Our 3 week old Baby Amelia!!!!! 8/19/14

Our little girl has gotten so big!!!!

3 Weeks Old 

Amelia Renee Allen

She was born 7 lbs 15 oz and at her 2 week check up she was up to 8 lbs 13 oz!!! 

We have had a lot of firsts in these 3 weeks... First bath, first car ride, first time out without daddy (that was a tough one for me), first diaper blow out (in our bed!)...

On the left 3 days old - on the right nearly 3 weeks! 

Chilling with daddy :-) 

Jeff is adjusting really well to being daddy - he is a total natural :-) 

First bath!

Daddy's favorite 

First family picture :-) 

39 Weeks + 4 Days 7/25/13!

39 Weeks + 4 Days! 

Amelia is due in 3 days!! 

 The plan is to let Amelia pick her birthday, so we don't know exactly when she will be here, but her due date is July 28th which is 3 days away!!! We have a doctors appointment later (10:15am) and will find out if I am any more dilated and how things are going. Yesterday (Wednesday) I got really excited about doing last minute research, asking questions (I made a list for our appointment today), and making sure everything is ready. I think I got a lot done today AND remembered to do the dishes : )

Jeff had a good day as well, his friend David is in town for 1 day and so we went out for dinner at Carino's and saw Jeff and they are hanging out now.

Chalkboard: 

Questions: 

How far along? 39 weeks
Maternity clothes? Maternity clothes and yoga pants and dresses
Stretch marks? On my sides only
Sleep: Depends on the night, sleeping pretty well
Best moment this week: Jeff made me Mexican food at 11pm one night because I REALLY wanted it : ) He’s amazing!
Miss Anything? Patron margaritas on the rocks with salt…. yummmmm
Movement: Lots of movement!  
Food cravings: None really
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing specific, but I’ve been a lot more queasy this week than I had been for awhile!!
Gender: ♀ Beautiful baby girl
Labor Signs?: Some Braxton hicks but they aren’t painful, a few painful contractions but they don’t last – 1 CM dilated and 50% effaced!  
Symptoms: Heartburn!
Belly Button in or out? Beginning to poke out – my turkey timer is almost done
Wedding rings on or off? On most of the time
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy one day, moody and crying for absolutely no reason the next.
Looking forward to: Meeting baby Amelia!!!!! 

And now, for a fun comparison - lets see the difference a few weeks makes: 

6 Weeks - not showing yet

Front view 6 weeks 

25 Weeks 

34 Weeks 

39 Weeks

38 Weeks 7/14/2013

38 Weeks

Baby is the size of a celery bunch 

We can't wait to meet her!!!!!!! 

Check out that belly!!!!!! 

Questions:

How far along? 38 weeks
Maternity clothes? Oh yes
Stretch marks? On my sides
Sleep: Doing alright
Best moment this week: dddd   
Miss Anything? Patron margaritas on the rocks with salt
Movement: She’s kicking all over
Food cravings: Fruit and Cereal (I’ve been loving granola)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular
Gender: ♀ Beautiful baby girl
Labor Signs?: Some Braxton hicks but they aren’t painful – 1 CM dilated and 50% effaced!
Symptoms: Heartburn!
Belly Button in or out? Beginning to poke out
Wedding rings on or off? On most of the time
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Meeting my baby!    

37 Weeks - 7/7/13

37 Weeks! 

We are now considered FULL TERM! That means - Amelia could come at ANY TIME... but she probably won't come for a few more weeks :) 

We celebrated the 4th by cooking some delicious burgers on the grill (thanks Jeff!) and some very festive rice krispies along with potato salad and taco dip! Yum :-)

Chalkboard update: as of today (7/9) we are 19 days from our due date of July 28th! 

I'll do questions and then I'll finish with a few of the awesome baby shower pictures taken by my gorgeous aunt Rebekah! 

Questions: 

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain: 37 pounds
Maternity clothes? I’m in pajamas or sun dresses most of the time   
Stretch marks? Yeah but not too many
Sleep: Oh sleep… my favorite thing : )
Best moment this week: Cooking out with some friends and YUMMY food!    
Miss Anything? Tequila! I made Jeff watermelon margaritas that were delicious (I just tried a sip)
Movement: Ooooohhhhh Yeahhhhhh
Food cravings: Fruit fruit fruit
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not too bad this week
Gender: ♀ Beautiful baby girl
Labor Signs?: Nope
Symptoms: SUCH BAD HEARTBURN!!!
Belly Button in or out? Pretty much flat
Wedding rings on or off? On most days, off some of the time (especially when I’m cleaning)
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!!!!
Looking forward to: Meeting my beautiful little girl!!!   

A few Baby Shower highlights! 

Jeff, Jessica & Amelia

With Justine!

Grandpa, Great Grandma, Aunt Rita, and Aunt Andrea

Mama & Grandma (she's too young - I know)

Amelia (Baby Amelia's namesake), Vanessa, & Justine

The whole group!

Mama with Emily, Maddy, and Amelia

Morgan

Beautiful table decorated by Justine

Justine, Morgan, Caitlin & Joline

Mommy & Daddy being silly

Justine & Jess

Grandma & Cousin Layla! 

Jackie & Rachael

Mama & Aunt Joline 

35 Weeks 6/23/13

35 Weeks

& 

Jeff's 25th Birthday 

Our baby shower was on Sunday (I've been too tired to post this until now!) and it went REALLY WELL! Everyone took home a piece of Jeff's homemade toffee and a small jar of Jeff's homemade BBQ sauce (super yummy) and loved it. I heard so many people RAVE about the food : ) The games went well - not too baby-ish but very fun and the decorations were beautiful thanks to Justine!

Chalkboard

Questions: 

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain: 30 pounds
Maternity clothes? Definitely   
Stretch marks? A few : (
Sleep: Sleeping all the time
Best moment this week: The BABY SHOWER    
Miss Anything? Doing pretty well not being jealous this week : )
Movement: Lots!! She likes to move around even though she can’t have much room in there!
Food cravings: Fruit!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Eating haha
Gender: ♀ Beautiful baby girl
Labor Signs?: None!
Symptoms: Exhausted!!!! Especially after the shower!
Belly Button in or out? Barely in!
Wedding rings on or off? On : )
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy : )
Looking forward to: Getting the house clean and de-cluttered!  

Thoughts

Laying on the couch all day today feeling a little ill - probably just overtired from the week I've had - and I feel my baby curled up inside of me sleeping. I can't help but think about how amazing this is; it will never be so easy to take care of my daughter, never so easy to comfort her and make her feel loved, it will never be exactly like this in the future. This time is magical, I can feel her and can sense her personality and I know that she is there - she's really a person now, but she is comfy inside of me protected from the harsh realities of the world and comforted by the sound of my organs. I'm so happy to feel her I side of me and as much as I want to meet her I'm happy to have her stay in there so happy and safe for as long as she wants. I will see you face to face soon Amelia, until then I'm with you always, beautiful baby. 

34 Weeks 6/16/2013

34 Weeks

About 6 weeks till we meet Amelia! 

Getting very excited about the baby shower on Sunday!!! Can't wait to try all of Jeff's delicious BBQ food and see Justine's awesome decorations! 

Amelia is getting excited to come out - she is stretching out a lot and probably getting a bit cramped in there :) 

Chalkboard

Happy Father's Day to Jeff - already the best daddy on the planet to little Amelia!

She can definitely tell when he's around : ) 

Questions: 

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain: 29 pounds
Maternity clothes? Oh Yeah   
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Uncomfortable : (
Best moment this week: Finding some awesome tomato plants for super cheap at the farmers market!    
Miss Anything? Not this week
Movement: Lots!!!
Food cravings: Watermelon!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing particular
Gender: ♀ Beautiful baby girl
Labor Signs?: Nope just some Braxton Hicks
Symptoms: Heartburn and exhaustion still!
Belly Button in or out? Still in!!!! I’m SO happy about this!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy mostly!
Looking forward to: The baby shower!! Can’t wait for yummy food and awesome cupcakes made by Maria!!!! 

33 Weeks 6/9/13

33 Weeks

7 Weeks till our due date! 

Had a fantastic time at The Inn at Bay Harbor with Jeff!!

And yes, I am STILL holding out on pictures of the nursery until we are finished (or almost finished)!

Questions:

How far along? 33 weeks

Total weight gain: 27 pounds
Maternity clothes? Yep   
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Sleep is my favorite
Best moment this week: Spending the weekend Up North with Jeff : )   
Miss Anything? Not knowing what rib pain was
Movement: Lots
Food cravings: No crazy cravings, as Jeff pointed out this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: Mostly I just get heartburn or I get nauseated from not eating
Gender: ♀ Beautiful lady
Labor Signs?: None
Symptoms: Heartburn and exhaustion
Belly Button in or out? Still just barely in, although sometimes it looks completely flat
Wedding rings on or off? On – and I got it back!!! It looks so sparkly and new : )
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, or moody, depends… on the hour
Looking forward to: The baby shower! 

32 Weeks - 6/2/2013

32 Weeks 

About 8 more weeks till our due date!

We're getting close and Amelia still does not have a middle name; Amelia ??? Allen is due July 28th 2013.

Jeff & I are getting very excited about our "Babymoon", a long weekend trip Up North for just the two of us that my wonderful parents set up. We will be at The Inn at Bay Harbor which means lots of fun in Petoskey and lots of sitting on the beach and enjoying the sand and water (expect many pictures).

32 Week picture: 

Questions: 

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain: 24 pounds
Maternity clothes? Stealing Jeff’s clothes has been my favorite thing to do this week!   
Stretch marks? Not yet but my veins are popping out
Sleep: Still sleeping
Best moment this week: Got the Amelia’s room painted and her tree up… I will show you but not yet!  
Miss Anything? Allergy medicine : (   
Movement: Little girl likes to stretch like her daddy… all the way across my belly
Food cravings: None – Bleh, food.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes.
Gender: ♀ Beautiful lady
Labor Signs?: Nope
Symptoms: Seasonal Allergies and Heartburn… and nausea… and exhaustion
Belly Button in or out? In – barely!
Wedding rings on or off? On – still in the shop though   
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy… and a little mean on occasion.
Looking forward to: Our BABYMOON this weekend!!!! 

We will be here on Friday: 

31 Weeks 5/26/2013

31 Weeks

Happy Memorial Day!! 

Amelia is the size of a pineapple 

Got any middle name suggestions?? We're stumped! 

Jeff & David painted Amelia's room & put up her tree :) 

There is still more to be done but it is looking VERY good so far :) 

Questions:

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain: 23 ish pounds
Maternity clothes? My regular yoga pants are getting a little tight now : ( hoping I can keep squeezing into them!   
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I think I wake up earlier every single day : (    
Best moment this week: Jeff & David got Amelia’s room painted & her tree on the wall! & I got off of bed rest this week!!!!
Miss Anything? Not being sore all the time!   
Movement: Tons!!! Jeff got home from work while I was sleeping and she put on a huge show for him… they got a little private bonding time while I was sleeping : )  
Food cravings: Off and on, nothing crazy
Anything making you queasy or sick: Car rides? Everything? Ahhh this nausea is back… not as bad as before though (so far)
Gender: ♀ A beautiful lady  
Labor Signs: Just those good ol’ Braxton Hicks…  
Symptoms: I have been SO SORE : (
Belly Button in or out? It is looking flatter and flatter every day… I am not happy about this!
Wedding rings on or off? On!!! Yay!!! But I have a few loose diamonds so I have to take it in this week!  
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and random crying-y
Looking forward to:   Seeing my flowers bloom!!! & Finishing Amelia’s room!!! 

30 Weeks 5/19/2013

30 Weeks!!! 

Only 10 more weeks till our due date!! We are getting VERY close :-)

And I'm getting HUGE!!! 

Questions: 

How far along? 30 Weeks

Total weight gain: 23 pounds
Maternity clothes? I’m still clinging to some pre-pregnancy sweats that are getting a little tight
Stretch marks? Not yet
Sleep: Still sleeping well but not very comfortable   
Best moment this week: Jeff planted some beautiful flowers and some verigated weigelas – lots of added curb appeal this week!  
Miss Anything? The outside world!!!!   
Movement: Lots! I think she is teaching an aerobics class in there…  
Food cravings: Bleh
Anything making you queasy or sick: Life, been pretty queasy the past few days
Gender: Beautiful STRONG girl : )
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks!  
Symptoms: Nausea
Belly Button in or out? In!  
Wedding rings on or off? On!!   
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy this week!
Looking forward to:   More beautiful weather    

29 Weeks + 3 Days

Happy Mother's Day! 

Jeff got me these cute baby books and this flower tree for Mother's Day - what an amazing fiance he is : )

29 Weeks along! 

I got put on bed rest a few weeks ago and have been confined to the couch ever since - not fun! But luckily things are looking a lot better each week so we have our fingers crossed that I will get on less restricted bed rest or off it altogether! We're doing everything we can to keep Amelia safe - the Doctor says she is doing very well! Great heart beat, growing perfectly, and developing really well! Just got to keep her inside awhile longer and keep mama healthy!

Jeff bought the paint for Amelia's room and he and his friend, David, are going to paint it next week! We are getting all sorts of nursery stuff set up! I can't wait to see it all put together : )

Weekly Update: 

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain: 23 pounds
Maternity clothes? Maternity clothes are SO comfy!! But sometimes I steal Jeff’s pants!!  
Stretch marks? Nope – I keep hoping to avoid them! Lotioning up my belly every chance I get!
Sleep: Getting into bed is NOT comfortable but after about 15 minutes I get comfy and sleep well!
Best moment this week: Highlighting my hair!! I needed a new look : )
Miss Anything? Being able to get up and do things! I miss cleaning, I miss gardening, I miss leaving the house…  Bed rest is NO FUN.  
Movement: I think she is trying to escape by way of my belly button!
Food cravings: Cinnamon rolls… yum
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing specific
Gender: ♀  
Labor Signs: More and more Braxton Hicks – not painful yet but my whole belly gets tight!
Symptoms: Headaches : (
Belly Button in or out? In! Fingers crossed that it stays in!!!
Wedding rings on or off? On – still fitting great : )  
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! (Although today was/is a moody day)
Looking forward to:   Seeing friends : )   

New Hair : ) 

28 Weeks! 5/5/13

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, it is also week 28 for us and that means 7 months - we are officially in the third trimester! But guess what... that's not all! Today is also GRADUATION DAY! 

Here I am in my cap & gown showing off my beautiful baby bump: 

And here I am with the family: 

Here's the baby sign: 

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain: 17 lbs
Maternity clothes? Mostly maternity clothes and stretchy regular pants
Stretch marks? None yet but I have been lotioning up pretty well!
Sleep: still sleeping great
Best moment this week: Getting to walk in my GRADUATION CEREMONY today!!!
Miss Anything? I’ve been missing getting stuff done since I’ve been on bed rest, seriously never thought I would miss cleaning……..
Movement: all the time!
Food cravings: I was craving some wings and cheesy bread the other day and I just could not stop eating those wings!
Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing lately!!
Gender: Girl!! And we picked some awesome paint colors for the nursery too!
Labor Signs:  A lot of Braxton hicks
Symptoms: Still lots of heartburn and headaches!
Belly Button in or out? Still in but it is getting wider and wider! It looks like a shallow bowl now.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Mostly happy but I have some more moody days throughout the week
Looking forward to: the weather! It has been SO nice outside!!!! I am just loving sitting outside with my lavender plants!