So close, but so much farther to go

How far along? 31 Weeks

Baby is the size of a: pineapple. Yummy :) 

Total weight gain/loss: 32 lbs. and definitely feeling it!

The Bump: it's there alright

Symptoms: Bad back pain kicked in this week and I am also starting to feel tired and easily exhausted, like I did during the first trimester

Food Cravings: Nothing specifically- just everything!

Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: nope

Sleep: lots of tossing and turning

What I miss: sleeping on my stomach

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Any Names Picked Out Yet: Lincoln

Gender: Boy

Movement: Lincoln has the hiccups all of the time- even right now as a matter of fact! It is the strangest feeling, like a pulsing low in my abdomen- slower than a heartbeat but consistent like one. They usually last for a few minutes but sometimes up to 10 minutes and it happens 5-6 times during the day.

Maternity Clothes: wearing a mix of 'regular' clothes and maternity clothes

Best Moment of the Week: We are able to see Lincoln move more, whereas before it was just a kick or a punch (which are still visible), now I can see a body part move from one side of my stomach to the other. Can you say 'Freaky'? All checked out perfectly at our Dr appointment this week! Scott finished putting the crib together and I have done my first 5 loads of baby laundry- the first 5 of a gazillion, I am sure.  His room is almost ready for his arrival :) 

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: meeting our little one.  

 

The Dr has also informed us that Lincoln is in the head-down position and will most likely stay in this position until birth. His back is on my left side and his arms and legs on my right side, which explains why I have been feeling lots of pressure under the right side of my ribs- someone is practicing his kicking in there :) Guessing from his size, the Dr says he is between 3.25-3.5 lbs right now. It's hard to believe that the Dr can tell so much just from palpating my stomach! 

Music makes the world go 'round

...And Mumford and Sons makes Lincoln dance!

For Christmas this past year I gave Scott tickets to see Mumford and Sons at the Patriot Center in VA. So this week, we ventured to Fairfax for our first concert in a long time, and probably our last concert for a while, too :) Scott got a hotel room (with a King bed!) so that we wouldn't have to worry about driving back home late and when we checked into the room we found that they upgraded us to a room with a jacuzzi tub- SCORE! Although I am not supposed to get into a hot tub or any water that will raise my temperature over 102 degrees, I wasn't going to pass up the huge tub! I used it as a regular bathtub and took a long, nice and roomy bath before the concert. It was really a nice treat since our tub at home isn't very conducive to baths :)

Simple pleasures!

 As it started to snow, we headed out to the Patriot Center, which was only about 4 miles from our hotel. We had to park in the very corner of the farthest lot and as we walked to the arena, we passed several empty parking spaces, but sometimes you just take the first spot you see and are grateful for that space! I love the feeling that arises when I near closer and closer to a concert venue; the hum and energy from the other concert-goers gets me amped up and the excitement builds- that is what we were both feeling! We missed the opening acts (Haim and Ben Howard) due to traffic and pregnancy-related causes- since I had to use the bathroom (which had ridiculous lines, of course) and I was getting pretty hungry too. We decided on Pizza and couple in front of us got the last slices! Although they offered me one of their slices, we decided to wait for more to arrive and when it did- boy was it yummy! Our seats were in the very top, last row and getting up that high made me a big uneasy at first which was strange because heights have never had that affect on me before. Then we waited for what would end up being one of the best concerts we've ever been to, to begin. 

The light bulbs hung out over the crowd were really neat!

The guys put on a great show and sounded unbelievable. They came out onto a small stage, at the far end of the main stage, at the end of the show to sing two acoustic songs which was really neat too. 

Lincoln was moving the ENTIRE time, kicking and rolling. I am not one to listen to music loudly so this must have been quite an experience for him! Some of the songs got me emotional (I blame the hormones) - the guys just sounded SO great together and their voices were mesmerizing, and as I felt him moving I just couldn't stop thinking throughout the night how blessed I am to be bringing him into our lives. Scott took turns from clapping and snapping pictures to touch and rub my belly and I could tell he was just as amazed and happy as I was. As a finale, Ben Howard and Haim joined them back on stage to sing 'The Weight' by The Band which had a lot of energy. We didn't want it to end! But alas, the show must end, and as we left we couldn't stop talking about how amazing the concert was. We had a lot of fun, and as always, loved spending time together and sharing in these opportunities that we are able to have. 

Here are some more videos that I took.

Lincoln at his first concert, in-utero :P

 

And you are the mother

The mother of your baby child

The one to whom you gave life

And you have your choices

And these are what make man great

His ladder to the stars

But you are not alone in this

And you are not alone in this

As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand

Hold your hand

-'Timshel', Mumford and Sons

On another note, Lincoln and I are doing good. He gets the hiccups A LOT and weighs about 3 lbs- like a head of cabbage, and is able to regulate his own body temperature now.

 

 

10 weeks to go!!

Same list, different blog

There are a few of these lists circulating on Facebook and blogs, so I found a list from a father to his son, and a list from a mother to her son, combined them, and chose my favorites. Parenting is going to be a trying and lifelong process, along with magnificent rewards, and who doesn't want to teach their children good values and give them a running start in leading a good life? Here are just a few, in no particular order:

1. Play a sport. It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble. And maybe even throw or catch.

2. You will set the tone for the sexual relationship, so don't take something away from her that you can't give back.

3. Use careful aim when you pee. Somebody's got to clean that up, you know.

4. Save money when you're young because you're going to need it someday.

5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom.

6. Don't ever be a bully and don't ever start a fight. The only time it is appropriate to use your fists is to defend yourself from someone else using theirs on you.

7.  Learn empathy. In all situations be able to put yourself in the position of the person you’re interacting with.

8. Treat women kindly. Forever is a long time to live alone and it's even longer to live with somebody who hates your guts.

9. Never let anyone do your thinking for you. There are far too many people with far too much invested in you believing what they believe. 

10. Be strong and tender at the same time.

11. A woman can do everything that you can do. This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M. Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.

12. "Yes ma'am" and "yes sir" still go a long way. Hold open the door, pull out the chair and give her your coat. Chivalry is not sexism. 

13. The reason that they're called "private parts" is because they're "private". Please do not scratch them in public.

14. Peer pressure is a scary thing. Be a good leader and others will follow.

15. Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea.

16. It is better to be kind than to be right. And never lose sight of the fact that no matter how much you believe, no matter how convinced you may be that you are right — you might just be completely wrong. 

17. A sense of humor goes a long way in the healing process

18. Learn to dance with a partner. Nothing is classier than a man who can walk his partner onto the dance floor with confidence.

19. Learn to filter. Before you say (or type!) anything, think about how the words you plan to use will sound in the ears of the person you are speaking to.

20. Learn to disagree with someone without taking personal offense – if for no reason other than the fact that you can’t expect something from someone that you aren’t able to deliver yourself.

21. Take pride in your appearance.

22. Learn early to tie a tie and know your way around power tools.

23. You don’t have to like their music, but be able to identify Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin when you hear them. Again, classy.

24. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you. Liberal arts grow your mind. Science and business keep you fed. You will need both.

25. From your father: When picking a wife, you can never do better than your mother. From your mom: Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you.

Hello Third Trimester!

How far along? 28 weeks

Baby is the size of a: an eggplant. Very fitting this week...something PURPLE! 

Total weight gain/loss: 22.4 lbs

The Bump: amazes Scott every day, me too- but I live with it, and he is much more vocal about it (i.e. "Wow you are, like, REALLY pregnant!")

Symptoms: Heartburn (found a new form of relief, GUM!, thanks Anne and Jen :) My pelvic joint pain has been getting worse- fun stuff ;)

Food Cravings: I never really like Krispy Kreme donuts until now...thanks to my loving husband. Warm one of those puppies up for a few seconds...HEAVEN. 

Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: I did get quite nauseous while getting my eyebrows waxed...never had that happen before!

Sleep: eh

What I miss: I could really go for a few good beers

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Any Names Picked Out Yet: Lincoln

Gender: Boy

Movement: moving quite frequently now, it's a mix of gentle rolls and strong kicks

Maternity Clothes: wearing a mix of 'regular' clothes and maternity clothes

Best Moment of the Week: Had our Dr appt last week, passed the Glucose test! (anything under 140 is good and I got 73), was informed everything is going great and got to hear his little heartbeat again :)  Not pregnancy related, but getting to tour the Ravens training facility, the week before they go to the Super Bowl, was pretty neat! Seeing Scott talk to Lincoln through my belly button, because he 'might be able to hear better' that way, also puts a big smile on my face.

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Getting more of the nursery put together :) Only one more 4 week Dr appt- then we switch to every 2 week Dr visits! That means its getting close!!!! (holy cow)



Yowsa belly!

28 weeks on the 50! Visiting the Ravens Under Armour Performance Center.



What's in a name?

Names are important. They shape us and they give us roots to our family. It's not a simple task to pick a name for a baby, it requires a lot of thought. There were nights where Scott and I would converse for minutes at a time saying nothing but names.

"William?"

"No"

"Jackson?"

"Ashton?"

"Nah, Aiden?"

"*head shake*"

And on and on it would go until one of us tired first. Then there's the decision about the name origin; Will it be a family name? A famous name? New age or retro? A made up name?! There's also the big debate on WHO gets to name the baby- Will mom and dad take turns (which makes for an unsaid agreement that there will even be a second baby)?, Will one parent pick the first name and one parent pick the middle name?, Will one parent get all of the naming rights?

Soon after we found out we were pregnant, Scott called "dibs" on naming the baby. Those were his actual words. "I call dibs."
"On what?" I asked.
"On naming the baby"
My response? "You can't call dibs on that!!"

We didn't really discuss name possibilities for several weeks. We didn't even talk about the concept of names. And then we learned the sex of the baby. It's a boy- let the games begin! And so, after much deliberation, a name was chosen.

Lincoln was one of the very first names (possible even THE first) that Scott suggested. I really, really liked it, but it just felt wrong deciding on a name so early on, without exploring the possibility of other names, so the game continued. There were a few others that we liked, but we kept going back to Lincoln (English in origin, meaning Lake Colony- obviously we did not choose it for its meaning!) and it just felt right. It was not a common name, but not one that was 'out there' like Thunder or Espn. It felt like a strong name and sounded good with LaCoss. We were on our way home from from Baltimore, throwing names around and the name Lincoln Jackson came up, I suggested Lincoln Jay instead and Scott said, "OK, that's it! That's the name!" and so it was done! Jay is my fathers middle name. My father, like all of our parents (we are pretty lucky!), is a great parent and person, and an amazing grandparent and I really loved the idea of our son carrying a piece of my father with him. Now our son would have a piece of everyone, Lincoln from me and Scott, Jay from my side of the family and LaCoss from Scott's side- carrying on the LaCoss name for another generation.

Once the name was officially decided upon, it was too hard to keep secret! We lasted a few weeks but the excitement was just too much for us. It feels really nice saying and hearing the name and we can't wait to meet Lincoln, our precious baby!

27 Weeks Preggo

Do you have a neat or funny story about how your name was chosen? Let's hear it!

14 Weeks to go!

My 26th week has only just begun and so many great things have happened!

This past weekend Scott and I started registering for our baby things. We took a trip to Baby's-R-Us and, with Scott wielding the scanning gun, we started on our way. It was fun to look at all of the baby things- especially anything little or cute, and Scott had fun getting to scan the items! It was also a little overwhelming but we knew that we didn't have to finish in one day, one visit, and so we did what we could (before I got cranky and hungry!). It is amazing all of the things that baby will need, and all of the crazy inventions that have just got to be unnecessary (this article comes to mind). The best part of our trip (aside from lunch at Boston Market afterwards)? We got special parking!

On Sunday I took my first pre-natal yoga class, with Mountain High Yoga. It was a really great experience and I am hoping to be able to attend weekly from now on. Meeting other mommies-to-be, sharing our experiences, and practicing yoga together was really neat! Aside from the obvious health benefits of yoga, the class will also help me learn stretches to help ease specific pregnancy pains, good breathing techniques for labor as well as working on my ability to focus and concentrate.

I had to take the glucose 'challenge' (as LabCorp refers to it) this week and it was really not that bad! Everyone said how horrible it was, warned me to try to keep it down at all costs, and talked about the disgusting syrup I would have to drink. Basically you have 5 minutes to down a small amount of a glucose drink, then wait an hour before your blood is drawn. This checks on how your body processes sugar. The drink was not as bad as everyone told me that it would be. It was extremely sugary, of course, and somewhat thick, but I had no problem drinking it in the 5 minutes. At least that's another pregnancy-related medical test that I can check off my list!

All gone!

This week I have also been inspired to start a 'labor playlist'. I am slowly adding songs to it that I think will either help me concentrate/meditate or get me amped up!  Whether or not we will actually play it, is one thing, but it's been fun adding songs to it so far. I will probably just continue to add songs to it until sometime in April. Let me know if you have suggestions and once it is finished I will share it with you!

Another thing this week that brings a smile to my face is the nursery! Scott and my dad started painting the nursery (Bermuda Sand) and it's really exciting to think that we have finally started creating that space for our little one.

Men at work

On another note- the Ravens and the 49ers are one more step closer to the Superbowl- woohoo! I support the Ravens and Scott is a loyal 49ers fan, so we are hoping for a Harbaugh Superbowl! The Patriots better be prepared for a beatdown this weekend against the Ravens (Sorry Grandad ;) 

Lincoln (yep- not keeping his name a secret anymore!) is starting to move more frequently throughout the day instead of just at bedtime. I think I may have felt some hiccups, too! He weighs close to two pounds and his eyes are starting to open. He is also absorbing my antibodies, preparing his immune system for life in this world.

A few of my favorite things

 

In my 25th week of pregnancy, just as I start getting used to my belly, it goes and changes on me! My shoe size has gone up one whole size, I get out of breathe coming up our back stairs (which, for the record are very steep and there are about 20 of them), I feel strains and soreness even though I haven't hit up the gym, I get surprised when my stream of urine lasts longer than 3 seconds (TMI?), that evil dark line going up my belly is starting to show its face and I find myself getting emotional very easily. I have also officially dipped my belly into my food. Twice. I am still really enjoying being pregnant, but I also know that the hardest part is yet to come! I am also getting really nervous about giving birth, but glad that I will have Scott there to blame for all of this try to keep me calm. After 25 weeks of being preggo- here are a few of my favorite things.

25 Week Faves

Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil- the description says that it 'deters stretch marks'. I would love it even more if it said prevent! The entire line of products is awesome.

Skinny Girl Mommy Conditioning Belly Butter- nothing worse than an itchy belly. Well, I could think of a few things, but this stuff feels great!

Target Mossimo Long and Lean Tanks- these tanks were a wardrobe staple for me even before pregnancy. They come in lots of colors, are extra long and are great for layering and sleeping. And they're only $8!

Welch's fruit snacks- like candy! Good thing I don't already have a child in the house that I would have to share these with.

Bearpaw Emma Tall boots- not as expensive as Uggs (which don't really fit my large calves anyways) but they are just as cute, super comfy and warm and fit my growing feet! I also have the Sarah boots which are cute too!

Leacho Total Body Pillow- this is great and keeps me from tossing and turning (most nights). Plus, there are like 10 different positons that you can use and it doesn't take up too much more room in the bed (Scott has even admitted to sleeping against it too). I would highly recommend this pillow!

About Baby LaCoss at 25 weeks:

His lungs are getting primed and ready for that very first breath he will take once he is born and his nostrils are unclogging and allowing him to begin to practice breathing. Fat is accumulating and blood capillaries are giving his skin a pink hue.  Baby LaCoss is gearing up for the big day!