Baby Brown: Week 31

A day late, but still managed to get this done this week!

How far along: 31w4d and feeling every bit of it.  

Due date: March 27, 2016

Baby Size: at my 31 week check up yesterday, the doctor said baby is measuring right on track based on my belly size.  The app says romaine lettuce and could be 17 inches long and 3.5 pounds!

Weight gain: I am not one to complain about the weight gain because I know it's all for a much bigger reason.  My small 5'2 body is housing another human in there! That is potentially 17 inches long! My weight gain is continuing to increase, but I know and have confidence that the pounds will come off if I work hard for it after! 

Maternity Clothes: yep and trying to mix and match different outfits from the clothes that actually do fit me is getting more challenging.  I need some longer tunics so I can wear leggings!

Stretch Marks: nope!

Sleep: sleep isn't that bad lately.  I've been able to fall asleep and stay asleep easier, but still waking up 3x to use the bathroom.  

Gender: BOY!!! 

Name:  Harrison Cole Brown !

Movement: feeling him move is the best thing ever.  His movements are getting more abrupt and drastic.  Doctor said seems like head is down and was on the left side during the appointment, but I still feel him more on the right side. 

Best moment this week: hearing the heartbeat going strong at 150! 

Looking forward to: slowing down.  I've been extremely busy with cheerleading the past couple weeks and will continue to be until February 13th.  Hoping my body can continue to keep up until then! Oh and also our maternity photos this weekend!! 

Husband is: on his own countdown until he leaves for Spring Training.  T-6 weeks until he leaves :(

Food cravings: nothing new in this category

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.

Labor Signs: nothing yet, but the countdown is ON!

Missing Most: being able to breathe easily. 

Symptoms: extreme shortness of breath, dizziness, and a big ole belly!

Nursery: on the lookout for curtains.  Other than that, the room is coming along nicely! We got the bookshelves in the other day and just need to hang them on the wall with the mirror!

Belly Button in or out? flouty (flat/outie)

Wedding rings on or off? on and still going strong! 

Mood: feeling good, but sometimes the thought that after Harrison gets here it will never just be the two of us again.  Trying to embrace the last few weeks with the boo home. 

Workouts: nope. 

Baby Brown: Week 30

How far along: 30 weeks - how are we in the 10 week countdown?! 

Due date: March 27, 2016

Baby Size: my all time favorite fruit - cantaloupe! 

Weight gain: I will give you all a legit update on this next week since I go to the doctor next week. 

Maternity Clothes: loving all things stretchy.  Eventually this big booty judy isn't even going to fit in her maternity work pants! 

Stretch Marks: nope!

Sleep: waking up 3x a night, but the sleep itself hasn't been terrible this week.  His movements have become less noticeable as I fall asleep (partially because he is running out of space to move in there).  But don't get me wrong, he is still fully making his presence known! 

Gender: BOY!!! 

Name:  Harrison Cole Brown !

Movement: he has favored the right side of my body more recently and I can't help but wonder what body parts are moving around in there.  Movements are less sudden kicks and more constant rolls. I experienced what it means when they are "under your ribs" for the first time this week.  Talk about something I've never felt before! 

Best moment this week: definitely the shower for our sweet boy.  We were gifted so many amazing things that I know will come in handy very soon! 

Looking forward to: all the upcoming things for baby Brown - hospital tour, showers and my 34 week appointment!

Husband is: still surprised that my bump can keep growing.  We looked back at what my 20 week photo looked like and thought to ourselves "wow - I can't believe we thought you were big then!" With my constant potty break in the middle of the night, he has started to give me a boost up without me even realizing that he is waking up and it's so sweet.  Thankful he still have muscles even though mine are all gone in my stomach! 

Food cravings: still loving all things "clean" - maybe a sign of nesting?! Also I have been craving baths.  They just make me feel so relaxed. And this isn't new, but I have been chewing on ice like no other! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.

Labor Signs: nothing yet, but the countdown is ON!

Missing Most: the energy I had prior to pregnancy and not having back pains. 

Symptoms: serious right back pains between the area my bra is and down. Also feeling some pressure/pain on my lower back and hips area.  

Nursery: table next to the chair is painted and the knobs are purchased.  Still have a few more purchases I need to do (standing lamp, curtains and rod and some decor) but loving how it's all coming together.  Slowly but surely!

Belly Button in or out? flouty (flat/outie)

Wedding rings on or off? on and still going strong! 

Mood: still feeling great.  I cannot believe our little man is going to be here in such a short amount of time.  It's crazy to me that in only a short 7 weeks D.J. will leave for Spring Training and I will be 37 weeks pregnant.  After he leaves the next time I will see him is when we are becoming parents.  These next few weeks I am embracing the family we have now before we grow and bring little dude into the world!

Workouts: Did a 35 minute prenatal yoga video on youtube yesterday.  It was very relaxing and made my body feel very good! 

Harrison's Baby Shower

This weekend we celebrated the upcoming birth of baby Harrison and we could not be more thankful for the love and support that we have from our family and friends! 

I started the morning off with a haircut and a simple curl from the same lady that has cut my hair since I was little girl.  I arrived at my parents house for the shower around 12:30 p.m. before the shower started at 1.  My sister, mom, cousin and college friend really out did themselves with the shower.  All the decorations were hand made and I love the way they turned out! I haven't decided yet what exactly I am going to use in his nursery, but this for sure gives me options! Here's some photos of the decorations! 

Diaper wreath on the front door.

Favors for the sweet friends and family members that came to shower baby Harrison!

Handmade onesies and garland.

The mantel in the living room with beautiful decorations for the nursery!

This cake was AMAZING! One of my mom-friends that I workout with has a secret talent of cake making and this was no exception.  Delicious!!

For food, the hostesses decided to go with Gourmet Gang, the company that D.J. works for in the off season.  The presentation was beautiful and food did not disappoint.

Two of the hostesses - my sister Julie, and "big" and college friend Kendall.

We played a few games throughout the day that were prefect for everyone of all ages at the shower.  There was an ongoing game of The Price is Right where you had to guess the total price of items in the basket.  My cousin Kori was the winner and only off by $1! All guests filled out a Bingo board and crossed them off as I opened presents and everyone had a "Hope and Dreams" paper to fill out before they left with their hopes and dreams for Harrison.  Reading through them after the shower was so sweet. Being able to have those for him as he grows older is going to be so much fun sharing with him! Then at the end of the shower, we measured my belly.  Final two came down to Nana and my friend Carleigh and Carleigh won by a sliver!

It was so good to see friends that I haven't seen in a while.  My whole sorority "family" other than one was able to make it to the shower.  They couldn't get enough of my big ole belly and loving on Harrison.

All the little cousins and neighbors were my helpers with gifts.  They brought them right to my feet and helped me open when I couldn't reach the floor!

 We got SO MANY amazing gifts and we could not be more thankful.  We got some classic gifts (Boppy, Pack and Play, Monitor and more) and then we had our friends from Alaska send Harrison some Alaska onesies that I know he will look so cute in!

Instead of cards, we asked that people bring books to help stock his nursery.  We now have so many great books to read him that I cannot wait to make a nighttime routine.

Surprisingly, the typical baby blanket didn't show up in gifts as much as I had heard they would.  The one baby blanket that was so perfect for us was this baby blue blanket from my aunt with a little boy playing baseball.  It's hard to tell in this photo, but it is really something special.

My mom found these books that she read to us as kids that she passed down to Harrison.

The shower was perfect and I could not be more thankful for the love that Harrison (and his parents!) have from all our family and friends.  We cannot wait for him to be here in less than (hopefully) ten weeks!

25 During 25: One Year Later

Whoa! That year went fast.  For my 25th birthday, I wanted to do 25 different things ranging all across the board.  With today being the last day to complete the project, I wanted to give you all one final update.  Some I completed right away and some never got done.  Here's to another great year and celebrating 26 in style! 

1. Run a 10k - DONE! 
2. Do a blog give-a-way
3. Write a guest post -
4. Shoot a gun 
5. Go on a spontaneous trip  
6. See sunsets in 10 different cities - I didn't document all of these, but I know this was accomplished! 
7. Do a girls weekend trip - this is potentially planned for July....we will see though when baby boy comes into our world!
8. Have a house party 
9. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity 
10. Buy a camera and learn how to use it
11. Go to a new state - Added Nevada, Maryland and Connecticut to the list this year! 
12. Host a shower for someone  
13. Run a 5k in every month of the year, at least 5 of them being a race - 5/12....
14. Buy a new computer
15. Write 5 thank you letters to companies that I use their products
16. Cash in a whole milk jar of coins to savings 
17. Tip 100% of my bill - DONE! Zinburger in Charlottesville, VA
18. Become CPR certified
19. Learn how to drive stick shift
20. Go to an NFL game - I had the opportunity to go, but being 7 months pregnant in 40 degree weather at a football game didn't sound too fun. 
21. Do a 7-day smartphone detox - didn't officially complete this. 
22. Mail care packages to each of my siblings
23. Send my nana flowers out of the blue. 
24. Take professional photographs with D.J. and Stryker 
25. Save $20 for every one of these that I complete 

I hope to try and get the ones that aren't crossed off finished throughout my 26th year! I really had a blast keeping up with this and attempting to get all these things done.  I'm hoping that I will be able to set monthly goals for myself over the next year as a way to keep me motivated! 

Baby Brown: Week 29

How far along: 29 weeks

Due date: March 27, 2016

Baby Size: delicious pineapple

Weight gain: who cares... it's worth it.

Maternity Clothes: should I take this one off? I mean, I wear a non maternity shirt every now and then, but for the most part I am embracing the bump.

Stretch Marks: nope!

Sleep: hasn't gotten any better this week.  D.J. slept in the guest room one night this past week and was at his parents house another night, so I was able to stretch across the whole bed, but flipping from one side to the other is very hard and getting up in the morning is so exhausting - I literally lose my breath. And I swear this child of mine is active all day, but at night he seems to start his karate class - kicks, rolls, or whatever he is doing in there is INSANE at night time. 

Gender: BOY!!! 

Name: Our sweet baby Harrison!

Movement: all the time! I'm starting to wonder at what point these movements are going to be how they remain for the rest of the pregnancy.  I know I still have a good while to go, but I can't imagine getting bigger! 

Best moment this week: cleaning up the house and getting the holiday decorations put away. I also got a new "chair" at work.  The strength and conditioning coach at the school brought me over a ball to help relieve some of my lower back/hip pressure this kiddo is giving me already! Hopefully I will like the way it feels throughout the rest of this pregnancy! Any other tips/tricks for desk workers and pregnancy would be great! 

Looking forward to: our first baby shower this weekend! I cannot believe it's already that time to celebrate this little boy!  My sister, family members and friends are coming in from all over to shower our sweet boy and and can't be more excited! 

Husband is: looking forward to the baby getting here.  I think my pregnancy pains this week are more than he is used to (as are they for me too!).  He was able to go to the Redskins game this weekend without me, which I was grateful for because I don't know if I could have lasted the whole day with him at the game! 

Food cravings: not craving anything special.  Side note - I have been loving the smell of cleaning supplies.  Anything from those clorox wipes to a clean mopped floor! Don't worry I'm not going around sniffing these items, but when I come across that smell in passing it just smells so... CLEAN! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing new.

Labor Signs: nothing yet, but the countdown is ON!

Missing Most: hot tubs, hot yoga, laying on my stomach, getting comfortable easily,

Symptoms: all typical third trimester symptoms.  Lately I have been feeling as though my muscles are being pulled in every direction possible - which they very well are! My hips/lower back feel like they are "preparing" for labor - lots of pressure from the extra weight and whatever else happens when you get ready to give birth! 

Nursery: Got even more accomplished this weekend on the nursery! Dresser is now complete with knobs, purchased a mirror and lamp and now just waiting on a few more things for it to be complete!

Belly Button in or out? innine/flat/outie.  It has a mind of its own.

Wedding rings on or off? on, and haven't noticed any swelling.

Mood: feeling great, but definitely starting to feel pregnant.  Sometimes I get sad at how big I am getting but remind myself that my body is amazingly growing another human who is bound to be a big boy. 

Workouts: meh. working are few and far between.  getting up on the hour and walking around the school every now and then.  Hoping to get to a pool in the near future to float and feel weightless - even if it does mean I have to workout! 

Five on Friday!

The first week back from the holidays always seems to be the longest week of the year.  But we made it through! Time to celebrate (or take a nap on the couch)!!Today I want to share with you my favorite blogs and the must-reads for 2016. For all those new to blog land, welcome! I hope my Five on Friday post helps you when looking for blogs to read!

one | Olive & Tate

With a new look for 2016, Olive & Tate has got to be one of the most up and coming (in my opinion) blogs this year! I absolutely love her sarcastic humor and honest mothering tips into life with her little guy.  She blogs all things home reno, baby boy, mom uniform and "keep it real" posts.  Definitely one of my go-to blogs for a while now.  Joining the boy mom club I know she will be a great resource!

two | Carolina Charm 

Carolina Charm is such an inspiring, real life blog from Christina who blogs about anything from life with two little babes, her breast cancer prevention story and everything in between.  She does an amazing job at making readers feel at home and has lots of great DIY's and recipes.  Following along from her pregnancies also give me good resources as I have been getting closer to my due date.  

three | Cheers Y'all 

One of my all time faves! Elise has been so sweet to me since we have became blog friends and I know that if we met in real life we would hit it off instantly! Cheers Y'all started as a way for her and her hubby to keep in touch with family across the pond.  Now it's turned into much more of lifestyle for her as they added their first baby girl last year.  She also has an amazing sister, Hope, who is right around the same week of pregnancy as I am.  I cannot say enough amazing things about Elise and Hope and I know y'all will love both of their blogs!


four | Home Sweet Ruby 
I love being able to search around Cait's blog to find all things boy baby and what the next year is going to look like in the Brown house.  From baby toys to how to survive going back to work, this blog is crucial for all those expecting moms and looking for a realistic approach to mommyhood!


five | Young House Love 

I absolutely love looking at home inspiration from Young house Love.  I know this blog is a little more mainstream then the other four, but I really love what they do to their spaces - although sometimes it's a little unrealistic to think I can pull off some of their renos!

And there you have it! Be sure to link up with the lovely ladies for 5 on Friday!

Harrison Cole

If you have been reading since the beginning of the pregnancy, you know that at 16 weeks, we found out we were having a sweet baby girl.  From the beginning of the pregnancy, and really for a long time prior to getting pregnant, I knew if we were having a girl I wanted to name her Brynlee Rose.  The way I spell my name is so different and always a good conversation starter, so I wanted my daughter to have the same experience.  Rose was my mom's maiden middle name so that was an easy choice as well.

Well, when we found out we were having a boy at 20 weeks, I was so nervous I wasn't going to find a name that I thought would be good for our son.  Literally, the first thing that went through my head when the ultrasound tech told us it was a boy was "what in the world are we going to name him!" We were back to square one in my mind.  

We had a few names on the list, but when we went to Reno in November, I had in my mind that by the time we returned from the trip, we would have decided on a name.  I wanted to call him something.  Not just baby boy, or baby Brown, but to give him an identity. 

It wasn't until our trip home that we finally settled on a name. Harrison Cole Brown. 

Here's the story to how Harrison got his name...

D.J. has always gotten on my from the beginning of our relationship about the lack of my classic movie exposure.  On the flight home from Reno, he asked me if I wanted to watch Day of Thunder (with Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Robert Duvall).  I said no at first, but figured what the heck am I going to do for the next 3 hours - might as well watch this movie.  It wasn't until halfway through the movie that I realized the two main characters names were Harry and Cole.  It was right then that I knew we had to go with Harrison Cole.  At this point, we had narrowed it down to Harrison, but still deciding on middle names.  Days of Thunder just sealed the deal for Cole! 

After the change from girl to boy, we tried to keep the name a secret.  Lots of people had given their input on the name prior to us announcing it and honestly, I just wanted everyone to know.  To accept the name we have chosen for him, to start calling him by name, to start embracing it if they don't like it, whatever.  I just couldn't keep it a secret till March.  I am so glad we shared his name early and everyone has embraced the name! We know this is the perfect name for our little dude and cannot wait till he makes his arrival! 

Baby Brown: Week 26, 27 & 28

Sorry for the delay in the bumpdates - the holidays got the best of me! Here's an update on the past few weeks and the start of the third trimester!!! 

How far along: 28 weeks 3 days

Due date: March 27, 2016

Baby Size: sweet coconut!

Weight gain: oh sweet scale, how I love you.  However, the number keeps rising, and I keep stretching, but I guess this child of mine in there is worth it.  Who knows.  I think I'm around the 20+ park. EEK!

Maternity Clothes: no turning back now.  Thank the heavens for sweatpants and a husband who wears a 2XL

Stretch Marks: none that I can see, but the belly is getting pretty darn big and I can't see lots of areas on my body right now, so who knows.  I have noticed a faint "pregnancy line" on the beach ball!

Sleep: terrible.  Getting into the bed is difficult. Getting comfortable is impossible.  Staying asleep is out of the questions and falling asleep takes an extra 30 minutes.  That could be because I have been off my work schedule. Don't imagine sleeping getting better for the next 18+ years, so thats that. 

Gender: BOY!!!

Name: ANNOUNCING THE NAME THIS WEEK! Be sure to check back and see what that little H and C stand for <3

Movement: constantly and I love it.  Sometimes his movements catch me off guard, so I make a reaction, but most of the time it's a nice reminder that the sweet boy is growing big and strong in there to one day (in the next three months) make his arrival to this big and crazy world we live in.  His movements are more of rolling and stretching rather than kick and jabs right now.  I swear he gets the hiccups almost every day and I can always feel when he has them! Movement is strongest at nights, but I have started to keep track of how much I feel him throughout the day. 

Best moment this week: Finished painting the dresser and moved it into the nursery.  Just waiting to find the right knobs for the final touch.  We also had our 28 week appointment this morning and everything looks great! Measuring right on track! And potentially having a daycare plan....but not all locked in yet, so no more details on that till later! Also during the past few weeks I knocked out the glucose test, and passed with flying colors (WOOHOO!)!

Looking forward to: baby boy's shower in couple weeks! He is already so loved and we cannot be more thankful for the family that we have! 

Husband is: a rockstar for pulling off the dresser reno without any complaints! He also has been taking Stryker on walks with the stroller, so he gets used to it and I cannot begin to say how awesome that will be to be able to walk the dog and the babe at the same time! 

Food cravings: eh... nothing that I've noticed. However I am starting to get to the point where I am hungry, but my stomach can only handle so much at one time.  I think I need to start eating smaller meals more often.

Anything making you queasy or sick: blah...same as it's been all pregnancy long.

Labor Signs: nope, and I'm curious to see what Braxton Hicks feel like.  Moms out there - any tips as we approach the delivery??

Missing Most: see symptoms.  

Symptoms: not being able to bend over and tie shoes is getting pretty hard.  Sleeping and getting comfortable is pretty much impossible. Stuff nose.  Twisting and bending is getting to be pretty hilarious if you ask my sister or husband.  Weird innie/outie combo of a belly button.  Bladder seems to be his favorite resting position throughout the day which in turns makes for frequent trips to the bathroom. Getting in and out of the bed/cough is pretty exhausting.  I would love to see myself do it, I'm sure its a sight to be seen. But you know, nothing that isn't worth it!! 

Nursery: Coming along nicely! Can't wait till it's complete to show you all

Belly Button in or out? innine/outie combo of sorts.

Wedding rings on or off? on, and haven't noticed any swelling.

Mood: feeling good! It's crazy how fast time is flying by, the third trimester is quickly approaching!

Workouts: slowly but surely getting some workouts done.  Nothing exciting to report on :) 

2015's Top Christmas Gifts

Santa was extra thoughtful this year and I received lots of great gifts.  To cap off the holiday season, I wanted to share my top five gifts that I received this Christmas! 

one - Christmas Dishes

These were a nice surprise when I opened the huge, heavy box from my Nana.  I was planning on catching some Christmas dishes after the 25th on sale, but these were just the style I was looking for. I can't wait to break them out next year and embrace the spirit!

two - Car Interior Detailing

A few weeks ago, D.J. spilled some food on his seats of his car.  Luckily, the company he works for paid for a full interior cleaning of his car.  I WAS SO JEALOUS!!! I had no idea that he would get this for me for Christmas, but it could not have come at a better time! I plan on getting my car detailed right before baby boy makes his arrival!

three - Erin Condren Planner

This is always a staple present under the tree at my parents house.  I have gotten an Erin Condren planner for the past four years now and was almost turned off last year due to the interchangeable covers.  However, I read some reviews and hopefully the covers have stepped their game up this year.  I also changed from the vertical view to the horizontal view and am loving the change already.  

four - Neckalces

Both D.J. and my sister got me tow of the most beautiful necklaces.  I had been eyeing this beautiful Kendra Scott necklace for a while now and D.J. pulled the trigger at Nordstroms and surprised me big time!

My sister knew that I wanted a neckace with the babe's initial on it, and she came through big time with this Baublebar monogrammed "H" necklace! 

five -  Watering System

Now this present I think is for me just as much as is it for my mom! Our "big" present under the tree and mom and dads was a watering system for all my plants! Think sprinkler system, but on a smaller scale.  This way I just have to set a timer and all my plants will be watered! I can't think of a bigger time saver - especially with an infant!! I also got some cash in an envelope to use when I go buy my plants in the spring!

Oh hey, 2016!

What an amazing holiday break! This year I decided to take off the three days between Christmas and New Years that we were in the office and I cannot begin to explain how needed that was.  I was able to accomplish so many things, relax, enjoy family time and embrace life as a family of two (plus the pup).

We rang in 2016 pretty low key with some of our best friends.  I think NYE is the most overrated holiday ever - yes, even more so than Valentine's Day! We played games, watched football and had a delicious dinner. Looking back at the camera and phone, we realized we didn't even take a single picture.  But being able to be with friends and the hubs was all I could have asked for.

Looking at what 2016 has it store brings a lot of different emotions for me.  The unknown territory of parenting and the start of another baseball season are enough to put this pregnant mama into a tizzy, but if baseball has taught my anything, it's to be flexible and go with the flow.  I cannot wait to see what 2016 will bring, but I can predict it will be anything but a fastball straight down the middle!