Today I thought I would change things up a little bit and put my amazing husband on spotlight.

A Letter to My Husband

Kevin,

From the moment you spoiled me at that fancy dinner on our third date followed by a random trip to Walmart, I knew that you would one day be my husband, and ultimately the father of my children. Somehow, I was blessed enough for my initial thoughts to be true and I could not ask for a more supportive husband and loving father of our first baby. As of today we have been married for 164 days and our first child is due in only 51.

The last three years have been a beautiful chaos; from Norwich to New Orleans, and back to Connecticut; from the jobs from hell to satisfaction at work; and from riches to rags... I wouldn't trade a thing. It simply amazes me how connected we've become, and how I could not only survive, but genuinely enjoy, an entire year in a strange new place with one person. We have really become a unified front, ready to tackle life.

When I think about all of the things I admire and love about you, the one that stands out the most is your unwavering drive to support me. No matter what life has thrown at me, you have been there 100%, giving me tough love when I needed it, a shoulder to cry on, a shove in the back when I needed a push, and the love and encouragement to be a better person. Since we found out about Declan, I have seen an even deeper commitment from you in how much you sacrifice to provide for us (emotionally, financially, and physically). I want you to know that Declan and I appreciate everything you do more than you will ever be able to understand. Thank you for being the husband and father you are.

As far as I'm concerned, Declan is THE luckiest little man in the world because he has you for his father. I know you are going to be an incredibly supportive dad, who guides Declan through life's craziness. We won't be able to protect Declan from everything-- in fact, there will be little that we can actually protect him from, but together I know that Declan will have a home that he feels safe and loved in... Because of you, and the person that you help me to be.

So, here's my thank you. I will thank you and tell you I love you every day, support you in any way that I can and give my everything to make sure you and Declan are happy in life.

Declan and I love you more than words can begin to express.

Love,
me

31 Weeks!

Hi all :)

As I've proved in the past, I'm awful at updating this blog, so sorry for the huge gap yet again!

Today's picture was taken at 31 weeks and 3 days. Just a little under 9 weeks to go!

Two weekends ago Kevin and I moved to Clinton! We're renting an adorable condo right next to the marina. I can't wait for warmer weather and for Declan to get here so we can go for walks in the new neighborhood together! We're finally able to use one of our wedding gifts! Thanks, Skizz :)

After 2 exhausting weekends, we're all moved in and even finished painting Declan's nursery! We've decided on a "Vintage Airplane" theme!

We had a growth ultrasound on February 19th to check on Declan's growth, since my belly was measuring a little on the big side. He was a perfect 3 and a half pounds! Right on track! We're really  excited, except this means we're officially done with ultrasounds unless something else pops up. Hopefully the next time we see the little guy, it will be because we're holding him!

Declan has been moving around SO much and my stomach is doing rolls all of the time. It's really cool to see. Other symptoms I'm having are some SERIOUS heartburn (ouch!) and lots of aches and pains. Luckily, my husband is absolutely incredible and has stepped up a lot.

I thought it might be fun to put together some of the Bump pictures to see the progression. It really brings out the growth in my cheeks and arms... oh, and the bump, too! Haha

On to the stats!

How far along?  31 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  Last appointment was 166, taking us to 22 pounds gained!

Maternity clothes? Maternity clothes are my only clothes haha except, of course, sweats :)

Stretch marks? Still nothing!

Sleep? ...What's that? Declan is getting me ready for motherhood! I wake up a lot during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep... Mainly due to heartburn. I sleep like a champion during the day, though. I'm pretty sure I napped through our entire Saturday.

Best moment last week? One of my students is making me a keychain that says Declan on it in one of her classes. Corny, but it was a highlight of the week when she told me :)

Movement? Outrageous amounts of movement

Food cravings? Tomato and cheese sandwiches... In fact, I'll probably make one as soon as this post is done.

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? No more innie here. This belly button has popped!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back... and wine. Oh, wine.

What I am looking forward to: We'll start birthing classes next week!! We're hoping for a natural, medication free birth (unless Declan or I are in danger, then the doctors can do what they need to)

Milestones: No real milestones this week!

29 Weeks!

Hi everyone!

Lots of updates today! Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. We're moving this weekend, so we've been busy with that, but mostly I have been EXHAUSTED!!

Let's start with the 27 week picture, which was actually taken two weeks ago!!

Declan has been moving like a crazy child! I decided to rest Kevin's phone on him to show how much he is moving. The up and down movement is just me breathing, but right at the end of the video you see the phone jiggle... That would be little man kicking!! :)

So unless you've been living under a rock, you most likely know about the Blizzard that hit on Friday, February 8th! I absolutely love snow and we were very lucky not to lose power, but even this storm was a little much for me. We had a grand total of 4 snow days, and I'm actually surprised to say that I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow! Here are a few shots of Kevin and I enjoying the storm. 

We got a little bored at one point and ended up creating this masterpiece... 70% complete!

I did get a little bit of packing done!

That takes us up to 29 weeks... Today (well technically, tomorrow!) Here are a few self taken bump pictures.

I had my last cervical length ultrasound today and everything is looking perfect! Declan's head is literally sitting on my cervix (I think he's just so excited to meet us, he's already prepped to come out). I'm 29 weeks and measuring at 31 weeks. Basically it means my belly is 3 weeks bigger than it should measure. This is an average, and isn't something to be too concerned about, but since it's happened 2 weeks in a row, they're recommending we have a growth ultrasound to see how big he is.

Here comes the interesting twist... My latest blood test showed that I'm anemic! Sometimes anemia can cause babies to be too small. Doctors will typically do a growth ultrasound to make sure baby itsn't too small.  Luckily, I had an ultrasound scheduled already because the doctor's thought I was too big. Ultrasound is on Tuesday and I'll be sure to update!!

In order to combat the anemia, I'm taking an iron supplement per doctor's orders, and increasing my iron intake. The only thing in this picture I actually like to eat would be the strawberries, but I'll do what I need to for our little guy!

Here's a profile shot of Declan. Look at that nose! Holy cow haha

Finally, let's do the 29 week stats:


How far along?  29 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  22 pounds total. At my last appointment I had gained EIGHT pounds in only TWO weeks! At my appointment today, I had only gained one pound in two weeks. Craziness.

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. My non-maternity shirts are starting to get a wee bit small, so it may be time to stock up on new shirts!

Stretch marks? Still nothing! Knock on that wood!

Sleep? I'm up every 2-3 hours to pee, but luckily I pass right back out!

Best moment last week? Being snowed in with Kevin

Movement?  My goodness, YES. Anytime I get a little stressed, he gives me a jab and reminds me that life is goooood!

Food cravings? Not really... My heartburn has been so bad that I'm just trying to eat foods that won't trigger it too much.

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Innie still but it's getting close to an outtie.

What I miss: Days without backaches and heartburn!

What I am looking forward to: Meeting him!

Cheese, please!

We're 25 weeks and all I can think about is cheese. Literally. This week I made stuffed peppers and as soon as they came out of the oven, I started boiling water for mac and cheese. Not quite sure why, but Declan and I cannot get enough cheese this week! In order to balance out the excessive cheese intake, I've started going to the gym again. Here's proof :)

We had another ultrasound to check on my cervix, and great news... The doctor thinks after our next check up in 2 weeks we don't need to be considered high risk anymore and can stop with the frequent check ups! Everything is looking perfect and they're not worried about my cervix anymore! Woo hoo!

This week, Kevin is jumping in on the fun with a little something I like to call, "Thoughts from Daddy." He is currently obsessed with touching my belly and talking to our little man.

Some of you may know about the amazing ladies I was able to meet on The Knot when planning our wedding. We have actually become incredibly close, and I wanted to brag about how awesome they are. There are a bunch of us who are pregnant right now, and Declan is the first of the little ones due. It's been so amazing to have them as a support system who never tire of hearing about my pregnancy woes. Recently, they decided to purchase this for all of the babies-to-be. Had to share because I love it so much! Can't wait until it comes in :)

One more fun piece of information before the stats... We've decided on a middle name! Declan Jackson Monahan! Jackson is very representative of our time in New Orleans. It was one of our favorite restaurants and we are so excited to have a meaningful middle name picked out!

25 Week Picture:

Stats!!


How far along?  25 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  I'm at 157 this week... I thought I gained 17 pounds so far, but turns out I started the pregnancy at 144, so we're only at 13 pounds gained. Doctor is super happy with the gaining!

Maternity clothes? Still in my leggings and maternity pants! My jackets are still fitting, but Kevin's mom bought me a cute maternity coat for this growing bump!

Stretch marks? Still nothing!

Sleep? It's been a little better in the last week. Yesterday I was able to fall asleep very easily every time I woke up.

Best moment last week? Kevin finally felt Declan <3

Movement?  100% He's so active. Today I was leaning over and he kicked me right in the ribs. Luckily, he can't reach my ribs normally, only when I'm bending over. Nervous for when he gets so big he kicks them all the time!!

Food cravings? Cheese. So much cheese. And chocolate covered oreos :)

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Innie still...!

What I miss: This week I miss wine. It was one of my favorite coworkers (and favorite friends) last day at work today and a glass of wine (or a bottle) would be nice right now!

What I am looking forward to: Moving into the 3rd trimester in a few weeks! He'll be here so so soon!

Milestones: Movements felt from the outside!!

23 Weeks!

Hi everyone!

Happy NewYear!! Kevin and I had a great time this holiday season, celebrating with family and enjoying our valuable and limited quiet time. I turned 26 on December 30, and aside from going out to breakfast, we spent the whole day lounging around. It was great... and somewhat surreal to think that it would be my last birthday without a child!

We have finally decided on a name, and waited until Christmas to tell our families. Our little man's name will be Declan Monahan! We haven't settled on a middle name, suggestions are welcome!

Here's a little history on the name Declan. Declan was an Irish Saint who lived right before St. Patrick began preaching in Ireland. The name now means "full of goodness." We choose Declan because we wanted a strong Irish name that was unique. I think we nailed it!

On to the stats :)


How far along?  23 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  Last week I was 155; up 15 pounds. Eek!

Maternity clothes? In addition to my amazing leggings, we found a pair of Gap maternity jeans at a second hand store and I could LIVE in them.

Stretch marks? Still nothing!

Sleep? Same as the last update... I fall asleep really easily but have an awful time staying asleep. I wake up almost every night around 2 or 3!

Best moment last week? Kevin and I found the perfect condo for rent and found out this week that we are moving in February 15! We decided to start getting nursery ideas. That was a lot of fun!

Movement?  Yup! Every day!! Declan is going nuts in there!

Food cravings? Nothing recently... I just always want to eat!

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Still an innie, but I'm sure it'll pop out in a few weeks.

What I miss: Eating without heartburn

What I am looking forward to: Kevin feeling his son move for the first time <3

Milestones: No big milestones to report!

Much Needed Update!

So as it turns out, I'm the worst blogger EVER. It has been over a month since I've updated! We're 21 weeks (22 weeks on Thursday) and a lot has happened in the last month! Here is a shot from 19 weeks!!

On November 27, we had another ultrasound and were able to find out that Baby M will be... a BOY! We decided to have some fun while telling our families. Kevin baked a blue cake and we had our families cut into the cake to reveal the gender!

Our families were both thrilled and the shopping has begun!!

At the same ultrasound we found out that my placenta has moved away from my cervix, meaning unless something else comes up, we won't need to schedule a c-section!

On December 11, we had our anatomy scan and Baby M is perfectly healthy! Everything is measuring exactly how it's supposed to, his heart rate is great, and holy cow is he active!!

Speaking of being active... I can finally feel him!! It is by far the most incredible feeling in the entire world and I can't wait for Kevin to feel it. I feel our little guy daily now, and I'm hoping soon he's strong enough for his daddy to feel him from the outside!!

Kevin and I bought this the other week and can't wait for our little guy to rock it :)

We just spent the weekend in Newport, and decided to go swimming in the indoor pool. I was hesitant to post this, but I'm doing it!! I rocked a bikini!! Here is the bump at 21 weeks :)

On to the weekly (or monthly, since I stink at keeping up) stats!!

How far along?  21 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  We are up to 154, 14 pounds gained! Luckily, I'm right on track with weight gain.

Maternity clothes? Officially love my maternity leggings and sweaters. If I could wear leggings every day I would. 

Stretch marks? Nope! Fingers crossed!

Sleep? I'm waking up around 2:30 or 3:00 am every day and struggling to go back to sleep. I think it has something to do with the fact that I can only sleep on my side and I'm a back sleeper normally. Baby M's way of getting me ready for his arrival, I guess!

Best moment last week? Feeling Baby M in there!! 

Movement?  Yup! Every day!!

Food cravings? Mac and cheese... other than that I haven't craved much!

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Just my normal innie... except it's starting to get super shallow and weird looking. Eek!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back

What I am looking forward to: Kevin feeling his son move for the first time <3

Milestones: Found out Baby M is a little man!!

We're 4 months along!!

I feel like it has been forever since I've posted! We've had another doctor's appointment and taken a new weekly picture, so here we go with updates:

Doctor's Appointment:

We had an appointment last Tuesday. The ladies at the office are incredible and we had a lot of fun! Lots of laughing and giggling about how funny Baby M is already. The ultrasound tech said she THINKS she knows what the sex is, but wasn't confident enough to tell us. We have another ultrasound on the 27th, so hopefully then!

Baby M was hysterical during the ultrasound. He/she had their entire hand in their mouth, was moving them around like crazy, and at one point even turned toward us and put both hands in between his/her legs hiding the goods from our view haha Love him/her!!

Baby M is healthy, but we did find out I have Placenta Previa. This means that my placenta is covering my cervix (which is what needs to open for Baby M to make his/her entrance into the world).  The doctor is hoping that it moves away from my cervix as the uterus grows. If it decides to stay put, they'll have to perform a C-Section between 36 and 38 weeks to avoid me going into labor with my cervix blocked. They'll be monitoring it, but for now we're just doing a lot of positive thinking!!

Now, on to the weekly picture and stats! I was too busy to do the weekly board this week, but we're 16 Weeks and 2 days!

How far along?  16 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  I weighed in at 146 last appointment, only 6 pounds more than when we got pregnant. 

Maternity clothes?  Just bought some cute baggy shirts and a few long sweaters with a belt. Kevin's mom has bought me 2 maternity jeans and my mom and I will be going shopping soon! Luckily, I'm still to small to fit into them, but it will be nice to have it all ready for when I need them!

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep? Ah-ma-zing. I fall asleep really early and sleep until 5am, only waking up a few times to use the girl's room. My napping has decreased a lot, which is nice!

Best moment last week? Got my first belly rub from someone... While this isn't something I'm normally going to enjoy people doing, I was REALLY excited that someone realized I was pregnant and I looked big enough for them to actually say, "Oh how cute" and touch my belly. 

Movement?  Nothing yet... Not only is my silly placenta on top of my cervix, it's also anterior, which means it's close to my belly, so we may not feel Baby M for quite some time since I'll have the placenta softening the blow. 

Food cravings? Salad... specifically caesar or parmesan peppercorn dressing. I wouldn't say it's a craving so much as when I see them I can't stop thinking about them, but I have been downing Salt and Vinegar potato chips lately.

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Just my normal innie.

What I miss: Nothing, really!! I'm SO happy and love being pregnant. LOVE it!

What I am looking forward to: Knowing if we're team "blue" or team "pink"

Milestones: Starting to compile what we need for Baby M and even buying a few things here and there :)