Here we are, right at 24 weeks!

I am officially carrying around a little over a 1 pound baby.

Guess what? I can feel it!

-Back and under rib pain is pretty consistent every day, but I am learning to deal.
 

-Baby kicks! She kicks! Andy has seen and felt her kick a few times now. Sometimes I grab him when I can tell she's moving around and we will both stare at my belly and wait.

 

 -Pregnancy craving lately: milk and cereal. Sometimes, I will start thinking about milk and cereal when the first alarm of the morning goes off. By the time, I finally get up, I am seriously needing some crunchy nut cheerios.

 

-Andy isn't surprised now when I tell him we're having cereal for dinner.

 

-All of my past few doctor appointments have gone well and I am on track for my due date.

 

-I am still exercising but a lot less running. I am walking like a crazy lady though. My mom and I are weekly walking 7-8 miles every other day. My bladder can't handle running, but it can definitely handle walking. We love the Greenbelt, it has become our favorite part of our walks.

We celebrated 5 years of marriage last Friday.

Andy is super sweet as always and planned the best anniversary day. He had 5 surprises for me(for 5 years) leading up to dinner at our favorite restaurant in Atlanta, Oceanaire. We have celebrated many times at this place, and it was so nice to go back.

I love you Andy! You are one in a million as it comes to husbands. Thank you for always making me feel pretty and making our anniversary so special.

 

Nusery Update

I'm sure by now everyone has heard about the Boston Marathon attack. I wish I could say that I can't believe it, but sadly I can. This world looks scarier everyday. I am prayerful of those affected and prayerful for our world as a whole. We desperately need Jesus.

I am so thankful for this sweet Baby Broome and hopeful that Andy and I can show her Jesus love to take into this world as she grows older.

Some updates on the nursery:

The nursery is really coming along. I am so proud of Andy's craftsman skills. He did a great job on the board and batten and the nights and nights of painting! The high gloss white took many, many coats, but alas it is finished.

I really wasn't sure if I wanted to keep the closet doors. I thought we might be able to get creative with the extra space, but have decided to stick with the closets.

We still have to put knobs back on doors and covers on the outlets.

Aside from that, the nursery is ready for furniture and décor! Of course, I am still trying to figure out exactly what I want it to look like.. I may never decide!

My aunt sent me a package a few weeks back with this baby blanket in it. I will really cherish this because my mom made it! She did the cross stitched bears and sewed it together with the help of my great grandmother many years ago. She made is as a gift for my Aunt's first little girl, Annie. It has hung on the wall in my cousin Annie and Mimi's nursery's. Mimi's nursery was in France, so this blanket has been an international piece! I adore it, and am trying to figure out how to incorporate it into my nursery plans.

The quilt colors we're planned for a neutral yellow nursery. My aunt and uncle didn't find out what Annie or Mimi would be until they we're born. I am so thankful for a hand made piece by my own mom. I knew she could sew a mean bubble jumper and make pretty hair bows, but this quilt took some time and talent.

That's all for now friends! I'll be back eventually with bump pictures!

Week 19

Here we are at 19 weeks. One week and we're half way there! Hard to believe. Hard to believe I could grow anymore. I promise you this, pregnancy is a lesson in humility. I am finding myself praying often to be comfortable in my own skin. It's a weird thing to watch your body change over the weeks. Don't think I am complaining though. I'm not at all.  I am so excited and in awe of God's work in my tummy.

Andy got home from Oregon this past Friday and we met as he was pulling in the driveway and I was coming home from walking Betsy. He was so tickled to find me looking slightly different from when he last left me. My running clothes are definitely tighter.

 

The weather is finally turning warmer and it has made this last week so much more enjoyable for exercise. I had been sick a week or so ago on my birthday and had given myself a little too much rest time. I planned to get back in gear this last week with running. A week or two makes a difference in the pregnancy world! The incessant need to tinkle, well, it never goes away. Ever. It can make things pretty uncomfortable but I'm finding the longer I make myself run, the more I get used to it. For now, I am mixing it up though, walking Betsy every other day.  

Andy is painting the nursery as I type and listening to Mumford and Sons Pandora station. It's quiet days like this that I know I will miss once our girl is here, but I am thinking she's going to fit right into our routine. We are so excited for Miss Baby Broome.

Oh yeah, and we have a first name, but are working on a middle name. I can't wait to tell once we have it all together, but picking out a name for a little person we don't know yet is tricky!

Lastly, of all my "catch up's".. I am pretty certain I have felt the baby move. It wasn't flutters like everyone says, but more like someone thumped me. I've only felt it a few times, but it was pretty neat. Soon those thumps will turn to kicks!

Week 16

(Week 16 in my Gap maternity pants that do not have matching plates:)

I am 17 weeks on Monday. I can't believe how fast it goes, but I can't imagine my tum getting any bigger! My pants are getting tighter and tighter and I am feeling more self- conscious in my clothes. I will be glad when the bump is more definable. Right now I feel like I look like I enjoyed too many Vogelsburg donuts for breakfast.

Friday, after fighting a nasty cold for two days we headed to Newnan to find out what we were having. I was a little discouraged that I wasn't feeling better for our exciting evening. Once there and getting to see baby Broome, my frame of mind changed immediately.

We took my mom and Andy's mom and dad with us. They got to see the 3D ultrasound and we all got to guess whether it was a girl or a boy. Andy called it first. He saw the two white lines and said "It's a girl!" before any of us. I couldn't believe it. I would have been happy either way, but I had had my heart set on a little girl.

Oh hey, it's just the Broome's.. soon to be parents.

 

And a few more pregnancy thoughts for you:

 

Headache? Backache? Cold? Tylenol. That's it. Hope it works for you.

 

Who knew I would get to wear floral skinnies during pregnancy? Thanks to the Gap, I have some, but no, I have no matching dinner ware to these blue pants.

 

Indigestion. Another perk along with the expanding waste line.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot. I turned 28 this week! I started getting sick on my birthday and the excitement of baby girl Broome had me distracted. I just remembered I am another year older! Wow. I just can't believe how old that is. It's so old!

Mr. Broome seriously surprised me with a running stroller I've only been stalking since before I even knew I was pregnant. I am so excited. I know I will get so much use of out the BOB!

Good idea Mr. Broome, you are always so sweet to me.

 

Last night I got to celebrate Jessica's engagement in Atlanta with some of my long time friends and sorority sisters. I never tire of seeing these girls. It's so fun to get together with them all and talk about how are lives are changing. Three of us are pregnant!

Jessica is going to be the most beautiful bride! She has the best style and I know her wedding and bridal fashion are going to be amazing. I love you Jess! You deserve all of the happiness in the world. Seriously, you have the best heart and have been a one of kind friend. I love, love, love you!

(Trying to show off her ring, but the flash is so bright. Her ring is perfection!)

I am 16 weeks pregnant! I can't even believe it.

Fitting into clothes right now is kind of an art. I am having to make some adjustments to a few of my work pants while there are still some that actually fit. I have been taught the rubber band trick and Brittney gave me her belly band. I call these things my pants expanders.

I have so many thoughts on pregnancy and I read so many maternity blogs, but I forget to take the time and post my own.

So I give you some pregnancy updates and thoughts:

1. People ask me daily if I have any cravings. Yes and no. I crave the same thing I always have. Spicy food. I have been this way since I was little. It's no different now, but maybe a little accelerated. I need salsa on my eggs for breakfast and cayenne in my pasta or sprinkled on my veggies at dinner time. It's ridiculous, for real.

2. Sleep is awkward. I get up a minimum of twice a night. I am a non stop tinkler. Sometimes though, I wake up because I'm just uncomfortable. Or Mr. Broome is snoring. Again. No matter how hard I push to role him over, he doesn't budge... and he's still snoring. I could write a really good essay about this. Sorry Andy.

3.  I am still wearing all of my regular clothes, but I am so excited for maternity clothes. I have bought a few things from ASOS and Gap that I adore. My mom told me the other day it's important for a pregnant person to feel pretty. She was helping me make the decision about whether or not to buy some maternity clothes I was telling her about. I appreciate this advice. At a time when my body is expanding and changing, feeling pretty takes more effort, but it's still important to feel confidant in my body image when I walk out the door in the morning.

4. I feel like I gain weight in my cheeks first.

5. Andy asks every day when he gets home from work for me to let him see my belly. He laughs every time I show him. He thinks it's the funniest thing. I think I should start doing the same to him when he gets home.

In general I feel good and am excited. I'll update next time with pictures!



A few Friday nights ago Andy and I went to Home Depot to look at paint colors for the nursery. I had something in mind but wasn't ready to officially decide not knowing the sex of the baby. (Which we will know soon!) So instead of picking paint, we picked out everything we needed for board and batten. After looking at enough inspiration photos on different blogs, I decided I really liked this look. So, in one Saturday, Andy became as handy as he ever was and put the board and batten up. All of it. Since then he has been priming the walls and is almost ready to paint. Of course, poor guy is doing all the work, while I peek in every now and then.

Here are some pictures of the progress:

 This is the nursery before we touched it. This room was blue as the previous family had a little boy. We knew this room would be perfect as a nursery and waited until we found out a baby Broome was on the way to touch it. Personally, I do not like baby blue, even if we have a boy. I don't really enjoy baby colors as it is. This blue will be gone soon!

This room has two huge closets which we are debating on keeping or taking the doors off to open up the space.

The nursery is next door to our room, which is something we loved about the house when we first looked at it. There is also a guest bath right across the hall.

The first thing Andy did was take out all of the current trim. From the doors, base boards, to the window. All of it.

This made me a little nervous, but Andy was right in deciding to pick trim that was thicker like the board and batten.

He then put up the board and batten and has since primed it all.

Next step is painting!

Then, picking a color for the rest of the walls!

And of course, so you don't forget, here is the inspiration for the room:

 

 

The weekend is fast upon us! Mr. Broome has been in Oregon all week but he returns home tomorrow night. I have actually been exercising and making smoothies galore along with watching the bachelor and snugging the Betser. Oh yes, and hanging out with my mom, since I'm still a baby in the new house. This weekend promises lots of work in the soon to be nursery which I will share with you next week!

(porch view from my instagram)



And for you Friday browsing:

>This blogger has some seriously perfect hair.

Prenatals, pleeease make my hair grow faster.

>Fashion, meet pregnancy. Pregnancy, meet fashion.

>We might be taking a trip here soon and stopping by here while we're there.
Happy Weekend friends!