Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt // 24 weeks

How far along: 24 weeks & 2 days

Gender: Boy! According to my pregnancy app, baby is about 13 inches long, the size of an eggplant, and weighs about 1.5 lbs.  Baby also has eyebrows, lashes, and hair coming in!

Weight gain: 10 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Half & half

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Sleep has been rough this week. I wake up often throughout the night because I'm uncomfortable and then my mind races with all the things we need to get done before baby's arrival. However, I have been sleeping in until 9 or 10 now that the kids are on winter break.

Best Moment This Week: We had a fun and relaxing Christmas.  It was full of blessings and probably my favorite Christmas we've had!

Worst Moment This Week: While we were at church, our Pastor began talking about the new year and suddenly I could not remember what year we were going into. Was it 2015 or 2016? I was confident that it was 2016, but I leaned over to Marvin to ask him just to be sure.  Well, the laughter that he let out let me know that my pregnancy brain had conquered again.  

Miss anything: Breathing with ease.

Movement: Heavy kicks with an established routine.  He's very active bright and early in the morning and late at night.

Cravings: Still Chipotle salad and recently vanilla ice cream at night.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good.

Looking forward to: APRIL. Too soon? :) Our hospital tour on Saturday and a fresh new year with new beginnings! Cheers to 2015!

Monday, December 23, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt // 23 weeks

How far along: 23 weeks

Gender: Boy!

Weight gain: 10 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Half & half

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Sleeping pretty good - I wake up a few times throughout the night to change positions. 

Best Moment This Week: My birthday! I was seriously spoiled by friends & family.  Thank you to everyone who wished me well and celebrated with an adult beverage for me. ;) Marvin and the girls made my birthday very special, so a very special "thank you" to the three of them.  I woke up to a living room filled with handmade paper snowflakes, coffee, and pancakes. Marvin made an insanely delicious dinner - steak, grilled asparagus, and mashed potatoes - followed by a homemade apple cinnamon cake. It was so good! There are pictures below from my birthday!

Worst Moment This Week: Just some soreness - nothing too bad.

Miss anything: MY MOM :) I haven't seen her since March - thank God for technology.

Movement: Everyday!

Cravings: Chipotle salad, chipotle salad, chipotle salad with extra pico….and sugary cereal at night.

Queasy or sick: Nothing is making me feel sick...feeling pretty good for the most part.

Looking forward to: Christmas Eve, Church, Christmas morning, and creating a little more Christmas magic before it's all over. :)

Monday, December 15, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt // 22 weeks

How far along: 22 weeks

Gender: Boy!

Weight gain: 4 lbs...I'll find out tomorrow the damage over the last month. That appointment I thought I had last Thursday is actually tomorrow. My pregnancy brain is beyond out of control. My mom is suggesting baby boy is going to be a genius because he's taking away whatever smarts I had. :)

Maternity clothes: Same as previous week - not needing maternity clothes. Sticking mainly to leggings or sweats for comfort reasons.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Sleeping pretty good - I wake up a few times throughout the night to change positions. 

Best Moment This Week: Paris and Sophia both had a chance to feel their little brother kick! Paris was full of excitement and awe, whereas Sophia was less than impressed. 

Worst Moment This Week: Probably having a child catch Marvin & I laughing as I was pretending to try out a breast pump at Target. Which only made us laugh even harder and run over to the next aisle. We're so mature. Other than that disaster and potentially scarring that child for life, I'm still dealing with back pain and round ligament pain - not excruciating, but definitely annoying. 

Miss anything: My brain & holiday cocktails.

Movement: Everyday!

Cravings: Chipotle salad, vinegar, salty stuff, cereal, and almond bark or yogurt covered pretzels - sometimes with peppermint.

Queasy or sick: Nothing is making me feel sick...feeling pretty good for the most part.

Looking forward to: More holiday fun!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt // 21 weeks

How far along: 21 weeks, 1 day

Gender: Boy!

Weight gain: 4 lbs...I'll find out on Thursday last month's gain.

Maternity clothes: Same as previous week - not needing maternity clothes. Sticking mainly to leggings or sweats for comfort reasons.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Tossing and turning most nights this week.

Best Moment This Week: Feeling the baby kick from the outside and Marvin has been feeling baby boy too!  The past 3 days he has been so active and I love it! We also got baby's carseat this week, so this is really happening. :)

Worst Moment This Week: Feeling some aches and pains which I don't remember feeling this early with the girls, so I'm hoping that it's just the current position of the baby and not what I have to look forward to for the next 19 or so weeks!

Miss anything: Again, my brain. I won't even embarrass myself with sharing stories of my forgetfulness, randomness, and slowness. Ridiculous. All I can do is laugh at myself though!

Movement: Lots of it! I've finally had to "listen" to baby boy and stop laying on my stomach. Boo.

Cravings: Salads, tomatoes, avocado, vinegar, and a bowl (or 2...3...4...) of cereal at night.

Queasy or sick: Nothing is making me feel sick...feeling pretty good for the most part.

Looking forward to: Crossing off more Advent Calendar activities...I finally got around to planning our days. Also, looking forward to some holiday baking and finishing up Christmas shopping.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt // 20 weeks

How far along: 20 weeks - halfway through!

Gender: Boy!

Weight gain: 4 lbs. 

Maternity clothes: Same as previous week - not needing maternity clothes. Sticking mainly to leggings or sweats for comfort reasons.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Once I get to sleep, I'm out, but getting comfortable is becoming a struggle.

Best Moment This Week: Non-pregnancy related, serving our community and starting Helping Holiday Hands has been a joy.  You can learn more about Helping Holiday Hands here.  Also, we decked our halls & Lolly (our elf) returned from the North Pole!

Worst Moment This Week: Starting to have trouble getting up from the couch, bed, and floor without sounding and looking like I'm 100 years old. Attractive, I know. And Marvin, I see you laughing at me every. single. time. :)

Miss anything: My smarts. Literally having the worst pregnancy brain ever. I feel like a space cadet 95% of the time.

Movement: I've been feeling movement daily, but still no kicks from the outside. C'mon baby boy, your daddy and sisters are waiting patiently to feel you!!

Cravings: I made collard greens for Thanksgiving with extra vinegar and I've been attacking the leftovers.  Also, 5 Guys french fries with vinegar & loads of ketchup. And tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, feta cheese, and black pepper. So, basically I have a thing for vinegar. Pass me the bottle.

Queasy or sick: Nothing is making me feel sick...feeling pretty good for the most part.

Looking forward to: Advent calendar activities which I have yet to come up with.  Last year, I had our calendar filled by Thanksgiving. I'm hoping to get it done tonight. And, like a broken record, for baby boy to get his kick on!

Friday, November 28, 2014

Helping Holiday Hands

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving! Last year I cooked our Thanksgiving meal in a hotel room in Charlotte, so I was very thankful to be cooking in a full-size kitchen in our home.  We started our morning with our usual tradition of watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade while eating breakfast.  I began cooking during the parade with glances into the living room to see the floats and witness the arrival of Santa Claus! 

I made great timing this year with all of our dishes, so we sat down to eat around 2pm.  Everyone had their Turkey Ticket that earned them a place at the dinner table. ;) The Turkey Ticket this year was 27 things we are thankful for.  Paris set a beautiful table for us and Sophia arranged our Turkey Tickets to the wall - I was so proud of both of them.

We have many things to be thankful for and all thanks goes to God.

If you follow me on Instagram (@brittneymcnutt), you may have noticed a post I made a few days ago regarding Helping Holiday Hands (#helpingholidayhands).  I'd like to encourage everyone to join in by preforming an act of kindness - big or small - during the holiday season and post it to Instagram using the hashtag #helpingholidayhands.  Then, tag a few friends to challenge them as well!  It will be fun to see what y'all are up to and hopefully motivate others to participate.  We started on Wednesday by providing breakfast for those in need waiting outside for financial assistance.  We brought Paris & Sophia along too.  It's so great to serve others with your children!  They feel great about what they were doing and I pray that they continue to do it when they're adults and have children of their own.

Today we headed out as a family again to share our Thanksgiving meal with the homeless.  I always end up making way too much food, so we packed up some of our leftovers into mason jars and attached a plastic fork.  We drove around the city passing them out.  It feels good to know they had a warm, home cooked meal tonight.

Here's a quick list of a few ideas you can do:

-Goodwill/Salvation Army Donations

-Bring coffee to a friend

-Donate a gift at Toys for Tots

-Shovel snow for a neighbor

-Feed a parking meter

-Volunteer at a homeless shelter

-Donate to a food bank

-Send Christmas cards to troops

-Visit a children's hospital

-Leave an encouraging note 

-Pick up litter

-Hold the door open

-Help carry groceries 

-Smile at a stranger

-Pray with someone

-Help your sibling or parents with a chore

-Donate a coat, hat, mittens, etc.

-Have a potluck

-Deliver cookies to neighbors 

-Volunteer at a school

-Organize a clothing or food drive

-Adopt a family in need of Christmas gifts

Monday, November 24, 2014
Lil Baby Nutt // 19 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks

Gender: Boy!

Weight gain: 4 lbs. 

Maternity clothes: Jeans are officially cutting off my circulation when buttoned. Most of the time I'm in leggings or rigging my jeans.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Decent. I've got a pillow between my knees every night and wake up every time I need to roll over to my other side.

Best Moment This Week: Our final ultrasound. It was our anatomy scan and everything checked out great. We have been thanking God for a healthy baby - an incredible blessing.  Baby boy was pretty stubborn at our appointment.  He didn't move at all! The ultrasound tech had me change positions, so we could get a clearer shot of his heart.  He turned just enough for her to confirm all is well and that is all. Little brat. :) Also, Marvin set up the best date night! He set up our living room and cooked a delicious meal for the two of us! Marvin hired the girls as waitstaff. They were so cute and did such a professional job! ;)

Worst Moment This Week: Back pain & round ligament pain is killing me. If I get up too fast, stretch, or sneeze, round ligament pain is right there to remind me that I'm pregnant!

Miss anything: I will miss having my mimosa or bloody mary while I start cooking on Thanksgiving morning. Boo.

Movement: Feeling more movement late at night, but nothing that can be felt from the outside yet.  The ultrasound tech said that it's because of how my placenta is positioned. 

Cravings: Same as last week. I did have a random craving late one night for Queen City BBQ's collard greens smothered in one of their vinegar based sauces. I didn't act on it in fear of getting arrested for breaking and entering.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!

Looking forward to: Tomorrow we are headed to Sophia's school to hear her read her "Thankful" essay and excited to hear Marvin and the girls' thankful lists this year.  The ticket to our Thanksgiving dinner is a list of 27 things they're thankful for. :)

Monday, November 17, 2014
Lil Baby Nutt // 18 weeks

How far along: 18 weeks

Gender: Boy!

Weight gain: 4 lbs. thanks to the 5,189,027 fun size candy bars I feasted on. No regrets.

Maternity clothes: Still fitting in all my clothes and jeans, but I think I'll be using the hair tie trick soon.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Sleep is back to normal, but I'm having REALLY crazy and scary dreams.

Best Moment This Week: I put up a few Thanksgiving decorations and started to finalize our menu.  We also had a doctor's appointment last Thursday.  It's always fun to hear the heartbeat! Baby boy was at 138 bpm!

Worst Moment This Week: Hello, back pain! Also, if someone could let my booty know that it doesn't have to be in competition with my bump, that would be great. :)

Miss anything: Deli meat...still. I'm thinking this may never change.

Movement: This little boy has been really relaxed. I haven't felt much movement at all.

Cravings: Cheese and smothering food in condiments...any kind of sauce, dressing, or ketchup. Tater tots and hashbrowns smothered in ketchup is my jam.  You should see the looks I get from Marvin - it ain't pretty, but it sure is delicious!

Queasy or sick: Feeling good, but have a constant stuffed nose.

Looking forward to: We have an ultrasound on Thursday which will include our anatomy scan.  This will most likely be our last ultrasound until Lil Baby Nutt arrives.  We've been pretty spoiled with ultrasounds!  Also, obviously looking forward to Thanksgiving. :)

Monday, November 10, 2014
Lil Baby Nutt // 17 weeks & Gender Reveal

How far along: 17 weeks

Gender: BOY!!!!!!! So excited!!

Weight gain: This is definitely happening, but won't know the number until later this week.

Maternity clothes: Still in regular clothes for the most part, but you can usually catch me with the top button of my jeans undone in the evening. :)

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: It's been a rough week. I can't seem to get comfortable and my dreams are intense and bizarre.

Best Moment This Week: Paris & Sophia brought home ahhhhhmazing report cards! They both made the Honor Roll and we couldn't be prouder! Also, getting a DVD of our 4D sonogram was really exciting to watch.

Worst Moment This Week: Headaches are back with a vengeance.

Miss anything: Deli meat...still.

Movement: Little flutters here and there - nothing consistent though

Cravings: Sharp, very sharp cheddar.

Queasy or sick: Not regularly, but I randomly threw up a couple mornings ago.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving prep and cooking - one of my absolute favorite things to do!

I probably had a list a mile long of ideas for a gender reveal party even before I found out I was pregnant. But since our family and most friends are so far away, it wasn't in the cards.  I still wanted to do a fun reveal for the girls though!

I decided to purchase a blank canvas and some acrylic paint in the colors that we want to use in the nursery so that the girls would create the first piece of artwork to go into their brother's nursery! We set up the canvas and paint in our backyard, blindfolded the kids, and led them to the paint. They took turns splattering us the canvas with paint. When the blindfolds came off, it took a few seconds for the news to register and then there were happy shrieks and hugs! It was very sweet and they're very proud that their artwork will be displayed in the nursery. It's a gift full of love!

My heart is so full and I'm still in complete shock that I have a little boy growing inside of me!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Halloween Recap

We had such a fun-filled Halloween day and night!  Paris & Sophia had the day off from school, so we had plenty of time to celebrate all day.  We kicked off our morning with ghostly pancakes that the girls devoured!  Then, moved on to pumpkin carving.  I love pumpkin picking, but I only love the IDEA of pumpkin carving.  I'm the worst at carving and bending over while carving was not my idea of fun with my little bump! I managed though and they turned out pretty cute!

We made Jack-O-Burgers and our traditional Mummy Dogs for lunch and the girls watched some Halloween shows.  Marvin and I made a last minute run for Halloween candy since we managed to demolish the bags I picked up a few weeks ago.

The girls and I have been so excited for Halloween because of their costumes!  They decided about a month ago that they wanted to do a "sister costume" and go as the Emoji Girls! I loved this idea because it's adorable and it will be the last Halloween that it's just the two of them!  The girls headed to our neighborhood clubhouse for a little party and neighborhood parade.

I think this costume may be my favorite of theirs so far!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Lil Baby Nutt // 16 weeks

How far along: 16 weeks

Gender: We have a gender! We will be sharing soon!

Weight gain: Doctor appointment next week will let me know the damage done over Halloween ;)

Maternity clothes: Still in regular clothes for the most part.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: Sleeping pretty good at night. This week I've had to stick a pillow between my legs for comfort.  Never thought I would invest in one of those crazy looking pregnancy pillows, but it sounds so dreamy right now!

Best Moment This Week: Finding out the gender and MY SISTER, JENNA, CAME TO VISIT!! We had a blast catching up, going to the ultrasound, shopping, laughing, and celebrating Halloween together!  The ultrasound was so fun! It was about 20 minutes long and in 4d, so we got to watch baby's movements and get a good peek at the face. Baby was much more relaxed at this ultrasound than at the last one.

Worst Moment This Week: Sugar hangover. Ew.

Miss anything: Moisture. My skin and lips have been so dry.

Movement: Yes! Still little flutters - I just can't wait until Marvin & the girls can feel kicks!

Cravings: Nothing specific really.

Queasy or sick: Nope.

Looking forward to: Is it too early to say Thanksgiving dinner?

I don't have a chalkboard picture this week because I had to repaint my board, so hopefully next week we'll be back in business!

Monday, October 27, 2014
Lil Baby Nutt // 15 weeks

How far along: 15 weeks
Gender: Gender determination ultrasound this week!
Weight gain: Zero, but with Halloween candy lying around soon...this is bound to change!
Maternity clothes: Some - mainly for comfort reasons. A couple of basic shirts & really soft leggings.
Belly button in or out: In
Sleep: Where did that energy I was bragging about a week ago go? I've been napping daily and sleeping great at night this week!
Best Moment This Week: Sophia had a great school conference (Paris hasn't had hers yet), we had a fun BBQ & watched Hocus Pocus last weekend, and my mom got a puppy named Oreo! We recently lost our family dog, Rascal, so I'm happy that the new pup will bring them some joy! Also, the girls went to Parents Night Out at Sophie's gym, so Marvin & I had a solid 4 hours to get takeout and rent a movie. Heavenly!
Worst Moment This Week: On a light note...the development of "pregnancy mask" that showed up on my chin that we have cutely coined "soul patch". I had it with both the girls and it went away shortly after giving birth, but I was crossing my fingers that I would bypass this fun little prego symptom this time. Time to invest in some good concealer. :)
Miss anything: ENERGY.
Movement: Yes! Still little flutters.
Cravings: Ice cold beer (it's always the stuff you can't have!), toast with mayo, avocado, cold tomatoes, salt & pepper, and I've had quite the sweet tooth.
Queasy or sick: Nope.
Looking forward to: The ultrasound & HALLOWEEN!

Just for fun!
Gender Predicting
O L D  W I V E S  T A L E S
Baby's Heartrate
Below 140bpm  Above 140bpm
Chinese Gender Calendar
Boy  Girl
Baking Soda Test
Fizz  No Fizz
Cravings
Salty  Sweet
Skin
Dry  Soft
Morning Sickness/Nausea
None  Yes
Headaches
Yes  No
Mayan Legend
Boy  Girl

Monday, October 20, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt // 14 Weeks

How far along: 14 weeks - Hello, Second Trimester!!
Gender: We have a gender prediction from our ultrasound tech, but we are not sharing yet!
Weight Gain: 0
Maternity clothes: Still in my regular clothes.
Belly button in or out: In
Sleep: Sleeping awesome at night!
Best Moment This Week: Our ultrasound, of course! We received a healthy report on baby and that is such a relief.  The baby was giving the technician a hard time during our ultrasound - moving around everywhere! It was amazing to see and I was so happy Marvin was with me to see it all.  Another fun moment this week was a bake sale that Sophia hosted at our house to raise money for families that are currently living at the hospital while their child is fighting cancer.  The turnout was great and we had fun baking and selling goodies together as a family.
Worst Moment This Week: I've woken up with a headache every. single. day.
Miss anything: Turkey deli meat still - almost caved this week.
Movement: I've been feeling little flutters at the same time every evening and it was confirmed that I was actually feeling baby when I also felt it during the ultrasound and saw baby moving on the screen.  I felt Paris & Sophia much later in pregnancy, but the doctor said it's normal to feel the baby this early since it's baby number 3!
Cravings: My appetite is back and I've been all over the carbs (My husband's 1am grilled cheese sandwich...COME HERE LOVERRR! Wendy's Junior Cheeseburger Deluxe...you get over here too!) this past week - hopefully the fresh veggies and fruit cravings will return soon. :)
Queasy or sick: Nope!
Looking forward to: Finishing up the girls' Halloween costumes and planning some fun things for them to do on Halloween since they're off school that day! Score!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt // 13 Weeks

How far along: 13 weeks
Gender: Unknown. I have an ultrasound later this week and I'm hoping for an early guess. Right now, Marvin, Paris, and I all think it's a girl and Sophia thinks it's a boy, but she's hoping for a baby sister.
Weight gain: None so far due to food aversions and major nausea my first 10 weeks.  I was basically living on crackers and ginger tea for the first 10 weeks.  My appetite is finally back, so I'm pretty sure this number will be jumping soon...wonder how long I'll keep updating the "weight gain" section. ;)
Maternity clothes: I've picked up a few pieces, but don't really need them yet.
Belly button in or out: In
Sleep: I'm sleeping so great at night and my energy is slowly returning.
Best Moment This Week: Announcing our pregnancy last week, a much needed day at the hair salon, going to a fall festival with Paris & Soph, and a date night with Marvin!
Worst Moment This Week: Let's see...falling down the stairs as I rushed downstairs to grab the nebulizer machine at 5am.  Paris had asthma for the majority of last week.  Also, the flu shot and three-day headache were pretty crappy too.
Miss anything: Deli meat in a major way. I want a cold turkey sandwich with mayo, provolone, and Lay's potato chips, but deli meat isn't approved for pregnant women. Boo.
Movement: None yet
Cravings: Really, really, really cold fruit, sparkling lemon water (I hated lemon water before this pregnancy), and chopped salad from Capital Grille (it has every veggie you can think of, ice cold, and mixed with a light, delicious vinaigrette...my mouth is watering now).
Queasy or sick: Nope!
Looking forward to: Ultrasound this week and hoping that the weather cools down!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Lil Baby Nutt: Arriving April 2014!

We are so excited and feel so blessed to announce that we are expecting a baby in April 2014!  The girls are full of excitement and questions.  We already have bets on whether it's a boy or a girl!  Anyone have any guesses yet? :)

I had my 12 week appointment yesterday and the doctor was able to find the heartbeat using the doppler on the outside of my abdomen.  Ahhh, that sweet familiar sound! The heartbeat was very strong at 160bpm.  I had an ultrasound at 8 weeks and I'll have another one next week to continue to monitor our progress!  I'm excited to see our little baby again!

Thank you all so much for all the love, support and prayers! We've prayed many prayers for this little baby and I can't wait to meet Lil Baby Nutt this spring!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Paris' Birthday & The First Day of School

I have to play a bit of catch up! I've been terrible about blogging lately.  I'll blame it on getting back into the swing of things as school has started and our evenings are busier.  Also, getting used to Marvin being out of town for work, so flying solo at the home front has made life very interesting. :)

We celebrated Paris' birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Of course it was filled with my favorite two S-words: surprises & sweets!  We kicked off the morning with purple pancakes for my purple-loving 2 year old  12-year-old!  Later we celebrated with a make-your-own pizza bar with some of our favorite toppings and ended the night with gifts and a 4-layer purple swirl cake that I made.  The newly 12 year old beauty was allowed to stay up past her bedtime to watch the MTV VMAs!  It was kind of a big deal since the first day of school was the following day!

I always have the girls give each other a small gift for birthdays and Christmas.  Sophia gave Paris a jar of Nutella and it may have been one of Paris' favorite gifts! :)

The school year is off to a great start and I'm excited to see the girls' achievements this year!  Here are a couple of pictures from the first day of school:

Hope y'all have a great week!

Friday, August 15, 2014

My Campers Are Back!

Marvin & Paris are both home from camp!  Marvin was obviously at Panthers Training Camp and Paris went to Student Takeover Camp hosted by our church.  Sophia and I had some nice one-on-one girls time, but we both were so happy when Paris & Marvin came back home!

Paris had so many stories to share from camp.  I'm so happy that she had such a positive and inspiring experience.  Our church is awesome, so I wasn't surprised that their youth camp was just as amazing.  It was her first overnight camp though and I was a little nervous having her away from home.  I was able to follow the camp using their hashtag, so I stalked checked in from time to time.  There has been a noticeable change in Paris since attending camp and I'm excited to see how God works through her this upcoming school year!

Speaking of school, I can hardly believe that summer is winding down.  We have been slowly crossing off items from our McNutt Summer Live List, but still have a ways to go to finish it up.  Our goal is to have it complete before the first day of fall.

While Paris & Marvin were at camp, Sophia and I had breakfast on the patio, hung out at the pool & park, attended the first Panthers preseason game, and had an ice cream date.

We welcomed Marvin home earlier this week & jumped for joy in rain puddles that he was home.  And this mama has finally caught up on some much needed sleep!