Chicago Trip!

We had a wonderful, but very busy weekend in Chicago! We drove after work Friday and arrived just before midnight. We spent all day Saturday in the city walking around, having brunch, hanging out with friends at an outdoor bar for the soccer game, and celebrating my friend Ashley's birthday with dinner out. It was such a fun day and so nice to see everyone! Sunday was our baby shower with our Chicago friends.....it was lovely! :-) Ashley prepared a fabulous brunch with fresh fruit, egg casseroles, bagels and cupcakes....everything was delicious! Our friends were so generous and we received so many adorable gifts for our baby girl! I can't wait for the nursery to be finished so that we can start putting some of these things away and setting up! It was so fun to see my friend Liz who is also pregnant with her first and due just over a week before me.....we took belly pics which will be fun to look back on for years to come! We definitely miss our Chitown friends! Enjoy our pics below!

Back on the home front, things are progressing with the nursery! We have all of the drywall up now and they have been working on the electrical stuff. The doors should be coming in the next day or so and the painting will start either tomorrow or the next day. We are still on track for a 2 week finish! :-) Greatly looking forward to getting our place back in order again and having our completed baby room so soon!

Construction under way!!! :-)

The nursery project is in full force! I came home today to an absolutely filthy entry hall and kitchen from the dust and debris; however, the drywall is officially up!!!! :-) The project started Monday with the framing....it was so exciting to come home to this and be able to visualize what this room will look like. The next two days were electrical work and duct work.....and here we are with the drywall completed today!!! Yeah!!! We are so pleased with the work so far....... I have posted some before pics....and look forward to posting some completed pics in just a week or so!!

We are off to Chicago tomorrow for the weekend.....greatly looking forward to spending time with old friends in such a special city to us! :-)

And......I'm starting week 28 today!!!!! Third trimester!!!!!!!!!! :-)

26 1/2 weeks........

We're getting closer to the final trimester......yeah!!!!

Tomorrow at 7am the construction starts on the nursery!!! Tonight we'll be taking our last photos of the current set up and moving everything out of the way......including the huge CRIB box that arrived earlier this week!! It's amazing how things are progressing so quickly! The project will take approximately two weeks....and according to the contractor they will start the painting the beginning of next week. Wally will be heading to daycare this week to get away from the construction....and he'll be Birthday Boy on his first day there tomorrow! Can't believe I have a 2 year old already! :-)

As far as our baby girl....she is kicking like crazy and I'm feeling her more and more each day. She seems to like to hang out relatively low in my uterus. The belly has gotten significantly larger in the last couple weeks and I feel like I'm much more hungry! It's definitely getting a little more hectic to get around at work.......bending over to unplug IV poles and pick up things can be challenging at times for sure.....but I'm getting by. My patients seem to work much harder when they see my big belly so that they won't need so much assistance...which is much appreciated! :-) My parents sent us a lovely "sleeping beauties" newborn picture book and a frame for our first ultrasound picture....both are just precious and such a sweet Mother's Day/Father's Day gift.

Still managing to get some workouts in on the recliner bike, light arm weights and walks with Wally!

We are heading to Chicago on Friday evening after work for a fun weekend catching up with friends and a baby shower brunch on Sunday. Can't wait to see everyone and be back in such a fun city! I'll put some updates on the nursery up later this week!

25 weeks!!! (tomorrow)

I had my OB appointment yesterday and everything is going great!!! My uterus is exactly measuring for 25 weeks, the baby is moving a ton, and the heart sounds clear! I just love going and then leaving with a feeling of relief and happiness that our little one is doing so well.

I've officially gained 15 pounds so far.....my OB said this is just on track for 25-30 pounds which would be ideal. Although I'm feeling huge, I guess I've got more to come! :-)

Friday I have to have my glucose tolerance test, a hemoglobin test and a Vitamin D check....all minor things that are done in every pregnancy.

We met with the contractor last night to finalize plans for the nursery and he is ordering the materials today. We have a date to start construction as June 21, and he said it will take them about 2 weeks total! I'm so excited for this!!!! Now I can get busy working on ordering other things for the room.....so much fun!

I'm looking forward to a 3 day weekend....so exciting!

Enjoy the new belly pic....Noah seems to always catch me when I'm making dinner..... :-)

24.5 weeks!!!!

It has been a while since I've written......but lots of news to share!!!

The baby is growing and so is the belly.....I swear I think it gets bigger each day! :-) I now only fit in to two pairs of scrubs for work and have only maternity clothes to choose from for anything else. Baby girl is kicking a ton and squirming constantly.....mostly in the morning, lunch and after dinner....she must get excited after she eats! :-)

The contractor is coming on Tuesday to finalize our plans for the nursery and then will begin construction the end of June....should only take 1-2 weeks to complete! I can't wait to have it done, so that we can start putting up the crib, painting the dresser and accessorizing! Mom and dad are coming up July 9-12, so hopefully we'll have lots of jobs to share with them that weekend in preparation!

Feeling really well overall.....but I have developed an inguinal hernia that has been sort of a drag the last couple weeks. I went to see the surgeon on Friday who told me that I will have to have surgery post-partum (probably 6 weeks after), but until then they can't do much other than have me wear a hernia belt for activity and tell me to rest a little more so that it doesn't get any larger. It is terribly uncomfortable when unsupported, but the belt seems to help quite a bit at work, so we'll go with it for now. Crazy how he told me that inguinal hernias are only in 1 of 1,000 pregnancies, but many times he sees them in "runners." I can't believe it....who would have thought! Oh well, guess I'll add to the statistics. :-(

Still managing to work out...although pretty much limited to the bike, walking, stretching and very light hand weights at this point....don't want to risk the hernia getting any larger, and to be honest now that the belly is larger it isn't very comfortable to do much else. I may check out the yoga study down the street this weekend and see if prenatal yoga may work for me too. It's so hard not to run and do the things I love so much...but I know my precious little girl will be well worth it! Looking forward to taking her in my BOB stroller and hitting the roads in just a few months! :-)

Noah and I are going to drive down to Chicago the end of June for a quick weekend trip....trying to avoid too much flying, but it will be nice to visit some friends and get away. My best friend Ashley is throwing a little baby shower get together so we'll get a chance to see most people....shall be fun!

Well, I better head up for my evening bike ride....but will write again Tuesday after my OB appointment! :-) and I guess I'm due for a new belly pic too.....