26 Weeks

Wow look at that belly!  I cannot believe it has been this long since I blogged, but life has been busy.  So much has happened in the last six weeks.  I finished my degree and will soon be applying to the masters program.  And we closed on our house and moved in just two weeks.  Luckily my wonderful husband did all the moving and heavy lifting.  Morgan spent days taking trips to and from the apartment without a single complaint.  I love him so much!  Not only that, but he installed a security system to keep us safe and sound.  We also had lots of help from family and friends, which was truly a blessing.

So what's new with the baby?  Well need less to say...I have grown.  At my last appointment I had barely gained three pounds in a month, but I know will definitely gain at least four this month.  Although I have not been eating a lot more, it seems like every calorie goals straight to growing Liam.  Exercise wise, I have been working out almost daily.  Usually I do Zumba, walk, elliptical, or do spin class.  I am still doing moderate lifting in the gym, plus the occasional swim.  Here is my picture from 23 weeks and now at 26 weeks.  My belly button is going to pop any day now!  Also got some stretch marks...boo....

Morgan sent me flowers at work! I felt so loved and special.  They were beautiful.  Mom also sent me flowers so my house is looking much more colorful.  Thank you! 

Movement:
I have noticed Liam is moving more and more now.  Although they tell you to only sleep on your side, I think he gets uncomfortable because he starts squirming immediately after I turn over.  Also, he really likes to kick me at work, especially in the bladder...As far as my movement, I am getting slower when it comes to getting up and down.  Sometimes Morgan has to push me up off the couch. However, I can still shake it in Zumba class!  
Cravings:
Well I have a confession, the other night Morgan and I split a vanilla milk shake and a donut for dinner.  But I promise most days are not like that!  We eat very healthy and I always include 1-2 servings of fruit and 2-3 servings of veggies daily.  Sometimes I honestly don't have an appetite because my stomach has pressure on it.
Sleep: 
Sleep is often non existent.  I have a hard time getting comfortable and an even harder time waking up in the morning once I do fall asleep.  If anyone has suggestions, send them my way!  I am already using a body pillow.  
Weekly Highlight:

Morgan got to see our adorable nephew, Blake.  I have not seen him since he was a tiny baby so I hope to get to see him again soon.  Two very handsome men in this picture!
Our upcoming events/goals:

• Finish unpacking the house
• Paint the baby's room
• Conquer Babies 'R' Us
• Sign up for birthing class
• Morgan is training for an Ironman in October
• Work on some Pinterest crafts
• I have to take the diabetic screening next week...gotta drink the nasty sweet drink :(

   That's all for now!  Thanks for reading

20.5 weeks! Sorry this has taken so long

I have been a bad blogger lately and have not posted in a while.  I started a new position with the school system that I am loving!  It keeps me very busy!  Morgan has also been training hard for his triathlon.  We have been taking salsa lessons and I have been doing a lot of kickboxing and zumba.  I never thought I would say this, but some days zumba kicks my butt!

BIG NEWS!  Baby William Morgan House III a.k.a Liam will be coming June 15th!  We were very eager to find out if it was a boy or girl.  Last week we decided to do a gender reveal party with our family.  We had the doctor seal the sex of the baby in an envelope and we took it to a bakery.  Secretly they injected the cupcakes with the color that matched the sex of the baby.  Trueloves bakery did a fantastic job!  We could not tell that the icing was blue on the inside.  We all gathered at none other than Mellow Mushroom of course for the big reveal.  As Morgan and I sat surrounded by our loved ones we bit into the delicious cupcakes and saw a blue surprise!  We could not be happier to be having a son.  (Actually he is kicking right now as I type!)

Shout out to my hubby!  Today I have to brag on Morgan who was sweet enough to clean the entire house.  It looks better than they day we moved in!  If you have ever been to our "house" you know it is not a house at all, but a tiny one bedroom apartment.  However, we are closing on our new house on February 14th.

Things I will not miss about living in an apartment:
Smelling last night's dinner for three days straight because the scents get absorbed in the old carpet
Hearing our neighbors conversations at odd hours of the night
Trying to squeeze two full wardrobes into the equivalent of a broom closet
The toilet that always runs and likes to explode at random times

That said, I know that this was a great time for me and Morgan, as we spent our first year of marriage here.  But I am counting down the hours until we move into the new house.

Bump-date:

How far along: 20.5

How are you feeling: Pretty great! I exercise daily and can still do 8 pull ups :)

Stretch marks?:  Not yet!

Weight gain: Normal, on schedule according to doctor

Baby movement: He is very active after I eat and at night, hope that is not an indication of how he will sleep when he is born

Cravings: Not too many, been eating pretty good lately

Mood: Very happy, not too emotional.  Morgan and I are doing great!  Enjoying our new Sunday school class

Looking forward to: birthing classes, shopping for boy stuff, and going swimming in the summer with my belly

Excited about: the fact that my body is not retaining so much fluid.  Check out my pictures from around Christmas time, my face was pretty puffy.  

Thanks for reading! 

- Love Morgan, Emily, and baby Liam!

Week 17.5

It has been too long since I last blogged.  Today I felt the baby move for the first time!  I hope that Morgan can feel him/her in the next few weeks.  Usually you can feel the baby by 21 weeks.  We had a great Christmas and New Year!  I tried to stay as far away from the Christmas cookies as possible, although I did sneak a few.  My sweet tooth has been surprisingly tame but that is partly due to the fact that I have had strep throat for about two weeks.

We have good news...WE FIND OUT THE SEX IN 15 DAYS!  We are so excited and anxious to find out what we are having.  

Baby Mama Staying Fit

I am trying to stay in shape while doing baby-safe exercises.  Group fitness classes have been a great way to keep exercise exciting and keep me from going crazy.

Weekly Highlights

• I got a job promotion
• Morgan brought me flowers!
• I got to attend my first Scouting Camporee 
• We had delicious venison chili for dinner

Bump Update

• Week: 17.5
• Movement: YES!  I felt the baby move for the first time
• Symptoms: Fatigue and back pain
• Cravings: Thai food and fizzy drinks
• Sleep: It has been okay...although I have been having strange dreams
• Baby Brain: This is a real thing.  I cannot seem to remember anything these days.  I seriously need to write things on my forehead to remember them.

Daddy's Corner

I never thought I could be this excited about something! Emily and I are expecting the baby mid June and I can't wait. I am the luckiest guy in the world to be married to such an amazing girl. Emily is going to be the best mom in the world and I can't wait to experience parenthood with her. We have been thinking of names and we have come up with a boy's name but not any girls names so that leads us to believe we will probably have a girl! As cliche as it sounds, we are going to be happy as long as the baby is healthy. I've heard from so many people that having a baby changes your life in countless ways - but they are all for the better. I can't help but think to when Emily and I first started dating and then 8 months later we were engaged and then 16 months later we got married and now here we are - married for a year and now we are 17 weeks pregnant! Time is flying by and I know the baby will be here in no time. I can't wait to see his/her face this summer and show him him/her how much I love him/her. He/she is going to be the love of our lives - we are so excited to have our own little family.

Say Cheese! Its Week 15

Mamma and Baby Make Cheese

 My Dad and Karen got us a cheese making kit for Christmas.  You can make a pound of mozzarella or ricotta from a gallon of milk.  I love this because I can control what goes in my body using lower fat cheese and organic milk.  Baby has me craving cheese all the time!  Tonight I am going to make some bruschetta to go with our cheese.  So here it how you make an easy cheesy treat!

1. First take one gallon of pasteurized milk and add 1/4c dissolved rennet and 1/4c citric acid.  
2. Place the pot on the burner and bring it up to 90 degrees stirring constantly.  
3. After it reaches 90 take it off the burner and cover for 5 minutes.  This is when the whey and curd form.  
4. As you can see in the picture below, you then can cut the curds into blocks.

5.  Place the pot with the cubed curds back on the burner and bring up to 120 degrees stirring gently.

Next comes the fun part!

6.  Here I placed the curds in a microwave safe bowl and strained off as much whey as possible.  

 7.  Microwave the bowl for 1 minute and strain off more whey.  Then press the curds together into a ball.

8.  Next stretch the cheese into long strands until it looks shiny!

9.  Form the cheese into whatever shape you would like.  I chose to do a twist, but next time I will do a braid.  

 10.  Place it in an ice bath for 15 minutes to hold the shape.

Finished product!  Yummy!   Enjoy mozzarella in dishes like lasagna or serve with fresh tomatoes and basil.

Baby Update

How Far Along: 15 weeks, 3 days
Baby's Size: Apple
How am I Feeling: I have been sick for about a week with a sinus cold.  I finally broke down and decided to take approved medicine because I am not getting better.  Morgan has been taking great care of me.
Things I Miss: Wearing my skinny jeans buttoned (right now I have to wear them unbuttoned with an elastic band).  I am going to go get maternity pants before work starts back.
Next Appointment: January 2nd