16 weeks

It seems like 16 weeks came so quick, but at the same time I feel like I've been pregnant forever! Makes sense, right?? Well, officially 4 months down!

How far along are you? 16 weeks!

Total weight gain: Hmm, not quite sure. I haven't weighed myself lately but as of a week and half ago I was back up the one lost pound to the weight I started at.

How big is the baby?: About the size of an avocado...delicious! 4 1/2 inches head to rump and about 3 1/2 ounces. Babe will double in weight in the next couple weeks!

Maternity clothes: Nope! Rubber band on the button, yes but only for comfort. 

Stretch marks?: None yet!

Sleep: I've been sleeping really deep but tend to wake up at least twice in the night...maybe my body is preparing me for this. Also, last week I laid on my stomach and it was the first time it felt like there was something in there, I thought I was laying on the remote haha

Best moment this week: On Tuesday at 2pm we got a 16 week ultrasound! We found out the sex and got to see all his cute tiny body parts!

Movement: None that I can feel. The ultrasound tech said I have an anterior placenta which means I probably won't feel him for quite some time :/

Food cravings: The cravings have definitely settled down. 

Food aversions: None really anymore! YAY! I can eat normal foods again...loving that

Gender: He's a BOY!!! The first shot of the ultrasound showed his little bum...feet crossed at the ankle and perfect shot of his boy parts! 

Pregnancy symptoms: Mood swings, getting tired easily, and pregnancy brain...still. I think it's getting worse. The other day Austin kindly reminded me to brush my teeth since I 'forgot on my last day off'. And to be fair... I forgot on a not day off and remembered halfway to work. SICK. Don't judge...

Labor signs: No way Jose

Belly button in or out: In

What I miss:  I feel really great, and love being pregnant so there's really nothing I miss enough to recognize!

What I'm looking forward to: SHOPPING! Today I picked out fabric for his crib bedding :) And also getting to feel him move

[16 weeks 2 days]

Most everyone in the family thought it was a boy except my dad. He was CONVINCED it was a girl, no questions. I called to tell him first and he was in complete shock! haha He kept asking if I was kidding...nope! He's a boy! It took a couple days for him to believe it was actually a boy. Chase, Kes and the boys are so excited because they have all girl cousins and have been wanting a boy cousin... perfect! 
Everyone is very excited to meet this little boy. Austin gets his lil hunting and sports buddy! 
I keep day dreaming of who this little boy will be, and I just pray we can teach him everything he needs to know to be a well rounded, happy, healthy, kind and successful person. 
We are so in love with our SON already, and can't wait to meet him and kiss that sweet sweet face!

desicions.

It seems like life revolves around money these days. As much as I try to avoid that being reality, it is. I have the next couple days off work and I planned on going up north to get some wedding things finalized and also go to Kristy's wedding, but yesterday I was like ehhh it'd probably be better to save money instead. I hate this. I hate that money makes decisions for me. Then I talked to my mom. She's having a little rough patch and when I was having my rough patch, she drove down to be right here with me, no questions asked. Just by our conversation I could tell she needed me, so I told her I'd be coming up tomorrow and she was so happy! I thought, I don't care how much money I think I need to save, my mom needs me and that's not worth any amount of money. And lucky for me, Austin agrees. He was instantly on board with going up to visit her.

This morning I happened to watch the most inspirational video that just confirmed everything I was feeling last night, to just live life to the fullest and not hold back.

To watch the video, click:

 here

Money flows in and out of our lives, but the moments we might miss with the people we love are irreplaceable. 

My first Mother's (to-be) Day

Austin had a work opportunity up north he couldn't pass up, so he left on Thursday and wasn't sure if he'd be home Sunday or Monday. Well, it ended up being Monday so I was like ohhh this is going be so fun sitting home by myself! Not!
Austin has the worlds sweetest Grandparents...next to mine of course ;).... and they insisted on having me over for dinner and I was so grateful! I'm so comfortable with his family, it was like being at my own Grammy's house. We had a nice roast dinner and got to chat and relax.
While I was at work my dad called to wish me Happy Mother's Day and I could just tell he'd been crying (break my heart). This was the first mother's day since my Grammy passed. Every holiday has been a challenge for him because she played such a huge part in all our lives. He said when he woke up he just knew he had to come to Cedar to visit her grave and was on his way down! Yay! I've missed my daddy and couldn't wait to see him.
After having an early dinner with Austin's grandparents I headed up to Cedar and it was such an amazing feeling walking into my Gram and Gramp's house. Just walking through the door is like a flash back to my childhood and I was instantly calmed and just happy. We went to her grave where my dad had left her a sweet note and some flowers, and although it was very emotional it was so comforting to be there, just as though she was standing right there with us reminiscing.
When we got back to the house my dad had made a roast dinner, so I got 2 roast dinners in one day (don't judge!) and it was delish!
My Gramps is just the sweetest person ever. Like I just want to squeeze him all the time. He'd decided to stay home from church because he didn't know if he could handle being there when it'd be all about moms. So he prayed on Saturday night that he'd have a good and happy day on Sunday. He kept saying, "when I woke up this morning I just KNEW it was going to be a great day, and then you guys showed up". I could tell he was just as grateful as we were to have us all together.
Family is amazing. I love my family and my new family.

On a side note. Last week Austin and I were watching our nightly episode of Grey's Anatomy in bed and it just happened to be the saddest episode of a pregnant girl getting in a car accident and let me tell you.... I. cried. HARD. like uncontrollably bawling at the thought of this lady losing her baby. I think it was a good part hormones, but also at that moment it just hit me how much I already LOVE this baby growing inside me, and how I would just do anything to protect her/him. (I can't stand the thought of calling my baby 'it', and until we know what it is, you'll have to deal with her/him) It's crazy how I can't feel her/him or don't know the gender yet, but I'm soo attached.

I feel so blessed to be a mommy-to-be to this tiny baby and just can't wait to meet her/him, and do my best to teach her/him everything I know about how to be a good person and succeed in this crazy world.

Growing a baby is hard, exhausting, beautiful, re

warding work. So Happy Mother's Day to me, and to all the mommies who inspire me to be the best mom I am capable of!

[aren't they handsome men?? Love my gramps and daddy]

 

[baby bump looks huge here! It seems to be tiny sometimes and huge others. weird. normal??]

A post dedicated to Momma

This may sound silly. I have been sitting here thinking about a sweet little message I could post on Facebook about my mom tomorrow to honor the person she is, but there are so many things I'd like to say about her that I thought it'd be better to devote a whole blog post to her. These thoughts may be jumbled, so bare with me.

Karen Lynn

   My mom has 5 kids. She had 4 of us by the time she was 25, we're all a year and half apart...crazy lady!!

I love my mom. She's one of my absolute most favorite people on this planet. She has a fun-loving personality and just attracts people. She's one of those rare people who just shines and you want to be around her as often as possible. She is as beautiful inside as she is out.

 I frequently have people comment how much I am like my mom, and that is an absolute compliment to me! My brother has actually nicknamed me K-2 (Karen the 2nd) lol and this is mostly because of the 'crazier' side of us, but I love it anyway.

My mom is an honest person who lives from her heart. She's always striving to be a better person. She sets high goals for her self....and achieves them! 

My mom has had many many (too many) challenges in her life when most people would've thrown in the towel and given up. She never did. Actually, I got a tattoo in her honor that says 'never give up' because that is what she has shown me. It's a daily reminder that no matter how hard life gets I can always push through and things will get better.

If there's one quality I hope to inherit as a mom it is this: she has mastered the ability to be the best mother and friend she can possibly be and has always known when to be the mom and when to be the friend. That's a hard thing to do. She created trust with me where I knew I could always go to her for help and advice and never had to hide anything from her. I love that. I know it's extremely rare to have the relationship we do, so I cherish that with all my heart.

My mom's life is her family. She is not the kind of person who tries to buy your love, she is all about spending quality time with the people she loves and making those times memorable.

I am so grateful for all my mom has taught me and that she has lived as an example to me. I love that while raising me she led me in the direction to be ME, to always be true to myself and love myself. She has always supported me in everything I've ever wanted to do, cheered me on when I've succeeded and loved me through the fails. 

Mom, I can't thank you enough for being the mom you are to me.

I'm forever grateful for everything we've been through together and the relationship it has created, I know you're always here for me and I'm always here for you.

I'm so proud of you for stretching yourself and creating the life you've always deserved! 

"The only thing better than having you as my Mom is my children having you as their Grandma"

I can't wait to be a mommy, and I will be a very proud mom if I can be half of what you've been for me.

I love you mommy! I can't wait to see you!

xoxo,

Your favorite <3