Six Months...Too Legit to Quit!

So, here we are - over six months in! I don't know why, but in my head I'm legit now. Too legit to quit. Like now, I'm REALLY pregnant. These past five months, they were pretend but now - now it's for reals. I don't know why, but for some reason in my head that's how it works:)

The Little Dear's bedding arrived this week, and last week the final prints we bought for his room arrived, all the pieces are slowly but surely coming together. I think this weekend we're off to get fabric for the rocker/glider - I'm using a vintage chair my mom has had for years that is just perfect. Save for the fact that it's maroon:) It should come as no surprise that putting together the nursery has been my favorite part thus far, it's the one thing that feels tangible and I can actually SEE the progress happening, vs. what's happening in my stomach which often times feels like I'm partaking in a science experiment on my own body. It's hard to connect the dots that my growing stomach equals a baby in my arms in just three plus months. But when I sit in his room, as I often do, and rock in the rocker I can see and picture him here and that makes me the most excited of all:)

Okay - so to the nitty gritty - six months in and how am I feeling? Pretty darn good! I have to say that I'm still sleeping through the night wonderfully (I know this will change soon enough...), the way I'm carrying has alleviated any hip/pelvic pain for the moment since the majority of my weight is front and center and HIGH. And I mean high, folks. My uterus starts on top of my ribs. I feel like I have accomplished something amazing and must have the world's longest uterus on the world's shortest torso - magic!

At the last appointment the doctor said I'm measuring big - which seems crazy to me because I'm not poking out as far as so many other people I know have - so when we have the ultrasound next week to get the rest of his heart (if you remember he wasn't willing to move at the last ultrasound, apparently he's stubborn) we'll also be looking to see if he's bigger than average. Now, I think these "measurements" they've come up with as guidelines are a bunch of phooey for the most part. Big baby, small baby, whatever - as long as he's healthy in there, I don't care:)

Depending on the time of day I weigh myself, I've gained 8-10 pounds so far...so again, this leaves me confused as to how I'm measuring big when I'm gaining on the conservative end of things. But see above where I said this is all one big science experiment - I've decided there is no rhyme or reason to what a woman's body does in each pregnancy so just go with it!

And now for pictures, I KNOW I said no more phone pics, but Ty is starting a six week traveling stint and family was also out of town this week which left me with no one to snap pictures. AND I'm really determined to start updating more often since we're nearing the third trimester and this is when so much starts changing...so you'll have to settle for more phone snapshots! BUT I did jazz them up a little:)

Alright - that's the update for now!!! Hope you all have a beautiful weekend ahead!

Grayt Developments...

So remember way back when - when I said I wanted to paint my kitchen gray here? Yeah, that was all of 14 months ago...you can call me dedicated but not timely, I guess? Anyhow - we FINALLY did it! We painted our kitchen gray, and let me tell you this was no small feat. With all the extra expenses we're incurring thanks to baby plans, we decided to forego the fabulous idea we originally had to hire out. And in the end, it was worth every penny saved and the hours we invested in getting it just right! We wrapped up the final touches just this last weekend and I'm too excited not to share -

One view of the main wall...those old windows are from Round Top:)

Another view...complete with a furry friend in the corner!

Looking in from foyer - I LOVE the gold wall next to the gray. Love me that combo!

So, phew! It's done - all in time for me to hate our breakfast table and chairs now...seriously. That's the problem with waiting 14 months to finish a project. Lesson learned. I'm on the hunt for new chairs, but watch that take another 14 months! We'll get there one day...

Chicago - Sarah's Wedding

Imagine my excitement at the thought of getting to escape the heat spell we were having in Houston to go to Chicago for my friend's (Sarah) wedding! After an intense week at work it turned out to be just what the doctor ordered and Ty I had the very best time. Oh, and the weather, the weather was just glorious. We seriously dropped almost 40 degrees flying from Houston to Chicago - and this pregnant lady was NOT complaining!

The trip was marked by good food, visiting with friends, and lots and lots and lots of walking. Seriously, I think I got in my walking for the next month! But the whole heart of the trip was centered around Chris and Sarah's big day - we are SO happy to have been there to celebrate with them! And now, I'll just let the pictures do the talking...

The beautiful bride and handsome groom

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah and her awesome bridal party - these gals are awesome!

A close-up of all their gorgeous bouquets - I LOVED Sarah's colors!

Oh hi - there's pregnant JuliAnna with the gorgeous bride. Note to self - do not take pregnant pictures next to Sarah.

There are no words for how fabulous every person in this photo is - I adore Sarah's parents!

Sweet first dance...

I wish I had actually gotten video of this father-daughter dance instead of the photo, it was one of the best I've seen;)

Me and my favorite dance partner

And to those of you who are wondering as to whether my dance skillz carried over being five months pregnant...I'm proud to say HECK YES. The moves have changed a little, and these feet of mine had to take a break more often than usual, but I stayed out there with the best of 'em:) Now, let's hope they just didn't catch me on video!

Congratulations again to Chris and Sarah - we had the best time ever!!!

Update and plans...

Hey there!

So yeah, it's the last day of September I managed to skip an entire month of blogging. Oops. Rather than list all the reasons that kept me away, I'll just jump into the update:

Things are great! I'm feeling really good and at most times don't feel pregnant - that is till I catch myself in a mirror or feel the little dear (ps that's our nickname for him right now, that and fat kid) try to make an escape for it out the side of my right ribs. Neato! Honestly, it really cracks me up - he's done it way more than once and it's always the right side. He's convinced that's the exit and he kind of just propels himself up right towards under my ribs and tries to keep moving forward. The first time it happened I pushed back and am pretty sure I felt his little head, SO crazy! So let's all start praying the kid learns a sense of direction and come four months from now realizes ribs do not equal exit:)

We had our big ultrasound (anatomy scan) last week and he was still very much a he - so no doubts there:) And he is as healthy as can be - praise God! We have to have another one because the stinker was sleeping and wouldn't move to get some of the final heart measurements they need, but the sonographer said everything she could see looked perfect, but they'll have to have us in regardless to make sure they can complete "their checklist." So keep praying that the next time we go in all will continue to be well! As for how he's doing - apparently he's already showing that he's bigger than average and at the time he was already over ten inches and a little over a pound - that's our fat kid:) He also gave us a thumbs up which was pretty funny:) See below:

We had held off on any MAJOR nursery plans till we got the second ultrasound to confirm that he is still a boy:) So now plans are in full swing - and oh boy, are we having fun! I can't wait to show you guys the final product but right now here's a bit of inspiration of where we're headed:

And yes, I discovered Piknik. Between Piknik and Pinterest planning will have never been so much fun!

More pictures to come, including belly shots that aren't taken with my phone:)

Meet...

Our son!!!! That's right, it's a boy!!!

Place Your Bets...

Hey there- so yeah, I needed to update and I really wanted to include a "real" belly shot, but apparently this will be the pregnancy that was captured on my phone and not on camera. I really DO plan to fix that soon, but in the meantime pics snapped on the fly with my phone will have to suffice.

In light of the gender reveal (hopefully!) in less than one week (holy cow, can't believe it!), I'm doing the good ol' 21 old wives tales and sharing my results. If you remember, I sent this to Kelley when she was pregnant with Nolan and she documented her answers in a post here. So here's my take on the whole thang:

Sleep Position - Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you’ll have a boy. Right side? You’re pregnant with a girl.
GIRL – I have to force myself to fall asleep on my left side – and pretty naturally fall to my right. And I KNOW they say not to sleep on your stomach (duh, that's not comfortable anymore) or to lay on your
back, but sometimes if I can't fall asleep I find myself sleeping on my back.

Upset Stomach - Little girls aren’t always sweet. Extreme nausea means you are having a daughter.
GIRL- delightfully nauseated from 3.5 - roughly 12.5. I've been better since 13, SO MUCH BETTER, but I wouldn't say my stomach has been back to normal by any means. But I will take how I'm feeling these days without a complaint!!

Soft or Dry Hands - If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft—expect a girl.
GIRL - my hands are really soft. THOUGH I did get Melasma on my hands (the"mask") thankfully not on my face, but on the back of my hands. So I've been rubbing Bio Oil on my hands quite liberally (which, seems to be helping a lot!), so who knows if that's it. And I drink so much water - isn't that an added perk of hydration?

Food Cravings - Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is. If you’re craving citrus while pregnant, you’re having a girl.
Boy – No citrus cravings, well actually I take that back - maybe it is a GIRL - because I WANT orange juice, orangina, lemonade, etc... like no other. But, oh the acid! What it does to my stomach. Remember the
peeing/throwing up bit I mentioned earlier?? Thank you, orange juice.

Adult Acne - If altering hormones makes your skin break out, expect a girl.
BOY - thank heavens. Excellent skin so far. But I was feeling extra greasy and gross quite early on in the skin department so I went out and bought the poor man's version of the Clarisonic face scrubber dealy – by Olay and I tell you the sky broke and the angels sang hallelujah because that thing is the BEST. I am smitten. My skin loves me for it.

Graceful or Clumsy Pregnancy - If you feel as though you’re gliding through the day, you’ll have a girl. Stumbling? It’s a boy.
Ugh - really? What a dumb "insight." I guess I'm neither? I'll have to go with it's an "it" on this one, because I'm no more graceful or clumsy since finding out I was pregnant.

Face Weight Gain - If your face gets fuller, it means you’re having a girl.
GIRL – All of a sudden my face has exploded. I originally started drafting this last week, and from last week to this week my chin grew a friend and my cheeks feel like they’ve expanded. Delightful!

Sugar and Spice Food Cravings - Craving salt during pregnancy? Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn means a boy is on the way. Need a little something sweet? Ice cream, chocolate, and candy means you’re having a girl.
BOY - I have eaten little to no sweets throughout the pregnancy and don’t really have a craving for them…what do cravings for breakfast tacos mean? Hmmm…

Mood Changes  - If you’re experiencing pregnant mood-swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon.
Okay, this one is hard. Mood swings I’m not having…but pretty much since week 14 I’ve been a bucket of sentimental emotions. When my mom showed up with a picture from the thrift store that had a baby deer and a mommy deer laser cut from a piece of wood, I cried. When we're singing praise songs at church, I cry. When I get a nice text from my little sister, I cry. And it's not sobbing or anything - but the tears...they are just there under the surface at all times. Pretty funny. So what does that mean? I’ll guess I’ll give this one a blank.

High or Low Pregnant Belly - If you’re carrying the baby low on your stomach, expect a boy. If it’s high, you’re having a girl.
BOY–I'm convinced I'm carrying low. BUT the disclaimer here is that other people have remarked I’m carrying low and WIDE…and they think that means girl. But who really knows, right?

Baby Weight - If you’re carrying baby in front, it’s a boy. Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle? It’s a girl.
GIRL – See above, I'm carrying low and wide - yay me! I’m not pregnant, I've just taken beer drinking to a professional level!

Pendulum Test - Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm. If it swings back and forth: boy. In a circle: girl.
GIRL - but I’ve done this with mixed results.
Model Your Hands - “Show me your hands.” If you would hold your hands palms up it’s a girl. Down? You’re having a boy.
HAHAHAHA – really this might be the dumbest one yet. And I knew the outcome, so I just didn’t do this test. We won’t count this one!

Toddler Advice -Get baby advice from a nephew or friend’s little boy. If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you’ll have a girl. If he ignores you, it’s a boy.
Couldn't do this one - boo!

Eat Garlic - Guess the baby’s sex by eating garlic. If the smell seeps out of your pores it’s a boy. If there’s no scent it’s a little girl.
GIRL (at least… I think), maybe I smell worse than I think I do;)?

Key to Pregnancy - If you pick up a key by the round end, you’re having a boy. If it’s by the long end? A girl.
I knew outcome of this too, so no result is fair!
Even and Odd Numbers - If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it’s girl. One even, one odd means a boy.
BOY

Baby’s Heartbeat - If the baby’s heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you’re pregnant with a girl. Less than 150, it’s a boy.
GIRL – 150 at last appointment.

Stress Test - A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.
BOY - This would be Ty - he's always less stressed than I am. It's why I married him...or one reason I did:) So does that mean we’ll only have boys? I better start taking some zen classes so I can improve my chances for at least one girl!
Dream Meanings -If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa.
GIRL – I’ve dreamed only of having a boy. Only two dreams, so I'm no sage by any means. But no girl dreams yet.

Breast Size - If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you are having a girl. If the left is larger, it’s a baby boy.
Why do boobs have to be uneven? Mine are the same…so guess we don’t count this one either.
Drumroll please…..

A Child Called It = 6
It’s a Boy = 5
It’s a Girl = 10

Alright...so now for the comparison pictures, and we'll just let the belly do the talking from here, though there's really not that much of a belly yet...really.

About 11 weeks, blurry and slightly cross-eyed looking and thinking to myself "self-portraits are hard!":

And yesterday morning 16 weeks, conveniently in the same tank top, but looking clearly like I just woke up. So please excuse the mess of leftover mascara and greasy hair. I am HAWT.

Okay so there you have it - place your bets now!! T-minus 6 days till we know:)

An exchange...

So, remember last year when we were moving Becky into her first apartment in Austin? Well, this year Matthew moved into the top floor of her same little apartment - we like to keep things in the family over here. As you might imagine, record Texas summer temperatures plus pregnancy, means no moving duties for me this year. This year, the honor fell to my Mom, Danny, and Emily. And all was well, till...(there is always a till in my family) my sister's headboard, which is being transferred to Matthew, fell on my Mom's head. Now this headboard is an intense piece of wood, sturdy and definitely able to inflict some serious damage.

Now, before we go any further - my mom is fine and dandy. Just bruised up. BUT that evening she calls me and asks me "google when I should go to the hospital if something falls on my head?" Ummm, what? I told her to proceed immediately to the ER or Urgent Care and gain some peace of mind to know she was fine and wasn't about to pull a Natasha Richardson. So now to the real part of this blog post, Emily and my mom head to Urgent Care while Danny and Matthew continue the move. Throughout their time at the hospital, Emily is texting me updates and letting me know where things stand - what follows is part of our exchange, and it was just too hysterical not to share...

Me: Mom still having head pain? Tell her its good she went to doctor. It will give her peace of mind. Glad she's there.

Emily: No more random pains so far but I just left to find a vending machine and saw a woman in a wheel chair about to give birth...sh** you better not look that scary

Me: ROFL. That just made me laugh so hard...I'm crying.

Emily: Haha. I'm serious.

Me: Hahahahaha. I know. What was so scary?

Emily: She was screaming like it was a damn demon not a baby, and she was sweating like a whore, and had time to look me in the eye like , "you just wait!"

And that is where I about died from laughter...Oh, Emily...I can't promise you I won't be as scary but you do make me smile:)