I heart New York!

I was so excited and nervous for our girls trip to New York. A week before we left I started to have these episodes where I was blacking out for 3-5 minutes at a time. It happened three times in the matter 10 days. These episodes always seemed to happen in the morning and when I was I driving. The third time it happened, Dana and I went straight to the doctors so they could run blood tests on me. Unfortunately, all the test came back normal. That made me even more paranoid that thtey didn't have an answer on why this was happening. I was so nervous I was going to have one of these episodes while we were in NY. I didn't want to hold our group back from anything. The night before we left I was a complete mess. Luckily, Dana was flying out that morning and was able to help me check in and go through security. Sometimes I don't know what I would do without him. He was able to talk some sense into me and helped me pull myself together. I know my pregnancy hormones did not help out the situation either. :) After getting on the plane and getting into my book, I realized everything was going to be fine!

Our annual trip to New York was amazing as usual. We had some of the best weather and ate nothing but AMAZING food. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Brooklyn Bridge

The most amazing candy store, Dylan's Candy Bar! I have been dying to go here.

There isn't a better burger than Pop Burger! 

View of Manhattan from Brooklyn Heights 

Brooklyn Bridge. Doesn't this remind you of the end of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?!

Mason got his first rattle and toys from Gma and of course I got him lots of goodies.

9/11 memorial. 

Here is a link to the blog post of our trip. Ang did an awesome job summarizing our good time.

The Vanderwigfords NYC trip!

After getting back from New York we had our follow up doctors appointment. It turns out my episodes we due to lack of protein in my daily diet. That was a relief and also made a lot of sense. I have been eating a ton of fruit and veggies but not really any protein except for Greek yogurt in the morning. I also learned the burning sensation I constantly have in my ribs is my ribs separating. That's always fun! :) Everything else checked out okay and I am now I am going to the doctors every two weeks. That means we are getting close!! :)

How far along? 30 Weeks

Total weight gain: up 20-22 lbs. Double yikes!!! :)

Maternity clothes? I got some amazing legging with back support from Rosie Pope in NY. Love them!

Stretch marks? Not yet. 

Sleep: Actually I am sleeping so good right now. I hope I don't jinx myself!

Best moment this week: A week in my favorite city but nothing beats coming home to my boys! 

Miss Anything? Not having a sore back.

Movement: Yes, especially when I drink cold water. He doesn't seem to be a fan. I can also see his movements in my belly. Kind of weird. ;)

Food cravings: Carrot cake, fresh fruit and veggies.

Have you started to show yet: I'm all belly! 

Gender: It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: I get Braxton Hicks here and there but nothing serious. 

Symptoms: Burning sensation in my upper abs, my back is shot, and I am only comfy when laying in bed or in Mason's recliner. :) 

Doctors Appointment: In two weeks. 

Belly Button in or out? I say its completely popped out by next week. If I laugh hard enough I think it will pop out. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Excited!

Looking forward to: Dana's weekend off next week. We have a nursery to finish! 

Hello 3rd Trimester!

We made it!! Where did the time go? This is when all the fun begins. We have our girls trip to NYC, then our maternity pictures, my 2 baby showers, Vegas, The Ellen Show and then Mason will be here! I can't tell you how blessed I feel right now. Especially after getting picked to go to The Ellen Show for her Mother's Day giveaway show. I have been trying to get tickets to go her show since January and have had no luck. My sister shared a link with me that The Ellen Show was looking for first-time moms for her upcoming Mother's Day show. I filled out the form and shared our "Paris Baby" story and how I surprised Dana on his birthday with a positive pregnancy test. After sending it in I thought I had no chance because they were probably looking for people in awful situations because Ellen loves to help people out. Well, I was wrong! The next day we were driving home from the doctor and a (818) number popped up on my cell phone. I pretty much died because I knew what this meant. Sure enough, it was The Ellen Show. Upon hearing our story, they loved it and gave me a ticket for the show. I was pretty bummed I only got one ticket. I really want to take my sister. I'm still hoping they give me an extra ticket for her! It would be the greatest Mother's Day/birthday present for her. :)

On to the baby, we had an interesting ultrasound appointment. We found out little Mason may be a little bit bigger than we imagined him to be. He is currently in the 72 percentile. He is on track to be at least 8 lbs. I wasn't really shocked though. I feel my bump is a lot larger than everyone else that is due before me. I have continued to eat a balanced diet and workout 5-6 times a week throughout this pregnancy so I had a feeling that the big belly was a sign of a big baby. We also found out he is breech which also isn't a big shocker because I can feel his hiccups in my ribs and his kicks are always super low. Yes, he has plenty of time to move into position but since I have a lot of fluid for him to move around in, it could go either way. I'm not worried about it at all. It's in the Lords hands and Mason will come into this world how ever and whenever he wants to. This whole pregnancy has really helped me with my control issues because I really have no control over anything. I'm just along for the ride! :) I will say after seeing my little man that I am beyond excited to meet him. This whole time we have been saying that he was going to be a mini Dana but after this last ultrasound I have to say he might look like me. He has lots of hair, big cheeks, and cute lips. He is really long. He will be tall like his daddy! :) When I get back from NYC, I'll meet with our doctor and we will get a game plan going. At least we will get another ultrasound out of this! :)

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain: up 18-20 lbs . Yikes!!! :)

Maternity clothes? Nope, not having any of it. I almost bought jeans the other day but I'm didn't. I made it this far. lol

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: I stay up really really late when Dana is gone but still get up at 6:30am. WTH? 

Best moment this week: Seeing Mason's little mullet! ;)

Miss Anything? Having energy, my sassy heels, being comfortable in our couch, or just being comfortable in general. ;)

Movement: Yep, I love waking up to his little kicks and movements. 

Food cravings: Still spicy thing but I'm all about fruit and veggies right now. 

Have you started to show yet: The belly is growing like a weed. 

Gender: It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: I get Braxton Hicks here and there but nothing serious. 

Symptoms: My back is always sore now. 

Doctors Appointment: Next Tuesday we have a follow up appt with Dr. Lee. 

Belly Button in or out? It's totally on its way out. I can see the bottom of my belly button. Eek!  

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and anxious! 

Looking forward to: NYC girls trip!! Last big vacation before Mason gets here!

Here is my typical prego outfit. Sometimes I add a scarf for a little flair. ;) 

Losing my mind one day at a time.

It has been an interesting two weeks. First I got really sick with a head cold. Luckily, it only stuck around for a few days. I hardly ever get sick but I swear pregnancy has ruined my immune system. I really think the gym is the place that keeps getting me sick. That place has more germs then a kindergarten class. Along with always getting sick, I'm losing brain cells more and more each day. Sometimes I wonder what happened to my common sense. Here is an example: I have been trying to organize the house since we are getting close to the BIG day. I had this brilliant idea to start moving stuff around in the garage. I never really go into our garage because that's Dana's man cave. I got the itch because our glider was in there along with a lot of my photography props. My plan was to find everything a home that didn't belong in the garage. First of all, why I was trying to move our glider/recliner chair is beyond me but it was really bugging me. I started with my photography props (which also includes a large chair) but Dana's motorcycle was in the way. So I decided to move it out of the way. I had no idea how heavy that thing would be. I mean I've played on motorcycles and even have my motorcycle license! I started to push it forward and the kickstand came up. That was my "oh crap" moment. In slow motion it started to fall on me. My first thought was "Dana is going to kill me!" and my second thought was "This thing is going to snap my ankle!" as I started to fall with the bike. Thank the Lord a gas can caught the bike and and I was able to wiggle my way from underneath it. I was so scared of the damage I did to it. I tried to pick it up like an idiot but it was way too heavy. I immediately called my dear friend Kim to come over and help me. I honestly do not know what I would do without her! She always comes to my rescue when I get into trouble!! :) Next I had to call bossman and tell him the bad news. I felt awful because he had just got a new bike and wanted to sell this one. He really didn't care what happened to the bike he was more concerned about me. When he got home from his trip he took a look and said since the gas can caught the fall, there wasn't any damage. I was so relieved! I was asked to never play around in the garage and I am not allowed to pick up/move heavy objects while pregnant. I think I can follow those rules. :)

Scene of the crime!

In other news, my belly is growing like a weed. I love it. It doubles as a table. I love putting bowls on it or resting my arms on it. Mason started having hiccups. Usually its at night time when I'm laying in bed. He also likes to kick me in my bladder. That's always fun. He is really active in the morning and late at night. He moves a lot when I use my high pitched voice to talk to Winston or him. It's pretty amazing to feel him move around from the sound of my voice. I had to include this ridiculous picture of my friend Wendy and I. It's our belly to belly picture. I have never been a huge fan of bare belly pictures. They're silly and a little weird....lets be honest! The reason I find this picture so funny is because Wendy is around 7 weeks ahead of me. Look how big my belly is compared to hers! Which makes me think her mystery baby is a girl. Whatever the case my be this picture makes me laugh. This is from her baby shower breakfast turned into a girls day. We were enjoying the 80 degree day in March! :) 

I'm pretty sure Wendy will not be happy I posted this. :)

How far along? 26 Weeks

Total weight gain: up 16-18 lbs.

Maternity clothes? I am still squeezing into my normal clothes. Right now leggings, a tank, a cardigan, and a scarf is my go to outfit. ;)

Stretch marks? none but I'm using 3 different stretch mark creams throughout the day. Hopefully they continue to do their job.

Sleep: I am sleeping pretty great right now. 

Best moment this week: Feeling him have the hiccups for the first time. 

Miss Anything? Not having a sore back all the time, my whole closet full of clothes, and my brain most of all. 

Movement: He is always moving. 

Food cravings: Frozen yogurt with strawberries, kiwi, and mango all day and everyday. 

Have you started to show yet: Yes,and I just love my bump.

Gender: It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: Not yet.

Symptoms: My back is really sore. 

Doctors Appointment: Ultrasound next week to get some measurements! :)

Belly Button in or out? It's still in but its weird looking. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, very very happy!

Looking forward to: Seeing our little guy again next week. Can't wait to see how much he has grown!