26 Weeks

Holy crazy week batman!  Sorry for being late but this time it's totally legit :)  I left late Sunday morning for my work trip to the big city, Chicago.  I landed in a dreary, rainy city but was picked up by one of my favorite ladies (Auntie Mana) and whisked to the 'burbs.  Uncle Adam made a wonderful dinner and we had a great time catching up.  The next day I headed into the city on the train, I have to say I do NOT miss this commute one bit.  I got to meet up with a ProBoard friend, Natalie, for decaf coffee (she is pregnant too) and pumpkin bread before work.  It was nice being in an office again and having an excuse to have to get dressed, but after two days I was over that!  Another wonderful dinner with Nancy, Adam and Amanda before my week really kicked off with work events.  Tuesday and Wednesday I had big events in the city but was able to meet up with Shannon and Katie for quick visits in between.  Thursday I headed back to Denver, what a fabulous feeling!!

Oh how Brae and I missed Daddy and the puppies but we were sllleeeeppy the rest of the weekend!  We did have a quick night out Friday for Oktoberfest with Alex and Diana. Katie was also in Denver to visit family so we had a late night meeting with them in Boulder on Saturday.

Baby is measuring at the size of an Eggplant this week - just a fatter one!
"Baby's soaking up your antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

How far along? 26 weeks and 9 days.

Maternity clothes? Dressing up for work made me excited to have them but I missed my sweats and t's for sure (although I am quickly growing out of those too).

Stretch marks? Still none yet, keep 'em crossed! 

Sleep? With the lack of sleep last week I have been sleeping mostly through the night with not a lot of tossing and turning, it is WONDERFUL!

Best moment this week? Getting to show little lady off to her family, it was so great to see everyone and have them get to be a part of her life already.

Food cravings: Nothing really, I still love my cherry coke slurpee's.

Movement? Braelyn has decided to take up residence on the left side of my body and push as hard as she can...it looks like my tummy is deformed and hard.

What I miss? Seeing my toes, fitting into normal size clothes, not feeling like a giant cow... this week has been tough with the major body changes!

What I'm looking forward to: Next week's move into the 3rd trimester! 

Milestones: Another trip for little lady, she is well traveled already.  She has been to (in this order) Dallas (we are pretty sure she was in there for this one), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Indiana and now Chicago.

25 Weeks

What a crazy work week!  Wave 2 of the Roadshow has kicked off and it just happened to be in Denver.  I spent the beginning of the week running to craftsmen visits, events and dinners.  Thankful for it to be on its way to Chicago but it's bittersweet that I am headed there too.  I am getting in too late Sunday to see many friends but am going to try to do a dinner or two before I get too busy with events.  Missing my husband already :)

There has also been a crazy Listeria outbreak in cantaloupe here in Colorado.  I did have some a little while back but our Midwife isn't very worried, she just said to keep our eyes out for any flu like symptoms...YIKES! 

Baby is measuring at the size of an Eggplant this week!
"That oh-so-handy sense of equilibrium is kicking in, and baby's learning to distinguish right side up from upside down."

How far along? 25 weeks and 5 days.

Maternity clothes? I seem to be only putting on weight in my tummy and the work clothes I got were perfect for this week!

Stretch marks? Still none yet, keep 'em crossed! 

Sleep? Still sleeping pretty good, learning to roll with the tosses and turns (literally ;))

Best moment this week? Even through all the running around like a crazy woman, Braelyn has been kicking and moving regularly to let me know how she feels about things.  I love feeling her growing bigger in there!

Food cravings: I had my pumpkin spice latte and while it was yummy I am not overly excited to get back for another one.  It did remind me of Fall though :)

Movement? As mentioned above we have lots of rolling and movement, not too many sharp kicks but she does love to press against the side of my tummy which doesn't feel wonderful all the time.

What I miss? Still missing less and less.  I guess I am missing the lack of worry, since getting pregnant I feel like it has been constantly scary.  It has gotten less scary but now I worry about things with Braelyn (will she be happy and well adjusted, will I know what to do with projectile vomit, you know all those fun things ;))

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing family and friends next week in Chicago!!

Milestones: Getting closer to the 3rd trimester, just 1.5 more weeks!

24 Weeks

We had a great Holiday weekend, we hope all of you did too!  It was spent running lots of errands, Chloe needed a hair cut, we picked up a couple things for the house and some new baby things (Brae has a swing now).  Danny golfed with my Dad and Uncles and I had a great afternoon with Sissy Sue... PS- I love Whole Foods lunch.  We ended the weekend with a quiet BBQ at our house with the neighbors, even little Parker came. 

Tonight football starts and we are pretty excited, even more excited for Sunday and Monday!  Brae is all ready when she makes her appearance with a Bears onesie Daddy got her and some Football Baby Legs Mommy got to go with it!

Pretty crazy that Braelyn will be here in just 16 (give or take) short weeks!  I have been getting a little sentimental recently and coming to the realization that our baby is growing big and strong getting ready to come meet the world makes my heart melt!  

24 Weeks

Baby is measuring at the size of a Papaya again this week - fruits won't be changing as much, now she is just putting on more weight!  
"Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow."

How far along? 24 weeks and 5 days.

Maternity clothes? I want my cute jeans back ;)

Stretch marks? Still none yet, keep 'em crossed! 

Sleep? Now that the weather has been cooling down I seem to be sleeping a little better even with all the tossing and turning.  Hoping that trend continues!

Best moment this week? Knowing that our little girl has hit the viability mark!  I am not sure why that was such a big thing for me but it has made my mood totally shift and I can picture her in our home and arms more now than ever before!

Food cravings: Fall is hitting so I would really love a Pumpkin Spice latte from Starbucks...decafe?? :)

Movement? In the morning we listen to Pandora on the computer while I work and she dances all around, it is amazing to feel the movements get stronger and see the thumps on the outside of my tummy.  She sure loves music like her Mommy!

What I miss? As I progress into the world of being pregnant I am starting to miss things less and less and enjoy being with her all the time more and more.  Things are becoming less scary and more exciting for sure!

What I'm looking forward to: We have a VERY busy rest of September and I will be in Chicago in a couple weeks for work, I am really looking forward to seeing more family and friends!

Milestones: We finally hit V- Week (viability week) and it is like a weight off my shoulders, so thankful to be at this milestone!!

23 Weeks

YAY, September is here!!  Although it is set to not be a very fun month, super busy with work!  We had another low key week and do not have a lot of plans for the Holiday weekend but are hoping to get downtown and enjoy The Taste.  It is starting to get surreal that little lady will be here in 3 and a half months!  Her nursery is coming along and as you know we finally have the bedding, pictures coming soon!

Baby is measuring at the size of a Papaya again this week - fruits won't be changing as much, now she is just putting on more weight!  
"Baby's eyes can now open.  Ears, fingernails and finger prints are all formed"

How far along? 23 weeks and 6 days.

Maternity clothes? With all the work functions coming up we may do a little more shopping for some dresses, I also need one for Tim & Kristi's wedding in October.

Stretch marks? Still none yet, keep 'em crossed! 

Sleep? My stomach seems to be growing at breakneck speed because this week my sides have been hurting from the growth making night time not so fun.  Trying some new pillow tricks :)

Best moment this week? Last night Danny and I put the remote on my tummy after dinner while we were laying around watching Chopped Champions and little Brae started kicking up a storm moving the remote, Danny got a cute little video of it to "show her when she gets older" (cutest Daddy ever).

Food cravings: More sweets, the Chiro says that means I need protein...trying again to up that.

Movement? Movements are getting stronger and more pronounced and have been happening much more frequently.

What I miss? I am starting to grow out of my shoes and have been told my feet won't ever go back to this size so I am starting to miss my shoe collection already...

What I'm looking forward to: Week 24 - Viability (just one more day)!!

Milestones: We had our 24 week appt with our midwife and heard her heartbeat again, it just never gets old and that seems to be the best milestone this week.

22 Weeks

We had a calm relaxing weekend which was a really nice change to what things have been like.  We had a lovely breakfast picnic with the family at a park in Golden by the river before Sue and her family left for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.  Braelyn also has a new little friend that was born Saturday morning at 2:50am, welcome to the world Parker and Congrats Alex and Diana!

In Breck!

Baby is measuring at the size of a Papaya this week!  
"Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop."

How far along? 22 weeks and 8 days today.

Maternity clothes? As my tummy gets bigger I am noticing that the first things I bought aren't fitting as well and I used to be able to wear a few of my "flowy" tops but not anymore. 

Stretch marks? Still none yet, keep 'em crossed! 

Sleep? I seem to be getting into a toss/turn & potty break routine, hoping that will get me a more restful sleep.

Best moment this week? Finding Braelyn's bedding, FINALLY!   That has been the hardest part of decorating the nursery!

Food cravings: I have been eating lots of Popsicles.

Movement? I am now starting to feel more rolling and moving instead of just tapping and kicking, it has been very amazing, yet a little strange, to see my tummy moving with her.

What I miss? Being able to sit out in the heat/sun, it seems to just totally affect me like never before.

What I'm looking forward to: Week 24 - Viability!!

Milestones: Seeing baby move on the outside of my tummy!

21 Weeks

I am really late for this one but between the BabyQ Reveal and having Grandpa Mike and Marilyn here it got pretty crazy!  What a week and now that it's out I will tell everyone on here, we are having a little Girl. 

So when we had our a/s ultrasound the one thing Katie couldn't tell was whether or not we had a little girl or boy in there.  All through the ultrasound she kept saying, I think but can't be sure or the umbilical cord is really in the way.  We took our envelope and went home without hesitation but as the day wore on we got more and more nervous about Katie's comments and the fact that the results in the envelope were "unsure", how could we do a cake reveal like that!?  Danny and I decided we would open the envelope together and move forward from there.  We went to Old Chicago (for a piece of Chicago during this) and gave the waitress the piece of paper, we asked her to bring back shirley temples if it said girl and sprite if it said boy.  She came back a few minutes later with nothing, just as we suspected, and said I am so sorry there is nothing written on that paper.  I gave her the pictures that were included in the envelope, in case there was some evidence there and back she went.  She did come back with two SHIRLEY TEMPLES, we were having a little girl!!  But she had the same warnings as Katie as she requested we look at the pictures before getting too excited.  Just as we suspected, it said "I think I am a girl", what would the bakery have done with that :)  We sat stunned for a few minutes as we really thought it was a little boy giving Mommy all those problems in there but after those couple minutes we had tears in our eyes and huge smiles on our faces.  A precious baby girl!  Danny's first words were "do you know where we can buy a chastity belt".

Danny and I really wanted a special Reveal for our families so we decided to opt for an optional 3D/4D ultrasound to confirm the results.  We went to the clinic, sat in the big comfy bed (leather couch for Danny) and the tech got down to business.  He said "wow, no confusion here, see these three lines - it's a girl"!  We got to see our little girls cheeks, lips, little fingers, shoulders, etc, etc - she was absolutely perfect.  We went home that night and decided on her name. 

We did tell our families that we found out that night and asked my Grandma to cut the cake, as all the little ones stood around (Katie and Qui in their pink outfits - their votes), out came that bright pink frosting and all the smiles from our families.  Shortly after we announced her name, Braelyn Samantha Sax, Samantha after Grandpa Sam on Danny's side and Braelyn  was a combination of Brian (Danny's middle name) and Lynn (my middle name).  After finding this out Grandma Nancy sent me an email with the name meaning: Braelyn comes from the Welsh word which means, "Name's original meaning: "Strong; virtuous, honorable." Irish word which means, "strong ." 

Baby is measuring at the size of a Banana this week!  

"Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth)."

How far along? 21 weeks and 11 days today (I think).

Maternity clothes? A little Old Navy maternity shopping never hurt anyone ;)

Stretch marks? Still none yet, keep 'em crossed! 

Sleep? I have noticed I am clenching my fists in my sleep and have been waking up at all hours with hand cramps, pair that with the bathroom breaks and general tossing and turning... not so much sleep.

Best moment this week? Announcing our baby girl to the family!

Food cravings: Not really?

Movement? Braelyn decided not to move for a couple days and scared me to death but she is back with some fierce kicking and pushing.

What I miss? Sleeeeeeep, I guess I am just getting myself used to things.

What I'm looking forward to: Week 24 - Viability!!

Milestones: Finding out we are having a baby GIRL :)

20 Weeks

Monday we had a perfect 20 week appointment!  We went with Kate, our ultrasound tech, to the back to see our little one.  Wow was there lots of movement, Katie said it's like playing tag :)  She was amazing, going through each part of the baby telling us what she was looking for and what she saw.  Babies brain, heart (all 4 chambers), diaphragm, kidneys, bladder and then arm/leg bone measurements were perfect!  Katie said everything looked great for me too with the placenta and umbilical cord.  We got the best picture of babies little lips and nose, Katie was excited because she could rule out cleft pallet, but we were excited to see those perfect little features!  Afterward we met with Noreen, on of the midwives at our practice, and she brought us back to go through all the results, she gave us an A+.  We talked a little about labor and she recommended the Bradley class so I am looking into that now.  She also told us a lot about the hospital and their practices, all in line with what we want!  After our long talk we got to hear the heartbeat again, so perfect, and left with big smiles!

I can't believe we are halfway, I am excited to be halfway to meeting our little Juju but nervous that we are already halfway done.  We finally got to order our nursery furniture and will be ready to paint as soon as we have our Reveal so at least baby will have a room :)

Baby is measuring at the size of a Cantaloupe this week!  

"Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid."

How far along? 20 weeks and 5 days today.

Maternity clothes? We are making a trip to the Motherhood outlet this weekend to try to pick up a few more things.

Stretch marks? Still none yet, keep 'em crossed! 

Sleep? The tossing and turning isn't stopping but I have also started waking up to use the restroom and my brain starts going and can't stop.  Come on sleep I need you now :)

Best moment this week? Seeing such a healthy active baby and hearing a strong heartbeat at our 20 week ultrasound!

Food cravings: Boneless buffalo wings, it FOOTBALL season!

Movement? Lots more movement and Danny even felt a little something.  I have tried a couple times since to call him over when I am feelings lots of movement but it always stops when you put your hand on my tummy.

What I miss? Not having a stuffy nose :)

What I'm looking forward to: Our big Reveal party with the family on the 19th...I just can't wait :)

Milestones: We are over halfway to seeing our little Juju bean!!