38 Weeks- Friday 7/1/11

I'm now 38 weeks and I'm definitely at the point of uncomfortable.  I'm starting to swell a lot when I'm on my feet for too long and don't take it easy.  I stopped working last Sunday and now Mark and I are pretty much just "waiting" for the moment.  It's so surreal that it could really happen at any moment.  We are as ready as we can be at this point and trying to soak up every single moment together.  The only thing left is putting up some decor in the baby's room but that can get done at any point really.  Let's hope that my next post is a picture of our new bundle of joy and not of my belly! :-)

35 Weeks- 6/10/11

Mark and I had professional belly pictures done at 35 weeks.  We really wanted to capture the moment so our son could someday see what life was like while he was inside my belly!  I was still pretty comfortable at this point and not swelling yet so it was a good oppurtunity.  Mark and I had a great time with the photos and we loved the way they came out! 

Friday (6-3-11) 34 Weeks

Here I am 34 weeks and the pregnancy is finally starting to take a slight toll on me. I'm still trying to enjoy it but I'm feeling exhausted already at the start of my day now!  It's getting tough carrying a little extra weight around things are just taking me that much longer to do!  I still have about 4 more weeks of work which seems like forever but it's really not that much.  Mark and I just moved last weekend and had sooo much help from our family and friends thank god we wouldn't have been able to do it without them.  Obviously I didn't do much of the "moving" part of it but unpacking can be just as exhausting!  We are slowly settling in and hope to be completely settled before we meet our little guy!  Things are definitely getting tight inside my belly for Baby M because I can always feel him trying to stretch out!  Mark and I also had our childbirthing class last week which was really scary but i'm glad we know everything and anything to expect now.  Other than all that everythings going great, i haven't had too much swelling and everything's good with the baby! 

Friday (5-20-11) 32 Weeks/Babymoon

Sorry it's been so long since an update Mark and I have been NON STOP with so much lately!  At 32 Weeks, Mark and I took a little "babymoon" as our last mini vaca before baby.  We headed up to Cape Cod for the weekend and did a lot of eating and relaxing!  We stayed at a beautiful resort and they made us feel very special by decorating our room with "congrats" balloons, leaving a nice card, and stocking the fridge with non-alchoholic champagne!!  Hitting 32 Weeks I was feeling pretty good just the usual back pain here and there and starting to get more tired throughout the day. 

31 Weeks Ultrasound Pics

It's been so long since our last ultrasound, Mark and I were so glad to have one today!  My doctor thought that the baby might be weighing a little under so she wanted to have it more accurately checked.  Turns out that the baby is actually on the larger size!!  He is weighing in at approximately 4 lbs 7 oz and technically the measurements put me at 33 weeks 6 days...that means we might have one big baby!!  Or maybe that means i'll go a couple weeks early and have an average size baby :-)  Only time will tell!!  He is very active these days doing aerobics in my belly, we can't wait to meet him!!  The new ultrasound pics are amazing, he is looking so human and real these days! 

Front facing

Side Profile

Foot

Other foot

Another side profile

9 more weeks and we get to meet him!!!!

30 Weeks!! - Friday 5/6/11

I can't believe we are only 10 weeks away at this point!!  Every week goes by so much faster than the last!  If Mark and I didn't have enough going on, we are moving in 2 and half weeks (Memorial Day weekend) to our new place in Dracut.  I'm trying to do as much packing as I possibly can while i'm still capable of doing so.  Mom came over today to help me out and we got the majority of our stuff packed so i'm not feeling stressed about the move anymore, just anxious and excited!  We can not wait to set up the nursery in our new place.  I do already have the hospital bag packed because I feel like that would be one thing I forget to do and before we know it the day will be here!  Yesterday, I celebrated my first mother's day as a mom-to-be and received many "Happy Mother's Day" from friends and family and of course my wonderful husband.  He got me an adorable boy baby bootie to add to my pandora bracelet and a card that brought tears to my eyes, he's going to be such a perfect Daddy!  Anyways, other than all that going on i'm feeling decent for the most part.  I have been starting to get a lot of sciatic pain down the right side of my back some days it's bearable and some days it's beyond painful!!  Other than that just losing my energy a little easier and "easy" tasks are getting a little harder.  It all comes with the territory and I know it's all worth it in the end!!

28 Weeks- Friday (4/22/11)

Baby McLaughlin is still moving around like crazy!!  My mom and dad threw a baby shower for me on Saturday, it was everything Mark and I could  have asked for and more! We are so loved by so many people and Baby McLaughlin continues to be spoiled of course and doesn't even know it yet!  We are moving in a month and can't wait to set up the baby room and get everything organized because right now our apartment looks like a storage unit because we have no storage area to put anything!  Here's a couple pictures from the shower.

27 Weeks (Friday 4-15-11)

I'm now 27 weeks and can not believe that we are only 13 weeks away from having our baby!!  I've been feeling pretty good still, though my energy is starting to diminish slowly again.  My lower back is also starting to bother me from time to time but nothing unbearable at this point, still pretty comfortable.  Mark and I have great news we are going to be moving to Dracut as of memorial day weekend (though I will not be doing much of the moving of course) :-)  We are going to be renting a 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath townhome!  Soon enough we will be setting up a nursery for Baby McLaughlin! He is kicking as strong as ever most days and everything seems to be going well. 

25 Weeks (Friday- April 1, 2011)

I just realized that it had been a while since my last update!!  I can't believe it, only 15 more weeks until Baby McLaughlin is here!!  Things are going so well I really can't complain right now.  I feel great for the most part, there is a little fatigue coming back and lower back pain but nothing too bad yet!  Mark finally felt the baby move a few weeks ago!  He's very active throughout the day and though it is the weirdest feeling ever, it's also the  most amazing!  Some mornings I lay in bed and just watch my belly move and try to soak up every minute of this pregnancy.  I do prenatal yoga once a week and try to get in cardio a couple days a week while I still can.  Some mornings I wake up and can't believe how much bigger my belly has gotten overnight.  It really does seem to happen overnight these days!  Our next doctors appointment is in a week and hopefully we will  have a couple more ultrasounds coming up!  I'll be sure to keep you all updated!

21 week 4 day ultrasound

Baby McLaughlin was very active the day of our ultrasound!  The doctor said everything looks great!  It looks like he was hiccupping or blowing bubbles in this picture :-)

22 Weeks (3-11-11)

I'm now 22 weeks and I feel great!  Our little baby boy is very active and there are days where I feel him all day long!  My mom and I can't stop buying adorable outfits for him because everything is just so cute these days.  I finally gained some weight at my last doctors visit which is good because up until my last visit I had only gained 1 lb.  I'm currently doing pre-natal yoga 1 day a week and cardio 2-3 days a week.  I'm busting out of my clothes more and more each day!

20 Weeks (2-25-11)

I can't even believe I am halfway there!!  This belly seems like it is starting to grow by the day lately!!  I am really enjoying my second trimester, it really is the "honeymoon" phase of pregnancy so I am going to try to soak up every minute.  I finally started to feel movement pretty often throughout the day it's so strange it's like little tickling from the inside, so amazing!  I don't have any CRAZY cravings at the moment, I have been frequently eating salads with Ken's Italian dressing on it (I could drink that stuff), and i'm still not loving cooked green veges :-(  Other than that I just really like salty things rather than sweet (except for icecream of course).  Mark and I have been going through names and it's soo hard but I think we may have come up with a few options, i'll keep you all posted!  Our next ultrasound is in a week and a half, can't wait to see more pictures of our baby!

18 Week 4 Day Ultrasound

right foot

side profile

it's a boy!

front facing

The baby was very active during the ultrasound, he was dancing and doing headstands and everything!  However, when the ultrasound tech wanted to see a certain side of him he was being very stubbon haha must take after daddy :-)

18 Weeks!

I'm now almost halfway through, it's so hard to believe!!  I still haven't felt any movement however I know he's moving around A TON from the ultrasound we got yesterday!!  Mark as always is being an amazing husband and daddy-to-be.  He deals with my little mood swings when they may arise or my cravings at times, like driving me to dairy queen at the mall to get icecream after a huge valentine's dinner we had at Burton's Grill!  I'm officially wearing maternity clothes, so glad that leggings are in style these days it works out nicely!  We have been tossing around names however, we aren't going to officially name him until the day we go into the hospital so we aren't releasing any names we have in mind :-)

16 Weeks (1-28-11)

Mommy's feeling good!  Finally getting an appetite back for once it feels good to start to feel normal and hungry ALL THE TIME!!  I may have felt movement the other day it was very short lived so i'm not sure.  I'm sure the movements will become more and more recognizable soon! 

15 Weeks 5 Days Ultrasound

Full Side Profile

Side Profile Face

Bottom of little foot

Front Facing

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!  Clearly looking from the 12 week ultrasound to these ones the baby has more than tripled in size!  It's about 5 inches + long and over 4-5 oz in weight!  I can definitely tell it's been growing a lot with all the cramping I got throughout the week!  Mark wasn't able to come with me to this ultrasound so my mom got to experience seeing the baby move around in my belly!  She was crying the whole time, so adorable, such a proud grammy!  I had the ultrasound tech write down the gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope so Mark and I could share the "moment" of finding out later on!  Work was torture because I just wanted to rush home and find out the gender!  The ultrasound tech said she was 100% positive of the gender therefore I knew it was probably a good chance it was a boy in that case and it was!!  Mark and I will never forget that moment of opening up the envelope and changing our life forever!  We are beyond excited!  I will have a Mommy's little boy and Mark will have a little hockey player!!

15 Weeks

I definitely feel like my belly grows overnight sometimes!!  Where did that come from?!  Though i did just eat so it may look a tad bit bigger :-)  I'm starting to feel great for a change!  I have energy back and am looking forward to enjoying my second trimester!  I get another ultrasound this thursday, can't wait!!  Stay tuned!

14 Weeks!

I feel like every day i wake up my belly has gotten a little bigger!  I finally am feeling back to normal pretty much i've gotten some energy again which feels great after being so drained in the first trimester!  4 more weeks and we find out the gender of our baby, can't wait! 

13 Weeks

Here I am going into my second trimester!  Mark wanted NFL playoffs in the picture with our baby of course :-)  I'm finally starting to feel better!!  I never thought i would see the day I wouldn't be feeling sick all day long but I think it's finally here and I hope it's here to stay!!  We go to find out the gender in 4 more weeks!!  Notice I finally have a little bump going on.  :-)

12 Week 4 day Ultrasound

Our baby is starting to look like a little human it's sooooo exciting!!  His/Her heartbeat read 169!!  :-)

12 Weeks

I was 12 weeks as of Christmas. Yay!  I'm going into my second trimester!!  A lot of people told me that I would start to feel better by 12 weeks but i'm not so much believing it right now.  I'm still feeling nausea when i go too long without eating and first thing in the morning.  I've started to get major headaches pretty much daily.  On the bright side of things I'm getting more and  more excited day by day!!  I've hit the point of becoming overly emotional and can't stop crying once I start.  Mark is reading up on a couple "Dad" books which is so adorable!  He has been so amazing taking care of me and being patient with me.  I can tell he's going to be the best Daddy in the world!  Today we go for our 12 week visit I will let everyone know how it goes!  :-)