Talk about Emotions!

New nephew Cody Michael

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was very nice this year. We went to my brother's house for the earlier part of the day to see my whole family. Then we went to Chris's Grandparent's house where his family was and we had dinner. We mainly just got money and gift cards. Chris really needs a new laptop since his is literally falling apart and I (well both of us actually) would like to get a camcorder before the baby gets here. Picture with Chris's family on christmas

As sad as I am to see the holidays leave I am also a bit relieved! It has been a bit hectic planning Lil Pea's arrival on top of the normal Christmas chaos! But I am happy to say her room is coming out great!! Chris had finished the painting and chair rail the last two weeks, so on Sunday my Dad and Chris's brother Michael came over to put down the laminate wood floors. And they look GREAT! Today Chris put the baseboards on. Click here to see a few new pics added in album Her bedroom/bath. We got a good deal on this wood and it came out looking great!

My Mom and I also went this past Saturday to order her bedroom furniture. We went with the Pali Collection called Trieste in the Cherry wood color as I mentioned in an older post. Should be hear in about 6-8 weeks.

So now it is my turn to start on her room. Right now it looks like a little boys room! Everyone keeps asking, are you sure you are having a girl??! lol But there will plenty of pinks added to her room shortly. We are trying to decide if we are going to paint a white picket fence or buy a vinyl one from Lowe's and nail it on the wall. It is only going to go on one or two of the walls. This is another thing we must decide. Also my friend Olivia is going to help paint a tree on one of the walls. She is going to come by to help decide where that will go. And then there will be the little things like flowers, butterflies, love bugs, ect.. I try not to overwhelm myself talking about it! ;o)~

As for my emotions they have been crazy the past few weeks! Usually I'm not much of a cryer, but it seems like every time I get mad or upset lately it ends in tears. And then this makes me cry more! Why can't I just be mad!! lol Chris will say, "don't cry babe." And I'm like, believe me I don't know why I am!!!

I have also started having those feelings I have heard about. The OMG I am going to have a baby here 24 hours a day in like 16-17 weeks!! And I am going to birth her (at least try) with no drugs!! YIKES!! We do start our Bradley classes next Monday and I know these will help put me at ease a little as my friend Lauren has told me. I also have started reading the book my teacher wanted me to read before class called Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. This book has been really helpful and really makes you feel like a drug free birthing really is possible with the right training. And of course if your body and baby cooperate as nature intended. So we will see.

I'm also going to take my first prenatal yoga class tomorrow which I am excited about. My body really needs a good stretch and some stress relief once a week now! It's so crazy how up until about 16-17 weeks you just don't even really feel or look pregnant and then BAM!! After 20 weeks you definitely start looking and feeling preggo. And let me tell you, those calf cramps don't play around!! ;-) I'm going to buy that white grape juice after work Sis. Hope it works.

This weekend we are going to register!! How exciting and scary at the same time. There is just SO much stuff. And also so much you really don't need. But I am going to have my BF and also my SIL look over our list online once we are done and tell us anything we should take off that we really won't need or add on something we really will need that we didn't put on. They both have two babies under 3 at home so they are pros. lol

We decided to register @ Babies R Us and Target. Not sure if we will do both Saturday. I think we will do Target first since they don't have as much and register for the rest at BB R Us if we are up for it. I was actually surprised Chris wanted to help with the registry. But I have seen a lot of Dad's on my trips to the baby store's lately so I guess this is common now. We will see how it goes!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year!!

21 weeks

**New belly pics were added to our Lil Pea album.

Just click on Chris & Nicole's Photo Album

located to the left**

How Far Along? 21 weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss? 8-9 pounds (depending on time of day ;-))

Maternity Clothes: Mainly wearing maternity clothes but can still wear some of my stuff too.

Sleep: pretty good

Best Moment of the Week: This week I have been sick. Started with a horrible sore throat Sunday & is now just sinus congestion and a cough. Feeling like crap but feel her move more than ever this week, which always brings a smile to my face. :-)

Movement: More than ever the past week. Usually when I am sitting or laying down. She usually starts up around lunch time I have noticed the past few days, too!

Food Craving: Still none, just the chocolate milk

Food aversions: Nothing new

Morning sickness: Gone, thank goodness!

Gender: It is a GIRL!

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button: In, my bb is an innie....still really in there. But I have noticed it may be time to purchase one of those pregnancy belly rings my friend Sara told me about.

Wedding rings: still on

What I miss: nothing really. Just enjoying this pregnancy that is starting to go really quick!!

What I'm looking forward to: Hopefully seeing lil sweet pea again 01/08 when we go for a fetal echo @ the cardiologist. (my niece has VSD, so this is just a precaution to check baby girls heart)

Weekly Wisdom: stay AWAY from anyone sick while pregnant! You can't really take anything when you get sick (yes Tylenol but I am allergic so that's a no too for me) and it sucks! My Dr. gave me a Z-pack which I took the first night. This caused severe stomach pains which had me up every hour from 12am until I got up for work @ 7am. Similar to my IBS pains I have gotten before but even worse. So I called the Dr. and he said to discontinue the meds and see if my body can get better on it's own.

Milestones: Less than halfway to go!!

This week Chris also started working on her room. We also finished painting her bathroom. (also put some pics in our Picasa. Look in album called Her Bedroom/Bath) As most of you know we never did anything with that room when we moved into our new house 1 1/2 years ago. So it was just my exercise/junk room. We yanked the carpet out when we moved in because it was the original and kind of nasty. So I just had mats on the floor for when I worked out. Chris should finish the painting today and we are ordering the laminate wood flooring we picked out tomorrow. When that come's in he will start the floors.
I still feel like crap today and my cold is now in my chest so I stayed home from work. I'm hoping the Robitussin does it's job. I have a Nebulizer and usually start breathing treatments as I have always had chronic bronchitis, but cannot do these treatments while pregnant. So lot's of rest today and hope that clears this nasty cold out!
**Also put some Christmas pics in our Album so check them out!**

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

Such a wonderful & exciting week!

This week has certainly been a great one! Tuesday night we went out to dinner with Chris's family for his brother's birthday. Happy Birthday again Michael!!
On Wednesday my SIL was induced and my new nephew was introduced to the world!

Cody Michael Magrone

Born 12/09/09 9:15am

7lbs 9oz & 20 1/2 inches

Mommy and Cody were able to go home today and are doing great! And big sister Hayden is starting to realize her new "baby" is here to stay. ;-)

Thursday was also a wonderful day. We went to our 20 week anatomy scan to see our lil sweet pea again!! And boy has she grown! She finally looks like she is packin some meat on her arms and legs that looked so skinny @ 12 weeks. Her weight was approximately 11oz. which the tech said is very good. I put the pics in our Album on my blog and you can see her arm in one of them. The tech also got a good pic of her foot but for some reason didn't print that one for us. :-(

She also said everything looked fine. Of course my Dr. will still get a copy of everything to review. This is all becoming so real. After so long of wondering if and when we would have our baby now it looks like we will...and very soon!! This week also marks our halfway point!! We officially have less than halfway to go!

The beginning of this week was also exciting. Monday night Chris got to feel her kick! It is still very light for someone else to feel but he said he felt her. I pretty much feel her every day now, some days more than others and not that often yet. When we had the scan Thursday she was up but I wasn't feeling her. I think the tech woke her up because she was only really moving her hands. She kept putting them near her mouth. It's so amazing just to watch her. Even though I feel her now I still can't believe she is actually in me! Maybe because the kicks are still very light? It's just so crazy to think that little baby is in my ever growing belly. Which my books all say is really gonna start growing now every week. Yikes!! I'm a tiny girl so this freaks me a little. Some days my stomach feels so tight. Then other days it's ok. I have to take a 20 week belly picture but Chris was on shift today. The belly is definitely growing!! ;-}

The guy also came this week to remove the popcorn from the ceiling in her room and put knockdown. So next week Chris is going to start painting her room! We still have to get a few samples of the colors we like before we decide on one. And then once the painting is done he will put down the wood flooring we picked out. I will definitely post some before and after pics once this is done.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Growing pains

Today was a very productive day. We went this morning and purchased lil sweet pea's bedding. Click here to see the one we picked. We want to paint her room in the next week or two before Chris starts putting in her wood floors. So I wanted to buy at least the bedding part of her set to help pick out paint colors. I will order the mobile, ect. later. We also looked again at the Peg Perego stroller while we were there and we are about 99% sure this will be the stroller we will get.
After that I went with Chris's Mom and also his brothers Fiance to Woodstock. It's an Arts and Crafts festival. I got baby girl a cute little tutu with bow set that is used for when she is born to take her first pictures in. Here is a pic.

We also met my friend Lauren there and we finally got to share our funnel cake we have been wanting for many, many months! ;-)
After that we went to Home Depot and got our Christmas tree along with helping both our Mom's pick out their tree's. We also got a sample of two different colors we liked for lil Pea's bathroom and decided which one we liked best when we got home. Chris is going to paint her bathroom on Wednesday. Also the guy is coming tomorrow to take off the popcorn on her ceiling and put knockdown. Then we are going to start painting her room!! It's so exciting now that it is all becoming so real!

I had my 4 week check up Friday with my OB. The did the normal urine sample and weight check. I've gained 8 pounds!! Which they said is perfect for 19 wks.. Not too little, not too much. (feels like a lot to me! ;-))
He listened to her heartbeat and said things sounded good. He also said the girls would give me a pamphlet before I left that has all the classes the hospital we are delivering at offers. So we can start looking into which one's we want to do. I also discussed with him about wanting to try natural child birth. No drugs. I am not totally against an Epidural, I just figure it's at least worth trying to do without it. He said he has a lot of patients do this (not sure how many pull it off). I also got the name and number for the lady my friend Lauren went to who has private Bradley classes she offers. Her classes are for 7 weeks, once a week. She takes only 6 couples at a time. She sounded very nice and discussed with me a little of what she goes over in her classes. They are not only all about childbirth (including c-sections and epidurals if you did end up having that) but she also goes into nutrition and exercise. My friend Lauren loved her classes and I think these will be a little more into detail and personal than the one childbirth class they offer at the hospital. So we signed up and our first class will be January 4th!! Class is every Monday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. As my coach, Chris will go with me to every class he can but if he is on shift at the station my Mom will go with me.

I'm sure you are wondering the reason for my post title. Well the past week baby girl must be really growing because I have been having aches and pains like never before. Not unbearable just new to me. And my digestive track has been really giving me a hard time. Having IBS does not help this situation at all. After sitting for awhile when I stand up sometimes it literally feels like my Uterus is trying to fall out!! And then I get these little sharp pains. Of course this just started happening immediately after my Dr. appt. Friday. But my friend Lauren said she had these same feelings start happening when she started really growing. And I just listened to baby girl with the Doppler and she doesn't sound at all bothered by all this. I did notice she is much higher now than last week. Found her heartbeat closer to my belly button now, where as before she was always so low near my hairline. I'm also pretty sure I'm finally feeling her kick! I thought I felt a kick Thursday night while laying in bed. Then again this morning when I woke up @ 3am due to horrible stomach pains from my bowels. She only does it once or twice so it's hard to confirm it's her, but I'm pretty sure.

This coming week is a busy week. Tuesday we have dinner with Chris's family for his brothers B-day. Then Wednesday we should be welcoming into this world my new nephew!! (my SIL is being induced) On Thursday I have my much awaited 20 week anatomy scan. Yayyyy!! And then this weekend we are going up to my Dad's to get a few tools he is giving Chris since he is moving. We are also going to visit and stay the night with my best friend who just had her new baby girl that I mentioned in a previous entry.
Busy, exciting week/weekend ahead!! Hope everyone has a good week!!