Bump Update: T's 38 & 5 days ! Ooops again! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

                                               HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
I am so grateful that I made it this far. I was so hoping that I wouldn't be confined to a hospital room on Halloween and miss out on having such a fun day with my kiddies. Yay! This pregnancy has been so amazing and such a huge blessing. I CANNOT wait to meet my daughter. I'm so ready! Thank you, Jesus.

How far along? 38 and 5 days! Oops again!!

Baby Is the size of: according to babycenter.com probably about 6lbs 8 oz. lbs and measures over 19 1/2in.
 

 Sleep: still not sleeping great and for some reason, my body wants to be up for the day at 4am.

Miss Anything? sleep! eating anything! wearing most of the clothes that are in my closet!

Have a bump yet? oh yea
 

Gender : a beautiful girl

Belly Button in or out? in/out

Wedding rings on or off? on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Though I have been getting really annoyed by people constantly asking "No baby yet?!" I think it's just my hormones. 

Total weight gain/loss: 37.5 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup! 

Stretch marks? From my previous pregnancies

Exercise of the week: This last month I am taking it easy with walks and stretching

Happiest moment this week: I absolutely love any alone time I can get with my husband. My amazing sister took my kiddies apple picking for the day and my hubby and I grabbed a yummy lunch and did some shopping. It was so nice to just be with him and chat since he usually works such long hours during the week and I'm pretty much dead by 9pm each night. lol

Movement: All day and night, especially at night.

Food cravings: Not too many cravings. I've been snacking on sliced apples with peanut butter a lot. I've been loving sweets lately too. 

Labor Signs: Just tons of Braxton Hicks, some mild cramping. 

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil and Vitamin E oil.

Looking forward to: Parties and parades at my kiddie's school AND trick or treating! I love spending time with my kids and doing fun stuff!

XO Tierra

Bump Update: K's 34 & 35 Weeks! OOPS!

How far along? 34 & 35 Weeks! I have been sick for the past two weeks so it’s been tough keeping up with blogging while spending countless hours sleeping, visiting doctors, and trying to get baby ready. Although I am still under the weather, I need to get back on track! I only have a few more weeks with my little bean inside of me and I want to document and enjoy every moment.

PS. I am pretty cranky too so please excuse any sass in the below responses.

Baby Is the size of: A coconut!

Sleep: Awful… between having a virus/allergic reaction to meds last week (doctors still aren’t sure) and having a terrible cold this week, it’s been rough. Plus my acid reflux is kicking my butt. So waking up to pee 100x while simultaneously puking through my burning esophagus has been lovely… NOT. (I am very aware that I sound like a baby right now. Give me a few days to get over myself lol)  

Miss Anything? Feeling healthy. I am hoping this week is the end of it so I can enjoy the rest of this pregnancy.

Anything making you nauseous: Everything due to my reflux but Zantac has been my best friend the last few days.

Have a bump yet? Oh yea! And people have really been open about telling me how huge I am getting. Thank you everyone! :)

Gender : Our sweet baby girl.

Belly Button in or out? Half in/ Half out.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on but I have to take them off this weekend.

Happy or Moody most of the time: So sassy! Being sick and constantly hot has been killing my mood. I need to snap out of it.

Total weight gain/loss: 28 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes! Although my go to is leggings and a long tank top if I am home. When I go out, I am usually in leggings and a sweater with a tank underneath so I can easily remove a layer when I get overheated.

Stretch marks? Some from puberty but none from pregnancy yet.

Exercise of the week: Walking on the days that I don’t feel too sick.

Happiest moment this week: Last weekend I took my niece and nephews apple picking which was a lot of fun, especially for my niece who skipped through the orchard collecting every single apple she could find. When we got home, we decorated caramel and chocolate covered apples with tons of toppings and my dad made an apple pie. It was a really nice family day.

Movement: All day long!

Food cravings: Water, water, water.

Labor Signs: No real labor signs, just Braxton hicks.

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil

Looking forward to: Feeling better! Hubby and I have a weekend full of baby to-do’s and I want to feel like a million bucks! I am waiting on a few shipments for the nursery that I can’t wait to get my hands on. Hubby and I also plan on going to see a few movies in the next couple of weeks since we know that going to a movie theater will become a luxury once our little one arrives. First up: Gone Girl!

XO Krista

Bump Update: T's 37 Weeks! 3 weeks to go!

How far along? 37 weeks (and 5 days)!!!

Baby Is the size of: probably about 6 1/3 lbs and measures over 19 in
 

 Sleep: sleep? what sleep?

Miss Anything? sleep! eating anything! wearing most of the clothes that are in my closet!

Have a bump yet? oh yea
 

Gender : a beautiful girl

Belly Button in or out? in/out

Wedding rings on or off? on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! I have no room in my life to be unhappy or unsatisfied, etc etc. Every day is a blessing that I do not take for granted.
 

Total weight gain/loss: 36 lbs

Maternity clothes? some days. Target has a sale on sweaters right now by the way. BOGO 50% off!

Stretch marks? From my previous pregnancies

Exercise of the week: This last month I am taking it easy with walks and stretching

Happiest moment this week: I had a great brunch with my girlfriends. It was so nice to take some time for myself an just enjoy some girl chat and delicious food!

Movement: All day and night

Food cravings: lots of water, peanut butter, fruit/veggie/flax seed smoothies

Labor Signs: Just tons of Braxton Hicks, some mild cramping. These last couple days have been painful here and there though. Lots of walking causes pain in my lower abdomen. Yesterday, I guess you can say I was "nesting". I cleaned the house from top to bottom, washed and folded 5 loads of laundry, washed and blew out my hair, painted my nails, cooked, cleaned again, etc etc. Today, I am paying for it.

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil and Vitamin E oil.

Looking forward to: Having this baby!!! These last few weeks are dragging, but I'm enjoying every minute.

XO Tierra

Bump Update: T's 36 Weeks (since last Sunday oops!)

 

I quickly took this pic after Bible Study right before I ran around all day getting prepared for baby!

How far along? 36 Weeks (....and 5 days oops!) Hello 9 Months!It has been such a busy week and a half for me. I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off playing taxi cab driver for my kiddies, cooking & cooking & cooking, cleaning & cleaning & cleaning, tons of laundry, and shopping like crazy to get ready for baby!

Baby Is the size of: a head of lettuce

 Sleep: Not so great. A lot of tossing and turning, bathroom trips, etc

Miss Anything? I really miss my tiny, flat tummy and being able to wear pretty much anything. I am excited to to go through a total body transformation post partum. I plan to hit the gym hard and hopefully look better than ever!

Anything making you nauseous: still refuse to try spaghetti

 
Have a bump yet? Yes!

Gender : A beautiful baby girl

Belly Button in or out? Half in/ Half out.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Just getting tired more often.

Total weight gain/loss: 35 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Some days I wear maternity clothes and some days I wear my regular clothes.

Stretch marks? From my previous pregnancies

Exercise of the week: This last month I am taking it easy with walks and stretching

Happiest moment this week: I was able to see my little munchkin via ultrasound to see her position. I never thought I'd be able to see her one last time before I can actually meet her. It was so amazing to see her finger nails and cute round head and watch her hands moving. I CANNOT wait to meet her!

Movement: All day and night

Food cravings: lots of water

Labor Signs: Just tons of Braxton Hicks

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil and Vitamin E oil.

Looking forward to: My amazing girlfriends are planning to take me out to brunch this weekend as my last ladies outing before my little ballerina arrives. They are soooooo sweet! I can't wait for some delicious food and girl chat!

XO Tierra

Bump Update: K's 33 weeks!

How far along? 33 Weeks! 

Baby Is the size of: A pineapple which would make her slightly more than 4 lbs and longer than 17 inches (although I swear she's about 3 ft now!)

Sleep: Better this week than last, thankfully. 

Miss Anything? Just physical activity. Due to some of my symptoms I have to take it easy, but I'm still managing to get stuff done. We still have quite the to-do list so my little one better be tucked away in my belly for a while. 

Anything making you nauseous: No foods, just my positioning due to the way my uterus is leaning on my major artery. I just have to watch the way I sit and lay down. 

Have a bump yet? Yes! And I get paranoid that people are watching it jump around when I am in work meetings. It's so weird/amazing! I especially love baby hiccups :) 

Gender : Our sweet baby girl.

Belly Button in or out? Half in/ Half out.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happier this week, not as exhausted.  Definitely feeling discomfort still but I am really trying to focus on the fact that this is the last phase of the most beautiful experience of my life. 

Total weight gain/loss: 25lbs gained.  

Maternity clothes? Yup! And I am on the look out for a dress for an upcoming wedding this weekend. Things just aren't making it over the bump anymore. 

Stretch marks? Some from puberty but none from pregnancy yet.

Exercise of the week: I've been able to continue my walks this week although I do get a little crampy from time to time and have to sit down. I also am only walking about 1.5 miles as opposed to 3. 

Happiest moment this week: My dad came home and surprised our family, and while he was here he stopped by our house to see our renovations. While my mom and I went to pick up breakfast, he and my hubby surprised me by setting up the crib, stroller and pack & play! It was such a wonderful surprise and I love that the two leading men in my life took the time to do something together that was so special for our growing family. And they had so much fun. Hubby & I also did some shopping and starting putting up decor. It's really coming together!! 

Movement: All day long!

Food cravings: Water, water, water. 

Labor Signs: Still dealing with my irritable uterus and these mild contractions. Fortunately no other labor signs and the doctors are being optimistic. 

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil 

Looking forward to: Going out of town this weekend for a wedding with my hubby and two of our dear friends! This will be our last weekend away before our little one arrives, so I am looking forward to spending some time with my love. 

XO Krista

Bump Update: K's 32 Weeks!

How far along? 32 Weeks! Hello 8 Months! :)

Baby Is the size of: Squash  

Sleep: I slept all day yesterday due to a Monday evening labor & delivery visit  at the hospital that drained me of all of my energy. My body definitely needed the rest.

Miss Anything? I'm beginning to feel a lot of pressure amongst other things so now I missing just everyday movements, like walking, that didn't cause discomfort.

 

Anything making you nauseous: Reclining at any angle. My uterus is laying on my major arterie whenever I recline at all so I have to either sit completely straight up & down or lay on my left side.  

Have a bump yet? Yes! And it wiggles a lot lol

Gender : Our sweet baby girl.

Belly Button in or out? Half in/ Half out.

Wedding rings on or off? On but I may take them off soon since I won't be able to wear them in the hospital. They haven't tightened yet but I don't want to risk it.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Exhausted. We are being so productive now but there have been some unexpected hiccups along the way that are draining me. As happy as I am to see things coming together, like the nursery and baby products, I am worried that my body isn't going to allow me to do too much for much longer.

Total weight gain/loss: 25lbs gained. 

Maternity clothes? Yes! I bought a few pairs of jeans and some oversized cardigans.

Stretch marks? Some from puberty but none from pregnancy yet.

Exercise of the week: This week has been slow and will be until I see my doctor Friday for further instruction.

Happiest moment this week: our nursery renovations are almost complete!! Our built-ins are just about done, her closet  shelving is in, and her room is repainted a beautiful shade of grey!! Everything will be 100% complete tomorrow and we will start assembling furniture this weekend!

Movement: All day long!

Food cravings: water! Although my one gallon a day still isn't enough! My body needs more so I will need up to my intake.
 

Labor Signs: I wish I could say none. I really want my baby girl to stay put til atleast 39 weeks, but I may not have a choice. I was sent to labor & delivery on Monday due to some cramping which turned out to be uterine irritability contractions. They were coming too often and causing discomfort so I was pumped up with fluids and monitored for hours. Since I wasn't dialating (THANK GOD), they sent me home with some instructions but unfortunately they are only getting more consistent. I am staying hydrated and resting as much as possible until I  see my doctor later this week. Hopefully we can keep them at bay and keep this little one tucked away for a while. I'm feeling a lot more pressure now, too. Fortunately these types of contractions don't always mean there is a higher risk for early labor but they can lead to it so I will do whatever it takes to keep my baby girl in my belly until she is full term.  

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil & my new book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth"

Looking forward to: The nursery being completed! Once that's done and my hospital bag is packed, I will feel a lot more at ease.

XO Krista

T's 35 Weeks!

 

What a beautiful day pumpkin picking with such awesome kids and their amazing mommas!

How far along? 35 Weeks!! We're reaching the home stretch!

Baby Is the size of: a honey dew melon

Sleep: It's been OK. These past couple days I've noticed sleeping flat on one side makes it harder to breathe normal. So I've been sleeping on an incline and it's not so fun.

Miss Anything? comfortable sleep and eating anything I want! I'm requesting wine, sushi,  and a venti sized caramel macchiatto while I'm in the hospital.

Anything making you nauseous: still refusing spaghetti :-)
 
Have a bump yet? Yes!

Gender : A girl! Again, I keep hearing that it looks like I'm having a boy. SOOOOO ANNOYING!! I asked my OBGYN if it's true or a myth that how you carry determines the sex. She says "it's definitely a pregnancy myth. If the ultrasound tech had any doubts at all she would have told you of any doubts."

Belly Button in or out? Half in/ Half out.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! I am just happy to be alive and to be a mommy to my babies and a wife to my wonderful hubby. Life is pretty great!

Total weight gain/loss: 37 lbs gained

Maternity clothes? Yes sometimes. I'm loving this fall weather! I'm enjoying wearing jeans and sweaters.
 

Stretch marks? Some from my previous pregnancies.

Exercise of the week:  Body Pump and tons of walking and stretching
 

Happiest moment this week: A bunch of my girlfriends and our kids went pumpkin picking at our local farm and had sooooo much fun all day! It was an awesome day.

Movement: All day and a ton at night

Food cravings: San Pellegrino water. I like to add fruit to it as well....yum!

Labor Signs: Just a bunch of pressure and Braxton Hicks.

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil & Vitamin E Oil. I'm also loving these linen maternity pants I purchased from Old Navy's clearance section for $10 each! So comfortable!!!!

Looking forward to: Bible study this Friday. I truly enjoy being in the Lord's house and studying His word with some pretty awesome women (especially my dear good friend who has started joining me!). It has definitely changed my outlook on this thing called life. 

XO Tierra!

A Shower For Sweet Baby Pete

From the moment I found out my sister was pregnant I have been overjoyed! Not only were we pregnant together, but I was FINALLY going to be an aunt for the first time! So from that moment on I knew that I wanted to plan her very first baby shower. Eeek! Many people know that I LOVE planning parties and it just comes naturally to me. So when Krista told me she wanted it to be a Jack & Jill party with all of their close family and friends, casual, and fun for all I knew a Baby Q (BBQ) theme was the way to go.



My mother and I decided on this amazing venue, Rode's Barn, in Swedesboro, NJ. Krista always wanted a wedding in a barn and since that didn't happen we thought that having her shower in one would be perfect!

I chose these awesome invitations from Tiny Prints. I didn't want them to be girly or babyish, because we also wanted to attract the men. All they needed to see was "Beer" on the invite and it was a no brainer.

As I started planning I thought of this cute "Sweet Baby Pete" theme. (There last name is Peterson)

Instead of cake, I chose to do a sweet table. I asked my good friend who bakes to make mini apple and blueberry pies, mini jars of banana pudding, mini jars of peach cobbler, and mini cupcakes. They were a hit and oh so delish!

 This is the stage where the mommy and daddy to be sat to open their gifts. As they opened them, the guests played Baby Gift Bingo!

As guests walked in they were greeted by this table. There was a journal for each guest to write well wishes and advice  to the parents to be. There was also a camera, note cards, and a photo album. Here, the guests had to take a picture of themselves and write a special note for Sweet Baby Pete. The picture and note card would then go into the album.

 For the food Krista's mother in law made some yummy macaroni and cheese, chicken wings, potato salad, and cole slaw. We also had the venue's catering company make us pulled bbq chicken sliders, and we had a local restaurant Ms. Dawns make turkey burger and beef burger sliders and corn on the cob. We got a huge stash of Stewarts Root Beer from Cracker Barrel, an assortment of beer and sodas. We filled up the pitchers with lemonade and sweet tea too.

 One of the games that were played was a race between Krista and T to see who is better at changing a diaper and swaddling a baby. It was hysterical!

For the favors we chose to make BBQ sauce jars for the guests. We chose a sweet pineapple sauce and a sweet hickory sauce. We found these jars in Target's dollar section,
added the sauce, twined the jars, and created the labels that read "Sweet Baby Pete's Baby Q Sauce".
For the little ones, we filled the jars with chex mix, twined them, and added the labels that read "Happy Trails". (We chose chex mix instead of trail mix, to avoid any peanut allergies)

For the kids table we purchased fun toys from Cracker Barrel, chalk boards, and a farm stamp set from Johnson's Farm.

Each table was covered in ivory linen and a burlap runner. I added metal buckets and lined them with handkerchiefs. In each bucket I put shelled peanuts and popcorn. Surrounding the buckets were assorted twined jars and vases filled with yellow and white daisies.



This shower was such a joy to plan. I am so happy that the new mommy and daddy to be loved it and everyone enjoyed themselves. They are one amazing couple and I know that my niece is going to be filled with so much love every second of every day. We can't wait to add another blessing to our growing family!

Bump Update: K's 31 Weeks!

How far along? 31 Weeks!

Baby Is the size of: A pineapple and I can totally tell!  

Sleep: Tossing & turning non-stop. Once I am up, I am UP! There is no sleep beyond 7am anymore.

 

Miss Anything? SLEEP

Anything making you nauseous: Just about everything is causing me acid reflux these days. I'm eating much smaller meals to try to combat it.

Have a bump yet? Yes!

Gender : Our sweet baby girl.

Belly Button in or out? Half in/ Half out.

Wedding rings on or off? On

 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy & sleepy. Things are getting really exciting now that our home is full with baby stuff! A contractor is working on some nursery renovations today and I am so excited to get in there and put up some of the pieces we now have.

Total weight gain/loss: 23lbs gained. My appetite is definitely getting bigger and eating more small meals is becoming a struggle but I have to keep my acid reflux under control.

Maternity clothes? Yes, it feels so good to be in jeans again.

Stretch marks? Some from puberty but none from pregnancy yet.

Exercise of the week: 2+ mile walks daily

Happiest moment this week: Our baby shower!!!! I can't even begin to describe how absolutely amazing it was! My sister, mom & mother-in-law put together the most incredible celebration and all of our loved ones showered us with so much love. I walked around soaking in every single perfect detail and just sat in awe by the amount of support we have. I am so happy that my husband & I decided to have a joint shower because it meant the world to us to share in our first chapter of parenthood together. We are so thankful & blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives.

Movement: All day long!

Food cravings: I probably drink a gallon of water a day. It is my number 1 craving for sure.

Labor Signs: None yet.

Favorite pregnancy product: Coconut oil & my new book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth"

Looking forward to: My husband is an insanely hard work and I have so much respect for his work ethic. He has been working non-stop 6 days a week for what feels like a million hours a day. He's finally going to get a little breather and I can't wait to have just a few extra hours with him this week! We a family bday celebration tonight, our hospital tour this weekend and our beautiful neice's birthday party on Saturday! Bring on some serious hubby & family time :)

XO Krista