27 Weeks

How Far Along? 27 Weeks, 6 Days
Size of Baby: The size of a head of cauliflower!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained another pound this week! I am officially back up to the weight that I was when I found I was pregnant back in August. My goal is to keep my total gain within the 15-20 pound range, and with only 12 weeks to go, I think I'm right on track. :-)

Maternity Clothes: Yes! Got a few more tops and some nursing bras from my friend, Abigail. Also, got an email from Old Navy saying their maternity clothes were 40% off yesterday! So, I bought myself a few more tops from there. I haven't been crazy with how the pants from Old Navy fit, but the shirts I have ordered from there fit great and are holding up well. Here's what I ordered:

...I guess I was in a blue mood! LOL - didn't realize how much BLUE I ordered until just now. Must be the mindset of a mommy of a little boy ;-)
Gender: Bow Ties! Sweet little boy!
Movement: Lots and lots! I'm feeling him all over my belly now, so I'm curious to find out what position he's in tomorrow at my doctor's appointment.
What I miss: Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi.
Cravings: See below.
 

 
The Old Wive's Tale says you crave sweets with a baby girl... that one was definitely wrong for me! I'm thinking I'm going to have the sweetest baby boy in the world, though :-) 

Symptoms: Friday, I had my very first episode of swelling. Oy. Worked all day long, and stayed at work till almost 7pm doing work in my classroom. And when I got home, my ankles and feet were PUFFY. Of course I looked it up, and they recommend sitting with your feet elevated throughout the day. Ummmm... not going to happen! I barely sit at all except for planning time, guided reading, and lunch. The rest of the time I'm up, standing, walking around, etc. I have a feeling more puffy days are in my future.

 

Best Moment This Week: Getting some great feedback at work!
  Looking Forward To: The gender reveal party at my brother & sister-in-law's house next weekend! In less than two weeks, we will know if they are having a little prince or a little princess. I'm rooting for team PINK and already have my shirt picked out for that night :-) Of course, I'll be thrilled either way (wouldn't it be neat to have two little boys growing up together, becoming best friends?)... and there's a big part of me that would love to see them have a girl because 1) I would get to buy cute, frilly, lacy things. 2) My brother would totally be wrapped around the teeny-tiny little pinky of a baby girl and I would LOVE to see that! 3) My sister-in-law is absolutely GORGEOUS... I can just see a beautiful little version of her running around with a little Coach purse to match her Mommy's :-)
Here's Stacey's most recent bump pic... what do you think? Boy or girl?  

 

 

I can't wait to find out!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And here I am... my bump pic this week.

27 Weeks Pregnant:

 

 

 

Glucose test in the morning... praying I pass!!! I love my sweets way too much these days.

 

See you next week :-)

26 Weeks



I'm already halfway through my 27th week, and time has just gotten away from me! I've been extra busy these last couple of weeks. I should actually be working on something for school right now... but I figured I better take the time to update the ol' blog so I can remember my 26th week of pregnancy.   How Far Along? 27 Weeks, 3 Days (but this post is about last week - my 26th week of pregnancy)   Size of Baby: A little over 2lbs and 15 inches from head to toe!       Total Weight Gain/Loss: Up one pound... officially one pound away from being back at my pre-pregnancy weight. They say after week 24 you should gain about a pound per week... and after maintaining my weight through most of the pregnancy, I'm slowly starting to gain! It's all for good cause, though :-)   Here's a pic from 10 weeks ago. You can see, I haven't really gained anywhere but my belly so far.  

  Maternity Clothes: Absolutely. Went shopping last weekend and picked up a few new shirts from Ross. Three new shirts for about $30 - can't beat that!     Gender: Sweet Baby Boy :-)    Movement: All the time! From the moment I go to bed, when I wake up, while I'm teaching, while I'm eating, while I'm sitting... this boy is moving non-stop! He's going to be just like his daddy. He has to be busy all the time - LOL :-) I love it though. He's getting big enough, too, that my entire belly jumps when he kicks with enough force. It's awesome!   What I miss: Being able to get down on the carpet with my students without needing a crane to get back up :-/ Yikes.   Cravings: Remember my dark chocolate lemon truffle craving?! Well.. my friend Ann came through! She works very close to a sweet shop, and she brought me the most amazing present last week: This beautiful gold box with a red bow. And guess what's inside?! YOU GUESSED IT! Dark chocolate lemon truffles and milk chocolate lemon truffles. They. Were. AMAZING! I may (or may not) have eaten them all in 10 minutes. Ha!         Symptoms: I continue to struggle with some pain in my left hip. I am pretty sure it is sciatica. Baby boy is awfully comfy on a certain nerve, apparently.   Best Moment This Week: My hubby and my parents all got to feel the baby kick on the night of the super bowl! Jason has been waiting to feel him kick for quite some time now... so it was awesome for him to finally experience that moment.   We also had fun at the Ice Fest that was held in downtown Chambersburg :-)               Looking Forward To: March 2nd - my 3D/4D ultrasound! March 9th - my baby shower! And of course... exactly three months from today... May 6th!!!   26 Weeks Pregnant:     See you soon for my Week 27 update!

Fabric Frenzy!

Well, my mother-in-law and I ventured out to find fabric for my baby boy's nursery on Monday evening. To see the post where I shared the nursery colors and inspiration, click {{here}}.

 

We started out at a locally owned fabric shop. While they had a nice selection of baby fabrics, they were lacking in the blue-brown department. They had one fabric that I loved - a blue fabric with a large brown damask swirl design... and of course, I needed 6 yards and they only had 2.

 

It was slightly frustrating because I thought this shop was going to be THE place to go - if they didn't have what I wanted, I doubted anyone would, because they are said to have the best selection in town.

 

When we walked out of the shop with just a swatch of the fabric I liked in hand (just in case I could find something similar), Connie (world's best mother-in-law!) asked if there was a Joann's Fabrics close by. I told her there was one across town... so we loaded up in my car and headed to Joann's.

 

As soon as we walked ino the quilting fabric department, I spotted an entire section of blue/brown fabrics. Out loud, I said "Be still, my heart!" I found a brown fabric with a chunky blue swirl design and fell in love. We picked out coordinating fabrics, everything was coming together nicely.

 

...And then.

 

And then I got to thinking. The fabric that I picked out as my base fabric as the main fabric for my quilt and window treatment was beautiful... but, did it say "Baby Boy?" There were some flowers mixed in with those swirls... but, the more I looked at it, the fabrics just seemed to look older. It was definitely a beautiful set of fabrics that I would love to have for a quilt in my bedroom... but could I imagine my baby boy walking around with this quilt as his "blankie"? Nope. Just couldn't do it.

 

I think my mother-in-law was ready to shoot me.

 

So we scoured the store looking for another fabric that was appease me.

 

And then I found it. I found this cute puppy fabric that matched some of the other complimentary fabrics that I had already picked out! So, a quick look for another complimentary fabric or two... and this is what we came up with :-)
...2 and a half hours later, LOL

I am so excited for the bedding, pillows, and window treatments now that I have the fabric picked out! I couldn't have done it without Connie's help... and her patience :-)

 

What do you think?!

 



A Holiday Tradition

Every year on Black Friday, my mom and I have a tradition.

 

No, it does not involve getting up at the butt-crack of dawn.

 

No, it does not require waiting in long lines.

 

On the evening of the day after Thanksgiving, Mom and I head to Shepherdstown, WV. Main Street is shut down, all of the neat little shops have their windows decorated for Christmas, a bon-fire is made on the square where people can roast marshmallows or warm their hands, chestnuts are roasted and sold on the street corner, and the Grinch lurks in the shadows of Town Hall while the town gathers and waits for Santa Claus to arrive. There is a magical feeling in the air, and I love how spending the evening in the town puts me right in the holiday spirit.

 

Mom and I before we left for the evening

Main Street in Shepherdstown

Selling roasted chestnuts

Spotted the Grinch

Chocolates! Nothing with lemon though. Darn.

Cindy Lou Who

Bonfire on the street corner

Santa arrives!

My favorite store in Shepherdstown!
 

Momma checking out the goods.

Oh the delights of being pregnant... had to buy the pickled green beans and some lemon drops.

 

Where we have dinner every year! Kung Pao Chicken for me :)
 

 

Santa in the window :)

 



This Weekend I...

Linking up today to share with you the ramblings of my weekend.
It sure was a busy one!

This weekend I...

*Did some online shopping! With some pretty chilly days last week, I decided it was time to invest in a maternity coat for the winter. One of my favorite online stores for simple, classic style is Old Navy. Imagine my DELIGHT when I logged on and winter outerwear was 50% off! ...You know what that means. I bought two coats instead of one! ...As well as a few other goodies. So in love with the long tunic and legging look! Here's what I bought. Keep in mind the coats were half off, and then Old Navy had another promotion of 20% off your order. I saved big bucks :)

*Held a one-year photoshoot for my cousin's little boy, Graydon! Such a handsome little man with lots of sweet expressions. Can't wait for his first birthday party next weekend!

*Traveled to Berryville, VA to capture my second cousin's wedding at the historic Rosemont Manor. I'll have another post with pics from her day in a few days, but here's just a couple of my favorites.

...Stay tuned later in the week for my 15 week update!!!


What I'm Loving Today

Today is Wednesday, so I'm linking up {{here}} for What I Love Wednesday.

Although, today is not any ordinary Wednesday. Today, August 15th, marks my last day of peace and sanity summer vacation... because tomorrow is Day #1 of my required 190 work days before my next summer vacation.

Shall we start counting down to Thanksgiving break now?

Even though I'm sad to see the lazy/hazy/crazy days of summer come to an end, I'm stoked to meet my new class and dive head-first into a brand new curriculum. Should be fun... right?!

Anyways, here's what I'm loving today:

1. Hot Air Balloons

For a recent date night, J and I went out to dinner at our favorite Mexican joint here in town. After dinner, he surprised me by suggesting that we go check out the Hot Air Balloon Festival that was being held in town. Of course I responded with, "Yes, please!!!" ...and then I realized I didn't have my 'big' camera with me. All I had to capture that majesty of these balloon beauties was my cell phone and good ol' Instagram. These pictures turned out okay... but next year, I'm definitely going with my DSLR in tow!

2. My New iPad Cover

I wanted to start the new school year with a cute new iPad cover, so I scoured Etsy until I found the perfect one. I think it turned out adorable! I love the light grey chevron in contrast to the pink. You can click {{here}} to visit the store from which I ordered.

3. Classroom Improvements

Spent several mornings here and there over the past couple of weeks working in my classroom to get it ready for a new crew of second graders. I bought a yellow canopy (flame retardent, mind you) to replace the tiki hut from last year that the fire marshall did not approve of. I also made a sign for my door that I saw {{here}} on Pinterest. I had to make a few adaptations because I have a window on my door, and I like the look of all of the affirmations on one sheet in black and white. The superintendent of our county stopped by my classroom this morning while I was making the sign and he loved it. Score!



4. Chipotle

My favorite "fast food" to get on the go is a Burrito Bol from Chipotle. I get white rice, black beans, peppers & onions, chicken, two scoops of green chili salsa, corn salsa, cheese, guacamole, and lettuce. And of course, I get a bag of chips to eat with my Bol. YUM-O! Celebrated the end of summer today with a Burrito Bol by the pool at lunchtime (and then ate the rest of it for dinner!). Love me some Chipotle!

5. Quality Time with my BFF and my "Nephew"

My last hurrah of summer vacation was an afternoon spent by the pool with my BFF, Beth. She brought her little guy, Lane, along with her (my adopted nephew). We had fun playing in the water and soaking up some sunshine. Love these two!

6. My Kitty

She is just too cute. That's all.

7. Back to School Sales

Took advantage of Maryland's tax-free shopping on clothing while I was at the beach. We had a day of rainy weather, so we spent an evening at the Outlets. I scored BIG TIME at Bass. Remember how I talked about needing trousers that fit me in length? Well... they had my size AND length. These pants were originally $69.99 and were on sale for $19.99! I bought four pairs and didn't think twice. Love them :) Notice my kitty making herself at home ON TOP of my new pants. I think it's her way of silently protesting the fact that I'm going back to work tomorrow. Ha!





8. My Love <3

Last, but certainly not least, is my Hubby. Love him so much it hurts! Right before I left for the beach, he made sure my car was in good working order and he washed it for me, too. He takes such good care of me... I'm so blessed to share my life with him.