29 Weeks

My first week in the third trimester has been a fun one. We were on vacation and vacation ended with a baby shower. You can see Matt practicing his "awwww, cute" face above. I have been very lucky with minimal weight gain this far, and never really felt like I looked very pregnant until the last few weeks (let's hope this trend continues), but I can now tell those weeks are coming to an end. It's great because it means the baby is growing, and it's fun to be able to feel the baby more, but it does make my movement harder, and those stretching pains were a little rough for a few days. All in all, though, I really can't complain! Things are still going very well...here is this week's wrap up!

How far along? 29 weeks!

How big is the baby? One website says a butternut squash, and the other says acorn squash. I'm going with the butternut variety. I can definitely tell the baby is getting bigger after last week's stomach pains and constant movement.

Maternity clothes? Same status. Yes and no.

Sleep? Mediocre. Our smoke alarms going off last night didn't help, and I've also been getting up with Matt to get miles in before it's super hot. Then there's the whole bathroom situation.

Symptoms? My stomach pains thankfully went away over the weekend! And heartburn has been better. I did have a serious bout of round ligament pain and dizziness today, and going from laying or sitting down to standing is slightly more difficult.

Best moment this week? Our baby shower in Massachusetts! Reading baby Keough books before bed!

Food cravings? Nothing serious. It is harder to finish a meal (and if I try to I sometimes make myself totally miserable), so snacks are important.

Food aversions? Not much right now.

Gender? It's a surprise! I shared our Baby Hunch pool and we LOVE seeing your guesses! Submit one if you would like, just follow this link: http://www.babyhunch.com/poolpage.php?poolid=afff7a33bcd4c7d922db1523e31ba3e3

What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach. Being able to get up out of bed and off the couch a little more easily.

What I'm looking forward to? We are having our glider delivered tomorrow, after that we need some shelving and then I think I will be ready to find some things for the walls. 

New England

Matt and I have just returned from a trip up north. The week went so fast and now I'm really feeling like it's crunch time. After all that sneaky month called August starts on Saturday. Enough about that, though. This was a big trip for us! We got to visit with Matt's family, spend some peaceful vacation days as a party of two, and we had a baby shower!

We spent most of last Saturday driving up the east coast playing the license plate game (eventually we got all but nine states!) and finding out just how big the small state of Connecticut is...really I swear we were there all day. When we finally reached Massachusetts we had a nice dinner with Matt's parents, and then spent Sunday just visiting before driving to Maine late at night.

Monday we headed to Drake Island Beach and spent the day sitting in the sun and reading. It was a perfect beach day! The day was so perfect we ended up finishing it off at the pool after coming back from the beach. As great as Monday was, Tuesday left something to be desired. It was a little bit chilly out in the morning, but things warmed up for a few hours in the afternoon. We decided to make it a pool day, but it was short lived. The fog and cold temperatures rolled back in, but we made the best of it and went on an excursion to find lobsters for dinner. We had a tip that a place called Looney Lobster had the best lobsters around. We followed signs and directions, but could not find the place to save our lives. We looked everywhere. You would never guess it would be so hard to buy a lobster in Maine. After stopping at a gas station, and getting all the locals involved, it was determined that the place wasn't open. We got a referral to go see Brenda, after you make a left at the car wash, instead. Turns out Brenda owns the Yodeling Clam Lobster Pound. We enjoyed Brenda's company while she steamed our lobster friends and then headed back to the cottage to eat our lobsters. We also went to the Scoop Deck for ice cream cones that night.

Wednesday we returned to the beach for another perfect day. We had also made reservations at our favorite restaurant in Maine, Joshua's, for that evening. If you ever find yourself in Southern Maine I highly recommend this place. Both Matt and I agree that this is one of the greatest restaurants of all time. Thursday, I went to Congdon's Doughnuts for the first time. Apparently this is the place to be if you are a doughnut lover. For me it wasn't great, but I also don't love doughnuts. We headed to Ogunquit afterwards and walked the Marginal Way. It's a beautiful path along the coast and another must do if you are in the area. Afterwards we headed to the pool for the rest of the day before meeting Matt's parents in Massachusetts for dinner.

Friday was our last day in Maine and we wanted to go back to the beach. As we were packing up the car to head there it started thundering so we decided on just making it a pool day. The rain did hold off for a little but the temperatures dropped into the 60s and it did eventually start pouring down rain on us. Friday night we saw Nice Work If You Can Get It at the Ogunquit playhouse. It was a good show and was pretty funny.

Saturday afternoon was our Massachusetts baby shower. Matt's mom and sister did a fabulous job with the planning. The shower was bee themed and had so many cute little details. The food and desserts were also delicious. It was so nice to celebrate Baby K. with our family and friends in Massachusetts. We received so many nice things, our baby is already very lucky. I'm also happy to report that Matthew survived his first baby shower ever, with some beverages, and (as evidenced below) even participated in gift opening. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

Sunday we had to head south. It's always a longer/harder trip coming back, but again it's always nice to be back home. Like I said at the beginning, now it's crunch time before I have to go back to school. There's still a lot to do our our long list of getting ready for a baby, regular life, and prepping for the new school year. That being said, we are also very lucky to have a lot to prepare for and look forward to in the coming months.

Third Trimester!

Oh my gosh you guys! How did this happen!?!?! It seems as though that cold February day when I found out I was pregnant was just yesterday! Seriously. How are we already entering the third trimester? This week Matt and I are happily rocking in the third trimester in Maine. We are visiting his family as well as enjoying a last vacation before being responsible for making sure no one drowns on our next vacation. Last night we had lobsters and ice cream, and tonight we are going to one of our favorite restaurants ever, Joshua's. Can't wait!!! 

How far along? 28 weeks!

How big is the baby? An eggplant! I love eggplants! In fact there is one growing on my porch and I'm so excited about it. 

Maternity clothes? Same status. Yes and no. I wear a lot of dresses and skirts, both maternity and non...I think summer has been a good season to avoid the maternity wear. I can still wear my old shorts/capris, but I usually wear them with a maternity top, or a looser regular top. 

Sleep? My sleep has been better this week, aside from the waking up to go to the bathroom so often. I attribute this to being on vacation. 

Symptoms? My heartburn has actually gotten a bit better, and I feel like by writing that I've just cursed myself. My newest issue this week is moderate stomach pain. It started Sunday night and I still have it this morning. At first I thought I ate too much or something, but it was still present Monday morning. It's right underneath/beside my belly button and feels like a bruise/the baby is trying to escape through my abdominal wall. On the bright side, I take this as a good sign the baby is growing, but my stomach is stretching to compensate. I guess it's a welcome to the beginning of the end. 

Best moment this week? Only having to stop once to use the bathroom on our 9.5 hour drive north :) Being on our last vacation as a couple, and just trying to enjoy the whole everyday pregnancy experience. 

Food cravings? Nothing serious. Some days I am so hungry, but others I have a normal appetite. Overall, though, I cannot eat like I use to. I get full way faster, so I eat a lot of snacks. 

Food aversions? Not much right now.

Gender? It's a surprise! I shared our Baby Hunch pool and we LOVE seeing your guesses! Submit one if you would like, just follow this link: http://www.babyhunch.com/poolpage.php?poolid=afff7a33bcd4c7d922db1523e31ba3e3

What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to? Matt's family is generously throwing us a Massachusetts baby shower this weekend! 

Friday Love

Happy Friday! Summer is flying by. We are headed north tomorrow to visit Matt's family and enjoy some vacation time. Our last vacation as a party of two. Yikes. Enjoy your weekend! 

{ONE}

Serial. I'm a little late to the game on this one. During my long walks in the morning I have been listening to Serial, the podcast. I'm so glad I did. It's so good! The first season, which came out last fall, chronicles the case of Adnan Syed who was convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend. It's so interesting to theorize about with other listeners. I'm looking forward to season two!

{TWO}

Bloodline. Matt and I needed a new Netflix show since the conclusion of Mad Men. We tried out Rectify, but it wasn't for us. We landed on Bloodline, and I'm pretty into it. It's not Breaking Bad, but it's been good to watch.

{THREE}

Garden Peppers. We had our first big bunch of peppers this week. I tried growing banana and jalapeno peppers this summer and I'm excited about how many we've had. I made stuffed peppers for dinner one night. I have never had a jalapeno so spicy. Seriously. Still delicious!

{FOUR}

Back to Basics. Penn State announced they are going back to no name jerseys this season! Yay for tradition! WE ARE!

{FIVE}

Pregnancy Advice. I can't say I've had too many weird things said to me yet, but I have heard a lot about the advice given at 1 minute into this video.

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 weeks!

How big is the baby? A head of cauliflower. Other interesting facts...the baby can now open it's eyes and has a lot more brain activity. 

Maternity clothes? Same status. Yes and no. 

Sleep? Not the greatest.

Symptoms? Heartburn, and I also have these crazy big hiccups everyday, multiple times a day. This has been for months but I'm just thinking of it now. 

Best moment this week? Well, obviously, it was when I taught the baby the PSU alma mater and a few fight songs. Matt and I also did a little bit of shopping last weekend which was fun. Then just every day things like feeling the baby move a lot. Oh, and I also passed the glucose test!

Food cravings? Nothing serious. 

Food aversions? Not much right now.

Gender? Right now, I'm convinced the baby is actually a fire breathing dragon (all the heartburn!), but in reality...it's a surprise! I shared our Baby Hunch pool and we LOVE seeing your guesses! Submit one if you would like, just follow this link: http://www.babyhunch.com/poolpage.php?poolid=afff7a33bcd4c7d922db1523e31ba3e3

What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach, less trips to the bathroom (I now have think about how long I can wait before going to the bathroom, and have to plan for where I will be able to use one next). 

What I'm looking forward to? Our baby class tonight and our vacation next week!

Recipe of the Week!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Popsicles

Oh my gosh you guys! Buy a popsicle mold now. I so totally wish I did years ago. I was feeling inspired and finally bought my Zoku Classic Mold last week. I love it. We are already on our second flavor. I only wish I could make more at one time, but it does take up valuable freezer real estate. I like to think these are relatively healthy when compared to either an after dinner treat like ice cream or store bought popsicles, but who really knows. They are good. The recipe made 6 popsicles, about 3 oz. each.

Ingredients:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk (any kind of milk would work)
1 tbsp honey
1 cup raspberries
handful of chocolate chips

Directions: 
Combine yogurt, milk, raspberries, and honey in a blender until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Pour yogurt mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze for 8 hours. Try not to eat them all :)

Popsicle Eaters!

Mount Vernon

This past weekend Matt and I visited Mount Vernon! I had been saying I wanted to go to Mount Vernon for YEARS. I'm not kidding. We would always talk about going, but then find something else to do, or just not go. We finally followed through on Sunday. 

My overall impression...Mount Vernon is HUGE. Seriously. I have never in my life seen so much space in all of Northern Virginia. All I could think the whole time is what that property would be worth to some property developer. Billions. It's all so pretty too. Lots of trees, and of course, the gorgeous view from the back of the house of the Potomac. 

We spent our time walking around the gardens and exploring the different buildings. We also toured the main house and visited Washington's tomb. One of the best parts of the day was when we went to visit Lady Washington. At first I was a little bored and wanted to get on our way, but naturally Matthew had to get his questions in. Martha did not like Matt's Yankee questions at all. She kept in her proper Southern lady character refusing to answer him. Matt was frustrated. After listening for a little longer we got up to leave. Martha stopped her whole banter with the crowd to tell Matt how much she enjoyed him, but he is obviously a New Englander with his progressive views. I thought that was hilarious, and Matt equated it to the Colonial middle finger. 

My trip to Mount Vernon made me like George Washington even more. I was intrigued about why everything/everyone referred to him as the General vs. the President, so I asked. Washington thought you should only have the title of president while in office (a view I share). Washington also wasn't a member of a political party...YES. There were many other facts I'm drawing a blank on right now, but in my book GW is a winner and so is a visit to Mount Vernon. I do think, though, that they should let you bring snacks so you can have a pretty picnic. No food allowed. Rude. 

After walking so much, and not having anything to eat, we took a little drive down the GW Parkway toward Alexandria. We landed upon District Taco, a place I had been wanting to try. Fate. My first experience was good, but not amazing. It's not somewhere I absolutely have to go back to, but I would. In summary, Mount Vernon is a YES, District Taco is a maybe. Get to it Virginia friends and tourists :) 

Friday Love

{Friday Love} on Saturday! I did actually have this written and ready to post last night, but totally forgot to click publish! We went on a baby shopping spree of sorts and I guess I got caught up in all that and neglected my blog. We are headed to a birthday party this morning, and if all goes as planned I might be making my first appearance at Mount Vernon tomorrow. I've never been! Have a great weekend! 

{ONE}

Zoku Popsicle Molds. I mentioned my popsicle craving earlier this week, and I am so enjoying the Zoku Classic molds that I bought to make them. They are the perfect size. Zoku sells a bunch of different sizes and shapes and options. I just want to buy them all now and fill my freezer with a multitude of flavors!

{TWO}

PSU Football Hype Video. YAY! I love football season, but let's not rush. I'm still enjoying summer. This did make me more excited that I am having a football season baby. Crossing my fingers for a PSU vs. OSU delivery. I know that's a little weird.

{THREE}

Maiden Names. Women keeping their last name is back on the rise. Proud to be a part of that statistic!

{FOUR}

The Nest. Our Nest thermostat is saving my hot, pregnant life this summer. I try to conserve energy (read save money) and not run our air conditioner constantly in this Virginia heat, but it's getting harder. I have to say not having to get up, or go downstairs, to adjust the temperature is lovely.

{FIVE}

Slow Miles. I have been getting better about getting myself out to walk almost everyday for the last couple weeks. I am so, so slow, but I suppose it's better than nothing. It also makes me feel a little more productive in life. I'm hoping this pays off in the end!

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks!

How big is the baby? A scallion, naturally. Or a head of lettuce. Cause those are the same size. The baby is 1.5-2.5 pounds and about 14 inches.

Maternity clothes? Same status. Yes and no. I do spend most of my days pretty casual. And since it's summer most of my attire includes dresses, maternity stuff isn't a high need right now.

Sleep? I'm just facing the facts...my nights of good sleep are over. For a long time.

Symptoms? Heartburn.

Best moment this week? I wouldn't say there is a big moment that sticks out this week. For now I am just enjoying normal everyday things about being pregnant. I am happy to be able to feel the baby move more often. I have also been doing a lot more exercise which is great. Even though it's so hot (even in the very early morning), I keep telling myself it will be worth it.

Food cravings? I'm so excited! I have been wanting popsicles, but none at the grocery store are super appetizing because they are so artificial and are mostly kid friendly - however this makes them easy to resist. I finally bought myself popsicle molds yesterday and made my first popsicles. I can't wait to have one tonight! I will be posting about my adventures in popsicle-ing next week I hope.

Food aversions? Not much right now.

Gender? It's a surprise! Matt and I both think it's a boy, but girl hunches took their first ever lead this week! I shared our Baby Hunch pool and we LOVE seeing your guesses! Submit one if you would like, just follow this link: http://www.babyhunch.com/poolpage.php?poolid=afff7a33bcd4c7d922db1523e31ba3e3

What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to? Doctor's appointment on Friday morning (where I get to do the glucose test), Matt and I also signed up to take a 'baby class' next Wednesday. I am sure both of these events will be no less than interesting.

Recipe of the Week!

Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins

I decided to try this new recipe as a healthier alternative to banana bread, or a less healthy muffin. I was a little worried about them. I'm not really a baker, and was worried about the lack of butter and flour. In the end though, these turned out great. I thought they were very moist and pretty fluffy. I would most definitely make them again. Next time, I would probably do less chocolate chips, I thought they were a little overwhelming, but still good (I mean it is chocolate). Also...I made these using my blender and it was AMAZING. Easy mixing, easy clean up, and easy pouring into the liners. Try it. I did spray each liner with cooking spray, though, since there is no oil in the recipe. The muffins do stick badly, but the next day it gets better. Lastly, I easily doubled the recipe and froze half the muffins for later!

Ingredients:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 cups oats
¼ cup brown sugar
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a muffin pan by lining them with paper liners and spraying each liner. Add all dry ingredients to a blender or food processor and process on high until oats are broken down. Next, add the yogurt, eggs, and bananas and continue to blend until batter is smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each liner until it is about ¾ full. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the top of each muffin. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops of your muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Friday Love

Happy Fourth of July! I hope you have fun plans this weekend. I think we are going to watch fireworks tomorrow night, and hopefully spend some time by the pool. I can't believe it's July! Summer goes too fast. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

{ONE}

Working Mothers. My mom always worked when my sister and I were growing up, in addition to doing like five million other things. It already makes me sad to think about handing over my future offspring to a stranger this winter. {This article} made me feel a little bit better!

{TWO}

Summer Reading. I have finally got my reading act together this week. I am in the middle of The Husband's Secret, and can't wait to see what happens. Any book recommendations for me?

{THREE}

Inside Out. Matt and I saw Inside Out at the drive in on Sunday. I really enjoyed it. I know most people think it's a movie for kids, but really I thought it was more a grown up movie. I recommend it if you haven't seen it.

{FOUR}

{FIVE}

First Tomatoes! Let's hope the millions of green ones on the vines start turning red.

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks!

How big is the baby? A rutabaga! Or cauliflower! I was wondering what one does with a rutabaga, since I don't think I've ever had one. They don't seem to be too popular here in America, except with livestock, I did find out other countries like them. They are basically a big turnip

Maternity clothes? Mostly no, but sometimes yes. I still fit in my regular clothes, but I inherited some cute summery maternity clothes and purchased a few things weeks ago thinking I would really need them at this point, so sometimes I wear them. And like I said last week, I think they make you look more pregnant instead of that weird in between look.  

Sleep? It's been a little better. 

Symptoms? Heartburn, some round ligament pain, nothing to complain about :)

Best moment this week? Baby movement is on the rise which is fun and reassuring. 

Food cravings? Ok, so you might have read in my Staycation post yesterday about how we went to the drive in. Well, we stopped at Wegmans to get something to eat on the way there. I got a veggie sub for dinner. I swear to you this was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Or maybe I was starving after our adventures in Harper's Ferry that morning. I don't know. I've been thinking about that sandwich ever since.  

Food aversions? Not much right now.

Gender? It's a surprise! Matt and I both think it's a boy. I shared our Baby Hunch pool and we LOVE seeing your guesses! Submit one if you would like, just follow this link: http://www.babyhunch.com/poolpage.php?poolid=afff7a33bcd4c7d922db1523e31ba3e3

What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach and running (but really I wouldn't be running in this hotness).

What I'm looking forward to? Looking into room decor!