Baby W: 40 Weeks

that's right... this baby is about the size of a small pumpkin. 

perfect timing, huh?!

Total weight gain:   49 pounds - yesssss, back under 50! [it's the little things]
Maternity clothes:  Some, but mostly stretchy pants since it's getting chillier.
Stretch marks:  Still can't see any, but I have a feeling I'll find some in the next month once I can actually see my belly.
Sleep:  Every couple nights I sleep well, otherwise I toss & turn... and have hot flashes. Thank you, hormones.
Best moment this week:  Had a non-stress test, which showed that baby is happy and healthy. Well, not happy when squeezed by contractions, but reactive -- which is good news. Any reassurance is welcome!
Miss anything?:   This is weird, but I miss Roberts cottage cheese in the pink container. It's always been my favorite, and of course Roberts isn't sold all the way out here. I've tried two other kinds, but they just don't compare!
Movement:  Yep, and we're getting quite the pattern. Evenings after dinner are the most active.
Food cravings:   Not really.
Anything make you queasy or sick?:  Nope
Aches and pains:   Stretching ligaments occasionally, but otherwise just aches here and there. Nothing too bad.
Gender prediction:  Still don't know, but we'll find out soon!
Labor signs:   Lots of contractions in the past couple days. We've got to be getting closer!
Belly button in or out?:   Mostly flat
Wedding rings on or off?:   The cheap-o is still on. Ready to wear my pretty one!!
Happy or Moody most of the time?:   Happy
Most looking forward to:   Meeting this baby!! And my mom and brother come tomorrow!

Streudel Topped Pumpkin Muffins

I believe boredom has set in. I've been waiting for this bambino to emerge for a while now, and while I've still been filling my time with walks and my daily 1pm meeting with Kathie Lee and Hoda, I've also been crafty this week. You probably saw that fall wreath yesterday; plus I've been re-learning how to crochet. And today I baked some of the most delectable fall muffins, so I thought I'd share. These muffins are definitely worth the trip to the store to pick up a can of pumpkin. 

The original recipe is from this blog, but I'll recap it here as well. Just in case you decide you need to try them. [trust me, you do]

Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

Strudel Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3 tbsp butter, softened

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine the first six ingredients in a medium sized bowl; mix and set aside. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the remaining four muffin ingredients. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, and stir until incorporated. Mix the strudel topping ingredients in a small bowl.
Spoon into muffin tins [i used mini muffin tins, because then you can have more than one].
Sprinkle each muffin with strudel topping.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes [or 15 minutes for regular-sized muffins], or until they pass the toothpick test.


I hope you enjoy!

Fall Wreath

Since fall is finally upon us, I decided I needed to give the front porch a little fall-ness. Mike said no carving pumpkins until this lil babe arrives, so the front door got a little sprucing up today. There are all sorts of fall wreaths out there, but at a good $20 a pop, I decided I could do it for cheaper. After a quick trip to the craft store [armed with my e-coupons], I walked out with all the goodies I needed. Total cost:  $11.  

I gave it all a little hot glue, and voila!

It's nothing super fancy, but I think it gave us a little of the fall flair we needed. Add a sweatshirt and a pumpkin spice latte and we're in business!

Happy Fall!

Baby W: 39 Weeks

Total weight gain:   50 pounds [and SO ready to start losing]
Maternity clothes:  Yes, plus a lot of yoga pants going on these days.
Stretch marks:  None that I can see.
Sleep:  Not sleeping very well most nights. Doing a lot of tossing and turning, and I'm really hot at night... I think I'm having hot flashes. No fun!
Best moment this week:  Enjoyed the last few days of having my dad and Deb here, got a good report for this Lil Nugget, and scheduled a trip for Rachael to come visit!
Miss anything?:   Moving around easily. Everything is more difficult with a huge belly and an extra 50 pounds.
Movement:  The movements become stronger but smaller each week because there isn't so much extra room in there now, but I think the baby is trying to stretch out sometimes. Maybe he/she should just come out to play! 
Food cravings:   Nightly dessert, but otherwise no.
Anything make you queasy or sick?:  Nope
Aches and pains:   Round ligament stretching once in a while, but otherwise general aches from being such a chunker these days!
Gender prediction:  I don't know, but I'm excited to find out! 
Labor signs:   An occasional contraction, but very few.
Belly button in or out?:   Mostly flat
Wedding rings on or off?:   The cheap-o is still on.
Happy or Moody most of the time?:   Happy
Most looking forward to:   Meeting this little one!! AND my mom and brother come this week!

Family Comes to Visit {Round One}

Company. Visitors. Family.  They're always welcome, but even more so when living halfway across the country. 

For the past week, I have been graced by the presence of my dad and his other half, Deb. They arrived last Thursday, and I [less than willingly] returned them to the airport yesterday morning. We had a very fun week filled with road trips, football, exploration, and even birthday celebrations. Oh, and of course a lot of delicious food.

Here's a quick photo recap of some of the highlights of the week.

Beautiful view that's all around this town. The first day we went on a little road-trip to the Amish market and Mennonite store, and this is what the drive was like.

Horses on the hillside

A little Amish farmstead

Mike took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the new ice arena -- which is what brought us here. It doesn't even open to the public for another week or two, but we got to check it out!

The outside of the men's locker room. Pretty cool!

View of the ice from the club seats.

We thought maybe it would be fun to hike a little of Mt Nittany. It doesn't look that steep, but it's a rough hike! Next time we give it a try, Mike will be on baby-carrying duty :)

Mike & I looking stellar

My dad & Deb enjoying the hike

We even got to go to the Penn State football game on Saturday. Unfortunately they didn't win, but it was a fun game! This is the Blue Band doing their pre-game routine. They're so good!

The team running onto the field

A Nebraska car we saw leaving the game!! 

[maybe i can track them down and make a friend!]

We drove to Hershey, PA to tour the Hershey Factory.

Mike [clearly excited] on the car for the How It's Made tour.

My dad & Deb [actually excited] in the car for the tour

Mike & I [and both my chins] ready to learn how it's made.

These cows help tell the story of how the chocolate is made. 

[a little goofy, if you ask me]

One of the steps of chocolate-making.

Dropping dollops of chocolate to make Kisses!

Just after wrapping and headed to the store.

Hershey Park is an amusement park. We walked around a little, but apparently roller coasters are off-limits when 9 months pregnant. Who knew? [kidding.]

The streetlights of the town of Hershey, PA are shaped like Hershey's Kisses!

The smokestacks of the actual Hershey factory. Unfortunately the factory was closed when we went [over the weekend] so we didn't get to see the real deal, we just toured the replica.

Dad's birthday celebration!

Mike's birthday celebration!

As you can see, we had a very enjoyable week. We did a lot of fun things, and we had plenty of relaxation time too.  I really didn't want to take them back to the airport yesterday, but I guess that's part of the deal. Maybe they'll have to come visit again soon?!  

THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE US!!!!

Baby W: 38 Weeks

Total weight gain:   48 lbs [up significantly from last week... i think i could use some diuretics]
Maternity clothes:  Yes - maternity clothes and anything big enough in my closet that will cover this bod.
Stretch marks:  Still don't see any, but I haven't asked Mike lately.
Sleep:  Not sleeping as well as I have been; I wake up a lot during the night.
Best moment this week:  My first visitors were here! My dad and Deb just left [sadly], but we had a great, fun-filled week!
Miss anything?:  Not really. Well, maybe stamina and energy. Yes, definitely.
Movement:  About the same as it has been - a butt or heel sliding along once in a while. No more backflips or dance parties.
Food cravings:  No real cravings. If I think about it, I could really go for a lot of things (a donut from the best bakery back home, a Jimmy John's sandwich, a beer with an orange...) but not craving them.
Anything make you queasy or sick?:  Nope
Aches and pains:  My feet get achy when they swell at the end of the day. And I still get pulling 'round' ligaments occasionally - that's no fun.
Gender prediction:  No clue! But we'll find out sooooon :)  
Labor signs:  An occasional contraction, but only about one painful one in the last week. The walking, spicy foods, and pineapple just haven't done it yet.
Belly button in or out?:  Mostly flat with one little pooch of out.  
Wedding rings on or off?:  The faker is still on and getting snug, so I don't even dare try putting the real one on. A few more weeks and I'll get to wear it again!
Happy or Moody most of the time?:  Happy   
Most looking forward to:  Meeting this little bambino! And my next visitors in less than two weeks!

Baby W: 37 Weeks

Total weight gain:   44 pounds
Maternity clothes:  Yep, maternity clothes, leggings, and big shirts.
Stretch marks:  None that I can see, but I can't see the bottom half of my belly...
Sleep:  Sleeping ok, but I toss and turn a lot during the night.
Best moment this week:  Mike and I went to the first Penn State home football game of the year. The weather was perfect and we had comfy seats. It was one of the only games I'll probably be able to go to this year, so it was loads of fun! The atmosphere was great, the band was amazing, and let's not forget... they kicked some butt!
Miss anything?:  I'm used to not having all the restricted things by now, but I could still go for a nice jog or a couple beers at a tailgate!
Movement:  I get jabbed by a butt or a heel pretty frequently. It's like the baby is trying to escape by busting out like the alien did in the movie Space Balls [i think that's the movie it was...?]. Gross, right?
Food cravings:  Nothing really intense, but still loving my milk and frozen yogurt. Speaking of frozen yogurt... they make greek fro-yo that is fat-free, lower sugar, and more protein than ice cream. There aren't as many flavors, but it's a win in my book! 
Anything make you queasy or sick?:  Nothing.
Aches and pains:  General aches after standing or walking for a while.
Gender prediction:  I have no idea! For some reason I'm getting more girl vibes than I've had previously, but I'm not convinced one way or another.   
Labor signs:  Still having occasional contractions, but nothing too serious. Only one or two painful ones so far, but no more this week. 
Belly button in or out?:  Mostly flat, and as out as it's gonna get.  
Wedding rings on or off?:  The pretty one is still in the box :( so still wearing the cheap-ie. I'm ready to put the real one on already! Although my cheap one is significantly bigger, it gets a little snug most days. Even if I could get the real one on, I'd be afraid it would cut off my circulation and they'd have to cut it off. A little dramatic I know, but NOT happening.
Happy or Moody most of the time?:  Happy   
Most looking forward to:  Family comes this week!!! 

Nugget's Nursery

After a special request for nursery pictures this morning, I decided maybe I'd give you the tour today. [you're welcome, sasha :) ]

Because we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl, we had to go with something neutral. Yellow just wasn't going to cut it, so we went with gray and white with a few splashes of orange. Why orange? I don't know, it just happened.

Let me preface the pictures with a disclaimer that I am by no means an interior decorator, nor will I ever claim to have that skill set. But alas, this is what I came up with. It's a good thing a newborn doesn't really care.

The changing table -slash- dresser and the crib

[that's right, only a sheet in the crib. because i don't want SIDS happening in my house.]

The glider and half of the loveseat.

[the other half was glared really badly by the window, so just use your imagination. 

it's only in the nursery by default - there's really nowhere else in the house to put it.]

The bookshelf. 

Kind of a catch-all with some decor, books, stuffed animals and toys.

Of course I decided to do a few projects whilst decorating. Because apparently that's what you do when you have a lot of time on your hands, a little creativity, and you don't want to spend a fortune on decorating. 

[thanks once again to pinterest for the inspriation. perhaps one day we'll have a tutorial if there's any interest... though not so likely.]

The mobile.

Made of:  a dowel stick, fishing line, and scrapbook paper.

Paper lantern cluster hanging from the ceiling.

Made of:  assorted paper lanterns and fishing line.

"Art". With the quotes because I'm clearly no artist.

Made of:  hideous thrift-store frames and acrylic paint.

Fabric-covered bins.

Made of:  old canvas bins and a yard of fabric.

Coordinating lamp.

Made of:  old black lamp, ugly shade, and acrylic paint.

Coordinating neck/back pillow.

Made of:  fat quarter of fabric and pillow insert.

Well troops, that's just about it. I think it's a fun little nursery and turned out pretty well; hopefully you feel the same. Remember:  if & when you come to visit, this will be your room too. So book your tickets now!

If you have any additions or alterations, please leave a comment. I'm always up for changing & improving things!

Now... let's have us a baby already! :)

Baby W: 36 Weeks

Total weight gain:   43 pounds
Maternity clothes:  Yep. Maternity pants and yoga pants are about the only pants that are comfortable these days. And because my limited maternity wardrobe includes white capris, yes I will be wearing them after Labor Day. 
Stretch marks:  Still none that I know of.
Sleep:  Sleeping a little less these days, but I suppose that's just preparing me for what's to come.
Best moment this week:  Nursery is finally finished and ready for the little one to arrive!
Miss anything?:  A bike ride sounds nice. And a Jimmy John's sandwich.
Movement:  I get a heel and butt sticking out several times a day. In addition to hiccups, that's about all there's room for.
Food cravings:  No real cravings. Loving desserts, but no surprise there. And milk, I do love a glass of milk.
Anything make you queasy or sick?:  Nope
Aches and pains:  The great news is that my hip/sciatica doesn't bother me anymore! 
Starting to show yet?:  I'm deleting this question....
Gender prediction:   I don't know!! I've been getting a lot of girl predictions in the past week. Betting starts next week! Who wants to be the bookie?
Labor signs:  Occasional contractions, but nothing more.
Belly button in or out?:   Flat. I have decided that it's not going to be an outie because of the scar tissue from where my belly button ring was.
Wedding rings on or off?:  Sadly, the sparkly shiny beautiful one still doesn't fit. But the faker is on, so I don't look super shady.
Happy or Moody most of the time?:  Happy :)  
Most looking forward to: One week til family comes, and one week until Baby is healthy enough to emerge!