39 weeks

hurry up, baby!

How far along: 39 weeks 2 days

size of baby: a small watermelon

Gender: baby boy

Weight gain: 19 pounds

Maternity clothes: lots of leggings and whatever is comfortable. I actually sold what I'm not using anymore to Clothes Mentor. Do I sound ready or what?

Stretch marks: the same

Belly button in or out: pretty flat...on a positive note, it's easy to clean!

Sleep: up a lot to switch sides, use the restroom, drink some water, or put in eye drops. I feel like I see every other hour on the clock. Peyton is sleeping better now that my mom is here.

Best moment this week: We had a great Mother's day and have enjoyed having my mom here. She's helped me so much with Peyton, laundry, and last minute things for baby. Josh and I got several boxes packed yesterday which is a good feeling. Peyton's last day of school is tomorrow and my Bible study ended on Friday. We made dinner for 2 couples with new babies and got to have Peyton's buddies Jack & Paul over for dinner on Sunday.

Worst moment this week: Just kind of bummed that he's not here yet.
Miss anything: not really...our life is kind of crazy with baby coming, Josh finishing intern year, buying a house, preparing to move, and planning a trip to Texas for a wedding. It's stressful but we're excited for new things!

Movement: Baby is very powerful and when he does move, it moves my whole stomach. I enjoy watching it and putting my hands on my belly.

Cravings or aversions: no change. I've been eating a lot of peanut butter M&M's and baked Cheetos lately. I've slowed my roll on Oreo smoothies at the gym. (Even though they always sound good.)

Symptoms: Starting to feel some pain when I walk and I'm having more and more contractions. Just nothing consistent. I try to bounce on my birthing ball a few times a day to get things going. I've also been doing squats and stretching.

Looking forward to: I'm hopeful we'll have some good news at my appointment on Friday and maybe a holiday weekend baby!

Here's a few pics from our maternity shoot. I'm so happy we decided to take them!

37 weeks

37 weeks with both boys! (we start Aggie brainwashing early hehe)

How far along: 37 weeks

size of baby: a bunch of swiss chard

Gender: baby boy

Weight gain: 18 pounds

Maternity clothes: seriously whatever is comfortable. My underbelly jeans from Gap aren't working so well anymore. I'm constantly having to pull them up. I refuse to buy any new maternity clothes at this point.

Stretch marks: about the same, I think I'm seeing some new ones above my belly button

Belly button in or out: borderline sticking out, sensitive

Sleep: I'm up every 2 hours or so at this point. My hips are hurting from laying on my side, even with using my preggle pillow.

Best moment this week: Spending time as a family of 3 before baby comes. We went to Chuck e Cheese on Friday afternoon and then decided at the last minute to go to the circus that night. I took Peyton to the park on Saturday and Sunday. It's starting to sink in that his days as an only child are numbered.

Worst moment this week: nothing really
Miss anything: I'm excited to not be pregnant. It will be nice to feel normal again.

Movement: He's starting to get hiccups once a day and his movement makes my stomach feel really tight.

Cravings or aversions: It's pretty much the same. Not really wanting big meals and sweets always sound good.

Symptoms: some hip pain from when I lay on one side for too long. My back also starts hurting if I stand for too long. 

Looking forward to: My mom coming in town so that I can have some help with Peyton. I'm also excited to have a girls night out tonight!

I ended up being induced with Peyton at 37 weeks. So early in this pregnancy I thought I would be upset or super miserable if I had to go past 37 weeks. Well, here we are and I'm actually fine. I'm not nearly as swollen and I'm not hurting as much as I did with P. I know he'll come when he's ready and the wait will be worth it.

8 lbs 8 oz newborn Peyton
April 6, 2011

36 weeks

P loves to stare at himself in the mirror. Also, proof that I'm still working out!

How far along: 36 weeks

size of baby: a honeydew

Gender: baby boy

Weight gain: 15 pounds

Maternity clothes: I'm wearing my leggings or maternity workout capris a lot. Trying to see what I can get away with. Leggings with a long shirt, why not? It covers my butt. 

Stretch marks: no new red ones, I need to be better about using the stretch mark cream.

Belly button in or out: borderline sticking out

Sleep: It's ok. Who needs sleep anyway, right? I'm glad I finally gave up and just started letting Peyton sleep on a pallet next to our bed. It makes for a better night for all of us.

Best moment this week: Since my last update I had my 27th birthday, met with the doctor who will deliver me, fun Easter weekend, took maternity pictures, and got a ton of stuff done on Josh's days off. We even made a trip up to St. Paul to go to the Como Zoo! Peyton had a great time.

Worst moment this week: Lots of emotions lately. I'm lucky to have an understanding hubby that will put up with my mood swings and let me vent.
Miss anything: I've realized that I'm not able to keep up with Peyton like I used to. I feel like he's getting away with more because he can tell I'm not my normal self. Luckily Josh has been home to help me keep him in line. He's a sweet boy, but sometimes he likes to argue or wander away from us in a crowd.

Movement: Lots of kicks and punches and I've started to notice some hiccups.

Cravings or aversions: My appetite isn't very big anymore. I still have my sweet tooth.

Symptoms: some pain in my rear and the top of my abs are sore by the end of the day

Looking forward to: Hopefully my Dr. will check me today and we'll have some progress! I'd still like to go 2 more weeks because my Mom doesn't get here until May 10. I also can't wait to see how our maternity pics turned out. Lastly, it's looking like everything is going well with our house in West Virginia. Josh and I still feel like we're holding our breath and can't get too excited just yet. We would love some prayers that everything falls into place. 

34 weeks

How far along: 34 weeks

size of baby: a butternut squash (I believe it)

Gender: baby boy

Weight gain: I'm thinking maybe 12 pounds at this point. I'm meeting the doctor who will deliver me on Friday and will know for sure then.

Maternity clothes: oh yes

Stretch marks: noticing some new ones around my belly button

Belly button in or out: very shallow and sensitive

Sleep: Still having crazy dreams and waking up once or twice to use the bathroom. I'm making more sound effects when I get out of bed.

Best moment this week: Since my last update I passed my 3 hour glucose challenge, my parents came to visit, we had Peyton's 3rd birthday party, finished a 3 session childbirth review class, went to Morgantown to house hunt and we're under contract for our first home!

Worst moment this week: flying to West Virginia 2 weeks ago was pretty uncomfortable, but worth it to find our house.
Miss anything: my belly not bumping into everything...

Movement: Tons! You can see it through my clothes. It sometimes takes my breath away.

Cravings or aversions: I'm eating pretty much everything that bugged me at the beginning of this pregnancy now. Dinner never really sounds good. I'd rather have a power bar or bowl of cereal.

Symptoms: back and sciatic nerve pain and calf cramps a few nights a week

Looking forward to: Meeting Dr. Gil on Friday, Josh having some time off, and working on my massive checklist before the move.

This picture cracks me up. I went to the mall with a friend and her 2 boys the other day. We saw that the Easter bunny was there and decided to say hello. Her boys had no problem sitting by him, but this is where Peyton chose to stand. "Keep your distance, Bunny." lol

28 weeks

Ninja Turtle Peyton and me

How far along: 28 weeks and 4 days

size of baby: an eggplant

Gender: baby boy!

Weight gain: I'm thinking 11 lbs, but will know for sure at my next Dr. appointment on Tuesday.

Maternity clothes: all the time...still trying to wear old t-shirts when I lounge around the house and I look kind of silly.

Stretch marks: staying the same

Belly button in or out: starting to get flat

Sleep: It's ok. Still waking up with P. When I roll from side to side, it's getting more difficult.

Best moment this week: Going to Madison, WI for Josh's STEP 3 exam. P and I got to swim, shop at a nice mall, visit the Children's museum, and try some fun restaurants. It was a fun little family trip...even though Josh had a 2-day test that was 8 hours each day.

Worst moment this week: P had croup that lasted almost 2 weeks. I hated hearing my little man cough and struggle to breathe. He's finally doing better now. The good news is we have a nebulizer now in case any of us needs a breathing treatment.
Miss anything: nothing really at the moment. Warmer weather would be nice.

Movement: He's a ninja! Especially when I'm laying down. I forgot how cool it feels.

Cravings or aversions: Sweet tooth...

Symptoms: still feeling a few Braxton Hicks each day. I've just started having a little sciatic nerve pain, ouch!

Looking forward to: my glucose test next week! (NOT, fingers crossed that I don't have to do the 3-hour test as well) But it will be nice to check on baby. I get to take Peyton to a sibling's class on March 17 which will be fun.

22 weeks

Gym selfie! Determined to stay fit this pregnancy.

How far along: 22 weeks

size of baby: a papaya

Gender: baby boy! (still undecided on name...)

Weight gain: 9 lbs...As mentioned in a previous post, too much Chic-fil-a and Tex Mex while in Texas lol.

Maternity clothes: oh yeah

Stretch marks: staying the same

Belly button in or out: getting very stretched out

Sleep: pretty good, with the exception of P waking up in the night

Best moment this week: the anatomy scan on Monday. I loved every minute, even though it took over an hour since he was so active.

Worst moment this week: After I dropped Peyton off at preschool, I almost slipped while walking back to my car. Luckily I grabbed my door handle in time. Still not used to the weather up here.
Miss anything: I've decided that I miss having a glass of wine every now and then.

Movement: lots more than the previous update! He's getting stronger.

Cravings or aversions: nothing new. Now that I'm back in MN, I've cooked some of our favorite dishes and it's been fine.

Symptoms: some stomach tightening if I push myself too much with cleaning or carrying Peyton. My Dr. said to listen to my body and drink lots of water.

Looking forward to: getting back into a routine and buying a few essentials for the new baby

hello, sweet baby! (from anatomy scan on 1/20)

20 weeks: Halfway there and an appearance from my future nephew!

Due in late May/early June: Elijah Aaron and baby Russell #2!

How far along: 20 weeks

size of baby: a banana

Gender: baby boy! (I *think* it's between 2 names, hopefully we can share soon!)

Weight gain: 2 lbs...haven't stepped on the scale for a few days

Maternity clothes: yes, with the exception of  my black stretchy skinny jeans

Stretch marks: I've been using this cream twice a day. I feel like my old stretch marks are itching and you can feel the indentions.

Belly button in or out: starting to look less deep

Sleep: hit or miss, still having crazy dreams

Best moment this week: Seeing Peyton play with his uncles and Josh's parents, and getting to see my sister-in-law Chelsey and her baby bump! We're due 6 days apart and both of us are having boys. They're going to be best buds!

Worst moment this week: nothing really
Miss anything: my husband! We'll be back in Minnesota next Friday. So thankful that he let me have this long trip to Texas before baby comes.

Movement: a little each day, but it's very faint. I know his kicks will only get stronger.

Cravings or aversions: chex mix sounded awesome the other day and the smell of spinach cooking made me nauseous

Symptoms: Itchy stomach and back pain

Looking forward to: Soaking up my last few days in Texas. They weather in MN is looking brutal. I've also been reading Baby Wise and I'm excited so far. I hope we can help this baby be a better sleeper.

Five on Friday

ONE

It's finally here! Today, we're heading up to Palestine, TX to go on the East Texas Polar Express Ride. I can't wait to see P's face when he sees "the north pole" and gets a bell from Santa. I'm also curious as to what a Laura Bush cookie is.

TWO

back away dog!

I'm really happy to be back in Texas. We're catching up on Tex-Mex and Chic-fil-a and loving this weather! It's kind of a zoo with my sister's cat, my mom's 2 cats, and the energetic labradoodle named Nike...but Peyton is enjoying it! They are his buddies.

THREE

Hello maternity pants! My normal jeans are starting to become uncomfortable. I can't get away with just unbuttoning them when I sit down, because thanks to my pregnancy brain I'll forget and possibly embarrass myself! My mom got me this pair from Gap and I love them! The demi panel is perfect for this stage of my pregnancy. The color and quality are great too.

I also got this pair from Mountain Mama. I needed some comfortable pants to wear around the house or to the gym. They're super soft and keep me warm. This brand even has maternity baselayer leggings to go under your pants. They are pretty much the only brand of maternity thermals I could find. 

FOUR

I'm pretty excited about my Christmas gift from my sister. She got me a 6 month membership to RocksBox. You take a survey and they send you 3 pieces of jewelry based on your interests. It's basically Netflix for designer jewelry. You can send them back whenever you're ready to try new pieces. (but you have to send all 3 back at the same time) If you want to keep a piece in your box, they give you 20% off the retail price. I love jewelry, but I'm also a very indecisive person who gets buyer's remorse. My sis knows me too well. Can't wait to try it out!

FIVE

I've gotten pretty used to being a stay at home mom. Part of my morning routine is to drink coffee and watch the Today show, while Peyton eats breakfast and plays. Today I saw this video and was in tears! It's the sweetest thing I've ever seen a son do for his mom. And it hits home since I'm going to have two sweet boys. Maybe I need to stop watching the news until my emotions are back to normal...

Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas from the Russells! Sending love and joy to you today and throughout the new year.

so excited for his "Buh Lighyear bay rocket"

Daddy joined in the fun all the way from Minnesota (thankful for technology like this!)

brother love! Let's hope this sticks...

early Christmas in Minnesota

On December 19, we celebrated Christmas with Josh before leaving for Texas. Josh got home from Oklahoma City the night before and we started setting up as soon as Peyton went to bed. Earlier that day we went to Target for stocking stuffers and Peyton decided that he needed this Ninja Turtle car for Christmas. I had a store associate help me hide it up front so that he wouldn't see it. He had an epic meltdown because he thought we weren't buying. Complete with everyone staring at us, and a store associate coming up to him with a sticker. Nice.

We had to wake up at 4:45 am to do Christmas since Josh had to be at work by 6 am. Peyton was SO excited. Before he unwrapped each gift, he said "Is this my Ninja turtle car?" We saved it for last for this reason. Overall, it was a success! P and I went back to sleep until we had to wake up for school.

one of his favorite gifts was this stomp rocket (which also happened to be the cheapest!)

blast off!

yay, Skittles!

...and they're all over the floor. Maybe if I look cute, Mom won't get mad.

The tractor is a gift from Josh's parents. We procratstinated and had to put it together the night before. Josh started around 9:30 and finished it around 11 pm. I'm so proud of his hard work!

He wanted me to take a picture of him to document his first "Dad job" at Christmas

look at those instructions!

Menu Monday: Holiday treats edition!

I think that fall is best time of the year to be pregnant! You get Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas…and if you're having an April/May baby like I have, you also get Valentine's Day and Easter. Lots of great food and candy. Last week I had a craving for these peanut butter balls and decided to make two other treats to share with our neighbors.

*As always, click on the purple link for the recipe.

Peanut butter balls

These were a huge hit! I love that this recipe has Rice Krispies in it for an added crunch. I recommend shaping the balls and then freezing or refridgerating them for a while until firm. I was too impatient to wait and had a hard time dipping them in the chocolate since they were too soft. I dipped some in vanilla almond bark and some in Wilton milk chocolate candy melt.

Peppermint patty stuffed Ritz crackers

I found these on the blog and thought they sounded good. It's a nice combination of salty and sweet. Don't over microwave them or they will melt too much. I thought these were easier to dip than the peanut butter balls.

*The blog that features these is called the Gunny Sack. It's funny because my neighbor uses a gunny sack when her sons have too many toys out. The gunny sack "eats" up the toys and if you behave, he'll give them back. I will probaby be using this tool once the baby is here!

Pretzel, M&M, & Candy Cane Kisses

These are another great combination of salty and sweet. I use butter snaps and they taste great. When we made this batch, Josh and I got busy and forgot they were in the oven! They were a little too soft, but it still worked out. Watch out because it's hard to just eat one :)

18 weeks

How far along: 18 weeks

size of baby: a sweet potato

Gender: baby boy! (his name still isn't final yet...)

Weight gain: 2 lbs (waiting to see what Christmas treats/meals do...one of the cons of being pregnant during this time of year)

Maternity clothes: mainly maternity shirts, with leggings or Denizen jeans from Target

Stretch marks: It looks like my old ones from P are "brightening" or something...YIKES! I read on a blog that this cream works well, so I just ordered some from Amazon.

Belly button in or out: starting to look less deep

Sleep: crazy dreams, seriously it feels like "work" to be sleeping...hoping to get more sleep now that I'm in Texas and my Mom will help with night duty. P is getting up most nights around 3 am with bad dreams.

Best moment this week: Seeing family and friends, and eating Tex Mex. I love Lupe Tortilla! 

Worst moment this week: the most difficult day was flying to Texas with a toddler in tow. I felt like the little engine that could. I kept thinking "If I can just make it to this point..." The shuttle from Rochester to Minneapolis dropped us off on the curb in the 19° weather. (with snow, ice, etc.) I had to work quickly to get the car seat out of the shuttle and latched into the travel cart, get P strapped in, and then drag him and our two suitcases (totaling 80 pounds) into the airport. Whew!
Miss anything: having clear thoughts (can't stand pregnancy brain)

Movement: feeling him kick a few times a day

Cravings or aversions: I told my sister the other day that I was craving a day after Thanksgiving sandwich lol. I don't really have any aversions at the moment. I have a super sense of smell and I can't stand it sometimes. (Yes, man sitting front of me on the plane, I smelled you passing gas and applying your Carmex every 2 minutes.)

Symptoms: My back has been sore and I've been more emotional. The song "Mary Did You Know?" came on the radio and I started crying. The line "when you kissed your little baby, you've kissed the face of God." AHHH!! I get goose bumps when I think about it.

Looking forward to: Christmas, of course! Peyton is SO into it this year. Can't wait!

visiting Santa

Peyton did a great job visiting Santa this year. Josh and I "talked it up" the entire morning before we went. We tried to tell him how exciting it would be and what to tell him. To our relief, he wasn't scared to go up to Santa. Check out the video below to see how it all went down. (we were laughing because P didn't really want to look at him lol)

I'm a little sad that we didn't get to take the picture at Bass Pro Shop like the previous years, but I still think it turned out ok. Can you believe how much he's grown?

Let's do this!

telling Santa what he wants for Christmas

visiting Santa 2011 and 2012…where did my baby go?!

2013

The Russell's Christmas Card 2013

Sending out Christmas cards is something I look forward to all year long! I like to have our picture finalized before Thanksgiving so that I can order them on Black Friday. With Josh working so much and being gone for interviews, we weren't able to take it as early as I'd like. This photo was taken 5 minutes before our neighbors came over for Thanksgiving. It was freezing outside! (Which is why Peyton didn't want to smile.) My neighbor Kate took a few shots and we ran back inside. Luckily we got a good one!

I ordered the cards from Minted. Not only do they have awesome designs, but they support independent designers. They also printed the addresses on the envelopes for free. Such a time saver! It was easy to do as well. Can't wait to have another little guy in the picture next year :) Enjoy!

Menu Monday: It's been a while...

I'm hoping to do this more often! If you'd like the dish's recipe, click on the title of the dish above the picture.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Served with roasted broccoli and cauliflower. This dish is a huge favorite! It has such great flavor and is low in calories. Will be making again soon.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We first found this recipe when doing the Advocare 24 day challenge in August. We put our own flare on it by topping them with sriracha sauce and toasted sesame seeds. So delicious!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Josh and I were blown away by this dish. I think I said "mmmm" after every bite! Lots of fun ingredients with great flavor. We topped with shrimp for more protein.

Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potato Soup

My Mee Mee has been texting me about potato soup, so I had to make it and satisfy my craving for it. I followed the pioneer woman's recipe since she makes it so easy to follow. We used a stick blender and it worked just fine. I top mine with cheetos and Josh prefers cheez-its. Perfect for the cold weather we've had up here! (Mr. P was enjoying an apple.)

Sweet Potato Skillet Hash with Spinach

This is another 24 day challenge recipe that I would consider clean eating. Josh said that he would have preferred red potatoes. I thought the sweet potatoes were interesting and the flavor was unique, but I don't think we'll make this again.

Black Bean Tamale Pie

Love this dish! I've made it a handful of times. We like to make our own "tamale" portion by using cornmeal instead of a cornbread mix. I googled a standard cornbread recipe and didn't use sugar. We liked it much better this way. It's a fun change up of our standard taco salad Tuesday. Try it!

Discover the Dinosaurs

Last week we went to Discover the Dinosaurs at the Mayo Civic Center. I was a little hesitant to go because of the price, but I'm so glad we went! Not only were there lifelike dinosaurs to check out, there was a dino dig, inflatables, miniature golf, a dinosaur ride, and more. I'm so proud of Peyton. He wasn't scared at all! The dinosaur sounds were loud and it was dark in some parts of the exhibit. Let's just say there were lots of upset children there. 

digging for bones

hitching a ride

P got to push buttons to make them roar or move

all smiles

static hair!

scary alligator slide

P and his buddy Kason (too busy to smile)