14 weeks and Ikea!

Week 14 - Little Apple baby

May 20-26

Our baby is growing every day! It's exciting to learn about all the developments happening. This week baby started hearing mine and Michael's voice. We love talking to baby.

2nd trimester has had its ups and downs. There are moments where I feel 90%. I have energy and motivation. I can eat just about anything. It is awesome. I feel like me and then a minute later I am at 20% and I just want to curl in a ball and sleep. I am a lot more dizzy and I have more headaches. And tailbone pain? Didn't know that could be a pregnancy symptom. But we are one week closer to meeting our baby and that makes all of this worth it.

This last week as has been very crazy in the Durham house.
We started our Memorial Day weekend by driving to Chattanooga and staying the night with our dear friends, Brian and Jena. It was the first time for us to meet their precious little girl, Lilly.

Can't handle it...

Breakfast the next day was with the family that I nannied for in college. It was so incredible catching up with them! They are so big!! I can't wait to go back and spend a few days with them, by the pool, relaxing. I love this family so much. 

And then we made our way to Ikea. I was sooo excited to see Tina and Marko. Tina was one my bridesmaids and it had been months since I had seen her. It was so good to catch up!

Now time for baby things! We got so much of our nursery furniture. 

I remember thinking 2 years ago that I can't wait to go back to Ikea when I am pregnant to shop for baby things and here we were!

We wrapped up our weekend visiting with my mentor in highschool and wonderful friend, Sherry. She was in town with her sweet, smily boy, Cooper. 

I mean really, he was all smiles!

Now that babies are on the horizon for us, it's funny how we spent our weekend with so many families and their awesome kids. We can't wait to join 'the club'. 

And now it is time to begin the nursery! 

13 weeks and Heart Beat!

I am really loving 2nd trimester. 

Food is tasting better. I am not as hungry all the time. And there isn't as much nausea.

I still feel exhausted and require naps on long days but I am starting to feel more like myself. 

Every day brings a new moment where I am beginning to grasp that I AM having a baby. This baby is mine and Michael's... It is still taking me a long time for that to sink in. 

Hearing the heart beat the last few weeks has really made reality hit. 

There is nothing quite like hearing your baby inside of you. 

Friday, April 26th - Arbor Day

My midwife surprised us. She just got a new doppler that detects the heart beat earlier than 11 weeks. With me being at 10.5 weeks she wanted to test it out. I rushed home and we heard our little one for about 10 seconds before baby swam away. 

I loved every moment.

Monday, May 6th - Official 2nd Pre-Natal appointment at 12 weeks
I love this sound. Hearing baby inside of me is so magical!
I listen to it every day over and over again.

Only 1 month until we know if baby is a boy or girl! 

12 weeks and Saint Louis

May 5-12

This week has been full of major moments:

1. Monday we announced our pregnancy to 'the world.'
2. We heard our sweet baby's heartbeat for the 2nd time.
3. I am finishing up the 1st trimester.
4. Thursday we got rid of the truck and bought a hybrid!
5. Friday Michael graduated from Vanderbilt with his Masters in Theological Studies.
6. We traveled to Saint Louis for a mini vacation.
7. Sunday I celebrated my 'first' Mother's Day.

Partly because I am wearing a dress, but my belly is less bloated and more baby. The 'bump' has definitely moved up closer to my belly button. Baby is growing!

St. Louis

We love exploring new cities. Michael has been to St. Louis once before but this was my first time. I absolutely LOVE researching new cities. I spent a weekend looking up everything. I researched all James Beard nominated restaurants, mom and pop places, different bloggers, friends advice, etc. St. Louis was a great city for a mini vacation because it was only 4.5 hours away. It was the perfect getaway for the weekend.

Restaurants:

-Mango

-Brasserie by Niche

-Cafe Osage

-Salt

-Rooster

-Eleven Eleven Mississippi

-and of course Ted Drewes

St. Louis has some great free things to do - Zoo, Science Museum, Art Museum, parks and lots of exploring different neighborhoods. 

Baby gave me the sweetest Mother's Day gift. I was able to eat just about everything! I was probably at 80% - only a few moments that I couldn't eat. I think pregnancy is the start of preparation for babies. I had to eat constantly, I needed multiple naps and lots of bathroom breaks. We just had to move slower and do less. But it was still a wonderful time.

 

Incredible breakfast at Brasserie.

A lovely walk through Forest Park. 

I love trees.

St. Louis zoo!

A sleeping hippo. 

But really, I am obsessed with Kangaroos. 

I could have spent the whole day in the butterfly dome. 

Lunch at Cafe Osage was amazing. 

The restaurant is in the middle of a beautiful nursery. 

My handsome model in the nursery. 

A stroll through City Garden. 

Baby loves St. Louis. 

 Obligatory Arch picture

My bff

Poor cell phone quality - only picture from Salt restaurant. 

Mother's Day breakfast at Rooster. They gave out flowers to all the customers. 

And I enjoyed a yummy chai. 

Thank you, Insight, for giving us the first parking spot at the Science Center. 

 These activities aren't just for kids ;)

 Tasty lunch at Eleven Eleven Mississippi.

 Perfect way to end the trip. Brownie custard from Ted Drewes. 

Traveling with my best friend is my favorite thing to do. 

Month 3

Week 8: Sweet Raspberry
April 7 - 13

This week has been marked with utter exhaustion. I never knew that getting out of bed and walking to the couch would require so much pep talk and energy. Brushing my teeth is the biggest accomplishment of the day ;) Fortunately, I feel ok most of the day, it is the evening that is really tough. I don't have morning sickness, I have evening sickness. But it allows me to still go to work and make it through most days. 

I just ordered the book "A Sacred Pregnancy". I am really excited to read it. Don't get me wrong. I am beyond excited to be pregnant, it is what I have dreamed about for 3 years but right now it feels more like an out of body weird thing happening to me. It is strange to have your body changing so quickly and you are not in control of it. I am not totally showing yet, I haven't heard the heart beat, I haven't had an ultrasound so it feels more like something strange is happening to me verses a baby growing inside of me. I can't wait for the first kick and for the moment that I know there is life in there. I want to feel the connection with the little one in there, it just hasn't come naturally yet. But maybe that is normal at 8 weeks. 

Michael and I spent the afternoon dreaming about our future - babies, careers, different countries, travels, so much to dream about!

Week 9: Baby Grape
April 14-20

This week will always be marked with celebration! The Durham family welcomed a new little girl into the family. Sami and Jonathan had Ellis Rose at 2:03 pm on April 15th. She is beautiful and I love her so much already. I can't wait for our babies to be cousin friends. 

Week 10: Darling Kumquat
April 21 - 17

Well sweet baby, you are making me sick this week. Apparently week 10 is when morning sickness really hits - well evening sickness. Dinner time is the worst. Humph - this week has been a wash.

But my husband was so sweet to buy me donuts (current craving) and watch childbirth documentaries with me.

Ina May Gaskin is my hero and I hope to meet her soon!

We love spending time with our precious niece. So soon it will be our turn!

Week 11: Little Lime
April 28 - May 4

Not much happened this week except a funny, emotional moment where I realized that my belly button was changing. I had processed my belly growing and had always visualized what that might look like, but my belly button is a totally different belly button! I had a break down. Michael laughed. We are really having a baby!

Growing Life

Joining creation by growing life.

We will meet our little sprout in November!