The 24 week update

** I just wrote a big long post and then accidentally deleted it! Boo! Basically all is well! I'll just leave you with my update and a belly shot!**

How Far Along: 24 weeks and 1 day.
Total Weight Gain: 15 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: Obviously.
Sleep: Things are looking up.
Best Moment(s) this week: My best moments are always any time I get to spend with Neil. I know that's really corny and cheesy but he just makes me really happy! He's the best husband ever! I was running late this morning and he packed my lunch, made me a bagel to eat in the car, helped me put my boots on and held up a fan while I dried my hair and I was getting really hot. Then I came home from work and he had like 3 loads of laundry done!? LOVE HIM.
Gender: Lila Caroline, a sweet baby girl!
Movement: Lots of movement. She's everywhere!
Baby's heart rate this week: Haven't counted it out much. Sounds like it always does, around the 140s.
Food Craving: Nothing in particular. Chocolate (always) and sushi!
Symptoms: Normal stuff. Heartburn mainly.
What I miss: Sometimes I miss blending into campus. I've always looked young enough to blend in with the students at the dining hall or wherever. I just get weird looks now and I feel awkward sometimes!
What I am looking forward to: Getting this busy week over with. I have to work until 10 on Thursday. Three presentations at a conference in Columbus on Friday and 4 hours of work on Saturday! The in-laws are coming to visit this weekend too! Oh and trick or treat on Sunday! Should I be a pregnant witch? Hmmm... glad Neil isn't here to make a comment on that one. ;)

Nursery preview: Pink and Aqua

Aqua walls, pink curtains and bedding, white furniture. Will be adding more apple green accents eventually - artwork, baskets, etc.


I'm working on the letters to go over the crib. Pinks and greens.


Some 0-3 month outfits in the closet. Notice the fake baby Uggs!


More to come when I take better photos and do more to the room!

Pregnancy Sleep, or lack there of.

I've always been a pretty good sleeper, 8-9 hours a night for the most part. I LOVE sleeping. I'm kind of a night owl - even on work nights I pretty much go to sleep around midnight unless I have to wake up really early for some reason. I usually fall asleep quickly and at least before I was pregnant I slept all through the night and usually a few "snoozes" past my alarm. Well, sorry to say, I think those days of sleeping through the night are over.

The pregnancy books and websites say the type and quality of sleep you get in pregnancy corresponds with your trimester. First trimester you are peeing all the time and waking up a lot. Second trimester (the so-called honeymoon phase) you usually sleep better but sometimes wake up or have really vivid dreams. And then it all pretty much goes to hell in the third trimester.

That pattern has mostly rung true for me, but with 3 weeks still to go in the 2nd trimester, I'm already dealing with 3rd trimester sleep disturbances. Last night was pretty rough. I just couldn't get comfortable. If it wasn't my lower back hurting it was my upper back or my belly. I'd get comfy for 10 minutes or so and would then have to flip to the other side (which is not that easy anymore). I used to sleep on my back and stomach a lot - so this side sleeping is really hard. Also, my baby girl is VERY active at night. She was doing a whole dance routine last night on my major organs and although it's cute and precious it was also pretty annoying. I kept waking Neil up and accidentally hitting him with the five new pillows that have joined us in bed. I finally gave up and went to the couch around 4am. After being up for a while (and having a snack) I did manage to sleep another hour or so on the couch. Neil was nice enough to come wake me up for work but I was greeted with a lovely morning charlie horse! Oh the joys!

I know I'm not the first pregnant woman whose had issues sleeping. I think every pregnant woman does. It's just hard on me because I've never had any problems with sleep! I just hope I can figure out some ways of coping and need to try to get more rest during the day when I am comfortable. I might have to give the couch another try tonight. But I guess this is all good in the end. We're both learning to deal with interrupted and crappy sleep so we will be somewhat ready when baby comes in a few months!

Doctor's appt fun and 23 weeks today!

One thing I've learned from my doctor's appointment this past Friday, is not to let the nurse weigh you and then take your blood pressure! It was a chilly day on Friday and I had on a bulky sweater and clunky heavy boots, and even though I had weighed myself that morning this freaking scale weighed me in at 6 lbs heavier than I weighed just hours before! I thought I was going to have a stroke. Then they took my blood pressure - which was sky high because I was freaking out about my weight. The scale at the doctor's office is always about 2 lbs heavier than my home scale, but the number that came up this time was so shocking I thought I was going to die!! They ended up taking my BP again about 10 minutes later, and it was back to around my normal 120/70.

So anyway after the weigh-in trauma and after the nurse found Lila's heartbeat (140s) she sent the doctor in. She was really nice and lovely and asked me all about my ultrasound at the last appointment, how I was doing, etc.. And then she said, wow your weight went way up this time! I gestured to my boots and tried to explain why I thought the scale was off. She totally understood and said not to worry about it. Well, the rest of the appointment went fine, and as soon as I got home I took off my boots and weighed myself - 4 lbs lighter than what I just weighed. Then the next morning I was back to "normal" - about a 14 lb total weight gain since June - and 6 lbs gained in the last month. The recommended per month gain is 4lbs, so I do want to watch my weight a little bit more this month. I need to make sure I'm not eating too many sweets and carbs and that I'm getting in my veggies. I've also not been as good with working out, so I want to make sure I'm keeping up with that.

Anyway, I hate the scale. I am really scared/concerned about gaining too much weight, but of course I know I can't diet and I need to make sure Lila is getting all the nutrition she needs. I just want to make sure I can get the weight off next year after she comes. My goal is to gain no more than 4 lbs by my next appointment on Nov. 11. That way I'll be back on track!

So, here I am snacking on some almonds. I'm 23 weeks today. Everything is going really great. I just had a really nice weekend with Neil, I'm feeling great, and I can't believe we're nearing the end of October. The fall and my pregnancy are FLYING by.

Lila is well over a pound now, probably a pound and 1/2. She is the length of an ear of corn! I'm getting really excited about meeting her soon. I think about what she might look like, what her little personality might be, and how she is going to fit into our lives. Sometimes I just imagine she's already here and it makes me really excited. Every once in a while when I'm in the car I look into the backseat and imagine her sitting in her car seat looking back at me (yes, I know she won't be front facing for along time)! I'm just ready for her to be here!

We are trying to finalize the decision on our car seat/stroller choice. At first we thought about a Chicco travel system, but I think now we are leaning toward a Chicco car seat and a separate jogging stroller (I'd love a BOB or Phil & Ted's but they are waaay too pricey. We are thinking an InStep or Jeep). I want a really sturdy stroller for walking/jogging around the neighborhood, so I'm thinking the jogger is the way to go. The only downside to it is that its bulky and heavy. I figure we will mostly have Lila in her infant car seat or a wrap/carrier when we go out when she is very tiny anyway, and eventually she'll be able to use a lightweight/umbrella type stroller that will be more portable. I just wish more stores had jogging strollers in-store so we could try them out.

Also, I'm hoping to get Neil to Target this week to finalize our baby registry! I've put some stuff on it online, but I want to make sure I have some good things on there that are physically in the store too. I'm thinking Babies R Us and Target for our registries. To be honest, we already have the big items and a lot of the essentials, so it feels kinda odd to be making a registry. But I know people will start asking for it, so I better oblige!

Well, before I get too long winded, I think I'll go ahead and give my weekly update for week 23!

How Far Along: 23 weeks today.
Total Weight Gain: 14 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: I need to get some more sweaters and warmer clothes to make it through the winter. I went through my closet this weekend, I have a very limited wardrobe!
Sleep: Sleeping is just not that comfortable anymore. I feel bad for Neil because of all the pillows taking over the bed. I bought a great body pillow but I'm also putting one behind my back for support. It's just a lot of pillows! I toss and turn a lot, but the pillows are helping.
Best Moment(s) this week: Working out at the gym with Neil. It felt great to lift weights again, even though all the guys were staring at me like, "What is this pregnant chick doing in the free weights?"
Gender: Girl.
Movement: Still moving! She is getting stronger and still loves the nightlife (11pm-1am is her most active time).
Baby's heart rate this week: Low 140s.
Food Craving: Not much. Milk, yogurt and chocolate. Oh and meatballs sounded really good yesterday, but I didn't get any!
Symptoms: Symptoms are manageable. Just occasional swelling in my feet at the end of the day and my nightly heartburn.
What I miss: My fall clothes. But all my fall boots and shoes seem to fit!
What I am looking forward to: Honestly? November. October is crazy busy for me, I just can't wait until November 1st when I can relax a bit! I think November will be fun too because I'll get to see family and our childbirth classes start in the middle of the month. Yay!

Week 22.

Here we are in week 22! How exciting. I have another doctor's appointment this week, on Friday. I'm not expecting it to be super eventful or anything, but I think they start measuring my belly now and I'll get to see what my "official" weight gain is for the past month. Not this appointment but next I will get my glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes. Apparently I have to drink a nasty sugary drink and then sit there for an hour and then they test my blood glucose levels. Sounds exciting! But that is next time, around 26 weeks or so. Then after that, I will start seeing the doctor every 2 weeks instead of every 4. That means I'm getting closer!

My parents came in for a short visit this weekend. It was fun to see them. Mom brought Lila some adorable outfits, including some beautiful hand-knit sweaters, hats and booties. Some of the cutest stuff ever! My mom is very talented! I know some of those outfits we'll put Lila in for her newborn photos or for photo sessions later on. We also went to Carter's and some yard sales and got a few more outfits for Lila. It's an addiction I'm telling you. We also found a Bumbo seat for $5! It's pink and was a little dirty, but we've got it looking pretty good. We have so many things for her already!

I'm feeling just fine. I've still got my daily heartburn and my Tums stash is dwindling, but it's not that bad at all. I love feeling Lila move around. She makes me laugh already. She is definitely awake late at night and early mornings but sometimes I feel her during the day, especially after meals. She is a strong kicker. We can see her kicks now, and if I sit there and count I easily reach 10 kicks in just a few minutes during her active times. I won't start official kick counts for awhile, but I have a feeling I'll have no problem with those.

Lila is over a pound now and the size of a papaya. She can hear outside of the womb, so we've been singing to her and playing music for her occasionally. Apparently she has eyebrows now and her brain is developing rapidly. This time next year, Miss Lila will be 8 months old! That's so hard to believe but so exciting to think about.

Here's what I'm looking like these days!


There is no hiding it now, there is definitely a baby in there. I'm getting a lot of weird looks from students around campus. I guess I'm young-enough looking to make them shocked for a second that I might be a knocked up student! It's kind of funny to see their reaction. I hope they realize that my belly is baby NOT beer.

Here is my weekly update!

How Far Along: 22 weeks and 2 days.
Total Weight Gain: 12-14 lbs? I'm waiting for my official weigh-in on Friday.
Maternity Clothes: Yep! Still need some warmer clothes. Just bought some maternity leggings and a top today. And BOOTS!
Sleep: Sleeping okay. Starting to get uncomfortable. I might need a good body pillow!
Best Moment(s) this week: Eating sushi and hearing my parents talk about Lila!
Gender: A girl!
Movement: She is moving like crazy. I can both feel and SEE her kicks daily.
Baby's heart rate this week: She stays pretty steadily in the high 140s or 150s.
Food Craving: Nothing really! Chocolate always sounds good, caramel apples (but it's fall, people!) and chai tea.
Symptoms: Heartburn, ligament pain/stretching, a little swelling in my feet after walking.
What I miss: Being able to ride rollercoasters and go to Zumba class.
What I am looking forward to: My appointment on Friday and getting this week done (I'm teaching 7 classes this week!)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

A letter to my daughter

My sweet Lila,

I was in a little bit of a funk yesterday and I finally realized it's because I miss you. I know that sounds crazy because I haven't technically even met you yet, but its been a month since I saw your little face on the ultrasound monitor. I cannot wait to see your sweet face again and meet you in person. I'm so tempted to pay for a 3d/4d ultrasound, even though I said I wouldn't do that. I just want to see you again and see how you've grown and changed.

I've also realized this month that I love you! I mean, ever since I found out about you in June I've of course been thrilled and excited. But since finding out you were a baby girl and feeling you move in there, I've really fallen in love with you. I think your dad is pretty smitten too. He has felt you kick and we actually SAW you kick this weekend. It was really cool. You must be getting strong in there if I can already see your kicks. I just know you are getting really big and healthy, baby girl!

I've had some dreams about you and you are so beautiful and such a good baby. I never truly imagined myself with a daughter, but I am honestly so excited and honored to get to be your mom. I know nothing about taking care of a baby and your daddy and I might screw up a little in the beginning, but we just plan on loving you like crazy! When we are in the throes of sleep deprivation and exhaustion here in a few months, I'm just going to kiss your face and hold you and hopefully it will all be okay!

There are so many people out here in the world who can't wait to meet you. You have four pretty awesome grandparents who can't wait to hold you and love on you. You have lots of aunts and uncles (real and honorary) and even a few little friends who will get to grow up with you.

But most of all baby, you have an amazing daddy! I cannot wait for you to meet him. He makes me laugh everyday and I know our life will be filled with even more happiness when you get here. He is the best husband, friend and person ever, so I have no doubt he'll be the best dad to you as well. I can't wait to see you two together. We're going to have so much fun!

Hopefully I can get another glimpse of you in 3D before you're born. If not, I really will see you soon. Just a few more months until you'll be here to really join our family. But in a lot of ways you're already a part of it. I love you and I'll see you soon baby girl.

Love,

Your mama.

Oh no! My feets are growing!

One of my biggest (and silliest) fears of pregnancy is that my feet would grow a 1/2 size to a full size larger. Apparently this is pretty common and I've talked to quite a few new moms that this has happened to. I don't care about having bigger feet (current size is 7 1/2 or 8) but I LOVE my current shoe collection. No pair cost more than $50 probably, but I have amassed a glorious group of boots, patterned flats and cute heels that I do not want to part with.

But, it already appears that my feet are no longer as comfy in my size 8s. It really sucks! Luckily it's still warm enough for flip flops for now - but I will seriously cry if I lose my shoes forever. It's vain and materialistic, yes, but it'll be hard and costly to replace all the shoes I have. Here's hoping this is just a pregnancy thing and my feet will transform back to their former state after baby!

On the bright side, I will be able to buy new shoes if I really can't wear mine anymore. It's just too bad that after baby, my shoe shopping time will be greatly reduced!

21 weeks

I don't know that I actually am, but I'm feeling more ready for baby. I know there is still a ton of stuff to do and think about (hello, labor!) but I am feeling a little more relaxed about Lila's arrival (maybe picking a name has something to do with that). We spent the weekend with our friends Mike and Angela and their 17-month old daughter Anna. What a learning experience! This is the first time we've seen them since I've been pregnant and watching them with Anna makes me both excited and scared out of my mind.

Anna is adorable and so smart and her parents are amazing with her. It's incredible to me that they know just what she needs! How did Angela know that what Anna really needed was a cookie from the car or her stuffed giraffe instead of the bunny? It's very mysterious this motherhood thing. I hope that I am as good of a mother as she is someday! They just have this really great routine that seems to work well and such good intuition. I guess that comes with practice. Thanks again Mike and Angela for coming to visit, for the adorable outfits for Lila and for all of your excellent advice and guidance! Can't wait for Anna to meet Lila next year!

Well, I'm still feeling great. Still having growing pains but nothing too bad at all. I am feeling Lila move a lot more. She seems to be active both late at night and early in the morning. I feel a lot of kicks and punches anytime I'm sitting still, really. It's pretty cool!

The nursery is coming together and I bought a few cute outfits at yard sales and on super sale at Carters this weekend. I know I need to stop buying clothes, but I got a ton of sleepers and gowns for $ .25 each and its hard to turn down deals like that! I found a cute outfit at a yard sale for $2 and then saw it new at Carters the next day! I love yard sales!

Oh - we signed up for childbirth classes! They are 4 consecutive Monday nights starting on November 15 - which is also when I'm starting the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy. I'm not sure Neil is super enthusiastic about 4 class sessions, but I want to give it a try. We know nothing about birth AT ALL, and I want him to learn so he can help me make informed decisions on "labor day" when I might not be in my best state of mind. There is also a tour of the birth center included in the class which we need to do anyway. I think taking the classes will really help me feel more prepared for childbirth. Because right now I feel incredibly unprepared and I'm just trying not to think about the birth part at all. Denial is not the answer!

Alright, here is my weekly update:

How Far Along: 21 weeks and 2 days
Total Weight Gain: About 12 lbs. Sounds like a lot to me, but apparently that's on the low end of the range for where I should be. I'm happy with that.
Maternity Clothes: Just found some long sleeve tees on sale at Macy's and I found black maternity tights! I hope they work. I need tights to wear with dresses when it gets cooler. I live in tights, dresses and boots in the cold months. Oh and I bought an XL fleece jacket that I think will work for the whole pregnancy! It was depressing to buy an XL - but there is room to grow and I needed something easy and warm to throw on.
Sleep: Sleeping great!
Best Moment(s) this week: Spending time with friends this weekend.
Gender: A sweet baby girl. Lila Caroline. :)
Movement: We have movement. She loves dancing in the car when I'm blasting Glee on the way to work. Oh, and Neil felt her kick last night! Actually, I think it was a headbutt not a kick.
Baby's heart rate this week: 140s-150s.
Food Craving: Nothing in particular.
Symptoms: Not many symptoms right now other than occasional heartburn and stretching in belly.
What I miss: Wearing my normal fall wardrobe and bargain shopping for new fall clothes.
What I am looking forward to: My parents are visiting this weekend. I can't wait to see them. We are going to get sushi and maybe do a little shopping and just hang out and talk. I think Mom just wants to see how big my belly is now in person. ;)

I hope everyone has a great week!

Baby Miller has a name!

We've chosen a name for our baby girl! Our daughter's name is...

Lila Caroline Miller

I'm actually surprised we've decided on a name so quickly, but with Neil being so picky we had so few names to choose from, so the choice ended up being pretty easy. He really only liked Lila from my top choices for first names, and we compromised on the middle name. Lila is pronounced LIE-lah. I really wanted Lila Mae. Mae is my grandma's middle name and I really wanted to use it, but it does sound a little silly/country with our last name. Neil wanted a more substantial middle name to go with Lila. So, Lila Caroline it is!

It's funny, I wrote a blog post about baby names last October, and my top choice for a girl then was Lila Madeleine. So obviously I'm really happy with our selection and I'm glad Neil likes it too!

Now we're just waiting for Miss Lila to get here. We can't wait to meet her!