34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks & 2 days!
How big is baby estimated to be? He should be about the size of a butternut squash or a large cantaloupe! From what I've read, he should be done growing lengthwise and just be putting on fat now. It's so cool to think that little man might be as long now as he'll be at birth! It's hard to believe we're getting so close to meeting him! :D

Total weight gain: I think I'm still around 17lbs gained... I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow so I guess we'll find out the doctor's official count then :] I doubt I've gained much but I feel like I eat nonstop! I'll tell you what, gaining weight the healthy way is difficult!
Wearing maternity clothes? Yep! Still mixing in my regular clothes but I'm finally starting to fill out more of my maternity shirts so I've been wearing those lately, too. I'm also utilizing Jacob's wardrobe more and more these days ;] Not only are his clothes super comfy they also remind me of him and that makes me smile. 

Symptoms this week: Had some random dizzy spells this week. They didn't make me pass out or anything but they did take me a little off guard. Working out is getting a little more difficult, too, since I get winded easier and I'm losing my range of motion as my bump grows. Oh and I'm still having a little insomnia. I'm not uncomfortable or anything, I just have a hard time falling asleep. But that's really it... I'm still feel great! I really can't complain. Being pregnant is amazing!

Food cravings: I can't get enough yogurt! I'm a big fan of yogurt in general, especially Greek, but lately it's a daily addiction. Especially with fresh strawberries and a little low-fat granola! YUM. I usually only eat fat-free but lately I've been eating regular from time to time. I figure I can use the extra calories and healthy fats. I've also been eating a lot of homemade oatmeal with peaches for breakfast- very yummy! I can't think of anything other than that... I have a huge appetite lately! There isn't much I don't like, haha. 

Food aversions: None! I like food.

Any movement from baby? Oh yes! He's still a very active baby! I feel him wiggle all the time. He makes my stomach bulge in funny ways and I love watching it! I have to admit, though, I'm a little sad to not be getting those sweet little kicks like when he was smaller. I still feel him kick- mostly in my ribs- but it isn't like it was before. It feels more like he's trying to stretch out rather than kick. But I do like that I feel him move so often these days! With him being head down I have a pretty good idea of which body parts are causing my tummy bulges so that's neat. I like to try to pinch his little limbs when he pushes out, haha. It's easiest to catch his little feet since those are ALWAYS up by my ribs on the right side. His movements are getting stronger everyday. A couple days ago, CJ was moving all over the place and actually kept me awake from 2:30-3:30am! He seemed to be having a really good time attacking my bladder, haha. I couldn't fall back asleep! Luckily I love feeling him move so I couldn't be upset over the lack of sleep. He still gets the hiccups all the time. And it still makes me chuckle. I'm really going to miss feeling CJ's movements after he's born! 

Gender: Little man! :D

Emotions and experiences this week: Another relatively uneventful week... Still doing a lot of stuff to get ready for baby... Almost done my birth plan, started reading a new book, found a doula! I am very excited to have a doula for my l&d! I think she will be really helpful and supportive! I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed with everything that still needs to be done before CJ arrives but I'm handling it one thing at a time. It's just a bit daunting to think about how soon Camden will be here and how different life will be! I'm still super excited! It's just becoming more of a reality. And I miss my husband something fierce. All of that paired with my overabundance of hormones has made me a little bit of a hot mess lately. Or at least that's how I feel. For example: I was working out the other day and five minutes into my routine I just started bawling my eyes out. I'm talking complete water works and snot galore. Yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight! Luckily no one was around so I grabbed a tissue and kept working out, aha. But for real, hot mess status over here. I try to remind myself that I'm not going crazy and this is normal (I guess) but I do feel crazy. It's rough. I wish I could just snuggle with my hubby and have him tell me that everything will be okay. That always makes me feel better. But that isn't an option so I need to find the strength to push through it all alone. I'll just keep taking it one day at a time. Overall it was a good week. My mom and I have been getting a lot done for my baby shower! That's fun. I've been enjoying having the Bruins back! It's always fun to kick back and watch a good hockey game! And the B's have been on fire so far this season so that's a huge plus! I hope they can keep it up! Other than thaaaat, we had a family party this week, which was fun. It was nice to see my relatives, especially since I hadn't seen a lot of them in awhile! Hmm, what else... that's all I can think of for the highlights. Another week down!

Looking forward to: My ultrasound TOMORROW! I'm very excited to see little man! I also have a prenatal appointment before the ultrasound so that should be good too. Other than that, I'm looking forward to my baby shower in a few weeks! It'll be a lot of fun to celebrate Camden's upcoming arrival with family and friends. And as always, I'm looking forward to watching the days tick by as we get closer and closer to Camden's arrival and Jacob's homecoming!

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks!
How big is baby estimated to be? Somewhere around the size of a honeydew melon! He should be like 4-5 pounds and 19ish inches long! Those are just estimates, though, and I have a feeling Camden is going to be on the smaller side... I'm curious to find out how much he weighs at my next ultrasound! I know they aren't always accurate but I'm assuming it'll be more accurate than generic estimates.

Total weight gain: Up 17lbs! I weighed in at 141 at my appointment on Thursday. My weight gain is on the lower side but slow and steady is supposed to be the healthiest way to put it on.
Wearing maternity clothes? Mostly regular clothes this week, to be honest. A few of my shirts don't quite fit anymore, including my favorite workout shirt, but a lot of them still do fit so I'm making those work. I wear maternity jeans more often than regular jeans but I've been wearing lots of sweats/leggings this week. I also found my hubby's Puma pants in his closet this week so I've been rocking those :D they're so big and comfy on me. And I just like wearing his clothes while he's gone. 

Symptoms this week: Nothing worth complaining about! I had a few Braxton Hicks but they didn't hurt. I can feel my energy level slowly starting to diminish. I'm not exhausted yet but I can definitely sleep longer at night. I've been nesting but since I don't have my own house and CJ doesn't have his own room here there isn't much I can do... so that's kind of annoying. But I'm feeling good! :] My muscles are sore but that's from working out a lot this week. And I like it, haha. 

Food cravings: French toast! I had to have that a few days ago. That's about it. I feel like my appetite has been ridiculous the past couple weeks! I eat nonstopppp. But I make healthy choices so luckily it isn't leading to copious weight gain. And I get full fast so I eat small portions. 

Food aversions: Nothing I can think of... But every time my little brother cooks turkey bacon (which is like twice a day) the smell makes me nauseous. Weird. 

Any movement from baby? Bunches!! I love my little wiggle bug!! The doctor told me this week that he's head down so that explains all the rib kicks I've been getting lately, haha. He still moves a lot it just feels different than it did weeks ago. It's definitely stronger now that he's bigger. I caught his little foot the other day! He was kicking and kicking in the same spot so I pinched the bulge and could feel his little foot :D It was sooo cute! He let me hold it for a second then he wiggled it away. Gosh, I can't wait to see those precious tiny baby feet!!

Gender: Beautiful baby boy!

Emotions and experiences this week: It was a pretty good week. Nothing really exciting. I had a prenatal appointment on Thursday and it went really well! My OB was on vacation so I saw a different doctor (my gynecologist, actually). She answered a few questions for me, which was nice. She also thought my weight gain was a little low and told me to go eat ice cream and french fries, lol. It made me laugh. She was like "You've only gained 17 pounds! I don't care what you're eating, just eat more of it! Or go eat some ice cream! Real ice cream. And you could stand to eat some french fries, too. You need to gain some weight." Hahaha! I prefer to put weight on the healthy way so I think I'll ignore that advice. I'll just add more healthy foods to my diet. I'm thinking more healthy fats will be good- peanut butter, nuts, avocado, full fat Greek yogurt... I'll tell you what, it's hard to gain weight the healthy way! I asked the doctor about my due date, too. Since it was changed once (from the 2nd to the 10th) and I'm still really small, I was wondering if my date of the 10th is still accurate. She said it should be but agreed that I have been measuring small all along so she had me schedule an ultrasound! I'm really excited about that!! My OB told me that I should have one more ultrasound but I hadn't scheduled it yet so it was nice to get the orders to schedule it (I can't schedule one without a doctor's written orders to do so). I'll get another sneak peak at Camden on the 30th! :D I can't wait to see him again! My last ultrasound was on October 16th so it's been awhile... I can't wait to see how much he's grown! And it's CRAZY to think that this ultrasound will (or should) be the last time I see CJ before he's born! Woah!! I can't even wrap my head around that yet! I'm super anxious to meet babyboy but to be honest, I'm really hoping I'm due later or have him late. I know, I know, everyone says I'll be singing a different tune when my due date is closer... but I really want to have him later. The way I look at it, the later he's born, the younger he'll be when he meets his Daddy! I don't want Jake to miss out on a whole month of Camden's life so I'll be perfectly happy having him late. I'm so excited to have CJ here and Jacob back home. I say it all the time but I just know it is going to be amazing. I get emotional just thinking about seeing Jake holding Camden. I can't imagine how truly incredible it will be to have them both here with me! My heart will overflow with love and joy! That's about it for all the exciting stuff... Oh besides the Bruins being back!!! I was thrilled to finally watch some hockey!! I missed it so much. It's about time we have the B's back! CJ seemed to enjoy the game a bit to and was wiggling quite a bit! Maybe he could sense my excitement, haha. Other than all that, I'm still trying to figure out insurance/pediatrician stuff. Still reading a lot. Still working on my birth plan. Talking to doulas/labor coaches to help me through the birth. A lot going on! It's a little overwhelming to think about all that needs to get accomplished in the next 7 weeks but at the same time it's very exciting! 

Looking forward to: My ultrasound on the 30th! I'm very excited to see little man! I also have a prenatal appointment before the ultrasound so that should be good too. Other than that, I'm looking forward to my baby shower in a few weeks! It'll be a lot of fun to celebrate Camden's upcoming arrival with family and friends. And as always, I'm looking forward to watching the days tick by as we get closer and closer to Camden's arrival and Jacob's homecoming! 

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks & 2 days!
How big is baby estimated to be? I don't know anymore! Haha. The size of a really big head of lettuce or a squash? I don't know... He should be around 17-19 inches and 3.5-4ish pounds now! :D

Total weight gain: Still at 16lbs gained; weighing in around 140lbs these days. I have another prenatal appointment this week so we'll see if I weigh-in higher there!
Wearing maternity clothes? Still a mixture of maternity and regular clothes. I decided to try on my favorite pre-preg skinny jeans this week and was rather delighted to discover that they still fit comfortably!! I have been wearing maternity jeans simply for the comfort of the sexy panel (ha!) so I hadn't bothered to put on regular jeans in awhile. It was nice to find out that they still fit!

Symptoms this week: I've been feeling really good this week! I'm almost completely over my chest cold, aside from a little lingering cough. I was finally able to get back into my workouts after taking five days off, which made me verrrry happy! Nothing is bothering me pregnancy-wise. A little short of breath at times, it's getting a little harder to put my boots on, some Braxton Hicks... But it's nothing that gets to me. I'm still feeling wonderful! I fully believe that staying so active has been a total lifesaver during my pregnancy. I've worked out consistently the whole time. I've always been an active person and I'm so glad I was able to carry that on throughout my pregnancy. I also think that doing P90X and some Insanity before I got pregnant really primed my body, so to speak. I was, without a doubt, in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant. So it makes sense that my body has adapted well to being pregnant. My muscles are all strong enough to support my growing and changing body/belly. I also credit P90X and mainly Ab Ripper X for my stomach being so small and it taking forever for me to really show. Plus, that ab work definitely made my entire core really strong so I haven't had any back pain. And even if I do get aches and pains, my body is used to being sore from working out so those little aches don't bother me at all. I actually love being sore from working out, haha. It makes me feel so accomplished. So the little pregnancy aches and pains are nothing. So far, haha. I'm sure the after pains of labor will be a different story! Hopefully my fitness habit will work in my favor post-pregnancy, too! I'm not going to lie, I'm looking forward to doing P90X again after CJ is born! Working out has and always will be my out and I'm very thankful that it's been so helpful during my pregnancy! Okay, fitspo rant over, haha.

Food cravings: Greek yogurt. Protein shakes with frozen banana, peanut butter and spinach. Yaki Soba. Guacamole. Oranges. I've had quite a few random cravings this week and a few strong preferences that have stuck around for a couple weeks now.

Food aversions: Nada. My appetite disappeared last week while I was sick. It was difficult to force myself to eat for Camden's sake but I did it anyways. I didn't have aversions just no appetite. But now my appetite is back in full force! CamJam is definitely having a growth spurt because I have been one hungry mama bear! Haha :]

Any movement from baby? Yes!! Some of his movements startle me now! He seems to enjoy being under my ribs on the right side, haha. That can be a little uncomfortable but I can usually get him to move by changing my position. I can tell that he's starting to get cramped up in there because his movements feel tighter, if that makes sense. It feels more like he's pushing against me trying to make space for himself, haha. I love feeling all of his movements, though. Even the startling and slightly painful ones ;] A few days ago, CJ got the hiccups at like 4am and actually woke me up! I must've been sleeping very lightly... but man, did it make me laugh! I'm sure this is just the first of many MANY predawn wake up calls from my sweet boy! I doubt the rest of said wake ups will be quite as amusing so I tried to enjoy this one, aha. Yesterday, I was texting with Jacob and CJ had the hiccups. Once they went away, little man decided to throw a victory dance party! Not even kidding! I sat there for like 5 minutes recording my belly so Jake could see all the crazy movements (side note- thank God for iPhones and the ability to text/picture & video message my hubby from thousands of miles away!!). Once Camden finally stopped dancing and decided to settle down, he got the hiccups AGAIN! Oh man, I was cracking up!! My crazy little baby bear! He makes me smile on a daily basis. I cannot wait to see what all these little wiggles and movements look like when he's out of my tummy. I swear I'm just going to stare at him ALL the time! 

Gender: BOY <3 <3 <3

Emotions and experiences this week: This week felt pretty "blah" to me. I started the week off with a pretty nasty chest cold. No fun. So I rested and drank tons and tons andddd tons of water! Plus some decaf tea with honey, yum. That helped to flush it out of my system, I think. I started feeling better on Wednesday and now I'm basically 100% minus a little lingering cough. The tail end of my week was great! I got to spend some time with two great friends, bake cake pops and have an IHOP date. It was much needed! Then I went out to dinner with a new friend on Friday and that was wonderful as well! I've been feeling especially thankful for all of my supportive friends lately. I couldn't get through everything I have going on right now without my amazing friends who have really stepped up to be there and encourage me. You all know who you are and I hope you know how much I appreciate each and every one of you! Other than all that mushiness... I am in FULL baby mode! I've been nesting and doing so much to get ready for baby bear's arrival! I've read a lottt about labor and delivery and I'm finally feeling pretty good about that. I'm working on my birth plan and I'm in the process of looking for a doula. I know what I want my birthing experience to be like and I'm praying that it all works out. I've read so much that I have a really good idea of what to expect, barring some sort of crazy unpredictable and rare emergency. I've read about regular/medicated births, natural/drug free births, C-sections... I've just been trying to learn as much as I possibly can. That has helped me feel good about my decision and a lot less nervous about the whole birthing experience. Also, I spent a day this week going through all the baby clothes I have for CJ- sorting, washing, drying and reorganizing them. It feels good to have all his clothes ready to go! But, in the process of doing this, I realized that I only had one newborn sized outfit! I mostly bought bigger stuff in case the newborn things wouldn't fit but my OB thinks that Camden will be a little baby- like 6 pounds- so he's probably going to need some smaller clothes... Needless to say, that was the perfect excuse for me to buy him a few absolutely adorable newborn sleep and plays! Hehe. I didn't buy much because I know he'll probably outgrow them fast but I also know that I'm going to want some easy one-piece outfits for his first few days. I also started packing my hospital bag this week! I did a lot of research on what nurses and moms recommend bringing and formed my own list based on that research. My mom bought me a beautiful Vera Bradley bag that I'm going to use as a baby/diaper/hospital bag. I'll probably do a blog on my hospital bag once it's all packed and set to go. I have a lot of it ready, I just haven't packed my clothes yet and I need to pick up a few travel size toiletries for convenience. But it feels good to be prepared a little more in that area. I'm working on getting insurance and a pediatrician figured out for babyboy, too. That's a little more stressful. I do wish Jake was here to help me with some of this stuff, but he has been amazingly supportive! I'm so thankful that he's there to listen to me rant and think out loud and just talk about all this baby stuff. He truly is my rock! Even from so very far away! So, like I said, I'm feeling pretty good about this whole l&d thing! I'm ready. I feel ready. I want to soak up the rest of my pregnancy because I'm sure I'll miss it but at the same time I'm very ready for Camden to arrive!

Looking forward to: Pretty much the same as I said last week- Bruins games and my baby shower. I have a prenatal appointment this week so I'm looking forward to that, too! It should be uneventful but I love hearing his heartbeat and being reassured that everything is on track. Of course I'm also looking forward to Camden's arrival and Jacob's return home!! I can't wait to have both my guys with me! :D

31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks & 1 day!
How big is baby estimated to be? According to my What to Expect When You're Expecting app, he is now the size of a head of lettuce! But he should be around 18 inches so that is one biiiiig lettuce! Haha. The Bump says he's the size of a pineapple! I like that comparison better ;]

Total weight gain: My official weigh-in at my prenatal appointment this week has me at 16 pounds gained. I'm up to 140lbs. Eeeeek! Seeing that number on the scale is so weird for me!! But I'm gaining well and still right on track so I can't complain. I only gained 2lbs this month, so I'm staying on the lower end of gaining during pregnancy. Which makes me happy. And my doctor still has no concerns with my weight gain so I'm not concerned either. Just trying to stay active and healthy for my little boy!
Wearing maternity clothes? Some! I'm fitting into a few more maternity shirts now! I like that :]

Symptoms this week: I feel fabulous, really!! Well, aside from the lovely chest cold I came down with... I tried so hard to stay healthy but with my family spewing their germs all over the house and not sanitizing, it was impossible. Ugh. Other than that, I got a little nesting spurt this week! That was fun. I did a lot of cleaning and straightening out. I felt very accomplished but it made me hungry and tired, haha. So far my energy level in my third trimester has been just as good as my second trimester. Luckily! I'm waiting to hit that wall and be really tired and uncomfortable but so far so good! I still absolutely love being pregnant! Oh, I'm still having some random Braxton Hicks, too.

Food cravings: Baked macaroni and cheese!! Homemade by me, of course. I like to make a light cheese sauce (with fat free cream cheese and skim milk) to toss the elbows in before layering them with some reduced fat cheddar cheese and topping it with fat free cheese slices. YUM. It's so good! Lucky for my mom, mac 'n cheese is one of her favorite meals so she's enjoying this craving too, haha. Other than that, I'm addicted to Yaki Soba from a local Japanese restaurant. It's like lo mein but with whole wheat noodles and no saucey stuff on it. Man, I could eat it everyday!! And seeing how I just found out that the restaurant I like does carry out, I very well might eat it everyday now, hahaha. Other than those two deliciously carb heavy meals, I'm eating lots of veggies. Not so much fruit since all the good stuff is out of season. Besides bananas. I eat a lot of those. Still trying to keep up with plenty of produce. Snap peas are one of my favorites as of late. And spaghetti squash. Camden is definitely growing a lot lately because my appetite has increased quite a bit! And it seems as though he does not like raw broccoli. I got some icky indigestion after eating raw broccoli this week.

Food aversions: Nothing at all! Well, I probably won't be eating raw broccoli after above account but it isn't really an aversion.

Any movement from baby? Ohhhh yes!! Little man loves to make my belly dance! He's been all over the place. My OB said that my uterus looks like it's positioned more on the right side of my stomach so that explains why I've been feeling more movement over there. I feel him all over the place but it is concentrated more on the right side. Silly boy ;] I also feel him get the hiccups almost everyday, sometimes twice a day! I love it. It makes me chuckle. I was FINALLY able to capture a really good video of Camden moving to send to Jacob! I was so excited about it! It's so cool to see his movements so clear and strong. His movements feel more squirmy these days than kicking. I can feel him roll around and push against my belly a lot more. I still get kicks and jabs but it's mostly wiggles as space gets tighter for him. Nonetheless, it's cute and I love it!

Gender: BOY <3 <3 <3

Emotions and experiences this week: This week was much better than last week. I'm so happy that the holidays are over. I never realized how depressing the holiday season would be without Jake. So I am VERY happy to say goodbye to 2012 and move into this new year full of possibilities! I had a lot of fun ringing in the New Year with some great friends. It was nice to just get out, goof around, laugh, and have an all-around wonderful time! Not having my hubby to kiss at the stroke of midnight was crappy but I know we're both saving that New Years kiss for each other. And all the laughs with my friends made the night so fun and a lot less lonely than I expected! Also, tt's nice to be able to say that Camden will be born AND Jacob will come home this year!! Yay for 2013! I just know it's going to be an incredible, life-changing year. I can't wait to see what it has in store for us! Other than that, I had a prenatal appointment this week! That went excellent! Like I said, I've gained 2lbs since my last appointment a month ago and my OB said I look "perfect!" (her word, not mine! Haha). Camden is growing and I'm measuring exactly where I should be! She said that the best indicator of how big CJ will be is how big I was at birth. I weighed in at a whopping 6lbs and some-odd ounces (my mom thinks 2-7oz), so it looks like he should be a pretty small baby! I'm very happy with that, haha. I mean obviously his health is my first concern but the smaller he is the easier it should be for me to deliver him. Should. We'll see ;] I also got to hand in my paperwork for Camden's birth certificate and my per-registration for labor and delivery at this appointment! Man, that makes things feel very real! And I talked to my OB about my desire to have a natural childbirth. She was extremely supportive and said that everything is up to me, pending no emergency. It's just very nice to know that my doctor is supportive of my decision and is on the same page as me. It gives me peace of mind. She said that since I'm young, healthy and fit, she doesn't see any reason why I wouldn't be able to have a natural birthing experience. Of course, it's impossible to predict what will happen with my labor but I'm happy to know that she's on board with my plan. I'm going to continue reading and educating myself as much as I can about natural birth and I might take a birthing class as well. It's crazy to think how quickly his due date is approaching! I'm praying that everything goes smoothly and that God guides my preparation for CJ's birth. I'm SO so excited but still nervous! I have bi-weekly prenatal appointments from now until mid-February and then we move into the weekly visits! Ahhhh! I can hardly believe it! Little man is going to be here so soon!! In the meantime, I plan to do as much as I can to prepare myself. I've been reading A LOT about natural birth, pain coping techniques, what to expect, etc. Educating myself is making me feel a lot less nervous about the whole labor and delivery experience. I think I'm going to take a birthing class soon, too. Hopefully that will be helpful. What else... I've been REALLY good with my workouts lately! I usually aim for 4-5 days a week but I've been doing more (*cough*everyday*cough*) since I've been feeling good and I love the new workout DVD I got for Christmas. It's so good. Working out has been a huge help throughout my pregnancy. It lends some semblance of normalcy to my otherwise drastically changing life. Working out is my catharsis, no doubt about it. I'm really hoping that I kick this cold fast so I can get back into those workouts! But for now I'm taking it easy with light pilates/stretching. Not being able to workout is seriously one of the worst parts of being sick for me! I'm dying to do my full hour long workout and I've only taken two days off! Wahhh.

Looking forward to: I guess the next big thing I'm looking forward to is my baby shower in February! I'm very excited to see some friends from out of town who will be coming up for it! And I just think the whole experience will be fun! I'm still looking forward to watching my bump grow even more :] I love it. And since I'm not uncomfortable yet I'm just soaking it all in! :D Oh!! I would be remiss to neglect to mention my sheer excitement over hockey season starting up again!!!!!!! Seriously, I am thrilled!! I've been missing my beloved Bruins way too much! I CAN'T wait to watch every game of this short season! It's better than nothing! Fear the bear!! CJ is totally going to be born a Bruins fan!

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks! I can't believe I'm 3/4 of the way through!! 10 weeks left! CRAZY! :D
How big is baby estimated to be? Approximately the size of a butternut squash! He doesn't have much more to grow lengthwise but he needs to add a lot of baby fat! I can definitely tell that he's growing quite a bit lately, though! He should be a little over 3 pounds now :] My adorable little baby.

Total weight gain: Still around +14lbs. I'm actually having a hard time gaining weight the healthy way!! I am NOT about to be one of those pregnant women who binges on pints of ice cream and other crap. Not gonna happen. But I still need to gain. I'm just trying to put it on with healthy foods. It's easier said than done, though! I weighed in at 138lbs at my last OB appointment three weeks ago but this week when I weighed myself I was at 134lbs! Oops!! I'm eating extra and I eat when I'm hungry... I'm going to try adding some calorie dense healthy foods like nuts to see if that helps. I have an prenatal appointment this Friday so we'll see what the weigh in says there. I'm always heavier there since I've eaten at least one meal, drank a few bottles of water and am fully clothed (whereas when I weigh myself here I do it first thing in the morning before I shower). We'll see. I still feel healthy and my bump is definitely growing!
Wearing maternity clothes? Still a mix of maternity and regular clothes. A couple of my regular shirts are getting too short now! It's about time, right? Haha.

Symptoms this week: I had a couple random nausea spells this week. I was actually really nauseous on Christmas. It came out of nowhere and disappeared after a couple hours. I'm not sure what caused it but it hasn't been much of an issue. Other than that, I'm still feeling fabulous!! My energy level is good and I'm not uncomfortable yet. I think working out 4-5 days a week has really been helping. My body feels good.

Food cravings: Nothing in particular... that I can think of, haha.

Food aversions: None!

Any movement from baby? Absolutely!! He's still an extremely active baby!! He gets the hiccups almost every day lately and it's so cute. I can feel his movements getting stronger and sometimes I can even tell how he's positioned! Like while we were opening Christmas gifts- it felt like he was sitting straight up in my stomach! I could feel a big hard lump in my upper stomach, which I assumed was his head. It made it difficult for me to take deep breaths, haha. Then I could feel his feet wiggling around in my lower stomach. Then a couple days ago, he had the hiccups and I could feel his head/upper body in the right side of my lower stomach. I just love feeling him move around and watching my stomach contort from his little limbs. It's so awesome.

Gender: Our perfect little boy! I'm still so happy to be having a boy!! Jacob and I really wanted a son first. And I feel like it's important for men to have sons... not that we would've been disappointed if baby was a girl but we're just so thrilled that he's a boy! I feel like I already have this incredible bond with Camden since he's growing inside of me. And I think Jacob will be able to bond with a boy better than he would with a girl. He'll be able to teach CJ so many things and have such a huge impact on his life. Plus, sons carry on the family name which is special. It's hard for me to explain, but I'm just so happy to be having a boy!! 

Emotions and experiences this week: Not gonna lie, it was an emotional week for me. I didn't think it would be so hard to have Jacob gone for Christmas. I knew I'd miss him but I didn't expect my heart to hurt so badly. Then on top of that our third anniversary was the 27th. It was a sad week for me. I just miss Jacob so terribly much. And now that I'm 3/4 of the way through my pregnancy, the reality that Jake won't be home for Camden's birth is really starting to hit me. And that sucks more than I can even put into words. It's so disappointing and heart-breaking, really. Ugh. I can't think about it too much or it makes me want to cry. Part of all this emotional wreckage is probably due to hormones. Not that that makes it any easier to deal with but it helps me feel less crazy, ha. Other than all of that depressing stuff, it was a good week. I do love Christmas and I had a really nice day with my family! My mom had to work in the morning so we celebrated later in the day, after a big brunch and a quick run to Starbucks for peppermint mochas. It was fun to sit around the tree with my family, listening to Christmas music and exchanging gifts. My parents got me a Nikon J1 which I am super stoked about! I'm going to take sooooo many pictures of Camden with that beauty of a camera! My little brother got me the What To Expect When You're Expecting Workout DVD and it is awesome!! Seriously the best prenatal workouts I've tried (and believe me, I've tried a lot!). The DVD has six 10 minute workouts- 3 cardio, 2 strength/toning, and 1 stretch/yoga. I like the whole 10 minute workouts concept because I can mix and match to do whatever my body is feeling up for. I did 5 the first time through and all 6 the second time. There's great variety- the cardio routines vary from ballet to kick-boxing to Zumba inspired! Such a total win! And they aren't super slow paced and overly easy like a lot of other prenatal workouts. I know I can't push myself too hard but sheesh, I can handle doing enough to make my muscles sore! I don't like wussy workouts, haha. So these are awesome. New faves! Any of my preggy (or soon-to-be-preggy!) friends out there- if you're looking for some fun but still challenging workouts, get this DVD!!! Another awesome gift I got came from my big brother. He got me the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! That was my absolute favorite book when I was little!! He even got me one with a CD, too! I used to love listening to the cassette when no one wanted to read the book to me. I've been trying to read to Camden more as his library grows and I was so excited to read this to him!! I think he liked it too because he was wiggling all over the place while I read it, haha. What else... Oh, I did get to Skype with Jake on Christmas :] That was great. It's always nice to see his handsome face. He also sent me a box of goodies that I got to open on Christmas Eve and a few other gifts that arrived in the mail throughout the week! It was all so super sweet of him. But it's still been a rough week for both of us. And I miss him like crazy.

Looking forward to: New Years Eve party with a couple of my favorite girls! This is the first time I've ever had plans with my friends for NYE so I'm excited for it! Then I have an prenatal appointment on Friday. I'm going to start talking to my OB about labor and delivery, since I'm working on my birth plan right now. Other than that, I'm just looking forward to watching my Camden bump grow and checking off the days until his arrival! I'm savoring every day of my pregnancy but I am beyond ready for the time to fly by so I can have my husband back.

Merry Christmas!

Celebrating from thousands of miles apart

Merry Christmas from me, Jacob and baby Camden! It was very difficult to spend the holiday apart this year. Honestly, it was harder than I anticipated. I spent half the night Christmas Eve unable to sleep... I did a lot of crying and missing my hubby. It was rough. But I'm thankful and relieved that the holidays (well, besides New Years) are now over and I can look forward to spending them all with my husband and CJ next year! I'm ready to move forward. For me this year the holidays were simply a brazen reminder of my husband's absence. But at the same time they made me think about how fun it will be to have babyboy with us next year! I can't wait to celebrate all his firsts with my hubby! I'm trying to focus on that; trying to focus on all the good that the future will bring. Of course, Camden is on top of that list.

My perfect Camden,
Your Daddy and I are so very excited to meet you in a few short months! I'm so thankful to have you here with me right now. Knowing that you're growing big and strong inside of me makes me feel less alone while your Daddy is deployed. I think you can tell when I'm sad because you always seem to move around a lot more when I'm sad. It's like you know how much feeling you move cheers me up! Spending the holidays without your Daddy was really difficult this year but having you made it feel easier. You're my little blessing! I know that you are going to be an amazing little boy! And I hope you know that your Daddy and I love you so incredibly much! It's funny for us to think that this is our last Christmas not being parents. Next year, you will be here to love on and spoil! We can't wait to snuggle you all up and start fun family traditions with you. Your Daddy and I are going to have so much fun celebrating your first Christmas (and all your other firsts!) with you. We hope that you'll be as happy as we are to enjoy all of these special things together. For now, I will continue to enjoy having you so close to me. Merry Christmas my sweet little belly baby! You keep growing and I'll keep counting the days until I get to hold you in my arms. We love you very much, Camden!
Love forever,
Your Mommy

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 weeks & 1 day!
How big is baby estimated to be? He's about the size of an acorn squash or a small cabbage... He should be about 3 pounds now! It's crazy to think that he's around half as heavy as he'll be at birth!

Total weight gain: Approximately 14lbs; up from 124 to 138. I've been somewhere between 136-138lbs all week so I'm just estimating on the higher side... I feel like Camden had a growth spurt this week, though!! I was hungry almost nonstop and a little more tired. Plus I feel like my bump has popped more! He's getting bigger everyday and I love it! :D
Wearing maternity clothes? Some mixed with regular clothes. I'm definitely wearing maternity jeans with the panel rolled down in the pictures above, haha. It's just more comfortable than my regular jeans at this point. Still wearing mostly all my regular tops. And still trying to get away with maternity leggings when it isn't too cold out.

Symptoms this week: Been a little more tired this past week. But I also had a busier-than-usual week so that contributes to it as well. I'm not exhausted again yet like I've heard happens in the third trimester, though! I still feel really good. Some minor heartburn here and there, some dizzy spells, a little shortness of breath... Nothing bad.

Food cravings: Well, I had been craving some good tiramisu for about two months but I wasn't giving into the craving... Then, my daddy brought home a fresh piece of tiramisu from our local Italian bakery! Yes, I definitely devoured the entire thing and it was delicious! Definitely the best tiramisu I've ever had. Other than that, I've still been eating healthy- lots of fruits and veggies, egg whites, chicken, whole wheat bread and pasta... No super strong cravings. Oh! I did discover my new favorite snack, though. A banana, sliced up, topped with a little dab of peanut butter and a couple mini chocolate chips, FROZEN. Yes. It is absolutely incredible! Perfect cure for a sweet tooth without being really unhealthy.

Food aversions: None. Although my little brother cooked turkey bacon yesterday and the smell totally made me nauseous. Odd. 

Any movement from baby? Still lots and lots!! And I still love it all!! It isn't painful or uncomfortable yet so I'm enjoying every little kick, wiggle, jab and hiccup. His movements feel so much stronger these days as he gets bigger. I get a lot more bulges out of my belly and funny movements like that. It's all so incredible and fun! This morning after I talked to Jake, Camden was SUPER active!! He was moving in ways I never felt before! It was great. Then he got the hiccups and I could tell, from the little jumps of the hiccups, where his upper body was. That gave me a pretty good idea of how he was positioned in my tummy, which I thought was really cool :]

Gender: Boy <3 

Emotions and experiences this week: This week was good and little busy for me. I did a lot of last-minute Christmas shopping with each of my parents, which was a lot of fun. But spending 10 hours on my feet braving the crowds made me tired and sore! Which made me sleep really well, so I guess that's good! It's surprising how much carrying around an extra 14 pounds can make my feet so sore! Haha. I had fun being out and about shopping, though! It was nice to be a little busier. And it made me feel more like it's Christmastime. But at the same time it definitely made me miss Jacob. It's so weird not having him here for the holidays! This is the first time in 4 years that we haven't spent Christmas together. We did get to have a wonderful Christmas Eve Skpye date this morning!! That was definitely the highlight of my week. He woke me up around 5am because we got the two most recent care packages I mailed him and wanted to Skype while he opened them. It was soooo fun to see his reactions!! I love sending him boxes. It makes me feel more connected to him. And getting to watch him open them is even better! It's so great! And I got to open my box of Christmas gifts that he sent to me!! He's so sweet and thoughtful- there were all sorts of goodies in there for me! It was the perfect way to start my Christmas Eve! Sweet and special.

Looking forward to: Christmas tomorrow!!! I'm looking forward to spending the day with my family, exchanging gifts and having a delicious dinner. This week (the 27th) also marks mine & Jake's third anniversary! It's exciting but sad since we can't be together... Luckily we're almost halfway through this deployment! It feels so much longer, though. Other than that, I'm looking forward to this year coming to a close. I just want to start a new year and be even closer to Camden's arrival and Jake's homecoming!