*23 Weeks*

 

 

 

How far along? 23 weeks

Maternity clothes? I pretty much live in maternity leggings. As you can see, most of my shirts are getting a litttttle too tight haha

Stretch marks? Nope! fingers crossed i'll stay this lucky!

Sleep: I've had better :) I've been getting up a lot more frequently during the night, and can't really get comfortable sleeping. Once I fall asleep on one side, my arm is numb and I have to switch sides.

Best moment this week: Hearing little man's heartbeat :) I had a little bit of a break down the other night (my pregnancy hormones are at an allll time high) and Andrew just took my hands and faced me, and started praying. Having such an incredible partner through all this has made this journey so smooth. On top of that though, having a constant accountability partner to remind me that God has this pregnancy in His hands is the only way I've survived. However, having an amazing OB and staff that calm my every panic has made it really nice :) He's healthy and strong! That's always the best :)

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back! I had no idea how much I did it until I got pregnant.

Movement: SO much! Watching him move around my belly all the time is seriously the coolest thing ever. I think that will be the part I miss most of being pregnant once he's finally here!!

Food cravings: At the moment? CHOCOLATE. haha I usually will just have random, I-need-this-now-or-i-will-die food cravings, but nothing too consistant.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Labor Signs: Hopefully none will be coming for a good while!

Symptoms: Holyyyy hormones. I've been crying a lot lately. Of course I was a mess because I was marrying my best friend and that was the coolest thing EVER! but on top of that to be pregnant, I've fully invested in waterproof mascara for every day needs. My back is a little achy and my feet swell if I'm on them too long.

Belly Button in or out? The top half is flat now haha so weird!

Wedding rings on or off? On!! WHOO HOO!! (I LOVE being married just as much as I love being pregnant!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Oh both. Yesterday I was crying my eyes out, and today I couldn't stop smiling. Luckily, I only have reasons to be happy :)

Looking forward to: I get a bonus ultrasound on monday to see our baby boy! Also getting our registry together and planning a nursery. YAY! 

It's A.....

BOY!!!!!!!!

We are SO excited to announce that little Mitchell is in fact Jack William Mitchell!

 

I've had a big feeling for a long time that baby was a "he", so I was not surprised when I cut into our wedding cake and saw blue!

 

 

 

Waiting to find out what we were having was SO HARD. It felt like years since our last appointment, and knowing that our wedding planner knew and we didn't was torture! It took every bit of strength I had to not go tearing through our wedding cake when we arrived at the venue.

 

Let me say though, waiting was SO worth it!! Being able to share that moment with those closest to us was incredible. We all ran into the cake room (after the ceremony, toasts, dinner, come on!!!) and everyone picked a side for either girl or boy. Girl was definitely in the lead. The room got dead silent as Andrew and I cut into the cake. One more cut, and I couldn't take it anymore! I slid the piece sideways and screamed , "IT'S A BOY!!!!" And then I lost it.

 

Jack was kicking me the whole time we read our vows, and then the whole time we were cutting into the cake. That baby boy was front and center, letting his mom and dad know he was a part of our day. The second I found he was "he" I seriously felt that I bonded with him one million times over. There's something incredible about putting a name to a face, especially when that little face is inside my belly. I have fallen in love with him more than I can even put into words. I can't wait to meet our son!

 

Our venue captured the moment on tape. The celebration you hear can't even come close to the love we felt!

 



WHOA! *20/21/22 weeks/We're MARRIED!*

First off let me say, I KNOW. I've totally been slacking, but I have a really good excuse:

 

I got to marry my best friend!!!!

 

Andrew and I finally got to tie the knot last week :) And let me tell you, it was the absolute BEST week of my entire life!

 

I'm going to do a whole wedding blog once we get our pictures back, but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who made it so incredible. It was intimate and beautiful, surrounded by SO much love!

 

While we're here I do want to throw something out. Obviously I'm pregnant :) But that is not the reason we got married. If Andrew would have married me 6 months in I would have sprinted to the altar! I knew right away when I met him that he was the one I would spend forever with. He had just asked my parents for permission the week before we even found out we were pregnant. So there's that :) We've got such an amazing relationship, and Little Baby Mitchell is just an AWESOME bonus!!

 

Since the past few weeks have been pretty crazy busy, I didn't even have time to take pictures of my belly (also, there was a fireman poster in place of my chalkboard for my bachelerotte party. so that would have been awkward)

 

However! I did get a picture at 21 weeks with my preggo friend (with twins!) Martha at our pre-wedding celebration :)

 

 

 

 

I don't even have a sign for 22 weeks because we were in the middle of the most amazing wedding ever!

Again, THANK YOU for the unbelievably amounts of love and support from our amazing friends & family. We feel so incredibly blessed every day by you.



*19 weeks*

 

So FINALLY we got to have the big ultrasound where we find out the gender!

 

{{Drum Roll}}

 

 

We still won't know until our wedding.

I KNOW I KNOW...the list of people who want our baker's address is growing by the day. In case you don't know, we're surprising our guests (and ourselves!) with the reveal by putting either pink or blue into the base layer of our wedding cake. Gotta get people to watch the cake cutting right?!

Andrew came to me with the idea after Matt Krech geniously proposed it to him. Although I want to kick myself sometimes for agreeing, I'm really happy we've chosen to go through with it. This way we get to experience one of the biggest moments of our lives with our ENTIRE families.

 

Two weeks!! Two weeks!!

 

However, we did get to see that beautiful baby. :) Everything is right on track! Thank the Lord. We have a snuggler who wouldn't move out of the placenta, but you can still see most of their face :)

 

 

 

Seriously though, I am SO in love already. 

 

 

We are so incredibly blessed, and I am so moved by this beautiful creation of life inside my tummy! Every day gets a little more real when I feel the little kicks down in my abs.

 

Sorry, post work out. Hi baby bump!!

 

How far along: 19 weeks

Maternity clothes? Yes! But I also have found cute summer/spring dresses that I just buy up a size! I know it's going to be a hot one, but I am really thankful that I get to spend the majority of my "bump" days wearing no pants and only dresses. I hate pants.

 

Stretch marks? Nope

 

Sleep: Still getting up a few times a night, I swear this baby LOVES my bladder. But I'm sleeping really well once I get out.

Best moment this week: Seeing that beautiful face :) And knowing that at least someone knows what we're having!!

Miss Anything? Wine! I miss just sitting down with dinner and having a glass.

Movement: Yes :) Still little flutters, but a lot more often

Food cravings: Well luckily Im starting to want avocado again. But all I want to eat is cheese and carbs. Which I can't!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Sometimes I'll open the fridge or be washing dishes and I want to run to the toilet. But textures are starting to really bug me.

Labor Signs: None for awhile!

Symptoms: Back pain, movement, sleepiness, pregnancy brain (OH the pregnancy brain)

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? Almost timeee!!!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Well, I found out that I can't have carbs anymore...and I LOVE CARBS. Pastas, breads, you name it, I will eat it. I've been really slacking the past month or so on my diet and working out, and I'm paying for it. I've had to get back on track and I have been a MONSTER because of it. I want that bowl of mac and cheese SO bad, but pass the carrots please? It's been an adjustment, but luckily I bounce back quickly. Andrew's had to deal with my hormonal mood swings, but happy to say babe, I'm happy again! ;)

Also, as I write this I just got a text from him asking if I wanted anything from an emergency Wendy's stop. He knows how much I love spicy chicken! Oh the prices I pay for the beautiful baby. :) Which makes it all so unbelievably worth it.

Looking forward to: SPRING! This weather is amazing! We get to go to Keeneland tomorrow to watch some horse races to celebrate Miss Bowles. I can't wait to get out and enjoy the sunshine with our friends!

 

 

 



*18 weeks*

 

It's the little things...

 

I can't believe we're almost half way there! These past few months have been flying by like it's no one's business! I sat down to just really think about and appreciate the little things that come with pregnancy.

 

1. The flutters. Feeling the baby dancing on my tummy is seriously the COOLEST thing ever. One of my friends told me to appreciate it, because in a few months I'll be begging the baby to stop kicking my ribs! So every time I feel a little dance, I slow down and appreciate it :)

 

2. Andrew's reactions. He has seriously been such an amazing partner through all of this. Whether it's rubbing my  feet, fetching my favorite food, or just telling me I look great :p His reactions to the baby though have been my favorite part. I remember the first time I really felt this hard lump pushing out of my stomach in the middle of the night. I shook him awake and yelled, "OH MY GOSH FEEL THIS!!!" For weeks I had been telling myself there was a bump, and he had always agreed (just to make me feel better.) He ran his hand over the bump and just looked at me amazed like, whoa...there's really a baby in there! From that moment on he always talks to my tummy, reminding our baby just how loved he/she is. :)

 

3. Nice people. I've heard that once you're pregnant you get royal treatment, but HOLY COW was that an understatement! I have bags being carried for me, extra love from waiters, I even had a facial the other day and she gave me an extra 30 minutes with a massage! People are so wonderful, and I think everyone loves seeing a new miracle being made. I love the south.

 

4. The Mommy Club. I have more friends now than I have in years, and I am SO thankful. They aren't women I see every day, some I haven't even talked to in ages; but once you become a mama, everything is out the window but love. The advice and encouragements I have pouring in from all over the country has been overwhelming and SO needed! Especially being a young mom, it's been incredible having ladies to reach out too with my million questions. Even the mom I nanny for brought out a HUGE bin of gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, maternity clothes for me to take home. It's something I can't even explain, but it's wonderful. And to all of you who read my blog that have reached out to me...THANK YOU. You know who you are :)

 

5. My relationship with God. I've always had a very strong relationship with my Lord, but since I found out I was preggo it has evolved SO deeply. I've realized just how selfish and careless I really have been in my life. My body isn't mine anymore, it's this baby's. The peace and calm that prayers have given me is something I can't even begin to explain. He is so quick to answer prayers. He has blessed mine and Andrew's relationship. Honestly since this baby came into the picture, He has truly saved me from the confusing path of life I've been on. Knowing that He controls the ENTIRE universe gives me such a peace of mind about this pregnancy. It's easy to catch myself worrying away about what might happen or might be, but He calms my heart and assures me that no matter what, He is beside me.

 

So that's all for now :) I'm just a happy, blessed, loved pregnant lady and I could not be luckier.

 

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How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? but seriously...I need to get a scale.

Maternity clothes? OH MY GOSH the joy of maternity clothes. Seriously, I came home last night squeeling and ran straight into the bedroom trying on all the clothes I had just been given. I would run out and scream "LOOK HOW CUTE THIS IS!" and Andrew just kinda watched me and laughed from afar. Seriously, he's been a saint. But I now have the CUTEST maternity clothes, which I thought were impossible to find. The picture up there? ALL maternity clothes. YUP!

Stretch Marks? no, and fingers crossed can avoid big ones! I'm growing so I gotta watch it

Sleep? Not a whole lot during the night. It's just hard to get comfortable, and I feel like little one loves to just sit on my bladder.

Best moment this week? Still the flutters of the baby :))

Told family/friends? Yes!

Miss anything? Tonight Andrew took me out to a really nice steakhouse. I was surrounded by wine bottles. I was sad.

Movement? Little dance moves!

Cravings?  Food in general haha Luckily I pack our fridge with healthy food, or else I would PIG OUT. 

Started showing yet? Ohh yeah. It's obvious, I'm preggo.

Gender prediction? No clue! We have our gender appointment Tuesday though :)) The doctor's keeping it a secret for us though until the wedding. It's killing me!!!

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in or out? In but it's amazing how quickly it's become more shallow. I feel like it's going to pop out a lot sooner than most women.

Happy or moody? I've been really happy! I'm just so blessed!

Looking forward too? Finding out what we're having FINALLY!! And having all of our friends and family come in for our WEDDING!!!!



*17 weeks*

I FELT THE BABY MOVE!!!!

I was lucky enough to be getting pampered with a facial this past week. As I was lying there listening to creeks bubble, I felt my own bubble! By this point, I definitely know what's baby and what's...not. I felt it really high up and just a few minutes later I felt it again! I wanted to scream and call my mom and Andrew, but I was still in a spa coma so I just grinned like a fool.

I know it was only a little blip of what's to come, but it's already the most amazing feeling I have ever felt. I am SO in love with this baby!       

I officially popped!

     

At my beautiful wedding shower!

How far along? 17 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? no clue! But I know it's gotta be something.

Maternity clothes? I finally got a belly band, and thank goodness for it. I have some Gap maternity leggings that are still too big but the the band holds Em up! And holds up my sad jeans.

Stretch Marks? no, and fingers crossed can avoid big ones! I'm growing so I gotta watch it

Sleep? I'm up every few hours to pee, but otherwise it's been ok. I nap a lot! It's just hard to get comfortable laying only on my side

Best moment this week? Feeling the baby!!!!!! Also, my mom and her incredible friends threw me the most beautiful wedding shower. We are SO blessed by such loving people in our lives!

Told family/friends? Yes!

Miss anything? Coffee. Even smelling it just makes me a little sad inside

Movement? A little bit! Soon enough I know it'll be a lot a bit!

Cravings?  Mac and cheese and Mexican. The healthy foods obviously. 

Started showing yet? Yep! I even had a woman at Kroger water day ask when I'm due. Probably because I was rubbing my belly as I tried to remember why I was even in the store.

Gender prediction? I'm clueless. I'm carrying really high, but I haven't been sick. Every wives tale has me confused because I have all of them going on. Ha! :)

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in or out? In but it's amazing how quickly it's become more shallow. I feel like it's going to pop out a lot sooner than most women.

Happy or moody? I've been really happy! I'm more sappy and elated than anything :)

Looking forward too? Finding out the sex :) and marrying my best friend! One month!!

*16 weeks*

I need to find a new place with better lighting! Also, I just devoured an entire pizza so I'm at full capacity here! Never bet a pregnant woman she can't eat something :)

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? no clue! But I know it's gotta be something.

Maternity clothes? I officially can't button, or zip, my jeans anymore! I live in leggings and yoga pants :)

Stretch Marks? nope. i will be rubbing body butter all over this belly till I'm in labor

Sleep? It's more uncomfortable sleeping at night, but I'm always pretty sleepy!

Best moment this week? Seeing my belly pop :))

Told family/friends? Yes!

Miss anything? Wine!

Movement? Not yet, but hopefully the next few 

Cravings?  Food. Cheese on anything! I'm just always hungry haha!

Started showing yet? Yep! I'm officially you bumpin out!

Gender prediction? Boy!! Andrew still votes girl

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in or out? In

Happy or moody? I've been all over the place! But I always end up just smitten :)

Looking forward too? Going to Georgia this weekend :) feelin the baby and finding out the sex!!