Wow I need to update!!!

So I haven't posted since October... that's a LONG TIME. So I'm going to try to quickly but efficiently update everyone on the highlights of what has happened since then.

I quit my job in the middle of October to focus on my pregnancy and health but due to being shorthanded, the company asked me to stay on hand as an on call shift supervisor, meaning I was only going to be working if they absolutely needed me there. It was a good option for me because it was going to give me most of my time off but I would have extra money during the busy holiday season.

October 20th we had a gender reveal party in NJ for our families and closest friends. We had a great time announcing that we are happily expecting a healthy BABY BOY and his name is Declan Ryan!

In November, we had my mom and Ben up for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving dinner was delicious as always, even if we didn't know if we cooked the turkey upside down or not. Ha! Donnie and I both worked the whole weekend of Thanksgiving so my parents were left to explore the Cape on their own! They had fun checking out a local bar by the name of The Black Cat. We have a Black Cat in Absecon too so they had to compare the two!

The first week of December, we were back in NJ again for our last visit before Declan arrives.

On December 1st, Donnie surprised me with a 3D4D Ultrasound at Bellyssimo Imaging. He had invited everyone to join us and I was completely SHOCKED! My mom, Ben, Donnie's mom Dani, Rob, Marianne, and Ed got to attend. They all kept a good secret! Declan showed off his personality quite a bit and it was so nice to be able to see him again after not seeing him since October 10th.

December 2nd was my baby shower which was amazing. We had a great turn out, amazing food, and Declan was SPOILED rotten... (I have a feeling this won't be the last time he's spoiled!)

Christmas this year was very low key. Donnie and I were unable to travel to NJ so he volunteered to take duty over Christmas week. So he went to work on December 21st and didn't come home until the 28th. I went to the station on Christmas Day with Liberty. We got to walk the pier with her, she totally wanted to eat a Seagull. Then Donnie and I got to eat Christmas dinner together. Donnie got to come home for a few hours on the 26th so we opened our presents to each other that day.

After Christmas I had my one hour glucose test. And... I failed.... by one point. The midwife gave me the option of trying the one hour again, moving onto the three hour test, or to refuse it all and just change my diet on my own. I decided to go to the three hour test. So on January 17th, I took the three hour test... And I failed the three hour test too. So now I test my blood sugar 4 times a day and I cut out all sweets and junk food. With my birthday coming up in just two short weeks, I am really sad about not having my cake and eating it too... but it's not about me, it's about Declan. After my gestational diabetes diagnosis, my mom came to visit for a week to help out. We accomplished a ton! Here's a little sneak peek of Declan's crib and nursery "theme".

I turn 35 weeks this Friday, February 1st. Here's my most recent belly picture. 

Here's Liberty snuggling her soon to be little brother. She loves him... and his stuffed animals. 

So that pretty much catches everyone up on the last few months... I am going to try and update a lot more throughout February and hopefully continue to update after Declan arrives! 

Last Chance to GUESS!!!

GIRL!? or BOY?! 

Make your guess on Baby Carter's gender NOW, because TOMORROW, Donnie and I will know the gender!!!!! We will NOT be telling and will NOT be posting the results until AFTER the gender reveal party on October 20th!

CAST THOSE VOTES!!!

Since When am I a Bear?

Seriously... This is how I feel...

Wake me up in March....... 

Okay, so that won't work. I get it. But I feel like I could really sleep through the rest of my pregnancy. This was my day yesterday....

Woke up at 9, fell back asleep at 10:30. 

Woke up at 12:30. Went and had lunch and ran some necessary chores. 

Went back to sleep at 5ish. Woke up a couple times just to go right back to sleep. 

Woke up at 9pm and then went to bed for good at 10:20. 

I slept this morning until 11:30. Lounged around the house until 2 when I went for physical therapy. 

Went to physical therapy, went and dealt with a cell phone issue, came home, it is 7:46PM and I would SO go to bed right now if I could. This is RIDICULOUS!!! 

My baby bump better show some HUGE growth at the end of this. 

On the upside, we go to have our ultrasound on Wednesday and we're so excited!!! 

Here's what Baby Center has to say about our baby this week "Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long and he or she weighs about 7 ounces. He/she is busy flexing their arms and legs- movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. Their blood vessels are visible through their thin skin, and their ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his/her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his/her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he/she is born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound."

16 Week Appointment

Yesterday, we had our 16 week, 5 day appointment with the midwife! All the standard checks are great, baby's heartbeat, my blood pressure, my heart rate. Everything looks good! The midwife is slightly concerned at my lack of weight gain and has made suggestions to me on what to add to my diet to gain more weight. It's unfortunate, I eat and eat and eat and haven't gained even an ounce, but if I ate like this not pregnant, I'd be fat as a house!

The countdown to our ultrasound has started and we can't wait to see the baby and get to plan a lot more for the gender reveal party!

Week 16 is overwhelming and exciting!

I am so excited to be in my 16th week of this pregnancy. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to become a mom. But week 16 has also brought some overwhelming feelings as well. As I approach the middle of my pregnancy, I feel like it has gone by way too fast. I haven't had the time to enjoy it like I wanted to. I hope the last 24 weeks of my pregnancy slow down and that I get to enjoy each and every day. I have a feeling some big changes are going to be coming my way soon.

We had a very busy weekend. Friday we shopped around for items for the baby's gender reveal party! I went over to a friend's house and we made pins for the party. They turned out great, I can't wait until the gender reveal party. We have so many great ideas. Saturday, we went off Cape. We walked around the South Shore Plaza. We also went to Dave and Buster's and played some games together and just enjoyed the time. Finally, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings and enjoyed a late dinner before heading back to the Cape. We had so much fun! Sunday, I worked in the morning and then we went out again. We went to Babies R Us and we found the baby's crib, ON CLEARANCE! So we bought that. 

Going into this week, we are going to continue to be busy! I am starting physical therapy for my hips and back, Donnie has a long work week, I work a lot, and we have our 16 week doctor's appointment! I'll update again after the doctor's appointment!

Life Happens...

My day started at 3am when I had a dream and could not fall back asleep. This is pretty typical lately. At 5:15am, Liberty was sprayed by a skunk. I spent 15 hours taking care of the smell on her and in the house. I still have to take care of the smell in the bathroom, but for now, it can wait.

In between taking care of the smell... I read a post from a coast guard wife and mama who also struggled with infertility.... Her water broke at 30 weeks and she's in the hospital. I know her babies will be just fine when they are born and they're in great hands but wow... how stressful and scary for them. Thoughts and prayers for her, her husband, and the babies until her babies are here safe and sound.

Then I took a nap... I woke up and found out that a Coastie who's story I've been following for a while has a tumor growing back. Countless surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and he's still battling. Hugs and Prayers for E, J, and their kids. I know they're exhausted and sick of the cancer spreading and coming back.

So moral of the story... today life happened, Donnie had to go to work and I had to deal with the dog... had to call out of work and spend hours trying to get the smell out... my back hurts and I'm tired... but I don't have half the pain that these two families are feeling tonight.

Second Trimester

So I'm in my second trimester now and I am so excited! I feel safe celebrating this life that God has made. I have always been thankful for my pregnancy and prayerful that the baby would be healthy but now I feel much more secure like everything is definitely going to be okay.

The second trimester has brought a lot of fun plans! An ultrasound, a gender reveal party, and a baby shower. Our final trips to NJ are coming up, as I will not be allowed to travel in my third and last trimester. Nothing is wrong that makes us not allowed to travel but if something were to happen and I needed to be seen at a hospital, my insurance will not cover it so I'd rather not take the risk!

The baby is about 3 inches long now and weighs nearly an ounce. Little peanut! Baby also now has fingerprints on all his/her fingertips and if Baby Carter is a girl, she has all her eggs in her ovaries that she will ever have!

As far as how I am feeling.. nothing too exciting, I am still tired all the time and waiting for this magical energy everyone talks about. LOL! But I am not as sick and nauseous as I was and I am thankful for that.