Pregnancy Progress: Week 34

6 weeks left!  Yikes!  She will be here so soon!  I want to be able to remember pregnancy and wish I had done more detailed updates...so here goes one with more details.

I had a doctors appointment at 32 weeks and everything looks great.  I measured about 33 cm so just about right.  She is positioned head down already and her heart beat was in the 140s which is good.

Belly:

32 weeks

33 weeks

34 weeks

How big she is: She is the size of a pineapple!  Around 17-20 inches long and a little over 4 lbs.

Maternity clothes:  There are only a few things that are really comfortable to wear right now.  I really wish I could wear my regular shorts, but I'm mostly wearing one of those Old Navy jersey skirts or gym shorts every day because it's comfortable.  I have one outfit (workout tank top and gym shorts) that I wear almost every day.  Bryce calls it my new favorite outfit.  Jersey skirts and dresses are just really comfortable.  I feel like I'm always hot.

Stretch marks:  Not that I have noticed yet.  I have been religiously putting on Palmer's lotion once or twice a day.  Hopefully that helps prevent them!

Aches and Pains:  Acid reflux, heart burn, indigestion.  Round ligament pain on the left side only (I think because of the way she is positioned).  Achy feet after walking or standing up for too long.  Just being extra tired.  Feeling like I move slower than I used to.  Having to bend over to do the dishes makes my lower back hurt.  Also feeling pressure on my pelvic bone (on the left side).

Movement:  She is really active mid morning and in the evening after dinner.  Apparently when I turned over the other night, I woke her up and she started moving.  I couldn't fall back asleep for like 30 minutes!  That was a first.  The past couple weeks, I've been able to feel her have the hiccups a few times.  It doesn't last too long, but I feel bad for her when she gets them!

Sleep:  It's been okay but progressively getting worse.  It seems like I just can't get comfortable.  I wake up every time I turn over (and I can only sleep on my sides with an extra pillow between my legs/supporting my belly).  Plus I usually get up 1-2 times to go to the bathroom.

Food cravings:  Earlier in the pregnancy, I was craving salty things like chips and fries.  I think that's pretty much over and I'm back to my normal self--loving dessert after dinner.  Ice cream or a little chocolate like a few Hershey's kisses.

Labor signs:  Not really.  I am not even totally sure I have had Braxton Hicks contractions and if I have, I didn't really know.  Thinking back, I guess there have been a couple times when I was out walking and felt my belly get pretty tight...maybe that was a BH contraction.

Belly button:  Almost a fully out and it used to be completely in!

What I miss:  Sleeping through the whole night, running, having a glass of wine, and feeling more flexible to move around.  But besides that, I started thinking about what I will miss.  It's such a crazy thing wrapping my head around the fact that we are about to undergo one of the biggest life changes.  I feel like I did the days leading up to our wedding.  It's a huge new chapter of life which is really exciting and happy, but also a close to the previous chapter.  There are mixed emotions of happiness and feeling a little sad because something is also ending.  In this case, the life of just Bryce and I is ending as we expand our family.  Bryce and I are one of those couples that loooves spending time together.  Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy our time apart, but we really love being together and it takes a lot to get tired of each other (...I think I'm speaking for both of us!).  With this change, I know that the time we get to spend just us will change and I'm sure the topic of many conversations will become our sweet little baby.  Of course I am so excited, but I'll definitely miss the large amounts of time we spend just the two of us, focused on our relationship and not always revolving around our little one. 

What I'm looking forward to:  Most of all, meeting her!!  Experiencing that moment when she gets placed on my belly and we are really together for the first time.  Seeing who she looks like.  Learning how to be a good mom to her.  Also for my first baby shower this Sunday!  Getting the nursery done.  Getting labor and delivery over with so I don't have to think about it any more.  Feeling limber again.  Running again.

Try something new {recipes}

When I was in school, especially this past year, I resorted to the easiest, quickest, pantry-friendly meals.  There were about 6 meals we had on a regular basis: tacos, taco salad, spaghetti with meat sauce, breakfast for dinner (eggs, bacon, and Bisquick biscuits), stir fry, hot dogs, sushi from Kroger, Papa John's carry out, or BLTs.

Once I graduated and summer began, I started aching to get back in the kitchen.  I wanted to treat Bryce to some better home cooked meals.  I also wanted to spend more time trying new recipes.  

With that, I have decided to have a goal: try 1 new recipe a week.  I think setting goals can be great, but it can also be set up for failure if it's too big of a goal (hence ONE new recipe a week).  

So far, so good.  Here are some I've tried.

I love Joy the Baker and was perusing her recipe index.  I couldn't remember the last time I made chocolate chip cookies.  I've also never cooked with molasses.  These cookies were rich, chewy, and delightful.

We've never made ribs from scratch but we love a good tender rack of ribs from the River Company, so I decided to try them.

Source: mmmisformommy.com via Elissa on Pinterest

They were awesome and easier than I expected!  I'm glad I tried a recipe using a slow cooker because it was easy!  I always think of ribs being very difficult to get right.

I also made a cookies and cream ice cream pie with a recipe from Cayce.  Sooo easy and delicious!  Plus it is so versatile-you can switch it up using graham cracker crust, different flavor ice creams, and try different kinds of crushed cookies or candy (Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, anyone?)

Coffee Oreo Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients
A pre-made oreo pie crust
About half a gallon of coffee ice cream (eye ball it so it will fit into your pie crust)
8 oz cool whip
About 3/4 container of crushed oreos

Let the ice cream and cool whip soften, mix it all together, and put it in the crust.  Harden in freezer.

(sorry, no picture!)

I've never made stuffed chicken breasts.  I found this recipe and it looked awesome in the picture so I thought I'd go for it.

We loved the chicken.  It was perfectly moist and the cheese just oozed out and mixed with the roasted tomatoes.  I served it with salad and toasted focaccia slices which was perfect for spooning the cheese tomato mixture on for extra flavor almost like bruschetta .  It was also an easy recipe to adapt for 2 people (2 chicken breasts).  Here's mine that we enjoyed:

After a couple savory dishes, I was dying to bake something delicious and sweet.

It is just about 7 weeks until the beginning of September, which means Fall is just around the corner and summer is flying by (way too fast considering we will have a child by Fall but that's another thing in itself!).  When I found the recipe for Pumpkin Pull Apart bread on Pinterest, I was sold.  It's the middle of July, but a baked treat with pumpkin sounds so good!

Source: jessicainsd.blogspot.com via Elissa on Pinterest

I have had a can of pumpkin sitting in our pantry and this was the perfect recipe for it.  It was a little involved and took awhile to make, but yes, it was as delicious as it looks in that picture.  You need to try it.  It didn't last long here and I didn't even do the sugar glaze on top.  We ate it right out of the oven and it was sooo good.

We have a big ice cream maker (the kind you use rock salt with) and love it.  But we only use it when we are having more than 2 people over because it makes a ton and is a process.  We have actually only used it a few times since we got married.  It was a wedding gift.  We LOOOOVE ice cream though.  We eat ice cream almost every single night.  We've definitely cut back though since when we first got married. 

Lately we've been thinking about getting a more manageable ice cream maker that makes less with less work.  Some friends told us about an attachment for a mixer that makes just about half a gallon of ice cream or frozen yogurt.  With an Amazon gift card we have, I'm very tempted.  It sounds so much easier than the one we have, just pop the bowl in the freezer or keep it in the freezer, and when the ingredients are ready, take the bowl out and churn the ingredients in the mixer. 

Before we go and buy the ice cream attachment, I wanted to see if I could make home made ice cream without a machine.  So I made this recipe that I found on Pinterest.

Source: kevinandamanda.com via Elissa on Pinterest

2 cups heavy whipping cream + 1 can of sweetened condensed milk + chopped strawberries + 1 teaspoon of vanilla = "ice cream" that tasted more like strawberries and whipped cream.  It was okay, but it definitely was not ice cream.  It would've been great on pound cake.  Maybe it was the flavor I tried?

I still would like to try another non-machine ice cream recipe and see if it tastes like real churned ice cream...just wondering if it's possible to make good homemade ice cream without the churning. 

Baby Girl Nursery - Coral and yellow

We have not come close to getting the nursery together.  It is our junk room right now that happens to have a crib and a glider in it. 

I love home design.  A lot of blogs that I love to look at are interior design blogs.  They have great talent putting fabrics and pieces of furniture together to create a collage for room inspiration.  Here's my attempt.  We'll see if it turns out anything like this :-)

I found that Virginia map above on etsy, and after playing around with Photoshop on Bryce's computer, we actually created one just like it, with the heart on Blacksburg.  I really want to get it printed and framed for the nursery.  We don't have anything else but the finished crib and a glider.  My incredibly talented sister is making Madison's bedding and I CANNOT WAIT to see it finished and put on the crib!!!!  A lot of things on the crafting to-do list for me (curtains, Virginia map print, recover glider cushion, stuffed owl, even a baby quilt at some point, washing her clothes, and organizing all the baby stuff), but I am more than fine with things not being "ready" before she comes.  I also love crafting so I'm excited to do those things.  I'm getting SO excited for my baby shower that is coming up soon...it's like I'm waiting for Christmas day.  The nursery is a work in progress and besides, she doesn't need anything more than a car seat and a place to sleep which I've been told can be as simple as a laundry basket (and maybe some diapers).

Summer time

We love summer in Blacksburg.  Almost anyone you ask that has experienced it will say the same.  It's small town perfection.  Downtown farmer's market, quiet walks near the golf course and on the Huckleberry Trail or on campus, warm days and cool evenings (for the most part), cook outs, bonfires, no traffic, no hustle and bustle, limited lines at the grocery store, hanging out by the river, and gardening.

I have a "summer list" just like last summer.  I've already been able to cross a few off.

• Pick blueberries.
• Woodall Blueberries, Sinking Creek Farm, or Windrush Farm. (*update: I saw that two of the three are sadly already picked out for the 2012 season)
• Pick cherries here.
• I've never been there before, but it looks awesome and cherry pie is my absolute favorite.
• Eat with friends at the Palisades Restaurant
• Sew something (curtains for nursery, baby quilt, stuffed owl ...which leads to the next:)
• Start/finish nursery.
• Clean out closets.
• Organize the basement.
• Tube down the river.
• Make homemade ice cream.
• Try at least 3 crafts from Pinterest.
• Try at least 3 recipes from Pinterest.
• Read:
• The Hunger Games series
• Unbroken
• Radical
• Under the Banner of Heaven
• Read/go over baby books about labor/birth (and encourage Bryce to read some, too)
• Active Birth, Birthing from Within, What to Expect When You're Expecting
• Sign up for childbirth education classes.
• Learn more about/practice photography. 
• Learn the basics of Photoshop (this was on last summer's list and I never got around to it...)
• Have a bonfire in the backyard.
• Eat fresh veggies from the garden.
• Go on a fun vacation (x3)

Welcome little Luke!

Bryce's brother, Brett, and Rachel welcomed their new sweet little baby boy, Luke Christopher, on June 23rd, 7 lbs 6 oz.  Sooo cute!!

We are so excited for them!  The second grandbaby in the familiy, the first boy!!

We were finally able to go and meet the little guy last week, just about 3 weeks old.

We also got to see Brad who just returned to the USofA after being depoloyed on a Navy ship for the last 7 months.

Madison is the next...just about 7 weeks away...

Dad and Kim: Married!

I am very happy to announce that Dad and his girl friend got engaged on Easter Sunday AND got married just two weeks ago! We love Kim and are so excited for them.

After a year or so, seeing my dad on his own and knowing him, I really started praying that God would be with him, and if it was His will, that dad would find someone to talk to, a companion or friend to spend time with him as all of us kids started growing older. Through each stage over the last few years since Mom passed away, there have been people who have walked by my dad and even appeared out of no where to show him love.  It's been a long rough road.

I really cannot imagine losing Bryce, let alone losing him after 30+ years of being his wife. I truly don't believe anybody can come close to grasping the suffering in that unless they have dealt with it personally.

About a year and a half ago, through friends, dad met a very sweet woman named Kim. It was actually through a "gourmet dinner club" in Winston Salem. She's a dental hygienist in Winston. She has two super sweet daughters, one just graduated from UNCC and the other is married with an adorable little baby girl in Greensboro, NC.

He started getting to know Kim and found out that her husband had died years ago from cancer. With this in common, their relationship was automatically easier and closer. The beauty of this shared hardship is that neither of them want to forget their first marriage or take down pictures or anything like that.  I think they can connect on a deeper level with their experience.

It has been so sweet to see the joy that Kim brings to my Dad's life and the love they share.  I just really feel that God knew what they needed, when they needed it, and led them to each other.

Around New Year's Eve visiting Blacksburg

And here are some pictures of the wedding a couple weeks ago at the Graylyn in Winston Salem.  It was beautiful!  We had a great time.  

Getting our nails done on Friday

Hanging out on Friday before the BBQ

BBQ at Dad's house on Friday night;
Aunt Jayne, Uncle David, Uncle Noel, Aunt Judy, and Amy

Laura's baby Ellerie with Emily

The bride on Saturday morning

Getting our hair done

Abby being a big girl

Girl time! 

Dining room 

Before the ceremony

The ceremony was pretty emotional, both sad and happy at the same time.   Pastor Don from Westover, our church in Greensboro, married them and had a lot of wisdom and sweet words to share.  He made a point about two families joining together and when he asked who gives this bride and groom to be married, all of us kids said, "We do."  There were around 40 people there, mainly family and just a few very close friends. 

One big family now!

Cutting the cake with a hunting knife (of course)

It was such a fun weekend.  I finally got to meet Laura, Kim's older daughter, her husband, David, and Ellerie, her baby.  I feel like it was the first time all of us kids really got to spend some time together.  I think Christmas this year will be really fun with all of us at home. 

Kim and her two daughters (Laura on left, Amanda on right)

It was also very hot.  I felt SO pregnant all day.  I think I was the first to cry and it wasn't the pretty a-few-tears-drop kind of cry.  It was a blow-your-nose and puffy-eyes kind of cry up front during the ceremony.  Good thing Aunt Judy could hand me tissues from the front row haha.  Plus it was 104 degrees that day and I was sweating (even though the wedding was inside).

Dancing with Uncle Bryce

Let me just mention that Abby was the flower girl--her first time ever being a flower girl.  She was ADORABLE.  She loved every minute of it.  She got her nails done with us, we curled her hair all fancy like ours, she wore a dress that she could twirl and dance in, and she was the life of the party on the dance floor.  After about an hour or so of dancing, people started slowing down, but she was in the middle of the dance floor, running, twirling, jumping, and doing her impression of the robot.  We all just sat there and marveled at her unending energy.  Well, it did end on the car ride home.  She was so funny.  

Twirling before the ceremony

 

Puerto Rico Escape

Bryce's BMES (biomedical engineering) conference = Elissa's pre-baby relaxation vacation!

That's right.  Bryce had a conference with everything paid for (for him) so we spent a little extra on a plane ticket for me so I could relax in the sun while he was at the conference.  (of course he had breaks between meetings and we stayed a few extra days to explore together).

The conference was at El Conquistador resort.  We mainly spent time at the beach and pools reading, talking, and taking naps.  I also enjoyed a couple [virgin] pina coladas, my favorite!  At the beach, the water was turquoise and clear with tons of coral reefs for snorkeling.  We didn't snorkel but there were a few small (2-3 feet long) sharks that would casually swim by.  Then I would not-so-casually get out of the water.

I tried to act like I wasn't pregnant by going out with everyone and trying to stay up late.  Usually I was in bed at a normal time except a couple nights.  One night we left the resort and ate at a little Puerto Rican local joint.  We got "mofongo", danced salsa with locals, and sang karaoke.  Another night, right outside our hotel room, there was a DJ at the main pool and tons of people were in their bathing suits dancing and playing volleyball in the pool.  I was completely zonked by midnight and convinced Bryce that he was too.  It was really fun spending time with everyone that Bryce works with at the lab.

I also have to mention that my biomedical engineer won 2nd place in his session for his talk!  It was the first talk that I have been able to watch.  He did a great job.  Here he is right before he started.

Here we are about to go to the banquet where we got his award.

After the conference, Bryce and I rented a car and explored El Yunque National Park Rainforest which was just 20 minutes away.  It rained a lot in the rainforest.

One evening, we did the biobay.  It was awesome!!  Totally worth it.  You basically kayak out to this lagoon and wait til it's completely dark, then you can see the tiny glowing organisms in the water when you move your paddle or hand in it.  It was crazy.

We had to go through this narrow channel to get to the lagoon.  It felt like we were in a Louisiana swamp with mangroves everywhere.

About a day before we flew out, we went to Old San Juan.  I LOVED it.  We walked around the historic, colorful streets, toured the Spanish fort, and tried to survive the heat in the middle of the day.  We wanted to stay longer but it was so hot.  We tried to stay cool with ice cold cokes and frozen yogurt, but ended up going back to the hotel and swimming in the pool before our flight the next day. 

We really loved PR.  It felt like Latin America, but almost everyone spoke English, there were conveniences like Walmart to grab groceries, they use the American dollar, and we felt safe the entire time even renting a car and going out on our own.  I definitely would go back.  I also definitely felt spoiled being able to tag along making it into a vacation.

June was full of traveling for us, and although it was awesome and fun and exciting, when we walked into the house after being gone, it was also awesome.  It's great to be back home, sleeping in our own bed, cooking our own dinner, and as much as it sounds crazy, getting back into the routine.  I guess being away makes you appreciate a lot of things, both the fun of being somewhere new and the fun of being home.

More pictures.