Bumpdate: Week 21

How far along? 21 weeks 

Total weight gain: 17 lbs

Maternity clothes? Lots of leggings this week. I also got a super fun new maternity sweater for some pictures we had done. I think itll be on my list of things I can wear for Christmas this year because its a little more dressy than the usual over sized t shirt I have been sporting lately. I pretty much just feel huge in everything that Im wearing. Ive just accepted it and moved on with life. Merv is growing like a champ and thats whats important. Keep growing little buddy. Just keep growing...

Sleep: Better this week, but still not great. I toss a lot and I pee a lot. So between the two, its not particularly fun haha. But its getting better. I have found some super comfy positions to lay in so thats been helping. So far, using the pillow between the knees hasnt helped at all. Or laying with tons of pillow to raise my back hasnt helped either. Maternity pillows are a fail, so Im sticking with my normal pillow and finding comfortable positions. 
New this week: Heartburn. Holy wow heartburn. Doesnt matter what I eat, it seems to pop up within the hour. But Ive figured out that if I eat something thick, like yogurt, it cools it and I can avoid eating Tums because, um, Tums are just gross and I cant do it. 

Best moment this week: There wasnt one moment in particular that stuck out to me, but the newest coolest thing is how active he is. Hes a little ninja in there flipping and moving and just hanging out saying, hey mom Im in here! Its fun to just sit still have a conversation with him while he flips his little heart out. He's gunna be a really joyful kid. I can already tell. 

Miss Anything? Being able to dress cute. I miss my clothes. And Im looking forward to having them back. And not having cravings. I dont like eating as much as I do. 

Food cravings: Still Mangos. And sweets. This week I had a sincere need for lemonade and skittles one night. So that happened. And I really enjoy pomegranate juice. Theres a lot of stuff I really enjoy more, but a few things that I have moments where I need to eat certain items.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular this week. I still have a hard time with certain smells. It just depends on the smell haha. Certain dinners smell horrible to me while they are cooking, certain candles or lotions. Its weird. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: We are in full swing planning our baby shower. Its fun having something to plan with my mom again! I missed wedding planning haha. We have some super fun awesomeness planned. Its gunna be amazing. And its been nice having something to plan around Christmas time. With my pap being gone, Christmas time is hard this year, but having little Merv to plan around is making it all so much easier. 

And thats the bumpdate! 

And thanks to Alison Mish Photography for capturing some awesome moments this week of our little guy! :)

Bumpdate: Week 20

A good picture didnt exist this week. This was as good as it got. 

How far along? 20 weeks 

Total weight gain: 16 lbs

Maternity clothes? So Im starting to outgrow some of those clothes too haha. My girls have gotten just a bit too big to handle the cute tie back shirts. But I make some things work. I have taken to wearing some of my favorite button down shirts open over cute tighter tops and that is working out nicely. It has gotten cold here this week, so I am also rocking my favorite bump shirts with jackets over them too. Im a fan of being preggo in the cold weather. Im a very big fan.

Sleep: I havent been sleeping well this week at all. I just cant get comfy and every time I finally do, I wake up within an hour having to pee. So Im not a fan of the night hours this week. But I have been trying to make sure I do a lot of laying down and relaxing this week to make up for the lack of sleep. Today I was just sick of trying so I got up with Nic and just stayed up. 
New this week: Feeling kicks from the outside. They are subtle and not really noticeable unless you have your hand on my belly, which, is pretty much only allowed if your my mom or Nic haha, but its pretty cute. Hes feisty. And I like it. 

Best moment this week: He kicked Nic in the face! Nic likes to have conversations with my stomach. Things about how crazy I am and that he is the brilliant parent and that he will be completely responsible for teaching him all the awesome things in life and one day this week he was talking with little Merv and he decided to zurbert him, and Merv said heck no techno and kicked him right in the face. It was pretty awesome. 

Miss Anything? Sleep in general. I love sleeping and it doesnt happen anymore. And being able to bend down and pick things up off the floor. It doesnt happen anymore either.

Food cravings: Still Mangos. In any form. And anything sweet. I have really been the opposite of the old wives tale with this little man. I never crave salty, I really only crave sweet. Anything sweet. Ice cream is the biggest one. And hot chocolate, which I dont drink often at all. I had a cup last night and thats the only cup Ive had. But it tasted like Christmas and just made me so excited for the Holidays. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Waiting too long to eat. Im trying to make sure that I dont gain excess weight so Im trying not eat as often as I had been when I had morning sickness some kind of horrible. But if I wait a little too long I feel nasty. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: My brother is home!!! He hasnt seen me or Merv since the week that I found out I was pregnant, so Im really excited that he will be here for a little while and get to share this part of the journey with us. 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Bumpdate: Week 19

How far along? 19.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 15 lbs

Maternity clothes? Im just growing and growing and growing. Merv is huge! 6 inches long. And I am still in all things maternity. If the weather would ever make up its mind I could start wearing sweaters. But thats supposed to happen this week so Im about to be super comfy. Im a little bit too excited to get to wear comfortable clothes. Everything is just a little bit uncomfortable right now. 

Sleep: Merv is completely active between 10pm and 1am. And the peeing has started again. Oh the peeing. I am so freaking over the peeing. But I just keep whispering to myself, he's gunna be so cute. He's gunna be so cute. And it helps with the lack sleeping.
New this week: My bellybutton hurts really freaking bad. It has been sore for the last few weeks, but this week it straight up hurts. It looks like its gunna pop, which will be new and completely weird to see in the mirror everyday. But yah. bellybutton pain is new and weird.  

Best moment this week: Our ultrasound and gender scan!! Merv is the cutest and most adorable creature I have ever seen. His little face is absolutely perfect and his nose is precious in every way. And by the way! Its a boy for those of your who missed it! But anywho, he is adorable and stubborn and a ninja. The ultrasound tech was laughing at our little guy. It took almost 40 minutes to get one of the shots she needed to be sure that his heart was formed properly. At one point she had be get up and go to the bathroom and come back to see if he had rolled over and little Merv had his feet up over his head doing some sort of in the womb yoga. It was pretty awesome. 

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my belly. I miss that quite a lot. I know I have said this before, but I really really really miss it. Its my favorite and its cozy, and its gone, with no intention to come back. 

Food cravings: Still Mangos. I love them. And Apple Jacks I love those too. Im not sure what else, but those two have been completely consistent this week. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eating too much too quick. There arent any particular aversions this week. But if I eat too much at one time I have to lay perfectly still for a while before I can move without wanting to throw up haha. Other than that Ive been doing good!! 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Starting our registries!! Now that we know what we are having we can finally start picking stuff! And I am so stinking excited!! 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Be on the lookout for an awesome gender reveal post coming soon!!! 

Bumpdate: Week 18

How far along? 18.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 12 lbs

Maternity clothes? This week I have been particularly uncomfortable. Can't find a way to sit comfortably, None of my clothes feel comfortable. Merv decided this week that any type of clothes touching my stomach is simply unacceptable which is just lovely, let me tell you. So this week has been mostly huge t shirts and sweat pants. I havent gone out much so its worked out well for me. 

Sleep: Still working on gymnastics by night, and karate by day. This kid is some kind of wonderful. But sleep isnt part of the vocabulary. So I snuggle in, wait patiently for a weak moment and fall asleep as fast as possible. Its all about being faster than the ninja baby inside me. I havent mastered the science yet, but Im pretty close. 
New this week: Nic felt Merv kick for the first time this week. Nothing drastic or stomach altering, haha, but he felt it. We were watching White Collar and it was after 10pm so Merv was currently working on the Gold Medal vault, and I felt a little something from the outside. I slowly moved his hand over and sat really still, and he felt it. He was so freaking cute. He flipped out a little followed by, "hey buddy!" It was was a pretty great moment.  

Best moment this week: Planning our gender reveal ideas! We are telling all the people closest to us differently so we have gotten to go through a lot of ideas. But sorry Facebook, you all wont know until much later. Our family will find out next week, but you all get to wait until the following week. hehe, its part of the fun. 

Miss Anything? Having energy. I went from dancing 5 to 6 days a week and being able to go for hours on end to needing 12 hours of sleep to feel remotely awake. I miss having energy haha. Itll be worth it, but I would love to be able to take wake up feeling rested. And I miss being able to go up the steps and being able to breathe. I get very winded very fast and the steps are the worst. But again, its all worth it :)

Food cravings: Mangos! I could eat 5 a day and not be sick of them. And the root beer floats have stuck around this week. Usually the cravings last about a week and Im on to something else, but man I want a root beer float right now. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Changing diapers. We have two kids in the daycare still in diapers, and the poopy diapers get me every time. My mom claims it is easier when its your own kid, and man I hope she is right haha. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Our gender scan, and fall! We have a lot of fun stuff coming up this fall! But first, we get to find out if Merv remains a Merv or becomes a Mervette!! 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Bumpdate: Week 17

How far along? 17.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 10 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup. I broke out the leggings this week. With the fall weather making its way into the world, leggings and boots have become my new favorite. Preggo leggings are even more comfortable than regular leggings. It makes my heart happy. Ive also taken to wearing Nic's dress shirts with sweaters over them this week. Its a pretty good look on Merv. 

Sleep: It depends on the night and how hard Merv is practicing the new found gymnastics tricks. Boy or girl, this kid is going to be a gymnast. Or a ninja. One of the two. But regardless Merv prefers to practice at night. I usually sleep at least 5 hours without getting up to pee or Merv sticking the landing. 
New this week: We have officially changed doctors and I am completely confident in the decision. I havent even been seen in office yet and I already feel a million times more comfortable than I have in this entire process. They have been so accommodating and have worked so hard to make sure its a smooth transition. And I am so excited that I get to deliver at Magee. The facilities are just unsurpassed. 

Best moment this week: This past Sunday at church, Nic lead a song for the first time since being on the worship team at New Life. Its been so awesome seeing him lead again. Now Merv is a huge fan of music. The first time I felt movement was while music was playing, there's a constant stream of tumbling while music is playing in the car. On Sunday during worship, Merv was grooving ever so slightly through most of worship. But then it came time for Nic to lead his song and as soon as he started singing, Merv flipped out. It was obvious that Merv recognized Nic's voice. It was a pretty awesome moment. 

Miss Anything? Being able to sleep on my stomach. I really miss being able to sleep without my arms falling asleep. haha. I really like to sleep on my stomach, always have, but Merv doesnt appreciate being squished. I mean I wouldnt either.

Food cravings: It changes weekly. Or sometimes daily. Im still in that place where I have to eat what sounds good or I dont really eat all that much. This week I have been craving root beer floats. Caffeine free root beer and vanilla ice cream. I only do that in moderation. Because Im trying to avoid large amounts of sugar, but once in a while doesnt hurt. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: If I eat too much I feel sick. If a smell something spicy I feel sick. If I smell something random that I dont smell often I feel sick. Its become the new normal lol.

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Our gender scan! We have made the appointment to coincide with our first appointment at our new doctors office, and oh man are we excited. We both have a gender we are hoping for, so we will see who wins haha. But either way we will both be more excited than we know how to handle. This is the most intensely awesome time in our lives. Im loving every minute. 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Bumpdate: Week 16

Today Im posting for week 16 instead of week 15. Nothing really changed or impacted week 15 at all so I decided to just put all my thoughts into my 16 week post. 

How far along? 16.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 9 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup. Still going. And I officially accepted it this week. If I want to wear a t-shirt they dont come out of my drawer. They come out Nic's. And I own one pair of normal sweatpants that still fit. So its only maternity clothes at this point. Lots of preggy jeans and tight tops to show off my bump. I like my bump. Its my buddy.

Sleep: Im still sleeping a solid 5 hours before I get up to pee. But the random vivid dreams have kicked in this week. And they are always full of people I have known in the past or know now. Its really weird and makes sleeping a lot less peaceful. Im not a fan of it at all. We thought that it might have been from taking my prenatal vitamins after dinner which is is usually sometime between 6 and 7pm. But I took them earlier in the day yesterday and still had the same dreams. So I think its just the dreams that come with pregnancy.
New this week: I have a lot of belly cramps this week. Just kind of feels like things are stretching and pulling and tugging. So I am just making sure that I am eating often and drinking tons of water and spending a lot of time sitting down or relaxing. My doctor told me that cramping can be caused by dehydration, so I drink an average of 8 bottles a day. 

Best moment this week: I felt my first little flutter. Which over the course of the week has escalated into lots of flutters that are keeping me up at night. 

Miss Anything? I would say eating normal size meals. I miss the normal meals. I have been eating small all day long, but to eat anything big makes me feel gross. 

Food cravings: Frosted Flakes. Lots and lots of Frosted Flakes. I have never liked Frosted Flakes ever in my life, but for some reason Merv loves them. And Pomegranate juice. I could drink it everyday. And grilled cheese and tomato soup. Oh my its my favorite. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still smells. Lots and lots of smells. I miss eating what I like and wearing the perfume I like and being able to use lotion without gagging haha. But itll be worth it. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: We made a decision this week to change doctors so that we could birth at the hospital that we wanted to. So that appointment will be in a few weeks, which will also coincide with our Gender Scan which we are also excited for. Im just excited to get settled in to a routine with a doctor I am actually comfortable with and also to be confident in who will be delivering our baby.

And thats the bumpdate! 

You make beautiful things...

So today Ive been thinking a lot about change. Not in the typical life is constantly changing kind of way or how we never stay in the same place for long and how we never seem to know exactly where we are going next. Not in the constant state of growth kind of way. Not any of that. But in the way that this is exactly how God designed for it to be. His design is ever changing. And its beautiful...

Every aspect of God's creation is changing. The seasons come and the seasons go. The flowers bloom, knowing that their life is short and that their beauty is fleeting. And the next time that they bloom, their entire identity will be different than it was today. New life is born, new life grows, that life is ever changing. Because God designed it that way. Nothing in this world is constant. Except for my God. He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and his creation is truly a masterpiece. The ocean stops at a line, butterflies don't fly, they dance. The sunset is his artwork that he put on display each evening. He creates life that only he could create.

As God's most precious creation is growing inside of me, I can't help but think of the aw and wonder that is God's art of change. Not one day since this miracle has been in existence has it been constant. Each aspect of this little person is a miracle. And those miracles change each and every day. The pulls and the tugs. The tumbles and the aches. There is a miracle dancing inside of me. A living breathing miracle that only I can feel. And its always changing. And its beautiful...

Like a song in the rain. Like a melody that only I can hear. God's design is displayed in me. He make's beautiful things....

Until next time...