I love Friends!

So one more post today since Misty made my day with her post about Friends and it's also my favorite show of all time. I thought I would share some of my favorite Friends moments with you all and tell you that you NEED to go out and by the entire series and watch it over and over again because it will never get old and you WILL love it...your welcome in advance for the best advice ever!

I love FRIENDS!

Throwback Thursday!

Linking up once again for Throwback Thursday!

Oh, this time I'll take it back to high school. Although I was not a big fan of high school - I just wanted to be in college and learn what I wanted to learn about - 3 of my best friends [ who are more like sisters ] are from high school so I can't hate on it tooooo much!

Me [ in the green ] with two of my 3 best friends before senior ball - we actually have very cute dresses that I don't think we will look back on and hate in 10 years!

Tom and I in Cape Cod the summer before my Senior year - so young and Tom is SO blonde and tan!

My younger brother and I the morning of my high school graduation. He will hate me for posting this as he is now 6'5 and scrawny! Oh and I may regret that table cloth I am wearing!

And don't forget to check out the Bundles of Joy Giveaway that's perfect for moms or moms-to-be!

23 Weeks

How far along?: 23 weeks 

Maternity clothes: Jeans and leggings but everything else are my regular clothes. I can't wait for it to get nice out so I can wear my dresses and skirts that are stretchy and way more comfortable!

Best moment this week: Tom and I decided Friday afternoon to go to Boston for the weekend to see the political comedian Lewis Black! It was so much fun and great to just do something on a whim - something we won't be able to do once the baby is born. 

Symptoms: My stomach is definitely starting to stretch and gets kinda painful by the end of the day.

Miss anything?: Definitely missed having a few drinks while out in Boston.

Movement: Yes! He is kicking a lot and Tom has finally been able to feel him too! 

Food cravings: Yes, strawberries and blackberries and luckily Hannaford's had good strawberries.

Have you started to show yet?: Oh yes! 

Gender prediction: It's a boy!

Mood: Happy but a little overwhelmed with how much we have to do the next 3 months. 

Looking forward to: Going home for the weekend to go to a friends bridal shower. Tom has to work [ as a physical therapist he has to work one weekend every six weeks ] so I'm going to my parents and it will be nice to spend time home with them.

And don't forget to check out the Bundles of Joy Giveaway that's perfect for moms or moms-to-be!

Marriage Equality

Being raised by two pretty liberal parents who also support marriage equality, I've never understood why loving another person and wanting to be with them forever is a bad thing? I do understand how it is "against" some peoples religious beliefs but its not like LGBT couples are asking to be married in a church so why does separation of church and state not exist with marriage equality??? And when people say "it threatens the sanctity of marriage" it makes me sooo mad because the people threatening the sanctity of marriage are the 50% that are divorced, or the people who rush to get married even though they aren't 100% sure they love the other person - Vegas chapels anyone?!?

I just don't get why love is such a bad thing?!?

Friday's Letters

Dear Ubu, I really hope you aren't getting sick - we have no money and the vet is expensive. You seem a little more lethargic than normal and you are coughing as if you have something stuck in your throat. Dear Little Man, dad was excited to feel you kick for the first time this week, I think you knew he was getting impatient wanting to feel you kick! Dear Spring, I know we live in Vermont and you don't always come when you are supposed to but my winter parka is getting a little tight and I'm not sure how much longer it will last. Dear Daycare Providers, we better find one of you that we like very soon or our little man will be coming to work with me after maternity leave in October. [ yes, we have called two dozen places and no one has infant care open for OCTOBER! either that or they are a little too sketchy ] Dear Husband, thank you for being strong and level-headed when my pregnancy hormones make me an irrational mess.

Throwback Thursday

Linking up with Ady, Julia, and Jennifer today for Throwback Thursday!
We'll go back to the last day in Ithaca of my Freshman year of college. This was after the crew banquet and we all went cliff jumping - and by "we all" I mean I'm terrified of heights and watched others jump.

Diana and I [ I'm on the right ]  :)

 

Amy, myself and Diana - Amy was a bridesmaid in my wedding and I am also one in hers this coming June. Tom and Chris [ her fiance ] are best friends and are/will be best man in each others wedding.  

Mine is the blonde one in the middle with the glasses :)

I miss college and seeing my best friends everyday! Tom and I are going back to Ithaca the weekend of April 6 and we're sooo excited - we love Ithaca and would love to live there some day.

And don't forget to check out the Bundles of Joy Giveaway that's perfect for moms or moms-to-be!

22 Weeks

How far along?: 22 weeks 

Maternity clothes: Jeans and leggings but everything else are my regular clothes. I bought two regular size small, jersey stretch dresses from Old Navy too since they were on sale and will be perfect this summer!

Best moment this week: Going home for one of my best friend's bridal shower and seeing my other best friends too! [ there are four of us from high school that are still beyond close - basically sisters :) ] And we stayed at my parents house so we got to catch up with them and go out to dinner which was amazing!

Symptoms: My stomach can sometimes be painful especially when I bend over. I'm just achy in general too and not sleeping too well lately. 

Miss anything?: Everyone was drinking mimosas at the bridal shower and I missed not having one to celebrate.

Movement: Yes! He is kicking a lot not, especially when I'm sitting down at work or when I have a full bladder. 

Food cravings: Not anything in particular.

Have you started to show yet?: Oh yes! 

Gender prediction: It's a boy!

Mood: Happy but still busy.

Looking forward to: Having a nice relaxing weekend home before I am gone every weekend for six weeks. Tom will be traveling with me for four of them but I'm on my own the other two so those 6 weeks will fly by. 

KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway!

Another KitchenAide Giveaway!!! I'm pretty excited about this and you should be too!

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Oh and don't forget about the Bundles of Joy Giveaway that's perfect for moms or moms-to-be!

Bundles of Joy Giveaway

Hey moms and moms-to-be, check out these awesome giveaways put on by some awesome ladies. Enter and Win with two Rafflecopters!

Bundles of Joy Giveaway Event

WELCOME to the Bundles of Joy Giveaway Event! We will be offering not one, but TWO MEGA

bundles during this event! One bundle will cater to the Pregnant Mommy and the other will cater

to Mom’s of Babies and Young Children. We have some very awesome sponsors for this event and

are extremely excited about it.

Pregnant Mommy MEGA Bundle



Preggers by Therafirm™ is a unique line of maternity support hose and compression products developed by future moms for future moms. We invited moms-to-be to try our products and provide opinions on styles, colors, and fit. Our “Preggers Mommas” team were an integral part of our product and brand development to ensure a full line of healthy products that will benefit you during and post-preggers.

Giveaway: $50 gift card to Preggers

Daddy Swag Gift Set from Daddyscrubs.comGive dad some swag with the Daddy Swag Gift Set from Daddyscrubs. Help Daddy say it loud and proud with this fun gifts set which includes a pair of Daddyscrubs "I'm the Daddy" scrubs so he can participate in labor and delivery, I'm the Daddy hat, t-shirt, stickers, and mug. So no matter where he goes, the proud
papa can advertise his new daddy status.

Giveaway: Daddy Swag Gift Set $89.95

Nicole Delivery Gown from Milk & Baby

The time has finally arrived for you to deliver! Here is the perfect alternative to that oh so many used tatty old hospital gown. Our stylish delivery gowns offer you the modesty you will crave with snaps down the back to cover from top to bottom along with off shoulder snaps on both sides allowing for easy breastfeeding and immediate skin to skin contact with your new baby. Epidural? No problem, they are designed to accommodate - We've got you covered! www.milkandbaby.com

Giveaway: Nicole Delivery Gown $29.99

Mom You Make Me Bloom Necklacefrom IsabelleGraceJewelry

This adorable necklace celebrates the beauty of motherhood and what moms do for their children every day. It features the words "Mom" on one side and "You Make Me Bloom" on the other, along with a tiny freshwater pearl representing a seed. A perfect gift for a Mom-to-be or for Mom ... anytime of the year.
This sterling silver pendant measures approx 1 inch in length and is accented with 22kt gold. Available on 14kt gold filled chain or sterling silver.

Giveaway: Bloom Necklace $90

Milk Nursingwear Gift Card

Milk nursingwear's stylish nursing tops and chic nursing shirts make breastfeeding convenient and discreet. Our fashionable nursing tops enable you to nurse discreetly

wherever you and your nursling go!

Milk Nursingwear's nursing dresses make breastfeeding at your baby's christening, breastfeeding at a wedding, or nursing at any special occasion so much easier. Our nursing dresses enable you to breastfeed your baby discreetly, keeping you relaxed, and looking beautiful. Click here to watch a video of real moms modeling many of our new nursing dresses at our recent fashion photo shoot.

Giveaway: Gift Card $40.00

Cow Patties Cloth Diaper
Cow Patties specializes in custom diapers from birth to potty training in fun prints and reasonable pricing. Please shop around through the ready to ship and custom diapers.
Cow Patties always welcomes wholesale and co-op opportunities.

Giveaway: 1 NEWBORN Purple/lime ooga diaper, with snaps for the closure $6

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Mom’s of Babies and Young Children
MEGA Bundle

Smart Knit Kids 

Completely free of seams, our patented product is knit like a cocoon, starting from the toe up, providing

comfort and relief to children who struggle with “bumps & lumps” in their socks.

“No heel” design allows children to put on socks with confidence and keeps little feet from outgrowing

their socks so quickly. Stretchy Corespun and Lycra yarns result in a form-fitting design that “hug” little

feet and help eliminate wrinkling and bunching. Because socks fit snugly, they won't slip off those

wiggliest little toes. Non-binding Halo Top™ fits comfortably without slipping down the leg. Regular

socks often have elastic bands at the tops of the sock that can often pinch, bind or be a source of

irritation.

Giveaway: 3 pairs socks $6.95 each

The Juppy Baby Walker

The Juppy "Momentum" is a solution to a previously recognized but unsolved challenge for parents of babies beginning to walk. Babies strong enough to begin walking but not strong enough to walk alone. The Juppy builds confidence in your baby and teaches balance while you maintain your natural posture, eliminating the grueling task of hunching over while teaching your baby to walk. The Juppy has easily adjustable straps that accommodate your height whether you are 4'11" or 6'11". The Juppy comes standard with soft hand grips that are strategically placed to provide optimum benefit for your hands; a color matched state of the art zipper is located at the rear of The Juppy for the purpose of safety, easy access and exit. You will find two Velcro straps that overlap the back zipper which again shows our commitment to providing you the safest and most practical baby walker on the market. Unlike traditional baby walkers The Juppy is a parent assisted baby walker which eliminates all of the dangers of walkers with wheels. The unique design eliminates the problems associated with similar products for example other parent assisted walkers do not have the crotch piece which is essential in keeping your baby from involuntarily lifting its arms. No more falling down stairs or reaching for dangerous objects because The Juppy requires your assistance at all times- One size fits all (baby weight not to exceed 35lbs). Made from 100% cotton that is machine washable.

Giveaway: The Juppy Baby Walker in blue, pink, or black $29.95

Paci-Catchers Gift Set

1 Paci-Catcher and Set of Adapters for use with all pacifier styles, 1 Toy-Catcher and Natural Wood

Teething Ring set, 1 Sippy-Catcher set including 1 Sippy-Catcher attachment and coordinating Paci-Catcher. Shipping is free within the US, $5 international.

Giveaway: Paci-Catchers Gift Set $26

The BubbleBum Booster Seat

BubbleBum is the innovative, inflatable booster seat for kids aged 4-11. It checks in at less than 1 pound and inflates in minutes. When not in use, simply deflate the booster seat, roll it up and stow away in the trunk or backpack for the next use. BubbleBum is ideal for sending with your child to grandma’s house or for the extra kiddos you’re taking to and from hockey or soccer practice or school. BubbleBum is also great for airplanes, rental cars, cabs or school trips. It even fits 3 across in the back! There’s no need to carry a bulky booster seat again with this lightweight, compact solution. BubbleBum is the perfect companion for mom’s busy life.

BubbleBum is sold online and is also available in select Target stores nationally. Available in black or purple.

Giveaway item: Bubblebum Inflatable Car Booster Seat $39.99

SnoozeShade Sun and Sleep Shade

SnoozeShade is a simple sleep solution that provides babies and young children with a dark

restful environment when away from home or during brightly lit days. SnoozeShade sun and sleep

shade for strollers and car seats allows baby to get the rest she needs while blocking out harmful

sun rays and inclement weather, and even pesky bugs. SnoozeShade has taken off in the U.S. after becoming a huge success in the U.K. Designed by a British mom searching for a better solution than blanket-draping, SnoozeShade blocks out 94% of light and also shields baby from weather such as rain, wind and sun. It also has sunburn-preventing UPF50+ blocking nearly 98% of harmful UV rays.

SnoozeShade is lightweight, easy-to-use and has no complicated attachments and fits most popular

brands. It’s ideal for napping baby at soccer games, by the pool or beach, or while out power shopping

or running errands. Moms can take their little ones everywhere and know they will be able to sleep

under the SnoozeShade, which keeps them happy, healthy and well-rested. Happy mommy, happy life!

Giveaway item: Snoozeshade Original $34.99

Glow Bug Cloth Diaper

Glow Bug Cloth Diapers story begins with our babies. Long before the company existed, there were two Moms who found friendship during pre-natal yoga class. Neta and I became close friends through the course of our pregnancies. We were thrilled when my daughter Amelia was born only weeks after Neta’s daughter Ela in 2007. We both discovered and enjoyed using cloth diapers on our girls. After the birth of Neta’s son Edder and my daughter Gloria in 2010, we were both looking for new cloth diapers. Neta and I had the same concerns with the available brands. All we wanted were good quality, affordable cloth diapers but we were really frustrated that the product we were looking for did not

seem to exist. What better solution to our dilemma than to start our own company that would sell amazing quality cloth diapers at a great price?

The winner can choose if they would like a girl's, boy's or gender neutral diaper.

Giveaway: one Glow Bug Diaper $12.50

Natural Mamma Diaper Salve

This diaper salve is made with organic herbs and oils by me in small batches to ensure quality and that you are getting the freshest product without the use of any preservatives.

It is formulated to gently soothe, protect, and promote healing for delicate skin.

Giveaway: 4 oz. diaper salve $12

Potty Cover

PottyCover is a disposable toilet seat cover for children that covers the sides and the front of the toilet, to keep away germs at public rest-rooms. It is made of non-woven fabric coated with a layer of plastic, creating a waterproof barrier between the toilet and the child. This product has the largest coverage of all seat covers on the market and for added convenience, each seat cover is individually packaged in a small, easy to open bag that makes it super easy to always keep one or two in a purse or a back pocket.

Using a public rest-room with a young child could be very stressful, but with PottyCovers the whole family can feel safe knowing that even at the filthiest bathrooms they will be protected from germs. We designed this product for kids, but it has become a must-have travel item for many of our adult customers.

Giveaway: one package of Potty Covers $6

The unpaper towel.

12 towels snapped together placed around your ordinary paper towel holder.

Made with cotton terry cloth and either cotton printed fabric or stain resistant fabric. Completely

washable, completely reusable. Many colors and designs to choose from for many different styles and

tastes. Snaps are made of plastic and match in color to the design on the cotton side. Great gift for the

eco friendly person or an even better gift for yourself! Great way to dress up a kitchen and be green all

at the same time!

Giveaway: 12 unpaper towels $45

Petite Bottoms Store

At Petite Bottoms, we offer organic and natural cloth diapers. Products include preemie, newborn, toddler, youth to adult diapers as well as other cloth diaper accessories. We have a retail location in Newmarket NH as well as our website to offer shipping worldwide! All of our in stock natural and organic cloth diapers that are fully prepped! No need to prep at home or wait for cloth diaper service for your diapers!

Giveaway: Chan Pie Gnon and Chocolate Bar Teething Toys $22

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Check out these other blogs for MORE giveaways!

Shaping Up To Be A Mom     Something 2 Offer

Bloglovin'

Starting July 1, 2013 google will no longer have Google Reader which means Google Friend Connect will most likely be canceled shortly after. So I decided to put my blog on Bloglovin' for a new way for people to follow my blog. Well I did that maybe two hours ago and my daily page views has massively jumped [ like from 50 page views to 255 ] with most of my traffic coming from Bloglovin. How is this possible? I feel like its fake or there's something not quite right with that number. Does anyone know why this number would jump so drastically in such a short period of time?

Anyways, follow me on Bloglovin'!

21 Weeks

How far along?: 21 weeks 

Maternity clothes: Jeans and leggings but everything else are my regular clothes. 

Best moment this week: Finally having a weekend to relax and feeling a few flutters :)

Symptoms: Still feeling like my stomach is huge and it can sometimes be painful when I forget and bend over quickly or too far. 

Miss anything?: Eh not really although I know I will be wanting some beer on St.Patty's day on Sunday - but hey I'm irish!

Movement: Yes! A few flutters here and there since Saturday. I usually feel him when I'm sitting and when my bladder is full, but I have felt it him at least once everyday since Saturday and its awesome! 

Food cravings: Just more of it haha

Have you started to show yet?: Oh yes! 

Gender prediction: It's a boy!

Mood: Happy but still busy.

Looking forward to: Going home this weekend to visit my parents and go to one of my best friends bridal showers, I can't wait to see my friends :)

7 Quick Takes

Linking up with Jennifer again for 7 quick takes. I already feel like I don;t have 7 things to share so this will be interesting! 

1.  The Baby Gap clothes I ordered came in and they are soooo cute! See, to me, boys clothes are way cuter than girls clothes. Let me explain - boys clothes look like little man clothes, even Tom said he'd wear them if they were in his size and while little girl clothes are cute I would never as a grown woman wear a majority of the frilly, sparkly, pink clothes on the girls side of gap - so this is why I like little boy clothes better than little girl clothes. I even said that if we had a girl I was never putting her in big bows and frilly clothes, its just not me. (Sorry for such crappy pictures, the iPhone isn't always great and I [ aka Tom ] left my DSLR at our friends in Maine.

 

2. Tom make picture frames for the pictures we ordered off zulily since they are an awkward size and they are finished and exactly what I wanted. I can;t wait to hang them, I just don't know where in the nursery I want to hang them yet!

3. Tom and I went on a "date night" Friday after work. We went to our favorite restaurant and then rented a RedBox movie, Playing for Keeps, which was actually pretty good. Its weird to think that after almost 9 years of it just being the two of us, in 19 weeks there will be 3 of us!

4. Speaking of 19 weeks -19 WEEKS! Wow, I can't believe we are over half-way there and with how busy we are the next 4 months, these 19 weeks are going to fly by and our little man will be here before we know it!

5. Tom went skiing Saturday morning and I met him there afterwards so that we could go to Long Trail Brewery for lunch. As I was sitting in the parking lot waiting for him to come out I felt the baby kick for the first time! I told Tom I thought thats what it was but wasn't 100% sure until I was working on some freelance projects this afternoon and I was sitting on the couch and totally felt it again so it definitely was. It makes this all even more real but it's such a cool feeling!

6. Yesterday afternoon we went to the outlets that are about 45 minutes from us since it was beautiful out. It's a cute little town so we took the dog and walked around. We bought the baby his first Patagonia purchase - a cute winter hat on sale for $10 - you can't beat that!

7. And I'm out of things to write about so I will leave you with this article to ponder over which I found through the Natural Parenting facebook page. Enjoy! 10 Overused & Unnecessary Pregnancy Procedures

Bragging About my Husband :)

I work at a local weekly newspaper in Vermont and neither my husband nor I know how to ski and just about everyone here does. One of my co-workers husband works on the mountain at the ski resort and they are given two free passes a year for ski lessons to give away and my husband was one of the lucky ones he gave it to. My boss said she would love for Tom to write an article about his experience and here is one of three articles he is writing for our paper. It has reached a ton of people since the mountain passed it along to ski instructor organizations and well he's a little famous [ or so I think :) ] in the ski world right now :)

Learning to ski as an adult: A personal account of my first three hours on the slopes - The Mountain Times

BACKGROUND
Confession: I live 15 minutes from Killington and do not ski, it's oxymoronic I know. People look at you differently, not in a good way, when you tell them you do not ski and yet live in Vermont.

This was true until two weeks ago. Learning as a kid is easy because you're young, ambitious and not fearful of falling. I thought I was well equipped with a background in endurance running, cycling and mountaineering but don't let me get ahead of myself. And so my journey begins, learning to ski at age 26 at one of the foremost ski resorts in the northeast: Killington, a.k.a The Beast of the East.

MY FEARS
Little kids: This fear is two-fold therefore even more worrisome. First, I pictured myself bombing the bunny slope headed straight for some unfortunate 6-year-old resulting in a trip to the hospital. Second, perhaps more due to vanity than anything, I pictured that 6-year-old weaving in and out of my tracks flying by me. I figured both scenarios were a high probability, thus, very rational fears.

Control: Turning has always seemed impossible to me. After all how do you control something abnormally long that inherently wants to point down the mountain? Next how do you steer down the mountain without contorting your body and without tearing an

ACL?
Falling really was not a fear for me, luckily. This is primarily due to my history of broken ankles, shoulders and arms. Gravity and I do not always agree, but what's better than falling on a snow packed surface?

LEARN-TO-SKI
Killington's learn to ski program is a max five person program. This is appealing as you are paired with adults of your skill level. The program cost includes the lesson, rental equipment and limited access lift ticket. The typical course is a 3-day progression, however, I chose to just start with one day, you know to kind of "test the waters" and to see if I was going to like skiing after all.

EQUIPMENT
Instructors shuffle you into groups and fit you for equipment. You learn a few technical terms like flex and center of gravity. You start indoors with boot fitting and walking in the boots. Next you head to the "indoor gym" of tilt boards, incline boards and balance boards. On your way out the door you are assigned ski poles based on height. Then you get to the meat and potatoes of the day, your skis.

My colleague's daughter is not quite three years old and stands about 89cm tall, she is currently on skis 70cm long. I am a 26-year-old male standing 183cm tall and I am issued skis that are 131cm … pause … calculate … laugh. I look like a grown man wearing little kids shoes. Nevertheless, I collect my equipment and board a bus for the learn-to-ski area.

FIRST STEPS
On the snow we start by scooting around on one ski with the opposite foot propelling along. My first revaluation was the ease of steering despite how slippery the skis are. Quickly we transitioned to skiing down a small ten-foot hill without poles. Next we are off on level ground pushing forward using our ski poles. This takes all of 20 minutes and is much easier than I thought. The instructor gave us tips based on performance. By the end of the first run we were all skiing straight.

The second run, we practiced turning on a gentle slope and learning how to stop. It was then that it became clear to me that skiing is all about speed control- learning to move across the mountain rather than straight down.

The most important component I learned my first day was to look 20 feet ahead when mapping the mountain, rather than straight down.

The remainder of the session was spent on the magic carpet. This is more or less a conveyor belt you stand on that brings you 200 feet up a small slope allowing for numerous short runs. Here, I was able to hone my turns and ability to maneuver around other skiers. (No 6-year-old casualties, either!)

HOOKED
My first day was a blast. The 3-hour lesson flew by and I found myself bumming around the learn-to ski area for another hour, eager to try more. I sign up for another lesson the following morning. I am hooked.

Advice to other non-skiers: Do not let excuses take hold. You are not too old, or weak, Killington provides equipment, and the progression is designed to remove the fear of falling. It's fun to learn something new and it's wonderful to be outdoors in the winter. Excuses are all white smoke. The learn-to-ski program is very easy. While skiing is indeed technical it is not insurmountable to the average person, so if you're like me, a non-skier living in Vermont, get out there and try it! You too may get hooked!

Spring Wish List

I keep seeing all of these cute clothes coming out for spring and well I just can't/won't be able to fit into any of it! And I find it wasteful for me to go out and get a completely new maternity wardrobe since maternity clothes are wicked expensive and what if I am pregnant in the winter next time so everything I buy this time is basically wasted? So I searched the web for a few things I would like as a pregnant lady this spring - some of which I could actually wear afterwards and next spring. Here it is!

1. old navy maternity skirt  |  2. initial necklace [ i thought this would be cute with the baby's initial - but we aren't telling anyone the name so i'd have to wait until after he's born to wear it! ]  |  3. gap maternity dress  |  4. head over heels maxi skirt  |  5. timex watch  |  6. gap maternity tank  |  7. old navy maternity maxi dress

20 Weeks - Half Way There!

How far along?: 20 weeks - HALF WAY THERE!

Maternity clothes: Bought another pair of maternity jeans from Gap since they were half off so I can wear even more of my normal shirts that aren't tunics or extra long, which is really nice because I love my shirts. 

Best moment this week: My parents visiting and going to Burlington with them - they hadn't been since I was about 8.

Symptoms: Still more hungry than I have been and holy round ligament pains. I also feel pains when I bend at the hips or twist too fast. My stomach has definitely popped way more and its a little uncomfortable - I feel like I did hundreds of ab exercises and then ate a ten course meal thats how stretched and sore it feels right now. 

Miss anything?: When we went to dinner with my parents I was definitely missing the beer - especially when we went to the breweries.

Movement: I'm still waiting for the first flutters. 

Food cravings: Just more of it haha

Have you started to show yet?: Yep, I feel waaay ! 

Gender prediction: It's a boy!

Mood: Happy but still busy.

Looking forward to: Feeling some kicks! We know he moves like crazy so it must be soon!!!

7 Quick Takes

Finally linking up with Jennifer again after a couple hectic weeks! I figured I would catch up on the last few weeks in this 7 quick takes, so here it goes!

1. In case you aren't aware, we're having a BOY! We were thinking a girl for the longest time but the two weeks before my gut was telling me it was a boy. And I was right and I've already started to buy some very cute clothes that I just couldn't resist from Baby Gap! 

2. We had a little day long adventure to IKEA in/near Boston last weekend and purchased some nursery furniture including an armoire and dresser [ which will double as a changing table ]. We needed the armoire since our house was built in 1900 and only has one closet in the master bedroom which was built after the fact. We also got a cute rug, a few decorative things, curtains and a chopping block for our kitchen. All in all it was a successful trip! 

Crammed everything into our little Subaru Impreza! Thank goodness it's a hatchback!

The finished products!

3. I designed the invitations for the baby showers my mom and my mother-in-law are throwing me and they both turned out wicked cute! Once they come back from the printer I will share them with everyone. I know its kinda weird that I designed my own invitations but I love designing and any experience I can get is awesome so neither of them minded that I wanted to work on them.

4. Tom made beer and I "helped" [ see picture below ]. He has been homebrewing for 3 or 4 years now and although I am usually more involved than just grinding the grains,  we both love it and we both love beer. Although it's not quite as fun when you know you won't be able to sample the finished product!

Tom helped stage the picture and Ubu photo bombed!

5. We set up the crib! It's currently set up next to our bed as a side-car crib which is a pseudo form of co-sleeping but they sleep in their crib with the one side taken off so that its sort of an extension of your own bed. This way there's not as much moving in the middle of the night to nurse so neither of us will fully awaken once we get used to it.

Just missing the mattress!

6. My parents came out to visit us this weekend to check out the birthing center where - if all goes as planned - we will be having our natural birth! We decided to head to Burlington after to stop at a bunch of breweries and get some dinner since my dad loves beer as much as we do and my mom does too as long as its not hoppy! And of course it wouldn't be a beer trip without some purchases - Tom got a glass from Fiddlehead [ the owner/founder is an Ithaca grad! ] and the baby got an awesome bib from Magic Hat which my parents bought him!!!

Tom wanted me to take the picture on the table he built out of wood from mid 1800 which I have to admit is one awesome table!

7. And I'm out of things to write about so I'll leave you with a few throwbacks from high school and college! 

3/4 of the "square" before Senior Ball back in 2006!

It's always hard to get all four of us together! Summer after sophomore year of college!

At Carly's sister's wedding, finally with all four of us in one picture!

In college I lived with 6 amazing girls and I'm pretty sure this is one of the only pictures of all 7 of us! And yes that is me standing all the way on the left with very short hair!