Bumpdate ~ 27 weeks

27 WEEKS  (last week of the 2nd trimester… whoa!)

Baby is the Size of a:  Rutabaga???

Yeah, I had never heard of this before… here’s the wikipedia definition:  a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. The roots are prepared for food in a variety of ways, and its leaves can also be eaten as a leaf vegetable.

Gender:  Boy

Food Cravings:  Frozen Yogurt, Cookies, Smarties Candy and Pickles!

Food Aversions:  Nothing at all!

Movement:  I’m starting to feel more pushing/sliding activity and less jabs/kicks.  Does this mean that he’s starting to run out of extra room in there?  Because I also feel like my stomach has stopped growing and it is just getting harder now…  maybe I’m crazy?  I asked Justyn if he thought my stomach had stopped growing, he said “Nope, it’s definitely still getting bigger.”  So, I don’t know.

Maternity Clothes:  I finally took a trip to the maternity store and picked up a few new things for work.  While shopping, I found these great light-weight linen pants:

They are so comfortable that I decided to buy them in both the natural color (shown above) and in navy too!  I’m really hoping these linen pants will be great for the hot summer days ahead of me.  Secret Fit Belly Linen Lightweight Boot Cut Maternity Pants

Worst Moment of the Week:  Dropping my Dad off at the airport!  Goodbyes are so much harder when you’re pregnant.  I almost needed to pull over and let Justyn drive us back home!

Best Moment of the Week:  Our neighbors from across the street invited us over for dinner on Saturday night.  They are a younger couple with two kids (a 7 year-old boy and a 4 year-old girl).  We had a really great time visiting with them and they made some awesome food for us…  BBQ Ribs, Corn-on-the-Cob, Fruit Salad, Cheddar Biscuits, and a warm Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream for dessert!!!  This pregnant chick was in food heaven!

Looking Forward to:  The upcoming holiday weekend!  Not because we have plans (’cause of course we don’t), but for the time off from work.  I need some serious relaxation time!  Lately, this is about all I ever hear myself say:  ”I’m hot, I’m tired, I’m uncomfortable… oh, and I’m hungry too.”

I’m going to take my 4-day weekend and sleep-in until at least 9:00, hang out at the pool, and I will be eating everything and anything I want!  And no one should try to stop me.

Best Quote from the Daddy-to-be:  Out of the blue on Friday night, Justyn says “I wonder if my son will prefer Jim Beam or Jack Daniels”.

I told him that was the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard him say about our baby so far!  Then I actually started to tear up a little.  I’m really not sure why, but I realized that I really don’t like thinking about my precious little baby drinking any alcohol at all, especially whiskey!

Justyn laughed at me because I got upset about something so silly.  I laughed at myself too, but I still don’t like thinking about it!

Newest Baby Item(s):  My girlfriend at work, Laura, gave me a couple of really cute little romper outfits for the baby!  Laura is pregnant too and also due in August just like me… so, of course this means we are new best friends

Awe, how cute are those puppies?  I love the surfer dog with the swim shorts!

**Don’t forget to check out our other blog:  Gifts for Baby Kearney to see pictures of all the wonderful shower gifts we’ve been receiving!**

My 5 Favorite Pregnant Bloggers

Nowadays, my favorite waste-of-time activity includes searching for and reading blogs by other pregnant girls.  At the beginning of my pregnancy, one of my friends suggested I join an on-line birth club… but I quickly discovered that wasn’t for me.  There was WAY too much drama involved with those boards!  No one was afraid to share exactly how they felt about another person’s pregnancy and some would say very hurtful things to others.  So not cool!

Well, shortly after I started blogging about my pregnancy, I noticed there were many other bloggers out there just like me!  What I like more about these blogs (vs. the birth club boards) is how personal they are and how open and honest everyone seems to be.  I found myself connecting to these girls in a way that was actually somewhat comforting even though it might seem weird to be so interested in someone’s life whom you’ve never met.

I’ve found quite a few blogs that I now follow on a regular basis and I’ve really started to look forward to everyone’s weekly updates.  I love reading the details about their journey of pregnancy as it is different but still so similar to my own.  There are 5 blogs in particular that I really enjoy reading.  Without further ado, here’s my list of favorites:

 

the baby doctor’s wife - at 22 weeks, this girl is absolutely adorable!  Her weekly updates always have something new, different and interesting to read.  I also love that she wears the same dress for her bump pictures each week.

Lend Me Your Kite - at 32 weeks, this girl never fails to make me laugh!  Her posts are always fun to read and give me a good idea of what’s ahead for my pregnancy while still being clever and witty.

Beer, Bait, and Books - at 27 weeks, I like to think of this girl as my pregnancy twin!  Maybe it’s because we are so close (time-wise) with our pregnancies, but I always seem to relate the most to what she has to say in her weekly posts.  AND… she also makes me laugh!

Life as a Curious Katie - at 28 weeks and she’s a Midwestern girl!  I love her posts mostly because she seems like such a genuine and sweet girl.  Plus reading her updates about life in Iowa always reminds me so much of home – good ol’ Nebraska!

Musings of a Midwestern Girl - at 24 weeks with TWINS!  I love the idea of holding the fruit/veggie that compares to the size of the babies for each week’s picture.  In her weekly posts, she is always so honest about how she is feeling (good/bad) which I actually find to be refreshing.  I like a girl who is open about how she feels and not afraid to hide anything.

Our Baby has a Crib!

A big thanks to my husband’s parents for giving our family this very special baby gift!  We were so excited about getting this crib set up for our little boy and could hardly wait until all the work was finished

All the pieces out of the box and ready to start…

Always nice to see a good daddy-to-be following the directions!

A silly little broken leg didn’t stop my Dad from lending a helping hand.

I swear I helped out too, but there was only so much I could really do.

Here it is, all finished!  And Marley has already started his guard-dog duties

For more about the crib and other baby shower gifts, check our other blog:  Gifts For Baby Kearney, The Crib!

Bumpdate ~ 26 weeks

**I believe I reached a noteworthy milestone this week:  When I sit down, my boobs now rest on top of my belly!  It’s hard to tell which grew faster, but they have finally met in the middle.

26 WEEKS  (we’re also under 100 days left until our due date!)

Baby is the Size of a:  Head of Lettuce

Gender:  Boy

Food Cravings:  Rootbeer and anything that’s sour!  Limeade and sour patch kids candy are my favorite.

Food Aversions:  I asked for a steak behind the counter at the grocery store this week, so the guy comes around front and opens the display case to grab the steak I wanted.  OMG!  The smell of blood and raw meat was such an overload to my senses I nearly threw-up right there in the grocery store!

I bought the steak anyways and had a little bit of a struggle getting it onto the grill.  But once it was seasoned and cooked, everything was just fine and I was able to eat it.

Movement:    I almost feel constant movement nowadays and he’s become much more active through the nights, sometimes costing me sleep.  I’ve also been able to watch my belly move from two opposite sides… like he’s kicking and trying to give me a high-five at the same time!

Maternity Clothes:  I’m still a little unhappy about my clothing situation.  Soon, I will probably have to give-in a buy a couple of new outfits that I can work with.  I did pick up a couple of t-shirts from Target this week:  Liz Lange Side-Rouched Tee.  Should work good for casual weekend wear.

Worst Moment of the Week:  Stop what you’re doing and take a minute to thank God that you’re not living with me right now.  My poor husband!  At the end of all this, someone should give him a medal for putting up with my bitchiness.  

This week, I completely snapped at him –get this– while he was doing the dishes.  He asked a question about where I’ve decided to store the tupperware, saying something about how it all won’t fit.

My lazy butt was already nestled-in on the couch.  So, in a fit, I got up and marched to the kitchen.  Then, started re-organizing the cabinet all while ranting about how “this shouldn’t be so difficult!” and “it doesn’t take a genius to figure out”.

The worst part about all of this… I still have yet to apologize for my behavior.  Sorry babe, I sure hope this is the worst of it but I’m afraid that it’s not!

Best Moment of the Week:  Following my angry outburst (mentioned above) I came across this fantastic website:  The Pregnant Husband.  And let me tell you, I have never laughed so hard for so long!  I actually had to take a break away from the computer so I could collect myself and dry my tears.

To all you crazy, hormonal, tired, irrational, and emotional pregnant ladies out there; please take a few minutes to check out this guy’s blog.  Laugh your butt off for a while, and then share this with your husband.

Looking Forward to:  Lately I’ve been so excited to check the mail everyday!  We’ve started getting a few cards and baby gifts!  I just love seeing all the cute stuff that our friends and family picked out for Baby Kearney.  I look forward to everything more that’s still to come!

Best Quote from the Daddy-to-be:  “I can’t wait until the baby gets here…  because then it will finally be football season again!”

While it’s cute when he says this, surely he’s more excited about the baby’s actual arrival, not the upcoming football season… right?

Newest Baby Item(s):  My friend, Peggy, from my old job in Omaha surprised me this week with a special gift for our little boy!  Now seriously, how freaking cute are these clothes?

I really can’t begin to explain how much I love the little brown onesie with the attached tie!  And BABY JEANS… Ah!  I love it  She also snuck in one of those awesome muslin swaddle blankets that I hear are so wonderful.

Thank you so much, Peggy!  You are so sweet and thoughtful, you really made my day when I received that package at work.  And of course, you know that I took it around to show-off to all the girls I work with!

Pregnant Best Friends

Question:  What’s more exciting than being pregnant with your first baby?

Answer:  Also being pregnant at the same time as your best friend!

Some of you may already know that my friend, Jessica, is pregnant and expecting her little girl (Lucy) to arrive just 1 month before Baby Kearney is due.  It’s really been so awesome getting to share this experience together!  I only wish we lived closer and could actually see eachother during this wonderful time in our lives.  Thank God for our phone conversations… I don’t know how either of us would be able to handle it otherwise!

Well, Jessica’s baby shower is this weekend!  Here’s a picture of the awesome invitation that her friend, Lauren, put together:

Since I couldn’t be there to share and celebrate the day with her, I put together a special gift to send in the mail:

Inside all of that crinkle paper Jessica will find 5 very special baby items – all of which I also purchased for myself!  I thought it would be fun for us to try out a few of the highly recommended baby products together.

Based mostly on internet reviews, blog posts from real moms, and recommendations from other friends, I picked out the following “must-haves” for us to try:

1.  Kushies Portable Changing Pad

2.  Sassy Links Rattle

3.  Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy Straps

4.  Bumkins Waterproof SuperBib

5.  WubbaNub Pacifier

Then, I put together a little print-out for Jessica with pictures and explaining why each item is so highly recommended by other moms.

Chicken & Vegetables with Angel Hair Pasta

One of my favorite recipes!  Really quick and easy to make… perfect for any weeknight dinner.  

From the Taste of Home website:  Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

The Big Reveal: New Blog & Baby Shower

Over the last two weeks, I really got down to work and created a whole new blog!  The only purpose of this new blog is to share pictures and comments about Baby Kearney’s shower gifts with all of our family and friends.

More “About” the New Blog:

This new blog website of ours has been created to share pictures of all the cute and wonderful shower gifts we have received for Baby Kearney.

Since we live in Arizona now, many miles away from almost all of our family and friends, a traditional baby shower wouldn’t be possible for us.  Luckily, we have some pretty amazing family members who have organized two separate long-distance baby showers for our little boy who is due to arrive this August!

Invitations for the baby showers have recently been sent out in the mail and we have already started receiving packages at our doorstep.  Justyn and I can’t begin to put into words the amount of love we feel and appreciation we have for all of your kind words, generosity and support!  We feel so blessed to have such great friends and family.  You all are really awesome, and for that we’d like to say THANK YOU!

Only a short time now until we get to meet our sweet little boy.  We can’t wait to hold him and give him all of the love and care he needs.  We also look forward to the day when he gets to meet all of you!  Because you are special to us, we know you will be special in our baby’s life as well.

To view/follow the new blog, please go to –  http://gifts4babykearney.wordpress.com/

Bumpdate ~ 25 weeks

25 WEEKS

Baby is the Size of a:  Cauliflower 

Gender:  Boy

Food Cravings:  All the good stuff – Pizza, Cheeseburgers, Pasta, and Ice Cream!

Food Aversions:  Nothing really…  even the onions aren’t as much of a turn-off as they have been.

Movement:  I’m beginning to think I’ll be giving birth to one crazy and wild child!  I’m always amazed at how much he is moving in there… I mean, doesn’t he ever want to take a break and relax a little?  Even when I wake up in the middle of the night (for yet another trip to the bathroom) he’s still kickin’ around like it’s party time not sleeping time.

Maternity Clothes:  I’m seriously struggling with this!  I really don’t want to buy anything new but I am so sick of the same few outfits I’ve been wearing.  I wish I could just wear gym shorts and tank tops every single day!  And considering how hot they keep it in my office, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day I just say “screw it” and wear shorts and a tank top to work!

**Speaking of tank tops… the best ones I have found are at Old Navy!  They’re the Jersey Tami Tanks and not even considered “maternity”.  What I love about them is how stretchy and long they are, completely covering the bump.  Plus they’ve held up really well in the wash, keeping their color and size just perfectly!

Best Moment of the Week:  Our doctor says that my belly is measuring right on track, yet my weight gain is on the lighter side…  so, she also said “Go ahead and eat the chocolate cake, you deserve it!”

Worst Moment of the Week:  Even though I’m a geologist and I consider myself to be an outdoorsy person, I still really don’t like bugs.  And what I dislike even more is bugs inside my house!

We had a bit of issue with some bugs in the house this week.  Ugh!  Which ended with me on my hands and knees scrubbing the crap out of our floors.  I really didn’t even care how pregnant I was, I just wanted anything and everything cleaned from those gross and nasty bugs!

Justyn tells me I really need to toughen up.  He said “Babe, we’re having a boy, he’ll be bringing things like this into the house to play with”.

Looking Forward to:  My Dad is coming to visit this week!  He’s still off work and recovering from the broken leg.  So, he decided that he might as well come to Phoenix where he can relax and enjoy the weather a little more than in Nebraska (where evidently it still snows in May?)

Oh, and of course he’ll get to see me pregnant for the 1st time!  I bet he’ll even get to feel his little grandson kick… that would be pretty cool.

Best Quote from the Daddy-to-be:  It seems like my husband and I have a lot of conversations about what pregnancy feels like.  More specifically, what my growing belly feels like.  Our most recent conversation included this comment:  ”You look like how I feel after eating Valentino’s buffet!”  LOL – for those of you not from Nebraska, Valentino’s is only like the BEST pizza restaurant in the whole world.

Newest Baby Item(s):  My brother, John, and soon to be sister-in-law, Paige, sent us 2 incredibly adorable little boy outfits.  I love the “tough guy” zip up hoodie set (who knew they made these for babies?) and that romper with the elephant, monkey, frog… so cute!

My 1st Craft Project for the Baby

This morning before church (in only about an hour’s time), I started and finished a tiny little project for our baby’s closet!

I ordered these closet dividers from Bump and Beyond Designs on Etsy!

There was a little bit of assembly required for these, but I always love a little craft project to keep me busy!  I actually ordered a 2nd set for a friend at work.  This friend is also pregnant (it’s a girl) and her due date is only two weeks before mine!  It’s been great having someone at the office to talk to and share pregnancy stories with.  I love it!

So, my order from Etsy came with these stickers and the little plastic dividers:

All I had to do was cut out the circle-shape, peel off the backing and adhere to the plastic.  It was so easy and actually kind of fun to work on:

Once I was finished with my friend’s dividers, I wrote her a little note and use some ribbon to attach the note to the closet dividers for her little girl.  I plan on leaving it on her desk tomorrow morning to surprise her!  I know it’s just something silly and small, but hopefully she will like it.

 

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I’ve been eyeing this recipe for Five-Spice Turkey Lettuce Wraps from the Eating Well website for a long, long time.  I think I’ve even pinned it more than once!  So, just this weekend, I finally got around to making it!

These were really, REALLY good!  So light but very flavorful… and healthy too.  Justyn absolutely loved this recipe!  He carried on about how great they were, then ate all of the leftovers the very next day!  My husband likes things extra spicy, so he added quite a bit of sriracha sauce on top.

You really should try out this recipe!  I promise you won’t be disappointed.