My Indiana Baby Shower

I had the most amazing baby shower earlier this month.  We were excited enough to get to spend a weekend in Indiana with VABeau's family so spending an afternoon celebrating Baby C was an added bonus.  My sister-in-law, Peyton, did such an incredible job planning the day and made me (and Baby C) feel so special and loved the whole time.  I seriously think she has a future career as a party planner ahead of her, she is so talented!

The entrance to my in-laws home lined with perfectly colored balloons.

I have been obsessed with these DIY wreaths forever, but never felt that I had the skill to make one.  My SIL devoted a ton of time to making this perfect wreath and best of all, we got to take it home!  It is already on the nursery door waiting for our baby boy's arrival.

I loved her idea of using a children's book as the guest book.

We now have a classic filled with messages from our Indiana family and friends.

The colors and this banner are pure perfection.

My in-law's dog, Bella, was immediately overwhelmed by the size of the gift pile.

She knows me so well!

The gorgeous dining room table complete with blue ball jars, white flowers, and blue napkins.

Our delicious lunch (salmon salad) plated and ready to be served.

I've always had a sweet tooth so it came as little surprise that the desert was my favorite part of the day.  She had the cake made to match the onesie on the invites perfectly.  It was almost too beautiful to eat.

It was so nice to catch up with all of these ladies.

We were completely spoiled by this crew.

Baby gifts are literally the most fun gifts to open!  We got so many great items that will get a lot of use from day one.  I was beyond grateful.

Poor Bella thought this squeaky baby toy was meant for her.

The amazing hostess that I am so lucky to call my family.

With my two sister-in-laws.

The furry sister insisted on joining the photo as well.

3 generations of Mrs. S

The cute touches were never ending.  

The favors/cookies were perfect!

It was seriously the most beautiful baby shower ever.  Baby C is so lucky to be loved by so many people already and I feel so blessed to have been welcomed into a family as special as VABeau's.

30 weeks

How Far Along:  30 weeks!
Total Weight Gain:   2 pounds.  Up  23 pounds total.  
Size of the Baby:  A Cucumber.  About 15.2-16.7 inches long and weighs about 2.5-3.8 lb.

Movement:  Lots of movement and I'm loving it.  He seems to be hanging out pretty high up which can get a little uncomfortable at times.  But I love feeling his movements more consistently, they are so reassuring at this point!

How I'm Feeling:  The heart burn and shortness of breath have gotten significantly worse now that he's pressing upward.  Otherwise, I can't complain!

Sleep:  Pretty good.  I did have a night where his strong kicks in the exact same spot kept waking me up.  But for the most part, I'm sleeping through the night.

Exercise:  Long walks and the occasional body pump class.  I will admit that I'm moving much slower now thanks to the extra weight I'm carrying.

Food Cravings:  Dairy seems to be the most popular at the moment-ice cream, froyo, milk, cereal with milk etc.  I wouldn't say I have any food aversions, but usually this time of year I love to cook and eat fish for dinner.  Throughout my pregnancy, I just can't get excited or motivated to eat fish, it's so weird!

Maternity Clothes? The warm weather seems to be here to stay so I'm making use of maternity dresses and non-maternity cotton dresses that still fit.

29+ weeks at baby's first wedding Friday night

Stretch Marks?  Not yet.  
Belly Button?  Still not completely out but still not completely in.
What I Miss?  My energy.  I don't like to sit still for long but I'm noticing, thanks to this basketball I'm carrying around, that I just can't do as much without getting completely and utterly exhausted.  There are so many things I want to do before he arrives but I've had to start pacing myself.

Baby's Gender? Boy!

Highlight of the Week?  Attending baby's first wedding Friday night and spending the whole weekend with my brother, my in-laws, and our friends.  Also, reaching 30 weeks is a highlight in itself.  Something about finally being in the 30s makes meeting him seem so much closer and much more real!

Weekend Snapshots

This past weekend was jammed packed with Southern food, time with family and friends, and fun!  We started Friday with a road trip to Charlotte followed by a beautiful wedding and wrapped up the weekend with a Beer Bourbon Barbecue Festival.

I couldn't wait to have two days filled with delicious sweet tea and some of my favorite Southern delicacies.  As soon as we crossed into North Carolina we hit up Cook Out and stocked up on Cheerwine.

Friday evening we attended VABeau's cousin's wedding.  It was a touching ceremony in a beautiful location.  The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was the perfect spot.

It was filled with some of the most gorgeous orchids.

Just a little pregnant partying at the reception with my husband.

For lunch on Saturday we feasted at Queen City Q.  I was an immediate fan after these amazing bacon deviled eggs with a side of pickles. 

After lunch, our crew headed to the Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival.

With our hostess for the weekend, Mariel.

The boys-VABeau, Connor, my brother, and my father-in-law

The girls-VABelle, Mariel, and my mother-in-law

We had so much fun hanging out in Charlotte with my in-laws

With the soon to be married couple!

I'm so grateful I got to spend some time with my brother as well.

This guy really took advantage of his DD for the day.

Post festival recovery at Upstream.

Father and son getting cozy

A trip to Charlotte isn't complete without a recovery breakfast at Sunflour.

After a long drive home on Sunday, VABeau completely surprised me with a Mother's (to be) Day gift.  I definitely didn't expect a thing so he really made my day! 

29 weeks

How Far Along:  29 weeks!

Total Weight Gain:   1 pound.  Up  21 pounds total.  

Size of the Baby:  An Acorn Squash.  About 15.2-16.7 inches long and weighs about 2.5-3.8 lb.

Movement:  Still feeling lots of kicks.  He apparently loves to kick around my ribs which is pretty uncomfortable and makes me wish I were just a little taller so that his legs had more room. 

How I'm Feeling:  The large belly is definitely starting to take it's toll.  I just don't have the energy I used to and get fatigued from just the slightest physical activity.  My 12 hour works shifts are definitely getting harder and harder.

Sleep:  It's decent but I have a really hard time sleeping in on my days off and weekends.  I'm usually wide awake by 6:30am (prep for when he is here in a couple of months I guess?) so an early bedtime is a necessity at this point.  

Exercise:  I'm afraid to admit that it's happening less and less.  With our busy May travel schedule and my dwindling energy, I'm finding it hard to fit in.  But I'm still making a point to take long walks at least a couple times a week.

Food Cravings:  Definitely enjoying the sweets now that I know I passed my glucola test.

Maternity Clothes? Thank goodness for a work wardrobe of scrubs!  If I'm not at work, I'm sporting Old Navy maternity shorts and tee shirts.  I've also found a few Gap dresses to get me through the busy shower and wedding season. 

28+ weeks at first shower this past weekend

Stretch Marks?  Not yet.  But the skin on my belly is getting pretty itchy so I know a bit of stretching is going on.

Belly Button?  Still not completely out but still not completely in.

What I Miss?  I have to admit it-alcohol.  Spending this past weekend with VABeau's family without drinking was pretty darn difficult.  It was definitely hard to watch everyone enjoy delicious wine, Summer beers, and mint juleps during the derby, and not partake.  But I keep reminding myself that it's all for a good cause and I will have plenty of mint juleps next year!

Baby's Gender? Sweet Baby Boy.

Highlight of the Week?  My first baby shower!  My SIL, CAWife, threw the most amazing baby shower this past Sunday.  Her mom and sister, my MIL, and my  SIL, Katie, all chipped in and spoiled me (& Baby C) like crazy all weekend.  We are beyond blessed to be a part of such a welcoming and giving family and it was so nice to spend time with all of the important Indiana people in our life.  The shower was absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to share more about it later in the week.  Peyton did a fantastic job!  

28 Weeks!

How Far Along:  28 weeks and officially in the 3rd trimester!
Total Weight Gain:   2 pounds.  Up  20 pounds total.  I definitely was not expecting to reach the big 2-0 weight gain already, yikes!
Size of the Baby:  An Eggplant.  About 13.6-14.8 inches long and weighs about 1.5-2.5 lb.

Movement:  I'm pretty much feeling movement all over so I never know where to expect the next kick. 

How I'm Feeling:  My only complaint at the moment is heartburn which seems to hit in the middle of the night.  Otherwise, life is pretty good.

Sleep:  I can now add horrible heart burn to the reasons why I don't get a great night sleep.  But despite waking up once a night, I sleep the rest of the time so I know it could always be worse.

Exercise:  I've started scheduling walks with friends which makes getting out and clocking 3+ miles so much more fun.  I'm still trying to fit in one session of weight lifting a week too.

Food Cravings:  Still stuck on the sweet tea and ice cream.

Maternity Clothes?  I have plenty of warm weather maternity clothes thanks to Old Navy's sale.  Now I just need official warm weather to put them to use.  I'm also staring to think that the weekly bump photo dress won't last the whole time.  It has gotten pretty tight all of a sudden.....

Stretch Marks?  Still lathering up with cocoa butter.
Belly Button?  Still not completely out but still not completely in.
What I Miss?  My physical capabilities pre-huge baby bump.  I used to be able to work out, do a ton of yard work or house work, and still have energy for an after dinner walk.  Now just a few hours of cleaning or weeding and this girl is physically exhausted with a sore back and legs.
Baby's Gender? Boy!
Highlight of the Week?  Passing my glucose intolerance test (Yay for no gestational diabetes!!!) and VABeau finally feeling one of Baby C's kicks.  I have been feeling and seeing them on the outside of my belly for weeks.  But whenever VABeau would put his hand on my belly the kicks would suddenly stop.  Our little one must be shy or something.  But finally, we were sitting on the couch watching TV last Wednesday when he gave a few strong kicks and VABeau felt one!  His reaction was priceless and I'm so glad he got to experience what I experience pretty much all day long.

2 Year House Anniversary

 

 It's hard to believe that this picture was taken exactly 2 years ago.  We were incredibly nervous but also so excited for our new adventure as homeowner.  We have learned a lot about home ownership over the past 2 years and I am so grateful that we are feeling more settled in our home with a baby on the way.

Each year I like to photograph our home so that I can see the progress and how it changes from year to year based on the work we've done.  

The Exterior

The big project of 2012 was overhauling our front yard.  Our home needed some serious curb appeal and the addition of 2 side walks and several plants and trees made a huge difference.

Living Room

You can check out the living room and dining room 1 & 2 years ago here.

We literally did nothing to this room in 2012 so it is the room that needs the most work currently.

Dining Room

We added two head of the table chairs that VABeau scored at a local antique store.  Miraculously they matched our Crate &Barrel chairs perfectly.

Kitchen

The Kitchen and family room 1&2 year ago.

No changes here either.

Family Room

New curtains did wonders for this room in the past year.

Office

You can find the office and hallway pictures from 1&2 years ago here.

 This room got the most attention in the past year.

 Master Bedroom

See the bedroom transformation over the past 2 years here.

The master has had the most work done of all of the rooms during these past 2 years.  I dare say, it's almost done (once VABeau hangs up our wedding picture that's stuck in the corner).

Hallway

 No additions to the gallery wall in the past year but I hope to add to it soon.

Bathroom

 We recently added a storage shelf over the toilet which I know will get filled very quickly once we're a family of 3.

Guest Bedroom

Check out the bedrooms and bathroom changes here.

 Nothing new yet but note the paint swatches.  We're in the selection phase of painting the guest bedroom.

Future Nursery

This room will definitely get the most attention in the next year.  Right now it's a storage place for adorable baby gifts and our crib/dresser.