Another Baby in God's Arms

I write this post with a heavy heart. Please first know, that our baby is fine. I don't want anyone to worry.

This post is for a family member who's baby went to join Jesus some time over the past few days. My cousin's baby was diagnosed with triploidy in December when they went in for their 20 week gender appointment. The happy day of finding out they were having a baby girl turned into the day that they would find out that their baby would not be able to survive outside the womb. Once all the testing came back and confirmed sweet baby's fate, they began to wait. The doctor's said she could pass before her due date (April 29) and she would have to be induced to have her or she would survive to her due date, be born, and pass away within a few hours or a couple days. Their prayer was that their sweet baby girl would be born alive so that they could meet her, but unfortunately that did not happen.

They went in for a sono and there was no heartbeat. I am heartbroken for them and I ask that you please pray for them. Pray for strength and peace during this trying time. Also pray for strength for her as she goes through labor. Nothing can be more devastating than going through the pain of labor and having nothing to take home. She has been so strong through all of this. She has never once been malicious towards me knowing that I was also pregnant. This will be their 2nd loss in the past 9 months and she continues to trust that God has a plan and will give them their baby. So if you have a spare moment today, please send up a quick prayer for them. Thank you.

8

week 19- bump update and letters for baby

/ /shirt- Old Navy // pants- Old Navy- army green skinny jeans (not available online- in store only) //

Bump Update

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain: 10 pounds

Maternity clothes?  FULL on maternity clothes now. My bump is so low that my regular shirts are becoming too short! Thank goodness the hubs started budgeting for maternity clothes for each month.

Stretch marks? nope!

    Sleep: Turning over has become more of a problem. I can't get enough pillows so I invested in the Snoogle. It has been the best investment ever!

Best moment this week: Finding out if baby will be a little he or little she on Friday!

Miss anything? I will always miss wine and sushi. Two things Kyle and I love to go out and get on the weekends. It's kind of our thing.

Food cravings: Craving Chick-fila constantly! I could eat it for every meal!

Anything making you queasy or sick? stinky people. Seriously. The gym makes it hard, but I try to continue going even when I want to gag.

Gender: This Friday is our appointment with our gender reveal party on Saturday.

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: The symptoms have started to level out and I am thankful for that. The nightly peeing is a constant of course.

Belly button in or out?  In! And I don't think it will ever pop. It's the deepest inney ever!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happy! ALL the time!

Looking forward to: Our cruise in 2 weeks and of course finding out if Baby Sanderson is a girl or boy! I can't wait to call him/her by name!!

9

I'm in LOVE {pregnancy necessities}

Throughout my pregnancy so far I have fallen in LOVE with certain products that have made my pregnancy easier. Some of them are things are to physically make the pregnancy easier and some are just to make you laugh!

// 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 //

1. Snoogle- this is a new addition to my pregnancy necessities but it's at the top of the list because I just LOVE it! It makes sleeping on your side easier and is just so darn comfortable! I recommend it to any preggo momma who is having trouble getting comfortable at night.

2. Aveeno products- my skin has been CRAZY dry since becoming pregnant. I use the Positively Ageless Exfoliating Cleanser every night to get the dry skin off then I use the Aveeno night cream to get my skin moisturized for the night because when I wake up, my skin is already dry again. Then I use the positively radiant lotion for my daily lotion. I will put it on as soon as I wake up, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, then put another layer on. Yes, my skin is THAT dry!

3. Jessica Simpson work out pants- I work out 3-4 a week and these pants are the best! My regular work out pants just weren't giving my belly the support it needed to be on the elliptical for 30 minutes. These pants have a belly band and are just so darn cute!

4. Hot Bun/Sock Bun- You may say "how is this a necessity?" The reason this is on my list is because some mornings you wake up and just aren't feeling like getting "pretty" for the day. The sock bun is the perfect alternative that looks cute all day long! It may take a few times of practice, but once you got it, you'll be thanking me! Check out this video if you're not sure how to make the bun work!

5. Blistex- back to the dry skin. My poor lips are so dry too! I try to drink enough water, but sometimes it doesn't happen. You may be saying "chapstick is chapstick." and I may have agreed with you, UNTIL I used this chapstick. It's medicated and I feel relief instantly!

6. Liz Lange maternity tanks- These babies are so stinking comfy and go with EVERYTHING! Perfect for summer and winter because you can easily pair it with a sweater. They come in all colors and I'm pretty sure by the end of this pregnancy, I will own every color!

7. Tracy Anderson's The Pregnancy Project- Sometimes I just don't feel like getting up and going to the gym. That's where this work comes in! And the BEST part is there's a separate work out for every month as your belly gets bigger. The work outs vary from 30-50 minutes and it is all doable! Now do not think it's going to be "easy", your booty is going to hurt the next day, but all in a good way!

8. From Pea to Pumpkin- This journal is such a sweet way to document your pregnancy every week. It is a fill in the blank kind of journal with places to put sonogram pictures and write memories you have of your pregnancy.

9. Belly Laughs- Now this is just to give you a BIG laugh! I have NEVER laughed so hard in my life! It takes the not so pretty parts of pregnancy and just puts it out there! I promise you won't regret it!

10. And my last necessity for this pregnancy is this guy. In all seriousness though, he has been the sweetest on days that I'm feeling terrible or the days that I feel huge and not pretty. He's a man of few words, so when he does the dishes for me or folds the laundry, I know he's saying "it's ok honey, you just grow our baby. I've got this."

He's a keeper for sure! Sorry ladies, no link to get one of him. He's mine! ;)

6

week 18- bump update and letters for baby

//shirt- JCREW (not maternity) sold out// dress- Forever 21 (similar) (not maternity)//

Bump Update

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain: 10 pounds

Maternity clothes?  FULL on maternity clothes now. My bump is so low that my regular shirts are becoming too short! Thank goodness the hubs started budgeting for maternity clothes for each month.

Stretch marks? nope!

    Sleep: Turning over has become more of a problem. I can't get enough pillows so I invested in the Snoogle. I'm hoping tonight it rocks my sleeping world! I promise to let you know how it goes.

Best moment this week: I spent some time with my extended family on Sunday and it was so much fun to talk baby! I haven't seen them since Christmas and my bump for sure has made it's debut! We made gender predictions and my uncle prayed the sweetest prayer over Kyle and I and baby. This baby sure is going to be loved!

Miss anything? wine and sushi. I don't think this will ever change. I did get to have sushi for Valentine's. Nothing raw of course :)

Food cravings: sweets and fruit. AND Chick-fil-a. I just can't get enough of the waffle fries and honey mustard.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I'm on day 2 of no anti nausea medicine and I'm doing pretty good! Praying it continues!

Gender: Next Friday is our appointment with our gender reveal party on Saturday.

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: The symptoms have started to level out and I am thankful for that. The nightly peeing is a constant of course.

Belly button in or out?  In! And I don't think it will ever pop. It's the deepest inney ever!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happy! ALL the time!

Looking forward to: Our cruise in 3 weeks and of course finding out if Baby Sanderson is a girl or boy! I can't wait to call him/her by name!!

3

week 17: bump update and letters for baby

//shirt-Destination Maternity// pants-Destination Maternity// belt- JCREW (similar)//

Bump Update

How far along? 17 weeks

Total weight gain: I've gained 6.5 pounds since my 8 week appointment.

Maternity clothes?  FULL on maternity clothes now. My bump is so low that my regular shirts are becoming too short! Thank goodness the hubs started budgeting for maternity clothes for each month.

Stretch marks? nope!

    Sleep: Sleep is hit or miss. I'm starting to get uncomfortable at night and having to switch sides more often. My arms fall asleep more easily so that wakes me up. And of course the constant peeing :)

Best moment this week: I wouldn't say this is the best, but it definitely was the funniest. I went to get my nails done and I was planning on going to the gym afterwards so I was wearing my workout top. When I took off my jacket my nail lady, who I know, starts laughing. I asked why she was laughing and she proceeds to say "your boobs are so big!" Haha. You're telling me and this is only 4 months BEFORE my milk comes in!

Miss anything? wine and sushi. I don't think this will ever change.

Food cravings: sweets and fruit.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope! I'm good!

Gender: we find out in 2 weeks!!

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: Heartburn is the new symptom. Oy vey does it hurt!

Belly button in or out?  In! And I don't think it will ever pop. It's the deepest inney ever!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happy! ALL the time!

Looking forward to: Our Valentine's dinner on Friday at a sushi restaurant! Don't worry, I won't be eating raw fish. All the rolls will be cooked :) And then after dinner we are going bowling! Ha! That will be a sight :)

4

week 16: bump update and letters for baby

//shirt-Pink Blush Maternity// pants-Jessica Simpson//

Bump Update

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain: I've gained 6.5 pounds since my 8 week appointment.

Maternity clothes?  FULL on maternity clothes now. My bump is so low that my regular shirts are becoming too short! Thank goodness the hubs started budgeting for maternity clothes for each month.

Stretch marks? nope!

    Sleep: Sleep is hit or miss. I'm starting to get uncomfortable at night and having to switch sides more often. My arms fall asleep more easily so that wake me up. And of course the constant peeing :)

Best moment this week: Feeling baby kick HARD! Could feel it from the outside this time! Tried waking up Kyle, but of course, baby wouldn't cooperate and kick again. Hopefully soon!

Miss anything? wine and sushi. I don't think this will ever change.

Food cravings: sweets and fruit.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Hoping morning sickness is coming to an end!

Gender: we find out in 3 weeks!!

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: constantly peeing, tired, can smell everything, acne, large chest

Belly button in or out?  In! And I don't think it will ever pop. It's the deepest inney ever!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happy! ALL the time!

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender of the baby!

55

Gender Reveal Party

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that I am SUPER DUPER excited about the gender reveal party! I have started collecting things for the party and planning everything down to the last detail! Here is a sneak peak at some things I have finished working on.

First off, the invitation! I made this ALL by myself, printed, and cut them to look all professionally done! I am quite proud of myself.

Maybe I should open an etsy shop? :)

And then I've been working on my old wives tales board for everyone to read over before making an "educated" guess as to what baby is!

I also made these yarn letters that took me for FREAKING ever! I bought cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby then just wrapped them in yarn. Sounds easy, but VERY time consuming!

Since we are 3 weeks away from finding out what baby S is, I'd love to hear your prediction based on the old wives tales! :)

This will be fun for sure! At least I hope you think so!

Don't worry I will do a full post on the gender reveal party and all the fun decorations once we have it. I won't leaving you hanging :)

7

Body Image + pregnancy

As someone who has struggled with body image, pregnancy has thrown me for a loop!

Everyone is built differently and for me, my body frame is small so alittle bit of extra somethin' somethin' makes a huge difference.

For me I was always able to maintain my weight, but after college, and no longer having my crazy freaking fast metabolism (darn getting older), it made it a lot harder.

I had to work at staying at the weight I wanted to be. Then the curse of hypothyroidism hit and so did infertility. Hormones were started and I really had NO control over my body and how I gained weight, even with watching what I ate and working out.

When we found out we were pregnant I was about 5 pound shy of what I wanted my MAX pregnancy weight to be!

I struggled with the fact that I was STARTING my pregnancy at the weight I wanted to be at 9 months pregnant.

Now, I am not complaining of gaining weight. As someone who has struggled with conceiving, I will never complain about anything associated with pregnancy. I know I need to to keep my baby healthy, but it doesn't mean I don't struggle with it every time I look in the mirror.

My face was bloated from all the progesterone shots and my body was bloated from the process of IVF. I was starting my pregnancy big. I started showing VERY fast, but it didn't look like a pregnant bump. It just looked fat.

Then I realized that I was worshipping myself and my body. God created me and my body in his most perfect image. And I am stomping all over that.

I have become obsessed with how I look, what people think of me, and how much weight I'm gaining.

I would sit and look at my bump update pictures and touch up my double chin and try to figure out how to position my face for the next week's picture to eliminate that double chin! The maddness must stop!

It has to stop. The self destructive talk of how fat my face looks or the fact that my bum and boobs are literally doubled in size has to stop.

So to counter act the negative feelings, I have made a list of things I plan on putting into action ASAP.

1. Be thankful.
I am finally pregnant. God has blessed Kyle and I with a baby that we have been praying for for a very long time. And I never want to seem ungrateful for this amazing gift.

2. Get up and move!
For the past 3 weeks I have been getting myself to the gym (3-4 times a week) and making myself work out. I may not feel like it, but I know that it's important for me and for my baby. If the gym is too much for you, then just get active! A walk around the block once a day is enough!

3. Be kind.
I need to start telling myself I'm beautiful and believing it. God has made me the way that I am and He does not make mistakes. I need to remind myself of this when those thoughts creep into my mind. And when Kyle tells me I'm beautiful, I need to believe it!

4. Spoil myself.
My body is changing constantly and I've decided that once a month I am going to purchase an outfit that fits me at that point in my pregnancy. We need to feel pretty at every stage of our pregnancy and having clothes that fit right and look right is so important! I hate sitting in my closet wanting to cry because nothing fits!

5. Give myself more grace.
My body is changing! It's supposed to! Things are supposed to get bigger and ya know what? It's ok! I am beautiful and you better believe I'm going to rock this bump and my gigantic tatas! :)

6. Pray.
I need to give my insecurities to the Lord. He is the only one who can make me feel better about myself and who make me see how beautiful I really am!

Will you join me in this plan? Even if you are not pregnant, but are going through IVF or hormones and are dealing with your body image. Every woman deals with her body image at some point in her life and we need to rally together and remind each other of how beautiful we are no matter our size!

**This is not a post to ask for compliments. It is a post that I hope can encourage other women who are struggling with their body image. I am slowly learning to accept my growing and changing body and I hope that this helps you do the same**

10