//Bumpdate 23 weeks

How many weeks: 23 weeks

Movement: I feel Liam flutter pretty often now. One night he was squirming around so much I had to flip around a few times so I could finally get some sleep. 

Symptoms: Feeling pretty tired still, picking up a better appetite, skin feels very dry and feeling my tummy really stretching more.

Any weight gain: I have gained about 5-6 pounds total. Didn't get a chance to weigh this week so not sure how much more I have this last week.

Sleep: Depends on the night. I have been getting those crazy preggo dreams which really interferes with me getting a good night's rest. I am thankful for mornings where I don't have anything so I can sleep in.

Cravings: BBQ wings & really sour lemonade.

Moods: I have been pretty mellow and on the quieter side this week. I know pretty hilarious! I think as Liam becomes more of a reality for me I just have more inner thoughts and haven't been expressing them out loud.

Stretch Marks: No new ones.

Linea Negra: Nope!

Belly button in or out: Still in!

Moments during the week: I have noticed my work shirts getting smaller and starting to stick out at the bottom. I bought Liam some books and a new jacket. Andrew has a lot of exciting things coming up. He started school through Global and is in process of getting his GED. I am so proud of him and can't want to call him Pastor Andrew!

 I am in process of getting my STARS through the YMCA which most childcare places require and I can take anywhere. Liam has really made me think more about what I would like to accomplish & how I can be the best mommy. I still don't want to be the career mom but I have thought about staying with the YMCA longer than I had originally planned. They offer such a strong sense of community and great flexible jobs. Plus, having my senior program director tell me that they wish they had more people like me working in childcare really confirmed the gifts God has given me. 

God is good and I am so thankful for where He has brought Andrew and I. He proves daily that we are supposed to be doing life and ministry here and that we can always count on Him to take care of us. It has required much more faith than I knew was even possible to have but it is amazing. 

( Andrew always takes the most flattering pictures of me)

Love Forever,

Chel Chel

//Bumpdate 22 weeks

How many weeks: 22 weeks

Movement: Feeling movement every day! Liam is always fluttering around when I am laying down. One day this week he wouldn't stop when I was trying to go to sleep. Still waiting on the bigger jabs. 

Symptoms: Still some heartburn, having trouble with my appetite still, fairly exhausted most days but I had a particularly busier week this week. Becoming more uncomfortable laying down at night. Also I have noticed minor leg cramps and my boo-tay really hurting!

Any weight gain: I gained three pounds! Yay! Seriously I am just happy to finally be gaining weight. I was getting nervous.

Sleep: Pretty good this week! I did have a busy week like I said so I think that has helped a lot.

Cravings: BBQ wings! Andrew made them for me Wednesday night and they were so good!

Moods: Pretty calm and introverted this week. I think Andrew and I have switched personalities this week.

Stretch Marks: No new ones.

Linea Negra: Nope!

Belly button in or out: Still in! Andrew has been waiting for it to pop out!

Moments during the week: Andrew has been talking and rubbing my belly a lot more this week. He loves saying hi to Liam and including him in our conversations.

Love Forever,

Chel Chel

//Nursery

Andrew and I started working on Liam's nursery this weekend. We will be sharing our master bedroom with Liam since we are in a one bedroom apartment. Our room is sort of an L shaped. When you walk into our room your in a square part of that looks like any other bedroom. When you turn to the right there is this long narrower space where we are putting Liam's nursery. We are going to put up some cute curtains to help divide the space as well. I actually like this set-up better because before we had our bed in the smaller, narrow space and I just think the room flows better flopped the other way now. I have been browsing Pinterest a lot for small nursery space ideas and there is a ton of ideas! 

Love the patterns in this!

However, I love all the color in this one!

Simple and very textile.

We have a wall that we will probably be doing something like this on to use the space better. Since we do not have a lot of floor space going vertical will help.

Here is our current set-up as of now! It really is the perfect space. The dresser will help a lot for storage and be used as the changing table. I am thinking a glider facing towards the window would be great and would sit up against the curtains we put up. The wall to the left we will use for vertical storage. The crib will eventually go where the swing and bassinet are but I would really like to avoid using a crib right up front. Unless he magically loves sleeping in a huge space right up front I know he will most likely want to be snuggled and in a smaller sleeping space. Plus, then I can drag the bassinet next to me at night for feedings and obsessively checking his breathing. 

Finally having my own child is a weird thing. I am so used to babies, toddlers, preschool and school age children but they aren't mine. I give them back to their parents at the end of the day. Knowing Liam is mine and isn't going anywhere is going to be a very surreal thing. 

My friend Kaitlyn from high school sent me the cutest outfit yesterday! I totally wasn't expecting it and it came during a tough part in my afternoon so I was overjoyed!

How cute is that bow tie!

I also have been trying to decide what to do with the wall where the bassinet is currently in front of. 

My friend Corrine's son has the cutest decor for her son Maxwell!

I mean seriously he has the coolest art decor!

I am excited to really start nesting and getting prepared for Liam. I know I won't be totally prepared and there will be things I need or other things I got and really don't need at all. However, Andrew has told me how cool it is to see me nest. He was like it's so weird but I love it!

I am just so excited to be a family a three soon!

One last note for all our family and friends back in California, my baby shower will be around the end of March but I can't book tickets quite yet so I don't have any dates yet until I can actually buy the ticket to come. However, I wanted to share the Target Baby registry with you now. I am possibly going to register on Amazon to if I get around to finishing it so I will post that link in a later post if I do. I just know with Andrew and I living two states up now possibly just shipping things might make things easier.

Here is the Target Baby registry:

Chelsea+Andrew registry

Love Forever,

Chel Chel

//Bumpdate 21 weeks

We are at 21 weeks!

Some out takes from the chalkboard pictures

(Daisy really wanted to be in the chalkboard pictures)

I had my anatomy scan on Friday morning. It was fun to see our little man wiggling around. After she added up all the measurements she put me back on my original due date of May 23 which means I am actually a week ahead of what I thought I was.  This makes me in my 21st week and not my 20th. As long as Liam comes out healthy I really do not mind if he comes the 23rd, 28th or somewhere in between! Every Friday now I will be in a new week so I will have to re-adjust to that since it was every Wednesday before I entered into a new week. Since I did all my fun facts in my 20 week bump date post I will just wait until next week to do that. Here's some pictures of Liam from the scan and also the video link to how we announced to our family and friends we were having a boy! 

Hi! I am currently 13 ounces!

I love to kick mommy when she is laying down!

Love Forever, 

Chel Chel 

//Bumpdate 20 weeks

We announced last night that we are having a handsome baby boy we are naming Liam! We haven't agreed on a middle name yet so the ideas are still brewing. I was wishing I would have blogged my pregnancy earlier on but with moving, going through a harder season of life, and well morning sickness like crazy it just was not on the top of my priority list.

Better late than never!

How many weeks: 20 weeks TODAY!

Movement: I started to finally feel some flutters earlier this week and last night Liam gave me two nice kicks right in the lower part of my tummy!

Symptoms: Heartburn, trouble having an appetite, can smell everything and incredibly sleepy most days!

Any weight gain: I have only gained 2-3 pounds. Currently I am trying to stay as hydrated as possible. Eating more snacks throughout the day to keep up the calories.

Sleep: Depends on the night. Some days I am so worn out I fall asleep quick. Other nights I am up all night tossing and turning.

Cravings: Anything sour!

Moods: Mostly happy but very emotional at least a few times a day.

Stretch Marks: No new ones on my belly. I have lived with stretch marks since I was in middle school.

Linea Negra: Still waiting to appear!

Moments during the week: We found out the gender! Made it half way though. Starting to know feel more real and wanting to buy things for baby!

Will get a 20 week bump date picture for you all soon. I haven't been feeling the greatest today or the last few days for that matter. In case you missed my last few ones here they are. 

Also, I have been feeling so blessed lately by the generosity of so many people. I have already received a bassinet, swing, pack and play, stroller cover,bathtub, boppy pillow, offers for hand me down boy clothes, diapers, things mommy will need after birth, new clothing items and a tremendous amount of love and support by so many of you! 

I haven't had a baby shower yet and I already feel like I am getting things ready. Even though I think I could have all the stuff in the world and still I know I'm going to have the baby and ask myself, "Wait, what do I do?!" I am hoping I don't totally forget all my experience with watching all these wonderful kids over the years!

To all my California family & friends I am working on a baby shower date!

Love Forever,

Chel Chel

//Pregnancy Beauty+Skin Products

Left to Right: Target Candle in Water Lily// Aveeno Dry Shampoo// Lush Deodorant// Mama Bee Butter// Eos Honeysuckle Lip Balm// Neutrogena Moisturizer// Alba Moisturizer// Avon Moisturizer// Eucerin Body Lotion//Walgreens Ointment// Kleneex Purse Tissues// Rainbow Light Pre-natal Vitamins

                                 

As you can tell I have quite a few moisturizers. I think I have become part reptile. Half due to my new climate here in Washington and half due to well, pregnancy.

I have tried to be as natural as possible but I'm living on a maybelline budget here with a Chanel taste so I do the best I can. I still have to eat around here!

I just want to go through my products and explain my use for it and my general consensus of it.

// Candle: Okay, I added this in here because my sense of smell is somewhat what I believe a dog's sense of smell is. I smell everything. It's annoying most of the time. I have many candles and oil burners and this candle currently burns quite frequently. It's a very clean and fresh scent and really puts me in a calm and happy mood.

// Aveeno Dry Shampoo: I love this dry shampoo because it has a very fresh and clean scent. Can you tell I like fresh and clean scents? I use a tresemme one as well but it tends to leave my hair with a lot of build up. This one I can use for a few days before I actually need to wash again. Let's be real I hate washing my hair and the longer I can get away with it, Im going too!

//Lush Deodorant: Okay, straight up this stuff is weird. I bought this product some months ago, used it a few times and then put it away. I was reading an article about anti-perspirant and it's link to cancer and so I decided to give this another try. You pretty much just dab it on and the powder comes off and you're set. It is not as strong as the deodorant I was previously using but I feel much better about what is going on my body.

//Mama Bee Butter: I currently babysit the sweetest eight month old and her mother was very kind to pass this on to me. I have definitely fallen in love with it! The scent isn't to strong and the butter isn't super heavy, like some can be, so it's very easy to apply on my tummy area. 

//EOS Honeysuckle Lip Balm: It"s the best chap stick ever. That's all you need to know.

//Neutrogena Moisturizer: It's almost 100% natural and free of all the parabans and junk and it feels really nice on the skin. It smells sort of like oatmeal and shea. My skin soaks it right up. I keep this one in my purse because I have a few spots on my face that are just bone dry so I use this to touch up moisture throughout the day. 

//Alba Moisturizer: This one is amazing! 100% natural and vegan friendly. I use this one in the morning and at night.

//Avon Hand Cream: This was a Christmas present and I just threw it in my purse. It's not bad and doesn't really have a scent which I like when I am applying in public. I get so annoyed when people put on strong creams in public. Anyways, It's nice but I think I need something stronger. My hands feel like a lizard.

//Eucerin Body Lotion: I use this at home for the rest of my body. I like this because it helps with sensitive skin and relieves itchiness. 

//Walgreens Ointment: I use this for those tough spots that are just so dry and could possibly crack. Also, when Daisy doesn't want to be held and scratches me. Yes, isn't she a lovely feline. 

//Kleneex Tissues: Any other pregnant lady out there a runny nosed faucet? These are a must have for my hormones which makes my nose very stuffy!

//Rainbow Light Pre-natals: Okay, let me tell you I was so sick for weeks! Obviously, I just thought well I have morning sickness. One day I skipped a vitamin on accident and I felt like I was on top of the world. Lightbulb! My generic target brand pre-natals were not cutting it so I switched to a food based organic vitamin and feel a million times better!

Any other products you used during your pregnancy? Any others you would recommend? 

Love Forever, 

Chel Chel