PSU Baby Shower!

Yay!  My baby shower with my and Mike's family and some friends was last weekend up at Penn State, and it was a blast!  Baby paraphernalia is soooooo fun!

My sister, my mom, and Mike's mom got it all together and it was such a perfect day.  From the venue, to the decorations, the gifts, and of course, the people, it was exactly what I hoped it would be!  There were 17 girls there including me, and then all of the guys came too and hung out in the other room playing pool, watching football, and drinking beer.  It was a great place to have the shower because we had a little section in the back with our own long table, area for gifts, and places to hang things on the walls.  And the fact that the guys could all come and hang out together was awesome too!

Onto some pics!  Luckily I have an amazing photographer for a sister, so I knew I'd get some awesome pictures from the day!  Here are some of her shots:

My queen seat

I loved this banner so much that I saved it, and now it has it's own spot in the nursery!

Yum!  The dessert table

The cute invite that Tina designed

The whole set up....loved it!

Baby Hetrick Bingo!  And four of those jars with the wheat sticks made their way to the nursery as well

Gift display

Loved this clothesline of mini baby clothes!  Tina did such a great job!

Me and the baby shower organizer extraordinaire

The whole crew

Snail puppet from my BFF....a huge hit!

An absolute necessity for any girl in our family

My moms Christening outfit...which became mine, then my sister's....and now my daughter's!

Mike's mom gave him his Christening outfit too

These are Mike's old baby shoes, which...yup, made their way to the nursery

One of the games we played where everyone had to cut a piece of string that was the size of my belly...closest wins.  Closest was my mom and Mike's mom!

Me and Mike's sister....both preggers!

Me, Mom, and Tina

Me with all four of my grandparents!  Love them all so much!

Mommy and Daddy to be!

I wasn't planning on putting that many pics on this post, but Tina sent me a CD of over 100 and it was tough to narrow it down!

As you can see, the decorations were adorable!  Tina made a bunch of little mason jars filled with wheat colored sticks, a cute Baby Hetrick banner, flowers in tiny glasses on the table, and a clothesline of baby clothes!  She is the best!  She also tied the pink and white balloons around my special chair!

I got lots of amazing gifts for our little girl, including the ones shown above.  The snail puppet from my best friend was a huge hit, as was the PSU cheerleader outfit (a "must have" in our family!), and a little blue onesie that says "My auntie is awesome".....guess who that one was from ;)

Then Mike and the guys popped over at the end to help load the gifts into the car, so Tina got a quick pic of the Mom and Dad-to-be :)

AND....we announced Baby Girl's name!!!!!!!!!  Her name is Adilyn Marie Hetrick!  We were having some issues with how to spell it and we're still not totally decided, but we are between Adelyn and Adilyn.  E or I.....E or I????  It's a tough call.   I think that it looks prettier with an "e", and most people agree with me, however, Mike thinks that it will be mispronounced more with the "e".  He thinks people will say "Ade-lyn" (like lemon- ADE).  But we pronounce it Add-a-lyn.  Soooooo, it's a tough call.  We actually handed out little cards at the shower and asked people how they would spell it and 14 of the 16 said "e".  So we're torn.

Mike actually came up with the name while we were on vacation with my fam in September.  I always liked Addison, and Addy is such a cute nickname.  He said that Addison was too popular.  But we had been tossing around using Lynn as a middle name since that's my middle name, and he came out and said, "How about Addi-lyn instead of Addison?"  And I loved it right from the start!  He was so proud of himself and he said "I made it up!!".  Come to find out that the name existed before he spit it out of his mouth and actually one of the doctors I work with just named her daughter Adelyn.  But I'm thinking that since Mike came up with the name he can spell it too.  And I do agree that her name will probably be mispronounced less if we spell it Adilyn.  Still a work in progress.

But I think (again, not a definite) we're going to spell her nickname Addy.  I think it's so cute for a little girl, and then Adilyn is so beautiful for when she's grown up.   Little Addy is kicking up a storm right now in my belly!  She must know that I'm talking about her ;)

Heading up to PA this week for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with my dad and step mom and her family and my dad's new cabin!  I haven't seen it yet and I can't wait!  There will be something like 25 people there in a 2 bedroom cabin with a loft.  Luckily, since I'm pregnant, Mike and I get a bedroom.  Pregnancy has its perks!

P.S.  These nosebleeds are really getting out of control!  I have one almost every day now and it's getting really annoying.  I bought a humidifier today and I just tried Afrin nasal spray.  We'll see if these things help, because this is becoming a nuisance!

7 Month Photos!

I can't believe that I only have 2 months to go before our baby girl is here!  It's wild to think about, and we are getting sooooo pumped! 

I am 31 weeks pregnant today and I'm so excited to be counting down the weeks, but I am definitely getting more physically uncomfortable.  It seems as though once I hit 30 weeks the discomfort really set in.

Number one, my nosebleeds are still in full force.  They are getting worse too, probably because it is getting colder and drier outside.  I'll have to try that Nasalease that someone suggested. 

I am also having a hard time shaving in the shower (especially because ours is a stand up shower).  I may have to move my stuff to the other bathroom temporarily where it is a tub shower.  I used to just lift my leg up and shave but that is really uncomfortable these days and there is nowhere to prop my leg up in our shower. 

On the same note, tying my shoes is becoming challenging as well.  Pretty much anything that requires bending over is kinda rough.  Like today I started my Christmas shopping, so I was at the mall for a good 4 hours.  Well, when I dropped items of clothing on the floor or if I put my bags down for a second, I really had to struggle to pick them up.  No more bending down real quick without a second thought.  Every time I had to pick something up off the floor I was distinctly aware of it and I'd stand there and dread it for a second (and debate leaving it there).  You don't realize how many times you bend over while shopping until you are pregnant and just that mere act exhausts you!

I also have been noticing that if I over exert myself I feel kinda sore down below.  Not cramping or anything, just sore and tired, like I need a break.  Today, after I had been walking around carrying bags (and bending down a lot) for a few hours, I just felt really uncomfortable.  And tired.  The tiredness is back.  Blah. 

And my back.  Oh my precious back, which used to serve me so well and never cause me any pain.  Well, it's a whole new back these days.  I realize that baby girl is putting quite a bit of strain on my pal the back, but jeez!  It is pretty much always sore, right in the middle.  Especially if I've been sitting or laying down for awhile.  Mike rubs it for me sometimes, which helps a lot.  And when we were at his parents house this past weekend I used his dad's foot massager on my back, which was awesome too!  Heat packs help a little bit.  I have yet to take any meds for it.  I know, I know...I could take Tylenol.  I'm just not really a med taker.  Not unless I am really miserable.  Right now I'm just uncomfortable....but it's teetering toward miserable.  No, that's being a little dramatic.  It's just a pain... literally.  Ha ha.

Last on my list of discomforts is the feeling that I am always out of breath.  I guess it makes sense given that baby girl is getting bigger and bigger and taking up more room every day.  But I feel like I can't do anything without becoming out of breath.  Bend over..out of breath.  Read out loud...out of breath.  God forbid, take a brisk walk...breathing like I just won a marathon. 

It's so crazy, because I knew in my head that these things would probably happen when I got pregnant, but it's a totally different thing to have them actually happen to you.  I feel like I am living in someone else's body.  I am used to being very active and jetting all over the place, and now I am starting to feel like a borderline invalid.  I feel like I am now experiencing what overweight people must feel every day of their lives.  It is so physically limiting and so frustrating. 

Not to mention that looking in the mirror is a whole new world these days.  Whew!  Like I said before, I knew these things would happen, but it does a number on your body image in the meantime.  My belly button is popped way out and it's getting really discolored as well.  Starting to get that line down the center of my stomach as well.  No stretch marks yet (fingers crossed), but I am noticing more varicose veins on my legs.  Nothing major, but there are definitely a few little new ones. 

Ahhh, well there is my gripe session.  Despite all of these things that I've been complaining about, I really, truly am enjoying my pregnancy.  I love feeling her move and kick.  It never fails to bring a smile to my face, whether I'm alone or in a crowd of people. Her kicks let me know that she's OK in there and it's so reassuring.  I will also admit that I like the attention!  I don't mind at all if my friends and family want to feel my belly (I have yet to have any strangers want to do it).  And all of those complaints above that I talked about?  They are all minor.  All of them.  And I thank God for that.  My pregnancy has been wonderful and I really shouldn't complain at all.  But I just had to vent a little ;)

So onto the 7 month pics!!  Like I said to Mike when we took them...only two more times of doing this and then she'll be here!

Yup, we added some decoration to our bedroom wall since last month!  I wanted to take it down for the pics, but Mike says it shows the progression of time in some weird way.  Whatever.

That is my view when I look down these days.  Had to throw it in to show that indeed, my feet are completely hidden from view.  No denying it anymore.  Ha ha!

7 Month Stats: November 16th, 2010

Weight: 151.4 lbs            Weight gain to date: 23.6 lbs

Waist: 36 3/4 inches        Waist gain to date: 7 1/4 inches

Breast: 36 1/2 inches        Breast gain to date: 2 1/2 inches

So that's my story.  Next post....Baby Shower!!!!!  It was such an awesome time and my sister made it sooo cute and fun and adorable with the decorations.  She put so much time and effort into making it special and I love her for it!  It was a perfect day!

30 Weeks and 3D/4D Ultrasound Photos!

Well, I am just about at 30 weeks, so I'm 3/4 of the way through my pregnancy!  Hard to believe, but at my rate of weight gain it's a good thing I don't have too much longer to go!  When I got on the scale at the Ob today she made me get back on "just to be sure".  How embarrassing is that???  I gained 10 pounds in the time between my last appointment and this one (less than a month!!).  Whew, that is scary. 

Anyway, everything else checked out fine at the appointment.  BP 108/71.  Hgb 11.2.  Baby's HR 143.  And apparently my overall weight gain to date is fine, I just gained almost all of it within the past month.  But like I said, I hope it slows down a little bit or I will really be a house by the end of this.

From here until week 36 I will meet with the doctor every 2-3 weeks, and then weekly from week 36 until the end.  It's getting close!!

Mike and I met with the pastor today of a local church that we've been attending to discuss becoming members.  We figured that we need a church to call our own for when Baby Girl arrives so that she can be baptized there, go to Sunday school down the road, etc.  This place is our favorite and it's literally within walking distance from our house, which is nice.

We also went over to Old Navy today and picked up these little gems for next year!

Yup, she's gonna be a Nittany Lion for Halloween!

And I couldn't resist this little Cindy Lou Who shirt for next Christmas Season....

Gotta love em!  The Lion costume was on sale for $4 too!  Added bonus!

Onto our most exciting trip of the day....our 3D/4D ultrasound appointment!  It was a very cool thing to do, and I would definitely recommend it to others if finances allow it.  There are several different packages that you can get.  Ours was $115, and there were more and less expensive ones available. 

With our package we got a 15 minute ultrasound (which doesn't sound very long, but it was long enough).  They confirmed that our little baby is, in fact, a girl!  Then they take a bunch of 3D pictures (the 4th "D" is real time) where you can really make out facial and body features!  It was very cool.  We think she has Mike's nose and he says she has his lips too.  His exact comment was "She has an upper lip, so she can't be taking after you."  He makes fun of the fact that my upper lip is tiny and disappears when I smile sometimes.  Sweet guy huh??  Gotta love him.

It was funny because she was trying to suck her thumb the whole time.  The ultrasound tech kept trying to get her to move her arm and she'd move it for a second, and then bring it right back up to her face.  She said "Looks like you might have a thumb sucker here".  To which Mike noted that he sucked his thumb as well.  I don't think I did.  So once again, taking after her dad! 

We were leaving and I said to Mike "Man, it seems like she's taking after you in every way that we've seen so far.  What is she gonna get from me?"  His response: "Um I don't know.  Her gender?"  Nope, she gets that from you too buddy!  Basic sex ed.  The male determines the gender.  I guess he meant that she and I are the same gender.  Haha.  I'm sure there will be plenty of other things that she'll get from me and I can't wait to see what they'll be!

Now onto some cool pics!

It's definite!!  Baby Girl!

That hand was always up by her face!

Here we got one where the hand was momentarily not obstructing our view!

Smiling!

Decided to kick herself in the face!

Grabbing her toes with her hand!

Hello again hand!

Yawning!

So Cute!

So like I said, we got 23 pictures total, but I won't bore you with all of them.  These are the best.  They gave us a little photo album to put them in and then a CD of the pics and a DVD to music.  Not sure when we'll ever watch that DVD, but whatever.  Also gave us a book about baby's first year and a diaper bag and travel bag.  Not a bad deal for $115. 

 Like Mike said, "Think of all of the dumb things we spend $100 on.  At least this is cool.  And how many times are you pregnant in life?  Let's do it." 

And I'm glad we did :)

Next up, Baby Shower in PA this weekend!  I'll post with some pics after that!