18 weeks and getting a Big Baby Bump!

Wow! There's that baby bump! Ok I may have been sticking it out a bit!

Yay for a bump! And some light colored clothing that really show it off!

Baby Stats: Baby is the size of a Sweet Potato or a Dragon Fruit, or a Bell Pepper... depending on what website you use! About 5.59 in long and 6.70 oz.
How Far Along: 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +1 lbs
Maternity clothes: Definitely wearing some maternity clothes now! Thank you for all the tips for good places to shop! I ordered some things from Old Navy's maternity section and I'm super happy with them! Comfortable, super cute, and they actually fit me! yay! I'm actually wearing an Old Navy Maternity top and jeans in the above pictures!
Stretch marks: Nope! Still keeping them away with Palmer's!
Sleep: This last week I think I got much better sleep! But I'm still super tired! I guess I'll just have to get use to that!
Best moment this week: Lots of time spent with family! Saturday we had Adam's family over at our house to celebrate Aaron's Birthday and Michelle's (Adam's cousin) family being in town from AZ! It was a house full and we had a blast! And then Sunday we went over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for some good fall fun carving pumpkins! Also a great time!Oh and at some point this week I think my baby bump really popped! I suddenly really look pregnant!

The Alexander family showing off our goofy side!

Adam and I at my Aunt & Uncle's for pumpkin carving!

The cousins with our pumpkins

Miss Anything: Same ol same ol really, caffeine, some spiked apple cider would have been nice this weekend, and my turkey sandwiches... but it seems like the further into this I get the less I miss those things.
Movement: No! And I'm really trying to focus to see if I can feel Baby A! We've started a weekend  tradition of waking up and playing a little Journey on the iPhone to see if we can get the baby dancing! If Don't Stop Believing doesn't do it... well I guess this baby just isn't ready to be felt yet!
Food Cravings: Still loving the oranges... but thats about it... I'm wondering when the real cravings will hit!?
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still doing pretty good with this! Now if someone could just stop the headaches!
Have you started to show yet: Yes! This week seems to be the week I really "popped". Some clothes still hide it but there is no denying I have a baby bump!
Gender prediction: Dunno! But I'm sticking with boy until we find out for sure on November 12th! If you want to take a guess check out this link! http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyABoyorGirl
Labor signs: I hate this question at this point... Nope! Still praying those are a long way away!
Belly Button in or out: In
Wedding Rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody: Staying pretty happy. Although I do feel those mood swings every once in a while!
Looking forward to: Feeling our baby move! Hoping one of these mornings I'll feel the baby dancing to some Journey... or country... or  hip hop? Maybe some Adele!? I don't care! Dance baby dance! And of course 2 weeks until we hopefully know what Baby A is! Nope not a monkey! A boy or girl!!! Hopefully this little one isn't shy!

Have a great week!

 xoxo~ Jamie

Gender Poll! Boy or Girl? Let us know what you think!

Adam and I are absolutely dying to know if Baby A is a girl or boy! Unfortunately we still have a few more weeks to go! We find out the gender on Monday November 12th.  But we thought we would get you all in on the anticipation so we created a baby poll game! Let us know whether you think we'll be having a little Adam or a little Jamie! To make the game a little more interesting you also get to guess Baby A's weight, height and date/time of birth! Once the little one is here we can all find out who won! But be sure to get your votes in early! After November 11th you wont be able to vote anymore!

Are we having a little Adam or a little Jamie?!

Follow this link to guess whether Baby A is a Girl or Boy! http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyABoyorGirl

To make this a little more fair I decided to go through some old wives tales and let you know where we stand! So good luck!

Old Wives Tale #1:  Heartburn
If a pregnant woman experiences heartburn throughout the 9 months of pregnancy, she’ll have a baby born with a full head of hair.
Answer: So far no heartburn at all... so Girl or maybe just bald?

Old Wives Tale #2:  Heart Rate
If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl.  If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.
Answer: At our last appointment, the heart rate was in the 150 bpm range, and previous appointments were even faster.  So another point towards Girl

Old Wives Tale #3:  Shape of Belly
If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl.  If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy.  
Answer: Hmmm this is tricky since I just started showing. So far the bump is straight out front but it seems fairly high... I'm going to go undecided on this one!


Old Wives Tale #4:  Ring Test
Using a string, hang your wedding ring over your pregnant belly.  You are having a girl if the ring swings back and forth  and it’s a boy if it swings in a circle.   
Answer: Uh oh this is clearly going in one direction... the ring swung back and forth so one more vote Girl.

Old Wives Tale #5:  Shape of Mom’s Face
When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl.  If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy. 
Answer: Hmmm I havent gained any weight in my face so far... Maybe undecided on this one but lets go with Boy. 

Old Wives Tale #6:  Key Test
This test involves a key.  If you pick up a key at the top (the roundest part), you are going to have a boy.  If you pick up the key at the bottom (smallest part), you are going to have a girl.  If you happen to grab the key in the middle, congrats, it’s twins!  
Answer: I pick it up at the roundest part... so another vote Boy

Old Wives Tale #7:  Mayan Tale
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception.  If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl.  If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way!  
 Answer: So 28 + 2012=  2040... Even Number, so  one more vote Girl. 

Old Wives Tale #8:  Acne
If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl.  It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones.
Answer: In general my skin has been much better while pregnant. A few break outs here and there but mostly much better so I'm going with Boy on this one!

Old Wives Tale #9:  Cravings
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy.  If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.
 Answer: I honestly haven't had a lot of cravings this pregnancy but one thing I've been obsessed with is OJ and oranges... so yet another vote for Girl!


Old Wives Tale #10:  Moodiness and a Little Pecker
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you.  Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you. 
 Answer: Hahahaha I just don't know but this one really made me laugh so I had to share. I don't think I've been moody so lets go with Boy on this one!
 

Old Wives Tale #11:  Dream of Sex of Baby
If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl.  If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy.  Dreams show the opposite of what you are having.
Answer: I've only dreamed of the the baby twice. One time no gender and the other time the baby was a girl. So according to this another point Boy.

Old Wives Tale #12:  Clumsy vs. Graceful
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl.  If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy. 
 Answer: Ummm I have always been clumsy and it certainly hasn't gotten better with pregnancy... last night Adam had to scold me for almost grabbing a really hot pot! So team Boy!

Old Wives Tale #13:  What Do You Think?
71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having.  
 Answer: I've always thought we were having a boy... but after all the old wives tales I'm starting to question it... But I'll stick with my original instinct and go with Boy. 

Old Wives Tale #14:  Morning Sickness
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy.  If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl. 
 Answer: I've had very little nausea and not gotten sick at all (thank god!) So team Boy. 

Old Wives Tale #49:  Headaches
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy. 
Answer: On the downside I have definitely had more headaches so the final point goes to Boy.

Ok so according to the Old Wives Tales we are having a boy! Final score 1 point undecided, 5 points Girl and 9 points Boy. But honestly who knows! I guess we'll have to wait and see on November 12th! What do you think?

 Don't forget to play the game at http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyABoyorGirl!

xoxo~ Jamie
 

16 Week update, 1 Week late... So 17 Week Update!

Ok so I swore I would do these posts and pictures every two weeks.... unfortunately week 16 was completely crazy and we didn't have a chance to document it. So we'll settle for stats from week 16 and a picture for 17. There wasn't much of a change in the last week anyway so I guess that will have to do! So enjoy and hopefully we'll be back on track for week 18. Have a great weekend!

My first go at writing on the chalkboard! I don't think I did too bad!

17 Weeks and all dressed up for the Women's Crisis Family Outreach Center Charity Gala!

17 Weeks and definitely rocking a baby bump!

How Far Along: 17 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 0 lbs
Maternity clothes: I've gotten a few more pieces but still mostly able to wear my regular clothes. Still in search of good maternity work pants! I bought a pair from target that will have to be hemmed before i can EVER wear them! They are a good 3 inches too long...
Stretch marks: Not so far! And I'm loving my Palmer's cocoa butter! This stuff makes my skin feel AMAZING! But couldn't they make it smell better?
Sleep: Sleep is getting really bad again! Not sure what my deal is but I just don't seem to be able to sleep! I'm just not a fan.
Best moment this week: Hmm there were a couple but I would say the 2 best moments came in one day! Tuesday Adam came home from his golf trip to Vegas. I know it was only 4 days but I really did miss him; and I know the dogs did too! They were on high alert watching out for mom and Baby A while he was gone! They were ready for Dad to come home and take over! ;) Earlier on Tuesday was our 16 week doctors appointment! Not quiet as exciting as our last ones but, I got to hear our sweet babies heart beat again (150's.) Which is always such a relief, I don't think I'll ever stop being paranoid before appointments! And we also got confirmation that the many blood tests, swab tests, pee tests, torture tests, etc. have all had great results so far! So yay! That was good to hear! Now we just can't wait until next month for our BIG 20 WEEK ULTRASOUND!
Miss Anything: Besides alcohol and meds?! Caffeine, with my restless sleep I'm really starting to miss my big ol' cups of coffee! And a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte sounds AMAZING!
Movement: Not yet! Really hoping this will be soon!
Food Cravings: Oranges and Orange Juice! Really loving these right now! Other than that I've really been craving a plain old turkey sandwich... But that's probably just because I can't have it!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, even the little nausea I had before seems to have gone! Oh wait I take that back... this is awful considering I'm about to become a new mom but the smell of dirty diapers just about pushes me over the edge! I've come across this in a couple public places lately and I have to run in the other direction! I guess that's normal though! Who likes the smell of baby poop!? I'll have to get over that once Baby A gets here! Or maybe Adam will be changing LOTS of diapers! ;)
Have you started to show yet: Yep! Now I'm ready for it to be a full on baby bump so people can't just assume I've put on a few lbs!
Gender prediction: Still not sure.... but I've been leaning more towards boy lately. Probably just because I can't find any nursery stuff for girls that I like! Adam on the other hand seems to think we're having a girl! Just a few more weeks until we find out who's right!
Labor signs: I hate this question at this point... Nope! Still praying those are a long way away!
Belly Button in or out: In
Wedding Rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody: Still mostly happy, but need to get more sleep if I'm going to stay happy!
Looking forward to: Feeling Baby A move! Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe there is actually a baby in there! I can't wait to have the reassurance of feeling him/her move. Oh and of course less than a month until we find out if Baby A is a girl or boy!!! Cant wait! The big day for the ultrasound is Monday, November 12th! I'll be sure to get you all some "helpful" information so you can help us guess what we're having!

 xoxo~ Jamie

Dreaming of Baby Nurseries!

Ever since we saw that faint pink line my mind has been in complete and total nursery mode! The problem is we still don't know what we're having so sticking with a theme is definitely not easy! From what Adam and I have looked at so far it looks like we're going either totally girly or all boy depending on what our little Baby A is. So much pressure on one ultrasound (which by the way is still a month a way!) The ultrasound tech better be right or poor Baby A's room may just be all wrong! Anyway I thought I would give you all a sneak peak at our vision for Baby A's room... All I gotta say is this is one lucky baby! ;)

So let's start with the gender neutral stuff... boy or girl Baby A's nursery will be rockin some of these items!

The Awesome crib! We love the dark wood ones... not cherry more like Merlot? Super dark.

LOVE this one from Pottery Barn Kids... but not a fan of the outrageous price tag!

So I think we've decided on this beauty! The color is much darker in person!

A comfy place for mom and dad to sit...

So far we haven't found the perfect rocker yet. Not sure if we want a glider or just a comfy recliner. Either way it's a must!

Sweet, inspiring or funny quotes! This baby will be inspired from day one!

Storage for books! Baby A is going to have lots of books!

Not sure if we'll store them in pretty fabric.

Or maybe sturdy shelves?

Or possibly in a tree!

And more storage for all those toys! I'm a bit of a neat freak so I want lots of places for toys! I'm thinking baskets hanging on the wall that we can move around the house along with all those toys!

 Oh and of course an organized closet filled with lots of adorable clothes!!!

Lastly we'll be sure to display Baby A's name proudly above their crib... one because it's trendy, two because we put some serious thought into it and three just so no one forgets on those sleepless nights! ;)

Ok so enough of the gender neutral! Lets dive into the fun stuff! For a little baby boy we are thinking sports! Lots and lots of sports.... but most importantly BASEBALL! If this is a boy they will be surrounded by lots of baseball fun! We're also leaning more towards rich, traditional, primary colors for a boy room. With some chair rail and beadboard on the walls. (Kind of like in the William picture above but not so high.)

Starting with a baseball wall behind the crib! Thank you Pinterest! I LOVE this!

Followed by some soft comfy sports bedding! This one is Adam's fav.

This one is my favorite! Either way I think it'll match the baseball wall pretty well!

Then we'll add lots of awesome sports accessories! Love love love this lamp from Pottery Barn Kids!

Ok now on to the more difficult room... If Baby A is a girl! I've been dreaming of pink frilly nurseries for as long as I can remember and I can find TONS of inspiration online, but I'm having the hardest time finding AFFORDABLE options in real life. We love the grey, white, black and pink color palate. So pretty and not over the top girly. And I love patterns... especially damask patterns! We're thinking soft grey walls, also with chair rail and beadboard, possibly some wallpaper behind the crib (not sold on this yet,) of COURSE a little chandelier and lots of fun patterns throughout the room. So here are some pictures that I'm currently loving... the problem is all this bedding is custom made or outrageously priced. So If Baby A is a girl we have LOTS of shopping left to do.

Love, love love this custom bedding... but I think the stripes are too much so picture grey walls with chair rail and beadboard.

I like this option if we decide to go away form grey and work with the color the room already is.

Also love this bedding! But it's more expensive then our king size bedding! Sorry Baby A!

So anyway thats what we're thinking! So what's it going to be boy or girl!?!?! I guess we'll have to wait until November to find out!

xoxo~ Jamie

P.S. If you stumble on any gorgeous baby bedding PLEASE let me know! :)

Happy Birthday to My Hubby a Soon to be Amazing Daddy!

So last year on this special day I blogged about why Adam is an amazing person, today I’m going to tell the world why I think my hubby is going to be an amazing Dad. If you know Adam or you’ve seen him around kids you don’t really need a post to prove it… you just know. But I thought I would break it down anyway. So to my hubby on your birthday… the day that marks the last year of your 20s; I want to tell you just a FEW of the MANY reasons that I am confident you will be the best possible dad for our little Baby A. 

• When you found out we were pregnant you found a cheaper alternative to Crown… AND you’ve convinced yourself that Canadian LTD is actually just as good! Now that’s sacrifice! ;) 

• Since finding out about Baby A, you’ve completed every affordable task possible in our house to get ready… and we still have a long wait ahead of us! But when it’s crunch time I’ll be so thankful that the baby room is empty (including that horrible closet) and our basement is completely organized complete with custom shelves for all the “crap” that needs a new home.
  
  
• Not only do you love sports and know everything about Baseball, Football, Basketball, Golf and Hockey, you also watch and critique shows like Glee and The Voice with me. Not to mention our late night music marathons… so no matter what this baby is passionate about I know you will be their biggest fan… tied with me of course. 

 

• Since I’ve become pregnant I’ve done more driving than usual (YAY DD!)And although you do freak out occasionally, you are much calmer than when I ride shotgun, gasping and grabbing the door handle for dear life… one day I think you’ll be a much better driving teacher than me. 

• This is totally a repeat of last year but your nieces LOVE you! They love playing with you, watching movies with you, and just being held by you. They really do love their Uncle Adam. And our own baby will be BLESSED to call you daddy! 

• You get along with women just as well as you get along with men… whether its football with the boys or dinner with me and my bestie you are still you and everyone likes to have you around. So whether its tea parties or baseball in the backyard our child will always be thankful you’re there. 

•  You love our puppies unconditionally and you've made them some of the best behaved dogs I've ever seen. I can only imagine how wonderful you'll be with our child! 

Snuggling with Smalls when he was a baby.

Loving on Gizmo and my parents dog Sheba.

• You are never surprised by my crazy ideas, and you actually get excited when I tell you next time we babysit the nieces we should have Lilly make her own car out of a box so we can watch a movie at the “drive in!” Every kiddo deserves a daddy that will play pretend with them and our baby is so lucky to have you! 

• You’re a man of faith. Although we don’t go to church or read the bible every night you believe in God and live your life as a God loving/fearing person. You pray when prayers are needed and you believe in something bigger than yourself. Our baby will be so lucky to have such an amazing role model in their life. 

•  Let's not forget to mention that you are totally good looking! Our baby is so lucky to have your genes! 

• You are such a dedicated hard worker. No matter what the task you put in 110%. I have no doubt that Baby A and I will always be provided for. No matter what life throws at us you will always continue to work hard and find a way to support our family. 

• And most importantly you are such a loving caring person. You love me when I least deserve it, you love your mom when she needs it most, you're there for your friends and family through thick and thin and you love all of us with your whole heart. Our baby will be one LOVED baby! And lets be honest I really couldn’t ask for more.

This picture is suppose to portray how much you love me. But maybe it does a better job at showing what a goof your are... I think thats another great quality for being a dad by the way! :)

Here we go, this one definitely shows how much you love me! ;)

So Happy 29^th Birthday hubby! I love you so much and I am thankful every day that God put you on this Earth and decided that you would be my perfect match! Here’s to an exciting year ahead of us with lots of changes and new adventures! 

P.S. I knew it would be a horrible idea to write this while I’m so emotional (thank you pregnancy hormones!) Now I’m crying at my desk and trying to hide it form everyone else! Oh well it was worth it. :)

Xoxo~ Jamie