30 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 30 Weeks 2 days! Wow, I actually can’t believe it!

Total weight gain:  34 pounds. Down one pound from two weeks ago. Doctor says this is totally normal though as I gained so much last month.

Maternity clothes? I am proud to say I have made it 30 weeks without buying any maternity clothes except for a few non-maternity items that were a tad bigger size. Lets see how long this lasts…

Stretch marks? None yet

Sleep: Sleep is okay. I’m still feeling high energy during the day but I’m having a hard time getting comfortable at night!

Best moment this week: I’m always thrilled to hear baby’s heartbeat; it’s as magical every time as it was the first time.

Miss anything? Just wish I could be a little more active. I have some pubic bone pain which my doc said is normal for someone my size but it makes it hard to walk long distances or hike. Still trying to do lots of this though.

Movement: I think baby is running out of room in there! But still lots of rolls and wiggles.

Food Cravings: Mangoes! So yummy.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No, thank goodness!

Gender prediction: Okay, I just don’t know now!! We can’t WAIT to find out if little Baby Belton is a he or a she!

Labor signs: None.

Belly button in or out? Okay, its officially out. I am not a huge fan of it though.

Wedding rings on or off? On! Actually they aren’t any tighter than normal and I think it’s due to the cooler weather.

Happy or moody most of the time: We are so happy! Can’t wait to meet our little bundle of joy and expand our family.

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery, going to our prenatal classes and just enjoying these last few weeks of pregnancy!

On a side note. If you are contemplating getting maternity photos and you just aren’t sure if it is worth it…it is SO worth it. Make sure you choose a photographer who gets your style and who knows all the tricks to make you look good (because lets face it, sometimes during pregnancy, no matter how many people tell you that you look good, you still feel like a pile of crap).  It is such an amazing way to document your pregnancy and show off that sexy new figure. Don’t wait too long as you may be unhappy with just how big your belly is, no matter how good you look.  Both my husband and I had such an amazing experience getting our photos done and I left feeling so good about my body and the way I looked.  Oh and if you are in the Victoria area, check out Andrew Lint Photography at andrewlint.com. He is AMAZING and yes, he will make you look good!

Maternity Photos

Hi there all,

I have to write about the fabulous maternity photo session we had this weekend! Our photographer Andrew Lint, of Andrew Lint photography was just so amazing and wonderful that I could not wait to write this post about him.  We are so lucky to call both him and his wife friends; they are both amazing individuals that are so kind and caring.

We set out on a not so nice looking Saturday to Meghan's Nana's farm and immediately fell in love with the rustic, vintage, serene atmosphere.  She lives on a beautiful piece of property with an amazing old house...the perfect backdrop for our photos. We were lucky to get some shots on her beautiful porch and when the skies opened up and we saw some sun we pounced on the opportunity to get out in her big yard.  From what Andrew has showed us so far the photos look amazing and we cannot wait to see the rest.

My husband and I cannot say enough good things about Andrew and Meghan.  Andrew is so talented and his wife compliments him very well in that she does her job to make you feel comfortable and relaxed so the pictures turn out more natural.  I have known Meghan for much of my life and I am so lucky to have her as one of my best friends. Here are some sneak peaks of our photos with more to come. And if you are looking for an amazingly talented photographer (and his assistant!) then look no further. Check out his website at andrewlint.com or look him up on Facebook!

(just a side note, these photos cannot be reproduced or used in any form without the expressed, written consent of the author, Andrew Lint Photography)

29 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 29 Weeks

Total weight gain:  35 lbs

Maternity clothes? Nope! My husband and I were out shopping this weekend and I put my toe in the maternity store, had a quick look around, and hoped that I would never have to buy anything there. Yuck! It’s way too expensive for designs, and fabrics that are less than desirable. We hit Banana Republic instead!

Stretch marks? Nope. Although with this weight gain I’m just waiting for them.

Sleep: I’m starting to get uncomfortable now. The belly definitely makes it harder to sleep, especially since I am normally a stomach sleeper.

Best moment this week: Realizing we only have 11 weeks to go! Oh and we picked out our names too…finally!

Miss anything? Running. Especially since my husband is starting training for the TC10K and I’m not! Boohoo!

Movement: Movement is less jabby now and more big rolls.  The odd time it is uncomfortable and catches me off guard!

Food Cravings: Still sweets…ugh.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender prediction: Strangers I meet on the street or in stores insist that it’s a boy, which was my original prediction. Now that everyone thinks it’s a boy (including our families) I’m beginning to think it will be a girl just to prove everyone wrong!

Labor signs: None. Although I’m wondering if I will feel any Braxton Hicks?

Belly button in or out? It’s definitely on its way out now.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Starting our prenatal classes and going for a visit up to my parents’ house for BC’s first family day! Oh and our maternity photos this weekend taken by our good friend, and amazing photographer Andrew Lint of Andrew Lint Photography! Cannot wait!

28 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 28 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain:  Oh my goodness. This is a loaded question and I would really prefer not to say but I will….about 35 lbs. My doctor reassured me that I’m okay given that I was quite under weight when I started. That being said, I’m not over eating, or eating unhealthy so I don’t quite know where all the weight is coming from! Oh well!

Maternity clothes? None yet (which is surprising given the weight gain!!). Still rockin the belly band over my unbuttoned pre-pregnancy jeans.

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Still going well. Starting to pay more attention to when baby is moving at night to get some insight into when they may be keeping me awake when they are born!

Best moment this week: It was kind of a best and worst type of moment. Realizing that I am in the third trimester now and only have 12 weeks left! Super exciting but also a little said as I am so enjoying this experience and wish that time would slow down. We are, however, very excited to meet this little one!!

Miss anything? Being able to be on my feet all day. As I have been teaching a lot I have to take a seat now and then just to rest my tired little feet, which I definitely never had to do before. And sometimes, the little ones just don’t give you one second to sit down!

Movement: Tons!

Food Cravings: Still sweets.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender prediction: I will still say boy but I am feeling a tad bit uneasy about that prediction now! Definitely not as confident as I was before.

Labor signs: None. I think I will freak out when that actually happens

Belly button in or out? Half way

Wedding rings on or off? On (I’ve dodged the swelling bullet so far!)

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Starting our prenatal classes at the end of next month!

A big kudos to my wonderful husband for the chalkboard this week!

27 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 27 Weeks

Total weight gain:  23+ lbs

Maternity clothes? Nope!

Stretch marks? None yet. I’ve bought every stretch mark cream available and I’m constantly slathering that stuff on haha.

Sleep: Sleep is going okay. I am up to pee so much in the night that I never sleep for longer than 2 hours.

Best moment this week: Choosing our girl name. Still don’t know what we’ll name it if it is a boy.

Miss anything? Being able to run (or even walk!) 10+kilometers. I just can’t do it lugging around this extra weight and I’m sad I’ll be watching from the sidelines as my family runs the Times Colonist 10k without me this year.

Movement: Tons. Hubby and I love watching my tummy roll and jump.

Food Cravings: Still chocolate. It is so weird because I was never really a chocolate lover until a few months ago!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Have you started to show yet? Haha ya. I had one of my husband’s friends tell me I looked like I was about to burst!

Gender prediction: I have been thinking boy all along but now I just don’t know!

Labor signs: None yet. I will probably go crazy when that actually happens.

Belly button in or out? Still in between.

Wedding rings on or off? On! Luckily I’m pregnant during the colder weather so no swollen hands or feet yet!

Happy or moody most of the time: So happy. We are just getting so antsy to meet this little one!

Looking forward to: Continuing to get the nursery set up and I am getting anxious to find out if baby is a he or a she!

DIY Burp Cloths

So now that I am finished at one of my jobs (not my substitute teaching job) I am going to find myself with a little more time on my hands. So, I've been looking for cute, easy, and useful projects that I can undertake. Today's project? Burp cloths. These were super easy and I just used whatever scrap fabric I had laying around! That being said, you can go to town with these things as there are so many cute fabrics out there!! Here are some step by step instructions.

What will you need?

Flannel
Warm and Natural quilt batting (or something absorbent to place in between the layers)
Thread
Needle
Iron and ironing board
Sewing machine

1. Cut your flannel and quilt material to the size of burp cloth you want. Mine were about 9.5" by 20" (unfinished). You will need two pieces of flannel and one of the quilt material.

2. Layer your flannel right sides together and place your quilt batt on one side.

3. Sew all the way around your rectangle but don't forget to leave a small opening to turn your burp cloth right side out!

4. Trim corners and any extra bulk. Push out corners so you get a nice square look.

5. Iron the opening under so it is flush with the seam.

6. Sew around the burp cloth. I used a 5/8 seam allowance. This isn't necessary but gives it a nice finished look.

7.  Slip stitch the opening closed.

8. Done!!

As you can see these are super easy and can be made within a few minutes. They are a great gift idea to a new mom as they are useful!!

26 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 26 Weeks

Total weight gain:  Around 23 lbs. I don’t have a scale in my house so I won’t know for sure until the 16^th of this month when I go to my doctor’s appointment.

Maternity clothes? Happy to say NO to this question!!

Stretch marks? Also happy to say no to this one!

Sleep: Sleeping well!

Best moment this week: Seeing my family for the holidays.

Miss anything? Bailey’s in my coffee on Christmas morning.

Movement: Lots of it! Some days I definitely feel baby more than others though.

Food Cravings: None!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope thank goodness. I’m glad that part of my pregnancy is (hopefully) over.

Have you started to show yet? Yes and I love my baby belly!

Gender prediction: Boy still

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out? Hmmm it is definitely looking different that’s for sure

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Getting the nursery ready

We had such a wonderful holiday season with my family in town. It was so great to see my mom and dad and be able to include them in the baby process! My mom and I got to do some shopping while the boys got to set up the nursery furniture. It was great having them here to celebrate (a green) Christmas and our last one without a little one! Next year will be at their place in the Great White North where we can all enjoy a white Christmas together and I can’t wait. I have all of these cute Christmas outfits planned that I can’t wait to dress our little one in!!