33 Weeks

Baby Shower #1

How far along? 33 Weeks 

Total weight gain? Up 30 lbs, will have another check up Week 34. Really trying to maintain a total weight gain no more than 30 lbs, but seeing how I am at 30 lbs already and Coraline still has big growth spurts ahead...my dream seems to be squashed. :-[

Maternity Clothes? ASOS is my top #1 choice! The tops/tunics run true to your pre-pregnancy size. (Given you didn't let yourself go and blow up like a balloon - boob growth is accommodated for). I found that the pants are true to your current pregnant size. So if you measure your hips properly, use their size chart to order the proper pregnancy size. Yes this means you may order a 10/12/14. Grieve for a bit, then get over it. My next choices are The Gap/Old Navy. I have really only ordered tank tops from there and again, true to pre-pregnancy size. However, for 3rd trimester I recommend going up one size, the belly region can get tight. :-)

Stretch Marks?  The red marks are still on my butt! Good news, the red marks on my boob have vanished! Gone! Not even a slight sign that they were once even there. WHOOP!

Sleep:  Sleeping is WAY off. By 4 pm I am exhausted! I want to take a nap, but always talk myself out of it. By nighttime I am exhausted and feel like I should be able to pass right out, but don't. Major insomnia. I should probably just start giving in to the 4 pm nap. :-/

Best moment this week: First baby shower!! 

Miss Anything? Alcohol. It is hot and I want to enjoy the fun fruity alcoholic beverages everyone else is getting to enjoy. Jealous. 

Movement: She LOVES to move!! What's new? ha!

Food cravings: Watermelon. Henry picks the best ones too. Each time before he leaves town I make sure he picks a watermelon first so I can snack on it while he is gone. :-)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Textures are still making me sick. 

Gender RESULTS: BABY GIRL!!! My gut feeling was right all along! I absolutely can't wait to meet her!

Labor Signs: More contractions this week! Happened at work while sitting at the desk - probably because I was stressed. I am on a roll. 

Symptoms: 
Exhaustion! Absolutely exhausted.
Braxton Hicks! Yay.
Learned I am allergic to cocoa butter.
Hips hurt. Especially my right hip.
If I don't take my prenatal vitamin at night, my legs get extremely antsy! It feels like I need to go running they get so antsy. However, if I take my pre-natal within 30 minutes they chill out. I read that it has to do with the iron. Either way, it works.
Movements have changed from individual movements to feeling simultaneous movements in two different spots. Like I will feel something toward my right side up by my ribs, and at the same time another movement on the left side of my belly button. It's the weirdest, yet most wonderful feeling in the world.
Disappearing belly button, baby bump, nails and hair growing like weeds, baby movements (the best!) and my boobs have drastically increased.
Frequent bathroom visits
Occasional swelling of my feet and hands. Especially my right foot. 

Belly Button in or out? My belly button is officially FLAT. No innie, no outtie. 

Wedding rings on or off? Both rings have moved to my pinkie fingers. I had a scare with my Aggie ring and just decided to keep them both there. Juuuust in case. 

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

Looking forward to: Finishing out the nursery and getting back into our house from the tornado!

Baby Name? Coraline! I love the name!! See WEEK 21 for name details. <3

Thoughts: We had our first baby shower this week! It was great to have so many family members from each side of my family attend. Usually we get all my moms side or all my dads. We had a good combination from both. They didn't do any crazy games except Baby Bingo, which turned out to be fun for the guests and kept them engaged during the gift opening. Everyone got a Blank Bingo Card and filled in the squares with gifts they thought we may receive. If they got 5 in a row they got a bingo and a prize. The mini-liquor bottle prizes were a hit! There were also two Starbucks gift cards and a mystery prize. We got tons of adorable outfits, wipes, bottles, little baby knick knacks and Coraline's carseat and extra base for Daddy's truck. We are truly blessed with some amazing, generous family members. Not to mention, my sister made the CUTEST Coraline diaper cake!! I was truly shocked at her talent to make it. Although I am sure her boyfriend Brice had a helping hand. hehe Then my Aunt Robin had the genius idea of freezing watermelon slices on sticks to make "fruit pops". Watermelon has been my main crave lately, and to have it frozen, slushy like on a stick was awesome! Genius idea for future kid birthday parties. 

About the Board:

No board this week. :-[ I know, shame on me. With work and traveling to and from Houston I just didn't make time for one. Not to mention the exhaustion, remember?

Pregnancy/Maternity Fashion: 

Dress is from ASOS.
Belt from a local boutique.
Wedges are Gianni Bini - my absolute favorite shoe designer and he by far has the most comfortable heels/wedges, especially for 33 weeks preggo!

Check out this adorable video courtesy of my Uncle John

Photos courtesy of my Uncle Warren

Photos courtesy of my Uncle Warren

Wedding Eve Bash

Henry and I opted for a less traditional Rehearsal Dinner.

Most rehearsal dinner's are for intimate family members and the wedding party.

We invited extended family who were already in town for our out-of-town wedding, wedding party members and their families, and friends in general. We held it at a local bar - the bar where Henry first saw me to be correct - Daisy Dukes. It was a country bar, so the natural decor and setting was perfect for our theme and required no extra decorations. They had a large screen and projector for a slideshow at no extra charge, bars to provide alcohol, djs to play music, and are owned by the same people who own La Bodega, our favorite restaurant, so catering was rolled into the package. It was simple and easy. 

We decided to hold toasts at the rehearsal instead of the day of the wedding due to social anxieties and knowing that our group likes to get rowdy and drink....which could result in a speech only few would understand anyway. It was a great idea I feel because it was more intimate and didn't waste time at the wedding. Although I am sure those at the wedding who weren't at the rehearsal were a little baffled on why we didn't hold an official toast. 

Uncle Billy and Uncle Warren

Uncle Mark and Cousin Matthew, Usher, girlfriend, Kaitlin

Aunt Shiela and Cousin Laura

Cousin's Shaye and Aimee, Niece Wheezy 

Fabulous friends, Lorenzo and Leslie! You will be seeing much more of them in the blogs to come.

Henry had taken the guys to a Rangers game earlier in the year for their groomsmen gifts, so the bridesmaid and flower girls opened their gifts at the rehearsal dinner. Each bridesmaid was gifted a different Coach wristlet. Each wristlet then had a mini-survival kit tucked inside: Disposable toothbrush, disposable floss/toothpick, nail file, tissues and compact hair brush/mirror.

All the girls reading their Thank You cards.

Sister/Maid of Honor, Stefanie, and Cousin, Megan

Longest friend, Airika

College Best Friends, Danni and Lauryn

All the girls from left to right: Airika, Megan, Audrey (sister-in-law), Danni, Lauryn, Stefanie

The flower girls received little fairytale princess dress-up packages. Each package had a veil with a tiara, a wand and a ring - so they could dress up with the bride-to-be. 

Baby cousin, Shaye 

Niece, Ariana, also known as "Wheezy"

My bridesmaid, Danni, put together a wonderful heartfelt slideshow compiled of numerous photos which she had broken down into "chapters" - Meet Heather, Meet Henry, Meet their friends and Family, Heather and Henry as a couple. It had almost everyone in tears and laughing. 

Lovely friend, Leslie

Hubby and myself laughing at photos on the slideshow

In-laws - I am suppose to state for the record they both were crying.

Kenny 

Fabulous, life-saving, in-law Aunt Terri!

Uncle Mark and Aunt Marilyn

Everyone enjoying the slideshow

The toasts were amazing. It was funny because as we mentioned time for speeches my sister and Casey kind of danced around each other trying to pick who would go first. Finally my sister said, "Fine, Ill go first!" and walks up to the front to claim the microphone. She then proceeds to whip out a long, pre-typed speech. I was cracking up! My favorite part was how she said she loved Henry for accepting us a package deal, he never tried to separate us as sisters, allowed her to tag along on outings and allowed her to help on the most important things, picking out my ring and the proposal - and made her feel loved on all occasions. I had never thought of that before, but it was true. Henry treated my sister like she was his sister too, and it made my heart smile hearing what wonderful things my sister had to say about my future hubby and how she adored him as a brother too. 

My sister, Stefanie, giving her speech.

This is where the great part of him accepting her as my sister came in - the water works are in full flow.

Love my little sister - and our 2nd cousin decides to jump in on the hugs. <3

Casey apparently was not aware we were giving a speech that night, so he had to wing it. LOL But he did a phenomenal job. I honestly did not expect such a well delivered speech. He had everyone bursting into laughter when he said He knew Henry and I were serious because Henry refused to bring me around any of them for the first few months.
 SO TRUE!
Henry said he was afraid his friends would scare me off - he was right. Had I not been so in love with Henry, his rowdy friends probably would have been too much to handle up front. I had never met so many guys who could party and drink so much! And I drank and partied a lot, I had just turned 21 when I met Henry, so the partying had just begun.
His friends were another breed. 

Someone recorded Casey's speech, I need to find them.

Good 'ole Casey steps up to the plate.

 
 

 

After it was all done, most people stayed out and partied. Henry went back to his friend Justin and Lacey's house, where I proceeded to my hotel room with my bridesmaids and about 10 bottles of wine.

Henry and his Niece, Alanna

All teary eyed with my Great Uncle Joe all the way from Cali and my Mom.

Greatest Father-in-law in the world!

Mom and Sister

Our fabulous photographer, Michelle, followed us to the hotel room to capture us goofing off and jumping on the bed. However our goofing off was cut short due to the room next door pounding at the wall every time we started laughing. Damn fun suckers! It was like 10 pm on a Friday! Sheesh.

 

It was a great Wedding Eve Bash before the Big Day!