Monday, January 27, 2014

35 Week Baby Update!

This baby and I are down to single digit weeks until she makes her grand arrival. I have FIVE weeks left! I can count the weeks on ONE hand now! I can't believe we are already to this point. What started out as this tiny ball of a baby way back in June will be here in just a few weeks...


I spent over half of 2013 pregnant and growing a tiny human. A tiny miracle human. Since my last update, baby girl has gotten BIG. She rolls, punches, kicks, stretches and has hiccups on a daily basis. She has some favorite "moves". She loves to have her rear end up near my ribs on the right side while she kicks her feet out as far as she can down by my left hip bone. Her and I constantly have pushing battles to get her to move down. In the last 3 weeks, she's now realized that she can touch my ribs... Let me tell you, that is NOT a fun feeling. Her favorite time to do this nifty move... in the middle of the night or right before bed! I now wake up at least once a night and when I get back into bed, she thinks it's time to have a mini dance party in my belly. For most, this would seem annoying or get old, but I can honestly say that I look forward to these "meetings" we keep having in the middle of the night. They always remind me how lucky I am to even be able to have this baby. Here are some updates from what this baby and I have been going through and having happen lately:

Cravings: I still LOVE Costa Vida pork tacos with lettuce and ranch sauce. I also love In N Out's protein style burgers with just spread. Basically, I just love food now and it's been great since the first 20 weeks I had almost no appetite and lost weight. 

Favorite Part: I love to watch my belly move and go crazy when she's in there having a good time. I also love that everytime she moves Colton wants to feel her and everytime he says "Oh wow! She's RIGHT there!" Haha

Least Favorite Part: When she gets hiccups. I do not like it.. at all... and it feels like she gets them all the time. I've heard most of my friends say they love it when their baby got them but definitely not me. 

Funniest Parts:
1. My niece Allyson can't just touch my baby belly anymore... she has to lift my shirt and look at my actual belly, skin and all every.single.time. And let's just say she will do that anywhere and anytime. My favorite one yet... sitting in sacrament meeting at church and her screaming "I want to see BABY" while lifting my shirt up. There is no stopping that tiny monster from getting what she wants haha!

2. My niece Ember is convinced I am going to be having a baby elephant. When you ask her "what is in Aunt Erica's belly?" she responds with, "A BABY ELEPHANT!!!" 
 

Belly Bump Progression Pictures: (warning, sorry for the dirty mirror pictures :] )

 
 

I can still suck in... kind of!
 
 

Christmas day, 30 weeks

32 weeks
 
 
 


I'll end with a "sensitive" part of the post... Most people don't know but this outfit right here means a lot to me..


The first time I found out I was pregnant, back in January 2012 before I had my miscarriage, I called my sister crying because I was so scared. My amazing sister and I spoke on the phone for over an hour and a half and the next day I got this outfit, a book and diapers in the mail. For most of you, you are probably thinking "yeah, so what's the big deal?" Well, for a year and half, while Colton and I were struggling with infertility, whenever we came across this outfit that was packed deep away in a drawer, it was a painful reminder of what we were going through at the time. Infertility is just flat out hard. It seems like it will never end and you constantly get disappointing news over and over again, month after month. Today, Colton and I love seeing it hang in the closet. In just five short weeks, we can finally put our little girl in this outfit! It feels like a small victory for this tiny family of three. GO US!


The Girl Who Is Having A Baby Soon,
Erica


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Finishing 2013 :)

Finishing off the year with a final 2013 blog... a few weeks late :) Colton and I celebrated the last two weeks of 2013 by taking 13 days off work. Let me tell you... it was glorious! Colton and I got a lot done! We spent 3 days in Flagstaff with my sister, her husband and their two kids... Here are a couple pictures from our weekend adventure.


Colton is the best uncle :)

Cole

Colton


We woke up one morning and it was snowing!

Best pizza ever comes from a place in Flagstaff called Fratelli's Pizza. My family eats there at least once a trip.

Ember


Colton and I have a tradition each Halloween and Christmas... we decorate houses!


I was a bit proud of my Christmas house this year!


Colton and I spent Christmas morning waking up early and having our final Christmas just the two of us. Colton loves leaving all the wrapping paper around the house while we open gifts.


Then we went over to my parents to have breakfast and open gifts with my family. My parents got a new horse.... well he's kind of a horse ;)


Christmas afternoon we went to Colton's parent's house and spent time with his whole family. We are so lucky to have both our families just miles away from where we live. We never have to miss any holidays together.

On New Year's Eve, which always happens to be my mom's birthday!, we always do a fun activity as a family that my dad plans. Last year we went on a segway tour. This year, my mom got a gun for her birthday, Colton and I got a new gun and my brother got a new gun so we decided to go shooting as a family. That was my first time shooting ever!



Cam and Sherese

My parents, Chad and Heather

Sherese, Cam, Mark and my dad


Chad and Colton

We tried staying awake until midnight on New Year's Eve... more like I tried to stay awake... I spent the night watching movies on the couch cuddling with Colton and our puppy Bella because she is TERRIFIED of fireworks, gun shots and loud noises. She literally will hide anywhere and shake to get away from it. Colton was able to stay up until 1am and I think I made it to 9:00pm... Go me! haha!

The Girl Who Is Excited For 2014,
Erica Walker