18 weeks!

All I have to say is.. IS IT THE WEEKEND YET?!?!!  I just need a day off and it’s only Tuesday evening.. oh my =)

How far along: 18 weeks 3 days
Weight gain: +2 pounds (maybe +3 – haven’t been on the scale in a few days)
Maternity clothes: yesterday my entire outfit was ‘normal’ clothes – today my pants are maternity but my shirt is not – I have not purchased any new maternity clothes.. I do need to look into a ‘preggo’ swimsuit (as my hubbs calls it!) for the beach – I don’t need these stretchie marks hanging out!
Stretch marks: yeppers – I am using BioOil so hopefully that will help with preventing new ones and helping the old ones to fade =)
Sleep: Gabby is still waking up at least once a night to eat and it’s hard to fall back to sleep but my hubbs never gets a good nights sleep since he works at night and watches the kiddos most days so I cannot complain!
Best moment of the week: I am pretty certain I felt Gum Drop move yesterday!!  I was driving home from an appointment just singing away and I felt a few flutters!!  I’m pretty sure I felt a couple more flutters while laying in bed trying to fall asleep last night!!  Friday was a GREAT night – I hung out with some good friends and enjoyed a MaryKay party – it was SO SO SO nice to have a girls night =) =)
Movement: Yeppers, see best moment above =)
Food cravings: oh I am still ALL about [fountain] diet coke with lemon!
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: no thank you.
Belly button in or out: innie.
What I miss: same stuff, just a different week =)
What I'm looking forward to: feeling Gum Drop move more; the weekend and a couple days off from work!
Weekly wisdom:  “I get by with a little help from my friends.” 

Milestones: Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long, about the length of a bell pepper, and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born.

 

What fun would a post be without some photos of my cutie-pie kiddos!!

I now pronounce you husband & wife!

Last night my friend Christine got married to her long time man, Mike.  They have been dating since our freshman year in high school.. so about 12 years!  Christine and I have known each other since 4th grade so she is certainly a friend life-long friend although we don’t hang out nearly as often as I’d like.  Anyway, they got hitched last night.  They did a private ceremony and then had everyone join them for cocktails and hor’douvers.  (diet coke w/lemon for this momma please!!)  My hubbs sure enjoyed the open bar – he doesn’t drink often since I can’t drink but last night he certainly kicked back a few yuenglings! 

Christine looked absolutely beautiful.. too bad I don’t have any photos to post.  Yea, I know, no photos.. not even a photo of my hubbs and I all dressed up.. not even a photo of me and the bride.. not even a photo of, well nothing.  I’m angry at myself for not using my camera but I knew when I decided to take my little point and shoot that it wouldn’t get used.  I love my D-SLR but it is a pain to take it everywhere so last night I left it at home, big mistake on my part but too late now!

Congratulations Christine & Mike – you 2 are finally husband & wife!!  Enjoy your honeymoon in Punta Cana!

Their wedding makes me want to get married again.  Steven and I were planning a big wedding, then learned we were pregnant with Gavin and plans changed quickly.  We decided to go to Hawaii and get married there, just the 2 of us and a beautiful beach.  Well, it rained the entire time we were there so our beautiful beach ceremony turned into a gazebo ceremony.  We did have a reception/pig roast later in the summer with family and friends but it didn’t really feel like a ‘wedding’ in some aspects.  I’d love to renew our vows, wear my first wedding dress I bought that is currently shoved under my bed, have my dad walk me down the aisle and celebrate our love with family and friends.. maybe someday..

I hope everyone has a great week.. mine is jam-packed with appointments, trainings, conferences and oh, a brand new desk that will be waiting for me in my office tomorrow morning.. can’t wait =)

giveaway.

I haven’t won either of the giveaways I entered this week, but Kelly is hosting another that I’d love to win.  You get extra ‘entries’ when you blog about a giveaway so I’d like to increase my chances any way I can!  The winner gets their choice of a crayon wallet or a mini list taker from Bits n’ Pieces, etc. – they are just too cute!!

I’m keepin’ my fingers crossed.. sure would be nice to win something =)

new computer & pee on the floor.

So after my laptop took a dive (literally) I got a new one – and I am trying this Windows Live Writer blog thingy.  I have no idea how it works but we’ll give it a shot.  I used my best buy credit card so I don’t have to pay any interest on the computer for up to 18 months, which is good b/c I definitely don’t have the extra cash in my account to blow on a computer right now.  $$ has been causing me a great deal of stress lately – between the new baby coming, Gabby’s doctor bills, my dentist bills, a new computer, our car insurance that is due this month and Steven’s van inspection – I feel like I’m constantly thinking about $$.  I’ve been doing well with putting money into savings but I feel like that hasn’t been growing as much as I want it to.  I know it’s silly to stress about $$ – just be wise day to day – easier said than done.

Anyway, I’m going to wrap this up and mess around with this laptop a little more.  I feel like I probably should have done more research before jumping into a purchase but I really need a computer, I think I got a decent deal and I have 18 months to pay it off. [and it’s a very pretty red color!!]

Classic Gavin moment – he and I are standing at the desk at Best.Buy paying for everything and he says to me “Mom, I have…” then proceeds to pee in his pants.. not just a little pee.. all over the floor.. all over his shoes, socks, pants and underwear.. in the middle of Best.Buy.  I apologized to the clerk and told him I think he may need to call maintenance.  Thankfully I had a change of clothes for him in the diaper bag, but no extra underwear or socks.. so he left the store underwearless, sockless and shoeless with a bag full of pee-covered clothes.  Oh the joys of being a momma!!

{almost} wordless Wednesday

photos of my sweet potato enjoying her cereal and trying sweet potatoes for the first time =)

amongst the pain of yesterday these photos bring me so much joy - I am blessed.

pain.

Today has been one of the worst days ever...

An expectant mother who had been working with our agency on her adoption plan had an emergency c-section this evening; her amniotic fluid was low and I believe there were some other pretty serious circumstances so the doctors decided it was time for this little lady to join the 'outside' world.  They did the c-section and the baby had some respitory distress.  They worked on her for over 2 hours and were going to fly her to Hershey Medical Center (which was actually where a co-worker and I already were meeting with another couple).. but the baby didn't make it.  They could not get her breathing and she passed away.  I've never had this happen before.. the hard part (besides the obvious pain) is this mother is not my direct client.. she is the client of one of our other counselors who works out of our State College satelite office.. this was her first client she has had.. her first potential placement.. how do you help someone through such a tragedy..  I'm just so sad for this mom, for our worker and for the adoptive family the mom had selected to parent this child.  My heart breaks for everyone involved.

Gum Drop is growing! {17 weeks.}

How far along: 17 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: +2 lbs.

Maternity clothes: I think my days of hair ties and safety pins serving as buttons are over..

New baby items: nothing new.. I've had my eye on a few things but am trying to save $$

Sleep: if it weren't for the pains from my cyst and all the stretching and growing that's going on I think I'd be just fine - the ultrasound tech told me that the stretching/growing pains get worse with each child that you have - well ain't that just lovely!

Best moment this week: feeding Gabby cereal for the first time!!

Movement: I'm not sure.. I've felt a couple little flutter/bubbles but it's hard to tell if it's Gum Drop, gas or something else..

Food cravings: I am loving diet coke with lemon - but it's only good if it's fountain soda, it just doesn't taste the same from a can or a bottle.

Gender: boy!!!

Labor Signs: no.

Belly Button in or out: innie.

What I miss: wine, running & my '2007' body - it's amazing what running can do for your body and your attitude, my pre-Gabby clothes, my friends from high school and college that I haven't seen in a while (random, I know.. but I do miss them!!)

What I am looking forward to: my friend Christine's wedding this weekend.. she is marrying Mike, whom she has been dating since we were freshman in high school (1997/1998).. it's so exciting that they are finally tying the knot!! (too bad I won't be able to enjoy the cocktails with everyone.. hopefully I can get a diet coke with lemon!)

Weekly Wisdom: Believe.. Hold Fast.. Hope.. Have Faith.. Trust.. Rest Assured.. All things are possible with God. 

Milestones:  Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

17 weeks 3 days {I feel like this belly appeared overnight!}