WE ARE PREGNANT...AGAIN!

Expecting Baby #2

I can't believe we are already expecting our second baby! Our sweet girl was born November 27, 2014. Now we are expecting another little one this summer (2016). We are really excited!!! We wanted our babies close in age. My sister and I are only 19 months apart and I really loved having a built in best friend growing up & even still today. Baby #2 and Elba will be 21 months apart, so pretty close!
I cannot wait to see if we will be having another little girl or diving in to a whole new world with a boy! Either way we are completely thrilled and we couldn't be happier. I hope you all are excited to follow along this go around as I really hope to keep everyone in the loop with updates as I did with Elba. The weekly updates are not as realistic as they were without a baby the first time, so I will probably be doing updates here and there and keeping everyone informed with what is going on this pregnancy!

If you have a preference for anything in specific let me know! I always welcome your suggestions and wanna write about what you want to hear as well as what I feel like sharing!

XO Sydney

Postpartum Update + Things I Did and Didn't Expect

Postpartum Update

Okay, so I have been planning on doing a postpartum update for weeks now and I have gotten around to it slowly. Newborns are so distracting ;) 

I knew mommy-hood would be hard, I just didn't realize how hard it would really be. I know what late nights are...my major in college was a bachelor of science in Biology/Chemistry. I thought to myself,  I know late nights...I mean finals week was hell, how much worse can it be? MUCH WORSE. There is nothing like sleep deprivation from taking care of a newborn. It is mentally and physically exhausting. Nothing can prepare you for the exhaustion you feel. Nothing can prepare you for the pain you feel when your milk comes in. Nothing can prepare you for the pain you feel after a vaginal birth. Nothing can prepare you for the pain you feel when you get a breast infection and breast feed through it. Nothing can prepare you for the frustration and sadness you feel when you think you are doing something wrong. NOTHING.

But...nothing could prepare me for the immense amount of love I would feel for this tiny human. She hasn't even had a conversation with me yet and I feel like I know every part of her. I feel like I am the only one that can really give her what she needs at the end of the day. I am who she looks to in order to survive, and although I may only be her food source right now and her comforter I know she will grow to know me as her momma. I cannot wait for the day when she looks at me and says "momma." 

All of this pain is worth it. I know that once I am past the sleep deprivation, the breast infection, the pain that comes with breast feeding in the beginning and the frustrations with thinking I'm doing it all wrong, I know the struggle will all be worth it in the end.

Here are some things I jotted down throughout my recovery process:

Things I DID expect

I knew I would fall in love with her the moment I met her

I planned to breast feed and expected sometimes that comes with complications

I knew I would have at least some recovering to do after a vaginal delivery

I knew I would want at least SOME help the first few weeks

I knew I would be living in granny panties (hate the word panties) and sweat pants for at least a week

I figured I would have at least SOME sleep deprivation

I have been around infants before, I have younger siblings, I thought I knew exactly what to expect

Things I DID NOT expect

I did not expect the amount of pain I would feel in my vagina after a vaginal delivery...yeah

My tailbone felt like someone took a bat to it for a week straight

Showering during that first week hurts everywhere...

I had night sweats...wake up drenched, night sweats

My hormones are all over the place

I did not expect to ice my vagina even after coming home from the hospital

I did not expect to look down at my vag and see stitches from tearing naturally during birth

I was pleased to put heating pads on my engorged boobs, I did not expect to blister from leaving them on for too long...but I did

I didn't think I would need to take a stool softener for weeks after birth

I wasn't aware of the lack of sleep you actually get, not because baby doesn't sleep, but because I am so concerned by every little sound she makes and I am constantly checking to make sure she is still breathing

CONSTIPATION

When I first began breastfeeding I was so engorged she couldn't latch correctly, my nipples bled for a week straight

I didn't expect to need to use a "nipple shield" during my first week of breast feeding

Breast feeding feels like knives and needles in the beginning and I would bawl through every feeding

I did not think I would get a breast infection

I didn't expect the first round of breast infection antibiotics to not work, only for the infection to get worse...

I did not expect to run a fever for days on and off with my infection...increasing my night sweats

I did not realize the size pads you need to wear for the amount of bleeding after birth

I did not think it would hurt to stand, sit, and sleep

Weight loss did not cross my mind after birth and I thought it would

I didn't anticipate just how much I would need my own mom

There are countless more things I did not expect and there is something new every day. This is a crazy journey and nothing can prepare you for it. No advice can prepare you for what you are going to feel and experience.

She is now my primary concern and my needs come after her needs are met. I sit on the couch some days starving because she is on my boob all day, but her needs have to be met before my own and even though it is frustrating when some days I would really just like to eat my breakfast and shower it comes naturally to care for her first and take care of my needs second. For now, I am just trying to soak up her tiny-ness, appreciate her cuddles and try not to hang myself every time she has a huge poop blow-out in her diaper for the third time that day. I love when she sleeps on my chest and when she smiles in her sleep and when she escapes her swaddle. I just want to try my best every day to bask in the newborn stage because I understand it is fleeting. 

I love you my sweet Elba girl.

Momma will always be here for you.

I am going to be doing more detailed postpartum updates once I am closer to being 6 weeks postpartum and can talk about work outs and diet and my 6 week check up, but I will be doing her monthly updates!

XOXO Sydney

Our Baby Girl is Here!

Okay, so I know that I didn't do pregnancy updates for weeks 39 and 40, but I can't really do an update for week 40 since I went into labor on her exact due date and was only 40 weeks pregnant for less than 24 hours. The 39 week pregnant update will not be happening, mostly because I just was not in the mood. I was so over being pregnant by week 39 that the bump updates were almost starting to get depressing haha.

My Birth Story

When I first got pregnant I was going on blog stalking rampages reading all about other people's pregnancy and how their birth went. I really liked reading the labor and delivery stories because I really had no idea what to expect. I really loved reading the posts all about how some women were in labor for days and didn't know it or just the opposite, their water breaks and they rush off to the hospital. Everyone's pregnancy and delivery experiences are different. I thought I would share mine with everyone, for myself and for my family to remember and for anyone interested! 

Okay, so I had been super upset since week 37 that my little love had yet to arrive! My mom went into labor early with all of her pregnancies so I just assumed that the same would likely happen to me...not the case. I know that she was still baking and staying healthy inside her cozy little home, but the impatient side of me wanted to meet my baby girl. I felt like I had been pregnant my entire life and by the end of pregnancy, every day begins to feel like the longest day of your life. You are anxious and excited and just want to meet the little human you have been growing for over 9 months. Everyone started having their babies and I was discouraged and bummed that I had not yet met mine because I thought I would have to be induced. I had read tons of first time mommies needing to be induced and my pregnancy hormones took charge every day that she didn't come and I would cry thinking I wouldn't go into labor on my own. I wanted to experience the Oh my gosh this is it moment when you realize you are just hours away from meeting your little baby. Well, each week passed and eventually I began to accept she would come when she is ready. Despite many efforts to try and get her here on my own. PS...castor oil is a lie. Everyone told me it wouldn't work, so naturally I took nobody's advice and tried it anyway. It didn't work and I spent a great deal of time in the bathroom. Of course, I am the most brilliant person on the planet and chose to drink castor oil hours after having Zack make me a Cayenne Pepper water bottle drink. So I downed the spicy cayenne pepper drink & then thought, oh hey, let's go get some castor oil? I am an idiot. This castor oil fiasco was all during week 38 I believe. I gave up all efforts during week 39 except sex and walking & even those things didn't work. By the end of week 39 I was over it and just excited for Thanksgiving. 

My mom's boyfriend is an amazing cook and had planned our Thanksgiving dinner weeks in advance. I was excited to spend time with family and just eat and be around people I loved. Zack's parents were planning on coming over and sharing the holiday with my family and we were all going to stuff our faces. So the night before Thanksgiving, the 26th, my mom and I went and got our nails done after Zack and I helped her at her store for most of the afternoon...we went to get our nails done pretty late in the evening, around 6:30PM and Zack went over to my mom's to hang out with my brother and my mom's boyfriend while my mom and I did our nails and some last minute Thanksgiving shopping. The man who did my nails was a complete asshole & thought I was going to go into labor right then and there. He was disgusted by the fact that I was basically 40 weeks pregnant and getting my nails done. I think he thought my water was going to break right there haha. So we finished our nails, ran to pier 1, and then ran back to my mom's house to set the table for Thanksgiving. Zack and I finished up helping my mom set the table while her boyfriend started on the food. Zack and I went home and went to bed immediately. 

We woke up on Thanksgiving morning hanky pankied and hung out in bed before getting up and getting ready for the day (sorry I have to be honest for memories sake haha, who knows if that helped jump start labor). We got up, Zack let our dog out to go to the bathroom and while he was taking him out I slowly started feeling like I had period cramps. I ignored them and figured it was just braxton hicks which happens after sex and walking and tried ignoring it...I mean who really goes into labor on their due date...? I tried making coffee and would have to stop every five minutes and hold my stomach for about 30 seconds because the cramping was so bad. I was still in denial, but after this happened for about 25 minutes I texted my mom. She said, I think you're going into labor. I was in denial, I had big plans to eat that day and definitely didn't think she would show up on her due date. So my mom texted my doctor as I went on a walk with Zack and our pup to see if the contractions subsided. They didn't and they were about 2-3 minutes apart lasting about 45 seconds. I had showered before the walk, came back to the house...put on a little make-up to try and buy time and see if they subsided and they didn't. My doctor suggested we go to the hospital. Zack and I brought our dog over to my moms and by this point I was not even able to breathe during the contractions and I felt terrible back pain. We drove up to the hospital and I was checked for dilation. I was still only 2-3 cm, which was no different from my last doctor's visit that Monday. They gave me a gown to walk around the hospital for a bit to get thing progressing. Well I didn't do any high speed walking and even walking slowly was too painful so I ate in the cafeteria really quickly, as much as I could stomach and walked around a bit more with Zack and my mom and then went to get checked for dilation again. At this point, I almost felt my contractions were coming on less frequent and I felt I would be sent home. Turned out I was still only 2-3 cm dilated and so I was sent home. There was some traffic because it was Thanksgiving so it took us around 20-25 minutes to get home. I was home for 5 minutes and in the downward dog position on the couch to try to get her to flip her back away from my back. I was having back labor because she was posterior and every contraction made me feel like throwing up. After about 5 minutes in this position and sitting on the couch with Zack...we heard a pop and then I felt like I started my period. MY WATER BROKE! Then the pain got serious. I felt like my tailbone was going to fall off. I was bawling! Zack ran upstairs to grab my mom and we got ready to go back to the hospital. I was so bummed because I thought I would definitely go into labor within the next 24 hours, but I thought I'd get some Thanksgving dinner first haha! 

We got to the hospital and I was crying. My contractions were much stronger and the back labor was MURDERING me. I was bummed about that because I spent my entire pregnancy getting her into the correct position to avoid back labor, looks like it didn't work! They admitted me again, saw I was in pain and put me straight into the labor and delivery room. They tested to see if the fluid was my water that broke and it had been. I was in a trance at this stage. My eyes were closed for the next two hours as I was trying to get in a position that didn't hurt. This was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. For anyone who said they are like bad period cramps must've not had back labor. I finally chose a rocking chair to sit in and would rock back and forth and I didn't scream or freeze up during my contractions I would just breathe super heavily and try to think about breathing instead. I took Bradley classes so I did not get the breathing training that some moms get, but it came naturally at the time...so I don't think you really need breathing training! 

Throughout my entire pregnancy I always said whatever happens, happens. Of course I had certain concerns like, obviously I didn't want an Internal fetal monitor and like many moms I wanted to make sure I could avoid a C-section. I know life happens and I didn't want to be too dead set on anything. I knew I wanted a vaginal birth and I wanted to experience labor, but I was more than open to getting an epidural throughout my whole pregnancy. 

After about 2-2.5 hours of laboring in pain in the rocking chair I couldn't do it anymore. I was exhausted and crying and in so much pain. I wanted an epidural. I got the epidural and felt like a new person. I was still able to move my legs and I had a button to push with the option of adding more pain killers to the medication. I never touched the button because I didn't want to be drugged out, I just wanted some back relief. I was still able to feel contractions and knew when I was having them...I just wasn't in excruciating pain anymore. I wouldn't trade the decision I made to get an epidural for anything. I was able to move my legs, feel contractions, everything. I was so happy I chose to do it. 

During labor I had been checked pretty early on and had dilated to 4cm. They checked me late at night, I don't remember what time and I remember them saying okay you're 10cm. I was like WHAT?!?! Really?!?! Shortly after we got everything set up to start pushing and I only pushed for about 20-25 minutes and she was here. I was looking at the clock in between every push trying to make it before midnight...if I was gonna go into labor on my due date I wanted to have her on my due date! 

Elba Rose Sedillo

Born November 27, 2014

at 11:52PM

weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces

measuring 18 1/2 inches long

Our perfect daughter

38 Weeks Pregnant Picture

38 Weeks Pregnant Update

How far along: I am 38 weeks and 1 & 2 days pregnant in the pictures.

Symptoms: Symptoms haven't changed too much other than I am extremely irritable and ready for this baby to be out. It is really difficult to fall asleep at night with this large of a belly. It is hard to tie shoes, shave my legs, pick anything up, I think at this point many women become "done" with pregnancy. I am extremely anxious to see my baby girl and would really appreciate if my body would get that message!

Cravings: Nope

Aversions: Nope

Wedding rings: Zack still advises I do not put them on, just in case I swell more or need an IV in the hospital pumping even more fluids....so for now I am sadly not wearing my rings.

Sleep: I have been sleeping longer in the mornings. I would usually get up at 5 and not be able to fall back asleep so I would just be awake. Now, I have been able to sleep in until 8 or 9 some mornings. Falling asleep is a little more difficult with this belly though. Naps haven't been happening, but I can only count a handful of times I even took a nap during this pregnancy. I would rather go to bed earlier rather than nap.

Excited for: going into labor....I know I am going to likely go back on that comment once the pain hits ;)

Missing: I am missing my old body...I can't even remember what it is like to slip on a pair of jeans and a shirt and not feel huge. I know that I am going to miss my pregnant body and all of her little movements...but after being pregnant for nine months and not being able to work out normally, or wear hardly anything in my closet, or leave the house without having to pee every five seconds you get kinda fed up towards the end. I know I am going to want more little ones and I know that I am going to miss being pregnant with my first baby girl, so I am trying to enjoy the last few days/weeks I have with just her and I :)

Movement: She has definitely slowed her movements, I think since she has finally gained weight her movements have slowed because she is much much chunkier! She has her crazy movement spurts randomly throughout the day still, but it isn't constant like before!

Dr. update: She is still much heavier and chunkier...sadly that only happened because my doctor told me I needed to up my calorie intake which definitely made her gain more weight. In the ultra sound we did she was so chubby in her cheeks. She was at risk of a few issues if she were born at her lower weight so getting her weight higher helps and makes me feel much better. I can lose the weight I gained easier than she would've been able to handle the NICU so I have been feeling much better and less stressed knowing that she is happy and healthy in there and that she is not at risk for being put in the NICU right after birth. I am 2 cm and 80% effaced according to my doctor as of Monday. 

Exercise: I still have not been given the okay to start charging the workouts, but I can't anyways with this huge belly. My exercise has consisted of moving everything into our new place, organizing and being on my feet all day. At night, Zack and I will walk our pup for a while and make sure he is exercised too, especially in case baby comes and he doesn't get out for a good walk for a day or two. So basically unpacking, organizing, running errands and long walks!

Stretch marks: Nope just the boob ones, which like I said was expected considering how big they were to begin with....I am scared for when my milk comes in. They hardly look big anymore in comparison to my belly, but once this belly is gone & my milk comes in....that will be a whole other story.

Swelling: Just a bit! I knew it would happen, it was just a matter of when! I don't think anyone would notice other than the people that are around me most and know how skinny my hands are normally & know what my feet look like normally. My rings do fit, but I wouldn't say that they "slip" on...so I have swelling in my hands as if I ate a really big sushi dinner the night before...northing too bad! My face is definitely more swollen and fuller than it was a couple of weeks ago! 

Maternity clothes: Still no maternity clothes purchased, I have just been living in my BLANQI leggings!!! I seriously don't have any interest in wearing anything else. I will definitely be looking into the postpartum wear!

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks...uhm, pressure? Who knows really...I feel like she is never coming out.

What I am loving: Having everything finally organized and ready. She can come now, we are ready for you little one!

Best moment of this week: Getting everything situated in our place and finally put away. It felt like a really long move, with Zack working and 2 doctor appointments a week. Things just progressed slower and it took about a full week to move in completely. So finally we are in and cozy. The best moment at the doctors this week is knowing she is much healthier weight wise than she was a few weeks ago.

XOXO Sydney 

37 Weeks Pregnant Picture

37 Weeks Pregnant Update: Full Term

How far along: I am 37 weeks and 5 days/6 days pregnant in the pictures!

Symptoms: Heartburn every now and then, nothing too bad lately since baby has dropped; Boobs hurt every now and then and still leaking; Losing more of mucus plug (yum); Exhausted lately; Nesting like a crazy person; Feeling "ready" but also anxious that we aren't ready; Back pain every now and then; Cramping every now and then; Weird tendon pain in my inner thigh when she moves around, it only happens in my left thigh; Peeing all of the time; Pressure down low; Her movements still kind of hurt; Forgetful still and I am sure there are a million other symptoms I am just not recalling right now

Cravings: Nope

Aversions: No not really!

Wedding rings: Zack made me take them off this week just in case. I am starting to swell a bit more and he doesn't want me to be in pain or have to worry about suddenly blowing up like a balloon and having to cut them off, so for now they are sitting in a pretty little dish just in case ;)

Sleep: Not really...and it feels really weird sleeping in a queen sized bed now. Zack and I always slept in a full sized bed ever since we were married, but we upgraded when we moved to our new place and now I feel like he isn't even in bed with me at night. I wake up and make him scoot closer to me so I think for that reason I haven't been sleeping as well. Normally I fall asleep holding him but he feels miles away in those few extra inches haha. However, I also haven't been sleeping much because I am just feeling super anxious and feeling like there is always something that needs to be done. I feel very awake when I get up to the use the bathroom at night. I was sleeping well last week, but this week I just want to be awake all night and asleep all day.

Excited for: FINALLY MEETING THIS BABY. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN PREGNANT FOREVER.

Missing: I am not really missing anything right now other than my old body. After being pregnant for most of the year you hit a point where you are like, 'okay I'm done'. I know I am going to miss this bump when she is here, but all I can think about right now is how badly I want her here so it is hard to appreciate all her little punches and movements when I am just wanting to see her little face!

Movement: The movements have definitely calmed down now. She is slowing, but she has crazy movement outbursts throughout the day. She is lodging under my rib every now and then still, but nothing too uncomfortable since she dropped lower. I feel like I can breathe a bit now. 

Dr. update: She has gained weight finally and is at a safe weight to be delivered! Looks like bed rest and carboloading helped. He was way less concerned this doctors visit considering she is now in the 6 pound range where before she was less than 5 pounds. The doctor still wants to be seeing me for non-stress tests twice a week to make sure she is safe and doing well. I had an exam and I am 2cm dilated. This doesn't really mean anything other than I dilate. My mom never dilated so there was some concern on her part there, but good news is that I do! Woo! Oh and she has tons of hair apparently!

Exercise: Running errands, moving into our new place and taking our dog on nightly walks is the only exercise I have been doing. I haven't really stuck to bed rest...I've just been taking it significantly easier on the exercise and allowing her to gain the weight that she needs to. 

Stretch marks: Nope

Swelling: Yes, I am now having some swelling in my hands and a little in my feet. You can still see bones and tendons, but for me it is noticeable...My mom and I got our nails done today and she noticed my feet had some swelling for the first time also. Welcome to the last few weeks!

Maternity clothes: Haven't purchased any maternity clothes. The only maternity clothes I have now worn are the BLANQI leggings that were sent to me and the BLANQI top that was sent to me. Other than that I am still living in what I already own and hoping I don't have to test the limits of my clothes much longer. 

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks have subsided since I have been taking it easier with the exercise. I was having pre labor signs last few weeks and the second I hit full term...NOTHING. I mean NOTHING. After my cervical exam I had some light spotting/losing mucus plug, but other than that I haven't had a single labor sign. I will get a noticeable BH contraction a few times a day, but nothing near what I was experiencing last week or so. I am kinda bummed by that and really wishing there were some signs of her arrival day approaching, but sadly there are not. 

What I am loving: Finally being in our place and getting settled here. I have decorated for Christmas and everything feels like it is slowly coming together. 

Best moment of this week: Decorating for Christmas and getting settled in our place. That is kinda why the pictures this week are lacking! I didn't have time to set aside a moment to really document the 37th week in pictures, but hopefully I won't have to do too many more of these pregnancy updates. I am 38 weeks tomorrow so I am really hoping she shows her face soon!

XOXO Sydney

BLANQI: High Performance Support

BLANQI 

Okay, so I was sent a few goodies to share with all you mommies out there and all you mommies-to-be, like myself.  I was sent two BLANQI products to share with you all and I am so excited to help get the brand out there. 

Back track a few months ago in the summer I looked into this brand, I found them online at Nordstrom when I was interested in purchasing some maternity leggings for winter. I never ended up purchasing any, but that's because I was making due with the clothes that I had until it became necessary....well it never became necessary, so I never made the purchase. However, they contacted me and I recalled the brand name from when I was searching back in the summer and of course I was all in! I wanted to share this brand with all of you because I don't think I have ever been in such a good mood this entire pregnancy until I put these clothes on. Clothes that fit your body right make a huge difference. I was so bored of maxi skirts and sweat pants that when I received the package from BLANQI I immediately put the clothes on. I have been pretty home bound this pregnancy just because it has been so hot and miserable outside that the one day I need comfy leggings, I HAD THEM! Zack even said "let's do something for dinner tonight" and he was shocked when I agreed to going out to dinner. I have been so uncomfortable and annoyed with my wardrobe choice that getting cute and going out hasn't seemed that fun nor easy. Tonight I wore my BLANQI maternity leggings out to dinner with some boots and a giant sweater and I felt so comfortable! I felt like I was wearing pajamas. I was in such a good mood. These leggings are miracle workers. They don't tug, the don't squish and they don't cut off breathing supply, who knew maternity leggings could be so comfy and breathable!!!

I am big on over sized sweaters and these leggings are perfect to pair with a cute pair of boots and a giant sweater to keep you warm now that the weather is cooling down. 

This brand has everything! Not just maternity wear. They have everyday wear and also postpartum wear! I am definitely interested in the postpartum leggings and think I will have to look into getting a pair!

The other product was the "Bumped" tunic in baby pink. THE SOFTEST MATERIAL EVER. 

It is also a super cute pregnancy shirt for those mommas wanting to show off their bump! Or even for those awkward first three months of pregnancy where people aren't sure if you have just been chowing down on all the food in sight or if you're pregnant! I thought this shirt was so cute and loved the baby pink considering I am expecting my little girl any day now! This shirt might just have to stick with me even after she arrives ;)

Definitely check out their products on their website (LINK BELOW)!

USE MY PERSONAL PROMO CODE FOR MY FOLLOWERS FOR 20% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE: enter B114 at checkout!

BLANQI

I am obsessing over the "coming soon" products and I will definitely keep my eyes on those products!

The two products I am wearing are listed below with a link!

BUMPED TUNIC TEE

MATERNITY SUPPORT LEGGINGS

You can also find them on INSTAGRAM

I wanna stock up on all of their soft pieces! You will not regret it! I absolutely love everything about this brand/company! 

XOXO Sydney 

36 Weeks Pregnant Picture

36 Weeks Pregnant Update

How far along: I am 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant in the pictures!

Symptoms: Heartburn; Peeing; A lot of pressure down low!!! I mean A LOT, to the point where she pushes so hard down there that I have to stop walking; I have a lot of energy to begin nesting and I have had this weird compelling energy to organize and nest for about 2 weeks now; Boobs hurt on and off; Boobs leaking; Possibly losing mucous plug slowly since last week or so I believe; I feel like she has dropped quite a bit, because I am peeing constantly again; Sleeping a little bit better at night but still getting up pretty early in the morning with insomnia! BRAXTON HICKS; PAIN IN BACK AND LEGS!

Cravings: Nope

Aversions: No not really!

Wedding rings: On

Sleep: I have been sleeping a little better, so it seems. It could be that she has possibly dropped lower and that gives me a bit more breathing room!

Excited for: Meeting her! & we move into our new place tomorrow! YAY!

Missing: Cold weather. We had a few teaser days this weekend where it was "freezing" and I just loved being bundled up and cozy! I am missing wearing all of my clothes that fit. I feel like I am confined to one wardrobe and I really do not have any intention of buying any maternity clothes this late in the game so it would be nice to get back into some of my old clothes!

Movement: Oh yeah, she is definitely practicing torpedo-ing outta there too. Random sharp jolts of her head stabbing my cervix has been quite pleasant this week...

Dr. update: Continuing to do non-stress tests and everything is going fine. She is healthy and I am healthy. Placenta is normal for this stage of pregnancy and everything is working well. I am just sticking to "laying low" instead of working out like my doctor asked. He is not worried about her size so much that he just wants to be cautious and make sure she is as fat as she can be before she is born! Babies lose some weight after being born so he wants to make sure there is some room for her to do so!

Exercise: Nope. Other than running errands I have been asked to stop exercising so she can gain weight.

Stretch marks: Nope

Swelling: Nope nothing noticeable in hands or feet, I am sure there is some swelling, but nothing to complain about!

Maternity clothes: Nope and I am thinking I am gonna be opting out of them, I do not see myself getting any seeing that she can be born at anytime now.

Labor signs: Tons of Braxton Hicks, I was actually having them fairly close together and so I had a glass of wine and took an epsom salt bath to try and relax so that I wouldn't trigger any more contractions. They were extremely strong and painful and some of them made me want to cry! I think that there is a chance maybe my body is just practicing for the real deal right now with all of this early labor shenanigans! 

What I am loving: I am loving getting ready to get into our new place. We will be able to organize all of her stuff from the shower, get her crib set up and I can actually get a good nights sleep and I am just excited for all of this change! It is happening so quickly. Hopefully it makes time fly so I feel like she will be here sooner!

Best moment of this week: Definitely getting stuff for our new place, it has been a long haul and a summer of house hopping between parents houses and it will be nice to start nesting and getting prepared. I am slowly feeling more and more prepared. Zack, my mom and I just went to a hospital tour tonight and bailed early after we filled out the paper work for the hospital so I won't have to do it when I am in labor. Just getting little things like that accomplished make my week and make me feel like we are one step closer to being prepared to welcome home our sweet girl!

XOXO Sydney