24 Week Update... Boy or Girl? {pregnancy}

 

Oh, week 24...  I feel like the past month has just been a big blur, and then I wake up on week 24 and.. oh, hey there.. it's my belly.  If I look at a photo of myself, I still feel like I look pretty small for how big I feel.  Does that make sense?  I'm totally feeling all the aches and pains though.  Sitting on the couch makes it hard to breathe, so I'm getting a lot of use out of my husband recliner.  I'm finding it harder and harder to get comfortable, and I swear I'm catching every cold that passes me by.. already being uncomfortable + trying to sleep with some major congestion.. is awful.  But I've been feeling baby boy a ton more lately.  He's pretty active in mid-afternoon as soon as I get home from work.  And as far as eating.. Still no aversions, however I'm definitely not as hungry as I was.  Right in the middle of 2nd tri, I swear I was just eating constantly!!

And I realize I haven't even "revealed" on the blog if we are having a boy or a girl!  Well I'm absolutely thrilled to tell you...

...we will be having darling baby BOY.  And the very first piece of clothing he received was this sweet sleeper with cute little puppy dog feet, thanks to Nana.  :)  Having a boy will certainly change the dynamic in our household.. I'm anxious, excited, and nervous!  Clara was not thrilled with the news at first, as she was so sure she was getting a sister.. but she's getting used to the idea now and occasionally gets excited about it.  Though I'm pretty sure she has no idea what's in store!

We've been doing a lot of things around the house to try to get ready.  We have a little over 3 months left before his arrival, and with all the holidays I just know that it will go by so fast.  We've started clearing out the spare room which used to serve as a guest bedroom/craft room.  We got rid of the bed and moved my desk to the "dog room" (which is a bonus room.. more like an oversized closet).. and then I started cleaning out the closet in baby boys new room.. which ended up making the room look worse than when I started clearing it.

So there you have it.  The work in progress.. in all it's glory.  And that sweet little bear is baby's first stuffed animal, that I had picked up at Marshall's the other day.. it's this pretty burnt orange color, and super soft.. I couldn't resist.  But I have lots of plans for this nursery and I'm pretty excited to show you how it comes along!

Light it Up {decor}

If I'm honest, choosing lighting/lamps for home decor is hard for me.  Almost so hard that it's annoying... because I'm extremely picky (just ask my husband;).  There are so many fun and and different style lamps out there, and I think picking out the "right" one is important to the ambiance of the home!

Wayfair has just about any style you could look for - modern, traditional, contemporary, rustic.  I'm more of a contemporary gal myself.. a good mix between modern and traditional.  They're a fun way to add pops of color to a room as well.. here are some of my favorite lamps from Wayfair..

If you're in the market for some new lighting in your home, I highly suggest searching around on Wayfair first.  They have a great selection, with so many different style.. and they are providing my reader a 15% off promo code for lamps, which is valid 11/6 through 11/10.  Just enter the code WFLAMPS15.  Happy shopping!  :)

This post is sponsored by Wayfair, but all opinions are 100% my own.  :)

18 Week Update {pregnancy}

So now I'm into week 18.. nothing major has gone on between now and the first trimester recap.  I still feel pretty good, all things considering.  ;)  Of course always tired, but I don't expect that to change.. for a long time.  Excuse how horribly exhausted I look in the photo.  But that's real life.

My bump has gotten a little bigger, and a tad more rounded out.  I have a few maternity shirts that I'm wearing.. but otherwise I'm still in my regular clothes.  I'm determined to stay in my normal jeans as long as I can with the use of a belly band.  And as soon as I get home for the day it's yoga pants or pajama pants (not that that's any different from when I'm not pregnant, ha). 

Still no aversions, no sickness.. though lately I've been getting some incredibly strong headaches that start in the afternoon and make me useless for almost the remainder of the day.  The past week I've been going to bed at 730/8.. which is super early for me.  But my body must need it.  Today I decided to wear my glasses instead of my contacts, hoping that will help my headache problem - and it seemed to be a little better today.

I still have a sweet tooth, and will eat all the ice cream I can.  ;)

My favorite thing lately is vanilla ice cream with my homemade chocolate sauce, and a spoonful of mini m&ms.  Yep, that's my jam.  And I've only gained 6 lbs since being pregnant.. I call that a win.

I've been able to feel the baby squirm around here and there, but no full-on kicks or anything yet.  But they are getting stronger now, and they're definitely a bit more than just flutters at this point.  I'm anxious to be able to feel/see them on the outside, so Clara will be able to feel - I cannot wait to see her reaction!

A Happy Announcement

We have a little something to share with you all...

That's right, Clara is going to be a big sister!  I've been waiting for our second ultrasound to let our little secret out, however Clara has been telling people left and right.. so for some, they knew far before I was ready to let it spill!  I guess she was just too darn excited.  ;)

We found out around the second week in June... and was able to get into my first appointment at 7 weeks, and we first saw our sweet baby then.  But I was feeling cautious, although happy, and was trying not to get too excited.  My miscarriage last year (which was my second miscarriage)... happened after our first ultrasound.. where we saw a perfectly fine baby.  So I was nervous, and hesitant.. but prayed every day for this baby.  We had the second ultrasound at 11 weeks.  I was so nervous, I felt sick.  I didn't even look at the ultrasound, until he said everything had looked good... and I looked and saw a growing baby.. a strong heartbeat.. a cute little noggin, and teensy arms and legs.  I shed a happy tear or two.. or three.  I still continue to pray for this baby, that he/she continues to grow to be strong and healthy.

And now, I feel excited.

And obviously Clara will just be the best big sister in the world.  She has such a big heart, and a sweet soul.. and I am excited to see how she will interact with a new brother or sister.  And according to her, she's getting one of each... hate to break it to you, girlfriend... there's only one baby in there!!