3W's

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Wildwood Edition!   Last week we went to Wildwood, NJ with my husband's family for our annual Jersey Shore trip. His family has been vacationing in WW for the past 20 years or so (no joke). As he and his brothers got married and started having kids, the trip didn't really change--they just added people to it! We rent a house a few blocks from the beach and it's a week of organized chaos, family, fun & the sun.   

    I've always enjoyed it, but the older Gia gets, I enjoy it even more. This year was so awesome. She had so much fun with her cousins. For the first time, Gia shared a room with Kaila (her almost 6-year-old cousin) and they had a blast. They didn't keep each other up at night and didn't wake each other up in the morning either. They were great little roommates. Kaila is the sweetest child ever, and really took care of Gia and helped her when she needed it.

In addition to her first "roommate," Gia had a few other "firsts" while we were in Wildwood: she flew a kite and went mini-golfing for the first time. More on that soon!

Wordless Thursday

I usually don't go more than a few days between posts. I meant to update yesterday for Wordless Wednesday yesterday but, when you're on the beach, time gets away from you.
So here are a few shots of where we've been...

At the beach:

On the boardwalk, riding the rides:

Having ice cream cones as big as our heads:

 

And spending precious time with "my 3 cousins"

 

Pregnancy Update!

28 weeks!

Weight Gain:  19 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Do I even need to answer this one anymore? I'm huge!

 
Sleep:  My lower back and pelvis kill me every single morning and it makes me waddle like a duck. I finally gave in and got a pregnancy pillow last week. Umm, what the heck was I waiting for? The morning after I first used it, I felt so much better. It's not magic and I'm still a bit uncomfortable but it has definitely helped a ton.

Gender: Boy!

Feelings/Mood: Pretty stinkin' happy. Despite being a little uncomfortable, I'm feeling so blessed to be carrying this baby. He's healthy, I'm healthy: my little family is growing and I love it.

Symptoms/Health: Overall, I'm doing good. Blood pressure is low (110/58 today at my 28 week appt), weight gain is normal, and baby boy moves like crazy.  He is transverse which is pretty uncomfortable at times.

I've been having some minor issues with spotting, but I had another ultrasound last week and everything looks good. It was great to see the baby again. He's so big now! He always cooperates and I got to see his cute little profile again. He was trying to grab his foot and I got to see a great shot of his tiny little hand.

Food Cravings/Aversions: And the tides have turned! All of a sudden I can't get enough baked goods. Cookies, cupcakes, candy...I want it all, all the time.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach, my non-pregnancy summer clothes, not getting winded after a short walk.

Movement: Still feeling tons! Baby boy is active all the time, and I love it. He's most active at night, and there are certainly days where he's less active. But really, I feel him all the time. It's awesome--makes me worry much less.

Belly: Low and totally out front! Similar to how I carried with Gia, but even more out front (if it's possible!)

Best Moment this week (pregnancy-related): 1. Ordered & received baby's new dresser!

2. Just scheduled my c-section! I'm so excited to have it officially scheduled. Baby boy will be joining us on October 22nd.  I also discussed the possibility of a V-BAC (vaginal birth after c-section) with my doctor today & we have a plan. If I go into labor on my own before Oct 22, they'll let me labor a while to see how things progress. If nothing happens or if the baby is in distress, then we'll do the c-section. If I don't go into labor, then we're on for the 22nd at 8:30 am!

3. We finally started discussing names! More on that later.

What I look forward to: Putting the nursery together completely. Painting is done...now we just have to put together the crib and hang all the awesome stuff we've been collecting. That'll have to wait till after our vacation though :)


And now, for the comparison shot: