29 weeks and a fat face to prove it!

(I didn't take an "official" bump photo this week so I hope this will do.)

How far along? 29 weeks

Maternity clothes? Anything long, stretchy and cotton is my friend these days.
Stretch marks? Nope, but I am developing that belly "seam" they call the Linea Nigra.
Sleep: So-so. I'm just always so afraid I am putting too much weight on my belly since it seems to prop me up while I sleep on my side.
Best moment this week: Sleeping in this weekend and spending time with mom!
Movement: Never ending! It's so funny to watch him move around. He has been all about hanging out just under my ribs these days which makes sitting very uncomfortable.
Food cravings: Cinnamon rolls and donuts!
Gender: Boy
Pregnancy symptoms: Nothing new ... besides my face rounding out to match the squash picture in the previous post!

Labor Signs: Nada

Belly Button in or out? in between?

What I miss: Drinking caffeine without a feeling of guilt. I will get half-decaf when I get a latte, and my doc said its okay, but I can't help but wonder if the little man can feel it.
What I am looking forward to: A few weekend trips we have coming up and my appointment on Friday to get to talk with my doctor more (and take the dreaded glucose tolerance test).

Weekly Wisdom: Don't sweat the small stuff.

7 months and he's a Squash!

You are seven months pregnant and your baby is now the size of a Squash.

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is getting bigger to accommodate his growing brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.

Another drool-inducing item

How adorable is this diaper bag? It looks like a fantastic purse with all the great amenities of a diaper bag ... not to mention it matches the stroller we registered for!

Why does Gap have to carry such great maternity clothes and accessories?

28 weeks and into the final trimester

How far along? 28 weeks

Maternity clothes? I can still wear a lot of my non-maternity clothes, but am definitely feeling the need to purchase more maternity clothes as everything beginning to ride up over the belly.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Could be better. The discomfort is setting in and I get uncomfortable more quickly.
Best moment this week: My mom's reaction when the little man kicked her hand on my belly. Too funny!
Movement: So much! I can't believe how much he moves around now, and all day long! And he is getting so strong, its beginning to hurt when he digs his little knees and elbows into my belly.
Food cravings: Everything, especially sweets ... but could use a good Thai dinner.
Gender: Boy
Pregnancy symptoms: I think the exhaustion is beginning to set in again. I get so tired after doing anything and it's making it hard to stay motivated at work during the day.

Labor Signs: Besides the occassional BH contraction, nothing.

Belly Button in or out? I think my belly button is growing a belly of its own!

What I miss: Being able to be comfortable in one position for more than five minutes. I feel like I am always shifting and moving to get comfortable.
What I am looking forward to: Snuggling up with this little man!

Weekly Wisdom: Make time for a nap on the weekends. They are even more refreshing than a whole night's sleep.

Milestones: We are officially in the third and final trimester! Only 12 weeks, give or take, to go! (holy crap!)

This is getting to be one big eggplant!

You are 28 weeks and your baby is the size of an eggplant.

Baby's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, he has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). His skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can open and close his eyes, which now sport lashes. This movement is more of a reflexive blink than a deliberate opening and closing.

How cool is this?

I just drooled over this stroller! Isn't this the coolest stroller you have ever seen? I want it, but um ... for the price ... I don't think I would be able to convince Brian we need it before our child is a teenager. I did enter the giveaway to maybe win one, I think that's the only shot I've got!

It's the Teutonia T-links infant stroller and car seat, and it even converts into a toddler stroller. There is even the cool little bassinet attachment too! I mean, the Uppa and Bugaboo strollers are pretty awesome, but I think this one takes the cake! And you can even design your own!

And is it weird that I spent an hour on their Web site, http://www.teutoniausa.com/?

You know you're back in the Pacific Northwest when ...

A bald eagle flies right in front of your car when you are sitting in the middle of the city. It was a pretty cool way to be welcomed back on my first day at the new job.

27 weeks and growing by the day!

How far along? 27 weeks

Maternity clothes? Yes, please! I haven't bought a ton of maternity clothes, but have been finding great items that fit over this ever-growing belly.
Stretch marks? Keeping my fingers crossed that I avoid these all together.
Sleep: Sucks! I toss and turn all night, can't sleep on my back AT ALL, and when I try to sleep on my side I feel like I get front-heavy and put too much weight on my belly. I am trying out a body pillow but I toss and turn so much, it might get annoying.

Best moment this week: Meeting our new doctor and loving her! Knowing everything is falling in place for this little guy's arrival.

Movement: This boy is a dancer! He is always moving around in there.
Food cravings: FOOD! Doesn't matter what it is. I am always hungry.

Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: I might be feeling some Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing of any concern.
Belly Button in or out? This is growing by the day too.

What I miss: After our long move and packing/unpacking, I would have given anything for a nice glass of wine or an ice cold beer.

What I am looking forward to: Starting my 2-week appointments and getting so close to meeting this guy!

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy every day.

Milestones: We made it back to Washington, got set up with our new doctor and new insurance, and got confirmation that our baby is growing great with a strong heartbeat. (and even though it might look like it, I haven't gained a TON of weight)

Road Trip, Day 5

Start: Walla Walla, WA

End: Graham, WA

Distance: 293 miles

Drive time: 5 hours, 3 minutes

With such a short, leisure drive, we decided to stay with Brian's parents for a while and have Easter breakfast before we hit the road. After spending a little more time with Rick and Jan, we packed up the dogs one last time and headed on our final drive.

As we headed out of town, we passed our favorite winery, L'Ecole No 41. My mouth just waters at the thought of their wines, and I can't wait to take a trip back to that winery and drink my fair share. The winery is in the old school house and the bar top in the tasting room is made of chalkboards so you can rate all the wines as you drink them.

There isn't a whole lot else to say about this drive. We have made this drive so many times, that it's hard to even say much about it. We only hit one hiccup, when a tree decided to fall across the freeway we were on and made for quite the lengthy back-up. Luckily it was cleared after about 30 minutes and we were on the move again.

Once we got home, we didn't even think of unpacking. The couch was calling our names so we just ate, relaxed and fell asleep very early.

The next day, I was finally able to see the "fantastic" packing job that Brian and Rick did. Luckily, I haven't noticed anything to be broken, and only a few scratches on some of the furniture.

We had that truck unloaded and returned to the rental store by noon. Do you think we were beyond ready to be done with the move?

Home, sweet home!

Road Trip, Day 4

Start: Twin Falls, ID

End: Walla Walla, WA

Distance: 379 miles

Drive time: 6 hours, 36 minutes

Ahhh ... the joy of a drive less than 10 hours long! And the easiest part of it all. This day flew by as we cruised along through Idaho, Oregon and into our final state, Washington! The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful and it was a great welcoming back home.

The day started a little rough, when the roads were a little frozen and so was our windshield wiper fluid. We had to stop and clean the windows and refill on fluid before we could get on the road. After that, though, we cruised along.

Brian got a little nostalgic as we entered his old stomping grounds, sharing stories from his past. It was pretty cute, I must say.
What was even better, was we made it into Walla Walla by noon! We were able to shower, change and actually do something besides sit all day.
Since Brian hadn't been back home since Christmas of 2006, there was quite a lot that had changed about the town so we cruised around and took in the new sights and even did a little shopping downtown, with Rick and Jan leading the tour. We also stopped to visit a friend of Brian's, Marshall, in the rehabilitation center recovering from a terrible work accident in December.
Jan had invited a few family friends over for dinner and we were finally able to eat a home cooked meal and relax in the comfort of a home.
Oh, and I don't even have to say it, but the dogs were estatic to be out of the car and running free in the Hall's yard.

Road Trip, Day 3

Start: Fort Collins, CO

End: Twin Falls, ID

Distance: 635 miles

Drive time: 11 hours, 30 minutes

Oh how quickly things can change. We knew driving into Fort Collins the night before that there were some weather issues in Wyoming, but figured they would clear by morning. Just to be safe, we got an extra couple hours of sleep so we could start our drive after sunrise. We ate some breakfast, checked the weather report (the roads were looking a little crummy so the boys contemplated changing our route and heading north to Montana, but we stayed with our plan and figured we would see how the roads were) and hit the road.

Let's just say there is a reason there aren't many pictures from this part of the drive. I was too nervous to pick up the camera. There were snow drifts, white-outs and black ice. But we drove on, slowly, but still making progress ... until Laramie, Wyoming. Why did our progress stop there? Well because the road that we were taking over the Rockies was closed, had been for two days. The town was FULL of semi trucks waiting for the pass to open, and one even told us it would be another two days before they opened it. We were about to turn around and brave the roads back to Fort Collins when, just our luck, the pass opened!!! And even luckier, the roads over the pass were better than the ones we had already driven leading up to the pass.
It was smooth sailing from there with a quick stop in Rawlins, Wyoming and then again in Ogden, Utah.

I decided to speed ahead of the guys to get to Ogden early and check out this dog park I found online the day before. I figured these dogs of mine could use to run free for a little while and pick up their spirits a little. It was right off the freeway, so I called and got directions from my sister and found it easily. The bad part is that the park was closed! (But don't tell Brian because he gave me a hard time for wanting to stop so I told him and Rick that the dogs had a great time running free at the park. shhh!) We ran around in the nearby fields instead, but it just wasn't the same ... my poor dogs.

Once we got back on the road, Brian and Rick were way ahead of me so I didn't catch up to them again until at the hotel in Twin Falls. One thing I learned is how comforting it is just seeing that big yellow moving truck either ahead or behind me. It got a little lonely out there on the open road, just me and the dogs.

Our hotel that night wasn't as nice as the last, even the dogs didn't want to stay. But at that point, it didn't matter because we were exhausted.

Road Trip, Day 2

Start: Mustang, OK
End: Fort Collins, CO
Distance: 749 miles
Drive time: 12 hours, 7 minutes

Our first real day of the trip. Going into the drive we knew we weren't in for anything too exciting scenery-wise ... our drive was taking us through Northwestern Oklahoma and all the way across Kansas. Let me tell you, I would be okay with not visiting Kansas again. Not only is it probably the world's flattest area, but it smells ... bad.

We made it out on the road at about 6:30 a.m. (after Brian and Rick attempted to fit even more stuff in our already full moving truck, with only a partial success ... don't get me started). After a quick stop at Braums for some breakfast and coffee, we were on the open road. We were making great time, and then the wind hit.

We were getting pushed around the road like a tumbleweed by the 50 mile per hour side-winds, which made the truck's power max out at about 45 mph. We were sure it was going to set us way back on our progress, and Brian about had a fit battling the gale force winds, but before we knew it the winds subsided and we were making our way into Colorado. The view definitely improved with the sunset over the Rockies, even though it began to rain and then sleet as we made it to our final spot for the night.

Oh, and can I say how strange it is to start the day with the temperature right about 80 degrees at 6 a.m. and watch it fall all the way to 30 degrees by 6 p.m.? We definitely weren't dressed (nor did we pack) for winter weather. I guess we forgot not everywhere in the country has Texas weather.

And as for the dogs ... the drive started with smiles and wagging tails, but about half-way through the day they started to get a little annoyed with the confinement and I was definitely getting some unhappy looks. They sure were happy when we checked into the hotel and they claimed their bed.

Road Trip, Day 1

Start: Carrollton, TX

End: Mustang, OK

Distance: 202 miles

Drive time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

The day we had been waiting for was finally here ... moving day! I had to head to work for a few hours to finish up some last things, and Brian had to give his final resignation to work so things were already starting a little later than we planned. After a little miscommunication at the moving truck office, Brian and Rick drove away with a 26-foot truck, as apposed to the 22-foot we had ordered. I guess this worked out in our favor since we ended up filling it to the edge, and even had to leave a few things behind. (I won't say its because we have a lot of stuff ... because honestly we don't ... but I won't blame it on those who packed the truck either. We all have our own opinions on this one.)

We said goodbye to our first home together (but not before taking the first of many photos from our trip) and hit the road ... Brian and Rick in the moving truck, and me and the dogs in the Yukon ... and headed North toward Oklahoma City. The drive went smoothly, the dogs were excited to be going somewhere, and we were all wide-eyed and bushy tailed to be beginning our trip.

After a quick stop in Gainsville, some major leg cramps for Rick and a short walk for the dogs. we arrived in Mustang at about 9:45 p.m. We were staying at Brian's grandpa's old house and had a few things we needed to attempt to add to the moving truck. Since the house was empty and without power, we all slept on the floor in the living room, knowing we would be up before sunrise to get an early start on the first long day of the trip.

All in all, the trip was going smoothly. Let's hope this trend continued ...