31 Weeks

How far along? 31 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Maternity... This weekend has finally cooled off a bit. I tried not to jinx it and haven't broken out the boots yet. But this mama is excited for some cooler temps. Last week was a scorcher.

Stretch marks? Nope. Hopefully none in the last few weeks.
Sleep:The charlie horses have been sticking around. Only in the right calf, so weird. I'm sure it has to do with sleeping on my side. This past week I have been sleeping a lot lighter than usual. Still getting the hours that I need but I feel aware of everything, and hear every sound. This REM cycle makes for some weird dreams. I had a dream she came early, and we weren't ready at all. Freaked myself out a bit.

Miss Anything?  Crossfitting. This Saturday I went to the Saturday class, and it might have been my last until she comes. The squat thrust deadlifts were a bit much with the running for this 31 week belly. I am hoping the cooler weather sticks around and I can start taking the pup for nightly walks. Stay away West Nile...
Movement: This girl is still a mover. She has a lot less room to kick around but I can feel her switching positions, turning and twisting. Her feet are usually on the right side of my belly. I felt the bottom of her foot and pushed on it, she gave me a swift kick back.

Food cravings: Still lots of water! And still loving the La Crouix soda water. I love the bubbly carbonation without the sugar of soda. Soup has been on my mind a lot this week. Soup and salad combos. I think I had Chili's chicken enchilada soup 2 times this past week and have my own batch in the crockpot right now. Hopefully just as good.

Anything making you queasy or sick:My appetite has been kind of blah... recently brushing my teeth has been making me sick, to the point where on an empty stomach I have thrown up once. So weird.

Gender:  All girl :)
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks Contractions.A lot of tightening throughout the day. Tom's reaction... "What the heck is she doing in there?" I wish so badly he could feel all of these crazy movements. The pregnancy brain! So forgetful.

True Story: This morning I went to the store for some breakfast and put my phone on the trunk of my car with a coupon. I moved a few things from the car into the garage and then hopped back in the car, drove to Tom Thumb 2 miles away, shopped, drove home and then saw it. The phone and the coupon were still on the trunk. Thank goodness for the spoiler and no erratic turns. My brand new Iphone was still intact. This mama would have been VERY sad with no phone insurance. Pregnancy brain at its finest... 

Belly Button in or out? In- but my belly button has been sore this week. I asked my doctor when and if she thought my belly button would pop out she said I have a pretty deep button and it may just pop even with the belly and not stick out.
Wedding rings on or off? On, so glad about this.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and a little anxious. I am praying big prayers for this anxiety. It is everything; are we really ready? school, my long term sub, my students, me, Tom and on and on it goes. I am trying to rest in God's peace and plan for our girl.

Best moment this week: I went to 2 baby showers for sweet, sweet friends of mine. We are all 3 due within a week of each other. One of the girls has been on my journey with me from the very beginning and we attended Hopeful Hearts together. We have been in the same Home Group and shared in our joys and sorrows together. It was so special to celebrate this joyful time with her.

Looking forward to:This next weekend our friends at Grapevine Crossfit are throwing us our first shower. It's so amazing to think we have so many friends that want to share in our joy with us. I cannot wait to meet our baby girl.

Through the Eyes of a Kindergartner

After the entire Summer of lounging in Mr H's basketball shorts and over sized T shirts I was not particulary excited about going back to school this year. Pure laziness! Every day God shows me that I am right where I need to be in the classroom. I adore my students this year I am a Dual Language teacher and so I have two classes; one of 23 students and the other 24. Most of the students' native language is Spanish and there are some native English speakers. The goal... to create bilingual students by the 3rd grade. Needless to say, this year is different.

But I have some of the sweetest, most well behaved students. I am dusting off some of my Spanish vacabulary and piecing together their questions. But love and encouragement is a universal language. And I am enjoying lots of sweet hugs and belly rubs from my students.

My favorite part about this year is talking about Baby B with them. Everyday I write a morning message which consists of a family portrait in many situations, which includes the Buddha belly. This usually recieves some giggles and a few, "Your belly is getting big!" comments. (See picture below)

Each day brings new comments concerning my every growing tummy. I love seeing this pregnancy through the eyes of my Kindergarten students. Here are some of my favorite Baby drawings from the students and a few everyday questions and comments.

Conversation #1:

Student: "Why is your tummy so big?"

Mrs. H: "Well I have a baby in my tummy!"

Student: "Why did you eat your baby?"

Conversation #2:

Student: "Are you having a baby?" (This is my student who I have had for 4 weeks...)

Mrs. H: "Yes I am I have told you that silly!"

Student: "God gave you a baby in your tummy!"

So, so sweet!

Conversation #3:

Student: "Mrs. H I'll bet your baby is going to be so smart!"

Mrs. H: "Haha, why?"

Student: "Well she can already hear you teaching us!"

(So perceptive! :)

Situation (well everyday)...

Mrs. H drops a marker.

Mrs. H reaches to bend over and struggles to grab it.

Mrs. H: "Hey ______, do you think you can hand me that marker?"
Student: "Oh yea, it's because your belly is too big now."

Mrs. H: "NO! Okay, yes..."

Look at Baby B!

Sweet, sweet drawings! 

Like I said, a day in Kindergarten is never boring. These students are already loving on my girl! Plenty of hugs and tummy rubs! This girl is going to be so spoiled. Yes, teaching is quite rewarding! :)

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 Weeks... yikes I think it has finally hit me that this is actually happening.

Maternity clothes? Maternity... the warmer weather has stuck around a little longer than appreciated so I have been living in maxi dresses and skirts for work. I still need to get some pants to hold me through my maternity leave.

Stretch marks? Nope. Hopefully none in the last few weeks.
Sleep: I have been so lucky the 3rd trimester. I hear horror stories about women who cannot sleep longer than 3 hour stretches and have to move somewhere to sleep sitting up. This is not the case for me. I may have two classes of 25 kindergartners to thank for this. I have been sleeping through the night. I still wake running for the bathroom and not to mention with AWFUL charlie horses in my right leg. Never the left, always the right. Its bad folks.

Miss Anything?  Crossfitting. This past weekend watching Mr H work out got me itching again. I have been trying to go on Saturdays to get in a WOD when I can, but during the week its all I can do to drag myself off the couch to make dinner after a long, long school day.
Movement: The kicks seem to be slowing down a bit but she seems to be shifting more instead of kicking. This stomach is stretching to the max so I can't think there is that much more room in there so she's probably just trying to get comfortable. When the kicks happen though, phew they are strong. She is always sitting booty up beneath my right rib making sitting for too long quite uncomfortable.

Food cravings: Still lots of water! And still loving the La Crouix soda water, a great alternative to Dr Peppers. I have gone back to craving anything mexican! This girl loves the spices which makes for a mean case of heartburn. Bring on the TUMS. They are never far from reach!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Meat has not been my friend. I have been trying to get creative on the seasoning to grab my attention. The only thing that works is the spicy Mexican food combo.

Gender:  Still my sweet girl :)
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks Contractions. I am feeling the tummy tighten throughout the day, its crazy. I think that if anyone was staring at my belly for a minute or so, this girl would put on a show. I am wondering how much more this belly can stretch.

Belly Button in or out? In- but my belly button has been sore this week. I asked my doctor when and if she thought my belly button would pop out she said I have a pretty deep button and it may just pop even with the belly and not stick out.
Wedding rings on or off? On, so glad about this.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and a little anxious. I don't know if I would use the word stressed but this was the first week that it hit me, she could come early. What if she comes way early?!? What if we aren't ready... I am trusting in the Lord and His plan for her delivery. Her birth story will be perfect. I am praying for peace in this. We are SO, SO happy to meet our baby girl. 

Best moment this week: Spending some quality time with Baby B's daddy and seeing the beautiful handcrafted changing table my dad and Mr. H made for our girl. Such a special gift.

Looking forward to: We have our first shower in 2 weeks, and the 2 weekends following that. I am so excited to celebrate this baby girl with our family and friends. We will be taking our maternity pictures this month too. October will be a good month... come on cool weather.

Love y'all! :)

Slurpee Sunday

This Mama and Daddy are slurping up EVERY last drop of the weekend with Baby B's first slurpee.We will miss all of our extra time with Daddy but appreciate how hard he works for our family. 

How was your weekend?!? :) 

I am loving this song! Absolutely LOVE! Turn it up and jam out.

Weekend Wrap Up

After a long, long week at school this weekend was exactly what I needed. Like I mentioned, my officer has been on an 8-5 (normal people) schedule for the past two weeks in a special training program. So our goal for this weekend was live up the last 2 days with him being home. 

Saturday morning Mr. H competed in a paired team Crossfit competition at his local gym. I was the nervous, nail biting pregnant wife on the sidelines and have never been more proud of my husband. Watching him sling around hundreds of pounds like a feather makes me feel so safe in knowing he is physically capable of protecting our growing family. 

 Mr. H and his partner Ahmeed won 2nd place in their age group. My dad and I had a blast cheering them on. Sitting on the sidelines I got the itch and I am looking forward to jumping back in, full swing, after Baby B is here.

Running on little sleep and with muscles aching my man was a trooper. I am a movie fanatic! And my man knew I needed a night out. And in almost 9 short weeks our nights out will be fewer and further between. We headed out for dinner and movie for a double date with our good friends. Dinner was delicious and on a full stomach we went to see End of Watch, the new police movie. Oh the tears! Got a little real for me at the end, but I have never been more proud of my officer. 

This proud daddy has been sneaking away to my parents house for the past few weekends to work on a surprise for me. My dad has been teaching him some woodworking skills. Surprised I was coming home from the grocery store to find this dark beauty...

A handcrafted changing table. Be still my heart!

 

 I love it! Its dark wood will match perfectly in our bedroom or living room. We wanted to put a second changing table in the back half of the house so we wouldn't be walking back and forth to her room in the front hall. It makes it even more special that it was made by Baby B's daddy and grandpa. It's perfect! :) 

Yes. This weekend was just what the doctor ordered! Pure bliss.

Falling in Love with Fall

So quickly this blog has turned into a weekly pregnancy update. Not at all what I wanted. But other things have taken the forefront of life. Big somethings.... baby girl! And a not so exciting school year. Pretty soon I will have pictures of chubby baby legs and sweet little monkey toes, oh I can't wait! But for now I will interrupt the weekly belly updates with a few of my favorite things this week. 

The cooler weather is finally here. Well by cooler I mean, not 100. It is amazing how different 10 degrees feel in the afternoon. Especially for this pregnant mama. 30 weeks pregnant is adding some MAJOR body heat. With the windows open I was inspired to decorate for Fall. We are in full fall swing her in our house. Oh yeah; fall plugins, roasted marshmallow scentsy, orange sprays over each surface and we even tried snickerdoodle bars last week. The best thing about Fall, other than our decorations, is that this sweet baby will be making her appearance in less than 10 weeks. Full Fall Celebration here folks.

 With all the yummy fall recipes on Pinterest my sweet tooth has grown, well maybe its the hormones too. I've been itching to try this recipe for Chai Spice Cookies featuring these bad boys. That's right... Pumpkin Spice Hersey Kisses! Hitting up the local Walmart I saw them and bought 2 bags. Well I had high hopes to try the cookies but so far, we are one bag down and they are still in a bowl on our counter. Leaving lots of opportunities for a drive by snacking. 

 We are in full "stash away every penny for baby mode" in our house. I pulled out one of the many polish colors I have for fall and gave myself a home mani. I am way more fond of fall/winter polishes than the bright hues. I cannot wait for the Nail Painting Parties of the future but I think we will stick to the pretty pinks for those little piggies.

 These past 2 weeks have been amazing having Mr. H on a "normal" 8-5 schedule. We have been doing a lot of... well laying around honestly. We had scheduled a Maternity photo shoot for the past Sunday afternoon. I had been scrolling through Pinterest for weeks pinning maternity poses (Seriously, what did we do before Pinterest) Anyways, I guess there were different plans for us because Sunday was a cloudy, rainy day! Not very compatible with the outdoor poses I had pinned. Well, the photo shoot has been postponed for now but we have had fun working on some fun props for Baby B! 

Here is part of her name banner. Oh yeah, her name starts with a B :)

Kali girl is patiently waiting for her little sister to arrive. Now that the nursery door is open, she has been dreaming of the upcoming months. Being a big sister is a big job, I don't think she knows what she's in for. I cannot wait to see how Kali loves on Baby B. They will be the best of friends!

Every few days I get this text from my mom: "I may have bought 2 cute somethings for Baby B today :)" I don't know who is more excited... me or her. She is going to be the best grandma! (More on that later) So after a long day at work I walk in to pick up Kali and there is this adorable swimsuit for our girl. Oh my ruffles! How cute is this? I can just imagine the little michelin rolls in this puppy! I cannot believe when our girl can wear this next summer she will be 6 or 7 months old. I love sweet surprises.

After this weekend Mr H goes back to his vampire sleeping schedule, so we will be soaking up every second of Saturday and Sunday. I have been thankful for the nightly cuddles and sleeping buddy but after almost 3 years on the midnight shift, we are looking forward to our "normal" starting again.

29 Weeks

Lazy Day Comfies on a Rainy Sunday 

How far along? 29 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Maternity... I have resorted to Mr. H's basketball shorts and Ts. I cannot change fast enough when I walk in the door. All of my Tshirts are getting a bit snug so I think I will be retiring mine for the time being and wallow in my man's comfies. I am looking forward to the day when the cold fronts come through and I can bust out the pj pants and sweatshirts.
Stretch marks? Nope. Hopefully none in the last few weeks.
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well still. I am still finding myself on my back when I wake up throughout the night. This past week of school did me in I have been quite tired when I get home from school. Nothing too productive is accomplished. I am lucky if dinner gets made... and lets just forget the dishes.
Miss Anything?  Joining my husband with a beverage...
Movement: Kicking queen! She is definitely making her presence known. I feel her constantly throughout the day and even more at night when we are laying around relaxing. Smaller bumps and kicks, but every once in a while she will store up her energy, kick and I watch my belly jump out two inches! I swear!
Food cravings: Still lots of water! Even after passing my glucose test I am trying to monitor my sugar intake these last few weeks. This makes my urge for Dr. Peppers quite difficult to ignore. Instead I found a substitute, Berry La Crouix Water! Delicious... and it has 0grams of sugar but still has the bubbles.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not so much this week. My appetite is not great, food in general does not spike my interest.
Gender:  Still my sweet girl :)
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions. This tummy is getting tight! It is so weird when it tightens. Everything is so tense. It happens a few times throughout the day. I cannot even imagine how tense everything will be in the end. Little girl doesnt feel so little anymore. She has been stretching out, making herself comfortable but making me quite uncomfortable. Her butt has been jammed into my right ribs. Booty bumping...
Belly Button in or out? In- but my belly button has been sore this week. I wonder if this sucker will stay in.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: MOODY this week! Mr. H would probably agree. I guess the hormones have been getting the best of me. Sunday was the worst. Rainy days always get the best of me. The lack of sunshine messes with my emotions. Not only that but the rain cancelled our Maternity Pictures that were scheduled outside. Yeah I was a basketcase yesterday.

Best moment this week: Me and my girl got to spend some quality time with Daddy this weekend. He has had a normal 8-5 schedule which has allowed lots of quality time with his girls. We spent Saturday running errands. Mr H and my dad have been building a surprise for us so they spent the afternoon cutting, and covered in sawdust. I can't wait to see what they have created! 

How far along? 28 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Maternity... I had a minor break down this week when I tried to put on some pre maternity pants. I still have no work maternity pants, so I guess it was my fault trying to squeeze into them. I was setting myself up for failure. Going shopping this weekend for sure.
Stretch marks? Nope. Hopefully none in the last few weeks.
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well. I was doing good with the sleeping on my left side, one pillow between the legs and one behind me to prevent rolling onto my back... but this week I have woke up flat on my back a few nights. I am reverting back to my old sleeping position.
Miss Anything?  Fitting into normal clothes.
Movement: This girl is CRAZY! She is a mover. Still moving way more in the late evenings and into the night. While we were watching Sons of Anarchy this week Mr. H had his hand on my belly the entire episode, so he was able to feel our strong girl kicking away.
Food cravings: Lots and lots of water! I have a Big Gulp mug from my sister which I fill up at least twice during the school day. Trying hard to stay hydrated. I have been craving sushi lately. I don't know why, its weird. Everytime I walk by one of the in store sushi stands my mouth starts watering. I may have found my post delivery meal... well at least for the week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not so much this week. My appetite is not great, food in general does not spike my interest.
Gender:  Still my sweet girl :)
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions. This tummy is getting tight! It is so weird when it tightens. Everything is so tense. It happens a few times throughout the day. I cannot even imagine how tense everything will be in the end.
Belly Button in or out? In- but my belly button has been sore this week. I wonder if this sucker will stay in.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Mostly happy. I have had some happy thoughts lately thinking about how wonderful it will be when our Baby B arrives! To hold her, snuggle her and just smell her. That sweet baby smell... I won't be able to get enough. I talked with a lady from my benefits office this week in order to prepare for the financial hit we will encounter with maternity leave... it was quite depressing actually. It was all be worth it. And I am constantly praying and trusting God does not give us more than we can handle. Come on November....

Best moment this week: This past weekend I spent some time in the nursery repainting and hanging some frames and prints above the dresser. I love imagining how different the nursery will be when we bring home our sweet girl! All the preparation, all the prayers that have gone into that room and lifted up for our daughter. What a day it will be...

Passing my glucose test... Warning: Read all the directions, even the directions that are hidden from a strategic paper fold :)

 

Looking forward to: Spending some quality time with this girls Daddy! Mr H is in a special training program for the next two weeks which means no midnight shift. He will be working from 8am-5pm everyday and get the weekends off. We can live like a "normal" family, I will get to sleep next to my husband. Saturday and Sunday we are already planning a filled day of honey do errands. I can't wait...

Happy 28 Weeks! :)

How far along? 27 Weeks! HOLY MOLY! :)

Maternity clothes? Holding onto a few of my pre pregnancy clothes. I am loving the 2 pairs of maternity jeans I have with the full panel. So comfy... they might turn into my Thanksgiving pants like on FRIENDS!
Stretch marks? Nope. Lots of itchy skin though.
Sleep: Now that school has started I have been sleeping like a rock! When I wake up though I am running to the bathroom. She has been sitting right on my bladder lately.
Miss Anything? Walking down the hallways quickly. I have adopted a sort of waddle and it makes the trip down the LONG kinder hallway quite difficult. Atleast I am getting plenty of exercise walking and standing all day. Quite a difference from the days of summer and sitting on the couch.
Movement: Oh yeah! :) She has made herself known every night around 8:30pm or so. It is her time to shine. This week she has moved up into my ribs. The soft kicks aren't too bad so far but I am trying to enjoy them because I know they will only get stronger.
Food cravings: Lots and lots of water! Now that school has started I have been missing my morning java. I have switched to the decaf and bought some decaf pods for our Kuerig. I LOVE using my coconut sweetner again! :) For my last trimester I am trying to eat more Paleo ish. Trying to make it to the end without swelling up.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not so much this week. Chicken is still making me iffy.
Gender:  Still my sweet girl :)
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Finding it more difficult to find restroom breaks throughout the day which causes major discomfort. Luckilly I have a bathroom in the classroom so I can sneak away pretty quickly.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time:The first week of school was DIFFICULT! This year has already showed its challenges and we had to say goodbye to our sweet kitties. I can't quite talk about it yet. So needless to say, I was an emotional wreck this week. My sweet husband was so good to me. Very supportive. Hopefully week 2 at school will be better. I am counting the days until she gets here and I can be at home with this little lady.

Best moment this week: 3 Day Weekend! Friday could not come soon enough! It was this daddy's birthday weekend so we had some celebrating to do. We celebrated Friday night at Fireside Pies with some good friends. Saturday Mr. H worked overtime at the Cowboys stadium which gave this mama some time to give our house some needed TLC. I am happy to say that every piece of laundry is clean! Hallelujah! :) Sunday was spent with the Hruskocy family celebrating my man's birthday and then dinner with some friends from Crossfit. 

This weekend I also completed 2, yes 2, crossfit workouts! At 27 weeks! This baby bump has shown difficult to complete a WOD but atleast I am moving right?!? Labor Day's workout was a HERO WOD which are the elite crossfit workouts. Harsh for anyone, but BRUTAL for any pregnant mama. I am just glad to be moving and exercising this far along. 
Looking forward to: Showers! My sweet, sweet friends and family have been working hard planning baby showers for our family and sweet girl! We are so, so blessed. October is going to be a fun month with 3 showers, 3 weekends in a row. I can't wait. I just wish I could help... I love this stuff! :)

Happy 3rd Trimester Baby Girl! :) Be kind to your Mama Baby B!