35 Weeks

How Far Along? 35 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 13 pounds…down a pound from last week. This drives me crazy! I eat constantly and I see my belly getting bigger but I lost a pound-what the heck?!

Have You Started to Show? I feel like I have a really big belly. Nick looks at my belly every day and tells me how much bigger I look!

Stretch Marks? None so far. I’m really hoping to avoid them!

Belly Button? OUT! Just like a turkey timer! How appropriate for the season!

Maternity Clothes? Nothing new this week. I pretty much live in my fleece lined maternity leggings and sweaters.

Symptoms: This was a rough week for me. For some reason my nausea came back over the weekend and I was down for the count! I felt like I was back in my first trimester! Luckily, Nick took care of me and rubbed my back until I was able to fall asleep at night. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband!

Movement? The strength of our little man simply amazes me! He has been kicking so hard it actually hurts! Nick and I love to just sit and watch him kick and punch inside me. My belly is lopsided most of the times and its actually pretty funny.

Sleep? Another rough week of sleep. I had 3 nights of insomnia this week! One night I literally could not fall asleep until 4 AM. I guess it’s just God’s way of preparing me to be a mom.

Exercise? My prenatal yoga instructor was sick this week and didn’t want any of her mommies to catch it. I’m planning on making up for missing it this next week but we’ll see.

Food Cravings: No big cravings this week. It has actually been tough to find things that sound good to eat.

Food Aversions: Just chicken. I walked past the cooked whole chickens they sell at Fred Myer and literally gagged!

Happy or Moody? Mostly happy, but also a little stressed. I feel like we still have so much to do before the baby arrives and I think it all kind of hit me this week.

Miss Anything? Energy. There is so much I want/need to do but it’s tough to complete everything that I set out to do. Carrying around an extra 13 pounds is tough work!

Nursery Progress: Our crib mattress arrived this week! I researched mattresses for months and finally decided on an organic Greenbuds mattress. They have several options to choose from and I love that they are completely organic- no harsh chemicals, no flame-retardants. I chose the Primrose Deluxe Organic Mattress. When it arrived I opened it and there was NO SMELL at all! I feel so much better knowing that our little man will be sleeping on a safe organic mattress.

Best Moment This Week: A text from my brother Monday night telling me that he and his adorable girlfriend, Kendra, are now engaged!! I am so happy for my brother! Kendra is so prefect for him! I can’t wait for her to officially be part of the family!

Looking Forward to: Thanksgiving! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Thanksgiving and Christmas! This is simply the best time of year!

34 Weeks

How Far Along? 34 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 14 pounds! Finally some weight gain again!

Have You Started to Show? I feel like my belly has really grown this week. Nick still loves to tell me that I don’t look pregnant from the back any chance he gets!

Stretch Marks? None. I’m really hoping that I don’t get any.

Belly Button? Out.

Maternity Clothes? No new clothes this week but I find myself wishing that I had a good maternity jacket. I just wasn’t able to find one that I liked for less that $275.

Symptoms: I’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions or “practice labor” as our HypnoBirthing book calls them. It seems like I have them every night. I know some women don’t notice them, but I think they are really uncomfortable. When I lay down it helps relieve the pressure. Other than some discomfort at night I’ve been feeling really great.

Movement? Our little man has found his new favorite spot for his foot…my ribs! Holy guacamole can he kick hard too! He kicks me so hard sometimes it takes my breath away. It is fun to sit and watch him move all around in my belly. It’s just so amazing that our son is growing and thriving inside me! He also gets the hiccups daily which I think is really funny, but Nick doesn’t like. I think he worries that our son will have the hiccups frequently like I do.

Sleep? So much better this week. I still wake up 4 times a night on average to go to the bathroom, but I have been able to fall back asleep fairly quickly.

Exercise? Back in the swing of things with my prenatal yoga. It has been extremely cold lately so we haven’t walked the dogs, but it looks like some “warmer” weather is on its way so I’m hoping that will change.

Food Cravings: Apples with Chobani Greek yogurt and peanut butter. This is my go to breakfast! I also still crave beef all the time.

Food Aversions: Chicken. I know, big surprise! I can’t stand even walking by the deli in the grocery store because it seems like they are always frying chicken! YUCK!

Happy or Moody? Happy happy happy! Nick and I are really getting excited for the arrival of our little man!

Miss Anything? Coffee. I want a pumpkin spice latte so badly!

Nursery Progress: I ordered several things for the nursery this week. The item I am most excited about in the changing pad that I found from Holy Lamb Organics. I researched changing pads quite a bit (as with most things) and I really wanted something all natural with no plastic or PVC. I found a changing pad handmade with eco-wool and organic cotton twill from Holy Lamb Organics and knew that it was perfect! The only problem was the price tag - $175. Pretty steep for a changing pad but I had convinced myself that it was ok since I will use it with our future babies as well. Then I stumbled across their sale/clearance section and found a floor model changing pad for only $123! I’m going to wash it anyway so why would it matter if I bought a floor model!? I was so excited! I placed my order and received my changing pad a couple days later! I also ordered a handwoven wool rug from Natural Home Rugs. I was a little hesitant to order another rug online after the last rug, but the lady I spoke with assured me that the rug was soft to the touch and if I wasn’t satisfied I could ship it back for free! SCORE! I ordered the rug and it also arrived very quickly. I LOVE the rug! It is super soft and has no smell to it whatsoever! I just love eco-friendly products!

Best Moment This Week: Finding the crazy good deal on the changing pad! I know I’m crazy, but I was just so excited about it!

Looking Forward to: Getting everything ready for the arrival of our little man! I can’t wait to wash everything and get the nursery all situated! 

Baby Shower

We had the baby shower at our house at 11 AM on November 8^th. I loved the beautiful baby shower invites from Tiny Prints!

My mom and Kendra threw me an amazing baby shower! They put so much time and effort into all the planning and it really touched me. I don't really have a "theme" for our nursery but I have been trying to create an eco-friendly nursery for our little man. With this in mind, my mom and Kendra decorated with lots of earth tones and greens. 

The night before my mom, Kendra, Nick, Tom (my mom’s husband) and I decorated and set up the tables and chairs. Kendra surprised me with the most beautiful handmade picture collage with photos from our pregnancy announcement and gender reveal photo shoot. She is so creative! She also used a wood burning kit to make a few other signs for the party.

We had an array of good hors d'oeuvres and some awesome spiced cupcakes from Lake City Cakes in Coeur d’Alene. They even made me a dozen gluten free cupcakes that were delicious! Everything turned out way better than expected.

People started arriving around 11 and I had the chance to catch up with friends and family while my mom and Kendra handled the rest and Nick took pictures. Yes, my wonderful hubby stayed for the baby shower at my request. I’m a bit of a picture addict so I wanted lots of photos to remember the day. I asked Nick if he would stay and take photos for me and I’m pretty sure his response was, “Guys don’t go to baby showers” to which I replied, “Daddies can go to baby showers.” I think he knew he would be fighting a losing battle so he said, “Whatever you want honey.” Do I have the best husband ever or what!!

In lieu of baby shower games (which I’m not a huge fan of) I asked people to fill out an index card with some words of advice. After they filled out a card I put their name in a drawing for a gift basket of organic skincare that I use. I have an awesome esthetician, Trisha Watson, who makes her own organic skin care line that it absolutely the best out there in my opinion! In the first few months of my pregnancy I was having all kinds of skin issues and as soon as I switched to her skin care line my skin cleared right up! It’s so comforting to also know that all the ingredients are not only safe for me but safe for my baby as well. I try to be really conscious of everything that I eat and put on my body and strive to only use safe, natural or organic products. In any event, my hair stylist, MonaLisa, won the gift basket and I think she will really enjoy all the products.

We then commenced with a massive present opening session where all our friends and family absolutely SPOILED our little man! Nick and I feel so blessed by the wonderful gifts and thoughtfulness of our friends and family. We know that this little man will be truly loved by so many people! Nick and I now feel a lot more prepared for the arrival of our little man!

My mom even found the most perfect gift for Nick to open at the shower. She ordered him an organic cotton swaddle blanket with little acoustic guitars printed on it! So darling!

Overall the shower was just perfect and we couldn’t feel more blessed! A big thanks to my mom and Kendra for being such wonderful hostesses and to my darling husband for being such a loving and supportive daddy-to-be!

33 Weeks

How Far Along? 33 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: A little over 12 pounds. For some reason I lost a pound this week.

Have You Started to Show? Nick has looked at my belly several times this week and said “Wow! You’re getting really big!” His other favorite comment is “You don’t look pregnant from the back.” My husband is such a joker!

Stretch Marks? None.

Belly Button? Out

Maternity Clothes? I purchased a couple maternity tops from Target this week and I love them! They are just so comfy!

Symptoms: I’ve been having some Braxton Hicks contractions this week that are definitely stronger than they were before. It’s a great chance to practice my surge breathing from our HypnoBirthing classes.

Movement? As per usual or little man has been super active this week. It’s crazy how much of a bust body he is already! He keeps kicking me in the right lower ribs so I’ve been a bit soar, but nothing this tough mama can’t handle! It’s so reassuring to know that he is healthy and strong!

Sleep? Ugh. I really just need to rename this category LACK of Sleep. If I’m not up going to the bathroom or tossing and turning then I’m up eating at 3 AM. Then when I get up to eat the doggies think it’s time for their breakfast, which of course it isn’t, and when I don’t feed them they run back into the bedroom and wake Nick up to feed them. So, to sum it up, there isn’t a whole lot of sleeping going on in the Morelli household!

Exercise? My prenatal yoga instructor is back from Bali! It feels so good to get back to my yoga! I went to an awesome 90-minute class last night and I felt so energized when I left!

Food Cravings: Oddly enough I haven’t had many cravings this week.

Food Aversions: Chicken. I think my chicken aversion is getting worse too! I don’t even like to hear people talk about chicken-it just makes my stomach turn!

Happy or Moody? HAPPY! Nick and I are so excited to meet our little man! Only 6 weeks to go!

Miss Anything? Coffee. It has been rainy and cold here and I really miss a good latté!

Nursery Progress: Our furniture arrived last Thursday and we absolutely love it! We are really impressed with the quality of every piece! The colors are so soothing and the soft close drawers are super smooth.

Best Moment This Week: My baby shower! My mom and Kendra threw me the most amazing baby shower. Everything was just perfect and so many friends and family members joined us to celebrate our little man. It was truly a special time I will never forget. I will do a separate post on just the shower and post lots of pictures there!

Looking Forward to: Decorating the nursery! Now that we have our furniture we can get down to the business of decorating! 

32 Weeks

How Far Along? 32 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 13 pounds

Have You Started to Show? Just this morning Nick looked at my belly and said “Wow, you’re belly is really growing!”

Stretch Marks? None

Belly Button? Out

Maternity Clothes? I think I have given up on my search for a cute maternity coat. I’m going to try to get by wearing my normal jackets unzipped.

Symptoms: I’ve been tired this week and I’ve also had some nausea. I think our little man is just growing like a weed.

Movement? Our baby certainly is active! He kicked me in the rib this week twice in the same spot and I seriously felt like I had a bruised rib! Any time I yawned or tried to breathe deep it hurt so bad! Thankfully after two days it felt better, but man oh man was it ever painful! It is so amazing how strong he is! Nick made the comment that our baby is just a little person now after he felt his hand (maybe elbow) pushing out against my tummy.

Sleep? I had another rough week of sleep. I just wake up so much throughout the night that it’s hard to feel like I get a good nights rest. I’m up pretty much every day at 3 AM and then I toss and turn until I get up around 6 AM.

Exercise? Wow I have been horrible about exercise again this week. It has been raining cats and dogs here so we haven’t walked the dogs and I didn’t do yoga once this week. I feel guilty but I can only do the best I can.

Food Cravings: Hard boiled eggs again! The farm by my house was out of farm fresh eggs so I had to settle for some organic eggs from Pilgrims – not as good, but they’ll get me by until they have more eggs.

Food Aversions: Chicken, shocker, I know!

Happy or Moody? I was very up and down this week. It’s hard to have level emotions when I’m not sleeping well. I had more happy moments than non-happy moments this week, but it was still a bit rough.

Miss Anything? Red wine. Nick took me out to dinner for a date night to Angelo’s, my favorite Italian restaurant and I was very envious of all the other customers who were enjoying a nice glass of red wine.

Nursery Progress: My Luca glider from Monte Design arrived this week and I LOVE it! The green is exactly what I was looking for and it is super comfortable. I can just picture myself nursing and rocking my little man in just a few months!

Best Moment This Week: The cloth diapering class we took on Saturday. Nick and I learned so much and we are really happy about our choice to cloth diaper. Mother’s Haven was also having a sale so we picked up some much need items for our little man at 15% off. Nick was really excited about the Ergobaby carrier after our baby wearing class so we purchased a navy blue carrier and infant insert. We also picked up some organic cotton Bummis prefold diapers, some Aden and Anais bamboo swaddle blankets and some Motherlove nipple cream. I really wanted to get my ring sling but they don’t carry the Sakura Bloom brand that I like the best.

Looking Forward to: My baby shower! I can’t believe that it’s this Saturday! I’m really excited to get together with my friends and family and share all the joy that Nick and I are experiencing!