23 Weeks Bumpdate!

Wow! Another week has flown by! I spent the beginning of the week recovering from the craziness of having my family here and of course got the house back in order! I worked quite a bit as well! I had a check up with my doctor on Wednesday and it was pretty quick and easy! She told me I have a model pregnancy and would see me back in 6 weeks for my pregnancy diabetes screen. I did ask her about the Braxton Hicks and she said it was totally normal! Her advice was to stay hydrated and rest as needed. I haven't had a ton in the past week, but the ones I have had are uncomfortable! 

Kyle was gone this weekend, so Macey Jane and I are anxiously awaiting his arrival back home! We celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary on Wednesday! We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend! Kyle has a hail and farewell with the command on Friday and then we plan on watching the Gators play and going to dinner for our anniversary on Saturday! 

How far along? 23 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Gained .5 lb this week! :) -5.5 total
Maternity clothes: I was given some shorts by a friend and will be heading out today to buy some more and also some workout pants! The waistbands are getting super uncomfortable!
Stretch marks? Nope!! I rub coconut oil on every night!
Sleep? Sleep was much better this week!

Miss Anything? Chipotle! My sister called me as she was getting to-go and my mouth started watering for it! And always Chick-fil-A... don't take these things for granted people!

Movement: On Sunday morning, I saw my belly move for the first time! I was sooo excited and grabbed my phone to record it, but of course it was too late! I have an anterior placenta so it is more difficult to see or feel movement early on. I can't wait for Kyle to feel her when he gets home!
Food cravings? Icees, avocado and honeycrisp apples and cheese!
Anything making you sick or queasy? Hmm not really!
Gender: Girl! :) 

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, lower back pain, growing boobs! :)
Labor signs? Not yet!
Belly button in or out? In almost completely flat!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy
Worst moment this week: Kyle being gone! But, I got LOTS done and was able to relax and not worry about cooking meals, laundry, cleaning! :)
Best moment this week: Seeing my belly move from her kick! Makes it so real!
Looking forward to: Her crib, dresser and glider gets delivered on Thursday!! I can't wait to put it all together and see her room come together! I'm so excited!
Baby info:  She's a papaya and her lungs are beginning to form! :) 

22 Weeks Bumpdate

Still playing catch up! But, a short blog to document Week 22! :) Kyle took this picture of me at Lanikai Beach on Saturday with my family! Boy am I growing! :)

How far along? 22 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Gained 3 lbs in the past 2 weeks! :) Still down 6 lbs pre-pregnancy! Happy with my progress!
Maternity clothes: Shorts and pants are becoming a little more uncomfortable! I need to pick up a belly band!
Stretch marks? Nope!!
Sleep? Back in my own bed, but sleep is becoming more and more challenging. It's super hard to get comfy and then avoiding my back as well. Then there is the constant pressure on my bladder! 

Miss Anything? My family. It was so hard to say goodbye to them! By far, it is one of the worst things about being in Hawaii! I won't see my nephew for 9 months! I really can't even digest that right now! I am so thankful they visited and we really had a great time! 

Movement: Experiencing lots of little kicks and punches. At first I wasn't  convinced, but now I know it's her. She loves to hang out in the lower left part of my belly.
Food cravings? After indulging with my family for the past 10 days, I am actually craving healthy food!
Anything making you sick or queasy? Thinking about the delivery process. I am so anxious about it!
Gender: Little Charlotte! Still no middle name (ahem... Kyle). At this point, I'm starting to think she won't have a middle name!! 

Symptoms: I had Braxton Hicks yesterday. Wow, not so fun. I think it's a sign to slow down for sure! I'll address with my doctor at my appt this week.
Labor signs? Nope, unless the BH count? She needs to stay put... for a while!
Belly button in or out? In, but not for much longer!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy
Worst moment this week: Saying goodbye to my family!
Best moment this week: Her baby shower and receiving so many thoughtful things from friends and family!
Looking forward to: Having no plans! Kyle will be gone this weekend and I'll be working some, but I'm excited to relax and not have an itinerary to live by! :)
Baby info:  She's a spaghetti squash and weighs over a whole pound now!

Charlotte's Baby Shower

A baby shower is one of those things that everyone loves! How can you resist baby pink or baby blue and all of the cute little items that come along with it? I know I always get excited when I get to buy a baby shower gift because it gives me excuse to peruse the aisles of the baby stores! Of course, when we were planning to get pregnant, we knew that we would be having the baby in Hawaii away from our families and friends. I am very thankful that I was able to still have a baby shower even though I'm thousands of miles away from my family and friends. My family had a trip planned for March, so we figured it would be perfect timing so that they could help to coordinate and celebrate with me!

In Charlotte's room with all of her gifts!

My sister sent out questions to the guest list and asked them to respond with their answers. This was one of my favorite parts of the shower! It was so neat and special to hear everyone's responses! Here are some of the answers: 

What names are they considering for Baby Girl Chance?

Charlotte and Charlotte

Oh goodness! I don't really know...Allison, you probably have a variety of cute names picked out already. Maybe the middle name will be Rebecca because it's one of your middle names?
Kallison

 Charlotte Chance!

Charlotte!

Charlotte!! (Charley)

Charlotte Ava

What is the color they have picked for baby's room?

Orange and Blue - Go Gators!

I know you don't want to overdue it with pinks, so maybe a light tan or grey? Something more neutral since you'll be bedazzling the room with cute decor. 

Pink and Gray

Pink?? 

Revere Pewter
Green

Revere Pewter (white and gray theme)

Gray

What is the exact due date for the baby?

July 23, 2014, 11:11 a.m.

July 24th?
July 4th

July 10th ( I hope because that's my birthday)

July 25th

July 29th

Late July 

What advice can you give Kyle and Allison on becoming parents?

Don't take advice from us... what do we know?

Since I'm not a parent, I'm not sure how valid my advice will be :) But I would just say, you're both extremely loving and generous people. Try not to worry too much and enjoy all of the time you have with Baby C because it will probably fly by! 

Give hugs and kisses and say I love you every day

Gosh where to start...

     - continue loving on your hubby - it's so beneficial for the babe to see how much you love each other 

    - take any advice or book you read with a grain of salt - your baby and your bond will be completely unique so just study her and go from there (she'll sleep, walk, talk and potty train eventually)

Learn together and be there to support each other in every decision

Since I've not yet been one myself, I'm not too sure… only to enjoy absolutely every second - and take LOTS of pictures and video, which I have a feeling won't be a problem ;-) 

I don't have children yet but I hear that it is important to focus on each other and not forget about your relationship as husband and wife.  It's important that you keep a strong bond!

Just be their fun, loving, caring selves and they will do great!

Soak it up and make sure you get amazing babysitters like Ashley and Allison!!

What is the one baby item that they MUST have on hand?

Diapers seem logical.

Pacifier. Always!

Diapers.

bouncy chair/swing, ergo baby, and a sound machine

Diapers!

cute outfits, of course!

Hmm I'm not qualified to answer this so I'll say extra treats for Macey Jane because she is going to feel left out : (

Fabulous diaper bag

Vodka. 

What trait/feature do you hope the baby gets from Kyle?

His dance moves.

Courage and bravery. Everyone is so proud of you, Kyle, and I'm sure you will instill these traits in Baby C :) 

Kyle's Smile

Humor

Determination and Patience

Eyes

Calm/easy-going demeanor

Patience

Cute Smile

What trait/feature do you hope the baby gets from Allison?

Her pearly whites.

I would love to see Baby Chance be your little clone :) I definitely hope she gets the beautiful, blond hair that runs in the family, too! And your amazing attention to little details and your big heart. 

Allison's baby blues and shapely lips!

Bubbly personality and gorgeous skin

The love she gives to her family and friends! (and her love of pink!) 

smile, and spunky personality!

Friendliness

Compassion and Responsibility

Organization 

What wish do you have for Baby Girl Chance?

Health, hugs and a happy heart

I wish that she will know how much her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends are so excited to meet her and love her in the years to come. She'll always have a supportive family and extended family (including all of Allison and Kyle's wonderful friends) that will be there for her as she grows into a young lady. 

To dream big!

I pray that she lives a blessed, joyful and fulfilled life :)

A long life of health, happiness, and full of love!! 

To enter the world healthy and happy - Hawaii will certainly be a place of wonderful memories and new adventures for the Chance Clan!  

I hope that Baby C enters this world safe and healthy and that her mom has a wonderful birth experience! (and Kyle too!)

I wish for baby chance to be a healthy happy baby :)

A lifetime of love, which I know she’ll have.

I am so thankful to each and every person that helped us to celebrate Baby Charlotte! She is loved so much already and I am so grateful for that! Thank you to my mom, sister and mother-in-law for planning a great shower! It was a great day and fun to have one of my Hawaii friends, Kelanie, in attendance as well! I know she already has an aunt who will gladly babysit her any time of day or night! :) 

Enjoy the video of the shower! 

21 Weeks Bumpdate!

My family arrived on Friday and we have been crazy busy! I knew they would be jetlagged after the 10 hour, non-stop flight from Atlanta, but suprisingly they did awesome and we even made it to dinner the first night they were here! I think they were up for a full 24 hours! We are 6 hours behind here! 

On Saturday, we were all up early and had donuts form Regal Bakery and walked around Waikiki. We spent the rest of the day at the pool at the hotel! It was fun! We went to dinner at Duke's for dinner. It's a must-see in Waikiki and has a beautiful view of the water! 

On Sunday, we headed to Kailua to attend church and we became members as well. It was nice to have our family there and thanks to our friends Brett and Amanda for sponsoring us! 

We enjoyed a nice brunch at Haleiwa Joe's and then headed back to Waikiki. We did the pool for a few hours and then headed out to dinner at the Hale Koa next door. 

On Monday, we did a bus tour of the island that included Pearl Harbor and the Arizona, the North Shore, Kaneohe, Kuala Ranch and the Dole Plantation! It was a blast, but went all day and I was exhausted after! I have some awesome pics on my new camera!!! (I got an early "push present" from Kyle and I absolutely love it!) 

How far along? 21 Weeks!
Total weight gain/loss:  We are staying in a hotel in Waikiki so I haven't had a chance to weigh myself! :(
Maternity clothes: Still just shirts. My lululemon pants are getting tighter around my belly and I'm dreading not being able to wear them because I live in them!!
Stretch marks? Nope!!
Sleep? Going to bed around 10 and getting up around 6. I slept well in the hotel, but ready to get back home in my own bed!
Miss Anything? Indulging in some beverages with my family

Movement: Still moving! But looking forward to having Kyle feel her kicks. Still haven't felt hiccups or seen movement!
Food cravings? Still donuts! We found an awesome bakery and it was definitely the best glazed donut I've had here! And of course Icees!!
Anything making you sick or queasy? The hot food at gas stations. Since I frequent 7-11s for my Icee fix, I am constantly gagging a little when I check out. It's not your typical hot dogs, pizza, etc. It's spam and some of the weirdest looking food ever! Yuck!!!
 Gender: It's a GIRL!! :) Her name will be Charlotte! We are still deciding on a middle name, oh wait, Kyle is still deciding! But hoping to have it finalized soon. (I know, I say this every week!) 

Symptoms: I still feel like I get stuck on my back which is so weird! And I have a hard time getting comfortable at night. But other than that not a ton of symptoms!
Labor signs? Nope
Belly button in or out? In, but practically flat and hard on top:
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy
Worst moment this week: Can't think of one!
Best moment this week: My family arrived on Friday and we've had a blast so far! They leave on Sunday and we have some really fun things planned including a boat trip to the sandbar, a luau and some fun dinners!
Looking forward to: My baby shower! We are having a virtual shower and the video will be ready for viewing on Saturday! I'll be sure to give a recap! My mom, sister and mother in law have done a great job planning!
Baby info:  She's a banana!! 

20 Weeks and Nursery Update!

Wow! I can't believe I'm 20 weeks and halfway there. I must admit that sometimes I still don't feel 100% pregnant! Whenever I tell people I'm pregnant and how far along, they give me a weird look like "where is the baby?" I usually laugh and say that I wonder the same thing! All laughing aside, I know she is growing and just likes to stay burrowed in there! :) She gives me some good kicks every now and then to let me know that she is still there! I go back to the doctor later this month and I am excited to see her progress!

Most of you know what Pinterest is, but if you don't, google it! Most people have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. I love it because it helps to categorize me thoughts, ideas, recipes, designs, etc. Whenever I'm looking for something I pinned, I just look for the board and find the pin! Whenever Pinterest first started, of course I made a board for my unborn children! I think every girl does this for her wedding and future babies. When I got pregnant, I created another board, that was secret, for Baby C. After reviewing both boards, I noticed that I pinned the same nursery in both boards! That solidified my decision for the nursery!

Baby C's Nursery Inspiration

So, I set out to pin and research all the perfect elements for Baby C's nursery. Well, my research quickly concluded when I realized the only baby store on the island was Babies R Us. No Pottery Barn Kids, Buy Buy Baby, etc! Don't get me wrong, Babies R Us is a great store, but I wanted options. So, I set out to the internet thinking I'll just get stuff shipped even though I didn't really want to buy furniture sight unseen. I would find something I would like and then add it to my cart to see what the shipping would be. I knew it would be more, but wanted to see if it was worth it. Well, you can imagine my surprise when I see a message in red saying "Your order cannot be completed as we do not ship to this zip code" I can't tell you how many times my mom and I have encountered this message! We find something perfect on Joss and Main or other furniture sites only to realize we can't get it shipped! One of the main elements of the room that I love is the mirrored dresser. I have a mirrored jewelry chest that I absolutely love! It's such a girly, cute accent piece. However, it did not fare well in our move and is cracked in several places. We have put a claim in with the movers and are waiting to hear back. With that said, I know we will be packing up before too long (July 2015) to head back to the mainland and I could see the mirrored dresser getting destroyed. So, I am hoping to use a mirrored side table to bring in that look!

We did finally settle on a crib, dresser and glider and I am SUPER excited about what we picked out! We chose the Baby Cache Heritage Crib and Dresser. I did lots of research on the cribs because I really wanted a quality piece of furniture, especially since this crib ultimately turns into a double bed for later on. I don't know if we will ultimately use it for that if we have other babies, but I like the option. The furniture has really nice woodworking and I think it will be the perfect place for Baby C to rest her head!

Baby Cache Heritage Crib

We decided on the Kersey Recliner Glider in Shadow and I think it will be the perfect accent piece to the room. The walls are Revere Pewter, but pretty much every other element is white (rug, curtains, bedding, crib, dresser, etc). There will be a few touches of light pink! :) The glider doesn't have an ottoman because the footrest rises in the reclined position, but I plan on ordering a ottoman or pouf to go with the chair!

Kyle is out evaluating a ship this weekend, so unfortunately I don't have bump pics for this week! :( But, I'll be sure to have him take them when he returns! I know you must be devastated! haha :)

How far along? 20 Weeks!
Total weight gain/loss:  gained a pound this week!  Still down 9 lbs. 
Maternity clothes: Still fitting into my regular shorts/pants! I wear alot of regular dresses too!
Stretch marks? None, but started rubbing coconut oil on every night!
Sleep? Slept pretty good this week, definitely was a little nervous sleeping alone in the new house for the first time! We sleep with the windows open and Macey Jane is quite the alert dog and barks at the smallest noises, cars starting, etc. 
Miss Anything? Chick-fil-a 
Movement: Lots of movements and sometimes she gets me pretty good!
Food cravings? Donuts, Icees (they are my afternoon craving) and fruit leather/snacks. I've never been so obsessed with sugar! Help me!! And lately, I cannot seem to get satisfied. I eat and them I am hungry again 1-2 hours later!
Anything making you sick or queasy? Nope!
 Gender: It's a GIRL!! :) We have her first name, but waiting to share until we have her middle name too!
Symptoms:  Lower back pain, trouble getting up from laying down (my belly isn't big yet but for some reason it just feels awkward), bathroom trips 2-3 times a night and always feeling full!
Labor signs? Nope
Belly button in or out? In, but practically flat.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy
Worst moment this week: Having Kyle gone this weekend! I am totally used to be alone, but it was just a hard adjustment after we have been together so much in the past several months. 
Best moment this week: A good friend from college welcomed her sweet baby girl into the world on Wednesday! So excited for them and made me realize we will be doing the same sooo soon!
Looking forward to: My family arrives on Friday!!! I could not be more excited and I just hope this week FLIES by! I have a lot to do, but I can't wait for them to get here and show them around the island! I have a nice itinerary planned for their visit! 
Baby info:  I don't know how this is possible, but my app still says mango for Week 20! So a mango she is! 

19 Weeks Bumpdate

Another great week out here in Hawaii! :) The weather was beautiful and the temps dropped pretty low! I had to bring out a sweater and blanket in the morning and at night!

With the help of a friend, I tackled a project of sewing a valance for our kitchen window to shade from the morning sun. It turned out really great, but it is a little longer than I hoped. I am going to cut and re-sew at some point this week, or I might wait for my mom to help me when she visits in 2 weeks! :)

In reorganizing a cabinet in my kitchen, I found my recipes and pulled out a few for the week. I made Easy Granola Bites for snacks/dessert and Skirt Steak with Chimichurri for dinner last night in celebration of us getting a new grill! The Chimichurri is one of my favorites and is inspired by a meal that I have in Miami when I visit my sister. It's always the first meal I want when I go there!

Easy Granola Bites 
1 cup dry oatmeal
2/3 cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once chilled roll into balls and stack with wax paper in between. Keep refrigerated for up to one week! 
                      

Chimichurri 

Forgot to take a photo, but this is
what your dish will look like! 

Bunch of cilantro
Bunch of flat leaf parsley
6 garlic cloves
1 to 1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt

Marinate the skirt steak the day before you plan to grill in brown sugar, soy sauce and red chili flakes. For the sauce, you can use a food processor or VitaMix to blend. The sauce is really a trial by error and what you like in a sauce. I really like lots of garlic and red wine vinegar! And some like more a thinner consistency and that is where you would add more olive oil! Serve with yellow rice, black beans and fried plantains! Yum! 

On Friday, Kyle's command hosted a Hail and Farewell! Kyle was being hailed since he was a new arrival to the command. We had a great BBQ lunch at one of the pavilions and I was able to meet his co-workers and some of the wives! It was nice to finally put faces with names!

On Saturday, we ventured to Waikiki to watch the sunset and have drinks at House without a Key at the Halekulani Hotel. We had an awesome time enjoying the sunset, listening to Hawaiian music and watching hula! We had dinner reservations at Sabrina's Italian Restaurant so we enjoyed the sunset and then went on to dinner. Our dinner was fabulous, but I'm saving that review for another time. I had Spaghetti Carbonara and Kyle had a large portion of it too. However, at 12:30am I was not keeping that carbonara down (not sure if it was food poisoning or it didn't sit well with me) So, that's enough about that, but I am trying to not let it ruin my view of the restaurant!

Le Mint (lemon and mint slush) and Tropical Itch 

Such a beautiful view! We will definitely be going back and taking our visitors here!

Diamond Head in the background!

How far along? 19 weeks--almost halfway!!
Total weight gain/loss:  still down 10 lbs and I've been eating everything in sight!
Maternity clothes: Loving my shirts with the elastic, but still in my regular pants/shorts/dresses
Stretch marks? None
Sleep? I'm just not as tired as I was. In the morning I am usually awake when Kyle gets up (5:15) and I start playing on my phone and maybe go back to sleep for an hour or so. But I'm really a morning person now! I wonder if that will change when I'm sleep deprived!
Miss Anything? Slush Puppies! I know, weird! It was all I wanted after the beach last week and I couldn't find one so I scoured the internet and found a place that had them in the town that I babysit in. So, I called and confirmed they had slush puppies and went after work on Monday. To my surprise, they weren't slush puppies, just a slushy and it wasn't good. I was sooo upset! So, I think a Coke Icee is gonna have to do for now! 
Movement: She's bouncing around!
Food cravings? Donuts, Gummy Bears (Whole Foods has these amazing pink ones that taste like the Shark Bite gummies from when I was little) and Peanut Butter!
Anything making you sick or queasy? Nope!
 Gender: It's a GIRL!! :) hoping to finalize her name SOON! 
Symptoms:  The girls are experiencing another growth spurt! :) Fun, fun! But other than that just some round ligament pain! 
Labor signs? Nope
Belly button in or out? In, getting very flat!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy
Worst moment this week: Lol, my slush puppy let down! 
 Best moment this week: Finding out about the FREE Thompson Square Concert on base in a few weeks and Florida-Georgia Line coming in April! Hawaii doesn't usually get  a ton of performers since it is far, so we are super excited!
Looking forward to: Our babymoon to Kauai over Memorial Day Weekend! We booked it this week and we are excited to explore another island!
Baby info: Baby is the size of a mango, same as last week according to my app, but I can see and feel significant growth in my bump!