Weeks 23-26!!

Week 23.

Week 24.

Week 25.

Week 26.

How far along? 26 weeks (Actually turned 26 weeks on July 10th)

Baby Size: 14" long and 1 2/3 lbs!! 

Total weight gain/loss: 26#. OMG....yes, that's a lb a week since the beginning. #depressed

Maternity clothes? Practically daily - unless I'm wearing workout clothes that stretch (but it's so hot that those aren't always comfortable) or a pre-pregnancy loose fitting dress. 

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep:  I'm exhausted during the day and have developed pregnancy insomnia. I literally stay away until midnight or later EVERY night. And Nora wakes between 5-6am everyday...so I live in a constant state of exhaustion. The doctor did tell me today that I can try taking a benedryl ever now and then to help me get some much needed sleep. Maybe this weekend!! 

Best moment this week: Nora has become a real parrot! Everything we say, she tries to say. I love hearing her tiny voice...most recently her favorite word: Bob Bob (sponge bob)! Every time she sees a tv she points at it and screams for Bob Bob then starts dancing. 
Worst moment this week: No particular moment stands out as bad for the week...my ankle is still really bad. I had an ultrasound on my left leg last week and I have a follow up appointment next week. I'm guessing I'll be fitted for a compressing sleeve (SEXY I know) sometime soon. The worst is when I've been sitting or laying for more than an hour and I stand too quickly - sends a shooting pain into my ankle. It's miserable. 
Miss Anything?  All of my clothes that use to fit. Wearing cute shoes - we took a couple mile walk this weekend and I wore some Target thong flats and by the end of the walk I wanted to die - my arches were killing me. I pretty much wear tennis shoes or these Sketcher athletic slip on shoes every single day. I need the support.
Movement: All the time!! He moves when I'm hungry. He moves right after I finish a workout. He moves when I'm laying in bed at night. He's sitting lower than Nora was, so I have a constant dull pressure on my right sciatic nerve making my butt/lower back always achy. 
Food cravings: Chocolate. Smoothies - make one every day: spinach, avocado, banana, peanut butter, ice and water. YUM! Cheese. And most recently Pizza. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not a huge fan of touching raw chicken anymore. 

Food aversions: Don't crave red meat like I do when I'm not pregnant. Maybe because I'm taking more vitamins now or maybe because I'm not lifting as much? 

Have you started to show yet: OMG yes...already starting to feel like I waddle. :(

Gender: BOY!!!!!!! We've decided on the name Radford Chaz Tillman. 

Labor Signs: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? Totally an outtie. 
Wedding rings on or off? On. 
Mood? Hormonal. We've started entertaining the idea of buying a house before he comes in 14 weeks - yes, I know we are crazy. So thinking about that process, added onto being constantly tired, and starting to feel HUGE (add in that I dont have a ton of clothing options which is stressful) is a nasty combination to make me cry at the drop of a pin.

Looking forward to: Planned a trip to Atlanta to visit family/friends one last time before he arrives in mid-August. Excited to see everyone because it will be the last traveling I do until after the new year. 

Weeks 19, 20, 21, 22!

19 Weeks.

20 weeks.

21 Weeks.

22 Weeks.

How far along? 22 weeks

Baby Size: 11" long, and 1 lb...about the size of a spaghetti squash.

Total weight gain/loss: 19# and counting. :(

Maternity clothes? OH YEAH! My 22 week picture dress was pre-pregnancy. :) It's SO hot all I want to wear are dresses and baggy blowzy clothes...need to invest in some maternity dresses soon. 

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep:  Depends on the day. We've been so busy recently that I pass out at night and don't think I even roll over. Nora has been waking up in the middle of the night, or way early in the mornings...so on those days, I obviously don't sleep well. Also, I've been trying to tackle a long to-do list of things during nap time recently, so I haven't napped much myself. I'm in a constant state of exhaustion. 

Best moment this week: Chaz came home earlier than normal one day, and I got the opportunity to run in the park without the stroller! It was awesome. I was sweating like crazy and I'm sure people were concerned for the pregnant lady huffing it up the hill but I needed that endorphine rush. Was WAY better than the home workouts in the office or running in the park with a heavy stroller. 
Worst moment this week: A few things...I've had (what I think) is a sinus infection for over a week now. And two mornings in a row, I had horrible nose bleeds. I can barely breath at night and there is really nothing I can take. AND...for the past few weeks I've been having a horrible varicose vein in my ankle - so bad this week that I talked to the doctor about it and they are referring me to a vein surgery specialists. Go for ultrasound and appointment in two weeks to have that looked at. Prayers it's nothing major. And if I need to wear an ulgy compression sock, hopefully that will relieve my pain. 

Miss Anything? Winter. Haha...it's SO hot. I'm always sweating. And I miss my long hair - there are so many days I want to just throw my hair into a ponytail and go and instead I feel like I look like a hot mess with it short. And recently, I've been craving a REALLY cold beer. I smell Chaz's beer every time he opens one. 

Movement: Every night around 9pm he gets crazy. 

Food cravings: Greek yogurt...with anything: peanut butter, granola, fruit, chocolate chips. And really cold fruit - pineapple, cherries, watermelon. Oh, and crystal light. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No, not really, thankfully!

Food aversions: Nope. I want it all. I'm constantly hungry!!

Have you started to show yet: Yes!! I feel HUGE even though I probably don't look it to the rest of the world. We went to the pool over Memorial Day weekend and I said I was pregnant to this random girl I was talking to and she goes "no way?!"...that was an ego boost because I was NOT feeling confident in my maternity one piece swimsuit. 

Gender: BOY!!!!!!! No names yet, but we have a few we are playing around with. 

Labor Signs: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? Unfortunately, it's starting to be an outtie. Nora loves to pull my shirt up and press on my belly button...apparently it's hilarious to her. 

Wedding rings on or off? On. 

Mood? Tired. But I've been less emotional that I was the past few weeks! I need a weekend of relaxing to help catch up on sleep. 

Looking forward to: Shopping for brother. I've received a few boy clothes from mom and friends, but I haven't done any shopping myself. Excited to go spoil him a little bit. 

Tiny2.0 Weeks 16-18

Week 16.

Week 17.

Week 18.

How far along? 18 weeks!

Baby Size: Baby is the size of a bell pepper. 

Total weight gain/loss: 15 lbs. :( Oops.....At this rate, I'm going to gain 40#!!

Maternity clothes? Yes! Bought 3 pair of Lululemon shorts in a size up, 3 pair of casual shorts, bought a few tank tops, and borrowed a TON of clothes from 3 different friends - haven't worn much of it yet...BUT I have options now! My pre-maternity (lower half of the body) clothes are too tight...but most of my tank tops, button up shirts and dresses still fit. Yay for flowy clothes being in fashion! 

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Wake up almost every night for 30-45 minutes and have a hard time going back to sleep. Also started sleeping with a body pillow since I'm typically a stomach sleeper. Having to get use to that...though I sometimes wake up on my stomach and have a mini freak out. 

Best moment this week: Hearing #2's heartbeat again. With Nora I had 8 ultrasounds during the pregnancy, with this one they only plan to do 3 total. So, it's always reassuring to hear those tiny thumps to let you know everything is ok in there. 

Miss Anything? Regular coffee and deli turkey. Oh and crossfit workouts. 

Movement: A little bit, but it's really random - mostly at night when I'm sitting down.

Food cravings: Granola, bagels, peanut butter and icecream (soft serve) and cheese. I lived on cheese and crackers weeks 5-10 and then didn't want it for weeks. Now I'm back to wanting dairy again. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Randomly, but nothing compared to weeks 5-10.

Food aversions: I typically crave salads and veggies and I'm not having aversions to them, just not having any interest in them. 

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah...hello belly. (And thighs.)

Gender: Still think it's a girl based on the dream I had.

Labor Signs: Nope 

Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On! Loose actually.

Mood? Excited! But VERY tired at the end of each day. Recently I'll lay down for a few minutes while Nora is napping - even if I don't sleep, it's nice to rest. 

Looking forward to:  Finding out the gender on June 3rd!! YAY! 

I run and/or walk at least 3 miles almost every single day. I also try to do a home WODs 3x a week. Getting motivated to do it while Nora is sleeping is the hardest thing. Plus if I don't do it before noonish, I'm too tired later in the day. Nora definitely keeps me busy...now that she likes to wear shoes (Praise Jesus!!) she prefers to RUN everywhere and hates to be stroller bound. So we've spent a ton of time at the park. I'm sure most of my days will be spent in workout clothes. 

I've made a list of things to do see/do in and around Baltimore so Nora and I are hoping to have weekly adventures to help break up the normal routine and get me out of the house. If I stay in the house too much, I've found myself going stir crazy and then freaking out and deep cleaning everything. Next week's adventures...the fountains in the inner harbor and strawberry picking. Will report back when I have pictures. :) 

Weeks 5-10ish (when I was SO nauseous) made me feel like 2.0 was a boy. BUT, now that everything is starting to feel like it did last pregnancy, I'm thinking it might be a girl again. We haven't started talking to Nora about the baby in mommy's belly yet...we decided once I really start to show and we've learned the sex (maybe around 6 months) we'd start talking with her more about her new sibling. She's just so precious...I'm trying to enjoy my time with one and spoil her a little. 

And another picture from 18 weeks because I know no one wants to see my bare belly anymore. :)

Team Tillman is Growing...

I found out I was pregnant on Wednesday, February 4th. I knew I wanted to tell Chaz in a fun way, so I kept it a secret for 10 (!!!!) days...until Valentine's Day. Only a few people knew - my friend Whitney who made Nora's cute reveal dress (pictured below), my friend Caroline who kept Nora while I had my first prenatal appointment (which involved 6 viles of blood taken), and my BSF instructor Carrie who I tell all my prayer requests to. Valentine's morning I made Chaz breakfast and when he came upstairs to eat, I told him I was going to go change Nora's diaper. I really changed her into this dress. I walked upstairs and set her down for Chaz to see her "cute Valentine's Day dress"...and this is what he saw. His immediate reaction "NO WAY!!! YOU'RE KIDDING?!?!?!" He was so excited.  Nora of course had no idea what was going on...just that daddy was happy. When I told him on Valentine's Day I was only 5 weeks pregnant, so we had to wait a (long) month until our appointment where we could see Tiny2.0. 

Tiny2.0's first ultrasound. I was at 9.5 weeks. Baby was measuring perfectly on schedule. We saw the heart beating, but it was too early to hear anything. We heard the heartbeat the day before I was 14 weeks. YAY! It was measuring between 140-150. 

I've been taking belly pictures along the way for the past 2 months...taken every Friday morning. Getting slightly depressed because I'm one of those women that my belly AND my quads/butt get pregnant. Not liking how all my shorts/pants are starting to get tight. Grrrrrr. Especially going into shorts/bathing suit season. 

8 weeks. 9 weeks.

10 weeks. 11 weeks. 

  

12 weeks. 13 weeks.

14 weeks. 15 weeks.

Changes...

"Babies change everything."
"Life is going to be different after baby."
"Enjoy it now, it won't be the same after she arrives."

Yes, I heard those sayings (and many other versions) a million times when we first found out we were pregnant with sweet Nora. There are LOTS of things that have changed: we are a family of 3 now...we have another human and all her tiny human daily things to throw into the mix. There are definitely things that I miss about life before her - I don't deny that - but there are some amazing things I've gained in my life as well. I wanted to take a few minutes to actually record the things I miss (and new things to love) in this moment...for I'm sure in a few years, I will forget I even missed those things. And the list of things I love will only continue to grow as Nora becomes more mobile and active in our lives.

I miss...
Sleeping in. No matter what day of the week.
Sleeping through the night.
Intramural sports.
Sitting at a coffee shop for hours working on my blog or just reading.
Running into the gas station "real quick".
Doing ANYTHING "real quick".
Carrying a tiny clutch purse.
Making dinner plans with friends after 7pm.
Eating all of my meals at the temperature they were supposed to be eaten.
Having a regular workout routine.
Escalators.
Adult conversations that aren't about baby's schedule/poop/sleeping/toys/etc.
Running errands at any time of the day, not working around nap time.
Running more than 2 errands in one day.
Date night all the time.

New things to love...
Having a "Mary Poppins" mom bag that is capable of carrying EVERYTHING.
Early morning smiles and and snuggles.
Never doing my errands alone.
Always having a walking/running buddy.
People letting you cut them in line because you have a stroller.
People offering to hold the door for you.
Watching cartoons and kid movies.
Smiles from strangers.
Mommy groups with "mom" talk with others that can relate to the craziness of babies.
Tiny clothes making laundry easier.
Tiny everything.
An excuse to go to Target AT LEAST once a week!
Taking a selfie isn't as creepy.
Talking with Chaz about family trips for the future.
An excuse to wear workout clothes every day.

Life (so far) As A Balto Girl...

I've blinked and 7 weeks have passed since moving to Baltimore. What's happened in the last 7 weeks? Instead of typing out all the stories, I'll just bullet point the major happenings:

• UNPACKED!
• Unpacking only took a few days, it took weeks to get things on the wall
• Broke down a MILLION boxes for recycling
• Sold our kitchen table because it was too big for our place
• Almost got scammed by a loser on Craigslist
• Reported said loser to Pay Pal
• FINALLY ordered a new table - wont arrive until August 9th...so we eat in the living room in our arm chairs every meal.
• Got super creative with closets and storage spaces - thanks Pinterest.
• Still trying to figure out what to do with our patio furniture...it's too big for our patio! :(
• Got organized
• Changed address with every major credit card, bank, insurance, etc.
• Transferred/set up all utilities
• Attempted to file a report about my horrible movers with the BBB
• If you haven't read the story of my horrible moving experience, head over to my Facebook page and read the craziness. I was never reimbursed for ANY damages.
• STILL dealing with Comcast being a crazy, stupid company and attempting to bill us $400+ for our first month
• Wedding, graduation, baby presents for friends in all stages of life
• Joined Crossfit Harbor East
• First week at CFHE, I was running to the gym, tripped on the horrible sidewalks of Baltimore and fell - still have a scar.
• Matched my pre-baby power clean PR - 165#
• First workout with deadlifts since hurting my back right before we moved
• Did Eva for the first time ever
• 5# away from pre-baby body weight! :) Almost ALL of my clothes fit!
• New Friends!
• Mom and Jeff came to visit
• Went to Fort McHenry for a very touristy tour
• Explored Fells Point
• Took a ride on the water taxi
• Walked WAY too much
• Celebrated Father's Day with blue crabs
• Celebrated Chaz's FIRST Father's Day!! 
• Drank Resurrection at Annabell Lee
• Learned where the Greyhound station is...and got lost.
• Kelsey came to visit
• Ate at Holy Crepe!! :)
• Ate at Mama's
• Worked out at Crossfit Harbor East (twice!)
• Went to the Fell's Farmers Market
• Had quality best friend chats on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
• Celebrated July 4th
• Holiday WOD at Crossfit Harbor East
• Took my first and ONLY nap since moving here
• Nora's first experience of a pool!
• First fireworks in Baltimore
• Went to Florida to visit my brother, sister-in-law and niece
• Nora played in the sand for the first time ever
• First trip to the beach where I didn't get burned
• 4 plane rides later, I'll never have a layover with a baby again! 
• Walked multiple miles in the train area of ATL airport to keep Nora sleeping
• Missed Baltimore and realized it was starting to feel like "home"
• Got home and realized I needed a vacation from my vacation
• Joined a Facebook group for 2014 Baltimore new mom's
• Walks by the water
• Play dates in the park
• Lunches to explore new restaurants
• Nora's first Mother Goose story time
• New Friends!
• Enjoyed being a Stay at Home Mom:
• Watched Nora roll over for the first time
• Nora outgrew her swaddle sack and is a tummy sleeper
• She LOVES to go on walks
• She now HATES to ride in the car
• She's knows the ring of a FaceTime call with Grammy daily
• Morning smiles and snuggles are the BEST
• Bath time is her favorite part of the day
• What's a sleep routine?!?!
• And the random things...
• Explored lots of new restaurants
• Walked LOTS of miles
• Gotten 2 parking tickets - you have to move your car atleast once a week...street cleaning
• Ran with the BOB for the first time
• Been through a LOT of sunscreen
• My first attempt at Paleo Crab Cakes - definitely needs work to be Baltimore worthy
• Cooked at home atleast 3x a week!
• Read a book: The 4:8 Principle
• Pop into random Open House's in the area just to be nosey
• Play with our cousins - Mikey, AvaMae and Scarlett.
• Hang with Tillman/Jozefiaks - enjoying having aunts/uncles close!
• Watched North Point Online weekly
• Watched 4 seasons of Sister Wives and 2 seasons of Sherlock Holmes
• Weekly phone dates with friends to catch up on life
• Spent quality time with my husband and best friend!! :)
• Learned to LOVE our new city!

The Journey Continues...

Close your eyes and conjure up the image of the most creative person you know. Now, think about the beautiful things this artist has created. What do artists create? Music, paintings, pottery, sculpture, plays, clothing, etc. Now...do you KNOW this artist? Have they ever created a piece of art for you?

In my opinion, God is the most creative artist in the universe. God's beautiful plan for each person is so unique - speckled with wonder and the unknown yet is engaging and colorful. Each of God's creations is a blank canvas of which He crafts and molds according the detailed plan in His head for each new work of art.

What's different about God's masterpieces compared to that of any other artist? His pieces are never finished. He works on certain pieces longer than others, sometimes even taking a break from the workings of his tools. Yet, when He is ready, where he feels the piece can be made even more beautiful, He begins his work yet again.

Chaz and I often laugh at the craziness of our lives since we've met...and all the changes that we've endured. In less that a two year span: we met, got engaged, moved in together, got married, moved to Atlanta, opened Iron Tribe, found out we were pregnant, had sweet Nora...and now we are anxious to announce: another move and another career change.

I like to think that the past two years God has been at work. He is not finished with us yet.

When we made the move to Atlanta we were excited for the opportunity of a career change, of working together day in and day out, of exploring a new city together, of impacting so many other peoples lives, and of spreading the love of fitness. We've done all of that and more. The past year in Atlanta has been so wonderful - we've met some great friends through Iron Tribe, joined the most amazing small group through church, shared with other new parents the joys and craziness of being first time parents, grown closer together as a couple and dove deep into what it means to be a child of God.

Speaking of children, our precious Nora has changed our lives. I had no clue a 5 lb 10 oz tiny human being could steal my heart as quickly as she did. Nora is a ray of sunshine at the beginning of every day as she smiles up at me. She is blissfully ignorant to anything negative in the world - unless she's hungry or needs to be changed. Having Nora in my life has challenged me to be selfless, a characteristic that not natural for most - think of her needs first before my own...which is why sometimes you may see me in day old clothes, but she's looking spiffy in her new dress. Adding another soul to our family has changed the dynamics of home and work life...so much so that I've realized I can't have it all - at least not at the same time.

We have decided the best solution for our family is for Chaz to continue to work and for me to enter into a new career - a career of diapers, sing-a-longs, carpool and snuggles with my little angel. With this decision, God has painted a new picture of where this opportunity lies. And it's not with Iron Tribe and it's not in Georgia. We will quickly be wrapping up this chapter in our lives. I don't see this as starting over, but of making what God has created even better. I am being given s the opportunity to pour what we've learned into the next generation.

What is another skill of great artists? Creating emotion...lots of emotion. With all the changes in our lives, I don't pretend to understand the plan. I don't pretend to think I have my life figured out. And I don't pretend to act like all this change is easy. Change is very difficult for the emotional basket case God created me to be. But I do know this...emotion is often the driving force behind motivation, both positive and negative. I'm using the brush strokes God is painting as motivation to be positive and to take on my new role with enthusiasm - to see the beauty in the life ahead and know that it will be the most captivating and creative thing I've ever seen. I absolutely love my colorful life.

The artist is not finished with me yet...