Annual Baking Day

Every year around Christmas time I spend one Sunday & bake my little heart out making all kinds of holiday treats. I then box them up & hand them out to our cul-de-sac neighbors & a few friends. It has become a yearly tradition & the neighbors have told me at our get-together's that they look so very forward to my "treat box" every year which makes all my hard efforts worth it.

I was unsure whether or not I would have the energy this year - being 35 weeks pregnant - to stand on my feet all day baking but I pressed on thinking this might just be the very last year I am able to enjoy this by myself without a "helper" getting his little hands into everything :) I also couldn't let the neighbors down!
 
So on Friday I carefully selected the menu of what I was going to make/bake & wrote out the grocery list. Saturday I bought all the groceries & on Sunday I spent a good part of the day baking away. 

Millie didn't leave my side all day - wasn't sure if she just wanted to hang with her Mi-Ma or if she was enjoying cleaning up the floor from all the baked goods that "accidentally" fell on the floor :) lol

So this year I made Mint Oreo Truffles, chocolate dipped caramels with walnuts:

Peanut butter cups, English toffee & Salted Nut with Caramel cookies:

And of course Iced Sugar Cookies (my favorite):

I packaged everything up in cute little boxes & delivered the "goods" to all our neighbors this evening. I then came home, proceeded to pour a tall glass of milk, put my feet up & enjoy a few baked goods for myself :) 

Another annual baking day in the books! We will see what next year brings...

35 weeks

35 weeks & around 35 days left to go - What. The. Heck. That just doesn't seem possible. This pregnancy is flying by & it makes me nervous to know that in just a few short weeks Baby T could come at anytime. I still have so much to do - hospital tour, breastfeeding class, birthing class, weekly Dr appts, putting the finishing touches on the nursery, washing all the adorable baby clothes hanging in the closet, going through everything & seeing what else I need, assembling the pack-n-play, the swing, bouncy seat.....ugh it is getting all so overwhelming just writing it all out.

One thing is for sure - Baby T will come whether we are ready or not so I will try not to stress - yeah right!

How far along? 35 weeks - baby has passed the 18 inches mark & should weigh over 5 1/4 lbs

Symptoms: Reflux, noticing lots more Braxton-Hicks contractions, getting super tired in the afternoon which usually requires a nap, hips are starting to ache & the swelling in my ankles usually shows up around mid-day.

Weight gain/loss: will weigh-in at my Dr's appt this week (total of 21 lbs so far)

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: I have started sleeping with the body pillow my sister gave me every night now which has helped a TON! Still wake up a couple of times a night to go to the bathroom & change positions but sleep has become much better using that pillow!!

Food cravings/aversions: baby carrots with Ranch & cheese/crackers

Movement? I had a little scare last week as Baby T wasn't very active for a couple of days. I had my biophysical & NST exam during that time & the nurse assured me that he is perfectly fine & is just running out of room so I won't feel him move/kick as much. I do my "kick counts" everyday & he always knocks those out within 10 min so he is doing good despite me being a "nervous nelly"! He remains head down & feet up in my ribs!

What I miss: my energy :)

Best moment(s) this week: hitting the 35 week mark & celebrating the Christmas holiday with my hubby

What I'm looking forward to: finishing up the nursery & awaiting Baby T's arrival

Next appointment: Friday, Jan 4th - visit to the OB, weekly biophysical ultrasound & NST check

Milestones: Because he is so snug in your womb, Baby T isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks or rolls should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now & his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

34 weeks - Christmas

34 weeks kind of came & went about as fast as the Christmas holiday did! I unfortunately didn't get a weekly pic nor am I going to write an update as not much has changed from last week so I will just recap how we spent Christmas.

I was on call this past weekend which was my very last stretch of call until I come off of maternity leave in May - woo hoo :) I ended up working all day at the hospital on Christmas Eve, met the hubby after work at Longhorn's Steakhouse for a really nice dinner, came home, was in bed by 9pm & before I knew it the morning had come.

Shane & I had a really low key Christmas which was actually kind of nice. We both talked about how this would be our last Christmas together just the two of us so we made sure to enjoy the time spent together! We both agreed not to exchange presents this year as we had spent quite a bit on nursery furniture, getting ready for Baby T & some household repairs. The furries of course had a few presents under the tree & the bulldogs enjoyed tearing into their presents about as much as a little kid does:

I made the both of us a yummy pancake breakfast & spent the morning being lazy lounging around the house. Later in the day we headed to the movie theater & saw the last of the Twilight series: Breaking Dawn 2. Shane has seen all the Twilight movies with me so it seemed fitting to see the last one together as well. He would never admit it but I think he likes going to "chic-flicks" with me :)

The rest of the day was spent taking a nap, then cooking dinner & catching up on some pre-recorded TV shows on the DVR. It was a wonderful "last" Christmas with just the two of us & am looking forward to how different our Christmas will be next year!

Bravo

Our monthly neighborhood game-night gatherings have become almost non-existent these past few months & instead we have been trying to meet monthly for a dinner outing. 

Earlier this week found us gathering at Bravo! for some yummy Italian food, catching up with all the girls, talking over everyone's Christmas plans, latest travels & planning upcoming get-together's in the New Year.

Always so fun to get together with this group & enjoy the laughs! Looking forward to many more in 2013!

Baby Shower #3

This past Friday I gathered with my nearest & dearest girlfriends at Deb's house for a baby shower, our annual Christmas gift-exchange & a slumber party & it was so much fun!

These are my besties - the ones I went to Vegas & Destin, FL with (minus Deanna & Keri - boo), the girls I have been through thick & thin with & these lovely ladies threw me a baby shower! 

There was a huge spread of food made by all the girls & the dessert plates consisted of Smallcakes cupcakes & chocolate dipped strawberries which were so YUMMY! We spent a good portion of the evening gathered around the island, eating, catching up & while the other ladies enjoyed cocktails, Camille made Jen & I (the 2 PG girls) "mock-tails" :)

 

After we stuffed ourselves silly it was gift opening time:

These girls outdid themselves, spent way too much & spoiled me & Baby T rotten!! They ended up getting me 2 cases of diapers & 2 cases of baby wipes from Costco as well as my car seat & stroller combo which was such a huge surprise! LOVE IT!!

I also got a Snap-n-Go for the car seat which will come in handy that first year as well as a few other cute gifts from these girls! They are the greatest group of girlfriends EVER!! I am so very blessed!

Next we gathered in the parlor for our annual Christmas gift exchange. We each took turns passing out our gifts to each other & checking out what everyone had gotten each other. I was so very excited to give the girls my gift as I knew they would all love them! 

I ended up making everyone a photo book from Shutterfly of our trip to Destin, FL & the girls did indeed love them. We enjoyed reminiscing about all the good times we had on that trip & cracking up about all the fun, crazy stories we shared.

After the gift opening, we all settled in front of the fire, watched a movie & ate more food! It was well after 1am once the movie ended & we all decided to call it a night. Since we knew we were going to be up pretty late, we all packed a bag & spent the night at Deb's which I am glad because I was way too tired to have driven home!

The next morning we awoke to a dee-lish breakfast of egg bake casserole, fruit, english muffins, OJ & coffee. We all filled our bellies, packed our bags, loaded up the SUV with all the gifts & were on our way.

It was such a fun evening spent with such dear girlfriends! Thanks SO much ladies for all the laughs, gifts & the memories :)

33 weeks

Today I had an appointment for my weekly biophysical & NST check of Baby T along with my very last appointment with my favorite OB :( As I mentioned before, my OB is retiring from obstetrics at the end of the month. She is still going to practice GYN so I will be able to see her during my annual PAP's but it's not the same. I really wanted her to deliver Baby T :*(

Baby T was behaving like a rockstar today & passed all his tests - YAY! He is estimated to weigh 4 lbs 12 oz right now, is breathing, moving, & in no distress so far. The US tech pointed out that he has some some super chubby cheeks which you could totally see as well as a lot of hair on his little head. There is an old wives tale that says if you experience a lot of heartburn during your pregnancy, your baby will have a head full of hair. Seems fitting with as much heartburn & reflux as I have been having!!

My pressure remains low, no protein/sugar in the urine & weight gain is right on track. My OB checked my ankles, said they were mildly swollen & to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get extremely swollen. I need to start checking my blood pressure a couple times during the week just to be on the safe side. 

My last visit with my OB was a bittersweet one. I held it together during our appointment & then I had tears in my eyes when I left - darn hormones. I am really sad she won't be delivering Baby T but I did get to meet my new OB today & I think I am going to really like her so that makes me feel better. I will have my first appointment with her in 2 weeks so I will get a better "feel" for her then.

So all in all, another great appointment! Can't believe we only have around 7 weeks left - someone pinch me!!!

How far along? 33 weeks - baby has passed the 17 inches mark & should weigh over 4 lbs

Symptoms: Heartburn/reflux is pretty much a constant after I eat & lay down to sleep. I get really tired by mid-day & I am waking up in the morning feeling tired - don't think I am sleeping well :( My hands have started to feel tingly & numb on & off this week which has been weird & my ankles have started to swell by the end of the day - hello cankles!

Weight gain/loss: + 2 lb (total of 21 lbs gained so far)

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Go to sleep early but wake up to turn over every few hours to get comfortable, awake at 4am & if I am lucky I fall back to sleep.

Food cravings/aversions: been loving cheese & crackers this week! 

Movement? oh yes - all the time! Baby T is head down & feet up - in my ribs! Feels lovely when you get a swift kick to the ribs, let me tell ya!

What I miss: my family as I won't be able to spend Christmas with them up in South Dakota - my OB said no traveling :( 

Best moment(s) this week: Getting the nursery painted, furniture was delivered, bedding is washed & on the crib & the rest of the nursery is about 80% done! Also attended baby shower #3 thrown by my nearest & dearest girlfriends! 

What I'm looking forward to: the Christmas holiday 

Next appointment: Thursday, Dec 27th - weekly biophysical ultrasound & NST check

Milestones: Baby T is rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look & his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move & slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain & other tissue expands during infancy & childhood.

12-12-12

My dear friend Keri invited some of the "game-night girls" over after work for holiday cocktails (water for me) & some snacks to celebrate the holiday season & the unique date of 12.12.12!

Keri loves the Christmas holiday just as much as I do & it definitely showed by how very cute her house was decorated! She never turns down an opportunity to have friends over & show off all her "festive" decor!

 

Thanks so much Miss Keri for a fun evening & for being such a wonderful hostess!

Baby Shower #2

This past Saturday I had the most wonderful baby shower hosted by some of the bestest co-workers ever!! I have worked at the same hospital since 1999 & our department is pretty big. I have known a lot of the people I work with for many years as well as made friendships with many people throughout the rest of the hospital so it was no surprise when I tallied up the guest list to include around 60 people. I have always been amazed at the outpouring love & support I have received through this "work family" for the last 13 years & I know they all wanted to help celebrate & share in this special day "showering" me & Baby T!

My brother's wife Meghan also works at the same hospital & much to my surprise he had decided to come with her to the shower knowing he would probably be the only guy there!

Who loves his sister??

The shower was held in our break room/lounge at the hospital & I couldn't believe how cute the girls had decorated & transformed it! When I first walked in I noticed the cute little favors filled with mints on the tables:

Then I saw the cute banner hanging above the cupcake centerpiece:

And SO much yummy food:

There ended up being about 40 friends/co-workers present & I felt SO overwhelmed that everyone was there for little ol' me & Baby T! 

After we all got our fill of brunch, we played a couple of games:

1) measure Heather's belly with ribbon

2) Guess what kind of chocolate bar is melted in the diaper (kind of gross but I was smelling them & giving my guesses to my brother in hopes he would win but we unfortunately missed one too many :(

Next it was time for the gift opening! My co-workers were SO very generous & in the end I was amazed by all that was given to me & Baby T! 

Some of my favorite gifts include:

1) a little KU step-stool

2) a super soft KU gown with matching hat

3) a cute little train outfit that says "toot toot" on the butt :)

I also got my Snuggabunny cradle-n-swing, LOTS of clothes, bath essentials, a bath tub, diapers, wipes & so many other nice things! SO very spoiled!

After the gift opening, everyone enjoyed cupcakes, more food & then started to say their goodbyes. My brother & his wife were so very kind to haul all the gifts out to my vehicle for me while the last few of us helped clean up & put the break room back together. It was an absolutely wonderful morning shared with so many that I care about!

And these are the lovely ladies who put together this amazing baby shower:

Thank you SO very much ladies for such a wonderful time spent with good friends & making memories to last a lifetime!

Once I got home, Shane helped unload everything & the bullies had to "inspect" each & every bag :) I think they thought it was Christmas!!

32 weeks

How far along? 32 weeks - baby is 17 inches long & weighs almost 4 lbs

Symptoms: Heartburn/reflux, starting to get really tired by mid-day, fatigued & uncomfortable, feel the need to pee all. the. time.

Weight gain/loss: + 1 lb (total of 19 lbs gained so far)

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: No changes here. Fall asleep easily, toss & turn almost every 2 hours to get comfortable, awake at 4am & if I am lucky I fall back to sleep.

Food cravings/aversions: been enjoying extra sweets this week!

Movement? oh yes - all the time! Baby T is head down & feet up - in my ribs! Feels lovely when you get a swift kick to the ribs, let me tell ya!

What I miss: the usual....cold turkey sandwiches, wine, ice cold beer, sleeping through the night.

Best moment(s) this week: my baby shower thrown by my "work family"

What I'm looking forward to: an evening with dear girlfriends this Friday for my 3rd baby shower

Next appointment: Wed, Dec 12 - weekly biophysical ultrasound & NST check

Milestones: Now is the time where I start gaining about a pound a week & roughly half of that goes right to Baby T. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He has now developed sensitivity to temperature & has toenails, fingernails, & real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft & smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Good to know: Thanks to their recently matured lungs & a strengthening immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week survive! Let's hope Baby T doesn't get any ideas - I would much rather he arrive when he is done baking!

31 weeks

How far along? 31 weeks - baby is almost 17 inches long & weighs around 3.5 lbs

Symptoms: Heartburn/reflux, starting to get more tired, fatigued & uncomfortable, feel the need to pee all. the. time.

Weight gain/loss: + 1 lb (total of 18 lbs gained so far)

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Is starting to go down hill :( I fall asleep easily but wake up every couple of hours to change positions as I am uncomfortable. I have a feeling it is only going to get worse from here on out.

Food cravings/aversions: the pasta craving is back!!

Movement? oh yes - Baby T is an active little guy! He did a somersault while laying in bed Saturday night which was the weirdest feeling ever & something I hope he doesn't do again anytime soon! He was head down at the time but now I'm pretty sure he is head up & feet down due to the now lovely kicks to my bladder. 

What I miss: the usual....cold turkey sandwiches, wine, ice cold beer, sleeping through the night.

Best moment(s) this week: seeing Baby T on the 3-D ultrasound

What I'm looking forward to: my work baby shower this Saturday

Next appointment: Tuesday, Dec 4th - weekly biophysical ultrasound & NST check

Milestones: Baby T can turn his head from side to side now & his arms, legs, & body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He is sure to be moving quite often now so there may be some trouble sleeping as baby's kicks & somersaults are keeping you up - all signs that Baby T is active & healthy. He is expected to start gaining about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth.

Symphony

Tonight I had a "date" with my girlfriend Jilly whom I hadn't seen for several weeks! We first went out to dinner to catch up & later had tickets to the symphony at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. This building is just a year old & it is so pretty inside & out!

We watched the KC Symphony perform Handel's "Messiah" along with a local choir & it was amazing! The acoustics in that place are unreal & we thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Baby T was kicking & rolling around all over the place so I think he liked the music also! It definitely won't be the last symphony performance we go to!!

3-D

Today we had our 3-D ultrasound which was such an amazing experience. Little did I know when I called to make the appointment that they only do these scans between 27-30 weeks. Unfortunately, the only appointment that I could get into was a late afternoon appointment at almost 31 weeks so Shane wasn't able to get off of work :( I didn't want to go alone so I had asked my dear friend Jen (who is 22 weeks pregnant) to come with me & she was more than happy to oblige. We have been through so much together & it was so nice having her there to share in this experience with me!!

Baby T was being a stubborn little stinker & wasn't cooperating very well as he had his hands all up in his face the entire time as well as facing the wrong way for good quality pictures. After lots of pokes, making tons of noise with a cow bell & many fingers crossed he started to cooperate. But not after showing us how he really felt about it by flipping us off:

30 weeks old & already a little stinker :) 

Here are a few more from our "photo shoot". This one shows the front of his face with his arm making a fist in front of his mouth:

This one shows Baby T with his fists resting up under his chin. His nose is a bit smooshed but the tech quickly reassured me that he isn't "deformed"! He is just wedged up against the uterus:

And just incase there were still any doubts whether Baby T is a he or a she:

I think it is safe to say we still have a boy :)

The tech gave me a CD with over 30 pics on it so once Shane got home from work we sat down & went through them all. He loved seeing all the pics & couldn't believe how much it looks like a real baby at this point. So amazing!!

30 weeks

I arrived home this evening at 5:15pm from work & it was already too dark to take my weekly pic so I will have to try & get it sometime this week for the baby book. Since I had put the Christmas tree up yesterday I thought I might pose by the tree instead! Not too shabby if I do say so myself:

How far along? 30 weeks - baby is around 16 inches long & supposed to weigh around 3.5 lbs

Symptoms: I noticed this week that I am starting to feel uncomfortable. Sitting for long periods, sleeping, laying in the recliner, getting out of the car, even trying to get up off the toilet is all starting to get harder to do with this belly.

Weight gain/loss: Will weigh in later this week so as of right now we will say I am still holding steady at a total of 17 lbs gained so far.

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Is starting to go down hill :( I fall asleep easily but wake up every couple of hours to change positions as I am uncomfortable. I have a feeling it is only going to get worse from here on out.

Food cravings/aversions: No real cravings this week

Movement? oh yes - doing my "count kicks" daily & Baby T never seems to disappoint :) He's a very active little guy! 

What I miss: Sleeping through the night.

Best moment(s) this week: getting the Christmas tree decorated along with setting out all the holiday decor throughout the house. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas throughout the Taylor house!

What I'm looking forward to: seeing Baby T at our 3-D ultrasound this week

Next appointment: Wed, Nov 28th - biophysical exam & non-stress test of Baby T as well as our 3-D ultrasound on Thurs, Nov 29th

Milestones: A pint & a half of amniotic fluid surrounds Baby T but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger & takes up more room in the uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not yet very good. Even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision - which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. The fine lanugo hair that covers his little body will start falling off this week in preparation for the big day!

Black Friday

As much as my husband would like to disagree, I am not a huge shopper. I usually only go "shopping" when I want/need something & rarely will I shop just to browse around the store. I am a girl on the go usually with a list or two in my hand so I don't have time to waste wandering the mall or a department store just casually shopping with no goal in mind.

With that said, Black Friday shopping does not appeal to me & I really don't understand what all the hype is about. I have several girlfriends who live for this day, love every minute of it & have asked me several times to join them but I always decline. I just have no desire to a) lose any of my precious sleep b) stand in line out in the cold in the middle of night c) sit & drive in the crazy KC traffic or d) have anything on my list that is so urgently needed where I will save enough money to warrant doing the 1st three things for. 

Now don't get me wrong, I did manage to try it once - around 10 years ago. I woke up at 4am to be in line at Target for when the doors opened at 5am to buy a camera that I really wanted that was marked down to some crazy price. When the doors opened, I about got trampled to death & once I finally made my way over to the electronics - which for some reason is always in the back of the store - there was only 2 cameras left & 3 of us crazy women fighting as to who got there first & who was going to get the last 2 cameras. 

After much aggression, pleading & saying a few obscenities I managed to get one of the cameras. Then I had to wait over an hour in line to pay for my $99 camera. When it was all said & done it was almost 7am & I said "to hell with this", drove home & went back to bed. I swore I would never attempt Black Friday shopping ever again.

Now I know today the rules are different. Stores are starting to open the evening of Thanksgiving - which I don't agree with. Stores have a system in place so the items are easier to locate, get & pay for & from what I hear doesn't seem so chaotic as it was 10 years ago. But with all that said, I still can't bring myself to get out with my girlfriends & participate in this annual event.

With that said, being an anti-Black Friday shopper, I did however manage to score a few excellent deals myself while at work.

From the luxury of my work computer :)

I ended up ordering my nursery furniture set, recliner/rocker as well as my crib bedding online & much to my surprise it all ended up being on sale for the day of Black Friday only. 

I also got free shipping/delivery, as well as an additional 20% off the furniture for using my JCPenny's credit card & $120 off the crib bedding. So what would have normally cost me almost $1700 I ended up paying around $1000 for a crib, 2 dressers, a recliner/rocker & crib bedding! I may or may not have done a little happy dance right in front of my co-workers!

And amazingly enough I didn't have to get up early, stand in any lines, fist fight with other shoppers, drive in traffic or lose any sleep! 

Now if you ask me, that is my kind of Black Friday shopping!!

Giving Thanks

 

I am on call for the Thanksgiving holiday & am having to work on Friday so the holiday will be a short day off for me. I usually have my family here & cook a huge feast so without them visiting, sadly it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving. Shane's brother & his girlfriend were supposed to come over late in the afternoon but got busy with her family so it ended up just being Shane, me & the furries spending the day together & to my surprise it was actually kind of nice.

That morning I had woke up at 4am to Baby T practicing his martial arts moves in my belly :) I immediately said a prayer & thanked God for this little blessing & thought how we have so much to be thankful for this year. His little kicks & jabs always remind me of how far we have come to even get to this point & how I will never stop being so very thankful.

Since I was on call I was worried about cooking & getting called away only to come home to a burnt turkey. So I had asked Shane what he thought about ordering turkey dinner from the Hen House grocery store & unfortunately the look on his face said it all - he was not having it. Turns out he loves my cooking, enjoys the turkey feast I fix every year & wanted lots of leftovers. How can I say no to that?


So earlier in the week I had made out the menu, bought all the groceries, & the morning of put my apron on & slaved away in the kitchen. Now when it comes to preparing turkey dinner I have a system & I don't mess around. I first put the turkey in the oven at 9am, then I make all the sides & fixin's ahead of time, 2 hours later pull the turkey out to carve it while the sides bake away in the oven & by noon we were enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner....with lots of leftovers :)

We laid around the rest of the day with our full bellies watching football, catching up on some DVR'd shows & later enjoyed some homemade apple pie with vanilla ice cream - YUM! Lucky for me the holiday was a quiet one on call - just one more thing I was thankful for!!

Hope you all were able to enjoy the blessings of the day with your families!

29 weeks

Today I saw my OB & had my first biophysical exam with NST testing (which Baby T passed with flying colors) along with a growth scan. Everything with the growth scan was right on track. The US tech measured his leg & arm bones, his head, abdomen & checked his heart, kidney's, bladder, & stomach. All looked perfect! 

Baby T is quite the chunky monkey - he is estimated to weigh around 3lbs 9oz, is in the 78th percentile (50 is the average) & is measuring over a week 1/2 ahead of schedule at 30 weeks 5 days according to the measurements. He is growing well & putting on some baby fat so his pics look more like a baby now & not so skeletal. Here are a few pics from today's scan:

1) Baby T's sweet face:

 

2) Foot by the head:

3) Still a boy :)

My appointment with the OB was uneventful. No sugar or protein in my urine, blood pressure was 110/70, weight is holding steady & the OB said I was doing & looking fantastic! Let's hope I keep up these "uneventful" appointments!

How far along? 29 weeks - baby is around 15 inches long & supposed to weigh around 2.5 lbs

Symptoms: Feeling reflux/heartburn every night before bed, constant stuffy or runny nose, frequent potty breaks!

Weight gain/loss: + 0 lb - still holding steady at a total of 17 lbs gained so far

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Sleeping really good - still waking up around 4am which then Baby T feels the need to have a dance party in my belly - lol!

Food cravings/aversions: Me & Baby T are liking sweets this week :)

Movement? oh yes - felt my first kick to the ribs this past week which caught me off guard & Baby T likes to punch my bladder which feels awesome - NOT!

What I miss: being able to tie my tennis shoes easily - it is quite the struggle with this growing belly!

Best moment(s) this week: Seeing Baby T again on the ultrasound

What I'm looking forward to: getting the nursery completed & our 3-D ultrasound next week

Next Appointment:  - Wed, Nov 28th - ultrasound of Baby T & nonstress test & Nov 30th 3-D ultrasound

Milestones: Hiccups are a fairly common occurrence at this point, due to Baby T practicing breathing for his big birthday. In addition to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, he has managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of his overall body weight. May not sound very impressive, but considering they used to have NO fat, it’s certainly a healthy (and body-warming) accomplishment. Baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis — the name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components.