20 weeks

Like that skirt I'm wearing? I made it!

I've started taking sewing lessons again - this time garments instead of home decor - and it going great!

The maternity skirt was my first completed garment, now I'm working on a PJ top.

(Because otherwise it would be an unflattering maternity blouse - but it has some attributes my instructor wants me to learn next.)

After that I'm planning on doing a dress for me 

before moving on to some day gowns and jon -jons for the baby.

Now on to the bumpdate!

It's the halfway point!

We had our 20 week appointment today and the doctor said baby boy looks good and healthy!

We even got a good peek at his little face!

We are so in love already!

How Far Along? 20 weeks

Size of Baby? Length of a banana, 10 inches head to toe. At the ultrasound they said he weighed 14 ounces

Maternity Clothes? Yes, yes and yes. When my mother in law was in town she bought be a few things at the Pickles and Ice Cream here in Nashville that is going out of business. Coupled with things my mom bought me on my last Houston trip and clothes I'm borrowing from my sister in law, Angie, I'm almost exclusively in maternity clothes, except for the occasional top  can fit into. I'm so ready for the unending winter to be over to I can wear some comfortable dresses!

Weight gain? I'm up three pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.

Stretch Marks? Nope, still slathering on the moisturizer everyday

Gender?  BOY!!

Sleep? I've been sleeping hard with vivid dreams nightly thanks to my Snoogle.

Food Cravings? Chicken Salad. Random but true. I eat it almost everyday. Lovin' those sweets too.

What I miss? Still caffeine

Symptoms? Round ligament pain in my sides in the evenings

Belly Button? It's super shallow. I swear its going to be outie before long!

Best Moment of the Week? Seeing baby boys sweet face in 3D! Also, we've decided on a name, but I will most likely wait until he is born before I share it on the world wide web.

This weekend we are heading to Texas for a friends wedding and a quick visit with my Mom and Dad in Houston. I'm looking forward to getting out of town for a minute and heading for some warmer weather!

A New Look

The blog got a new look, and I LOVE it!

The template I bought from Chelsea at Bella Lulu Ink on Etsy.

She has great designs at very reasonable prices, if you blog

and are in the market for new updated design, you should check her out!

I decided it was high time for a makeover.

I've been blogging for over a year now, 

although I missed my one year blogiversary back in February 

since I've been so distracted (rightfully so) with my pregnancy.

But I decided I could invest a little money into this hobby of blogging with a new design.

I spent less than I do in a typical trip to the fabric store for sewing notions and fabric;

so, not bad if I do say so myself.

Hope you like it as much as I do!

Nautical Baby Boy Nursery

 

Nautical Baby Boy Nursery by headhearthouse on Polyvore

So I've really been working hard on compiling ideas for baby boy's nursery.
I knew as soon as we found out we were having a boy, that I wanted a nautical themed nursery.  
Jason and I both love boating, fishing, and being on the water so it made sense.
My first purchase for the nursery was the three prints from Fit to Print on Etsy. 
I loved the whimsical design and the color scheme so that was our jumping off point.
 
As far as furniture goes, my mother in law bought our crib from Pottery Barn Kids, 
which has already come in. (Thank you Gram!!!)
I wanted one that was simple, but good quality to last through any more children we may have.
Thinking along the same lines, I really wanted a nice upholstered glider 
as a place to rock and cuddle baby. 
(Not to mention, for late night feedings in the beginning and bedtime stories down the road.)
We decided on this one from Pottery Barn Kids - and my parents bought it for us, although we are still waiting on delivery. (Thank you Cookie and Pop!!!)
There are definitely cheaper options out there, but after sitting in the Pottery Barn ones in store, there really is no comparison...so comfortable.
Plus, its slipcovered, so it will easily adapt to other rooms down the road if we need it to.
The other pieces of furniture in the room are pieces from my room growing up.
There's an painted armorie that we call, "the pie safe" that my grandfather built,
and a pine chest of drawers that my mom used as my changing table,
that we will use as his too. :)

As for bedding...I have really had a hard time finding crib bedding I liked,
and was thinking of sewing my own, until I saw this James bedding collection at Serena & Lily. 
They are currently running a promotion where all fabric swatches are free,
so I ordered those before I pull the trigger on the crib skirt and crab sheets.
I ordered a swatch for the bumper but I don't think I will end up getting it.
I just can't justify the high cost, when I will be too nervous to use it.
(The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not using bumper pads because young babies can suffocate on them, and older babies can use them to climb out of the crib and fall.)

 As for the rest of the decor on the moodboard, the whale decal (no, we are not naming the baby Ryder) and mobile are also from Etsy, a goldmine for all those special touches and unique items. 
The rug and the pouf are from Land of Nod. 
I may have to get all of these... you'll just have to come back to see! :) 

xoxo - Bethany 

 

Bumpdate : 17 weeks

We are beyond thrilled to be having a BOY!

Honestly, I was shocked. I was convinced he was a girl.

But the ultrasound, was *very clear* once the boy bits were pointed out.

Apparently, those old wives tales are just that...

Also, you may be wondering where the white long sleeve t-shirt went. 

You see, the plan was to take all the bump pictures in the same shirt 

so you could really see the progression.

Well, last week at 16 weeks I put it on and had a meltdown.

I felt very un-cute. 

And if you've ever been pregnant, 

you know that feeling un-cute when pregnant is on a whole different level.

The last thing I wanted was to have my picture taken.

So, the new plan is to just take a picture in whatever I'm feeling good in that week.

And the old white t-shirt got cut up into dust rags. :)

How Far Along? 17 weeks!

Size of Baby? Size of a turnip, 5 ounces, 5 inches long from head to rump

Maternity Clothes? I broke down and finally got some maternity jeans that fit well and man they make all the difference in the world. So comfortable.

Weight Gain?  I have been sick (upper respiratory virus) over the past couple of weeks, and lost some weight. I'm currently up 1 lb from my pregnancy weight but my doctor didn't think that it was an issue.

 Stretch Marks? No. Moisturizer is my best friend.
Gender?  BOY!!

Sleep? My friend Toni, let me borrow her Snoogle pregnancy pillow. Oh my gosh. This thing is a beast but I sleep so good with it!

Food Cravings? Nada. Trying to force myself eat my veggies and I've been conscience about getting plenty of protein and dairy. Still lots of carbs and fruit.

What I Miss? Caffeine and some of my normal clothes that no longer fit.

Symptoms? Constipated and I've got a big belly on me. Also, dirt and clutter are bothering me. I've really picked back up the deep cleaning around the house that was I was slacking on in the first trimester and I went on an organizing tear the other day.

Belly Button? It's super shallow. 

Best Moment of the Week? The ultrasound and finding out it's a boy! I've started on the nursery and will share more soon!

xoxo - Bethany

Pink or Blue, What Will It Be?

I can't believe I'm already 15 weeks,

but I am ready to find out if this baby is a boy or girl!

Lucky for us, we have our first ultrasound next week.

Its not the big anatomy scan, but an earlier one to check my cervical length.

But we will get a peek of the baby, which I am really excited about.

If the baby cooperates and is in the right position, we might be able to find out the gender.

So, which is it? Boy or girl?

I don't know. 

At first, I was positive it is a girl, but I've had several dreams where it's been a boy.

So then I started second guessing my intuition, and now I have no idea what Baby Battles is.

Jason says he has no idea either.

Here's what the Old Wives Tales say...

Carrying high = GIRL/Carrying low = BOY: Carrying high.Girl!

Craving salty or sour = BOY/Craving sweets = GIRL: Craving that sugar. Girl!

Morning sickness = BOY/ No morning sickness = GIRL:  No morning sickness. Girl!

More Mood swings = GIRL/ Less Mood Swings = BOY: My poor husband. God bless him. Girl!

Chinese Gender Calendar: Girl!

Age at Conception + Month of Conception: It's an odd number. Boy!

Ring on a string: Pendulum motion. Girl!

Baby's heart rate over 140 = GIRL/ Below 140= BOY: Its been high. Girl!

Wow! Overwhelmingly girl based off old wives tales.

Unfortunately they are just that, so we'll have to wait a little bit longer!

In the meantime, you can vote on the Head.Heart.House. facebook page

whether you think Baby Battles is a boy or girl!

xoxo - Bethany

14 week Bump-date

 

I'm offically 14 weeks today! I feel like the picture above is the first one I've seen lately that I look pregnant and not just like I've been eating too many cookies. Jason took it last night because I actually had makeup on, although I had just gotten rained on so that's why my hair is all frizzy.

How Far Along? 14 weeks

Size of Baby? The size of a lemon...approximately 3and 1/2 inches from head to rump and 1and 1/2 oz.

Maternity Clothes? Maternity pants are too big on me, but my regular pants are too small, so I'm using a belly band to keep my unbuttoned/unzipped pants up. Wearing maternity tops, or tunics with leggings mostly.
Weight Gain?  I don't know. We don't own a scale and I can't decide if I want to buy one or not. I want to be aware of my weight but I don't want to worry about it. So we'll see. At my 12 week appointment I had gained 2 pounds...and I feel like I may have gained a pound or two since then. So 3 to 4 in total?
Stretch Marks? No. Everything I've read says these are genetic, and my mom doesn't have them. I'm not taking any chances though and slathering on Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter and Body Oil daily.
Gender?  Don't know yet!

Sleep? Sleeping well with vivid dreams nightly.

Food Cravings? First trimester all I wanted was carbs and fruit. And lots of cereal. Meat is now sounding more appealing, but I've also been craving sweets. We're having chicken tacos for dinner tonight because it sounded particularly good. That's kinda how its been -eating what sounds good that day- even if it entails daily grocery trips. I have been mindful to ensure I'm getting dairy, fruits, veggies, and protein daily.

What I Miss? Coca cola and coffee!! I'm allowed one cup of coffee a day which doesn't really cut it but I've been really good so far and haven't cheated at all. I haven't had a caffeinated soft drink since I found out I was expecting but do allow myself the occasional ginger ale or sprite.

Symptoms? The fatigue has lifted some but I'm still waiting on this supposed "burst of energy" everyone says is coming. Breakouts, constipation, nasal congestion...fun stuff. I have boobs for the first time ever which is pretty cool...it's a shame my tummy is starting to outshine them. Just keeping it real.

Belly Button? It's getting more shallow...

Best Moment of the Week? Moving the guest bed out of the soon to be nursery and setting up the crib! Also, I bought the first piece of baby clothing! Just wait until I find out the gender!

xoxo - Bethany

**WARNING! Bump Ahead!**

via

So, as you may have noticed, all has been quiet in my blog world for the past month or so,

and I apologize for just dropping off the radar so suddenly, but I promise I have a good excuse.

Jason and I are expecting a baby!

We couldn't be more overjoyed and excited!

Baby Battles is due August 20, 2013.

I'm 13 weeks today and starting to see some light

 at the end of the first trimester tunnel of absolute utter exhaustion.

So I plan on picking back up with the blogging, 

but I'm also going to give myself a break if I don't get around to it as much as I would like.

As far as the baby goes...so far so good!

We heard a really strong heartbeat at 170 bpm at our 12 week appointment.

Our next appointment is at 16 weeks, but I promise to be back with more details before then.

From the bottom of our hearts,

thank you to all of our friends and family who have been more than supportive and excited for us!

We look forward to this journey of love called parenthood!

xoxo - Bethany