33 weeks

Baby Girl is the size of a durian! (What is a durian?)  She is over 18 inches from head to feet and weighs about 4.5lbs!

Her pupils can adjust to light and dark now. She keeps her eyes open while awake.
Her bones are starting to harden.

How far along? 33 weeks and feeling very BIG

Maternity clothes?There's not a lot that fits this belly anymore.  I'm already worried about what I'm going to wear for the baby shower in two weeks and the wedding in three weeks.  Thankfully, I don't have to get dressed up every day, so it doesn't really matter what I look like (although I do feel better when I actually get dressed up and have something to do).
New this week: my shoes don't fit!  Even my tennis shoes are tight!

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Sleep is better, but I'm still exhausted.

Best moment this week:
We had out 32 week doctor's appointment.  Baby is head down and butt up!  We hope that she will stay that way and doesn't decide to do some acrobatics and start flipping around.

Miss Anything? clothes that fit, shoes that fit, not getting out of breath when walking

Movement: She is moving a ton!  I had Arbonne training all day Saturday in Chicago and she was bouncing around the whole time trying to make more room.  She also gets lots of hiccups, usually early in the morning and late at night.

Food cravings: candy corn and anything salty.  I love roasted potatoes or french fries.  Roasted potatoes have been a staple in our house for a few months now.

Exercise:
Still keeping up with our 4-5 mile walks every morning.  The weather has been beautiful, so the girls and I are keeping up with this for as long as we possibly can.
I only did the Moms Into Fitness 3rd Trimester workout once this week.  I just wasn't feeling it.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: Pretty little lady!  

Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: achy hips and shoulders from sleeping on one side for too long, congested at night.

Belly Button in or out? still in

Wedding rings on or off? I had to take my wedding ring off this morning.  It's starting to get too tight and I don't want to get to the point where I can't get it off at all.

Happy or Moody most of the time: My indifferent feelings continue this week.  I can be happy one minute and sobbing the next because I'm just overwhelmed with everything and the lack of time we have until baby arrives.  We're definitely in the nesting stage though.  I've begun to wash all the diapers and Andrew has installed the car seat and brought up all the baby things for the dogs to get used to.

newborn diapers drying in the sun

I can't believe how fast time is flying now and that it will be October this week!  Back in March, November seemed so far away and now it will be here in the blink of an eye!

Looking forward to:
IL baby shower in two weeks :)

I was also busy making some baby headbands this week!  We're trying not to be all pink and girly with the outfits, and some of the little boy things are so cute!  So she needs some girly headbands to go with them.

Dearest baby girl,

You and I are getting bigger and bigger!  You'll start to gain about a half of a pound a week from here on out, crazy!  It also makes this mama a little nervous because my belly is already very big (someone yesterday asked if I was having twins and another said that she couldn't believe I still had a month left because I was already so big! Add that to the list of things never to say to a pregnant woman).

Your mama, daddy, and big sisters are trying to get ready for your arrival.  We still have a lot to do (*cough* buy a mattress and a changing pad *cough*), but we're getting there.  I started washing all of your diapers and your daddy installed your car seat and hung the stroller up in the garage.  We brought up the baby bouncers to get the girls used to seeing them.  Maddie still cries when she goes into your room.  She knows that big changes are coming and she's not ready for them.  She's used to being the baby!  Lucy just steers clear of it all right now.  She was mama's (and daddy's) first baby, so you will take some getting used to (just like she had to get used to her little sister Maddie).

You get hiccups at least 2-3 times a day.  In fact, you're hiccuping away right now.  You really like to do it at night when I want to go to bed and at 4am.  I hope this isn't a look into the future.  If it is, you are going to be a night owl and an early bird.  I hope you inherit your dad's love of sleep though.

 Whatever sleep pattern you inherit and decide to stick to, you are definitely going to give us a run for our money and keep us on our toys.  Can't believe you will be here in a month and a half.

Love,
Your mama

32 weeks

Excuse the frizzy side pony.  It was a bad hair day, yuck!

Baby Girl is the size of a squash!  She is over 18 inches from head to feet and weighs about 4lbs!

How far along? 32 weeks

Maternity clothes? still trying to squeeze into the clothes that I have (mainly maternity) but I fear that I will need to go get more soon.  And yes, I realize that I am wearing jeans in this picture and I previously stated that I hate pants.  I still hate pants, but when it is just over 60 degrees outside and you go apple picking in the morning, dresses and skirts just don't cut it.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Sleep is better, but I'm still exhausted.

Best moment this week:
It's been a pretty boring week.  The Little Lady has had hiccups a lot, sometimes up to 3 times a day.
Pictures are hung in the nursery, we just need to get the shelf hung up (oh and buy a mattress!) and then I think we will be done.  And we also need to get a changing pad.  Ok, so we still have a ways to go.

Miss Anything? clothes that fit!

Movement: Still a mover and a shaker!  Lots of hiccups this week and overall spazzing out. 

Food cravings: Carbs.  Really anything easy that I don't have to actually make.

Exercise:
Still keeping up with our 4-5 mile walks every morning.
I also started the 3rd Trimester workout from Moms Into Fitness about two times this week.  But it is getting harder to move with this big belly!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: Pretty little lady!  

Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: achy hips and shoulders from sleeping on one side for too long. 

Belly Button in or out? still in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been indifferent this week, still overwhelmed with everything we still have to do before Baby Sister gets here (big sisters being our first born, our furry babies).  People always ask now if we're getting excited that she'll be here soon and really it just terrifies me.  I don't feel ready at all and I know that as soon as she is here, EVERYTHING will change.  No more just running out to go to Target or out to dinner, it will be a big production just getting to the car.  It will be harder to get out and walk the dogs, especially in the winter.  Don't get me wrong, we're really excited, but also very nervous.

Looking forward to:
32 week appointment on Monday
IL baby shower in October :)



Dearest Baby Girl,

We are less than two months away from your "due date."  I wonder if we'll even make it to that day.  I wouldn't mind if you had a birthday in early November or even late October (although it makes me very nervous that you could be here that soon!).  I would actually rather that you not have a birthday too close to the holidays.

It's been a pretty uneventful week.  Not a whole lot has happened.  You are still moving and grooving in there.  You HATE it when I sit up straight because it limits your space to move and that's usually when you kick me in the ribs.  This makes it really hard to put shoes on.

Maddie likes to lounge on you now.  She has gotten very clingy lately and will try to lay in my lap/on my belly with her front legs on either side of the belly which looks like she is giving you a hug.  We need to bring out all of the baby stuff and set it up again so she and Lucy can get used to it.  Maddie still loves to go into your room and look at all the toys and stuffed animals (although you really don't have much of anything).  She usually sits there and cries because she wants to play with everything so badly, but knows that none of it belongs to her.  She also loves to crawl under your crib with her tennis ball.

Not too much longer until we get to see your sweet face :)

Love,
your mama

31 weeks

Baby Girl is the size of a pineapple!  She is over 16 inches from head to feet and weighs about 3 1/3 lbs!
She can turn her head from side to side.  All five of her senses are in working order.

How far along? 31 weeks!  9 weeks to go until D-Day (if we make it to that)

Maternity clothes? I hate pants!  I am so happy to work from home now with Arbonne so that I can wear yoga pants every day if I want to.  I don't know what I would wear to school every day if I was still teaching.  Not a whole lot fits anymore.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: I'm back to sore hips at night, so sleep is iffy.  I'm exhausted all the time!

Best moment this week:
Had the 30 week appointment and everything is measuring on track (even though I have a ginormous belly)
We spent Saturday with the Koskas, our high school/college friends.  We live literally 5 miles from each other, but are only able to get together every couple of months.  It was great to do a brewery tour with them and then watch some college football :)

Miss Anything? clothes that fit!

Movement: She is getting much stronger and moving around all the time.  Lots of hiccups, big kicks, and lots of somersaults.  I'm going to be sad when she's born and I can't feel her jab me anymore!

Food cravings: candy corn!  But then I ate some (ok, more than some) and didn't feel well afterwards.  Too much sugar!

Exercise:
Still keeping up with our 4-5 mile walks every morning.
I also started the 3rd Trimester workout from Moms Into Fitness about two times this week.  But it is getting harder to move with this big belly!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: Pretty little lady!  

 Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: swollen feet, achy hips, exhaustion, burning spot under my ribs, now the left side of my back and ribs hurt as opposed to the right side that has been bugging me for the past 20 weeks.

Belly Button in or out? still in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Overwhelmed is the theme this week.
 I HATE stepping on the scale at the doctor's office.  I try not to focus on the number on the scale and how much weight I have gained because really, there is nothing I can do about it. My body is deciding what it needs to do for baby and no amount exercise or healthy eating will change that.  While my mind keeps telling myself that, it's still a huge blow to the ego and I cry about it a lot.  I'm already adding up all the pounds I need to lose to get back to my happy weight (which was less than my pre-preggo weight, so I have a LONG way to go).
I get overwhelmed easily in life and this life change is no exception.  We tried for what seemed like forever to actually get pregnant that now we are really in the downhill, I am freaking out and so not ready.  I can't believe that she could be here in as little as 5-6 weeks and I'm just not ready to be responsible for another human being quite yet. 

Looking forward to:
Seeing friends this weekend for some Arbonne parties.
The IL Baby shower in October
going back to prenatal yoga


Dearest baby girl,

No, we still do not have a name for you yet.  Everyone asks all the time and my answer is always "No."  But even if we did have a name all picked out for, we wouldn't share it.  We do have a few contenders, but I don't think we'll know what name is just perfect for you until we see you.  So we still just call you "baby" or "baby sister."

Your big sisters are getting more and more anxious about your arrival.  Maddie likes to crawl under your crib with her ball.  It's one of her hiding spots and she likes to do it under our bed too.  She still cries when we go into your room because there are so many toys that she knows are yours and not hers.  Lucy is just very apprehensive about the whole thing.

We started the baby class last week and so far? BORING.  You did not enjoy having to sit there for 2.5 hours either (and neither did I).  I made the mistake of wearing some pre-pregnancy leggings that I thought I could squeeze into but were just too tight on my belly sitting in those uncomfortable chairs for so long.  You kicked me in my ribs the whole time and then had like 5 braxton hicks contractions.

I've starting washing all of your blankets and clothes.  Your daddy thinks you have SO many little clothes already, but I don't think he realizes how quickly you will outgrow them and how many more we will need to buy.

I was hoping to have the shelf and artwork hung up in your room to show off some pictures, but that didn't happen.  We also still don't have a mattress for your crib quite yet, but we're getting there.

I remember being so excited getting to the double digits at the beginning of the pregnancy (10 weeks) and now I can't even believe that we are in single digits from here on out.  Give us at least another 6 weeks to get to full term.  I don't think we'll be ready for you before that.

Love always,
your mama

30 Weeks

Baby Girl is the length of an English cucumber!  She is about 16 inches from head to feet and weighs about 3 lbs!
Baby can open and close her eyelids, but keeps them closed for most of the day (however, she can track light).
She's now strong enough to grasp a finger!

How far along?The big 30!

Check out the difference from 5 weeks to 30 weeks!  whoa belly!

Maternity clothes? Pants are officially uncomfortable.  And dresses are getting too small.  Looks like I'm going to need to get another round of big belly clothes.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Sleep has been a little better this week.  I am still exhausted though.  However I found a new sleep position that lets me sleep for 4-5 hours at a time.  Woohoo!  It involves 3 pillows under my head/back and at least 2 under my knees.

Best moment this week:
The crib skirt is done!  It is so adorable and I can't wait until the nursery is complete and I can show it off :)
Someone had the hiccups a couple of times this week.  And this was the first week that I could actually feel them.  It's like feeling your heartbeat because it's so rhythmic.  

Miss Anything? Sleeping through the night and not having the burning pain under my right ribs.

Movement: She's been bouncing around all week!  I no longer have to be sitting down to see or feel her kick, move, and punch.  She does it when I'm standing up or walking too.  She has also started responding to Andrew's voice when he talks to her and gets her all riled up.
And hiccups this week!

Food cravings: carrots and hummus, Mike&Ikes (although I really wanted to 1lb bag of Skittles, but I refrained.  Will power people)

Exercise:
Lots of walking this week.  The burning pain on my stomach has made any other exercise, like strength training, really difficult.
The girls and I walk a little more than 4 miles every morning and we've been trying to go out for another mile later in the morning/afternoon before it gets too hot.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: Pretty little lady!  

 Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: burning/numbing under my ribs (it is awful at night) and back pain, braxton hicks starting up again, exhaustion/no sleep

Belly Button in or out? still in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been trying to be super positive this week.  I was pretty happy to discover that Netflix put up season 9 of Grey's Anatomy!  I'm literally just exhausted all the time because I don't get any sleep.  This usually leads to sobbing by the time that Andrew gets home from work because I'm just so tired.  It has been fun seeing baby girl bounce around more and respond to Andrew when he talks to her. 
It's no surprise that I've had a hard time adjusting to the weight gain and big belly.  Trying on my maternity clothes to figure out what to wear to the baby shower was not exactly awesome either since everything is getting too tight and we still have 2 months to go.  It's probably a good thing that I'm not teaching anymore because I don't know what I would wear everyday!  But I try not to dwell on how much weight I've gained and how much I have to lose (even thought I still think about it all the time).

Looking forward to:
Baby shower in Lacrosse is/was Saturday, Sept. 7th.
Hanging out with the Koskas next weekend.
Week 30 doctor's appointment on Tuesday
My Arbonne launch parties coming up in a few weeks :)


Baby Girl,

You have been quite the little gymnast this week!  You bounce around all the time and have started kicking me in the my ribs.  I can feel your little feet jabbing me a lot.  Your daddy likes to rile you up just like with your big sisters and you usually respond to his voice by bouncing around a lot.  He thinks it's hilarious and usually taps my belly button and tells you to hit it (so that it will pop out soon) and you usually do.

You've also started getting the hiccups more this past week.  

There's not much new to add this week.  I look forward to posting pictures of your Loeffler baby shower.  You are a very well-loved baby girl. 

We start our baby classes this next week for the next six weeks.  I have a feeling these next few weeks are going to fly by and you will be here before we know it!  While we are SO excited to meet you, we still need some time to get everything ready for you. 

Love you,
your mama

29 weeks and Happy Birthday, Mama!

Happy Birthday to me!

Baby Girl is the size of an acorn squash (or a butternut squash according to another website)!  She is about 15-18 inches from head to feet and weighs between 2.5-3lbs! (I feel like she is on the heavier side because my belly feels so heavy! And boy is she strong!)
Baby is getting big and getting chubby :)  She's running out of room in there!

How far along? 29 weeks!

Maternity clothes? This week has been all about tank tops, workout shorts, and yoga pants.  I've been too hot (and lazy) to actually wear real clothes.  When the heat index is 100 for 2-3 days, you don't really care about how you look.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Sleep?  What's sleep?  The burning spot on my ribs/stomach (from muscles and nerves separating) got worse this week.  I can't lie down at all and go to bed with an ice pack strapped to my stomach.  For two nights now I've had to sleep propped up on the couch (which means really sore hips) but only get between 2-4 hours of actual sleep.  I'm exhausted all the time, but can't sleep because I can't lie down the the pain is awful. Here's my post about not sleeping at all a few nights ago and just wanting a 24 hour grocery store for ice cream! It's 4am

Best moment this week: Picked up the glider and hung the curtains!  It's so cute I love it!
Passed the glucose test!!!  And the hour long one, didn't even have to do the 3 hour one.  I kept waiting for the doctor to call.  I was even ready to go back in and sit for 3 hours, but no call.  Phew!

still have to hang pictures, but at least the curtains are done the glider is here!

Miss Anything? Sleeping through the night and not having the burning pain under my right ribs.

Movement: She's a very strong little girl!  She's kicked/punched me so hard a few times that it made me jump.  She still loves rolling and stretching at night.  She HATES when I lay on my side to sleep and stretches out so her feet push on one side on my stomach and her head/arms push on the opposite side.

Food cravings: Andrew's friend, Alec, works for Kellogg's and brought tons of graham crackers to their camping trip.  Andrew brought them home which means that I eat lots of grahams, usually with frosting (which will change this week as Andrew starts the 30 day Arbonne cleanse).
LOVE red grapes

Exercise:
Only walking this week.  Between my arm hurting from the Tdap vaccination I had on Monday and this awful burning spot, the thought of working out makes me cringe.  So the girls and I have walked about 4 miles a day.  I also spent Friday cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, washing and polishing the floors.  That's like working out, right?
Went for a long walk with my Pi Phi friend before it got super hot which was really great
Prenatal Yoga at Dragonfly Hot Yoga with my bestest preggo friend (thanks for being my workout buddy, Jessica!  Can't wait for our babies to play together) 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: Pretty little lady!  

 Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: burning/numbing under my ribs (it is awful at night) and back pain

Belly Button in or out? still an innie, for now.  I keep thinking "any day now it's going to just pop out," but I've been saying that for weeks now.  My belly hasn't gotten that much bigger in the past weeks, so I'm sure the belly button will pop on the next growth spurt.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Both this week.  I've been trying to keep myself busy with Arbonne and getting that up and going.  It's been an adjustment with all of my friends starting up school and I'm not.  Although I am so thankful that I'm not at school because my nerve pain has been awful this week and it's been too hot to deal with setting up a classroom and meetings with no A/C.

Looking forward to:
finishing up the crib skirt this weekend
Spending my birthday with Andrew and going to the Taste of Madison
Baby shower next weekend in Lacrosse!!!


Dear Little Lady,

I write to you on my 28th birthday.  I wonder if you'll be nice to be tonight and actually let me sleep (although the burning nerve pain is not your fault).  My mom celebrated her 28th birthday just a few weeks before I came into the world and now I'm celebrating 28 years just 2 months before you'll join us :)

We've had some ups and downs this week, namely me not sleeping and having sometimes excruciating nerve/muscle separation pain.  I am thankful that I have the wonderful opportunity to stay at home with you and not be going back to work this week because I just don't think I could handle it.  (To those working while pregnant or working while having small kids at home, I tip my hat to you.)
We did, however, pass the glucose test!  I don't know why I was so worried that I wouldn't, but I'm usually just lucky/unlucky in that way.  We now start our biweekly doctor's appointments, so we'll be back at the doctor's office next week.  We will also go meet your doctor this week (or rather decide on a pediatrician).

Your big sisters are getting much more nervous and needy as you and I get bigger.  They know that something is definitely up and is happening soon.  I think they will be very good big sisters, but you will be a very big adjustment for them.

Your room is almost finished!  The curtains are hung, the glider is finally here, and we finished the crib skirt yesterday.  You still need a mattress, but minor details :)  I just need to hang the artwork and it will be finished!  I'm just happy that it's almost done and we can focus on other things to get ready before you arrive.

You are currently kicking and trying to move around, but you are definitely running out of room.  My stomach moves a lot now when you do!

Love,
your mama

Pictures from my birthday at the Taste of Madison and the yummy food baby girl got to sample

plantain emanada

pork dumplings

homemade kit-kat from Bluephies!

yummy :)

Peruvian chicken