27 Weeks

How far along? 27 Weeks

Total weight gain: 17 lbs+
Maternity clothes? maternity leggings, sweatpants & the hair tie trick still allows me to wear my old jeans.. but got a few gap maternity shirts that fit so awesome!
Stretch marks? no, knock on wood!
Sleep: still sleeping great, sometimes I sleep so deep that I don't even wake up to pee! woohoo!!
Best moment this week: Thanksgiving dinner + leftovers! Was so excited to eat cold turkey on bread the next day!
Miss Anything? our Thanksgiving hosts had such an amazing collection of delicious cocktails, wine, beer & champagne which made my mouth water... BUT instead I drank an entire bottle of sparkling cider which was amazing since I crave apple flavored everything all the time! 
Movement: all the time, still trying to figure out what big lumps are her head or her bum! :)
Food cravings: still everything sweet! This week's lineup consisted of more french toast, key lime pie & dipped pretzels...which are dangerously addicting! Also bought a donut cutter yesterday & found an awesome healthier recipe for baked donuts... I'm sure they will be the shit!
Anything making you queasy or sick: still feeling grossed out by red meat.. and hot coffee is getting to me again. bummer!
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Heartburn all day every day... tums helps & so does milk. Other than that, I still get pain in my lower ribs, but as long as I sit up very straight, it goes away pretty quickly.
Belly Button in or out? flat as a pancake
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY!
Looking forward to: the Holidays!! I love this time of year so much, picking out (and cutting down)our tree next week at a tree farm here in GA (Griswold style!!), then some Christmas parties (dress shopping!) & going home to spend almost two weeks with our family in Iowa. Pretty nervous about the 12 hour road trip, but if I feel as good as I do now, it should be a piece of cake.

26 Weeks

I know I am one week behind on posting - I have been so busy with work & holiday party invitations that I haven't had time to blog at all! 27 Week mark was on Wednesday, plan to upload the pic & post while stuffing my face with Thanksgiving leftovers this weekend :)

Maternity Leggings from The Gap, Tank & Sweater From Express

How far along? 26 Weeks

Total weight gain: 17 lbs+
Maternity clothes? wearing leggings most of the time - also looking extra sexy by flipping up my yoga pants fold-over-flap up over my belly
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: sleeping great, I do wake up with sore hips & shoulders from sleeping on my side, but I really have to say that buying a tempur-pedic earlier this year might be a life saver right now
Best moment this week: making major progress on the nursery (crib finally came!) & having Thanksgiving dinner a week early
Miss Anything? drooling over the seasonal beers at the grocery store these days.. also starting to miss going for a good solid run or a sweaty workout.. I don't have the energy to do much these days in terms of working out, not to mention the dr. recommends not doing anything too strenuous. Looking forward to getting in shape in the spring :)
Movement: all the time, we are so entertained feeling her move around when we lay in bed at night. She is definitely a night owl.. mostly moving late at night, when I wake up in the middle of the night I feel her & also she is a wiggle worm early in the morning. I'm sure that's a little preview of my soon-to-be sleep schedule in a few months.
Food cravings: french toast!! Smelled like maple syrup outside, therefore I immediately had to make it for dinner - turns out my glucose test was the next morning so before I went to bed I read the instructions for the next day ...apparently you're supposed to "eat a very balanced dinner the night before your test, with lots of fruits, veggies & protein." Well... fucked that up.
Anything making you queasy or sick: tacos - still pissed about the gross tacos & horse fly incident.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Rib pain is getting pretty uncomfortable these days.. assuming that is only going to get way worse. Heartburn lingers ALL day long no matter what I eat... cereal & milk for breakfast? Boom! Heartburn. Fantastic.
Belly Button in or out? flat as a pancake
Wedding rings on or off? on - so surprised I don't have swollen fingers/toes yet. Although I have some real sausages to begin with, so I'm not sure how much worse they can get.
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY! Sometimes I feel like I might burst with happiness...sounds cheesy... but so true.
Looking forward to: more turkey, black Friday shopping, starting our classes at the hospital...and going to Iowa for the Holidays! :)

Side note about the Glucose Test for Gestational Diabetes - It was not that bad!! I heard sooo many horror stories about how awful the stuff tastes & how torturous it is to sit there with only that on an empty stomach. Honestly, it tasted like I woke up & slammed a flat Orange Sunkist soda. I didn't mind it at all. The only thing that sucked was that I couldn't eat breakfast...  I wanted a jelly donut so bad. And for the record, I did eat apples & egg whites with my french toast the night before.. so doc said it should not skew my results one bit. Hoping I pass with flying colors so I can safely indulge in sweets for the rest of my pregnancy.

25 Weeks

Note to self - pack away the horizontal striped shirts until next year.

How far along? 25 Weeks
Total weight gain: 17 lbs+
Maternity clothes? still wearing most of my old clothes - using the ol' hair tie trick to hold my jeans closed.
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: still sleeping great
Best moment this week: just feeling overly excited/happy about everything right now & the reality that babygirl will be here in less than 100 days (unless I deliver way late..) Just trying to soak it all in!
Miss Anything? would certainly have loved a frosty cold beer during this fun football weekend :) also hit up dunkin' donuts this weekend to fulfill my jelly filled donut craving & was drooling over the turkey flatbread.. definitely need to put that on my "after-baby" menu
Movement: all the time, it's fun to see her moving from the outside, or when her head is right in the middle of my stomach & we can see a big lump there
Food cravings: still sweets & fruit - I eat a bag of sliced apples a day....sometimes dipped in cream cheese frosting..BUT it's the healthy thought that counts, right? :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: tacos - really any sort of ground beef sort of turns me off lately.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: the round ligament pain has subsided, but the rib pain is still around. worst of all - HEARTBURN. I get it a few times a day from anything I eat. If the old wives tales are true, little G will be born with as much hair as I currently have right now.
Belly Button in or out? flat as a pancake
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY! Although I did have a bit of a moody-pregnancy-meltdown the other night when there was a horsefly in the house buzzing all around our heads when we were trying to watch tv. Topped with me gagging trying to eat a taco that I wasn't aware would gross me out - it ended with me chucking a bag of tortilla chips across the room & going upstairs to cry. WTF? Talk about an overreaction.
Looking forward to: the crib got held up at the warehouse - so still looking forward to it's arrival. But most of all, excited that this is my husband's LAST week of traveling before the baby comes & my parents are coming for some pre-Thanksgiving festivities this weekend! Can't wait to cook lots of good food, shop til my ankles can't take it anymore & spend time with my family :)

24 Weeks

How far along? 24 Weeks
Total weight gain: almost 17 lbs! WHOA MAMA. Yes, that  means I gained almost 6 lbs. this month... thank you Halloween.
Maternity clothes? as you can see in this pic I am still trying to squeeze into my old favorite UnderAmour shirt for the IOWA Game. Clearly it is not working out.
Stretch marks? Not yet, but I have a baaaaaad feeling that strange brown line is about to make it's debut below my belly button. Should probably host a contest for someone to help me name it (keep in mind.. husband is very scared of it)
Sleep: still sleeping great
Best moment this week:  Hearing at my 24 week appointment that everything is still looking good & going smoothly! I just feel so lucky & blessed that my pregnancy has been so great so far.. let's hope we can say the same about the labor! :)
Miss Anything? the clear winner... cocktails! already thinking about a mimosa-less thanksgiving morning
Movement: more & more each day!
Food cravings: still sweets & fruit - should probably work on fulfilling my fruit craving more than my sweets craving if I don't want to gain 50 lbs.
Anything making you queasy or sick: apparently eating an entire bag of grapes wasn't the best idea..but otherwise, no
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: I thought it would be good to add in a "symptoms" line item - this way I can document that I started having round ligament pain, rib pain & a hefty case of "swollen ankles" right around this time.
Belly Button in or out? In-ish
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY
Looking forward to: the crib will be arriving this week! So excited to see it in the room! We also ordered a new leather ottoman/coffee table to replace our hardwood one that we currently have - that will be here this week as well! I will need to take some pics & share a little house tour soon! :)

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 lbs. +
Maternity clothes? Wearing one in this pic... Tummyts.com has the cutest maternity tops!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great... strangely not waking up to pee as much even
Best moment this week:  Halloween! Loved eating all the candy, watching my favorite movies, dressing up & painting my belly like a pumpkin..pics to come! :) ALSO, jackpot, found a dresser/armoire on craigslist for the nursery!
Miss Anything? DRINKING...what else is there to miss??
Movement: all the time. we love laying in bed in the morning & feeling her move all over when we wake up
Food cravings: Halloween candy is the culprit this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Round ligament pain & rib pain
Belly Button in or out? In-ish
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY
Looking forward to: more nursery decorating, getting our crib next week & having my parents come visit in November!

22 Weeks

Leggings from Gap, Shirt from Victorias Secret, Scarf from JCrew

How far along? 22 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Bought some cute shirts on sale from Gap Maternity.. although I don't quite fill them out yet.. I think I will be happy that I have them in a few more weeks
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great
Best moment this week: I won a free 3D ultrasound!! We got to see babygirl on the big screen...what a little sweetheart rubbing her eyes & pulling her legs up by her head.
Miss Anything? One of these days I might have something else that I miss as much as booze. Doubt it though. And now it's Halloween (followed by more holidays) and I will be missing the cocktailing festivities. I am going to whip up some warm apple cider for our Halloween party.. so at least I have that to look forward to :)
Movement: felt (what I think was) baby hiccups last night in bed!
Food cravings: sweets of all sorts... dear God candy corn is addicting.
Anything making you queasy or sick: too much candy corn?
Have you started to show yet: see picture above
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In... it is hanging on for dear life.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy as a clam
Looking forward to: HALLOWEEN...and thinking about what the baby will be next year! I LOVE making costumes... this year we are going as The Wet Bandits (Harry & Marv) from Home Alone. Also looking forward to after Halloween baby outfit deals :)

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 11 lbs+
Maternity clothes? Still just rockin' the Maternity Leggings.. cold weather is so convenient for being pregnant
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great
Best moment this week: scoring lots of good deals at Baby Gap! :)
Miss Anything?cocktails of all sorts ..although I found my new favorite beverage of all time.. Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks. Might become my newest obsession.
Movement: baby girl moves all day long & I love it so much!! Everyone was right when they said it is the best part of pregnancy.
Food cravings: still loving sweets.. Cinnabon and all things cinnamon sound pretty darn good every second of every day.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada
Have you started to show yet: Yes..although lots of people tell me that I still don't look pregnant. Hmm...then I just look like a fat ass I suppose.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In for now..but it is starting to look more odd every day.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: one happy camper.
Looking forward to: THE HOLIDAYS! I can't believe it's almost time for Halloween (can't wait to finish making our costumes!!) This is my favorite time of year & I feel like babygirl can feel my constant happiness & excitement from inside my belly! :)

20 Weeks

How far along? 20 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 11 lbs gained, up to 122 lbs at my 20 week appointment
Maternity clothes? Still just rockin' the best ever Gap Maternity Leggings & sweats most days
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Still sleeping great.. getting sick of midnight bathroom breaks & starting to get stiff from laying on my side
Best moment this week: seeing baby girl at my 20 week ultrasound & hearing that all is healthy and good!
Miss Anything? beer, wine, margaritas, beergaritas, jager bombs, jell-o shots, spiked apple cider..............................
Movement: baby girl is a mover & a shaker... and I love every minute of it!
Food cravings: had a bit of a tantrum at the grocery store trying to get my hands on some Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream the other day.. continue to crave sweets.. bring on the Halloween Candy!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In.. although I literally jumped when I saw my belly button the other day when I was getting into the shower... that shit is SHALLOW these days.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happier than I've ever been in my entire life!!
Looking forward to:  More fun nursery decorating and the big one... PICKING BABY GIRL'S NAME!

19 Weeks

How far along? 19.5 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 8+ lbs gained so far
Maternity clothes? Still just rockin' the leggings & sweats most days
Stretch marks? No - let's hope the Mustela cream I bought works!
Sleep: Sleep is great
Best moment this week: realizing that I am almost halfway there.. BOOM!
Miss Anything? A tasty Oktoberfest or two... or eight.
Movement: so much movement this week!
Food cravings: continue to crave sweets along with Chipotle Burritos which I could literally eat for every meal.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada.
Have you started to show yet: Yup!
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to:  My 20 Week ultrasound this week!
 

In other news, we painted the nursery this weekend!!  Brandon was such a champ, he did almost the entire room since technically I'm not supposed to be around paint much.

 For the parts of the trimming that I did, I wore a stupid facemask that made me breathe my own hot burrito breath. I was NOT a fan. So I volunteered to leave in the middle to get another gallon of paint when we ran out... and came back with ice cream. Go figure.

The color is called "Toasted White" by Glidden. I am beyond happy with the results! Even though it is still very light, the grey really makes the trim pop & gives the room an airy, soothing vibe. I will post before & after pics soon! Also, thanks to all for the comments & suggestions about the nursery, I loved reading all of your advice! I definitely noticed a consensus about the changing table being unnecessary.. which is good since I already purchased this cabinet to use. 

I feel like I am getting very far ahead in nursery decorations - which is totally my style since I've also been listening to Christmas music for about a month now. Fa LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! :)

18 Weeks

How far along? 18 Weeks, 5 Days
Total weight gain/loss: 8lbs gained - weighed myself on the giant grocery store scale at Publix like a ass since I don't have a scale at home
Maternity clothes? I work from home, so my wardrobe consists of sweatpants, yogapants & (maternity) leggings. When I have to go places, I rock the bella band over my unbuttoned jeans.. or a dress.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Still sleeping great - minus the frequent trips to the bathroom and the bizarre dreams
Best moment this week: feeling babygirl kicking from the outside!!!! She is soooo active, I feel her many times a day.
Miss Anything? I will state the obvious - beer. But I would like to add lunchmeat. There is a pound of boar's head turkey in our fridge that I would like to demolish right now... this is coming from the girl who hated deli sandwiches with a passion.
Movement: and lots of it!
Food cravings: Sweets! This week's favorites include Cinnabon & jelly filled donuts. Bring on the THARMS.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada.
Have you started to show yet: My baby belly has officially surpassed my sophomore year beer belly.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Other than Thanksgiving... my 20 week ultrasound! :)

Week 17

How far along? 17 Weeks, 4 Days
Total weight gain/loss: 6 pounds gained
Maternity clothes? still just rocking the maternity leggings so far
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great
Best moment this week: feeling lots of movement every day!
Miss Anything? have I mentioned that I miss drinking beer?? :)
Movement: I feel big waves of movement (maybe somersaults?) and kicks on and off all day.. I love it!
Food cravings: sweets!! We discovered a new frozen yogurt place that serves wedding cake flavor... wedding cake fro yo in a waffle cone with kit kat & rainbow sprinkles on top... sign me up!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing lately! I have been easing my way back into coffee even.. just in time for pumpkin spice lattes.
Have you started to show yet: I'm gonna go with yes - had the first stranger ask me when my baby is due this week!
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move on the outside so daddy can finally feel it... and Thanksgiving.

16 Weeks

Found out Wednesday, September 7th that we are having a baby GIRL!! Can't even begin to describe my excitement.... We are SO happy & love knowing more about the little person that we are so excited to meet! Boys run in my family so I thought I might have a boy first... but I had a hunch all along that it was a girl. So excited to start buying headbands & nursery decor!! :)

How far along? 16 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 6 pounds gained - up from 111 to 117
Maternity clothes? still just rocking the maternity leggings so far
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great, minus waking up to pee every night at 3 am.
Best moment this week: finding out that baby G is a SHE! :)
Miss Anything? being pregnant & not able to drink during football season should be a crime... I am pretty sure I drooled all over myself picking up a 12 pack of Oktoberfest for my husband the other day
Movement: Feeling it just a little each day!
Food cravings: Fruits & sweets still ... guessing all the sugar is contributing to my weight gain more than the growing babe in my belly... what you're not supposed to eat four bowls of chocolate cherios for breakfast??
Anything making you queasy or sick: Coffee.. what a shame.. I can't wait to enjoy it again.
Have you started to show yet: still just a little bump
Gender prediction: Girl.. and I was right! I have had so many dreams recently having a baby girl who looks just like me when I was a baby... weird but I always wake up so happy!
Labor Signs: No (I will shit when I finally say yes to this question.. so nervous!!)
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Feeling more movement & finally being able to do some shopping!

15 Weeks

First things first, I just want to say THANK YOU to all of you for your super sweet comments & all of the encouragement!! Everyone has been so sweet & I really appreciate all of the comments, each one of them makes my day! Also, for anyone who as asked about where the chalkboard came from,  here is the updated tutorial for how I made it! :)

And now for 15 Weeks....

How far along? 15 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 3.5 lbs (Probably more by now, we'll find out later this week!)
Maternity clothes? Bought a few things, but not wearing any yet
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great, minus waking up to pee every night at 3 am.
Best moment this week: no headaches ALL week & more baby movement!!
Miss Anything? Pounding beer during football games... first Iowa Hawkeye game in six years that I wasn't blacking out by third quarter. Classy lady! :)
Movement: Feeling it just a little each day!
Food cravings: Fruits & sweets still... bought Chewy Sprees at the movie theatre instead of popcorn...who AM I?
Anything making you queasy or sick: Coffee
Have you started to show yet: more this week for sure
Gender prediction: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Finding out if we are having a boy or a girl in just a few days!! What do you think it is?! :)

14 Weeks

How far along? 14 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 3.5 lbs (from 111 to 114.5)
Maternity clothes? Bought a few things, but not wearing any yet
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great
Best moment this week: having a day WITHOUT a headache
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Drinking. This could potentially be my answer every week, especially every week until football season is over.
Movement: I swear I felt something this week!! A few different times I felt a fish-swimming-in-my-belly feeling that made me very aware of my stomach. Definitely not gas... potentially my imagination.
Food cravings: Fruits & sweets still... it's amazing how turned off I am to greasy salty food when I'm not hungover all the time :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Coffee
Have you started to show yet: looking chubby for sure
Gender prediction: Girl - we will find out in less than 2 weeks!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Finding out the gender & feeling the baby move!


In other news, I started prenatal YOGA, have been getting headaches like they're going out of style (I will make a batch of homemade oatmeal cream pies for anyone who can give me a solution to getting rid of them!) & am officially rocking the unbuttoned jeans look this week. 

Second Trimester here we come!

How far along? 13 Weeks, 5 Days
Total weight gain/loss: 3.5 lbs (from 111 to 114.5)
Maternity clothes? 2 pair of maternity leggings
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great
Best moment this week: finally heading into the 2nd trimester
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Beer, sushi & COFFEE. Such a bummer that my two favorite drinks are off limits. Guess that leads me to a few McDonalds Cokes every now and then... which is accompanied by a 10 piece chicken nugget meal. Go figure.
Movement: Not yet... Hopefully SOON!
Food cravings: Peaches, Plums... anything fruity or sweet.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Coffee & Red Meat
Have you started to show yet: A little bump so far.. gets much bigger at the end of the day!
Gender prediction: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Finding out the gender & feeling the baby move!

12 Weeks

How far along? 12 Weeks, 3 Days
Total weight gain/loss: 3.5 lbs (from 111 to 114.5)
Maternity clothes? 2 pair of maternity leggings - why don't people normally wear these?! So comfortable!!
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: In the late afternoon I get pretty tired, but sleep great at night still
Best moment this week: Our 12 week ultrasound, getting to see the little babe!
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Beer, Hot Dogs & Sushi!!! Would love to have a few of each right meow.
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: Peaches, Watermelon, Plums & Cinnamon Rolls
Anything making you queasy or sick: Coffee & Red Meat
Have you started to show yet: A little bump so far - basically looks like I ate a few too many cupcakes, which is typically the case
Gender prediction: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: Go to the chiropractor! Got an adjustment this week after weeks of tailbone pain since I got pregnant, I have never felt better!
Looking forward to: Getting a bigger bump & finding out the gender! :)

Little Baby Garvin at our 12 Week Ultrasound

Bump

I thought I would document the growing bump each week via my beloved chalkboard! The first pic we took at 8 weeks after my first ultrasound. I wanted one picture with the chalkboard the way it was when I announced the news! Also happy to get one picture in our old apartment before we moved to the townhouse :)

Now for the real deal. I wouldn't say it is necessarily a cute baby bump yet, it is merely a collection of the mass amounts of peaches, peanut butter & egg and cheese bagels that I have been eating. Luckily so far I have only been craving healthy foods, I could eat fruit for every meal! Peaches are my favorite (those Georgia Peaches sure came in handy) but I also love eating apple slices with peanut butter, pears, plums & watermelon. I have no interest in red meat, lots more chicken & pork chops (dipped in applesauce) these days. Coffee is the only thing that makes me not feel so great - although I did have a few puking episodes after eating steak & mashed potatoes, lasagna & enchiladas. 

Alas, the 10 week BUMP.

PS.  I don't even know what a quail looks like. I don't even know how big a prune is.

SURPRISE!

Tuesday afternoon, June 28th, while feeling so tired I could have fallen asleep with my head in my cereal bowl, I decided to make an afternoon pot of coffee. Hot coffee.. hot, yummy, Dunkin Donuts hazelnut coffee. My favorite. Until now... until I took two sips & gagged.

Yep.. I am one of those people who didn't realize that I was pregnant until I was nearly six weeks along, gagging in my yummy coffee, with a cold for over two weeks & a period that was 10 days late.  After collecting my thoughts, I finally got my shit together & took a test. And then two more tests. Each of them promptly confirmed that I was knocked up.

My husband & I had been trying for a few months last year, but no such luck. We found out that we were moving from Florida to Georgia in the Spring, so decided to hold off until we knew where we would be living & got the chance to explore our new area. Turns out "exploring our new area" lead us to a local bar with live music & a few icy cold beverages... which then lead to this!

Although we were completely shocked at first, we are both BEYOND excited to have a baby & feel so blessed!! 

So we will start with my very first belly pic... also known as my very last ab pic. In this pic I was about 4 weeks pregnant & really getting into my Ripped Up Abs workout.

After I discovered that I was pregnant late in the afternoon, I could hardly wait for Brandon to come home from work so I could tell him!! Even though I wanted to call him right away, I had always imagined telling him via our fun chalkboard that I love to draw on! When he finally came home from work, I told him I had something to show him & lead him to the double doors where the chalkboard sat at the end of the hallway.

His response... "are you for-fuckin-real?!" Followed by a huge smile, lots of excitement & pure happiness!

That weekend, we were off to St. Pete to spend the weekend with our best friends at the beach... a five day drinking bender in the beautiful Florida sunshine. Bring on the O'Douls & Ginger Ale. Reality check number one.. from Wild Turkey to cold turkey... NO MORE BOOZE.

After our trip, I scheduled an initial consultation & confirmation appointment, where my amazing doctor got me a super early ultrasound so that I would have pictures to show my family when we shared the news!! Here is the very first picture of Little Baby Garvin.