Jenna 1.8

Age: One year and eight months
Milestones:  Putting two words together...sort of.  She doesn't exactly say them together together, but she definitely will say words separately, pausing between each one for confirmation, that show she's trying to articulate a complete thought.  For example, she'll say, "Water. Water." (and then I say, "yes, water")  "Mama's."  ("yes, that's mama's water bottle.)  Or one we've been hearing a lot lately, "Dinosaur!" ("yes, we went to go see the dinosaur!") "Touch it!" (yes, you touched it!") Or my most recent favorite from when we were in the shower the other day: she placed her hand on my bottom and said, "Tushy.  Tushy." ("yes, that's Mama's tushy.")  "Big!"  (-_-)
My Favorites: Her arm movements when she dances.  Oh my word, you guys...they have gotten so goofy recently.  It's like she's at a rave.  I have got to get a video one of these days.  I love cooking with her, reading books, hearing her sing along with songs, and hearing her say I love you ("la ooo!")
I also love just how tender her heart is...she accidentally dropped a maraca on Jacob's ankle bone the other day and it hit in just the right way to be really painful.  He said, "ouch!" automatically and then sweetly added, "Whoops, be careful Jenna!"  She was so so so upset that she hurt him.  Her face got sooo sad and her eyes started welling up with tears and she buried her face in my chest.  She's so sensitive and empathetic...in those moments my instinct is just to comfort her, but I don't want her to think that those moments are about HER.  I want her to know that it's ok that she feels bad and then to turn that outwards to care for others.  Tough to teach when she's feeling so upset and embarrassed and sad!  
Actually, after the maraca incident we tried to talk to her about how we knew it was an accident and it's ok that she felt sad about it and she just needed to say sorry to Daddy...she couldn't even look him in the eye, much less say sorry.  After asking for what felt like a million times I just needed her to say SOMETHING so finally I said, "Jenna...say bird."  "Bird!"  "Ok, now say sorry."  "SORRY!"  and with a big smile she went to give Jacob a hug.  ...sometimes with toddlers, I don't even know.
Her Favorites: Jumping (well, trying to jump), dancing, cats, waffles, Olaf, shoes, helping with cooking, taking pictures ("press it?!"), baths, and of course everything Frozen.  She also loves playing with her tea set and play food, ESPECIALLY when she get to take care of others with them.  She loves helping Olaf drink tea, giving her baby a bottle, feeding her stuffed kitty some of her snack, or serving me food.  And, inexplicably, having us drop all of her toy animals down the back of her shirt.
Surprises: How confident and independent she is.  We went to the park the other day and she was completely fine playing without me.  Never thought that would happen, I'm not going to lie, but it's so fun to watch her.
Other Notable Moments: Well, going to see the walking dinosaurs twice was a huge hit.  It has occupied a LOT of our conversations!  We also went to the mall to see Anna, Elsa, and Olaf, but that was a total zoo.  Oh, and she graduated car seats!  She still fits in her infant carrier, but we switched so she can pass down the other one to Baby J.
 Looking Forward To... Having potty training successfully behind us!  We've been gearing up to it for a while because it really seems like she's ready, but I just can't pull the trigger and commit to it.  

I LOVE getting this kid up in the mornings

Literally my worst nightmare.

I had to include one of the pictures Jenna took.  Olaf is her favorite subject.

That ponytail kills me

Why does she always cry when she takes pictures with them??

Meeting the "doughy-yours"

Yeah, just look about 200 feet away through the enormous crowd where every other person is dressed like Elsa and you'll see the people from Frozen.  Got it?  Awesome, let's go home.

32 Weeks

This is me trying to get Jenna to look at the camera.  This was the best shot I was able to get with her haha

How far along? 32 weeks

Maternity clothes? Naturally.  And lots of Jacob's t-shirts.
Sleep:  Better!  I cut back on the chocolate and keep the house at a lovely 68 with the fan on full blast when we go to bed.  I sleep like a rock.
Best moment this week:  Going to the Astro's game with Jacob.  We turned it into our anniversary date since we were apart for the real anniversary and scheduling for a babysitter can be tough!!  Anyway, it was a blast and having a date night is always a good move.
Ok fine, also when I got a cookie from Panera and got to spend Jenna's nap time laying in bed eating it and watching Bachelor in Paradise.  Because that show is a train wreck and I can't bring myself to look away.

Embarrassing, but true.

Miss Anything? Having Jenna sit on my lap!  There's so little room for her there now that she barely even bothers to try anymore.  When I read to her, I sit on the rocker and she sits facing me on the ottoman. :( I miss my snuggles.
Movement: Oh yes.
Food cravings: WATER!  I have been insatiably thirsty, and THAT is saying something because if you've been around me ever, you know that my water bottle is pretty much glued to my hand.  I've also been SUPER hungry again this week!  Stacy's due only a week and a half after me though, and it seems like we're on the same page.

Do yourself a favor: Dreyer's Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream.  You don't even have to share, I won't judge.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I threw up twice this week!  Once because of another diaper, but this one wasn't even that gross (Jenna was very patient and completely unperturbed while I was puking.  What a pro.)  The second time was after I was working out...my throat just got really dry and I started gagging and tossed my breakfast.  Womp womp.
Have you started to show yet: Oh yes.
Gender: A girl
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Out...Jacob poked it this week and said, "I can't wait until I never have to see that thing again."  LOL
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy!! I'm so excited to meet Baby J!!
Looking forward to: Breakfast...I'm hungry again.

31 Weeks

I'm kind of dressed like a pineapple too, aren't I?  So we match!

How far along? 31 weeks

Maternity clothes? Yes, and loving them!  And bonus: I discovered a pair of shorts this week that aren't technically maternity, but that are just stretchy enough to work!  Finally, I can actually wear shorts this summer!!
Sleep:  Oh my gosh, sooo many issues!  I am all of a sudden such a hot, sweaty mess and I can't eat ANY sugar after 6PM without being awake for houuuurs (which happened when I was pregnant with Jenna too...random)
Best moment this week:  Hearing the baby's heartbeat at my OB appointment and talking about it with Jenna afterwards!  She talked about the baby's heart all day...I love asking her, "what does the baby's heart say?" when we go through our list of the usual animal/vehicle noises :)  My favorite part though, was probably as we were leaving the appointment and Jenna was talking about "Heart!  Baby!  Heart!  Baby!"  when she suddenly froze in the middle of the hallway, put her hands in question-asking mode and asked, "Touch it??" 
Miss Anything? Nope, feeling good!
Movement: So much.  We've even tried to say different names to her to see which one she moves around the most for but it's usually a pretty even draw.  Come on, Baby J!  Help us out!
Food cravings: If I had to pick something, I would say protein (inconvenient since the meals I planned this week were uncharacteristically vegetarian) but in general I have just been STARVING this week!  Once I start eating, there's no off button.  I'm like a shark.  Good thing Jenna loves reminding me to put lotion on the "baby..." maybe I'll actually be able to avoid stretch marks this time around
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing this week
Have you started to show yet: Definitely!
Gender: A girl
Labor Signs: No, although one night I had a dream that I was in labor, and then I woke up and thought I was ACTUALLY having labor pains, but then realized I just had to pee really bad haha
Belly Button in or out? Out
Wedding rings on or off? On, but every now and then it gets just a liiiiiittle too tight!  Usually at the end of the day, so it's either from the 105 degree weather, or from too many french fries.  Nom nom nom
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy
Looking forward to: The weather cooling down!  There's actual RAIN in the forecast for next week and I keep obsessively checking my weather apps to make sure it's still there!

30 Weeks

Can I just say...whoa.  I feel like I got HUGE this week!!!

How far along? 30 weeks!!! Baby is about 3 pounds and is the size of a butternut squash
Maternity clothes? Yes!  I just got a couple great pairs of maternity jeans this past week and I can't WAIT to wear them!  The average temperature for August is 94, but then the average temperature in September drops all the way down to 89 so...it'll be jeans weather any day now, really
Sleep:  Good!  I'm even making it through the day without needing a nap!
Best moment this week:  Jacob had a business trip, which is normally such a bummer, but this time he took me and Jenna with him and dropped us off in Austin so we could be with friends.  Let me tell you, the whole week went SO much faster and it was so great getting to see so many people I love.  I also got to try my hand at sewing while I was up there, which I discovered that I am absolutely terrible at haha...I guess I'll leave all the headband making for my girls to Christina
Miss Anything? This baby brain is killing me!!  Maybe literally...I think that I always take my prenatal in the morning, but then I can't remember if I did or not in the afternoon so...I'm pretty sure I'm going to OD on vitamins.  (For all you nutritionists out there: calm down, I'm just kidding.  All the fat-soluble vitamins are 50% or less of my DV so the most damage I'm doing is just wasting my money.  I'm pretty sure they do that on purpose to make them baby brain proof.) 
Movement: All the time!
Food cravings: This week I probably thought the most about eggs, bread and potatoes...although, I'd be lying if I said ice cream didn't make it on the menu a couple times as well!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Oh my gosh, yes.  Jenna had an awful stomach bug this week and I completely threw up changing one of her diapers!!!  To be fair though, it was probably only 20% because of pregnancy and 80% because of the rancidness of the diaper.  It was bad, y'all.
Have you started to show yet: Yep, and my belly is getting heeeeavy, especially laying on my side!  It kind of feels like wearing a fanny pack with a bowling ball in it
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: None this week
Belly Button in or out? Out
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy
Looking forward to: Taking hospital classes again!  Jacob and I signed up for a few...I know it hasn't been that long since we had a newborn, but we both felt like we wanted a refresher to make sure we were 100% ready for Baby J!

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 weeks

Maternity clothes? Yes, and I'm going to visit Christina tomorrow and I'll probably borrow a few more pairs of pants and such.  Why do I want pants in 100 degree weather, you ask?  Hmm.....good question, actually...
Sleep:  Pretty good!  I've been tired, but mostly just because we've been so busy.  BUT I've had a couple times where I've woken up with my hands shaking really bad!  It never lasts very long, but it's really strange.  Has anyone else had this during pregnancy??
Best moment this week:  I've had a lot of fun planning for Baby J!!  We've talked about names a lot and put together a little registry for her.  AND I bought her a little Halloween onesie!!  

I think that Jenna is going to be a cat for Halloween (she meows half the time anyway) so now they'll be (kind of) matching!!!  She's going to be so cute and Jenna is going to love seeing her baby sister in something with a cat on it, I'm sure!!

Miss Anything? Not so much, but there were a few days where I would've loved to have been able to just fix up a little turkey sandwich...
Movement: Lots!!  It's my favorite thing!!
Food cravings: Sweets!!!! This poor baby.  With Jenna I craved sweet things too, but more in the form of fruits and such.  THIS baby wants ultra-nutritious things like S'mores Pop Tarts and Lucky Charms.  I'll resist temptation for weeks at a time, but it'll be all I can think about so I usually give in.  I try not to go overboard when I sit down to eat it, but I usually can't get through my day without a little taste of M&M's or a handful of Lucky Charms...this must be what it's like to be Jacob.  I'm making an effort to eat lots of veggies too though, so at least she'll like Oreos AND broccoli
Anything making you queasy or sick: I would say no, but then yesterday and today I started having nausea again!!  Whyyyyyy
Have you started to show yet: Yes! All week I've felt like I was as big as the day I delivered Jenna, but looking back at my old posts just now I realized that's not true.  It seems unreal that I'm actually going to get bigger!!
Gender: A girl, but I have had SO many random people stop me this week and predict that I'm having a boy!  What does that even mean?  How are you supposed to look carrying a boy vs. carrying a girl??  I hope I shouldn't feel insulted haha
Labor Signs: A few little Braxton Hicks, I think.  Must! Drink! More! Water!
Belly Button in or out? Out, most of the time
Wedding rings on or off? On, but I think they must be getting a little tighter because every time I wash my hands, it seems like the skin under my ring stays wet for a SUPER long time.
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy...but I did cry during Frozen twice this week, despite having seen the movie about a zillion times. I think the sister thing just gets to me!!
Looking forward to: Picking a name!!  We're two weeks into this voting each day thing and I think we've really narrowed it down!  I think we're going to have a tough time picking just one, but at least there are just a few front runners instead of the original 14 (which actually went up to 17 at one point...ay yi yi!)

28 Weeks

How far along? 28 weeks...ok, I guess NOW I'm in the third trimester!!

Maternity clothes? Yes!  So comfy.
Sleep:  Really good, but I've been having the WEIRDEST dreams!  They're always super detailed and semi-realistic...things like being the MOH in a friend's wedding without knowing who the groom was and during the ceremony I was asked to read aloud this children's book where the bride's mother had cut out all the noses in every picture.  Like I said, it was weird.  But, for the record, the wedding was lovely.
Best moment this week:  Rachel coming to visit!!!  You know those people that you always have fun with, even if you guys aren't doing anything?  And you never have to explain anything very much because they know you and the people in your life so well?  And they're just absolutely zero effort to be with because you're just 100% yourself with them?  It was like that.  I can never have too much of that.
Miss Anything? We made brownies and I THOUGHT I was going to be really jealous about licking the batter, but we had the most enormous and delicious dinner beforehand that I didn't even want anything to do with brownies.  Until 50 minutes later when they were done baking...then I DEFINITELY wanted them!
Movement: So much!  One night Jacob and I just sat there for a solid 30 minutes watching her flip and kick and turn.  Every time she moves, I feel like I love her a little bit more!  Lucky for her, she's super active ;)
Food cravings: Everything sweet!!  And by the way...for those of you keeping track, Espresso Royale never got back to me after I wrote them that well-thought-out and not at all irrational or desperate (*ahem*) e-mail.  BOO to that!!!! However, some wonderful wonderful friends made a road trip through Champaign and stopped by to get some granola for me!!  I've been making my own little fruit and yogurt parfaits and it's been like my own little cup of heaven each morning.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: A girl!  So excited.
Labor Signs: I think I had some Braxton Hicks this week!!  It's crazy to think that my body could be practicing for labor already!! Eek!
Belly Button in or out? You know what?  I think it's officially out.  Not evenly, by any means, but I'm pretty sure none of it could be classified as being in anymore.  Mission accomplished!!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Tired from how much FUN I've been having, which is not a bad problem to have!  So obviously, happy :)
Looking forward to: Knowing what Baby J will look like!!!