Monday, November 26, 2012

Baby Butler is 16 Weeks!

Baby Growth:

It is mind blowing to me that this little baby can look totally like a baby….arms, legs, hands, feet, and a sweet profile…yet is only as big as an avocado! Babies truly are a miracle & evidence of God’s amazing handiwork.

My Symptoms: This sinus junk is for the BIRDS!! 3 weeks later and I am STILL congested…and it is wiping me out.  I keep hearing/reading I could keep this for the remainder of the pregnancy, but I SURE hope not! Yuck!! I’m trying to drink a LOT of water today to help flush it out. I’m sure Jon is ready for me to stop whining about it too…

Other than that just some shortness of breath. I cleaned a lot last week & it seriously felt like a work out! I love being able to deep clean when we have time off work….there is nothing better than a clean house!!

Weight: I honestly have NO idea. I need to weigh to make sure I'm keeping it under control, but I haven’t weighed at all this week.

I will say that my belly is looking pretty sweet. My belly button is even starting to pop out (flatten out) after I eat1! Ha! Big Jon HATES belly buttons (can’t stand having his touched) and thinks it looks so weird.

Check out this BUMP!!!

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Gender: We FINALLY had our big gender reveal!! It wasn’t that hard to keep it a secret and we didn’t tell ANYONE before, so it truly was a surprise for everyone (even my mom)! But I’m glad everyone knows now…my family especially was DYING to know Baby Butler’s gender! They even tried bribing Jonathan, but I was impressed that he didn’t spill the beans.

I’ll blog about it ASAP…I am so, so glad we decided to do it!!  I do NOT like planning showers & parties, so I was putting it off and dreading it. Thankfully it’s totally my family’s niche, so they pulled it off & everyone had a blast. It was such a fun time surrounded by our loved ones who already love this sweet little blessing so much….

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Can’t wait to tell you that Baby Butler is a ….

Maternity Clothes: It’s time. I feel like I look like a scrub every day & wear the same outfits over & over because I’m just wearing the clothes that fit. I can still fasten my pants (most of them), but it’s definitely time to bust out some maternity clothes. I looked for some maternity clothes several times over the break…and maybe I am looking in the wrong place, but most of them are just NOT cute to me- especially the pants (what I need the most). And I’m cheap,so that is a tough combo.  Honestly, I’m a dress person anyway, so I think dresses are the only thing I’ve even bought for the last couple of years (I still wear lots of clothes from high school & college).  I have a feeling it’s going to be a cold winter here in GA this year, & I have car rider duty OUTSIDE….so I’ll have to dress warm.  I typically do lots of layers when it gets cooler, so I’ll just stick with that- and lots of those clothes can double as maternity anyway. (It’s really the pants I’m having the issue with.)

I was fortunate enough to have some friends let me borrow some clothes, so I guess it’s time to dig them out & go through them. I did, however, wear my first “maternity" shirt on Thanksgiving….

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Movement: Ahhhhhh!!!! I FINALLY felt some movement!!! I’ve only felt it once, but I have no doubt it was the baby. I was in Target one afternoon (looking for maternity clothes, shocker) & I felt this little tickle in my belly. I stopped to see if it would continue…it felt just like a little butterfly tickling the inside of my tummy. It lasted for a while, so I knew that’s what it was. I immediately started squalling (these hormones sure are something) and called Jonathan to tell him the news. I can’t WAIT for more of that! It was absolutely precious!!!

Sleep: I am finally sleeping better, for the most part anyway. There are a few nights this past week I had trouble breathing….not sure if it was from being stopped up or what. I even used my inhaler one night.

I had the whole week off for Thanksgiving & was PUMPED about sleeping in….but I woke up at 7:50 every morning. I was hoping for at least 9! (We stay up late…)

Last night I had a TERRIBLE nightmare and felt like I was awake during most of it. I ended up hitting snooze about 15 times this morning, NOT wanting to get up at all….these pregnancy dreams are crazy! (Speaking of dreams, I had 2 family members & a close friend have a dream about Baby Butler’s gender- and all of their dreams were CORRECT!)

Cravings: Smoothies!! I haven’t been eating quite as healthy as normal, so I decided this was a great way to make sure I’m getting plenty of fruits & veggies. Here’s my recipe (I don’t really measure anything so I’m just guessing):

  • 1 c water
  • 1-2 cups each of spinach & kale
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 c mixed berries
  • 1 banana
  • 1/2 green apple (with skin)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp ground flax
  • 2 tbsp almond butter

It’s good…..and makes me thankful for my awesome blender!

What I miss: Week 16 was an AWESOME week, and I LOVED having the whole week off work.  I felt like  I can’t say I really missed anything this week…In fact, I felt like I could really focus on taking care of myself and enjoy the pregnancy, and I still managed to to my Bible study, clean the house & decorate for Christmas, work out, and still cook dinner! It was FABULOUS!!! I think future pregnancies will be much easier when I’m not working full time. I’m managing, and kudos to the women who do it with all of theirs…but it is tough. (Pregnancy is bringing the wimp out in me! It is HARD WORK growing a baby though…)

Some of my favorite things this week??

Laughing at with Big Jon & his crazy ‘do’s’….

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Spending time at my parents…

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Taking pictures of this BEAUTIFUL family that I love dearly….

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And buying chairs for our new farmhouse table! I LOVE HomeGoods…you just can’t beat their prices!!

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(This wasn’t a very good “What I Miss” section….maybe it’s more of a “What I LOVED & what I’ll miss NEXT week” section…)

Work Outs: I went on a few light walks this week, but nothing to brag about. I did an upper body workout one day and was super surprised at how weak I am. I’m used to being strong & lifting big girl weight….but I can’t and that’s okay. It felt really good to feel a little sore….

Best Pregnancy Moment This Week: Oh gosh, there were SO MANY this week!!!

Feeling the baby move was beyond incredible! That is such a neat little gift God blesses us with!

I LOVED Thanksgiving with our families & showing off the “bump.” We have such supportive, loving families…and they are making this even more special.

Spending time with Big Jon was a BLAST! I love how much we laugh together & TRULY enjoy each other’s company.

Enjoyed decorating for Christmas too! There is nothing like a warm, cozy house…with candles lit & a Christmas tree glistening. We are turning into quite the homebodies! We even had dinner with Ryan & Dana one night, and all our big plans of going out ended up as dinner in & talking lots of future plans, investment ideas, & politics.

And of course, the BIG REVEAL!!!!  We had so much fun with our friends & family! I loved seeing everyone’s guesses….and everyone’s faces when we released those balloons!

Questions/Concerns: One of me teeth hurts a little….It just started last night. Fabulous, huh? That’s about it…

Goals for next week: Start stretching more. Go on some walks & continue with the smoothies. Limit sugar (between Thanksgiving & the party, I have been doing some serious damage). Read more of Babywise. Get in bed early earlier.

Thoughts: I FINALLY “feel” pregnant!! I LOVE knowing the gender, talking to the baby, feeling the movement, and seeing the bump grow. 4 months…I can’t believe it! I’ve known for so long that I feel like I’ve been pregnant for forever…so I’m glad it’s finally starting to feel REAL.

17 comments:

Kate said...

Congrats! I think knowing the gender makes it more real. Now you can battle out the names : ) and registry.

I had congestion all pregnancy and snored ... It was terrible my husband recorded it for proof. I used a a Nedi pot (the squeeze bottle) when really congested and it helped. It's gross but it helps.

Congrats again on your little BOY!

FitFashLife said...

You look super cute with your growing bump! Just wanted to suggest something that my sister did when she was preggo... she wore her regular pants, both dress pants and jeans all throughout her pregnancy and zippered them as far as she could, and used a hair tie around the button and through the loop and then used a belly band on top of it, and it looked like another layer of a shirt. Just a thought, so you don't have to buy maternity pants!

~LC
FitFashLife.blogspot.com

Living Our Love Song said...

SO fun! Do you guys have a name yet? Congrats girl! You look amazing! I have a hard time breathing when I am laying down too. And sleep, I had the hardest time, went and got a preggie pillow and seriously I am sleeping so well Dusty has to pry me out of the bed each morning! The preggie pillows are a little expensive-I was hesitant to buy- but seriously so worth it! I will use it even when I am not prego! :]

Living Our Love Song said...

Aww congrats girl! You look amazing! Do you have a name?
I have a hard time breathing sometimes too when I am laying or sitting.

Sleep- was awful! I finally broke down and got a preggie pillow- they are a little spendy and I was hesitant to buy- I seriously have had the best sleep in a very long time with it! Dusty has to pry me out of bed each morning because I am just so comfy- I will use it even when I am not pregnant! LOL

Jamie said...

Have you tried the Sinus Rinse? It is from the same makers of the Neti Pot but is honestly SOOO much better! It is safe during pregnancy and will say it takes a few times to get used to but it is a lifesaver!!!

I would suggest in investing in a good pair of pants or denim (whatever you were the most of) while pregnant. As you get further along it will honestly make all the difference in the world. Gap, Old Navy, Target and Nordstrom typically have the best shirts and you can normally find a sale :). See if you have a Pickles and Ice Cream franchise near you...it is higher end items but I bought a nice pair of work pants and jeans at the beginning of my pregnancy and they lasted the entire time and held up well!

Cayla said...

Your hair is GORGEOUS! Congrats & enjoy every second :)

Emily said...

FINALLY!!!!

THIS is the first post where you REALLY sounded like a PREGNANT mama to me!!!! YAY :)

I am usually very anti people finding out the sex but I do think for you that it was a blessing. It made it all REAL ya know??? I'm also so glad you had the week to REST some!!!! I need to come up there and make you rest haha ;)

I would get dresses...cute sweater ones and buy large sized leggings and sweater type boots. All super comfy and all great to wear while pregnant. And then the dresses may even still fit afterwards. Old Navy does have THE BEST maternity pants...I'd buy a black pair and a pair of jeans. :)

Also your jackets will all be wearable! you may not be able to button them but it works for that layering look ;)

Did you buy those chairs??? I LOVE THEM. Super super cute. However..when you have a child eating in them they will be a BEAST to clean. We hardcore thought about going wicker too!

Ms. Chianne said...

You look adorable Danielle!! I can't believe how quickly baby is growing!! I'm so happy for you guys!! :)

Kelly Ford said...

You look adorable, friend!!

Your tooth hurting could be from your sinus congestion, specifically if it's a top tooth. Totally common.

Stick with doing the nettie pot (or some variation thereof) for the sinus stuff. And if its really bad at night you can do tylenol sinus meds.

You'll be hot (temp wise, although you're always a hottie... haha) so i wouldnt worry about freezing in dresses.

The pregnancy pillows are costly, but oh, so helpful. Although if we have a 3rd, i'll have to buy a new one... Jeff has confiscated mine. For real. He sleeps with it EVERY night.

OMG. I'm so excited that you're reading babywise! You know that Em and I will TOTALLY offer support ;-)

Nikki said...

Girlfriend you and your bump are so stinkin cute! I'm so so happy for you and Big John!

Kristin said...

Hi Danielle! I second the sinus rinse option. I was terribly congested the ENTIRE time I was pregnant with my son and the sinus rinse works! It's a little gross but being able to breathe was worth it! Good luck!

Amanda said...

I can't wait to see the gender reveal! You look adorable and happy. I started following a couple months ago and your blog is so wonderful. I love that you write about the important things, God, Family, and Life.

Lauren @ Love, Water and Wine said...

Congrats! You look adorable! I am excited to see the gender reveal post - the party looked great!

Laura said...

Congrats girl! I've been reading your blog for a while now, and have been waiting for you to say that you ant Big John were pregnant!!! Very happy for y'all!!

Laura from TX

Unknown said...

Every day I check to see what you are having! :) Cant wait to find out <3 Glad you are feeling well!

Ashley P. said...

The suspense is killing me! I can't wait for the gender reveal! :)

Leslie said...

2 weeks ago, when I was 15 weeks, I started having a little tooth pain too. It was so weird. But now it is gone, thank goodness!