an animal baby shower

We were so lucky to not only have a baby shower in Meridian but my sweet mother-in-law and wonderful friend Alli also threw one for us in Pocatello too! Several family members from Nic's side came that I hadn't seen since our wedding and I had some new neighbor friends and other close friends there too. It was perfect!

My MIL decorated with stuffed animals from Nic's childhood. We had a bunch of different snacky foods and one of those adorable bassinets with a baby inside that is made out of a watermelon and melon balls. We played a fun but tricky name game where we had to come up with as many boy names as we could in one minute only using the letters in Meagan and Nicholas. Not as easy as it sounds! We also were given 30 seconds or so to look at a tray full of baby items and write down as many as we could remember. Also not easy!  

^ Oh and guess who won the diaper game this time!! ;) No idea what I am doing in this picture. haha ^

Again, we got so many wonderful things and are starting to feel that much closer to being ready for our baby to be here!

A big thank you to everyone who traveled a long way to be there that day and to my MIL and Alli for planning it! xo

a confetti and bow tie baby shower

At the beginning of August, my mom threw me a baby shower in Meridian and here we are 3 weeks later and I'm still thinking about it! It was a total blast! She let me take part in the planning since creativity is completely my thing and also, it gave me something to focus my time on when I had so much of it just a few short weeks ago over the summer. ;) We decided to blend confetti and bow ties into the theme of the shower after being inspired by the spotty line by Toot Sweet at Zurchers for the paper products and table cloths. As far as the bow tie aspect of the theme, well there is just something about a baby boy in a bow tie (or a big boy in a bow tie if Nic would ever wear one for that matter ;)) that is just adorable to me. I made the invitations for the shower in Photoshop. The edges were sprinkled with different colored confetti dots and had a big B with a bow tie in the middle of it that said, B is for baby boy, bow ties, and brunch.

For brunch foods we had lemon raspberry and carrot bran muffins that were so yummy from Great Harvest, two different kinds of egg casseroles, fruit cups with whipped cream and sprinkles on top, and orange juice with blue stripey straws!

The tables were decorated with mason jars that had baby's breath and bow ties on a stick! There was also a bow tie making station where guests could make a bow tie for baby Williamson and pin it to a onesie that was strung around the patio on a clothes line. They turned out so cute, I can't wait for him to wear them!

The fun really began when we played the two games my mom and her friend had planned for us. All of us were seated around one giant table which made it even more fun to be able to see everyone and interact during the games. I liked that the games were just relaxing and low key. First we played a baby scategories name game where we had to come up with a boy name for every letter of the alphabet. If someone came up with the same name as you for a certain letter, you had to cross off the name and couldn't count it just like in the real Scategories game. If Nic and I didn't already have a name in mind, it would have been perfect for coming up with a bunch of ideas because people shared such great names! My mom's best friend Janel won and made sure everyone knew it. ;) I'm pretty sure there was some cheating involved because she used names no one ever heard of and then claimed they were Hebrew or something. HA

The second game was the diaper game. Ya know, different chocolate bars melted in diapers. People got crazy and naturally Janel claimed she won again. lol

I opened our gifts the last part of the shower and we got so many wonderful things!! Our car was packed for the drive home and the second we got there we were setting up strollers and car seats because let's face it, we just couldn't wait a second longer!

^ animal finger puppets ^

^ dinosaurs, corn cobs, and bear jammies OH MY! ^

^ handmade baby blankets by sweet neighbors ^

^ the most adorable diaper tricycle and blanket cake ^

^ new books and Sophie the giraffe! ^

The best part of all... getting to see so many friends and family members! It meant so much to me to have them all there. This baby is truly loved! A big thank you to everyone who came and to my sweet mom for such a wonderful day!

30 weeks

How Far Along :: 30 weeks
Gender :: Boy!
Belly Growth ::  42 1/2 in.
Maternity Clothes :: Definitely! Do you think it would be okay if I wore my maternity leggings to work?! haha kidding but seriously, still the most comfortable things in the whole world!! I could live in them.
Belly Button In or Out :: In but now looks more like a thin line. haha It is getting rather narrow.
Sleep ::  Pretty darn good considering these long work days have me exhausted by the time I get home at night. 
Best Moment this Week ::  My Pocatello baby shower that my mother-in-law and good friend Ali threw me! Guess who won the diaper game this time around.... ;)
Miss Anything :: Energy and just being able to move at the same pace I used to!
Movement :: Any second that I am not moving, he is moving. :)
Cravings :: Costa Vida!
Feeling & Emotions :: I came home from my first day with students on Tuesday and was so incredibly exhausted both physically and emotionally that I broke down and thought to myself, there is no way I am going to be able to do this for the next 10 weeks, but while I was still so tired when Thursday and Friday rolled around, I felt my body finally getting back into a routine and discovered ways to keep up better.
Looking Forward to :: Being on the final home stretch of this pregnancy.

29 weeks

I started back to work this week so naturally all things blogging slipped my mind and I forgot to post this. Feeling so excited to say hello to the third trimester!! :)

How Far Along :: 29 weeks
Gender :: Boy!
Belly Growth ::  42 1/2 in.
Maternity Clothes :: Yes and I start back to work this week so let's hope I can get the creative juices flowing for dressy outfit choices! I'm betting it will revolve around maxi skirts because dress pants... (HA)!  
Belly Button In or Out :: In
Sleep ::  Pretty easy to come by.
Best Moment this Week ::  Celebrating the final fleeting moments of summer with our tried and true swirl ice cream cone... Baby didn't mind it one bit either. ;) 
Miss Anything :: Sleeping on my back and tummy.
Movement :: I love feeling him move when I am at work... It is such a sweet reminder during the day that not only he is there, but that I get to carry him with me wherever I go.
Cravings :: Cinnamon raisen toast, cereal, eggs... so in other words, let's make breakfast every meal of the day!
Feeling :: Excited to go back to work this week! 
Emotions ::  Slightly nervous about my stamina for working all day these last 10 or so weeks of pregnancy... 
Looking Forward to :: Our Pocatello baby shower this weekend. :) Yes, 2 showers in 2 weeks, so spoiled! Hoping to see a lot more family from Nic's side there that I haven't seen since our wedding!

28 weeks

We didn't get a chance to take a bump update picture in our usual spot so last week's update is brought to you by a family picture from our weekend!

How Far Along :: 28 weeks
Gender :: Boy!
Belly Growth :: 42 1/2 in.
Maternity Clothes :: Definitely and I finally found a pair of maternity jeans that are getting a lot of wear already... right now rolled up as capris! #targetdoesitagain   
Belly Button In or Out :: In
Sleep ::  Pretty decent.
Best Moment this Week :: Our baby shower in Meridian! :) It was so fun to see everyone that came and Baby Williamson got sooo many cute and fun things!
Miss Anything :: I am starting to miss the 3/4 of my wardrobe that I don't fit into anymore. I seemed to have a harder time packing to go away for the weekend than I usually do. I spent a good amount of time just staring and spinning around in circles in my closet hoping some magical outfit would pop out at me instead of the usual five that have been in constant rotation. ha
Movement :: I think all of the constant on the go movement and excitement last week from setting up my classroom to traveling made for a quieter baby. Of course he still was moving every day but not as much as usual which made me feel bad because I had a lot of disappointed family members that were hoping to feel those baby kicks. 
Cravings :: Peanut butter and banana toast
Feelings and Emotions :: Rather exhausted from the busy week mentioned above but so grateful for the time we got to spend with family this week and celebrate this baby with the ones we love! 
Looking Forward to :: Bringing home a baby from the hospital in the car seat we set up this week, watching him sleep in his baby swing, and taking him for walks in his stroller. 

oh brother!

I have gotten to see my brother who lives in Maryland but was visiting home in Meridian twice this summer and it has been the best! I love that no matter how much time truly goes by before we see each other again, we just have a great bond and pick up right where it left off the last time. Like for example when we compared tummy sizes back in May when I was about 4 months along. Why not compare them again in August at 7 months! Mr. Fit may have thought he had a fighting chance the first time around but this time... oh brother!

27 weeks

How Far Along :: 27 weeks
Gender :: Boy!
Belly Growth :: 42 1/2 in.
Maternity Clothes :: yes siree  
Belly Button In or Out :: In
Sleep ::  A little rocky the last few nights due to some back pain.
Best Moment this Week :: Deciding on baby's name! ;)
Miss Anything :: Being able to bend over easily to paint my toe nails or ya know, take off those rain boots by myself. HA 
Movement :: Love every single second!!
Cravings :: Dole fruit juice popsicles, especially raspberry flavor mmm!
Feeling :: Exhausted but excited for the weekend! 
Emotions ::  Slightly overwhelmed ... I discovered that I go back to work 2 weeks from tomorrow and my classroom is far from being ready not to mention the baby projects that I hoped to have done first!
Looking Forward to :: Traveling to Meridian this weekend to see family and have my baby shower! Also, 3 days off with Nic! ;)

this summer

... is going very quickly. I keep blinking and two weeks go by but such is time. With the end of July last week and only a few weeks left before I head back to school I thought I'd share a few of our summer highlights so far.

My mom came to visit us at the last minute for a long weekend in June and she came at the perfect because it turned out Nic had a big launch at work and spent most of the weekend slaving away. If she hadn't come, it definitely would have left something to be desired. We got to have lots of girl time to spend just the two of us. We spent Friday shopping around Pocatello and getting pedicures together. Saturday we took a day trip up to Idaho Falls. We got to experience their Saturday market which is right along the actual falls which are gorgeous. So glad she made the trip, it was a blast!

We of course, had our first ultrasound and found out the gender of baby Williamson. The very next weekend, Nic and I took the drive back up to Idaho Falls and registered for a couple of showers coming up. It was SO fun but also a tad bit overwhelming too. It was a good thing I had been given tons of advice and did quite a bit of research to create a list of things to register for, otherwise I'm sure I would have forgot something. Nic was in charge of the gun while we registered so he was a happy camper and left most of the picking and choosing to me.

Of course this summer has brought a whole lotta baby around here. Talk of a baby, time spent feeling baby kicks, and definitely quite a bit of nesting. There for a few weeks, it seemed there was a once a week delivery of a big item that came in a big box for the nursery (crib, mattress, dresser, shelves) and you would have thought it has been Rue's birthday. She has had a hay day partying in these ginormous boxes and providing endless entertainment for us. :) Our recycling bin however has not been a party. They really need to switch the pick up system around and pick up recycling once a week and garbage every other. Who's with me?! The summer has also been consumed with baby craft projects. The shower my mom is having for me in Meridian has a bow tie theme so I have been making bow tie centerpieces and bow tie onesies. As well as, I have been working on a pre-baby book with updates and letters to the baby. It has been really fun!

This last week our best friend's who are now living in Arizona came to town to visit! We hadn't seen them since last July so it felt like we had tons to catch up on and it was fun being able to show them our new house. They have a 2 year old daughter who is seriously adorable! She of course was too small to remember us from the last time we saw her but it didn't matter because she acted like she had known us forever she was so outgoing. She would grab my hand and say "Meagan come" and want to take me with her wherever she went. I loved seeing her interact with Rue too and give her a taste of what she can expect her home life to be like not too long from a now with a little boy around here. haha They gave us a couple of outfits for the baby before they left and I mean, how cute are they?! We love the Bradley's and wish they lived right next door. Maybe someday.

Perhaps the most liberating of all things this summer is a finished yard! It feels great to finally be able to say that! Nic and I have put so much of our time this summer into our yard and it has really paid off. We got motivated one last time and put the finishes touches on the front yard before planting grass seed. Now comes the divine break we have desperately hoped for. We plan to just sit back on our front porch and cheer on those little seeds while we watch them grow in. Then we will add bushes, tulip bulbs, and trees in the Fall. I seriously feel proud of what we accomplished together and my almost 7 month pregnant body is equally happy to take a break now.

As for the rest of our summer shenanigans not pictured are the endless Tastee Treat swirl ice cream cones enjoyed on our front porch and long walks around our neighborhood as the sun is going down late at night. The weekly date nights to the movies (trying to get as much of that in as possible before the baby comes) and the house projects we have finished on top of the yard. This summer is sure treating us right around here!
 

25 and 26 weeks

from a little maternity photo shoot courtesy of my friend Cassidy Excel

How Far Along :: 25 and 26 weeks (Sooo I'm a little behind on these updates. I actually reached 27 weeks on Saturday but ya know, who's counting?! ;) To catch up, I decided to combine a couple of weeks.
Gender :: Boy!
Belly Growth :: 42 1/2 in.
Maternity Clothes :: Yes, definitely. I am in desperate need of a good pair of maternity jeans so if you have any recs, send them my way! I'll get a chance to look at a few places while we are in the Boise/Meridian area this weekend. I haven't bought enough maternity clothes to feel comfortable buying something in the right size online.   
Belly Button In or Out :: In
Sleep ::  Much better! Still not the most comfortable, but back to only getting up a couple times in the night and being able to fall right back to sleep.
Best Moment this Week :: I thought I'd share two best moments since we are covering a couple weeks here ... the first being my 6 month doctor's appointment. It is always so sweet to hear the baby's heartbeat and know he is doing great. My second favorite moment this week has been adding to the nursery. It is coming together! We found a dresser (amen) and a friend's mom was sweet enough to pick it up for us while she was on a trip to Utah. I also decided against painting since we have a brand new house and did a fun accent wall with vinyl instead. It is quickly becoming my favorite room!
Miss Anything :: Fitting into smaller spaces like I used to. haha I can't even tell you how many times a day I accidentally run my belly into a door because I underestimate my ability to fit... sorry baby! 
Movement :: This is seriously so special, I love it! I feel like he is already on a schedule because the times of day that he kicks have become pretty predictable. His favorite time of the day is of course, between the hours of 10 and midnight and I joke with Nic all the time that he is going to be a little night owl just like his dad. It also revolves around meals too because who doesn't get excited for food?! :)
Cravings :: Ice cream or popsicles, fruit, and everything I'm not supposed to have (i.e. too much seafood, deli sandwiches, etc.)
Feeling :: As cheesy as it sounds, so in love with my husband. I worry like anyone else about giving up quite a bit of the time we get to spend just the two of us when this baby arrives but I'm realizing that he is only bringing us closer together. We were sitting on the couch watching a show last night and the baby started moving like crazy. He quickly got up and sat behind me. We both just smiled and felt the baby move together for a while. He is a dream boat, that guy.  
Emotions ::  Happy!
Looking Forward to :: I can tell you what I am not looking forward to... that dreaded glucose test that is coming right up for me in a week! Especially for a person who doesn't drink pop, juice, or really anything flavored for that matter. I mainly stick to water. Something about a thick, syrupy, flavored bottle of liquid that is full of sugar does not sound appealing to me. So I guess I am looking forward to it! Getting it over with that is! ha