37 Weeks

How far along?: 37 Weeks, Full Term according to some sources!!
Baby's size: Bennett is up to the size of a swiss chard or leek.  When we had my latest specialist appointment the day I turned 37 weeks, B weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces already!
Total weight gain/loss: Haven't gotten on the scale since it hit 30.  With vacation this week, it's hard to know
Stretch marks?: Looking like a tiger these days
Sleep?: Apparently I'm snoring like crazy, so I'm keeping Jason awake :-(
Maternity clothes?: Yes
Best moment this week: Vacationing with my family at OCNJ.  We weren't sure we were going to be able to come. Also, being cleared from the specialist of my placenta issues.

Worst Moment: Not being able to do everything that everyone else did at the beach
Symptoms: Cramping, acid reflux and back aches
Cravings?: None really
Miss Anything?: Apparently the beach = Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea in my mind, which I can't have due to the artificial sweeteners, so I guess that's what I miss
Movement: He's definitely keeping my on my toes with these movements!  Sometimes he'll get my rip or hip and it makes me stop dead in my tracks
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Nothing really
Gender: B-O-Y!!!
What is baby up to?: From What to Expect When You're Expecting: "Congratulations! You've got what is officially considered a full-term baby, even with three weeks to go. That doesn't mean he's finished growing — in fact, he's still packing on about a half pound a week (at this age, the average fetus weighs about 6.5 pounds). That makes it a little crowded in your uterus, so he’s probably not kicking as much, though he’s probably stretching, rolling a bit, and wiggling (all of which you’ll be able to feel!). Right now, your little superstar is busy rehearsing for his big debut, inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (to get the lungs ready for that first breath), sucking his thumb (to prepare for that first suckle of milk), blinking, and turning from side to side."

Payback

This day has been a long time coming... It's the ultimate payback!!

 

For those of you that know my husband, you know that he can fall asleep absolutely anywhere at anytime.  He likes to play this game at night where he says "watch this" and he's asleep within seconds.  Sometimes I wish I had that capability, but most times not, since it creates the opportunity for some embarrassing pictures.

 

So without further ado, I present to you... the many places Jason has fallen sleep:

 

 In my parents basement on the sectional after Thanksgiving dinner

 

 At the cabin on the porch

 

 At Gammy's House

 

 At Grandma's House

 

 Closer Up At Grandma's House

 

 During the Family Ocean City, Maryland beach trip

 

 On Grandma's Porch

 

 Closer Up On Grandma's Porch

 

 Outside Grandma's Porch... man, he must have been tired this day ;-)

 

 At Gammy's House

 

 Easter at Grandma's House

 

 On Grandma's Living Room Chair

 

 During Christmas at My Parent's House

 

 During the family beach trip to Ocean City, New Jersey

 

 Actually on the beach of Ocean City, New Jersey

 

 On the Way to an Eagles Game

 

 Again in Gammy's Living Room

 

 On our living room/foyer floor after a long day of baseball

 

 In the car

 

 On the way back from our honeymoon

 

And finally, on the couch at the beach of OCNJ again

 

I realize that this opens me up for cruel punishment, but that's okay, I'm willing to take the chance.  A special thanks to my sister, Meghan for helping me compile these pictures, and I'm sure all the many pictures just like them to come in the future!!



Top 5 Pictures- Alivia

I thought I would pick my second cousin Alivia for my Top 5 pictures post.  It's been entirely too long since I've done one of these, and it seems fitting since she's now a big-bad tenth grader!!

 

 Absolutely love these pictures from the beach in June of 2007.  Here we are with Brie and Talia too!

 

 This was at a get together at Gram's old house in the Summer of 2007

 

 This picture was from July 2012 when Kadence first got sick and Alivia organized a Kills for Kadence volleyball tournament

 

 So proud of her and all she put together!!

 

This is from our annual beach trip this year, 2013.  We had a blast!!'

 

Friends may come and go, but family is forever!!!

Ocean City, New Jersey Trip

As I mentioned before, each year, my family on my Dad's side takes a trip together to Ocean City, New Jersey.  We have gone from needing two houses to now three, and next year it will be four!  As the family grows, so does the need for space.  While we are then separated between houses, it's that much more exciting that we need that many houses because there are that many people down there with us!  When we missed the annual beach trip in 2011 due to the wedding, it was very sad, because this trip is one of the highlights of our summer!

 

This year, there was a "kid" house that we stayed in.  This house had four bedrooms that were occupied by Jason and I, my sister Meghan, her friend Steph, my cousin Tyler and my cousin Brie.  Being on our own time schedule was definitely different, but it was nice to be able to stay up late playing Cards Against Humanity and not worrying about waking up other people in the house.

 

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the beach itself from the trip:

 

 

 

While I was in New Jersey, I met up with my friends Colleen and Ashley for lunch in Atlantic City and we had a great time!!

Later that night, we went out for our yearly dinner that Grandma takes us out for

The group at dinner 

  

Here are some pictures from our trip to Cape May one night

 Had to include this one since Jas is trying to ruin their picture

 

Made it in time to see the sunset

 

And the funniest moment of the trip?  Playing L-C-R while drinking out of the Pick Your Nose Cups that Aunt Amy brought... they provided many laughs!! 

We had a great time and I am already looking forward to next years trip!  I'm sure all of our future children will enjoy the trip just as much as we do each year!!

Top 5 Pictures- Meghan

You know how you always wish that you had a little sister who you could boss around and she would do anything you asked her to do??  Well, I had one, and she was amazing at it.  That is until she got old enough to say no and tell me to do it myself (which I obviously deserved after having a slave for so many years!)

Before Meghan was born, the family of 4 was living in Dover.  When Mom and Dad found out they were having a surprise third child, we relocated to West York.  We moved from a three bedroom house with awesome architecture and style to an even more awesome brick and siding house with hour bedrooms.  

Little did my parents know, but when Meghan was old enough to go into their room and ask to sleep in their bed, when they said no, Meghan came to me and slept in my room.  Many nights turned into years and I ended up with a roommate until I was in junior high school!  They got me a trundle bed so that we could both sleep in my room, but we ended up sharing my twin bed with our heads at opposite ends.  So while they thought they needed to move and get Meghan her own room, they were wrong!  Having Meghan with me all the time has formed an unbreakable bond that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world!  She always gives me her honest opinion and I respect her for that.  I have enjoyed watching her grow up into the successful young lady that she is.

Here is my feeding my little baby doll of a sister (tell me she isn't the cutest baby EVER!)  What I really like is the face I am making while feeding her.  You know how you always smile when taking someone's picture?  Well apparently I always open my mouth when feeding a baby.  Who would've known!

And she gets even cuter!  My short hairstyle?  Not.so.much.  How about the fact that we are both wearing turtlenecks?  Even.better

But for real, you can really tell how much we love each other!

This is from my National Honors Society banquet and I think it's one of the sweetest pictures!  I loved being a role model to Meghan, and even if she went through an "I want to be anything BUT Malerie" phase, I love her anyway!

Although this is a repeat idea from Christmas morning, I think the blankets say it all.  Meghan and I get a character trait from our Mom that we are ALWAYS covered up.  I'm not talking about only in the winter, I am talking about ALL the time.  In the summer when it's 95 degrees out, I will have a blanket with me at Jason's baseball game.

I have absolutely no idea why this one is sideways, because it is straight on my computer.  None the less, this is Meghan and I to the tee.  First of all, one is tan, one is pasty white (love you Meg) and that is most always the case.  Meghan didn't get the tan genes like Eric and I did.  This picture cracks me up, as well and the last one I just HAVE to share

 

And I know I am only supposed to post 5 and I'm up to 7, but I leave you with my beautiful maid of honor

Friends come and go, but family is forever!