A baby scare

On Saturday, Baby Hart gave us quite a scare. I felt like I needed to share because the experience was very humbling for us and as weird as it sounds, I am proud of the way we reacted. I was 25w5d on Saturday and like I've said in previous prego updates, loving this portion of my pregnancy! I spent the morning at a bridal shower and we had a bbq/game night with friends. The night was extra special because our friends who had never felt a baby move, got to feel little man kicking away in my belly. I even commented that he was super active that day. Anyway, we got home about midnight and since we'd been gone most of the day, decided to throw the ball for Ernie to tire him out in our family room. I changed into jammies (I don't know if you can even call your husbands boxers jammies) and sat on the couch while Jon laid on the floor. All of the sudden I felt a gush of liquid and was about to get up to go to the bathroom and felt another. I asked Jon to go get me a paper towel and headed to the bathroom thinking nothing of it. Once I got into the bathroom, I realized I had a huge wet spot on the back of my boxers and I was seeping. I took a deep breathe and instantly started crying and told Jon to come in here. It wasn't like what you see in the movies when women's waters break but it was NOT normal. Jon did some googling (thank God for google!) and we immediately ruled out urine. I texted my mom to see if she was up since it was now about 12:30p and luckily she was. I had Jon talk to her because at this point I was just standing up in the bathroom crying, waiting to see if anything else would happen. We called the on call doctor who said to come in right away to test to see if it was indeed amniotic fluid or if my membranes were thinning.
Those 5 minutes we were at our house changing, getting our things together to go to the hospital were so surreal. I remember thinking I don't have a bag packed, I don't even have a carseat or diapers. The baby room wasn't done, I haven't had a baby shower, and we have a fun vacation coming up. Yes I thought about material things but my mind and heart were just in shock. We hopped in the car and drove in pitch black to the hospital we haven't even toured. At one point, I lost it and couldn't get my crying under control and I knew Jon was holding it together for me. It's amazing what a hand squeeze from your husband can do to calm you down. And I prayed. Between sobs I told Jon that I wasn't pleading with God, that I knew His will be done and He would continue to protect me and this baby like He has done throughout this entire pregnancy. And I felt calm. In so many situations, Christians and non Christians lean on God in a time of need and beg and plead for deliverance, redemption, success, etc. The last thing I wanted to do was deliver my baby 14 weeks early or experience complications but at that moment, I was okay with whatever the Lord had planned for us. From the beginning of my pregnancy, I have known and accepted that parenthood and the act of being pregnant is a gift, not a right, and that through imperfections, God is glorified and I was going to do everything I could to use this pregnancy to glorify Him. 
My dad met us at the hospital to pick up Ernie and you know how it is with your parents... you have it together and then see them and boom! You lose it. The nice thing about going to the ER in the middle of the night is that there is parking and not too many people in line. We really had no idea where to go since we hadn't taken a tour but I was immediately rushed to the women's wing (they said that women with bellies always take precedence which is nice) and we were immediately checked in and placed in a room. As worked up as I had been the past hour, I was so calm when we were there. We passed the nursery and saw brand new life being bathed and swaddled. We saw a proud dad with his 1 hour old baby and a camera being taken to the nursery and when he passed us he said "Goodluck!" with the biggest smile on his face. In that moment I prayed for joy for him and his family and prayed that I wouldn't be seeing my baby wheeled away tonight.
Right away they hooked me up to a fetal monitor,  contraction tracker, and blood pressure monitor, and took a urine sample. The night nurses were fantastic and I really hope I get some of them when baby actually comes! They asked me a list of questions which initially scared me but they assured me it was just protocol. Do you want him circumcised  Are you banking his cord blood? Do you have a carseat?
Baby did NOT like the fetal monitors... he was kicking so hard right where it was strapped to my belly and the machine was really loud... we were getting a 'kick' out of it

The sweet doctor on call whom I had never met was also a huge part in calming me down. I think you are born with a gift if you are in medicine. They had to run some tests to check my cervix and if any amniotic fluid was released and I can say it was the most painful thing I have experienced thus far in my years visiting any kind of doctor. I squeezed Jon's hands HARD and he said he couldn't bare to see me in pain, but it was over quickly. She immediately told me my cervix was closed which was wonderful! When you are in labor your cervix will dilate to 10cm and mine was completely shut. And the aminotic fluid test took 10 minutes but was sitting right on the counter next to us. 5 minutes passed and the nurse told us she was optimistic because the results so far showed negative and that earlier in the night she was sure my water had broken. In those 5 remaining minutes, I think I asked more questions than I've ever asked my doctor. Turns out that even if my water had broken, I wouldn't have had to deliver my son that night. They would have kept me in the hospital until he was born but on antibiotics to fight infections. She said there was a whole separate wing of women in that situation and that it was fun over there and they had parties all the time (sounds fun but I would rather spend the next 3 months at home!). Praise God that the waters test came back negative! TMI but they did find some yeast in my urine (not an infection and we are treating it). Could have been the cause of the leak but we won't really ever know why or what it was. The thing about pregnancy is that anything can happen and sometimes what seems out of the ordinary, is just ordinary. 
The crazy thing is how GOOD I have been feeling! No bleeding/spotting the entire pregnancy, I wasn't in pain, no contractions. We had just had such a fun night too. They discharged us about 3:15am and squinty eyed and exhausted, headed home. Sunday I slept more than I was awake and the only thing I've experienced is extreme thirst which is normal in pregnancy. Yesterday I had a normal day at work and even went to the grocery store alone for a few things. I am so grateful Jon was able to cancel a business trip to stay home with us this week, even though I am 100% confident I would have been fine, I am more emotional than anything and love having him home. 
I know that was a long winded story but I wanted to share this experience because I am learning to embrace the unknown of pregnancy. In the past few weeks we've had friends lose full term pregnancies, friends give birth months early, friends continue not to be able to conceive, and friends welcoming beautiful babies into this world. So yes, it was a scary, sad, and surreal weekend for us but I just find myself thanking God that His will was for baby Hart to continue to grow inside of me. The closer I get to delivery, the more I think about my body being the safest place for this little boy to be. There are times where my heart just aches with excitement for the moment I hold my son, but I am not ready yet. There was a moment on the way home where tears were shed as we talked about the next time we head to the hospital in a rush, it would be a happier time and that we'd would hopefully be meeting our son very soon. 
God is good, even through pain and struggles. I know He has a plan for this pregnancy and this birth and I look forward to watching His plans unflold!
Thank you for your continuous prayers...
Jon, Ruthie, & baby Hart

Bullet Points

• Well... I have zero pictures to share with you today because as of yesterday, my iPhone was wiped. I was attempting to gain more storage and decided to do the iOs 6 update and bam... everything was gone. Tear. I have heard this happening to lots of people doing the update so be careful! I even backed up to iCloud before...
• Along with the iPhone catastrophe, we had a minor pregnancy related, my-belly-is-too-big, emergency. I was trying to cut my toenails, snipped my toe and it gushed for about 30 minutes. Not a trickle y'all... to the point I was considering taking Zofran because it made me feel sick looking at it. Looks like Jon will become my new pedicurist! I also have to sit down to put any shoes/socks on and that is a chore in itself
• I started the dishwasher before I left for work on Tuesday and a few hours later Jon texted me saying we are getting a new one. We've dealt with a mediocre, LOUD dishwasher for over a year and finally got fed up. Having to hand scrub 75% of your dishes after a cycle ain't cool. Jon was asking me all these questions about my preferences and when we got to Best Buy to look, I saw a big QUIET sticker on the one he liked and I was sold. Now we have 2 dishwashers... our awesome new one in the kitchen and our old junker in the foyer...must get rid of this weekend!
• I loved the feedback on yesterday's post about connecting with your spouse. Tonight we are having my parents over for games and then going to a game afternoon/night tomorrow... told you we were a little game obsessed
• I am making these for dinner tonight
• The baby room is coming along and I can't wait to show you pictures. Target gave us 2 newborn diapers when we registered and we got them out this week... man they are tiny! I got chills holding one up. And Jon practiced by putting it on one of baby Hart's stuffed animals haha. 
• Last night we volunteered at a health night for the most impoverish middle school in Austin, which happens to be in the neighborhood our church was planted it. It was wonderful and humbling. We talked about how despite living in the bubble of suburbia, we plan to raise our children with servant hearts and show them everyday struggles that people in our very own city face. 
• I don't think I've mentioned it before but we are going to cloth diaper baby Hart and really excited about it! I was telling someone it was John and Sherry from YoungHouseLove that got me amped up about it long before I was pregnant. More deets to come on the diaps/products we chose but thought I'd share that. 
• Speaking of babies, I got to hold our neighbors precious 4 day old baby girl and baby Hart kicked the whole time. I seriously cannot wait to hold my son in 3 months!!!!!!

Sorry for the black and white post, have a great weekend!

How do you connect with your spouse?

Lately I feel like we've been juggling a circus over here. Between work, blog, church, friends, baby prep, house stuff.. it's been busier than normal yet I feel so much more at peace. I've gone through stages in this pregnancy of falling asleep at 8pm to having much more energy and staying awake, I swear it changes by the week. But the past week has been full yet at ease and I can pinpoint exactly why.... Jon and I have not watched TV. Last weekend we watched a few movies on Netflix during the day but in the evenings got the urge to just hang out. We've been taking Ernie on longer (and much slower walks for this waddling mama) walks, staying at our dining room table even after we finish eating, and playing lots of games. If you know us in real life, you'd know we are game people. We love outdoor games, board games, pretty much all games with the exception of video games (except for the Wii). In the past week we've played multiple rounds of cards, marbles (a hand made Sorry type game that usually requires 4 people but we improvised), every single game on Wii sports resort, Family Feud, the Price is Right. It has been seriously the most fun we've had on weeknights in a while. I am so behind on all my shows and we haven't watched a Breaking Bad episode in about a month but we are having a blast. Last year I talked about how we didn't get a TV in our room until we moved into this house so the first year of marriage we remained TV-less in our bedroom which was good for us, yet we would sometimes fall asleep watching movies on the couch so that defeats the purpose. We definitely go through seasons where we are really into a show and get excited to cuddle up in bed and watch it until we doze off but I love the sans-TV season we are in now. It could and most likely will change next week but I have just been thinking a lot this week about what a distraction TV can have on a relationship. 
We've always had a rule that we eat dinner at the table without the TV on and we switch off choosing a Pandora station to listen to. I hate calling it a rule because it's not something we dread. We will continue this when we have children too. I think about the last week and instantly recognize a deeper connection between me and my husband, the more fun the conversation, longer the laughs, and sweeter the physical touch. All because we turned off the TV!
Some of these moments are bittersweet knowing that in just a few months, the physical demands of our son will get in the way of nights focusing on each other...but I know those times will be just as sweet. I savor the long walks we've been taking knowing that the weather is about to become unbearable, but I get so excited thinking of the walks we will take with our baby boy. 
The seasons of marriage are ever changing and I'd love to know how you and your spouse connect during those sweet seasons. Or how you 'get back on track' after a distracting season of marriage.
And just for fun...I saw this on Facebook...I'm not a mama yet but can see myself saying this!

P.S. not joking, I am writing this blog post from our gameroom upstairs and Jon just IM'ed me and said "Come to my office, I want to play you in marbles" haha

Bacon Corn Chowder with Shrimp

One of my favorite things to cook around our house is hearty soups. You pretty much can't mess up a soup recipe and it stores great for leftovers. Shrimp and soup may sound like a weird combo but man this recipe was a winner! Oddly enough, I have been wanting shrimp pretty often in this pregnancy. 
Ingredients 6 slices of cooked bacon, chopped into little pieces Olive oil 1.5 cups onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 4 cups corn, canned or frozen but thawed 1 cup water 2 cups chicken broth 1 lb small/medium shrimp, peeled and cooked (I pan seared mine with olive oil over medium heat, took just a few minutes) 1/3 cup half and half 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp salt
1. Saute onions, celery, and garlic in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Add the chicken broth and water to the pot
3. Add corn to the pot and let cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes
4. Add the shrimp
5. Add the half and half and stir until combined
6. Stir in salt, pepper, and bacon
7. Add any additional salt or garlic salt to taste

original recipe, A Zesty Bite

25 weeks

Thoughts: this week when people have been asking how I am doing, I keep saying, "I am slowing down". I've noticed myself getting more and more tired and winded from regular activities and focusing on rest and relaxation instead of trying to get every single thing done. We walk up a little hill from the parking lot to church and Sunday I guess I was walking really slow because Jon helped by pushing me up haha. 
Baby: he is 13.5 inches this week and the size of a rutabega (can't say I would recognize one if I saw it) but last week he was already 1lb 11oz so I am guessing our chunker is almost 2 lbs now. Jon told me that if we saw him now his skin would look baggy and wrinkly and all his hair would be white from the lack of pigment... our little Benjamin Button baby!
Symptoms: well....not so great of a week. Got some bad bouts of heart burn which I would get before pregnancy so it's not surprising (but I avoided it this long which is good). And after about 4 weeks of being sickness free, I got really sick again. I am admitting that it was my fault, I forgot my morning Zofran before church and had to run out to make it to a break room. You'd think I'd remember my pill after months of taking it... but you'd also think that I wouldn't be getting sick after 6 months!
Movement: oh yeah. Last weeks sonogram showed him curled up in a little ball but this week he was like a star fish and stretched out in my tummy. Punches under my ribs, at my belly button and way down low. We were going to bed Sunday night and I actually felt a little discomfort when he kicked me (punched really because he is head down) SO low. It was basically on my pubic bone and did not feel good. But for the most part I love the precious kicks and punches throughout the day! Funny how newborns are born so calm and docile after months of karate and kickboxing in your stomach.    Sleep: this week I have fully embraced naps which is huge considering I never used to take them pre pregnancy. A few weekdays I would get home from work and go cuddle up in bed, not necessarily fall asleep but totally relax my body. And we've decided to start truly practicing Sabbath on Sunday and make sure we have a clear schedule after church so we can nap and re-energize for the week ahead.  
Cravings/aversions/eating: watermelon, kiwi, Nutella, all carbs, cereal
Workouts: went to the gym a few times in the past week in my new workout clothes! Got some flowy workout tops from Old Navy that aren't maternity but fit the growing bump and I can still fit into my Nike shorts for now. Jon and I have been going on some longer walks with Ernie and I laugh because I used to be speedy Gonzales and pretty much walk ahead of him... now I am a lotttttt slower. 
Clothes: maternity jeans/capris/short with a mix of maternity shirts and non. I have a lot of maternity clothes and want to make sure I get to wear them all so I am cycling through those. Non maternity sun dresses this week too. 
Random: we registered for a hospital tour on June 1st, I will be 31 weeks. It's weird to see the shift lately now that we are on the downhill portion of the pregnancy. I am reading BabyWise right now and last night Jon said, "hey are you almost done I want to read!". We are trying to learn as much as we can about childbirth, labor, breastfeeding, sleep schedules... all very surreal!
We got our stroller last week (Britax B-Agile) and have been testing it out around the house to see what Ernie thinks. I keep telling Jon I want to get a double stroller so I can have baby in one side and Ernie in the other haha. 

THE most appropriate shirt for baby Hart... a sweet gift from Liz and her baby girl (due in June)!

I was going through my craft stuff to get a paint brush and found a baggie of seashells that Jon and I collected on our honeymoon over 2 years ago. I repurposed a wooden anchor from my Delta Gamma days and glued the seashells on for baby Hart's room...

Deny Yourself

A couple of months ago I was humbled to have been asked to review the first devotional DVD in Lisa Chan's True Beauty Series. The first DVD was called Be Still and I have been asked to review the 2nd installment  Deny Yourself. Wife of well known (famous in my eyes!) pastor and church planter, Francis Chan, Lisa Chan is a true woman of un-dying faith who sets out to encourage other women in their walks towards sanctification and Christ like lives. 
In each of the gospels, it is recorded that Jesus tells his friends and disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24). Deny myself? Those words sting deep like a fresh wound. In theory denying ourselves is an easy task. Praying those words of acceptance of Christ, promising to love and obey, to put others before you, to refrain from sin. But how many of us are truly denying ourselves in the eyes of the world in obedience to God? Lisa talks about how counter intuitive denying yourself is in our world today. We live in a world that craves attention, success, and self worth. We lift up greed and take care of ourselves first. Even modern Christian churches love talking about the love and forgiveness of God...but don't ever talk about taking up our cross and denying ourselves. We assume we are forgiven in Christ yet can't forgive others (see my posts on forgiveness, The Gift of Forgiveness and How to Forgive). 
I had heard the term "to take up your cross" many times but it wasn't until a few years ago that I fully understood its true meaning, seriousness, and depth. Taking up our cross means to load up the pain, brokenness, and sin in our lives and walk towards Jesus. That very sin that was paid for on the cross by the precious blood of Christ. Your pain and past doesn't have to own you but take it to Jesus. Our biggest struggle as believers is truly submitting ourselves to the will of God. We steer away, resist, and keep ourselves from Him with our own choices and sin. It's not always going to be the easy way out but denying ourselves and following Him will fill us up with so much joy and help us recognize the true freedom we are given through salvation. 
I have been a Christian almost my entire life but I can honestly say that it wasn't until a few years ago that I truly believed in the words of Matthew 16:25..."For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ". In Christ, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Are you ready to deny yourself and the ways of the world, take up your cross and follow Christ?

24 weeks

Thoughts: this week has been so wonderful and emotional. On Monday we got to see our little guy for almost 30 minutes and in 3d and the rest of the day I was a blubbery mess thinking about him and looking at his sweet little face. As a first time mom I am not doubting the fact that he is healthy and growing on schedule, I just have some underlying fear since I have never been through this before so when they tell me he is as perfect as can be, it is almost surreal. I feel so blessed and undeserving of this healthy little boy. God is totally prepping my heart for the emotional rollercoaster we will jump on when he is born because everything from the kicks to hearing the heart beat and seeing his face on the screen just turn me into a puddle. If I love him this much already, what will it be like when I see him for the first time? Or when he babbles "mama" in a few months? I cannot wait!

Baby: more info on our doctor appointment below but baby Hart is cute as can be and growing! He's about a foot long (they can't get an accurate measurement because they move so much, and baby boy had his feet and arms above his head!) and measured 1lb 11oz.

Symptoms: 1/2 a Zofran pill at night and sometimes in the morning, depending on if I wake up running to the bathroom or not. I had my first bout of sciatic nerve pain from Friday night-Sunday night and it's been better since then. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do to help it but I am dealing with it.

Weight: 15lbs total. I am only going to weigh myself at the doctor from now on since the other scale I was using turned out to be wrong (a few weeks ago I was tracking at 17lb but since I only knew my weight at the doctor beforehand, I will stick with doc scale only). 

Movement: oh yeah! The second I sit down for an extended period of time, my tummy turns into a wave pool. I think he's shy because I watch him kick and punch and then he stops when I call Jon over. He also didn't like the sonogram machine on Monday because anytime she would press on my belly, he would kick me pretty hard back. 

Sleep: this past week has been a whirlwind with traveling, Jon's birthday, etc. so I have been sleeping really hard which is good! Ernie is being a toot lately and getting me up around 2-3a to go #2 which is annoying but I have to get up to go potty anyway. 
Cravings/aversions/eating: watermelon!
Workouts: I didn't workout for about a week and a half before, during and after my work trip because I was just too exhausted. Monday I went to the gym with Jon and I was showing him how out of breath I can get from lifting a 10lb weight haha but I really do enjoy working out even if it is slow. I know how good it is for baby (and it gets me out of the office for a bit).     Clothes: some maternity tops and maternity pants for sure except for workout shorts/lounge pants which are getting pretty tight these days. I do have 2 pair of maternity workout shorts and some yoga capris which I will probably start wearing soon. I can still wear some non maternity stretchy tank tops but they ride up within a few minutes... exhibit A

Doctor appointments: we had our 24 week appointment Monday and it couldn't have gone any better! It was a special appt because we met with the sonographer who measured every little thing about our little guy. Half the time we didn't know what she was looking at but she was SO good at explaining things (we saw all 4 chambers of the heart, blood vessels and all parts of the brain, bladder, kidneys, stomach...seriously modern technology is amazing!). Like our last appt with the sonographer, she made a dvd of the whole thing so we have about 25 minutes of our little guy moving around, I can't stop watching! Growth is right on track, he is measuring at 1lb 11oz and she said he will come out ready to nurse lol! Nothing to be concerned about and all my parts are doing good and they don't expect any early thinning or labor for me. We also met with a nurse to check my vitals, go over results, and talk about my glucose/hemoglobin test in 4 weeks...bleh! That appointment we have another sonogram and start talking about birth plan with our doctor! We signed up for a breast feeding class at the end of June (in case I have him in July, I didn't want to push it) and we are getting excited for that, I hear it is the best class to take to prep and learn. There was no doubt in our anatomy scan that baby Hart is a boy but the sonographer gave us a nice big picture of our little guy's family jewels. I will save him the embarrassment and refrain from posting it on the blog :-). 
I present to you, the sweetest looking little boy I have ever seen. I can't get enough of his big ole' lips!

And his massive looking feet!

Random: The baby room is now painted and slowly coming together. I got antsy and bought the mattress and put the crib sheets on so it could look like a real room. I ordered this fabric and used this tutorial to make beautiful full length curtains for the windows (btw the tutorial is no sew!!). Blankets, an ottoman, rocking chair cover, changing table cover, and bed skirt are being made right now so I will post some pictures soon! I have also been looking at Pinterest for ideas for wall decor. Above his crib is a giant blank wall and  I really want to do something cool but not sure what, any ideas? 

23 weeks 22 weeks 21 weeks 20 weeks 19 weeks 18 weeks 17 weeks 16 weeks 15 weeks 14 weeks 13 weeks 0-12 weeks

1983 Prom

Believe it or not, Jon never went to a prom growing up, let alone a school dance or even a high school football game. Months ago I had started throwing around ideas for his 30th birthday party and thought, "Hey! Jon never went to a prom, I am going to throw him one". And there's nothing more that Jon loves than dressing up so to spice things up, we decided to do a 1983 prom, the year Jon was born. Jon turned 30 last Thursday and since I was traveling, I knew I wanted to make it extra special for him. I surprised him with a note and gift for each day of the week... starting with his favorite snacks and ending with an iPad (to which he exclaimed, this will be good for the baby to play with! First world problems?!). 
Back to the party...I will let the pictures do the talking...
I borrowed a dress from my mom that I had tried on a few weeks ago. Let's just say that it was like using the jaws of life to get that thing around my growing belly on Saturday night haha. And yep Jon's mustache was real.

The 2 "teen moms" at prom

We are so lucky to be surrounded by family and friends that love us and helped celebrate Jon's birthday, it was an absolute blast. It was kind of nostalgic knowing this was the last big party I would throw before our baby boy is born and as bad as my little tootsies hurt the next morning, it was totally worth it! Jon is worth celebrating every.single.day.

Nutella Pretzel Brownies

Back in February, Jane posted this recipe in honor of National Nutella Day and I have her to thank for my latest obsession...yep Nutella! This pregnancy has only heightened my love for chocolate and I find myself making more desserts than normal (what the baby wants, the baby gets). I can't express to you enough how delicious these brownies are, I literally had to give the leftovers away because I could have easily eaten the entire pan in 2 days time. Make them!
Ingredients Crust

1.5 cups pretzels

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp melted butter

Brownies

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup Nutella 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

More Nutella spread for frosting the brownies

Extra pretzels for garnishing

*Optional- chocolate chips to melt and drizzle on top

1. For the crust, crush the pretzels in a food processor or in a plastic baggie. Add in the brown sugar and melted butter and combine

2. Press into a greased 8x8 pan and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees

3. For the brownies, whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the flour, Nutella, salt and baking powder until fully mixed. 

4. Pour the brownie batter over the baked crust and bake for 40 minutes at 350.

5. Let cool and frost with Nutella, garnish with pretzels and drizzle with melted chocolate.

My week

Even for someone who isn't housing a 1.5lb baby and an extra 15-20lbs in their midsection, this week would have been exhausting! I am excited to say that I successfully completed my last business trip and came back in once piece. Being in Vegas pregnant is very different than going with an empty womb. Not that I have ever been a drinker or gambler but whereas most people would look forward to fun after parties and yummy drinks at the end of the tradeshow, I was craving a hot shower and warm bed. I got in at 2am last night so today I will be recovering and prepping for a certain 30 year old's birthday party tomorrow! We are also celebrating, just the two of us, tonight with a dinner date.
Last Friday Jon and I went to the Lonestar Roundup which is a hot rod show here in Austin that we've gone to together for the past 4 years. Jon was in absolute heaven and he has turned me into an old car fan pretty easily. Jon got his love of cars from his dad and I know baby Hart will follow in his dad's footsteps

I have a thing for 1956 Chevy's...future mom car?//"Diversity is an old old wooden...car" (Anchorman anyone)
Cute little baby succulents on the deck (Ernie is scared of them)

Have you noticed my latest Nutella obsession/craving?

Monday morning I flew to Vegas and it's been non stop since...

Our team wears Nike dry-fit polos and I decided to wear my non maternity shirts rather than the ugly tent maternity one I ordered. It's funny because my belly literally grows overnight. Monday the shirt fit and Tuesday I felt some major breeze around my tummy and noticed a good 2 inches of flesh sticking out. Whoops.

I mentioned Monday that I got to see not 1 but 3 Vegas bloggers...it was so refreshing and fun. The coolest thing is it may be the first time you meet someone face to face but the conversation picks up like 2 old friends and is so deep and rich. Baby Hart even got 2 gifts! The blog world just continues to bless me and my family. 
Huge desserts with Katie....hey we are both prego! (and her baby girl is baby Hart's future wife)

Yummy breakfast with Jessi & baby Eli

Blogger fail... no picture with Ashleigh :-(
What a week! As nice as it is to change my cubicle/office scenery during the week, I am really looking forward to getting back into the swing of normalcy. Now time to celebrate my old husband, cheers!

Guess who's over the hill?

I used to think 30 sounded so old but now heck it's the new 20! I don't think you are technically over the hill until you are 40 but I love joking with Jon that 30 is ancient (since we are 5.5 years apart).
30 years ago today at 12:12p EST, this dashing young gentleman was brought into this world.

(how awesome is that blue suit?! He's gotta be 2-3 years old in this pic)
I feel like from the time I was about 6 months old until present day, I haven't changed much. You look at my kindergarten picture and there I am, unmistakably Ruthie Lynn with big eyes and dimples. I feel the opposite about Jon who was a major cutie pie as a kiddo but almost unrecognizable today. 
Excuse me while I fan myself, I think my husband is a major hunk...

Can you now see why I get so many hard baby kicks? Look at daddy's calves!

I was sad to learn that I would be gone the week of Jon's birthday because I love making a big deal out of it for him and hate missing it. I am basically taking a midnight flight tonight to get home in the wee hours of the morning, just so I can celebrate with him. I did leave him with some special treats throughout the week that I will share with you next week.
I could write a million paragraphs why I am thankful Jon was born 30 years ago because not a day goes by where I don't feel incredibly blessed to have him in my life. I am so proud of him as a disciple of his faith, as a wonderful husband, as a hardworking business man, and this year, as he becomes a father. Jon, the world is lucky to have you in it. I love you!

23 weeks

(I don't know how much longer you'll be seeing bare belly photos haha)

Thoughts: never did I think I'd be pregnant in Vegas but I'm surviving! I am soaking up all the time that I do have lots of energy because I know it'll be rough come summer. Jon took a good look at my belly on Sunday before I left because I swear it gets bigger overnight! It's funny I've only been pregnant 5.5 months yet I can't remember life before it.

Baby: I kind of hate the fruit comparisons because in my mind, a mango is really small but this week it says he is just over 1lb, 11 inches and the size of a large mango. The blood vessels in his lungs are developing, hopefully he will use those lungs to cry very sparingly ;). Baby Center told me to dance this week because baby can feel and enjoy the swaying. 

Symptoms: 1/2 a Zofran pill at night and sometimes in the morning, depending on if I wake up running to the bathroom or not. Lower back pain is here to stay and it sucks.

Movement: yep! Everyday and what seems like all day. Last week I sat in meetings and almost went cross eyed from staring down at my belly to watch it move. It is hard to focus when my little man is practicing his freestyle kicks in my tummy (we are hoping he is a swimmer like Jon's dad).

Sleep: I've been waking up with neck pain from sleeping weird so trying to figure that out. Waking up only 1-2 times for potty breaks.
Cravings/aversions/eating: Jon forgot to get me my one requested Easter present which was a Reese's egg but the past few days it's been a scavenger hunt for me to find them hidden all over our house. Nothing like clearance Easter candy, eh? Also burgers. I think my iron is low because I crave a big, juicy burger pretty much everyday. 
Workouts: still going to the gym but not pushing myself hard and taking it easy. I try to get in some form of physical activity about 4 times a week, usually 3 visits to the gym, but taking this week off since walking around Vegas and a huge tradeshow is enough activity for me.       Clothes: this week should be interesting. I am at a tradeshow for work and rocking my pre pregnancy Nike dry fit polos and a maternity skirt. I had ordered a maternity shirt that looks like an ugly tent on me. 
Doctor appointments: after an 8 week break, we get to see our baby on Monday morning the 15th! And in 3d! This is our long appointment (24 week) where they do tons of measurements and even give us a dvd. I can't wait to see what our little guy looks like. 
Random: may be TMI but I officially can't see my lady parts anymore and I have to stretch to see my feet standing up. It's funny I still feel pretty agile but am super restricted by this watermelon in my tummy. I am throwing Jon a birthday party this weekend and really looking forward to that! 
Rocking the baby bump at Microsoft Mangement Summit #23weeks