Babymoon Time

So for our Babymoon we had decided Las Vegas would be a good stop...but let me tell you how that came to be.

A few months ago I was watching The Office and watching Andy made me REALLY want to watch The Hangover, which made me REALLY want to go to Las Vegas. Larry originally wanted to do a Hawaiian cruise, but I was worried about Zika and being in the middle of the ocean on a boat for so long (I believe it's like 2 days there and 2 days back). I was still willing to go along if I could get the okay from my Dr (about Zika at least), but then my work mentioned we can't go negative on PTO anymore (prior to this we'd be able to go a few days negative as long as we made the hours up before taking more time off). That settled that.

Because I was in such a mood for Vegas I mentioned to Larry we could do a quick weekend going there and we could actually see shows this time. We were sure we had read that they were going smoke free out there and I've always wanted to see a  Cirque Du Soleil show so I thought it would be perfect (plus I was kind of excited to think about being in the pools - that we thought would be open - and getting to be in a bikini without feeling so self conscious for once!). Well about a week before we were set to leave I found out not only are the pools not open during the "winter", but they aren't going smoke free. That was enough for me to say never mind, let's pick something else, but when we looked at the maps of the hotels we'd be going into it seemed we'd be okay not going through the casinos so we figured it would be fine. Larry would gamble while I lounged in the room with candy, a book, and bad hotel TV, we'd go see shows we both wanted to see, eat at the buffets, it would be a good trip still!

My maternity road trip outfit :)

Fast Forward to Friday, the 24th, we headed down and enjoyed the road trip portion (with our traditional snowy conditions that happen EVERY time we head to or are coming home from Vegas). We made sure to get healthier snacks and load up on water this time around. It amazes me that Larry and I have spent so much time together and yet we can still find stuff to talk about with each other...car rides are the best for that! We started planning this future together that involved owning a business and it made me really hope we can make happen (it was a really nice vision we created for our future selves). We talked and laughed and ate and laugh and stopped many times for me to use the bathroom haha.

Traditional road trip selfie...BB included :)

Once we arrived in Vegas it wasn't quite as calming. We got there around 3, checked in, walked to the tram to go to Excalibur, walked from Excalibur to Monte Carlo, through that casino to the tram to take us to Bellagio, through that casino to get to the ticket area where we found out we were able to pick up our "O" and "Tournament of King" tickets. Did you know that those hotels MAKE you walk through the casinos to get ANYWHERE? Because I sure didn't and I wasn't all too pleased about that part.

Our hotel

We looked pretty good...except for my swollen face

Our seats weren't half bad...outside the "wet zone"

After we finally got our tickets we had to go back to Mandalay Bay, unpack the car, go up 32 floors to our room, which was literally at the end of the longest hallway. I was EXHAUSTED! I just wanted to lay in bed and sleep at that point. Unfortunately "O "( the Cirque Du Soleil show) started at 6 so we had enough time to re-apply deodorant, I changed my clothes (gym shorts and a maternity top work for a road trip, but not for a show), and head back out. We had 2 free buffets for our hotel, but it closed at 9:45 and so we weren't sure we'd be able to make it back after the show so we just figured we'd wing that one if we had to. The show was pretty cool. I didn't realize it would be as circus-y as it was. I guess I should've known, but didn't think of it. The dives were REALLY cool and the acrobatics were amazing! Some of the acts Larry and I were both saying "Whoa" out loud. There were two clowns that were trying to be funny and would come out after every few acts, but I didn't care for them so I'd rest my eyes during those performances haha. Luckily it ended a little early so we were able to get back to the hotel and to the buffet before the last seating. Dinner was amazing! I love eating at buffets, I know people who hate them, but we aren't one of those couples haha.

Saturday we decided to head out early (after eating a delicious breakfast at the buffet...seriously, the bacon was drool worthy and I am not a huge bacon fan) to get our tickets for Penn & Teller (Larry's magic show he wanted). We got there around 9 just to find out the box office doesn't open until 11. I was too tired and way too sore from all the walking on Friday to sit around for 2 hours so we decided to head back and just get our tickets after Tournament of Kings that night (that show started around 6 and Penn & Teller didn't start till 9 so we had enough time). That was the day I was going to let Larry gamble while I vegged out, but Larry decided he didn't want to leave me alone so he stayed in the room and napped while I ate my candy (Cadburry eggs thank you!) and watched really bad hotel TV (some of my favorite vacation memories are the shows we watch).  After a few hours we decided that walking the shops of the hotel might be fun...unfortunately by "shops" they mean like 8...only 1 of which interested us. It was a photography gallery that had some amazing shots. After that we went back to the room to relax some more. I feel bad because I was probably a bit grouchy from being sore, tired, and walking through way too much smoke than I cared for, so Larry probably didn't get the best wife that day. Getting ready for the shows I started to get a little more amped up. We had done TofK before, but loved it, so we knew that would be fun, and who doesn't love Penn & Teller?

Boy was I right too. TofK was good, we got front row so we HAD to be enthusiastic about it (which made it more fun). They changed the food on us, I swear it used to be just a turkey leg, but now it's a whole chicken (I have a hard time eating food that's still in the shape of the animal it was so I couldn't eat too much of it). They also only gave us the option of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, or Sprite...and since I can't have caffeine we decided to order a virgin strawberry daiquiri in a souvenir cup for us to share. The food was still good and the show was still funny so it was a good start to the night.

 

 

Once that was over we hurried back to the car and drove over to the Rio to get our tickets for Penn & Teller. Because I'm a water fiend I was more than happy to see that they had a stand right outside the theater with waters. I didn't care that it was $6, but it was a good thing because it ended up coming with a souvenir cup as well, which worked out for us. I just needed the water. Right as they let us in we noticed there were signs telling us they were going to do a Love Ritual trick so we had to get a (paper) cup and four random cards. When we got into the theater there was a piano player playing Jazz music while we waited. He announced that they wanted the audience to go up on stage and inspect a box they had up there. I wasn't in the mood to walk so Larry went on his own. Tons of people took pictures up there, I got some from our seats of Larry (see below). The show was beyond awesome! If you like magic shows this one should be on your list! They were very interactive, very funny, and very clever! I was so amazed at their tricks (especially the password one they did where they brought 5 random people up and somehow got them to create a password they already had written down). Larry got to go up on stage a second time when they were doing a trick to turn an elephant (cow with a fake elephant nose) into a chicken. The Love Ritual one turned out to be an awesome trick they did with the audience. It's got too many twists and turns, but know that they were awesome with that as well! BB seemed to love it too, she was a HUGE wiggle worm, even though it was WAY past bed time. Larry even got to see a big movement and commented on it because it was so big (I love when he catches movements...it doesn't happen a lot). After that the show ended and they went out to take pictures with the audience members (does it get more "fan friendly" then that?). I didn't feel like taking pictures and I think Larry didn't want to push me so we didn't get any (I feel bad about that now, it would've been nice to have some). We did go back to our room to sleep though haha.

Again, seats weren't too shabby

Larry on stage inspecting the box

This morning we got up bright and early and got packed up to head out right at 8 AM. It was really early, but I was antsy to get back home and play with the kitties again. We stopped at Denny's for a big breakfast so that we could make it straight home in one shot just relying on the snacks. Luckily I didn't have to stop to go to the bathroom and since we filled up in St. George we were good on gas. Again we spent the drive talking and laughing and sharing stories. It was a great drive home...we do so good on road trips! Luckily the roads were clear on the way home so we didn't have any bad traffic situations. We got home with such good timing and were able to relax the rest of Sunday.

Overall I'd say the trip was a good one, but it would've been a lot better had I not been pregnant. Walking was tough, getting comfy to sleep was tough, and I felt like I was grouchy because I hated being in the smoke. The shows were amazing and the weather was really nice. Our hotel was new enough it was really clean and we got a really nice room. The drives were awesome and the food was really good so I really can't complain, I just think we probably should've booked a hotel on the beach in California instead...that would've been more babymoon/pregnancy friendly. Something for us to learn for next time (assuming there is a next time).

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 Weeks (Acorn Squash)

Maternity  Clothes? I fear I may have to get bigger pants...not because the size it too small, but the pants don't fit right and my sweat pants that I got around Christmas don't fit anymore...I hate the idea of buying more temporary clothes, but at this point it's about being comfortable when I can.

20 weeks vs 29 weeks. Just wanted to compare since
I'm wearing the same shirt in both

Sleep? Who knew sitting up would bring about the best sleep I've had in a while haha. I can't tell if it's because my cats can't run over me (like they do when I'm down) or if it's because I don't have to toss and turn as much (my left side hurts too much, but if I stay on either side too long I get charlie horses). Who knows, I'm just glad our couch is super comfy still!

Best moment of the week: We built our crib! That was so much fun...or at least it's fun to say it's done with. It was actually a pain in the beginning. We also ordered the mattress and bassinet so we can start teaching the kitties to stay out of those...they haven't been delivered yet, but hopefully soon (i.e. before we leave for Vegas on Friday). Oh and my hair...I finally straightened it after washing it and it's SO long now! I love how long and soft it is...but it's still really thin and fine so I fear for the falling out part after she's here. I'm going to soak this in for the next 11 weeks still...HOLY CRAP 11 weeks left!!

Still need to get a mattress and add
Bedding...also it's not next to the
Window. We moved it to a wall

Miss Anything? This! This is the week that this hit me the most. I miss being able to walk for longer than 10 minutes without feeling winded or like everything is falling to the bottom of my belly (and therefore makes my back and hips hurt). I miss not worrying about expiration dates or trying new foods. I miss sleeping like normal (or not worry about if I'm on my back or belly too much). I miss not being in as much pain. I'm not complaining, mind you, but a lot has hit at once this past week.

Movement: Oh even more than before, if that was even possible. I know she's growing, but wow the movements are making my belly skin all jelly-like haha. We went to Costco to get memberships (don't get me started on that though) and I had to sit after a while and so we pretended to try out patio furniture and she went INSANE! I wish I had recorded my belly, luckily Larry was watching so he got to see the craziness. It's so nice. Although sometimes it feels like there's a VERY thin layer of skin between her and I; I can almost feel the details. I LOVE it more than anything!

Cravings/Aversions: Ice cream. I was so happy when Larry took me to Leatherby's last week to get some ice cream, but then I ate it WAY too fast. I can't wait to get more :P

Gender: We have a little lady dancing around :)

Labor Signs: None that I can tell...and it's my biggest fear right now. Still too early so I'm trying not to say things like "I can't wait till she's here"...I don't want to jinx anything just yet, she can keep cooking in there.

Symptoms: Haha back pains, exhaustion hit again (I'm pretty sure I could go back to falling asleep after dinner, waking up to get ready for bed, and going back to sleep I get that tired), knuckles are still pretty sore (and feel like they need to be cracked all the time), and that's about it

Moods: I still get annoyed easily, and I'm trying so hard to keep that in check, but there are days that I just don't care to talk to certain people and I think I'm having a hard time hiding it. Sorry if you've felt this way by me lately...nothing personal...I just mostly want to leave to take a nap haha.

Looking forward to: Finding a new doctor (yes still!), getting the rest of the furniture built and delivered, and sleeping more haha

28 Weeks

How far along? 28 Weeks (AKA the most stressful week so far...almost none of it having to do with pregnancy though...also eggplant sized)

Maternity  Clothes? Well the pants would be better if they weren't making that pain that top of my belly hurt worse. So I have to put them on and then keep the band down low (because I'm NOT buying more pants for such a silly reason). The shirts are starting to get tight and my pre-pregnancy ones barely fit (and by barely, I mean I have a LITTLE belly showing underneath if I'm not careful). Tanks are basically a no go, which sucks because I put them under all my shirts. And I still have 12 more weeks of growing to go!

Sleep? Sleep is like normal. I feel like I sleep better now, but waking up to go to the bathroom is something I won't miss haha. The other night I woke up at midnight STARVING (like my belly was growling so loudly) so I had to get up and get something to eat real quick. That was new haha.

Best moment of the week: Getting the house more set up. We bought the crib and dresser and will be getting that built this weekend. We also had to stop by the condo to get our bedding I accidentally shipped out there. Oh and I worked all week on getting our registries updated so they are (closer to being) good to go for the shower. I guess to be in the column of being prepared (or whatever) I also made a list of dr's to call to switch over to since mine decided to stop practicing all of a sudden.

Miss Anything? I more can't wait to sleep normal, to be able to jump without freaking out if I did something bad, to eat whatever I want. I know I'll get there again, but May could be here now and I'd be extremely happy haha.

Movement: Oh all the time! She seemed to LOVE Valentine's Day with all the sugars and had a little party in my belly haha.

Cravings/Aversions: Just root beer and ice cream still...although I feel so guilty eating sugars lately...it makes her move so much and I'm sure that's good, but I still feel guilty. So I try and limit the root beer or ice cream intake....if I can help it.

Gender: We have a little lady swimming around :)

Labor Signs: Nope, although I think I got my first Braxton Hicks contraction on Sunday. I was walking and noticed the bottom of my belly felt REALLY hard and was really tight. I didn't feel any pains or anything and it went away, but it was really weird.

Symptoms: Back pains is the biggest one, frequent bathroom breaks, and sore knuckles (again). I forgot this happened earlier in the pregnancy...around 12 weeks ish. They feel like they need to be popped ALL the time and are so sore. I also think something is going on with my ears...they always feel like there is water in them so I'm always shouting everywhere. Oh and I got my first stretch mark (sad face here). So now I make sure to lotion up every morning and night like there's no tomorrow.

Moods: I'm to the "I'm so uncomfortable I get irritated easily" stage. I try and stay as positive as possible, but some days I just don't care about anything else haha.

Looking forward to: Finding a new doctor, getting the registries updated, and getting the nursery set up. So much to get done over the next few weeks!

Note from the week: The reason this one was so stressful is because I got a call on Wednesday/Thursday saying my doctor is no longer practicing at the clinic I go to (they made it sound like she was done all together). They only have male doctors as their options and I'm not comfortable seeing a male doctor. At least not for my regular checkups after BB is born, so now I have to find a whole new doctor. Top this off with a flooding basement, a breaking back porch, light bulbs that keep going out, and outlets that keep breaking in the house it was hard not to have a mini breakdown that day. Luckily that all passed on and things are much better now!

Valentines Traditions

So I won't start this out as I have in the past (I hate Valentine's Day blah blah blah), but Larry and I have embraced the love part of the day now. We have decided the point shouldn't be to buy each other anything, but to spend it together. After last year's baking a cheesecake, we decided that could be our new tradition. Spend the day/night baking something new together, no phones or TV (unless it's mutually agreed upon or I'm taking pictures), and then enjoy our treat together. It's pretty fun and we've liked the outcome of the food so far. This years creations: Homemade Pizza (homemade dough and everything!).

One thing we didn't realize with this is that making everything homemade takes quite a while, we didn't end up eating until 8 PM, but the experience was really fun. Our pizzas turned out very delicious! We were going to make one big pizza and have him do half his toppings and me do half my toppings, but he wanted to do a lot more with his so we decided to just make our own.

Larry working the Kitchenaid

Me oiling the bowl for the dough

Dough needs to rise

He added tons of veggies as his toppings (onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pineapple - which I realize is actually a fruit) and then stuffed his crust with string cheese rolls. Needless to say his was HUGE! I just did olives on mine and then half had pepperoni so that someone could help me eat mine...even though it wasn't nearly as big as Larry's haha.

Taking a "Walking Dead" break

All toppings

Larry's topping "salad"

The biggest reason it takes so long is you have to make the dough (which we did in our newest Kitchenaid...yay for trying out new gadgets!) and then let it rise for an hour or two. We decided to give it 90 minutes and caught up on Walking Dead episodes. We split the dough up pretty evenly (Larry got more since he needed more for his crust), but it was fun to spread it out like I've seen on TV (although I definitely didn't do it in the air...I would've dropped it for sure). We I learned that you can spread the dough pretty thin, even when you think it might be too thin. I cooked it when I thought it was almost too thin and it turned out to give me a pretty thick crust, but that works for me because I like it a little more thick. Unfortunately I was way too hungry to wait until Larry's was cooked so I ate mine while his cooked and then he ate his while I sat and let mine digest a little haha.

Spreading dough

Adding cheese to his crust

I spread my own sauce haha

Before cooking (mine minus the cheese)

Before cooking (Larry's minus the cheese)

If it didn't take so long I'd say we're just making our own pizzas from now on, but it was a really fun experience and I look forward to making more when we want to and to say we know how to make pizza all on our own :)

Final product...I'm not professional

Look how thick his slices were!

Maybe one day we'll find an opportunity to make this for others...I think they were share worthy for groups.  Anyways, enjoy our pictures and hopefully you had a great day as well!

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 Weeks (Lettuce)

*The week I have to apologize to all pregnant women before me. I knew it was painful, uncomfortable, and your body goes through a lot. I thought I knew what to expect. But when I came home one day with a sore belly and back and tried to find a way to prop myself up on the couch so I wouldn't feel pain I realized I had NO idea what I was in for. It's worth it, yes, but oh man the pains!

Maternity  Clothes? Very much! I can barely fit into my pre-pregnancy sweaters and tank tops...so I'm a convert of maternity stuff now. Although I found out the pants I got are giving me pains at the top of my belly so I've got to keep the band lower. But they still fit me.

Fun comparison...only one more left

Sleep? Sleep is fine. I feel like I'm sleeping deeper these days, but I'm getting more leg cramps and heartburn so I have to watch what I eat and how I position.

Best moment of the week: I got the glucose test done. The test itself wasn't too bad and the results were good, but it made BB crash for a few hours which freaked me out. We also got to register for our shower :)

Perfect last meal.
Just before my Glucose test :)

Miss Anything? I just can't wait till she's out and I don't feel like I HAVE to focus on movements so much. It freaks me out when I stop paying attention and have to think "did I feel movement and just zone out, or do I need to try and wake her up now?"

Movement: Yup, she's still a wiggle worm, it's just her movement patterns changed around when I did my glucose test. She used to wiggle at certain times, but now they are different times. And I'm pretty sure she moved things around in there because she used to be on my right side, but now she's mostly behind my belly button. So it's been interesting getting used to that now.

Cravings/Aversions: Just root beer and ice cream still...although I feel so guilty eating sugars lately...it makes her move so much and I'm sure that's good, but I still feel guilty. So I try and limit the root beer or ice cream intake.

Gender: We have a little lady swimming around :)

Labor Signs: Nope, and it can stay that way haha

Symptoms: Back pains is the biggest one, frequent bathroom breaks, and squealing when she moves haha (seriously, sometimes I can't hold it in when she surprises me).

Moods: I think I'm starting to get annoyed more. I try to keep it in check, but silly things really bother me more often now. So sorry if I've acted annoyed at you lately, I'll be back to normal soon-ish haha.

Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment next week. It'll be nice to get to hear the heart and ask any questions I have. Plus I'll be in my third trimester at that point :)

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 Weeks (size of a Scallion..or Kale. Whichever is easier to picture haha)

Maternity Clothes? The clothes are the best...I can wear short sleeves on warmer days since I actually get hotter quicker. Plus I still have my lovely sweaters I got.

Sleep? The same as usual. It's harder to get comfortable to get to sleep in the beginning, but once I'm asleep I'm good. The cats love to wake me up early still though, so that's been a challenge. Luckily if Larry stays up late on the weekends they like to stay downstairs with him so I sleep SO much better those nights!

Best moment of the week: We got our new bedroom furniture delivered so our room is looking SO coordinated and lovely! I also got new scented garbage bags so I don't have to gag when I throw things away haha. But to top all of that, my mom sent us a package for BB filled with the cutest clothes, some diapers, and some wipes! The outfits are seriously so cute, although the 9 month ones make me sad to think of her being that big already, they look like a 2 year old should fit into them haha. But I can't wait to dress her up in all of them!!

 

I LOVE this outfit! I want to find one in
My size so I can match with her haha

 Miss Anything? Sleeping stuff as well as sushi! When we go to the store I can smell the sushi and I can't wait to eat that again.

Movement: Oh yes, I can tell she's bigger because I can feel more movement every day. She more wiggles than punches, but I do get punches once in a while. I LOVE feeling it, she moves more with certain foods so I look forward to feeling those when I eat the foods (like Popcorn...she seems to LOVE popcorn).

Cravings/Aversions: When I eat popcorn I want ice cream with it. I also still want root beer a lot of the time. I'm trying to limit the sugars I'm eating since I'm doing the glucose test this weekend, plus I feel I already eat too much sugars so I'd like to stop that sooner rather than later haha.

Gender: We have a little miss swimming around :)

Labor Signs: Nope, not even Braxton Hicks...knocking on wood!

Symptoms: Back Pain, need to pee, my belly button is basically flat now, and I officially had to stop wearing my wedding ring. Luckily I found a ring my mom got me for my graduation that was larger so I get to wear that now.

Moods: Same old, here. I think I'm getting antsy about getting the house done and we've made a list of the baby stuff so that makes me feel better about what we have left with the time we have left.

Looking forward to: The glucose test as well as registering for our shower. I made a list of everything we'll want on the registry (after asking around and looking on the internet) so I'm really excited to get those crossed off the list!