34 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

I'm so late posting this! My app has already switched to 35 weeks so I don't even know how big Baby Girl is. I think it was some type of cabbage...or maybe also a baguette?! Oh well, let me dramatically fill you in on my 34th week....

I gained another pound. That means I've gained 27 pounds so far. My biggest challenge has been staying hydrated. Work has been ridiculously busy and I just can't get enough water in no matter how hard I try. It's a priority I swear, I'm somehow falling short because my braxton hicks have been in full swing, not to mention all the charlie horses and cramps I wake up with every night and morning.

Nowwww, let's get the complaints out there. I'm exhausted. Everything hurts. It's official...I'm to "that" point. I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore. Just. So. Done. And the heat! OMG, my office is a sauna! That's not the hormones (although I'm sure everyone thinks I'm the crazy overheated pregnant lady)...it's downright HOT!

No matter what though, I'm SO excited about work! There's nothing like the fresh start of a brand new school year, it's one of my favorite parts about being a school counselor. The goal is to put on my happy face and crank these next few weeks out! Students start on Thursday and the 16/17 year is already off to a great start! Despite the excitement, I'm thinking right now isn't the best time to be writing this. I practically worked all weekend long and I'm drained both physically and mentally.  You're just catching me at a bad time. Honestly I feel decent when I wake up in the morning and I'm able to power through most of the day, but as soon as late afternoon rolls around, it's like I turn into another person. I try to get as much relaxation in as possible when I'm home. I'm really looking forward to being able to get down on the floor and actually PLAY with Ella. Poor girl probably thinks Mommy is such a lazy bum!

I have some simple meals planned for the upcoming week. I'm not sure I'll even be around much to cook so at least there's not much to think about. I haven't done a "what's cooking" post in a bit...but the plan is to clear out my freezer (grilling up meat and pairing with simple veggies...a taco salad one night...finishing some leftover sauce....nothing fancy). I want to make room for some meals for when baby gets here. When Ella was born, I stockpiled the freezer with things like turkey chili, and chicken fajitas. Maybe I'll check out some of those ready to go freezer crock pot meals I pinned ages ago. If anyone has any favorites, let me know! Right now I'm "nesting" but it's translating to my office. Switching gears to nesting at home! I should probably pack that hospital bag. I've only been talking about it for the last month!

We took some maternity photos last week with our friend Bobby. Although I didn't feel like doing a fancy formal photo shoot, it was important that I had some photos to remember this pregnancy by! It is so darn hot and humid out, it had to be quick! For being such a last minute and casual thing....I'm LOVING how these photos came out! Here are a few...

Click HERE to check out 34 weeks with Ella Rose! Ha, I was so ready at this point last time. Slackerrrrr!

33 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

Hauling this thirty three week girly around sure is getting exhausting! She's the size of a cauliflower blossom or a ferret! Here's a quick update...

Somehow I'm still at 26 pounds gained, which is bizarre because I feel like I'm growing by the second! I don't really "crave" specific things, but I have had a bit of a sweet tooth which I've been satisfying with lots and lots of fruit! We've gone through a watermelon, cantaloupe and a pineapple this past week. There's a tiny bit left, but not much...I'll probably kill the rest of it as soon as I'm done posting. I've also been enjoying lots of berries and my morning shakes! YUM!

Breakfast!

I've been trying my best to get some kind of a workout in a few times a week, this is not easy because by the end of the day I'm just SO done! The only shred of motivation I have left in the evening is thanks to my challenge group...honestly without those ladies pushing me I doubt I'd be unrolling that yoga mat or picking up a weight. Even though I'm rocking a bit of the flappy arm, I've noticed my arms have definitely toned up over the past few weeks. It's my own version of toned, but I'm proud!

I spend a good portion of my workouts trapped in what I call the "upside down turtle".

I read my 33 week bumpdate with Ella, and it is just so spot on! I don't usually read them before writing these updates but wow if you want to know basically exactly how I feel about trying to be a normal functioning working adult WHILST being pregnant....read it! Throw in being a mom to an almost three year old and...well, I need more naps built in to my day! I'm going to go eat some melon and struggle to stay awake to watch another episode of Game of Thrones. We have a busy day tomorrow! Wish us luck as we attempt to take a few maternity photos in this ridiculous heat!

Click HERE to check out 33 weeks with Ella Rose!
*Fun fact....I wore the green tank top I'm wearing in the Ella bumpdate post to bed last night. My belly sticks out the bottom. It has obviously shrunk in the wash. Yeaaaa, let's go with that. 

What's cooking this week?

Back to work I go! Whoa, this was definitely the fastest summer vacation in the history of all my summer vacations! I knew that was going to be the case, but that doesn't mean I'm mentally ready to switch out of summer mode. Starting to get the right mindset by thinking about what to cook...

Tonight: Healthy Baked Eggplant Parmesan with a side of pasta for Hubs and Ella
Tuesday: Tacos!
Wednesday: Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wraps with roasted potatoes and green beans
Thursday: Chicken Sausage with grilled corn and salad
Friday: Whole Wheat Pineapple Flatbread (my own creation that seems good in my head)

Obviously we're buying a pineapple this week which I plan to put to good use. I'm only about a week into my challenge group so I'm keeping things light. On the not so "light" nights, I've got my own ways of improvising. For example, taco night will be a taco salad night for Mommy. Tonight I'm going to make my eggplant portion less "parmed" than the rest of the crew. It's all good in moderation. I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm aiming more for well balanced meals while exercising restraint when it comes to breads and cheeses!

We had family in town for the last few days so I've been surrounded by nothing but breads and cheese! I'm not kidding. It was all very tempting but I kept it somewhat in check. That olive bar at The Fresh Market really gets me though. They have that in heaven, I'm sure of it. I know that stuff isn't horrible for you, but surely I still had more than the recommended amount! The housewarming party for my parents was a blast. In addition to a major feast complete with what I'm assuming is the entire meat section at The Fresh Market that they grilled up....we spent most of the day poolside! My parents really seem to be adjusting to Florida living!

What a great way to end a fabulous and memorable summer!
Have a wonderful week!

32 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

Another week down and Baby Girl is the size of a Florida Pomelo. Should I know what this is, or am I a terrible Floridian? At my appointment on Monday, they told me she is 3 pounds 5 ounces!

I'm getting bigger, and although I CAN reach my toes (if I try really hard and contort myself in weird ways), I just avoid it when possible. Mom and I went to get mani/pedis the other day and I'm glad I finally broke down. On my time hop it popped up that this was basically the exact time I gave up with Ella so "yay" for making it just as far! Look at this view, I took this photo of my lap in the car the other day.

I've gained 26 pounds this pregnancy, which is basically where I'd like to be at this point. My challenge group started this week and I'm feeling really good! It's so nice to have the extra incentive and motivation because more than usual, it's tempting to eat junk and lay around. It's hard to lay around when you have a child as active as Ella, and as far as junk there really isn't much in my house but you find ways. I'm definitely finishing this pregnancy out on track though!

I've traded in some of my now "too tight" tank tops for long flowy tanks. The majority of them aren't maternity, just whatever I've dug up from Marshall's and TJ Maxx. I hope to be able to live in them from now on, a few are work appropriate. OMG, I go back to work on Monday! Eeeeek! I'm going to channel all the energy I can over these upcoming weeks. Starting a school year while pregnant is not ideal, but I've done it once before with all of the Middle School scheduling chaos at my last job, surely I can do it again!!!! I'm as mentally prepared as I can be!

This is what my plan is for the next 7ish weeks (I'm really 33 weeks right now)! It is JUST. SO. HOT!

These past two days have been super busy. Stephen took Thursday and Friday off of work so we could do some fun family things. We went to Sky Zone, to see Finding Dory (Ella's first movie), and to the Orlando Science Center. I've been on my feet a lot but I'll be taking it REAL easy this weekend. Family is in town to visit my parent's new house and I'll be lounging around whenever possible. Also, I'll be getting a lot of pool time in. I have probably not been in the pool as much in the past year as I have been in the past week. Ella is learning how to swim a little bit with her puddle jumper and we are able to stay in the pool much longer than we used to. With the craziness of the move, I didn't get her into swim lessons this summer like I originally wanted to, but we'll get there! Swimming has been awesome exercise though, and really helps with my circulation. The veins are in full force!

Here's a peek of Sko Dos's little face. I can't wait to kiss those lips! 

Click HERE to check out 32 weeks with Ella Rose!

What's cooking this week?

Oh my! This is my last Sunday before I go back to work! That means this is the last "non-work week" that I'm planning meals for. It also happens to be a short one because Stephen took some time off at the end of the week to do some fun things. We aren't sure yet what those fun things will be....I'm thinking something indoors! It. Is. HOT!

Tonight: Sunday Sauce w/ Tomato Mozzarella and Arugula Towers
Tuesday: Grilled Honey-Orange Chicken Salad
Wednesday: Quick Garlic-Lime Marinated Pork Chops and Cilantro Lime Rice
Thursday: Chicken Sausage, Grilled Corn and Sweet Potatoes

I'm also starting my July challenge group tomorrow, so I'm going to be extra conscious of my nutrition for the week. Things are settling down as far as my parents living down here now. We are eating out less and home more. We're also getting back into a more "normal" routine. The party's over, kids!

We aren't up to much today. My parents are coming over later for some dinner, so I'll be doing the typical Sunday Italian thing! Also, Hubby and I are just doing some organizing and starting to go through the newborn boxes that we packed away from Ella Rose. Let the nesting begin! I better get on it, I only had all summer! 

One more week of summer vacay with this smiley girl!

Have a wonderful week ahead!

31 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

See this look on my face....

That's the face I make several times a day now when I come to the realization that this baby is coming SOON! There may still be two months to go (I'm actually closer to 32 weeks as I type this), but it's going to go FAST! That's IF she waits until the actual due date (9/5)...which would surprise me since it seems she wants to bust out of my belly ASAP. Who knows. If she's stubborn like Big Sis, she could very well hang out a while in there. Either way, I'm not ready yet! Although I do look (and feel) like I'm closer to 40 weeks than 30 (especially in this pic)!

I'm ditching the categories on these bumpdates since they are now getting majorly repetitive. This week I've been feeling like I've got energy during the day but crashing hard at night. The Braxton Hicks contractions have been occurring more frequently, and I'm starting up again with the round ligament pains. How much bigger can I get? According to my scale I've only gained 25 pounds which surprises me because I feel so much bigger this time around! My belly button is about to pop. When I lay down on my side it actually does poke out a little bit. Not sure why but that seriously freaks me out! There's this one spot on my right side just below my ribs where she's been jabbing a foot or an elbow (I wish I knew what was what) out so often that I feel like I'm actually bruised! 

Prediction: this girl won't even entertain the idea of a swaddle...just like her sister!

I lied. I was pretty dead set on "no more maternity purchases" BUT Macy's was having a really good sale and no joke - I was in desperate need of new maternity leggings. Two pairs, all mine....no regrets.  Two tops also ended up getting in on the purchase. How did that happen? 

I'm getting really anxious to meet this little one. The excitement is building as reality is setting in...soon there's going to be four of us. Somehow, once I reached the 30 week mark - it all started to get real. With the excitement comes many other emotions. I can't even stand the thought of Ella no longer being my one and only. It's normal, I know that once I take a look at Baby _____ my love is just going to multiply and not have to be divided. Even knowing that, it's tough, made harder by the fact that I have only ONE week left of summer vacation! We've had a busy summer and now it's almost time to adjust to a whole different type of craziness for a bit before the REAL crazy comes very shortly after that. Lots of changes and adjustments...this is the stuff real life is made of! Scary. Mostly exciting! Bring it. 

Looking forward to getting a glimpse of the little Miss at my appointment on Monday. Stay tuned for pics, hopefully we can get a good shot of her pretty profile! 

Smooches!!!

Click HERE to check out 31 weeks with Ella Rose!

What's cooking this week?

Back to a routine, sort of!!! Here's a look at what's cooking, with some of my usual commentary...

Tuesday: Tacos (on an actual Tuesday...I feel like it's been a while)
Wednesday: Spicy Chicken and Udon Noodles (an excuse to use these noodles that I've had in my pantry for a while now)
Thursday: Pineapple Turkey Burgers with steamed broccoli
Friday: Pizza (may turn this into a veggie pizza if we have any extra bell peppers and broccoli by the end of the week)

I feel like I say this ALL the time, but it has been BUSY around here! For realsies this time. Between my parents move, my brother visiting/helping with said move, Stephen's brother coming to town for a night, and a visit with my Aunt and Uncle in Orlando...it's weird to sit here and just chill on my couch! These are all good wonderful things, but Mamma is TIRED! 

Tomorrow we are planning to have a lazy morning at home, and then we're going to go over to my parents house (so weird to say that) for a little BBQ. I'm going to make an appetizer and a dessert to bring over. After going Pinterest crazy for about an hour, I've decided on Hot & Cheesy Bruschetta Dip and Italian Lemon Pound Cake. I may love to cook, but baking is SO NOT my thing. For one, I am not really a big "dessert person" and for two...my patience for measuring is little to none. My mom doesn't have a backup dessert, so basically I feel like Rachel making the English Trifle! Hopefully my lemon cake doesn't "taste like feet"!

Our little lady had a blast playing in the water today at the Gaylord Palms when we visited with Aunt Laura and Uncle John. We put her into bed around 7:30 and I have to say I'm ready for bed pretty soon myself! 

My proud girl had the best day! Her face says it all!

I let the belly out for a little sunshine today!

Have a Happy 4th and a wonderful week!

30 Week Bumpdate #BabySkoDos

A little late on this bumpdate, there's been a lot going on around here! I've been running around quite a bit with this big old belly of mine! There's definitely a cantaloupe sized baby in there...and if you tell me she's bigger than the average cantaloupe, I wouldn't be surprised. This week, I'm feeling LARGE!

Changes I've noticed:  I'm slowing down and realizing I'm really not able to do the things I think I can do. I've been noticing this for a while actually, but for some reason this is the week that I had the reality check and realized that I really need to take it a bit easier. I've been taking advantage and sitting whenever possible, and really making more of an effort not to pick Ella up as much as I can. She's getting older and more independent so luckily she's been able to do things like climb up into her booster seat, and get in and out of the tub on her own. She's even been able to climb up into her carseat although sometimes needs a little boost. I've been asking her to "do it like a big girl" a lot more lately, and when someone else is around I've been asking for assistance (although I'm so impatient, this is not easy for me). Sometimes it's unavoidable but I've been feeling lots of stretching and pulling when I pick her up, and I know I really shouldn't be lifting anyway.

How I've been feeling:  Very sore and achey but powering through! I've also been feeling like my belly has gotten very big this week! Maybe it's just how she's positioned but I feel like she's poking out much more than last week!

How I've been sleeping: Our days have been jam-packed! There are no issues falling asleep, but I've been going to sleep late just to wind down a bit from our busy days! This past week I've been able to sleep on my side and wake up in the same position....success!

Food and exercise:  Some strength training here and there, and a bit of yoga is the extent of it. I'm going to count all of the running around and helping my parents with unpacking as a workout though! My goodness, staying on track with nutrition has been tough since my meals weren't planned out this week. We did a lot of winging it, and ended up eating out a bit more than usual because in addition to all of the moving that went on...my brother was in town so there was a little entertaining. This upcoming week will definitely be better because I'll be back on a little bit more of a routine (there's really been no routine this summer), I'll plan out my meals, and since I'm feeling so HUGE I've been more motivated to drink my shakes and load up on healthier fruits and veggies whenever possible!

Maternity clothes:  Nothing new, still rocking the usual shorts and leggings! I've got a romper that is at end of life...but it's been comfortable. I may be able to get another week or two out of it!

Movement:  Baby is still getting her moves on around 7:00, she's been very consistent!

Best moment this past week: Oh my goodness...so many! My mom is finally here, and my parents have closed and moved into their new house! I thought it was pretty great this morning when we went over to watch Zootopia. Stephen, Ella and I were all snuggled up on their couch, it was exactly how I pictured it would be. Ella was so excited to be there, it was adorable! Looking forward to making many more memories with the girls at Grandma and Grandpa's new house! So happy they are here!

This was at my house last week when my mom finally got to Florida! Three very happy faces! XO

Also, the other night it was fun goofing off in the new house with my brother...just like old times!

Tonight's new home adventures include making sure the neighbors know a special kind of crazy is moving in AND testing out the new dimmers! #wevegotyacoveredmomanddad

A video posted by Stephanie Skoblicki (@stephcial) on Jun 29, 2016 at 7:41pm PDT

Click HERE to check out 30 Weeks with Ella Rose!