Teeny Peep Bumpdate: Week 19

****Don’t forget to cast your vote for what you think Teeny Peep will be! A he, or a she??*****
Bumpdate with Dutch at 19 weeks

Date: 8/29/15
How far along: 19 weeks 

Fruit-size comparison: A large heirloom tomato!  Seriously how is Teeny Peep this big already?!  My brain can’t handle it!

Developmental milestones:  The areas of Teeny Peep’s brain where sensations will be processed are being developed this week! So amazing to think that the senses he or she will use to experience this world are being prepared for him or her right now.  Pregnancy continues to both delight and fascinate me.  Also this week, the vernix caseosa is developing to protect Teeny Peep’s body.

Maternity clothes: Dresses and shirts are definitely maternity.  Pants and skirts are still regular, but if I’m wearing pants I have to use my belly band to keep them from falling down.  I’m still not wearing pants a lot though because it’s so hot so it doesn’t bother me.  Mostly just leggings (maternity) and yoga pants (regular).  If I’m wearing jeans, then those are maternity too.

Weight gain: I have officially gained 1 pound! 

Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch.  I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch  marks.  I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.

Sleep: If I don’t have insomnia in the evenings then I can usually fall asleep anywhere and quickly.  My sleep has been a little restless this week and I think that’s probably attributed to my back hurting.  But all-in-all, nothing hugely terrible.  I’m a fairly solid sleeper. (Praise the Lord!)

Best moment of the week: I had two pretty awesome moments this week: 1- We got to meet our new physician this week.  I was extremely nervous to meet her, not because I had any negative expectations, I just wanted to make sure that we have the same worldview of birth, that our expectations, and goals matched.  She thoroughly reviewed my case (I had a traumatic delivery with Dutch) and made sure that we were all on the same page.  It was one of those things where you get all worked up and it turns out to be so easy and pleasant and you wonder, when it's all over, what in the world you were worried for.   We were definitely matched very well, which makes us so grateful that God has His hand at every stepping stone for us.  So we like this new physician so far and are looking to the future with hopeful and prayerful hearts. Teeny Peep is growing well and was very active; our OB literally had to chase him/her down to get a heartbeat (three times!!!).  Teeny Peep's heartbeat was 152, my bp was 110/60, and I finally gained a pound.  All great things :-) My doctor released me from pelvic rest also, so now I can start moving a little more.  The first thing I did after being released was carry my sweet baby boy everywhere :-) 2- On Friday Dutch and I did a little shopping and he was so worn out that he fell sleep on my chest.  This hasn't happened in a while so I just let it happen and everything else could wait.  While he was sleeping on my chest, Teeny Peep started kicking up a storm.  My babies were laying belly to belly on MY belly.  It was complete heaven, as if they were getting to know each other in the most peaceful way.  That was a moment I know I will never forget.

Movement: Yes and I am loving every single tap that Teeny Peep gives me.
Cravings: Not that I can think of, but I will say that my appetite is definitely back.  I can’t eat a lot, but I do have hunger again.
Gender:  I think I get more and more ready to know what we're having, but at the same time, more and more clueless as to what I think we're having.  I have loved reading what you all have guessed (click here to vote), and I can't wait to share with you as soon as we know!
Belly button: It's an innie, but it is already starting to get flat.
Wedding ring: On 

Anything making you queasy/sick: The smell of mouthwash is still driving me insane

What I miss: NOTHING!!!

What I’m looking forward to: I am definitely looking forward to our anatomy scan.
Labor signs: No, thank goodness.
Symptoms: This was officially the first week that I have not thrown up!  I've still been a little nauseous but I didn't puke!  Yippee!!!!  Heartburn has been much less lately, movement has picked up, my belly is growing, plenty of trips to the bathroom, hunger has increased…..all signs that I’m happily pregnant.
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery.  We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room.  It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger.  We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children.  And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old, and even then only for a few hours a day until he was 11 months old, so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort.  Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: I am back to being balanced for sure; I’m certain that has everything to do with me not hugging the porcelain throne everyday. Nothing seems to be throwing my for a loop and I’m feeling good. 

Teeny Peep Bumpdate: Week 18

****Don’t forget to cast your vote for what you think Teeny Peep will be! A he, or a she??*****

Bumpdate with Dutch at 18 weeks

Date: 8/22/15
How far along: 18 weeks
Fruit-size comparison: A sweet potato!!! How is Teeny Peep that big already?!
Developmental milestones: Teeny Peep is busy this week flexing his/her arms and legs giving this mama lots of little taps to let me know that he/she is growing :-) The ears have arrived at their final destination & myelination has begun.  If we’re having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed, and if we’re having a boy, his genitals are now noticeable!  Teeny Peep is “passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing”. Teeny Peep is also listening to everything outside of the womb, so we are doing a lot of reading and talking to him or her :-)
Maternity clothes: I tried wearing my regular jeans last week twice, and both times I had to implement the hair-tie trick to keep them from falling down.  I have a feeling I need to start wearing my belly band & maternity pants since the weather might (fingers crossed) start cooling off soon.
Weight gain: I am starting to gain some weight thank goodness, but I'm still -2 lbs.  I think this is an improvement and I'll take it!
Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch.  I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch  marks.  I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.
Sleep: I've still got some insomnia but it seems to be every other night now.  It's as if I am so tired one night from not sleeping the previous night, that I fall asleep sitting up and sleep like a rock
Best moment of the week: I've cracked open my birthing books to refresh and doing my labor stretches and exercises and I'm getting ready.  This makes me excited!
Movement: These taps are getting a little firmer and more regular.  I feel Teeny Peep on a daily basis now and I absolutely love it.  This might actually be my "Best moment of the week" :-)
Cravings: Not that I can think of.
Gender:  I think girl this week…Have you voted yet for what you think yet? Click here to vote!
Belly button: It's an innie, but it is already starting to get flat.
Wedding ring: On
Anything making you queasy/sick: When I initially was writing this post I had made it the entire week without getting sick!  I was so excited!  But then I stopped mid-way through this post and ran to Target.  While there I got sick…womp womp!  But at least it was only sick once this week and not everyday; still a major improvement and hopefully Teeny Peep and I are turning a corner. What I miss: I can’t think of anything here either.  I think all is pretty good now.
What I’m looking forward to: Our doctors appointment this upcoming week.
Labor signs: No, thank goodness.
Symptoms: I can tell that my chest is starting to change again, as I've finally gotten chest pain.  Also I get heartburn simply by picking up toys off the floor.  I am still peeing a lot and have a growing belly, but those will remain staples for the next several months.
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery.  We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room.  It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger.  We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children.  And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old, and even then only for a few hours a day until he was 11 months old, so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort.  Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: This was a tough week, and not because I'm pregnant.  A lot was going on around here and I was easily frustrated.  My responses to everything going on were "very pregnant" and I cried a lot. For example, I was watching a movie with my husband and a dog was murdered and I had a full-on, can't catch my breath, mascara dripping on the floor, ugly-cry. Hopefully I will be more in check next week.

What I’m Lovin’ Wednesday: Dutch’s One Year Pictures

****Don’t forget to cast your vote for what you think Teeny Peep will be! A he, or a she??*****

Y’all I swear I can’t stop starring at these images of my baby boy.  Yes, I just called him my baby boy; he will always be my baby boy ;-)  How can I pick a favorite picture?  Seriously, I have so many favorites!

We are so very grateful for Grace Hill Photography capturing another beautiful piece of this precious boy’s life.  Thank you Grace!  Y’all need to go check out her portfolio; I can’t even express how amazing she is!

Grace took these pictures right after Dutch turned one :-)
This first year with Dutch flew by!I love that Grace let me jump in front of the camera to get some pictures of us together.

These moments of just us two are limited so I cherish each and every moment together with my precious little boy.Check out my little model lol

He cracks me up :-)And then, of course, we had to also get some pictures to announce that Teeny Peep was on the way :-)

This was such a fun way for Dutch to tell y’all the good news!
You see what I’m talking about?! Isn’t Grace Hill Photography on point?!?!? Go check her out!

He or She, What Will Teeny Peep Bee?

Before Dutch was conceived, like 4 years before, we knew that he was going to be a boy.  Not a single doubt in our minds. We still took a poll (see here) of what our friends, family, and of course, our awesome LWTH readers thought we were going to have (Little Peep gender reveal here). This time we have noooooooo gender predictions, aside from old wives tales (dreams, morning sickness, etc.).  So we thought we would give you all the information you might need to help cast your vote. (Also if you want to refer back to what symptoms we had before with Dutch, our Little Peep, you can check here).

Thanks for voting!

I can’t wait to see what y’all think Teeny Peep will be :-)

Croque Madame Casserole

My all time favorite genre of food is French.  I live and breath french food.  If you ever want to get on my good side, I promise you, this will always work!  This recipe may have a really fancy name, but there is no way to mess it up; completely fool proof.  We have had this as breakfast, but it’s even better as dinner.  You could serve this dish with fries or a deliciously green salad. It’s so rich and savory yummmmmm My mouth is watering just thinking about this delicious Croque Madame :-)


Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, plus 2 tablespoons for eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
10 to 12 slices white bread
3/4 pound deli ham
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Gruyere, reserve some for top of casserole
6 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thick and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes more. Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Pour a thin layer of the sauce into the prepared baking dish and cover it with 5 or 6 slices of the bread, then slices of the ham and an even layer of the Gruyere. Repeat the layers once more, ending with a third layer of sauce to cover all. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cut into 6 equal pieces.
4. Working in 2 batches, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 3 eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the whites are nearly set, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the eggs and continue cooking until the whites are completely set, about 1 minute more. You're going to top each portion of the casserole with a fried egg. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon butter. Top with Gruyere and it in the oven for a few minutes until cheese melts.

God Showed Up.....at Costco

Mornin' folks!  I hope your week is going well.  Ours so far has been pretty relaxing and low key.  Don't you just love weeks like that?  I wanted to tell you what happened to us this past Saturday.  I shared this on Facebook but I wanted to also share it here with y'all also.  It was just one of those hit-you-in-the-face moments that we've been pensive about and praying about all week.  Sometimes God shows up when you least expect it, but also when you need Him the most.  Let me tell you about it: 
Y'all, I have to tell you about our day! Let's just say that it was not going according to our plan, everything was going wrong, & patience were running thin. It's amazing when we're in that place and God decides to show up. We had traveled to Lowe's about 10 bazillion times for the DIY bathroom remodel that we were working on, stood in some excruciatingly long lines, and were finally getting lunch after our Costco run at 4:45pm (which was supposed to happen around 10am). Well just as we sat down at the concession stand a woman standing next to our table started bawling hysterically. We gave her some tissues and asked her to sit with us. You see, Jagdesh’s had a stroke 2 months ago and this was her first trip out. Since she lost all of her peripheral vision from the stroke, she had a very tough time in Costco on a crazy day with so many other customers. She was just so frustrated and overwhelmed that she just broke down.  Thank you Lord for allowing our day to NOT go as WE had planned but instead, exactly like YOU planned it.  Thank you for placing us at just the right place at Your most perfect timing so that we had the opportunity to meet Jagdesh and to hug, cry, and laugh with her.  Thank you for allowing us to share a delicious Costco lunch super late in the day just so that we could share Your word and pray with our new sister in Christ.  Thank you for reminding us that Your timing is always better than our own, and thank you for Jagdesh, thank you for sparing her life with her stroke and allowing her to remind us that You are present and active in every move that we make. Some days that are really rocky are the days when we can be most sharpened by the Lord.
I hope you all find some encouragement from our experience this weekend; we certainly had a shift in attitude.  We have been encouraged and reminded of those that are walking around with us in the journey of life.  We hope that you are having a great day, but if you're not, please allow us the privilege to pray with and for you!  We keep a button on the side of LWTH, to the right, where you can always click and submit a prayer request.  I can't tell you how many people have submitted prayers to us and we have watched the Lord go to work.  What a joy and honor we have had over the years to pray with our LWTH readers.  If you have a prayer or a praise, please click on the button, or right here, and let us pray with you!
Happy Wednesday friends!

Teeny Peep Bumpdate: Weeks 16 & 17

No, of course I’m not freaking out that we’re 3 weeks away from being half-way done with this pregnancy.

Nooooooooooo!

Not at all.

Never.

(oh my gosh yes!!!!!!)

I couldn’t resist sharing the two outtake pictures that my hubby caught without me knowing :-)

Sweet moments with my babies

Bumpdate with Dutch at 16 weeks

Date: 8/8/15
How far along: 16 weeks
Fruit-size comparison: An avocado
Developmental milestones: I hate to say the "little things" are developing this week, but they aren't real major organs (obviously still important and valued of course): Teeny Peep is busy growing toe nails, hair, firmer skin, eye brows, the eyes are moving to the front of the face, and the ossicles in the ear (tiny bones for hearing) are forming. I love that Teeny Peep will soon be able to hear me speak to him or her.
Maternity clothes: The clothes that I purchased last week arrived, and the leggings are amazing.  I just might live in them until the baby arrives.  I actually really like maternity fashion.  I know that it hasn't always been wonderful, but I think these days it's different.  There really are a lot of options to still express your big pregnant self through fashion.  I love fall and winter clothes and I am so looking forward to wearing maternity clothes when I'm large and in charge during those seasons.  I'm thinking it will be so much better than feeling like a beached whale during the summer months like the end of my pregnancy with Dutch
Weight gain: Ha! Well after a lovely dose of food poisoning this week and continuous nausea, I'm down another 6 lbs (that's -15 lbs total).  My husband actually called me skinny today.  Don't get me wrong, I loved hearing that, but this just is not the time to be "skinny".  So I'm trying to get some weight, and hopefully I can start keeping food down.  I'll worry about being thin this time next year. I can tell that my body is changing and that my Teeny Peep bump is growing.  When I look down at my feet I feel like the bump is huge, but then when I catch a reflection of myself it still looks so small.  I remember this happening with Dutch.  Big bump or little bump perceived as a big bump, I just love it :-)
Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch.  I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch  marks.  I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.
Sleep: I think I've hit insomnia again.  It takes me a long time to fall asleep, but once I do I am a hard sleeper.
Best moment of the week: The Mr. and I made some pretty tough decisions regarding our birth plans for Teeny Peep.  While they were emotional decisions, we had a lot of prayer time and discussions and we have peace with our decisions.  Having that done and now preparing to move forward is comforting and relieving.
Movement: Still a few little taps every now and then.  Nothing is regular, but I do look forward to when I can "talk" with my Teeny Peep through his/her taps.
Cravings: Oh no, food is disgusting to me.  I don't want anything. This is what got me into trouble earlier this week with craving a salad from a salad bar.  Preggos please be careful with food from a salad bar or a buffet; just because the food is hot/cold does not mean it is fresh.
Gender:  After being so sick this week, not just from the food poisoning, and from increased acne, I am convinced that we are having a girl  In fact, I told my mother in law, that I would be shocked if we were having a boy.  I have even started window shopping for girl clothes and bows on Etsy.  I'm thinking we might be shifting gears around here soon.
Belly button: It's an innie, but it is already starting to get flat.
Wedding ring: On
Anything making you queasy/sick: Yep, all food, smells, the heat, and pretty much everything.
What I miss: I am actually getting tired of not being able to eat.  I love food; it's an amazing gift that God gave us to enjoy what we eat.  I am looking forward to enjoying food again.
What I’m looking forward to: I'm really looking forward to finding out the gender of Teeny Peep.  I think that will help us settle on a name.  Also we are being matched with a new OB.  I switched when I was about 20 weeks pregnant with Dutch too, and love my new OB.  In fact, I still love him and he will continue to be my doctor.  It was not planned to switch again at about the same time; just a coincidence.  Because of some delivery decisions that we have made, we are being matched with a new doctor at this time.  I am looking forward to meeting our new doctor and going over our decisions.
Labor signs: No, thank goodness.
Symptoms: Despite my weight loss, my bump is growing thank goodness. I'm still very nauseous, have an increase in acne, and I'm easily tired.
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery.  We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room.  It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger.  We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children.  And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old, and even then only for a few hours a day until he was 11 months old, so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort.  Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: I think I've been pretty balanced this week, even with being so sick.  I think I've just being dealing with things as they come at us, and not really allowing things to get to me.  Not that I'm not feeling or dealing with things, I'm just more able to control my thoughts and deal with situations more logically and rationally.

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Bumpdate with Dutch at 17 weeks

Date: 8/15/15
How far along: 17 weeks
Fruit-size comparison: An onion.....how delicious does that sound lol
Developmental milestones: Teeny Peep's bones are beginning to harden and the umbilical cord which connects us is getting stronger and thicker.  He or she is about 5 inches long, the joints can move, and the sweat glands are developing.
Maternity clothes: I don't think my body has done much growing this week, so I'm about the same as last week.  Lots of yoga pants and leggings that are non-maternity.
Weight gain: Still in the negatives here.  I believe I'm still down 4 pounds from prepregnancy weight, however I've been able to eat some this week, so if that continues I will probably start gaining weight again.
Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch.  I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch  marks.  I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.
Sleep: Yes, I definitely have pregnancy-induced insomnia.  It takes my body so long to get ready for bed.  Maybe that's because I'm chasing a toddler all day long so when I finally do get to sit down it just takes time for my body to unwind.  It's taking me about 3 hours to finally fall asleep every night.
Best moment of the week: One night this week, after Dutch had gone to bed I was doing my labor exercises in the living room and the Mr. look at me and said, "Oh my goodness we're having a baby again?! Didn't we just do this? Weren't we just doing these same labor exercises?!" I couldn't help but laugh because, yes he's right!  We really were just doing this, but at the same time it feels like an eternity ago.  I couldn't help but giggle at his realization; I feel the exact same way.
Movement: Yes, more and more regular and daily.  I absolutely love this feeling.  There is no way I can get enough of it!
Cravings: Nope, there is nothing that I really want, but there are a ton of things that I don't want (mostly anything with a smell).  I will say though, that I don’t typically want Asian food (except Vietnamese and sushi), but I did make several Asian-inspired dishes last week and it’s on the cooking docket twice for dinner this week too.  So maybe I’m craving Asian food? Oh and oatmeal and granola parfaits everyday.  Okay okay, maybe I am craving things a little now.
Gender: I'm convinced we are having a girl.  No doubt in my mind about that.
Belly button: It's an innie, but it is already starting to get flat.
Wedding ring: On
Anything making you queasy/sick: Can I say everything makes me sick still?  Especially smells!
What I miss: I miss knowing what I want to eat. I don't want to eat anything these days, but I know that I need to, so finding something to eat throughout the day is a huge undertaking.  I'm looking forward to when I just want to eat everything.
What I’m looking forward to: I’m definitely looking forward to our anatomy scan.  I want that reassurance that everything is going well, and of course finding out the gender of our Teeny Peep.  Also we will meet our new physician in a couple weeks and I’m really looking forward to meeting with her and making sure we’re all on the same page.
Labor signs: No, thank goodness.
Symptoms: Still nauseous (though it is starting getting better), fatigue, movement :-),
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery.  We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room.  It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger.  We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children.  And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old, and even then only for a few hours a day until he was 11 months old, so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort.  Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: I think realizing that I'm just three weeks away from being half-way done with this pregnancy has me so excited, so petrified, and so, so angry.  I can't wait to meet this baby, but I'm still nervous about juggling 2 under 2.  I'm also angry that time is flying by so quickly.  I think time is something that I am always fighting, and will continue to fight for the rest of my life.  I want to enjoy this pregnancy as much as I can and I just want it to go slower....but faster at the same time. lol

Teeny Peep Bumpdate- Weeks 13-15

Happy Friday y’all!  I know you must be thinking that I am out of my mind bombarding you with SIX bumpdates in one week.  I surprise myself, I promise!  And get this, 6 posts in two weeks…..holy moly!  I think I might have hit my blogging grove again (it only took a few months; don’t hate).  Okay anyways, I think since I had a bumpdate overkill this week, that I am so close to being in real-time again and will only post these once a week. Yippee skippy!

Bumpdate with Dutch at 13 weeks

Date: 7/18/15
How far along: 13 weeks
Fruit-size comparison: A peach.....how are we at a peach already?!
Developmental milestones: The baby's intestines are coming out of the umbilical cord and into his/her body, and vocal cords and teeth are beginning to form.  This is so hard to imagine, but if we're having a girl she already has 2 million ovum (or eggs) in her ovaries.
Maternity clothes: If I'm at home I'm still rocking leggings or yoga pants which are non-maternity, but if I go out I'm wearing maternity shorts.  Tops are still a mixture, but hiding this bump is completely impossible now.
Weight gain:  I'm still down about 10 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight
Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch.  I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch  marks.  I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.
Sleep: Ehhhhh I'm doing better than last week since I figured out the pillow wedge, but it still isn't the best sleep.  I still wake up with some back pain but it's not too bad.
Best moment of the week: I don't have a particular moment, I just love being pregnant.  I am so joyful and grateful for this gift that I can't help but smile everyday.  Everyday is a great day, even when I'm puking and fatigued it is still the best day ever.
Movement: No but I am definitely looking forward to it.
Cravings: Chuy's jalapeno dip and mashed potatoes and I had them both Yummmmmmm
Gender: This week I'm leaning more towards thinking our baby is a girl, but I had 2 dreams this week of baby boys....so I don't know.
Belly button in or out: Innie
Wedding ring: On
Anything making you queasy/sick: Still almost everything under the sun: food, smells, thoughts, temperature....It doesn't matter what it is, I can puke over it.
What I miss: Nothing that I can think of
What I’m looking forward to: The Mr. and I have been throwing names back and forth and I think knowing the gender would at least help narrow the options down.  We are really looking forward to having a name for this baby.
Labor signs: Nope, and I'm totally okay with that.
Symptoms: Fatigue, nausea, heartburn, peeing every hour....you know, the normal stuff
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery.  We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room.  It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger.  We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children.  And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort.  Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: I think I've maintained balance in that I'm mostly on the happy end of the spectrum, although I cry a lot (happy tears).  Some commercials or happy moments (like watching Dutch see the circus for the first time), make me tear up, which I think are good things to tear-up about.  I did have one moment this week, where the Mr. wanted to give me some alone time (which is sooo nice) and he took Dutch out and they went to a sports store.  I was sitting at home on the couch resting and started crying because I just missed them both so much.  Seems a little silly, but I just like to be with them all the time and I just hate being away, even if it is only for a couple hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bumpdate with Dutch at 14 weeks

Date: 7/25/15
How far along: 14 weeks
Fruit-size comparison: A lemon (isn't a lemon smaller than the peach from last week? I think I remember asking myself this same question when I was pregnant with Dutch)
Developmental milestones: If we have another thumb sucker on our hands, he/she is already doing that in the womb. The baby is wiggling, making lanugo and urine, and the kidneys and spleen are working hard on developing.
Maternity clothes: Still the same as last week.  I really love maternity shorts (I'm already debating if it's okay to wear this post-pregnancy....like years post-pregnancy lol)
Weight gain:  I'm still down about 10 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, but that doesn't seem to stop by belly from poking waaaaaaaay out!
Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch.  I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch  marks.  I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.
Sleep: I wake up with a lot of pain in my middle back, and I have a few potty breaks during the night, but when I'm sleeping I sleep hard. I'm pretty sure a train could come through the middle of the house, and if I wasn't up for a potty break, I wouldn't know it was happening.
Best moment of the week: I was taking a nap yesterday and I'm almost certain I felt a flutter.  I know it's early, but it was just like when I felt Dutch for the first time except less aggressive.  I would put money down that I felt the baby kick.
Movement: Not sure, but I think so.  I was laying down to rest today, and felt some flutters on my right side. (This is exactly as it happened with Dutch, but he didn't flutter, he full on punched me right in the middle of the gut) I waited for signs of digestion, but nothing happened.  Later in the week I felt it so much more. 
Cravings: Broccoli and salad!  If I can keep this craving up throughout the pregnancy that would be awesome.
Gender:  I think I'm thinking girl this week.
Belly button in or out: Innie
Wedding ring: On
Anything making you queasy/sick: The heat is killing me.  Dutch and I go on a walk every morning and every evening.  On Monday this week it was so hot during our morning walk that I ended up puking on the side of road while I was talking to a neighbor. Glamorous, right?
What I miss: Since I've been on pelvic rest I have not been able to baby wear Dutch.  I absolutely loathe that we can't snuggle like we used to when I would wear him :-(
What I’m looking forward to: We have a baby appointment this week and I'm looking forward and praying for a great report.
Labor signs: Nope, and I'm totally okay with that.  I will say that I've already started prepping my body for labor.  I've been starting my exercises on my labor ball and stretches.
Symptoms: I think I'm finally starting to feel a little less nauseous when I'm not in the heat and maybe I can start eating some more.
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery.  We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room.  It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger.  We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children.  And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort.  Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: When I first wrote this I was feeling like I was hitting my stride, but it turns out I wrote too soon.  I was sitting on the couch with the Mr as he was watching TV and I kind of zoned out and he asked me what I was thinking (I guess I had a worried look on my face), and I said, "I think I'm freaking out" I was thinking about the first day when my hubby goes back to work and I would be at home by myself with 2 little babies under the age of 2 years old!  Oh my goodness how am I going to do this?!  How will I take care of two babies by myself?! How will I load the car and unload the car to get groceries? How will I tell one child to wait while I tend to the other and still make the first feel loved? What will I do if they don't nap at the same time (which I realize is going to happen A LOT!)? So many "What if's" rolling around in my brain.  I know women have been doing this for millions of years, but this time it's me haha I know it will be tough at first but I'm sure we'll get some kind of routine (eventually) and we'll figure it all out.  With love we'll make it through, right?

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Bumpdate with Dutch at 15 weeks

Date: 8/1/15
How far along: 15 weeks
Fruit-size comparison: An apple
Developmental milestones: Our growing baby is moving amniotic fluid, joints are moving, and is beginning to curl up (We saw all three of these on the ultrasound this week!).  The baby can detect light on the outside of my stomach
Maternity clothes: I pulled out my maternity clothes from Dutch and I have way more than I remember having.  I also ordered some more jeans and leggings for the fall, because I'm pretty sure you can't have enough of those.  I'm not in maternity pants yet but I don't think it will be long until I am.
Weight gain:  I finally gain 1 lb!  Still down 9 lbs but at least I'm starting to gain.
Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch.  I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch  marks.  I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.
Sleep: Better, this week.  I sleep very hard once I fall asleep.  This week it has taken me a little longer to fall asleep at night.
Best moment of the week: By far, our appointment this week was the best!  We got a chance to see Teeny Peep!  This baby has definitively grown in the last three weeks.  The baby is already very squished in mama's womb; another very long and skinny baby. Teeny Peep is already curled and moving like crazy.  We tried to get a gender peak but Teeny Peep wasn't ready to share that with us yet.  The doctor did notice that I have a low lying placenta (not placenta previa), and I had this with Dutch as well.  I was put on pelvic rest with Dutch at 21 weeks, but I was put on pelvic rest at 6 weeks with this baby, then I was excused from it at 10 weeks, but put back on at 11 weeks due to some bleeding.  The low lying placenta coupled with my blood condition (my blood is incompatible with my babies) will probably keep me on pelvic rest until the baby arrives. Pelvic rest is pretty much a step away from bed rest.  It just means that I can't lift anything, no strenuous activity, no exercise, etc. Due to some bleeding at week 11 I had to have some blood work done at this doctors appointment and should get the results back some time next week.  My doctor was very glad that I have put on a pound especially after losing so much weight.  I've only gained one pound, but at least it is a start. My blood pressure was 96/52 and the baby's heart rate was 145.  All in all, it really was a great appointment and we loved to see our Teeny Peep :-)
Movement: After seeing the baby on the ultrasound this week, the baby is definitely already squished in my uterus (I guess that's what happens when daddy has long skinny genes with a mama who is pretty short.).  I spoke with the doctor about whether or not I have been feeling movement and he said that most second time moms can feel their babies move about 4 weeks sooner than their first pregnancy.  Since I felt Dutch at 19 weeks, and I'm now 15 weeks and the baby is already so long, I probably am feeling him/her move.  When watching the ultrasound we saw Teeny Peep move and I could identify those movements internally, so I think it's safe to say that I am officially feeling this little boy or girl moving and I absolutely love it.  I mostly feel the movements when I'm laying down and being calm, and it isn't regular yet, but when I do feel it, I can't help but smile :-)
Cravings: Broccoli and salad!  If I can keep this craving up throughout the pregnancy that would be awesome.
Gender:  This week I think girl and the Mr. thinks boy.  At the ultrasound this week, Teeny Peep was being modest so we didn't get a peak.  The big anatomy scan will be this month so hopefully we'll see then.
Belly button in or out: It's an innie, but it is already starting to get flat.
Wedding ring: On
Anything making you queasy/sick: Not that I can think of, nausea has gotten much better this week.
What I miss: I can't think of anything here either.
What I’m looking forward to: Enjoying the rest of the summer and getting to our anatomy scan.
Labor signs: No, thank goodness.
Symptoms: Nausea has gone away, and I'm starting to get an appetite back with some cravings. Energy has come back and my belly is definitely growing.  I still am having to take lots of potty breaks. And of course I'm feeling the occasional movement now.
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery.  We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room.  It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger.  We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children.  And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort.  Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: This week after our appointment, even though it was a good appointment, I've been a little more emotional as we try to make decisions for delivery.  They are tough decisions and I just think I know the answer sometimes, and other times I am a sappy crying mess.  Friday I cried the entire day (like big ugly cry) because I just didn't know which answer to choose.  We are praying through this and looking for God to give us peace and wisdom.

What I’m Lovin’ Wednesday: Urban Tot Cot

Hey, remember when I was actually on top of things in my life and had a cool new thing to share with you every Wednesday?  Do you remember? I hardly remember.  It seems like an eternity ago hahaha  Oh well, let's not dwell on the past.  
Dutch goes to school for about 4 hours a week: two hours on Tuesday and Thursday each.  It’s really important for us to make sure that he is getting those social and developmental skills.  He really seems to enjoy being with his friends and teachers and he is learning so much so fast; this makes us happy and gives us reassurance that we are attending to all of his needs as he grows.  Dutch attends a Montessori school so once a child has met all of their developmental milestones in one class they are moved to the next class.  In July Dutch was moved to the Infant II class and I was told that he now needed a bedroll.  My immediate response was, "What in the world is a bedroll?!" hahaha #firsttimemom  When I discovered that a bedroll was a napmat I got to work searching for the best fit for Dutch.  That is when I stumbled upon the Urban Infant Tot Cot.

I found this awesome bedroll on Amazon: it was a decent price (some bedrolls are insanely priced if you ask me), had fantastic reviews, and matched exactly what I was looking for.  It arrived in 2 days and I posted the picture above on Instagram of Dutch practicing with his new bedroll at home before we took it to school with him.  He really seemed to enjoy it so we gave it a try. Y'all, I can honestly say that not only does Dutch love it, but so do I and so does his teacher! 

Why Dutch loves it: The bed roll is super soft, and has everything he needs in one spot include a little pocket for a lovie, a pillow, and a blanket.

Why mama loves it: I love that the material is gentle on Dutch's skin.  I'm also a fan of the various prints there are choose from that aren't silly animated characters and are gender neutral.  I love that everything came with the bedroll and I didn't need to find separate blankets or pillows to fit this particular bedroll; it truly is an all-in-one design.  I really appreciate how lite it is to to carry.  There is a convenient strap that I can just throw over my shoulder to tote his bedroll home.  Speaking of getting it home, this is the easiest thing to wash!  I can throw the entire thing in the washing machine!  

Why the teachers love it: Dutch's teachers love that everything is all connected and in one place so it is very easy to roll up.  Everything, even the pillow and blanket, roll up together.  At school the bedrolls are rolled out onto mattresses and this bedroll comes with elastic loops on the corners that easily hook onto the edges of the mattress so the bedroll stays flat.  There is also a great spot on the front where I have his name so that the teachers can quickly identify his bedroll, roll it up, and place it into his cubby.

I don't think that I can rave enough about the Urban Infant Tot Cot!  It really is the perfect design and I'm so glad that we chose this one.  If you have a little one in school, even if only for a couple hours a week, this is a great bedroll for naps and I highly recommend it.

Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post; I just really like this brand.