Bumpdate: 35 Weeks

35 weeks and 35 days to go!  How is that possible?!  I remember being pregnant with Carson and panicking at this point thinking there's only about a month left.  I don't feel any different this time!  I'm totally ready to meet Mason but I still have a big list of things to do....pack hospital bag, get the infant gear out (car seat, bouncy seat, swing, rock'n'play, etc.), finish the nursery....so much!

35 Weeks!
Baby is currently the size of a COCONUT!

Next Appointment: This Friday, March 28th!  

Gender: Adding another BOY to our family!  Check out our reveal photo.  

Total Weight Gain: I had an appt at 34w4d and another at 35w1d and I was +25 at both.  At least I didn't gain anything in those short few days...that would have been very depressing!

Maternity Clothes: Such a silly question.  Of course!  I don't wear maternity clothes to bed and I still wear non-maternity cardigans!

Sleep: Not so great.  I've had a hard time falling asleep and then I wake up a lot throughout the night.  I guess it's God's way of getting me ready for Mr. Mason.  I remember this happening towards the end with Carson, too!

Movement: Movement has slowed down because I think Mr. Mason is running out of room in there!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Not much sounds good these days but I have been loving icy cold water and juice!  I also still love my hummus.  I'm curious if I'll like hummus once I'm not pregnant!

Best Moment This Week: Carson has started saying "brudder" which is ADORABLE.  There are a few big sibling books we read before bed every night and he loves them.  He also took his baby doll and put him to bed in the tent with some pillows and a blanket while we were playing the other day.  Then he went back and gave him a kiss.  Heart melted!

What I Miss: I feel like I'm always tired and out of breath.  I miss having energy!

What I'm Looking Forward To: My next appointment!  I'll be 35w6d and I'm wondering if I will still be at 2cm.  A little nervous for that!

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, fatigue, HEARTBURN!  My heartburn has been SO bad this week.  Any time I lay down in bed for the night I feel like I could get sick.  A few nights I've actually had to sit up to give myself some relief.  I should probably just sleep in a recliner, haha!

Extra Notes From the Week: I had my first scheduled NST (non-stress test).  We still heard Mason's arrhythmia but it was still comforting to hear his heart beating away and watch him moving around.  It's also 30 minutes to myself that I was able to read a book and relax!  My mom was nice enough to come watch Carson and he had so much fun with her!  I have another NST next week before I see the doctor.  I pray every day that this arrhythmia isn't anything serious.
Another update: The nursery furniture is assembled and I've finally started on Mason's laundry!  I can't wait to put those tiny newborn outfits in the dresser drawers! 

Even though Carson looks THRILLED, he insisted on being in this picture! :)

DIY Yarn Wrapped Letter

This was an easy project but very tedious...especially for perfectionists like myself!  Please note that my instructions are specifically for a letter 'M'.  If you do another letter, especially one with curves, your process will be a little different!

What You Need:
Yarn
Wooden letter
Tape or hot glue
Optional: paint to match your yarn

How to Make: (scroll down for step by step photos)

1. I was using a dark color of yarn so I decided to paint my letter to match the yarn.  This way if there was any space that was left uncovered, it would be less noticeable!  I spray painted my letter using this handy method.
2. Allow your letter to dry thoroughly.  Unfortunately my spray paint nozzle was faulty so my letter looks a little weird.  No worries though since it's just getting covered!
3. Once your letter is dry, you can start wrapping with yarn.  I wrapped vertically on the "legs" of the M first (see photo below).  To start wrapping I secured a piece of yarn with tape.  You can also use hot glue if you prefer.  When I was done wrapping a section, I would secure the end with tape again.
4. Once you have the legs wrapped vertically, get the edges on the top and bottom of each leg as well as the center "v" portion of your 'M'.
5. Now that you have your first layer, you're ready to start the second layer!  For this layer I wrapped horizontally.  I started at the bottom of each leg and moved up until I hit the corner by the "v".
6. After step 5 I was really intimidated.  I couldn't figure out how to get a first layer onto that middle "v" portion of my 'M'!  I decided to just do one layer there instead.  I started at the bottom of the "v' and wrapped horizontally.  After that I wrapped the upper right and left portions of the "legs" on my 'M' horizontally so that my yarn would have a uniform look.  I think it turned out great!  (Other than resembling the University of Michigan M, gross!)

Nursery Update {Paint!}

We are finally getting settled in our new house and officially have ALL of our belongings moved over from the old house!  My first order of business was obviously trying to unpack and organize as much as possible.  Starting on the nursery was pretty high on my list too.  I've been itching to set up a room for Mason for MONTHS and I also want it for the convenience factor.  I need a place to put all of those freshly laundered tiny newborn outfits!

Since moving in, we purchased a dresser and crib (not assembled yet), and we painted!  (Actually, my amazing mom came over and painted for us!)  She's so meticulous (like me) and does an amazing job!

Here are some before and after pics.  I can't wait to share the next update with you all!

Bumpdate: 34 Weeks

I'll be 35w tomorrow (March 20) but at least I'm just about caught up on these bumpdates.  I'm glad I didn't slack with the photos because I want to do a collage at the end!  I feel like I grew so much from week 33 to 34! 

34 Weeks!
Baby is currently the size of a BUTTERNUT SQUASH!

Next Appointment: I have a non-stress test on Friday 3/21 and another NST as well as a check with the doctor on March 26th.  My doctor will be out so I'll be seeing another doctor in the practice...I'm not sure why that makes me nervous!

Gender: Adding another BOY to our family!  Check out our reveal photo.  

Total Weight Gain: At my appointment on 3/17 I was 34w4d and I was +25 (with my winter boots, grrr)!  My appointment never seems to fall on one of the warm days where I can wear flip flops!

Maternity Clothes: The only non-maternity clothes I wear are PJ's and long tops.  My amazing friend brought over a huge bag of her maternity clothes and I feel like I got a new wardrobe!  :)

Sleep: I shouldn't say this because I don't want to jinx myself but I haven't been waking up to pee in the middle of the night!  Granted, I wake up in the morning feeling like my bladder may explode, but still...it's nice to sleep through the night!

Movement: Movement isn't as frequent anymore but when he moves he makes it known!  Sometimes it can be painful and it almost always looks funny since my belly contorts!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Nothing has sounded very good this week!  I had cereal, a cutie, and hummus for dinner one night.  I don't know why but I could totally live on hummus and fruit.

Best Moment This Week: Carson has been so snuggly (probably from getting new teeth) and in the evenings when we're snuggling and reading bedtime stories he gives Mason "Mah-deh!" a hug and kiss and says "Ny-ny Mah-deh!".  Melts my heart!

What I Miss: I miss having energy!  I feel like everything makes me so tired lately.  I can run upstairs to grab something and by the time I'm back downstairs I'm practically out of breath.  

What I'm Looking Forward To: Even though weekly non-stress tests (see update below in "extra notes") will be kind of a pain, I can't wait to hear Mason's heart beating more often! :)

Symptoms: Mostly my back pain and fatigue.  I've also been having heartburn for a few weeks which I always forget to mention.  Just like when I was pregnant with Carson, it's mostly when I'm laying down in bed.  Everything else is going great! :)

Extra Notes From the Week: I had an appointment on 3/17 at 34w4d.  I had another cervical check and found out I'm now 2cm dilated....eek!  Every time I have a check my doctor says "Ok, I feel the head..." and it always freaks me out.  That makes it all seem so real!  With Carson I was 3cm from weeks 36-39 so I'm hoping Mason can hold out just like his brother!  My blood pressure was higher again and because of that, Dr. G ordered an ultrasound to check Mason's growth.  She also said she wanted me to start coming in for weekly non-stress tests since Carson's heart rate dropped toward the end of my pregnancy last time and Mason's has been sporadic.  (This week on the doppler it was 150-160 and it had been 120-130 the past few appointments.)  A surprise ultrasound is always fun - my last one was at 18w and I wasn't expecting anymore!  The ultrasound went great and Mason was measuring in at an estimated 5lbs 13oz.  Wowza!  We also could already see that he has hair - just like his big brother!  Unfortunately, we couldn't get any good pics because his head is so far down.  Crazy boy, his brother was the same way!  During the ultrasound when we were listening to Mason's heart, we heard it skip a beat a few times.  The ultrasound tech went to speak with the doctor and Dr. G ordered a non-stress test for today.  I assumed this meant I could cancel the one she had wanted me to schedule for Friday so I was excited to save myself a trip.  I sat on the monitor for about 30 minutes while trying to entertain my poor toddler who had been at the doctor for way too long (thank goodness for Sesame Street songs on YouTube, cheez-its from the nurse, and Mommy being silly)!  While on the monitor we heard Mason's heart skipping beats quite a few times.  The nurse also noticed I was having contractions.  [I had contractions with Carson and didn't realize so I wasn't surprised it's happening again!]  They said that Mason has a fetal heart arrhythmia but it's most likely benign.  They will continue monitoring it during my weekly NSTs and they will also closely monitor my contractions (especially since I can't tell when I'm having them).  If Mason's arrhythmia doesn't go away by the time he is born, he may need to get an electrocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).  While on the monitor, his heart rate would go as low as 113 and as high as 170, it was so bizarre.  I'm praying this corrects itself and is nothing, but I won't lie - I'm a little worried for my little man.  One thing that brings me comfort is that his 4-chamber heart looked great in the ultrasounds we have had!  My next NST will be this Friday so I'm hoping it goes smoothly!

Someone was a little sleepy during our photo shoot this week!

Our bodies are pretty amazing!

Bumpdate: 33 Weeks

I hit 33 weeks on March 7th and luckily we found our camera to snap my first bump pics at the new house! 

33 Weeks!
Baby is currently the size of a DURIAN FRUIT!

Next Appointment: St. Patrick's Day!  (March 17th)

Gender: Adding another BOY to our family!  Check out our reveal photo.  

Total Weight Gain: At my last appointment (32w4d) I was +22.  It seems like I'm going to surpass my weight gain from last time.  So much FUN!  ;)

Maternity Clothes: Yes and I'm running out of things to wear!  At the end of my pregnancy with Carson it was warm enough to wear t-shirts and tank tops.  Now it's still too cold for that and I don't have many long sleeve shirts suitable for large and in charge bellies!

Sleep: I fall asleep SO easily which is great!  Once I'm asleep I still do tons of tossing and turning which is just annoying.  I PROMISE if I have a third child I will be buying a pregnancy pillow in my first trimester!  :)

Movement: Mason has been crazy this week!  My belly looks so funny and so many people have been able to see my belly shifting around while Mason practices his karate in there.  I love it, but it does get painful at times when he pushes up into my ribs!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Fruity things!  This past week I had a few smoothies, an arctic freeze slushy thing from Dairy Queen, juice at home, lemonade, fruit leather, and more.  I can't get enough!

Best Moment This Week: Getting moved into our new house!  It was quite the task at 8 months pregnant ...especially when I had strict orders to take it easy and not move anything remotely heavy.  I'm a do-er, not a director so that made it very hard!  I think I did a pretty good job and we're now almost totally moved in!  

What I Miss: I miss bending down easily.  I'm always bending down to get things off the floor (from our move and from Carson) and I feel like I'm an elderly woman when I try to get back up!  I practically have to push off of the floor to give myself some momentum, haha!

What I'm Looking Forward To: I can't wait for my next appointment to hear Mason's heartbeat!  I can't believe I'll be 34 weeks at that point!

Symptoms: I had a few headaches this week but they could have been from stress and/or fatigue.  The move was really hard on me so I'm glad it's (almost) over!  I also had a lot of back pain but I have been wearing my SI belt that my physical therapist recommended and it has helped a ton!

Extra Notes From the Week: We moved into our new house and I survived!  Carson LOVES the house and he already knows where Mason's bedroom is.  :)  It made me so happy to hang up some of the clothing we've received as gifts for Mason and I'm really excited to get out Carson's old newborn clothes and get them washed up for Mr. Mason!  Hopefully I can update with some nursery progress soon, too!

Bumpdate: 32 Weeks

I hit 32 weeks in my pregnancy back on February 27th.  We took the photos on time but I never had time to publish this update with our crazy move!  Watch out for a flood of bumpdates coming your way! :)

32 Weeks!
Baby is currently the size of a SQUASH!

Next Appointment: St. Patrick's Day!  (March 17th)

Gender: Adding another BOY to our family!  Check out our reveal photo.  

Total Weight Gain: I think I'm around +22.  The nurse at my last appointment was horrible and seriously flung the thing over on the scale and flung it back in .25 seconds.  She didn't even wait for it to balance!  They were busy that day so I understand being rushed but come on!

Maternity Clothes: For sure!  Somehow I'm still getting by with non-maternity camis because they're extra long.  Otherwise I'm always in maternity jeans or yoga pants with mostly maternity tops.  

Sleep: Still having trouble getting back to sleep after middle of the night restroom breaks.  I also do a lot of tossing and turning from my back pain but that doesn't seem to disrupt my sleep too much. 

Movement: Lots of movement and lots of sharp jabs this week!  Sometimes I think Mason is trying to bust out of there and then I have to sit down and have a talk with him and tell him we are nowhere near ready even though we're very anxious to meet him!

Food Cravings/Aversions: I could honestly live off hummus, smoothies, cuties, and some occasional cookies or sweet treats.  Oh, and maybe peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on toast, too.

Best Moment This Week: Hearing Mason's heart beating at my appointment again!  This time it was at 135bpm which is much better than the 120bpm we heard last time.  Carson also started to say "brudder" occasionally which is the cutest thing ever!

What I Miss: I miss being able to roll over at night easily.  It's such a production and it makes my back hurt SO bad!

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm SO excited to get started on Mason's nursery!  Now that we're in our new house I love having a place for all of his things!  :)

Symptoms: Still a lot of lower back pain.  Other than that just fatigue.  I crave naps every day but never have time to take them! 

Extra Notes From the Week: I had another appointment this week due to my doctor's schedule.  My blood pressure was high but not too high to be concerning.  My doctor said she doesn't start medication this far into the pregnancy so we need to keep an eye on it to make sure it stays within normal range.  My belly was measuring right on again (32cm) and I'm still 1cm dilated.  My doctor said I'm "thick and high" so that gives me a little comfort at least!  

Hot Cocoa Rice Krispie Treats

Since apparently it will never be spring in Ohio, I figured I would share another "winter-y" recipe.  Anything that involves hot cocoa is good in my book!  These are like hyped up rice krispie treats so just beware...they're addicting!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cocoa krispies
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (10.5oz.) bag of mini marshmallows + 2-3 extra cups 
• 2-3 packets hot cocoa mix (I used the dutch chocolate)
• sheet of parchment paper

How to Make:

1. Spray a 9x11 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large pot over low heat.
3. Once butter is melted, add in your bag of mini marshmallows and packets of hot cocoa.  Stir until marshmallows are melted.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add in your 6 cups of cereal and stir until combined.
6. Now add in about half of your extra marshmallows and stir gently until they are evenly distributed throughout your mixture.
7. Pour your mixture into your prepared baking pan.
8. Spray a piece of parchment paper or wax paper with your nonstick cooking spray and gently push the mixture into your pan, flattening the top.
9. Spread remaining mini marshmallows on top and gently press into the mixture.
10. Let cool for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

**This recipe is slightly modified from original recipe found here.

Who Doesn't Love Free Stuff?!

A while ago, I signed up for two sites to help take surveys and review products.  I love trying new things so I thought it would be fun.  PLUS I get packages in the mail which is always fun...especially when I'm getting the products free to try!  The two sites I belong to are BzzAgent and Influenster.  If you aren't familiar with either, click the links to learn more.  I would only suggest signing up if you have the time to dedicate.  You aren't going to get many products if you aren't willing to take surveys and then share your thoughts on the products (like I'm about to do)!

This past month I got two new products to try from BzzAgent: Fiber One Meal Bars and Tone Body Wash.

These Fiber One Meal Bars really are meal bars.  I'm not the type of person to replace meals with bars (especially while pregnant) but these bars are a really good size and they're actually filling!  I'm not a huge fan of yogurt and fruit bars so I let my husband try the Strawberry Greek Yogurt bars.  He took the box to work and said it made a great breakfast for busy days when he had a morning full of meetings!  Obviously I kept the Chocolate Peanut Butter bars for myself!  Like I said, these bars are filling and they're great for people who are on the go...like Moms!  I always try to keep one in my diaper bag in case we get busy out running errands.  I always pack snacks for Carson in the diaper bag so why not include some for myself as well?!

The next product I was sent from BzzAgent was the Tone body wash.  I've seen this in the store, but to be honest, I never was tempted to stray away from my normal brands.  I'm not super brand loyal, but when I find something I like, it's hard to find a reason to change!  I'm glad I was sent this product to try because now I want to try some of the other scents!  The body wash smells delicious and with ingredients like cocoa butter, it really helps leave my skin feeling moisturized...even during these dry winter months!  Check out some of the other scents here!

Finally, I'm going to share my J'Adore VoxBox from Influenster!  Influenster works with brands and creates themed packages that they ship out to their members to review.  [Please know that not all Influensters are guaranteed a Vox Box!  You have to be active on their site!]  This particular VoxBox had a Valentine's theme which was so fun.  Plus it arrived on my porch ON Valentine's Day....what a fun little surprise!

Here's a look at what came in my VoxBox:

Here's a better look at the products I received complimentary to review.  (Click the links to find product details and descriptions!)

Hershey Kisses: Need I say more?  I already had some of these at home when I received my J'Adore VoxBox and I was excited to get an even bigger bag.  Did you know the Hershey Kisses website has TONS of amazing recipes using their yummy chocolates?  I already pinned quite a few to try!

Red Rose Tea: I'm not a huge tea drinker but how can you resist flavors like Creme Caramel and Lemon Chiffon?!  It's basically dessert in a mug.

John Frieda 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray: I love this product and I'll definitely be buying the full size version when my trial size runs out!  It doesn't have too strong of a scent and it really does help to keep my hair straight.  I usually shower at night which means I sleep on my freshly blow dried hair.  Which means I wake up with crazy kinks and waves.  With this 3-day straight I can blow dry and flat iron at night and basically just do a quick minute touch up in the morning.  Perfect for moms!

Boots Botanic Clay Mask: I'm not typically a face mask type of girl but this was kind of fun to try!  It's like having a fun spa day at home.  You can put the mask on and give yourself a mani or pedi at the same time!  It's a nice pampering feeling and I'm not sure if I was just imagining it, but my skin felt smoother and moisturized afterwards!

Kiss Lashes: I'm a stay at home mom....therefore, I haven't had the chance to wear any false lashes yet.  I'm thinking maybe I need to bust them out for a fancy date night.  6th Anniversary dinner?!  We shall see.  :)

Vaseline Men's Spray Lotion: This stuff is awesome!  I'm super jealous I didn't get a women's version but I'm totally going to buy one now!  Nick isn't a lotion guy but he likes this because it rubs in so easily and doesn't leave you feeling greasy.  I put some on my arm to test it out and it goes on so nice!  It does smell very manly though so I can't get away with stealing it!

What new products have you tried lately?