Ruta-baby

Happy last week of my 2nd trimester! So long energy, it's been real.

Winifred keeps a smile on my face all day long. One of my favorite moments is looking at her picture on the fridge. It gets me every time. Seeing those sonogram pictures of her snuggled up in mommy makes me melt.

At the end of last week and this week I have experienced more lower back pain than usual and some tightening spots in my belly. Braxton Hicks??

Stretching out in Flow class has become a little more challenging... gravity is starting to take over and though balancing isn't the issue, holding positions for longer periods of time is getting harder. I'll keep going to class for now, but who knows how long it will last.

Taylor and I watched a natural birth video this past week. I just kept saying "oh my gosh, oh my gosh oh my gosh" haha! It wasn't of a real person, just a computer showing from the side, how the hips turn and the cervix opens when dilated. It really is amazing, but kind of freaked me out. I also watched a live video of getting an epidural.... why do I do this to myself? It's about that time for me to really think hard on how I'd like to deliver Miss Winnie. We shall see.

My mom is my hero! She had all 3 of us natural, and told me a few weeks ago she was in labor with my sister for 3 days!!!! Yes, 3 days! YIKES. Christina, hug mom! 

Winifred is the size of a rutabaga, around 13.6 - 14.8 inches and 1.5 - 2.5 pounds. Her tiny brain is now showing brain activity and continuing to develop. She is able to practice inhaling and exhaling, not air, but amniotic fluid, preparing her for life outside of mommy.

How far along: 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 12 lbs
Maternity clothes: Yes, and enjoying them!
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Sleep is going well. Turning from side to side tends to bring pressure and pain, but once I'm situated I am usually knocked out.
Best moment this week: Having time at home with Taylor, enjoying our time just the 2 of us. It's been fantastic having free nights. :)
Miss anything: Nothing really.
Movement: She moves and flips and I can't tell what hard part is her head or her bum. haha. I am feeling her more on both sides of my belly too!
Food cravings: Chick-fil-a lemonade all.day.long. Also, I've craved chocolate milk for a while now, but I won't drink it cuz I just know it will make me gag. So I've been eating cheese and ice cream to fix the dairy craving.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No :)
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: Girl!!!
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Lower back pain and Braxton Hicks.
Belly button in or out: In-ish
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY!!!!
Looking forward to: My parents will be here tomorrow(!!), and I made an appointment to do a tour with a pediatrician, I am excited to meet her.

26 Weeks

Winnie's eyes are going to be opening soon. 

Will she have blue eyes like her mommy or brown eyes like her daddy???

How far along: 26 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 12 lbs
Maternity clothes: Yes, and I think my 'sisterhood' pants have seen their last days, for now.
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: It's starting to get uncomfortable late night/early morning.
Best moment this week: Winnie's cousin is a BOY!!!!!!
Miss anything: Coffee and being able to bend over to put socks on without it hurting...
Movement: She is moving around so much. Taylor has been able to see her push out my belly which is exciting!! I am starting to recognize her awake times - 7:30ish am (or really whenever I wake up), 9 am, 4:30 pm, and 9 pm (for a while) - though I am sure she is awake at other points of the day, that's just when I notice. I love it! Last night I felt Winnie movie on both sides of my stomach. It was wild feeling her stretch out like that!
Food cravings: Nothing
Anything making you queasy or sick: No :)
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: Girl!!!
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Leg and lower back pain, some heartburn and being super tired.
Belly button in or out: In-ish
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :)
Looking forward to: My mom and dad visiting next weekend!!

25 weeks

She is now the size of a Cauliflower.

Winifred is becoming my little jumpin bean. TheBump says she is enjoying her new sense of equilibrium and can now know if she is upside down or right side up. Amazing!! Isn't God amazing?!!! Think about babies and how they grow. It is ALL God! Here is a part of one of my favorite Psalms.

Psalm 139: 13-16
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

Amen!

She is getting so much lovin' from her Daddy already.
 Taylor talks to her, sings to her, and reads to her. Be Still My Soul! 

How far along: 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 11.6 + lbs
Maternity clothes: Yes
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: I am sleeping great!!
Best moment this week: Seeing Winnie push out. I don't know what body part it was, but it was incredible!
Miss anything: Having more energy. It hasn't been that bad, but I could always use some more. :)
Movement: I saw a part of Winnie push out my belly this week. It's sooo weird and amazing and beautiful all at the same time. I feel her rolling around in there all the time.
Food cravings: Earlier this week I craved Kale Soup. And I have been craving ice cream a lot too. And Starburst Jelly beans! Yum :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: Girl!!!
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: The other day I experienced tingling sensations in my hands and arms during Flow class. Hopefully that was okay?
Belly button in or out: In-ish
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :)
Looking forward to: My mom and dad visiting in 2 weeks!!! It will be a quick visit, they are dropping furniture off that my grandma Mosa is giving to us. I can't wait to see them! :)


Here are a few Pinterest pictures that are inspiring me for our bub's room:

One wall with light grey stripe

Dresser changing table

Wall art

Beautiful rug 

We shall see what I come up with... I like grey, white, yellow, purple, and mint. Mint is a recent like, so we'll see if it happens. :)


As I write this blog I am listening to Chris Tomlin's Burning Lights CD and Winnie is moving all over the place. I don't think there is enough room for her dance moves. Haha!

Got a bunch of pushes and rolls and twists when these songs played. 

24 Weeks

Sorry I haven't been on my a-game with the chalkboard... We've been so busy that all I have time to do is take a picture and walk out the door. Maybe next week?

Miss Winnie is 24 weeks, 2 days shy of 25! She is the size of a Cantaloupe, and is probably weighing in around 1.5 pounds. Her skin is starting to become more opaque and has a new pink glow. :)

At our latest visit, we found that she is head down [wooohoo] and hopefully going to stay that way until her debut. Mommy's belly is now measuring at a whopping 22 inches. I probably won't keep that up to date, because you can see I'm getting bigger.... it was just cool how we are now starting to measure my belly.

Winnie received this cute outfit in the mail-

Thank you, Kaitlin!!  

Last, Taylor and I got to meet my cousins newest addition. He is SO cute!!! We forgot to take pictures with him because we were soaking his cuteness up! And may I just add, Taylor looked so good holding a newborn. :)

Stole this picture from my cousins FB.
Look at all his hair!! 

How far along: 24 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 11.6 lbs
Maternity clothes: I bought myself another pair of jeans and a few new shirts. I think that'll be it for now...  I went through my entire closet this past weekend and removed all the shirts and pants that don't fit. Sad day.
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: I am sleeping great through the night except when I wake up from getting charlie horse cramps in my legs and feet.
Best moment this week: By far the best moment was seeing Winnie again. I wish they gave ultrasounds at every visit. She fills us both with so much joy!!
Miss anything: No :)
Movement: Lots and lots
Food cravings: Last week, I craved junk food and Greek salad. This week, homemade spaghetti sauce. And it's on simmer right now and I keep going to the pot and taking spoonfuls of it. It's so good!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Felt a little nauseous the other day when I took my prenatal in the AM without food. Bad idea people. Thankfully a Starbucks bagel and green tea lemonade helped!
Have you started to show yet: I officially look like there is a cantaloupe under my shirt.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Abdominal crampy pain, leg and foot charlie horse cramps in the middle of the night- the worst!, and back pain. 
Belly button in or out: In-ish
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!! Though, I had a few emotional moments this past weekend about not fitting into a few of my shirts and being too tired. And I got super teary-eyed when I got home from work one night this past week and hugged Taylor. I missed him so much!! [hormones]
Looking forward to:  Our babymoon. Is it April yet??? I'd like to go away with my hubby!

My little Papaya

This week marks 22 weeks. And our little June bub is the size of a papaya. I didn't even know what a papaya looked like, so just in case you're wondering...

Yup, there it is. It sure is pretty, and big!

It's hard for me to believe I am in the 6th month of pregnancy. SIXTH ! I was talking to my gym instructor about how far along I am and it really hit me with amazement. It hasn't felt like I've been pregnant that long. We only have a few more months until we meet our little. I. Can't. Wait.

Winnie now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and
some hair on her little head. 

She has developed a sleep pattern as well. I am
starting to sense it more and more.

How far along: 22 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 9.6 lbs
Maternity clothes: Yeah. Mostly pants.
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: It's been going well. :)
Best moment this week: Taylor and I were watching The Phantom of the Opera and we both felt Winnie give a hard kick for the first time. She did it for both of us which was nice. Sometimes I think she knows when I tell Taylor to feel, cuz then she doesn't move as much. Silly girl. We decided that the kick meant either she loved Broadway and dancing and singing or hated opera and all of it together. I am going to say no to the latter because between her mommy and her Aunt Julie, Broadway will be liked! ;)
Miss anything: No
Movement: So much movement. It is wonderful!! :)
Food cravings: Soda and Candy... does that even count? I need to be careful! haha
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Have you started to show yet: Yuppers!
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Back pain here and there, leg and hip cramps, and a few stress headaches.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time. ;) I've had a few moments this past week. Bless my husband!!
Looking forward to: My next appointment and seeing her again!

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I know I have mentioned this before, but will you pray for Taylor and I with house hunting? That is the biggest thing on our to-do list before Winnie gets here. It has become a little overwhelming this past week [hence my stress headaches mentioned above]. This is a big decision and a very expensive one at that. So, we are choosing to trust God. And fight the temptation to be anxious and worry. I know God is on our side and has the perfect home for the 3 of us. He has our best interest at heart. So I am digging deep into God's Word and leaning on His faithfulness. He is restoring my faith and I am being blessed through this process. Oh and Taylor has been awesome through it all too. Praise God! :)

A Cheerful Hope

While praying this morning the Lord lead me to read and consider His faithfulness. It isn't hard to see or find God's faithfulness, just open the Bible. He is a good God, a kind God, a compassionate God. So tender and patient. This morning was very sweet. And the verses I read have brought me so much peace. I hope you find peace in them too. 

"Only thy restless heart keep still, and wait in cheerful hope; content to take whate'er His gracious will, His all-discerning love hath sent; Nor doubt our inmost wants are known to Him who chose us for His own." - Georg Neumarck 

Here are some verses that spoke to me this morning on God's faithfulness:

Lamentations 3:21-24

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'"

1 Corinthians 10:13a

"God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability... "

2 Thessalonians 3:3

"But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one." 

2 Timothy 2:13

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful." 

Psalm 91:11

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."

Psalm 92:1-2

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night." 

Sing praise to His name! 

"Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

"O God my Father,

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!"

Week 21

Winnie's taste buds are developing more and more
this week, and she can now taste what I eat. :)

How far along: At the end of 21 weeks... it's going fast!
Total weight gain/loss: 8 + lbs
Maternity clothes: Some here and there.
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Much better :)
Best moment this week: [And this past week] We saw our baby for the first time since 8 weeks. That alone was glorious! But then we found out it's a GIRL!!!!! Revealing the gender to our family, registering, buying Winnie a Christmas dress, and feeling her move around inside of me. :)
Miss anything: Nope
Movement: Oh yeah!!! And what's cool since we saw her, we know where her little head and feet are. So, unless she turns, we have an idea what's making that movement. How cool!
Food cravings: Nothing this week. I'm actually not as hungry as I have been.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Have you started to show yet: Yeah. Winnie is 12 ounces! Almost 1 whole pound!!
Gender: GIRL!!!!
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Some serious back pain this past week, but everything else has been feeling good.*Thank you, Lord!!*
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Overjoyed!
Looking forward to: My next appointment, seeing the baby again, registering some more, and starting to plan out her nursery!

Taylor and I may have found our 'babymoon' spot at Tybee Island!!!! I am still working out the details, but it's looking promising. I am very ready to relax on the beach! Doesn't this look so nice?

Picture taken from google images.