No Longer a Secret

   I'm so excited for Easter. Easter is the time of year that calls for a new dress, and last year was no different.. except for the fact that I was pregnant. I had just found out I was pregnant this time last year. As I was trying on dresses, I was wondering what I'd look like with a big, pregnant belly. I had no idea I wouldn't even show till my third trimester. I had no idea whether I was having a boy or a girl, and only a handful of people knew I was even pregnant.

   I was already thinking of names, and I was trying not to worry or stress out too much. I was only about seven or eight weeks along. I wanted to see a doctor so badly so that I knew everything would be alright. I had no idea I'd be holding a perfectly healthy four month old a year later. I was more tired than usual, and I had no idea that growing a baby that was about the size of a speck was so tiring. 

   I finally found a beautiful cream dress, but the same night I bought it, someone stole it. I was so angry, and I was being so dramatic because I was so sad. I knew I would never find a dress as pretty, and I felt like I had thrown money down the drain. Then the next day I got a call, and as pregnancy brain would have it, I had left it in the Victoria's Secret changing room. 

   So I had a beautiful dress and a wonderful secret last year. Not everyone knew I was pregnant and all I could think about was how excited I was to make an Easter basket this year. I was thinking about how the Easter bunny would visit a baby the next year. I was wondering what kind of basket I would use, and what I would put in it. I would have to get a stuffed bunny whether I was having a boy or a girl. I'd get to buy an Easter outfit for a baby, and not just myself. I was so excited for right now.

   I have not been disappointed either. Easter is a little less than a month away, and I have Ryder's Easter basket almost ready. I'm just waiting on a few things to arrive in the mail. Once those arrive, I'll be able to put his basket together. Then on Easter morning, the Easter bunny will put his basket out for him to find. I have a little outfit for Sunday morning, and I have a lounge Easter outfit for him as well. 

   Christmas was fun, but Ryder was so little that he didn't really understand the excitement. He was still so new. Next Christmas will be a lot of fun (and so different)! Ryder might be walking by then, which is so hard to even imagine! So I feel like this is Ryder's first real holiday.

   Easter is going to be so cool. Ryder is grabbing at toys, and gets excited about things now. I got him some more wooden toys, a romper, a bunny, and books. I might have added some dark chocolate as well (for me, of course!). It will be awesome to see Ryder smile as I show him his toys on Easter morning. 

   It is becoming harder and harder to imagine I grew this little babe of mine. That a year ago, Easter was approaching, and this beautiful baby boy was only a secret. I look at Ryder, and I see a miracle. The miracle of life. I see a baby that spent nine months growing inside of me. I've been thanking God so much for placing Ryder in my life. This time last year, I was feeling so many emotions. Now looking back, I can see that God knew exactly what He was doing. 

xx

Pregnancy Princess

   I absolutely adored being pregnant. I was a pregnancy goddess, or unicorn, or something magical! I didn't gain weight till I was about six months pregnant. I never got morning sickness or had nausea. I didn't show till I was almost six months pregnant, and when I did show, I was all belly. The only huge problem I had was heart burn, and even then, I was just popping tums like no other.

   Now I did get super antsy in the last month, and I (again) had heartburn, and I missed sleeping on my stomach. Other than that, I loved being pregnant. I felt like my body was meant for it. I felt beautiful, and I wanted to show my belly off. I enjoyed people coming up and asking me if I was pregnant. To be honest, I'd sometimes get a little offended when people wouldn't mention it! I enjoyed people (that I knew) coming up and rubbing and touching my belly too.

   I read a few blogs and articles about how hard pregnancy is and how some people don't like pregnancy. It is true, pregnancy is hard, I mean, you are growing another little human! A little, separate being. It is truly an amazing miracle, but it can be a difficult thing. 

   I am on the side of pregnancy that says it is amazing and to embrace every second of it. I miss being pregnant just a little bit (nothing beats actually holding your newborn baby!), but a little bit of me misses having a big belly. I miss being able to feel my little Ryder move and his hiccups. He will start hiccuping now and I remember how it felt when I was pregnant with him. 

   Pregnancy is different for everyone though. Don't feel bad if you don't like being pregnant. Especially if it is your first. I was very blessed by the way my first pregnancy went, but my next pregnancy might be very different. I'm not planning on having another baby anytime soon, but I do want a little sibling for Ryder someday. Hopefully my future pregnancies will be as amazing as this one, but it might not be.

   I want people to know that everyone is going to have their own experience when it comes to pregnancy. The thing about pregnancy is, no matter if you have an awful one or a great one, in the end, there is going to be a beautiful baby. A little soul that is going to make a you realize that it was worth it. Pregnancy is worth it.

   I was asked to post on Instagram a picture of where I felt beautiful, and all I could think about were my maternity photos. I felt beautiful. I don't think I ever felt more beautiful or empowering than when I was pregnant. I was at awe by how my body was building a baby. At my biggest, I felt beautiful. I thought I looked beautiful. I loved my belly. 

   I'm really happy Ryder is in my life now though!(:

xx

   

   

39 weeks!

   This is the last blog post I'll be writing while pregnant!!! I will be going to the hospital tomorrow night at midnight to be induced. Baby Ryder will be born on either the 24th or 25th!(: Ryder is the size of a watermelon. Fully grown as a baby. I can't wait to see how big he is. Hopefully, for my sake, he isn't a huge baby. I'm sure he will be around 7 lbs. and around 19 inches long. 

   I had my 39 week appointment on Monday. I hadn't progressed much, I am about 1 1/2 cm dialated, and 80% effaced still. After my dr checks me, she usually sits down, asks if I have any questions, I say no, and she leaves. On Monday though, she sat down and asked me how I'd feel about having my baby on Friday. I said I'd love that! My mom was induced with all six kids, so I have no idea whether Ryder would be late or on time or what. My dr is the same dr that delivered me, so she knows what she is doing. 

   This week was a little uneventful. It was my brothers birthday, he is 15. Which means he will get his permit soon (scary!). 

   Yesterday, my family and I went to the fair. My siblings rode rides, and I walked around with my parents and little sister. Cherith liked the fair a lot!

   

   My brother won a big stuffed raccoon at a basketball game, and I've never seen a baby love a stuffed animal so much. Cherith just kept hugging this big raccoon (it was bigger than she was!), and it was so cutee!

How far along: 39 weeks !

Gender: Baby boyy(:Gender: Oh Boy !

Weight gain: 26 lbs. Now I wonder how much I'll lose after Ryder is born !

Maternity clothes: I won't be wearing maternity clothes for much longer !!

Stretch marks: It looks like I've made it to the end without any battle scars, hopefully all my pregnancys will be this successful(:

Belly button in or out: still flat, and kinda poking out, but mostly flat.

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well. Tonight will probably be a difficult night though, I'm gonna be so anxious for tomorrow !! I need to get some sleep in though, so that I am well rested tomorrow.

Best moment this week: Finding out that I was gonna have Ryder this week!!

Miss anything: I'm too happy to miss anything this week, it has been a really good week.

Movement: Still moving quite a bit, hiccups still all the time. It's starting to get uncomfortable when he moves, which means it has to be uncomfortable for him too. 

Cravings: No real cravings this week. I craved gingerbread frapps, and since I work at Starbucks, I got to have my gingerbread frapp once or twice(:

Looking forward to: tomorrow night. I am so excited to be having a baby, I cannot wait to hold him in my arms. I cannot believe I'm going to be a mom. 

   I have a little bit I need to do. I've got to clean my room, vacuum and dust everything down. I need to hang up two or three things up on the wall. I'm going to open up my little bed/co sleeper that my mom got me for Ryder. I'm touching up my hair tonight and I am just so excited. So far I am not nervous at all, but it is hard to fathom everything that is about to happen. I'm sure it will hit me eventually, now I just am praying that everything from this point on goes smoothly! 

   I will probably be on Instagram more than any other media site. I will also be putting pictures up on Facebook. So if you follow me on either, you are sure to be updated. I will definitely put a post up after I have Ryder. I'm just not sure if it will be in a week or not, so just keep your eyes open!(:

xx

Btw, if you read my blog, and follow me on fb or ig, you'll notice I have seven blankets I'm selling, if you text or message me that you read my blog, you can buy a blanket with $15 off. Just mention that you read my blog when you contact me!(: 

Pregnancy Must-Haves (for me anyway!)

   When I first found out I was pregnant, I looked at a million "pregnancy must-have" blogs, lists, etc.. 

   I would choose my favorites from each list. So I thought I'd put my own must-have list out there. If you are pregnant, I encourage you to look at a lot of different lists and blogs. First off, they are fun to look at, and secondly, they really are so helpful and informative!

1. Water!!!! I have a Starbucks I've cup, it holds 24 oz. especially when I was at work, I'd drink at least three or four cups a day. I also have two or three Victoria's Secret water bottles, and I loved the smart water bottles. 

   It is so so important to stay hydrated. I went a week or two not drinking as much as usual and had to go into the hospital. I also had a bladder infection because I wasn't flushing my system out. When you aren't pregnant, you need about eight cups of water. When you are pregnant, you need a million cups of water... Just kidding, but you do need about twelve cups, you are carrying a second human who needs water as much as you do!

2. Tums. Can I just say that I've never needed tums in my life. I think I would have had an awful pregnancy if I hadn't had tums. Between my dad and I, (he wasn't pregnant, but he has heartburn and stuff) we went through more than a few bottles. And not the normal size bottles, the extra big value bottles! Also looking back, I wonder if maybe I could consider tums a craving. You hear of women craving chalk and stuff, well tums are essentially chalk in a way.. So yeah, thoughts.

3. Pre-natal vitamins. I bought these the day I thought I might be pregnant. I just used the Target brand. They never made me sick or anything. I was awful about remembering to take them. I'd take them every day for a month, and then the next month, I'd always forget. No, I'm not a bad mother, and if you forget to take prenatals, you aren't a bad mother either. Especially if you are healthy and take care of yourself. That being said, I found it easier to remember to take my vitamins if I used my little pill bottle thing. It has a compartment for every day of the week, I have a really cute purple one.(:

4. Root beer. I really didn't drink soda before I got pregnant. I went a good three years where I would drink soda maybe once or twice a month. I enjoy tea and water and coffee, but I craved root beer when I got pregnant. I love Abita root beer, I promise it is some of the best tasting root beer. It is going to be hard to stop drinking soda again when Ryder gets here!

5. Sweatpants. I adored my Victoria's Secret sweatpants. They were never too tight, I wear them still. I have a pair in my hospital bag to come home in, and I will probably wear a pair when I go in to have my baby. 

6. Snoogle! Dude, these things are awesome. It honestly didn't help me when I was newly pregnant, I had trouble sleeping no matter what, but when I finally started getting bigger, I enjoyed it very much so. Until it got comfortable to use, my siblings used it a lot (even my brother). It is a little expensive, but it is a big pillow that will be used a lot. You could probably get away with a $15 body pillow from Target though. 

7. My tote. I have this particular tote that is pictured, just with black lettering. I also have two other totes. I crocheted a lot while being pregnant, so one tote would almost always have yarn in it. Sometimes I didn't wanna take my whole purse, so I'd throw my keys and wallet in a tote, and it is just really handy to have. I have my tote holding my toiletries in my hospital bag at the moment.

   Some things I don't have pictured, buy a pair of maternity jeans. Spend $50 and get a pair of really nice maternity jeans. That is one thing I didn't do that I wish I would have. My regular jeans fit me till I was six months pregnant, and then I thought it would be silly to buy jeans with only three months left, but I would have gotten so much use out of them. I've wished for jeans many times, so next pregnancy, I will be buying jeans. 

   I don't have dresses pictured, but I had about three dresses that I adored, especially in the in between stage where I was kinda rockin a bump, but not really. Maxi dresses are awesome because you can put a belt on and your little bump looks adorable. Maxi dresses are comfortable, and they don't have to be maternity either! 

   That is my list that I can think of. I also never used panty liners before becoming pregnant, but I've used them a lot the past two months. Mostly girls are reading my blog, so I don't think that is TMI... The guys that do read this (there are two or three, but I'll keep their name private for their sakes) won't say anything.(: 

   I can't believe that I won't be pregnant for much longer. I'll have my baby in less than a week! I will definitely miss being pregnant though. Hopefully this list will help someone out (seriously, get tums).

xx

38 Weeks, My Little Pumpkin!

   38 weeks down! I am so ready for Ryder to be here! I am expecting him to come a few days late, but I want him to come early so badly. 

   Ryder is the size of a pumpkin this week. How fitting since it is October and Halloween is coming up and all. He should be around 7 lbs. according to the books. At this point, not much more is gonna change till he is born. 

   This past week was kind of rough. I had an overnight stay in the hospital Thursday night. I had mentioned in my last blog about how my family was sick, and I figured I wasn't feeling well because of that. I was wrong. I went to the hospital after work and ended up having an extreme bladder infection, being extremely dehydrated, and having ideal circumstances for kidney stones. 

   I ended up having three bags of fluids, antibiotics, and some pain meds. Ryder is perfectly fine, he was monitored two different times, and the nurses told me he was perfect the entire time. While I was at the hospital, they checked me and I was still 1 cm dialated, but 80% effaced. I was checked Monday at my 38 week checkup, and it was the exact same. 

How far along: 38 weeks

Gender: Oh Boy !

Weight gain: 26 lbs. I've gotten to where I am steadily gaining 2 pounds every weeks.

Maternity clothes: I can't wait to fit into jeans again, and leggings, some leggings are too tight around my stomach and waist now

Stretch marks: Still none

Belly button in or out: still flat

Sleep: I'm trying to sleep as much as I can, I've gotten to where I wake up three or four times a night again

Best moment this week: Nothing in particularly great happened this week. I'm still feeling kinda blah, which I will prolly feel that way till Ryder is born honestly. 

Miss anything: I miss feeling normal, as in healthy. I feel bad and just not good (I know that didn't sound very intelligent, but yeah). I'm not a complainer, but there is always something that I could complain about, at least this week. My tummy feels icky sometimes, I feel like I need tums with me all the time. This is gonna be tmi.. But nothing down below feels normal, which is normal because a baby is coming, but still. Hopefully my bladder infection/dehydration problem will be good and over with by the time Ryder decides to make his appearance.

Movement: Still moving quite a bit, hiccups still all the time.

Cravings: No real cravings this week. I've just enjoyed mushrooms, and I'm eating red beans and rice tonight which sounds perfect right now!

Looking forward to: Labor, I'm sure I'll regret saying that later, but I'm so ready for it right now.

   I was completely good with trying to have a very natural birth. I don't want to use pitocin, I don't want to be induced, and I don't want to get an epidural. After this week though, I just want to go ahead and be induced tomorrow, just so I can have my baby! I've had my mother friends tell me the last month is the longest and hardest, but you really don't understand till you are on your last month. Pray that I will be patient in waiting for this baby, I'm sure I'll be pregnant in a week still. 

xx

Panties, Pads, and Nursing bras, Oh My!

   So I have about 25 days (give or take) till my sweet baby boy will be born! I have finally (mostly) gotten my hospital bags together! This is what this post is about, hospital bags.

   I am a first time mom, thus I have never packed a hospital bag. I've read what other people have taken, and I've thought about what I would want to be comfortable while I'm in the hospital. 

   The blue bag is Ryder's diaper bag, and the pink one is mine. Isn't super cute how we are kinda matching.(: 

   Ryder's bag does not have as much in it as mine, so I'll start with his.

• two gowns (my mom gave me the advice that it will be easy to just slip the gown up in order to change his diaper and for the doctors to check him and all)

• two swaddling blankets (they match the gowns!)

• two cutesy, actual outfits

• one going home outfit

• eight pairs of socks (because I don't know what will fit him, so I'm taking a variety!)

• mittens 

• a pair of booties to go with his homecoming outfit

• a newborn Alabama hat (because Roll Tide!)

   I'm a very indecisive person, so I won't be surprised if I add another outfit just so I have choices. I need to get another hat or two, I'd love just a plain gray and/or brown one. I also would like to get some more mittens. I love the mittens, because it keeps baby from scratching himself. I don't want my sweet baby boy to scratch himself all up!

   Now onto my bag, which I will be surprised if I don't change anything about it! 

• Notebook and planner (I will also have pens to be able to write in them and for paper work)

• Sakura bloom sling (just because I cannot wait to use it. I may not even get it out of the bag, but I'd rather have it and not use it than not have it and wish I did)

• A pair of slippers and socks

• Big granny panties (I know for a fact that I will much rather wear underwear I bought and cleaned rather than mesh underwear from the hospital)

• One night gown that will be good for breastfeeding

• Two sets of pajamas (one is button down, easy access for breastfeeding)

• A nursing tank from Target

• A few nursing bras

• My going home outfit, which is just a pair of sweatpants and one of my comfy tees

• A robe

   And in a bag within this bag, I have my cosmetics and beauty supplies.• My bag

• Hair bands and ties

• My hairbrushes 

• Toothbrush and toothpaste

• Hairspray (it's miniature)

• Deoderent 

• Makeup fanny pack

• Eyeliner and Mascara

• Tums

• Wallet

• Big pads

   I enjoy doing my makeup and I feel much more myself when I have a little bit of eyeliner and mascara on, so I would not leave the house with my makeup fanny pack. I'm sure there are few other things I could leave out, but I am definitely one of those people who would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared!

   I'm going to probably get a miniature set of shampoo and conditioner so I can wash my hair and feel clean. Hopefully my dad will let me borrow his speaker as well. I'm a huge music person, so I will definitely have music playing some of the time. I will obviously have my phone charger with me. I'm sure someone in my family will have a video and regular camera with chargers as well.

   If you have any suggestions (especially if you've done this before !!) let me know. I'm sure I will add some things before Ryder comes. I like to think I am pretty prepared though. Now to play the waiting game.

   I have a doctor appointment Monday, so hopefully there will be some progress and Ryder will be itching to come out!(: 

36 weeks

   By the end of this week, I will be considered full term. This means that in no more than five weeks at the most, I will be someone's mommy. Talk about hard to believe. I am so excited to meet my little boy. 

   

   I am so happy that it is October, because this is supposed to be Ryder's birthday month (although I think he will wait till November to make his appearance). Ryder is now just putting on some weight in my tummy now. He should be as long as he will be when he is born at this point. One of my favorite apps is ovia pregnancy because it shows how big baby's hand is, and Ryder's hand has grown so much. I remember when it showed that his hand wasn't any bigger than my fingertip!(: 

   This past week I had my baby shower, and I'm so thankful for everything that Ryder was given. People were so thoughtful and sweet, I'm so thankful for everyone who showed up. I really don't have much more I need before Ryder is born. I'm gonna need some more diapers, wipes, and I will need to get bottles eventually, but other than that, I'm not left wanting. 

   My room/nursery (same place) just needs curtains, blinds, and wall decorations, then it will be complete. All that I will need will be my sweet baby!(: I have a few more things to put in my hospital bag and diaper bag, but I will be putting up a blog post about both later this week (at least I'm gonna try!). 

How far along: 36 weeks

Gender: A sweet boy

Weight gain: 22 lbs.

Maternity clothes: I haven't bought any clothes in weeks, I'm making do with what I have right now

Stretch marks: None, and I really hope it stays that way, if I get stretch marks at this point, I will cry. It would just be cruel to get stretch marks with four weeks to go !!

Belly button in or out: flat, but I think it's starting to be a bit of an outtie, not quite, but almost...

Sleep: Hasn't been too bad this week, I've been tired, weariness has hit me like a train, I want to just rest all the time.

Best moment this week: My baby shower was great, I love having everything almost together. I cleaned Ryder's clothes and sheets, I've made two more afghans, I almost have my room all put together. I just have my hospital bags and a few other little things left to finish. I finally got to cross out a few things off my list this week (I love lists, and I love crossing things off lists!). 

Miss anything: My hands and feet keep swelling. I can't wear my rings anymore, and some of my shoes are kind of tight :( I miss shoes and rings, I also miss the days of no heartburn. Heartburn has come with a vengeance this past week, it is ridiculous. I have started waddling slightly.. Not a lot, but I want to not waddle, I'm not a duck! I'm starting to feel big as well, it is going to be weird to be normal sized again.. 

Movement: Ryder still moves so much, even though he is running out of space to move!

Cravings: I haven't really had any cravings this week.

Looking forward to: I'm looking forward to putting up my next few blog posts, and I'm excited for my next dr appointment. Hopefully It won't be too uncomfortable being checked, and hopefully Ryder will be in the right position for labor to happen soon! Time is truly flying! 

   So sorry for being so late on this weeks post, I've been tired and busy. My sister didn't feel good, and I helped take care of her the past few days. Hopefully I can make up with extra blog posts this week! 

xx

A Blessing in a Crib

   I know this doesn't look like much, but I needed a crib. I thought I had one, but it was broken and unusable once we put it together. I was very happy to have had a crib, but now I was crib-less..

   I had talked to my mom a bit about how I didn't necessarily need a crib at first. My mom has the bassinet that she used for me. We figured we would keep our eyes open for a crib, and I could use the bassinet while he was little. I was completely okay with the idea of using the bassinet for a few months, but I figured I'd go look at cribs to know what I was dealing with.

    So while I was looking at cribs and prices, I got super discouraged. I wanted to cry because I didn't have the money for the type of crib I was wanting. I got into my car and gave myself a pep talk. I started praying that I'd be happy with whatever I ended up getting. I had come to terms with that as long as I had a safe crib, it didn't matter about other things (like the fact that it might end up being the ugliest crib there was). 

   God is good though. He knew I was struggling with this seemingly small problem and He provided. I found this insanely nice crib and got an amazing deal on it as well. I know God knew what I wanted and needed. This crib makes me so happy, and it is going to be a constant reminder of how blessed I am every time I look at it. God doesn't always provide what we necessarily want, but He did this time for me. 

   I can't wait to put everything together. I'll be getting a mattress and sheets in the next month, and in about two months, there will be a little baby boy in it. Y'all don't understand how happy I am right now.

xx

32 weeks !!

   It's September, which means next month (NEXT MONTH) is October. Most of y'all are probably saying, "well, duh Hannah, that is the month after September," but Ryder is due in October! He is due at the end of October, so he might end up being born in November, but it's getting so close! I have eight more weeks till Ryder's due date, although only four more weeks till I'm technically full term!(:

   In my last blog post, I wrote how my baby sister and I were not feeling too well. It took us a few more days to get over the worse of it all, but we are mostly all better now. 

   At the moment, I am living with my parents. I was hoping to have my own place, but it just hasn't worked out at all. I've been discouraged about it every now and again, but especially after this weekend, I'm glad to be right where I am. It is going to be so nice having my mom here to help with the baby, and I know I'm going to be so thankful for my parents. This weekend, we renovated my room to get it ready for me and Ryder.

   I've slept in a twin bed my whole life, as of last night, I have a full bed. It is literally amazing, and I have so much room to stretch out!(: The walls in my room and bathroom were a deep red and a mustard yellow, now my walls are antique white with one grey accent wall. My bathroom is the same color as the accent wall! 

This is the before color.

   I'm not going to put up pictures till it is all finished, but here is a sneak peek. This is in my bathroom, I love the light grey color. It looks so fresh and clean. I cannot wait to finish getting all my furniture and decorate the bare walls.

   I went antique shopping and found these drawers for Ryder. I saw them and thought they were perfect. I even talked down the price just a little bit, which means I paid less than what the seller was originally wanting. I would have never thought I'd have so much together last week!

   Now all I need is a crib! If anyone wants to help a momma bear out, I'm not picky. I just want something that is safe and will look good in my room! 

   Me and my brother in the top picture.(:

   Sunday lunch at Bagelheads. I went to lunch after church with one old friend and one new friend. That potato and cheddar soup and cinnamon raisin bagel were amazing!! Now, on to the fun survey! I only read this part on some people's blogs (so I understand if this is all you care about, haha)! 

How far along: 32 weeks

Gender: Boy(:

Weight gain: About 16 lbs. it will be interesting to see how much I gained when I go to the doctor next week, especially after losing a couple of lbs last week

Maternity clothes: I don't think I wore any maternity clothes this last week.. Ha, I need to go through all my clothes this next week!

Stretch marks: Still none, I am considering myself lucky so far(:

Belly button in or out: Flat as flat can be

Sleep: I actually slept pretty well this last week, although I've become such a light sleeper, which is not a bad thing since I am planning on co-sleeping (which I will try to write about this week!) 

Best moment this week: I finished Ryder's matching baby afghan, and I won quite a few Instagram contests, I also have my room almost put together, and honestly, yesterday and today, I've been on the brink of tears from being so happy and feeling just so, so blessed. 

Miss anything: I miss bending down! I'm officially admitting that it is such a chore to bend down, once I'm down, I have to make sure that there is nothing else that needs to done while I'm down! I miss sleeping on my stomach too...

Movement: So much movement and I absolutely adore it. I think him moving is one of my favorite things about being pregnant.

Cravings: I've been craving waffles this week, I know that people make fun of Waffle House, but I love it !! The hashbrowns and waffles are just so good.. (And now I might have to go get a waffle before I go to bed, it's a good thing they are open all night :D)

Looking forward to: Having my baby shower! Invitations should be sent out soon, and then I will need to tell people who don't get invitations about it. I am excited, the date for my baby shower will be in about three weeks. I am hopefully taking maternity picture soon too! 

   I still have so much to do, but I'm a happy momma. God is being so good to me and Ryder. I pray that I will just remember that every good thing is sent from Above!(: Pray that I will find a crib soon, and that the rest of my room will come together nicely. Pray that I also get all my paper work done for work, hospital, etc. 

   Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers!

xx

30 weeks !!

   I am 30 weeks today! I cannot believe I have finally hit 30. Only 10 more weeks to go. I really want time to speed up a bit, but at the same time.. I have so much to do!

   I am renovating my room, which involves painting, a new bed, and setting up a crib. It also involves getting rid of some things and putting other things away in boxes. I hate getting rid/packing up things, because everything has a meaning and I am so sentimental. 

   I am super excited though, because I've come across super nice furniture for a great deal. So although I don't really have a place to put furniture right now, when I get my own place, I honestly shouldn't have to buy almost any furniture. I know I'm probably putting the cart before the horse, but I think I'm making some great decisions and will be thankful when I get my own place and have furniture. 

   I bought a fujifilm instax camera this past week. I love the idea of having one chance to take a photo. It just feels so much more real. I got the camera for the pregnancy and for after Ryder is born. I wanted real pictures that I could hold in my hand!(: 

   Ryder is around 3lbs. this week and around 15 in. or so. I feel him move so much now. My sister is actually laying her head on my stomach and feeling him move as I write this.(: 

How far along: 30 weeks

Gender: Boy(:

Weight gain: 20 lbs. I go to the doctor on Monday, hopefully I haven't gained too much more. I did a really bad job with the soda this week... I might have had more than one or two sodas... Whoops!

Maternity clothes: I found a bag of maternity clothes that had been misplaced early on, so I have some new pieces added to my maternity wardrobe.

Stretch marks: None

Belly button in or out: Flat as a pancake

Sleep: One day I will be able to sleep again. Ryder moves so much now, and it will keep me up. It is increasingly getting harder to get comfortable as well.

Best moment this week: Nothing in particular this week. An all around good week. I felt better (yay for no longer feeling sickly), I had good work days, I enjoy everyone I work with, my days off have been spent in peace, and I finished my big afghan. I have accumulated furniture, and I also won another Instagram contest (I seriously love Instagram contests). I won credit to an etsy store that sells really cute bracelets, I'll have to put a picture up after I get them. So again, pretty good week.

Miss anything: Just the usual; sleep, not having heartburn, etc.

Movement: So much movement. I absolutely adore how much he moves, it is one of my favorite things about being pregnant!

Cravings: Not a lot of cravings, although I did eat whataburger for three different meals..(no judging!) 

Looking forward to: My baby being here! And I'm ready to have everything ready for him to be here. I can't wait for the baby shower, which will be mid-September; or my doctor appointment, which will be Monday.

   I have a lot going on the next ten weeks (and actually many weeks after as well..). I want to start blogging more than once a week, and write about some things I plan on doing and why (such as breast feeding, baby-wearing, and co-sleeping). I can then blog again about whether I did everything I wanted to do or not, and why it did/did not work later on.

   Pray that my appointment will go well, and that Ryder is growing perfectly. Pray I find a place to put everything, and that I am smart in organizing and getting ready for Ryder to be here. Again, I can't thank you enough if you read my blog.(:

   This picture is in honor of Ryder being as big as a pineapple last week!(:

xx