25 Weeks With Daphne Grace

How far along? 25 Weeks
Baby is the size of a:  LARGE Cucumber, Prairie Dog, Little League Baseball Glove

Total weight gain:  +5 lbs. total

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Stretch marks? No new ones

Baby Development: This week, Daphne Grace is growing some HAIR! Her hair is thickening and most likely has color (hopefully red). Her nostrils are opening up this week as she practices breathing in the amniotic fluid to mature her lungs. Her sense of balance is finishing up and she will, hopefully, be rotating herself into the birthing position. She is almost 2 lbs. and is about 14 inches long!

Movement:  This week was a little trying for me in the movement department. I don’t know if I was just really distracted or if she has become more chill but I feel like she moved less this week. To be honest, it freaked me out majorly. I did about 10 “Kick counts” this week and she passed every time. It might be all in my head.

Food cravings: Nothing specific but salty foods tasted especially yummy to me

Miss Anything?  I really really miss shopping for normal people clothes. I feel like I’m throwing a pity party for myself but I haven’t bought non-maternity clothes in almost 2 years and it makes me sad; especially in the summer when the clothes are so cute.

Symptoms: My energy levels have been very up and down. I’ll go from insanely productive to completely exhausted in seconds. My sciatic nerve has been sensitive after a day or working but its nothing the good ole pregnancy pillow can’t fix! Daphne Grace is also still tap dancing on my bladder, so peeing every 10 minutes helps me get my steps in.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on

Mood? Emotional again. I look at Winnie or Will and just cry from gratitude!

Winifred Update: Winnie J is a full on EXPLORER. She is obsessed with our DVDs at home, especially the shiny Marvel movies. She will have a full on conversation with you, very loudly. She is eating us out of house and home, too! She has become quite the daddy’s girl, and looks at her daddy like he hung the moon. I am so in love with their relationship. She visited the splash pad for the first time and loved it! She is officially 10 months and I can’t believe how fast time is flying.

Looking forward to:  PACKING. I have made all my lists and I’m so ready to finally pack for the beach.

 

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24 Weeks With Daphne Grace

How far along? 24 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Eggplant, GI Joe, and Atlantic Puffin

Total weight gain:  3lbs total

Stretch marks? The previous ones from WJ are making their appearance again

Baby Development: Daphne Grace’s lungs are now producing the substance that will help them inflate when she is born. She is a foot long! She is already developing her taste buds and will be able to start to taste what I eat through the amniotic fluid.

Movement:  Nighttime is DG’s favorite time of day. As soon as I lay down to relax, she is ready to PARTY!
Food cravings: Nothing

Miss Anything?  I miss being able to fall asleep at my own will.

Symptoms: I got hit with a stomach bug or something, y’all. Monday morning I was supposed to take my glucose test. On the home after dropping WJ at daycare, I started to feel so nauseous. I tried to fight through it and drink that nasty glucose drink for my test. Whelp, about 5 sips in, I violently vomit everything. The nausea continued all week long, the vomiting continued until Tuesday morning. Just waiting for it to go away because I have no interest in this 2nd trimester nausea business.
Wedding rings on or off? Still on

Mood?  Exhausted and so nauseous.

Positive Moments This Week: This week I’m immensely grateful for WJ’s daycare. They are patient, companionate women and I’m so thankful that they love Winnie so well. I had to rely on them a lot this week with my sickness and I honestly don’t know what I would do without them.

Winifred Update: Y’all, my kid is FUN! She’s come into her laugh and thinks that everything is so funny! She had her 9-month appointment this week and handled it like a champ. Her pediatrician says that she is right where she needs to be. Winnie grew from the 14th percentile to the 30th percentile in weight, so we are super excited about that! Winnie is also LOVING swim lessons! She was born to be in the water.

Looking forward to:  A week without nausea, haha. I’m hoping this clears up and I can enjoy my baby again.

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23 Weeks With Daphne Grace

How far along? 23 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Barbie Doll, Chinchilla

Total weight gain:  2lbs

Stretch marks? None! Thank you, Jergens

Baby Development: Daphne Grace is a growing bean! Her lungs are developing in overtime this week, which makes mama happy! She is getting fatter by the day and I can’t wait to squeeze her chubby cheeks. Her skin is still transparent and her veins and arteries are developing as well. She is currently a little over a foot ling and weighs about a pound! Her inner eye components are also completely developed.

Movement:  This little jumping bug is constantly moving big time! We’ve started to feel her move on the outside, which is super exciting for Will.
Food cravings:

Miss Anything? Being able to bend over comfortably

Symptoms:  Getting super tired lately

Belly Button in or out?  WAY OUT THERE
Wedding rings on or off? Still on

Mood?  Exhausted and Emotional. Everything makes me cry and I nap when Winnie naps.

Positive moments this week: Will and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary and got to sneak away for a nice lunch together!

Winifred Update: Winnie J has made some awesome developments this week!    She has mastered the “N” and the “M” sound, which makes me hopeful that “mama” is going to be coming out of her sweet little mouth! Right now, everything is “Dada”, so I’m ready for my name! I’m pretty sure knows “NaNa” is her sitter because when we drive up to her house, she goes “Nana Nana Nana!”. It’s insanely adorable. She is also having more “conversational” language, looking at me when I talk to her and looking people in the eye when she talks as well.

Looking forward to:  SWIM LESSONS! Winnie J has started swim lessons and its my new favorite thing.

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22 Weeks With Daphne Grace

How far along? 22 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Water Bottle, Guinea Pig, Ear of Corn

Total weight gain:  None! I suspect that will change soon enough, though.

Stretch marks? Nope! Itchy belly is back, baby!

Baby Development: She is still working on that inner ear! In the womb, Daphne Grace is sleeping 12-14 hours a day. She is already practicing her fine motor skills by touching anything she can find in there. In our last ultra sound, she was using her umbilical chord as a toy! This week, her pancreas is beginning to create her own hormones.

Movement:  She is moving like CRAZY! Occasionally, she will flip over and make me almost puke, but I love knowing she’s ok in there. Her feet are on my bladder still, so that’s super fun.
Food cravings: I can’t get enough water!

Miss Anything?  I miss shopping for clothes that weren’t maternity. Expandable clothing can only take you so far.

Symptoms: I am having the longest, most vivid dreams! They go all night long and even continue after I get up and go back to sleep. The tips of my fingers and toes tingle on occasion, which is weird. I have to be careful lifting things or doing too much because my lower back aches like crazy. Hoping to walk some more with Winnie to help stretch that out.

Belly Button in or out?  In outer space
Wedding rings on or off? Still on

Mood?  Productive. I’ve been a machine when it comes to cleaning the house or getting my “stay at home mom” on!

Positive Moments This Week: Having my parents here was an absolute blast. They were so helpful in the transition from my classroom and Winifred could not adore them more. Will got me a desk of my own for the house and we now have the cutest little office setup!

Winifred Update: Winifred is making leaps and bounds in the development department! This week, she had scrambled eggs for the first time and is really mastering her chewing skills. I’ve been hesitant to let her practice because, quite frankly, I’m tired of cleaning up vomit 3 times a day. She is now eating solid chunky food with minimal gagging, so I’m counting it as a win! Winnie can now go from sitting to crawling and back on her own. She also pulled up on her own this week! We found her like this (see below) in her crib, and promptly lowered the crib. Her current favorite thing is BOOKS! She loves to help turn the pages and interact with the illustrations. Boy, does that make my teacher heart happy! She has been an awesome independent player. She can play by herself for a good 30 minutes without asking for much attention. Mornings are her favorite time of day!

Looking forward to:  Our first full week of summer vacation! I’ve got some fun outings planned for Winnie J and I can’t wait to watch her grow! Winifred is also entering her 7th mental leap, so I’m excited to see what kind of crazy that brings us.

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Dad in the Delivery Room

My dad has always worked so hard to make sure that we got the most out of life, but he made darn sure that nothing was handed to us on a silver platter. He taught us to work  for things that we wanted and that the “easy way out” would get us no where. My parents gave us a place where we were free to make mistakes. When things went wrong, we knew we had a place to go, even if it mean facing very harsh realities. We knew we would be held accountable for our actions, but loved and supported while doing so.

I’ve leaned on both my parents my whole life. They’ve been there for every soccer game, award ceremony, breakup, graduation, my wedding, miscarriages, and everything in between. So, when it came time for me to give birth to my first baby, having my parents in the room wasn’t even a question. It’s common for mothers to have their moms in the delivery room, but I wanted my dad to be there too (if he wanted to be). He was there for everything else, why would I make him wait in the waiting room alone??

If you know anything about my dad, you know he has a heart of gold. He will go a hundred miles out of his way to help a complete stranger. He has such a servant’s heart and he is tremedously reliable under pressure. He is the life of any party and can make anyone feel at ease in any situation. Why wouldn’t I want that energy in the room when I bring my child into the world?

The second I went into labor the first words out of my mouth were “I need pineapple and watermelon, RIGHT NOW”! “Got it”, my dad said. He grabbed his keys and headed straight to the store, no questions asked. As I labored at home, my dad was there, ready to help. He stayed quiet and in the background, but ready for anything we would need.

As we left for the hospital with my parents right behind us. My poor dad, like a pack mule, bringing the snacks and my yoga ball! They stayed outside the room as we got settled and I had my first pelvic exam. A huge part of me is so sorry they had to hear me scream like that, oops. Anyway, as the labor continued, my parents were there with Will. Words cannot describe how thankful I was the they were there.

My labor intensified and Will needed a break from my crippling contractions and holding me up. My mom and dad took turns holding my hand and telling me to breathe. My dad got Will some food and brought some more snacks for the nurses, in true hero fashion. I watched his face twist in pain as I lie in labor, unable to handle the pain of my contractions any more. I could tell he wanted me to get the epidural. I could tell he wanted to take away the pain for me, but he kept his mouth closed and let me fight my fight.  I finally had to get the epidural and the room relaxed, especially Will and my dad.

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When It came time to push my dad stood back, sealing himself behind the my bed against a window in the back of the room. He stayed quiet while my mom took pictures and Will coached me through the pushing. Full disclosure, I forgot he was there. For hours, it was just Will and I bringing our child into the world.

The end of the story comes from my mom because I was too focused on Winnie. My mom says, when they placed Winnie on my chest she looked up at my dad. He was standing behind the chair with tears rolling down his face. For some reason, that surprised me. I knew it would be emotional for me, Will, and probably my mom, but I never thought my dad would cry! Then again, he has the biggest heart in the world.

Winnie’s birth story would have been incomplete without my dad in the delivery room. Her paw-paw got to see her enter this world and that is not a moment that could be replicated. I’m so thankful for everything my dad has done for me, and I’m even more thankful for the grandfather that he is to my daughter.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! You are truly one of a kind.

 

 

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My June Bullet Journal

I’ve been itching to get back to the “Bujo Life”, as I like to call it, but something was stopping me. Was I going to be able to be as detailed as before? Would it really help with my anxiety anymore? Was I even going to like it? All questions I still don’t know the answer too, honestly. However, I knew that I missed it. Journaling looks a little different for me now, but hey, so does life!IMG_9283 2

I wanted to go with a very simple look for my pages this month, mostly because I didn’t want to set myself up to fail. I knew I wanted something I could keep up with during this crazy season of life but would still give me the visual satisfaction that comes with a bullet journal! So, this month, I focused on STICKERS! Stickers are an amazing tool to help you create a clean and fun look without the pressure coming up with my own doodles. My favorite stickers come from The Happy Planner. They have 186 themed sticker books/packs for any planner or journal you want to create! I use them everyday in my Happy Planner but I’ve found that most of them are PERFECT for creating my bullet journal spreads.

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My top 5 Bullet Journal sticker books from the happy planner are:

  1. Journaling Doodles– I love this pack! It is full of black and white pre drawn doodles that you can color anyway you want! I’ve use Flair Pens, Inkjoy pens, colored pencils, and even watercolor paints. I would definitely recommend these for those who feel they can’t “doodle”.
  2. Journaling– This pack is similar to the doodles pack, it just has bonus stickers. Its got boxes and stripes of patters that look a little like Washi Tape. I love how many options this pack has! These are also in black and white so you can color them however you’d like!
  3. Colorful Boxes– These are perfect for monthly/weekly layouts! I love layering the boxes with different colors. These help me create looks that would take forever to do with markers or watercolors. They come in a rainbow of colors, as well as black, white, gold and silver! Perfect for any month or theme you’d like to accomplish.
  4. Botanicals– This is by far one of my most used packs! I’m a sucker for a good floral, and this pack comes with all different looks of flower. My favorite are the gold foil laid flowers. It also has watercolor looking ones, as well as black and while. The flowers are in different sizes and bundles to fit all your pages.
  5. Farmhouse– THIS. PACK. WOW. If you want your pages to have Joanna Gains summery light vibes, this is your pack. Its got tons of floral and greenery options with lots of rose gold foil as well. Pastel banners, and foil quotes help create dainty and beautiful pages.

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I had to give myself more grace with these pages than I have in the past. I had to do 2 or 3 redos of pages and messed up on the verrrrrry bottom of this one^^. My pages weren’t completely perfect or exactly how I envisioned them being, but that isn’t the most important part. The important thing is that these pages are a version of self care; each one designed to help me take an objective look at my life and adjust to make things better. The point of the pages is to help me gain perspective and control over my habits. I have two little lives and a sweet husband who deserve my best self!

 

 

If you’re thinking of starting a bullet journal, DO IT! It doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect.  It needs to be what you need it to be! You don’t have to post of social media or even share with anyone that you’re doing it, its all about what you need! If you need help getting started, you can check out my post about starting a bullet journal or creating goals. You got this!

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