31 weeks

How far along: 31 Weeks.

How big is baby: 3.5 lbsish

Total weight gain: …………….just a lot….

Sleep:  No changes here. Can’t get comfortable/have to pee/leg cramp/mind won’t shut off/not tired/can’t breath/side cramp…bla bla bla.

Best moment of the week: I went back to work after two lovely weeks off spent with family, honestly I don’t know that I have a specific moment that was the best haha. I’m down to 49 days till “C” day!!!

Food Cravings:  Things that are bad for me. I've decided to go back to being strict with my diet so it’s not as hard once she’s out. I've actually had an urge to start working out, I miss it so much. I can’t wait till I’m able to start my Isagenix program strictly again. I've been Instagram/Facebook stalking a ton of women who started right after delivery back on the program while breastfeeding and I am so inspired! My goal is to be as close as possible to my pre pregnancy weight/shape as I can be by this Summer.  

Food Aversions: N/A

Symptoms: Well, baby “V” has been not so subtly letting me know that she has no room left. I was informed at my appointment yesterday she is head down in the correct position (not that it particularly matters, sine I’m having a c section) which makes me believe I’m having a long legged child whose feet reach incredible lengths they shouldn't. I've had a couple contractions here and there, only 2 of them have been painful. My back has been hurting more and more…. Normal stuff.

Mood: Same.

Movement: She just moves alllllll the time. Lots of little jumps, hiccups, and stretches. This girl hardly sleeps. Her dad enjoys having pushing fights with her, which is fun for him and all, but end up causing me painful jabs in the ribs by her feet :/.   

What I’m looking forward to: January 23^rd, the day my firstborn baby turns 8 years old!!!!! How has time flown that fast? I remember being in the hospital when she was born and not realizing how big a heart could grow overnight, to love someone that much. Her little cry sounded like a person whispering waa (the cutest sound ever), and she had these perfect little penciled in eyebrows…. Sigh. I wonder if little V will look like her big sister when she comes out. The next thing I’m looking forward to is the 31^st, the day of my baby shower! I love get togethers so much, and can’t wait to see everyone. Plus this time around my dear friend Aubrey is going to be providing a mimosa bar with brunch for everyone. I think it’s brilliant, I wish I’d thought of it sooner. How many times have you gone to a baby shower by yourself only to realize that you don’t know anyone or know maybe one or two people, and then it ends up being awkward? Mimosas are a great way for people to loosen up a little bit and get to know one another/share stories. I can’t wait.

49 more days until Baby “V” Lundberg is here!!!!! 

28/29/30 Weeks and Pumpkin Donuts

How far along: 28/29/30 Weeks (Sorry for the hiatus)

28 weeks

29 weeks

30 weeks

How big is baby: By the end of 30 weeks she is 3 + lbs

Total weight gain: 20+ lbs

Sleep:  Has progressively gotten worse. I now wakeup every 10 minutes to adjust myself and then by about 3 am I'm awake for the day.

Best moment of the week: Let's see if I can sum up the last 3 weeks. Christmas was great. We just sort of relaxed and spent time with family. Thankfully my job has given me lots of time off to be able to spend with everyone. Since I've been home I have gotten to get in the kitchen a little bit (something I haven't been able to do in a while) and even made some delicious pumpkin donuts with my new donut pan Christmas gift (thank you husband!!). 

The most accurate family picture for us haha

Food Cravings: Nothing particular. I will say that my iron clad will power has been non existent this holiday season haha. Anything that has come my way that looks yummy has gotten tasted. I'm putting my foot down now, my diet has to go back to normal seeing has I have 8 weeks till she's out.

Food Aversions: I got nothing.

Symptoms: Back pain and sciatic nerve pain. If I'm up on my feet for more than an hour then my body just feels wrecked. Other than that there have been little pains and aches here and there that have to do with my body preparing itself. I had a couple painful contractions the other night, but haven't had any since. 

Mood: Has mostly been stable. WELLLLL if you ask Ryan, he'd tell you I'm a grump. I don't think I'm THAT grumpy, but when you're uncomfortable about 80% of the day you might be a little grumpy too.

Movement: Baby "V" takes cat naps throughout the day for mayyyybbbeee 10 minutes, the rest of the time she is rolling and pushing and it feels like she's grabbing my organs :)  

What I’m looking forward to: My baby shower on the 31st of this month. I'm starting to get into the nesting part of this pregnancy, so it will be nice to start gathering all the baby gear necessities. As of today we are at 8 weeks!!! That's 60 days until our baby "V" is here!!!!! I'm ready to kiss that adorable little face and hear that little voice.

I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy New year!! 2014 started with heartbreak, losing our last baby. Throughout the year I was able to not only heal my heart and soul (thanks to my amazing support system), but my body as well with amazing nutrition. My happiest moment this year would have to be hearing/seeing my little girls heart beat for the first time and knowing we are expecting this huge blessing. 2015 my heart is full and so is my tummy haha. I may complain about the aches and pains, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Here is to a year of blessings and things that really matter. My goals this year include focusing on my faith and finances (debt free by 2016). I have so much to look forward to!!! Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog and for your words of encouragement.

Pumpkin Donuts

(You will need a donut pan to make these. Here is a link to some, they make mini donuts,not full size. Donut Pan on Amazon )

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup + 2 Tbs all purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

Coating

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter the donut pan. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. In another large bowl (or that of a mixer)whisk together both sugars (make sure there are no clumps from the brown sugar). Add the oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Once this mixture is blended slowly add the dry ingredients. 

I have found that the easiest way to get the mixture into the donut pan is to pipe them like you would frosting. You want to fill each donut about 3/4s full.

Bake for 13-16 min until a toothpick comes out clean. You will want to cool them slightly. In a big ziplock bag combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. While the donuts are still warm take one at a time and put it in the ziplock bag with the sugar mixture and shake it up. Once the donut is covered place it on a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining donuts. Enjoy :)

Recipe adapted from: Cooking Classy

27 Weeks

How far along: 27 Weeks.

How big is baby: The size of a head of Cauliflower (almost or at 2 lbs)

Total weight gain: 20+ lbs….. I turn my head at each appointment now.

Sleep:  Doesn't exist, but what’s new. Can’t get comfortable no matter what position I’m in.

Best moment of the week: Getting to meet my friends handsome little baby boy that arrived on Wednesday evening. He is so tiny and adorable; it makes me so anxious for this little girls arrival. We also got to buy our tree and decorate it this week! It’s starting to make it a reality that Christmas is only 13 days away. Coming up next week I’ll be posting Santa’s cookie recipes. I told the kids they could each pick a cookie for us to make for him, so we shall see what they choose.

Food Cravings:  Just sweet awful processed crap and coffee creamer in coffee….but it was short lived. I now don’t want it haha.

Food Aversions: I got nothing.

Symptoms: My stomach feels like baby girl is trying to burst through whenever she stretches, kicks, rolls, or moves. My back hurts after being on my feet for more than 30 min. Christmas shopping has mostly been online for this reason. One loop around the mall and I’m dying.  

Mood: Up and down. Sadly I found out my Aunt (Titi) passed away last night so I’m pretty sad about that. She was the sweetest woman who always gave you the best hug and compliments. I’m glad that she isn’t in pain any longer, but she will be missed by all of us.  

My Titi Nora who passed away (on the right) with my Titi Neauvel.

Movement: Just think of the movie Alien. That’s what it’s like at this point.   

What I’m looking forward to: Christmas still, and for time to just fly by. We are down to 11 weeks!! I have all my Dr. appointments scheduled. Now let’s start stock piling baby stuff!!!

25 and 26 weeks

How far along: 26 Weeks.

How big is baby: Some people say an Eggplant some people say some root veggies…. Use your imagination.

Total weight gain: 20+ lbs…..

Sleep:  I don’t understand this word??? Let’s see…since I wasn’t able to post last week, I have gotten a stomach bug and baby girl grew a gazillion lbs overnight SO between those two things I’ve gotten minimal hours of sleep. If you could see the way I have my side of the bed setup in order to minimize hip pain, waking up with acid in my mouth, and easier turning radius, you’d probably laugh. I’m basically sitting upright with two pillows against my headboard. It’s the only way I’ve found I can sleep for more than 10 minutes at a time.

This is my sad picture of how big my belly is. Ryan took me hunting and obviously I no longer fit into my overalls haha

Best moment of the week: I guess this should actually say best moments of the last 2 weeks.  Thanksgiving was very nice, we had immediate family over and I baked entirely way too much haha. I may or may not have overdid it. I got some good deals online for Christmas gifts. Like I said before baby Lundberg has grown huge in the last couple weeks and my stomach has stretched tremendously, any moves she makes aren’t feeling very cute anymore. Worst moment of the week would have to be getting the stomach flu and having to get a couple IV bags to re-hydrate. Last night the kids got to get all dolled up for their Christmas program and they looked SO handsome/beautiful!!!

Food Cravings:  Well once I actually had an appetite  I craved French fries of all things…. Weird.

Food Aversions: All things this week. I wanted nothing to do with food.

Symptoms: Random back aches, ligament stretching, stomach itches to no avail, any movement feels like she’s trying to burst out (alien style) and acid reflux at night.  

Mood: I’ve been pretty ok. Tired….I guess. Is tired a mood? Sleepy?  

Movement: Well she has officially discovered what feels like every single one of my organs. She moves most of the day, takes a cat nap and then runs a marathon in my uterus.   

What I’m looking forward to: Christmas! We are hopefully decorating this weekend and getting our tree next weekend. We are also getting close to single digit weeks left!!! 12 weeks!!!!

24 Weeks (and a muffin recipe!!!)

How far along: 24 Weeks.

How big is baby: The length of an ear of corn

Total weight gain:  20 + lbs

Sleep:  I am officially lacking in sleep. My hips are killing me, I have to roll over every 5 minutes to relieve the amount of pain one side is in. Random side cramps also wake me up and make it so I can barely breathe. I guess she’s just getting me ready for her arrival.

Best moment of the week: It’s been a pretty chill week. There really hasn't been a lot going on. We should be having a lovely evening tonight tho!

Food Cravings:  Nothing…

Food Aversions: Nothing…

Symptoms: I’m uncomfortable and itchy!!! Winter has finally hit the PNW, and with it all the moisture in the air. My skin is the Sahara desert and is covered in little war wounds from my constant scratching. Poor skin. I’m trying to moisturize every second of the day to prevent my little knife hands from going to town.

Mood: Just cuddly I guess. I want cuddles from my babies and Ryan a decent amount of time. Other than that I’m just fine.

Movement: So much movement!!! She must have grown a ton in the last couple days, because she has been kicking my butt!!! I could feel her little fingers pushing on my stomach the other day. It’s such an amazing feeling that I will miss for sure. The only time it bothers me is when I’m trying to walk to do something.

What I’m looking forward to: Thanksgiving next week and all the baking that comes with it!!! As per usual I’m looking forward to the arrival of my little girl, and Christmas shopping for the kiddos!!

I do want to give a little shout-out to my mama who turned 70 today! She has been one of the biggest inspirations for me as a woman, as a mother, and as a person in general. She loves harder than any person I know and is the epitome of a beautiful woman who has aged gracefully.

I promised on Facebook that I would share a recipe for something I made this week. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of it (I’m sorry!!!!!), but trust me when I say they were sooooo delicious! They were gone within 2 days. My son, Ezra, learned all about cranberries in school last week. As a result he realized he had never tried one and requested that I bake him something with fresh cranberries (they HAD to be fresh not dried). I found a recipe for White Chocolate chip Cranberry muffins, and I think this will become a breakfast tradition. I don’t even love cranberries and I loved these.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Muffins

You’ll need:

½ C unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

½ C granulated sugar

¼ C light brown sugar

2 large eggs

½ C sour cream OR Greek yogurt for a healthier version

2 Tbl buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ C all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 C white chocolate chips

1 ¼ C fresh cranberries (plus a couple extra to top off with)

Directions:

1. Preaheat oven to 425, grease muffin pan and flour it (or you can use liners if you prefer, just note that the white chocolate chips will stick to them) *also note that this recipe yields about 14 muffins.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, sugars and mix on high speed until light and fluffly (about 2 min).

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, and beat on med high speed until combined (again about 2 min).

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again (I tend to stop and do this often).  Add the flour baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and beat until just combined (about 1 min). Try not to over mix as it will result in tough muffins.

5. Add the white chocolate chips and beat on low speed about 30 sec. You can also choose to just hand mix these in the case that your mixer doesn't like mixing in “chips”. Stir in cranberries (do those by hand).

6. Using a large cookie scoop or ¼ measuring cup, scoop the batter into the muffin tin. They should be about ¾ full.

7. Top each muffin with 2 or 3 cranberries and bake at 425 for 5 minutes.

8. Without opening the oven door, turn down the temperature to 350 and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes. The total baking time should be 23-25 minutes. Once you hit the 20 min mark use a toothpick to check and see if they need a couple minutes longer or are complete. You don’t want over baked muffins….no one wants those.

9. Allow muffins to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/11/cranberry-white-chocolate-muffins.html

23 Weeks

How far along: 23 Weeks.

How big is baby: The length of a large mango

Total weight gain:  Close to 20lbs :/ I just keep telling myself that I can lose it just as easy as it came once my little girl is here. I plan on being very strict with my diet and using Isagenix as my main source of nutrition (that will be amazing for not only me, but baby girl too).

Sleep: Well my daughter has decided her favorite time of day is when I decide to lay down to go to bed. I will lay on my side and she will kick off the bed….. While it’s very cute, when I’m rather very tired all I want to do is sleep, not feel my adorable daughter jump up and down for an hour or two.

Best moment of the week: Not going to lie, this week was sort of a letdown. The kids grandparents were in town so they spent it with them at their dad’s house. Ryan went back to work after being off for the last 3 months from getting back surgery, so I was rather alone haha. Apparently the needy pregnancy gene kicked in, cause I was throwing all kinds of pity parties. The best moment this week is today/tonight, while my husband will be away hunting (that sucks a lot since I do enjoy his company), I get to have a special weekend loving on my babies. There will be tea parties, sushi dates, and movies.

Food Cravings:  Maybe bagels? Really I haven’t wanted anything in particular.

Food Aversions:  For once guacamole was sort of gross to me (it was a sad moment).

Symptoms: Permanent stuffy nose, random contractions (more Braxton hicks kind), more ligament pain from sitting or lying in certain positions, itchy legs, lack of sleep….that about covers it.

Mood: Lonely and a little bummed out. I’m hoping to change that this weekend. I think just being around the kids will help lighten my mood.

Movement: Tons of activity for longer periods of time. She loves when I lay down and eat/drink anything. She’s definitely getting bigger. Bella finally felt her move around and she thought it was the coolest thing ever.

What I’m looking forward to: Baking!!! Lots of baking. I’ve been watching way too many baking shows and holiday competitions on TV haha. We are down to 15 weeks now (technically I turned 24 weeks today, so I’m always a week behind when I post) and I’m starting to get a little impatient. 

Ryan and I as children. We've been trying to imagine what our little girl is going to look like.

22 Weeks

How far along: 22 Weeks.

How big is baby: The size of a Papaya

Total weight gain:  I will be finding this out next week at the Dr’s. I will say that I found a picture of me when I was pregnant with Ezra at 24 weeks and I was a A LOT bigger than I am now. That makes me happy haha.

Sleep:  I randomly wake-up at least once a night after apparently having been sleeping on my back (a big no no) and have a huge side cramp form overly stretching my ligament while trying to roll over to my side. Usually at that point I realize I have to pee as well, but the minute I stand up I realize that I can’t breathe, because of the back sleeping, and have to take like 5 breaths to get back to normal. Meh.

Best moment of the week: Halloween was pretty great! Bella was a princess in a blue dress (who was absolutely NOT Elsa……) with blue and purple hair. At one point when someone asked if she was Elsa she shook her head and said in a very Christian Bale sort of voice, “I’m Batman.” I love how alike we are. Ezra was a SWAT member, and also a little candy thief haha. You know the families that leave bowls of candy on their front porch and say take one (we’ve all done it), well to Ezra that meant take a handful. Ryan was a Lumber Jack and I was a pregnant cat. 

 The best moment of the week was also my daughter’s soccer team’s last game. I’ve learned it’s so rewarding watching kids that you coach take all the things you’ve taught them and do them on the field. We had the best game of the season and I was such a proud couch by the end. 

Food Cravings:  Nothing to report on.

Food Aversions: Thins that I tend to eat regularly. I’m starting to get sick of the usuals.

Symptoms: Just the random ligament stretching pains.

 Mood: Stupid stupid emotions. Any sad news story or youtube video or ridiculously happy news story makes me cry. Looking at my kids when they are being cute, or sweet, or just sitting there concentrating on something makes me cry…. Bleh. Same goes with getting annoyed. I’ve been getting annoyed at the smallest things. Below is one of the many things that caused me to cry.

Movement: Baby girl punched her daddies hand this week. She is starting to be more active throughout the day. It’s such an amazing feeling. I remember this now with Bella and Ezra, it was my favorite part about being pregnant.  

What I’m looking forward to: Dr. appointment next week. Other than that not a whole lot. I’m starting to sort of count down the days till I get to meet my baby. We are at 16 weeks now!