Tickled Pink

So thankful for my hard working husband!

Still have more to do to get Carleigh's room ready..but we are having fun making progress :)

Still need to:
Add flowery white sheer curtains over tealish curtains

(both were super inexpensive at Ikea..great finds!)
Actually hang curtain rod

Hem curtains

Add small brown & teal shelf where cute little white Ikea lamp is (thanks Jen & Phil:))

Hang frames & letters/ribbon (letters for Carleigh's name)

Awesome new area rug from Leroy Merlin

Curtains

26 weeks tomorrow

How awesome are these tiny clothes?! Can't wait to put my little pile of cuteness in them! 

I'm thinking maybe she will wear this home from the hospital. I can hardly stand the adorable ruffle bottoms. Been trying to add a few warm outfits to our NB/0-3mo things to get ready for winter!

While I was laying in bed this morning & Carleigh was doing flips..I realized I can see my belly move! I watched it over & over while she kicked/danced/did whatever she was doing this morning.

I'm getting so excited at the thought of having her here! We are having fun with the nursery & little clothes, etc.. but we really have everything we need for her already. As much as I love the little decorations & colorful girly things... those things are not important. I hope no one will ever check in here on my blog & browse through the photos thinking I'm one of those mamas who think style/looks/color schemes/material things are a priority. These things are just fun & who wouldn't be excited about getting a room ready for a sweet little blessing like this? But the Lord has blessed us abundantly already with family/friends & a healthy pregnancy.. we have a wonderful support group & all of the necessities (a place for baby girl to sleep/grow/learn, things to keep her warm, a plan for breastfeeding, and diapers..those are important :)) so we are THANKFUL!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Almost forgot to mention our little Maternity Photo Shoot at the farm! We got some great photos & I felt so happy & at home in my boots in the dirt/hay & getting love from all the puppies & horses! It was wonderful. Here is a link to the photos on Shutterfly. The password is Carleigh. What's the point of a password if I'm just going to tell everyone? Well, I will be posting photos on this blog too & if you are reading this, you probably love me, & I probably want you to have the password :) I left all of the funny photos in the mix..some of them really made me laugh! We plan on taking some more with Rob soon. We better hurry though... Carleigh & I are both getting bigger every day!

Thank you to my awesome photographer friends!

& here is the cutest little pig butt you've ever seen :)

25 weeks

We have arrived at 25 weeks!

As most of you know, we decided on baby girl's name..

Carleigh Grace Hall

• How far along? 25 weeks
• Maternity clothes? Yes..it's getting harder to squeeze into most of my normal clothes
• Stretch marks? No
• Sleep: Waking up at least 3 times/night. & finding it harder to get comfy. But overall I feel pretty well rested. This is just preparing me for when Carleigh is here
• Best moment this week: Getting a box from Mama! Full of goodies for me & baby girl!
• Miss Anything? Sleeping on my tummy
• Movement: Lots! She is moving like crazy. Rob has felt her move a lot lately. She really loves to kick my bladder
• Food cravings: berries/cheese/chocolate (not at the same time) :)
• Anything making you queasy or sick: No
• Have you started to show yet: haha
• Gender: Girl
• Labor Signs: No
• Belly Button in or out? In..but definitely more shallow!
• Wedding rings on or off? On
• Mood: Joyful!
• Looking forward to: Holidays + Carleigh's arrival + family visiting
• Anything else? Last time I did this questionnaire was 4 weeks ago. I had gained 13 lbs. Now its about at 20! But everything is going great

Tomorrow I am taking matenity photos at a friend's farm here in Sicily. Exciting! I'm looking forward to getting some good pictures but also to having fun with Jen & Shannon & lovin on some horses :)

There has been a little bit of progress in the nursery this week. We got a new dresser & I had fun being all nesty & filling it with amazingly adorable tiny clothing. I'm hoping for a trip to IKEA tomorrow to get curtains/carpet/lamp/etc. (My husand's current FB status reads: "mistake number 2...give your pregnant wife your credit card." He thinks he's funny! But he loves me :))

Thanks mom for the awesome frame & monogram sticker for this project! I love it!

Made a trip to Leroy Merlin (Sort of like Home Depot + Ikea) today & got some paint. We will see what it looks like when hub gets the whole wall done. Did I mention he is awesome?

That's all for now. I will continue growing and growing and growing & update more later

22 weeks

Rob felt baby girl move last night! She always gets active right when I lay down in bed. Maybe because I'm standing/sitting all day & the change of position makes her move? I have been feeling her move since about 16-18 weeks. I didn't exactly know what I was feeling, but now that I know what it feels like, I remember how lots of those little rumblings were definitely her.

Got crafty with Jen this weekend. Pinterest is so inspiring! This is the idea I liked/pinned for the nursery:

I made mine a little differently but I'm pretty happy with it!:

We have a doctor's appointment this week & we always look forward to hearing baby girl's heartbeat. We are pretty sure about a name but who knows when we will actually be sure enough to announce a definite choice. Probably soon. I have been reading through this mama's blog (Mrs. Gore's Diary) & her posts on pregnancy & delivery. So much to read! But so far its quite interesting so I've left it open on my computer for a few days & read some every now & then.

I think about my dad pretty often now. Now that we are back to real life. Now that the sickness & disease process & long nights & big changes & traveling are all over with. For some reason I can't bring myself to mention it to anyone other than my mom & sometimes Rob that I'm thinking about Daddy. It's weird. I've never lost anyone so close to me before. I suppose this blog might be a good place to share those thoughts & feelings. But the joys of pregnancy & planning for the future are more fun to talk/type/read about! I know that Daddy is in the presence of our awesome God & we will be together again one day. When he was close to the end of his life & after death, everyone joked about how he was going to get to help pick out who our baby will be. Oh! Please no! He would most certainly send me a little rascal like him :)

So- back to baby.This is what 22 weeks looks like:

I said in a post long ago & far away that I would share some italian words I'm learning. These are the ones I posted when we first got here:

Ciao - hello/goodbye/greeting

Grazie - thank you

Si - yes

Here's a few more:

Va bene - okay

Domani - tomorrow

Quanto costa? - how much does it cost?

Aspetta - hold on, wait

Prego - you're welcome/of course/what would you like?/what can I do for you?/ & whatever else a Sicilian might feel like using it for :)

Ciao friends!

21 weeks

• How far along? 21 weeks
• Maternity clothes? Yes..can't wait for my new shorts from mom-in-law to arrive..its SO hot here in Sig!! & got a box from Mama today...still have to go try on my new bathing suit & goodies:) (PS Mom- Thanks for embracing the 2-piece!)
• Stretch marks? No
• Sleep: Love. sleep. Also getting a little more used to my new sleeping positions. & the amount of bathroom trips continues to rise.
• Best moment this week: Our 20 week ultrasound!! Got to watch them measure everything & tell us that baby looks healthy! & found out we are having a baby girl!! Best day so far:)
• Miss Anything? My longing for hot dogs continues..but its getting better..it seems to help that hub keeps making awesome BBQ! 
• Movement: Lots of rumblings! Found out my placenta (sorry guys, and mom) is in the front so that explains why I don't feel lots of big kicks, but I can definitely feel movement! 
• Food cravings: Starting to crave sweets! Ah! Trying to fight it...well sort of
• Anything making you queasy or sick: No
• Have you started to show yet: Yes..its quite obvious I'm prego now (& not just chubby) :)
• Gender: its a GIRL!
• Labor Signs: No
• Belly Button in or out? In
• Wedding rings on or off? On
• Mood: Joyful!
• Looking forward to: Meeting her! I've always heard parents say this when they were expecting...it just seemed so far off for us before...but now that we saw her again & found out its a girl..I just can't wait to hold her in my arms! Plus my volunteer work consists of assessing/holding/talking to & about newborns all the time so it kinda makes me want to see & hold my own!
• Anything else? I have gained somewhere around 13 lbs so far! Its hard to keep up with it because I got out of the habit of weighing myself most mornings (didn't want to obsess over it) & I eat all day + drink tons of water so it fluctuates. Anyway..I guess I'm doing pretty good! (At least my sweet friends tell me so!) Trying to eat all my fruits & veggies + exercise..but still Must. Have. Chocolate. :)

The morning of our 20 week ultrasound! (20 weeks 3 days)

Baby girl's profile -She weighs 12oz (give or take 2oz)

little foot!

So we got excited..& went shopping after the appointment..we couldn't help ourselves

Then Rob went back to work & I played in the kitchen!

The friends these cupcakes were meant for ended up finding out before they even came over for cupcakes! But who cares..we were still excited & they were still yummy. & it was a fun way to share the news on Facebook

it's a girl :)

Shannon & Jen acting surprised!

Rob & I were definitely surprised when they told us its a GIRL. That silly lady told us at my 12 week ultrasound that her guess was BOY. We totally knew this was just a guess. But it defnitely got us thinking BOY..boy names..boy nursery..boy boy boy. When we found out we are having a girl...we got SO excited! A whole new excitement. We would be so happy either way & we are just thankful to have a healthy baby. But after thinking BOY for months..it feels all new again! Now we get to think of GIRL things..girl names..girl nursery..girl clothes. It's great. We are thrilled:)

4 years later

Happy Anniversary to us! (June 21) Can't believe its been 4 years since I married my love! So thankful. & now our first baby is on the way! Sweet hub got me flowers & we had a cozy night in on the couch :)

 Then Pinterest & this video inspired me to try the fishtail braid. Super easy & I love it!

Day after..same braid..just put it up like this in a hurry & it worked all day. New easy do :)

 

Bought this pack of Mom's Must Haves from the NEX..its slim pickins around here for comfy/cute prego clothes..but these are awesome

Tank top, leggings, undershirt. All stretchy & comfy for mommies-to-be

Wearing the tank top & leggings to the gym:)

19 weeks 3 days

20 weeks today

Had lots of fun hanging out with friends at the 4th of July Carnival on base tonight. Truly enjoyed eating lots of food (Thanks for sharing with me Shannon:) Pregnancy has made me so serious about food!) I'm missing home like crazy but so glad to have awesome friends here. Even though we can't be with friends & family back home, I'm so glad our sweet baby will be surrounded by love & "family" here!

Can't wait to find out Monday if were are having a little boy or girl!!

:)

Life in the 2nd Trimester

Everything is going pretty good here in Sicily. Still missing home like crazy! Went to Cirque du Soleil a few weeks ago. It was freaky weird & amazing! We have also made a few trips to the beach & had a few BBQs with friends.

Our most recent OB appointment went well..we heard baby's heartbeat & talked with the doctor. We are SO excited & can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl at our 20 week ultrasound on July 2nd. People always ask "What are you hoping for?" A healthy baby of course! We will be thrilled either way. The ultrasound tech in Columbus guessed BOY at 12 weeks..so we have been thinking "boy" & brainstorming ideas for boys more than girls. But I would love to have a baby girl! I think if they say it's a girl..Rob will probably fall over. He doesn't know much about little girls :)

Here are a few pictures of the bump from the last few weeks...

I'm 19 weeks now so I'll add more photos later.

We are looking forward to doing more in the nursery after we find out boy or girl. We bought a few things today at yardsales...neutral onesies, a Boppy baby sling, and another baby carrier. Trying to be patient! I know we have time to get everything..but being in Sicily things don't come quite as easily! So we are finding things along the way. Even though I'm pretty sure we have all of the basics.. a place for baby to sleep & I plan to breastfeed..so I guess we are doing pretty good!

Everything else about the first part of my 2nd trimester has been pretty good. Thought these prego questions would be cute to answer:

Here is what I saved on my lap top as my answers at 7 weeks:

• How far along? 7 weeks 3 days
• Maternity clothes? Not yet..excited about Target maternity line!
• Stretch marks? No
• Sleep: A lot, I love it
• Best moment this week: Found out I was prego a week ago!
• Miss Anything? No
• Movement: No
• Food cravings: Cheese
• Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything! Queasy all day but no throwing up so I’m thankful
• Have you started to show yet: I can tell my belly shape/firmness has changed a little
• Gender: ? But we plan to find out
• Labor Signs: No
• Belly Button in or out? In
• Wedding rings on or off? On
• Happy or Moody most of the time: I can tell it takes a lot more effort to be patient sometimes..but I am joyful!!
• Looking forward to: Sharing things with Rob when we are together again, Growing belly
• Anything else? I can smell everything!!

Here are my answers today!

• How far along? 19 weeks 1 day
• Maternity clothes? Yes! Stocked up at Motherhood Maternity before heading back to Sicily. I love their pants & their version of the Bellaband! (I haven't actually tried the Bellaband brand)
• Stretch marks? No. Using Cocoa Butter every day.
• Sleep: No more sleeping on my stomach or my back so it's harder to get comfortable, plus I get up to pee in the middle of the night, but I get enough sleep most nights
• Best moment this week: I can definitely feel the baby move! but sometimes its still hard to tell if its baby or gas
• Miss Anything? HOT DOGS
• Movement: Yes! Little flutters every now & then
• Food cravings: HOT DOGS
• Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
• Have you started to show yet: Yes..getting bigger every day!
• Gender: Can't wait to find out! My guess is boy.. we will see :)
• Labor Signs: No
• Belly Button in or out? In
• Wedding rings on or off? On
• Happy or Moody most of the time: Oh I'm pretty emotional..but still pretty happy!
• Looking forward to: Finding out the sex on July 2nd!
• Anything else? Trying to exercise several times a week. Drinking lots of water..Dr still says I should drink more! Watched the Prenatal Yoga DVD I borrowed from NMCRS. It felt great to follow along..the stretches were awesome..but I did have to laugh at a few of them. I love the idea of yoga..but I think I might get in trouble in class for talking..or laughing..Oh also tried a Pilates class with Prenatal modifications. Definitely going to continue that!

Speaking of NMCRS (Navy-Marine Corps Reflief Society).. I LOVE volunteering! It's great to get out of the house & to be nursing again! It's mostly assessment & education during home visits for newborns & new parents.. so up my alley. I would love to get a job with them or at the hospital on base at some point..but right now all I can think about is staying home with our little one! I'm so glad that I will have RN experience on my resume when I go back to the states, even if its only volunteering.

Getting back into crafty mode (thanks Jen:) & Pinterest) It would be easier if we had an AC Moore or Michaels around the corner... but I am using what I already have & have ordered a few things from Amazon.. including chalkboard paint & chalk that I'm pretty excited about!

I'll try to keep up with blogging as long as life is interesting enough.. between baby things & crafty things.. I should have enough to post :)