The last leg... Hello 3rd Trimester!!

We have made it to the last leg of this adventure!!!!
It has flown by faster than I had imagined it would. In no time at all we will be meeting our little man. I can't wait... In the meantime he is letting me know that he is here constantly. My stomach is in constant movement, he kicks all throughout the day now. I think he is trying to find his comfy place as things are going to get cramped soon. His little but or head or something was poking out the side of me the other day, it's so fun to watch and feel him move around. I wish I had x-ray vision so I could see just exactly what he is doing in there. :)
We have a doctor's appointment next Monday that will check for gestational diabetes. I'm not looking forward to drinking that sugary drink but I'm confidant that  the test will come back negative. After this appointment we have to start going every two weeks as they want to ensure that the little man is growing at the right rate. He should triple in size over the next three months... "Oh Lord...."
Now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel its time to wrap up the final details....
We checked the "Babymoon" off our to-do list this month! Zeb and I went to Fort Lauderdale and stayed on a wonderful boat for almost a week. It was a great and very much needed vacation for the both of us. To just truly relax and enjoy each others company was exactly what we wanted. We laid out at the pool everyday and went out to some wonderful restaurants at night. No itinerary, no rushing...just our schedule on our time. PERFECTION.



What is left on the check list inculdes the following:
1.Maternity photo session (taking place this Sunday! Yay!)
2.Baby Shower (June 2nd! Hope to see you there!)
3.Touring the hospital
4.Picking a pediatrician
5.Finalizing baby insurance
6.Possibly a prenatal class... I haven't decided on this one yet.
Not a bad to-do list... nothing that can't be accomplished in three months. :)
And I'll be sure to share the Maternity photos once I get them back.

PREGNANCY TRACKER!

How far along? Week 28 (third trimester!) Mommies weight gain: approx 15lbs Baby boy weighs approx: 2.25 lbs

Maternity clothes? Still shopping at my normal stores, just shopping "differently". The bella band is great and thanks to it I can still wear my old jeans.
Stretch marks? Nope but I fear these last three months...
Sleep: With my body pillow I can sleep through the night.
Best moment this week: Getting a sweet mother's day card from Zeb V and Lucy which included very sweet note as well from my husband, something I'll keep FOREVER. He also gave me orchids and cooked dinner! It was nice...
Miss anything? A glass or two of wine sounds great. :)
Movement: All the time, especially at night.
Food cravings: Smoothies!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Have you started to show yet: Yes and its amazing how many people talk to you when your pregnant... a lot more than prebaby.
Gender: Baby boy
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Braxton hicks... let me tell ya'... not fun. They don't hurt as much as they feel like really bad period cramps. They make me feel like I want to throw up... not a fun feeling. Luckily they are very quick and I feel fine after they are gone.
Belly Button in or out? OMG it's coming out!!..So weird looking!
Wedding rings on or off? On, I haven't had any swelling. Knock on wood.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time... baby making hormones are going to get the best of you occasionally...
Looking forward to: Our maternity photo session!
Milestones: THIRD TRIMESTER!!! wooooo-hooooo!
Weekly Wisdom: 

"A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone."

Loving EVERY Minute

Busy busy busy!! I feel like we are booked up from now until the baby arrives! I am enjoying the fact that I am still feeling fabulous and able to keep up with our busy schedule.
The nursery is pretty much finished. Some little touches needed with the decorating and I am waiting for our maternity shoot to hang photos. We still need to get Zeb's grandmothers rocking chair here from Virginia and a night stand, then we will be set!
Here are some photos...

On top of the baby planning and prepping I have launched a new company with my girlfriend Katy. Most of you have probably heard me chat about it but it is call Belt Above the Bump. The idea came from trying to dress my growing belly and I refuse to spend a bunch of money on maternity clothes that don't even fit right or look cute. I started added belts to my wardrobe but I noticed that they were not very comfortable, my stomach grows throughout the day (thank you bloat) and a standard belt doesn't allow that stretch that is needed to be comfortable. I got some many compliments on my pregnancy style and when the girl at motherhood maternity asked me where I got my belt and I said "Oh you like my belt above the bump?" and she said "Is that a store or something?" DING DING DING!! Noooo but it SHOULD be!! So here I am, our company's birthday is March 21st and we already have belts in production, a webpage, a Etsy account and a booth at a large baby consignment sale this weekend and a booth at an upcoming Baby Expo at the Gwinnett Arena. To have Belt Above the Bump at the upcoming baby expo is a BIG deal. They are expecting 15,000-20,000 people to show up for this expo! To get our product in front of that many preggos or people with preggos on their mind is an unbelievable opportunity for our company. I still can't believe that it is all actually coming together! If you haven't yet, check out our webpage.
http://www.beltabovethebump.com/

PREGNANCY TRACKER!

How far along? Week 24- Baby is the length of an ear of corn  and weighs approx 1.25lbs

Total weight gain/loss: 12 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes mainly just work pants, everything else is stretchy dresses and skirts.

Stretch marks? No. (I hope I never have to change this answer...)

Sleep: Been sleeping great minus the midnight bathroom breaks
Best moment this week: ZEB FELT THE BABY!! It was cute seeing his face when little Zeb gave him a nice swift kick right in the middle of his palm. :)
Have you told family and friends: Yes

Movement: Kicking more and more everyday! I feel him every 20minutes or so now if I'm paying attention.
Food cravings: Sweets and desserts
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Have you started to show yet: Yes! I'm getting the random congratulations from strangers now.
Gender prediction: Baby boy
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: I get some braxton hicks contractions once in a blue moon and I've had some pretty frequent round ligament pain.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy girl
Weekly Wisdom: "Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow."
Milestones: Daddy felt his little man :)

Nursery.... check.

We had our last scheduled ultrasound this morning. From here on out we will just be measuring my belly and listening to his heart at the upcoming appointments, unless there is a reason that comes up later, the doctor feels that we have a healthy baby and are right on track and there is no need for anymore ultrasounds. They confirmed once again that we are indeed having a boy! (With all these early predictions turning out wrong around me lately I was happy to hear that.) He is 12oz and is looking healthy and strong. I have not felt any major kicks but the ultrasound tech said that with his size it is only a matter of days before it will begin. I am excited to start feeling him all the time. (Zeb may hear sing a different tune when I am trying to sleep and the little man is going to town in there! Lol)

We started and completed construction on the nursery last week. Zeb had the help of a friend that does home restoration to install the new crown molding and chair rail. It all turned out beautifully! Exactly as I had imagined it would be. We also received our nursery furniture last week. My husband, being the great man that he is, spent the whole day Friday painting the nursery and then the whole evening putting together the furniture. It all looks great. I will admit, it is a little surreal seeing the crib in that room… puts it all into reality. A great and wonderful reality…

For all of you that know me well, you know that it doesn't take long for me to get my hands on a room and start decorating. I’ve already found some great nautical finds! I’m making burlap curtains tonight, I’ll post pictures of all the fun décor details as I get them the way I want them.

And on to the baby registering! I can’t believe I’ve been able to hold off this long! I am looking forward to dinner with my girlfriend Katy and registry shopping. She is going to make sure I register for all the right items and the ones I actually need, since I have NO CLUE what I will need.

Should be fun!!!  

***21 week Belly Picture!***

PREGNANCY TRACKER!

How far along? Week 21- Baby is the size of a banana and weighs approx 12oz

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 10 lbs so far

Maternity clothes? Yes, but today I'm wearing pre pregnancy work pants with a safety pin in them. :) 

Stretch marks? No. (I hope I never have to change this answer...)

Sleep: Sleeping well... been extra tired lately so the naps are coming back into the picture again.

Best moment this week: Everything that happened in the nursery this week! Walls, furniture, decor... all of it!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Movement: Light kicks at night
Food cravings: Fruit is back on the list. Strawberries and pineapple sound amazing.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Have you started to show yet: Yes!
Gender prediction: BOY... confirmed once again today.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy Happy Happy!!! :)
Weekly Wisdom: “Sometimes you will never know the real value of a moment until it becomes a memory"-Enjoy every moment!
Milestones: Nursery construction is complete!

HALFWAY THERE!!!

I can't believe that we are already halfway through this incredible journey! It has flown by...
Mommy and baby are doing great. I still feel wonderful and I am truly enjoying this time with my little man. I feel a strong connection with him already. I feel comfort in knowing he is always with me. No matter how bad my day is or how great it is... he is there... just hanging out sharing my day with me.
(and waiting for me to devour my next cupcake)
Little man got his first good dose of the lake life this weekend (and we worked on our tan while doing so). We spent most of the weekend out on the water. While riding around on the lake I thought about my second half of this pregnancy journey. No doubt majority of it will be spent on the lake, and majority of that time consists of boat rides and gentle rocking of our boat that will put you to sleep in a matter of seconds. So I started wondering... am I setting my son up to only find comfort while on a boat? While most of his time in the womb will be spent on boat, once he enters this world he may expect nothing less than the soothing bounces and rocks the boat offers... and if he is anything like his father, it is destined to be his happy place. I can see it now, cruising the marina in the boston whaler at 2 in the morning to put the baby back to sleep...
We can't wait to have him in our life, take him on boat rides, teach him to fish, and take him on walks through the marina. While most dads are teaching their sons how to through a football, my husband will be teaching his son the difference between a cabin cruiser and a runabout, the best places to catch a carp and how to "brand them" with your initial before throwing them back, and of course how to drive a boat.
Thinking about the future is always exciting but the present is just as exciting. I am creating life. That is still mind blowing to me...
We can't wait to meet you ZEB JEROME BARBEE V!!!! See you in 20 weeks!! xoxo

PREGNANCY TRACKER!
How far along? Week 20 (halfway) baby is the size of a small cantaloupe and weighs approx 10oz
Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 8 lbs so far
Maternity clothes? Yes I bought some maternity pants for work and a pair of maternity jeans that changed my life... lol 

Stretch marks? Nope hope to keep them at bay with the Coco butter
Sleep: Like a rock but I get up about once a night for the bathroom which is annoying
Best moment this week: Ordering the nursery furniture. Should be here soon! I'll post pics once it is put together.
Have you told family and friends: Yes
Movement: Feeling the flutters and "popping" sensation when I am going to sleep. No blunt force kicks to the abdomen yet.
Food cravings: Cupcakes are the craving of the week :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Have you started to show yet: Yes, you can now tell I'm "with child"... And the belly rubbing has begun! lol
Gender prediction: BOY... little Zeb the FIFTH!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In, but looking different...
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Weekly Wisdom: “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
Milestones: Halfway there!!! wooo hooo!!!

HELLOOOOO Second Trimester!!!

We are already in our second trimester! I can't believe it... time is going by so quickly. With this second trimester comes many milestones for baby Barbee along with a sense of peace for mom and dad knowing that we have now entered the "safety zone", where our chances of a miscarriage decreased substantially. The second trimester is also known as the "honeymoon phase" of pregnancy and I can see why. I am already feeling my energy levels increase and I don't feel like I am on quite the wild hormone roller coaster ride anymore.
We have started the planning process for our nursery. We will be going with a nautical theme! (Surprised?) These are a few of our ideas for the little guys room...
I plan on taking advantage of this increased energy and start slowly decorating the nursery over these next three months.

A lot of you have been wanting to see bump pictures. I feel like I don't have a bump as much as I have bloat... but when I told that to my girlfriend Summer she disagreed and said I definitely have a little baby bump and I should share with everyone. So here are a couple bump pics for you! :)

Baby and mama getting our fitness on! (I didn't cut my hair, it is in a bun.)

Baby and mama enjoying some unseasonably warm weather on our patio.

PREGNANCY TRACKER!
How far along? Just started our 15th week! (He is the size of a naval orange this week and can suck his thumb.)
Total weight gain/loss: 3 LBS at our last appointment.
Maternity clothes? Not yet, but I've started searching for the best places to buy some for a good price. 

Stretch marks? No. Coco butter is my friend right now!
Sleep: Not sleeping as soundly as I use to but I'm still getting a good nights rest.
Best moment this week: Going shopping for the little man! (He already has 4 pairs of shoes...)
Have you told family and friends: Yes
Movement: Waiting for the "flutters" that should be coming in the next couple weeks...
Food cravings: Fresh fruit and desert. I now feel like I need desert after every meal. Not a good habit to start.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No, even thinking about cooking some chicken. (which I haven't ate this whole pregnancy)
Have you started to show yet: A little baby bump has emerged. :)
Gender prediction: We have our 3d scan on Friday to confirm that he is a boy.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Weekly Wisdom: Don't sweat the small stuff
Milestones: Second trimester!!! Yay!

The 95% Guarantee...

We had our 13 week Nuchal Translucency (NT) screening done this morning. Basically it is a screen to determine if the baby has a high chance of having down syndrome. (The doctor also told us, as an added perk, that the tech should be able to tell us with 80% accuracy what the gender is...) Well being that Zeb's brother has down syndrome, and we love him so much that it really didn't matter to us what the out come of the screening was. Actually, I didn't even think about it prior to the appointment at all. All I kept thinking about was getting to see our baby again, hearing the heart beat again and hoping she would be able to tell us what the gender is. They conduct the screening by measuring the fluid behind the neck and check for a nasal bone. Both things looked great and they said we are right on track with a really healthy pregnancy. Then the question... what she thought the baby was... She asked me first what I thought it was deep down, not what I wanted but what I truly felt it was. I told her I thought from the very beginning that we were having a boy. I've had multiple gender dreams and in all the dreams I could clearly see the baby's little wee wee. :) Weird I know...

Well she said I was right! She said she is 95% sure that we are having a boy. She showed us his goods and showed us how it definitely wasn't the umbilical cord and it didn't look like swollen little girl parts. She said over and over "yep, its a boy alright". Zeb and I both saw it with our own eyes and feel very confident in saying that it is for sure a boy. BUT there is that small chance that she could be wrong... so we have an appointment with a 3D imaging center on the 17th of Feb just to confirm. Between her 95% certainty, my dreams (even Zeb had a boy gender dream) and Zeb's grandmother telling me the day I met her that I would have a boy then a girl (and shes never been wrong), I think there is a good chance that we are TEAM BLUE!

So after I leave my doctors appointment this morning this song came on the radio... it got me all choked up. I can't wait for Zeb and I to be parents. :)

p.s.- A little baby bump is starting to emerge so I promise to post some bump pics soon!

LOVE YOU ALL!!! XOXOXO

Nesting

We have officially started the "Nesting" phase, a little earlier than most but it's here. With our new tile in our kitchen and our remodeled fireplace(pics below), we have looked at our house and made a list of all the changes we want to make to it. Along with everything that "has to be done before the baby gets here". I told Zeb just yesterday, "Oh my god. We are going to have a baby in six months!..." That seems like it is just around the corner and I have a feeling that the upcoming months are going to fly by. We are becoming more and more excited as everything is starting to sink in and become a reality. I've been digging my nose into some great books that have generously been given to me from friends. It amazing how much is going on at every moment. By now our baby has developed all its organs and begins the process of becoming stronger and utilizing all its functions. The baby is moving out of my pelvic region this week and the indigestion/heart burn from everything moving "up" is here. :(
We went to the Bodies Exhibit yesterday in Atlanta and it was amazing. It was very cool to take a look inside and see just how everything functions. There was a section on fetus and the different stages it goes through. I could have stayed in that section forever reading over and over about the different phases of growth and seeing the baby's actual size right now. Its actual size right now looks so big, I'm mind boggled that something that size can be inside of me and I can't feel it, and the size it will be in two weeks...Oh WOW!

PREGNANCY TRACKER!
How far along? 12 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 0 LBS- Still holding steady even though I feel like I've gained 5 pounds!
Maternity clothes? Not yet. (A shopping trip will be around the corner though.)

Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleep is still so so, I asked for a body pillow for Valentines day. (Romantic huh?)
Best moment this week: Learning and visually seeing  facts about out our little peanut at the bodies exhibit
Have you told family and friends: Yes
Movement: Can't feel anything yet
Food cravings: Grape fruit still :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still no chicken in my diet and now a new symptom has come where my food doesn't taste "right".
Have you started to show yet: I'm bloated in the evening and a somewhat flat tummy in the morning
Gender prediction: We get to find out with 80% accuracy on 1/30 (maybe, depends on peanut)
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy Happy Happy today!
Weekly Wisdom: Keep tums in my purse
Milestones: No more sleeping on my back after this week so I'm enjoying it as much as I can now.