Maternity Photos

Immediately after we found out I was pregnant, I started dreaming up what I wanted our maternity pictures to look like. Documenting our life via photography is something that's super important to Jake and I. We definitely wanted evidence of the bump, and we definitely wanted them to be unique, fun, and something we would be proud to hang in the house for years to come. Initially I wanted them to be taken in the snow, but after considering how limited my outfits would be and how frizzy my hair would get, I quickly began to rethink my vision. We finally decided that we wanted some to portray who we really are: dummies who don't wear fancy clothes and just laugh with our eyes squinted and our mouths open wide, and some to portray who we wish we were: glammed up celebrities and a bohemian princess. Lucky for me, one of my very best friends, Becky Davis, is an incredible photographer, understood my vision, and was excited to take on the challenge. We could not be happier with the result. Last month, when I was exactly 34 weeks pregnant, Beck and her husband Eric (another of our best friends) spent the ENTIRE day with us in Cambria working on the shoot. They didn't even complain when I had to make special trips to the bathroom and demanded Main Street Grill :) It was so fun to enjoy quality time with them and to get amazing photos while we were at it. Here are some of our favorites. 

Every Pregnant Girl Needs A Jake Yeager

My husband is the best. I mean, I know (hope) every woman thinks that, but I feel a little extra blessed. I get nightly foot massages, and on more than one occasion he has fallen asleep rubbing my back. I catch him on the kid's section of Pinterest, and he spent far too much time analyzing what shade of pink her nursery should be. He raced the strollers around the isles of Buy Buy Baby, turning sharp corners way faster than necessary to make sure we picked the safest and smoothest ride. He monitors my daily caffeine intake, won't let me lift anything heavier than 10 pounds, and never judges me when I ask for Pineapple and Canadian Bacon pizza every night for dinner. He always makes sure to tell me that I'm tough, and a trooper, and that I look beautiful. He has yet to grow tired of feeling the creepy alien movements inside of my tummy, and every day before he leaves to work, he makes sure to tell me, Gatsby, and Brielle goodbye. I was humbled today when I came home from being at a party for a few hours. The floor was mopped, the dishes were put away, the bed was made, the laundry was done, the trash was taken out, the glider was assembled, and he was (and still is) outside, not only vacuuming, but steam cleaning the car to make sure it is sanitized and ready for our baby girl to ride in. Brielle and I are the luckiest ladies. I can hardly wait to see my amazing husband become the most incredible dad. 

Good Morning, Brielle.

Good morning, Brielle.
      It's February, which means you could very well be in our arms by the time this month ends. Judging by the way you made me feel last night, I wouldn't be surprised. I'm so ready to meet you. Your dad is bubbling with joy. Big brother Gatsby is enjoying his last days using my belly as his pillow. Every night after we pray we talk about you and wonder what you'll be. It goes without saying that your eyes will squint when you smile, but everything about you remains a mystery. And it's still a mystery why God granted us a miracle as great as you. We will never be worthy. But we accept that mystery and your miraculous life. Carrying you has been an honor, and I will soak up these last few weeks as you wiggle and grow inside of me. We love you.

Happy Birthday, Gatsby!

Happy 1st birthday to the most silly, sweet, naughty, hungry, playful, cuddly, talkative, loyal, hilarious, human-like puppy around. He has brought so much joy (and frustration) to our little family, and we can't picture life before or without him. We love his countless quirks, like how he sits on the perch of the couch like a cat, and how he swims in December. How he has no boundaries when trying to get comfortable, and how he has to lick somebody's legs after every time he gets a drink of water. How he can't hear the word 'hungry' without running to his food bowl, and how we are fairly certain he is a dwarf. I know that in six short weeks we will have a real baby to love, and kiss, and cuddle, but Gatsby will always be our little guy, our first baby, and the best big brother Brielle could ever have.

33 weeks

Before Saturday's shower. Exactly 33 weeks. 

How far along? 33 weeks!  

Baby is the size of: A pineapple!  

Total weight gain: 33 lbs.... Holy crap people. My doctor is totes down with it since I was underweight pre-pregnancy, but it's a little discouraging when all the baby books say you should gain 26 lbs YOUR ENTIRE PREGNANCY. Yeah right.  
Maternity clothes? All day, every day.      
Stretch marks?   Nope! The other night Jake and I swear we saw some light ones starting, but that night I rubbed on that bio-oil and in the morning they were nowhere in sight. So I'm not sure if we are just delusional, or if bio-oil is really worth the money.  
Sleep: Not too hot this past week. My snoogle pillow case is dirty and has been sitting in the dirty clothes. I can't believe how pathetic my sleep is without that stupid pillow.  
Best moment this week: My baby shower. I will definitely try to post some pictures once they are loaded onto my computer, but everything was beautiful and so fun. The theme was Baby It's Cold Outside, and the whole room was filled with pink and gold glitter, pine cones, snowflakes, and candles. We had yummy soups, sandwiches, fruits, and veggies, hot cider, and my personal fav: hot chocolate with way too many marshmallows. It was so nice to be with my favorite ladies honoring my little lady. And oh my goodness, that little lady got a lot of BIG gifts. I can't believe we get to do it all again at our next shower in two weeks! 
Miss Anything? Costco hotdogs.      
Movement: Always. Baby girl must be sensitive to something I'm eating or drinking because she gets hiccups alllll the time. She has also been punching my bladder several times a day. It's always when I'm standing up, and every time I am convinced I am going to pee my pants or she is going to break my water. The past few times I've been to the doctor she has been head down, so I'm praying her movements don't get too wild and she stays semi put :)   
Food cravings: Fruit is in full force still. I swear I'm going to OD on Vitamin C with all the Cuties I eat. Also pineapple and Canadian bacon pizza covered with jalepenos and dipped in ranch. I could eat that for every meal.   
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada.  
Gender: She better still be a girl or I have a lot of headbands, tutus, and general pinkness to return.   
Labor Signs: I'm pretty sure I've been getting Braxton Hicks recently. It doesn't hurt, but I can feel my whole tummy tightening. 
Symptoms: I literally can't do anything even moderately active and maintain normal breathing. It's so embarrassing. Also, I've noticed I'm getting fuller faster, which is seriously the most depressing thing in the world. 
Belly Button in or out? It's more of a belly slit than a button. 
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! A little stressed, but trying to stay focused on how blessed we are and how precious this time is. 
Looking forward to: Maternity pictures this weekend! And our co-ed shower the weekend after that. So many fun times to look forward to!  

31 weeks

Sorry about the shadows. 

How far along? 31 weeks 

Baby is the size of: A head of lettuce? These comparisons are whack. Apparently she is around 18 inches and 3.2 lbs.   

Total weight gain: 26 lbs. whoa mama.  
Maternity clothes? Yup! Most of my non maternity tops come up above my belly button. Thank God for bagging cardigans and scarfs to spice up my limited options these days.        
Stretch marks?   Still none! It's a bit shocking. I really feel like I'm going to get them though. My skin itches constantly. But maybe Bio-oil is as miraculous as everyone claims.  
Sleep: Ok. Not great, but not horrible. I slept the other night without my Snoogle,  and was MISERABLE and woke up with the sorest hips. It made me so thankful I decided to buy it early on. If you're pregnant, GET ONE! 
Best moment this week: Christmas! I didn't mention anything in the last post because I didn't want to jinx anything, but we bought a house! We closed escrow on Nov 30th, but didn't move in until December 9th. Moving while your 7th months pregnant isn't the most ideal situation, but we are so thankful to own a place of our own. However,  Christmas was a bit on the back burner this year. Even so, it is always great to watch Home Alone and spend time with family. :) We also went to a 4d ultrasound last weekend and got another sneak peak of Brielle. She is so precious and so funny. Definitely caught her with a finger in her nose that immediately went into her mouth. It was hilarious. Also had a doctor appointment on Thursday. It is so crazy being on an every 2 week schedule now. She will be here so soon! Everything looked great, and the NP said I have a perfect pregnancy. Feeling so blessed! I hope it stays like that for the next 9 weeks. 
Miss Anything? Not really. I really really love being pregnant. I've had it SO easy. 
Movement: Always. You can definitely tell she is running out of room though. Not as many somersaults, just a lot of wiggling around and small jabs.     
Food cravings: Still pizza. And chocolate, which is so weird to me. I was never a chocolate girl. OMG! And Cuties. I almost forgot. I go through a bag in like 2 days. Addicted!   
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!    
Gender: A little lady!    
Labor Signs: Nope! I don't think I've even had any Braxton Hicks yet. I read that they can be painless, so I don't know if I'm just missing them or not, but I feel completely normal.  
Symptoms: A little bit of heartburn every now and again. I still pretend it isn't happening and eat whatever I want. Also some shortness of breath. It's embarrassing. 
Belly Button in or out? Still hanging in there, but looking weirder every day.   
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! 
Looking forward to: Enjoying the rest of our vacation. Making our house a home. Finishing the nursery. My/Our baby showers. Bringing home a BABY! 

26 weeks

Sorry the picture looks funny. Stupid time change requires a flash. 

How far along? 26 weeks 

Baby is the size of: A cucumber. She is 15 inches and 2 whole pounds!! 

Total weight gain: 20 lbs!! Yikes. That number sounds so intimidating, even though it's all located from my collar bones to my hip bones :) 
Maternity clothes? Went to Motherhood a couple weekends ago. Got a new bra in my new size. Thank God! It has long overdue and completely changed my life. Also took advantage of their buy three get one free sale on tops. So many cute things for big bellied women these days! Obsessed!        
Stretch marks?   Not yet. I feel like they could appear any minute though. My skin is literally always greasy from the butters I'm rubbing on.  
Sleep: BLAH! Not great lately. Gatsby is suddenly the most clingy animal ever, and constantly trying to get underneath our blankets and in between me and my boyfriend (the snoogle). I have a super terrible knot in my back that has been keeping me up too. Not the business.    
Best moment this week: THANKSGIVING! What's better than overeating and seeing all your loved ones?! NOTHING! Our district gives the entire week off for Thanksgiving, so that was an added bonus. 
Miss Anything? Nothing new.       
Movement: Oh, yes. Every time we go to the doctor, they make a comment about how much she moves, which intimidates me. Like, they see A LOT of babies. The fact that they are impressed with her energy makes me convinced we have a hyper little girl on our hands.     
Food cravings: My mom's homemade stuffing. Thanksgiving went too fast :(   
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!    
Gender: A little lady!    
Labor Signs: No, obvi. 
Symptoms: Backache and a littttttttttle bit of heartburn, but I am in total denial and still load jalepenos on everything possible.   
Belly Button in or out? neither. haha it's flat as a pancake. So creepy.  
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! 
Looking forward to: Once on this Island! I choreographed the play and Jake is an assistant director, so we are both so so so excited to watch the kids perform starting this week! Come see the show!