Alphabet Weeks--- LETTER 'A'!

I saw a post on Pinterest for daycare students that was called 'LETTER OF THE WEEK'

and it got me thinking... that would be awesome to do with my girls this Summer! Tayler LOVES the alphabet and this would be a great opportunity to start teaching Quinn as well :)

I've been doing a lot of research (since I'm doing this at the last minute, I'm struggling!) about 'A' activities that we can do this week and I think I'm ready! :)

MONDAY- Trace the letter 'A.' This will be directed towards Tayler a little more than Quinn, but I think it will still be fun :) Tayler can recognize the letter 'A' but she doesn't know how to write it as of right now! This will be a great activity for today :)

TUESDAY- Sing (and try to learn) the Letter A Rhyme Song!

Way up high in the apple tree (stretch both arms above your head, hands open)
Two little apples smiled at me (keep arms above head, close hands into fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (keep arms above head, "shake" tree)
Down came the apples (bring fists down toward stomach)
Mmmm, they were good! (rub stomach)

WEDNESDAY- Make ANIMAL noises! Tayler and Quinn have 14 animals that they play with in their zoo that their Pappy and Gigi purchased for them. Today, we are going to practice saying their sounds! This should be a fun activity-- I think Tayler is going to find it hilarious! We will be learning the noises of: a tiger, a lion, a polar bear, an elephant, a camel, a gorilla, a flamingo, a chimpanzee, a whale, an alligator, a seal, a doggie, a duck, and a penguin. You can play some animal noises HERE.

THURSDAY- It's 'Alphabet Sidewalk Chalk Day.' We are going to go outside on our patio and write the letter A with sidewalk chalk! Perfect way to get outside.. and for the girls to learn how to write it. We might throw in some naming the colors while we are at it since we have different colored chalk :) 

FRIDAY- 'All About AUTUMN.' I know, I know... it's almost Summer, but why not take a second to learn about Autumn/Fall! We are going to watch an Autumn/Halloween cartoon, and color AUTUMN trees :) Gorgeous trees with red, orange, and yellow leaves! I'm a huge lover of all things Autumn, so I think this will be a great, fun day for everyone!

And that sums up 'A-WEEK!' If you want to join me, you are more than welcome to! I plan on taking pictures each day of the girls and me doing our Alphabet Activities! I am SO excited to start this! It should make Summer very enjoyable-- not to mention, this is going to continue for 26 weeks (starting today..) I only have 24 weeks til I'm due with this baby! It's the perfect 'count down' til Nate is here!

I hope you enjoy me on this ADVENTURE! :)

15 Weeks Pregnant

As of today, we are officially 15 weeks with Baby Boy Bay! (Say that three times fast!)

The say he's the size of a navel orange this week :) At our last ultrasound, he was 5" long and 3 ounces. I'm sure he's a little bigger now! :) still craving pickles something fierce! I go through about 3-4 jars a week right now :) They're just too good. That and Wendys.. and Mexican haha! I swear they're right when they say you'll know you're having a boy--- you are never full! 

I've been feeling him a little more consistently which I just love :) I can't wait til their bigger kicks.. and more consistent so I can quit worrying! Lol :) I'm just one of those moms! I like to know all is well :) And being able to feel them constantly is a great sign of that!

We have the nursery all planned out-- Daddy wants to do a fishing/outdoors theme, so that's what we have our little hearts set on! If you follow me on Pinterest, I'm sure you've seen a lot of the ideas I've pinned! I'll hopefully share some pictures of it once it's done (and we are making the girls a joint bedroom at our new house! I'll share pictures of that too!)

It's been a wonderful week! I am getting so anxious to move in to our new house.. and to see little man again (it feels surreal saying that!)

Now.. on to our weekly questions! :)

How far along? 15 weeks.

Total Weight Gain? Zero so far! :)

Maternity Clothes? Nah! Just the belly band!
Stretch Marks? I have some from both pregnancies already!
Sleep: This week was the best sleep I've gotten in weeks. Both girls are sleeping through the night wonderfully and I didn't dream as much as I usually do LOL :)

Best Moment of This Week: Feeling baby boy move around a little more :)

Miss Anything?  Sleeping on my belly? And I could have used a stiff drink this week ;) HAHA!

Movement: Feeling some subtle movements this week :) It was wonderful!
Food Cravings: PICKLES.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Just early mornings! If I don't eat, I'm a mess :)
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: I'd sure hope not! :)

Symptoms: Nausea in the AM, peeing constantly, feeling movement, tired a lot! 

Belly Button In or Out? She's an innie!
Wedding rings on or off? On and sometimes off at night! My hands seem to swell then for some reason?
Happy or Moody this Week?  Happy and moody LOL :) I'm an emotional roller coaster sometimes!
Looking Forward To: Our ultrasound at the end of May :) And getting more clothes for Nate. We got a lot the other day, but I am really looking forward to hitting up some yard sales soon :)

Cheers to 15 weeks.. on to 16 weeks! (That's 4 months, folks! Are you kidding me?? It's flying!)

14 Weeks Pregnant with Baby Boy!

We had an ultrasound done Saturday, April 26th and guess what they found out??

We are having a baby................

BOY!!!

That's right! We are buying BLUE this time around!

At 13wks 3 days, Nate Grady is measuring in at 14wks 1 day. He is 5" long and 3oz right now. He had a heart rate of 156bpm. He was wiggling around and kicking the entire time. We are so happy and so excited!

I am still in shock if you can believe that. A lady gave us some clothes and it felt so surreal going through baby boy clothing, but oh my word-- so cute! Football jerseys, sweatpants, suits! He is going to be adorable! I just know it!

We are 14 weeks pregnant this week! 

I'm improvising on my photos. We are staying with my parents for a week until we close on our new house, so I took this with my cell phone, haha! :) Oh well, at least it's documented, right?

I ate 12 pickles today. I'd say I'm needing them for some reason, haha!

We had a doctor's appointment Tuesday and all sounded great! We go for an ultrasound at the end of May to check up on things :) I can't wait to see our baby boy again!

Alright, now for the questions!

How far along? 14 weeks.

Total Weight Gain? zero! Can you believe that? I stepped on the scale Tuesday and she said, 'You didn't gain anything!' Couldn't believe it! Lol

Maternity Clothes? Nah! Just the belly band!
Stretch Marks? I have some from both pregnancies already!
Sleep: I've been having trouble sleeping this week. I've been dreaming... A LOT.

Best Moment of This Week:  Second trimester joys.. and finding out baby is a BOY!

Miss Anything?  Sleeping on my belly?

Movement: Feeling some subtle movements this week :) It was wonderful!
Food Cravings: PICKLES.
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Just early mornings! If I don't eat, I'm a mess :)
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: I'd sure hope not! :)

Symptoms: Nausea in the AM, peeing constantly :)

Belly Button In or Out? She's an innie!
Wedding rings on or off? On and sometimes off at night! My hands seem to swell then for some reason?
Happy or Moody this Week?  HAPPY HAPPY!!
Looking Forward To: Our ultrasound at the end of May :)

13 Weeks Pregnant

We are officially in the SECOND TRIMESTER! :)

Hello 13 weeks!

That's always a good feeling :)

What to Expect says the baby is the size of a peach this week. He/she is about 3" long and about an ounce. They have fingerprints, too... pretty cool! 

We have an appointment Tuesday and we get to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time. I've only 'seen' it on ultrasounds. I am so excited!

Ethan thinks it's a boy, I think it's a girl. Just my gut feeling.

How far along? 13 weeks.

Total Weight Gain? None that I'm aware of-- I don't check at home though :/ I'll know more at my next appointment on April 29th :)

Maternity Clothes? Nah! Just the belly band!
Stretch Marks? I have some from both pregnancies already!
Sleep: I've been having trouble sleeping this week.

Best Moment of This Week:  We're in THE SECOND TRIMESTER!!

Miss Anything?  Sleeping on my belly?

Movement: Of course not. Lol
Food Cravings: None really this week!
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Just early mornings! If I don't eat, I'm a mess :)
Gender: We have no idea!
Labor Signs: I'd sure hope not! :)

Symptoms: Nausea, heartburn, sore boobies, exhaustion

Belly Button In or Out? She's an innie!
Wedding rings on or off? On and sometimes off at night! My hands seem to swell then for some reason?
Happy or Moody this Week?  Overall, happy!
Looking Forward To: Our next appointment! :)

Cheers to 13 weeks... on to 14 weeks!

12 Weeks-- and a Look at Old Wive's Tales!!

I am 12 weeks pregnant as of [04.16.2014] I'm a day early, but I felt put together today since I had photo sessions. Tomorrow I probably wouldn't look as nice considering I'm off work tomorrow, lol :) So, you get to see this belly early!

What's 12 weeks bringing? Good stuff! I'm feeling pretty good other than early mornings until I eat and if I sneeze. I always feel like I'm going to vomit when I sneeze. So weird. 

I have craved Mexican food this week. taco dip, tortilla chips, rice, queso sauce, tacos.. you name it. Delicious! 

I've had a ton of energy with this pregnancy. I'm not sure if having two kids makes me HAVE to be energetic or what? I very rarely feel like I absolutely have to sit down and rest. My girls keep me on my toes though, so that might be something! 

'What to Expect' says the baby is about 1/2 an ounce and is the size of a large plum.

I'm having a hard time believing that we are only 1 week away from the 2nd trimester. Can you believe it? It seems like it's going really fast. Kind of scary in a way, lol! :) Tayler's pregnancy DRUG. Quinn's went pretty quickly and this one seems to be going by even faster. Hard to believe we only have 25-28 weeks until we meet him/her! :) (Speaking of him/her--- I just can't wait to find out what 'it' is hehe!)

Alright-- are you ready for the questions?? They're still a little boring, but oh well- bear with me! ;)

How far along? 12 weeks.

Total Weight Gain? None that I'm aware of-- I don't check at home though :/ I'll know more at my next appointment on April 29th :)

Maternity Clothes? Nah! Just the belly band!
Stretch Marks? I have some from both pregnancies already!
Sleep: Pretty good! I have a hankerin' to sleep on my tummy though. Weird!

Best Moment of This Week:  Getting closer to the 2nd trimester :) It's always a good feeling!

Miss Anything? Not really so far. I needed a stiff drink a few days this week LOL but nothing I couldn't handle sober, haha! :)

Movement: Of course not. Lol
Food Cravings: Mexicanooo! :)
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Just early mornings! If I don't eat, I'm a mess :)
Gender: We have no idea!
Labor Signs: I'd sure hope not! :)

Symptoms: Nausea, heartburn, sore boobies, exhaustion

Belly Button In or Out? She's an innie!
Wedding rings on or off? On and sometimes off at night! My hands seem to swell then for some reason?
Happy or Moody this Week?  I've been a little moody this week :/ Everything seems to either make me cry or tick me off. Poor hubby!
Looking Forward To: Starting the 2nd trimester and finding out the gender :)

Speaking of finding out the gender. I found a thing about 'Old Wives Tales' that are supposed to 'determine' WHAT you're having.. so I thought I'd post some here and see what the results are ;)

Are you carrying high or low? If you're carrying high, it's a girl. If you're carrying low, it's a boy.
I think it's a little too early to tell but to me, it seems like I'm carrying low. BOY.

Is the heart-rate above 140+ beats per minute? If so, it's a girl. If it's under, it's a boy.
It was 154bpm last time we were there. GIRL.

Are you craving sweet stuff? If so, they say you're having a girl. If you're craving salty things, they say you're having a boy.

I crave anything salty and sweet things make me feel so sick (well, most of the time.) BOY.

What does the Chinese gender chart say?

BOY. (But it said boy for Quinn too LOL)

Are you breaking out on your face? Story goes, girls steal their mother's beauty while boys enhance it.

Breaking out. Zits all over chin. Woo! GIRL.

Take your wedding ring off, tie it to a string, and hang it over your belly. If it moves in a circle, you're having a boy. Back and forth, it's a girl.

We did this three times and all three times it moved back and forth. GIRL.

Are you sick as a dog? If so, you're having a girl. Feeling good? Boy.

I've felt pretty good so far. Little morning sickness. BOY.

Do you sleep on your right side or left side? Left side means a boy, right side means a girl.
Right side all of the way! GIRL.

Are your hands soft or dry? Soft means a girl, dry means a boy.

Soft. I rarely get dry hands. GIRL.

Show someone your hands. Are your palms up or down? Up means a girl, down means a boy.
I showed Ethan my hands... palms up. GIRL.

Those are the only ones that I can really tell at this point in my pregnancy since I'm not that far along :) So, 6/10 says GIRL for this pregnancy. We will see if it's right eventually!! :)


Old Wives Tales found here and here.

11 Weeks Pregnant

We turned '11' weeks pregnant on April 9th, 2014.

We had an ultrasound on April 3rd to see Baby #3!

He/She had a heart rate of 154bpm :) He/she was moving her arms and legs (even though they were REALLY tiny haha) everywhere! He/she hated the ultrasound wand! LOL I felt so bad, haha! :) But thank You Jesus, all looked well at our ultrasound!! :)

How far along? 11 weeks.

Total Weight Gain? None that I'm aware of.

Maternity Clothes? Nah!
Stretch Marks? I have some from both pregnancies already!
Sleep: Better! Not waking up sick in the middle of the night now :)

Best Moment of This Week:  Seeing Baby #3! :)

Miss Anything? Not really so far.

Movement: Of course not. Lol
Food Cravings: Green Beans :)
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Just early mornings! If I don't eat, I'm a mess :)
Gender: We have no idea!
Labor Signs: I'd sure hope not! :)

Symptoms: Nausea, heartburn, sore boobies, exhaustion

Belly Button In or Out? She's an innie!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or Moody this Week?  HAPPY! We got to see the baby :)
Looking Forward To: Finding out the gender :) Starting the 2nd trimester! :) It's a good feeling!

10 Weeks Pregnant

We turned '10' weeks on April 2nd, 2014.

I can't believe how quickly he/she is popping out there, but I guess this is our third child :) haha!

We had our first appointment on March 31st. It was a great day for us-- first appointment for baby #3 and it was our oldest daughter's 3rd birthday :)

We went through the usual that day--  blood work and pap smear. Everything came back normal which I am very grateful for and everything looked good for baby! :)

How far along? 10 weeks.

Total Weight Gain? None that I'm aware of.

Maternity Clothes? Belly band sometimes!! :)
Stretch Marks? I have some from both pregnancies already!
Sleep: Still very nauseous in the middle of the night for some reason :(

Best Moment of This Week: We had our first doctor's appointment! The ball is finally rolling :)

Miss Anything?  I really needed a stiff drink this week LOL

Movement: Of course not. Lol
Food Cravings: Honey mustard from Steak N Shake haha! I craved it with Quinn too :)
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Still feeling sick in the middle of the night/early morning.
Gender: We have no idea!
Labor Signs: I'd sure hope not! :)

Symptoms: Nausea, heartburn, sore boobies, exhaustion

Belly Button In or Out? She's an innie!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or Moody this Week?  HAPPY :) If you hadn't heard, we had our first appointment haha! :)
Looking Forward To: Seeing our baby tomorrow :)