21 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the size of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain: 12 pounds. I am trying hard not to eat everything in site.  But I am not having much luck.

Maternity clothes? I wear matetnity leggings for work pretty much every day.  Wearing maternity dresses and tops more too.  I was asked at a show where I got my cute dress. I happily told them in the maternity section :)

Stretch marks?  No new ones

Sleep:  I sleep quite well in hotels....especially when I surround myself with tons of pillows

Best moment this week: Nolan gets the hiccups now...I think and it feels so weird

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back and diet coke

Movement:  Nolan is moving more and more. I feel him at least once a day now.

Food cravings:  M and Ms...plain and peanut, hamburgers

Anything making you queasy or sick:  not this week

Gender prediction: Boy

Labor Signs:  Well I did have a little bit of a scare on Saturday.  I was feeling a strong pressure in my lower abdomen, like Nolan was pressing down on me.  It happened a few times as I worked at Ann Taylor and then again at home when I was cleaning up the kitchen. J googled my symptoms and thought I was in premature labor and made me call my exchange.  They called back within 5 minutes and said to drink more water, put my feet up and watch the game.  So far so good now.

Symptoms:  belly starting to pop out.

Belly Button in or out?  In.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy but very easily stressed with work

Looking forward to: BBQ with our church and a work trip to Fayetteville

Next appointment:  October 28

Apple Picking

This post is a week late, but I wanted to blog about it.  Ever since I moved to St. Louis, I have wanted to go apple picking in the fall. For one reason or another, I have never seemed to get it organized to go before the season was over.  This year, I was bound and determined to go to Eckert's and pick apples with my family.  I guess I just want to make some memories for P with our side of the family that doesn't include boating and video games.  With baseball all September, I picked last sunday as the day for apple picking.  It was nearing the end of the season, so if we wanted to take P it was now or never. Luckily, it was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.  We took the Grafton ferry across the river into Illinois and had lunch by the river at the Loading Dock.

I thought Eckert's would be a zoo of people, but I was very impressed with how organized it was.  There are 3 Eckert locations in the St. Louis area. I happen to pick this location because it was the only one that day to have 3 different kinds of apples available to be picked, golden delicious, granny smith, and fuji.   You wait in line to hitch a ride into the orchard on a trailer pulled by a tractor.  Our first stop was for golden delicious and my boys wasted no time in sampling the apples.  This was also the stop to pick out our pumpkin. J had P running all over the patch examining different pumpkins for just the right ones.  They picked out 2 huge pumpkins.  We then caught another ride to the next stop for granny smith and fuji apples.  Of course we had to try each of those kinds as well.  They were so good.

When you are done your apples and pumpkins get weighed. We had over 20 pounds of apples, J's pumpkin as 21 pounds and P's was 19.5 pounds.  I made a delicious apple crisp that night and we are eating apples left and right.  I don't mind however, I was already eating at least one apple a day....love them with peanut butter!

20 Weeks

How far along? 20 weeks

Total weight gain: 10 pounds. I have not been able to fit in a work out as much as I'd like and I am feeling it. 

Maternity clothes? I had tried on dresses in my closet just a few weeks ago to wear for some vendor shows this week.  I was happy that I had some that still looked great....until I re tried them on this week.  Umm....not so much.  I am just wearing more and more maternity.

Stretch marks?  No new ones

Sleep:  I sleep quite well in hotels....especially when I surround myself with tons of pillows

Best moment this week: `Feeling Nolan move more and more.

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back and diet coke

Movement:  Nolan is moving more and more...but I do not feel him everyday.

Food cravings:  M and Ms...plain and peanut

Anything making you queasy or sick:   Sauerkraut.....nearly vomited at Oktoberfest show when the smell got super strong.

Gender prediction: Boy

Labor Signs:  None.

Symptoms:  belly starting to pop out.

Belly Button in or out?  In.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy but very easily stressed with work

Looking forward to: Apple picking and Peyton's birthday 

Next appointment:  October 28

19 Weeks....playing catch up

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain: pounds...yet still not much of a baby bump..  

Maternity clothes? I am still able to wear a lot of my normal clothesi, however, I find maternity just plain more comfortable.

Stretch marks?  No new ones

Sleep:  This was a better sleep week.  I think I am just so tired that I am able to sleep through the night, well with the exception of having to use the bathroom at least once in the middle of the night.

Best moment this week: Having my Mama and sister come into town to help decorate the house and work on some baby Blair stuff.  I just love having my family around.  We also had our gender reveal dinner with J's parents and siblings. It was super fun to finally let them in our huge news!

Miss Anything? Diet coke, some of my cuter clothes, shopping at Ann Taylor!

Movement:  I am pretty sure I am feeling the baby move more and more. Nothing major, but more than just bubbles.

Food cravings:  Sweets.  Wings.  Pizza. Food. Cake. Food.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I have been so lucky....nothing.

Gender prediction: Not a prediction anymore.....BOY

Labor Signs:  No, thank you.

Symptoms:  Constantly in the bathroom. Hungry all the time.  .

Belly Button in or out?  In.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy and relieved that baby is healthy and that we announced it was a boy!!!

Looking forward to:  Figuring out a cute boy clothing style....and what Nolan Patrick's going to be like!

Next appointment:  October 28

Wrapped gender specific items

At Calecio's before the reveal with my Mama

It's another brother for Peyton!

Nolan Patrick is going to be styling and profiling

Mama's had this onesie for years

A duck from Aunt Allison

18 weeks

I know I need to do a lot of updating on Baby Blair. J and and I are so excited to welcome this baby into the world at the beginning of March. We were definitely trying to get pregnant.  I just didn't think it would happen so fast on Clomid.  I only had to take 2 months worth and of course I was doing all of the basal body temperature and ovulation testing.  So much to my surprise, come the end of June and I get the positive pregnancy test.  I didn't think I was pregnant, but needed to test in order to start the next round of Clomid.  I didn't want to waste my expensive Clear Blue Easy digital tests, so I took one of the cheap ones I had.  As I was sitting there, I saw a faint second pink line.  I walked out of the bathroom and held the stick up to J and asked him if he saw a second pink line or was I just crazy.  The test kit said any second pink line was a positive.  Well, I needed a second opinion, so I downed a bottle of water and broke out the expensive digital tests and got the "pregnant" result.  I was so excited and yet instantly nervous all at once.

I will do flash backs still but want to update on the now!  I am 18 weeks into my pregnancy.  The Baby Center says my baby from head to rump is about 5 1/2 inches long and weight about 7 oz, about the size of a bell pepper.  Mine at my appointment yesterday is coming in around 8 oz.

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain: 9 pounds.  I was holding steady at 5 pounds until 2 weeks ago and all of a sudden the pounds have started coming on.  My doctor says I am fine and is not concerned.  

Maternity clothes? I am still able to wear a lot of my normal clothes, especially since I don't like dress pants any ways. My jeans are tight, and even my fat jeans which seem fine standing up, hurt when I sit.  I do have some maternity clothes...the leggings are fabulous!

Stretch marks?  No new ones

Sleep:  I have trouble getting comfortable. I also seem to wake up multiple times in the night to go to the bathroom.  And it seems that once I am up, I have a hard time falling back asleep.

Best moment this week: Besides finding out the sex of Baby Blair and seeing the baby move on the ultrasound all healthy, seeing my great friends in Fayetteville, ,AR and a fun time at the football game.

Miss Anything? Sleeping through the night.  Beer. More diet coke

Movement:  I am pretty sure I am starting to feel the "bubbles" so hopefully more and more will come.  If the movement on my ultrasound is any indication, this baby is going to beat me up from the inside out.

Food cravings:  Sweets.  Wings.  Pizza

Anything making you queasy or sick: 

Gender prediction: Not a prediction anymore.....

Labor Signs:  No, thank you.

Symptoms:  Constantly in the bathroom. Hungry all the time.  .

Belly Button in or out?  In.

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy and relieved that baby is healthy

Looking forward to:  Mom and Sister are coming to help with the Baby's room next week.

Next appointment:  October 28

It is hard to describe just how in love I am with this Baby.  I can not wait to meet them.  I am in love with this little nose and profile.  

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