...it's a GIRL!

Ok, ok, I give you permission to hate me for making you all wait so long to find out!

I think 100% of the votes were Team CHLOE!

Our guests were almost split down the middle between Team Blue and Team Pink.

Everyone participated and some had left before we were able to snap the photo!

The decor was to die for! So, so, so super cute..

Jess did a FABULOUS job. Over the top all the way!

Since our gender scan appointment and gender reveal party were scheduled just 3 hours apart, Jess had to come up with something clever besides the normal cutting of a cake, biting into baked cupcakes, etc.

My amazing friend, come up with THIS genius idea:

A "C" pinata!

Hand-made all the way.

She filled it with regular (uncooked) peanuts.

When she found out the gender, she painted ONE single peanut and placed it inside & gave it a good shake.

The three Grandmothers were responsible for the actual "reveal" part.

My Mom was blindfolded and given the paddle to take the first swings!

Take 1 = FAIL

Mom swung a little high and knocked the pinata to the floor!

So with some good, tall manly help we got it hung back up and ready for another lick! 

  

 Y'all, if this was not the funniest thing ever! I was laughing so hard, I was crying.

Everytime Mom took a swing, she would throw off the blindfold and scream "WHAT IS IT?!?!?!?" all while scanning the floor frantically looking for the one painted peanut!

 No luck? Jess hid that bad boy pretty good!

It was finally spotted!

Lots of excitement, laughing, and hugging going on!

Then out come the ultrasound images..

Baby Chloe definitely wasn't shy.

She made her Daddy blush  already with her pose above ;)

Baby Chloe is loved by SO many already!

It was an incredible day.

We couldn't thank Jess enough for planning, hosting, and going the extra mile for us!

xoxoxo-

Gender Reveal Sneak Peak

Hello ladies!

I'm working up the post for the Gender Reveal Party from yesterday! It was a HUGE success and SO much fun.

In the meantime, I just had to share a sneak peak of the awesome set-up - thanks to my hometown friend Jess. She planned & organized the ENTIRE thing. From invitations down to the food. We are so incredibly grateful for her and all that she has done for us.

Our family and friends had a ball!

{My conversation with Jess prior to spilling her the news! - She was the first to know since she was hosting the reveal 3 short hours later! Eeeeeek! Excitement!!}

What's YOUR vote?!

Tell me what you think it is:

Team Chloe

or

 Team Clayton?

 Ready-Set-Go!

week 18.

How far along? 18 weeks

Baby Size? size of a sweet potato

 Total Weight Gain/Loss? 7lbs.

Maternity Clothes? not all are labeled "maternity", but I have had to buy a size up. I found it worthwhile at Target to purchase the flowy cotton skirts in several colors/patterns. They are not only super cute and cool during the summer heat, but also light weight and very comfortable.

Stretch Marks? none so far. This week I could really feel my stomach tightening. It's the oddest feeling. Almost like you can feel your skin stretching. Scary!

Sleep? Not too bad this week. I'm still finding it easiest to sleep on my stomach. I have woke up numerous times lying on my back during the middle of the night and almost had a panic attack. They say once you reach the 2nd trimester, the uterus gets so large that it's unhealthy to lay flat on your back without it suppressing on the inferior vena cava and blocking blood flow to the lower portion of your body. So each time I wake and find myself in that position, I turn on my side immediately. Although it says it's fine that you wake up this way a few times a night, I still find it myself paranoid of the fact.

Best Moment this Week? Spending time with family and friends for the 4th!

 {me, Holly, and Jess}

Miss anything? nothing in particular.

Movement? I was lying propped up in bed getting settled in and felt a few flutters in my lower abdomen midway between my hip bones.I'm not certain it was the baby moving just yet. It could've been gas bubbles, muscle spasms, etc. But, it definitely had my heart excitedly pumping for a few minutes regardless!

Food Cravings?  junk food. it didn't help this week contained a holiday which called for family gatherings, good cooking, and lots of sweets involved.

Anything make you sick or queasy? nope.

Have you started to show yet? yes. i'm not sure how I feel about it at this point. The scales frighten me every time I step on them, so I've found myself refraining from doing so in the last two weeks. So far, I'm not the one who looks to have a "basketball" ... mine is appearing more like a watermelon, lying sideways. Mixed emotions about this.

Gender? Won't know for certain until July 18th - follow along as we plan the gender reveal party! We're still both thinking it's a girl!

Labor signs? none, just lots of tugging, pulling, and aching going on again this week.

Belly Button in or out? in as of now. it's definitely changing shape & stretching out wider. you can see the outline of it when I wear a tight fitting shirt.

Wedding Rings on or off? on.


Happy or Moody? happy!

Looking forward to? Next week hitting the 20 weeks halfway mark & finding out if we are having a sweet baby girl or boy!

week 17.

How far along? 17 weeks

Baby Size? size of an onion  - Baby continues to beef up. Now she's about 5.1 inches long and weighs about 5.9 ounces.

Total Weight Gain/Loss? 7lbs.

Maternity Clothes? wouldn't ya know.. I went shopping this week! *sigh* It was bittersweet. I hit up Target since it's the top clothing store I've heard recommendations about. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. I ended up with 3 pairs of shorts, 5 tanks, 2 tees, 4 skirts, and a pair of capri's all for less than $200. The best thing about it? The capri's were the only thing labeled "maternity". The others were all drawstring or stretchy material. Score!

Stretch Marks? none so far.

Sleep? A little better this week. Stomach sleeping is still the best right now.


Best Moment this Week? Shopping for new clothes!

Miss anything? i'm pretty content this week.

 

Movement? not yet, but it should be relatively soon!


Food Cravings?  anything fried.


Anything make you sick or queasy? nope.

Have you started to show yet? indeed. it's nothing for someone to walk up and make a comment about my every growing belly nowadays.

Gender? Won't know for certain until July 18th - follow along as we plan the gender reveal party! We're still both thinking it's a girl!

Labor signs? none, just lots of tugging, pulling, and aching going on.


Belly Button in or out? in as of now. it's definitely changing shape & stretching out wider. you can see the outline of it when I wear a tight fitting shirt.

Wedding Rings on or off? on.


Happy or Moody? happy!

Looking forward to? designing and decorating the nursery! Currently, we are loving these color options:

{all via Pinterest}

Week 16

How far along? 16 weeks

Baby Size? an avacado - speaking of an avacado, this past weekend while eating out at a local Mexican restaurant I opted to try out Cliff's side dish of guacamole for his fajitas. Lo and behold, that stuff was delicious! I'm not sure why I've never tried it until now! Yet, I vaguely remember trying it years and years ago and it having an awful bitter taste. So maybe it was just a mental block for me until this past weekend? Who knows. All I know is I will be ordering a side dish of my own next time we opt to eat Mexican.

Total Weight Gain/Loss? 7 lbs - Dr visit on Wednesday proved I have gained an additional few pounds since the last visit. First OB appointment back in April starting weight was around 135. I am now... 142. Ouch. I've never seen the 140's. It's a little terrifying for me.

Maternity Clothes? still a no.

Stretch Marks? none so far.

Sleep? off and on. I found myslef waking up on average three times a night. I get up usually one out of the three to use the bathroom and the rest I wake myself up from tossing and turning constantly. This week, I struggled getting back to sleep after the current wake-up. It's almost taking me an hour each time to fall back asleep. Not cool.

Best Moment this Week? Hearing our baby's heartbeat on the doppler! The heart rate was at 162. According to the ole' wives tales, fast heart rate over 140 means it's a little girl! We shall see!

Miss anything? my favorite jeans - they have officially gotten to the point they are almost impossible to button.

Movement? none. feeling a little more tugging and pulling this week. can definitely feel the round ligament pain when i move a certain way too fast. Doc said it shouldn't be too much longer before I begin to feel the first few flutters!

Food Cravings?  mexican food. chocolate milk. tomatoes. no, not all at once. haven't hit that stage just yet.

Anything make you sick or queasy? nada, I've been rather fortunate I haven't had any bouts with sickness. This week and last, I noticed an increase in headaches.. something I never experience. Actually, just a few weeks ago I told a friend I hardly have ever dealt with headaches before. Obviously, I forgot to knock on wood because they decided to come and stay a while. Doc recommended Tylenol Extra Strength to take care of them and then prescribed me an additional drug of choice in case the Tylenol didn't do the job. I walked out of the pharmacy on Friday with prenatal vitamins, tylenol, and some new facial wipes to help out with this hormonal-affected face of mine.

Have you started to show yet? yes'm. some days it seems bigger than others. guess it depends on how much of an appetite i have for that particular day.

Gender? Won't know for certain until July 18th - follow along as we plan the gender reveal party!

Labor signs? none.

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding Rings on or off? on.

Happy or Moody? happy!

Looking forward to? Feeling the first movements & baby shopping!

Week 15

How far along? 15 weeks

Baby Size? navel orange

Total Weight Gain/Loss? 4 lbs

Maternity Clothes? I've yet to buy the first article of clothing from the maternity section.

Stretch Marks? none so far.

Sleep? this week was better than last. the breast tenderness is finally easing up a bit, so it was a little more comfortable sleeping on my stomach this week. i still continue to toss and turn constantly. cliff says i'm all over the place.

Best Moment this Week? Celebrating Cliff as a Father-To-Be on Father's Day! We took the boat out to St. Catherine's Island with his Dad and family.

Miss anything? hot baths. I loooove to take a long, hot steamy bubble bath every so often and this week I was dying to just lay down in a tub filled with water and relax. So, I did. Except, it wasn't steamy hot water. Instead it was lukewarm & filled only halfway up so my belly wasn't completely submerged. I lit a few candles, had the bubbles filled to the top, and propped my feet up on the ledge. It didn't last long since I was scared to chance the odds of making my body temperature rise, even though it was cooler water than I shower in, and it effecting the baby. Oh, and beer. Of course, my two favorite beverages would combine to make what is the new "Bud Light Lime-a-rita" in the midst of my pregnancy during the sweldering hot, summer days. I've heard lots of hype about these from friends & family. And no, I have not had or plan to have a single sip of alcohol during this pregnancy.

Movement? none.

Food Cravings? mashed potatoes.

Anything make you sick or queasy? nada.

Have you started to show yet? I'd say yes. I had several family members and random people tell me last week.. "oh look, you're finally getting a little belly!" I'm thinking.. what are yall talking about? It looks feels to me like I've had one for weeks now. For those that wouldn't know, it probably comes off as if I've just gained a few extra pounds!

Gender? we both feel like it's a girl. counting down the days until our gender appointment exactly four weeks away - july 18th.

Labor signs? none.

Belly Button in or out? in.

Wedding Rings on or off? on.

Happy or Moody? this week was a bit on the moody side. i blame it on the rainy weather. it rained every day last week, which put me in a drag. i feel better about this upcoming week! bring on the sun!

Looking forward to? our appointment on Wednesday! Just another quick check-up and doppler of the baby's heartbeat.

Week 14

These updates are going to be a little more detailed than the last series.

How far along? 14 Weeks

Baby Size? At week 14, baby is 3.4 inches and 1.5 ounces, he's almost doubled in weight since last week and keeps on growing.

Total Weight Gain/Loss? 4lbs

Maternity Clothes? Not yet, but I am on the search for some good, decently priced maternity stores! Any recommendations are welcome!
Stretch Marks? None so far. I've been rubbing the belly butter in threatened areas a few times per week.

Sleep? Already uncomfortable. The problem is, I sleep on my stomach. It's the only way I can go to sleep and the position I sleep in for probably 90% of the night. I can tell a difference already in my belly, which makes it uncomfortable to lay flat. I've been using an extra pillow and propping half of my stomach up on the edge of it. Regardless, I'm tossing and turning constantly.

Best Moment this Week? Cliff kissed my belly for the 1st time.

Miss anything? Nope.

Movement? None.

Food Cravings? Not anything in particular. I've been loving Japanese food & apple juice.

Anything make you sick or queasy? Nope.

Have you started to show yet? Yes. Cliff and I can definitely tell. Other people say, "you can tell a little bit".

Gender? We both would prefer to have a boy first. But, we are just wishing and praying for a healthy baby.. we don't care about the gender!

Labor signs? None.

Belly Button in or out? In as of now.

Wedding Rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody? Happy, I would say. Just tired... which I guess could make me moody when I don't get my sleep!

Looking forward to? Feeling the baby kick!