Jackson Luke: 2 Months Old

This photo pretty much sums up how we're all feeling about this past month with our sweet boy. I can't believe he's been in our world for two months now.

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

- At 2 months, Jackson weighs 10 lbs., 12 oz. and is about 23 inches tall

- We've been exclusively breastfeeding for 2 whole months! It feels like a huge accomplishment after the challenges we faced at the start.

- So many smiles! This happy boy started smiling like crazy and we can't get enough of it!

- Wearing all 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers

- Loves to stare at the big clock in our living room and the ceiling fan always catches his attention

- Started sleeping longer stretches at night -- just a few nights ago he went 8:30 PM - 4:30 AM and I felt like a new woman. We still have nights where wake ups are all over the place, but we're definitely getting more sleep these days than we were!

- Looooves sleeping in the Happy Baby carrier when we're out and about. After a few outings that first month where I hoped he'd sleep in the car seat and he wasn't having it, I caved and ordered this carrier which I'd had my eye on but didn't love the price tag. I'm so glad I bit the bullet and bought it because it is so comfortable to wear and he is so content in it. I've been able to wear it running errands with him and even through church service and he's slept through it all.

- He started napping in his crib for most naps during the day. I started putting him down in there mostly because if Emma is playing or Abby starts barking, it's hard to keep him from getting woken up if he's sleeping in the swing or in the rock n' play.

- Big sister Emma is pretty involved in this boy's every move. If he's doing tummy time, she is part of it. If he is laying on the play mat, she wants to be lying next to him. She kisses him, high fives and gives him "knucks" a billion times a day. If he's crying, she'll tell me he's crying. Sometimes if he's in the swing and he starts crying, she'll go over and attempt to get him out herself. The other day, he was sleeping in the swing and I was cleaning up around the house when I walked out and saw she'd put a teddy bear in the swing with him. My heart can't handle this stuff. It's so sweet seeing her love on him.

A few snapshots from Jackson's 2nd month:

Happy 2 months, sweet boy! We're loving life with you in it.

Baby #2: We're in the Home Stretch!

Hello! With less 2 weeks until our due date, I wanted to pop back in here with one final pregnancy update. I can't believe we are so close to meeting this boy!

Pregnancy is so weird. You go nine months counting down and being so ready for the pregnancy part to be over -- the back pain, swelling, heart burn, general discomfort and other unpleasant symptoms. You anxiously count down the weeks because you can't wait for what's next - loving on a sweet, tiny baby. Then as you finally near the end of this journey, you find yourself wanting to savor the being pregnant part because you realize any day now it could be over. There is no feeling like the feeling of a baby moving around inside you and suddenly you realize how much you'll miss those kicks and tumbles. Like I've said before, I don't know what the future holds for our family, but knowing that we could decide we are perfectly happy with two kids has me wanting to soak in these last few weeks even more.

I know my pregnancy updates have been sparse and pretty random this time around, so this post will likely be all over the place, too!

How I'm Feeling
My answer to this typically depends on how well I slept the night before because after a long night of little sleep, my coping skills fly out the window. Aside from sleep issues, I'm still dealing with regular heart burn and serious lower back pain most days, but otherwise I can't really complain.

On My Mind
As we've approached these last few weeks of pregnancy, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a bit anxious. The general anticipation and excitement is one thing, but I've definitely found myself feeling anxious about labor, breastfeeding, adjusting to life with 2 kids, etc. It's funny because I expected to feel so cool and calm this time around since I've been through it once before, but it's kind of been the opposite. Ignorance is bliss and I think with my first pregnancy, while we took a class at the hospital and did our best to prepare, I still didn't know what to expect so leading up to it all I remember feeling is excitement.

Emma's birth wasn't traumatic in any way, but circumstances like her being posterior, getting stuck on my pubic bone, me pushing for 2.5 hours and her having to spend the first 12 hours of her life in the transition nursery have me wondering how things will be different this time. I wouldn't say I'm worried as much as it just being on my mind a lot, but I'm reminding myself that despite the circumstances that didn't go as I'd hoped with Emma's birth, she is healthy as can be and I would go through it again in a heartbeat. No matter how things go down this time, the end result is all that matters but I definitely wouldn't mind being one of those women who say they pushed twice and boom! baby was here!

One thing that's helping me feel more relaxed as we near the end of pregnancy is Jonathan's schedule. He has more flexibility with work than he ever has before, which has been great in these last few weeks but will be a big deal when we go into labor and then as we settle into a new normal at home. It's easing my mind a lot to know he'll be able to manage his schedule and be available to help more, especially in those first few days home with the baby.

Nursery Progress
We just put the finishing touches on this in the last few days and I'm so happy with this space! It could maybe use a few more things on the walls, but I don't love to buy things for the sake of filling space, so if I come across something later on that I like, we could always add to it.

Final Prep

My hospital bag is about 90% packed aside from a few last minute things I'll throw in when it's time to go. I took a day last week and cooked a few freezer meals to have on hand. I spent an entire afternoon cooking and really only ended up with maybe 6 dinners but even if it gets us through the first few days back at home, I know it will be helpful. 

I need to get a bag together for Emma since she'll be with her grandparents while we are in the hospital. Speaking of Emma, I'm also working on putting together a little basket of fun toys for her that I can take out when I'm nursing to keep her entertained. She's been loving stickers lately and has started to get into coloring, too so I think a few fun things like this and maybe a puzzle will be perfect for this. I've heard this tip from a lot of moms and I think it might help especially in those first few weeks.

Other than those things, we are ready to rock and roll. In the meantime, I'm trying to stay on top of the work I do for Jonathan so that whenever the time comes, things don't fall too behind on that end. We're also hosting Jonathan's 30th birthday party (an old school field day with water balloon toss, dodgeball and other fun games) at our house this weekend and even though in a way, I felt like we overcommitted a bit planning this 10 days before our due date, preparing for this and having a few things on my to do list to get ready will be good for me this week. We also have so many people helping out so that I really don't have to do much so I'm thankful for that!

Right now I'm really trying to relax and enjoy this last bit of time before the baby arrives. I've heard from so many moms that the hardest part of transitioning from one to two kids is just missing that one-on-one time with their first born. Needless to say, I've been really trying to soak up this time with Emma before we add her baby brother into the mix. I know things are going to be fine and we'll have a new normal here very soon that we'll love just the same, but I'm certainly a little emotional about the changes coming our way.

Emotions are high right now and allll over the place, but I'm feeling so grateful for a healthy pregnancy, our beautiful little family and a husband who is all in 100% of the time. Emma is going to be the sweetest big sister and I'm anxious to finally lay eyes on our sweet boy any day now. 

The Scoop on Baby #2: Part 2

Is anyone surprised that it took me 6 weeks to get back here for the second part of this post? I'm not, but I'm glad to have some time to write today. My sister texted me late in the day yesterday offering to take Emma for the day so I could have some time to myself. I took her up on it knowing I could get in a few errands and squeeze in some writing time. 

I'm already in my 30th week of pregnancy, so if I don't get this post out now this baby boy will be here before I ever get back again! This pregnancy continues to fly by which is obviously great because we can't wait to meet this baby, but I'm also trying to soak up this time. I don't know what the future holds for us, but there is definitely a possibility that this could be my last pregnancy. That and knowing Emma's time as an only child is coming to an end have me wishing time would slow down so I can truly enjoy these last several weeks. 

I've obviously been horrible about documenting this pregnancy, so I guess I have a lot to share. 

It makes to sense to start with the question pregnant people get asked the most, "How are you feeling?" I'm feeling pretty good! At 30 weeks, my biggest complaints are lower back pain, crappy sleep and severe discomfort thanks to my boobs being monstrous (literally). Wearing a bra is torture lately, so much that we left a wedding fairly early in the evening recently because I literally could not keep my bra on another minute. 

I was dealing with some serious heartburn, but I adjusted a few things in my diet and it seems to be helping (with sleep, too!). I considered myself so lucky with my first pregnancy in that I didn't experience morning sickness at all and thankfully, this time around has been similar. I'd say the only big difference this time around has been the exhaustion and emotions being a little more intense, but I'm also spending my days with a busy, energetic toddler so I'm sure that's a huge factor. 

Is Emma excited to be a big sister? Well, I can't say she really understands what is happening. At 20-months-old, she's known the word "baby" since we found out we were pregnant and she's also happened to take more interest in her baby doll over the last few months. Whenever she takes her baby doll out, I've tried to encourage her to love on her baby and she will hold it up to her face and snuggle with it. When we see a baby out in public, she excitedly shouts "baby!" and is so eager to walk up to see up close. I'm encouraged by all of this, but as far as understanding that we're going to have a baby in our house soon that she'll have to share attention with...I don't think she's there yet and that's okay! 

I was in a really good place with my health/fitness when we found out we were pregnant. The timing is actually really funny because I had just made it back down to a smaller size in jeans, which I had ordered online and was so excited to actually need to buy a smaller size. Ironically, these jeans came in the mail just a few days after finding out I was pregnant. I joked with Jonathan that I'd be wearing them every day until I couldn't fit into them so I could enjoy them even for a short time. 

But seriously, I had come a long way in getting back to a happy weight and fitness level for myself. I've been pregnant and now seen that I can (maybe not super quickly) get my body back to (or better) than before, but I also knew I wanted to try to maintain healthier habits this pregnancy. With Emma, I I exercised here and there through my 1st trimester and it seriously tapered off after that. I'd recently realized how much better I felt when I was staying active, so I promised myself I'd try harder this time. 

I was able to keep up my routine of working out 4-5 times a week through my 9th week of pregnancy. I was doing an hour of barre and 30 minutes of spin once a week, running a few miles once or twice a week and mixing in some strength and cardio work throughout. From weeks 9 to about 20, I was still trying to get 2-3 workouts in a week and sometimes that just didn't happen and I did't get too worked up when a whole week went by with nothing. The last 10 weeks have been a little more sporadic. Some weeks I'm motivated and energized to at least get a walk in and other weeks, I've had zero motivation to exercise. I'm not overthinking it and certainly not beating myself up when I have those down weeks. My philosophy right now is exercise of any kind, at any frequency is better than nothing. Either way, I'm really happy with how I've done thus far staying fairly active through this pregnancy. 

As far as preparations for baby go, we have a name we are pretty committed to, but not quite ready to share with the world yet. In the last few weeks, we've made some major progress on the nursery, which used to be Jonathan's office. Once we cleared out the room, we painted and got the crib put together (I don't know why I'm saying we...this was all Jonathan. Last weekend, we got the dresser put together and I've added a few details here and there like a changing pad, toy bin and even picked up some wall decor. We'll be moving the rocker from Emma's room into the nursery and probably getting her a play table to put in that space, but I'm not ready to make that move yet. It may sound silly, but I'm not emotionally ready to move the rocker out of her room yet and we obviously don't need to do that until we're a little closer. 

I found so much joy getting Emma's nursery planned out and organized and I've been loving every second of it this time around. Folding itty bitty baby clothes and organizing toys and things really puts me in my happy place. Knowing in just weeks we'll have a sweet boy in this house is so surreal and I love anticipating it all. 

Things I'm looking forward to:

• After debating back and forth for a while, we decided on planning a short babymoon for Jonathan and I. I kept convincing myself that we didn't need to spend the money on a trip for us with everything going on, but in the end I'm so glad we planned something. We're headed to Jensen Beach in early May for a weekend getaway and I'm seriously looking forward to some downtime and sunbathing with my man.
• My sweet friend Jesse insisted on planning some sort of celebration for baby boy. I really didn't want a huge production seeing how we have most of what we need this time around and it's a huge undertaking to host a shower and deal with all the details of that. She suggested we plan on doing brunch at a fun place with a small group of ladies to celebrate and that sounded pretty perfect to me. It doesn't require a ton of coordination on her end and I'm really looking forward to a casual celebration with some special ladies. 
• We'll have one more ultrasound around 34 weeks. I always look forward to these! At my appointment last week, my doctor actually confirmed that baby is already head down, which was so good to hear. I remember Emma turned really early too and it's just nice to know baby is getting prepared! 

Memorable moments:

• My favorite part of this pregnancy has been the last hour or so of sleep in the morning when Jonathan inevitably finds his way to me in bed and lays his hand over my belly. This baby becomes so active as soon as Jonathan's hands are there and it's so so special. I love laying with him still half asleep as we both soak in these baby movements together. In the chaos of our day-to-day, I truly treasure these quiet moments just the two of us basking in the joys of pregnancy together. 
• Emma woke up from a nap last week and when I went to her crib to pick her up, she leaned over and hugged my belly. It was the first time it seemed like she maybe understood her baby brother is in there and it may have just been a coincidence, but it was so sweet!

Phew. I feel like that kind of covers it. I still feel so overwhelmed and grateful that we get to do this again. I'm so excited to add a little boy to our family. Jonathan has been pretty outnumbered thus far -- girl baby, girl dog and girl cat! 

Pregnancy is kind of a roller coaster - one minute you're up at 3 a.m. uncomfortable, having to pee... again, wondering how you're going to make it two more months and the next minute, your sitting on the floor playing with your toddler and the baby in your belly is bouncing around and you're wanting to bask in the joy of that moment. Emotions are high, to say the least! 

The Scoop on Baby #2: Part 1

When I think about pregnancy #2 so far, the first thought that comes to mind is how quickly it has flown by already!

That kind of explains why I have so little of this pregnancy documented. It's been so fast. I remember being pregnant with Emma and the weeks just dragging on in anticipation. The first trimester with Emma felt like 3 years of my life and it wasn't because I was sick or miserable. It just felt long and slow because it was my first time down this road and I was so focused on every little detail. Having a toddler Emma Joy running around keeping me busy probably has a lot to do with why it's been so different for me this time. My attention is on so many other things that I'm not so focused on things week-by-week.

I guess I should start with finding out we were pregnant. We'd decided in August to start trying for another baby and went into it being pretty reasonable about our expectations. Getting pregnant the first time definitely wasn't as easy as we'd anticipated and we wanted to be realistic this time accepting that it could take some time. We knew we'd be thrilled if we were pregnant immediately and also knew that if it took some time, we were okay with that, too. We were in a good place. We went into it not wanting to get wrapped up in the process and just let it happen as it's meant to. I'm glad we did because God blessed us with this gift rather quickly.

The only pregnancy symptom I felt early on with Emma was extremely sore breasts. I remember it wasn't a pre-menstrual kind of sore, but much more uncomfortable. In the first weekend of October, those same familiar symptoms arrived and while I hoped it meant we were pregnant, I also knew I was due for my period in a few days so it could be nothing. I shared this with Jonathan who was immediately convinced we were pregnant. He's typically one to play it cool and not get overly excited in an effort to help manage my expectations. He was convinced, though (and proceeded to share how convinced he was with our friends that weekend)! I have to admit his enthusiastic certainty was contagious and I prayed he was right.

Monday came along and since I'd been tracking everything for a few months, I knew I was a day or so out from my period. I didn't wake up that day planning on taking a pregnancy test, but we got home from the gym and after putting Emma down for a nap, I was about to jump in the shower when I decided I'd go ahead and take one. I had a few stocked up and figured if I was pregnant, it would show up on a test by now. I just had to know one way or another.

I took the test, laid it on the bathroom counter and went about my business shockingly not obsessing over it. When I got out of the shower, I casually picked up the test fulling expecting it to be negative and was so incredibly shocked to see the word Pregnant staring back at me. I couldn't believe it. I sat on our bed for a few minutes in my towel just staring at the test. One word. Just one word with so much emotion attached to it. I paced around for a good ten minutes repeating "OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD." It took everything I had not to call Jonathan and scream "You were right!!!" into the phone but I knew it would be more satisfying to tell him when he got home from work.

When Emma woke up from her nap, we busted out the crayons and made a little something to give him when he got home.

When Jonathan got home, I told him Emma made something for him so we headed to her bedroom and handed him this. We had a handful of friends who were expecting at the time, so his first reaction was to ask "Who did she make this for?' and before he got the whole question out, tears filled his eyes as he realized what it meant. It was such a sweet moment of pure joy.

We know what an incredible gift it is to conceive and for it to happen for us in such a short time is something I could never take for granted. Even as I write this, I'm right back there in that moment of pure shock and excitement finding out this news.

It turns out Jonathan was also right when early on, he was convinced we were having a boy this time. We found out baby #2 is a boy around 12 weeks and since I got the call from the doctor's office during the day, we were able to surprise Jonathan with this news as well!

He came home that day to Emma parading a bunch of blue balloons through the house and his reaction is just another sweet, emotional moment that I will never forget.

This is getting pretty lengthy, so I think I'll end this here and come back to share Part 2 (more about how this pregnancy is going and where we are on a name, nursery, etc). Thank you for sharing in our joy and excitement as we add another little one to the family! In the meantime, we are so looking forward to meeting this little boy and focusing on soaking up the time we have left with Emma Joy as as an only child.

Emma Joy

Hello world! This post is going up way behind schedule but the last few weeks have flown by as we've been settling into life with a newborn. Emma Joy Snyder was born on July 30 at 12:26 AM. She weighed 8 lbs, 3.3 oz and was 20.5 inches long.

Somehow we're already days away from her 1 month birthday.

I am really hoping to share Emma's birth story eventually because although it's a long one and some of the details are a little blurry, it's important to me to document it once I have the energy to sit down and write it out.

This precious girl is by far the greatest thing I've ever done and life is incredibly sweet with her in our world.

39 Weeks

How far along: 39 weeks

Baby is the size of a: watermelon - about 7 lbs.

Feeling: Pretty good! It helps that I'm not working anymore. Being able to get things done at home and taking breaks to rest when needed has been glorious and I'm feeling so much better than I was a few weeks ago.

Sleep: Last night was terrible. I was up all night. For the most part, though, I've been so tired by the end of the day that falling asleep is never an issue. I'm up a lot throughout the night to pee or change positions, but thankfully I've been able to get back to sleep pretty quickly for the most part.

Movement: Lots of movement which feels totally weird and different because there's so little room left for her in there to move around!

Mood: Excited and anxious to meet our girl; back and forth between looking forward to not being pregnant anymore and knowing how much I'll miss it. Knowing at any moment our lives are going to be completely changed is such a surreal and incomparable feeling. There's nothing like it!

Other updates: I finally had an ultrasound at my 38 week appointment on Thursday and thankfully, confirmed Emma is head down and that she's weighing in at about 7 lbs. Otherwise, no huge developments but we'll see if anything has changed when I go back to get checked on Wednesday.

7 days until our due date! We are so ready to welcome this little girl into the world!

Emma's Nursery

Hello! It's been a while. I'm still here, though and still very much pregnant. My last day of work was last Friday and after being way too ambitious on Monday and completely wearing myself out, I've been trying to take it easy these last few days. Last night, we put the finishing touches on the nursery and the excitement of this is just what I needed to show up here today so I could share it!

Before I get to the pictures, I want to tell you a little bit about my vision for this room. I knew going into this I absolutely did not want there to be a theme. I can see how choosing a theme makes it easy to shop and piece things together, but I've never been a fan of the idea of sticking to one theme. Jonathan and I agreed we don't like anything enough to cover Emma's room in it. I wanted to be able to choose colors and items we loved, rather than choosing items because they fit the animal, color, etc. What I wanted this room to be was colorful and happy. When I pictured what that meant, it meant lots of yellow and coral with pops of mint. It meant loads of books and colorful toys. It meant giving baby Emma a positive, colorful and cozy space.

Crib: Wayfair

Crib sheet: Amazon

Glider: Buy Buy Baby

Mobile: Target

Wall decal: Amazon

Dresser: Wayfair

Cube Organizer: Target

Storage bins: Target

Hamper: Target

Mirror: Michaels

"You Can't Have a Rainbow Without a Little Rain" Print: Etsy

"All Good Things Come From Above" Print: Etsy

Book/Toy Shelf: Amazon

It's not very often something turns out exactly like I imagined it would, but Emma's nursery is the exception. When I look around this space, I'm in awe because this is what I imagined when we found out we were having a little girl. This is what I envisioned as we looked for the different pieces that would make this extra room in our house Emma's room. I couldn't be happier with the outcome and as I sit in here now and soak it all in, I'm completely overwhelmed knowing the missing piece to this puzzle, our sweet baby girl, will rocking in this glider along with me any day now. 

Whenever you're ready, little girl. Whenever you're ready. 

36 Weeks - The Final Countdown

Four weeks, baby, FOUR WEEKS! Just 4 weeks until our due date! Baby Emma is the size of a honeydew melon and me, well I'm the size of a house. Kidding...kinda. I'm definitely feeling large and quite uncomfortable but that's to be expected at this stage of the game. It could be really easy to let the exhaustion, swollen feet, heartburn and discomfort make me miserable right now and trust me, some days I cope better than others, but I'm really trying to focus on the excitement of what's next and spending a lot of time reflecting on the last 8 months. 

As of this week, we have the car seat in the car and I'm just about finished getting our hospital bag packed. I've been procrastinating on the hospital bag so I promised myself we wouldn't leave for my parents' house this weekend without having it completely packed and with us. I still have a few more items on our to do list than I'd like to have right now - I still need to sanitize bottles and whatnot and we haven't hung anything on the walls in the nursery yet so those are my priorities for next week. I have such high hopes of doing all the things after work but that is often not how my evenings turn out. Speaking of, next week is my last week of work and I'm really looking forward to having some time at home to relax and enjoy some downtime before Emma arrives. 

I'm really hoping at my appointment tomorrow the doctor can give me some insight on what's going on with baby right now or at least schedule an ultrasound for next week. I have no idea if she's dropped yet or anything and while I do feel like her movements have been different in the last day or so, I'm dying to know if she's at least in position yet. 

We're becoming more and more aware that one day very soon we'll be going about our business and next thing you know, we'll be heading to the hospital to have a baby. It's such a surreal feeling to know life is going to change so dramatically so very soon. We're really excited about what's to come but making sure we enjoy these last few weeks of peace and anticipation! 

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35 Weeks

Well, hello. I felt like it had been a lot longer than a month since I showed up here but nope, I popped in for a 31 week update back in May. It feels like it's been an eternity since 31 weeks, so maybe that's why. Time has sort of slowed down which isn't necessarily a bad thing aside from the fact that we are just getting more and more anxious for Emma's arrival. With just five weeks until our due date, I really am trying to slow down and enjoy this peaceful time before our lives are changed forever.

How far along: 35 weeks

Baby is the size of a: small spaghetti squash

Gender: Girl

Due date: July 26, 2016

Name: Emma Joy

Symptoms: My feet are swollen 90% of the time. Seriously, when I look down and I swear these are not my feet. I'm trying to make sure I am drinking plenty of water and putting my feet up when I get home but for now, it is what it is. Otherwise, I'm having some pretty significant pain in my upper back and heartburn is still a regular thing these days.

Sleep: This hasn't been going too well lately. The Snoogle helps a lot, but I'm waking up several times a night due to the pain in my back and having to switch positions and/or get up to use the bathroom. Falling asleep isn't an issue at all but waking up so many times a night is making me feel completely exhausted during the day. On the bright side, I'm getting used to running off of very little sleep which will come in handy when I have a newborn waking me up multiple times a night!

Speaking of the Snoogle, someone might even be enjoying it more than me...

Cravings: Gatorade in any flavor and water with a ton of ice

Feeling: Excited, anxious, overwhelmed, tired -- I'm feeling all the things right now. I left my 35 week appointment this afternoon and spent the 10 minute drive home crying for no particular reason at all. We're in the home stretch and that has me obviously feeling such a range of emotions I can't help but just cry sometimes.

Other updates: I have three more weeks of work until my maternity leave starts. My last day was originally going to be the 15th of July, but sitting at a desk all day with this back pain and honestly, this level of exhaustion, Jonathan and I re-evaluated and decided it was a good idea to move it up by a week.

We also completed our 'Prep for Birth' class through the hospital and took the tour last weekend. Touring the hospital felt surreal knowing we'd be back so soon for the real deal! I don't know that I could ever feel prepared for giving birth to my first child, but after the tour and the class, I definitely feel more prepared than I did before.

We're super close to being finished with the nursery and I couldn't be happier with how it's coming together. All we have left to do is hang a few things on the walls and find a place for a few items and we'll be good to go. It's been so fun to get the room set up and organize all of the sweet baby things. I come in here at least once a day even if I don't have anything to accomplish just so I can sit in the rocker and soak it all in. I can't wait to do the same thing with our beautiful baby girl in just a few weeks.

Looking forward to: Having another ultrasound around 37-38 weeks. We haven't had one since week 21 or so and I'm anxious to see if she's getting into position and whatnot. We also have a big family gathering this weekend and a visit to my parents during 4th of July weekend that I'm really looking forward to.

Just 5 weeks or less to go!

31 Weeks

We're 9 weeks from our due date! 9 weeks. It's hard to believe our weekly countdown is in the single digits but here we are! Weeks 28 and 29 were pretty rough with baby Emma nestled in a cozy spot that happened to put major pressure on my sciatic nerve. I could hardly walk without being in immense pain and on top of that, I felt like my emotions were completely out of control. Needless to say I'm incredibly thankful at least the sciatic pain has subsided completely!

How far along: 31 weeks 

Baby is the size of a: broccoli stalk - about 3.3 lbs!

Gender: girl

Due date: July 26, 2016

Name: Emma Joy

Symptoms: I am tired. So tired. I'm sleeping pretty well aside from waking up a few times a night to change positions so I'm thankful for that but by the time I get home from work everyday, I feel completely pathetic. With so much I want to do, I'm realizing I need to just give in sometimes and call it a day...even if it means I don't make dinner or do any of the things I wanted to do. Aside from heartburn coming and going multiple times a day and some back pain, I feel pretty good!

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Best moment this week: Our baby shower this past Saturday! My sisters and sweet momma put together the most perfect day to celebrate baby Emma and I'm so so grateful. They put so much thought into every detail and worked so hard to plan the perfect celebration. I felt so loved and completely spoiled by everyone involved and if possible, I'm even more excited for Emma's arrival!

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery and purchasing the rest of the items we need for baby. We were gifted with so many of our most-needed items and baby essentials at the shower, which is a huge help but I'm looking forward to going out with Jonathan to get anything else that's left. We're also doing our hospital tour and preparation for birth class on June 12!

I still need to share a short recap of our weekend away a few weeks ago and I will, of course, be sharing more details from the shower, but I wanted to pop in for a 31 week update since we're getting down to the final countdown here. Reality is really starting to set in that we are going to parents in just a few weeks. We can't wait to meet our baby girl!

28 Weeks

We're officially in our third trimester! I would tell you this doesn't make me panic at all but that would big a huge lie. My panic has nothing to do with the fact that in 12 weeks (or less) I'll be having a baby, but more to do with the fact that it finally hit me how quickly time is flying by and I still feel like there is a lot to do between now and Emma's arrival. I've been relatively cool, calm and collected about everything but last Tuesday at my doctor appointment, the doctor asked if I'd pre-registered at the hospital yet. I said no and kind of looked at him in a panic. To make me feel better, he said we have plenty of time but that only made me more certain we don't have plenty of time. "Plenty of time" is what we said when we were 8 weeks or 12 weeks pregnant. I don't feel like 12 weeks or less is plenty of time and this is when I officially started to panic.

I went home from my appointment and started listing all the things we needed to do/schedule/organize/figure out before the baby and then I looked in the nursery which is in a state of chaos still because Jonathan is in the slow process of putting together the million pieces that is a dresser/changing table. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry this day. I think I'm more concerned because Jonathan's busy season at work is already in full swing so I feel like time with him to get things done is going to minimal here. I know trying to coordinate all of the things we want/need to do with his work schedule is going to be challenging and it's safe to say I worked myself into a little bit of a meltdown. Have I mentioned I feel like in the last week or so my emotions have become completely unhinged? Oh yes, because they certainly have.

The good news is that I know we'll get it all taken care of and knowing I'll be holding a sweet baby girl in my arms just 3 months from now makes me forget about our to do list. I've enjoyed this pregnancy so much and I know despite feeling a little overwhelmed (and a lot emotional), I'm going to enjoy these last few months.

How far along: 28 weeks

Baby is the size of a: large eggplant

Gender: girl

Due date: July 26, 2016

Name: Emma Joy

Symptoms: I have to admit I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable. It's really just my lower back but it's incredibly sore at all times. I'm sure this will only get worse and if that's my biggest complaint it's all good, but my goodness. Ouch. Otherwise, my ankles and feet have been swollen on occasion which is really cute...haha. It's also already 90 degrees in Orlando which I'm actually dealing okay with right now. As my bump expands and the temperatures rise, though, I fear there will be days in the near future I'll absolutely dread stepping outside and popsicles will need to be on hand at all times.

Cravings: Nothing in particular, actually. No aversions, either! I haven't had a huge appetite for dinner and I'm still snacking on pickles quite a bit, but that's about it.

Appointments: We've reached the point where I'm seeing the doctor every two weeks now. I think we'll have one more ultrasound around 36 weeks, which I'm sure will be here before I know it!

Looking forward to: Our weekend trip to Tampa to celebrate my 30th birthday/our babymoon and my baby shower the weekend after that! When I received my shower invitation in the mail a few weeks ago, I sat in the driveway and cried the happiest tears because I already know my sisters and momma are throwing me the most perfect shower and I can't wait to celebrate with them.

Recent memorable moments: One of Jonathan's clients gave us a huge box of children's books we need to go through and select a few for baby Emma. In the meantime, Jonathan has been reading to me and Emma and I can't get enough of it. He chooses Cat in the Hat every single time but I don't care because I could listen to him read the newspaper to our baby and it would be the sweetest thing in the world.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the nursery come together here soon and organizing all of baby's necessities as we get them. Even now as I fold tiny onesies and burp cloths, I feel so overwhelmed by this huge blessing that's about to enter our lives.

25 Weeks & Name Reveal

Maybe for one of these updates I'll take a better photo and not snap a picture in the bathroom mirror to add to my post at the last minute...maybe.

How far along: 25 Weeks

Baby is the size of a: large cucumber -- about 1.5 pounds

Gender: Girl

Due Date: July 26, 2016

Name: So excited to share that our baby girl officially has a name!

I've been a huge fan of the name Emma since Rachel chose it for her baby on Friends. Thankfully Jonathan loves the name as much as I do so we've basically been set on Emma for our first girl since before we even started trying to get pregnant. I hadn't thought much about a middle name but once I started thinking of different middle name options, I kept coming back to Joy. We didn't want to commit to a middle name too quickly so we gave it a few months before deciding that nothing else was quite right. I also didn't want Jonathan to just agree with me on a name -- I wanted both of us to know it was the perfect choice so you can imagine the happy tears that came when he told me he was sold on it. I seriously can't say the name Emma Joy without smiling. I just know this name is going to fit our baby girl so perfectly and it makes me even more anxious to meet her!

Symptoms: Waking up here and there at night with some discomfort. I've been holding strong trying to avoid buying a pregnancy pillow but I don't know how much longer that will last. Otherwise, I'm definitely feeling quite pregnant but overall, I feel really good!

Cravings: Believe it or not, I've been craving salad pretty regularly and it's a welcome change. Always craving sweets but luckily any kind of fruit will do just fine!

Appointments: We had an ultrasound last week so they could get better measurements of baby's spine and that should be our last ultrasound until 36 weeks I believe. Her hands were covering her face the whole time and she was moving around so much - it was incredible. I had my one hour glucose test yesterday and I'm really just having a hard time believing we are already at this point!

Looking forward to: Getting away this weekend with my man and our friends then our little birthday getaway/babymoon in May and of course, our baby shower!

Exciting moments this week: I really just starting feeling the baby move in the last 2 weeks or so and the movements haven't been strong enough for Jonathan to feel until this week. Monday morning when my alarm was going off around 5:30 a.m., I woke up to Jonathan's hand on my belly and baby girl was kicking like crazy! Jonathan could feel every movement and she was bouncing around like that for a few minutes. It was the absolute best way to start our week off and I'm so glad we got to share such an amazing moment together.

Finally - A Pregnancy Update!

How far along: 21 weeks

Baby is the size of a: pomegranate

Gender: girl

Due date: July 26, 2016

Symptoms: I've been having some serious heartburn pretty regularly and I've probably been a little more emotional than usual but otherwise, I can't complain.

Nursery Progress: We made some major moves in this department over the past two weeks and it feels really good. We decided a while ago that we would need to convert our guest room to a nursery. Only problem with that was we were using our guest room to store everything we didn't have space for otherwise. Between all the items we needed to sort through, get rid of, give away, sell and the baby items we were already starting to accumulate, I couldn't think about that room without feeling completely anxious. I knew if we waited much longer to tackle that project, Jonathan would start getting busy at work and soon enough my energy wouldn't be where it is now. Luckily a few weekends ago, we both had the motivation to get it done and not only did we clear out the room, we also painted the room and purchased the glider the same day! The crib came today and I believe the dresser is being delivered tomorrow. Once those pieces are put together, we can chill out for a bit before we do too much more.

Appointments: We had our anatomy scan at 19 weeks and the doctor said everything looked great! She was in a bit of a weird position, so they had a hard time measuring her spine which just means I go back in a few weeks so they can try again. I can't complain about that -- love getting a glimpse of our girl in there.

Name: We've been settled on a first name since we started talking about having kids but last night we committed to a middle name, too. I'll share the full name here soon enough!

Looking forward to: Spending time with my older sister and her sweet kiddos next week then hosting Easter brunch for the 3rd year in a row. It's going to be a good week!

Exciting moments this week: Deciding together on her full name. I cried, obviously. Also, psyched to be putting the finishing touches on our registries. We spread out the items across Buy Buy Baby, Target and Amazon and I'm glad we did. Having so many options helped me choose what I felt were the perfect items for our girl and I had so much fun doing that. Another exciting moment: upgrading to my new mom ride! Knowing in just a few months I'll be toting around a little one along with all of the necessities and probably also our large, furry pup, we started to think we better move from my Nissan Sentra to something a little bigger. I'm pretty excited to tote around our little family in this and I feel a huge sense of pride knowing we were able to do this without going into debt. It makes it that much more exciting for us!

We're more than halfway to baby and while I can't wait to hold our sweet girl, I am truly enjoying this incredible time. I love being pregnant. This bump is a dream come true and sharing this time with Jonathan is an experience my heart can't even handle sometimes. It's too much in the very best way possible.

The one where we found out we were pregnant

We have our 19 week ultrasound today and I am just a wee bit excited. We haven't gotten a peek at our girl since week 12 which feels like a lifetime ago, so I am really looking forward to 4:00 this afternoon. 

To celebrate almost being halfway through this awesome journey, I thought I'd share the sweet story of how we found out we were pregnant. I always love reading these and I know I'll love looking back on this. 

By the time October came around, I was feeling a little discouraged and if I'm being honest, a little frustrated. I remember telling Jonathan at the beginning of the month that I wanted to take the month off -- not from trying to get pregnant, just from trying so hard to get pregnant. I told him I was out of ovulation sticks and didn't plan on buying any this month. I didn't want to pee on a stick to find out my peak fertility days and I didn't want to open the app on my phone that estimates my fertile window. I wanted a break from trying to control and plan it all. He was completely on board and we went about our business not thinking about it all so much.

As we entered November I was pretty much expecting to be right on schedule as usual and I was okay with it. I was glad we took a break from all that the month before because I needed it and I was okay with the fact that it meant we probably didn't get pregnant in October.

You can imagine my incredibly pleasant surprise when on November 18th, we cried the happiest tears over a positive pregnancy test. It was the day I tried to resist telling Jonathan I think and hope we might be pregnant but couldn't help it and when he told me he felt the same way, I closed my eyes at my desk and silently prayed we were both right this time. It was the day I proceeded to stop at the store on my way home to pick up a few tests telling myself (and knowing it was a lie) that I wouldn't take one until the next day. It was the day I got home from work and quickly talked myself into taking just one test since Jonathan had to run out to meet a client. It was the day we -- okay maybe just I -- stared in disbelief at that pregnancy test and thanked God for teaching us again that when we stop trying to control everything in our lives, we allow ourselves to completely place our trust in Him. 

We were supposed to go on a run when Jonathan got home so I took the test, placed it on the bathroom counter and started getting changed and when I wandered back to the counter and picked it up, I saw a plus sign, put the test down, walked out of the room the back into the bathroom. I picked it up again, squealed with excitement and started pacing around the house wishing Jonathan were in the other room so I could go stop him from whatever he was doing and make him jump for joy with me when I shared our news. The next 30 minutes or so felt like an eternity waiting for him to get home. I went and sat on the front porch. Then I came back inside and took a picture of the positive test on my phone so I could look at it again and again while I waited on the porch in case I started to question whether or not I saw what I think I saw. When he finally got home, the only sneakiness I could handle was handing him my phone with that picture up asking him to read something for me. It took a minute for it to register and when it did, I saw his eyes light up with the same joy and disbelief that I'd been basking in. 

We were just short of a year since our miscarriage and here we were, pregnant again. You would think with the pain of experiencing a miscarriage, I would have been anxious and worried but instead, I felt such peace and hope because if we've learned anything it's that no amount of worrying or planning or fear is going to change the outcome so why not choose joy?

Getting pregnant is just one of many life adventures that went very differently than I'd imagined it would. We could drive ourselves crazy trying to understand why we miscarried in 2014 or why it took some time for us to get pregnant again, but after all the other times God has shown me His plan all along was grander than anything I envisioned for myself, I trust that it's all part of our bigger plan and I'm thankful for not needing to know the why or how behind it all. In November 2014, I can't tell you how many times I looked to Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us" and now more than ever I see just how beautifully true that is. 

Life Lately

Well, hello. I had really high hopes pregnancy would make me a better blogger with so much I want to share and document but seeing how I haven't been here since announcing Baby Snyder oh, 6 weeks ago, that isn't how it's going. I just haven't had it in me to actually take the time to do some writing. We've been keeping busy and time is just flying by! Since we're so close to the 20 week mark at this point, I'll just plan on sharing a mega-update at that point! I also plan to share the story of how we found out we were pregnant because I always enjoy reading posts like that from others, so stay tuned.

In the meantime though, life lately has been full of so much joy. We've had all sorts of fun, gotten good news and there have been so many moments I never want to forget.

+ We spent the first weekend of February in Boca Raton celebrating our friends' wedding and had such a good time. It was one of those weekend getaways you don't realize how much you needed until you are there. The wedding was perfect and so much fun and we got to spend the whole weekend with friends that we don't see as much as we'd like to.

+ Last week, my brother texted me a picture of a house and said "Hey neighbor." The house just happens to be 1.6 miles from us (I mapped it immediately) and he's moving there at the end of the month. I have been jumping for joy ever since. We haven't lived this close to each other since college and I am so grateful we'll have him and his sweet girlfriend so close to us now.

+ Waking up on Sunday mornings with Abby and Taylor cat sprawled across the foot of the bed. So many snuggles.

+ Speaking of Abby, she is growing like crazy. She's probably tripled her weight since we brought her  home in December and at 30ish pounds, she still only about halfway to her full weight. This growth hasn't stopped her from allowing us to pick her up like a human though and I don't think she'll ever stop acting like a tiny puppy. She is full of energy and her and Taylor cat play together all the time although it could just be Taylor trying to get away from her that we think is them playing. Who knows. She certainly has added some chaos and life to our very quiet, clean home which is only helping to prepare us for our little one who'll be making an appearance in just five months.

We did start puppy training class last week and while I'm sure she'll always be wildly playful, we are working on gaining a little control over the chaos. She's catching on quickly and I'll be really satisfied when she isn't jumping up all over our guests and doesn't take me for a walk when I'm trying to walk her. She is the goofiest and sweetest thing and we regularly tell each other how happy we are with the decision to bring her into our lives. She's also like the only thing I've been taking photos of lately so here you go :)

+ Last Saturday, we brought Abby to the Winter Park Farmers' market. The weather outside was absolutely gorgeous and it was the perfect way to kick off Valentine's weekend with some quality time together. As we wandered around Winter Park and stopped to make friends with other puppies and people, multiple people commented on my pregnancy and it totally took me by surprise. It was the first time any strangers had noticed my growing bump and it caught me completely off guard but made my oh so happy.

+ We ventured out last weekend to look at nursery furniture and ended up starting our baby registry. I wish I had taken pictures of this adventure because this is a day I never want to forget. I would imagine a lot of husband's aren't keen on the idea of spending their Saturday at Buy Buy Baby registering for burp cloths and trying to decide on crib sheets but Jonathan was such a joy to be with that day. I couldn't even get the words, "Oh, we need one of these..." before I would here the beep of the scanner before I even got a chance to tell him which one. You couldn't miss the absolute pride and excitement he is feeling as we selected items for our baby girl. I don't ever want to forget him calling me over to the crib mattresses with way too much excitement so the store employee could explain all the options to us. I don't ever want to forget him going through the rack of Dr. Seuss books deciding which ones our sweet girl just needs to have in her nursery. I don't ever want to forget him shouting out "the baby bonjourno!" (Baby Bjorn) when we made it to the baby carrier section. Whenever we've ever talked about babies, he makes sure to tell me we're getting a baby bonjourno and how he's going to carry our little one around using it. He knows I laugh every single time he calls it that and this time in the middle of Buy Buy Baby was no different. As a side note: I had other carriers in mind from the get-go and when he saw the price tag, he too decided we would go with another option. I'm sure he'll always call it a baby bonjourno though and that makes me giggle even now.

I was already on cloud 9 the whole day as it felt completely surreal to me to be choosing the things that would soothe, hold, carry our sweet baby girl but witnessing Jonathan's apparent joy and pride just put the whole day completely over the top for me. I can't even think of how overwhelmed and proud I will be seeing him as a daddy. I literally cry just thinking about it.

+ I made baked ziti for dinner on Valentine's Day but more importantly, I made my own spaghetti sauce for the very first time. I tell myself every time I go to make anything Italian for dinner that next time, I am going to attempt my own sauce but then every time, I get intimidated and/or lazy and buy a jar at the store. I figured Valentine's Day was a good day to tackle this goal and I did it! It could use a few tweaks next time but I was really happy with how it turned out!

The last few months have flown by and I really can't believe we're almost halfway through our pregnancy already! We have our next ultrasound on March 3 and since we haven't had one since January 13 -- I am literally counting down the days until we get to see our sweet girl again. After that, I'll share a full blown pregnancy update with you all. In the meantime, we're tackling little projects around the house and soaking in all the joy of this special time in our lives.