27 Weeks- My First Baby Showers!!

 The hubs and I celebrated little Graham all weekend!

How far along? 27 weeks.

Total weight gain? 11 pounds. I probably should have gained wayyyy more after a weekend of Mom's home cooking and two showers! Yum.

Maternity clothes? Not yet...

Sleep? Still sleeping well, still having incredibly vivid dreams. I definitely tried to beat up Andrew in my sleep the other day because I thought he was a concentration camp leader. Yikes.   

Best moment this week? Celebrating little Graham through two showers in my hometown! It was so fun to be with family and friends, and everyone is so excited about this baby boy on the way. Andrew and I were blown away by people's generosity and kindness, and our house is now busting with the cutest itty-bitty blue stuff! 

Me, Grandmom, Leslie (my sister-in-law), Mom. Love them all!

Miss anything? Doing tricks at the pool! Apparently back-diving is not something that little Graham enjoys yet. Ouch. I have been so careful in not eating/ drinking anything wrong, but with exercise and normal activities, I still feel pretty, well, normal... Normal enough to do back dives into a pool. Not a good idea as it stretched out my belly in a painful way. He started moving soon after, so I think he's okay... Eek.

Movement? Pretty convinced he is a future Olympian; he moves all the time. He also wads up his little body sometimes on just one side of my stomach, making me really lop-sided. So funny-looking.

Food cravings? Pineapple and most fruit.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Symptoms? Felt pretty good this week. Woke up crying with a leg cramp one night, though. Not sure if that's from pregnancy or not, but it was pretty weird.

Have you started to show yet? Definitely. My belly gets bigger every day! 

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? It's still in... but I'm preparing myself for the inevitable.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy and wanting November to hurry up and get here!

Name possibilities? Graham Harrison Buckle got some pretty stinkin cute personalized gifts this past weekend! 

My childhood neighbor Amy painted this awesome canvas for our nursery! I LOVE it!!

Looking forward to? My 28 week check-up next week. So weird how much I love going to the doctor these days. :)

26 Weeks- And his name will be...

26 weeks- Baby B is the size of a cauliflower!!

How far along? 26 weeks.

Total weight gain? Still gained 10 pounds, which is weird because I feel like my belly is growing every day now!!
Exercise? I'm still jogging about once/ week and walking at least three times/ week. I'm really hoping some of this energy will last through the third trimester...

Maternity clothes? Nope... But I couldn't button two of my favorite pairs of shorts the other day. Will probably have to go to the rubber band trick soon. Flowy summer dresses are quickly becoming my best friend. :)

Sleep? Sleep is normal.  

Best moment this week? I love hearing that everything is looking healthy for me and Baby B from my doctor! I got to see his cute little face on the 3D ultrasound, and Dr. Gallagher says everything looks perfect. The New Mom Study ultrasound lady said Baby B has chubby cheeks, and Dr. Gallagher told me last time at my ultrasound there that "he's got a belly!"... I am noticing a trend here. :)

Miss anything? Nothing new.

Movement? Oh boy, does he move!! All the time, sometimes to the point that it's uncomfortable already. Yikes, we still have a long way to go! But I do love it.

Food cravings? As I've been typing, I've put a major dent in a bag of "hint of lime" tortilla chips. Yummmmm. Plus pineapple, of course. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Well I almost passed out when they drew my blood at the New Mom's Study. They had to poke me three times before they could get anything, and then I felt super light-headed and nauseous. Ughhhh. How will I ever give birth??!!

Symptoms? The biggest thing lately has been that I get extremely, uncomfortably full after eating a normal-sized meal, but then am hungry again like an hour or two later. The research suggests that I should be eating 5-6 small meals a day to help with indigestion and heartburn, but that seems so impractical. My back has hurt a little randomly, but it might be from how I'm sleeping. Also, I've been experiencing the "restless legs" syndrome the past few weeks.

Have you started to show yet? Absolutely.

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? Still in but looking pretty weird...

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? So happy Baby Boy is active and growing!

Name possibilities? Drum roll, please... a name has been decided!! It only took us over a year to get here. :) Graham Harrison Buckle it is! Graham means "war-like," and we really want our son to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9) and fight for things that matter. Harrison is a family name on Andrew's side, to give honor to influential people in his life. Andrew surprised me at dinner the other night, saying that he thought we should name him Graham and that he'd been calling our baby that for the last week in his head anyway. We actually made up a silly, fake baby name (that we would never use) soon after we found out that we were pregnant, so we could identify him as something besides "it" from the beginning. Since we've been calling him this fake name for 6 months, it's actually been kinda weird to switch over to his real name! But I love it!! Little Grahammers, you are so loved!! 

Looking forward to? Our first baby shower is this weekend (actually two of them!), and we can't wait to celebrate with people!!

25 Weeks- Olympics & My Birthday!!

Me and the hubs celebrating my birthday downtown!

How far along? 25 weeks.

Total weight gain/ loss? Gained 10 pounds so far.

Maternity clothes? No... But the other day one of my best friends Andrea sent me a birthday maternity shirt so stinkin cute that it made me want to switch over. :)

Best moment this week? I am kinda obsessed with the Olympics, so watching the Fab Five win gold in women's gymnastics was pretty cool, as well as every other moment... Also my birthday was pretty fun! Loved sharing it all with Baby B. AND Betsy's precious Baby Hank was born!! What a cutie!!

Baby Hank!!

Miss anything? Not being able to partake in fun drinks as we watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies with friends.

Movement? He just moves around all the time now!! My sweet friend Allison got to feel him the other day! I've started to pull up my shirt and watch him move my belly around from the outside lately--it really is like a little alien is trapped in my tummy!! So weird... but I really like it. :)

Food cravings? Pineapple. Fruit, lots of fruit. I want to buy out the whole produce section of the grocery store.

Anything making you queasy or sick? A yummy-looking chicken recipe I'd gotten off Pinterest actually made my stomach turn tonight, so I didn't even try to eat it. Weird.

Have you started to show yet? Ummmm, yes.

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? In. But it has started to look rather funny these past few weeks... It may be making its way out soon. Eek. 

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy camper.

Name possibilities? We didn't talk about it this week. :)

Looking forward to? My doctor's appointments this week! I don't think I've talked about it on here before, but I am a part of a New Mom Research Group that is investigating how to make first-time pregnancies better. I don't mind helping that out, and we get some cool free stuff-- Wal-Mart gift cards, a carseat, ultrasounds, etc, etc. They also let me find out the gender a month before my doctor would! I have an appointment with them to get a 3D ultrasound and with my normal OBGYN, who I love.

My favorite preggo resources:

• Ap's! These are great daily or weekly updates about what the heck is happening in my body and with little baby B. I like Baby Bump, Happy Pregnancy, I'm Expecting, Baby Center Pregnancy, and What to Expect. 
• Books. I heard "What to Expect When You're Expecting" is like the Bible for pregnancy, and it's true. I bought it the day I found out I was pregnant, and it's helped me navigate since. 
• And of course anyone who is or recently has been pregnant. Such valuable help!!

24 Weeks= 6 Months= Pregnant for 1/2 a Year!!

How far along? 24 weeks.

Total weight gain? Gained 10 pounds so far. Too much at The Cheesecake Factory the other night? Totally worth it.

Maternity clothes? No. But my belly popped out a lot this week. Several people have started making comments that I have a real belly now and that I really look pregnant. Andrew came home from work one day and said I'd grown just that day! Ha.

Sleep? Sleeping is fine, except for last night... after our AC went out. Ugh...

Best moment this week? Having my mom in town! Ron and Connie came to celebrate mine and Mary Leslie's birthdays this past weekend, so it was so fun for us all to be together! We went to the IMA, the Cheesecake Factory, and just hung out. Plus they brought up tons of stuff for Baby B! He is accumulating great baby gear and one adorable wardrobe!! Thanks Mom and Leslie (my sister-in-law)!!

Mom got to feel Baby B kick!!

Andrew, me, Mary Leslie, Heath.
The guys wanted to show off their bellies too. :)

Miss anything? Just the usual- a flat belly, turkey sandwiches, an occasional drink, cute little clothes that fit well, etc, etc.

Movement? He is one wiggly baby... and I love it! 

Food cravings? Pineapple of course. I also have always had a major sweet tooth, but since I've been pregnant, I've been craving more salty things, especially chips.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nada.

Have you started to show yet? Oh yeah. 

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy most of the time... But I'd been telling Andrew forever all the things I'd read talked about pregnancy hormones and crazy emotions and mood swings, and how he should be so glad I haven't been crazy yet. And then this week I had a couple of meltdowns, so that all went out the window. :) One night I laid in bed crying about feeling fat. Yep, that was a good moment. The other time we were having a semi-stupid fight at dinner and I lost it. Oopsie. Going to play the preggo card on both incidents.

Name possibilities? Still at a standstill. Graham vs. John.

Looking forward to? The Olympics starting...One year anniversary of Andrew proposing... My birthday... Seeing if Emily and one-F Jef last... :)

I just love him.

23 Weeks- Cow Appreciation

We heart Chick-Fil-A.

How far along? 23 weeks.

Total weight gain? Gained 8 pounds so far. As far as working out, I was a major couch potato for the first 3 months of pregnancy. I was too exhausted and nauseous to even think about doing anything active. I started feeling better around week 14, so I started walking consistently and jogging a little. I've kept that up since; my body feels wayyyy better when I'm moving.

Maternity clothes? Nope.

Sleep? Sleeping well, but still getting up to go to the bathroom multiple times a night and having really vivid dreams every night!!

Best moment this week? Celebrating Cow Appreciation Day with my hubby. :) It was his first time ever to go to Chick-Fil-A (shocking, I know!), so his initiation was to dress in a cow costume...and get free food. I think it was Baby B's first taste of Chick-Fil-A too! I'm still pretty convinced it, along with Disneyworld and PDS, is the happiest place on earth. :) Can't wait to dress little B up next year in a baby cow costume!!

Andrew's first bite.
You cannot go wrong at Chick-Fil-A.

Miss anything? Lately I've had to pull myself away from the stinkin cute summer fashions out in stores. Ohhhhh I want new cute little clothes. Also, I've been so sad about missing big events in my friends' lives who live far away. Emily, Aubree, and Abby (sweet friends from Memphis and Arkansas) are all engaged right now, and I want so badly to be there to celebrate with them! Because of my due date and my doctor's traveling orders, I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss some major festivities. :( 

Movement? I just really love feeling him move all the time!! Andrew still can just feel the hard kicks and head-butts and flips, but not the lighter ones. Andrew's sister Kristie and her son Sebashtian got to feel Baby B move too! 

Food cravings? Still pineapple... 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Have you started to show yet? Yep. 

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy. :)

Name possibilities? Baby showers are coming up in August, and I would LOVE to have a name by then... Not sure that's going to happen. Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Looking forward to? Seeing my Mom this weekend! Can't wait for her to see my baby bump for the first time and talk about all things baby! 

22 Weeks- Names Schmames...

Baby B is the size of a papaya, but the grocery store was out. :)
He was weighing in at one pound at my check-up a few days ago! 

How far along? 22 weeks.

Total weight gain/ loss? Gained 7 pounds so far.

Maternity clothes? Nope. Still holding out.... although Andrew is convinced that all my flowy summer dresses are maternity. Obviously he doesn't remember them from when we were dating. :)

Sleep? No problems sleeping. Although dreams of having a baby girl kept me up one night! Our nursery is quickly piling up with blue everything, and two ultrasounds have confirmed "boy parts" so I'm crossing my fingers they're right! :)

Best moment this week? Celebrating my friend Betsy's Baby Hank on the way! I can't wait for him to be BFF with my little boy. :) And I forgot to mention last week, I ran into my sweet neighbor Adrienne and found out she's pregnant too! There will be 4 babies born within 4 months of each other on our block. Love it!

Miss anything? Some days I just really want a normal, cold turkey sandwich. Is that so much to ask??

Movement? This boy is active!! I feel him most laying down at night and first thing in the morning, but randomly throughout the day too--especially when I sit down. I think he's actually doing flips or something right now. Wow.

Food cravings? I heart pineapple. I let Andrew have a few bites yesterday, but I basically ate a whole one by myself. Oops.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Have you started to show yet? Yep. 

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? HAPPY.

Name possibilities? Andrew got online the other night to try to come up with some other options so we could have a real discussion about names. Nothing. We are getting nowhere. I keep reminding him that Graham means war-like, so our little man could be a fighter for integrity, truth, justice... But Andrew's not biting yet...

Looking forward to? Working on Baby B's nursery! Andrew's in the process of re-wiring his room and hanging a ceiling fan, and then I can paint!


Some verses I've really liked to pray through lately...
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. --Psalm 127:3
They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The Lord is upright, He is my Rock." --Psalm 92:13-15
We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. --Psalm 78:1-7
I can't wait to teach little Baby B about Jesus!!

21 weeks- Movement!!

Me and the hubs at 4th of July fireworks downtown

How far along? 21 weeks.

Total weight gain/ loss? Gained 7 pounds so far.

Maternity clothes? Nada. Could barely zip up my high-rise black skirt this week, though. Guess I'll have to stick with low-riders from now on.

Sleep? I like sleep.

Best moment this week? Finally recognizing Baby Boy moving! And Andrew getting to feel him move too! Plus, getting to see our little peanut on his ultrasound and hearing the doctor say everything looks wonderful!

Miss anything? Sunbathing. Boating. Fitting into all my clothes easily. 

Movement? Oh yeah, tons of movement now. I think I have felt it for a couple weeks and just not recognized it. It's weird because for the last 30 years when I've felt something in my stomach, it's just been digestion or whatever. And I always heard the first movement described as a flutter or a bubble, but Baby Boy didn't feel like that at all. He went straight to some definite movements- kicks or punches or flips or something. I think I first felt it about 2 weeks ago, at 19 weeks, after going on a walk and then laying down on my stomach and reading in Psalms. Because it wasn't a flutter or bubble, I discounted it. But now it's felt the same consistently for a while, so I know it's him!! Sooooo fun to feel him wiggle around. I'm pretty convinced he was head-butting me yesterday when Andrew felt him for the first time. :)

Food cravings? Pineapple. Always.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing.

Have you started to show yet? I definitely have a belly!!

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy. So happy Baby Boy is in my belly!!

Name possibilities? We avoided the name discussion this week. The hubby is supposed to be broadening his options so we can come to an agreement at some point. :)

Looking forward to? I think just continuing to feel him move and sharing the experience with Andrew. I really love it.