Koda's First Christmas

WHEW! This past week or so has been over the top hectic! We moved into our new house, hosted our first Ugly Christmas Sweater party, and had Koda's first Christmas! Although he's too young to realize what was happening, we started a couple of Christmas traditions (like baking cookies for Santa!) that we're sure he will be VERY excited about next year! He received a TON of gifts that he had no idea what to do with (but he will very soon, I'm sure!) except his mirrors...he LOVES the mirrors! Here's a couple pics!

We went to a 'Winter Wonderland'. It was a gorgeous pathway with all kinds of Christmas decorations and lights! Koda didn't care for it but mommy and daddy had fun! His hat says 'My First Christmas'

'What the heck are you doing to me mom?!' I LOVE getting these kind of pictures where he fits into ridiculously small items. I know it won't last long so I'm enjoying it while I can! Even though he'll probably hate me for it when he's older ;)

Our little Family on Christmas Eve

Koda's first Christmas! This little outfit was one of his gifts and I just couldn't wait to put it on him! 

Hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas!

Introducing Mr.Grumples

My little munchkin is growing, growing, growing! It seems like every day he is becoming more alert and social. He has even started smiling and laughing! Not belly laughs just yet, but we will get there! His smile makes my day, every day!

He also has a knack for making funny faces. We will sit together for 30 minutes at a time taking picture after picture of all his silly faces! Most of the time he puts on a grumpy face which is why he has earned himself a new nickname. I give you....Mr. Grumples!

Only one week to go and my little man will already be 2 months old! Can't wait to share more of what's been going on with this guy lately! =]

Dakota is 1 month old!

It seems like I start off every post with 'I can't believe it!'....but I truly cannot believe that my baby is already a month old! Everyone says 'it goes by fast' but until you're living it, you cannot appreciate just how quickly time flies. I feel like yesterday I was just finding out that I was pregnant, and here we are today, and he's already been here for an entire month! Within this whirlwind of a month, a lot has changed. Mommy and Daddy aren't looking as rested these days (wonder why?!) and our house has been taken over by Babies R Us!...diapers, wipes, and toys, oh my!...Not that I am complaining, by ANY means! We are truly blessed that we have more than enough for our sweet baby boy. Our family and friends have been so generous! It seems like every time we check the mail we have more stuff for Koda (okay- mommy ;P ) to enjoy, because, let's get real. He doesn't care what he's wearing, but mommy just loves to see him in all those cute little outfits! Koda has been doing a lot of changing himself this month! He doesn't look very different...still on the tiny side, but he has become so alert and has even started giving us a big grin every now and then! He has also made himself a night time schedule. He usually only wakes up about 3 times a night now - HALLELUJAH! During the day he doesn't sleep near as much as he did at first. He likes to lay in mommy's lap and look around. We play patty-cake together and I tell him the 'little piggies' story on his toes but his FAVORITE thing to do is make silly faces! He has a ton of them and they make mommy laugh every time! We also go spend time with friends. Koda's best friend's name is Rilee. He will be 3 months old on the 24th. They like to lay on the play gym together and look at the toys that dangle from the top...oh, and, kick each other in the face! He also has a girlie friend named Emily who is just 8 days older than him. He will also be meeting my God daughter (and his future wife ;] ) very soon! She turned 3 months old on the 14th. As of right now him and his friends don't do much interacting, but I'm sure that will be changing very shortly- they grow so fast! Here's a few pictures of our little man and also some of him and his friends!

1 month!

 hahaha!

 Koda and Emily

 Koda and Rilee

 He loves to stick out his tongue! 

 The sweetest smile in the whole world

another one with that tongue out!-silly boy!

Dakota Lane Has Arrived!-Birth Story

After a very long 9 months, our precious baby boy has arrived! On October 19,2012 at 8:40 am, Dakota Lane came into the world weighing 5 lbs 15 oz and was 20 in long! My birth story started in the ultrasound room of the clinic with my high-risk Dr checking on Koda's growth. While he had gained weight and looked healthy and normal, he was still under the 10th percentile and the Dr wanted to make sure that there wasn't something wrong that he wasn't able to see on the ultrasound, so he decided to induce my labor. He checked the schedule and labor and delivery were all booked for the next two days, so he asked me if I would be ok with being induced that day. Without hesitation my answer was YES! I was so ready to meet my handsome little man and my mom and mother in law were already in town awaiting Koda's arrival. We didn't even go home (we already had our 'go' bags in the car) We went straight upstairs to labor and delivery where they immediately took me back, started my IV and admitted me! At first they gave me plain fluids and then around 2:30 they started my pitocin. I started REALLY feeling the contractions a few hours later. The nurse had told me that they would give me some pain medicine through my iv until I could get my epidural (at 4 cm) but that I might want to hold off for a while because the first dose would be the strongest and help the most. After a while of trying to breathe through the contractions-which really REALLY hurt-I went ahead and got the pain medicine. Once they administered the medicine, I immediately went to sleep for a few hours. When I woke up, I could feel the contractions again and they were only getting stronger so I got another dose and went back to sleep. Again, when I woke up the contractions were back and getting stronger. They checked my progress and I was finally at 4-almost 5 cm so they said I could get my epidural. While they were administering the epidural, I heard a loud POP and my leg kicked out like someone was checking the reflexes in my knee. I got kind of worried because I heard one of the Dr's say "shit!"....He told me that sometime after delivery I would most likely get a really bad migraine but there was something they would do for me to help but I'd have to wait 24 hours. They went back in and tried the epidural again and this time, it worked! My contractions went away quickly and I fell back asleep. When I woke up I started feeling a lot of pressure. My midwife came in to check my progress and she said that it was time to push! She left the room for a while and FINALLY my nurse came in and told me that on my next contraction we would start to push! Eight minutes later I was holding my beautiful baby boy in my arms! We snuggled for a while and then they took him over to the warmer to get his weight/height and give him his first bath and then when they brought him back to me, I got to feed him for the first time, which was something I had been looking forward to for my entire pregnancy. A few hours later, they moved me into another room and right around that time, the headache that the epidural doctor had warned me about hit and it hit HARD! Another doctor came in to talk to me about what was going on and explained that I had a 'spinal headache' which had been caused by a 'wet tap' when I was getting my epidural (that was the loud pop and kick). To fix the spinal headache they would wait 24 hours from the time my epidural was administered and then give me a 'blood patch'. This procedure is where they would give me another epidural but instead of the medicine they give you during a normal epidural, they would inject me with 20 cc's of my own blood and this would lessen/take away the spinal headache. In the meantime, I was to lay completely flat on my back, as this was the only way my head would not feel like it was absolutely about to explode! After a long while, I was able to get my blood patch which helped a lot but didn't take away the headache completely, however, I was able to function again without my head being in excruciating pain. (a couple days later the headache was completely gone) I don't regret the epidural at all though! The headache was a lot less painful than birth would have been without the epidural! After 2 nights in the hospital, we were able to take our little man home! Life has certainly changed a lot since he's been here, but for the better! While we get a lot less sleep, our hearts are forever full. Please help me welcome my wonderful baby boy, Dakota Lane!

Belly Progression (and a couple fun extras!)

I can see the finish line!! Dakota's estimated due date is just SIXTEEN days away! These last couple of weeks aren't going to go by nearly as fast as I'd like them to, but soon, I'll have my baby boy in my arms! I thought it would be fun to take a look  back at the past 9 months and watch how much my little bear-and my belly!- have grown.

A few days after we found out we were expecting a little DQ!
(I should probably also explain that DQ is somewhat of an abbreviation of our last name)

11 weeks and the very beginnings of a  'Koda Bump'

13 Weeks (excuse my appearance)
I remember looking at this photo and thinking how HUGE my belly looked-HAHA!

19 Weeks
Thought I was about as big as I was going to get here. 

This one was taken somewhere in the early 20-week range. I'm guessing around 21 or 22 weeks

26 Weeks

32 Weeks


37 Weeks
Really looking like I'm about to POP now! (Which I am...and SOON....hopefully!)

And just for fun, Zach and I decided to paint Koda a couple of early Halloween costumes! 
First up, my friend Nickie's design- A cute little pumpkin!


And now for Daddy's design, Zach decided to make Koda -The Punisher!


Hope you enjoyed this little trip down Memory Lane with me! Hopefully within my next couple of posts , there will be actual pictures of my sweet little man's face, instead of my big 'ol belly!

Pregnancy: 36 Weeks and Growth Restriction Update

Tomorrow marks 37 Weeks for us! We've finally hit FULL TERM!! Dakota can now make his appearance ANY TIME!! Hopefully sooner rather than later, considering, I have been having contractions on and off for about 22 and 1/2 hours now! He just needs to hurry up and get here! My mother in law and I finished up his nursery today so it will be waiting for him when we get released from the hospital. He can't come soon enough!

Now for the update on the possible 'growth restriction'. We have a perfectly healthy baby! He's just a lot smaller than the average baby! I am so relieved! Right now most babies weigh around 6 lbs or more. Our little guy is currently 5 lbs, but totally healthy and extremely active. They are going to continue to monitor me closely with twice a week non stress tests and (given that i'm still pregnant) we will have a follow up ultrasound in a couple of weeks to check on his growth. If he hasn't grown enough for the Dr's liking, they will go ahead and induce labor, but if he grows enough so that the Dr's feel comfortable, they will let me continue to carry him until I go into labor on my own. HOPEFULLY, we won't have to wait that long and I'll already be holding my sweet baby in my arms by the time the follow up ultrasound rolls around.

How far along? 37 Weeks tomorrow

Total weight gain: 29 lbs

Maternity clothes? jeans and the biggest shirts I can find!  

Stretch Marks? nope!

Sleep: lots of tossing and turning and bathroom breaks!

Best moment this week: getting confirmation that Koda is healthy!!

Miss Anything? feta cheese!

 Movement? still dancing all the time.

Food cravings?: Feta cheese (obviously) and bad food!! (as in fast food!...not sure why!)

Anything making you queasy or sick: nah

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: frequent contractions

Symptoms: back pain, swelling, fatigue

Belly Button in or out? flat!

Wedding rings on or off? on (sometimes they won't come off!)

Mood: relieved and excited!

 Looking forward to: Koda's arrival!

Pregnancy: 35 Weeks and POSSIBLE growth restriction

This week was uneventful up until yesterday. I had my 36 week check up and my midwife noticed I was measuring small (27 cm when I should be around 36) so she sent us up to labor and delivery where they did a non-stress test (monitored the baby's movements for about 20 minutes) and all of that was normal, but then they did an ultrasound to check my amniotic fluid levels to see if that was why I was measuring small. The midwife that we saw said that if the fluid level was low then they would have to induce labor but if not, growth restriction would be a possibility. She told us that if the baby measured small (under the 10th percentile) that they would induce labor. So after checking fluid levels, which turned out to be completely normal, we were off to radiology for another ultrasound to check the baby's measurements. When they measure the baby they take 4 measurements. One around the head, one across the top of the head, one around the belly, and another down the length of the femur bone. When they measured his head, it was a completely normal size, in the 50th percentile. However, when they measured his belly and femur, they measured significantly smaller, below the 10th percentile. After a LOT of waiting, the charge nurse from labor and delivery came to speak to us. She was the one who let us know about the measurement situation. She told us that they weren't going to induce labor but on Monday she is sending us to the high risk pregnancy specialists. They will run another non-stress test on the baby and then later in the week do another ultrasound. The difference between this ultrasound and the one we had in radiology is that the high risk equipment is a lot better and that instead of a technician doing the ultrasound, it will be an actual doctor. So, as of then, we will be able to FINALLY get some answers as to what exactly is going on with our little bear and what their plan of action is. At this point, I'm assuming that everything will be perfectly ok and that little man is as perfect as ever! I will post again when we know more. As for right now, here's my weekly update.

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain: 25 + lbs

Maternity clothes? SQUEEZING into my maternity jeans and tops.   

Stretch Marks? nope!

Sleep: lots of tossing and turning

Best moment this week: seeing Koda's face on ultrasound (he looks EXACTLY like Zach) 

Miss Anything? being comfortable lol!

 Movement? not quite as active as usual but he's still pretty busy in there. 

Food cravings?: nothing really...haven't been very hungry lately....WEIRD

Anything making you queasy or sick: i feel queasy a lot lately...not sure why

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: braxton hicks

Symptoms: back pain

Belly Button in or out? flat!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: a little anxious

Looking forward to: getting answers

Pregnancy: Week 34

Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I honestly didn't realize how long it had been since my last update until my Aunt pointed it out to me!! On my last post we had 10 WEEKS left to go! Now, we're down to THIRTY-THREE days! (Not counting today since it's almost over!) I just can't even wrap my mind around the fact that in just a little over a month, my sweet baby boy will be in my arms instead of in my belly. I can honestly say though, I doubt I will miss anything about pregnancy, other than feeling those little kicks. HOWEVER, it will be SO nice to 1) not have feet in my ribs 24/7. 2) Be able to breathe. 3) Be able to fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. I'm being realistic about this last one though. I know that I won't come home from the hospital and be able to slip right into my favorite jeans (I WISH!) but, I do hope that within a month or two, I will. If not, Insanity or P90X, here I come!!

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total weight gain: 25 + lbs

Maternity clothes? SQUEEZING into my maternity jeans and tops.   

Stretch Marks? none so far! Maybe I can make it without them!! *crossing fingers*

Sleep: on and off...frequent bathroom breaks, as usual.

Best moment this week: watching Koda move around. 

Miss Anything? being able to sleep through an entire night without any potty breaks!!

 Movement? still so active and getting stronger and stronger!! He even hurts me sometimes!

Food cravings?: sandwiches!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: braxton hicks

Symptoms: back pain

Belly Button in or out? in.......barely. more flat than anything.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: READY

Looking forward to: my little man's birth! The faster it gets here the better...this momma is ready!!

Pregnancy: 30 Weeks

This past weekend, at 30 weeks, my husband and I went back for a ultrasound re-do since we weren't able to get any really good pictures of our little one's face. Well, this time wasn't any better. In fact, Koda decided to be even MORE uncooperative than last time! We only got one picture and it was of his profile, with his hand up by his mouth. He kept his knee and arm up covering his face the entire time. We even left, ate lunch, and went back and he was still in that position the entire time. What we did see from the picture, is that he has his daddy's nose. It looks EXACTLY like his. I have a feeling that he'll look exactly like Zach all together. The technician offered us another chance to come back and try again. We might go, but since the place that we like to go to is a while away from where we live, there's a chance that we won't. If we do, and we get good pictures, I'll post them here so you can see our little man's sweet face =]

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain: 20 + lbs

Maternity clothes? shorts and tops..hoping the weather starts cooling off so i can start wearing scarves and long sleeves and jeans and sweaters....can you tell i love fall clothes?!  

Stretch Marks? none so far! 

Sleep: on and off...so uncomfortable!

Best moment this week: Seeing Koda again...even though he was being uncooperative!

Miss Anything? I've been planning a holloween party, which consists of all these amazing mixed drink recipes that i won't get to enjoy, so at this moment, I'm missing being able to have a drink.

 Movement? super active and super strong!! His movements take my breath away sometimes!

Food cravings?: burgers =/

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: LEG PAIN!!! horrible leg pain...

Belly Button in or out? still in, but that is changing quickly!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: excited

Looking forward to: my little man's birth!

Pregnancy: 29 Weeks

10 weeks....just 10 more weeks!!!! That's what I have to keep repeating to myself! Not only am I ready to see my little man's face, I have hit that stage where I am uncomfortable 110% of the time! I swear, he has no room left in there! Those little feet are in my ribs all day, every day and he likes to bury his head in my hip bone. I wake up at night groaning because I'm certain he's breaking my ribs....10 weeks...10 more!! I can do this!

In other news, my goddaughter (and Koda's future bride-hehe!), Jaylee Kaleen was born this week! On 8/14 the PRINCESS made her dramatic entrance (she wasn't due until Sept 9!) Completely healthy and so beautiful I can't even put it in words! Every time I hold her, Koda moves to wherever she is. It's like he just wants to be next to her. So cute! Her being here makes me that much more anxious for Koda's arrival!

How far along? 30 Weeks

Total weight gain: 20 lbs

Maternity clothes? shorts and tops! (even though my shorts are feeling a little snug)  

Stretch Marks? none so far! 

Sleep: on and off...so uncomfortable!

Best moment this week: Jaylee's birth!

Miss Anything? being my normal size

 Movement? he's slowed down a bit, i guess because he's running out of room.

Food cravings?: fruit!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: swelling, fatigue, pain all over (really just in my midsection, but i'm feeling dramatic)

Belly Button in or out? in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: anxious

Looking forward to: October

Pregnancy: Week 28

My little man has been so super active lately!! I'm getting less kicks, and more rolls and pushes. He will roll around and poke out his hand or foot. My new favorite game is trying to figure out exactly what he's pushing out. Here's the update!

How far along? 29 Weeks

Total weight gain: 14 lbs +

Maternity clothes? shorts and maternity or loose fitting tops 

Stretch Marks? none so far! 

Sleep: good for the most part. getting tired of all the trips to the bathroom though!

Best moment this week: spending the day out with my husband

Miss Anything? being able to wear normal clothes

 Movement? TONS!

Food cravings?: salad 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: fatigue, rib/back pain

Belly Button in or out? in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: excited

Looking forward to: Saturday! We get to go see our baby boy's sweet face again!

Preggo Must Have's and Favorites

During my pregnancy, I have found myself turning to a few things repeatedly. Some, daily. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.

1. What To Expect When You're Expecting- This book has been my bible throughout my pregnancy! From day one, it allows you to follow your baby's progression and growth as well as make more sense out of what you and your own body are going through. One of my favorite things to do each week is to read about our little guy and his growth. I often read ahead to see what we're in store for!
2. Babycenter.com- What a great website! There are discussion boards where you can read/comment/share with other pregnant women and moms. My favorite board is the monthly birth board (mine is October, obviously) but there is one for every birth month. It's great because you can talk with women who are going through the same phase of their pregnancy that you are. Lots of support and advice are offered. Also, sometimes the admins of the site will post freebies! (I recently got a free 8x8 photo book from shutterfly.com!)

3. Body Pillow- Oh my goodness, my beloved body pillow!....ok so, I have a LOVE LOVE LOVE/hate relationship with it. Let me be clear, I would absolutely say that a body pillow is a necessity during pregnancy, and the sooner you get one, the better. You're husband/significant other might begin feeling a little neglected because instead of cuddling with them, you will definitely be cuddling the pillow. It's great for belly support and I love that it helps take the pressure off of my hips and keeps my knees from hurting. Now for the downfall...if you're making frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, it can be a real pain. I keep my pillow on the outside of the bed so, every time I have to get up at night, I have to move it completely out of the way and when I get back, re-situate it. My husband once recommended just rolling over it. I tried it and....hahaha!...not happening. So, while sometimes frustrating, absolutely necessary and wonderful for the most part.

4.Preggie Pop Drops- During my first trimester, while I never actually got sick, I was almost constantly nauseous. Bitter/sour edibles are known to help with this problem. These awesome little hard candies are both sweet and sour...and tasty! My favorites were the orange and raspberry. 

5. Donettes Chocolate Frosted Donuts-These obviously won't be for everyone, but they are one of the things I crave constantly. I always keep a bag around so when I'm craving chocolate, or just a sweet treat, I'll grab a couple! It's always good to keep something like this around. Something small and sweet, just don't eat them all at once!

6.Palmer's Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks- I've been using this lotion on my belly, hips, boobs, and butt since the beginning of my pregnancy and so far, no stretch marks! (knock on wood!) I use it every night before bed and I use the Palmer's vitamin E oil every day after my shower. The smell isn't my favorite, but it keeps my belly from itching and keeps my skin moisturized!

7. Loose pajama pants- I'm pretty much living in pj's these days (unless of course I'm leaving the house) My favorite pj's to lounge around in are my thin VS pants. Unfortunately, I believe they're on their last leg (they've got a hole...which I'm pretty devastated about, to be quite honest) but, they are a couple of years old which probably adds to the ridiculously comfy factor. They are great for lounging around in and VS pj's are usually pretty cute so maybe you'll feel at least a little cute while you're posting up on the couch for the day and feeling otherwise....blegh.

8. To-go cup/tumbler- During pregnancy, we're supposed to be guzzling more water than we ever have before, and that means constantly having water on hand. Tumblers are a great alternative to toting around a water bottle. Not only does it save money, but some of them are insulated and keep your water cold for a long while. I use a Brita water pitcher to purify water from the tap and keep it cold in the fridge, and when we're about to hit the road, I'll fill up my tumbler, and i'm good to go! When you run out of water, find a water fountain and fill it up again! 

I hope you find this list helpful. Comment and let me know what your must have's are!

Pregnancy: Week 27

Another week down! Only 12 to go! (I am currently 28 weeks) I say it every week, but I truly cannot believe how quickly it's all gone by. I want so bad to start decorating the nursery! We certainly need to because our little bear will be here in no time! I thoroughly believe that the nursery decor is more for the mother than it is the child. I mean really, what kid ever remembers their nursery? But I do think it's necessary for a baby and mother to have a soft, quiet, calming place to retreat to. =] On another note, this week has come with more discomfort, which is to be expected. Back and rib pain to be more specific. No nausea this week, but plenty of heartburn! All of it is more than worth it, though. I am reminded constantly of that when i feel Dakota squirming and rolling around. This past Saturday we finally got to see his sweet face in a 3d ultrasound! However, Koda is a little camera shy and pretty much refused to give us any really good pictures of his face. Luckily, the business we get our 3d ultrasounds done at is AMAZING and is allowing us to come back in a couple of weeks to try again. I'll include pictures of this Saturday's ultrasound at the end of this entry. For now, here's my update:

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain: 14 lbs +

Maternity clothes? shorts and maternity or loose fitting tops 

Stretch Marks? none so far! Let's hope I can make it 12 more weeks!

Sleep: good. SUPER strange dreams though

Best moment this week: seeing my sweet baby boy's face

Miss Anything? being able to sit comfortably

 Movement? tons! =]

Food cravings?: pizza and chocolate 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing in particular

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: fatigue, rib/back pain

Belly Button in or out? in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: excited

Looking forward to: OCTOBER

 Baby boy waving

 Sleepy Koda yawning

snuggling up and puckering his lips. Getting ready for mommy's kisses!!!

Pregnancy: Week 26

GOODBYE 2ND TRIMESTER!!

Here we are, the last week of my 2nd trimester! Which means, we only have THREE short months until Dakota Lane makes his debut! This week, many of my 1st trimester symptoms that started re-appearing last week have only intensified. I get nauseous a lot, but I also want to eat almost constantly! I am ALWAYS hungry! The headaches have also come back, as well as the fatigue. Yesterday, I was cooking dinner and all of the sudden, had to come lay down because I was certain that if I stood there another second longer I would pass out and fall asleep right there on the kitchen floor! After I had laid on the couch for a couple of minutes though, I was fine. I got up and continued with dinner. Pregnancy is SO strange! I'm planning on going to get my glucose test done this Monday. Hopefully I will only have to take the first one hour test and won't be asked to come back for the 3 hr. Everyone always talks about how horrible the drink that they give you for the test is. I have a friend who just took hers, though, and she says it just tastes like flat orange soda. I'm hoping that she's right! 

How far along? 27 weeks as of yesterday

Total weight gain: 12 lbs +

Maternity clothes? shorts and maternity or loose fitting tops 

Stretch Marks? none yet! (knock on wood!)

Sleep: good. If it weren't for those dang trips to the bathroom, i'd say blissful!!

Best moment this week: playing with Koda. He's beginning to respond more when I talk to him or draw on my belly. It's like we're playing together =]

Miss Anything? I've never really been a big fan, but for some reason, now that I can't have it, I could really go for a sandwich with cold lunch meat!

 Movement? lots! I like to try and guess what he's moving but I still can't quite tell. It's fun to watch my belly move and shift as he squirms though!

Food cravings?: this list could go on for days! Pizza, frappuccinos, chocolate donuts, cheetos... 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing in particular

Gender: boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: nausea, fatigue, dizziness, swelling, etc.

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: happy

Looking forward to: my 3d ultrasound!! Aug 4th!

Pregnancy: 25 Weeks

Whew! 15 Weeks to go!! (Well, a little under 14 now, if you wanna get technical) I always thought my belly would be stretched to the max and I'd be waddling around like one of the geese on Aristocats by now, but, it seems as though my baby bump hasn't grown very much since around 18 weeks or so and my 'waddling' is still at a minimum. (Although, I will admit, it is there and Zach likes to remind me) My mom didn't get very big when she was pregnant with me, and my pregnancy has been extremely similar to hers, from what she tells me, but I've got a feeling sometime within the next few weeks I'll wake up one morning and my belly will be HUGE! We shall see...I have 1 week left in my 2nd trimester and some of my 1st trimester symptoms are already starting to come back. Let the fun begin...Nausea, dizziness, tense shoulders, fatigue...yep, it's all too familiar. The 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' book said this would happen. I was just hoping it wouldn't for at least a few more weeks but nope, it's back, whether I like it or not. At least now I get to enjoy all of his movements (more like acrobatics) this time. 1st trimester, you just have to get through it, but this time I have him to giggle at while I'm trying my hardest to ignore the constant 'yucky' feeling in my gut. Speaking of Koda and his antics, this little one is quite the mover/shaker. He already has his own little routine each day. In the morning around 7:15/7:30 he wakes up and gets to kickin'. (I think it's because he knows his daddy his about to be home) Then, while I eat breakfast and pick up around the house, he takes a little nap. When I sit down to watch a movie or get on the computer, he wakes up and will bounce around on and off. This is one of my favorite times because I can just sit back and watch my belly bounce, which makes me laugh. He's already so funny =] Throughout the rest of the day he sleeps, or gets still, quite a bit. Every now and then he'll move around just to let me know he's in there. He wakes up again when it's bed time. Zach and I will lay there with our hands on my belly and laugh when he kicks us. Zach told me that this morning while I was asleep, he kicked him for about 5 minutes straight. He also said that it wasn't his usual light kicks, he said he was kicking HARD and that he was surprised it didn't wake me up. =] I like hearing about these moments because it's like it was just between them. Pretty special!  Alright, enough of my jibber jabber, here's my update!  

How far along? 26 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain: 12 lbs

Maternity clothes? shorts and roomy tops

Stretch Marks? none on my belly that i've caught so far, i've had SEVERAL scares though!

Sleep: good for the most part

Best moment this week: even though it wasn't a fantastic experience, my ultrasound

Miss Anything? energy

 Movement? tons!

Food cravings?: chinese food!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing in particular, i just have a constant nauseous feeling

Gender: rambunctious boy!

Labor Signs: No...a few braxton-hicks contractions here and there

Symptoms: nausea, fatigue, b-h contractions, swelling, etc.

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: happy

Looking forward to: my 3d ultrasound!! Aug 4th!

Getting Organized!

I don't know about you, but personally, I'm not the nice, neat, organized type. At least, not until now. Yes, I keep our house clean and things of that nature, but by no means do I have it all figured out just yet. Possibly because we don't have much space, BUT, i can't blame it ALL on that. Anyway, I guess the 'nesting' phase has kicked in and I've become pretty much obsessed with planning/organizing/cleaning etc. I didn't know it before, but there's a whole community online (bloggers, mostly) that are devoted to this sort of thing. They make 'printables' which have become part of my DAILY routine. Not to mention, they have great recipes, diy ideas, date ideas, party planning ideas, and so much more! I use these printables for everything from shopping lists, to budgeting, all the way to things like a camping checklist! My house-and life-are becoming a lot easier to manage simply by using these tools, and putting them into action. I've also started a board on my pinterest that is specifically dedicated to housekeeping. It doesn't have a lot on it yet, but it's being added to FREQUENTLY! Here's a link to that particular board: http://pinterest.com/mrsdq/housekeeping/ Feel free to add and follow me =] Here are some of the BEST blogs/sites that I've come across. These are the pages that really got me inspired and have continued to be helpful since I got started.

For Recipes:
http://www.iheartnaptime.net/recipe-box/
She also has a really good 'project gallery'!

For organization/family life:
http://pinchalittlesavealot.blogspot.com/
http://www.thenesteffect.com/
http://www.theletter4.com/
http://professorpoppins.blogspot.com/
http://www.kamleylane.com/
http://www.designfinch.com/

Other Favorites:
*http://www.thedatingdivas.com/*
*-GREAT 'date night' ideas and other special little things to keep your marriage/relationship fresh and exciting!
http://www.graceisoverrated.com/
http://www.howdoesshe.com/
**http://smithlive.blogspot.com/**
**-this one ESPECIALLY! She's very encouraging, uplifting and motivating. She is also very down to earth in her writing. One post, in particular, was just BRILLIANT!! She has a family of SIX and spends less in a month at the grocery store than I do for just myself and my husband!! Here's the link to that post-http://smithlive.blogspot.com/2011/12/monthly-meal-planning.html

Check out these sites! There's NO WAY you won't love them!! If you have any that you visit frequently, please let me know! I'm always looking for new one's to add to my reading list because they ALL have their own special spin on things =] Enjoy!

Pregnancy: 24 Weeks!

This pregnancy is starting to go by faster and faster! Though, I hear the last couple of months DRAG by! Dakota is becoming more and more active and I can't help but think how much I will miss his little kicks and punches when he arrives, but, I will definitely enjoy actually being able to see him, hold him, etc. Zach and I finally decided it was time to face the giant and...dun dun dunnnn....put together the crib!!! Let me tell you, it was no small task, but we got through it and amazingly enough, it didn't take the ENTIRE day! Now, the cleanup of the ridiculously sized box, and all the filling and OTHER boxes that came within that box....well, that's another story! While that is the one and only thing that has to do with the nursery that is finished, it is one thing that we have been able to check off of our to do list, and I must say, the finished product looks lovely, don't you think?! (please ignore the surrounding area...it has not yet began its transformation into 'nursery' just yet)

Week 24 was fairly uneventful, except for the fact that I got a cold...ugh...but after plenty of sleep, fluids, medicine, and pampering from my husband, I feel much better today! Here's my update:

How far along? 25 today!

Total weight gain: I'm up 10 lbs!! (still getting used to the idea that this is 'a good thing')

Maternity clothes? for the past few days, i've been living in pj's!

Stretch Marks? i think some are starting to appear on my belly =/ I'm keeping a close eye on them though!!!

Sleep: good...except the bathroom breaks are beginning to pick back up in frequency!

Best moment this week: putting Koda's crib together

Miss Anything? coffee

 Movement? tons!

Food cravings?: sweets and yesterday i would've killed for a What A Burger hamburger...but we don't have one here =/ Darn you, out of state cravings!!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: not so much

Gender: sweet baby boy!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: round ligament pain and feet swelling

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: in love <3

Looking forward to: my next ultrasound!! Wednesday, you can't get here soon enough! I'm ready to see my little man!!

Pregnancy: Week 23

Wow! I absolutely cannot believe that I am already 24 weeks as of yesterday. This pregnancy is flying by! When we first found out that little man was on his way, I thought for sure the whole process would be long and grueling but honestly, it is anything but! Yes, there are uncomfortable moments, but for the most part, the days just fly by and I have really enjoyed my pregnancy, thus far. He is so much more mobile now and responds to things around him, especially country music. (no surprise there!) I came back home from Texas last Friday and Zach's family took us on vacation to Myrtle Beach this past week. It was so nice to actually be able to spend some time together after being apart for the month. It was Zach's first time being able to feel Dakota kick and his reaction was priceless! Everytime he hears Koda's heartbeat, feels him kick, sees him on ultrasound, or really, anytime anything having to do with Koda comes up, Zach gets this look of pure happiness on his face. It is impossible to match and is one of my favorite things in the world to see. Here's my update!

How far along? 24 Weeks as of yesterday

Total weight gain: Haven't checked in about a week. Last check was still just 4 lbs.

Maternity clothes? dresses, dresses, dresses!

Stretch Marks? a couple small ones on the tata's =P

Sleep: good, for the most part

Best moment this week: Seeing Zach's reaction to feeling Koda kick

Miss Anything? summer cocktails!

 Movement? NON STOP! I'm starting to think he's gonna be a bull rider! lol

Food cravings?: sweets

Anything making you queasy or sick: leftover food...weird!

Gender: sweet baby boy!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: round ligament pain and feet swelling 

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: overjoyed

Looking forward to: my next ultrasound

Myrtle Beach
Our vacation with Zach's family was so much fun! We got to spend the whole week visiting boardwalks, beaches, and parks. =] If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it! But, I would also recommend saving up lots of money! LOL! There are lots of nice restaurants and attractions, but most of them were a bit too pricey for us, at this time. We are planning on going back, though, to do some of the things that we couldn't this time. Like, check out the Ripley's aquarium! The boardwalks that they have are really nice, especially Broadway at the Beach. There was a smaller one closer to where we were staying, but we didn't enjoy that one quite as much. There were lots of people there hounding you to go on some tour  and 'get paid'....whatever...and people would stand at the doors of their shops and try to talk you into coming in and if you kept walking, they'd get kind of rude! Other than that though, it was pretty enjoyable and opens up right onto the beach.We did go out to dinner one night, just us, at a place called Gulf Stream Cafe, and got a picture.

=]

Pregnancy: Week 21

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. As you can most likely imagine, things have been quite hectic! I've been home since the beginning of the month and got to have my baby shower and, best of all, see some family! I'm currently at my brother's house recording some music, which I haven't had the opportunity to do in quite some time. (In case you didn't know, one of my hobbies is singing/songwriting) I absolutely cannot believe how quickly the whole month has flown by though, and how much my little man has grown!! He is SO much stronger now! He is extremely active most of the time and has apparently discovered my bladder, which he thinks is his own personal trampoline! LOL! Here's my update for the week.

How far along? 21 Weeks

Total weight gain: still just 4 lbs! I can't believe it!

Maternity clothes? shorts and tops! I finally went shopping and stocked up! No more peek-a-boo belly!!

Stretch Marks? nope

Sleep: good, but Koda likes to kick when I first lay down for bed and sometimes throughout the night.

Best moment this week: Having my baby shower!

Miss Anything? Feta cheese!

Movement? non stop and MUCH stronger!

Food cravings?: salad.

Anything making you queasy or sick: not as of late

Gender: boy!!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: round ligament pain 

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: excited and impatient

Looking forward to: Going home and finally being able to be with Zach again!!!

Pregnancy: Week 19

This past Thursday I flew home to TX to spend some time with my family and to have my baby shower! I'm missing Zach so much and I'm thinking that little Koda does, too! He has really started moving a lot more since I left NC! His kicks are so strong that others are able to feel him now! My sister, especially! Any time I feel him start to kick, I let her know and she'll feel and she just gets the biggest smile on her face! She talks to him, too which I think is adorable! He's started kicking so hard that when I lay down I can actually see where he's kicking me! It makes me so happy! It's one of my favorite things to do. Just sit and wait for his next little kick =] My belly has been changing a lot too! One day, it will be bigger than I've ever seen it and on days like today, I guess he's hiding or something, because my stomach looks (almost) flat! Here's some updates from this week:

How far along? 19 Weeks

Total weight gain: 4.5 lbs

Maternity clothes? these pat few days I've been lounging inside so, sweats mostly, but when I go out, I opt for empire waist dresses

Stretch Marks? nope

Sleep: good, for the most part.

Best moment this week: seeing my family react when they felt Dakota kick!

Miss Anything? Zach! Can't wait to get home and be with him again!

Movement? non stop for the most part!

Food cravings?: chips and salsa

Anything making you queasy or sick: not as of late

Gender: boy!!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: round ligament pain, back aches

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: amazed and excited!

Looking forward to: My baby shower!