37 Weeks

I know. . I missed 36 weeks. I feel like last week was a bit crazy for no real reason. Maybe I just couldn't get motivated to sit down and write a post. At any rate, here is 37 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights: 

How far along: 37 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is about the size of a watermelon and should be weighing in at around 6.5lbs.

Total Weight Gain: Around 23lbs. 

Maternity Clothes: As if there was another option at this point! I even feel like some of those shirts are becoming a little too short. .

Movement: I feel like she moves more now than not. Which is great except for when I want to sleep!

Sleep: My joints are hurting everywhere! This makes getting comfortable very hard. Plus just rolling out of bed in the middle of the night is getting difficult. I think I might have to resort to sleeping sitting up soon. Not excited about that but sleep is sleep at this point!

What I Miss: What don't I miss?! Mostly just little things like being able to sleep through the night. 

Cravings: Stupid donuts! Only gave in once in the last 2 weeks though so I am not worried that it's an addiction or anything.

Symptoms: Joint pain. . Heartburn . . Lower back pain. . 

Labor Signs: Contractions although they are not in any sort of rhythm yet. 

Best Moment this Week: We are on weekly appointments now. At my last appointment everything looked good. Mackenzie is measuring in the 50th% for her growth which is good. Due to 2 high blood pressure readings my doctors don't think they are going to allow me to go to my due date. We will find out more tomorrow at my next appointment! 

35 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights: 

I realized after the fact that I wore the exact same thing last week! I swear, I have only wore this outfit twice. 

How far along: 35 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is about the size of a large cantaloupe and was 5.5lbs Thursday at our ultrasound! 

Total Weight Gain: 20lbs 

Maternity Clothes: I am so ready for normal clothes again! Maternity pants just don't do it for me.

Movement: Rolls, kicks, punches, hiccups. .I get them all now. And at our ultrasound we were able to see that she is head down which made me super happy!

Sleep: Justin was on leave all last week which means he was home every night. I slept pretty good having him here. Still get up 2-3 times a night but I am used that.

What I Miss: Having control over my own body! 

Cravings: Ehh. .Nothing that I can recall.

Symptoms: The usual. 

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are still coming and going. 

Best Moment this Week: We had another growth scan this week. She was measuring right on track which made Justin and I super happy parents to be. We tried again to get a 3D image of her sweet face. No luck. Not that we should be surprised. . She has been a pain at all of our ultrasound appointments from Day 1! We are on weekly appointments with my OB starting next week. The end is getting so close!! 

34 Weeks

What a great week! With each week that passes I feel like we are more prepared and yet very unprepared at the same time! This coming week we have another ultrasound which we are so very excited about. And someone (Justin!) has a super big birthday this coming week as well.

Pregnancy Highlights: 

A sweet Raven and bright socks make this picture perfect. 

How far along: 34 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is about the size of a large cantaloupe and should be around 5.5lbs!

Total Weight Gain: Those dang mini donuts caught up with me this week. Total weight gain is 18lbs. 

Maternity Clothes: Yup. .

Movement: She has been moving in very strange ways which make me super uncomfortable! Poor girl seems to be running out of room.

Sleep: So so. My hips have been bothering me a lot more lately so getting comfortable is a challenge. Heartburn seems to be my other huge problem. I will never get used to the taste of Tums. Yuck!

What I Miss: Feeling normal. And not having a waddle when I have to use the restroom! 

Cravings: Nothing really this week. Chex Mix has been super delicious though.

Symptoms: All of the above. 

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks.

Best Moment this Week: We took our maternity pictures this week which was amazing! Our friend that works with Justin did them and has slowly been getting them to us. He did such a great job and I am so in love with them. There was still a little snow on the ground and it was a little chilly the evening we did them but it was a blast. This is my favorite picture I have seen so far! Hope you enjoy it.

33 weeks

I know this is super late but it has been a busy week!

Pregnancy Highlights: 

How far along: 33 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is still about the size of a pineapple and should be weighing in at almost 5lbs! 

Total Weight Gain: Up and down this week. We ate out more than normal so I think I am at about 17lbs now. 

Maternity Clothes: Tired of them. Ready for normal clothes!

Movement: She gets the hiccups all the time! Justin was able to feel them which was pretty awesome. Glad he is able to feel the intense jabs and kicks as well.

Sleep: With having such a busy week I am sleeping great! I try not to nap during the day and I normally only need to get up once during the night if I am lucky!

What I Miss: Anything with alcohol in it. We had a few super nice days (I was even able to get some sun!) and sitting on the porch with water just isn't the same for me! 

Cravings: Those stupid little chocolate frosted donuts! I know they are horrible for you so I am trying to not eat them but I just can't help it.

Symptoms: What don't I have at this point?!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are sticking around. 

Best Moment this Week: This was such an exciting week!! My dear friend, Sara flew up to Alaska for the weekend and to enjoy my shower with me! I was so glad to have her here although I felt as if we couldn't do things we normally would have done. No bar hopping or hiking going on for this lady! My shower was amazing and I was so glad I was able to spend it virtually with a few of my favorite people. Justin and I are so thankful for everything that was given to us and Mackenzie is one lucky little girl. She already has so many people that love and care about her! I should have taken a picture of all the gifts we were given but we were so excited to get the nursery together and put things away I didn't even think about it! Time is moving faster and faster which makes me nervous/excited all at the same time. I have a doctors appointment this week and hope to have news to share next week!

Sara and I taking in a gorgeous day in Alaska! 

32 weeks

I can not believe I have 8 weeks left until my due date! It seems to be coming up so quickly and I feel like I still have lots left to do. I know it will all come together so I try not to stress about it.

Pregnancy Highlights: 

Yes. There is still a ton of snow and it was pretty cold out there today! Summer can not come fast enough. 

How far along: 32 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is still about the size of a honeydew. She should be about 4.5lbs at this point. 

Total Weight Gain: Haven't budged from 15lbs so far.  

Maternity Clothes: Wearing them all the time with a mix of pajama pants around the house.

Movement: She is a mover! Although I think she is getting her days and nights confused. Which is not good for my sleeping habits.

Sleep: I take what I can get. This past week I have been going to bed pretty early and staying in bed a little later. I guess I am okay with that since I get up around 2-3 times a night to eat, go to the bathroom or readjust. 

What I Miss: Beer. Watching baseball games is not the same without it. 

Cravings: It was apple pie this week. Weird. I had some yesterday and it wasn't as good as I was hoping! Kind of a bummer.

Symptoms: Anything and everything at this point. 

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks here and there. 

Best Moment this Week: We ordered the carseat and stroller this week! It was a huge problem with Babies R Us but we finally got it figured out. Living in Alaska makes it very hard to order things and have it shipped here. Can not wait to be back in the Lower 48. I miss it so very much. Also, my mom ordered her ticket to come visit in June! I am excited to have family coming this summer.

My baby shower is less than a week away and I am getting very excited. Mackenzie is already a popular little girl! These are the boxes we have gotten in so far.

31 weeks

What a week! I had 2 appointments this week! I will get into more detail about that later. Justin's schedule was changed around towards the end of this week due to an on base exercise. What was supposed to be 12 hour shifts turned into 14-15 hour shifts. Luckily today is the last day of that nonsense. Poor guy is exhausted and to be honest I am tired of not spending time with my husband! We also are currently getting dumped on by tons of snow. We got a little under a foot over the weekend. Starting today they are calling for anywhere from 9-15 inches. So much for spring and having my maternity pictures done with no snow involved! Due to the craziness of this week, I have no picture to share.

Pregnancy Highlights: 


How far along: 31 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is still about the size of a head of lettuce. As of my ultrasound on Wednesday she was about 3.57lbs.  

Total Weight Gain: Still at 15lbs. Not going to complain about that. 

Maternity Clothes: Yup. I wear them. Don't really have a choice in the matter. But when I do wear t-shirts around the house Justin makes a point to peek and see if they are long enough. Thanks babe.

Movement: Tons. And I am able to almost tell between a hand/foot and another body part. She loves the right side for some reason.

Sleep: With Justin being home every night I have been sleeping great! Still wake up a few times during the night but thank goodness am able to fall back to sleep pretty quickly.   

What I Miss: Oh the list is endless this week. Sun, green grass, sushi, raspberry wheat beer from Moose's Tooth. . 

Cravings: No real cravings this week other than I really want Japanese. Hopefully once the week calms down I can convince my lovely husband to take me. =)

Symptoms: Lower back pain is endless. I will not miss it one bit. 

Labor Signs: Possible Braxton Hicks this week. But since I am not quite sure what they feel like it's hard to tell! 

Best Moment this Week: Busy busy week for the Sims Household. Had a regular check up with my doctor on Wednesday. Who by the way is amazing!! I love her and really hope she is on call when this baby decides to make her arrival. Everything looked good. She wanted to send me for a few ultrasounds over the next few weeks to do growth scans on the baby. I am not going to turn down extra ultrasounds! We went for the ultrasound the next day which was awesome. Mackenzie measured right on track with all her bone and organ growths. Except her head. . That is measuring about a week more than what I am. Perfect. The tech did say she could see a little hair on her head which is a good sign since I was bald until the age of 2 or so. We could also see Mackenzie practicing "breathing". It was the most amazing thing I have seen so far. Watching her little chest move up and down and seeing the amniotic fluid moving back and forth in front of her nose was the coolest. Of course it wouldn't be a normal ultrasound for me if Mackenzie wasn't being stubborn. The tech was going to try to get a 3D picture of her face for us. Our darling daughter would not turn to face forward. We did see her cute little hands though. Good enough for me. It is starting to feel very real.

In other news, our mailman hates us. Between our long, snow covered driveway, the number of packages we have recently been getting and the fact that Siren barks and growls like he is her next meal. . I don't blame the poor guy. He will be getting a nice gift card for Christmas from us this year! Speaking of packages, they are coming in and it feels like Christmas! I am so excited for my online baby shower in less than 2 weeks!! All these boxes sitting in the nursery is such a tease. I am looking forward to "seeing" everyone. I would much rather have a normal shower with friends and family in the same room but let's be honest. . Not much about my life is normal. None of my close friends even live in the same state and I live in Alaska! Either way, I am excited!

30 weeks!

I can't believe I have made it to the 30 week mark! It seems like things are only going to speed up from here on out. Which is exciting and scary at the same time. We have so much left to do but I am so ready to meet our sweet Mackenzie!


Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 30 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is the size of a head of lettuce and should be just over 3lbs. 

Total Weight Gain: 15lbs. Thank you Easter and all your amazing treats. 

Maternity Clothes: Nothing new. Can't really see buying anything else at this point. Other than maybe something to wear for my maternity pictures!

Movement: Nothing really new here. She moves a lot and lets me know when I am not making her comfortable. 

Sleep: I have actually been getting a few nights of good sleep. I still wake up 2-3 times a night but don't have that much of an issue falling back asleep.   

What I Miss: Feeling normal. These hormones make me feel super crazy some days! 

Cravings: I really wanted deviled eggs the other night. So I made them. But mainly I crave things I can't have. Chick Fil A being at the top of this list!

Symptoms: All of the above! Lower back pain is killer right now. 

Labor Signs: Not yet. 

Best Moment this Week: Pretty uneventful week this week. Our house is a disaster due to mini projects here and there. Hoping that we can get that all cleaned up in the next few weeks. Clutter is not my friend.

29 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights 

We got more snow today. . Not too excited about that at all. 

How far along: 29 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is the size of a butternut squash. She is about 3 lbs now!

Total Weight Gain: 13lbs. 

Maternity Clothes: Just got my pants back this week which was exciting! I went today and bought a few new shirts. I made the comment my shirts were getting a little too short. My darling husband reminded me that my stomach was getting bigger and it had nothing to do with my shirts. . Love that guy. 

Movement: A little gymnast in there for sure. 

Sleep: What is that?! Sleep is very rare these days. However, the dogs and Justin seem to be sleeping just fine. . Lucky.  

What I Miss: Sleep. That's the biggest issue this week. 

Cravings: Nothing really this week.

Symptoms: I am getting pretty short of breath. Getting ready to go out seems like a chore. Between taking a shower, doing my hair and getting dressed. It's exhausting! 

Labor Signs: Nothing thank goodness!

Best Moment this Week: Justin and I bought a glider from Craigslist which we plan to repaint and reupholster the cushions. We got a great deal and it's in amazing condition. It has amazing details on it and I can't wait to see how the finished product looks.

To show how amazing my husband is. He ties my shoes when I am just too darn tired to do it! He might not like it but he does whatever he can to help these days.

28 weeks

I know I am a few days late posting this weeks update. I feel like Justin and I have been so busy I just haven't had time! Today is the first day of spring although you wouldn't know it by walking outside here. Although it is very sunny it is only about 18 degrees. But the sun is so nice and warm that I do open a window or two to cool it down in the house and get some fresh air. Get with the program Alaska! I am ready for flip flops and grilling out! 

Pregnancy Highlights

This was taken Sunday. Another gorgeous day. Although please note our driveway is nothing but ice!

How far along: 28 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is the size of a small cabbage! 17in and 2.9lbs

Total Weight Gain: Holding steady at 11lbs. I am perfectly ok with this. 

Maternity Clothes: Nothing new but I did finally take 3 pairs of pants to be altered. Shockingly all of them were a few inches too long! I will be able to pick them up tomorrow and I am so excited to have a few more options as far as pants go. I will also add I have a maxi skirt I am dying to wear. Please melt snow. . 

Movement: Still an active little girl! Of course every time I try to show Justin my stomach moving or have him feel her she stops moving. Thanks a lot little one!

Sleep: No real change here. I sleep when I can. I take what I can get and am so thankful when my four legged babies don't wake me up in the middle of the night. 

What I Miss: Going to the gym. I mean, I still go. But I am limited to what I can do at this point. I know I will get back to it but it is so hard to feel restricted! I was on such a strict routine and doing so well when I found out I was pregnant. Nausea made it impossible to get any sort of work out in for the first trimester! 

Cravings: Wheat toast with peanut butter and a huge glass of milk. I eat this at least once a day. Seriously. Sometimes twice. It's amazing! 

Symptoms: Same ole stuff!

Labor Signs: Not unless you count nesting which I have been doing like a crazy lady lately. 

Best Moment this Week: This week was crazy! I turned 27 which was not exciting. I did receive an amazing box from my mom this week with all kinds of great things for Mackenzie. She doubled her wardrobe! We also had to take Raven and Siren to the vet. Siren just needed a check up and shots but poor Raven had a bladder infection. A pretty serious one. Just after a few days of antibiotics she is back to her spunky self! Although the vet did remind us of their ages which was sad for me. I know they are getting older but they will always be my babies!

Raven enjoying the sunny weather this week!

Siren waiting for something to eat. 

27 weeks

I am so excited to have finally reached the 3rd trimester. I know everyone measures it differently but we are going with what my pregnancy app says! It was a pretty uneventful week. We thought spring was here to stay however we received a few inches of snow yesterday. Justin was not excited to have to break out the snow blower to clear the driveway and the dogs were bummed their favorite porch spot was once again covered in snow. The sun is out in full force today so hopefully we will have a clear porch and warmer temps soon!

Pregnancy Highlights 

(thanks to Siren for butting in my picture!) 


How far along: 27 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is the size of a head of cauliflower!16 in & 2.5lbs

Total Weight Gain: 11lbs. I never made it to the gym this week was not good. Hopefully trying to get back on a schedule tomorrow.

Maternity Clothes: Although I haven't purchased anything new this week I am thinking that is something I may need to do in the near future. Luckily I don't have many places to go so not too worried about it.

Movement: She moves all the time! Seems that she likes to move super late at night. Of course I am awake but poor Justin misses out since he is either sleeping or at work.

Sleep: Last night was horrible!! I used to feel bad about taking a two hour nap in the afternoons. Not anymore. Naps make no difference when it comes to how I sleep at night so I am all about a good afternoon nap these days.

What I Miss: Being able to wear shoes other than my Sorel hiking boots. Since I am so clumsy and have fallen twice already this winter, I am bound to the safest shoe which unfortunately isn't the most fashionable. Once all this snow decides to melt I will be back to TOMS and Sperrys! Can't wait.

Cravings: Nothing really.

Symptoms: The usual. Heartburn and lower back pain.

Labor Signs: Not yet.

Best Moment this Week: We went and picked up wooden letters to paint and use in the nursery. Since she has a pretty long name we decided to go with just her initials. I am super excited to get them completed and hung. Here is a preview.

I went this week for my glucose screening. I did one a few weeks ago that came back fine but they wanted another done just to be sure. I am still awaiting a call from the clinic which does not surprise me! I am anxious to know the results.

Snow Day

So today I should be posting my 27 week update. However, due to unexpected snow I decided to lounge in PJs all day! I will post my weekly update tomorrow. But thanks to a lazy snow day I was able to start painting Mackenzie's initials to hang in her room. I can't believe we are less than 90 days until my due date!!

So many changes!

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated my blog! Reading back over previous blog posts I realize how much has changed in the last year of my life. School is done (for now!), I am not currently working, we traveled back South for a visit and most importantly Justin and I are expecting our first child in June 2013!! We are so very excited to start this next chapter of our lives. We have worked hard and waited until the time was right for us to expand our family. This pregnancy has been flying by! It is so hard to believe in just over 3 months we will be parents. I have committed to updating this blog for the sake of keeping our families in the loop! Here's the good stuff. .

Pregnancy Highlights:

Gender & Name: It's a little lady who will be named Mackenzie Jane

How far along: 26 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby Mackenzie is the size of a cucumber. 15 in & 2.2lbs

Total Weight Gain: 9lbs. I am going to blame my recent 2 lbs on Girl Scout Cookies and not making it to the gym as much this week.

Maternity Clothes: Mostly. I tried on a pair of jeans that used to be my "fat jeans". They don't fit anymore. I am still able to wear non maternity shirts which is awesome.

Movement: Yes and lots of it. Mostly when I am trying to sleep although she is very active in the afternoons as well.

Sleep: Ehh. . This is a sore subject for me. One night I may get 4 hours here and there and the next night I sleep all the way through without waking up. I am very thankful for the sleep I do get.

What I Miss: Sushi and wine.

Cravings: Girl Scout Cookies. It's an addiction at this point.

Symptoms: Heartburn. God awful heartburn at night. My lower back is becoming more sore which makes it hard to get comfortable.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Best Moment this Week: The nursery got a fresh coat of paint and the carpets cleaned! Justin is so ready to get the room ready.

Last week some wonderful friends of mine surprised me with a mini baby shower. We went to dinner and got pedicures. Opening gifts of little clothes made it real how soon she will be here! Mackenzie did get her very first North Face jacket which I am slightly obsessed with.

Being so far away from friends and family I realize how much I am not sharing with everyone. I promise to at least update the blog once a week!