Stella's birth story

Stella Dorothy Kaup

8/5/15

6lbs 15 oz, 19 inches

My sweet little Stella is already 2 months old, and i'm JUST getting around to documenting her birth story. I guess that's to be expected with a newborn and a just barely toddler. I just hope I remember everything well enough. SO here we go!

I had a doctor's appointment at 11 am on August 5th. It was just business as usual except I was dilated to almost 4 CENTIMETERS and about 70% effaced. I was SHOCKED. My doctor asked me if I wanted my membranes stripped. It basically will only work if your body is ready. I decided to just go with it, because even though I was TERRIFIED to have her, I was also really excited to meet her. So I went back home and just went about my day with Elsie. I felt a little crampy, but I had been feeling that way for days already so it was nothing new. I put Els down for her afternoon nap and decided to lay down myself. Josh got home from work and we woke up. Josh asked how I was feeling and it seemed like as soon as he did, I started feeling some pretty regular contractions. I couldn't tell if it was all in my head, or if it was the real deal. Josh convinced me to start timing them and they were about 7 minutes apart. I was still sort of in denial because I did NOT expect things to happen that fast. About 20 more minutes of regular contractions and I decided I should call the nurse line and see what they thought I should do. They weren't very helpful, basically just told me that if I felt like I should come in, then I could. OKAY? Aren't you supposed to TELL me what to do. Don't give an indecisive woman OPTIONS lol. So anyways, after much consideration I decided I should probably head in. I drove myself to the hospital because Josh was going to wait at home with Elsie until his mom and sister got there. We wanted to Elsie to be able to stay at home so she didn't have TOO much going on at once. 

This was me driving to the hospital...basically freaking out. 

So I got to the hospital and get everything situated and got into my hospital gown and the nurse checked me. I was dilated to a 5 and 90% effaced so they admitted me! I was going to have this baby TODAY!! Such a surreal feeling! It was kinda scary being at the hospital by myself, but we only live about 15 min from the hospital so I knew Josh would be there soon. 

My last belly shots!! So crazy to think that she would soon be OUTSIDE of the belly. There is just no feeling like that anticipation. It's so exciting! 

So, I got all settled and Josh got there. The contractions were getting really strong and really regular. The nurse told me that the anesthesiologist isn't in house, and is about 30 min away. So I would need to plan my need for an epidural around that. Well shortly after that, we got word that he was going to be coming through the area and we decided that there was no point in NOT having him administer the epidural while he was there. (duh) So we started my IV fluids and waited for the main of the hour to show up! He got there and everything went very smoothly and I was feeling like a million bucks in no time. Cause those contractions were getting STRONG. In reality though, I only had to endure about an hour or 2 of actual labor so it was a cake walk. So, after that is all said and done I was bed ridden. For some reason this time the epidural made me very anxious. My heart rate would randomly shoot up, and I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest and like I couldn't breath very well. It was NOT a good feeling. And I really felt panicked about not being able to move my legs for some reason. I don't know, obviously I enjoyed not feeling any labor pain, but it was not as enjoyable as I remember it being with Elsie. So after that, It was basically just a waiting game. I was progressing nicely, but my water hadn't broken yet so it was going AS fast as it could. And my doctor was not there, so she couldn't break it and the nurses aren't allowed to do so. At this point it was probably about 10pm or so. Another overnight labor, which is NOT fun. You can't sleep a bit, and your sleep from then on is just totally screwed up. So fast forward a few hours and it's about 3am and I am STARVING to death. I mean like stomach growling and everything. I was tired, hungry and miserable! It was so bizarre cause I remember when I first laid down, my belly was big and round and sticking up, so as I was laying down I reached down to rub my belly once more and I felt it and it was like oblong and felt much flatter. I was SO scared, I thought she was probably coming out and I couldn't feel it. Well my doctor finally got there and she checked and my water bag was bulging OUT. She was all startled because she thought it was the babies head! So I started feeling all extra nervous, for some reason the moments just before pushing are the most nerve-wracking for me. I mean, it all just becomes so REAL-you are about to meet this little person that has been growing in your belly! It's the most amazing anticipation in the world, truly nothing like it! So we got everything all situated and the time to push came! AH! I kept saying over and over "I'm scared! I'm SCARED!" So a contraction came and I started pushing. 2 pushes and 1 full contraction and this little one was OUT! It was unbelievable. She was absolutely beautiful, and just perfect as can be. 6 lbs 15oz and 19 inches long. She took to nursing right away and we just laid there for an hour or so nursing and loving each other. There's just nothing like those first moments, you're just on cloud 9 filled with so much emotion and adrenaline. We love her SO much and we can't imagine our lives without her now, She's perfect!! 

23 weeks...or 24....?

How far along? Well i'm 24 weeks today, but so much has been going on that I missed my 22 and 23 week posts. BLAHH...moving (and not moving), and caring for an infant and her unborn sibling REALLY take up a lot of time. So sorry to her sister, who will probably be deeply offended that some of her posts are missing ;) Mom tried....really, I did. 

If you'd like to go back to when I had OODLES of time, and read about my 22nd week with Elsie, click right here! 23rd week?...click right here! and lets just add the 24th week for good measure! You can find it HERE! Uff da! 

Maternity clothes: Still on the same routine as far as that goes. 

Stretch marks? Nada. My belly is still pretty small. Some days it still barely looks like i'm even pregnant, which is actually sort of a bummer to me. (Sometimes lol) I had a doctor's appointment last week and I've only gained about 3 lbs so far. They aren't very concerned, especially considering I only gained about 15-17 lbs with Elsie and she was an almost 8 lb baby. Also considering the baby is right on track with growth, she's actually measuring AHEAD. I'm definitely not restricting myself as far as my diet goes, so it's a mystery to me why i'm not gaining weight. They are going to start monitoring my weight gain a little closer from here on out. 

Sleep: No problem! 

Best moment this week: Week? Don't you mean closer to MONTH? gulp. Let's see..I guess getting the official word from my ultrasound that she's a perfect little healthy babe! That's always such a weight off my mind. So grateful and blessed to have another healthy baby a'brewin. Also we've had a couple field trips as a family now that the days are getting warmer. LOVING that.  

Miss anything?: Meh, i'm good. 

Movement: Yep! She's a little wiggle worm! But she doesn't seem to wake me up at all through the night. (fingers crossed that will remain the case AFTER she's born! hehe) 

Food cravings: Lots of ice cream has been on my mind lately. Also I had a DEEP craving for brownies/cake with chocolate frosting. I got all the supplies, but my dear husband had already packed up our pans. I still haven't had that brownie. Tragic. 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Nothing!! Funny story though, literally within hours of me saying that on my last post, I threw up. So i'll tread lightly on that one.   

Gender: Chickadee 

Labor signs: Nope, lots of braxton hicks though!! 

Symptoms: Indigestion like a mofo!! braxton hicks, general achiness especially my hips 

Belly button in or out? Still rockin and rolling. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Meh, the process of buying a home is for the birds. It's had me down lately. Also packing is legit my most hated thing. Literally #1. So annoying.

Looking forward to: I'd like to say moving...but who knows when that will ever be. I'll just say steady warm weather. lol. This up and down crap ain't cool. 

21 weeks with baby #2!

How far along? 21 weeks! 
If you'd like to read about my 21st week with Elsie, feel free to click here!!

Maternity clothes: Meh i'm slowly adding more and more to my daily outfit. But I still fit in all my pre pregnancy clothes, it's more just about comfort and making everything look a little bit smoother. haha 

Stretch marks? Still no issue

Sleep: No problem! 

Best moment this week: I have to think a bit backwards since i'm so behind again this week. But I would have to say Easter! We stayed in the cities and celebrated with Josh's family. It was a really nice time! Elsie got lots of cute little Easter gifts, it was a wonderful way to celebrate our babe's first Easter! :) 

Miss anything?: I really can't think of anything specific! 

Movement: Ohhhh yes, she likes to focus all her strength directly on my bladder lately. I definitely think I can feel her more than I did Elsie. And she's STRONG!  

Food cravings: It's really just random things. I'm trying to get my fill of as many of my favorite "city" things that I can before we move! It's definitely more slim pickins up in homeland! 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I've done WONDERFUL on this front lately!! (knock on wood)    

Gender: A little lady bird

Labor signs: Nope 

Symptoms: Horrible indigestion lately. No pain, but just feel like none of my food makes it past my chest. Just feels constantly lodged. Really uncomfortable!  

Belly button in or out? It's still hangin' in there!

Happy or moody most of the time? HAPPY!!! 

Looking forward to: Getting this move over and done with and getting settled!! I'm so nervous. 10 days!! AHHHH!!! 

19 weeks with lady #2

How far along? 19 weeks! 

You can find our 19th week Elsie post right HERE 

Maternity clothes: Lots of pants, but I don't have many shirts. Looks like I need to go shoppin! ;)  

Stretch marks?  Nothing to report! 

Sleep: Sleepin just fab!

Best moment this week: My very best friend in the world is in town from Delaware, so we've gotten together a few times. Wish we lived closer together!! :( 

Miss anything?:  Nothing!

Movement:  Still just the usual flutters and bumps. I can definitely tell she's getting stronger and stronger. (or just bigger and bigger) cause there have been a couple times where I can feel little pokes from the outside! 

Food cravings:  Italian food 100%. YUMMMMM I could eat spaghetti everyday as it is, but this has been pretty intense. lol  

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I've been doing REALLY well this week. knock on wood.   

Gender: GIRL! 

Labor signs: No! 

Symptoms: Not a whole lot besides a growing belly and some round ligament pain!! WOO HOO!!! My head has been a real champ this week! I still get some sporadic headaches, but it's been NOTHIN like what I was used to. AHHHH! 

Belly button in or out? Still in! But it's gettin shallow! lol  

Wedding rings on or off? Just the band..i'm thinkin i'll just delete this question from here out. lol  

Happy or moody most of the time?  Super de duper happy!! 

Looking forward to:  I have my 20 week anatomy scan next Wednesday. Say a little prayer that this little girl is nice and healthy! :) 

16 weeks with baby GIRL #2

How far along? I'm 16 weeks, well since i'm slacking so hard with my blog this time around, i'm actually closer to 17 weeks. But SHHHHH, just go with it. 
Elsie's 16 week update can be found riiiiiight here! :)

Maternity clothes: I've worn some bits an pieces from my maternity wardrobe. Still surprisingly not all that necessary. I guess in my mind I figured I would just blow up immediately,  but that just hasn't been the case. In fact, I sorta like i'm smaller than I was with Elsie. Maybe a more petite baby than my chunky monkey, who knows but I suppose i'm not complaining! 

Stretch marks? Nothing to note! Back to my good old Earth mama-angel baby stretch oil. Can't exactly be sure that's what did the trick for me last time, but why change what worked the first time. 

Sleep: Still getting decent sleep, which makes everything else that much easier on me! 

Best moment this week: Well as many of you know, we found out we're having another little GIRL!!! As much as we kinda "knew" it, it was awesome to get a definite answer! I would have been thrilled to have a boy, but I feel like for the "situation" we're in, it will be a lot easier on us to be able to just slip back into familiar territory. And we have everything she'll need already, so it will be great!  

Miss anything?: Nothing really that I can think of? 

Movement: I definitely am feeling movement! I asked the ultrasound tech if my placenta was in the front again, like it was with Elsie, and she said no-it's underneath her. So there's nothing cushioning the blows this time around! haha. 

Food cravings: Mashed potatoes! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still get quite nauseous right away in the morning. Sometimes I puke, sometimes I don't.  Ready to be completely past this stage, whoever said morning sickness ends after the 1st trimester was LYING! 

Gender: Baby GIRL!!! 

Labor signs: Nope 

Symptoms: Round ligament pain and i'm still getting very frequent headaches. HOWEVER, the fioricet I was prescribed has helped IMMENSELY!! I haven't had a real explosive migraine since i've had that available. I just take one as soon as I get the inkling that something may be brewing and it stops it in its tracks. I've still had headaches, but SO much more manageable. 

Belly button in or out? Still in

Wedding rings on or off? still off

Happy or moody most of the time? I've sort of been experiencing some hormonal blips this week. Not unhappy or anything, but just sort of weepy at certain things! 

Looking forward to: Spring!! And maybe, just MAYBE getting our house?? We shall seeeeee!!! ;) 

15 weeks with baby #2

How far along? 15 weeks! 
If you'd like to read about my 15th week with Elsie, you can find it here

Maternity clothes: Still the same ol routine, luckily my work wardrobe consists of yoga pants and sweatshirts ;) Can't wait until the dress code changes to sun dresses and swimsuits!!! I don't feel like i'm showing as fast as I assumed I would this time around! 

Stretch marks?  None to report!  

Sleep: Sleep isn't an issue here! 

Best moment this week: Well my baby turned 6 months old, so that was pretty exciting! My little lovey sure is growing up fast!! 

Miss anything?:  Not having to walk on eggshells to disturb my stupid head. UGH. 

Movement:  Still feel the little bubbly flutters here and there. 

Food cravings:  hmmm....
Mexican food, white castle, and charleys subs. It wasn't a very healthy week lol

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I had a really rough week in terms of nausea. Felt like I was back to square one with feeling sick every morning and even sometimes all the way through the day. So over it!!!  

Gender: Not sure still! Still totally gettin the girl vibe! 

Labor signs: No! 

Symptoms: Still being utterly tortured with migraines. My doctor finally gave me a prescription of Fioricet, so i'm PRAYING that will work. I'm reaching my wits end, literally the only thing that I can do to NOT get a headache is to lay completely still in bed all day. (HAHA) I can't pinpoint any specific thing that triggers them besides literally just living my life. It's HARD!! 

Belly button in or out? Still in!  

Wedding rings on or off? Off 

Happy or moody most of the time?  It's hard to be real happy when I feel so crummy all the time, but i've got a pretty sweet reason to be happy! 

Looking forward to:  Finding out what this baby is! 

13 weeks #2!

Figured big sister should be featured as well! 

How far along? 13 weeks!!
I feel sorta bad for this babe, because their bump updates are going to be a lot less "glamorous" than they were with Elsie. (when I actually had a reason that I needed to look presentable everyday) You're all lucky I at least showered and put some clothes on ;) 
 If you'd like to see my 13 week update from my pregnancy with Elsie, you can find it here

Maternity clothes: None yet! 

Stretch marks?  Not much stretching is occurring in general quite yet. haha

Sleep: Sleep has remained pretty much the same, which is a GOOD thing. Els lets me get a lot of good sleep, which helps IMMENSELY! 

Best moment this week: Well I had the ultrasound for the genetic testing, which again we opted for just so we could see the little bambino more or less. So it was a lot of fun to see the little monkey bouncin around in there, definitely made things that much more REAL for us! haha We got the results back from that today actually and it was nothing but good news- 1 in 10,000 for down syndrome and trisomy 13 so that's wonderful! We got a couple cute ultrasound pictures too! :) 

Look at those stretched out legs! Certainly cozy in there! haha

Hi mom! :)

Miss anything?:  Having the energy to do more than just taking care of my little lovie. 

Movement:  Nope, not yet!! 

Food cravings: Salad!! I found the Olive Garden salad dressing and I've basically been obsessed. So i've been eating TONS of salad and sliced cucumbers! Could be worse, right?? 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  It's touch and go, somedays I can make it though without any, and others i'm smacked in the face with it again. No rhyme or reason. Sigh. 

Gender: Still don't know that! I'm still thinking totally has to be a girl!! 

Labor signs: No! 

Symptoms: I had a horrific, hideous migraine last night. I felt it building as I was getting ready for bed, so I promptly got to bed and thought I could beat it by just sleeping it off. NOT so much. I woke up at about 3:45 from a dream that a doctor was telling me I had a brain bleed. YEAH.....It was freakishly bad. I took some pain reliever and some dramamine and laid as still as I possible could until I could fall back asleep. Thank GOD it was gone when I woke up in the morning. In a weird way, I was grateful that it happened in the middle of the night. Yes, it disturbed my sleep, but I would rather deal with it by myself in the wee hours of the morning than be absolutely worthless to my daughter during the day. I just can't believe this is happening all over again like clockwork. I would rather deal with daily nausea than one of those headaches, it's scary! I'm basically on my knees in prayer that this doesn't start happening daily again.

Belly button in or out? It's still in

Wedding rings on or off? Off actually, but not because i'm swollen, but cause my rings are too BIG! I lost quite a bit of weight after I had Elsie (somehow) and they don't fit very well at the moment! 

Happy or moody most of the time?  I've been happy for the most part

Looking forward to:  Spring time, and hopefully finding our home soon!! 

Birth Story

Since it's still fresh in my memory, I thought I would document and share our birth story! Also, be forewarned, it's going to be VERY long and well...TMI. ;)

It all started on Friday, August 22nd. I had gone to work as usual and I felt fine for the most part. I had actually started to come to terms with the fact that I was probably going to go all the way to 40 weeks and beyond potentially. I got home from work and just spent the rest of the evening relaxing and watched Mrs. Doubtfire. We went to bed and I noticed that I had to get up to use the bathroom a LOT more than usual. Also, every time I would use the bathroom and go lay back down I had some pretty bad cramps. It felt like those obnoxious aching cramps you get right before you get your period. I thought it was a little odd, but didn't think anything of it-just figured it was false labor or some painful braxton hicks. When I got up in the morning, I still felt a little off. Josh had to work and I planned to get up nice and early and go run some errands. We had planned to get EVERYTHING baby related done that we had left to do. Well I used the bathroom and noticed a little bit of blood. I just told myself it must be due to having my cervix checked at my most recent doctor appointment. (The denial begins...) But since I wasn't feeling the best, I thought it was probably a good idea to just wait for Josh to get home instead of going gallivanting all over town by myself.  As I was getting ready, I took a pic (which ended up being my last bump picture) because I wanted to see if maybe it was obvious that I had "dropped" or what the deal was. Maybe that would explain why I wasn't feeling the best.

Josh got home and we got ready and headed out. At that point I was still feeling really crampy, but we had SO much to do. It was our plan to go to Roseville and go to World Market and Babies R us. On the way we decided to stop at Planet thrift because we were looking for a piece of furniture to finish off the nursery. We ended up seeing Josh's aunt and her mom there, and she seemed to think I definitely looked like I had dropped since she had seen me at the shower the weekend before. Well as we are walking around the thrift store, I felt a small "leakage." Basically wasn't sure if I had randomly lost control of my bladder or what was going on. At that point Josh started feeling a little concerned but I was still brushing it off. (cramps are getting worse) We stopped at Dock 86 quick and then made our way onward to Roseville. We got to World Market and the cramps started picking up. To the point that Josh started getting REALLY annoyed at my insisting to call them cramps instead of contractions. He even whipped out his phone and tried to time them. I just kept telling him that I was fine, and nothing was happening. We got all that we needed there, and headed next door to Babies R Us.  Well as we are walking around there, another gush-this time a bit larger. Josh starts freaking out, I continue to be in denial but at that point it starts feeling a BIT more concerning and we decide we will call the doctor when we get home and see what she thinks we should do. I still hadn't packed a hospital bag or anything despite my doctor scolding me to do so at every appointment. We grab some things at Babies R Us, focusing on things we NEED in case we have a baby on the way. Josh rushes me out of there and we head home. If it were up to me, I probably would have tried to stop a couple more places to get some things. We get home and I get on the phone and spoke with the nurse and she tells me the doctor will get back to me. Well as i'm waiting for the call back, I go in the bathroom and all of a sudden I feel a big WHOOSH and at that point it's pretty clear that it's undeniably my water. OMG my water broke!! I wouldn't say it's like in the movies, but I think I definitely experienced about as close to that as it comes. I've heard most women don't really even have their water break, and more often gets broken during labor. So, I get a call back from the doctor and I tell her all that has just occurred and she basically tells me to get some things together, get something to eat, and get to the hospital.

So after a long drive  (aside from my request to stop at burger king first....denial still) sitting on a towel, and progressing contractions- we finally made it to the hospital. I step out of the car and it's like a flood, SUCH an uncomfortable feeling. Josh ended up having to push me in a wheelchair because I was NOT about to go walking through the hospital dripping everywhere. We make it up to labor and delivery at about 4 and we were initially told they wouldn't "room us" without me getting an exam first. Well, they took one look at my soaking wet shorts and it was CLEAR I wasn't leaving the hospital without this baby. Talk about a crazy feeling! So they brought us down to our room (We got the "big room" by the way) I got into my gown and started rolling with the contractions, which at this point were getting WORSE and worse. My midwife came in and checked me and I was at 3 centimeters, so it was left up to me to do what I wanted. I could get in the bath, sit on an exercise ball, or whatever really until I decided I wanted my epidural. I chose the exercise ball. I think I lasted about 45 minutes total before I was like OKAY that's enough, lets get this epidural process going. They had to give me an IV of fluids before they could give me the epidural so unfortunately I still had to wait a bit longer. Those contractions are NO joke. I truly applaud any woman that can make it through the whole way. Anyways, I get my fluids and the anesthesiologist comes in and works his magic. The process wasn't all that bad, just a little uncomfortable, but I knew what the result was going to be so I was all for it. The hardest part was staying completely still through my contractions as he's sticking the giant needle in my back. Once the meds started setting in, I was a HAPPY girl!

After I got the epidural going, the doc came and checked me again and I was at a 5. She could feel another "water bag" that was still intact, so she went ahead and broke the rest. We were then left to chill out and the waiting began. We watched some tv and they told us to "get some rest" but it seemed like whenever we would doze off, the nurse would be coming in. I felt so bad for Josh because he had worked that morning, so he was really sleepy and only had a SUPER uncomfortable couch to try to rest on.

So a couple hours past (I think anyway) and the nurse came back in to empty my bladder with a catheter, since I was not able to get up to use the bathroom with the epidural. (FUN!) And she goes "ya know...I think i'm going to check you if you don't mind." So she does, and she goes "Oh! you're at a 10 and the baby is SUPER low now!" YIKES! So she says we're going to let your body work her way down some more with the contractions, that way you won't need to push as much. (which I was definitely a fan of) So it was about 12 at that point and they said I would start pushing at about 1. 

So 1 o clock rolls around and the midwife gets there and we get the show on the road! I was TERRIFIED!! Josh was such a good "coach" I really don't think I could have done it without him. So a contraction comes and they tell me to push and I do, and they basically tell me she's just about out already! I pushed 3-4 more times and she was out! I started pushing at about 1:05 and she was out at 1:23. It was the most insane thing I have EVER EVER experienced. Just to finally see her face, it was a really really surreal feeling. She was beautiful, it was absolutely love at first sight! She was 7lbs, 15oz and 20.5 inches long. She is absolutely a gift from God, and we can't imagine our lives without her now. It's like she's always been here! 

We love you Elsie Grace!!

Surprise! Elsie is here!!

Elsie Grace Kaup

8/24/14 

34 weeks!

How far along? 34 weeks! 

Maternity clothes: Same routine! Although this week I did spoil myself a little bit and got a pair of SUPER cute maternity jeans off of Zulily. They were on sale for 20 bucks so I didn't feel too guilty. Anyone in the market for maternity clothes I totally recommend Zulily and Hautelook. They regularly have super good sales for us mama's to be as well as baby stuff! 

Stretch marks? There's nothin yet! I feel like i'm being punked and a day before I give birth my stomach is going to be like "JUST KIDDING, here's your stretch marks!!" 

Sleep: I'm doing really well still, falling asleep easily and staying asleep besides the occasional trip to the bathroom. The only thing that has changed is i've noticed it is getting harder and harder to adjust sleeping positions throughout the night, this belly is hard to maneuver comfortably. I sorta feel like it would be easier to just get OUT of bed and start over instead of rolling over. haha  

Best moment this week: Well the majority of the past week was spent in Michigan still. We had such a fabulous time and the weather was gorgeous. Beach time, mini road trips to different places, Lake Superior, A zoo, Josh went golfing, the casino, and multiple bonfires. It was extremely hard to leave on Wednesday. I had my first real uncontrollable hormonal breakdown, I was SO sad! But we have gotten A LOT done since we've been home so I guess it's not all bad. 

Miss anything?: Maneuvering my body easily, bending over, etc. 

Movement:  Ohhh yes and boyyy is she runnin out of room! I've had a couple of times where she is clearly trying to stretch out and I can feel the sharp pressing feeling down on my bladder and kicking up in my ribs. Insanity. She's also had the hiccups a lot more lately too.

Food cravings: ICE CREAM!! SO not like me, but I just can't get enough    

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I had a moment while registering at Babies R Us where I felt like I was going to vomit out of nowhere, but I can't really pinpoint what caused it. Just extensive standing? Who knows 

Gender: Chicky poo 

Labor signs: Nope! 

Symptoms: All my usual, indigestion, back pain if I'm standing or walking for extended periods of time, getting more fatigued again, leg and foot cramps, and i've started having more and more braxton hicks. All in all though I feel very fortunate because I still feel REALLY good, sorta waiting for the downfall! 

Belly button in or out? Really depends upon the day, some days it's REALLY out, other times it's In and sometimes it switches throughout the day depending on what i'm doing. Silly little thing.   

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? With the exception of coming home from vacation I've been really happy. If I can take a moment to gush a bit, (skip past this section if you can't stomach it) i've just been feeling so fortunate and overwhelmingly BLESSED lately. It's been a rough weekend with getting all kinds of things accomplished in the nursery, hours spent registering for upcoming showers, as well as a few "homestead hiccups." And no matter how overwhelmed or stressed out I started to feel, I just felt SO fortunate to have Josh by my side. He's really SO good about just being helpful and cooperative when he knows I need it. I know plenty of men would have gotten really fed up with my requests and overall annoying "nesting behaviors." I've just found that it's really easy for a woman to feel kind of "alone" throughout the pregnancy and sort of like it's ALL on you. I feel really lucky to have a man that tries REALLY hard to make me feel like we are in this together and that I don't ever need to feel like i'm doing anything on my own. He's also been working extremely hard to make it a possibility for me to stay home with the baby until she's a little older and that is just AMAZING! What can I say other than I really feel like I won the husband lottery (even if he drives me nuts sometimes....hey maybe I should remind myself to read this when he does! haha) <3 

Looking forward to:  I'm really looking forward to my showers because while we have most of the BIG stuff for the nursery, we have NOTHING else. I am so dang excited to meet this little one!