37 weeks (3 days late).

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 37 weeks (on Thursday) Full term!!

Size of baby: According to thebump.com, Annabelle is the size of a watermelon. Try to wrap your head around that one, I simply cannot. They say she is between 18.9 and 19.2 inches long and anywhere between 6.2 and 9.2 pounds. That weight estimate made me laugh out loud! There is a big difference between 6.2 and 9.2 pounds! I have a feeling this little nugget is closer to the 9.2 mark.

Maternity Clothes: That's a big ol' y-e-s. If I am spending the day at home, I usually just wear comfy pants and one of Kyle's tshirts. Now that it is getting cooler outside, I have a few non-maternity dresses that I can wear with tights. For the most part though, I have a handful of items that still fit me and I am sick of them all.

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Yes, lots! We had a little scare a few weeks ago when the princess decided to have a very lazy morning. It scared us half to death and Kyle ended up taking me to the doctor to get checked out. They hooked me up to some monitors and about 15 minutes later she was having herself a little dance party. She has been making her presence very known since then. I am trying to enjoy every little kick and bump because I know they are almost over and I think I am really going to miss them.

Sleep: I am actually sleeping pretty well which I am incredibly thankful! A few weeks back my sleep wasn't that great, I was waking up a lot and had a horrible time getting comfortable. Kyle upgraded me to a better pregnancy pillow and it has truly made all the difference. I wake up one or two times a night to use the restroom but that's about it. 

What I miss: Just the usual end of pregnancy complaints. I miss sitting on the couch comfortably and I really miss being able to run more than two errands without feeling completely exhausted. 

Cravings: Last week I needed some Domino's thin crust pizza in a bad way. We ate lots of this when I was first pregnant so I guess I decided to bring it back at the end of this whole adventure.

Symptoms: Some might say that I am a bit more emotional than usual. I also get pretty sore if I do to much in any given day. I had a few days last week where I ran lots of errands or cleaned the house really well and my body was not happy with me the next day. I've been trying to take it easy since then and give myself plenty of time to rest.

Best Moment this week: We had an ultrasound about a week and a half ago. We couldn't get any great pictures of Annabelle because she is running out of room, but it was really great to see her again! Judging from what we could tell, she has Kyle's lips and the cutest round belly you've ever seen! We also spent a lot of time wrapping up her nursery last week. I am so happy with how it has turned out and will take some pictures soon. It is simple, girly and oh so sweet.

Not the greatest picture since I took it in our bathroom with my iphone, but here I am in all my full term glory!

weeks 27, 28, 29, 30.

Once again I got a wee bit behind on the old updates. I wanted to go ahead and include the 'best moment' info for each week as well as the pictures (except for the one week I missed). I just want to be sure that I don't forget the fun things that stood out for each week in baby-world. 

Week 27

Best Moment this week: The highlight of week 27 was getting to spend time with my sister in DC. As usual, we had the best time together. We added a few new stores to our usual shopping rotation since we now have a little lady to spoil. It was so fun to browse baby clothes and (very stylish!) diaper bags with Annabelle's Aunt Jenn. 

Week 28

Best Moment this week: One of the most fun parts of week 28 was a trip that Kyle and I took to do some Annabelle shopping. We stopped by a huge sale at Carter's and picked up a few precious little sleepers for Annabelle. Want to see the cutest thing in the world? Watch a 25 year old guy pick out pink onesies for his baby girl. I think Kyle picked out most of the the outfits we ended up buying. I never knew it, but he has really great taste when it comes to baby girl clothes. 

Week 29

Best Moment this week: I don't have a picture from week 29 so imagine a bump a little bigger than week 28 and a little smaller than week 30. We had a doctor's appointment this week and were thrilled to hear that Annabelle is doing well! I had my glucose test at this appointment and as my amazing nurse Patrice told me, I passed with flying colors. We also drove to Texas this week. Our time in Texas was fantastic. The drive to Texas was, in a word, rough. 29 weeks pregnant + 12.5 hours in the car is just not a recipe for a good time.

And finally, week 30! That's right, 30 weeks. Meaning we only have 10 weeks left. Holy smokes!

Size of baby: Annabelle is the size of a cabbage! She weighs around 3 pounds and is between 15 and 16 inches long. I am just amazed at how big she is growing!

Maternity Clothes: I am pretty much wearing 100% maternity. I have a few non-maternity tops that I can still wear and one or two non-maternity tops that I bought in larger sizes. Other than that, it's pretty much all maternity, all the time. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: She is moving a lot! In the last few weeks I've started feeling her wiggle around a lot more, before I had mostly just been feeling her kicks. It is so amazing to feel her wiggle and switch positions. I feel like her kicks are so dainty which makes me smile. She has also started positioning herself in ways that are less than comfortable for her momma. I've started feeling little limbs jab me in the ribs, sweet girl just doesn't know that it isn't the greatest feeling.

Sleep: Oh my, sleep is just a tricky thing these days. Last night I slept wonderfully but the night before last was brutal. I was awake from 3:00-5:00 in the morning and was uncomfortable all night. I made the mistake of falling asleep without my pregnancy pillow a few nights ago and felt awful the next day. My stomach muscles were sore, my back was aching and I just felt terrible. I haven't made that mistake again and now sleep with an extra pillow for some additional support.

What I miss: At my last appointment, my doctor told me that I would feel uncomfortable from here on out. She was not lying and I am definitely started to feel big and uncomfortable. I miss being able to roll over easily in bed and sit comfortably on the couch. 

Cravings: I haven't had any lately, at least not that I can remember. I am still drinking lots of water every day. 

Symptoms: I get exhausted really easily these days. Kyle and I went shopping at the outlet mall yesterday and it completely wore me out. I woke up today and was having some round ligament pains (at least that's what I think they are). Lately I have started getting them on the day following a busy day of being on my feet. 

Best Moment this week: My first baby shower was last Sunday and it was an absolutely perfect day! We had a wonderful group of friends and family get together to celebrate our baby girl and shower her with the most thoughtful, generous gifts. My sister, mom and two of my best friends put so much thought and love into the day. I have loads of pictures to share and will post those this week. 

And here I am, in all my 30 week glory...

{I am wearing a J. Crew top in this picture. I have loved it during this whole pregnancy but have a feeling this photo documents my last time to wear it for quite a while. I barely squeezed that belly in there!}

week 26.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 weeks (Thursday)!

Size of baby: According to thebump.com, Annabelle is the size of an eggplant. BabyCenter prefers to compare her to an 'English hothouse cucumber'. Either way, she is between 13.5 and 14.5 inches long and weighs just over 2 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: Same as before. All pants are maternity, except for some pajama pants, and tops are a combo. I can still fit into lots of my regular dresses but some are starting to get a little too short thanks to the ol' belly. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Y-E-S! I can feel her kicking almost anytime I sit down and rest on the couch. I also discovered yesterday that I can poke at my stomach and feel where parts of her body are. Annabelle's Aunt Jenn has requested that I stop poking her :) I just think it is amazing that she is big enough for me to really feel her body in there. 

Sleep: At this point, it completely depends on the night. I am sleeping well for the most part, but sometimes it takes me a while to get comfortable. I'm sure that will only get tricker as I get bigger. I have also started having some crazy dreams this week. One such dream included calling mall security on a woman who was stealing Chick-fil-A nuggets from my friends and me. What does that say about me?!

What I miss: I miss sleeping on my stomach. Flipping from one side to the other all night long is getting a little old. 

Cravings: Same as week, if you mention it, I will want it. Other than that, nothing too specific. I have been making a point to drink lots of water though. It is crazy hot outside and I am terrified of getting dehydrated so I keep a glass of water with me all day long. 

Symptoms: Nothing too extreme, mostly just that I get tired really quickly. 

Best Moment this week: The best baby related moment would be getting Annabelle's crib set up! We ordered her crib months ago but couldn't set it up until we moved out of the apartment. Last weekend we finally turned this....

into this....

I absolutely love it! Kyle and I went back and forth (and back and forth a few more times) when we were looking for a crib. I loved antique white. Kyle hated antique white. Kyle loved dark wood. I hated dark wood. For those of you who remember the struggles Kyle and I had when we were trying to register for dinnerware and bedding, this was a very similar experience. I think the angels were singing when we finally stumbled upon this beauty, not too dark and not too light. We love it so much! Big thanks go Grandpa Scott and Grandma Kim for the beautiful gift! 

We also have her bedding but are still waiting on one piece that is back in Texas. Her bedding is also a gift which I *technically* should not have received yet. Thankfully the gift-giver is aware that Annabelle's momma is impatient and was dying to get a peek. So although we have it (mostly) set up and it is looking GORGEOUS, I'm going to hold off on sharing it for a few weeks. (I know that none of you needed that l-o-n-g explanation, but you got it!) All you need to know is that all of Annabelle's grandparents have been very generous in giving her the perfect place to rest her sweet head.

We've upgraded from iphone photos to Nikon photos this week! Sadly they are still bathroom pictures, but it's a step in the right direction. I took this right before I headed to the airport so didn't have time to get Kyle's help with a photoshoot. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

week 25.

Things have been super busy in our neck of the woods! We are in the midst of unpacking all of our boxes at the new house so blogging (and everything else fun in life) has taken a back seat. I am crossing my fingers that we are almost done in which case I should be back soon with actual updates on all of the fun we had in June!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 weeks today!

Size of baby: Annabelle is the size of an eggplant, about 13 1/2 inches long and approaching 2 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: To be honest, I've spent much of the last week in tshirts and exercise pants. I have seen no need in getting all spruced up just to unpack boxes and organize the closets. For the most part, I'm still wearing a combo of maternity and regular. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Y-E-S! She is getting more active by the day and I love it! 

Sleep: Pretty good for the most part. Unpacking has me completely exhausted so I usually fall asleep quickly. I am however getting tired of the 2 am bathroom breaks. 

What I miss: My clothes. I know, it's pathetic but true. Most of my pre-Annabelle clothes have been in boxes for over a month so I had kind of forgotten about lots of them. Unpacking them reminded me that a) I really love my clothes and b) I cannot fit into most of them. My closet will be quite the motivation to lose the baby weight asap! As I told my mom, I really don't mind getting bigger... I do however mind wearing ugly maternity clothes. 

Cravings: Nothing specific, I pretty much crave what I hear about. For example, my friend Haley had Steak 'n Shake for lunch and I spent about an hour and a half craving it once I heard that. That burger craving ended as soon as I saw someone on tv eating a taco. 

Symptoms: Nothing too extreme, mostly just that I get tired really quickly. 

Best Moment this week: We had another great appointment on Tuesday! Annabelle's heartbeat sounds great and she seems to be growing perfectly. I am thankful every day for what an easy and healthy pregnancy this has been so far. 

And the bump! Miss Annabelle is 24 weeks and 5 days in this shot. Please pardon the messy bathroom counter... I said we are almost unpacked, I did not say we are organized yet!

week 23.

I know I am about five weeks behind on the baby updates. I don't think you all care to go back and read about the past so we are just going to jump in with where we are today and I am going to do my very, very best not to get off track again.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 23 weeks today!

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a large mango. She is just over 11 inches long and a little over a pound. Holy smokes!

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much the same as before... I haven't seen regular pants in a long time. As far as other maternity clothes, it just depends on what I feel like wearing on any given day. I still have quite a few regular tops and dresses that I have turned into maternity pieces. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Y-E-S! I started feeling confident that I was feeling her around the end of week 19/beginning of week 20. Her kicks and wiggles have started feeling lots stronger over the last few days. She had a pretty nice 2 am dance party that kept me from falling back asleep the other night. She seems to be more of a night owl than me.

Sleep: We spent all of last week in St. Kitts on vacation so I was usually completely exhausted at the end of the day. This resulted in some great sleep! I am excited to be back in the states though, I wasn't able to find a way to pack my Snoogle for vacation and definitely missed it at night! (and yes, I know that a pregnancy pillow seems totally bizarre. I totally judged them before getting pregnant. Now though, I love the Snoogle. Love.)

What I miss: One thing I missed over the last week of vacation was not having to stress over food. I miss being able to grab a sandwich for lunch without fear of lunchmeat giving me food poisoning. There were also a few long travel days and I miss not having to stress over how long its been since I have eaten real food. It makes me so nervous to get too hungry since my food isn't just for me anymore. 

Cravings: I can't think of any big ones lately. 

Symptoms: I can definitely tell that I get physically tired more quickly now than before. I have also started having crazy dreams at night which is apparently common for pregnant gals. I've dreamed about everything from Kyle having a girlfriend to Rachel Zoe helping me write my research paper on cyber bullying. 

Best Moment this week: The best moment of the week came on Monday when Kyle finally felt Annabelle kick! I was 22 weeks, 4 days at the time. We were still on vacation at that point and everyone had gone to the beach except for Kyle and I. We stayed back at the hotel that morning to relax and read. Kyle had been really anxious to feel her kick so when she started having herself a party in my tummy, I tried to feel for myself if I could feel her on the outside. I was able to feel her little kick so had Kyle try to do the same (I didn't want him to try to feel her until I was sure he would be able to). She must not have wanted to let her daddy down because she kicked his hand right away. He was so excited and it was just the sweetest little moment. He has been able to feel her several times since then and I love that he can be part of that now. I realize I've been pregnant for quite a while now, but having him feel that little life inside of me made it all feel so much more real. 

And now for our 23 week picture. Nope, not the best picture but since I am five weeks behind, we are just going to go with it. You can get the idea... I am growing like crazy... and, note to self, horizontal stripes don't exactly help. 

I have lots more updates to share, hopefully I'll get those done soon. We have about a week left in Texas and my sister gets to town in a few days (HOORAY!) so family time will likely continue to beat out blogging time for a little longer. 

week 18 (and 3 days).

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 weeks (Thursday)

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a bell pepper or sweet potato and is FIVE AND A HALF inches long. The baby websites all say that the baby should be about 6-7 ounces but they estimated a weight of closer to 9 at our last ultrasound. I guess we are growing well!

Maternity Clothes: Still just my jeans. I picked up a few maternity dresses this weekend that will be great for the summer months. Other than that I still have a lot of clothes that have turned into very cute maternity-wear. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: I don't think so. I have felt little things in my tummy but I'm pretty sure it isn't her. Hopefully she'll give me a good, solid kick soon. I can't wait to feel her!

Sleep: I've been sleeping great all week! The only exception would be the night where we lost power from 7 pm until 4 am. Our bedroom felt like an inferno and I can never sleep when it is hot. It was a rough night for all of us!

What I miss: Time for a materialistic moment: I miss shopping for normal clothes. I went to the mall over the weekend and wanted to scoop up every cute top and sundress. I found a few that will work great as maternity dresses but resisted the rest. On the flip side, I got very excited for future shopping trips with my baby girl! I can't say that Kyle is as excited about those!

Cravings: Sushi and cookie cake. We are getting me some (cooked) sushi later this week and I cannot wait! As for the cookie cake... I cannot remember the last time I had one but I need one big time. (Mom, we may have to stop by the mall in a few weeks and grab one). 

Symptoms: I am still feeling great! I am thankful every single day for what an easy pregnancy this has been! I've started to feel some 'growing pains' which my doctor said is perfectly normal from her on out. Nothing too terrible, just some pulling or stretching of my stomach muscles. I told Kyle the other night that it felt like I had been doing crunches. We both had to try not to laugh at that one because the crunches stopped about 18 weeks ago!

Best Moment this week: Getting a wonderful, glowing report about this baby and finding out that it is a girl! We have had nothing but good reports so far and I thank God for that every single day. We are trying very hard not to take that for granted! We are also getting very excited about another little lady in the family.

Ready for another awkward bump picture?! I was in Anthropologie the other day and realized that I hadn't taken one. I knew I had to do it there or it wasn't going to happen... our apartment is wall-to-wall boxes right now and none of you need to see that. 

So here we are, myself and Miss Annabelle at 18 weeks and 3 days.

(yes, I am well aware that my dress, skin tone and the fitting room wall are all essentially the same color.)

The pictures should start getting better after this. We will be moving into our new, beautiful home in just over a week. Hopefully there will only be one more bad photo before I can start taking them in Annabelle's nursery!

week 17.

Fact: I am horrible about doing these updates. Honestly, it is mostly because I hate having Kyle try to take a 'bump' pic of me. The lighting in our apartment is bad, turns out I'm not a fan of my profile and right now, our apartment is practically overflowing with boxes. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 17 weeks today

Size of baby: Baby is the size of an onion and is FIVE inches long. That blows my mind!

Maternity Clothes: Mostly just my maternity jeans. I have worn a few Old Navy Maternity pieces around the house because they are so comfy. Other than that, I can still wear most of my normal shirts and some dresses. 

Gender: Still unknown but we find out on Tuesday! We cannot wait to share the news!

Movement: Still none but hopefully in the next few weeks. Most people say that first time moms start to feel the baby around 20 weeks so we aren't too far off!

Sleep: So much better! I attribute this 100% to this little gem that was delivered to my apartment on Tuesday: The Snoogle. My cousin recommended it to me and Kyle surprised me by ordering one. I wake up feeling so much more well rested and am in love with my pillow. Gold star to the daddy-to-be!

What I miss: Not much lately. I had been missing lunchmeat but I have actually let myself have it the last few days. I will eat it for the first two or so days after I bring it home from the deli and so far haven't had any problems. 

Cravings: Sushi, Chick-fil-A, fajitas, Chili's and Whataburger are the big ones (all very healthy, I know). In other words, I crave eating out. I also saw a picture of a cookie cake recently and am considering making a stop by the mall food court just to pick one up. 

Symptoms: I am feeling really great lately! My energy is much better and the stomach aches are few and far between. I would say my biggest symptom right now is my ability to cry at the drop of a hat. I have always been a pretty emotional gal but these hormones are kicking that into high gear. This week I have sobbed while watching Oprah, Modern Family and Glee, just to name a few moments. 

Best Moment this week: I've made good progress with packing up the apartment which makes me feel great! We've also scheduled the movers and picked out a few paint samples for the house. I love checking things off our list as we get closer to the big move. Also, the arrival of my Snoogle pillow was a pretty big highlight!

And here is a (not so good) picture of the bump. Please excuse the mess of robes on the door behind me. Also, the shirt I was wearing made it hard to get an accurate picture. I'll try to do better next Thursday. 

week 12.

I promise I'll start trying to add more pictures to my updates. Every time I would remember to take one, I was either already in comfy clothes or feeling not quite cute enough to document the moment. I wrote the post last Thursday and was waiting to publish until I had a picture but it just never happened. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 weeks! (on Thursday)

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a plum, just over TWO inches long!

Maternity Clothes: Only my beloved maternity jeans. I can still fit into my regular jeans (I think, I honestly haven't touched them in about a week!) but the comfort cannot even compare to how wonderful my maternity jeans are. 

Gender: We set the date to find out, May 24! One day after our second anniversary we will find out what this little baby is!

Movement: Not yet but I can't wait until there is.

Sleep: Not quite as great as usual. I am trying to start sleeping on my side and not my stomach, although my doctor said not to stress over that just yet. Either way, I wake up a million times a night to switch sides. If I'm on one side for too long, my arm falls asleep and I wake up. And let's not forget middle of the night potty breaks. I am less than thrilled that I can expect those to get more frequent...

What I miss: Same as last meat, just lunchmeat sandwiches. I used to eat them for lunch every day so now I feel like I cannot come up with anything to eat when lunchtime rolls around. I just whipped up a big batch of chicken salad and hopefully that will help. I'm a little sick of chicken noodle soup for lunch!

Cravings: Nothing terribly specific. The general trend has been that if it isn't in our apartment, that is what I'm going to want for dinner. Even when the pantry is fully stocked, it is somehow never filled with exactly what I want. High maintenance, much??

Symptoms: My exhaustion is getting a little better. Some days are better than others. I had been having some really bad stomach aches in the evenings, but that ended about a week ago THANK GOODNESS!

Best Moment this week: We opted to do the first trimester screening which is basically an extra ultrasound to help determine your baby's risk for genetic disorders. We were happy to leave the appointment with a great report and loved getting to see our little nugget! He/she was wiggling around like crazy and we got a great view of the sweetest little baby profile. The baby was being a little stubborn with the ultrasound tech and although we were seeing a great profile image, baby wouldn't stretch out its little neck so the tech could get the exact image she needed. I was more than okay with getting to watch our baby on the monitor for a little bit longer!

And although I don't have a bump picture for you, how about a picture of our little peanut last week? I was 11 weeks, 5 days when these were taken.

It looks like the baby is sucking its thumb in this one, but we have a shot from another angle that makes us think his or her little hand was just relaxing up by that sweet face. 

week 10.

I am going to do my very best to do a weekly pregnancy update (along with every other pregnant girl in blogland!). I actually really enjoy reading them (and have stalked them religiously over the last few weeks) and know that a lot of our relatives are probably interested in keeping up with how Baby Krueger is growing. Mostly though, I want a record to look back on. It's the same standard pregnancy questionnaire as is on almost every pregnant gal's blog.

I turned 10 weeks yesterday so I'll try to do my updates on Thursdays from here on out. I had estimated my due date one day later than it actually is so I'm used to counting my weeks each Friday, not Thursday. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 10 weeks yesterday!

Size of baby: According to babycenter.com, nugget is the size of a kumquat. Translation: just over 1 inch long!

Maternity Clothes: None so far but I can tell that my regular clothes are getting more and more uncomfortable

Gender: Don't know yet but yes, we will be finding out!

Movement: Not yet but I can't wait until there is.

Sleep: I've been sleeping really well (anyone who knows me at all is not surprised by this) but wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom. I was pretty sure that isn't supposed to start happening until much later but I've been enjoying a 3 am wake-up for the last few weeks.

What I miss: I've been really wanting sushi lately. Other than that, just lunchmeat sandwiches. I never realized how much I loved them until I was afraid to eat them for fear of food poisoning.

Cravings: Chick-fil-A. I could eat it for every meal of every day (but I promise I haven't!)

Symptoms: oh my goodness gracious, EXHAUSTION! I am tired all the time. And at 2:00 every day, it is all I can do to keep from crawling back into bed.

Best Moment this week: Seeing our baby for the first time! I cannot get over what an amazing experience that was. This was also my first time to meet my doctor at all and that was a great moment as well. I absolutely love her and am so thankful that a friend recommended her to me! I was very concerned about finding a doctor here that I like so she was a big answer to that prayer!

And since this is my first big update, I thought I'd share a little more information. Baby Krueger is due October 27. I have felt really well throughout the entire pregnancy so far! The exhaustion has been around the whole time and I am ready to bid it adieu! Other than that, any stomach ache I have had has usually been because I have gone too long without eating. I have learned my lesson and do my best to have a snack in my purse if I know it will be a while between meals. I have had no nausea so far and am VERY thankful for that!

We get to see our little nugget again in just under two weeks and I am counting down the days!

Thank you so, so much for all of the kind words and prayers for our little one! It means the world to us to have our wonderful friends and family sharing in our excitement!