Headed North || Summer Vacation || Part One

Last week, Cody + I headed north for our summer vacation trip. Our destination was Ocean City, Maryland and various parts of Delaware.

The farthest north I've been is Washington D.C. and the airport in Philadelphia, which doesn't really count does it? Cody's parents asked if we'd join them for the trip since Cody has relatives on his dad's side that live up there that he really has never met. We we're excited to go and try something a little different this summer!

We left last Saturday afternoon, knowing we were going to stop somewhere in Virginia, which ended up being Virginia Beach late Saturday night. After a chocolate chip pancake IHOP breakfast with a relative that lives in the area, we hit the road again. Since we couldn't check in until late that afternoon, his parents took us to Assateague Island for a quick visit. Not only is the island gorgeous, it's full of wild horses that roam freely throughout. Definitely up my alley! 

We didn't stay too long so we could check in to our condo, but I knew it was a place I wanted to get back to sometime throughout the week. Monday, we decided to check out the Ocean City beach in the morning. Typically, we're used to those calm, warm Florida beaches in the summer, so feeling how cold the Ocean City water was a shock to say the least! Cody was a heck of a lot braver than me and actually got it. Brave and just plain crazy can be interchanged actually. :)

After a morning at the beach, we cleaned up and explored Fort Miles in Delaware. Fort Miles was a fort in WWII that tourists and locals can visit to camp, visit the beach and explore the bunkers. It was a perfect little piece of history.

My favorite part about Fort Miles was the overlook. It was completely stunning and amazing how you could see New Jersey just across the water! It was so pretty!

More to come tomorrow!

Bumpdate || Eight - Ten

I'm still catching up on my early bumpdates over here.

Although, the bump wasn't changing much through these weeks, mama sure was - which is why I wanted to document these sweet little memories on my pregnancy journey.

How far along: 8 weeks

Due Date: December 17, 2015
Baby is the size of: A raspberry!
Symptoms: Well now the nausea has a time frame. Around 3 or 4 everyday, it hits me and it pretty much lingers until I go to bed. It's making evenings quite enjoyable, but I've found if I spend time outside in the fresh air, it normally helps for awhile. Snacks helps for about five minutes and then it's back. I'm bloated all the time these days, and I could probably pass for 4 months pregnant after I eat. My pants have seen better days.
Gender: After our first ultrasound on Thursday, I had a stronger feeling towards boy. I guess the blob on the screen resembled boy?
Name: Still waiting to find out the gender. My top girl name is also the number one baby girl name for 2015, and I don't think I like that. 
Movement: None yet. Anxiously waiting!
Nursery: I haven't really thought twice about it. I'll take it more seriously when we know what we're having.
Maternity Clothes: Dresses are my best friend. Unless they're tight, and then they hate me.
Sleep: Sleeping great, but waking up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. Which in turn makes Maci wake up and then we all take a potty break at 2am.
Best Moment This Week: SO MANY! Our first ultrasound! Hearing the heartbeat for the first time! Telling our best friends, Paul & Ashley! Telling my grandmother and aunt on Mother's Day! AHHH! 
Missing Anything: If I could sit in a hair salon eating a Publix sub and having my hair colored, I'd be the happiest bloated pregnant woman on the planet.
Cravings/Aversions: Food is better. Fattening food is the best, but obviously that's not an option. The vegetable sushi from Kroger is a must have for me these days. Still don't like food cooked at home - which I think is more of a smell issue.
Health/Exercise: Snacking is pretty healthy. I make healthy choices at lunch. Eating what I can in the evenings because I'm so nauseated. Noodles, butter,  and parm cheese anyone?
Mood: Some days I'm really down about feeling so bloated and flabby. I think it's the hormones that are throwing me off a lot. Other than that, I'm feeling pretty good, especially when I'm constantly looking at our ultrasound picture! :)
Husband: So sweet and supportive. He just listens to me cry about being so bloated, and offers sweet words to make me feel better. I wish I could have taken a picture of the smile on his face at our ultrasound. It was perfect!
Looking Forward To: Not so much baby related, but the end of school! So tired and ready for a break!

Week nine bumpdate is brought to you by my photobombing hound dog, Hank. :)

How far along: 9 weeks

Due Date: December 17, 2015
Baby is the size of: A sweet little olive. :)
Symptoms: Well if I thought I was tired before... I guess our little olive is growing like crazy, because this mama-to-be is feeling exhausted. Honestly, I was tired before, but I kinda felt like I always do on the tired-scale - waking up at 5am, teaching 25 eight year olds for seven hours, and then working for a couple more hours after my kids go home - I'm always tired! But this week I have hit an all time low with tired. If it was acceptable to go to bed by 3:30pm every day, I bet ya I could do it. 
Gender: Still leaning more towards boy, and it seems so is everyone else!
Name: Names we like, but will finalize once we know the gender.
Movement: Not quite yet.
Nursery: Still just a somewhat empty room. Slowly adding little things for baby in there.
Maternity Clothes: None yet - I can squeeze my bloated butt into loose pants and loose-fitting dresses.
Sleep: Did I mention that I was tired? Cause I'm really tired. I'm waking up every night to use the restroom, which in turn tells Maci it's time to get up, so I have to let her go potty outside and then convince her that it's too early to eat breakfast just yet.
Best Moment This Week: I finally told a close friend at school! I loved her reaction - so genuine and truly happy. :)
Missing Anything: My hair colored. These roots are doing some work.
Cravings/Aversions: No food cooked at home. I hate the thought of it and it sounds repulsing. If someone else cooks, it's fine by me. Mexican food has sounded blah - which is terrible. 
Health/Exercise: Trying not to eat terrible. Waiting until the end of school to walk regularly. All my energy is there in the morning, so once school is out, I'll take advantage of it.
Mood: Is tired a mood? Cause I don't feel like I have enough energy to be anything different!
Husband: Still sweet as can be. Very patient and understanding - he gets that my hormones are all wacky these days, so he's just riding this crazy train the best he can!
Looking Forward To:The last day of school - can I get an amen?

How far along: 10 weeks

Due Date: December 17, 2015
Baby is the size of: A prune - a little over one inch.
Symptoms: Exhaustion. I'm still beyond sleepy starting mid afternoon and could easily take a two-hour nap every day, but who has time for that... Nauseated from around 3pm until I go to bed. It comes in waves though. After I eat especially. Bloated still. And break outs are leaving my face, back and chest with not so pretty red bumps.
Gender: Leaning heavy towards boy! I keep referring to our little prune as a 'he' which would be sad if it's a 'she'. Oops.
Name: Our boy name is pretty set, but girl name is debatable at this point!
Movement: Well I'm not feeling anything, but our little bundle of joy was having a dance party in my belly on the ultrasound this morning! That is until Cody got out his phone to start recording, and then our little booger got camera shy. :) Those tiny arms and legs moving was probably the cutest thing I've ever seen. EVER.
Nursery: Absolutely no progress and I'm not really concerned until we find out the gender.
Maternity Clothes: No, but Cody was so sweet and bought me three pairs of elastic band running shorts so my belly can expand all summer. Since that's what I'll be living in anyway...
Sleep: Totally pooped. Sleeping great the first half of the night, and then the second half it's more difficult. I can't sleep through the night without having to take a potty break (normally an hour before my alarm goes off). I'm getting really hot and sweaty (yuck!) and am normally wide awake after using the bathroom.
Best Moment This Week: We actually had a scare the other night when I found out I was bleeding a little bit. In my gut, I knew everything was okay, but the thought of it was really scary! Luckily, I was able to take Friday morning off from work to get checked out and everything looks perfect still! And the BEST part was of course, having a free ultrasound to see our little wiggle worm and hear the most perfect heartbeat. :)
Missing Anything: My hair colored. Sub sandwiches. The torture. 
Cravings/Aversions: Grilled chicken is still repulsing - and most food cooked at home is. I've wanted hamburgers, but now that's slowly seeming icky. And Mexican food (one of my favorite foods!) now seems not so wonderful. I was craving some french onion dip though, and that's about it. I noticed I'm getting full pretty quickly these days.
Health/Exercise: Ask me again when it's not the last week of school... 
Mood: Tired! A little moody...maybe a lot if you ask Cody some days. Getting very easily irritated. Very happy and RELIEVED after our ultrasound today though!
Husband: Still hanging in there with me even through the moody moments. Very helpful and offering a helping hand all the time. Also very relieved and thankful after seeing our baby looking perfectly healthy.
Looking Forward To: Now that school is over (yay!) I'm looking forward to telling my grandfather about his great grandbaby and hopefully my friend Brittany when I see her in the next few days!

 {{ previous bumpdates }}

four || five || six || seven

Road Trip Must-Haves

This time last year, Cody and I were setting sail for the Bahamas - ahh, take me back. :) But this year, we've decided to stay in the country, and head north towards Maryland. Cody has family up in the Maryland/Delaware areas, so these two southerners are going to be getting a little adventurous over the next few days. 
With this long car ride ahead of us, I got to thinking about my road trip must-haves. And with me being pregnant, there will be lots and lots of snacks. And potty breaks.

one || music 

A good, solid music playlist is a must have for any extended drive in the car. It's just a must. Not only would I sleep the entire way without it, it keeps everybody in the car sane and not wanting to rip each other's eye balls out. Remember, share the radio - everybody should have equal turns listening to their style of music. Cough. Taylor Swift. Cough.

two || camera

You never know when you're going to pass an interesting landmark, a new state sign or want to document the person beside you drooling and snoring their way through Virginia. Black mail can always be beneficial. 

three || sunnies

A cute pair of sunglasses can hide you not only from the sun, but also so you don't scare anybody with your non-makeup, driving in the car for 8 hours face. The bigger the better is my motto.

four || map

Cody + I are planning a spontaneous drive back down the coast, stopping at various, interesting looking places along the way. A map can come in handy so you don't end up in Nebraska, when you wanted to see the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A really cool website RoadTripUSA offers maps, city information and fun things to do with whatever direction you're headed.

five || food

Road Trips: The second best excuse to eat whatever the heck you want.
The first one is being pregnant.
And I qualify for both.
Hello, chewy sprees and dill pickle chips.

six || drinks of choice

After loading your body full of salty potato chips and inviting cavities to invade your teeth from the chewy sprees, you're going to be thirsty. Keeping a small cooler in the car with you to grab drinks when needed is a must. It saves money and allows you to stay on track with travel times, so you're not stopping every so often for drinks. 

seven || reading material

Whether it be your favorite magazine, or a good book, having something to read during your road trip keeps you entertained and not sitting in silence because you and your co-pilot ran out of things to talk about after the first 4 hours.

eight || comfy clothes

If you still want to look cute, but stay casual and comfy during your trip, these Old Navy Linen Blend shorts are a NECESSITY!!! Especially with my growing belly these days!

Those were my road trip must-haves!
What are some of y'alls must-haves when you're hitting the road this summer?

Bumpdate || Four - Seven

I found out about our little peanut pretty early, at four weeks one day to be exact.

I knew before I even got pregnant that keeping up with my pregnancy through "bumpdates" was pretty important to me. I think it'll be so sweet to look back on each week to see how baby and mommy progressed through the weeks. I'm hoping to keep it up throughout my entire pregnancy, which is why I started writing them as soon as I found out.

Since I'm 13 weeks pregnant today, I'll combine my previous bumpdate drafts to make it easier and quicker to catch up within the next week or two! 

Thank you to Morgan at Believe in the Sparks for her perfect bumpdate format that I stole without asking. :)

How far along: 4 weeks

Due Date: December 17, 2015
Baby is the size of: A poppyseed - which has been the nickname since we found out. "The poppyseed and me love you." when talking to Cody. :) Guess it'll change every week until we find out what we're having!
Symptoms: Extremely tired, period-like cramps (but no period, clearly), sore chest (definitely felt like my period was coming, but...)
Gender: Too early to tell, but Cody and I always have thought we would have boys, so that's where we're leaning as of now. But I really have no clear gut feeling at this point. His family says boy and my family says girl. (Those that know at this point at least!)
Name: We're debating between a few at this point. We've always had names we liked, but I want to do some research to make sure they're perfect. :) We'll announce the name probably around the time we find out what we're having.
Movement: I don't think the poppyseed will be moving any time soon, but I am sure excited for that step!
Nursery: We knew what room we wanted the nursery to be when we moved in, so luckily we didn't pile too much stuff in there. It's the room I surprised Cody in to tell him we were going to be a mommy and daddy, and to me it's already such a special place!
Maternity Clothes: Not just yet. Hoping to buy some fun dresses here soon that my belly can grow into this summer.
Sleep: Sleeping any chance I get. I was on Spring Break, so luckily, I had a ton of time to squeeze it in. I went to my mom's during the day to use their internet, and instead fell asleep on the couch and then went home. Should have been a pregnancy giveaway right there!
Best Moment This Week: Finding out I was going to be a mommy! I don't think I've completely grasped this yet. I really found out in complete shock, and totally wasn't expecting it although I hoped for it. I keep wishing I could relive that day over and over and over again. And having the chance to tell Cody he was going to be a daddy was incredible!
Missing Anything: I think I'm too excited to miss anything quite yet!
Cravings/Aversions: Not a fan of ice cream - which is a major difference. Oink. Cody said he thought I was pregnant when I randomly bought hot and spicy pickles and made s'mores in the microwave...
Health/Exercise: I definitely didn't workout over my Spring Break - waaaay too tired. Nor did I eat the healthiest. Oops.
Mood: Bursting at the seams with happiness! I want to shout our baby news to the world - but not yet. Feeling really, really grateful for this blessing.
Husband: Cody is BEYOND ecstatic! Maybe a little shocked. He's wanted a baby for so long.. I think right now we're just praying for a healthy baby and healthy pregnancy.
Looking Forward To: Telling our friends and family in the upcoming weeks! Eek!


How far along: 5 weeks
Due Date: December 17, 2015
Baby is the size of: An appleseed - so this week we call the baby, the appleseed. Catchy, right?
Symptoms: Super tired. Especially by lunchtime. Feeling good after I walk in the afternoons, and then crashing badly on the drive home. Oh, and the sore chest is in full swing. Not fun!
Gender: We're still thinking boy over here, only because I've always pictured myself as a boy mom. But I really don't have a gut feeling either way. 
Name: We have our few that we like, but no final decisions for either gender yet. 
Movement: The appleseed isn't quite ready for that yet.
Nursery: I still have the chalkboard and basket of baby goodies in the nursery, and every time I walk past the door I like to walk in there and just look around and smile. Cody and I sat in there the other night too, and just talked about it. The dogs seem to be a little more curious about that room too here recently.
Maternity Clothes: Not needed yet - but I did splurge a little at Old Navy this past weekend and I bought shirts and dresses that I knew my belly could grow into this summer. And ironically enough, everything I purchased was pink and blue. Completely unintentional.
Sleep: Not the best. I'm definitely tired, but waking up a lot. I can't get comfortable either. I'm having a really hard time waking up, which has made mornings even more not fun. I haven't had the chance to go to bed as early as I would like, so next week I will have a 9:30pm bedtime goal. Crossing my fingers this happens.
Best Moment This Week: Telling our parents about their soon-to-be grandbaby! The reactions have been nothing short of priceless. If I could hit replay in my head a million times on their reactions, I would.
Missing Anything: Getting my hair done! My roots are going to be beautiful by the end of the first trimester. I will be asking the doctor about this. But of course, anything for the appleseed.
Cravings/Aversions: The La Croix Sparkling Water has been my best friend. I discovered the apple berry flavor at Target last week, and it's delicious. Who knew you could crave water. I've been more of a fan of vegetables here recently, and moving away from fruits. I've been really hungry also, despite eating snacks throughout the day. I want to talk to the doctor next week about how many calories I should be eating each day.
Health/Exercise: Although I didn't work out on the weekend, nor on Monday, I did walk for 45 minutes on the treadmill which was nice. I started walking regularly a few months before I was pregnant, so I read it was safe to continue. As long as you're not overdoing it, and you can hold a conversation will walking, it should be fine. I've been eating pretty healthy - celery and my water are my favs.
Mood: Still thrilled and grateful!
Husband: Cody has been beyond helpful. He's so good about making sure I have everything I need, taking Hank out since I can't anymore, and pushing me to go to bed on time. I love how sweet he's been!
Looking Forward To: Our first doctor's appointment next week! I know nothing majorly exciting will be happening, but just getting our pregnancy confirmed officially and starting the process is exciting!

How far along: 6 weeks

Due Date: December 17, 2015
Baby is the size of: A sweet pea - Cody says chick pea.
Symptoms: Crampy every now and then, but definitely less then the previous weeks. Small moments where I think I feel nausous, and then it goes away. I read somewhere to try and have snacks throughout the day to avoid major nausea, so that's what I've been trying to do. If I eat too much in the evenings, my stomach feels unsettled. Definitely bloated though. Ick. Very tired - my cold doesn't help one bit.
Gender: No strong feeling either way. Sometimes I feel stronger towards boy than girl, but maybe it's because Cody and I always thought we would have boys.
Name: We have names we like, but no final decisions until we know the gender.
Movement: I think our little sweet pea is a little too small for that.
Nursery: Still just a mostly empty room, except for the baby items I suprised Cody with. Haven't really looked too far on Pinterest nursery wise, but I'm sure once we find out the gender, we'll look more into it.
Maternity Clothes: Not needed yet. I'm still really excited about the clothes I bought from Old Navy last week. I'm hoping to wear one of the maxi dresses for our pregnancy announcement pictures!
Sleep: Well, since I've been battling a cold this week, my body feels like it just needs more sleep. Even though I can't breath, surprisingly, I've slept really good and I can't get enough.
Best Moment This Week: We have our first doctor's appointment this afternoon! I'm excited to get the ball rolling, and hopefully schedule our first ultrasound!
Missing Anything: Not really. I'd like to get my roots colored, but it's okay. :)
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing really sounds really good this week. After really LOVING my salad for lunch last week, this week, it seems so not good. Thinking of food in general doesn't make me happy.
Health/Exercise: Because I haven't been feeling good, I haven't exercised at all. I want to, but I really don't want to push myself when I already don't feel good. I haven't been as good with eating healthy. I haven't ate bad, just don't want to eat much at all during the day.
Mood: A little puny because of the cold. Sometimes I feel like I'm not really pregnant because I don't feel all that different, so I have to keep reminding myself that the stick said yes!
Husband: Very supportive. Making sure I get to bed on time. Helped me make my lunch one night because I didn't feel good. I think we're both excited about the doctor's appointment too!
Looking Forward To: Our doctor's appointment this afternoon! :)

How far along: 7 weeks

Due Date: December 17, 2015
Baby is the size of: A sweet little blueberry.
Symptoms: Surprisingly, the nausea has calmed down for the most part this week. If I let myself get too hungry, it'll sneak back up on me. I've had a few random headaches here and there. And my chest is still suuuuuuuuuper sore. Oh, and I NEVER though my stomach could EVER be this bloated - especially after I eat.
Gender: Leaning a little more towards boy this week. No real reason though.
Name: I've added a few more girl names to my list. Boy has stayed the same. We'll finally decide after we find out what we're having!
Movement: Although the little blueberry is wiggling their tiny little arms and legs this week, mama isn't feeling it.
Nursery: We've been looking at cribs, but of course, don't want to do too much until we know the gender. Cody did add a tiny wooden rocking chair that he had when he was little. It's precious. :)
Maternity Clothes: Not needed yet, although I'm sure I could pass for 18 weeks pregnant with this bloating...
Sleep: Sleeping really well! I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I'm longing for the sweet days of summer so I can sleep past 5am.
Best Moment This Week: Setting a date to tell our close friends and grandparents. I'm really excited to get it out! Only a couple more weeks!
Missing Anything: Not too much. Craving a Publix sub still and getting my hair colored.
Cravings/Aversions: I was a little better with food this week, but the only things I really want are carbs - reason for bloat? Grilled chicken sounds like poop on a stick. Vegetables are blah. And anything that I have to prepare, I don't want. Wendy's hamburgers are my hips' best friends.
Health/Exercise: Terrible. Cody and I have spent a lot of time outside walking with the dogs in our newly fenced in backyard. I've been eating pretty decently throughout the day since I finally found some things that sound good. Watermelon, pineapple, cucumber are what I can manage.
Mood: Sometimes I feel like it isn't real. Like I'm not really pregnant. And then sometimes I'm really EXCITED and can't wait until December. And then sometimes I'm scared out of my mind that something might go wrong. It's a rollercoaster these days.
Husband: Very supportive! I love how he's informing himself on whats going on inside my belly and what things we need to do. Bonding over this has made us even closer.
Looking Forward To: We have an appointment at a new doctor's office, which I'm really excited about. We should have our first ultrasound since I canceled the one at the first practice. I'm hoping we really love it!