26 weeks!

Man, time is really starting to fly!!!   I feel like I still have so much to do but so little time.  As of today, I have 95 days left...woo hoo!

26 weeks!

This weekend was supposed to be laid back but with so many things that needed to be done I was given the title of "Slave Driver"!  Hey, that's how I get things done =)  We had another Open House today so we spent Saturday re-staining our front and back decks, putting out potted flowers, and doing some touch up paint around the house.  We then put together Ellie's crib (finally) and have everything in it's place. Now we just need to finish with the decorations and wait for the bedding that my mom is making. 

Today, while the Open House was going on, we went to the beach with some friends.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous.  The water is getting warmer so I'm thinking I need to bring a raft with me next time and just float around on the water to stay cool. 



This is what we do in New England:  Cooking up some lobsters.





Dinner is served!



Nice Palm, Palmer!  Our friends brough a little bit of the tropics to Cape Cod.

Babywise:
Baby girl is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

4th of July- 25 weeks

Week 25 started off with a great OB appt.  I was able to hear the baby's strong heartbeat again and am proud to say that I've gained a healthy 14.5 lbs.  I know the last trimester brings on the most weight gain but I'm hoping it's not too extensive!  I'm happy with the growth at this rate: not too big, not too small =)  We have a 3D/4D ultrasound next week.  I absolutely can't wait to go to that to see what our little girl looks like now that all the features are there. 


At this point she is a little over a foot long and about 1.5 lbs.  Her movements in my belly are becoming way more noticeable from the outside.  I wish I knew what parts of her were bulging out my stomach!

We had a great weekend full of 4th of July festivities.  On Saturday we went to the local farmer's market with a friend and her baby boy Dylan, then had a BBQ at our house with some friends.  Sunday we took it easy.  We just lounged and watched movies.  Then on Monday we went up to Marina Bay in Boston for a fun day on the boat. 

Niko scavenging for treats at the BBQ



Kimmie, Matt, Jess, Nikki, and Dave







Pieroways





Lobstah!  Can you believe we had this left over?!  So much food!!!

Fireworks weren't the only things sparkling that day....so was Jess's ring!!!!  Our friends Matt and Jess got engaged and we couldn't be happier for them!  We've known Matt since he and Dave were stationed together in Alaska.  And since we've been in MA, he and his family have taken us in like family.  We LOVE you guys and are so lucky to have you all in our lives.





Dave toasting Matt and Jess



 

Now it's back to work for a short week.  The weather continues to be sunny and warm so hopefully we'll get to the beach a lot this weekend.  Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!!!



















My ETSY favorites!

Okay, I know a lot of you have been online and looked through all the great Etsy shops (if you haven't, you must!).  But there are a few that I just keep going back to.

1.  My favorite is Gracie May!!  What girl doesn't love a cute pair of shoes?  But in miniature?!  I am in

     love with these!

     Here's the link:  http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=gracious+may&page=1







2.  Another cute Etsy store is Growing up Wild.  I love the simplicity of all the items and the use of organic, environmentally friendly practices of this store.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/GrowingUpWild?page=4



Warm Biscuit is a website that contains many cute, vintage-like fabrics that you could use for everything.  Plus, the site sells adorable children's gifts.  Check out the website for Warm Biscuit:  http://warmbiscuit.com/

Okay, so there are my picks for online shopping!  I wish I had the time and creative talent to make the things these people do.  But since I don't, I'll just buy them =)

24 Weeks

So....we are hitting 6 months now! I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is really moving along. I'm still feeling great with lots of energy. This weekend we were busy with friends and went to the Matisyahu concert in Boston. We had such a fun weekend but ended up staying up past 1:00 am on both Friday and Saturday nights. We definitely feel too old to be doing that on back-to-back nights!

The weather here on the Cape has been fabulous. We took advantage of it and spent some time outside, had lunch in Woods Hole, did some yard work, and even got the nursery painted. I can't wait to see Eliie's room all finished. These projects are really getting us so excited to meet our baby girl!

She's still moving around quite a bit. Now she's measuring about 1.5 pounds and still a foot long. The only symptoms I've had lately are the occasional leg cramps at night. I've been doing my best to drink more water at bedtime and trying not to sleep on my right side. Overall, I can't complain. I've been blessed with a great pregnancy!

Sorry-the shadows don't really make this that great of a picture, but you get the idea!

Happy Father's Day- 23 Weeks.

Happy Father's Day! It was a gorgeous Cape Cod weekend, and a busy one at that. On Friday we went to our friends' Jimmy Buffet party. There were tons of people, music, and great food. I wish I would have taken pictures because the ice sculpture, tiki bars, and decorations were incredible! We had a great time!

Saturday we enjoyed the beautiful sunshine outside doing some yard work. We then put together baby furniture and painted sample colors on the wall. I also decided on fabrics for the baby bedding that my mom's going to make. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it is complete! Getting the nursery together is so much fun.

Getting some fabric together for the nursery

We wrapped up the day by having dinner at the Brazilian Grill with some friends. The food there is delicious! But the amount of meat turns me off so I always just stick with the salad bar which has a huge selection of everything!

Today we spent Father's Day at the beach (my favorite part of summer!).  It was a beautiful, sunny day.  It's not unbearably humid or hot yet which is more than ok by me.  I'd love to keep this weather around for the rest of the summer, especially as Ellie keeps growing!  In a couple of days I go back for another routine check at the OB's office.  I can't wait to hear her heart beat again.  In the meantime, I'm keeping busy with this onset of nesting =)

Happy Father's Day to all the dads and dads-to-be!!!!

Baby moon: 22 Weeks!

22 weeks at Atlantis- Bahamas

The time of my life.... That's the only way to explain the last two weeks. The second half of our Babymoon took us to Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Everyone here is so friendly and happy! Makes me want to stay forever!

Marina Village...unbelievable yachts!

Incredible grounds

For everyone who hasn't been, Atlantis is AMAZING!! There is so much to do right here on the resort grounds, let alone all the other excursions, shopping, etc that you can do on the island. Our first day here we spent at the pools, lazy rivers, and water slides. Well, Dave did the slides, I didn't dare with baby on board. We also saw some fish at the aquarium, went on a water ride through a shark tank, and of course ate some incredible food.

View from the Mayan Temple

Just got done with a high speed slide- happy boy! 

Ellie girl must be having a good time too because she's been rocking and rolling with me. I love feeling her little moves throughout the day. Here are her specs:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is
starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming
more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums.(babycenter.com)

Atlantis- 2011

Baby moon: 21 Weeks!

I'm officially past the half way mark of the pregnancy! In addition to that excitement Daddy Dave graduated with his Associate's of Science degree from Vincennes University via the Coast Guard. About 20 other Coasties graduated with him at a nice ceremony on base.

To celebrate his accomplishment, my birthday, and one last hurrah before Ellie arrives we decided to take a nice, tropical vacation to Puerto Rico and then the Bahamas. We are so, so excited to be able to get away and just unwind for 10 days! I'm actually writing This update in the Orlando airport and will post it later with pictures.

21 weeks in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

View from our hotel room in Rincon, Puerto Rico

Amazing rock formations at the Steps Beach

Hiking down to Surfers Beach

Surfers Beach, all to ourselves!





Beautiful Poinciana Trees

Group dinner in Rincon

Baby wise, there's a lot of growing going on. People are beginning to notice the bump, although I still feel like I just look a little chubby through the midsection unless I'm wearing a fitted shirt. :) She's now the size of a small melon (which I think is crazy) !! No wonder my bladder has started to scream at me every few hours! And, she is now swallowing. Some research says that her taste buds can pick up the taste of the foods I eat. I'm hoping she won't give us any grief over all the veggies and fruits then!

On Sunday, June 5th, after a nice overnight trip to Rincon, Puerto Rico, Dave and I were getting ready for bed when Ellie girl started moving around in my belly. She was going to town for about a good 5-6 minutes. That was the perfect opportunity to see if Dave could feel her and he did! It was such an exciting moment for the both of us! We love you sweet girl. Can't wait to meet you in October!!!!