birthday and baby showers

Linking up with Kristin today!

It's just before 9:00pm and I am ready. to. crash. Luckily I've got a little adrenaline from the weekend left in me to pump out this blog post, because I want to share before I get busy (or lazy) and forget all the details.

This weekend was absolutely one for the books. My weekend technically started on Thursday night since I decided to take off Friday in honor of my 26th birthday. I had a busy week at work training the contractor we brought on to cover my maternity leave, so by Thursday at 5 I was more than ready to not thinking about work for a few days. Late that night my Mom and sisters got in, and that is of course when the fun really began. My Mom is a blast, and teenage girls sure don't lack in the energy department, so when we're together it's always a mile a minute.

Birthday flowers from Will. Not sure how roses become tie dye, but I'm a fan.

Friday we ran some errands, shopped, went to lunch, and just enjoyed the day together. When Will got home from work we went out for my birthday dinner. I chose a hibachi restaurant for the main course, and a DQ ice cream cake (my favorite) for  dessert. After running around all day and evening it was all I could do to crawl up to bed. It is 110% true that you really need to take it easy in the third trimester. I keep forgetting this, and I've paid for it.

Mom hosted a shower for me at my house on Saturday. We spent the morning getting ready for that, the afternoon enjoying the shower, and the entire evening eating leftover food. I swear I ate my weight in fruit, desserts, and dip this weekend. I don't regret a bite. I tried to put a few things away that evening (clutter = hate) but only made it about half way through before I had to hit the hay. Will was out at a bachelor party, so I didn't have him there to assist. You can see below that my temporary assistant wasn't really helpful. 

Texting selfies to Will. This is my concerned face about all the stuff crammed in to one weekend.

Sunday morning my family left, and I am a maniac who can't sleep in, so we were up and at em pretty early. Will and I opted for take out for breakfast, then I hurried to get ready for the day. I had a pregnancy massage (heaven) at noon, then headed straight to my sister in law's for my final baby shower with Will's Dad's side of the family.

Everything was beautiful, and we got wonderful presents. It was pretty surreal to be in a house full of little girls (that side of our family is full of them), and I can't wait to add ours to the mix. On of Will's cousins has a 3 month old daughter, so I'm glad Norah will have a built in little play mate at all our family gatherings to come.

All in all, it was an excellent weekend. All of the friends and family that went out of their way to buy such special gifts for Norah, spend their weekend with us, and pass along their advice is overwhelming in the best kind of way. I can't believe I'm another year older, and our little Norah-Belle (Mom and I both started randomly calling her that, so maybe it will be her nick name?) will be here in just  about two months. Time flys when you're having fun!

what. a. day.

What a freaking Monday.

I started out the day just like everybody wants to start out their Monday- being woken up around 2am and then again around 4:30 am to let their dogs outside. I’m not complaining, since generally their solution to the middle of the night potty break is to just pee on my carpets. Seriously- why do house trained dogs randomly do this? SO ANNOYING. Anyway, after a night of on and off, frequently interrupted sleep, I managed to get up for the day around 7:15- about 20 minutes later than I should get out of bed. Luckily I still managed to squeeze in enough time to make smoothies for breakfast for Will and I, and there was basically no traffic on the way to work, which never happens. So I thought the day was looking up.

Work was crazy and hectic, but it always is so nothing new there. The stress of the day to day is really starting to wear on me, but at least it makes the time go fast. I (foolishly) decided to try and be super productive by working late, then going to Kroger to get some groceries. It seemed like a good decision, escp since I picked up some bakery sugar cookies that I couldn't find the last time I was there… until I dropped my phone. The screen shattered into a billion pieces, and I am not part of the cracked screen iPhone club. Sigh. I think I have insurance, so I am trying not to register any hatred toward this mistake just yet.

I had the brilliant idea to make some pasta salad, zuppa toscana, and spinach lasagna roll ups to get us through the next couple of dinners and lunches, and maybe freeze. This turned out wonderfully, except now my kitchen is a disaster and I didn't finish cooking until 9:30. WELL past my “sit down and rest” time.

On the plus side, the new entry way table I FINALLY ordered after MONTHS of deliberation came, and I cannot wait to have Will put it together.

Also on the plus side, Norah has been moving a mile a minute (which is super fun and cheers me up), I’m just a week and a half away from a doctors appt, and I have both my showers and pregnancy massage to look forward to this weekend. And most wonderfully I took off work on Friday for my birthday, so bring on the three day weekend. Oh yea, I turn 26 in just a few days. Funny how the older you get, the less birthdays seem exciting.

Between all the ups and downs, my Monday basically evened out. Here’s to a less eventful Tuesday! The dogs already had their month;y "accident" this morning, so it can only go up from here, right?

Pregnancy Update: 30 Weeks

How far Along: 30 weeks. It's pretty surreal to be in the 30's countdown wise. Baby could very easily come some time in the next few/several weeks, so things are getting pretty real!

Size of Baby: She's about the size of a butternut squash measuring over 15 inches long, and weighing over 3 pounds. Lengths and weights really start to vary at this point, so that could be a little off. All of my OB appointments have been very early in the week (Mondays or Tuesdays usually) when my week change date is actually Friday. I made my 32 week appt on a Friday so I can get what is hopefully a more accurate measurement of how I'm measuring.

Gender: Pink, pink, pink.

Weight Gain: Just about 30 pounds. I cannot believe I've packed on this much weight. Luckily, I still don't have any swelling and my face looks the same. I was dreading the possibility of a chubby face and fatter arms. As long as those things stay the same, we're good. I know I could gain 5-10 more pounds easy in the next 2 months, which is kind of scary. I never thought in a million years I would be one of those people who gain close to 50 pounds. I guess we'll see! So far my doctor has been happy with my weight, so that is what counts.

Feeling: Impatient. A little testy with people's incessant questions, though I also get testy when I feel like people do not appreciate the fact that I'm pregnant. I think we're just a lose lose point in the pregnancy temperament wise. Trying to focus on how special this experience is rather than the annoyances that come along with it.

Maternity Clothes: Living in them, though I do mix in a piece of regular clothes here and there.

Nursery: Just about finished. After our showers next weekend when we've had a chance to put everything away, I plan to post a nursery reveal. I love the way it's turned out and can't wait to share.

Movement: She has been all over the place lately, and I'm loving it. I know movement can slow down a bit in the final weeks, and I'm a bit paranoid about that. Hoping I have an easy time distinguishing between her being less active because of space, and what could be signs of a problem.

Symptoms: Back, shoulder, and neck pain. Getting worn out pretty easily. Shortness of breath.

Sleep: Still no major issues. Waking up once a night or so, but I can usually get back to sleep within an hour.

Cravings: Fresh fruit and cereal.

What I Miss: Definitely ready to be able to enjoy beer and wine again. This week was my best friends bacheloretty party, and the whole time I could not believe I was missing out on the alcoholic portion of the night's events. It wasn't too horrible since it's obviously well worth it, but what party isn't better with a drink?!

Best Moment This Week: Hitting the "30's". Seeing all my best friends. Will's semi first Father's Day.

Looking Forward To: Seeing tons of friends and family at my baby showers this weekend. Also looking forward to the showers so we can go ahead and purchase whatever we don't receive, and be fully stocked for Norah's arrival. My pregnancy massage and pedicure finally coming up.

Thankful For: A healthy pregnancy. Hopefully finalizing my last day plans for work this week. Supportive friends and family.

We are so ready to meet our girl. And I am super fascinated to see if I will deliver early or late. I know a lot of people say first time Moms deliver late, but I've also found a lot of stories that say otherwise. We will see!