26 Weeks

I literally feel like I can never catch up when it comes to this blog lately!  It doesn't help that we still don't have internet, however I did call and they are coming to install it on Saturday!  

We spent Thanksgiving this year with my mom's side of the family at my cousin, Keri's house.  We also had a sweet surprise and welcomed the newest addition to our family, Tenley Elizabeth born the eve of Thanksgiving.  She is tiny, beautiful and perfect!

About a week later I started getting sick...again...with a horrible cough and congestion.  Since I can only take Tylenol products I loaded up on Tylenol Cold (which I am still hoping was ok to take) and slathered Vick's on my chest, which I couldn't smell in the least.  I have not been fun to be around the past week, or to sleep with...sorry honey!

I am just now starting to feel better but the lack of energy I have is killin' me!  I just know I am going to break the scale when I go to the doctor in a week because all I've been doing the past 2 weeks is eating and sleeping.  However, I have tried to get in exercise, whether going to the gym or walking around our neighborhood.  My tummy usually starts cramping up after about only 15 minutes of walking which really frustrates me.  I think this is due to not being in the best shape before I got pregnant and taking a few months off during my first trimester.  

About halfway through our walks, Millie always refuses to continue and makes me carry her until we get home.  One man stopped and said "it looks like she trained you instead of the other way around".  Thanks man.

**To those who are trying to get pregnant or will be in the future: don't let getting pregnant be your excuse for not exercising. That's what I did and I regret every week I did not get my butt out of bed and go to the gym!! It is amazing for you during your pregnancy and will make you feel so much better about yourself.  

At 26 weeks:

How far along: 26 weeks, 5 days

Due Date: March 15th

Size: Over 14 inches, 1.75 lb.  Size of a hothouse cucumber?

Gender: Girl!

Cravings/Aversions: I crave coke but limit my intake, loving orange juice and that's about it this week!

Sleep: Sleep has been horrible the past week until last night but not because I'm pregnant.  I haven't been able to breathe at all but that is getting better! I think baby girl knew her momma wasn't feeling good so I haven't gotten any early morning wake-up calls the past week.

Movement: She still moves quite a bit during the day.  It is so funny to see her little body parts sticking out of my tummy (as much as her tiny limbs can).  My tummy is getting very tight to the point where I can't imagine it stretching anymore but I know she still has quite a bit of growing to do!  

Maternity Clothes: In all maternity pants.  I have officially transitioned into all full belly maternity pants.  The under the belly pants were not cutting it anymore.  I can still wear a few non-maternity shirts but I'm all about comfort from this point on and maternity tops are so easy to fit over this big belly.

Best moment this week: Finally sleeping through the night last night!

Next appointment: December 16th to hear the heartbeat.  I hear there will be no more sonograms just appointments to hear the heartbeat.

In nursery news, I finally have a vision for what I want it to look like. If you follow me in instagram you probably saw this photo I posted...

We painted one wall color a brighter pink and the other three walls a very light pink.  This is FAR from what I thought I would do but when we found out we were having a girl it was hard to shy away from anything pink and frilly.  I am trying to keep in mind her future rooms and the stages of life that she'll go through so the things that we have bought are hopefully things can be versatile for the next baby or for her future "big girl room".  

Add did find that gorgeous hardwood floor underneath the carpet in her room last week.  He decided to tear it all up and get to sanding and staining it.  We ran in to a little road block a few nights ago when the big can of stain did not match the sample that we bought a day earlier.  Half of the room was done in a tiny sample can and now we cannot find the right shade to match it sooo....looks like he has more sanding to do. :/  

Once he is finishing sanding/staining/putting more trim up we will be in business!  Hopefully just in time to move her rocker and ottoman in which will be in next week and her crib not long after that!  Before we found the hardwood floors I had washed all her clothes that family and friends had bought her or handed down to her and put them in her closet along with some accessories for her room.  Well they are now all laying in our room on the floor waiting for the floors to be done so they can be put back up!

See that pink bag?  That's her diaper bag!  Again, never thought I would go with something so pink but it is more of a tote so I thought she could use it in the future for a little over-the-night bag if it doesn't get too dirty this next year.

I bought and downloaded these sweet prints off of Etsy for above her crib.  

The "Hello Beautiful" print is for her bathroom.  The other four will go above her crib matted in white with a white frame.  I. Can't. Wait. to get them up!!!  I'm just hoping they won't be too busy all together but I think it will be ok.  

Her furniture is getting painted white at a local place here in Abilene and is the same furniture that I used growing up.  Really, the only big thing left to buy is a rug since her room will now have hardwood floors.  In my dreams, I want something that can go in any room of the house in case we move and she has carpet again but I doubt that will happen.  

This rug caught my eye on a blog I was browsing recently and it is a great price right now on Overstock.  Not very functional for other rooms of the house but it really is a great price for an 8x10 rug.  I guess we'll see!  

Hopefully by 28 weeks we will have room that actually looks like a baby will be sleeping in it in less than 3 months!

Merry Christmas! :)

24 Weeks

24 weeks has almost come and gone just like that!  Since I wasn't able to post a 22 week update, this last-second picture my mom took as I was walking out the door will have to do for my 22 week picture.

Here's 23 weeks:

...and yes I actually was going to work out! :)

As I mentioned in the last post, we are busy getting her bathroom done and room cleaned out completely.  The guest bedroom has become somewhat of a junk room for the past year and a half since we've been in our home in Abilene so it has taken a while to go through everything.  The construction zone in the bathroom is completely closed for business.  Now it's my job to get everything clean and functional...shower curtain hung, towel racks, etc...  I will post soon on inspiration for her room as well!

At 24 weeks:

How far along: 24 weeks, 4 days

Due date:  Sticking with March 15th.  I have a feeling she will pass this date.  We will see. 

Size: About 1.25 pounds and somewhere between 11.5 and 12.5 inches long!  About the size of an ear of corn. 

Gender: Girl!

Cravings/Aversions: Still not into BBQ but other than I pretty much like/don't like everything the same as before I was pregnant.  However, I do have to get in my mac n cheese fix atleast once a week!

Sleep: Sleep is so-so.  Since after 20 weeks I am only supposed to sleep on my side, my hips get really sore and I have to switch sides a lot in the middle of the night.  The constant going to the bathroom has stopped for this period of time but I know it will come back sooner than I want it to!

Movement: Where to begin.  Little girl moves ALL the time...except when people want to feel her move and then she just stops.  (Stubborn like her momma.)  She has started sticking out different parts of her body and makes my tummy look funny.  She loves to hang out on my left side and give me a good jab that never fails to make me jump! She is getting so big!

Maternity clothes: In all maternity pants and some regular, some maternity tops.  The full panel maternity pants are starting to become more comfortable than the under-the-belly pants due to the pressure that they put on my growing belly.  

Best moment this week: Just seeing her move all the time and getting her room started!

Next appointment: Next appt. is on December 16th (at a little over 27 weeks) to hear the heartbeat.  Then we will move to every couple of weeks!

I can't believe that this time next year we will have the most beautiful 8 month crawling around.  We have much to give thanks for this Thanksgiving!  We hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Still Here!

It has been insanely chaotic at the Templeton house.  Since the Gender Reveal party we started working on what will be Tatum's bathroom.  Since our house is only a two bedroom, we really didn't have a choice which room her's would be and the bathroom in that room was completely non-functional.  The walkway was tiny into the bathroom, the sink was made for newborn hands and a grown adult could barely fit in the shower.  Sooo anyways, right after we found out we were having a girl we got started on taking down decorations and the bed that was in the bedroom and got a bid for the bathroom and they started about a week or so after.  Just as they started on the bathroom, our heater went out.  Addison was also leaving for a work trip out of state for four days so I just threw up my hands, packed my bag and headed to my parents.  With the workers there day and night and a heater not working I thought it would be a good idea to get out of the chaos for a little bit and relax at my parents.  We ended up staying there for about a week until the bathroom got done and the weather got a little warmer.  I enjoyed getting away to substitute teach as well.  

When we moved back in the house about a week later, there was white dust everywhere!  We kept the room closed up that they were working in and the air was kept off but it still got in every little crevice.  Our house needed a good clean sweep anyways, so I got to work on it.  To top it off, we have been having problems with our internet provider, AT&T, and have not had internet since the beginning of November.  I finally canceled it and we are shopping for a new provider.  

So, this brings us to today.  No internet, still working on finishing painting the bathroom (which is so frustrating because I can't help), heater is finally working as of yesterday and a clean house (besides Tatum's room)!

In other news, Tatum is growing, growing and we are falling more in love with her everyday!  Her kicks are starting to become jabs and make me jump sometimes when she gets a real good one in.  She has started hanging out on my left side quite a bit.  She also wakes up in the middle of the night sometimes now and is usually my alarm in the morning.  I already love her little personality.  We are also really looking forward to meeting sweet Tenley (my cousin's baby) which will be here in the next few weeks!  

I will get up an official 24 week update, even if I have to come to my parents to borrow their internet! 

Memories

Before the gender reveal party, we asked one of our good friends, Kelly Gilgenbach, to take a few pictures of us to remember this special time in our life.  Since we didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl we took pictures with both boy and girl options but am so happy with the way all the "girl" ones turned out!  Here are a few of our favorites...(our Christmas card ones we are leaving a surprise) :)

Little girl has a name!

Since I just "knew" this baby was a boy this whole time I never thought that we would have to actually come up with a girls name.  I know God is laughing at me.  However, when Add and I were in college, about 2 years ago, we met a friend and I instantly clicked with her.  We became pretty close that next year until we parted ways, moving to different towns.  She was sweet, beautiful inside and out and had a heart for the Lord.  Neither me or Add will never forget her name because we fell in love with it as soon as she introduced herself.  I told Addison after we met that we if we ever had a girl I wanted to name her _____.  Well two years later we were still in love with the name and decided to put a middle name with it about two weeks ago so we would have one ready just in case!  Now, I cannot imagine her name being anything else.  

We cannot wait to welcome our sweet Tatum Blair into this world.  

Tatum means "cheerful, full of spirit".
Blair means "plain".  It is also associated with a battlefield.  I don't know what the Lord quite wants us to see in "plain" but I know she will be far from it!  We do know that she will be a warrior and am praying she fights for everything she believes in.  She has already been called "Tate" and "Tater".  We cannot wait to meet our little "Tater Tot"!!

20 Weeks and the gender!

Addison and I had quite the week so the anxiousness of finding out if we were having a boy or a girl was a little subdued by all the craziness going on.  Last Monday I went to hear the heart beat for my regular OB appt.  The heart beat went down to 154 which she said was right on track for a growing baby.  When I got home from the appt I knew I didn't feel good so I took my temp and of course I was running fever.  I stayed in bed and slept all day Monday.  Yuck!  Tuesday I felt a little better but still stayed in so I wouldn't get anyone sick and cleaned up the house a little bit.  On Wednesday I had to hustle and get everything ready for the gender reveal party and the garage sale that were happening in the same day.  Thursday I subbed which helped me get my find off of the appt that we had Friday to finally see our baby girl or boy. Friday morning, Add and I headed to Hendrick for our 20 week ultrasound!  I cannot even tell you how amazing it is to see your child, still inside you, moving, scratching his or her head, moving their toes and flipping all around.  This baby is very very active and the ultrasound tech could barely keep up!  It took everything we had not to peak and find out early but decided that we would wait until Saturday to find out at the party.  

We had some really amazing friends and family that were not able to make it in but still sent their support and love to us!

From one of my best friends, Lauren Robbins!

Saturday we woke up and started our garage sale and then rested the rest of the day until we had to get ready for pictures with my family before the party.  One of our good friends, Kelly Gilgenbach loves photography and is awesome at it so we asked him to snap a few pictures of my family (since my brothers were in town) and of Addison and me for our Christmas card.  I cannot wait to get them back and see what great shots he got!

Finally it was party time!!  Everyone showed up and we all ate our burgers with much anticipation for dessert....pink or blue cupcakes!

We gathered everyone inside and counted to 3 and everyone opened up and bit into their cupcake.  I was so shocked whenever we found out....

It's a girl!

The whole time I just knew it was a boy.  I had a boys room planned in my mind, we had finalized a boy name and the list goes on and on...  We are SO excited and cannot wait for this baby girl to get here.  

These are all iPhone pics but once we get the ones from Kelly and I download mine from my real camera I'll do an updated post!

At 20 Weeks:

How far along: 20 weeks, 1 day.

Due date: March 15!  

Gender: A sweet baby girl!

Cravings/Aversions: Pretty much can handle anything...except BBQ.

Sleep: One night I'll sleep horrible and the next I'll sleep pretty good.  There is a sharp pain in my upper left back and it wraps around to the left side of my chest that will not go away.  It has been here since I got pregnant but as the weeks go by it just keeps getting worse and worse.  Anyone experience this and know what to do?  My doctor said "it will go away when the baby comes out."  So I'm supposed to be in pain for the next 20 weeks?

Movement: Lots and lots of movement.  Baby girl is most active right when we are going to bed but kicks all the time whenever I get still.

Maternity clothes: I'm in all maternity pants, however I did try on some pre-pregnancy jeans and they still fit!  Of course I would need a hair tie to keep them together but hey, I was pretty proud.  My normal shirts are getting too short , plus I like long tops anyways so maternity tops are becoming more and more common.

Best moment this week:  Finally finding out we are having a girl!!!

Next appointment: November 18th to hear the heart beat.

Next post:  A perfect name for a perfect little girl!

Our weekend

Last weekend my mom and I went to visit my brother in Austin while Addison went hunting with dad at the ranch.  Add got the first buck of the season at the Morris Ranch!

 Mom and I got to Austin Friday night and were so tired so we asked Trav to come to the hotel and eat there.  It was nice, relaxing and we went straight to bed after.  Saturday morning we slept in, watched TV, got room service and played with Millie (yes she went with us) until we finally decided we should probably leave the room and get out and see a little bit of Austin.  We hit up "The Domain" shopping center which was amazing!  It just so happened to be "Dogtober Fest" so everyone and their mom had at least one dog with them so Millie fit right in!  Every store and restaurant was so pet friendly which was nice because we didn't want to leave Millie in the hotel room even though she loved watching the canoers on the lake.

 Mom and I sat and people/dog watched for a long time over a really late lunch/early dinner while Travis finished up work.  Once he was off we picked him up and he took us to another pet friendly restaurant where we bundled up and sat outside and had hot chocolate and appetizers for dinner.  

 It was really good to get to see Travis and get away for the weekend.  I love the atmosphere in Austin, all the trees, bike/walking paths and that every place is pet friendly. 

A few other changes:  I am now 19 weeks pregnant and starting to feel pretty big and uncomfortable.  Yes, I realize I am only halfway there.  Will I ever get my flat tummy/no love handles/regular bra size back?  

I also got a little crafty last week and made some things for the gender reveal party and hung a few wreaths around the house. 

Addison says the above wreath reminds him of a witch's hair and brings bad vibes into the house.  I like it.

We took the down the TV that was hanging above the mantle in the "wood room" (extra sitting and dining room that has wood floors) and put it in our room so it would actually get used.  I put up this book page covered canvas that I made last Christmas and attached a mini wreath to it.  This room is currently filled with garage sale stuff that we are having this Saturday morning.  If you want our address for the garage sale email me at charleeanntempleton@gmail.com!

I have not been feeling very good so I've been laying low, cleaning out closets and getting some sleep in.  There are definitely days when I miss working at the bank (as an HR Specialist) and then there are days when I am thankful to be home and get some rest in before the baby gets here.  Subbing has been pretty slow lately so I have gotten a lot cleaned out and have caught up on some things that have needed to get done.  

We are so looking forward to seeing our baby again this Friday and finding out our sweet pea is a little boy or a little girl on Saturday.  Be back then!  Have a great week!