27 Weeks

27 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a head of cauliflower.  
He weighs almost 2 pounds and is 14.5 inches long.  This week little man is waking and sleeping at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and sucking on his fingers. More brain tissue is developing and his brain is very active now.

How far along? 27 Weeks- last week of the 2nd trimester believe it or not.  We cannot believe how fast this pregnancy is going!!

Total weight gain? 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? Only wearing maternity clothes in pants, but I did buy a maternity sweater and a tank top this week during our yearly "K-Jo After Christmas Shopping Day." :)

Stretch marks? None right now

Sleep? Still so so.  I had one night this week where I started my day at 3:30 a.m.
Best moment this week? Doing the baby registry at Babies-R-Us.  I am so thankful I did all my research before hand by talking to friends, reading books, blog suggestions, and pinterest ideas before going to the store.  I knew exactly what was on my checklist and it made it go so much smoother/quicker!  We are also extremely lucky that Ashley and Jerad are giving us a TON of Jeryn's baby stuff- changing pad, Boppy pillow, bouncer seat, swing, etc.  Jeryn told us she was happy to share with her baby.  She also informed me that she would be fighting me for the baby.  I'm not lying- those were her exact words.  Her and Ashley were having a conversation and Ashley was telling her that I probably wouldn't want to give up the baby and that Jeryn would have to fight me for him.  She took that literally... it was the cutest thing when she said, "Tia, I'm going to fight you for my baby."  She did later say we could at least share him. She's also adamant that his name is Scooter... thanks to her mother on that one ;)
Miss anything? Nothing!
Food cravings? Nothing new this week.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? No- I'd hope not.  But I did read that Braxton Hicks contractions could be starting soon.  This is all so surreal...
Symptoms? Same as last week- my nemesis the heartburn, and some mild back pain.  He also had the hiccups this week- too cute.

Belly button in or out? Also the same as last week- in bur not by much.
Wedding rings on or off? On- I hope I won't get too swollen and have to take them off.  But we had a friend who told me a horror story of having them cut off... so I'll definitely take them off when the time comes.
Happy or moody? Could I be any happier?!?
Looking forward to? Tonight's new year's party and working on some projects we started this weekend in the baby's room.
Daddy moment?   Our baby app told us last week that Trenton might be able to hear Baby O's heartbeat if he lays on my stomach.  We've tried it a couple times but so far no luck.  Poor Trent also has two very jealous dogs up in his face when he does this so that doesn't help much!

 My baby belly blocking the tree.

 

Some more of Baby O's Christmas presents I forgot to post last week.  The Ruscos gave him his first set of DD's- and it even matches one of Trent's shirts!  If Baby O is anything like his daddy then he'll be wearing lots of Dynamic Discs apparel in his future :)

 The navy/orange outfits are from Baby O's great grandma.  She couldn't resist since they matched the nursery.  The KU outfit is from one of my sweet students.  The Lil 'O is the back of the DD onesie.  Perfect moniker since Trent is "Big O."

Trent's job at Babies-R-Us- scan whatever I point to with the scanner gun.

 Got the checklist- ready to do work!

What the furbabies like to do when I blog these weekly posts.  Usually they lie in the chair together but Bentley was in a climbing mood today.

26 Weeks

Kisses under the mistletoe!

 26 Weeks: Baby O is the size of an English hothouse cucumber.  

He weighs 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long.  This week little man's hearing is improving and he is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid to help with the development of the lungs.  His little man "bits" are also descending into place- which takes 2-3 days.

How far along? 26 Weeks

Total weight gain? Haven't got on the scale since before we left town for Christmas.  I still was only up 15 pounds we left.  Doubtful that's still true after all the delicious family meals we've had over the last 5 days!
Maternity clothes? Only wearing maternity clothes in pants.

Stretch marks? None right now

Sleep? Some days it's fine and then some days it's crappy.  There have been two different nights where I've woken up at 2:30 and 1:30 a.m. and never have been able to go back to sleep.  Not liking it one bit!
Best moment this week? All of our Christmas celebrations with our families!
Miss anything? Not a thing, we are so fortunate and blessed.
Food cravings? Nothing new this week.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? No- I'd hope not!
Symptoms? The killer heartburn and some back pain. We've noticed I'm finding it harder to bend over and move as quickly as I'm used to- must be my uterus that is now the size of a basketball haha.

Belly button in or out? In... but it's completely flat now.  I feel like it could pop out any day now.
Wedding rings on or off? On- and so sparkly clean after having them cleaned/inspected over Christmas break :)
Happy or moody? Full of JOY!  I still haven't had a pregnancy meltdown... lucky for the hubby!
Looking forward to? New Year's Eve party with all of our friends!  I may be pregnant but I'm not missing out on my favorite party of the entire year!
Daddy moment?   Hearing Trenton talk/plan out Baby O's Christmas for next year was too cute.  He already said last night that Baby O's first Christmas is only 364 days away and he's already got gift ideas in mind.  I'm sure my boys will be having lots of fun together next Christmas.  Hard to believe we'll have a 9 month old at this time next year :)

Their last Christmas as our only babies.  Believe me they got spoiled beyond belief- a gazillion special treats, new toys, new collars, extra loving, etc.  They were well loved this Christmas!

 The December chalkboard... now to think something up (aka steal from pinterest) a design for the New Year's board!

 Back at home and heading out to Christmas Eve church and celebrations with my family.

 This year's Christmas tree!

This year's Hallmark ornament.

He's not even here yet and he's already getting presents from his parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc.  What a loved little man he is :)

25 Weeks

 25 Weeks: Baby O is the size of a rutabaga.  

He weighs a pound and a half and is 13.5 inches long! This week he is beginning to put on some baby fat and his wrinkled skin will start smoothing out so he'll look more like a newborn. He is also growing more hair and if we could see it we'd be able to tell its color and texture.

How far along? 25 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 15 pounds
Maternity clothes? Only wearing maternity clothes in pants.

Stretch marks? Not yet (and hopefully never), I even had to go buy my second bottle of cocoa butter this weekend.

Sleep? Last night I tossed and turned and couldn't get comfy.  But other than that it's been awesome.
Best moment this week? Trent finished the dresser!  We sanded, taped, primed, painted 4 coats, and did 3 coats of poly.  It's currently curing in the basement but we LOVE it and can't wait to see it in the nursery.  I hope it's exactly what I had imagined in my head :)
Miss anything? No wine at our Favorite Things party was sad :( At least Jobeth's punch was yummy!
Food cravings? Nothing new this week.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? No- I'd hope not!
Symptoms? If my baby app on my phone tells me his hair is growing more this week I firmly believe it... especially if the old wives tale is true about lots of hair=heartburn.  I used to just get it just in the evenings/night but now it's all day long.  I'm about to go buy yet another bottle of Tums.  I have one jumbo bottle at home, one in the car, and one in my desk at school.  The bottle in my desk has 6 left and I'll probably go through that by lunchtime!

Belly button in or out? In- but it's looking pretty flat right now.  Granted it's always been shallow but I feel like it's getting close...
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody? Happy to have such a happy/active little man inside me... but man the tragedy at Sandy Hook really got to me.  Watching the news is so disheartening and as a teacher/parent-to-be it just hits too close to home.
Looking forward to? CHRISTMAS/CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!! Yes, I am so excited about Christmas that I felt it deserved all caps :) I only work until Thursday this week and then we are headed back to the Bend!

Daddy moment?   Trent was spooning with me and was holding my tummy to feel little man moving around and then Baby O kicked his hand off my stomach.  It was one of the hardest ones yet and was directly on Trent's hand.  It shocked us both cause it came out of nowhere!

One of the other best moments last week was the Favorite Things Party I threw with Ashley and Jobeth.  We did it last year and loved it so much we had to do it again.  Here's the spread before the "shopping" happened.  Everyone always brings such unique stuff and this year was no exception.  All the gifts were so different and it gives you good ideas for anyone left on your shopping list. It also makes you want one of everything :)

 

Here's what I got this year:

1. Mason jar glass/straw and the BEST hairties ever from Wendy.  She wasn't lying when she said they don't leave a crease behind. I wore them all weekend and am officially obsessed.  Plus they are glitter- I can't resist the glitter!

 2. Santa cookie platter and peanut butter cookies from Dana.  This will be the perfect plate to set out every year for Baby O to leave Santa his cookies!

3. Corkcicle from Sarah.  You freeze this cork and use it as your wine topper too so that it keeps the wine chilled when you set it out.  So awesome!

I did a crappy job at taking pictures this year and should've given Ashley my camera.  I didn't even remember a group picture!!  What is wrong with me?!  I can't blame it on the wine this year so I'm blaming the baby ;)  I also forgot to take a picture of what I brought to the party, so sad. This year I brought some items from the store "Lush" at Oak Park.  It's a cool bath/body/beauty store and all their products are handmade and natural.  I stuck in a $10 gift card and then one of their "surprise" bath bombs.  Hope the 3 ladies who got my gift will enjoy them!  I know I LOVE that store!

24 Weeks

24 Weeks: Baby O is the size of an ear of corn.  

He weighs just over 1 pound (supposedly he gained 4 ounces in the last week) and is a foot long! His brain is growing quickly and his lungs are developing "branches" on his respiratory "tree."

 

How far along? 24 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 13 pounds
Maternity clothes? Only wearing maternity clothes in pants.

Stretch marks? Nope- lathering on my cocoa butter

Sleep? Sleep is good except for waking up earlier than normal.  Guess I'm getting trained for what's to come :)  But 4 a.m. on a Friday morning was NOT cool in my book.
Best moment this week? We can actually SEE little man moving.  It is so cool/weird!  I lay on the couch a lot with my shirt pulled up just watching and waiting to see him move.  I'm also pretty sure he's started doing flips cause the movement feels like my stomach is doing somersault/flip flip movements instead of just the pushes I have been feeling.
Miss anything? We went to the annual Rusco sweater party this weekend and man I wanted to eat the vodka gummy bears so bad!  I think Wendy ate my share though :)
Food cravings? Nothing really- extremely thirsty though.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? No- I'd hope not!
Symptoms? Ohhhh the heartburn... I'm loving those Tums right now. I literally feel like I could turn into a fire breathing dragon at any point some nights.

Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody? Moody towards some of my high maintenance students- they are driving me BANANAS.  Is it Christmas break yet?!?  But happy other than that :)... and still no pregnancy meltdowns yet!
Looking forward to? Having a slumber party with J-Fe this weekend!!!  Also, the 2nd annual "Favorite Things" party on Wednesday night.

Daddy moment?   Trent is excited for yet another project- sanding/painting on the baby boy's dresser this week.  I'm pumped too!!!

 We hosted Trent's work's Christmas party on Saturday night and I finally erased our fall bucket list.  Not everything got done but I think we did pretty darn good!

 After the work party we tossed all the food in the fridge, threw on our ugly sweater attire, and jetted down 35 to Emporia for the annual Rusco Ugly Sweater Party.  We had a blast- so many stories and memories from the night.  And being the sober one I can remember them all too :)  I can honestly say I had just as much fun as I normally would and even made it to 2 a.m. Not bad for ole preggo!

 Being the judge in the guys vs. girls flip cup tourney just wasn't the same ;) I was really knocking back the water and orange soda.  Crazy, I tell ya!

 Always a guaranteed time with this crazy crowd!

 Even though it's blurry I had to post the picture to show the intensity of "Face Cookie." This Minute to Win It game is what led to some other shenanigans... Wendy and the fence will never be the same ;) Priceless!

 Sunday evening was pretty much spent like this.  Our dogs were worn out from their sleepover at the Gorneys.

We had free tickets that Trent won to Trans Siberian Orchestra... but a long weekend and a warm fireplace made all of us snuggle up for the night on the couch instead.  We couldn't bear to leave these fur faces lol!

23 Weeks

23 Weeks: Baby O is the size of a mango.  

He weighs just over 1 pound and is 11 inches long!  This week the baby has developed his sense of movement and his hearing has become more keen.  He hears what we hear, just muffled.

How far along? 23 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 12 pounds
Maternity clothes? I think I officially had to hang up all the old jeans :(  I wore a pair on Friday and felt suffocated the entire day. I stocked up on some more maternity pants this weekend but there's just not as many styles to choose from which is annoying.  Oh well... it's only temporary. 

Stretch marks? Nope- lathering on my cocoa butter

Sleep? Sleeping like a baby :)
Best moment this week? Berg/Olivier dinner night... date night with my love... and the arrival of our nursery chair "Christian Gray"... he looks/feels amazing!
Miss anything? Choosing any style of clothing I want- the maternity sections at all of these stores suck! Plus all the maternity styles in pants are fitting me weird... why is everything so long?!? I'm growing outwards, not upwards people. After hearing that Kate Middleton is pregnant too I can't wait to see what maternity clothes she wears- love her style! I'd also love her clothing budget too... but I feel like that's probably not gonna happen.
Food cravings? I've started having nightly bowls of ice cream.  But I did this quite frequently before I was pregnant too so not sure if that counts as a pregnancy craving or not.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? No- I'd hope not!
Symptoms? I feel like I'm looking bigger than 23 weeks.  When I see other pictures of girls at 23 weeks I feel like I'm quite larger haha.  But... I am carrying Trenton's son and he didn't get the nickname of "man child"  in the sixth grade for nothing.  Lord, help me....

Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody? Full of joy!
Looking forward to? The annual Rusco sweater party this weekend!!!! Flip cup domination... even if it is with root beer :)
Daddy moment?  Trent had a blast this week playing with our sa-weet video monitor we got from a family friend as a gift.  This thing is cool- full color, automatic night vision, lullabies, 2 way communication... we've enjoyed this gadget way more than a 27 and a 29 year old should. We're so sad we even involved the dogs.  They didn't seem as impressed :)

Forgot to include this last week- it's the graph results of what my 5th graders predicted for Baby O.  They all came to school wearing the color of their prediction the last day before Thanksgiving- and only 2 forgot!  I took lots of group pictures but don't want to post other people's kids on the Internet for privacy.  Just know they looked cute and we even did a picture with all the kiddos giving a peace sign back to the baby.  It was the idea of one of my boys since they all saw the sonogram picture of Baby O doing it.  My class is too cute, sometimes.

22 Weeks

22 Weeks: Baby O is the size of a spaghetti squash.  

He weighs almost 1 whole pound and is 11 inches long!  This week baby is actually beginning to look like a newborn with eyelids and eyebrows becoming more distinct, and tiny tooth buds forming. His eyes have formed but there is no pigment in the irises yet.

How far along? 22 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 10 pounds- I partly blame Thanksgiving haha.
Maternity clothes? I actually really like the one pair of maternity jeans I've bought so far.  That's all I've bought so far cause my tops and dresses all fit fine.  The rest of my pants just get the belly band treatment.

Stretch marks? Nope- lathering on my cocoa butter

Sleep? Sleeping like a baby :)
Best moment this week? See the post I just wrote before this one... finding out that Baby O is a little BOY!
Miss anything? While shopping at Black Friday I loved all the clothes deals I saw... but knowing I'll be getting bigger kind of makes buying anything non-maternity pointless... even if it is a good deal.

Movement? Flips and flops all day/night long.
Food cravings? I see some peanut butter m&m's in my future...

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? No- I'd hope not!
Symptoms? Getting bigger obviously, lots of urgent potty breaks, and baby brain.  Ugh... I'm normally a type A person that doesn't forget things... but not anymore. I have literally had students repeat their question several times to me cause I forgot what they just asked me.  If I don't write it down... there's a good chance I won't remember to do it!

Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody? In the words of Duck Dynasty... Happy, Happy, Happy!!!
Looking forward to? Starting the baby registry this weekend!
Daddy moment?  Baby Daddy is over the moon excited we are having a son.  He's already talking about what him and the little man will do together.  My two boys are gonna be quite the pair I can already tell.

Thanksgiving at our home with our families- ignore that my tree isn't decorated.  Jeryn Fe helped me put up some of my Christmas decor on Wednesday as a distraction while waiting on Baby O's gender reveal. We didn't get very far though.
 

Some other special men in my life... my brother, grandpa, and dad.  All very excited to add another man to the fam as well :)

It's a... BOY!!!

Wednesday 11.21.12 at exactly 3 o'clock on the dot was the day we found out we'll be adding a little MAN to our family! I told myself no more than 10 pics per post but Wednesday was too special of a day not to go overboard about :)

Waiting around from 2-3 was the longest hour EVER.  Imagine being eight years old on Christmas morning and times that by a thousand.  I swear I looked at my phone about every 7 minutes. Glad we had some family and friends around to distract me. We had everyone come wearing either blue or pink based on their gender prediction... a lot of blue was in the crowd :)

Trent and I wore blue as well... predicting we'd be having a little boy.  Trent has always wanted a boy first from day one.  I haven't cared either way with this first baby- just a healthy one!  But I just had a feeling that it was going to be a boy... every dream I've ever had of the baby it's been a little handsome lad.  Although a girl would've made me just as happy! And this is the box I decorated that was full of balloons waiting to be released.

Proof that I didn't even peek... I was a good girl!

Out comes the BLUE!

OMG... best moment ever!!!  Seeing all the blue flying up was such an incredible rush!

There they go... it was a really windy day and the balloons left fast.

The reaction of the crowd.

Group shot of the blue/pink- thank you to our family and friends who could make it on a Wednesday afternoon :)

A very proud/excited grandma!

Excited for grandbaby #5/grandson #4

Even though the diva predicted her baby was a girl named Kendra... she handled the baby boy news well... until the next morning I hear ;) At least her polka dot balloon was a good distraction! She will be the BEST big cousin!

All of our baby boy's cousins excited to add another boy to the mix.  Diva Jeryn gets to hold onto her only girl status awhile longer!

Thankful to have photog Ashley in the family to take pictures in an empty lot by our house afterwards :) Trent felt like it was engagement pictures again... until he ruined the moment like a typical boy would.  Guess I'd better get used to it with another boy joining our fam!

I hope our son is a min-Trenton in every way possible. He is such an incredible person, husband, and soon to be father... our little boy has a wonderful man to look up to!!!

I now have two men who my world revolves around :)

Not to be upstaged the diva made sure to show off that she had on blue too... even if it was on her panties hahaha :)

Our first babies... clearly excited to announce that they have a little brother on the way :)

21 Weeks

 21 Weeks: Baby O is the size of a carrot.  

He/She weighs 3/4 of a pound and is 10.5 inches long.  This week baby now has eyebrows and eyelids and will begin a lot more movement.

How far along? 21 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 7 pounds
Maternity clothes? I officially bought my first pair of maternity jeans.  They really are as comfy as people say.  I'll probably be breaking them in at work at this week's spirit day :)

Stretch marks? Nope- lathering on my cocoa butter

Sleep? Like a rock!
Best moment this week? 1. Seeing the last Twilight movie early on Wednesday with Trent and his coworkers, Jobeth, and Ashley.  So sad another one of my movie series is over :( But dang it was freaking awesome!!!  2. My first piece of mom jewelry :) Jo got me the CUTEST/delicate infinity bracelet that came with a card saying "A Mother's Love is Infinite." It is definitely my new favorite piece of jewelry!! 3.Getting the baby's room painted thanks to Trent and my mom!
Miss anything? We made homemade pizza on Friday night and all I could think about is how good a glass of wine sounded to go with it.

Movement? Little pushes all throughout the day.
Food cravings? Thanksgiving food... I'm ready to do damage on Thursday!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nothing

Gender? WEDNESDAY... only 2 more days!
Labor Signs? No- I'd hope not!
Symptoms? I have to go to the bathroom all the time right now.  And I'm also dangerously close to wetting my pants when I laugh, cough, or sneeze too hard... TMI?

Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody? SO EXCITED!
Looking forward to? The obvious choice... is Baby O a boy or a girl?  We'll finally know/announce it on Wednesday!
Daddy moment?  Love that I have a husband who is just as excited as I am to work on the baby's nursery.

Trent and my mom painted the three solid walls on Thursday night.  Then the stripe painting party began on Friday night.  My how our Friday nights have changed...

 My mom working on the stripes

I was put in charge of taping before they started, my mom was the designated edger, and Trenton was the official roller.

 The final results in daylight on Sunday morning.  We are in LOVE with our ombre wall.  Thank you pinterest for this idea.

A closer view of the 5 shades of gray we used.  No it's not 50 Shades of Gray in our baby's nursery ;)

 Since I can't post about the gender yet I'll post the envelope/card I made to seal the results in.  I got bored at the waiting room of the sonogram so sorry it's crappy picture quality.  Here's the front of the envelope.

Back of the envelope.

 The front of the card...

And the inside of the card.  Can't wait to find out which box will be checked!