Whew...what a week!

I feel like this week FLEW by! Busy with a bathroom remodel (pictures to come), tons of IEP meetings, transition IEP meetings ('tis the season), figuring out if part time work next year is for me, and trying to stay on top of daily notes at work. On top of a social life..i.e.: getting my hair done, my dad's birthday, picking up gifts, and of course that search for a new curling iron :) (oh the important things in life!).

Baby L has been kicking a TON this week! I can only imagine the kicks are going to get harder and more frequent as the weeks come. It is pretty exciting, loud noises and sweets get the baby going :)

I have officially decided that I want to go part time next year. Therefore I will be working 2 1/2 days a week!!! OMG...how exciting!!! Now to look into child care. Let the FUN begin!! I am hoping this will allow me to be a better wife, mother, and OT. This was a difficult decision to make, because taking a part time position would mean no more benefits, or yearly credits towards retirement :( But here is my final point of view- what if (God forbid) I do not live to the age of retirement, at least my child will have been able to have all those extra memories of spending time with mommy. Thank God for my amazing husband and his help to make this decision...it's always easier when someone else tells you it is a good idea <3

Well I hope everyone else had an amazing week!! I have been told this week that I have "popped" or that I am about to "pop". Baby L is beginning to make a physical appearance! I will let you decide! Here is my picture 20 weeks 5 days:

Oh yea...is anyone else LOOKING forward to Mardi Gras next Saturday!? I can not wait! Even though I will not be able to participate in the consumption of adult beverages (which is a super bummer because Scott made 2 kegs of yummy beer to share), I will be able to hang out with friends and eat YUMMY food!

WHOO HOOOO let the festivities begin!!!

Bump'n 'round

Well hello there! I hope this week flew by as quickly for you as it did for me! WHEW...what a busy whirlwind of a week! Lots of working, swimming, a BIG exciting OB appointment (see post below), and a date night dinner tonight. Oh and who can forget the 60/70 degree temps in FEBRUARY? I enjoyed not wearing a jacket, and wearing flip flops home from the pool. Now that the snow has melted in the outdoor pool at the gym it looks very appealing...especially when the water is rippling in the wind...Oh summer time!!

This week I received an order from oldnavy.com and it was 4 maternity clothing items, a t-shirt, a nice top, a dress, and a zip up jacket...needless to say the only thing I am keeping will be the t-shirt. It was a little disappointing to try all the clothes on and they were HUGO! The dress was SO cute, and it came down to my mid-calf (supposed to be above the knees), and the jacket was as long as a t-shirt dress. Oh well...I suppose that is the last time I order something online regarding maternity wear.

I also went shopping for a nice fitting bra. I went to Nordstroms, because they have AMAZING customer service, and usually have a WIDE range of sizes available to try on in the store. Well I have not been fitted since my body began growing with this little baby inside, and WOW was I shocked at my new "size". I mean I knew they had grown, but I didn't know they were "H"uge!!!! REALLY!?! I could not believe it. So I purchased a boulder holder that I thought would be comfortable, and it was on the pricey side...but I do not put a price on comfort for my "H"uge tata's. Well I wore the bra one day and towards the end of the day it became really uncomfortable around my arm pit areas. There was nothing poking me, it was more like the side of the cup was pushing into my arm pits...very odd. I was not even able to wear the bra the next day...so it will be going back. Let the search for a new bra begin now! (personally I wish could make bra's for women with larger busts..I would start at D and go to M...they would be comfortable, and other colors besides black, white, and nude. Oh, and they wouldn't make you look like Madonna either!)

So...This week I learned online Old Navy shopping: FAIL and Bra shopping: FAIL! Maybe next week will bring better success with comfort and support. (AND A 4 DAY WORK WEEK!!!)

So...now that I have talked about how "H"ugo I have gotten in 5 months let me share a picture! I know the bigness is only beginning :)

This is the day Baby L was measured at 20 weeks, I am 19 weeks and 5 days in the picture.

THE BIG ULTRASOUND!!!!

So folks today was the day!!! We had our BIG ultrasound, the one where you can find out the gender of your baby if you so choose. We however are not going that route, because it really doesn't matter either way (I have a feeling it is a boy).

The ultrasound tech looked at almost every thing! The baby has good brain structure and cerebellum, 2 kidney's and in and out ducts, a stomach, a diaphragm, a nice looking spine, the umbilical cord has it's two ducts, the baby has 2 legs, 2 arms, a good looking palate and nasal structure, 2 lens' (one in each eye). Daddy Root also saw the baby open it's mouth and swallow one time.

Even though the ultrasound tech was able to see all these anatomical structures she had a difficult time getting a clear view of the baby's heart. This was because Baby L was all curled up and facing my spine. We were able to see a lot of the baby's spine and back of the skull. I even tried to get baby L to roll around by taking a bathroom break, and eating a piece of candy. Unfortunately our baby was content and did not want to be bothered at that moment. I turned on my side so we could try to get a better view, however all we saw then was Baby L with his/her hand on her head...I think he/she was done for the day :)

As far as my anatomical structure, I have a posterior placenta (my placenta attached to the back wall of my uterus), which is good because I do not have placenta previa. My cervix is long, which is good because Baby L has a lot of growing to do! The ultrasound tech was unable to find my septum in my uterus. She was unsure of how sever it was before, and said usually in the case of a septated uterus the side the baby is not occupying gets pushed over to the side, and it is unable to be seen in an ultrasound. So I am taking that as good news. She did measure the fluid around the baby and the doctor will take a good look at all those pictures and get back to me if she needs more information.

Here are some pictures of Baby L today!!! Baby L measured at 20 weeks and 12 ounces. WOO HOOO!!!! GROW BABY GROW!!!


Profile of Baby L- arm up in the air


Baby L- facing the camera, circle head and circle tummy!

Valentines Day 2011

What a great night!!! Scott and I went out for Valentines day last night and it was one of the best ever! He always surprises me, and last night he had a dinner place picked out as well as a dessert restaurant!

For dinner we went to Trattoria Marcella. I had the beef tenderloin- it was 3 slices cooked perfectly, on top of whipped potatoes with a barolo wine roasted garlic sauce. Scott had a special, it was a lightly breaded piece of mahi mahi, over mushroom risotto, and spinach. I can't wait to enjoy my left overs!!! I also had a fruity drink- in a martini glass- it reminded me of the "good 'ole days." :) The pictures are in order as mentioned above (sorry about the quality, they were taken my my phone, without a flash).

During dinner Scott and I talked about our 5 past Valentines Day dinners: 2006- Monarch, 2007- Copia Wine Bar, 2008- The Millennium, 2009- Harvest, and 2010- Niche and Whitties.

We also discussed how our lives have changed over the past 5 1/2 years, and how the biggest change will be this year when we have a new baby at home!!! We also noted that we were wearing the SAME outfits that we had worn the year before for Valentines Day....haha!! I felt good because I still fit in it being 19 weeks pregnant.

Dessert was at Cyrano's in Webster Groves. As we walked in we one of 3 couples who were pregnant! It must be the place to go, when you are expecting! We had drinks- I had a hot chocolate that was SO yummy! Scott had Bailey's Mint Kiss- and forgot to order decaf at 9pm. We shared a Cleopatra ice cream for dessert and it was AMAZING! It tasted like chocolate covered strawberries and banana's over ice cream, SUCH a good choice! We also had to try the chocolate covered bacon, because face it how often do you go to a restaurant that has chocolate covered bacon? At first it was a really good chocolate taste, followed by a nasty bacon taste. Needless to say we did not eat more than 1 bite of it.


Well Happy Valentines Day to everyone I hope it is the best ever. Enjoy your time with the ones you love, and don't forget to tell them how much they mean to you. <3

I could use some positive vibes!!!!

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! I hope each and everyone of you is doing well and something is gong well in your life right now. I just applied for a part time position for next year and there are 4 extra openings, so I could REALLY use some extra positive vibes from everyone while I "wait" to find out if I got one of the positions. I will probably not be finding out if I get the position for a while, but in the mean time I am staying hopeful!!! That would be awesome to get to be part time next year when baby L is here.

So, before I forget to share here is my weekly picture of my bump. This is literally what I look like right this very second, I just got up from a nap. (ok maybe really like 10 minutes ago). Here is me with baby L at 18 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Even when I am wearing all maternity clothes my co-workers can not even tell I am pregnant...all in good time :)

Baby L has been kicking around for the past 3 days, and does NOT like it when mommy bends over at the waist while sitting :)

Looking forward to next week when I can share some ultrasound pictures!!!!

Oh yea and don't forget to vote for what gender you think baby L will be! Right over here ---->
(Really I can not believe 100% of votes right now are for girl!!)

Houston...we may have movement!!!

That's right!!! 18 weeks and 3 days today and I have felt the weirdest sensation throughout the day!!! I have to explain it like I am getting a drop of water dripped on my belly. Like a little tap....a reminder and an acknowledgment that baby L is in deed busy growing with-in. It is not a hunger or gas sensation, it really is something I have never felt before. I suppose the next few days/weeks will be more of an indicator if that really is what i am feeling. This is a little milestone I have been looking forward to for weeks! YAY!!!

Oh and on a side note....I stopped at a place I am OBSESSED with today!! POPTIONS!!!! mmm...I got the #1 seller (which I ALWAYS get) called OVER THE TOP...It is caramel popcorn drizzled with Bissinger’s dark chocolate and Bissinger’s white chocolate. O..M..G..it is SO yummy!! After I ate some Baby L was doing flips, so I thought maybe he/she liked it...unfortunately the indigestion set in from the chocolate....and the popcorn was followed by TUMS...mmmm....

Other things baby L doesn't want mommy to eat include: oranges, orange juice, peppers (green/yellow/red), strawberries are beginning to get bad, chocolate, tomatoes/tomato sauce, and just about anything else you can think of that might be a little acidic. YAY for bland foods and cereal!

SAVE $$$$$

Here are some of my favorite website for saving $$$$$. Feel free to share yours also! We all like to save where we can! (click on the red links below)

Some of the newer BIGGER savings sites include:
Groupon
Restaurant.com

Websites with promo codes to use while shopping online:
Retail Me Not
Current Codes
Coupon Cabin

Websites/Blogs that tell you how to get the BEST deal in your area at local stores:
Coupon Cravings
Coupon STL

Printable Coupons:
Smart Source (these also come in the Sunday paper)
Coupon Suzy
WOW Coupons
The Grocery Game (you have to pay for this one...I have not personally used it, but I hear people RAVE about it!)

Also don't forget to look at local store websites for printable coupons also!!
Target
Hobby Lobby (sign up of weekly ad's as well as a weekly 40% off coupon)
Michael's Craft Stores (click on their weekly ad and then zoom and print their coupon)

Please share how you save your family $$$. I am always looking for a deal!