Another Day Down...

So this weekend wasn't too bad on the sick level... we went to Walmart instead of Publix for our groceries this week (we just seem to get a better value sometimes at Walmart) and wow we came home with $120 in food (of course a lot of that chunk is from our milk, $3.50/gallon and we usually get 2-3) and I swear this could last us 3 weeks easily... I was so happy by how much we got, it's insane.  And it's all foods I know I can eat -- I've really revolted into my childhood and craving ravioli, velveeta, chicken noodle soup, etc.  Last night Ryan made us steak and it was sooo good, I just wish I could have eaten more than 2 slices! LoL :]


Today I've got Cooper at the groomer -- he was soooo shaggy, I should have taken a 'before' photo.  He's going to be nice and shaved, pink belly, and 'naked'... he's so funny after he gets groomed, he know how pretty he is!!! :]

Today has been pretty good if I just could have had an appetite -- grazed on cheeto puffs, had a cup of campbells soup to go, 1 claussen pickle and this morning I had Orange Juice and 2 small chocolate donuts... I know it sounds like total junk food but I don't feel sick if I just eat what sounds good... my pants have started feeling tighter and I can't hold my tummy in like I used too, I'm eager to see if I'll be carrying high or low or just sorta in the middle.  Eeks!

So ready for thanksgiving...

because today I am craving a Cranberry Turkey Sandwich like none other... not regular deli turkey though, warm freshly baked turkey!!! And a nice side of mashed taters and gravy.... ohhh my!!! We went to Marshalls today and got some fun stuff, we hadn't gone shopping in forever, mostly because we cut back our expenses and now that we're debt free (minus my car) we felt we could spoil ourselves.  We got a bunch of different knick knacks... I got a pretty wreath for the front door, some new hand towels on clearance, coffee for our friend overseas, a cookbook, ryan got a new wallet and mini/portable razor thingy... oh and we got new frying pans, something we'd been slacking on!!! We spend under $100 and I felt amazingly accomplished... I wanted to go to Steinmart but I was starving, so we went to Red Robin... what a waste, 8 bites later "I'm full, can I get a box?" ugh it's so embarrassing to go out and eat because I look like either I hate the food or I'm starving myself lol...

My worst pain lately are these ligament stretching cramps... every time I sneeze, my pelvis aches like a tightened muscle... 5 seconds later its gone, but it HURTS. 

32 left!

Here's our baby this week... the size of a RASPBERRY!  Two weeks to go until our 10 week ultrasound... they're goin to record it onto a CD for us and then we'll be able to share the images with everyone.. I can't wait to see what is growing in me!!! Or - how many! LoL, I saw a girl online yesterday in the same forum as me who is having QUAD'S - yes FOUR babies!!! Oh my... she says she did it w/o fertility treatments too... she better go play lotto with those odds!  I think I'd freak if we had 3 or 4 babies in me... of course I'd probably also be really sick which I'm not.  Fortunately for us multiples don't run on either side of our family tree so it'd be a slim shot of it happening to us... which is fine & dandy with me!!!

8 Weeks Photo!

As of today I've gained .6lbs since last week... a total of 4.6 pounds since 9/24 when I got my *BFP* (Big Fat Positive Test Result) ...not bad really, I blame it not on puking, since I haven't had that *knock on wood* but on having NO appetite at night... last night we ordered Donato's pizza, my favorite a Margherita!  I ate 2 bites of pizza, my whole salad and it took me an entire hour... then at about 8pm I munched on some potato chips (which gave me gas pains in bed, ughh) and had chocolate milk.  I actually "feel" thinner which is weird, maybe its because my stomach is so empty when I wake up.  I try though... I really try!

Fatigue

Wow I definitely got hit with the fatigue bug today... woke up at 5:30 to Ryan's alarm... went pee, crawled back into bed and couldn't really sleep much.  Woke up eventually at 7:30am, showered & walked Cooper, ate cheerios w/banana slices and a chocolate milk... and now it's just after 9:00am and I'm about to go crawl back into bed!!! I haven't felt this tired yet so it's really a weird feeling, I just feel like I got no sleep (which I did though!) ...sucky.

Last night our good friend Kevin deployed for a year in Afghanistan, so sad.  He was in our wedding and a long time friend of Ryan, they're basically like family to us.  It's hard to have someone you know so well being at war -- really makes you stop & appreciate the little things you have here at home.  I can only imagine how his wife is doing, managing 3 little boys (twin 6yr olds & a 10mo old) on her own... even when Ryan would leave me for a week on a business trip I'd be bored out of my mind and I admit... sad.  My hormones are a bit out of whack, so of course thinking harder about Kevin leaving had me a bit teary eyed last night...

I'm a bit bummed, I looked up the YMCA here and they do not offer a single prenatal work out class... no aerobics, pilates or even a walking group!  There is a prenatal yoga studio but *yawn* yoga really puts me to sleep... I enjoy pilates so much more.  So, I guess I'll be sticking to my DVDs unless I can find a friend or two who is pregnant and wants to start a walking group or something... I guess I can just walk the park with Ryan after work... some exercise is better than none!

17 Days

Only 17 more days until we get to see baby on the ultrasound machine!  I am so excited, I just countdown the days until week 8 then week 9... then we'll be at week 10!!! Our appointment is at 7:30am so by the time people on the west coast wake up and get to work we should have photo's and news to share!!!

This weekend was probably a 7 out of 10 for me... although I looked and felt good for the most part, things always seem to slow me down.  First, we planned to go up to Tennessee to get some pumpkins and go through a corn maze... just have some cheap October fun!  We were about go when suddenly I felt sick to my stomach... so instead we went to Walmart and got the fixin's to make homemade caramel apples... got to admit though, they turned out really good (and yummy!) ...I just hope Ryan or myself doesn't pull out any fillings or teeth, haha!

Yesterday I had my shortness of breath again, apparently because of baby I now have 10% more blood in my body now and so I realize the need for more breaths and although my heart feels like it's racing it's just beating faster than it was because of all the blood circulating in me.  It comes and goes but once it comes I have to sit down and take a breather... my pilates has been helping a lot with this, because there are breathing techniques with the stretching... also putting my hands over my head and straightening my back really helps too.  My Pregnancy Tea (by Traditional Medicinals) has also been a great help, I can have 4 cups a day and just sip on it through the day.  


Aside from that here's my latest cravings/aversions:

Cravings: Cheesy things (cheesy tots, cheese fries, cheeto's, cheese & crackers, cheesy pretzels, cheeseburgers)

Aversion: Beef (I can eat a burger, but just thinking of: fajita's, stir fry, pot roast, roast beef... makes me wanna hurl)

7 Weeks Photo!

I've gained 2 pounds in a week *eeks* but to be fair I did weigh myself after I pigged out on breakfast (hey, for once I actually felt good to eat breakfast -- don't hate!) ...I feel like I "look" thinner than I did at 6 weeks, but I am a bit picky with myself... I'll take 2 pounds over what (some) girls I've been hearing are gaining (5+ pounds, whoa nelly!)

so long pimples!

So as most of you all know I sell Mark Cosmetics and that I religiously use their skincare products -- and try to lure everyone else into the wonderful world of them!  Well I was slightly bummed when I realized my skin has changed with this pregnancy!  So long to the dry, dehydrated skin & hello to uneven skin tone!  I have been using our Calm Yourself face mask in the shower 3x a week (lovvve it!) and just today switched up to See Things Clearly moisturizer... for awhile the previous moisturizer I was using actually *BURNED* but not anymore... skin as smooth as a baby's! 

33 to go!

7 weeks down, 33 to go... this week our baby is the size of a blueberry!  Hard to imagine, isn't it?? The baby's legs are starting to grow, eyes & ears are becoming visible & bones are hardening!  Wow... and just 3 more weeks until we get to see baby on the ultrasound!!

I just got Cash Back for Shopping!!

Woohoo, I tried out this website called: Ebates in July and just got my first cash back for making purchases online -- for my Mark cosmetics, ebay, american eagle, Godiva, drugstore.com, CVS, etc!!!

Here's the email I got:

"Dear Ebates Shopper, Thank you for using Ebates every time you shop online. Congratulations, here is your Big Fat Payment! Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have about your payment or your Ebates account. Happy shopping! Sincerely, Ebates Customer Care"

Okay, Okay I know what you're thinking... "only $36.85?" but that is accumulated over 3 months and heck ebay only gets me about 3% cashback, it's not a lot... but it's something, when I'm already shopping online!  I know for baby I'll be doing a ton so I'll be able to get "paid" to shop for the baby gear, clothes, DIAPERS and more!!! If you're not a member you should join by clicking my link above (click on Ebates!) and you can earn $5 cashback (or towards an e-gift card) after your first purchase!!!

affordable happiness

Who knew that my $10 purchase at Walmart would give me such happiness with such a little price tag... when my hips, back and boobs all ache so much that they've pretty much kept me on the couch ALL DAY LONG :(

I also got my bella band (in white) today ...paid $20 on ebay for it [they retail $26+] and am in LOVE... as soon as I got it today I slipped it on with my jeans, unbuttoned the jeans though and folded it over slightly... WOW my pants aren't falling down, they fit comfortably and it really does look like an undershirt... I think I need these in more colors! Everyone be on the lookout for them in size 1 at a steal price!

oh joy

Well my clean streak of not vomiting ended last night... so sad.  I think it could've been from the car ride (we drove out to Lake Guntersville, about 120 miles roundtrip) but I'm also not sure 'cus we'd been home for awhile... needless to say my prenatal vitamin, top ramen & powerade all came up and I lost my appetite for the rest of the night... Today I've been living of gardetto (just the brown crunchy ones lol) and mott's fruit snacks... they are so yummy.  I think I'll try to do 2 segments of Pilates today... my yoga dvd did come too so maybe I'll give it a whirl. 

It's gonna be another hot day... around 90, possible record temps!  Eeks... gotta love it though.  Beats rain or cold weather... or snow, yuck.  Cooper has been pretty good, not as clingy as before... just sleeping and peeking whenever he hears me eat food. 

I must say I feel pretty lucky to have Ryan though... when I was puking he got me a towel and (finally?) understands that I may look okay but inside I feel miserable... he made me some cookies and reheated my soup... even though I didn't eat anymore really.  It sure beats having to do it all alone, I'm pretty sick feeling today and he's at work so it's kinda crappy... oh well. 

Aside from that not much is new...

my pregnancy LIFESAVER

OMG this is my new lifesaver... whenever I feel nauseated I grab myself a milk box (perfectly portioned at 8oz) and I instantly feel better!  Not a bad price, $2.89 for 3 at Publix... definitely going to be more of a specialty than an everyday thing, might have to buy the big box and save these for when I'm around town or on the go.  Regardless though, I think they fill my nausea need -- Protein (8g), Sugars (27g) and of course... CHOCOLATE!

A little better...

Woke up today feeling a little better, I've realized I just have a fast metabolism with this baby... I can eat, eat and eat and never get full... I only gained .2lbs over night and boy did i eat last night! LoL... chocolate donuts, gardetto's, pickle potato chips, mac & cheese, fruit snacks -- but I eat in moderation so don't worry Mom! Plus I drink water like none other hahaha.

We went grocery shopping and I feel it was pretty successful, only spent $160 and saved $50... stocked up on a LOT of food (cereal, crackers, popcorn, gatorade, etc). I'm hoping we can hold off on shopping again until the 1st but who knows, I'll probably have to refill on eggs, butter, veggies... those necessities that go so quickly in our household.

Not much new with baby, just still waiting for our first appointment. My breasts have been more achey and my nausea comes & goes as it pleases, I've realized nothing really triggers it as far as food. I had strawberries & bananas this morning with apple juice & haven't eaten my Nature Valley granola bars yet... figure I'll eat those when I walk Cooper.

I'm hoping I can drag Ryan to Sears or Target to look at some baby stuff for fun, but I doubt it. It's a gorgeous day and who wants to be locked up inside all day? We got an e-mail back from Robert, our home sales agent who said the home probably wouldn't be Move-In ready until January... *booo* but oh well, at least it's still way in advance before the baby. And January is after the hustle & bustle of the holiday stress. I think I'll be spending most of November and December packing things that way when we get the keys we can move the same day... lots of little things to pack up, we were really surprised that we'd find a home this soon after moving here.

My parents come into town in 18 days I'm so excited! They are going to love this town as much as they don't think they will! Sure we got rednecks and wanna be gangsters and college kids, but it's a great town and everyone has a lot of respect and courtesy towards others, well in my opinion. Of course I pretty much stay in the new part of town, the old part is kinda... ghetto. :)

MS Blows

Morning sickness SUCKS. Okay I haven't been vomiting *knock on wood* but still... waking up STARVING (and i lost 1.2lbs!!!) and looking in the fridge to see nothing pleasing... only foods that make me gag... is not fun!

Hopefully grocery shopping today I'll be able to stock up on a bunch of organic, healthy, pregnancy friendly foods! I did buy $50 in Pregnancy Anti-Nausea stuff yesterday on drugstore.com lol.. whoops! Let's just hope they work... I got them for the Nascar race actually.

Cooper has been acting more & more like a baby... I can't eat my Ritz crackers without having to give him one each time too... he's gonna be a little porker soon.

Here's the nursery bedding & accessories set we picked out...

And the Crib / Furniture...

I really love how they're both very gender neutral...

Oh and names?

As of today:

Girl: Camryn Alexis
Boy: Cameron James

Six Weeks!

Well I've made it to six weeks... woke up with a migraine, nausea, hard belly, heartburn and an impatient dog. Sliced up an apple for breakfast (my latest obsession) and grabbed a cup of water... think I'll start eating every 2-3 hours so that I can try to prevent Morning Sickness. I haven't had any yet (knock on wood) and am hoping I don't... let's hope Mom's Gene's are good!!! :)

I've only gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks... I know I don't need to be gaining any but I did sorta slip off the tracks for a week while in shock... I'm now doing 30 minutes of pilates everyday and walking Cooper 4x a day, so that's some good exercises in my opinion. I told mom I'd only gain 30, 35 tops with pregnancy so the race is on... :)

Today I'm pretty bloated still I think... my stomach is hard but because I've been doing pilates I can't tell if it's from baby growing or muscles growing, or both. I'm so glad I don't have to go through this nausea stage while on vacation or anything... but I do hope it's gone by the time my folks visit in just under 3 weeks... I would hate to be sick during their visit :(

definitely autumn here!

Wow where did this crazy low weather come from? I swear this time last week it was 95... today it's 65! Brrr... the only perk of it has gotten me to work out more, to warm up my body temp! I got this great new dvd recently, 10 Minute Solution: Prenatal Pilates it's my new favorite workout, for sure!!  It has 5 segments of 10 minute workouts and my favorite is the floor exercises with help of a nice cushy pillow!  I'm still eager to get my Yoga Booty Ballet: Baby On The Way dvd from Beachbody... I totally thought it was going to be here today but nope... jeesh!  Don't they know I'm an impatient pregnant woman.

Today my hips have been aching... it stinks. They're not quite painful and they aren't crampy, just... achey. Hopefully the pilates will relax them by this evening. I had hardly any sleep last night, I think I'll be in bed by 8pm. I went to bed at 8 with Ryan (we were both so tired) and nearly fell right to sleep... woke up at 3am WIDE FREAKIN AWAKE... so friggin crappy.

Oh and get this, today Ryan calls me at 7am asking if Progressive covers "keys locked in car" ...yep, he did it. Men... jeeze.

I've been working more on finding cute things for the nursery, of course it'll be so much easier once we're IN our house before buying anything... I'd hate for Ryan to have to move things twice :)

I'm thinking we'll leave the wall color the same, but I'm not set in stone. I also think a sage green would be super pretty, maybe I'll go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get color samples.

Cooper has been stressing me more than normal, not only is he super protective of me [ if I'm on the couch, he'll come up and put his paws on my belly ] but he's being verbally protective too, barking at EVERY single dog that walks by... aggressive barking. I can't take it....

Our Home is "Ordered" :)

So we got our home taken care of over the weekend, now we just have to wait while they construct it! I was surprised at how much we are getting for such a low price! As long as we are financed at less than 5.25% we'll be paying LESS (with property taxes, HOA & home insurance) than we pay RENT for right now!!! Yowzers. We were able to get a lot of things I wanted: full glass front door, 5pc master bath, double oven, shadowbox fence. Ryan got a lot of what he wanted: covered extended rear patio w/pre-wire for ceiling fan... which believe me wasn't a cheap little thing! LoL... we're really pleased, it was hard work designing our home but I know it'll turn out beautiful. We went with cherry cabinets in the kitchen with light counters and floors, paired with black appliances. All our lighting fixtures (well 99%) are the same style, our master bath & 2nd bath upstairs have 35" high counters in a birch-light brown color (they called it Fawn), 20" oval sinks, 4ft shower in the master with a garden tub... the 2nd bath has a smaller tub/shower (this will be great for kids)...

Overall I think it was a great experience and I can't wait til we can furnish those other rooms with baby furniture (and a "Mother In Law" suite) and get people to come over... I'm so glad we're on an end unit [ for now, it could change ] so we should get a lot of great sunlight & especially into our master bath...

I'm really excited for construction to be done so we can decorate the nursery... neutral "love birds" is the theme I chose. I thought it was a good theme for boy or girl, we can throw in more jungle animals for a boy too... I just really don't like pastel or primary colors... so I want to stick to bright, joyful fun colors.