36 weeks...

How far along: 36 weeks
Total weight gain: As of a week ago... 23 lbs up. 
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks: Yes...
Sleep: It was better just because I've been SOOO tired... but last night it was worse again. I'm exhausted again tonight though so hopefully I sleep better.
Best moment this week: I haven't posted about pregnancy in a few weeks so... we decorated for Christmas and went to the ward Christmas party. Also, getting ready for baby more and more each week. Its getting exciting!
Miss anything?: Being able to bend over.
Movement: Almost all day long. He's an active little guy.
Cravings?: Last night I was craving ginger bread loaf from Starbucks. So I made a copycat and it was the best ever. Sooo yummy.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no.
Labor Signs: No real labor signs yet. Just lots of pressure and I think baby has dropped a bit.
Symptoms: Everything pregnancy related. I know baby has dropped though because my heart burn isn't as bad anymore. But you should see my belly... its huge. I've had people in my ward asking if I'm having twins... and at the ward party some ladies stopped me and asked me when I was due; when I said at the beginning of January they were shocked and said that he would probably be early. haha I had to tell them probably not because Noah was late. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll come a few days before his due date.
Belly Button in or out? Out. Noah thinks its hilarious.
Wedding ring on or off? On. Haven't really had any swelling this time so its been nice.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Looking forward to: Picking a name! We're back to talking about names so we'll see what he looks like out of the three we like. Oh and the next FOUR weeks... can't believe I only have four left! So fun.

A few changes...

Here's a little bit of background for you: When Jordan and I got married we were (and still are) all about saving money. We moved into a teeny tiny basement apartment in the avenues of Salt Lake City where our rent was 550$ a month. Our bed was a metal frame with a mattress and box springs given to us by J's parents. Our dresser was also given to us by them and we didn't have a kitchen table. For a couch we bought a 60$ one off of craigslist. It wasn't the worst thing in the world; black faux leather that was a bit cracked and had a few holes but it was comfortable and served its purpose. Three and a half years and a really bad couch cover later we were given J's grandparents old couch since they were moving to Idaho and didn't need it anymore. It was in pretty perfect condition even though it was about 20 years old. But it was white. Try having a 7-8 month old growing baby and a white couch at the same time. Needless to say, that couch wasn't so white anymore by the time we moved here.

So now that Jordan has a real job we decided to make a few changes on our house! We now have a kitchen table and... a new couch!! This is a big deal to me since J has had to listen to me complain about how much I've hated the couches we've owned. We decided that since we have a 2 year old and another boy on the way (and we plan on having more kids) that we didn't want to spend a fortune on furniture. So even though our couch is from Ikea, its super comfortable and looks great in our house; and a bonus: the cover is removable and can be dry cleaned! We love it.

Before: Older couch, Red pillows, dark brown curtains that were there when we moved in.

After: New grey couch and ottoman, white curtains, new pillow covers that I made.

33 weeks...

How far along: 33 weeks
Total weight gain: Had my appointment this morning and I've gained a pound from last time. So 17 lbs up total. 
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks: A few new ones around my belly button and on my hips.
Sleep: Painful. Asked my doctor today if she had any suggestions and she said she didn't. boo...
Best moment this week: We got a new couch! If you've known Jordan and I and our situation for the last 4.5 years you'll know that this is a big deal... for me anyway... I'll write a post about that later.
Miss anything?: Walking normally? haha I have the pregnant waddle going on... I guess I have for a while now but its been especially noticeable lately.
Movement: Yep and he's sooo strong.
Cravings?: Apples with caramel
Anything making you queasy or sick: no.
Labor Signs: Braxton hicks and he may have dropped a little this week.
Symptoms: Well today after I explained my aches and pains to my doctor she said "welcome to the third trimester of your second pregnancy." haha My pelvis feels like its going to break in half every time I stand up. You may think I'm being dramatic... I'm really not. It literally feels like its going to break in half; its really painful. And my lower back hurts a lot more this time. Neither of these things were a problem when I was pregnant with Noah. My doctor said thats because with the second pregnancy everything happens so much faster so things are a lot more uncomfortable earlier on. Fun huh?
Belly Button in or out? Out. This answer won't change.
Wedding ring on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Looking forward to: The next seven weeks! They are going to fly by and theres so many fun things to look forward to 

Noahs birthday: TWO....

Last week my little boy turned TWO!! Its insane how fast time goes by with kids. Noah is a pretty amazing little kid. I may be a little biased on that. But I think hes pretty great. Here are a few fun things about our two year old...
~hes a climber! He loves cimbing on anything and everything.
~hes really into cars right now.
~He loves Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon, and Cars
~He loves the park.
~He loves to wrestle with his daddy.
~Lately he's been very chatty.
~Hes all boy... rough and tough and runs everywhere. Rarely will he sit still and he likes to head butt and chase the dogs. Too bad Chihuahuas get stressed out so easily... poor puppies.
~he can say doggy, bubbles, popcorn, truck, buster, papa, daddy, mama, please, and thank you. Some parents might be worried at this point that he doesnt say much but he understands so much that we're not worried.
~he can tell you what a dog, cat, car, lightning mcqeen, snake, lion, tiger, owl, and monkey says... and anything that growls.
~when you tell him to say doggy sometimes he'll bark instead.
~hes hates diaper changes and riding in the car and grocery shopping.
~hes obsessed with play dough.
~he likes getting his own snacks out of the fridge.
~hes a really picky eater.
~hes not a fan of nursery unless I'm there with him.
~hes been sleeping in a toddler bed for about three months. That all started because he was climbing out of his crib every day.
~he loves playing outside.
~hes what J likes to call an assertive cuddler. He'll just climb into your lap (even if you're on the computer or eating) and cuddle with you... and hes very cuddly.
Anyway, theres a little bit about our big guy. Hes getting so big and becoming very independent. Its sad but so exciting at the same time. I cant wait to see him in his role as big brother.
Here are a few photos from his birthday...

Opening presents. From J and I he got  a two foot tall track (of sorts) for his cars, 9 hot wheels,  play doh, and a fire truck. Once he opened the hot wheels he didn't really care about anything else.

He had a fun-fetti cake and was only interested in eating the frosting a sprinkles.

Family photo :-)

31 weeks...

How far along: 31 weeks
Total weight gain: +16 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes and growing out of some of them.
Stretch marks: I found a few new ones on my sides and a weird place: my calves... I guess they have been getting swollen and I can really feel it when I kneel down.
Sleep: terrible and very painful. We took our memory foam pad off our bed last night to see if that would help... it didnt. And I'm starting to keep J awake too with all my tossing and turning.
Best moment this week: We took a trip to Utah to see family and friends. Noah had a blast playing outside and trick or treating.
Miss anything?: yes and no. I miss being able to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Movement: yes and this little guy is strong! Theres one spot on my right side up by my ribs where he likes to stretch out and its starting to hurt. The dr told me today thats where his bum is :-)
Cravings?: lemon bars.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no.
Labor Signs: Nothing associated with real labor.
Symptoms: feeling huge lately. Jordan reminded me a few days ago that I was "huge when I was pregnant with Noah." Aww.. thanks babe... :-)
Belly Button in or out? Out. This answer won't change.
Wedding ring on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Looking forward to: The next few months are going to be fun. I'm really glad the last part of my pregnancy is during the holidays. Noahs birthday is tomorrow, Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, New Years, and then I'm due!! Exciting stuff.

Trip to Utah...

This last week Noah and I took a trip to Utah to see family and friends. It was really great seeing everyone and we had a lot of fun. Noah LOVES playing outside, especially in the leaves and he had a great time trick or treating in my parents neighborhood. The first full day we spent there, we had a little party in honor of Noahs second birthday. It turned out really well and it was so fun seeing everyone that came. Noah is one loved little boy.
The rest of the week was full of playing outside, going to scheels and cabelas, going out to eat with family, and of course Halloween! We dressed Noah up as Nacho from Nacho Libre. His costume was a huge hit... pretty much everyone we passed while trick or treating said something about it. He was so cute and it was warm enough that he could go shirtless (and he wore his cape the whole time... I was amazed). Trick or treating this year went a lot like it did last year (his first time trick or treating was in Jordans parents neighborhood). The first few houses he was nervous but eager to get candy and by the end he didnt understand why he couldn't go inside every single house. He had a blast.
But like every vacation, it has to come to an end and its nice to come home and get back into the swing of things. I don't know if you've ever traveled with a toddler by yourself but it can be stressful so I was glad to come home to Jordan.
The next few months are going to fly by and I'm so excited. This month we have Noahs birthday (tomorrow!!), Thanksgiving, and my birthday. December is Christmas and new years, and then BABY!! This pregnancy has gone by so fast, as has this year. It'll be fun to do a recap in the next month and a half :-)

PS- I tried uploading a crap load of pictures to this post and it turns out google sucks and rotates my pictures the wrong way and there's no option to rotate them back... sorry.

28+ weeks...

How far along: 28 weeks 4 days

Total weight gain: As of Tuesday, 14 lbs up
Maternity clothes?  yup. And I finally got my new pair of maternity jeans in the mail this week... along with a super cute maternity maxi dress. That makes two pairs of maternity pants I can wear :-)
Stretch marks? Oh just everywhere... no new ones though.
Sleep: Some nights are better than others. I've been super tired recently so its been better... I slept really well last night except for when Noah woke up every three hours. You think they sleep better as they get older... nope.
Best moment this week: I got my glucose test this week and it came back normal! yay! No gestational diabetes and this time I don't have to take an iron supplement like I did with Noah. I did have to get my RhoGam shot though... didn't know it was done in the glutes. OUCH! With Noah they gave it to me in my shoulder. Rude awakening...
Miss Anything? Sitting comfortably would be nice. But I'm not complaining.

Movement: You bet. Love feeling my little guy move.
Food cravings: This week not really anything.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no.
Labor Signs: Nothing associated with real labor.
Symptoms: Just pregnancy.
Belly Button in or out? Out. This answer won't change.
Wedding ring on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Looking forward to: Noah and I get to go to Utah a week from today. Pretty excited about that but sad Jordan doesn't get to come with us.

Oh and I was feeling cute today so here's a bump picture for you... don't mind our lame, wavy full length mirror. Its the only one in the house at the moment.

So other than all that, there's not too much to update on for the last few weeks. Noah is adorable as ever and though he doesn't talk in a language many people can understand, he can now tell you what Thomas the train says if you ask him- "choo choo" (and he's not being shy, which is the case much of the time he's around people other than J and I). And even Lightening McQeen- "dowwwww". He sleeps really well in his toddler bed and is so smart even though he doesn't say many real words.

Jordan is still enjoying working at Amazon, though as any job can be, gets stressed at times. He says he likes the new challenges and he is learning a lot. Anyone who knows my husband well knows how smart he already is so its fun to hear he's learning new things.

I still love being a stay at home mom. Although I love doing massage, I never really enjoyed working in Spas (or working for anyone in general). I feel very at home being a stay home mom and not just literally. It just feels good. But I won't try and downplay how hard it is. Its the hardest job I've ever done in my life but also the most rewarding. I have my days when its extremely hard to even get out of bed, get out of the house, deal with a temperamental toddler, or get anything done around the house. Even getting dinner on the table is damn near impossible some times. But in the end, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I learn so much every day. I feel so lucky and so blessed every day. I have an incredible little family. Can't wait to introduce our new little guy into our family... Can't wait for there to be FOUR of us!