My Pregnancy: 38 weeks

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I've written. Unfortunately, I can't remember to go back and recap the last 6 weeks so I will just start again with 38 (better than nothing!) I'm on weekly appointments with the OB now and its very weird to think that in around two weeks, I won't go to that office every week anymore. I've really become attached to it. I know that I will be too busy to think about but its kind of nice having a big fuss made over me! :)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 38 and 4 days

Total Weight Gain: Nearing 55 pounds. Moving on....

Maternity Clothes: Nothing. If there is any woman that is full term that loves their maternity clothes, please let me in on the secret. I don't think being full term and loving your maternity clothes exists.

Best Moment of the Week: It has been a rollercoaster. I read in a book that women get mean, crazy mean, before they go into labor. That is where I am now. Not to everyone, just to Eric. He has definitely been a trooper. The best moment of this week was yesterday. Eric had put together the swing and it wasn't working right. We were afraid we were going to have to return it, etc, etc. I asked Eric to take it completely apart and put it together again. He did (while watching the rerun of the Bengals game) and even got his power tools out to take apart the pieces that came from the factory already together. Long story short - he was able to fix it and was beaming! He was so proud and I was too. (If you don't know Eric, he isn't the best with fixing things but he tries REALLY hard and is getting better every day. The plus side, he is an amazing cook. I will take that over household repairs any day.

What’s Going on with Baby: She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Baby is size of: Watermelon

Movement: She is definitely dropping and isn't moving as much. She gets the hiccups a lot which is a crazy feeling. She also likes to stick her feet out of my side and make me look lopsided. She is still on the right side and Eric says it looks like I have an egg in my stomach. :)

Food Craving: Milk. I know that isn't a food but I seriously could drink a gallon of milk a day.

What I miss: I miss being able to get on the floor and stand back up without having help. I miss being able to get up in the middle of the night without having to wake Eric to push me up. I miss being able to walk without being winded. This process has really made me appreciate being healthy and I'm looking forward to getting back in shape as soon as I can.

Sleep: I wake up on the hour every hour for a bathroom break. That is until 6:30 am. At that time, my body decides that it wants to sleep for three-four straight hours. This is ok except for the weekdays!!! :)

What I am looking forward to: Now that the swing is fixed, we've been sitting here staring at it. It has a cute mobile hanging from it and looks so empty without precious little Caroline in it. I'm looking forward to meeting her!

Symptoms: Crankiness. I'm not sure if that is a symptom or not but I sure am!! I've been experiencing contractions but nothing regular or consistent.

My Pregnancy: 32 Weeks

So, I am in my 32nd week. I can't believe it. Time is absolutely flying by and everything is starting to come together. It's almost August already! I was reminded today of how I always wished summer would go by so slowly and now it doesn't really matter if it goes by fast or slow. When you work, all the matters is when your vacations are planned! :)

Here is my update for the week (sorry I missed 31).

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 weeks!

Total Weight Gain: I'm not 100% sure. I could say.... however, I don't think it's fair since my doctor told me that about 7-9 pounds of my weight is from being so swollen. So, just know that it's a lot and my feet hurt really bad!

Maternity Clothes: I received a package in the mail yesterday and opened it with anxiousness. It was a new shirt from my MIL!!!! You have no idea how exciting that is when you've been wearing the same things for 6 months!

Best Moment of the Week: Well, a lot has happened this week. We had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Eric had a meeting scheduled so he couldn't go. The meeting ended early so he was able to meet me for it. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal but there are some days that I need him to be with me. Not necessarily in regards to the baby, just to be there for me. Well, that was one of those days and it really helped having him there to talk with.

What’s Going on with Baby: She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Something else to note: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.

Baby is size of: Honeydew

Movement: Her moves are getting more and more intense. She is officially upside down and she loves to put her foot at the bottom of my ribcage in a position where I can't sit down because it hurts! She's a booger.

Food Craving: This week - bologna. We had bologna sandwiches last weekend and I had a few sandwiches this week. Fried bologna, toasted wheat bread, mustard and mayonnaise. YUM!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back. I'm having trouble sleeping on my sides now and I long for the day I can be on my back again. My hips hurt so bad that I have to lay on my back some through the night just to give them relief.

Sleep: This week, the bathroom breaks don't even bother me. The hip pain has been the one keeping me up. That and for some reason the fact that my body wakes up around 3:30 and thinks its time to get up.

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery together!

Symptoms: I officially have stretch marks and the heart burn is back.

Facebook Website Integration

I love social media.  Facebook, twitter, youtube, blogging.... well, you get the idea.  Anyway, I wrote a blog for the agency where I work, The Brandon Agency, so I wanted to share.

The blog gives you a peak at how websites are integrating Facebook into their infrastructures.  Sounds cool, right?  It is!  Websites are developing new ways to incorporate this integration every day and I'm just so excited about it all! (Okay, stop laughing at me.  You know you're a dork too!)

Take a look and let me know what sites you are impressed with. (Click the image for the full blog)

My Pregnancy: 30 Weeks

 I haven't written about my pregnancy yet but have been meaning to.  I'm 30 weeks pregnant.  We are due on September 16th and are SO excited.  We've had such a great time talking about the future and our plans.  I can't wait to meet our little baby.

Pregnancy has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through and the biggest blessing at the same time.  The idea of "pregnancy glow" doesn't exist and there are so many things that happen to a woman's body that can't be explained.  Eric and I have had a great time laughing at some of the silly things that are happening.  We've grown so close through this experience and I feel so blessed for that.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: Caroline is 30 weeks.

Total Weight Gain: 32 pounds, ouch!! I can't get use to how different I look.  Not just my belly, all over.

Maternity Clothes: I'm now at the point where I don't feel comfortable in anything.  My staples are my black dress and my Old Navy jeans.  Can't. Live. Without. Them.

Best Moment of the Week: We had our showers this weekend in Greenville.  It was so nice seeing everyone and Caroline is so blessed that so many people love her!  When we got home, Eric asked if we could go through all of the gifts.  He was so excited and looked at everything - then put them in piles.  Clothes, diapers/wipes, blankets/bedding, bath, novelty.  Novelty is apparently where he thinks books, toys, picture frames, etc go.  Don't ask!

Gender: It’s a precious little girl!  Caroline Ann.

What’s Going on with Baby: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

Baby is size of: A head of cabbage!

Movement: Caroline is kicking less and moving more.  Sounds weird, right?  Well, she likes to roll around.  I will feel her move from one side to another.  It is an amazing feeling.

Food Craving: Everything except fish.  Specifically, anything sweet.  That's about as specific as I can get!

What I miss: My pretty long, lean feet.  I don't like fat rolls on my ankles!  And they hurt!

Sleep: Between the bathroom breaks and dry mouth from the prenatal vitamins, I only sleep about an hour at a time!

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery together and my work baby shower!

Symptoms: Wow, I'm tired a lot again.  Also, I'm swollen.  Very very swollen.

A New Website and Peanut Butter Cookies

I've heard about these websites that generate recipes based on what you have in your kitchen at that very second.  What a great idea!  I never know what to cook and it always bums me out when I find a good recipe, then realize it will cost $20.00 to make because we have absolutely nothing that is in the recipe.

After a quick google search, I found one that I thought looked good.  RecipeMatcher.com  I was craving dessert so I went in the kitchen and put in the most random ingredients I had.  Peanut Butter, oats, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder (which I was sure was expired but it doesn't until Dec 2010, woohoo!), walnuts, sugar, etc.  I also included some fruit I had (peaches, bananas, apples).  Then I hit the magic button.  Generate recipe.  In seconds, there was 112 pages of recipes I could make using those ingredients.  The cool thing, is that the best matches are first and then they will list out what other ingredients you need to make the recipes that aren't exact matches.  One of the options was peach cobbler!!  But let's be honest here, I'm not that ambitious, especially at 9PM.  I am more of an instant gratification girl.  So, when I saw peanut butter cookies ready in 12 minutes, I went to work.

Impossibly Good Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar - white
1 egg
Sugar - white, Optional (for rolling)

Directions:
1 - Mix together until smooth.
2 - Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet two inches apart.  If desired, roll in extra sugar before placing on cookie sheet.
3 - Press with fork and press again in opposite direction.
4 - Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

*I added chocolate chips to mine.  If you want to do this, mix them in with the ingredients in #1.

I found that the ten minutes while I waited for the cookies was just enough time to clean the kitchen, and with only three ingredients, it was so easy!

After this, I put EVERYTHING in my freezer, refrigerator and cabinets into the generator to see what it would come up with.  I will post asap the next thing I make and it will be something for dinner!

Cool Apps for Weary Searchers

I am in a constant struggle when I sit down and search for new apps for my iPhone.  Inevitably, I end up completely frustrated by the fact that I am inundated with apps that don’t appeal to me.  (Come on Apple, you have the Genius technology in the iTunes Store for music, develop the same concept for app downloading!!)  Anyway, through my frustration, I press on and have discovered a few apps I can’t live without. 

Pingchat2!
Price: FREE
I love my iPhone, don’t get me wrong, but it always makes me mad when someone with a Blackberry posts on Facebook their messaging ID with the cute statement, “message me on my Blackberry.”  Seriously?  How does a single feature make me feel so inadequate when I have the coolest phone ever?  Well, I’m proud to say that I will no longer have to feel that way. PingChat2 is a free messaging app.  This app is similar to Blackberry Messenger where an iPhone user creates a username and shares it with other iPhone users who have this app.  The app was recently upgraded to include multi-media messaging, group chat and more.  The app is also in development for Android and Blackberry phones.  Woo hoo!

Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives
Price: $1.99

Anyone else into Guy Fieri’s Food Network show Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives?  I hope I’m not the only one that is completely enthralled by the greasy goodness he showcases each week.  I had a brilliant idea that I would develop an app for this show (you know, in all my spare time) that maps out every diner, drive-in or dive that Guy has visited.  To my dismay (and delight), there was already one in the app store!  This app is incredible.  It tracks your location and you can find the nearest restaurant and get directions.  In addition, it features recipes from the restaurant that you can email to yourself or others craving a juicy heart attack.

What To Expect
Price: FREE

This app has become an essential part of my daily routine.  Developed from the book What To Expect When You’re Expecting, this app tracks your pregnancy weekly and provides daily updates on the baby’s development.  It also has a feature for baby bump pictures so you can track your growth throughout the pregnancy.  Okay, so maybe you aren’t pregnant and you are wondering how this app could work for you?  Off the top of my head, you could track your friend’s beer belly.  Wait… maybe that should be an app too!

iVideoCamera
Price: $.99

I have an iPhone 3G. (Please don’t disregard my entire blog post because I have such an ancient version, I’m an early adopter!)  The truth is I want the 3GS, long for the 3GS but my phone still works great and I can’t justify getting a new one yet.  How do I manage with this antiquated phone?  Well, it was difficult until I found the iVideoCamera app that enables video recording on the iPhone 3G!  The app is very simple to use, takes great footage and the sound is perfect.  It was a challenge to get the video off my phone and onto the computer but that was totally user-error.  Once I mastered that, this app quickly became a must-have for me.  There are hi and lo video quality setting s and 16 different effects to enhance your recording like black and white and soft glow.  Now I can disguise my 3G iPhone as a 3GS for at least another year.  Score!

Shop Savvy Barcode Scanner
Price: FREE

This app is free and I’m not sure when and how often I would use it, however, I like the idea.  By using the camera feature on the iPhone, the app searches for a barcode on products.  You line it up, it turns green – and BAM – your product pops up.  Based on your location, it provides the cheapest price on the web or the cheapest price locally.  You can also type the product in manually if the barcode isn’t reading.  I was impressed with how quickly the information populated.  When you find a product you like, you can add it to a wish list or tag it for a price alert where you can watch the price of the product.  LOVE IT!

I’m not going to lie; I found this app today when doing another annoying long search.  It’s finding apps like this that gives me the satisfaction to keep searching.  It gives me hope that there are worthy apps available outside of the Top 25 in each category listed in the app store.  I compare it to when I play golf and I wiff the ball over and over.  Has this ever happened to you?  I threaten to give up, throw my clubs in the pond and stomp to the clubhouse for a cold drink.  It’s always at that point I hit the ball with such grace, the drive is amazingly straight, absolutely beautiful and might as well have been a hole-in-one from the satisfaction I give myself. My heart soars and my sole mission in life at that second is to tell everyone within earshot (and on speed dial) about the perfect drive I just hit.  Yeah, that’s what it feels like when I find a really awesome app.

My New Favorite Product

I have been trying to slowly change the way I clean my house.  Instead of doing a massive cleaning once a week, I've been trying to clean daily.  That includes laundry, dishwasher, wiping the sink in the bathrooms down each day, etc.  These are small items but it really makes a big difference.  I think that this is part of "nesting" but I'm not sure.  Like yesterday, I was in the shower and when I was done with my wash cloth I wiped off the top ledge of the shower.  We've lived in this house for four years and I have never noticed (or had the urge to clean) that ledge.  I know you are in suspense so I will tell you, it was disgusting!  Small thing completed but it all adds up.

In my effort to change the way I clean, I am updating my cleaning products.  I have been doing research about different products and asking friends for their recommendations on the products they can't live without.  It is a slow process but I'm phasing out the old cleaners and replacing with better, fun ones.  My thought is that if I like the cleaner, I will clean more.  I'm not sure the validity behind that statement but I will keep you posted.  And just an FYI, one of my goals is to vacuum daily and to do this I think it is necessary to have a Dyson, so I'm taking donations for this.

Through my research, I realized that Method has introduced laundry detergent.  I use a few Method products and love how they clean and smell (and the bottles are always cool) so I wanted to give it a try.  I had a coupon for $2.00 off so I bought the 25 load bottle of peony blossom. You can get your coupon here.

The coolest thing about this product is that it comes in a squirt bottle, similar to hand soap.  I love this because the previous bottle of detergent had streaks of liquid coming down the sides of the bottle and it was a mess.  The instructions are on the small bottle made for single hand use.  It is simply, 2 squirts for a small load and 4 for a medium load.  The detergent is standard machine and HE machine compatible.  The best part, it smells perfect.  It doesn't have an overbearing fragrance and is just sweet enough to get hints of throughout the day.

This is the best product I've found in a long time!  If you try it, let me know!

The end of my sewing machine... almost

As most of you know, I love all things about crafting.  Specifically, crocheting, knitting and sewing are my favorites.  I don't consider myself an expert at ANY of these crafts and they are listed in order of my experience above.  Well, I play around with selling items on Etsy and Artfire and received an order over the weekend.  To my dismay, it was an item I had already given to someone but forgot to take off my site.  A make-up bag.  This make-up bag is precious.  I loved it so much when I made it that I had to make one of myself too.  It is black with white polka dots and a teal silky lining.  Instead of returning the order, I decided that I would just make another one.  "How hard could it be?", I thought, since I've made two already.  I started the project off by cutting my finger with my rotary blade, ouch.  After a few more pricks from pins and no sympathy from my husband, it was time to start sewing.  At least, that's what should have happened.

The first sections go fine.  Everything is as it should be.  The machine running smoothly, the fabric and thread working seamlessly together.  The bag was looking beautiful.  Then, I decided to try something different.  I don't even understand what happened.  I just turned the knob that drops my needle one way instead of the other and my entire machine collapsed before my eyes.  I ended up having to take it apart four times trying to figure out how to fix it.  (Funny mental picture, I'm still learning how to work the basics of the sewing machine, yet I think I can fix a mechanical error!)  My heart is pounding.  I love my sewing machine.  It isn't the best out there but I love it.  In fact, it's a project runway model which, I have to confess, I bought with the intentions of mastering so I could go on the show.  I knew that the machine was done. Anyway, after about 2 hours of randomly blowing on important looking mechanisms, I have the machine up and running again.  I finished the sewing and turned it right side out to find a few spots that the machine missed.  That means I have to go in by hand and sew them.  I don't mind doing it, but it takes away the professional look from the bag. 

So, to keep an extremely long story relatively short, I should have just returned the purchase and saved myself a stressful night.

Here is a picture of the finished product.

How Is Your Heart?

I was listening to Klove today and someone was talking about how their friend always asks "How is your heart?" when they meet up.  I love this.  She went on to say that it was enlightening because there was no barrier that needed to be broken down throughout the conversation.  Everything was out in the open within the first minute.

So many times I try to hide how my heart is.  Whether its joyful, confused, saddened, broken, frustrated - whatever I'm feeling, I try to maintain a steady attitude.  I don't want to appear to joyful in fear of hurting someone else who is going through something terrible or confess to being broken because it shows weakness.

Today, I realized that I'm completely wrong in the way I'm thinking.  I should not  hide how my heart is.  I should confide in close friends who can help me work through the tough times and rejoice with me in the great times.

My goal for the rest of this month is to constantly ask myself "How is your heart today?" and spend time reflecting on how I'm feeling.