baby #2 | 27 weeks

How Far Along: 27 weeks!

Size of the Baby: Baby W is the size of... a yellow turnip?

Symptoms/Sleep: I am starting to get some back pain depending on where baby brother is hanging out. Sleep is hit or miss. I am able to sleep on my side, almost on my stomach which is when I get the best sleep. Sleeping on my back is the worst. It leaves me so achy. Natalie has been having a rough week with the transition back to daycare so we have found her in our bed too many nights which means shitty sleep for me but it's a small price to pay right now.

Bump/Belly Button/Weight Gain: The bump is doing it's own thing. Some days it's really there and other days it's hidden well by my clothes. I am only 2 pounds up from my pre-Natalie pregnancy weight. We joke at work that I might need one of those fake bumps for maternity pictures. Thank goodness we have about 7 weeks to go before those!

I got the FMLA LOA paperwork this week and had an "oh shit, this is really happening" moment. We are hoping that after my appointment next week, we'll have a better idea of our plan. Our inability to plan for his arrival has been tough. 

Cravings/Aversions: nothing this week :)

Big Sister: As I mentioned, it's been a tough week transitioning back to daycare after a week and change off with Daddy but we're doing the best we can. She has cried every morning at drop off which is the worst. That part doesn't get easier.  But by the end of the day, she is totally fine and we have been getting good reports from Ms. Cheryl. On Wednesday when I picked her up, she was playing on the porch with the boys. One of them had his arm around her and they were sitting on a bench. It was adorable. B would have had a stroke if he saw it which only made me smile more.

Baby Brother: We have finally settled on a middle name which makes us ready to share baby brother's name with everyone :)  We wanted another 3 syllable, 1 syllable name which made picking a middle name for baby brother a little bit harder than anticipated. We probably tested out a dozen or so names before we settled on one.

Come July (hopefully not sooner!), we'll be welcoming Everett Grey into our family :) 

And for shits and gigs, a 27 week comparison picture:

Miss Anything: Our visit with Jimmie and Ilona made me miss spiked seltzer. I was jealous of those indulging in adult beverages. I also miss sleeping without a tiny little person pushed up against me, even if she is super cute.

Best Moment: Seeing Ilona, Jimmie and baby Chase was the best. Natalie immediately warmed up to Ilona and Jimmie and even held Chase which was a big milestone moment for our girl. It was nice to sit and laugh about college days and Natalie was on her very best behavior which made B and I so happy. And then she slept in until almost 9 on Sunday.

Can't Wait For: this weekend's little itty-bitty mini-moon :) B and I are going to see one of our favorite bands, the Turnpike Troubadours, and then stay at a hotel nearby for the night. We'll go to dinner before the concert and a little brunch action on Sunday morning before heading home to our girl.

Ms. Shawn's Baked Ziti

Y'all, I promised to share this recipe weeks ago and I did not deliver and I am so sorry for that! BUT, I made it last Monday for dinner with B's parents and, as always, it was a hit. Everyone who has tried this recipe loves it.  It's super easy to make, budget friendly and kid friendly - a total win all the way around  :)

Ingredients:
1 box pasta (We use veggie pasta to add that boost of guilt-free goodness)
1 jar Pasta Sauce (If you like it saucy, have a second on hand)
1 jar Alfredo Sauce 
1 lbs of Italian ground sausage (We typically use two since we make extra)
1 bag of Italian style cheese (We typically use more, but we love cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 350 *
2. Cook the pasta according to the box instructions and drain. Set aside.
3. Brown the sausage in a large skillet and drain any excess grease. 
4. Add the pasta sauce and the Alfredo sauce to the browned sausage.
5. Add in the drained pasta to the sausage mix.
6. Spoon a layer of the pasta mixture into a greased baking dish. 
7. Add a layer of cheese.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7.
9. Bake at 350* for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the top layer of cheese is melty. 

It's that easy. We usually serve ours with Texas Toast so you can sop up any sauce with the bread. YUM!  Bonus: it reheats beautifully!  Double Bonus: it freezes SO well! We tend to make enough to freeze for lunches in the future. The recipe is super easy to double or tweak to your families liking. We absolutely love Ms. Shawn's Baked Ziti and we are so happy that she shared this with us last year :)

National Infertility Awareness Week 2017

I have always been crazy open about our journey to becoming parents. It was definitely not by any stretch "normal", even as a fertility patient, thanks to working at SGF; however, regardless of the steps we took to get here, I could not be more proud of our journey. In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, I will share our story again today.

B and I quickly got pregnant in early 2012 after just a few months off birth control pills. Sadly, that ended with a loss. I was devastated. After another 6 months of trying in vain, B and I did a fertility prescreening work-up to see if we could find out why I wasn't getting pregnant.  While the answers were tough to hear, they were answers and answers meant we could come up with a family building plan. We could use those answers to take action.

The first step on our fertility journey was Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) cycles.  These cycles take sperm and place it above the cervix to aid in conception. It's super non-invasive, "low-tech" and relatively easy treatment. Our first cycle in October 2012 was medication free. We had completed our prescreening by mid-cycle so Dr. Levy ordered an ultrasound which showed a perfect follicle so he had me do some blood work which showed I was having an LH surge on day 13 so we did our IUI 2 days later. Please note: completing an IUI during the prescreening cycle is not then norm but rather a perk of being an employee. Unfortunately, this cycle was negative. Our second cycle in November was also medication free. We did our baseline appointment and came back on day 12 of my cycle for blood work and ultrasound monitoring. Nothing. We came back on day 16 of my cycle. Nothing. Day 19? Still nothing. By day 21 of my cycle, I finally had a little bitty LH surge and we scheduled our IUI 2 days later. Again, the cycle was negative. For our third cycle in December of 2012 we decided to bite the bullet and add Clomid. We monitored this cycle on days 10, 12 and 15. While I had a crazy lady response to the Clomid that happens in <0.1% of patients, I was also anovulatory which caused the cycle to be canceled. We decided to regroup and come up with a new plan. We'd move forward with IVF.

At this point, we were over a year off birth control pills and still not pregnant. It was tough and emotional and frustrating. We started the new year with a new treatment plan and I was optimistic that this was going to work out. I got my period a week into the new year and was excited to get my IVF protocol dates and roll into a cycle. An ultrasound revealed that I had ovarian cysts. Whomp whomp, no IVF cycle this month.

In February 2013, we were finally ready to start our IVF cycle. I will say this, if I had to choose between IUI or IVF treatment - I would pick IVF every. single. time. And not just because the success rates are better. There was more control and more structure which someone with OCD like mine really loves. I previously wrote posts breaking down my IVF cycle part 1, part 2, the egg retrieval and the embryo transfer. On March 3rd 2013, Brandon and I found out that our IVF cycle had worked. We were pregnant. We graduated from Shady Grove Fertility on April 3rd and on November 13th we welcomed Natalie into the world.

In late summer 2016, B and I started talking about baby #2. We had a lot of concerns about expanding our family and we decided that maybe late spring, early summer 2017 would be a better time to re-evaluate our timeline and possibly have a frozen embryo transfer (FET). Then in August of 2016, I almost lost my husband to a fluke accident. There is nothing like a near death experience to make you re-evaluate your life plans. B and I decided that we would start treatment again in the fall. The reality is that there would never be a "good time" to have another baby and there were always going to be hurdles.

Our FET cycle was so different than anything I had expected. I was terrified of the intramuscular injections complete with 1.5 inch needles, but they really were not that bad. I was anxious that it seemed so easy: baseline appointment, lining check, transfer. Done. I was nervous about whether or not it would work. But we were lucky. We had our frozen embryo transfer on November 8th, 2016 and found out on November 14th that our cycle had been successful. On December 18th, 2016 we were once again graduated from Shady Grove Fertility. It took awhile for it to really sink in that we were pregnant. It had been so so easy this time around and I had all kinds of guilt because it was easy and I had several friends who were struggling. I was reminded countless times that while it seemed easy, 70+ IM injections were not easy and I had put in the work back in 2013 with my IVF cycle.

It has been quite the journey to get to where we are. A journey that has changed me as a person.  I am so thankful for my amazing, supportive and loving husband who held my hand and encouraged me every step of the way.  Infertility and fertility treatment are things that could have put a serious strain on my marriage but we used it as a stepping stone and a building block and it made us stronger.  I am beyond grateful for my clinical team and friends at SGF who made this possible for us.  B and I have said so many times that if I didn't work at SGF, we never would have considered fertility treatment as a family building option. And I am so thankful that I was where I was when I was because B and I have a beautiful daughter and a healthy pregnancy because of it.

If you are experiencing infertility or going through treatment, I am always happy to share my experience in more detail and lend a supportive shoulder.  It can be an overwhelming and emotionally (not to mention financially) draining experience. No one should ever have to feel alone in that.  I was lucky enough to have the greatest support system on the planet and feel like everyone should be that lucky. 

baby #2 | 26 weeks

Apparently I had this ready to post on Friday but never hit publish (hello pregnancy brain)... so here you go :)

How Far Along: 26 weeks! Y'all, we have entered the 3rd trimester. How is that possible?!

Size of the Baby: Baby W is the size of a head of lettuce bowl of cereal!  

Symptoms/Sleep/Labor Signs: Another week of sleeping mostly on my belly/slightly on my side. It in unreal how well I am sleeping still. I am definitely counting my blessings with this little guy every day. I have started to have weird dreams about delivery and our plan for Natalie. While we think we have a fairly solid plan in place thanks to our wonderful, amazing and rockstar daycare provider Cheryl, it's really too soon to know for sure!

Bump/Belly Button/Weight Gain: I am loving this third trimester bump, even if I am up 26 lbs from my baseline appointment prior to my FET cycle.  (Note: While I know some people say 27 or even 28 weeks is the third trimester, my OB says 26 and I like that better. Besides, given that we think he'll be coming along a smidge early - this is totally the start of my third trimester.) This past weekend, on Sunday, it got up to 80* so I busted out a bikini top and my shorts and soaked in the sun. I NEVER would have done that with Natalie. The self-love I have for this body this time around is unreal. 

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing really this week. I have been loving on some pineapple, thanks to my friend Jordan. I have had my Panera salad and it was so good.  I have been drinking tons of water and it seems more refreshing this week than ever before.

Big Sister: I cannot handle how sassy and fun she has been this past week. Her new picture pose is everything. I don't ever want it to end. I mean, where do they learn this stuff?!

Her new phrase at mealtime is "I don't want to eat too much" and while, for me, this sparks super negative connotations with eating disorders, I try not to read into it and recognize that she is three and picky and learning independence.  We started a new thing at mealtime where we do snack size portions of things in a cupcake tin. This week it has been fairly successful. We'll see if it lasts. 

Miss Anything: Oh you know, just my sanity. We had baby brother's middle name fairly set and then I changed my mind... again.  We are on middle name number 4 or 5 at this point but for real, I think we have one picked this time. 

Best Moment: This week we have had a few!  B's parents came down early in the week to spend some time with Ms. Natalie.  B's mom brought Nat some much needed and oh so very appreciated summer essentials: size 5 (where did my baby go?!) short sleeve shirts, skorts (!!) and new summery shoes (insert all the praise hands here). I made Ms. Shawn's baked ziti (a recipe I plan to share, for real this time, in the next few days) and, as always, it was a total hit and we have been loving the leftovers. On Wednesday, I had an appointment with the pediatric cardiologist to do a fetal echocardiogram. While not an ideal reason to get to peak in on baby brother, it was nice to get to see him :) Bonus, Dr. O went to the appointment with me which was fun.

Can't Wait For: Meeting baby Chase this weekend! B and I went to college with Ilona and her husband Jimmie and I am so excited for her little family to come hang out with us this weekend. I am really looking forward to loving on that sweet babe of hers.

baby #2 | 25 weeks

How Far Along: 25 weeks!

Size of the Baby: Baby W is the size of a head of cauliflower Buzz Lightyear! 

Symptoms/Sleep/Labor Signs: Still no swelling and my rings are happily in place. This is much different than my pregnancy with Natalie! I am still sleeping mostly on my stomach/slightly on my side. I did not sleep this well at this point in my pregnancy with Natalie and I will take it as long as it wants to stick around!

Bump/Belly Button/Weight Gain: The bump is still cute and little. At work, we often talk about how small I am for 25 weeks.  I have officially hit my pre-Natalie's pregnancy weight. It is so crazy to think that this was how much I weighed when I got pregnant with her and here I am now, more than halfway through this pregnancy. Mind blowing. 

Cravings/Aversions: I have had my Panera salad twice this week and I am not ashamed. It is everything to me. It's so perfect for the warm weather we've had this week!

Big Sister: I could not love her more. She is so much fun lately. She is becoming more and more aware that baby brother is coming and we talk about it often. I love to hear her ideas of what we should do with him and all the things she wants to show him. I was nervous about the addition but I think B and I have a solid plan to help with the transition (never have I ever been so happy for a July due date and to be married to a teacher!). 

Miss Anything: Wine. As the nights become nicer, I am missing sitting on the deck with a glass of wine and unwinding with B. Last Sunday's warm weather made me miss an ice cold white claw. My ginger ale just wasn't as appealing. [ps - if you haven't had white claw yet, I highly encourage you to find it and try it. It is so. dang. good. and perfect for day drinking... you know, if you're into that kind of thing.]

Best Moment: I have two this week! One was seeing some of our Lyco best friends at Ant and Chelsea's reception last weekend. I loved getting to see the guys and their lovely wives. It is so crazy to think of how far the four of them have come: 12 years, 4 weddings, 5.5 kids later :)

Monday we got to peak in on the babe :) I love getting to see him. He is weighing in at a whopping 1lb 10oz. While my previa is all gone (insert all the praise hands here), he is breach right now. Here's to hoping he gets the memo and turns his little booty around in the next 14ish weeks.

Can't Wait For: This weekend the weather has been perfect and beautiful. We have been living on the deck, soaking in the sun, taking walks around our neighborhood. It has been a much needed weekend of downtime. 

Friday Five

This week has felt like 3 weeks shoved into one. Usually when Dr. O is out of the office we call it our "staycation" since we don't have the daily run around of seeing patients and prepping and entering charts but this week was not a normal staycation. It was brutal. I blame the full moon. BUT it's FRIYAY! And the weather is supposed to be perfect this weekend. And we have nothing planned. And, lucky you, I have a post that isn't about pregnancy :)

1. I have pretty exciting news!  Today I am being interviewed about my infertility experience for a book.  One of my absolute favorite things to do is talk about my babies and my journey to get to parenthood. I really am an open book about our infertility struggle and our treatment process. I find that if my journey and my honesty helps even one person, then I have made a difference and isn't that all any of us want? To make a difference?

2. It is supposed to be in the high 70s, low 80s this weekend. Do you know how many of Nat's outfits from last summer still fit? Goose egg.  I ran to the motherland on my lunch break yesterday and I have to tell you, Cat and Jack for Target speaks my love language. Not only is it super cute but it is also reasonably priced AND they have skorts [insert all the praise hands emojis here]. Although, it seems like skorts are HUGE this season which is ev.er.y.thing. Natalie HATES shorts and she is hardly classified as ladylike these days so skorts are the greatest thing ever for us. 

Seriously, how cute is this stuff?! I also snagged a pair of $5 bike shorts in hopes that she will compromise and wear them under her dresses. Cross your fingers, y'all. 

2a. While on the topic of tiny human clothes, have you all been bombarded with the emails from Children's Place about their crazy sale? 60% off the entire store + DOUBLE My Place Rewards. Needless to say, I snagged some gems for Nat.

I LOVE how everything mixes and matches to make my life easier and her wardrobe far more functional! Plus, those are skorts. Love, love, love. 

3. My friend Jessica's husband, Nick, is part of a weekly podcast called Married Not Dead which also has a blog associated with it. The blog had a post this week entitled I love you, too which really made me think about B this week. I mean, seriously, how often do we just give a quick kiss and "I love you" as we walk out the door, simply out of habit? How often do we really say a thoughtful "I love you"? This is my favorite excerpt out of the post:

Here’s the thing: What if saying it became so routine that you forgot why you meant it? You know, like when you’re driving a car to a familiar place and, when you get there, it feels like it all happened in a flash. It was so routine that you didn’t have to pay attention to how you got there; you just got there.

It makes you think, right?! So while I know I won't be giving up the habitual "I love you" as I walk out the door, I know that I will be making more of an effort to share more meaningful "I love you"s with my bub because Lord knows I love that man for a million and twelve reasons.

4.  YOU GUYS. Mandy from The Blue Envelope has done it again.  Today the shop is releasing these ADORABLE and much needed (hint hint, Mr. Wilkinson) tumblers.

I mean, come on. How gorgeous are these?! And the perfect color for spring and summer! While they don't come with a straw, Mandy told me that the Yeti straw lids are a perfect fit and easy to find (usually on sale) on Amazon. 

BONUS: they are on sale today :) Use code SPRINGSALE for 20% off any order!

5. While this isn't a pregnancy post, I am super excited to share that we have booked our maternity session! I am now in the process of finding the right dress. It's going to be an outdoor location at golden hour. [Insert all the heart eye emojis here.] I hate my pregnancy arms because I feel I show the most weight there, so I want something with sleeves. That being said, these are the dresses from Pink Blush Maternity currently in the running:

Thoughts? Which one do y'all love the most? Any other places I should look?!

Now I am going to watch the clock, countdown until the weekend, and daydream about the sunny 77 and 86 degree days we have in store for us this weekend! Happy Friday, y'all!

baby #2 | 24 weeks

How Far Along: 24 weeks! Viability! Wahoo!

Size of the Baby: Baby W is the size of a cantaloupe. 

Symptoms/Sleep: Holy hormonal, emotional, weepy pregnant lady this week. I spilled a whole lot of emotion about three of my favorite people on the planet in Thursday's post and that was really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how much I adore them.

Sleep is still pretty ok.  I am still able to kind of sleep on my stomach though I can tell those days are numbered as it's becoming more side sleeping than full stomach. I am starting to experience some allergies for the first time in years which is making breathing while I sleep  a bit difficult but nothing a breathe right strip can't fix (at least that's what I am hoping!).

Bump/Belly Button/Weight Gain: The bump is still pretty small and cute for the most part. I am happy to report no weight gain this week, in fact, I am still under my pre-Natalie weight! This will probably be the last time I can say that for awhile haha

Cravings/Aversions: Y'all. My salad is back at Panera. The strawberry, poppy seed and chicken salad is back. It is everything. I am in heaven. 

Big Sister: Every week that we get closer to little brother's arrival, the more things that I notice about her. I have been trying to be more present and soak in these last few months just the three of us. She really is such an amazing little girl. She felt baby brother kick the other day and it was hysterical. She was shocked and told me he needed to go in time-out because hands are for helping, not hitting. My mama heart melted. She does listen!

We spent last Sunday sitting on the deck with my parents watching Natalie play. I loved that they got to see how wild she is and how amazing her imagination is. She was non-stop playing outside for the entirety of our visit.

Miss Anything: Even though it was an incredibly emotionally draining visit for a number of reasons, I am missing my parents. The distance is hard and makes things complicated.

Best Moment: We booked our maternity and newborn photographer! I am so excited to use Liz Hough Photography this time around :) Her style is very comparable to the photographer we used for our maternity and newborn pictures for Natalie and she is MUCH closer to home which makes me really happy. I love the soft light and outdoor pictures at the golden hour. Liz has already been a dream to work with and I am really looking forward to working with her more!

Can't Wait For: Celebrating Ant and Chelsea this weekend!

24 | viability and gratitude

Week twenty-four. This is one of my favorite pregnancy milestones. Viability. If you're not familiar with this milestone, at twenty-four weeks a baby has viability which means if, God forbid, the baby is born 16 weeks early, the miracle workers in the NICU can give the baby a fighting chance.  While I am hoping to make it to July 27 (or you know, July 19), it's nice to know we have crossed this major hurdle when it comes to the safety of the unborn babe.  This milestone makes me all kinds of emotional since this is our last pregnancy and our journey to get here makes me a bit weepy and so incredibly grateful. So while I am feeling super emotional, it seems like a really great idea to talk a little bit more about our journey to get to 24 weeks and the three women who helped make this possible.

When I made the decision to come back to SGF, I was lucky enough to be put on Dr. O'Brien's clinical team, or as we like to call ourselves the #dreamteam. At that time, I had no idea the magnitude of the role that the three women pictured with me below would play in not only getting me pregnant but also getting me through my first trimester and beyond. The support and compassion that my team has shown me makes me feel like the luckiest person alive. I truly am blessed beyond measure.

Dr. O, Jessica, Me and Shawn

All in all, a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle is really pretty easy (at least at SGF).  You pick a day (Monday through Friday) that you like that has availability, you date the protocol backwards from the date of transfer and boom, you're all set.  There are three appointments: a baseline appointment, a lining check and the transfer.  For comparison sake, my IVF cycle had nine monitoring appointments, the retrieval and then the transfer for a total of 11 appointments.  The medications are a bit intense for IVF but it's 12 days of shots. My cycle had a total of 26 tiny subcutaneous shots.  Meanwhile, an all-injectable frozen embryo transfer cycle has just shy of 80 intramuscular shots. Ouch. When B and I made the decision to go through with an FET cycle, I was told that the best course of action was going to be an all injectable cycle. Studies show that the success rates are better than mixed medication protocol cycles. I was nervous. Jessica and Shawn eased my fears and offered to give me my shots before I left work every afternoon.  So with the exception of maybe 10 or 12 shots, Jessica and Shawn gave me almost 70 shots. That alone is a lot to be thankful for but my teammates did not stop there.

I wanted this pregnancy, badly. Jessica and Shawn knew that. When I made the decision to test early, they held their breath and were cautiously optimistic as we waited for the stick results to come back.  They did the same thing the next day when I used a digital test. I later found out that on the day of my first blood test, they had come up with a back-up plan if my initial blood pregnancy test was not promising. Jessica would call B and let him know, then she would drive me home and Shawn would follow to get them back to work. They were not going to let me stay at work miserable and emotional. They were going to protect me from the bad. Could I have sweeter teammates, better friends? 

My first trimester was a, seemingly, easy one. I never felt pregnant or had any symptoms (other than exhaustion but with a toddler, is this anything new?) so it was easy to get through those first weeks. However, at 11 weeks, I had a gush of blood while I was at work. It was the most terrifying moment and reminded me so much of my miscarriage. It was still very early in the morning but I text Jessica and Shawn and waited for Dr. O to arrive. Dr. O did not hesitate to do a scan since my OB office was not open yet. When Shawn got to work, she never questioned the necessity for her to be in the exam room with me and held my hand as I held my breath and waited for the news. Jessica got to work and came to find us in monitoring. While all three of them knew that whatever was happening was beyond their control, they never hesitated to make me feel like we were doing everything we could to make sure my pregnancy and my baby were safe.  As we learned more about the subchorionic bleed, they reassured me and every ultrasound that showed change and a smaller bleed was celebrated. 

After my anatomy scan, I returned to the office with my news of the placenta previa. My teammates, former L&D nurses, reassured me that we would still be able to have a great outcome. We talked about the implications and they answered all of my questions. Shawn and Jessica kept me sane and eased my concerns. 

Each week that has passed since, my team has made me more excited than nervous about this next chapter. I know that this pregnancy has been so easy (you know, minus that whole subchorionic bleed and placenta previa), in part, because of them. I have made it to viability with their help and I am so grateful to be at this milestone with these incredible, compassionate, wonderful women by my side. 

baby #2 | 23 weeks

How Far Along: 23 weeks, 4 days!

Size of the Baby: Baby W is the size of a grapefruit! 

Symptoms/Sleep: Another week of feeling pretty dang good, emotional but good. I have not had any swelling and I am still happily wearing my rings. I have been really conscious of my water intake and have tried to drink at least 72 ounces a day - seems like a random number but my Starbucks tumbler is 24 oz and I try to drink 3 of them. This is on top of my smoothie that I have every morning (which we have been making with coconut water). 

I am sleeping really well this week even though I look tired. I can still sleep on my stomach which is nice and I haven't had to get up to pee in the middle of the night in quite some time which is the best. It's funny to think that at this point in my pregnancy with Natalie, I was dependent on my snoogle for good sleep.

Bump/Belly Button/Weight Gain: The bump is finally here. It's still small (and sometimes questionable depending on what I am wearing) but it's there. This past week I got the first of the unhappy glares from a patient. That is the worst part of being pregnant while working at a fertility center. If only I could wear a pin that says FET Baby on Board or IVF Warrior. Something to let people know that I am one of them; although, I am not sure it would really make a difference. 

I gained another 1.5 pounds in the last week. If y'all have been keeping track, that's already a whopping 23 pounds so far [insert monkey covering eyes emoji here]. I am still (barely) under my pre-pregnancy weight with Natalie which is crazy to me. I have done much better about body image issues this time around which makes me so proud of myself.  With 17 weeks (but probably more like 16) left, I am hoping that my 2lbs/week does not keep up! I just looked in my chart and know that I gained 44lbs with Natalie so mentally I am prepared for, give or take, another 21 lbs (eek!). I keep reminding myself that from 2013-2016 I lost all of the weight and then some so I know I can do it again! (If you're wondering, yes, it is exhausting being this crazy. It's alarming how long the after effects of serious body image issues last and when they decide to rear their ugly head.)

Cravings/Aversions: Periodically throughout this pregnancy, I have wanted all of the spicy things which is so strange for me. I discovered (thanks to my friend, Jordan) cheddar jalapeno cheetos. Oh my God. Where have they been all my life?! 

This week I am back to the pineapple and watermelon cravings. B got me some pineapple from Costco and while it isn't that super sweet in-season pineapple, it is still reeeeally delicious. 

Big Sister: I am seriously so lucky that crazy little girl is mine. While we have had some ups and downs this week - listening isn't always her strong suit - she is so strong headed and sassy, so silly and sweet. This week she has been talking up a storm about any and everything and I love listening to her. I love when she talks about baby brother.  She has also started to be more verbal about her feelings and when people and things hurt her feelings and why she is upset. It's heartbreaking but it has allowed for some big conversations lately which is just another reminder that she is growing up way too quickly.

Miss Anything: I cannot think of anything that I am really missing this week which is nice!

Best Moment: We had our new oven installed and it is SO NICE to have a functioning kitchen again.

Can't Wait For: I am so excited for this upcoming weekend. We are going to a wedding reception for one of B's college basketball teammates. It will be so great to see Ant and Chelsea and meet their son Karter. It will be fun to see the other guys from the team and have all the boys and their little babes together for the first time.