38 Weeks (And How I Told Spencer)

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Jennifer B.

Today is my original due date! Don’t worry, my first trimester ultrasound adjusted my actual due date to 12/5. I still have 2 weeks to go! We’re expecting baby to come any day, but I’m hoping he comes after Thanksgiving.

I realized today that I never said how I told my husband I was pregnant! Here’s the story, morning glory:

Monday, March 24, 2014.

Home pregnancy test – negative.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014.

Home pregnancy test – negative.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014.

Home pregnancy test – POSITIVE! Since we’d had two miscarriages in the past, I decided to keep it to myself until I could stop by Modesto Pregnancy Center to confirm (and think of a clever way to tell Spencer).

Thursday, March 27, 2014.

Appointment confirmed – I was pregnant! I thought ALL DAY about how to tell Spencer. I finally got out of class at 9:30pm (darn senior seminar) and went to Target to pick up some Dr. Pepper. It’s my husband’s drink of choice, so I knew it would be PERFECT for telling him. I threw together a small basket with a note attached, called him, and told him I had a surprise for him when I got home. I presented him with the basket when I walked in the door and let him try to figure it out. It took a few minutes, but he eventually got the message!

24 Weeks

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Jennifer B.

How far along: 24 weeks! 16 weeks to go!

Gender: BOY!

Weight gained: About 19 lbs so far. I’m gaining an average of ¾ – 1 lb a week.

Workouts:
Monday: Piyo Sweat, Taught Zumba
Tuesday: Piyo Define: Lower, Zumba choreo review at home, taught a Zumba Kids demo class
Thursday: Taught Zumba
Friday: PiYo Core & Define: Upper
Saturday: PiYo Sweat
Sunday: 2 hours of clearing out the nursery
I’m loving the PiYo program so far! Want to join me? Click here!

Clothing Choices: Dresses, dresses, dresses. I’m also loving my Gap workout pants.

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: I’m waking up at 2-3 times a night now.

Best moment this week: Announcing the full name for our baby and beginning the process of clearing out the nursery!

Hardest moment this week: Telling my temp agency about my pregnancy. I’m still not sure what will happen!

What I’m missing: Sleep. And cocktails. I’ve been making mocktails with sparkling water lately.

Movement: He definitely moves more on certain days than others. He’s getting quite wiggly, and I’m pretty sure he had the hiccups this week!

Cravings: Thanksgiving dinner. Soup.

Queasy or sick: I’m feeling great!

Looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery clear-out so we can start putting the room together!

Strange Dreams: Last night I dreamed my grandma was 38 weeks pregnant. Her, my mom, and my aunt went to redeem treat receipts on the last day and I couldn’t go with them for some reason. My mom tried calling to see what I wanted, but the phone was too complicated for me to figure out how to answer it. I called her back 30 second later, and they were already walking in the door. I was really upset. I woke myself up sobbing, “It’s fine.”

Another dream crossed Hook with the mole people episode of Bones. It was SUPER weird.

23 Weeks

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Jennifer B.

I hit my 23rd week on Friday! It’s the start of my 6th month!

How far along: 23 weeks!

Gender: BOY!

Weight gained: About 17 lbs so far. I’m gaining an average of ¾ lbs a week.

Workouts:
Monday: Piyo Align, Taught Zumba
Tuesday: Piyo Define: Lower, Zumba choreo review at home, taught a Zumba Kids demo class
Wednesday: Piyo Define: Upper
Thursday: Taught Zumba
Friday: 1.5 mile walk, PiYo Sweat, 4 hours of cooking
Saturday: PiYo Define: Lower
Sunday: 1.5 hours of housecleaning/organizing
I’m loving the PiYo program so far! Want to join me? Click here!

Clothing Choices: Dresses, dresses, dresses. I’m also loving my Gap workout pants.

Belly button: Inny, but I officially “popped” this week. There’s no mistaking the shape of this belly!

Sleep: I’m waking up at 3:30am on a consistent basis. I usually toss and turn the rest of the night, sometimes getting up 3 times a night. I spent pretty much all Sunday afternoon sleeping to make up for my crappy sleep patterns.

Best moment this week: Saturday was fantastic! I got my hair chopped off, which I’ve been wanting to do for a few weeks now. I also got to go on a date with my hubby! He took me out to lunch at Olive Garden, and then we went shopping at Hobby Lobby to get some crafty supplies to make nursery décor!

Hardest moment this week: My horrendous sleep pattern as of late…

What I’m missing: Cooler weather. I can’t wait for fall!

Movement: I SAW my belly jump for the first time this week during worship team practice!

Cravings: I had a desperate craving for a mushroom swiss burger this week, so I picked one up for lunch. No regrets!

Queasy or sick: I was feeling queasy all day yesterday, but that was probably from lack of sleep. Napping seemed to help a lot.

Looking forward to: Starting back at the CSU Stanislaus writing center as a tutor! I loved tutoring last year, so I’m thrilled to have the chance to go back to it!

Strange Dreams: I’ve had several strange dreams lately, but I can’t remember any specifics.

New haircut!

22 Weeks

Posted on August 3, 2014 by Jennifer B.

I meant to post this last Friday, but we left town before I could post!

How far along: 22 weeks!

Gender: BOY!

Weight gained: About 17 lbs so far. I’m gaining an average of ¾ lbs a week.

Workouts:
Monday: Taught Zumba
Tuesday: 2 mile walk
Wednesday: .5 mile walk
I’m starting the PiYo program on Monday! Want to join me? Click here!

Clothing Choices: Dresses, dresses, dresses. I’m also loving my Gap workout pants.

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: It’s in the triple digits this entire week, and our tiny wall unit doesn’t reach the bedroom very well. We’ve been moving the mattress to the living room floor every night to try to stay cool. It’s extremely difficult to get up off the floor while being pregnant, as I have to rock myself a few times before I can get onto my knees to stand up. I feel like Amy Mathews when Eric tells her “You wobble like a weeble!”

Best moment this week: Getting to spend some time with my friend Heather, who has been living on the East coast for school! We got pedicures and watched Frozen.

Hardest moment this week: Dealing with the discomfort of the weather! UGH!

What I’m missing: Cooler weather. I can’t wait for fall!

Movement: I feel kicks throughout the day now, especially after I have sugar. Spencer got to feel him move for the first time last week!

Cravings: I had a random craving for cherry Laffy Taffy this week, which is weird because I HATE cherry flavored candies. I bought a bag that day and finished it off by the next day. Oops!

Queasy or sick: Still avoiding lots of chicken or eggs, but otherwise I’m feeling fine. I have been experiencing some round ligament pain recently.

Looking forward to: A weekend away in the mountains!

Strange Dreams: Lots of weird dreams lately. Many of them revolve around Zumba.

20 Weeks

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Jennifer B.

Hello, it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve updated. Since I blogged so heavily in June, I decided to take a short break (which turned into a 2.5 week break). I used to blog all the time, but I have a habit of burning myself out. While my goal is to blog more regularly, I’m still working on finding a pace that works well for me. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

How far along: 20 weeks! I can’t believe I’m halfway done already!

Gender: BOY!

Weight gained: This is one of my main frustrations this week. A month ago, the nurse told me I wasn’t gaining enough weight. The other day, she said I was gaining weight too rapidly. I’ve officially surpassed my highest weight ever. I need to monitor my weight gain extremely carefully over the remainder of my pregnancy in order to make sure I’m still healthy.

Workouts:
Monday: Taught Zumba
Thursday: Taught Zumba
I just received the PiYo program in the mail yesterday, so I’m anxious to get started on that! Want to join me? Click here!

Clothing Choices: Dresses, shorts & tanks, and pajamas when I’m at home.

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: I’m usually up at least once in the middle of the night, sometimes more. I’m also taking afternoon naps more often.

Best moment this week: I officially became a BeachBody coach! I’m so excited to share my story with others and help them reach their fitness goals! Want to know more? Visit my coach website!

Hardest moment this week: Other than the weight struggle, I was in a minor car accident last week, and I’ve been having a rough time dealing with the insurance company.

What I’m missing: Wine, bubbly, and raw cookie dough.

Movement: Feeling my baby move is literally my favorite thing in the entire world. I wait all day to feel those flutters!

Cravings: I’m actually starting to have some food aversions. I did acquire some free pie pumpkins this week, so I’m excited to start making some pumpkin muffins and pancakes! I can’t wait for fall.

Queasy or sick: I’ve experienced some mild nausea every day over the past 5 days. I think it’s weird that it took until halfway through my pregnancy to start experiencing some of these symptoms. I think it might have something to do with my diet recently, but I can’t stand the smell/thought of eggs, chicken, or most meats lately. I still haven’t been sick, but the idea of these foods has almost put me over the edge a few times in the last few days.

Looking forward to: Having some quality alone time with my husband, settling down on a name for the baby, and seeing our baby again at my prenatal appt next week!

Strange Dreams: Lots of weird dreams lately. My favorites were:
1) I was back in New Zealand. I was naked. I was completely okay with that.
2) I was in a talent show. My talent was making & eating raw cookie dough.

17 Weeks

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Jennifer B.

How far along: 17 weeks

Gender: Unknown

Weight gained: Holding steady at my current weight

Workouts:
Saturday: attended a Zumba class
Monday: Taught Zumba
Tuesday: Bikini Arms, Sunset Stretch from the Beach Babe 2 DVD (I did as much as I could)
Thursday: Taught Zumba, worked on choreography afterwards

Clothing Choices: Dresses!

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: I wake up a lot now, mostly due to nocturnal sciatica.

Best moment this week: Doing an impromptu photoshoot with JMP Photography & celebrating our anniversary!

Hardest moment this week: Dealing with nocturnal sciatica and back pain

What I’m missing: Sleeping painlessly through the night

Movement: Can’t feel anything yet – I can’t wait!

Cravings: All kinds of things – FRESH MINT, frozen yogurt, holiday flavors (pumpkin, peppermint, salted caramel mocha), onion/garlicky things, tea, etc.

Queasy or sick: Still feeling great!

Looking forward to: The holiday weekend & a trip to the beach with my hubby!

Strange Dreams: Here’s screenshots of a text I sent the morning after I had my strange dream this week. Haha!

Here’s some more pictures from this week. I was home a lot this week, so there’s lots of pictures!

“Fancy” updo for my photoshoot

Whole wheat chocolate chip pumpkin protein pancakes

Screenshot from photoshoot

One of my favorite pictures from my bachelorette party 4 years ago – Love you, Lizz!

Fresh strawberry mint lemonade

Brown butter fish & zesty quinoa salad

I’ve been waiting for this sale for 3 months!

My Tuesday morning

My husband “missed seeing me,” so I sent him this selfie.

Sunset over the river

Baked pumpkin oatmeal with dark chocolate chunks and vanilla bean swirled cream cheese frosting

Rosie!

A clean car & an oil change for my hubby

It’s official!

Lemon, cucumber, raspberry, mint infused water

Surprise anniversary trip to the beach for the holiday weekend!

The spoils of our “gift card” date

Also, my friend Kelly and I think we invented a new meme. It’s called “Or else.”

OR ELSE

16 Weeks

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Jennifer B.

16 Weeks!

How far along: 16 weeks – 4 months already!

Gender: Unknown

Weight gained: I’m back on track. As of this morning, I’m .3 lbs away from my highest weight ever. That’s extremely discouraging to me. Now I need to figure out how to slow it down a bit!

Workouts: Taught Zumba 2 times (Monday & Thursday), did “circuit training” at work on Wednesday (involving stairs, carrying boxes, and walking across the property) – See below for my plan for this week!

Clothing Choices: Dresses! I got another new dress this week, and I LOVE it. I finally “outgrew” my only pair of jeans that still fit. I’m using a belly band with them, but I also picked up some maternity jeggings.

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: Didn’t quite get enough sleep on any night this week. I’m looking forward to sleeping in on a few days next week.

Best moment this week: Finding out I’m enrolled in MediCal! I’m going next week to pick up my card.

Hardest moment this week: Seeing that number on the scale, dealing with some lower back pain, and having to scrub out my shower tile (EW).

What I’m missing: Still sleeping through the night

Movement: Can’t feel anything yet

Cravings: A huge switch this week – I want all the sweet things! I’ve wanted some treats every now and then, but this is the first time I’ve truly craved sweets all the time.

Queasy or sick: Still feeling great!

Looking forward to: Our 4-year anniversary this week!

Strange Dreams: Not any that I can remember this week.

I’m still loving having time to manage my home. I’ve been working on creating a habit of doing my housecleaning right after I get home from work. I’m thrilled with how the house is starting to look and feel clean all the time! I’ve been working a little bit every day to clean out the bedroom that will be the future nursery. It’s coming along!

As far as working out goes, I’ve did some searching last night to find some free prenatal workouts on YouTube. I’m going to be incorporating some of these this week. I found a few low-impact cardio videos, as well as some short toning workouts. I’ll report back next week on what I tried and what I liked!

Pictures from this last week:

Father’s Day. The rivalry continues to the next generation!

New favorite dress!

Math is hard.

Love my sister-in-law!

This was the series of tweets after Zumba on Monday. Apparently it was hot (and everyone was hungry)!

My bedtime snack as of late.

Curse these stairs.

I’ve been craving holiday flavors lately.

My lap was captured.

Creeping on my friend Carly at Starbucks

Mine.

My face after I kicked my own booty at Zumba on Thursday

15 Weeks

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Jennifer B.

15 weeks

How far along: 15 weeks

Gender: Unknown. Our appointment to find out is scheduled for July 24th!

Weight gained: None this week

Workouts: Taught Zumba 2 times (Monday & Thursday)

Clothing Choices: Dresses! I got 4 new dresses this past weekend (one pictured above).

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: Getting about 7-7.5 hours each night, but it’s difficult when I wake up a lot in the middle of the night. Naps are wonderful!

Best moment this week: First prenatal appointment! I got to hear baby’s heartbeat for the first time!

Hardest moment this week: Re-applying for insurance and coming to grips with the reality of the financial burden this will be on us

What I’m missing: Sleeping through the night.

Movement: Can’t feel anything yet

Cravings: Still salty things!

Queasy or sick: Still feeling great!

Looking forward to: Cleaning out the nursery

Strange Dreams: I had one dream where I was in a classroom with a bunch of people. There were chalkboards on every wall. Each person’s greatest struggle was on display for the world to see on the chalkboard above their heads; mine said, “Proud.” Instead of trying to erase it amidst the taunting laughter of the rest of the class, I sighed, accepted it, and wrote “humility” underneath it.
This dream certainly seems like it means something. I’m just not sure whether it is blatantly for me, or if it’s meant to help someone else. That’s why I’m sharing it. I went through a huge struggle with this around 7 years ago when I went to Peru on a mission trip, and I continued to battle intensely with pride over the next year or so. I feel like I’ve made leaps and bounds in this struggle in my life, but I also know I should never become complacent about it either. Perhaps it may be time to revisit some familiar passages in the Bible.

More pictures from this week:

Where’s Pippin?

The biggest homemade Cobb salad EVER

Forced snuggles aren’t so bad.

New novel! (Recommended by my friend Brit)

Breakfast on Thursday

#KeepingItReal

My #ThrowbackThursday post for this week.
For those who don’t know what my sister and I looked like when we were young…
Upper left: the actual German sculpture from the 1800s.
Upper right: Christmas 1991.
Lower left: Yosemite 1994.
Lower right: last weekend at the Getty, recreating the statue from our past lives.

Overall, I’m having a wonderful time adjusting back to life as a homemaker. I’ve been trying to make a to do list each day to make sure I’m being productive around the home, yet still have time to relax. I’m loving having time to cook homemade meals and time to organize and clean! I’ve got a 3-page (3 columns each) to do list for before baby comes!

Announcement: I’m Growing a Beard

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jennifer B.

Photo by Scot Woodman Photography

That’s right – we’re expecting our first child in December, and we are thrilled!

My first trimester went extremely well. After two miscarriages, we weren’t sure what to expect. I’m pleased to say I’ve had no morning sickness. My only symptoms so far have been extreme fatigue and ravenous hunger. I’m officially in my second trimester.

This accurately represents 1st trimester vs. 2nd trimester for me:

Although, this hasn’t changed much:

I plan to use Fridays to post updates on my progress. My TIU sister Tamara at Lively Happenings has been posting updates along her journey, and I like the example she set. I’m going to use her updates as a template for my own as well.

How far along: 14 weeks

Gender: Unknown

Weight gained: Not completely sure, but probably around 15-17 lbs

Working Out: Teaching Zumba 1-2 times a week, aiming for 3 walks a week

Clothing Choices: I just purged my closet, so I don’t have much left to wear! I have a few dresses and tops, one skirt, one pair of jeans, and one bra. I need to go shopping!

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: Getting about 7-7.5 hours each night, and I’m trying to get to bed earlier.

Best moment this week: Making our public announcement last Saturday

Hardest moment this week: Cleaning out my closet was really sobering. It’s weird to try to be happy about gaining weight, when it’s the polar opposite of my whole life. I’m not feeling too great about my body, even if I know it’s for a good cause.

What I’m missing: Girls’ nights, not feeling frumpy, and feta cheese

Movement: Can’t feel anything yet!

Cravings: Salty things! I want onions a lot – French fried onions, French onion soup… NOM.

Queasy or sick: Feeling great! No morning sickness so far. I’m just tired most of the time.

Looking forward to: A girls weekend roadtrip with my mom to visit my sister!

Strange Dreams: I always have strange dreams. Nothing in particular that I can remember this week.

Now for “belly pictures.”