Baby H: 17 weeks {picture update}

 

I was able to track down my photographer on Saturday to get a weekly baby bump picture. And what a baby bump it is!!! I'm starting to show more & more every day. I still don't really feel pregnant {and sometimes forget that I am} but with the expanding waistline  - it's becoming more real!!

Baby H: 17 weeks

 

**My photographer has not been available this week - so these are the only pictures I have for week 17**

 

 

How far along? 17 weeks

Baby Size: Baby H is 5.9 oz and 5.1 inches. The size of an onion.

Total weight gain: 13 pounds. {I blame this on all the Christmas goodies}

first maternity shirt

Maternity clothes? I have 2 maternity tops that I've started wearing, so I'm slowing beginning to include them into my wardrobe.

Sleep: Sleep wasn't great this week - but it has nothing to do with being uncomfortable or having to get up to go to the bathroom. But more to do with planning for the holidays and travelling {and not sleeping in our own bed}. Hopefully, I get back on track next week.

Best moment this week: Celebrating Christmas with our families and everyone being excited about the baby!!

Miss Anything? Nothing. I'm over the cold meat sandwich thing now. I didn't even miss having a drink at Christmas with my family.

Movement: No movement yet. I'm beginning to think the baby is as laid back as its daddy and isn't going to move a lot!

Food cravings: Still no cravings. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I didn't feel well on Christmas Eve/Day. I think it was a combination of too many sweets/munches and not drinking enough water. I felt like I was going to be sick but never did.

Gender: Not finding out.

Have you started to show yet: My belly is definitely getting bigger. In the mornings it's not that big, but by the end of the day {after eating & drinking} it is really round!

 

Mood: What a mix of emotions I've had over the last week. I was so excited to celebrate Christmas with our families and even had my shopping done early {which is rare for me}. Everything started out great...then my sister lost her baby on Christmas Eve  {she was due 2 months after me} and we found out that my nephew's cancer is back. Combine the bad news with pregnancy hormones -  I think I cried more on Christmas Eve/Day than I smiled.

 



 

 

 

Thoughts: Pregnancy Books...I've found them to be a waste of time. Maybe it's because I haven't had any of the symptoms or maybe it's because I feel like the books are full of drama. But I stopped reading them after week 8 and haven't opened one since.

I got a sewing machine for Christmas, so I am excited to start picking out fabric for the babies room to make bedding & curtains!



I love family traditions & the thought of passing items down to the next generation. So I couldn't think of anything better than making a christening gown for the baby to wear out of my wedding dress. My MIL has agreed to make the outfit - I'm excited to start looking for a pattern!!

 

A Year in Review: 2012

As I reflect back on 2012, I realized it was full of both highs & lows. We dealt with my mother passing away suddenly of a heart attack in February, my nephew's ongoing battle with cancer and our fertility struggle. But I'd rather not dwell on the bad, but focus on the good things that happened in 2012.

10."Ran" 3 5K's with Ann - One of my goals for 2012 was to run a 5K. I was a sprinter in high school & college, so distance running has not been easy {or fun} for me. I stuck to the Couch to 5K program and was able to run 3.1 miles!! My BFF, Ann, and I ran a 5K in June, followed by the Color Run in early October, and the 5K at the Des Moines Marathon in late October. We didn't run the entire Color Run or at the DM Marathon, but I still count them! It was great to cross this goal off my to-do list and to do it with my best friend!

    

                    



 

 

9.  College girlfriend weekend - I am lucky enough to have an amazing group of college girlfriends. We've been there for each other for weddings, babies, deaths and other highs/lows in our lives. I always know we're going to have a great time when we get together. Unfortunately, with jobs, kids and life getting in the way - we don't get together as much as we used to. This summer, the girls came to my house {sans kids & husbands} to hang out & we had an amazing weekend catching up. We drank, we ate, we went wine tasting, we hung out in the pool, we drank. It was a great weekend!




8.  Girls shopping trip to Minneapolis - My aunts & cousins have an annual shopping trip to Minneapolis the first weekend in November. I went years ago, but with my job it's hard to get away at the beginning of the month. But after traveling to NYC {see #4} with this group - I knew I didn't want to miss out on spending time with this group of ladies!! We spent 3 days shopping/talking/drinking {water for me}. One evening we got dressed up, had blow-outs, went to a show and had a nice dinner. It was a great long weekend and I'm already looking forward to next year!!



7.  Boys snowmobiling trip to Wyoming & Michigan - Nick has a great group of friends that enjoy a lot of the same hobbies - one of them being snowmobiling. He was able to take 2 snowmobile trips this year with the guys. He enjoys the boys time...and I enjoy when he's gone so I can have some girl time {shopping & wine drinking}.

6.  Annual 4th of July party - We moved into our house 3 years ago and decided it was a great location to have a summer celebration - enough room to set up tents for sleeping and a hill big enough for a 'white-trash' slip & slide! Along with the slip & slide, we have fireworks, lots of food & drinks  and this year added a pool to the activities. This is the 2nd year of hosting a July 4 party and it's so much fun to get together with everyone! 






5.  Celebrating Blake's 12th Birthday - My nephew, Blake, was diagnosed with cancer in December 2011. He has been going through surgeries, chemo and treatments since this time. We wanted to throw him an amazing 12th birthday since he had been through so much. He had just finished a treatment & was susceptible to catching viruses ...so we had the birthday bash at his house. We bought balloons in his favorite color, had a Justin Bieber cake and Batman even made an appearance!! All of my siblings were able to make the trip - it was a loud & fun time with everyone there!! The best part was Blake had an unforgettable birthday celebration!!

 

 

Batman surprised Blake while he was opening gifts - he was so excited & couldn't stop smiling!!

 

He got his own Batman costume!

 

  

 

4.  Girls trip to NYC - In March, I was lucky enough to travel to NYC with my aunts & cousins. We spent 4 days exploring the city and had an amazing time! We did all the typical touristy-type things - shopping, drinking, ate at Serendipity and SaraBeth's {among other places}, visited the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Time Square and lots of other places. I never thought I wanted to go to NYC, but after visiting...I can't wait to go back to explore the city more!!

 

 

 

 



3.  Trip to Punta Cana - I love tropical vacations. Nick & I traveled to Punta Cana with another couple in August and had an incredible time! We hung by the swim-up bar {a lot}, drank, went on a catamaran excursion, drank, ate great food, got massages, drank and did some shopping. The beaches were beautiful and the views were breathtaking...I think I might like Punta Cana more than Mexico!

 

 

 

2.  Celebrating a new baby nephew - In August, we welcomed a new nephew into the world - Abrahm Duane {or Baby Abey - as we like to call him}. Nick has already decided he's going to Baby Abey's favorite uncle {he's his only uncle at this point!} and it's so fun to watch their relationship grow.

 

 

1.  Finding out we were expecting!! - It was a 1 1/2 year journey, but on September 26 we found out we were finally expecting!! It was one of the best days of my life and I've been enjoying every little thing about this pregnancy. Luckily, I've had no morning sickness and very little tiredness - so it's been easy to enjoy! Nick has been amazing during this entire journey - supportive during the fertility struggle, ecstatic when we found out we were expecting and holding my hand during every doctor's appointment. He is going to make an amazing daddy...and I can't wait to see him hold his baby in his arms. Our family & friends have also been very supportive during this journey and we are so lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of people.   

 

 

Baby H: 16 weeks

How far along? 16 weeks

Baby Size: Baby H is 3.5 oz and 4.6 inches. The size of an avocado.

Total weight gain: 11 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Nope. Still rockin' the leggings every.single.day.

Sleep: Still sleeping fine. 

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat at our 16 week appointment!!

Miss Anything? Nothing new...still cold meat sandwiches.

Movement: No movement yet. I'm hoping in the next week I'll start feeling something. Whenever I eat something sugary - I sit very still to see if I can feel the baby move, but haven't felt anything yet.

Food cravings: Still no cravings. I have been eating a lot of fruit throughout the day for snacks {apples, oranges, pears} - I love how fresh it tastes.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I went to get my license renewed on Saturday and the room was very hot & stuffy. I felt a little queasy {probably didn't help that I hadn't ate much that morning}, but once I got back out into the fresh air I was fine.

Gender: Nick really wants to find out and said he's been studying ultrasounds so he can determine what we're having. Sorry buddy, not finding out!!

Have you started to show yet: I'm starting to 'pop' this week. By belly is starting to become more round instead of just a rolly polly belly. I have a feeling by next week - I'll have a real baby bump! 

Mood: I'm excited for the holiday season. I've actually finished my Christmas shopping AND everything is wrapped. Normally, I don't even start shopping until a week before Christmas!! I'm excited to think we'll have a 7 month old at Christmas next year!!
 

Thoughts: While shopping, I stopped at Motherhood Maternity to try clothes on to figure out what size I would wear {since I asked for maternity clothes for Christmas}. They have a belly that you can strap on to see what the clothes will look like when you have a belly. WOW!! That really made it real - I'll have a big baby bump in the next couple of months!!!

I'm not sure what I'm waiting for to start buying stuff for the nursery. I basically have it designed in my head  but I haven't actually bought anything for the room yet.

I realized this week that with several of the girls in the Alden area {Nick's hometown} being pregnant or just recently having babies - there could be 6 of our babies in the same grade!! It's fun to wonder if they'll all be close friends, play sports together, date or even get married!!

Recently, I hit a deer and totaled my car {we escaped without a bruise but the deer wasn't so lucky}. Looking for a new vehicle when you're older is not as much fun. When I bought my last car at the age of 25 - I had 2 things I was concerned about: 1) does it go fast and 2) how does the radio sound with the windows down as I'm driving down the road?!? Now I'm concerned about gas mileage, size, seating, how is the carseat {or 2 in a couple years} going to fit in the vehicle and other things I never thought I'd care about!!
 

Happy Holidays!!

December is the only time I check the mail - which drives Nick crazy. I love getting Christmas cards and displaying them in my house. Not only do I love receiving cards but I love sending them out, too!!

 

Typically, I spend hours finding the perfect card/picture{s} combination. This year was no different. We had family pictures taken in October, so I knew which pictures I wanted to use but finding a card that had the perfect layout and colors was not easy...until I came across this one from tinyprints.com - it was perfect!!

 

Jayde was excited she made the Christmas card this year...and I was excited to include Baby H in the card!!

 

 

 

Happy Holidays from the Hoversten Family

Baby H: 5-13 Weeks

 

I started taking pictures the day we found out that we were expecting. I am so excited to watch the baby bump grow {but let's be honest - not to gain the weight that comes with it}. 

 

Looking through these pictures I already notice a couple things

• Leggings/cardigans are going to be my best friend during this pregnancy
• I already miss my cute fall clothes {chambray shirts/colored jeans}
• I remember feeling huge this summer, but now as I look back on the pictures...I actually don't think I look too bad!
• I really need to invest on a bigger/cuter full length mirror {it's on the Christmas list!}
 

 

 Week 5   

Week 6   

 

Week 7 

 

  Week 8

 

 Week 9

 

Week 10

 

Week 11

 

Week 12

 

Week 13

 

Baby H: 15 Weeks

** I might need to find a new photographer - Nick doesn't like taking my pictures and he's not very good at it **

 

How far along? 15 weeks

 

Baby Size: Baby H is 2.5 oz and 4.0 inches. The size of a navel orange.

 

Total weight gain: 10 pounds.

 

Maternity clothes? None. I went shopping at Target to find new winter clothes, but I'm not big enough to fit into maternity clothes. I bought leggings and tops with an empire waist instead and they look much better on me.

 

Sleep: Sleeping fine.  

 

Best moment this week: Sending out our Christmas cards from Nick, Deanna, Jayde AND Baby H!!! 

 

Miss Anything? Cold meat sandwiches – I used to eat deli meat a couple times a week so I can’t wait to have a sandwich after this pregnancy!

 

Movement: No movements yet.

 

Food cravings: No food cravings.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No sickness.

 

Gender: Not finding out {but hoping for a BOY}

 

Have you started to show yet: My stomach continues to get bigger but I still don’t feel like I’m really showing. It tends to be bigger at night {when I’m taking my weekly pictures} so I’m sure I look bigger than I feel.

 

Mood: Sleeping fine, no movement, no food cravings, nothing making me sick – this pregnancy has been pretty drama free so far! I hope it stays that way!

 

Thoughts:  

We have our 16 week appointment next Tuesday and I can’t wait to hear the heartbeat again!

 

We’ve started talking about daycare options. We have pretty limited options - there is one daycare center in our town, so we’re hoping they have an opening when it’s time for Baby H to start daycare. As an added bonus our friend’s girls go to that daycare, so baby will already have “friends” there!

 

Nick refers to Baby as Wubba – it started as a joke and it stuck. Every morning when he gives me a kiss goodbye, he also says “Bye Bye Wubba” and touches my belly. It melts my heart because I know he’s going to be such an amazing father. 

 

Sometimes I feel like Jayde {our black lab} knows something is going on. She usually sleeps at the end of the bed on her bed, but a couple times last week she slept on the floor next to my side of the bed instead.

Baby H: 14 Weeks

How far along? 14 weeks

 

Baby Size: Baby H is 1.5 oz and 3.4 inches. The size of a lemon.

 

Total weight gain: I think it’s around 8-10 pounds; I try to stay away from the scale!

 

Maternity clothes? None. I’ve been wearing leggings/tunics/cardigans every day, so I’m not sure when I’ll have to start wearing actual maternity clothes

 

Sleep: Sleeping has not been an issue. I get up in the middle of the night 1-2 times a week to go to the bathroom, but only if I drink a lot of water before I go to bed.  

 

Best moment this week: Working on ideas for the nursery – can’t wait for it to all come together!!

 

Miss Anything? Club sandwiches!!

 

Movement: Nothing yet, but I can’t wait to feel movements in the next couple of weeks!!

 

Food cravings: No cravings – although I do eat more sweets and carbs than I did before I was pregnant. But I try to balance it out with fresh fruits & vegetables.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, I’ve had no sickness with this pregnancy so far!! {{lucky me}}

 

Gender: Not finding out

 

Have you started to show yet: I still feel like I just have a beer belly, but I can tell it’s getting bigger {and harder} every week.  

 

Mood: Since I haven’t had any pregnancy symptoms {sickness or extra tired} and I’m not fully showing yet – sometimes I wonder if everything is going okay. Funny how I almost want symptoms, so I ‘feel’ pregnant!!

Thoughts: I started on Baby H's scrapbook last weekend. I'm hoping to get the monthly template pages complete before the baby gets here, so I can stay up on the scrapbook. {But I haven’t finished my wedding scrapbook yet, so that’s not a good sign!}

 

I haven’t really had any desire to work on the nursery yet. I have some ideas floating around in my head, but with the holidays and my busy time at work coming up…I’m not sure when I’ll have time to start buying items and putting the room together.

 

I LOVE getting“congratulations you’re having a baby” cards in the mail from our friends & family. It means so much to me that they are taking the time to send us a special note.

 

Nick really wants to find out what we’re having, but I don’t want to at all. I love the idea of the surprise.