Week 38

I cannot believe Lo is now on the outside but before I give you guys the birth story I figured I would finish out the pregnancy updates. Week 38 was all about spending some serious family of 3 time before our little lady came. Oh and so came the stretch marks around my belly button. WTH?! How does this happen in the last dog on week and I swore it was mostly genetics that determined whether or not you got them. My mom has none so there for…..ugh whatever. 

Week 37

Tears and calmed fears! This past week has been an emotional roller coaster but we are just so grateful for Lo still being on the inside and getting as much brain development as she possibly can. I am pro 40 weeks and would love nothing more for her to stay put if it were possible but unfortunately that's just not the street we live on. Our final growth ultrasound revealed that Lo is in the 8th percentile and we thought for sure this meant induction that night but our OB agreed to let her stay put for just a bit longer. So needless to say, we got packed frantically because we had NOTHING done and now you guys know that was partly because of all the house stuff that has been distracting us. Our induction date is on the calendar and we are so excited to meet this INCREDIBLY active baby girl. One of the nurses who conducted my NST said she couldn't wait to lay eyes on this busy girl. We are so intrigued to see what her temperament is like. I NEVER experienced this much movement with Noelle. Lo is definitely already showing she is an individual. 

Week 36

We are officially full term over here! But let's take a look back at week 36 and how it tried my life in several ways, let's count them shall we?

Week 35

So I figured I would start updating you guys weekly because things are changing fast around here. Week 35 was a very interesting one. I'll start with the fact that my hands are swelling at a pretty ridiculous rate. Every morning my fingers feel like sausages primed and ready for mustard and a bun. My ring finger on my right hand feels broken and putting my hand in a fist is basically impossible in the first couple hours after waking.

Weeks 33 & 34

Holy moly donut shop, things are moving right along and though I feel like the thirties have been creeping by, the truth is we're moving closer to an "any day now scenario". And let me just say, I'M NOT READY!!!!! Like seriously, how are we about to have two children? Noelle has been having more and more days as a typical two year old with being quite defiant, crying for no apparent reason, and refusing to stay in her big girl bed. She's killing me slowly and just in time for another BIG change. Not only am I not ready mentally but we have only bought a few diapers and wipes. Granted it's another girl so things should be a lot less stressful when we decide to kick things into gear. 

Weeks 31 & 32

 HALLELU!!!!! I passed my 3 hour glucose test! I'd heard it was pretty awful and they were not lying. The four needle sticks alone were enough for me to say the hell with it and walk out. Not much has changed in these last two weeks, other than my reflux being on TEN!!! But I have started to feel pregnant. Things like tiring easier and just feeling heavy. I am surprised that I haven't had any round ligament or hip pain this time around. I've had maybe two days of sciatica but nothing major. I made my last plane ride to Orlando and we have no more plans for travel until after baby arrives. Which means we're on operation get Noelle potty trained!! We've got lots of plans for the rest of the summer and lots of fun and exciting things coming up for the blog that I can't wait to share with you guys. 

Weeks 29 & 30

Other than my reflux trying to kill me in my sleep, things have been going great! Yes, the reflux is terrible and I had another fountain of a nose bleed in week 30 (that made me look like the walking dead with blood all over my dress) but despite these things it's been a smooth ride. I have heard some horror stories about pregnancy and the fact that we have been traveling so much is proof that it hasn't been that bad. Speaking of traveling, I made the opps of not wearing compression stockings on our last flight to Orlando and drive to Key West, BIG SWOLLEN MISTAKE. The whole weekend my feet resembled watermelon and I could feel the fluid with every step, cringe! We have one more trip scheduled for Orlando this coming week and I get to meet my new nephew!!!! My doctor says that their preference is no travel after 34 weeks so I'll be cutting it close as I will be turing 32 weeks while there. We are so ready to hang out in Colorado and get ready for this little lady. 

Weeks 27 & 28

Braxton Hicks like whoa! These two weeks have proved having a full bladder doesn't pay. Nurses know that using the restroom at work is sometimes making a conscience decision to not have a risk for falls in the hallway. These Braxton Hicks have me running to the latrine like my life depended on it. If I don't then the Braxton Hicks come along with the waddle. I am NOT big enough to be waddling yet!!! I know I said the reflux was bad the last post but come on! The food sits in my chest and threatens to expose the less than healthy choices I've been making this pregnancy. I make sure to have water by my bedside at night because if I get a tickle in my throat, the coughing could lead to way more than I bargained for. 

Week 25 & 26

This weeks adventures included picking things up from the floor, which is beginning to be like making real life decisions. It's not life or death, but I could flip a coin and be totally fine if the decision was to leave it. And the reflux is back! I remember the first time around was not a fun time and nothing has changed. Sleeping upright is becoming a normal thing for at least the first couple hours of laying down. And if I eat dinner anywhere around bedtime, forget about it. 

Week 25 involved a gnarly nose bleed in which I may or may not have thought I was gonna bleed out. It is just me or was there another huge jump between week 25 and 26? I got a charlie horse in my sleep and I was breathing like I was in labor to get through it.  

I'm feeling a little guilty that I haven't shopped for her at all. I thought for sure by now I would have gone shopping but it has been a busy summer and it hasn't been made a priority. I guess that comes with having the same sex child again, we already have so much. I know this summer is going to fly and before we know it she'll be here. We've talked about where she'll sleep and what we'll do about storage but that's about it. Talk is cheap, we had better start with the action #lastdayofsummerduedate.

Bump stickers from Lucy Darling.  

Week 23 & 24

 Week 23 was the week of the POP!!! I noticed it and so did everyone else! Baby girl is making strides but I am asking for your prayers. We will start growth ultrasounds at 28 weeks and on to make sure she is growing at the pace she should. Because I had to be induced with Noelle at 38 weeks for concern of IUGR (growth restriction) they are going to watch me very closely this time around. My prayer is definitely that this sweet girl gets to grow and stay as long as she can but also not to be induced again. It was not the way I wanted to go about my labor but things worked out they way should have and thank the Lord it didn't involve a C-section. I have only gained 5 pounds thus far which my doc is a little concerned about. I only gained 14 with Noelle and I think it's just the way my body carries babies. But I've started chugging Ensure to see if I can pack on some pounds. Hopefully all the weight doesn't go to my nose, it's coming ya'll (insert cry face emoji).
By the way I have had several very interesting conversations with my coworkers about how black women tend to get larger noses during pregnancy and their minds were blown. Mostly wondering why, so of course being nurses we did a little research and we read that black women have more fibrofatty tissue in their noses which expands during pregnancy. Weird right? Whatever the reason, I am not excited to get "the nose".

Cravings have been LEMONADE and DONUTS, but not together!

Names have been a bit of a challenge. Noelle was a complete compromise for us and there was NOTHING else on the list that we agreed upon. So….baby girl #2 may have to wait a little while longer before she is named. 

At our 24 week appointment, Noelle got to help our doc find the baby's heart beat. 

Bump stickers from Lucy Darling.

Weeks 21 & 22

So I'm about a month late but I promised I'd keep you guys posted about this pregnancy so here's weeks 21 and 22. I don't feel much bigger this time around. There was no doubt that in the beginning I showed super early but things have slowed down some and I seem to be on track with how big I was last time.

These two weeks presented a couple issues for me, SLEEP and PANTS! It's safe to say I will be in dresses most the summer. We got my Snoogle pillow out of storage and brought it back to Denver which has made a huge difference. As you all probably know by now, we are having a baby girl! And although we didn't know the results before our gender reveal, I was 100% sure it was a girl. I had a crazy dream days before the party that was so real, there was no question in my mind. 

Thank God I haven't had much discomfort with this pregnancy. It is proving to be just as easy as the first time around. I am completely aware that I still have a way to go and things could change but for now so far so good. I've had one day of sciatica and no back pain. No vomiting and only a couple episodes of nausea, mostly after brushing my tongue. I had some horrible stomach issues in the first trimester, the same as last time but all has resolved. 

Stickers from Lucy Darling.

Baby Hazley #2

Here we go again!! I am so happy to be carrying another blessing but I am finding that things are very different this time around, not with the pregnancy (which seems very much the same thus far) but the effort in which I put forth. Don't get me wrong, I am so freaking excited to have another bundle of joy in our arms and giving Noelle a sibling makes me so elated I could cry. I mean it was planned, but the pregnancy is just ya know, I'm pregnant. I guess because it is no longer a novelty I don't have the same kind of feeling, like when you get a new puppy. You're all excited at first until it poops on your couch for the first time. Feeling the baby move still amazes me and I am so excited to find out what we're having. I'm just not sending Tj weekly updates about what is happening in this week of pregnancy. I'm not reading every article I can find on pregnancy, Tj and I haven't discussed ONE name!! Moms of more than one feel me right? For instance the way I documented my bump last time was like this….

This time, ain't nobody got time to do hair and makeup every week just for a photo, though my eyebrow routine is much better this time around. I just don't have the energy to do that. So, it's gonna be this!

These super cute bump stickers are by Lucy Darling.

Just for fun I thought I'd give you guys a list of things I WON'T be doing this time around. 

1) Posting on social media every time the baby moves. 

Not that I did this before but acting like I am the only person who knows what it's like to be pregnant won't happen. 

2) My breast milk achievements. 

 I don't think I did this the last time either, maybe I should label this "things that annoy me". I was so incredibly blessed to breastfeed and pump for Noelle for as long as I wanted to but I think boasting about breastfeeding can sometimes be very insensitive to other mothers who didn't have the same experience, plus no one really cares.

3) Hold my belly in EVERY photo. 

I am totally guilty of this and this time around, I think people can see a bump and I don't have to hold it. 

4) Talk about my pregnancy ALL THE TIME. 

The first time around I was really excited and I talked about how I was feeling, in detail, to anyone who would listen. Now I'd say if I do say anything, it's more like complaints about how hungry I am!

We are now half way there!!!!! I can't believe we're already here. I definitely plan on doing more frequent updates to keep you guys posted on Baby Hazley #2 and I'll throw in some nail designs along the way! We're doing another gender reveal in just about 2 weeks! We have no idea and I can't wait to see all our friends and families reactions back home as we find out pink or blue.

On This National Siblings Day…

Noelle has a special message, look close…

She's going to be a BIG SISTER!!! We are so excited for another Baby Hazley this year, we are so thankful to God for this tremendous blessing. 

 Nail art was such a big part of my pregnancy with Noelle that it was a no brainer I would paint her nails for the first time for this special occasion. She said she was "big sesster" for the rest of the day. We have no doubt that Noelle is going to be a great big sister. Thanks so much to Nest Children's Boutique in Denver, CO. for providing this super cute outfit for Noelle. So excited to shop there for our new little one! Due date sticker from Lucy Darling. And you already know Natalie Elizabeth Photography was behind the camera! Every shoot we do with her is my new favorite, you did it again friend! 

We're so excited!! And I promise more blog posts once we come back from Thailand :)

HAPPY SIBLINGS DAY!!!

38 Weeks + Extra Maternity Pics

Hello all!! So while I work on Noelle's birth story I figured I'd hold you over with my 38 week bump and more pics from the maternity shoot that we were so blessed to get!!! Enjoy :)

37 Weeks

Full term!!!!

36 Weeks

35 Weeks

How did we get here already?!!!!!

34 Weeks

33 Weeks

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! What a year this will be...

32 Weeks

DO YOU KNOW what it took to get this picture?!!! NEVER again! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!