What Will Baby Nicely Be?

In one week Matt and I will be finding out our sweet baby's gender! We're so excited to finally know if baby is a he or she! We really just want a healthy baby, but we do both have preferences/hopes for what baby will be-- Matt hopes for a boy, while I hope for a girl. However, I feel like it will be a boy & Matt usually says he doesn't know or has mentioned he thinks it's a girl a couple times. We're so excited to see how much baby has grown since 12 weeks & really examine the anatomy of the baby in more detail!

I thought it might be fun to go through the "Old Wives Tales" that predict the gender of the baby & then see what you all think baby Nicely will be? It's so fun to hear everyone's opinions/guesses for what baby will be!

OLD WIVES TALES

1. Chinese Calendar-- GIRL
2. Morning Sickness (Yes- girl; No- Boy)-- BOY
3. Heart Rate-- (>140- girl; <140- boy)-- GIRL
4. Even/Odd Rule (If Age at Conception & Year of conception are both odd/even- girl; If Odd & Even-- boy)-- GIRL
5. Bump Height (High- girl; Low- boy)-- BOY
6. Cravings (Sweet- girl; Salty- boy)-- GIRL
7. Balance (Graceful--girl; Clumsy-- boy)-- GIRL
8. Skin (Soft-- Girl; Dry-- boy)-- GIRL
9. Acne (Yes- girl; No- Boy)-- GIRL
10. Dreams-- BOY
11. Baby Names-- GIRL
12. Urine Color (dull- girl; bright- boy)-- GIRL
13. Sleep Side (Right- girl; left- boy)-- GIRL
14. Feet (Warm/Same-- girl; Colder-- boy)-- GIRL
15. Leg Hair Growth (Less/same-- girl; more-- boy)-- GIRL
16. Moody (girl) or Happy (Boy)-- GIRL

There are so many more Old Wive's Tales, but here are just a few for fun :) What do YOU predict baby Nicely will be?

Stay tuned for our Gender Reveal on October 18th!!! We have to keep in our secret for a little over 2 weeks, but this is the only time we have to drive home to Indiana & surprise our family & friends. We can't wait to share with everyone!

18 Weeks

How far along? 18 Weeks

Baby Size: Approximately 5.6 inches or the size of a sweet potato! 

Total weight gain: Still about 10-11ish lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Still wearing maternity pants & normal tops-- for now! 

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Alright. Researching/buying body pillow asap! Getting up to pee more frequently-- it doesn't help that I also drink about 10+ glasses of water each day. No wonder I'm making 800 trips to the toilet per day! 

Recap of last week: We had a busy week of work & tried to just relax and get caught up over the weekend. We did plan one last small getaway to the beach for a three-day weekend-- looking forward to that in a few weeks :) 

Miss Anything? Lots of Caffeine for days when I lack in sleep/rest! Normally I would indulge in a large Starbucks, but now I can't-- so I just suffer through tiredness. 

Movement: Yes! Still quite a bit of movement each day, while I'm sitting still. The movements are getting stronger & I can hardly wait for Matt to feel them too! 

Food cravings: I really think every week & sometimes each day my body craves something different. I haven't really had any unusual or constant cravings (other than still fruit). I still really love fresh fruits & veggies-- can't get enough! Some days I crave saltier things, while other days sweeter-- things this past week have included: chocolate, ice cream, Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken sandwich, and steak! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I've been getting indigestion which can make me uncomfortable & unable to eat a lot, especially within a few hours of bedtime. I have a feeling I'm going to have to start eating dinner by 5pm or sleeping will be tough!  

Gender: Unknown, but only 10 days to go until we find out!!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Growing Belly, Movement/Flutters, Indigestion, & Dry/Itchy Eyes

Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Mood: Happy for the most part, but still have my moody moments! 

Looking forward to: Still anxious for October 2nd Gender/Anatomy Appointment!!!

17 Weeks

15 Weeks, 6 days-- so almost 16 Weeks! 

Treated myself to a new haircut & color :)

We LOVE you baby Nicely!

16 Weeks, 3 days-- Ready for a 5k Run :) Definitely slowing down, but still able to do my usual distance! 

16 Weeks, 5 Days-- "America Day" at school for spirit week! 

How far along? 17 Weeks

Baby Size: Approximately 5.1 inches or the size of an Onion!

Total weight gain: 10ish lbs. -- Our scale stopped working last week & that's what I had gained at that point-- hopefully still about the same, because I'm hitting the maximum weight gain for this particular week of pregnancy according to my Bump App. However, my doc says I'm right on track & not to worry what the pregnancy apps say I should gain, as every pregnancy is different! 

Maternity clothes? I have started wearing my maternity pants to work & recently bought a couple pairs of jeans-- I will be wearing the maternity pants from here until the end (and probably postpartum). I am not wearing maternity dresses or tops just yet-- I'm still trying to squeeze into my normal tops for as long as possible! 

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Alright-- some nights are better than others with getting up to potty! 

Best moment(s) this week: Last week we started our small group back up again-- It was nice to have them over for dinner & the new Seacoast alignment study! 

Miss Anything? My clothes-- just because I am in an awkward phase in which things are becoming more difficult to wear, while maternity things are still sort of too big. It's much more difficult right now to plan my outfits & still feel "cute." 

Movement: I feel him/her move at least two or three times per day! I feel the tiny flutters typically at work, while working in my office or at night if I am sitting still or getting ready to fall asleep! They're AMAZING! I can't wait to feel more distinct kicks/movements & for Matt to be able to feel them as well :) 

Food cravings: Anything pumpkin-- but that's typical of me this time of year! I'm still really loving my fresh fruit! I've also started craving red meat, which I haven't eaten in over 2 years-- we may incorporate a small amount in a dinner this week & see how my stomach handles it. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: My prenatal gummies have been making me gag-- but other than that I feel great!

Gender: About 2.5 weeks (October 2nd) until WE know & about 4.5 Weeks (October 18th) until YOU ALL know!!! 

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Growing Belly & Round Ligament Pain

Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Mood: Pretty happy most days-- still somewhat sensitive at times.

Looking forward to: October 2nd-- gender appt!!! 


For this Bumpdate, I added some pics from both Week 16 & 17. Hopefully I will get better at updating weekly!

17 Weeks! Baby can hear music & of course Mommy & Daddy :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! 

Grilled Caprese Chicken Pizza

I wanted to share a recipe we have been making the last couple of years-- it's one of our faves & a go-to in our house! This recipe is simple, easy, quick, and delicious! Also, many of you are probably looking for ways to use that grill a few more times before grilling weather is long gone. However, we grill here in South Carolina pretty much all year long :)

I am a huge fan of the tomato, basil, and mozzarella combo so I decided one day that we would make our own version of a Caprese Pizza. I also love the Wood-Fired pizza flavor, but since we don't own a wood-fire grill, that's not an option. We decided to go grab all of the essentials-- romas, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, garlic, chicken, and a pre-made pizza crust (We like the Boboli brand). Because Matt likes meat on his pizza, we decided to add some chopped chicken breast to our version of a Caprese Pizza. We made it that initial time & we were hooked! Want to try it out for yourself? Follow along with our recipe & feel free to add/change to your liking-- as we did lots of tweaking to amounts of things as we continued to make this recipe!

Ingredients: 

1 large chicken breast (or 2 small)

1/3 cup freshly chopped basil

1 fresh mozzarella cheese log

2 tsp. of minced garlic

6 roma tomatoes

1 pre-made pizza crust

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions: 

Grill your chicken breast(s) and chop with a food chopper

While chicken is grilling you can prep your toppings-- dice the roma tomatoes into small chunks, chop the basil, and slice the mozzarella cheese log (unless you buy the pre-sliced, like at Trader Joe's).

Once tomatoes are diced, add the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning & mix well.

Next, spread a little bit of olive oil on your pizza crust & grill it until slightly toasted-- about 3 to 5 mins, depending upon your grill heat (we use medium heat).

Once the Pizza crust is grilled some, add all of the toppings in no particular order, but this is how we do it-- Tomato mixture, Chopped chicken, Basil, Cheese.

Place the pizza on the grill and cook until cheese is well melted-- approximately 7-10 minutes.
Grab a pizza cutter, slice, and enjoy!

15 Weeks

14 Weeks!

Last Week baby was the size of a lemon :)

How far along? 15 Weeks

Baby Size: Approximately 4 inches or the size of an Orange!

Total weight gain: 6-7ish lbs. (it fluctuates each day...)

Maternity clothes? Nope-- but I have a feeling in the next couple of weeks, I may transition into some pieces of maternity wear! Right now I'm still wearing loose fitting shirts, pants with BeBand, and maxi skirts or dresses.

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Alright-- just still getting up to use the bathroom & since I've stopped sleeping on my back, I wake up with my arms having fallen asleep.

Best moment(s) this week: Having a long weekend to get caught up on housework & spending time with a few different groups of friends.

Miss Anything? I sort of miss being able to workout at my usual intensity-- but overall, I'm able to continue my usual workout routines.

Movement: I have read that it won't happen until next week, but last night I felt several "flutter" type feelings in my tummy! I thought it might be gas, but it felt so unique & there was no gas to follow the flutters. It happened while I was sitting still, and happened about 4 times! I've also read that when you're smaller, sometimes it's easier to feel movements because there is less room for the baby to wiggle :)

Food cravings: Mac n' Cheese, Carrots/Celery with Veggie Dip, & Fresh Fruit (still)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Feeling great!

Gender: Only 5 Weeks To Go!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Tender/Aches & Pains, Growing Belly, and Appetite is beginning to increase!

Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Mood: Majority of days I'm in a good mood-- much better than 1st trimester craziness!

Looking forward to: Our 16 Week Appointment next Monday! Praying baby's heartbeat is still strong & healthy and all is well :)


For this Bumpdate, I added some pics from both Week 14 & 15.

Week 15!

15 Weeks Down-- 25 Weeks to go!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!