HALFWAY!

How far along: 19 weeks 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: ~ 7 lbs - the Cookie Exchange I went to yesterday did not help!
Maternity clothes: Last time I'm posting this because from here on out, it's maternity all the way.
Sleep: Sleep is ok.  Sleep would be better if Matthew would stop getting up at 2am. 
Best moment this week: BABY KICKS! Last night Chris even felt a kick.  You have absolutely no idea how much you need to feel that baby when you're pregnant. 
Movement: Oh yeah.  It's not all the time on the outside, but I felt her dancing around all night last night and I feel her a lot when I'm sitting at my desk at work.  This just started about 3-4 days ago, but I'm so happy it has finally started.
Food cravings: I've reached the - I'LL EAT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING phase.   
Labor Signs: nope.
Belly Button in or out: innie.
What I miss: Wine to help me relax after a stressful day! - still true
What I am looking forward to: The holidays and then getting started on the nursery after the holidays are over.
Weekly Wisdom: Relax and Enjoy! - I'm working on it! - still working on it.

So next week is my official anatomy scan.  We've already seen most of the body parts because of my other scan earlier. 

Things that are worrying me these days:

So I'm not 100% sure on any of this, but I'm pretty sure I have an anterior placenta because I think they said that.  This causes me concern because I hear that it can make the c-section complicated. That is very scary to me.  I've read it can cause extra bleeding and just make things harder in general.

Subchorionic Hematoma - It's still there.  Why are you still there? GO AWAY! I'm praying that by my next scan it's gone, but what if it's not.  Can it cause issues?

And this isn't a worry, but I'm already anxious about getting everything ready.  We've got 140 days until little lady comes. I have so many clothes that need to be organized, we have to move furniture, buy furniture, get all the baby stuff out and cleaned. And don't even get me started on a name.

All in all, since feeling kicks I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. 

At some point I'll take a belly picture.......not today. :)

Until Next time....

Baby #3 - 16 Weeks

Well Hello!!

Long time no talk?  Surprise, Baby #3 on the way and I'm already 4 months along.  For some reason we didn't share the news so early this time.  This pregnancy will probably be our last and unfortunately so far it's been our most dramatic. I currently have a subchorionic hematoma, which means there is a bleed between the placenta and the amniotic sac (i think).  I won't get into the details, but to make a long story short, I had some bleeding and it was pretty scary for a few days.

As of now, baby is doing absolutely great. Growing well and the hematoma doesn't seem to be affecting the pregnancy much. All it is affecting is my emotions and my brain power. It's made me quite cautious and scared and I'm hoping it's gone by my next ultrasound so I can finally relax and enjoy this pregnancy as much as possible.

The only good thing is we have had the chance to see the baby much more and we were even able to see the gender at our last scan. Hello BABY GIRL!!!! :)

How far along: 16 weeks 4 day
Total weight gain/loss: 3 - 5 lbs
Maternity clothes: Wearing maternity pants all the time and pretty much shirts all the time as well. I can squeeze into a regular shirt every now and again, but it's much better if I just stick with maternity wear.
Sleep: Sleep isn't too bad. I pee at least once a night, sometimes twice, but DH got me a pregnancy pillow early this time so sleep has been very comfortable for the most part so far.
Best moment this week: Best moment was having a few impromptu dates with Hubby. We went to see Justice League (which was amazing) and the Sixers Game. 
Movement: I think I can feel a little bubble in there every now and again, but impatiently waiting to feel actual kicks. 
Food cravings: I crave different things every other minute of the day. Currently cold things are my friends and really juicy fruits. 
Labor Signs: nope.
Belly Button in or out: innie.
What I miss: Wine to help me relax after a stressful day!
What I am looking forward to: Feeling baby move.
Weekly Wisdom: Relax and Enjoy! - I'm working on it!

Dear Matthew Francis......

Dear Matthew,

Happy 3rd Birthday!

My big boy, my baby, my three year old delight.  This past year, you have grown up more than I thought possible.  You speak so well and you potty trained yourself in a week!!! Mommy and daddy enjoy nothing more than watching you play with your sister or use your imagination with your dinosaurs and animals.  You are OBSESSED with gorilla's right now and I'm pretty sure the movie 'SING' has something to do with it.  You love to dance and you love to sing.

You are a very good eater and we are hoping that your palette continues to grow as you do. I am amazed at how much you watch your sister and mimic her and love her so much. You have already become protective and you definitely don't like it when she is getting in trouble, almost more than when you yourself are getting in trouble.

You just started soccer and daddy loves taking you on Saturdays to run around and show off your skills with red light green light. Your biggest problem is you want to do too much, but you're learning how to take turns.  Everyone at your preschool loves you and thinks you are just the sweetest, which I tend to agree with. 

You love your momma and never refuse me my demanded hugs and kisses. You ask me to lay with you at night when we say your prayers and I hope this continues for years to come. Thank you for giving mommy and daddy so much joy. Our lives are better with you in it and we love you more than you'll ever know.

Love,

Mommy

Dear Emma Jean....

Dear Emma Jean,  

I'm late on your birthday love letter.   I turned around and you've turned into this beautiful crazy little lady.

4! FOUR!!!! I'm already dreading next year when Kindergarten is right around the corner. Looking back to where you were at least year, I can say you are 100% fully potty trained. There was a time I thought that was impossible, but I blinked and it happened. 

I think the most exciting thing is YOU STOPPED SUCKING YOUR THUMB. I'm not sure when, I'm not sure how and I have no idea why, but YOU DID IT! 

You are so amazing. You LOVE to sing at the top of your lungs and you still love to dance and show off your ballet moves. Fortunately you now have a little boy that is obsessed with everything you do and wants to be just like you. Speaking of your little brother, you are a wonderful big sister (most of the time). You make sure no one is too hard on him and you are the only one allowed to make him cry ;)

Your favorite food is STILL peanut butter and jelly, but you also love fruit. Mango and raspberries seem to be your favorite at the moment, but you really do love most of them. 

You can now say the 'Glory Be' all by yourself. Actually you don't let anyone say it with you anymore and you hate to go to bed without saying your prayers or reading at least 3 books.

I hope that you know how much I love you Emma Jeanie. You are a bright light in my life and you make my heart grow with every smile.

You are a beautiful, smart, kind little girl. Please stay this sweet and innocent as long as you can. 

With all the love I can give,

Your Momma

If I knew then what I know now............

If I knew then what I know now, I would have been way worse :)

If I knew how much kids are supposed to get in trouble and explore and take chances, I would have taken more.

I was an extremely straight edge kid. I got good grades, I was involved in everything, and I think I NEVER broke the rules.

I have no idea what I was so scared of. My sister was bad growing up (really bad) - sorry Brook ;), My brother was even worse, haha. But me, I am not sure what element was missing in my brain but I was a goody two shoes to the MAX!

In college I may have let loose a tiny bit, but still, breaking the rules was not my thing.

If I knew then, what I know now, I would realize how much of it doesn't matter and I should have relaxed.

This popped into my head because as I was sitting eating my soup for lunch, all I could think was, I better get a load of laundry in, I have to clean up the kids room, I still have to shower, I have to get the kitchen cleaned up, what should I do about dinner if I take the kids to the park. Is it too cold for that? Are they bored? and so on, and so forth.

I am always over thinking life. DH will probably be smiling and shaking his head as he reads this. I don't think I definitely have anxiety issues, but there is a pretty good chance. I am always thinking I'm not doing enough or something could be different or better. I have to check the locks in a specific order EVERY NIGHT or else I can't sleep. I don't have OCD, but WTF?

So I have a question. If you are over 40 or your kids are in school, TELL ME! What do you know that I don't. I am specifically saying I will listen and be open to all advice. I think I stress too much about the stupidest things. If you could tell your 32 year old self with a 2 and 3 year old, what would you say?

On another note, tomorrow is date night :) Heading to Wyebrook Farm for dinner and a drink. It's BYOB, which I love from time to time because you bring what you like. It's a self-sustaining farm to table type place. We've been there several times for lunch/brunch and it's never disappointed. I am quite excited for tomorrow. Special outfit and all!!!

Remember when I said Body Pump wasn't for me? Well, I'm officially hooked....UGH!!! So now it's cycle 5 days a week and pump 3 days a week. What next? YOGA? I wish (secretly).

I'm trying hard to make changes in my diet to coincide with my new love of exercise. It's going pretty well, but nothing crazy yet. I did have a ginger shot on Tuesday (loved it) and a wheatgrass shot this morning (YUCK). Eggs have become a welcome addition to my morning green juice (on the side, not in it). I even had two protein shakes one day (1 for breakfast and 1 for lunch) and I did not faint. My biggest hurdle is dessert. I gotta have my cakes/pie/pudding/whateverisonthemenu when it's available. It doesn't help that baking is my therapy. I was actually thinking about baking a 5 layer ombre cake just because they are pretty. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH, see what happens when I go down that road?

Last topic of the day - STEELERS! AFC Championship game on Sunday evening. Gonna be tough, but they've pulled through many times before!

Also looking forward to dinner with my youngest nephew on Saturday. My BIL and SIL are stopping over and a date is long overdue! Did I mention my sister in law is pregnant with twins? GIRLS! I am so freaking excited because whenever there is two, there is always one available to hold.

Well, as I see myself going more and more in different directions, I better end it for now.

Until Next Time...........

Current Happenings

Today I did my first body pump class. Needless to say I am SORE! Not as sore as I'm probably going to be tomorrow, but I could definitely feel it when I was washing my hair in the shower.

Did I love it? NO! I didn't hate it either though.  It all started in cycling class today.  My one instructor that I have on Mondays and Wednesdays always goes and she's been trying to get me to try it. So, today was the day.  In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone in cycle class decided to go together which made it way more fun for me :)

I do like the idea of body pump, but I can't say I'm sold yet.  The thing that wasn't my favorite was the fact I was pretty much just out there on my own.  I probably could have asked for help or gone closer to the front, but showcasing my shortcomings isn't my favorite thing to do. A few of my cycle peeps helped me out in the beginning, which was a huge help! When we were laying down I pretty much just had to do whatever the people next to me were doing, because I couldn't see the instructor and I'm not down with the lingo yet.  At least I could add in a few of my own breaks.

I'll go again, but probably only once a week.  On a side-note it was held in the room I used to do jazzercise with my mom many years ago.  It made me so happy to think of those memories and how ridiculous those dances were.

Cycling still holds my whole heart these days!  I'm currently obsessed with finding workout/cycling tank tops, however I can't bring myself to spend over $20 on one shirt.  Only 6 more months til my birthday, haha

What else, what else...We are heading up to Scranton this weekend for Disney on Ice! I took Emma last year and she LOVED it. I'm extremely excited to take her again and I think Matthew will like it too! It'll be nice to spend a long weekend up north and away from the everyday norms.

I just took Emma to see SING at the Movie Tavern.  I loved the movie and enjoyed the MT because we had plenty of room and she had a place to put her food and drink while we watched the movie instead of in her lap, which normally ends in a spill.

I'm hosting my first "event" for this MOM group I joined this week. I think it'll be fun and hopefully my children behave and share while they are in their own house. Most of the events are crafts for the kids....wanna know what mine is called?  COFFEE and PLAYTIME! HA! Crafts aren't my thing, but coffee I can do! Maybe I can think of something before Thursday. Here is my latest "craft" - it's called "let's wash coins"

 For the record, I did not think of this myself, I read about it. Turned into emma washing 1 quarter, then Matthew just dumped all the coins in the water and splashed around until they both just stood up and walked away soaked.

Well, Steelers are in the playoffs and just dominated the Dolphins for the Wildcard win, so I'm hoping this season continues on for a few more weeks!

Until Next time.........