21 Week Baby Bump

Number of weeks: 21 weeks
Measurement: right on track
Baby Size: According to the Bump, our baby is the size of a pomegranate and weighs approximately 12.7 ounces and is 10.5 inches long. However, our little lady weighed in at 13 ounces last week.
Interesting Fact: She's manufacturing meconium -- the tarry black substance you'll find in her first dirty diaper (YUCK)! She also already has a lifetime's supply of eggs in her womb -- about six million of them!
Total Weight Gain: +8.0
Pregnancy Clothes: Still loving them. I do wear some of my old tops. I just enjoy the length of maternity ones.
Tiger Stripes: It's just a matter of time as I know that I may definitely gain some this pregnancy.
Symptoms: beautiful baby kicks, ligament pain, nauseous and sickness, and heart burn. All worth it:)
Sleep: This week has actually been a bit uncomfortable. I get hot and can't so find a good position. I do go to the bathroom several times in the middle of the night which has made it more difficult to go back to sleep. I am just so excited and anxious about our little miss, about school's ending and the upcoming thoughts of summer school, as well as all the fun tasks that this summer will bring.
Movement: Oh how I love feeling her little kicks. I'm sure they'll get stronger with time.
Most Memorable Moment: This past week we saw our baby girl, heard the wonderful news that she is healthy and right on track. Again this is music to a mama's ears! I also loved our gender reveal party and celebrating such a wonderful week together.
Cravings: I go from being super hungry to not really wanting much. I'm hoping the cravings start coming soon:)
Gender Predictions: We are welcoming our sweet daughter, Aubrey Rose Zellner in early October. I just love her name as it is a perfect combination of family history. Aubrey is Raymond's grandfather's name while Rose is my middle name and my Oma's (grandmother's) middle name. It truly is perfect! Her nickname will be Aubie (which does happen to be Auburn Tiger's name) or Aubaby when she's little. I'm sure she'll have lots of little lovey names that she is called. We are just so excited about seeing her sweet face this October.
What I Miss: I really miss my turkey wrap from Jason's Deli. Delicious!
What I look forward to: I look forward to all the fun tasks that will be accomplished this summer from registering, fixing up the nursery, baby shopping, and classes that will help us prepare for her arrival. I am also so very excited that there are only 9 more days of school. I am extremely excited about summer and all it will bring. :)

Button or Bow Tie Gender Reveal

  

This past Friday, we celebrated a very special gender reveal party with some dear friends. Our theme if you haven't guessed was button or bow tie and our colors were yellow and gray. I love these sweet colors and how perfectly gender neutral they are. Plus they along with mint green will be making an appearance in the nursery.

Our gender reveal party was a night of wonderful celebration filled with sweet treats, friendships, and an exciting reveal. To prepare, Ray and I set the table with a variety of treats including a fruit platter with caramel sauce, cupcakes topped with yellow buttons, queso and chips, as well as hand crafted button and bow tie sugar cookies from Meemos bakery.

Talk about super adorable and absolutely delicious dessert.

 

At 7PM, our guests joined us and the party began. I am so thankful for these sweet friends to share our lives with and our exciting news. This baby is truly blessed and already so very loved. Plus she has some very sweet little friends that she will grow up with.  



Paige, Stephanie, and Kristin, with sweet Em & M

My college roommate Daniela (22 weeks) and I (20 weeks) 

 Daniela, Robert, and baby Cox

 Adam and Stephanie Duke with little Miss Emily 

 

After much catch up and conversation, we sampled the dessert table and prepared ourselves for the reveal. Each person was given a yellow balloon filled with confetti as well as a push pin. (Thank you love for filling the balloons.) The plan was to pop the balloons together, but sadly, my balloon malfunctioned and pretty pink It's a Girl confetti dropped to the floor. I was a little stunned. But quickly cheers rang out and all balloons had been popped. It brought as smile to my face. And even though it had not gone exactly as planned, it was so wonderful to share such perfect news with those we loved.

 

 

Bryson loved playing "hockey" as he skated across the floor in socks hitting a poweraid bottle cap with his feet. It was beyond adorable and had me thinking how much I would love to make confetti angels with my body. I did resist though. There were two balloons left and B and Ray popped them together! I love this action shot. 



 



Cute diaper bouquet and box of diapers from sweet friends

 

We are all truly blessed by these gifts. The gift of our little girl, our best friends, and of sweet gestures from those we love. What a wonderful night of celebration and surprises! 

 

Happy 20 weeks to my little girl,
Aubrey Rose Zellner



My Girl!

 

I cannot stop thinking about this beautiful face. The perfect little baby, long legs, and adorable little nose. We are truly blessed to have this life growing inside of me and are truly thankful for our new addition that will be joining us in early October.

For as long as we knew we were expecting, we couldn't wait to call our baby by name. We had names picked out for quite some time but couldn't wait to find out if we'd have a daughter or son... even though we were almost positive we were having a sweet little boy. This past Wednesday, after 20 weeks of waiting, we would sure find out. As our gender reveal party was set to Friday evening, our intention was to wait and find out then, but on the morning of our appointment, we found ourselves with changes of heart. We couldn't wait one more moment. Our appointment was at 9:20 in the AM. We quickly made our way inside and saw our sweet babe. While our sono tech was not blessed with the warm and fuzzy's, I will say she knew her stuff. She explained the chambers of the heart, the brain, the placenta... and of course a whole bunch of information that was over my head. But what she did explain was that we were expecting a healthy baby. That was music to my ears. I also found out that the baby was breech which really means very little as the baby can shift any which way over the next 20 weeks. The baby's head is facing my spine and feet well below. This explained quite a bit as I have felt that our little one was playing piano on my bladder. Because the baby was snuggled up so tightly and facing the wrong direction, the tech even turned on the 3D so we could get a better look. Talk about a special moment as we could see little one's special features including the most adorable little nose. We decided that we did not want to find out at the doctor's office, but take some special time just the two of us. We had a card that our nurse wrote the gender on. We would open it that afternoon together. 

After our morning appointment, we made our way to the Shops at Fairview and dinned at Purple Cow for lunch. We enjoyed cheese burgers, fries, and a chocolate milkshake, YUM! After our tummies were full, we found a special spot and opened the card.  

 

To our complete surprise and blessing of course... we read, "It's a GIRL!" For weeks we had both assumed we were expecting a little boy as many signs pointed that direction. But we couldn't be more excited for our sweet little lady. We are having a daughter!

 

Our little girl, Aubrey Rose Zellner 

 I love the relationship both Ray and I will have with our sweet girl. It blesses my heart just thinking about how our little family will change. God is so good.

After our lunch, we bought some very special little onesies and began planning for her arrival. We were so excited for the reveal party and to share our sweet news to our friends and family.

20 Week Baby Bump

Number of weeks: 20 weeks
Measurement: 20 weeks and 3 days
Baby Size: According to the Bump, our baby is the size of a banana and weighs approximately 10.6 ounces and is 6.5 inches long. However, our little lady weighed in at 13 ounces and a bit longer than the Bump's 6.5 inches. I'll have to find the true length measurement shortly. Let's just say that we have been told our little girl has some long legs.
Interesting Fact: The baby has completely working taste buds and is taking in amniotic fluid, more than she used to.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +7.8
Pregnancy Clothes: Love them! I will be going on a small shopping spree before summer hits though. My belly is sure getting bigger and some of my regular tops are NOT cutting it. I don't even want to mention bathing suit season at this time. ha!
Tiger Stripes: It's just a matter of time as I know that I may definitely gain some this pregnancy.
Sleep: This week has actually been a bit uncomfortable. I get hot and can't find a good postition. I do go to the bathroom several times in the middle of the night which has made it more difficult to go back to sleep. I am just so excited and anxious about our little miss, about school's ending and the upcoming thoughts of summer school, as well as all the fun tasks that this summer will bring.
Movement: Our little lady is a mover and groover. I love feeling her little kicks, even though they are very close to my bladder. At our appointment we found out the little miss is currently breech and facing my spine with her feet well below. This gives her a perfect position to play the piano on my lower tummy. I just can't wait for Ray to feel her. I know that is something that he has been so excited about and know it is sure to come soon.
Most Memorable Moment: This week we saw our baby girl, heard the wonderful news that she is healthy and right on track. Again this is music to a mama's ears.
Cravings: I still can't say that I've had true pregnancy cravings. I pretty much always want sweet desserts or queso. This pregnancy I have loved sharp cheddar cheese, queso and chips, pie with vanilla ice cream on top, icees, and a strong desire for cupcakes. YUM!
Gender Predictions: We are welcoming our sweet daughter, Aubrey Rose Zellner in early October. I just love her name as it is a perfect combination of family history. Aubrey is Raymond's grandfather's name while Rose is my middle name and my Oma's (grandmother's) middle name. It truly is perfect!
What I Miss: I miss cookie dough, cupcake mix, brownie mix, and deli meat.
What I look forward to: I look forward to all the fun tasks that will be accomplished this summer from registering, fixing up the nursery, baby shopping, and classes that will help us prepare for her arrival. I am also so very excited that there are only 9 more days of school. I am extremely excited about summer and all it will bring. :)

A Parent's Wish

Sweet Baby,
Mommy and Daddy have been praying for you far longer than we have known you. Before you came to being, God knew your name. He knew your face. He knew everything about you. He knew your journey including when you would be sent to us. For almost 14 months we prayed for you. We laughed, we cried. It was a journey far more difficult than we had expected but could not have been more thankful. We were unsure if we would have you, but remained faithful. So many prayers were sent out for you. More than you can ever know. And after all this time, I could not think of more perfect timing that God has blessed us with you. This pregnancy has been filled with so many beautiful things. From seeing your sweet face and hearing your heartbeat at 6 weeks and then again a few weeks later. It was amazing to see how much you had grown and how quickly. You were strong from the very beginning. My prayer continued prayer is that God would wrap His arms around you and keep you safe and healthy. I have loved seeing your daddy's love for you. He sings to you daily and can't wait to feel your sweet kicks. Mommy has loved feeling you each day and knows you are safe and exactly where you need to be. In just few days, we will know your name. We too will see your sweet face and hear your heartbeat. Today in church we read Psalm 84 1:12 Oh Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Sweet baby,
My dreams for you are that you will grow up to know Him and trust him. You will walk with Him all of your days. You will have a compassionate heart and have love for others. You will be a leader for Christ, but know when to be humble and listen. You will speak kind words and encourage and support those around you. You will be cultured and love the heart of others. Know that people are different but love what's on the inside. You will make a difference each day whether big or small. You will work hard and be thankful for your blessings. You will make mistakes but learn and grow from them. You will cherish what you have and who you have around you but not mistake these blessings as expectations. Things are to be earned and valued. Sweet baby, I pray you will love yourself and hold family to be upmost important. Just remember that your mommy and daddy love you more than words and are thankful for each blessing that God has given. So please kick away. Dream, hiccup, and grow. We can't wait to see your beautiful face in October! We love you!

                                                                                                Love, Mommy and Daddy

Say Cheese & Family Karaoke!

Each month someone from our college group of friends puts together an exciting activity. With the craziness that is life, it is so nice to all get together and catch up. This month, our friends really outdid themselves. It was such a perfect combination of our group's favorite activities. My morning started off with a great breakfast date to Chick-Fil-A with one of my besties. I love catching up with her and her sweet family. For several of our friends including the husband, their Saturday began with an afternoon at Comic-con at the Irving Convention center. From cosplay characters, signings, Q&As, raffles, and so forth, they sure had a blast. That night we met at our friend, Mike's house for a wine and cheese party.

 

Our friends even bought me sparkling grape juice so that this preggo mama could join in on the fun.

 

During Comic-con the Dukes won free movie tickets to see the new Star Trek movie; however, they had seen it the night before. Adam was so sweet to give the husband and Mike tickets to go on a bro date on Monday before Mike returned to Arkansas. Can you feel the excitement?!?!  We then ate dinner at Mi Cocina and afterwards made our way to Family Karaoke in Dallas. This is of course one of our favorite places to gather as a group. Enjoy some fun pictures of our evening.

 

Sending a big thanks to our sweet friends for setting up a fantastic college group outing. We sure did enjoy our night and of course missed those that were unable to attend. I'm so thankful for these sweet relationships... over 10 years in the making! I can't wait for our next gathering...

Little Girls are a Hoot!

This Saturday, we celebrated a sweet friend from our ABF and her little lady in an owl themed baby shower. The two hostesses did an amazing job on the décor and food. What a sweet afternoon. We are so thankful and blessed for the new little lives that will be joining our church family. To Erin, Richard, and sweet baby girl Ogle, we send sweet love and blessings for your growing family and to say that little girls are a hoot!

 

 Denise and Amy (hostesses) with Erin and baby girl Ogle

 The Shower Attendants

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Pretty in Pink Decor

 Courtney, the winner of the B-A-B-Y game 

 Kristin and her sweet lady, Myla

 
 Opening gifts

 A prayer for the Ogle family

 

19 Week Baby Bump

Number of weeks: 19 weeks
Measurement: right around 19  weeks
Baby Size: According to the Bump, our baby is the size of a mango and weighs approximately 8.5 ounces and is 6 inches long.
Interesting Fact: The baby is working on its five senses. Nerve cells for her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in the brain.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +7.4
Pregnancy Clothes: I am almost in full maternity clothing. I still have a few shirts and overhangs that will fit throughout the pregnancy; but am loving skirts and dresses these days. I love stretchy material that is comfortable. Sadly I haven't been able to really find maternity pants that really fit me. Thank goodness for a few suggestions today. If you have anymore... please feel free to add:)
Tiger Stripes: It's just a matter of time as I know that I may definitely gain some this pregnancy.
Sleep: I am sleeping pretty well. This week our air conditioning was broken which made sleeping pretty uncomfortable. Thank goodness it was fixed on Friday:) I do get up to go to the bathroom between 2-3 times a night. I am half asleep most of the time, so I have gotten countless bruises from walking into the door or wall. It's actually pretty humorous yet painful. I am fully off my tummy which has been difficult. I am still able to sleep on my back as long as I sleep with two pillows under my head. I'm definitely thinking this summer will provide for some better sleeping/napping opportunities.
Movement: I have honestly been feeling little flutters since I turned 16 weeks, but I can definitely feel so much more movement these days. I absolutely love feeling our baby move. Ray is so excited but cannot wait for his turn to feel our sweet baby. This little one is super active. I love all the moving and grooving for sure.
Most Memorable Moment: This week was a week of crazy school days, upsetting homeowner difficulties with our broken a/c unit, and fun friend activities. While it was a whirlwind, I am thankful for all the moments we made this week. It grew us as a couple, it brightened my heart to celebrate new little ones and to see best friends, and it was a reminder of just how many blessings God places in our lives.
Cravings: I crave sweets. SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR!
Gender Predictions: Both Ray and I really feel that our sweet baby is a little boy. We have had lots of comments lately and that seems to be the general consensus. But of course only God knows what our little blessing is and we are so happy for either gender. We are just so in love. Anyway... this Friday, the gender of our sweet baby will be revealed. I am speechless and can't wait!
What I Miss: This week I would have loved a glass of white wine.
What I look forward to: Wednesday, both Ray and I took off work for our 20 week sonogram of our sweet baby. We are praying for a happy and healthy little one and hearing its sweet heartbeat. We will be asking our doctor to write the gender on a card and all will be revealed this upcoming weekend. We are so excited, anxious, thankful, blessed... you name it! We feel it! We are beyond words!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Last week was teacher appreciation week. Boy was it filled with tasty treats and special activities for everyone around the school. It was a perfect way to end our previous two weeks of testing and a great way to begin our countdown for the final days of school. The week included PTA lunches, a first grade birthday lunch, secret goodies, and an early release team building competition. All I have to say is go team FIRSTY! "We are FIRSTy for knowledge" ...thus my fabulous teammate dressed as Einstein. I really enjoyed working as a first grade teacher this year and look forward to continuing my efforts in first grade next year. I'll also be working with some sweet summer school kiddos this summer and will send a few more updates on that as well.

I did want to take a moment to wish all of the teachers a wonderful last few weeks of school! You truly do inspire all those around you and make such a wonderful difference. Here's to 19 more days of school for many of my friends! You can do it!

18 Week Baby Bump

Number of weeks: 18

Measurement: right around 18 weeks
Baby Size: According to the Bump, our baby is the size of a mango. The baby is about 6 inches long and weighs approximately 8.5 ounces.
Interesting Fact: The baby is working on it's five senses. Nerve cells for the baby's sense of taste, sight, hearing, touch, and smell are developing in the brain.
Heartbeat: ?
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Total +6.1
Pregnancy Clothes: I love maternity clothing so very much. I can still wear my shirts but do enjoy the longer, stretchier maternity shirts borrowed from friends at this point. Also my one pair of non maternity stretch jeans are starting to feel snug. That will be a sad day when I must retire them.
Tiger Stripes: Not due to pregnancy. No current stretch marks. But I have some lotion ready just in case.
Sleep: This week, I am doing pretty well. My early mornings should be attributed to Toby and going to the bathroom between 2-3 times a night which has also lead to many bruises of running into doors, walls, and whatnot being mostly asleep when I do. I can still somewhat lay on my tummy but quickly turn. I am still able to sleep on my back as well. I am getting more stiff and kind of feel like an older lady when I do try to get up at times. It's a pretty funny sight.
Most Memorable Moment: This week was teacher appreciation week. It has been a wonderful week at school, including final days of testing, special teacher lunches, and even a 15 minute massage at school.
Cravings: Sugar and sweets! While I have always loved sugary items, I can definitely say that is all I am wanting these days. I would also include fruit into the craving rotation as well since it does have a good natural sugar as well.
Gender Predictions: I am back to boy. I'm just so excited to have a countdown until we find out the gender.
What I Miss: Pepsi, cherry Coke, sweet tea, and cookie dough.
Emotional Moment: I don't think I was too emotional this week. I did break down and bawl like a baby over several shows this week and any type of Mother's Day commercials.
What I look forward to: I cannot wait to find out the gender, set up the nursery, and get some things checked off of our to do lists. This summer will be a perfect time to get ready for baby!