how far along? 40 weeks! whaaaa?!! oh baby girl! hurry up! i can’t believe the due date is here but she is not!
weight gain: 36 lbs. just what the doctor ordered! she wanted me to gain between 30-40 lbs…i felt the latter number was ideal to gain because it’s much more fun! hehe.
maternity clothes? i officially don’t have to worry about it anymore! i’m just waiting for her to arrive! i am quite happy how long i was able to stretch out {literally} my wardrobe.
sleep: sleep has been great. i’ve fallen back into the late night owl habits. it started out as very early bedtimes and slowly, very slowly progressed into later nights. sleep has been good though!
physical state: tired. achy feet. i’m very slow. the typical symptoms of a lady who is in her last weeks of pregnancy. although my energy is up! so crazy but true…i can’t move quick, my feet are so numb but i have a lot of energy! that energy is channeled into cleaning and organizing! i’ve become beyond ocd, i love making everything neat and clean.
miss anything? seafood in large quantities. wine. not worrying about what i should or shouldn’t eat. sautéed shrimp, breaded shrimp, garlic and butter shrimp.
baby movement: she’s kung fu hustling inside the womb. it’s amazing to see my belly shake back and forth. she has pretty much been in the same position for weeks now. i watch her kick and kick and kick with her tiny feet. she’s most active when i’m sitting on the couch, on the computer, which is usually early in the evenings. that is when she rumbles like a wwe fighter.
food cravings: bagels and cream cheese. fruit. sugar cookies.
bump status: ginormous. it’s most, most uncomfortable in bed. when I try to turn from side to side, oh my goodness!!! it hurts! she feels like a bag of bricks in my belly and when i try to turn from one side to the other, it feels like my belly is going to rip off my body. yes, that sounds like an accurate description.
gender reveal: it’s a girl! hurry up baby girl! it’s your birthday!
i just discovered how freakin’ adorable little baby girl clothes can be! yes, it’s true. this entire time i have been pregnant, i honestly did not buy one piece of clothing for baby h. not one. i, for some reason, was just not that into it!
now that i am hitting the last few weeks of this pregnancy journey, i’ve truly enjoyed shopping for little baby girl clothes {much to hc’s dismay}! just last week, i bought my first few outfits for the baby! i’m really loving baby gap {you truly can get a deal there!}, carter’s {you can get an even better deal}, janie and jack, jcrew & nordstroms! so many cute choices and i can’t wait to see baby h in all these fun clothes.
i am loving all the gifts we received from everyone! soooo many cute outfits given to us! here’s a little sampling of what baby h will be wearing. i’m giddy over every article of clothing!
i’m a big fan of feminine, cutesy outfits. nothing too crazy bright, nothing too crazy pink! more subdued, sweet, semi-preppy and pretty! i favour greys, mint, a warm coral, navy, and soft pinks on the little one.
i’m really digging baby tights and leg warmers! i purchased a few leg warmers from target! they had these adorable grey ones and i also got the pink ones too! she’s going to look so hip!
how far along? 38 weeks! only a few more weeks! eeekkkk! she’s ready to go anytime soon! i said to hc…this could be my last post…kinda sad! we’ll see if i make it to the 40 week post!
weight gain: 35lbs. it’s so cray to think i’ve gained that much weight! well, at least it’s more gradual than the pounds i was packing on before!
maternity clothes? the same mix, the usual and so near the end! wow! i’m so glad i was able to just wear all my regular gear…it felt more like me. it was so hard to be sold on the maternity wear! i didn’t love anything {the fashions are just sooo…maternity!} or i had a hard time justifying the money spent on it.
sleep: pretty restful although i find that if i have the opportunity to sleep in, i don’t! i pop awake and that is it. i use to sleep, sleep the morning away but not so much the case now. i usually can fall asleep just fine but sometimes when i wake up, it feels like she’s punching my stomach {she’s heavy and the pressure she puts on my stomach is yucky}! ugh! it makes me feel nausea and absolutely uncomfortable, sometimes painful. it feels like someone punched me in my stomach and i need to kneel over to subside the pain.
physical state: i was just on a staycation, so i was feeling great! i am still tired {it’s a little frustrating} but take out the work factor and it’s so much better! i’m a little nervous to go back because i’m afraid it will be very exhausting!!! i’m slow and i seriously do waddle now :p i struggle getting in and out of the car, in and out of the bed, sitting upright…oh you know, the usual pregger afflictions.
miss anything? yes, a good glass of wine. i know you can have almost anything ‘forbidden’ in moderation but i prefer not to.
baby movement: she’s so strong! and it’s so cute to feel her little feet and itty bitty hand movements. i always feel the heels of her feet against my skin and her hands rubbing around by her face! some of her movements can be quite uncomfortable {the rib kicks and the pressure at the bottom of my uterus}, otherwise it’s fun to feel her movements inside my belly. i tease her and try to grab her feet when she’s so active.
food cravings: soups {all kinds}, bagel and cream cheese, cronuts, and of course, lots and lots of fruit.
bump status: big. did i say big? yes, big. and now peeps are not asking me when i’m due but rephrased to “are you due soon?!”. yup, she is big and ready to go.
gender reveal: it’s a girl! we love her and can’t wait to see her! come meet us soon baby girl!
i was beyond excited for this shower at doc wine bar! it was our last one and i was going to see a lot of peeps that are special to me.
it was definitely a group effort to pull this one off. the main masters were carol, dana, and andrea. carol absolutely outdid herself! she coordinated all the decor and concocted the entire theme all the way from seattle! she, unfortunately, could not make the shower due to an amazing trip to london, she had long planned, during the same time frame!
i loved where it was held. i only had dinner there once {with pam and marina] and never once looked at the private event space. i only went off of what pam said that night we were at dinner, that it was a lovely space and they were very accommodating and reasonable.
i walked up to the restaurant and walked straight inside to the private room {so easy to find! it’s right by the front entrance}. i was greeted by friendly faces {the delightful dana was right there to say hello!} and by the cutest welcome table! so freakin’ adorbs.
how cute is this?! the bunting was handmade by carol. she also purchased the mad about madeline collection book by ludwig bemelmans, added additional pages in the back for guests to write a lovely note to the baby! how thoughtful! when little heintz grows up, she can see who attended her baby shower and read all their little notes!
the welcome table had a cute little saying, by carol herself. i love the creature figurine and the adorable alphabet print {i come to find out carol stole it from my pinterest board, sneaky!}!
table centerpieces by crafty carol! a deer terrarium, twine wrapped mason jars, and perty flowers handpicked by dana and andrea! so perfect!
[love ann // jodi’s mom // she is the sweetest lady! and jodi – she’s not so bad herself!]
my lovely peeps // left to right clockwise // leslie, dawn, karen, ann, jodi, kristen, and colleen! chit chatting and enjoying their cocktails…i wish i could swig a mimosa!
i loved this…animal cookie cutters as favors! there were snails, moose, porcupines, squirrels, deers, etc.! and not one favor left behind after the party!
family! from left to right clockwise // lan, kim, thuy, mom, jane, grace, lynne, and barbara // we are just missing linh in this photo! but she was there, just dodging all the photos!
hostesses with the mostess – dana and andrea!!!!! somehow we all coordinated our outfits! but it was a given that dana and i would…we always end up in color coordinated clothes. we have a long history of showing up and looking like we planned our outfits together!
my favorite little figurine!
[famille]
from left to right clockwise // jaime, carol z, elva, laurie, marina, pam, and hc // he came later on, just in time for gifts!
[the goodies for baby h]
this was some of the yummy, yummy food! a variety of flatbreads to devour, fresh sweet fruit, amazing applewood bacon potato cakes, a savory wrightwood salad, hearty roasted chicken paninis, and delicious desserts!!
the delicious cake! topper made by carol…a perfect match to the decorative bunting within the room!
how adorable are these? thank you to marina and pam for concocting these fabulous mushroom cupcakes for the shower!
the desserts were served and we were ready to open gifts! notice the cute bunting in the background and the lovely fireplace! it was so cozy!
as you can see, i’m having a great time opening all these lovely gifts. we received our boons bathtub from lan, bookends from dawn, a beautiful hand crocheted blanket from kristin, and the lamb rocker from tanya!
colleen, as part of her gift, made us a cubs build a bear! as you can see, hc loved it so! we received, from jane, the baby’s first christmas ornament and an adorable purple knit cap with chicest feather fascinator! everyone loved it!
grace made baby h a blankie, jane made baby h a pretty quilt {i know, bad photo…the only one i had!}, andrea gave us a fashionable onsie, and dana, as part of her gift, gave us a starbucks sippy cup! she envisioned me holding the baby with the sippy cup and a real starbucks in my other hand. how accurate and true. 🙂
dana knows me so well! she also gave us le petit prince book! i soooo wanted this book for baby h! it’s a beautiful pop up book to further enhance the beautiful story. i loved, loved the cute little outfits kim and thuy gave us…the cat themed outfits are so fun! last but not least…love the jacket ann and jodi gave us {amongst other thoughtful, useful, and cute gifts inside their packed gift basket!}.
i wish i could show all the gifts everyone gave! everyone was so thoughtful, generous, and kind with every item they gave to baby h!
apologies for the blurry photo but i had to get a one of jaime in! i’m so glad she was able to make it.
[love these gals! jaime, marina, and pam]
[the moms]
[waiting for our new addition]
thank you so much to carol for executing such a perfect shower! i am so grateful for everything that you did to help pull this shower together for baby h and how perfectly ‘me’ it was! i loved the theme…so cute! a big thank you to dana and andrea for pulling all the strings from seattle to chicago to make this shower happen! it was a beautiful celebration for our baby and we are so appreciative for the amazing friends and family that we have!
how far along? 36 weeks! baby girl, it’s your birth month!!! ah! a few more weeks! hopefully she doesn’t come too early or too late…if i’m lucky!
weight gain: 32lbs. no weight gain since the last appointment! phew! i was a bit worried at the rate i was going at a few weeks ago. i told the doc that most people gain it in the beginning and taper off near the end, but i was having the opposite effect!
maternity clothes? same ‘ol, same ‘ol. i haven’t purchased anything new for the pregger wardrobe. yay! i just wear a lot of leggings, dresses, and all my normal tops. hc just hopes that all my clothes i’ve been wearing will bounce back to their regular shape. hey, they might be stretched just a tad around the belly but my regular clothes are doing just fine around this baby belly! p.s. just so y’all know, they do bounce back after the wash!
sleep: it’s been good! a lot more solid. despite the big belly. i have a body pillow and i just wedge something under the belly for support and snooze away. so, i’m feeling a lot better and more well rested than i was months ago! i like to credit hc for being home, it’s much more comforting.
physical state: honestly, pretty tired. i really thought i was going to be superwomen through this all but it’s taking me down. i get really tired…oy. the belly is really weighing me down. the flights of stairs are climbed up much more slowly. the blocks i walk seem to double in time. i try to fight it but i can’t! so, i am getting better sleep just in time to be tired while i’m awake! for tummy support, i love my belly band. it’s not the one you wear to keep your pants up but it’s like a back/belly belt that supports your body. it helps your back and supports the weight of your belly. it really helps out! it’s called the upsie belly…definitely worth the purchase!
miss anything? yes, of course! everything i can’t have! especially beer since beerhoptacular is this weekend! boo. i’m missing my sushi…endless amounts of all kinds of fish & seafood. i know i can eat small amounts of specific types but i want to be able to just have the green light and eat it all!
baby movement: she’s a kick boxer. she’s getting so big, the pressure on my organs is uncomfortable! she tenses up inside and puts so much pressure on my cervix…yowza! she kicks out my sides, my ribs, smooshes my stomach, and rolls over my bladder all day long! i don’t think my digestive system knows how to operate with all this crazy pressure on it.
food cravings: pears, fruit cocktails, and pineapple. milano cookies. yoplait cherry yogurt.
bump status: so big. so achy big! a full blown bump that feels so heavy! the skin stretches and it hurts! i hope i’m selling this to all the never before pregger folks out there 😉 it gets cumbersome and exhausting but inside there’s a cute little surprise waiting for us! a perfect blend of me and the hubs. overall, i’ll miss the bump…being pregnant! i can’t believe it’s coming to an end. it might be uncomfortable at times but it’s so worth it. it’s definitely been a fun, giddy experience. people are so different to you, being pregnant, you are like a whole other species. it’s been amazing to see what the body can do…it’s definitely a miracle, a blessing from God.
gender reveal: it’s a girl! we can’t wait to meet the little bundle of joy!
my lovely girls at vs so kindly threw me a shower! it was so sweet and thoughtful of them. it was hosted by my pretty girls, yesenia and tiffani. they did such an amazing job! i was very grateful!
hubby charming and i got there early, so we were instructed to wait upstairs until everything was ready! we finally finagled our way down to a pretty decorated room! pink streamers, fabulous centerpieces, and delicious smelling food! they had worked so hard! several of the girls pitched in and made some decadent desserts!
[the lovely diaper cake made by yesenia]
[streamer decor]
[centerpieces]
we started with the mingling and socializing, then we were given the go ahead from yesenia to dig into the tasty food {from her dad’s restaurant mario’s pizza and pasta}. everything was so yummy! after noshing on all things tasty, we attacked the dessert table! em, from the wrap, made brownies…marlena made the cream cheese stuffed strawberries…it went on and on!
as we were wrapping up the dinner, yesenia started the fun games! oh, it was hilarious to see everyone participate! the first game was for everyone to guess how big my bump was. wow, there were some folks out there {they shall remain unnamed!} that thought my belly was really big!! they tore off their measurement from a roll of paper streamers and once everyone pulled off their fair share, i was asked to stand up and have everyone wrap their streamers around me. whoever guessed the closest, of course, wins! mutters nailed it! she guessed the width of my belly exactly!
[baby bump guessing]
the next game, i had to pick three contestants – the victims were dulce, tracy, and jaime! they had to drink all the pop from the baby bottles. ugh! i wouldn’t want to do that! it was so funny to see. jaime was so upset she had to do this! ha! and the winner was…dulce!!!! the quietest ones always surprise you!
[a race to the end! go dulce!]
[dulce takes the prize]
[it’s a girl confetti]
the last game was, for the picked teams, to guess what the ‘poopey’ diaper was! gross! they had to lick the diaper to guess what kind of chocolate bar it was! yucky looking! anthony and cailynn won!
[‘poopey’ diapers]
next up were presents! all the girls were so kind! i received so many wonderful gifts from everyone! even gals who couldn’t make the shower left their gifts for baby h!
[present time!]
[rich was proud of the rubber ducky he picked out on the registry!]
[i love this photo of me holding marlena’s diaper cake…she was cracking me up about it, she didn’t know how to put one together! it was literally falling apart in my hands!]
[old school ladies! from left to right – hostess with the mostess, yesenia + tiffani, wendy, and jaime]
it was such a fun event! thank you, thank you to my ladies who were so generous, kind, and thoughtful! baby h is so absolutely grateful for all that you have given her! a huge thank you to yesenia and tiffani for hosting such a wonderful shower for us!!! we are so thankful, words cannot describe how awesome it was for you both to do this for us!
weight gain: 32lbs. hello! ugh, the scale is my enemy…that is why i don’t personally own one!!! i’m bloated…water retention sucks.
maternity clothes? still a mixture of clothing. i haven’t purchased anything new, just recycling the old to make it new again 🙂
sleep: it’s been better! and so much better now that hc is home on a regular basis! so happy over that! it’s so much more comforting. i am sleeping more through the night…i’m trying to do that as much as possible before the bebe comes!
physical state: feeling great overall! just your typical third trimester issues. feeling heavy {super heavy}, getting a bit tired {ugh, the heavy breathing, the shortness of breath, i can’t physically do what i am use to}, and i’m amazed at how big that belly can get! the weight really bogs me down. hc and i walked around the city the other day {to support our friends running in the marathon} and i almost had a melt down! i was so unbelievably exhausted, i cried. i’m so use to being the energizer bunny…the batteries do run out!
miss anything? yes…everything i ‘shouldn’t’ eat. i went to a sushi restaurant the other night and i wanted to devour all that raw fish!
baby movement: she’s getting stronger everyday! it’s such an odd and amazing feeling. it’s so hard to describe it to anyone who has never been pregnant! when she is up and kickin’, she is dancing in the belly! it’s just boom, boom, boom, against my tummy! she, the other week, did a first: she kicked under my ribcage and pulled it out…ouch!! that was a bit jarring. she is still hiccuping at least two-three times a day!
food cravings: yogurt, milano cookies, mott’s fruit snacks, sprite zero.
bump status: big o belly. it’s so big and there’s a baby chillin’ in there! it’s only going to get bigger! people like to point out that i’m all belly but i think they just can’t see past it to truly see those big o hips o mine! 😉
i was beyond excited for our maternity photo session!! oh the anticipation! i was hoping the weather was going to be fantastic. i mean, it’s october…it could be chilly, it could be rainy and honestly, the weather app was looking like the first two were going to be true! well, lo and behold, it was a gorgeous, warm day!
we headed to lincoln park’s lily pond for these fabulous photos. it was so perfect, so beautiful out to a beautiful setting. our photographer, tricia, was so relaxing and great to work with! she made us feel so comfortable and, of course, knew how to capture the belly bump perfectly! our minds had collaborated to create these romantic photos. her creativity and my vision combined, equated to some absolutely lovely shots of the bump.
after the session at lincoln park, we headed back to our abode for some more intimate photos. the belly bump in the raw! i wish i could post more of the photos but that would be too risqué {they are a little more private and personal}! i wanted it to be more of a clean, dreamy, romantic, classy boudoir style session. it turned out perfect!! please enjoy the photos…as much as we have enjoyed this whole process!
[bump love]
[me + my love]
[my absolute FAVORITE…such a pretty backdrop]
[another bump FAVORITE from the boudoir session!]
[i fell in love with this chair! borrowed from tricia’s studio. thank you to hc for transporting it!]
a huge thank you to tricia for capturing such a special moment in our lives! we are so pleased with how the photos turned out; you captured the bump so beautifully! we can’t wait for our baby girl to arrive and to capture those cute first moments as well!!
how far along? 32 weeks! the baby weighs about 4lbs. and it’s starting to get a little tight in the womb! her movements will start getting a little strained! can you believe, technically i could deliver 5 weeks from now?! but i know…every mom has said first timers are usually delivering at 40 weeks or more.
weight gain: 27lbs. a two pound weight gain since my last appointment. it’s a gradual process!
maternity clothes? still a mix of maternity and regular. i haven’t purchased anything new. whatever i can throw together to make it work. i test out all of my regular clothes to see if i can pull off a ‘maternity’ look. sometimes i’m successful, sometimes it’s freakin’ redic i thought it could possibly fit over my belly. hehe.
sleep: it’s alright. not too bad, not absolutely great. it’s much better than it’s been before. i am actually having more restful nights of late and it feels fantastic! i do get the random days of sleepless nights but it’s been very few of late, which i am so grateful for!
physical state: i am still clumsy but i am taking my iron pills which helps overall. though, being clumsy in my state is a big belly pain, literally! if i drop something, which is quite often, it is very difficult to bend down to pick it up! i’m finally starting to feel the pinch. i huff and puff a lot more, it’s hard to just get up from anything {ex. couch & bed}. everyone says my belly is small but, boy, does it feel huge! also, baby brain has kicked into full gear. i’m aloof, i’m forgetful, and i’m lost in translation. i’m amazed it’s true…i seriously have baby brain and it’s something i can’t fight off!
miss anything? the usual. i sporadically make the effort to get a fancy decaf coffee. tis the season to get a fancy coffee at starbucks. i love getting one when the weather turns chilly!
baby movement: oh my goodness. her movements are getting more strong and rowdy! it’s shocking, sometimes, how hard she kicks. and so uncomfortable when she does kick hard and at the same time rolls her head back and forth over my bladder. yowza. but it is absolutely amazing. i am fascinated by it. poor hc is intrigued but he told me it’s not the same, which is true. this baby inside my belly is a true miracle and i am amazed by it.
food cravings: still a lot of fruit. fruit filled jello. fruit flavored jello. fresh fruit. canned fruit. fruit yogurt. sprite zero. yum.
bump status: itchy belly. the feeling has become tight already. just when you feel like your skin can’t stretch anymore, it does. oh, and she loves sliding all the way to my right side of the belly into a little ball where it feels likes she is going to explode right out my side. oh little baby.
i felt very blessed to be attending my baby shower hosted by jane and missy! it was so kind of them to want to throw me a shower! it was mainly the biondo side of the family and as usual, quite entertaining!
me, grace, and rich started out our day by getting ready for church. we had to drop off some goodies {sea salt caramel pretzel brownies} i baked for fall fest {a fun event where the programs at church advertise what community work they do & sign up volunteers}.
after mass, grace really wanted to collect some goodies on all the tables, so we patiently waited around while she practically trick ‘o treated all the tables with some homemade goods! we finally had to reel her in and head on our merry way to grandma’s house!
we arrived just right after 12pm and the party was in full swing…i think we were almost the last to get there [oops!]! we mingled and gleefully talked a lot of baby talk {hello, it is a baby shower!}. the food was served and we sat ourselves down to munch on some lunch.
[hostess with the mostess, jane and missy]
[pretty pink roses]
[me and lori]
[decor]
[rich, colin, and nancy]
[kathy, rich, moi, and ruth]
[sitting down to eat]
[punch]
[lunch goodies]
[sweet treats]
[dessert time!]
[yummy cookies]
[kim’s pov]
[cake and ice cream]
soon, we proceeded onto the opening of presents! it was so much fun to open up all the cute gifts for little baby heintz! so many adorable items for her! we felt so blessed to be showered with so many clothes, gear, and toys for the little girl!
[ready to open gifts for baby]
[how adorbs!]
[super excited over carrie, nancy, and pat’s gift!!!]
[missy’s cute gifts]
[absolutely LOVED grace’s gift!]
[sisters]
[kathy and carrie]
[morgan and darci]
[aunt vicki]
[favors]
thank you to everyone for attending and being so kind and generous! a huge thank you to missy and jane for throwing such a wonderful shower for our little baby girl!
each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 corinthians 9:7
