iDiva

I got a new toy :o)

That's right, I invested in an iPad!

I know, I know what you're thinking - how can she just drop that kind of cash on a selfish, frivolous purchase when she's expecting a baby in three months?! Well... I didn't completely splurge, I got a refurbished 1st generation iPad for $150 less than the new one is currently selling for ;o)

My four year old off-brand laptop finally bit the dust and so I've been using my work laptop as my everything machine. Unfortunately come September once that aforementioned baby is born and I am no longer working, I will also no longer have access to said work laptop. As a result, we decided it was time to invest in a computer that is (1) practical, and (2) durable enough to stand up to my abuse.

Enter the iPad...

It's small, lightweight, and supposedly idiot proof lol From what I've heard of Macs it is supposed to be a lot more difficult to get viruses on them, which is apparently an issue for me when it comes to computers. Don't ask me how, but I've managed to crash every.single.computer I've ever owned - I swear it's just a ploy by the PC marketing gurus to get me to spend more money on their products.

No less, I've been told that the iPad has all that I will need.

But why the iPad1 vs. the new iPad2?

Well the primary difference between the two is (1) the new version has a camera, and (2) the new one also has a faster processing speed. However, (1) I don't need a camera on my iPad because I have a new DSLR and a loaded desktop computer for photo storing and editing, and (2) I am by no means a "gamer" and so I wont be needing a faster processor on my iPad. Thus the older (and less expensive) version simply made more sense.

So far I am really enjoying it and feeling like it was a good purchase.

24w6d

Yikes!!!

Late again :o(

Tisk. tisk Katrina!

With the long holiday weekend, I just got caught up in all of the festivities and trying to enjoy the nice weather! We had rain on Friday night, so our plans to attend the local Zoo Brew were a wash... but we ended up going to see the Hangover 2 instead (not the best movie I've seen, would have rather saved the friggin $9 and waited for it to come out on DVD). The rest of the weekend was actually pretty nice and we were really busy, so please forgive me - I promise to try to be a better blogger from now on!

How far along: 24w6d

This weeks' weight gain/loss: 0lbs

Total weight gain/loss: -5lbs

Symptoms: Noticing some swelling here and there with the warm weather. Other than that the heartburn is still kicking my butt (ugh) and the lower back pain is still going strong.

Maternity clothes: All maternity at this point.

Stretch marks: yes :o( around the hips, lower abdomen and thighs *sigh*

Best moment this week: DH finally got to feel him kick from the outside!!! He's been telling everyone about it, he's so excited. I love it! Hopefully the trend continues!

Movement: Kicks on and off all week, enough for DH to finally feel from the outside.

Food cravings: I've been on a hardcore lemonade kick lately - McDonald's Frozen Strawberry Lemonades are my absolute fave!!! I just can't get enough!!!

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Any baby related purchases: Finally picked up our used Graco Snugrider Snap 'n Go that we got from Craigslist for only $25!!! It was a great find and we're thrilled to have it!

Milestones: We're passed v-day (thank goodness) and feeling kicks from the outside!!!

V-Day

Today we're officially 24 weeks along in this pregnancy.


It's a bit of a milestone, medically speaking - this week is considered the week of viability!


In other words, if Owen was (GOD FORBID) born now, he would at least have a chance at survival. Obviously, we want him to stay in there and continue to grow for many more weeks, but 24 weeks still feels nice to reach.


No other major updates, just wanted to mark the occasion :o)

Showers

There are plans in the works for Owen's baby shower :o)

I am very lucky and blessed to have so many wonderful and generous people in my life...

My mom, aunt and best friend are throwing me a shower for my side of the family in July, when I will be approximately 33 weeks pregnant. They've selected a beautiful venue (indoors with AC, thank goodness lol) and will be serving a lovely lunch, complete with games and prizes.

(the room where the shower will be - apologies for the crappy photo)

Right outside of the venue is the lake - so although this very poor quality picture was taken during the drab and dreary winter, it's actually very very beautiful during the summer season. And of course the space will be much more tastefully decorated than you see here.

My awesome and amazingly talented best friend made the invitations for the event!

 

They are adorable and I absolutely love them!

I love event planning and it is killing me not to have complete control over all of this lol luckily they understand and have asked for my input on a lot of things. The rest of the time I am trying my hardest not to just butt in haha

From what I've been told, the theme is going to be Rubber Duckies :o) And all of the decor will be in blue and yellow tones. There is going to be some absolutely adorable decorations at this shower, boy am I excited!

(some of their inspiration)

I cannot wait to see how it all turns out. But most of all, I cannot wait to spend the afternoon with a bunch of wonderful women! I love showers and this promises to be a great one!

23w5d

Please pass the tardy-sauce, I am late with my weekly update lol

We had a busy weekend and so I didn't get to as much of the clerical stuff as I would have liked, but it was totally worth it - we finally had some nice weather around here and just had to get out to take advantage!

How far along: 23w5d

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +1lb

Total weight gain/loss: -5lbs

Symptoms: This was our first weekend of really nice summer-ish weather, so it was a testament as to how I am going to handle the rest of the pregnancy throughout the summer - my prediction at this point is so-so lol Aside from getting hotter faster than I usually do, it really wasn't all that bad... at first. But after a while the back pain set in and so did the swelling (ugh). I have a feeling my rings aren't going to last much longer and am thinking about going to look for some cheapies to replace them for the duration.

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity at this point.

Stretch marks: yes :o( around the hips, lower abdomen and thighs *sigh*

Best moment this week: Seeing my extended family for the first time and getting lots of congrats :o)

Movement: Same as usual, which is a lot. Waiting for stronger kicks so that DH can feel from the outside.

Food cravings: Trying to eat as healthy as possible - we went to the public market this weekend and stocked up on fruit and veggies, which I am absolutely loving! Trying to ignore my cravings for cake and other sweets lol

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Any baby related purchases: Our glider and ottoman set came in yesterday! We absolutely LoVe it!!! It was super easy to assemble and exactly what we wanted - super comfortable and matches the furniture perfectly!

Milestones: V-day is this Wednesday!!! I can hardly believe it!

Please ignore this lovely picture of me... t-shirts are no longer flattering (ugh), the boobs are out of control and my tummy is alllllllllll baby! Wish I had one of those cute little pregnant bellies that look like you swallowed a beach ball lol *sigh* sadly, no such luck here :o( 

No less...

That's our glider and ottoman set - it's a Shermag in the mocha color combo

22w4d

How far along: 22w4d

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +2lbs

Total weight gain/loss: -6lbs

Symptoms: Feeling HuGe this week! My stomach gets really sore whenever I eat, it's like between the food and the baby my stomach has no more room left lol And of course my lower back is still killing me!

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity at this point.

Stretch marks: yes :o( around the hips, lower abdomen and thighs *sigh*

Best moment this week: Lots of strong kicks!!! And he responds to music :o)

Movement: Oh yea, a lot! He was kickin the crap outta me the other day :o)

Food cravings: Starting to be able to finish meals again :o) Trying to eat as healthy as possible, even though still nothing really sounds appetizing... still just eating because I have to.

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Any baby related purchases: We ordered our Glider and Ottoman set this week, a gift from my in-laws! Should arrive in a few weeks :o) We also purchased our bouncy seat... the Fisher Price Snug-a-Bunny seat! I have it on my registries, but no one ever seems to have it in stock. So when we found it in-store, on sale, and had a coupon we couldn't pass it up!

Milestones: Owen weighs over 1lb now!!! And we're done with regular ultrasounds until 33 weeks!!! It's hard to believe we wont see him again for over 10 weeks and then when he's born!!! Whoa! But our last ultrasound was great, the tech was able to get the rest of the measurements that she needed even though he was being uncooperative again lol

He gave us a great profile shot this time!!!

And the tech went into 3D for us a couple of times...

His sweet little face with his little hand by his head

With his mouth open lol

Sleepy boy, rolled over for a nap

Mother's Day (21w4d)

Going for a little bit of a non-traditional weekly update this week, in honor of Mother's Day :o)

I am a firm believer in the idea that you become a mother, as soon as you see those two lines on a pregnancy test. I've been carrying Owen around for almost 22 weeks now and feel very much like a mother - I make decisions for his health and well being, I care for him, I love him... I am a mother!

Luckily my wonderful and amazing husband feels the same way :o)

Although I didn't honestly expect him to, or think that he would, do anything for Mother's Day this year - he proved to me, yet again, what a fantastic man he is and surprised me with the greatest Mother's Day gift!

A very sweet mother-to-be Mother's Day card (apparently very difficult to find, so he's told me lol) and a new Willow Tree figurine for my collection (we received two couples figurines as wedding gifts).

I was so surprised (which is very difficult to do, I don't typically like being surprised and do everything in my power to spoil things lol) and so touched by this gesture... there aren't even words.

Other people wished me a Happy Mother's Day as well - I am looking more and more pregnant these days, there's no denying Owen's in there lol. It was a great first Mother's Day! Thank you everyone!

In honor and memory...

Yesterday was also the EDD (est due date) of our first baby :o(

Our situation made Mother's Day bitter sweet this year. I took a moment to myself yesterday, to remember and pray for our lost little one. Owen helped pay respects to his sibling as well, he gave me a nice solid kick as we were sitting there in silence.

We know that our sweet little angel is up in heaven looking down on us and watching over his/her new bother [Owen]. This thought alone gives me peace and although yesterday was bittersweet, I am looking forward to our wonderful future.

To all of you mothers out there with "empty arms" - whether you're trying or have lost - I pass along lots of thoughts and prayers for you all, that someday soon your dreams may also come true ((((hugs))))

Bargin Shopper

I am not lol

As a child my mom would occasionally drag me to garage sales and consignment shops, in search of good deals and bargains. Either she wasn't very good at it herself or I just never paid much attention, because I am awful at it lol

Having your first baby, you suddenly realize how expensive everything is - who knew something so little could need so much! And there are sooooooo many different options out there, which of course range in price and quality.

So far we've been doing pretty well saving $$$ here and there, when and where we can - as demonstrated in my BabySteals post from last week. Of course that was a special circumstance, as the item was still brand new and just a really good deal price wise.

I know there's many people out there who live for the good bargain find and are willing to buy anything second hand if it means saving a few bucks. Now, I'm not saying that I am against used items by any means... but there are some things that I am just not willing to have around my baby, not knowing exactly what or who has happened to them in the past.

At this point, we have decided that we are willing to look at any item without fabric as a potential second hand purchase. My primary reasoning behind this is because items without fabric can easily be cleaned and sterilized or disinfected. Where as most items with fabric on them, are not removable and cannot easily be thrown into the wash for a proper cleaning.

One item that I am really interested in snagging for a second hand price is a Snap 'n Go stroller frame.

Clearly this item is just a metal frame and therefore can easily be wiped down for sterilization.

But sold brand new in stores, this hunk of metal retails for around $75!!!

Whoa, I'm sorry but that is just not something that I am (1) willing to spend myself, or (2) willing to ask someone else to spend for me (i.e. registering for one). That's a lot of money for something so simple, that will only be used for a few months while the baby is still an infant.

I love our "top-of-the-line" jogging stroller and have registered for the infant seat adapter, so that will be our primary stroller. But I would like something a little smaller for trips to the mall and stores, where the aisles are a little bit tighter and the larger jogging stroller may not maneuver quite as well.

So I've been stalking our local Craigslist, waiting for a good deal to arise. Someone posted an ad recently, wanting $35 for hers - she responded to me yesterday and it was still available. Now it's been posted for a month now and still available, so I am hoping that she will be willing to take $25 for it - still waiting for a response today, so we shall see soon enough!

20w4d

How far along: 20w4d

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +2lbs

Total weight gain/loss: -8lbs

Symptoms: Still dealing with lots of lower back pain this week - one night is was so bad when I woke up, that I could barely walk :o( Other than that, I am eating because I have to but my once insatiable appetite is still nowhere to be found...

Maternity clothes: All maternity pants and some shirts when I want to change up the wardrobe, but my regular shirts still fit for the most part and I still utilize them most of the time.

Stretch marks: yes :o( around the hips, lower abdomen and thighs *sigh*

Best moment this week: Feeling lots and lots of movement!!!

Movement: I can feel him pretty much everyday now :o)

Food cravings: Still eating because I have to, and not because anything actually sounds appetizing. The local public markets open up around here next week, looking forward to getting some fresh veggies and fruit in this house on a regular basis :o)

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Any baby related purchased: A few more adorable little outfits (of course), and our Ergobaby Sport Carrier!!! Snagged that little beauty on BabySteals for half off!!! We simply couldn't resist!

Milestones: We are officially half baked this past week!!!