Look at this sweet thing!

We have only had a couple ultrasounds during our pregnancy, one at 8 weeks (I think it was 8 weeks), one at 20 weeks for the anatomy scan and then one this past week at 32 weeks. I didn't think we would get any 3D ones either, so that was a surprise...check out this sweet thing...

Obviously, the 2nd one is not in 3D, but how crazy is that! I usually think ultrasound pictures are a little weird, but I just couldn't help myself from sharing! So excited to meet this cutie in just a few short weeks! Any guesses on whether its a boy or girl???

Mother's Day

I'm not sure whether this Mother's Day counted as my 1st one or not, but either way, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the moms out there! Trevor was so sweet and got my a card - he is the best at picking out cards! So I think I'll count this one. ;)

I definitely think I have the best moms!!! 

I was at church most of the day, but I got to hang out with these two cuties on my break from church...(I think being a mom to fur babies totally counts ;))

Yes. I think Winston already has a new best friend! That, or he is moping because he knows his life is about to change! Either way, I think it's so sweet when he lays his head on my stomach. I think he got kicked a couple times though. Whiskey clearly has no idea what's going on, he just wants me to throw his toy so he can go mess up every rug in the house as he is running as fast as he can! 

After the church services we took my mom and dad to eat for a Mother's Day dinner. 

We are officially celebrating with Trevor's mom next weekend when we take her to the bedlam baseball game! 

Overall, the whole day just made me so excited to become a mom- not just to the pups ;) I'm sure it will be the most challenging and rewarding job out there! Some days I'm super nervous and think "oh goodness, I'm not ready" but on days like today, I know I'm ready and I know Trevor will make the best dad in the world!

It also made me so thankful for my mother-in-law. I feel like I hit the jackpot! Trevor's mom is one of the most giving people I know! She has always welcomed me into their family and made me feel like a real daughter. 

And it of course made me so thankful for my mom! She sacrificed so much for me and my brother, more than half of which I'm sure we did not give her credit for in the moment! We were definitely lucky to have her! She can usually add humor to any situation, which is a constant reminder to not take life so serious. We definitely have our differences, but what mother/daughter duo doesn't! ;)

Pregnancy Brain

Trevor tells me all the time that this is not real, and really I haven't had too many incidents that could be blamed on "pregnancy brain", but this past weekend, I did!

Saturday started out like any other day....we got up and around, and then decided we wanted to make some breakfast and go on a walk. I wanted to start laundry early so we could get through it all in one day (that rarely ever happens!), so I started with the sheets. I rolled them up and threw them in the washing machine before we went on a walk and made some breakfast. When the load was done, I went in the laundry room and switched over the sheets from the washing machine to the dryer...and that's when I saw MY PHONE! My phone must have been wrapped up in the sheets when I threw them in the washing machine! I washed my phone in the washing machine!!!! This is seriously the first time I have ever destroyed a phone!

Thankfully, what could have been a terrible situation, turned out okay! I obviously had to get a new phone, but luckily we had insurance and only had to pay $79. I also hadn't backed my phone up since December, so I thought I was losing a lot of pictures/notes/etc. I had just come to terms with it when voila, everything re-appeared on my new phone! I literally didn't lose anything except a couple phone numbers that I have already replaced!

Hopefully I don't have any more "pregnancy brain" moments! I'm curious to hear if other woman who have been pregnant have had a case of the dreaded pregnancy brain!

One Pan Chicken Dinner

I saw this recipe and knew I had to give it a try. With a baby on the way, I know that Trevor and I will need some EASY meals to make with an EASY cleanup at the end, so I thought I would share this recipe. 

All you need:

3 chicken breasts (or however many you want to do)

4 medium sized potatoes (any potatoes you like)

green beans (you could also do broccoli or any other size item you like)

butter - however much your heart desires

italian dressing mix packet

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut the check breasts in half

Cut the potatoes in small chunks

Spray the bottom of a pan - I used a 13x9 pan

Put the chicken in the middle and the potatoes and green beans on each side.

Top with the italian dressing - use as much as you want...I used the whole thing because we like seasonings and pour melted butter over the top

Cover with aluminum foil and then bake for an hour. 

Makes for great leftovers as well!!

All About the Second Trimester

2^nd TRIMESTER OVERVIEW!

You can read about the 1st Trimester here! 

January 7^th through April 13^th  

Baby Size: Again, Baby M has gone through some big changed!! 14 – Lemon, 15 – Naval Orange, 16 – Avocado, 17 – Onion, 18 – Sweet Potato, 19 – Mango, 20 – Banana, 21 – Pomegranate, 22 – Papaya, 23 – Grapefruit, 24 – Cantaloupe, 25 – Cauliflower, 26 – Head of Lettuce, and 27 – Rutabaga. It went from being 3.4 inches to 14.8 inches!! WOW! It literally grew 11 inches...almost a ruler in size! And it went from being 1.5 ounces to potentially 2.5 pounds! Seriously, we have been doing some GROWING!!!

My Symptoms:

Week 14 – Energy is back! I forgot what “normal” felt like, but I think I am officially back to normal. The first couple weeks back to school after a long break are always a little tiring, but nothing crazy. My appetite has also gone back to normal, but I notice that I eat a little larger portions. Probably need to cut that out!

Week 15 – I love feeling normal again.

Week 16 – I definitely have high and low energy days, but nothing to complain about. My lips have been super chapped, I have been putting Chap Stick on like it’s going out of business.

Week 17 – Nothing has been too out of the ordinary. Other than the size of my stomach is growing! On February 1^st (which was my 4 month mark exactly) I had a growth spurt. I went to work wearing my normal pants and everything seemed to fit just fine, buttons buttoned, all that jazz. By the time my plan period came around, I was super uncomfortable and wondering what the heck was going on. I went to the bathroom during my plan and noticed the HUGE growth spurt that had happened in my stomach. It.was.seriously.crazy how quickly something can take shape and change. From that moment forward, I have not been able to button my pants!! Hello belly bands and long under shirts.

Week 18 – My stomach is definitely growing every.single.day! None of the top buttons on my pants will button so I'm doing the hair-tie trick right now, which seems to be going just fine. I wear nicer clothes to work and when I get home it is sweat pants permanently.

Week 19 – I just noticed that I have a little dark line that runs from my belly button down. It's still pretty light, but I can definitely see it.

Week 20 – In the middle of the night I stretch my legs and I wake myself up because I can feel my legs about to go into a leg cramp. I hurry and stop stretching out and the feeling goes away. Luckily, I have not actually had a charley horse, but there have been some close calls. I’ve read this is normal.

Week 21 – I definitely have energy and I have been feeling more and more “normal” each day. I still almost have leg cramps every night, but I haven't actually had one yet. I have noticed the little dark line that runs from your belly button down getting a little darker. But it's still faint.

Week 22 – I have been having more energy, which is great, so much that I have actually worked out a couple times this week. I still almost have leg cramps every night and I am definitely feeling bigger. I notice it when I'm walking, and of course when I'm trying to pick out clothes to wear.

Week 23 – My back always hurts a little, but Trevor has given me several massages this week, and since I am on spring break and have the time, I went and got a massage this week. It.was.amazing! My stomach seems to be getting bigger each and every day, so I feel like I am walking a little different, which is probably not helping my back. Overall, still feeling really good, which I am so thankful for.

Week 24 through Week 27 - Feeling good, nothing too crazy. Just getting bigger by the day! :)

Weight: At the beginning of my 2^nd trimester, I was up 2 and ½ pounds from my starting point.

Week 15 - up 6 pounds from original

Week 19 - up 8 pounds from original

Week 20 - up 9 pounds from original

Week 24 - up 15 pounds up from original! That week I was SUPER SHOCKED when I saw the number. I realize I have a baby growing inside me, but I have never even been remotely close to that number! And I was seriously the most active and ate the best between weeks 20 and 24, so I was shocked that I had gained that much when I was being more conscience about everything! But the doctor said that is normal time for the baby to have a growth spurt.

Week 27 - up 17 pounds from original, so it slowed down a little from week 24-27.    

Gender: We are actually NOT going to find out the gender! It will be the biggest SURPRISE on July 7^th…or whenever s/he decides to make an appearance. I definitely feel like it's a boy, but I don't know what that means! And the nursery is definitely looking more boyish but I guess we will see!! I am getting really excited!

Maternity Clothes:

Week 14 - Normal clothes

Week 15 - Normal clothes

Week 16 - My pants definitely feel tight by the time I have worn them all day and it’s in the evening. I’m loving some sweat pants when I get home.

Week 17 - No maternity clothes yet, but I am definitely not buttoning my pants. I tried a belly band, but it's not my fav. I'm also being super picky about the clothes I wear because I just want to be comfortable. I tried to wear a normal t-shirt of mine, but most of my t-shirts are smalls and that is just not happening right now. They fit, but they look a little silly.

Week 18 - No maternity clothes yet, just the hair-tie trick on my pants. Not really liking belly bands, so I just bought some long undershirts to cover everything. I did go and buy a couple new shirts, but not maternity. My favorite store had some of their shirts on sale for $10.

Week 19 - No maternity clothes yet, just the hair-tie trick on my pants. I'm loving some flowey tops. Some people at work have said that they can see that I'm showing a little now.

Week 20 - I will make my normal clothes work as long as possible. But I'm excited to start my subscription to Le Tote Maternity soon! Thanks G*Phi sisters!!

Week 21 - Pants are definitely getting a little tight, but I tried my maternity jeans that I bought awhile back at Old Navy and they are still just too big.  

Week 22 - Pants are getting even tighter, but my maternity pants are still a little big.

Week 23 - I went to the mall on the 15^th of March and got one pair of maternity pants (black jeans) and one pair of shorts (jean shorts for summer). I am REALLY hoping that is all the “maternity” clothes I will have to buy. I don't know why but I did not want to walk in that maternity store. I almost felt defeated by having to buy something there. I don't know why I felt that way, but I did. It's kind of silly, I know. I also started my subscription to Le Tote on the 15^th. I am so excited for those items to come in!  

Week 24 - My Le Tote came in on Monday, the 21^st, so I have been rocking my outfits that they have sent me. They are maternity, but they are super cute. I am actually having fun getting dressed in the mornings. I also am starting to actually look pregnant, not just a little over weight, so I think that probably makes it more exciting as well. So at this point, I am rocking maternity clothes, but definitely still enjoying normal clothes too!  

Week 25 - I'm fully devoted to maternity clothes. Not necessarily shirts, but definitely pants. I even went through my closet on Wednesday and put all of my pants that don't fit right now at the top of my closet, so I don't have to look at them every day. I'm excited for my next Le Tote to come in the mail so I can have some new outfits to throw in the mix.   

Week 26 - Rockin' maternity clothes! Again, not shirts, just pants unless the shirts are from Le Tote, then they are maternity.     

Week 27 - same as week 26.    

Movement:

Week 17 - February 3^rd which was the last day or week 17, I thought I felt a little something flutter and then a bubble feeling...but then I didn't really feel anything again until week 19.

Week 19 - I definitely felt some movement and it made me think I had been feeling him/her move for a couple weeks, I just didn't really know what I was feeling.

Week 20-22 - There was a lot of movement, but I didn't really notice it unless I was being still and relaxing.

Week 23 - It was powerful enough to feel, so Trevor even got to feel it move for the 1^st time on March 13^th.

Week 24 - I could feel a lot of movement after I eat, after I work out and when I lay down to go to sleep.

Week 26 - On March 31^st I was sitting on the couch watching tv and I felt it moving a bunch, so I looked down and I could see my stomach moving. It was the first time I witnessed it moving from the outside! I kept calling Trevor to come and look, but it seemed to get shy every time Trevor walked in the room. He did see it move a little, but I just sat and enjoyed it for a few hours! I have tried to watch him/her every night since then! It's really neat! Definitely another “this is getting real” moment.

Week 27 - There was a lot of movement. I almost thought people might start noticing it when they are standing and talking to me.

Sleep: For the most part sleep has been great and normal. I rarely have to get up in the middle of the night, and if I do, it's only once and I fall right back asleep. There have definitely been some nights I have been so tired that I will fall asleep on the couch while we are watching TV and Trevor will wake up up about 10 and we will head to the bedroom. I bought a pregnancy pillow awhile back, but really have not taken an interest in using it. I keep trying it out every couple weeks, but for the most part, I just want my normal pillow and a pillow between my legs. During week 18 we were at my in-laws for most of the week because we were getting hardwood floors installed in our house, so my back definitely hurt from sleeping on a different mattress. Around week 21 I noticed that when I moved in the middle of the night, that is when I had to go pee, so from week 21 on, I tried to move as little as possible during the night. During week 22 was my birthday and one of my gifts was a fitbit, so it's been interesting to see my sleep patterns. The first night was a little restless, but overall it's been pretty good sleep. During week 25, I noticed myself becoming more restless just from being uncomfortable and I wake myself up when I am laying on my back from having a little difficulty breathing. Just this past week, week 27, I have been using the pregnancy pillow and it has been helping. It literally takes up half the bed though. Poor Trevor, between me, Winston and this big ole pillow, he probably has no room...maybe it’s time for a king bed soon!

Cravings: There really has not been anything crazy or unusual that I crave, but I do notice myself eating certain foods in excess...pizza, pickles, pizza, cuties, pizza, ice cream, pizza... :) I try to be pretty disciplined, but you’ve got to give in a little. :)

Work Outs:  Week 14 and 15 were sad. I didn't really work out at all. Week 16 I got on the elliptical 3 times! Wahoo! Week 17-21 were sad as well...no workouts, just super busy! Week 22 is when I started getting in gear! I got a fitbit for my birthday and so I have been super motivated to get 10,000 steps a day. A lot of days I achieve that goal without working out, but if I have to work out to make my goal then I do. I have loved having the fitbit. It makes me more conscience about how active I have been that day and it's a great accountability partner! The weather has also been pretty nice, so Trevor and I have taken the pups on LOTS of walks lately!  

Best Pregnancy Moment: Every week something new or exciting happened...but here are the big ones!

Week 15^th: The best pregnancy moment this week was telling my students. I was a little nervous about this because they are 12 and 13. I knew the girls would be excited/sweet/giddy, but I was a little nervous for all the boy’s reactions. I didn’t want anything inappropriate to be said or any weird questions. I would honestly turn beat red if something weird was said, so I was definitely nervous to tell them. I waited until there was about 45 seconds left in each class period and then spilled the beans really quickly! Honestly, every student was super sweet about it. I have even gotten emails from parents saying congratulations and willing to help in any way they can (send saltine crackers with the child for me, send extra diapers that they have lying around, etc). So I’m really glad I took that moment to tell them and didn’t keep pushing it back.

Week 20^th: We had our 20 week appointment on February 18^th and we got to get lots of ultrasound pictures and we did the whole anatomy scan! Baby is looking good and healthy! I got a little nervous right before we started the ultrasound, but my fears quickly vanished when we started seeing the little face and nose! So cool! We also got all of our registries complete this week. I am most excited about our bedding! I cannot wait to start really working on the nursery!

Week 23^rd: Trevor was able to feel the baby moving for the first time!

Week 24^th: Honestly, wearing maternity clothes and feeling cute. I was worried I would just feel frumpy, but I think I actually “look pregnant” so I am proud of that little bump!

Week 25^th: THE CRIB IS FINISHED!!!

Week 26^th: I started actually seeing the baby move! It was so cool. I was sitting on the couch watching TV and I could feel it moving around, so I looked down and I could see a bunch of movement. It's been so fun to watch since that day! Plus, on April 2^nd my great friend threw me a baby shower. It was so exciting getting all this adorable stuff and seeing how loved this little nugget is already! I LOVED all the hand-made items! We also bought a recliner for the baby room! I'm sure there will be many sleepless nights in that thing!  

Goals for next trimester: Just to enjoy each and every moment!

Thoughts: I am just so excited to see what our lives will look like with a baby. I’m excited to see Trevor as a “dad”! We have been together for a long time and I feel like we know each other really well, but it will be so exciting to get to see him in this new role! I am also just so thankful! I know that God has his hand in our life and he chose the perfect timing for us to get pregnant and I am just so thankful and feeling extremely blessed. I also cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone! Baby Morris will be here before we know it! We are so excited to meet him/her!

Baby Shower - April 2nd

This past Saturday one of my good friends, Reagan, from my Lifegroup threw me an amazing baby shower. I had family from Kansas make the trip to celebrate, all of Trevor's family came, my amazing Lifegroup came and even pitched in by helping make some of the delicious food, and friends from LifeChurch were there as well. Reagan, I cannot thank you enough for opening your home up to my family and friends and making this day so special for me and Baby M! Look at this spread of food. 

My favorite part was the coffee punch! I will have to get the recipe and share it! You will want it if you ever host a brunch or morning shower of any kind. Or if you just want something sweet in the a.m.!

I was just so thankful for each and every person that came! You truly made my day and it just made my heart happy to know how loved this sweet baby already is! Here are some pictures from the day! 

What a beautiful host!

This baby is VERY spoiled!! ;)

Lots of OSU stuff!! 

I love this cute blanket my aunt made me!

My sweet Lifegroup!

My family being silly!!

What a special day that I will never forget!! Thank you again to each and every person that came and for all the thoughtful gifts! You all hold a special place in my heart! #babymorris2016

It was also an unforgettable day because the first of four from our Lifegroup had her baby! Congratulations Shelby and Chapman!! Parker Marie Barlow is absolutely perfect!! Parker made her big debut while we were all at the baby shower, so we were all celebrating together! 

The CRIB is finished!!

My husband is truly amazing!!

It is beautiful!!!

A few years ago my grandpa build me the rocking chair you see in the first picture. It, of course, was meant for a future nursery, so when Trevor and I started thinking about furniture for the nursery, we thought it would be neat to try and get the crib to match the rocking chair. We weren't planning on matching it exactly, since my grandpa had built the rocking chair and Trevor was planning on building the crib, but we thought we could make them close. We mentioned this to my grandparents over Thanksgiving this past year when we shared the news with them that we were pregnant, and my grandpa said he still had a ton of the walnut wood left over from the same tree the rocking chair wood came from that he had no plans for and that we could use it. We happily accepted!! We ended up going to Kansas again over Valentine's Day weekend so Trevor could start working on it and have my grandpa's help. 

They got a lot of the fundamental stuff done in Kansas and we ended up bringing all the wood home to continue working on it. Trevor's uncle also does a lot of wood working, so Trevor took it to his uncle's shop so Trevor, his uncle and dad could all help. 

They put it together before they put the clear coat stain on it and lacquer. 

And then it was COMPLETE:

That is a cowhide rug next to it, ;) we don't have big brown spots on our carpet! And of course, Winston had to be in the pic!

Now it's time to get to work on this nursery!!

Baby M, we are so excited for your arrival!!