letter to liam #3

{written 2.23.13}


Hey there little buddy!

Liam, you are 24 weeks old! I am so happy to make it to this milestone...to some people, it's just another week down before they get to meet their sweet baby, but to me, it marks an age where if you decided to come early, you would have a much better chance of surviving! Now, this may sound funny, but your doctor mama thinks of things like this. I am getting more and more excited every day to see your sweet face and give you kisses and snuggle with you, but I want you to keep growing for another 13 weeks or so! Daddy and I want your lungs to be strong and healthy when you make your arrival and we want some chubby cheeks to kiss too!!

As I sit here typing this on a Saturday morning, you are moving and kicking away in my belly. I still can't help myself from grinning from ear to ear...it is simply the most amazing feeling ever. Daddy has felt a couple good kicks and/or punches too, and it brought the biggest smile to his face! It was precious. Last night, when we {and by we, I mean you and me} were at the Butler basketball game, you were going crazy in there! Does that mean you love basketball? Daddy would be very proud, and I know he can't wait to shoot baskets with you!

We love you so much, buddy!!!

Love always,
your mama

Bumpdate! {24 Weeks!}

24 Weeks!

{as of 2.22.13}

How Far Along?

  24 weeks...16 weeks or 112 days to go!

Liam is the size of a gallon of milk!

{not the same weight though...obviously}

What is baby up to?

 Liam is growing like a champ. He's gained about 4 ounces in the last week, so he's probably about 1.5 lbs now {he was 1lb 1oz at the ultrasound around 21 weeks}. His brain is growing quickly {yay!}, and his taste buds are further developing. More importantly, Liam's lungs are developing bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli {the branches of the respiratory tree}, as well as producing surfactant {a substance that keeps the alveoli inflated once he's born}. Because of these developments in his lungs, if he were born now, he would have a much better chance of surviving compared to last week. In the medical world, 24 weeks = viability. A very good thing.

 

Weight Gain? 

I gained about 10 lbs this past month...that means my total weight gain is now about 20 lbs, which I'm not okay with. So what am I doing about it? I'm trying to make sure that most things I eat are of some nutritional value, and I've decided to start tracking my calories again using the MyFitnessPal app. I've tracked calories for awhile, but I had gotten away from doing it while pregnant. I'm also really working hard to exercise at least 5 times per week, and if I have plans to go out to eat, I'm making myself get a good, solid workout in earlier in the day. Hopefully, my efforts will help slow the further weight gain!

Maternity Clothes?

  Mix of shirts and cardigans along with all maternity pants. Over the last few days, I've been trying a lot of my pre-pregnancy dresses on to figure out what I'm taking to Florida next week, and I'm happy to say that most of them still fit! I can't wait to wear maxi dresses every day!

Exercise? 

  This past week was a great week! I think last Thursday was the only day I didn't get up early to work out, and my excuse that day was I had to be at work at 7am! As hard as it is to get my butt out of bed at 5am, I feel soooo much better once I'm on the treadmill. I even felt pretty great running on Saturday morning...I just could have done without the need to pee every 5 minutes.

Symptoms?

  Stuffy nose, a little bit of heartburn, peeing all the time...I think the nesting is starting to kick in already too...

Sleep?

  Still doing well! I even managed to sleep in till a little past 9am yesterday morning, which was an improvement from my 7am wake-up on Saturday!

Food Cravings? 

Not really anything. 

Anything Making You Queasy or Sick?

Nope. 

Gender?

our little buddy...Liam Joseph

Movement?

  He's moving more and more, and I love every second of it! TJ has felt a couple solid kicks over the last week or so...I'm so glad he can share in that part of this little miracle!

 

What You Miss?

  Not a whole lot. 

Mood?

Very happy!

Best Moment of the Week?

  I had my 24 week appointment on Friday morning. TJ wasn't able to go because he had to work, so my mom came with me. She hadn't met my doctor yet, and of course, my mom was so excited to hear Liam's heartbeat. Definitely a fun moment!

On Saturday, my mom and I had a full day of shopping and running errands. It was a successful day, and we found some great things for Liam's nursery. I can't wait to share them with you!

And just because I've been having fun looking back at my previous bump pics...

Crazy what a difference 10 weeks makes!

Have a great week!

The Baby Registry: Part 2 {Feeding Liam}

Last week, I shared with you our registry picks for Liam's car seat and stroller. {P.S. I opted to switch from the sandstone to the black stroller!} Today, we're talking about feeding. And when I say feeding, I should probably say breastfeeding. Yes, I plan on nursing Liam exclusively for the first 6 months {per the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations}, and would like to be able to continue throughout his first year of life. I pray that God will allow this to happen!

You would think that a breastfeeding mama doesn't need a lot of "extras" when it comes to feeding time, but I'm realizing that a working mama {i.e. someone who has to pump in order to provide enough for her growing baby} requires a lot of extras. Enter one of the most expensive items on our registry...

Medela Freestyle Hands-Free Breast Pump

I opted for the Freestyle -- i.e. the more expensive one -- because I love how I won't have to lug that big black bag to and from work everyday. The fewer things I have to carry, the better! The actual pump is that round yellow thing in the middle, and that will easily fit into my diaper bag, which is what I'll be using as my purse come June. One of my best friends from college managed to breastfeed her little boy, Leo, for his first year with the help of the Medela Freestyle. Oh, and did I mention? She's an OBGYN resident who works super crazy hours! If she highly recommends it, I've got to go with her! I also registered for a set of spare parts and the quick clean wipes {in case I can't wash the parts out right away}.

When it comes to bottles, I got extremely overwhelmed extremely quickly. There are SO MANY bottles out there, it is ridiculous! I have had friends highly recommend the Tommee Tippee bottles as well as the Dr. Brown's bottles, but when it came down to deciding what to register for, I opted to stay with the Medela brand. Since I will be using a Medela pump, I thought I might as well try those bottles first, and if Liam does well with them, great! If he doesn't, then I guess we will experiment with other brands if/when that time comes.

I haven't decided on what bags to get for pumping/storing, so if you have any recommendations, let me know!

In terms of other accessories, I knew we couldn't go without a Boppy pillow, so that is definitely on the registry. I also couldn't resist from registering for a few cute bibs, even though Liam already has some, and I'm sure there are more coming our way!

JJ Cole Bib in White Vroom

Anything and everything Aden + Anais was HIGHLY recommended by my friends, so in addition to the bibs, we registered for several of their burpy bibs, which is a nice combo of a bib and burp cloth. Plus, the designs are simple and adorable!

Aden + Anais Burpy Bib in "Boys Toys"

We also registered for the ever popular "lawn drying rack." I love the way it looks...so fun!

Can't forget a good bottle brush! We went with the Oxo brand. FYI, these are great to wash flower vases too! Just get a separate one from what you use to clean the bottles!

I think that's most of what I have on our registry for feeding. I chose not to register for sippy cups and other things we won't need till he's a little older. I didn't want to completely overwhelm myself, and those are easy enough things to buy ourselves when we need them!

Did I forget something? Any other must-have items from you moms or moms-to-be out there?!?? Especially those of you who are breastfeeding or have done so in the past!

Bumpdate! {23 Weeks!}

23 Weeks!

{as of 2.15.13}

How Far Along?

  23 weeks...17 weeks or 119 days to go!

Liam is the size of an ear of corn!

What is baby up to?

 Liam can now feel me sway and dance since his sense of movement is well developed at this point. {I guess he can feel the pounding on the treadmill too!} Blood vessels are developing in his lungs to get him ready to breathe on his own. He can also hear even better now because his cochlea {the inner ear} is fully formed. Guess we need to start talking {and maybe even reading} to him more!

 

Weight Gain? 

We'll see at my 24 week appointment on Friday. Eek!

Maternity Clothes?

  Still a mix of tops with maternity pants. I ordered a couple more things this weekend...Gap and Old Navy were having good sales!

Exercise? 

  I walked {and ran a little} 3-4 times this past week, so I'm pretty happy with that. I'm going to aim for 4-5 times per week for the next few weeks...we have our Florida trip coming up very soon!

Symptoms?

  My heartburn was rearing its ugly head towards the end of last week, so I think I need to start eating smaller amounts more frequently instead of relying on Tums. My nose is still stuffy or runny all the time...but, really, I don't have much to complain about. Overall, I feel pretty great!

Sleep?

  I got over 10 hours of sleep Saturday night...it was wonderful!

Food Cravings? 

Not really anything. 

Anything Making You Queasy or Sick?

Nope. 

Gender?

All boy...Liam Joseph :) 

Movement?

Loving it! Liam seems to go through periods where he's really active {mostly in the morning or after we eat dinner}, but the rest of the day, he's pretty chill. Hopefully that means he'll be pretty chill once he's here! 

 

What You Miss?

  Not much new...yes, I still miss running. 

Mood?

Happy and excited. Whenever I'm around babies, I find myself getting really excited to meet Liam and cuddle, hug, and kiss him. However, he needs to wait at least 14 more weeks to make his debut...keep on growing, little buddy!

Best Moment of the Week?

 Last night, TJ and I watched the DVD from the ultrasound that my uncle did a couple weeks ago. Even though we had already seen it, it was still fun to see our little guy again! I'm looking forward to hearing his sweet heartbeat on Friday morning! :)

Spring Wishlist

Spring is just right around the corner, and that means my birthday is too!!! I can't wait for the temperatures to get a little higher...heck, at this point, I'll even take the 40's! However, what I'm really excited about is the fact that I'll be in sunny Florida in a little less than a month! I can't wait to get out of Indiana for a week and just relax by the pool and hang out with TJ and my family. We'll also be there on my birthday, and I can't think of a better way to ring in 30 for this preggo!!!

With dreams of my birthday and warmer temperatures, I can't help but think about getting a few more clothes for my wardrobe. I still have 4 months to go till Liam is here, so I know I'll have to spend a little more money on maternity clothes. Here are just a few things that I have been eying...

Old Navy Floral Maxi Dress

I tried this on the other day, and I liked it, but I wish it was just a tad bit longer...

Old Navy Color-Block Maxi Dress

Also tried this on, and my mom got it for me for a birthday present! It's actually kelly green at the bottom, but it's still cute. Can't wait to wear it in Florida!

Rosie Pope Floral Maxi Mini
This would definitely be a splurge, but I think it's so pretty and would be perfect for showers, maternity pics, and maybe even Liam's baptism in July!

Gap Color-Block Stripe Tee

Old Navy Floral Print Top

Gap Stripe Contrast-Tip Sweater

In addition to some new bright spring clothes, I've been wanting to get a new camera bag ever since I got my DSLR for Christmas. My camera came in a kit that included the standard Nikon bag, but I want something a little more fashionable and a little less "camera bag."

Kelly Moore 2 Sues Bag in Indigo

Epiphanie Clover Camera + Laptop Bag in Black

I'm leaning towards the first one in blue, but not quite sure yet. Do any of you know of other websites that have cute camera bags?? What is on your spring wishlist this year?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is the day we celebrate love. TJ and I have never been big on celebrating Valentine's Day...we usually exchange cards, sometimes there's flowers, and we generally stay in for dinner. With two trips over the next couple of months {Florida in March and San Diego in April} and a baby on the way, we decided that we shouldn't be spending money on gifts for each other. Call us boring, but it works for us.

Nevertheless, I think it's important to tell the ones you love how you feel and how much they mean to you. Especially today.

2007

2008

TJ, you mean the world to me. Thank you for standing by my side and being my partner and best friend for life. I love you so much and I know my love for you will only grow as we welcome Liam into our family in just a few short months. Love you bunches, babe!

The Baby Registry: Part 1 {Transporting Liam}

A couple weekends ago, TJ and I spent 3 long hours at our local Buy Buy Baby registering for our sweet little Liam. Of course, there was part of me that was excited about it all {shopping, yay!}, but I think it's more accurate to say that I was overwhelmed. I had been doing a fair amount of research online, so I kind of had an idea of things that I wanted/didn't want, but it's a little different when you're in the store and there are a million strollers and carseats in front of you.

After checking in with the lady at the registry desk, she led us over to the strollers and carseats to begin the fun {sarcasm intended}. I figured we would get either the Chicco {pronounced key-co} or Britax {pronounced bry-tax} car seat due to high safety ratings. I like things to match, so I also figured that we would get a coordinating stroller. We spent close to an hour and a half testing out various strollers {Chicco, Britax, CityMini} and trying them with different carseats. My top two picks were the Britax B-Agile and the CityMini GT, but ended up going with Britax in the end. Going into the whole registry thing, I thought that I would want the Britax B-Ready since it has the capability of changing into a 2-seat stroller in the future, but after talking to the salesman and seeing how it worked, the second seat just didn't seem very functional. Plus the B-Ready was much bigger than the B-Agile, and I like the 3-wheel design of the B-Agile...very easy to maneuver. So here is the stroller and car seat combo...I love the tan color!

However, as much as I LOVE the tan, I may end up going with all black. You see, my diaper bag came the other day, so last night, I had to go out to Buy Buy Baby to test out my diaper bag/stroller combo. Call me ridiculous and/or crazy, but I have this thing about stuff matching, and my bag and stroller are no exception. I think I know what I'm going to do, but I'd love to know...What are your thoughts?

Tan....

Or black....

There are lots of fun accessories to go with the Britax travel system...the stroller travel bag, the car seat travel bag, the stroller organizer, and the child tray for when Liam is a little older. We also registered for a couple extra car seat bases {one for TJ's car, one for my mom's car}, a mirror for the car {couldn't decide between this one and this one}, sun shades, and a storage pouch for the side of his car seat.

We haven't decided on a baby carrier yet...we were so exhausted that we didn't spend time looking and testing out all the different carriers. I've heard good things about the ErgoBaby carrier, but I need to do some research before we choose anything. I did have a bunch of people recommend the Moby Wrap as a nice way to "wear your baby" if you need to get stuff done around the house. Honestly, it looks somewhat confusing, but I guess we won't know if we like it until Liam is here and we try it out.

Any mamas out there with baby carrier recommendations? Did I miss anything as far as getting Liam from one place to another? Please help!

Stay tuned for the next part of our registry...all about feeding Liam!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Ever since I lived in New Orleans during college at Tulane, Mardi Gras has become a regularly celebrated holiday in our home. After the Christmas decorations go down, the Carnival decor goes up. Lots of purple, yellow, and gold and decorating with beads and boas. It's a nice transition to spring and gets you through the post-holiday blues. Here's how our house has looked since about January 6th...

Over the last week or so, I've really been missing my NOLA home. I've been thinking about king cakes, beads, parades, and dreaming of having a daiquiri in my hand. Today, TJ and I will be having our own little celebration with some red beans and rice and king cake. Not quite the same, but it'll have to do. And until I can make it to Mardi Gras again, I have some of my favorite pics from over the years to reminisce...

2008

2008

2009

2009...yeah, we walked around the French Quarter all day like that...only in New Orleans...

2009

2009

2009

2011

2011

2011

Mardi Gras Day 2011...also my birthday!

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!