning as I was singing in the car knowing he might be able to hear me.

I'm getting more and more excited to start planning the nursery. Chris and I went to Buy Buy Baby in Rockville this past weekend since we were told that it was the mecca of all baby stores. We went up and down each aisle, took photos of things we liked, played with some toys, read some books and tested out car seats and strollers! After 3.5 hours we had only managed to get through one of the two floors before needing to get something to eat.

We also stopped at Ikea before heading home to grab drawer organizers for his dresser and a shelving unit for his closet. I'm so anxious to get that set up and the closet cleaned out for him. Right now it's been storage for extra photo albums, frames and craft supplies. 

I purchased the woven wrap above so I can practice wrapping and "baby wearing" with Nikki and Rory before my belly gets too big. I loved the color and asked a few people who "baby wear" about the sizing and brands that are best for beginners This way, when little man makes his appearance, I'll be at least a little more familiar with the wraps and how to carry him around.

Week 14's bump pic is officially in the books! I plan on creating a separate "little man's wardrobe" post after I organize his closet and dresser this weekend.

Happy first day of Spring!

BABY LUCAS: WEEK 13

Week 13 and baby boy is the size of a small peach! 

All of the great grandparents guessed correctly that the baby was a boy and all of the grandparents almost unanimously thought it was a girl! Finding out the gender early has been so much fun and has given us a few extra weeks of connecting with our little man.

No new symptoms this week. I have been noticing that although I have been waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, I've been ignoring it and falling back asleep. Thankfully no wet sheets (ha!) have happened. I'm sure this won't be lasting long. The morning sickness has almost completely gone away, with the exception of after eating a large dinner. I have been feeling what I assume are "growing pains" so I'm wondering if little man is getting bigger this week!

We've received so many well wishes and gifts for this little guy and we are so overwhelmed with all of the love. I really can't explain how lucky we are to be surrounded by so much positive energy and love from our family and friends. Thank you! We are so appreciative.

Just a few of the messages we got from family. We took videos of us telling a few family members and friends that we will include in a video I'm planning on putting together for little man. It's finally real and has been really fun celebrating with everyone. 

Next week I thought I could share his current wardrobe and little boy looks I love. It's been fun thinking of his style and wondering what type of personality he will have!

And now... two bump pics since it has gotten a tad bigger since the last two weeks and it definitely feels harder! This week the weather has FINALLY warmed up so I'll be taking lots of long walks :)

WEEK 12 + BABY LUCAS' GENDER!

  Week 12 and the baby is the size of a plum!

Baby Lucas is a...

BOY!!!

This little man has already stolen our hearts.

This week we had our nuchal testing which can determine the risk of your baby having downs syndrom, trisomy 13 and trisomy 18. We got a big NEGATIVE for all of the possibilities. Little man is healthy and growing strong!

It's crazy how much he has grown in just four weeks. He was napping during the sonogram, but it was so surreal to see him moving around on the screen! His heart rate was 158 and our midwife told us based on the heart rate alone she totally thought he would have been a girl. He likes to sleep with his hand by his head and the other across his body... just like his momma.

We also had a minor scare this week and I went to the ER, but everything came back fine. We got to see him move around on the sonogram again and heard his heartbeat, so we were extremely lucky and relieved. Baby boy is already showing off how strong he is :)

Now onto filling up his wardrobe and planning the nursery! Oh, and figuring out a name :)

BABY LUCAS: WEEK 11 + CABO RECAP

Baby bee is the size of a lime this week! 

Very fitting since we made our way to Cabo early on Monday morning to enjoy margaritas (for Chris) and virgin frozen smoothies for me :)

Nothing new exciting in terms of pregnancy symptoms for week 11 (peeing in the middle of the night and light morning sickness still prevails). Traveling to Cabo and the long cab drive to the resort took a toll on me, but after some R&R, I was back to normal!

 
Chris and I both finished our baby books we brought with us (my hubby rocks and is so involved it makes my heart burst)! Chris read "Dude! You're Gonna Be a Dad" and I read "The Happiest Baby on the Block." Hoping I learned enough tricks to soothe this little one once he/she makes their arrival.

We woke up early on Tuesday to watch the sunrise from our balcony. Chris was in heaven in the hot tub.

I snapped a few sunrise photos of the view from our room. I wish the camera could have caught how amazing the sunrises really were.

We bought groceries for the week and make our breakfast and lunches in our room. It had a full kitchen, which was really convenient! Below are a few more random photos from our trip.

Just one view of the gorgeous resort. We had perfect weather the entire week.

Our maid saw our baby books and left us a swan towel family. So sweet to come back to!

We took a sunset beach tour. Chris has better photos! I unfortunately was the only one on board to get sick, but we did see a ton of whales so overall it was beautiful and great!
 

We went to Edith's one night which I HIGHLY recommend. The food was amazing and it had such a romantic atmosphere. 

I had plenty of smoothies during my trip.

 On our last day Chris and I also found out baby's gender! What do you think is it?

BABY LUCAS: WEEK 10

This week the baby is the size of a prune and all of our parents have been informed of our big news!

Week 10! Officially 1/4th the way through the pregnancy and our last week before we will be traveling to sunny Cabo San Lucas! 

No new symptoms, however my nausea has been a tad stronger and my face is finally clearing up from the massive break outs I've had since being pregnant. Maybe my body is finally getting used to all of the new hormones? The lower part of my stomach is now hard! So I can officially "feel" the bump :)

At 10.5 weeks I was able to get an appointment for a blood test that will tell us the gender of Baby Lucas!!! It's a new type of test that looks for chromosomal abnormalities and also can see if there is a Y chromosome present. I'm lucky enough to have a friend who works for the company that got me an appointment last minute. I was hoping we would be able to do this and we will get the results when we return from Cabo!

I won't be sharing the news until we officially decide if we are going to have a gender reveal (since we definitely would want to share the news on here afterwards).

This past weekend Chris and I took a trip to Pottery Barn Kids to look at cribs and we both agreed on the style we want. We aren't purchasing it yet, but we decided to take advantage of the three-day weekend and make the drive since the store is about an hour away. 

We love how sturdy it is (solid wood) and that it will convert to a full size bed so it's a great investment that will hopefully last our babe until they head to college :)

When I first found out I was pregnant I had a million ideas on how to tell our family and friends the news. Pinterest and Etsy are filled with ideas and in the end we decided that the most important thing was to tell those we could in person. I did make a few of these wine tags that are a cute way to share the news.

We also made sure to take photos this week for week 10's bump. I'm really looking forward to bumping it in Cabo for 8 days! I'll try to get week 11 and a Cabo recap on the blog when we return.