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22 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 22 weeks - 18 to go!
Total weight gain: I think about 13-14 lbs, it varies but whatever. I'm still having a hard time accepting the gain but hey, it's for a good cause!
Maternity clothes?  Loving yoga pants right now! Maternity pants are a must but I'm still able to wear most of my regular shirts
Stretch marks?  none
Best moment this week: Christmas! It was a wonderful week and we got to spend lots of time with our family. Vince didn't have to work Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (usually works nights) so we were so glad to have one last normal holiday. It will be so much different next year once Baby T is here! 
Miss anything? No not really
Movement: yes, he's a very active little one - lately he has really enjoyed kicking off my bladder, he must think its like a trampoline or something! 
Food cravings: None actually.. I'm so surprised!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: Boy :)
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Heartburn, ugh! Tums are my best friend still, and I may ask the doc about some other alternative because it sure is making eating no fun. I have even started to wake up in the middle of the night with it and have to sleep propped up! I get random round ligament pains if I move too fast... Oh! And my leg hair is not growing.. Weird! But totally not complaining :)
Belly button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: some time off before work again, and of course for 2014!!

Happy Holidays!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Presents are under the tree, family all around, and great food in our bellies. We feel so blessed to have amazing family and friends, our good health, Vince's great job, and this little man growing inside me! Here are a few pictures from the holidays.

Our mantel this year... I switched it up a little from last year but still has the same feel to it. The pinecone trees I made myself, stockings are from Pottery Barn (don't you just love the little stockings for the pups!), H I made from yarn, vase and berries from Hobby Lobby.

For the tree I decided to go with a red and gold theme. Red and gold ornaments with red poinsettias. I wanted to incorporate more red this year since we have our pretty red stockings. I think it came together nicely. And then of course, the presents! The tree skirt I made last year out of a fleece fabric and there are little white poinsettias that go all along the trim. It's held up pretty well!

I'm so sad it's all over and will soon be cleaned up. But now, time to bring in the new year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and wish you a safe and happy new year!

21 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 21 weeks today, more than halfway through!
Total weight gain: I'm up a total of 11 lbs, so roughly 2 gained since last weigh in.. doctor said my weight gain is looking great though so I'm not too concerned. However, it is weird to see that number go up but I am confident it will go back down again once Baby T is here!
Maternity clothes?  Yep, all the time. Since it's winter time, I mostly wear my maternity jeans or leggings and then a top and cardigan that are not maternity. I have a few maternity long sleeve shirts that I really like and are basic so I can layer them. I pretty much live in leggings, tank & cardigan, and boots... my staple for sure!
Stretch marks?  None yet, still using my coco butter like crazy!
Best moment this week:  Baby T has been squirming and kicking up a storm. It really is a wonderful feeling and so fun to be able to connect with him. We had a very great moments this week... met with our doctor on Tuesday for a check up and she gave us the test results for our Quad Screen, which tests for down syndrome, spina bifida, and Trisomy 18. Our test results all came back negative and baby appears to be healthy. We are very glad baby is healthy! We did the test only for informational purposes, as it would not have changed our feelings toward our son. We love him unconditionally and no matter the outcome! We are of course happy to hear he is healthy!
Miss anything? I've been missing red wine this past week as it's the holidays and there are so many parties going on. Other than that, my sleep is getting a bit better but I'm finding it harder and harder to bend (ha!).
Movement: Yes, he's a kicking and punching machine!
Food cravings: I've been loving hot chocolate lately.. and last night I had a craving for lemonade, so random!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: Boy! We call him Baby T... his name is picked out but we won't be announcing until he arrives!
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: No major symptoms really
Belly button in or out? Outie
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Christmas is next week! We are so excited that Vince has both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off this year and we will get to spend both days with our family. The holidays are a busy time for us, as I'm sure it is for many of you, and we try to cram in as much family time as possible. I'm hoping it doesn't exhaust me too terribly! I also can't wait to give Vince his gifts this year. And we already bought Baby T his present... a crib! :)

Eat Dessert First: Scott's Molasses Crinkles

It's not the holidays until your house smells like fresh baked cookies! As one of my few pregnancy cravings, last week I was absolutely dying for my dad, Scott's homemade Molasses Crinkles. I immediately called him begging for the recipe (because of course I needed them right then and there and couldn't wait for him to make them next week for Christmas). After a hectic week, I finally got around to making these today and boy were they worth the wait!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shortening                                                          2 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar (packed)                                           1/4 tsp salt

1 egg                                                                              1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup molasses                                                            1 tsp cinnamon

2 1/4 cup flour                                                                1 tsp ginger

a bit of granulated sugar

Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl (flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger). Do not add the brown sugar to this! Oh and make sure you read the directions carefully because if you are anything like me you might misread the teaspoon as tablespoon and accidentally add way to much baking soda (oops!). Don't worry, I corrected my error!

Then in a different bowl (I used the one that is part of my KitchenAid mixer) combine brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and an egg until smooth. Then slowly add in your dry mix... they say to sift but I just gentled poured it in at a low speed.

Your dough should look something like this. Preheat your oven to 375°. Now, time to chill. My husband and I ate dinner while the dough was in the fridge chilling. It was plenty of time to cool and let it harden a bit. I probably could have let it sit a little longer in the fridge, as I did need to knead it together a bit after taking it out but it all turned out just fine.

Grab a spoon full into your hand and roll into a ball, roughly 1 - 1½. Then, in a small bowl add a bit of granulated sugar. Once your balls are rolled, gently dip into the sugar to coat just the top. After it is coated with sugar place gently on a baking sheet with the sugar side up.

Next, sprinkle the cookies with cool water. I first attempted to do this with a spoon (bad idea!) and found it was much easier to do by placing my hand under running water and flicking the cookies with the extra water from my hands. It was just enough to get a few drops of water on the cookies without completely soaking them (which you don't want to do). Then, place in the oven on the center rack for 10-12 minutes depending on your oven and altitude. 

Allow to cool on a rack. Then enjoy with a nice glass of cold milk! Your house will smell amazing and your family with be begging you for the recipe after they get a taste of these Molasses Crinkles.

Enjoy!

Hello Blogspot

Tonight I decided to make the transition from a different blog site to this one, and boy am I glad I did! This layout is way easier to navigate for my pregnancy brain and is much less confusing to manage. It will be a bit of a transition to add all of my old posts to this site but I will slowly but surely get it right along.

I plan to be posting much more often now that I know what I am doing. It's so difficult when you have a million ideas and can't get them all accomplished because of some silly technical difficulties... user error, I know! ;)

Check back for more updates!

20 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain: roughly 9lbs.. I seem to be gaining about 1 per week now
Maternity clothes?  This outfit is all maternity.. Wearing my favorite maternity jeans for Destination Maternity and the long sleeve top is from Old Navy. I could seriously live in these jeans!
Stretch marks?  None yet! I've been feeling like right above my belly button has been stretching a lot but I'm applying lotion like crazy. Hope I can avoid too many stretch marks but if not, it's worth it!
Best moment this week: we had our annual holiday party and it was very chill and fun to catch up with everyone.
Miss anything? Restful sleep.. Ugh I toss and turn all night and even with my body pillow I just can't get comfy!
Movement: Yes, lots!! This little guy sure is active. Vince has only felt him kick once, it's so hard to catch them both at the same time.
Food cravings: Cuties clementines, omg I'm obsessed right now!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: Boy!
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Hip pain, heart burn hasn't been so bad, oh and nesting already? We reorganized the garage with the help of my mom ( we call her Juju, her soon-to-be grandma name!). Actually she did all of it! Ha! I organized the upstairs and got some things moved around. Massages are helping my hips thank goodness!
Belly button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Our anatomy scan on Thursday, can't wait to see his little face again!

18 Weeks Pregnant

It's a.... BOY!!

We found out on Sunday that we are having a little boy and we couldn't be more excited! Everyone kept asking me if I was surprised and honestly, no! I would have been surprised if we found out it was a girl because I was so sure it was going to be a boy! And it is :) We are thrilled!

How far along? 18 weeks
Total weight gain: I think I'm up about 4 lbs at this point
Maternity clothes?  Loving my maternity jeans! I can still fit into some of my pants and all my shirts but did buy a few simple maternity tops for layering 
Stretch marks?  None yet, I have been applying my Coco Butter daily!
Best moment this week: Finding out we are having a little boy! AND starting to feel gentle kicks :)
Miss anything? Not really.. I miss sleeping like a normal person but I suppose I better get used to that one..
Movement: YES!!! I have been feeling little kicks here and there. They are definitely more decipherable now than before. It's such an amazing feeling. I think I actually felt the first one on our way home for the ultrasound. Especially after seeing his position it was easier for me to tell that it was a foot/kick I was feeling
Food cravings: None really
Anything making you queasy or sick: Cleaning the dishes if they still have food on them kind of makes me want to puke... but nothing major.
Gender: BOY!!!
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Heartburn still and hip pain. It's been hard to sleep at night because I can't seem to get comfortable. Also, I can tell my belly is growing.. which means I need to start taking pictures again! I'm horrible at that..
Belly button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, happy, happy!!!
Looking forward to: Planning his nursery!

17 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 17 weeks!
Total weight gain: Doctors office says 4 lbs total so far.
Maternity clothes? I purchased a pair of really comfortable maternity skinny jeans with the high bump band, and boy are they comfy! I wish I could wear them every single day. They work great with boots (which are my go to) and flats too. I haven't attempted heels yet so we'll see. Other than that I am still able to fit into all my regular clothes. I did order some stuff from Old Navy, so excited for those to arrive!
Stretch marks? None yet.
Best moment this week: We had a big week. Unfortunately, my grandfather on my mom's side passed away on Monday morning. We knew it was coming but it was still very hard to deal with. My mom is doing okay though and same with my family. It's just so hard to see people you love upset. Also on Monday we found on Vince's permanent work schedule, which we are very excited about! It's a huge relief to know what he will be working and where. On Wednesday we had a  brief appointment with my OB and got to hear baby's heartbeat. Still in the 150s which is great! She said that everything sounded great. THEN on Thursday we drove down south for an elective gender ultrasound! It was so exciting! We told the tech that we didn't want to actually see the parts, since we are having our gender reveal party on Sunday, but it was so great to see our little one moving around. The baby is face my spine right now so it was hard to get a good profile shot because he/she was nestled into my uterus wall. But we were able to get some great photos! It was so exciting to see baby looking like a little human! It definitely made it so much more real for both of us. The tech printed out the gender pictures and put them into an envelope and I immediately drove and gave them to my girlfriend Nicole who is setting up the reveal for us. There was no way I could hold on to them for very long!
Miss anything?  I miss sleeping through the night without having to get up to pee every few hours. Geeez!
Movement: I THINK I have felt something a few times but it is still hard to tell. They say that it feels like bubbles popping or something but how the heck am I suppose to decipher if its gas or the baby? So confusing! However, after seeing where baby is positioned on the ultrasound I am about 70% sure that I felt a little tiny kick yesterday. It was faint, and I didn't feel gassy at all or like it was bubbles popping... it just felt like a little tap on my stomach. It does line up with where the feet were on the US yesterday so I am hoping that's what I felt! 
Food cravings: I had a huge craving for Cheerios & sliced banana cereal. So random!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Gender: After the US and seeing baby's little face, I am still thinking boy! However, we would be so delighted either way! We have decided on names for either way and I am just so excited to know!!
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Heartburn is still really fun... (not!). Other than that, no major symptoms. 
Belly button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! I haven't felt very moody or emotional, which is funny because I usually cry at the drop of a hat. But I've been pretty happy and excited lately. Definitely anxious this week because I just want to know so badly what we are having! 
Looking forward to: Finding out what we are having on Sunday! I am so excited because it is going to be a complete surprise. I am usually horrible with surprises and somehow find them out but this time I have no idea of anything. Nicole will barely talk to me because she doesn't want to spill the beans! Ha! Good thing though, I'm a little sneaky when it comes to surprises like this!

 

16 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 16 weeks!
Total weight gain: roughly 3 lbs
Maternity clothes?  Still fitting into most my clothes but enjoying maternity jeans
Stretch marks?  none
Best moment this week: Vince took me out to dinner and play on  Thursday. We went to one of my favorite mexican restaurants and since I have been craving it so much, it definitely hit the spot!
Miss anything? No not really
Movement: Possibly, but it's still so hard to tell!
Food cravings: Mexican food.. tacos namely
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: Still thinking boy!
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Heartburn, ugh! Tums are my best friend right now
Belly button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Our gender ultrasound next Thursday!

15 Weeks Pregnant

I realize I am a little late in the game to be starting this pregnancy blog. But hey, better late than never, right?!

Here I am at 15 weeks pregnant. I decided to make a concerted effort each week to post a blog entry and have the same questions to be used as comparison. I've seen this done on many other blogs, let's just hope my pregnancy ADD doesn't prevent me from keeping on task..

(btw I borrowed this pregnancy blog format from the lovely Anna Saccone, go check out her amazing style tips!)

How far along? 15 weeks! My has it flown by :) only 25 more to go
Total weight gain: roughly 2lbs, depending on the time of day....
Maternity clothes? None yet, I enjoy my Joe's maternity jeans but have found that all my clothes still fit and I have some pretty comfortable and stretchy pants!
Stretch marks? Nope!
Best moment this week: Listening to Vince talk to my belly... he's so darn sweet! He has been an absolute sweetheart this entire pregnancy (not that he wasn't before..) it's so nice to see how excited he is for this little one. It really makes me so happy! He's going to be an amazing daddy. 
Miss anything? Red wine and salami... 
Movement: None yet, but boy I can't wait for it!! I wanna feel this kiddo kick.
Food cravings: Mexican food, as usual! I can't get enough beans and rice and tacos and oh my gosh I'm getting hungry just writing about it...
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope..
Gender: I've thought boy from the very beginning... I'm not really sure why, just a feeling I guess. But it's so hard to tell because I haven't really had all that many symptoms. I would love a girl as well! And I am actually more set on a girls name & nursery ideas than for a boy but I just have this feeling it's a mini Vinnie! I always imagined us having boys first for some reason... But who knows! We love this little one no matter what and will be so excited to find out either way! 
Labor signs: No
Symptoms: My headaches have been nasty lately. Fortunately, I have an amazing acupuncturist who I see every other week and she's been helping a lot. Also, my heating pad is like my best friend right now. Heartburn is not my friend and we have been battling it out almost every night. I suppose it doesn't help that all I want is spicy Mexican food...
Belly button in or out? I've always had an outie :P ... so yeah, bad boy's out. 
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time:  Happy as a clam 
Looking forward to: A massage on Tuesday to help with my hip pain. Yay! 

Welcome!

I am so excited to be launching my very own blog! I suppose I will introduce myself first as I'm sure most of you are wondering who the heck I am..

I am Jess, a 23 year old wife & soon to be mama who loves to craft and design things. I decided to start this blog as a way of keeping track of all my craft projects, as well as my pregnancy.  I hope you will enjoy this blog, and if not feel free to hit that little X button at the top ;). However, I'd much rather you click the 'star' and come visit me again!