76 Free Things to Do with Kids

Here is another great (and Free!) e-book for you! This one will come in handy with the up coming school vacations, or for all you moms with kids home all day.

  76 Free Things to Do with Kids: A Real Mom's Guide is free until Sunday, so go and get it now, and pull it out on a rainy day.  Or a not so rainy day.

Sage is getting to the age where going and doing things is fun for all of us, so I am excited about this one!

What are your favorite free things to do with your kids?

Through the eyes of a one year old

Being a mom means that every day I get to see the world from a new point of view.

That rock is really more like a mountain, and it needs to be climbed.

Crayon to paper is a magical thing, and can cause an ear to ear grin.

Food always tastes better when it comes form someone else's bowl.

The vacuum is terrifying. So is the blowdryer.

Books can be read over and over... and over and over, and still be fascinating.

Kisses make everything better.

There is always a beat to dance to, you just have to listen.

It's amazing the things you see everyday that you might not have even noticed without a little one with 'new' eyes to show them to you. I am so gratefl for this amazing perspective.

Using Essential Oils: Lavender

I recently have found the wonderful world of essential oils. I had used them before, but thought only to sprinkle a few drops in my bath to make it smell good. I had no idea what they really could do for you.
When Sage was born my mom brought some oils for me to try, since then I have been hooked! I want to start sharing them with everyone, because they really work!
I want to start with the oil that I thought I wouldn't like at all, and was very hesitant to try it... Lavender oil. Yeah, I didn't want to try lavender oil. I never liked the smell of anything lavender and thought that using it would leave me with nothing but a headache. Well, I was wrong... very wrong!

It turns out Lavender oil is awesome! I've used it for tons of things like:

Headaches! Yes, what I thought would give me a headache actually made it go away! I rubbed one drop of lavender with one drop of peppermint on my forehead and neck and my headache was gone in ten minutes!

Skin irritation. I have used it both for myself when my face is not so happy, and on Sage when his bum gets a bit red.

To calm and help sleep. A few drops in your bath or on your pillow or even rub some on the bottom of your feet before bed, seems to help you drift to sleep. I have even used some on Sage when he was having a rough time getting to sleep.

Some other uses that I haven't tried yet:
Calming a bee sting or bug bite
Easing motion sickness
Sooth a sunburn
To help a restless or agitated child calm down
It works to calm dogs too!

So, those are some of the great benefits of lavender oil. I'm sure there are many more, and I look forward to discovering them all.

Want to give it a try? Click here to get a bottle for yourself. Yes, it is my site, and I do benefit if you buy some, but I wouldn't be sharing this if I didn't think it was awesome!

So, which oils have you tried? Or are curious about?

The Vintage Honey Teething Necklace

I've got to tell you guys about the greatest thing I've found in a while.
Teething necklaces! And I'm not talking about the ones you see all the babies wearing now (although, those are pretty great too) I'm talking about super cute ones that YOU get to wear, and your baby gets to chomp on, without worry of it breaking or scratching them.

The Vintage Honey Shop sent me a ridiculously cute necklace to test out, and I just LOVE it! First off they chose the perfect color for me, I'm not sure if they are mind readers or what, but it's exactly what I would've picked myself! It's a grey, cream and yellow damask... perfection.

After admiring the perfect print for a while, I tied it on and Sage instantly grabbed a hold and gave it a thorough inspection. He then chewed on it for a few minutes... it worked. He was chomping on something other than the straps of the carrier or my hair! Woot!

So, he liked it, which was important, but was I going to like wearing it? I already had on of those silicone teething necklaces, which I did like, but it was sometimes a pain to wear... literally, it would stick to my hair and that really isn't much fun. But, The Vintage Honey teething necklace ties on with a soft ribbon, so no hair pulling at all. Plus, because it tied on I could adjust the length to fit perfectly. I also really like how light weight it is. I hardly notice that I'm wearing it most of the time. (unless there is a 21 pound baby pulling at the other end of it)

The other great thing about the necklace is it doesn't necessarily look like a 'teething' necklace. I've had people tell me how cute my necklace is, and then a few minutes later (when Sage is chomping away) go 'OH! Is that made for him to chew?! That's so awesome!' So, I guess it could just be a necklace, but it's great that it's both!

Did I mention that they package it up so stinking cute?! I felt like I was opening a birthday present or something. This would be such a sweet thing to have sent to an expecting or new mom as a gift. It would make her day, and everyday after that, because she will probably wear it all the time!... I do!

So, if you are a mom, or know someone that is I highly recommend checking out The Vintage Honey Shop. They have tons of necklaces on their site, and some of them are even organic! Plus they make bracelets and nursing scarfs (which really you could wear anytime too) that are just as cute as the necklaces.

Cloth Diaper LOVE Giveaway

Today I have a really fun giveaway that all you fellow crunchy (and even not so crunchy) moms (or dads) are going to love! BabyKicks is giving away a Valentines themed cloth diaper bundle right now. Check out the goodies and how you can enter below. Also, if you want to see what I think about my BabyKicks diapers checkout my review here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I am a BabyKicks Ambassador. I receive products and compensation in exchange for promoting their wonderful products. All opinions, ideas and cute little fluffy bums are property of Sunshine Praises and can not be altered in any manner. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook or any other social media outlet.

Welcome to the #BabyKicksLOVE Valentine's Instagram Giveaway

This fun and unique giveaway is designed to let us show how hot our passion burns for fluffy cloth diapered buns on Instagram. Help us spread the cloth diaper love in photos!

Entries are fun and simple! All you have to do is add a daily picture of your favorite cloth diaper or accessory based on that days theme, then come back here and put the link in the daily entry option. Make sure you use the hashtag #BabyKicksLOVE and tag @BabyKicksOrganic in the description.

The Details

• Your Instagram profile must be public for us to verify your picture.
• You DO NOT have to own a BabyKicks diaper or purchase one to participate.
• You can post one picture or ten. Whatever your heart desires.
• We would love you to follow @SunshinePraises & @Shull2319 and tag us in your photos.
• Spread the love farther by using the hashtag #clothdiapers

Pictures can be posted daily using the following themes! Feel free to get creative. Use digital stickers, text and clip art. I love the apps Instacollage, A Beautiful Mess and Photogrid. (Have other suggestions? Leave them in the comments.) Do whatever you want to show your #BabyKicksLOVE

The Prize

One lucky reader will win a Valentine's themed prize pack from BabyKicks. You will recieve the super rare (they only made these for one month) PINK Fitted Diaper, a RED Basic Pocket Diaper and a Multi Pack of Red/Pink/Ivory Washies.

Enter Here

Entry-Form

We can't wait to see all your #BabyKicksLOVE photos!

Baby Kicks diaper review

So, most of you know by now that I'm pretty crunchy. So, I'm sure it doesn't surprise you to know that I use cloth diapers with Sage. We have been doing it since day one, and it's been pretty great! It's something I find pretty important, so of course I want to share that with you!

I recently had the opportunity to review a BabyKicks diaper and am excited to tell you about it. It is a  One Size Premium Pocket Diaper in the limited edition 'Outfoxed' print. It fits babies from 7-40 pounds which is great since this little boy is growing faster than I can stand! It has a super soft bamboo velour inner lining that seems like it would be so comfy on the bum! I thought it would lose some of that softness after the wash, but it didn't at all. It came with a super absorbent and trim hemp insert and also a stay dry liner in case you wanted to use that too.

Something a little different about theses diapers is the front stuff pocket. I didn't think it would matter too much having it in the front instead of the back, but I really like it in the front! It makes it really easy to adjust the absorbency by folding the insert over in the front, to double it up where it needs to be.

The Baby Kicks pocket diaper also has side snaps. To me, this seems to just change the look more than anything, which is kind of fun because you see more of the pattern in the front.

The last thing that is pretty different about these diapers is the fleece leg gussets.  When I first saw these I thought 'Wow, that looks soft, but how is that not going to leak?!' Well, it doesn't. Don't ask me how, but it's pretty awesome.

Here are some pictures of Sage showing of his diaper, fancy hair and all!

Over all I really like this diaper. It fit's his chubby little body well, and doesn't leave any red marks on his chunky thighs. It fits pretty trim too, which is great for trying to get jeans up over that fluffy butt! Plus it's a super cute diaper! Even Daddy thinks it's pretty cool!

If you want to check out this diaper (it comes in other colors and a fun elephant print too!) head on over to the Baby Kicks site.

28

This week I turned 28. I'm officially in my late twenties... yes, I was counting 27 as mid twenties.
27 was such an amazing year, it's going to be a hard one to top. The only thing that can top having a baby is going to be seeing him grow in the next year! He is already getting so big it's amazing. It's funny trying to think of what I want to do in this next year, and all I can think about is watching my little boy grow and taking in every small change as it happens. The past five months that he's been here have gone by way too fast, I know the next year is going to do the same, and I'm not going to miss one single bit of his cuteness! That's my goal for the next year, tough I know! ;)

...like that cuteness. {he doesn't get the whole photobooth = funny face thing yet... or even the making funny faces thing at all!} So, here's to 28! I'm sure it'll be a fantastic year!

Sewing projects for the baby boy

Since I've been itching to sew something, but haven't quite gotten the time yet, I've just been collecting ideas! Since they are pretty fun I thought I'd share them too!

I think this 'little man gown' from The Cottage Home is too cute!

and this whale plush is so fun!

As Sage is growing out of his clothes faster than I can stand, I've been wondering what to do with all the super cute onesies that he barely (if at all) wore. I found this the other day, and just might give it a try, it's a baby hat made out of onesies from The Sewing Rabbit

And because I'm a hoarder thrifty gal, and have lots of old shirts waiting to be turned into something cool, I thought this idea from Small Fry is fabulous!

So, durring nap time one of these days, when there isn't a pile of laundry to fold, or a sink of dishes to do, I will be making one of these... I really want to sew up a ring sling too! So many ideas, so little time!

Do you have any fun boy projects to share? There seem too be far less boy things out there compared to all the girly patterns!

It's been two months...

I can hardy believe that it's been two months since my little man came into this world! On one hand it seems like he has been here forever, but it also seems like just yesterday I was holding that positive test in my hands!

I know I haven't been very present around here lately, {getting a routine down takes some time} but things are going great! Sage is growing like a weed, and already seems more like a little man than a baby! He sleeps really well, and I am sooo thankful for that! Momma needs her sleep! He's smiling and talking {gooo's and ahooo's mostly} and is the cutest baby ever! I know every mom says that about their baby, but look at this picture and tell me i'm wrong!

See why I've been absent?! How could you not want to snuggle that all day??!!

I still plan on getting all my snuggles in everyday, but I also plan on posting on a regular basis again. Definitely with some mom and baby stuff, getting back to our garden, and hopefully some fun projects too! I'm itching to turn on my sewing machine again!

So, until next time... which should be soon!

My baby boy is 5 weeks already!

I can't believe that 5 weeks have gone by already! It feels like yesterday that I was holding him for the first time. It also feels like he's been here forever. It's kind of weird how that works.

It's been an amazing, and busy, 5 weeks. I can't believe how fast they days go by just hanging out with my little man. Holding him, feeding him, changing his diaper, and just watching him and admiring the perfectness that he is! It's a wonder I ever get anything done!

He's changing so much everyday. This week he has started to smile! Matt got the first real smile out of him, and I got a good one two days later. This morning we both got him to smile a big ol' grin. It's pretty much the greatest thing ever! I can't wait until this is a regular thing!

And now I'll leave you with the cutest thing ever... baby toes!

and baby makes three

As you've probably guessed from my absence on the blog, our sweet baby is finally here! and...

It's a BOY!!!

Pretty precious, right?!
Sage was born on June 14th after a long but amazing 25 hours of labor.
We had a home water birth, and it was the best experience ever.
It was just me. Matt and our two midwives.
The whole birth process was so calm and peaceful. Just how I hoped it would be.
Our midwifes were so laid back, and totally let us do our own thing. They kept checking on baby's and my heart rate, then would just give us space to labor how we wanted.
In the contractions right before the birth I would push and then in between we were talking and smiling knowing that our baby was almost here.
When his little head finally came out, Matt called out 'We have a head', and as soon as Matt's hand was there he felt a little hand grab onto his finger. Then he yelled out '...and a hand!'
When the midwifes came in I asked if it was okay to keep pushing with his hand out {I had heard bad things about babies coming out with arms up.} But they said to go on, and before I knew it I was pulling my baby out of the water and onto my chest!
There was at least a minute of snuggling and kissing before I even though to look if it was a boy or girl.
When I lifted him off my chest and saw that he was in fact a boy, I told him how he fooled everyone, because they all thought he would be a girl!
He was born at 10:47pm. The midwifes left by about 2am and we were out by 2:30! I hadn't slept in two days and was exhausted. Sage must have known, because he slept until 6 and then after a quick diaper change and a feeding went back to sleep for a few more hours. He's such a great baby!

He's now almost 4 weeks old! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by!
He is so big too! He is already wearing 3 month clothes! And his socks are 6 months!

He's already met a lot of his family, been to the beach, a farm, and on a camping trip! He's a busy little man!
Here's just a little bit of his cuteness from the past few weeks! There will be more to come, don't worry!

As I am typing this {one handed} he is sleeping in my arms like the perfect little boy that he is!
I'm loving this whole mommy thing, and just can't get enough of this little man!

Bump Day: 39 Weeks!

Yup, that shirt won't cover the belly anymore! Good thing we are at the end now!

How Far Along: 39 Weeks! Any day now!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: A small watermelon! In real measurements: about 20 inches head to toe and weighs over 7 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: I'm living in sweats this week! Oh, and dresses when it's nice out.

Stretch marks: Still doing good!

Weight gain/loss: I'm up 25 pounds now. I'm wondering how much of that will come off with baby?...hmmm

 

Sleep: Not too bad. I've been sleeping in lately, so that's pretty nice.

Best Moment of the Week: We went to the beach and I got to work on my tan. I realized a little too late that my belly was burning, not tanning! So, the best moment is also the worst. I full on sunburnt my belly! It hurt for days! It's getting better now, and not peeling! Thank goodness!

Movement: Baby is surprising me with how much it moves. There really hasn't been any decrease in movement like they say happens at the end.

Symptoms: Nothing much right now. Some random jolts from baby moving in weird spots, but thats it.

Food Cravings: Nope. Nothing new.

Gender: Getting closer to finding out! I can't wait!
 

Belly Button in or out:It's flat still, but kind of puffy. It's weird! lol!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still doing good!

Labor Signs: Nothing. But I know it's getting closer because I'm getting calls and texts all day asking if baby is here or on the way yet!
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, and still roomy!

What I miss: Iced soy lattes.... I only did them occasionally before, but it sounds so good now! Especially when I can smell Matt's coffee in the mornings!

What I am looking forward to: Baby! I know I still have up to 3 weeks, but I'm ready to meet this little one!

Getting ready: I finished most of the sewing projects I wanted to do, and everything for baby is washed and put away! I've got a pile of everything I need for the birth and am ready to go!

Emotions: Surreal... I'm excited for baby to be here, but it I still keep thinking 'is it really time already?!!'

Stupid things I have done: I think burning my belly tops it all! My poor belly!
 

Bump Day: 34 weeks!

How Far Along: 34 Weeks! Seriously feeling so close now!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: A small pumpkin! In real measurements: almost 18 inches head to toe and weighs over 4 and a half pounds!

Maternity Clothes: A little here and there, but mostly just making my other clothes work still.

Stretch marks: Still in the clear! Woot!!

Weight gain/loss: I'm up 19 pounds now, baby must be on a growth spurt! 

 

Sleep: Not horrible, but I can't stay in one position too long. My hips are killing me at night!

Best Moment of the Week: Matt got to witness the crazy rolling and break dancing that baby does, this week. Every time I tried to show him before baby would stop! 

Movement: This little one doesn't stop! Okay, it does for a while, but most of the time it is moving all around. Baby started kicking, or maybe grabbing, a weird spot this week. it feels SO uncomfortable, and the little stinker won't stop!

Symptoms: I think the weight gain is catching up to me. My feet and ankles are starting to feel sore. Nothing horrible, but I'm noticing it now.

Food Cravings: Pizza! lol! I made some a while back, and want to make it again pretty bad right now!

Gender: This has been on my mind more this week than it has been this whole time. I don't know if it's just because we are getting closer to meet this little one or not, but I can't help but wonder!
 

Belly Button in or out: Stretched, I think it might be popping soon!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: I'm pretty sure I still haven't even had any Braxton Hicks!
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!

What I miss: Beer! These warm sunny days just call for sitting in the sun with some chips and salsa and a beer! Just another year, year and a half to go! Maybe I won't even want one by then... maybe.

What I am looking forward to: Setting up all the babys stuff. We got a ton of baby books at the shower and I've already set up a little baby library! This kid is going to be a reader!

Getting ready: I've made my final 'what to do before baby gets here' list and am checking things off. It's a lot of stuff, but it's doable.

Emotions: Anxious, I'm not sure thats the right word, but something along those lines. I feel like we are down to the wire now!

Stupid things I have done: Nothing, I'm absolutely perfect! lol!
 

Oh hey Thursday, what's up?!

How is it Thursday? Where did this week go?!
Is anyone else with me on this?

It seriously feels like Monday!

I guess all this getting ready for baby takes up a lot of time!

I've been back at crocheting this week. I think baby already has a bigger hat collection than I do!

I know if it's a boy the purple won't really work, but I had to do it anyway! I made myself one too!

I've also been trying to teach myself to knit. I've got the idea down, but I think I'm holding the needles wrong. It looks pretty silly when I stop and actually look at how I'm doing it.

My friend got me a What to Knit When You're Expecting book, and I want to make something out of it. So I better keep practicing!

Anyone crochet or knit? Or do both? Which do you like better? Or is it more like some things are better done one way rather than the other?

Oh baby!

I'm back from the baby shower! It was so much fun! I'm so glad I got to see everyone!
It was a long drive there and back, but so worth it.

Here's a picture from the shower. I should have more soon!

 I'm so glad I had a dress that still fit over this big belly!

Since I've been back I've been going through all the fun baby stuff and trying to figure out where it is all going to go! {I'm pretty sure stacks in the living room won't cut it!}

I'm also trying to figure out what we still need. I think it's mostly down to some more cloth diapers and a few small things. Yay!

Having all this little stuff around is getting me even more excited for this little one to come! Only 8 more weeks! Wow, that's really soon, and I guess if baby comes early it could be 5 weeks! Eeeek! I'm going to go with 8!

I know a lot of you are moms already, so, do you have any advice for this cloth diapering-organic loving-soon to be- mom?! Is there anything you just couldn't live without? Or that made your life so much easier?

Bump Day: 31 Weeks!

How Far Along: 31 Weeks! These weeks are flying by!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: Pineapple!!!  In real measurements: just over 16 inches head to toe and weighs about 3.3 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: When I have to put on real clothes, and not just sweats, I've been in dresses. Some of them look more like shirts, so I wear it with pants, but dresses are awesome right now!

Stretch marks: Still in the clear! Woot!!

Weight gain/loss: Didn't gain any weight this week, so I'm still up 16.5 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. 

 

Sleep: Last night was bad, I just couldn't sleep, and apparently neither could baby!

Best Moment of the Week: I just had another appointment this morning and baby has flipped! {head down} I figured it was the case, I've had so many jabs to the ribs this week! 

Movement: Seriously, this baby doesn't stop lately. It just wiggles and flips and kicks all day! {and now night apparently!}

Symptoms: Still dealing with the heartburn. It's lame!

Food Cravings: Nope.

Gender: I've decided that I am going to be completely surprised either way! I just can't fully picture baby being a boy or girl, so it's going to be pretty amazing to see for myself pretty soon!
 

Belly Button in or out: Stretched, but still in!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!

What I miss: Only going pee when I actually have to go! I swear I feel like I have to go all the time, but I guess it's just how baby is sitting.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing all my friends and family this weekend! I can't believe the shower is here already!

Getting ready: I think the whole nesting thing is finally starting to kick in. I've been cleaning and attempting to organize. The only problem is I seem to get sidetracked so easy, so lots of things are part way done. lol!

Emotions: So excited

Stupid things I have done: I can't stay focused on anything this week! It's bad!
 

Bump Day: 30 weeks!

I think I'm out growing this shirt! It's being stretched to it's limits! Next week calls for an under shirt!


How Far Along: 30 Weeks! 3/4 of the way there!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: I saw both a head of cabbage and a cucumber! How does that work?!  In real measurements: about 15.7 inches head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: I actually wore a few maternity shirts this week. I've learned that I'm probably a small, not a medium in maternity sizes. They are a little funny fitting.

Stretch marks: Still in the clear!

Weight gain/loss: Up 16.5 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. Yup, I lost a pound this week, I think it's my body's way of apologizing for the crazy weight gain last week!

 

Sleep: Actually pretty good this week!

Best Moment of the Week: Hmmm... what happened this week? 

Movement: Crazy movement! I can watch my stomach move all over the place, jiggling and shifting... it's crazy.

Symptoms: Heartburn! I have NEVER had heart burn before! It sucks! I guess that's what happens when your stomach moves into your chest!

Food Cravings: Nothing really this week.

Gender: I'm going to start writing down everyone's guesses, just to see who was right. Most everyone thinks it will be a girl, I guess we'll see!
 

Belly Button in or out: Stretched, but still in!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!

What I miss: Being able to get up easily. Our sofa is super low, and it's pretty hard to get up sometimes!

What I am looking forward to: My shower! It's really getting close now! Next week we are driving up, I can't wait to see everyone!

Getting ready: This week I've been focused on other things, like taxes... booo taxes!

Emotions: Great! I feel so happy to be having such a great pregnancy, I know that isn't the case for everyone.

Stupid things I have done: Besides forgetting what I'm saying mid sentence, I think I'm doing okay.
 

Bump Day: 29 weeks!

How Far Along: 29 Weeks!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: the size of an acorn squash!  In real measurements: about 15 inches head to toe and weighs about 2 3/4 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: I've been sporting belly bands this week... that is when I actually put on jeans!

Stretch marks: No! I've been on top of it! Jojoba oil is my new best friend!Coconut oil is still a close second!

Weight gain/loss: Up 17.5 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. That's right, I gained 4 pounds this week! FOUR POUNDS! In on week! Luckily it's still all in the belly! I hope this kid comes out a normal size, not giant like it's father!

 

Sleep: Sleep is really hit or miss lately. I'm never quite comfy, and I'm turning from side to side every night, but I still can usually get a pretty good nights sleep... somehow!

Best Moment of the Week: We had a really great appointment with our midwife this week. We feel so confident in this whole process with her, it's great! I also had a successful second blood draw {this has been an issue for me} and found out that I am A+ blood type, which means I don't have to worry about extra shots and whatnot! Woot!

Movement: Baby is SO active, then every once in a while baby will be kind of lazy, and then goes crazy again. I'm thinking it's resting up from all the growing it's doing!

Symptoms: Still just back pain. It does mean getting a massage every night though, so I guess it's not too bad.

Food Cravings: Back to chocolate! I've been trying not to buy it, but if it happens to be right there as I'm leaving the store I can't help myself. Plus, Matt eats most of it anyway, so I don't feel too bad buying it! Sea salt and almonds, why do you have to make chocolate taste so good?!

Gender: It's funny hearing people tell me what I'm going to have though. Everyone is so sure that they know it will be a boy because... or it is definitely a girl because... All I can say is 'We will see in June!'
 

Belly Button in or out: Still technically in, but very flat!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!

What I miss: Laying on my back! I just want to stretch out on my back and take a nap.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing baby! I had two dreams last night where I could see baby, just not very well. I can't wait! It's so hard to picture what our little one is going to look like!

Getting ready: I've been making lists of all the things I want to get done before baby gets here. It's long. I'm starting to chip away at it, but it keeps growing!

Emotions: Pretty even right now. I've been reading and planning a lot this week, so I think I'm mostly in a rational 'figure it all out' state of mind right now.

Stupid things I have done: I think I'm doing pretty good this week.
 

Bump Day: 28 Weeks!

How Far Along: 28 Weeks!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: the size of an eggplant!  In real measurements: about 14.5 inches head to toe and weighs just over 2 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: Finally put on a pair of maternity pants this week {after a long day of uncomfortble-ness in a pair of unbuttoned jeans} I am now living in these pants! They are not too ugly, and they are SOOOO comfy!!! Right now comfort far out weighs the fact that my pants go just about to my boobs! Hot, I know!

Stretch marks: Nope.

Weight gain/loss: Up 13.5 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. Baby is getting big!

 

Sleep: I've been SO restless lately! I just cant find a good spot!

Best Moment of the Week: Matt can now hear the babys heartbeat just by putting his ear to my belly! It's so cool that he can hear it, and so sweet watching him listen!

Movement: Full on belly jolting kicks have been going on! I don't know what baby is doing in there!?!

Symptoms: My back has been sore by the end of everyday lately. I chalk it up to the big belly pulling towards the front, and my seeming worse posture then ever! It's getting bad!

Food Cravings: Pizza! Which is weird, it's not something we normally eat, but it is sounding pretty good! I think I may need to look up a good gluten free pizza dough recipe soon!

Gender: We will see in June!
 

Belly Button in or out: Still technically in, but very flat!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!

What I miss: After St. Pattys day and seeing all the Guinness posts and big displays at the stores I really wanted a beer! Just a sip... I'll have to wait quite a while for that one!

What I am looking forward to: BABY! It seems like June is just around the corner! We are starting to have our midwife appointments every 2 weeks now, so it's getting closer!

Getting ready: I'm waiting for this whole nesting thing to kick it! I know there are tons of things I want to do before baby gets here, but I have ZERO drive to actually do them! Come on Nesting instincts!

Emotions: Really glad that I have such an amazing husband to go through this whole thing with! He has been so amazing and supportive of everything so far, and I know that he is going to do great with the whole birth process too!

Stupid things I have done: I've been zoning out a LOT lately. I'll start a sentence and then just stop. I'll realize it a minute later, but by then I don't even know what I was saying!
 

Bump Day: 27 Weeks!

How Far Along: 27 Weeks!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: the size of a head of cauliflower!  In real measurements: about 14.5 inches head to toe and weighs 2 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: I've been living in tights this week! So comfy!

Stretch marks: Nope.

Weight gain/loss: Up 12 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. I moved into a new weight range this week! It's kinda weird to see a number on the scale that I haven't seen in years! BUT it's all baby, so I'm happy with it!

 

Sleep: Not too bad, I've even been mostly sleeping through the night. The past few nights my legs just can't get comfy though!

Best Moment of the Week: We had a beach day this week while the sun was out and I got to sun my belly! It was really nice, but it's kinda hard to layout on the beach with a big ol' belly! I had to dig a hole for my baby bump so I could lay face down. It only kinda worked. Lol!

Movement: Oh my gosh! Rib kicking is in full swing now! It's still just here and there, but it's happening way more, and it makes me jump every time!

Symptoms: My belly is starting to hit things before I do.Lol. No more squeezing through tight spots! I'm not sure this is really a symptom, but my growing belly seems to be making my but look smaller by the day! I've got serious flat butt going on right now! Okay, I never really had a butt, but it seems more noticeable now!

Food Cravings: Sweets. All kinds of sweets!

Gender: We will see in June!
 

Belly Button in or out: When I take a deep breath it is totally flat!! So weird!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!

What I miss: Coffee has made it's way into my brain again lately... I've been off it for 7 months, you'd think I'd be over it by now!

What I am looking forward to: I'm starting to get excited for my baby shower! My mom and cousin are throwing me one next month, and I'm excited to get to see everyone!

Getting ready: I think I finished the registry! I've got the basics at least!

Emotions: So happy!

Stupid things I have done: ???