31 Week Bumpdate!

Unfortunately I was sick all week and wasn't able to draw my chalkboard, but I found these cool stickers to use.

How far along:  31 weeks!  We're now counting down in single digit weeks!!

Baby is the size of a(n): cabbage or pineapple

Total weight gain/loss:  + 12.8 lbs

Maternity clothes:  I just bought a couple very cute casual dresses thanks to my Bump Style Box!

Sleep:  Pregnancy wise, I'm sleeping great!  Unfortunately I've been sick all week, which has hindered my sleep (thanks stuffy nose and cough).

Best moment this week:  My baby shower to shower Gracie with love!!!!  It was last Saturday, and I can't even begin to tell you how magnificent it was!  My cousins, who hosted, created everything themselves, and everything was pink and glitter and so perfectly gorgeous and girly!  All my family and friends were there, and Grace was spoiled with so much love!  She definitely made out like a bandit, and we are nearly ready for her arrival!!!  This shower deserves a post all on it's own, which I will write soon.  In the meantime, here are a couple pictures to tie you over :)  (Update:  full baby shower post here.)

The gorgeous cake my cousin made (the inside was ombre too)

With my two cousins who threw my shower, the mother-daughter duo

Baby Movement:  Lots of rolls and wiggles!!!!  And she started getting hiccups which is hilarious, because it feels like my stomach/uterus is twitching.

Cravings:  Nothing in particular.  I've been sick all week and haven't had much of an appetite, but I've been forcing myself to eat for Grace's sake.

Missing anything:  Not really.  I’m enjoying every day of this pregnancy, even the unpleasant heartburn.

Pregnancy symptoms:  Heartburn :(

Showing yet:  My belly is huge and I am so in love with it!

Labor signs:  No.

Belly button in or out:  Outtie!

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

Looking forward to:  *OUR BABYMOON!!!*

Previous Baby Bumpdates

If you want to see more, check our my other bumpdates below!

/ pregnancy announcement / journey to pregnancy / 12 weeks /

/13 weeks / 14 weeks / 15 weeks / 16 weeks / 17 weeks / 18 weeks /

/ 19 weeks / 20 weeks / 21 weeks / 22 weeks / 23 weeks /

/ 24 weeks / 25 weeks / 26 weeks / 27 weeks / 28 weeks /

/ 29 weeks / 30 weeks /

30 Week Bumpdate!! ~10 More To Go!

How far along:  30 weeks!  Only 10 more weeks to go {give or take}!

Baby is the size of a(n): 

Total weight gain/loss:  + 11.8 lbs

Maternity clothes:  Nothing new :)

Sleep:  I am sleeping well!  I do wake up to pee in the middle of the night, but luckily I am able to go right back to sleep :)

Best moment this week:  It’s not Gracie related, but taking the furbabies to dog park for their first time…and second time!  They go to daycare a lot to play with other dogs, so they are very social, but they had never been to the dog park before last weekend.  They absolutely loved it!  They ran and played for so long, and it was so fun to see them make friends with the other pups and enjoy the huge wide open space the park has to offer.  Juno was recruiting other dogs and got a dog pack going, and Rugby would play with other dogs, then do his own thing, and then run back to check on his sister.  In between all their playing, both babies would periodically come over to me and Sean to check on us.  It was very sweet and made Sean and I feel very comfortable with them off-leash.

Baby Movement:  Oh gosh, I can’t even explain!  She moves constantly, and they are big moves.  The other day, she was doing some serious gymnastics in my stomach because it felt like the butterflies and turns in my tummy I would get if I were to go sky diving and jump out of a plane (think of the flips and butterflies you get before a drop roller coaster ride or an upside-down roller coaster ride and multiply that by 1,000).  And the visuals are insane…she makes my belly move like crazy…it’s so fascinating to watch.

Cravings:  Nothing in particular.

Missing anything:  Not really.  I’m enjoying every day of this pregnancy, even the unpleasant heartburn.  I will say, though, I can’t wait to be able to run again and push Gracie.

Pregnancy symptoms:  Heartburn, heartburn, and more heartburn.

Showing yet:  My belly is huge and I am so in love with it!

Labor signs:  No.

Belly button in or out:  Outtie!

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

Looking forward to:  *MY BABY SHOWER IS TOMORROW!!!!*  (Update: find full post here)  Weee!!  I am so excited!  My cousins are throwing it, and all they’ve told me is that it’s pink, gray and silver with lots of sparkles!  They have been working so diligently on decorations and preparations, and knowing them, it will be out of this world.  I can hardly contain my excitement!

Previous Baby Bumpdates

If you want to see more, check our my other bumpdates below!

/ pregnancy announcement / journey to pregnancy / 12 weeks /

/13 weeks / 14 weeks / 15 weeks / 16 weeks / 17 weeks / 18 weeks /

/ 19 weeks / 20 weeks / 21 weeks / 22 weeks / 23 weeks /

/ 24 weeks / 25 weeks / 26 weeks / 27 weeks / 28 weeks /

/ 29 weeks /

29 Week Bumpdate!

How far along:  29 weeks!

Baby is the size of a(n):  butternut squash!

Total weight gain/loss:  + 11.4 lbs

Maternity clothes:  Nothing new :)

Sleep:  I am sleeping so much better!  I gave up on the Snoogle (large curvy body pillow) and instead use 2 extra pillow:  one in between my knees, and the other one under my head with my regular pillow; it’s much more comfortable for me.

Best moment this week:  Remodeling our nursery closet!  There was so much wasted space before, so I hired California Closets to come out and they designed a fabulous closet for us, and it was installed this week!  One side is all shelving, and the other side is all for hanging clothes, with three adjustable levels (and we can add or remove bars as need be).  Since we installed it, I’ve been organizing all Grace’s clothes, shoes, swaddlers, etc.  I’m in full nesting mode!  Below are some before and after pictures of the closet remodel.

Baby Movement:  I’ve said it before and I will say it again, she is a wiggle worm!  Since she is growing so rapidly now and running out of room, I can feel her every movement, and we can now feel her body parts.  The other day we felt a foot!  It was unbelievable.

Cravings:  Nothing in particular.

Missing anything:  Not really.  I’m enjoying every day of this pregnancy, even the unpleasant heartburn.  I will say, though, I can’t wait to be able to run again and push Gracie.

Pregnancy symptoms:  Heartburn!

Showing yet:  It looks like I swallowed a watermelon.  I am all belly, and she sits very forward!

Labor signs:  No.

Belly button in or out:  Outtie!

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

Looking forward to:  Getting my CPR certification tomorrow!

Previous Baby Bumpdates

If you want to see more, check our my other bumpdates below!

/ pregnancy announcement / journey to pregnancy / 12 weeks /

/13 weeks / 14 weeks / 15 weeks / 16 weeks / 17 weeks / 18 weeks /

/ 19 weeks / 20 weeks / 21 weeks / 22 weeks / 23 weeks /

/ 24 weeks / 25 weeks / 26 weeks / 27 weeks / 28 weeks /

Hope, Steps, & A Cure Walk 2015

Three years ago, on March 13, 2012, my Mom lost her short3-month battle with MDS (a very rare bone marrow failure disease affecting less than 1% of the US).  My Mom was my mentor, my idol, my confidant, and my best friend.  She was the kind of person who would drop everything to help a friend or a stranger in need.  She devoted her life to her family, her friends, and the community. 

Her passing shook our world, but following in my mom’s footsteps, I had to do something productive.  That was when I discovered the AA&MDS International Foundation, and more coincidentally, their annual fundraiser 5K Walk/Run that was to be held in our own city of Long Beach the following month!  I immediately became involved and spread the world to family and friends and the entire Long Beach community.  Within three weeks, Team Pat Reep had raised more than $20,000 for the Foundation and more than 50 people showed up to walk for Team Pat Reep.  In 2013 and 2014, we carried on the tradition of walking and running in memory of Mom, and raised nearly $15,000 each year.

Two years ago I underwent a bone marrow biopsy, and I was diagnosed with Familial Platelet Disorder with a Predisposition to Myeloid Malignancy (it’s a mouthful, I know).  This means that I carry the rare gene that my mom and her mom had, that has a 45% chance of mutating and causing leukemia or MDS (don’t worry, I won’t let this happen to me :)).  We never knew my mom carried this gene until after she passed away, so lucky for me, we are way ahead of the curve.  I am being monitored on an ongoing basis at the USC Norris Cancer Center by the best team of MDS specialists in the nation, and my health couldn’t be better!

As you can see, this cause is very near and dear to my heart.  I experienced firsthand with my Mom how awful this disease is, and unfortunately because it is so rare and there is very little research, there is no cure.  It is my greatest wish to see progress in this field so that no one has to go through what my mom and family went through.  Please consider walking or running with us on Saturday, April 25^th to raise awareness for MDS, or please consider donating even if it’s one dollar…every dollar counts towards finding a treatment and hopefully even a cure for MDS.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To make a donation, please click here, then choose “Support Me”.

To register for the walk/run, please click here.

My mom was the most kind, generous, loving, and giving woman I have ever known.  She was my best friend.  Everyone who knew her loved her.  She was a leader in the Long Beach community, and devoted much of her time to philanthropic work.  It’s my turn to give back.  Please consider joining me or supporting our cause in honor of my beloved mommy, Pat Reep.

28 Week Bumpdate!

How far along:  28 weeks!

Baby is the size of a(n):  papaya!

Total weight gain/loss:  + 13.6 lbs

Maternity clothes:  I just bought a couple new items that I absolutely adore!!  I bought a bright pink pencil skirt that is super cute for work, an emerald green sleeveless sundress, and a bright yellow blouse.  They are all so fun and are perfect for spring and summer!

Sleep:  I fall asleep very well, but the past few nights I have woken up at 3am like clockwork, either because of heartburn or because I have to pee.

Best moment this week:  3D/4D ultrasound!!!

Baby Movement:  Oh my goodness!  If her movement inside my tummy is any indication of her activity level once she is born, we are in trouble!  She is so active all the time.  The other night, Sean and I were watching the Walking Dead finale, and we actually had to pause it (you know it’s important if we pause the WD, let alone the finale!) because Grace was kicking my tummy so hard that my belly was popping out almost an inch!!  In addition to seeing her kick hard, we could see her wiggle under my skin…it looked like she was doing the worm!  It was incredible!!  She actually kept me awake that night until about 1am, haha.

Cravings:  Lots and lots of water.

Missing anything:  Sleeping on my back.

Pregnancy symptoms:  Heartburn!

Showing yet:  It looks like I swallowed a watermelon.  I am all belly, and she sits very forward!

Labor signs:  No.

Belly button in or out:  Outtie!

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

Looking forward to:  Celebrating my husband’s birthday tonight!!!

Previous Baby Bumpdates

If you want to see more, check our my other bumpdates below!

/ pregnancy announcement / journey to pregnancy / 12 weeks /

/13 weeks / 14 weeks / 15 weeks / 16 weeks / 17 weeks / 18 weeks /

/ 19 weeks / 20 weeks / 21 weeks / 22 weeks / 23 weeks /

/ 24 weeks / 25 weeks / 26 weeks / 27 weeks /