Update on the pregnancy

Well. I am now almost 28 weeks along... Yikes! I can't even believe it! Carter is going to be here before we know it. There is still so much to do and prepare for! My sweet husband is constantly reminding me of this phrase "what matters most." I tend to get caught up in the money we will have to spend and all the material things in this life. But what maters most is my family and the love that we have for each other. I know I need to be better at living life one day at a time and putting my trust in the Lord that all will work out. I have realized that I spend way too much time in life stressing about the future, I am so much happier when I just take like one day at a time. :) Now that that is out there... I can move on. :)

The pregnancy is going well! I feel like I am huge, but that may have something to do with people constantly making comments about how large I am. I will not lie, I have shed a few tears about this. I don't want to be huge! But I eat healthy (for the most part) and I exercise regularly... so there really is nothing I can do about it. :) So I grin and bear it, but I am really tired of it! No women ever wants to hear that they are big. :)

This was at 24 weeks- I haven't has the courage to take one for 28 weeks yet. haha



Not much has changed with me! I would say that I feel like I have my emotions more in check... but I can't say that people would agree, I am afraid to ask Stuart because I am afraid of the answer. :) SO I just tell myself that I am better with my crying and emotions.

I don't really crave anything different from before... and I don't really have aversions either. Which I must say is kind of disappointing to me. I always wanted to have these crazy weird cravings- but alas I have none.

My mom went with me to register and that was a lot of fun! I wish I had a nursery to be setting up at this moment in time- but since our lease is up the week he is due- we will just have to wait on that!

He moves ALL THE TIME! Makes me nervous for when he is born! But I have to admit that I love feeling him move, it helps me remember what matters most! In this case what matters most is that I am going to become a mom in a few short months! I can't wait!

I have three co-workers who are also expecting and they did a baby shower for us at work- a book one! So we now have a lot of books for little Carter to enjoy- and I have already been reading some to him. Little story on that one- I was reading "Love you Forever" and about half way through I patted myself on the back for not crying... a few pages later I started to cry... its such a good book!

20 weeks

20 weeks down, and only 20 to go! YIKES! There is so much to do in 20 weeks and these first 20 weeks have flown by! I know it will all work out! I couldn't do it without my husband, Stuart! I also wouldn't be able to do any of this without my amazing friends and family. I truly am so blessed with the most amazing people in my life! Thank you!!

So in the last 20 weeks:
I have cried way more times than I would like to admit
Been to the doctor 7 times
Thrown up way more times than I would like to admit
Been extremely moody and SENSITIVE (don't look at me the wrong way, I may burst into tears... no joke)
Eaten my fair share of otter pops
We picked out a first name for our little man (Carter)
Bought some cute clothes
Bought a stroller
Started to wear maternity clothes
Stopped getting on the scale
Rubbed my belly way more times than I am going to admit (it is so hard for me to believe that I am growing a human!)
Used the phrase "I'm growing a human" at least 3 times a week...
Stressed out about every little detail of life...
Looked at baby boy things on pinterest instead of doing homework
Started talking to my belly (this is within the last week..)
Complained about my back hurting already
Complained about not sleeping
Thought about how much our lives are going to change in 20 short weeks
Emailed my doctor about the littlest things...

-- Thats just to name a few things. :) I really am so excited to be pregnant and so excited to become a mom. Every time I feel him kicking or moving around in there I just think of how amazing it is! I mean I really am growing a human, it is so hard for me to wrap my brain around that! I love to feel him move! I can't wait for Stuart to be able to feel him as well. Stuart keeps saying "Carter just needs to get here..." and I, being freaked out that we don't have everything done yet... say "why" and his response is "because I want to be able to hold him.." It melts my heart every time. I know that Stuart is going to be the best dad! I can't wait for him to get here either! But I want him to come when he is ready and is healthy!

So I went to the doctor this week and I am happy to report that I do not have to go to the specialist any more! Carter is right on track and there are no signs of anything being wrong! I really liked that doctor- I will miss him. But I am SOOO glad we don't have to go to him any more! He is growing right on track and weighs about 10 ounces! I love getting to see him on the ultra sounds! It makes is all so real! :) He was a stinker at the last appointment and he refused to show us his face- he was being so camera shy! Of course right after we left he was moving all over the place! Love him so much already!!

Nothing really new to report on me! Just growing! I feel huge, but people keep saying "You don't even look pregnant..." Well I am and I am NOT normally this chubby! :) I still have the same food cravings and aversions as before... Sleep is still a problem. But I don't mind... feeling him move is so worth every moment!

Here I am at 20 weeks


Here is Carter's little hand waving, or telling us to "KNOCK IT OFF" (the big blob is the placenta)

Update

So I was going to take the time to blog all about Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I realize we are in February now and I just don't know what good it would do. :) SO instead I will give a pregnancy/ life update.

BUSY BUSY BUSY!
We are both so busy that I can hardly stand it! I know it won't always be this way and it won't always be this stressful... but man this is hard on me! I know a large portion of my stress and worries stems from the added hormones and what not, but sheesh. So Stuart started school at the end of last month and he doesn't get home until after 7 each night (except for Fridays). When he gets home we both work on homework for a while and then its off to bed for us! I miss him getting home at 330 and then we would go to the gym... BUT I am so glad that he is in school and that he is working so hard to take care of us. He still works full time and is at work by 615 every day! We are in the process of getting pre-qualified to buy a house! Its very exciting, but a lot of work! We also are trying to figure out all the things we need to get before the baby comes!
If you know me... you know that I am just a big ball of stress.... I am trying really hard to be calm throughout all of this and know that it will all work out- which is hard for me to do. Poor Stu is left with trying to calm me down and help me to understand that I need to stop and have a little faith. :)

Baby updates :)

Since I haven't really posted about the baby yet I will do a little back log...

My first food craving: oddly enough, chili dog- which now sounds gross to me
Other food cravings: JIMMY JOHNS veggie sandwich- I would eat this every day three times a day if I could! Frozen yogurt, turkey burgers, fruit smoothies (which I can't eat because it was the first thing I threw up after being preggers- and I can't seem to bring myself to eat them again...), salads, jolly rancher crunch and chews

Food aversions: onions, green peppers, anything too spicy, pears

Weight gain: I don't know. :) It goes up and down depending on how well I keep my food down

Sleeping: I have had a hard time because I am not supposed to sleep on my stomach... I only sleep on my stomach, so this is a very hard adjustment for me. I wake up numerous times in the night to go to the bathroom... and because I wanna be on my stomach. I still wake up most mornings on my stomach- which I have been told by both my doctors that is okay- but I really need to get out of the habit of sleeping on my stomach....

Gender of the baby: BOY! We are 90% positive his name will be Carter Blake Hoffman

Movement: I have felt him move once- I am sure he moves more than that, I just don't know that is what I am feeling. It was when I was 15 weeks 4 days and I had just laid down and felt little butterflies in my lower stomach area and I pushed on it and it stopped. Can't wait to feel him more! I know he is a mover! Every ultra sound I have had he is moving all over the place! Stuart is really excited to be able to feel him move- I hate telling him that its going to be a while before he can feel him!

Other pregnancy details: If you thought I had to pee a lot before... well double that. I feel like the bathroom is my second home, and it doesn't help that he is very low and right on top of my bladder! Which means I am in for a long 24 more weeks! :) I am still in the phase of just looking chubby- I want the pregnancy bump- but I know I will regret saying that when I am huge and waddling all over the place. :) I am so excited to meet the little guy- but also very nervous! I can't believe I am going to be a mom!! I am already trying to prepare myself now for the fact that I will have to go back to work just 6 weeks after he gets here- it breaks my heart, but we just can't afford to have me stay home. :(.... One day! I am very lucky to have my mom and sister in law offer to take care of him for me. There is no way I would be able to leave him with anyone else. :)

16 weeks and chubby :)

Little Carter at 15 weeks 2 days

Surprise!

So I have been writing this post in my head for a long time (well only like a week or so- but it seems like a long time to me).
So the surprise is that I am having a little baby in July! We are so excited! There are so many things that there is to do... but I won't get into that yet.
Being a first time mom-to-be I just wanted everything to go perfectly and as smooth as possible. But... that hasn't been the case! At my work this sickness called "Fifths Disease" started going around in November. It is not a bad sickness- essentially it is a cold with a rash but everyone kept saying - its only bad if a women who is in her first trimester gets it-... so at that point I was only 4 weeks and no one knew I was pregnant. It is very contagious, but only after the rash appears. I just had a feeling that I would get this stupid sickness. I had the doctor test my blood at 4 weeks to see if I was immune to the disease or not... and I was not. So when I went back for my 8 week appointment I had them test my blood again to see if I had contracted it or not... My instinct was that I had... The following Tuesday I had the infamous rash and a fever of 101.8. Considering I have never had a fever in my life, I started to stress out. To make a long story short... I stayed home from work for two days and rested and cried my eyes out. I felt so helpless and like I was hurting my baby. After meeting with my OB- she assured me that everything would be okay, but from now through my 20 week appointment I will be seeing a prenatal specialist every 3-4 weeks to make sure that the baby continues to develop properly. What the virus can do to a little fetus is cause it to be anemic. So we will go and have an ultrasound done- just to be sure the baby is okay. Our first appointment with the specialist went really well and the baby looked great- growing as it should, and it has a strong heartbeat! YAY! That was what I wanted to hear! I will go back on the 28th for another appointment.
SO as of now the baby is great and growing like crazy! I am currently 12 weeks! I am planning on blogging again... I have been out of it lately!

This is the latest picture of the little one!

Halloween Party

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday... but I will admit that it is starting to grow on me. :) This year was a lot of fun to have a party! We had so many fun things to do!
Let me just go through the day for you.
10 am: Stuart and I discovered that our washer was not draining water... so we had to get all the clothes out and try to get all the water out. Bagged up the clothes to take to my parents house...
1040 am: load up the car with all the laundry, presents and the cake.
1100 am: arrive at my parents house (The party started at 1030)... Everyone was already having fun! Most people were working on their pumpkins!

Noon-ish : The finished products!

1230 pm: the dry ice went into the homemade rootbeer... the kids loved it!!

1235 pm: Stuart went out and made a snowman with some of "the littles" while the rest of us worked on getting lunch done. :)

115ish pm: it was pianta time! The kids loved it and I think all the adults loved watching the kids try so hard to break it open!!!!

130ish pm: We did birthday fun!! See the previous post for pictures of that
200 pm: we all took breaks- Stuart and dad fixed our washing machine! YAY! Joy, Jocelyn and I went and did my grocery shopping ... :)

500 pm: we all went to a Trunk or Treat for Erica and Blaines ward! it was so cute to see all of the littles dressed up!!

Here are some more pictures from the day! :)

Happy Halloween!!!

Birthday fun!

Stuart turned 22! :) YAY! (It makes me feel so old that he is just now turned 22 and I will be 25 soon...) I feel like it was great birthday for him... He isn't one to be overly excited about things.
We first celebrated it with my family - at the same time we were celebrating my dads birthday and Halloween! It was a fun party! (those posts to come...) Stuart got a lot of cool gifts for his birthday, and so did my dad! :)

You can't have a birthday party without cake!!!

On his actual birthday, which was the 30th, I got up and made him breakfast at 440, so it would be ready by 500 for him to eat before work. It was fun! But really early! I was too tired to remember to take a picture... but it was french toast (made with texas toast) with strawberries and milk. :)

Happy Birthday to Stuart!

Update

Well, hello!
We are not dead, I am just doing a little update on our lives. We haven't done a ton of fun things to post about. We kind of led a boring life at this moment in time! :) Here is a look into our lives
500 am - Stuarts alarm clock goes off and he gets out of bed and eats breakfast (we are very different in this- I normally stay in bed as long as possible and eat breakfast in the car or at work...)
505 Stuart gets back in bed until my alarm goes off at 530
530 I hit snooze and go back to sleep- Stuart gets up and goes to work
540 I drag myself out of bed and get ready for work
630 I head to work
We are both at work until 3
4 pm we head to the gym
6/7 (depending on the day) we eat dinner
730/800 ish I do homework and Stuart watches football or we watch a movie
930 we are in bed

See- I told you we are boring... But I love my life. :) On weekends we have been going to his brothers football games... and other random things.
My next post will be much more interesting I promise! We are having a combined party on Saturday for my dad and Stuart! They both have birthdays this week! AND we are doing a Halloween party, oh and my nephew Nixon is being blessed!! :) YAY!