Week.20.Questions.

How far along: 20 Weeks

Total weight gain: I will find out tomorrow how my weight gain is going. I think that my baby bump is bigger. 

Maternity clothes: Still using the rubberband trick, one pair of maternity pants, and a plethora of maternity shirts. New maternity sweater to be debuted in the reveal video tomorrow!

Stretch marks: Still have stretch marks and I am sure they aren't going to magically disappear. I did have a thought though... I wonder if acne scar mask/facewash would help diminish them. I mean.. it works on my face... I will keep you posted!

Sleep: I am sleeping better on my side. I start left side, go to right side, then back to left again.  

Best moment of this week: Twin baptism and finishing little baby Edmonds' closet!

Miss anything: I miss my house being clean. I truly have no energy to even do the dishes after work. It is disturbing. John and I worked hard Monday and today to finish the cleaning. I am feeling better about it now. 

Movement: Definitely movement. Today, after we hung a few things in the nursery and finalized the vote tally, and little baby Edmonds was a moving machine when I laid down! I had John feel, and he said, "It is random little movements" and I said yes! So I think he actually felt baby move!!!! So exciting. 

Food cravings: I have been enjoying bananas lately. (for the record, I have NEVER liked bananas) 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. I have been weaning off the medicine and so far so good. I still take it, but not as much of it. I hope that I can finish and be happy and not feel sick. 

Have you started to show yet:  Little Baby Edmonds is very apparent in my opinion. I think it is strange to see.  

Gender: WE FIND OUT TOMORROW!!!!!! I hope baby cooperates! I will post the video as soon as I can! 

Labor signs: nope. 

Belly button in or out: in.

Wedding rings on or off: on.

Happy or moody most of the time: I did get crazy eyes with John this week about the house and how it is dirty. Then, he cleaned the entire downstairs (spotless) while I was at Women's Bible Study! I love him! <3

Looking forward to: FINDING OUT IF I AM HAVING A SON OR DAUGHTER!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!! :) :) :) 

.The Week of Anticipation.

Well this may have been the longest week of my life! But, I know that tomorrow I get to find out if I am going to be a mommy to a little boy or little girl.

So many pictures were sent this week and every time I got a new one, I smiled. The stories behind them, the themes, the creativity, the "I don't want to take a picture, but I will for little baby Edmonds", and the love. It is so exciting to add them to the video. I re-watch the video after I add the pictures from the day and I love it more every time! I am so excited to share it with you tomorrow.

We had a busy weekend with Elfa installation, the twin's baptism, and of course, MORE Elfa installation.

The weekend started with a very excited couple heading to Easton to pick up the Elfa closet they designed for little baby Edmonds' nursery... (that would be me and John). When we got there, the excitement is hilarious because we know that we love the product and are going to get another big project off the list for the baby. We loaded the car, and headed home. John had some schoolwork to do, so I relaxed a bit. Then he said, "Let's go try and install the Elfa!" I jumped up quicker than any other pregnant woman! We headed upstairs. Some of the pieces are heavy, so John did all the lifting. I had the closet already cleaned out (whew) and stuff shoved in random rooms to be organized. The only negative to Elfa (which really isn't a negative) is that EACH piece has a price sticker on it. That was my job of the night. I removed a TON of little price stickers, hoping each time that they would come right off and leave no residue! (I was successful). As John built away, I managed to snap one picture.

Adi and Aspen LOVE to be in the nursery. Aspen was more interested in licking the drywall dust off the floor (she is crazy) and Adi just chilled out and watched daddy build.

So, after about an hour of building and sticker removal, John got to the lowest 'rung' where we planned to hang pull out drawers. He puts it in... and sllliiiiiiiiidddddeeee, pfft. sllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiidddddddeeeeeee, pfft. Hmmm... John had a look of disgust. So, I go over to assess the situation and the drawers WILL NEVER fit through the opening that the sliding door allows. So, all that building (& sticker removal) was pointless. We had to take it back. There is nothing worse than starting a project and not being able to finish it! Totally frustrating! So... we decided to take it all down, pack it up, and take it back Sunday to redesign and return. We went to bed defeated...by shelving.

The next day we were blessed to be part of my best friends' twins' baptism! How beautiful. We stopped at Liberty Hill to help out on our way to the baptism. We got the baptism, and we enjoyed the contemporary service that the church had to offer. I have a TON of pictures of Zoey and Luke, but I will share just a few. They are a wonderful set of twins and completely different! Zoey took the baptism in stride with a smile on her face... Luke did not. He was not happy about it and made sure we all knew!

 -Zoey Bell-

 -Luke Steven-

 -Family Picture-

-God Bless Zoey and Luke-

After a wonderful reception, we headed back to Easton to get this baby closet sorted out. Whew! We walked in and the new Elfa helper was AMAZING! She was so helpful and listened to what we wanted exactly. I am so excited. We even MADE money on the deal and spent less on the new Elfa. I must say, I think we even got more storage than the previous design. SCORE! Today was a great day thus far. As the parts were being pulled for our new Elfa, we decided to walk around and shop a bit. We got new car chargers for our phones (mine seems to die all the time!) and we headed to Victoria's Secret to figure out these bad boys that are growing rampant! The last time I headed to VS, I was not excited and got measured in the front, but had no desire to try on. This time, I was ready! I headed straight to the dressing room and was greeted by Shelby. She measured me and sent me to a dressing room with a bra that they 'check fit' in. I loved the bra! So, after I was fitted... and I am not small...ugh, she gave me a box of all the types of bras that they have in my size. I tried them on and liked 4! WOW! So, I ended up getting one, but she wrote down the others so I could come back. I am feeling great about my purchase and so glad I had a great experience. On a side note, I was told at Women's Group that Nordstroms is also a fabulous place and they can turn bras into nursing bras! They may be on my next stop after baby! 

So, when we got home after the Easton excursion, we were anxious to set up the Elfa, but we had a lot of stuff to get done. We decided to work for a bit, then get started. We worked on the Elfa for a little bit (I removed stickers again!) and John would build. Because we saved money, I was able to buy the hamper that I had been eyeing! I am so excited. It is just a large wire basket, but I love the color! I think it may double as a stuffed animal corral if needed in the future (Or we will need to buy the smaller versions for toys) <<wink>> <<wink>>. 

 Elfa... Take Two!

 ..New Layout..

Supervising-Adi Rose!

 Daddy onto build number two!

 Drawers and Shelves

 Tons of hanging space!

 Shelf Baskets-these are an additional piece and we love them!

 Closer Picture of the Shelf Baskets

 I have to admit... I saw this outfit at Kohls when we were about 8 weeks pregnant. I just fell in love with the baby plaid!  I mean... adorable. So, about a week ago, I saw it again and decided that it needed to be purchased. YES, I know it is for a boy, but I have decided that if we have a girl, I am going to put her in it with jeggings and a super cute brown puffer vest (I still must find that). It was too good to pass up! I had to buy it. Don't judge. 

This is how Aspen helps... She waited and waited until this chair was open (It had baskets stacked on it in the beginning) and then she claimed her spot. She is six years old and getting old, but I think she is going to be excited about a new baby! She fell asleep on this chair in about 3 minutes. She is silly and annoying at times, but adorable! 

I will post nursery pictures when I actually have it completed. I am not close to that yet. I still have a bit of decorating to do. Until then, try to gather your idea of the nursery through the sneak peeks! :) 

Tomorrow is the DAY! We find out if we are having a boy or girl... son or daughter... AAHHHH!!! The excitement is too much! We are going to the doctor at 3:15 October 9th. We are going to have the doctor seal the gender in an envelope and our great friend Jamie is going to have a small gender reveal tomorrow night. John has Parent-Teacher Conferences and won't be home until 8:30. I hope to get the reveal filmed, and then head to the computer to share the video with all of you! <3 Be patient, I will do my best to get it finalized as quickly as I can. 

Thanks!

-Alexis-

Week.19.Questions.

How far along: 19 Weeks

Total weight gain: I think I may be gaining more than a pound a week... at least in my boobs!

Maternity clothes: More maternity is happening. I had to do the rubberband trick on a pair of shorts this week. It worked. I am not complaining!

Stretch marks: So much for the Lone Ranger. My boobs have so many stretch marks now and they literally appeared over night. Not cool. Why do I slather this stuff on my body morning and night? No stretch marks on my belly yet... fingers crossed. 

Sleep: Not too bad. I am getting used to sleeping on my side. I don't love it yet, but it is getting better. 

Best moment of this week: Celebrating Stella Grace's 2nd birthday! Woot Woot!

Miss anything: I have noticed that my center of balance is gone. I couldn't be a ballerina right now... I would fall over. It is hilarious to see me try to get off the floor! (only to get worse I am sure) 

Movement: I have decided I am feeling movement. It is very slight, and usually when I lay down at night. Little flutters. It is exciting! I can't wait to see the ultrasound and the movement on it!

Food cravings: Nothing really. I did enjoy my ice cream sundae today! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Nausea still in check thankfully. Going to start the medicine to see how it goes. 

Have you started to show yet:  Well, it is official. I have a baby bump. Today, it looked very out front. Not wide, but forward. 

Gender: Started the gender reveal video... and I am getting so excited! 

Labor signs: nope. 

Belly button in or out: in.

Wedding rings on or off: on.

Happy or moody most of the time: Not too bad. Feeling much better now that the car has sold. Now it is a matter of getting the to do list completed. 

Looking forward to: More pictures! They are so fun to get via text or email! 

New Motto of the Pregnancy... Chill.

I am a very particular person. I know that a lot of things still need to happen before little baby Edmonds arrives. So, in my head, I have a list. A very LONG list. But, instead of stressing, I am going to learn to chill. This past week was full of fun.

Stella Grace TURNED two! Now, this past summer, whenever Danny would pick up Kerrigan he would tell Stella "Peace Out". So...we practiced holding up two fingers and by the end of the summer she would say PEACE to him when he left. Well, I didn't think this through. She doesn't say TWO when you ask her how old she is going to be, or show her two fingers, she says, "PEACE". So... happy PEACE birthday Stella Grace. I love you and you are my favorite girl!

 -Chalkboard All About Stella for her 2 year pictures-

 Throwback to Stella at four days old (all four pounds of her)!

Happy Birthday Big Girl <3

We found a snake... in the driveway... and we had to get it to safety! John and I photographed as Kennedy hid, watching from the car. Mason grabbed the snake and Hudson proclaimed "WE SHOULD PROBABLY CALL THE ZOO!" He was so excited! 

 A HUGE weight was lifted off of our shoulders when a man bought our car from craigslist. Craigslist can be terrifying, but God blessed us with a safe and secure transaction. It was a bit of a hassle with the bank, but we figured it out, and are excited to be DONE! Four door cars are filling our garage. Whew!

This week, I decided that I needed to clean the nursery closet, get a few things more organized. The closet is officially empty and now all the 'junk' that was in it is scattered in the guest room and office. Oh well, it isn't in the nursery. I moved around the furniture a bit in the nursery too, and I am finally happy with the layout. I am now starting to find different things to decorate with and have ordered a few things too! That is the fun part. I know that it will be even more fun when I know whether little baby Edmonds is a boy or girl. This is the chalkboard for the nursery. I am keeping tally of the votes that come in via picture. I have started our reveal video... and I LOVE it so far. I am so excited to get more of these pictures. People are being very creative and I am so ecstatic. 

 Stella enjoyed her PEACE sign birthday cupcakes! We joined the party and had a lot of fun with the family. That icing is bionic... pink that doesn't go away... I have seen it since the party, in the potty. Just saying.

John and I got Stella these amazing fabric letters from an instagram friend. They are adorable, fun, and Hudson loves them too! He practiced his letters all by himself, no prompting. He is getting so much better!

 These are one of the two pairs of fun PJs. She loves them and looks ADORABLE in them!

 Stella and I went to DQ today for lunch. It was just me and Stella today as all the older kids were in school. She ate her whole lunch, so she got to have the ice cream treat. This picture is hilarious. She was loving the ice cream and eating it all by herself! She is becoming so independent. Potty trained, feeds herself, entertains herself... I need her to slow down! By the time little baby Edmonds is here, she will be changing diapers! (that may not be a bad thing... hehe)

 Stella got cupcakes for her birthday (Melissa and Doug). She had a blast 'decorating' them, adding the candles, cooking them, blowing out the candles, and eating the cupcakes! Advice to anyone who purchases or plays with these, the marker 'icing' will come off of the icing and get on your face when you eat you cupcake. Kind of like the bionic pink icing... I see a trend.

I am looking forward to the excitement that is to come. We find out what gender little baby Edmonds is in one week! ONE WEEK! That is crazy! I will do my absolute best to post the video as soon as I can. I plan on posting it that night, so that everyone can find out if it is a boy or girl. I have big plans for the video, so I hope that I can hold myself accountable and get it finished. In order to help with that, please send your pictures of your guesses as soon as you can! I am getting that part done so all I have to add is the video of the reveal!  

Now... should I be decorating for fall... it is October 1st... eh. I am going to watch the Buccos instead and chill. 

-Alexis

First Pregnancy Breakdown... No Big Deal...

Well, this past weekend, John and his dad (and Alex) went car shopping. John was determined to get a four door car with all wheel drive to be more baby ready! Well.. he found a great car (Thank you Alex for the tip off) and it is official. We are new owners of an Infiniti M35x. It is LOADED! I am excited to sit in the back seat with little baby Edmonds. So much room and a DVD player. Trips to the valley may be easier now. Only situation....

We still have the Volkswagen GTI. So... are you in any way interested in purchasing a wonderful car?

I love the GTI. I am proud of it. I was so excited when I helped pick it out and stuff for John for our anniversary. So... I was kind of sad. When John texted me that they were on their way home, I had just gotten out of the shower, and I texted him "I loved that car" His response.." WHAT?" He knows that I didn't love the GTI (many reasons, the main it made me nauseous EVERY time we rode in it due to the six speed) and he called immediately. And then... I lost it. I mean not breathing, weeping, sobbing, chin shaking, couldn't talk, lost it. I was beyond worried that his GTI wouldn't sell for what we need it to sell for, then we had three car payments and we are NOT the type of people to just take this financial risk. He assured me that it will all be fine. I calmed down, and pulled it together. I trust that he can pull this all together.

Here are the pics... know anyone who is interested in a new to them GTI? Let me know! :)

I am ok now... and it was so strange. I don't cry often. So not only was I thrown off, but so was John! It was strange, but we will be fine. I have already had a few people ask about the car and are interested. Fingers crossed for a quick sale!

-Alexis

Downtown Delaware Adventure-9/26

Adi and Aspen are our dogs. Aspen is a beagle and Adi is a mix between a Neopolitan Mastiff and supposedly Cane Corso. (We think she is more Great Dane than Cane Corso) Anyway, after dinner tonight, I told John we should go to Whit's. We love Whits Custard. Delicious. And today... they had my favorite flavor-Carmel Brownie Swirl! So.. John thinks we should take the pups. I am very anxious about this... and Adi can be intimidating and can growl and be unkind. She won't bite, but she is scary to people who aren't animal lovers. Aspen, on the other hand, is a spaz and can't handle too much excitement. I am pregnant and am anxious already and just wanted ice cream. We get the pups in the car, park, walk up and down the main street and around the block. The dogs were TIRED by the time we made it back to Whit's. So... I was hopeful that they would enjoy a small cup of ice cream because they were behaving so well. Check out the pics of my puppies enjoying their FIRST WHIT's custard. They even added a bone for Aspen (Adi has food allergies)

 Here is a picture I got of my loves walking down Sandusky. Look how cute! 

So... just to tie up the story, the dogs LOVED the ice cream and I pray they don't get sick. So... as we were sitting on the bench eating our ice cream, Adi started getting feisty. She handled so many people walking by... but then she was done. She was over people. She started the growling and barking. No one seemed to scared of her and just kept walking. We were holding her and she was sitting. Well.. as we sat there, we saw a man walking down the street but he was texting and not looking up at all. So of course we look at each other and KNOW.. this is going to be bad... in a funny way. So... he keeps walking and texting and Adi barks. BAM! I am pretty sure he pissed himself. He laughed and we tried to not laugh, but it was too funny. He almost dropped his phone. Good thing he didn't. Whew! We headed back to the car, drove home and the dogs are relaxing. and I am catching up on the blog.

Have a great night. And if you live by a Whit's, go and try it... you won't regret it!

-Alexis