10 Weeks Til DD-Day

And by DD-Day I mean Due-Date Day.  I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has gone by.  Let's be real though- that first trimester was a BITCH!  I barely survived it and I still think it's really unfair that Kate Middleton can be hospitalized for being a princess while all of us common folk have to suffer at home.  I still would have taken an IV and a hospital bed to this day.  I know that one day I will forget a lot about the pain of pregnancy but that part I will NEVER forget!  Even Darius vouches for me when telling people about how awful those first 16 weeks were.  SIX.TEEN.WEEKS.

But holy shit, fast forward and here we are! 10 weeks away from baby!  Today I had my 30 week appointment and the doctor assured us that everything was going well!  She believes that he is head down and he is growing to date.  I got my whopping cough vaccine and I am starting to feel ready to go.  I don't have anxiety yet about labor itself but I HAVE become one of those pregnant ladies that is getting anxiety about WHERE labor will start.  As of right now, I am scheduled to return to work at a strong 38 weeks pregnant.  WTF?!  When school actually begins, I will be 39 weeks pregnant.  That's really pushing it.  I am glad I have a wheely chair in my classroom that I can just scoot around on because let's be real, that's all that is happening. (Let's not even discuss that I don't have a long-term sub --- more to come on that in the near future).

Last Saturday my mom and my best friend threw me an amazing baby shower.  It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more.  From the decor to the food to the cake to the games - it was so incredibly beautiful.  What was most important to me was having everyone there that mattered to me.  I feel I have finally hit a point in my life where I now have the group of friends I have always wanted.  It was such a wonderful feeling to have so much support in welcoming our baby.

OH - IN OTHER NEWS - the name has been announced!  We have known his name for a while now but I never felt like publicly/socially sharing because I'm not in the mood for the gossip or negative talk.  If you don't like my child's name, I really don't care.  Do I hope people like it? Yes, of course.  But Darius and I have been using this name for a while now and it just feels right.  And besides, Emily and my mom like it and that's all that really matters.  So baby Cross will be: Lincoln Alexander Cross.  Alexander is Darius' middle name and that just felt right.  I am a firm believer in some part of the name being family related. We went through every male first, middle, last name in our family and Alexander was the one that really fit.  As for Lincoln... it just came up!  We both loved it and the rest is history!

Here are some photos from Lincoln's shower -- enjoy!

How far along? 30 weeks!!!

Maternity clothes? Anything which stretches, I will be wearing.
Stretch marks? NO!  Keeping my fingers crossed!
Sleep: I have been sleeping a lot better lately.  I went through a phase when hitting the third tri where I was sweating a lot at night and it would wake me up.  Now, I'm back to normal.  I just get up a lot to pee which is annoying - per usual.
Best moment(s) this week: My gorgeous baby shower!  It was so fun to celebrate Lincoln with my favorite friends and family!
Miss Anything? I want my favorite Jersey Mike's sub and the biggest mimosa in the world!
Movement: He;s moving all the time now!  Some movements are kind of painful or weird feeling, but it's all good!
Food cravings: Anything salty and soft serve ice cream.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Foods with red sauces give me horrible heartburn! 
Gender: Having dreams it's a girl so I am hoping he's a boy hahaha!
Labor Signs: None!
Symptoms: Rib cage expanding = pain, baby being head down = pelvic pain, random headaches, exhaustion, bending down = feeling like I have to throw up, out of breath, swelling in hands and feet and knees, expanding belly, huge thighs, horrible heartburn, peeing constantly.
Belly Button in or out? In - I don't think we will be an outtie!
Wedding rings on or off? Yeahhhh, we stopped wearing those about 2-3 weeks ago.  Out of no where they wouldn't even go past my knuckle.  This makes me very sad.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Generally happy!  Maybe a little moody here and there waiting on the nursery to be finished painting so I can finally decorate it.  That was a jab at my husband.
Looking forward to: Our first year anniversary is next Saturday and this will equally be our babymoon!  Can't wait to celebrate!

All of the Updates

IT HAS BEEN FOREVER.  I will be, like, driving in my car on the way home from work and be thinking "Gosh, I really need to update my blog.  People actually like it."  And then - naps.  Let's not forget to mention the abundance of times I find myself stumbling across Pottery Barn Kids because their bedding is a must.

So, since my last update A TON OF SHIT HAS HAPPENED.  Let's begin:

1. We found out the gender - and baby Cross is a ... BOY!  I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT!  I could have cared less what the baby was, I just wanted healthy, but it is pretty crazy seeing mama instincts thrown into action.   Let's recap how this day went:
First- they make you wait until the end to determine what the gender is.  #torture
Two- I had to drink a crap ton of apple juice in order to get little Mr. to move and switch positions
Three- an hour ultrasound results in having to pee at least three times.
Four- It is the most exciting, most beautiful appointment EVER.  Getting to see so much in detail of our boy is just so, so cool!!!!

From week 20-23, everything has been going well.  I did have a breakdown at one point because I stopped feeling him move around so much.  I am just so happy we have our at home monitor.  People thin I am crazy and I give no fucks about that.  You go through a loss and have to wait four long weeks to just hear a heartbeat.  No thanks.  I'll get the monitor.

I've been feeling a lot better lately too.  I am happy my appetite has kicked back in.  But, there is NO eating for two here.  Each time I make attempts to overeat or am just thinking I am so hungry, I end up puking.  I actually think that I eat less now then I did before.  Pregnancy is beautiful.  Let's not forget the other day when I was just casually brushing my teeth and projectile vomited all over the sink.  Like, couldn't even make it to the toilet 2 feet away.  Nope.  That was nice.

As of my appointment today, it has been confirmed that I am a suffer of.... sciatica.  Ahhh.. if you are unsure what this is, hashtag yourself as #blessed.  Let me explain this:

Your baby is growing which means your uterus is growing so your uterus is putting pressure on nerves especially a group of nerves called the sciatic nerve which runs through your butt and down your leg and yes it's so lovely when your uterus is putting pressure on that and it gives you throbbing pain in said butt cheek for however long it likes.

That, my friends, is sciatica.  How to resolve this issue: MASSAGE. BRING. IT. ON.

Okay, so I am having a huge dilemma.  I REALLY want to share the name of our boy publicly, but so many people are against it.  And, there are so many August babies coming up and like none of them have shared their name and I'm trying to figure out if it's a competition thing - like who can hold out the longest - or maybe they're afraid someone will "steal" their name???  I don't know but I am looking for opinions on whether the name should be announced or not!  Give me your opinion in the comments!

Also - Mother's Day was so beautiful.  I honestly didn't expect to be recognized considering many believe you have to have the child in your physical hands for it to count.  But, it was nice.  Darius surprised me with the sweetest card ever - like I bawled crying.  He had full intentions of celebrating the day with me, but I had plans with my mom.  We went to lunch and then... AND THEN...

WE WENT BABY CLOTHES SHOPPING! IT WAS AWESOME!  I have been waiting my entire life for this moment with my mom and it was so, so fun!  We bought so many cute little outfits for all ages and I cannot wait to begin to wash and organize them!  BRING ON THE OCD!

24 Weeks - Barefoot and Pregnant.

Now, for the "weekly" (since I suck) update:

How far along? 24 weeks

Maternity clothes? Yesssss... mostly all maxi dresses!
Stretch marks? I'm just gonna keep using my lotion... no problems yet.
Sleep: So Darius bought me a snoogle (google it) and it has been amazing!  Like, it's basically having a third person in bed that is strictly for snuggling.  I love it so much.  I sleep like a.... baby.
Best moment(s) this week: Mother's Day was pretty awesome :)
Miss Anything? As the weather becomes warmer (lol, jk, in Maryland it's like gonna snow soon) - I am craving more summery drinks.  Darius has been making me awesome mocktails lately that have helped with cravings.
Movement: Officially moving regularly.  I feel like we are on a schedule.  Not much movement during the work day but then when I want to sleep he is awake and moving all over.  A little movement early in the morning too.
Food cravings: I have been really into Cherry Coke recently.  I probably have one every other day.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Basically- brushing my teeth.  
Gender: BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: None!
Symptoms: Gagging when brushing teeth, cramps/stretching pain, growing belly, more sleepy than normal, horrible lower back/butt pain.
Belly Button in or out? In - but slowly becoming flat.
Wedding rings on or off? Still on!!!!
Happy or Moody most of the time: I would say happy.  Nothing has really thrown me overboard yet.  Wait, that's a lie.  Yesterday I went grocery shopping at Wegman's and was CONVINCED - CON.VIN.CED. that I would finally have the bill UNDER $100.  I literally bought like hot dogs and chicken.  The bill was $148. WHAT IN THE LIVING HELL?!?! That like threw me over the edge. WHY?! Can't a girl LIVE?!
Looking forward to: Let's be honest.. I'm counting 27 (school) days until the end of the school year. #peace #byefelicia

What Happened During Week 18 & Black Hawk Down

Pregnancy is weird.  It seriously steals your time or makes life feel like you've been living in the same moment for 100 years.  The first trimester draggeddddd on... as I figured it would because I was feeling like death.  Now, the weeks seem to be going by pretty quickly.  And here I am, updating you on week 18!  I feel SO blessed to have had an issue-free pregnancy thus far.  Our baby is (currently) healthy and moving around in there!  But, prior miscarriage or not, any preggo mama knows the daily fear of worry.  And, I may be biased, but I think this fear weighs more heavily on those who have had a loss.  Daily - never knowing if the little babe is ok or not is torture.  And, knowing that there's really nothing I can do about it is worse.  Thankful is an understatement when it comes to how far God has let us keep this little bebe so far!

Week 18 was thrilling for multiple reasons:

1. Spring Break (college style) - Funny to think that just a mere 5 years ago I would be doing flabongos at some sketchy apartment and hitting the beach bars with my friends.  I would probably find some way to dance to Soulja Boy on a table and take tequila shot after tequila shot (throw in a PBR to spice things up).  I would end up in bed with a hot slice of pizza and my bestie, Emily.  Maybe, just maybe, I would even go home richer after a man in a mink coat shoves $100 down my shirt.

Spring Break 2016 (teacher/adult/pregnant style):

• 1. Getting Crazy - ordering pizza AND making it through an entire On Demand/Netflix movie.
• 2. Sleeping In - making it to 7am and feeling well rested.
• 3. Staying Up Late - not falling asleep before 9pm.
• 4. Looking Hot - keeping my makeup on until right before bed time and wearing a v-neck sleep tee instead of a crew neck (throw in yoga pants for extra sexy points).

2. California

This was a blast because Darius and I were able to do some sight seeing as well as visiting with his family.  We knocked out the entire crew in just 3 days!  The trip was short, but so well worth it.  I was able to enjoy FOOD and fight the jet lag.  His family threw us a gorgeous little baby shower where we were overwhelmed with love.  There was even a prop photo station to take pictures and put in an album for Baby Cross.  It was PERFECT.  And to top it off, I got the stroller/car seat of my DREAMS! One button click and the ENTIRE stroller folds up!  It's phenomenal!  It's funny to think that 2 years ago I was wanting Michael Kors purses and now here I am, drooling over a stroller.  WTF.  Darius and I even hit up Catalina Island which I truly only thought was a made up place from Stepbrothers.  It was so fun and the baby really *popped* out to be a part of the adventure!

Baby bumpin' by some cave on Catalina Island (photo bomb by Palm Tree)

Clearly, we know what Darius thinks the baby is.

I'm going to leave this blog on one note (and this is mostly to husband's/bf's of preggo mamas).  If you suddenly one night decided that the BEST (absolute worst) thing to do is to convince your loving, pregnant wife/gf to watch Black Hawk Down... rethink that.  Remember, your wife/gf is full of amazing, out of control hormones that send her skyrocketing in all different directions.  So, during the scene where the Army guy jumps out of the helicopter and misses the rope and falls and breaks his back and she is hysterically crying - just remember that I warned you.  I told you not to do this.  I told you to turn it off.  And when she takes that moment and turns it into "What if one day we have a son who is in the military and wants to do that job and breaks his back" and now there's snot rolling down her face, don't come crawling to me.  I warned you.  You should have just put on Stepbrothers.  If you don't trust me, ask Darius.  The next night, we watched The Land Before Time.

How far along? 19 weeks 4 days

Maternity clothes? YES!  All of the stretchy things!

Stretch marks? So far, so good!

Sleep: In anticipation of Gender Day, my dreams are out of control and so a deep sleep hasn't really happened recently.  But naps are good!

Best moment(s) this week: 10 days off work.  Days. Off. Work. = No. Alarms.

Miss Anything? In California, I would have loved to have an ice cold tropical drink while sitting along the beach.

Movement: Here and there! I am not panicked that it's not consistent.  It feels like flutters or bubbles moving around in there.

Food cravings: BURGERS.  My friend Erica had burger cravings and she had a boy.. just sayin'.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of coffee and chicken.  I can eat it at  restaurant but cooking it my own is not happening.

Gender: 2 days away from knowing!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: Gagging (mostly early morning and late night or when it's cold out or when I am extremely thirsty or when brushing my teeth or the smell of anything remotely "gross" in my book), aching back, ligament pain (when lying down, coughing, getting up too quickly), growing belly!

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, although I can already tell I won't be making it the entire 40 weeks.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I think I've been more happy lately.  Although I find myself EXTREMELY emotional.  Like crying when I'm happy and when I'm sad.

Looking forward to: IS IT A BOY OR A GIRL?!!? WE WILL KNOW ON TUESDAY!