First Trimester Photos, Notes and Fruit Comparisons!

Happy Wednesday!!!  Today marks the beginning of Baby Bratton's second trimester and this little momma couldn't be more excited!!!

I put a little video together to John Ledgend's "All of Me" on Flipagram if you want to click here to see it directly on YouTube! (ps I really suck at YouTube posting!)

Here's a look back at the first trimester:

How far along: 6ish

Gender: not sure

Weight gain: None

Working Out:  Only a little light weights at home 2 times, I always get lazier around a holiday though!

Clothing Choices:  You can’t tell at this point, so all of my stuff is fitting

Stretch marks: Only those I already have on my thighs from highschool sports!

Belly button: It’s an inny

Sleep: Pretty good, probably because it’s Christmas week and I’m working less so I feel the ability to take more naps!

Best moment this week: Finding out that I was pregnant with sweet baby Bratton

Hardest moment this week: Waiting until my parent’s got their presents so we could tell them about baby!

What I’m missing:  All I want is an over medium egg…

Movement: none yet! way too early!

Cravings: Milk! It’s all I crave, I was hooked on Almond milk, but wanted cow’s milk so we’ve picked up some Organic Skim Milk from Fresh Market

Queasy or sick: Only felt slight nausea two times, but not sure if it was pregnancy related or not!

Looking forward to: Telling our families and closest friends!

How far along: 7ish

Gender: Our friends think it will be a little boy, I kinda have that feeling too

Weight gain: None

Working Out:  I’ve walked and lifted light weights at home and at the gym, about 3 times this week.

Clothing Choices:  You can’t tell we are expecting at this point, so all of my stuff is fitting

Stretch marks: Only those I already have on my thighs from highschool sports!

Belly button: It’s an inny

Sleep: Not as good, back to work mostly full time and not napping or resting as much.

Best moment this week: Telling our parents, my dad’s reaction was the absolute best!

Hardest moment this week: Waiting to tell the world about sweet Baby Bratton!

What I’m missing:  Since it was New Year’s, I really wanted some champagne.  And it’s hard to see the Love Your Body challenge start on Tone It Up and know that I need to “tone it down” on my workouts.

Movement: Still to early :)

Cravings: Cow’s milk, banana’s and cuties.

Queasy or sick: Not really

Looking forward to: Watching this baby grow! 

How far along: 8ish (we actually realized we were a week ahead so we skipped a week of pics after I talked to one of the nurses when I got my blood drawn)

Gender: Neal did say “he” in referring to our baby at one point.  I just want it to be healthy!

Weight gain: None, actually lost .4 lbs.

Working Out:  Went to Saturday Power Yoga and loved it! Also walking at the gym still (getting about 2.2 miles in each time I go and sometimes adding one of the Tone it Up workouts – follow @LivelyHappening on Instagram to see some of this!)

Clothing Choices:  You can’t tell we are expecting at this point, so all of my stuff is fitting

Stretch marks: Only those I already have on my thighs from highschool sports!

Belly button: It’s an inny

Sleep: Eh, not awful, but not great

Best moment this week: My friend giving me a list of her baby musts, it’s fun to secretly fill out baby registries

Hardest moment this week: Finding out my progesterone was low.  It was scary, but I’ve been reminded it is common for smaller women, and we already knew I had lower progesterone from tracking my fertility over the past year via Natural Family Planning methods.

What I’m missing:  Still wanting that over medium egg…

Movement: still to early!

Cravings: Cow’s milk

Queasy or sick: A little at night when I take my progesterone, also feel like I’m woozy or drunk and dizzy after I take it

Looking forward to: Our ’12 week’ appointment on February 11^th!!!

How far along: 9ish

Gender: Really considering that it could be twins at this point

Weight gain: 1.6 lbs

Working Out:  Did a good number of the Tone It Up Love Your Body series workouts for this week, worked out 4 days, including another yoga session on Saturday

Clothing Choices:  Many of my jeans are uncomfortable

Stretch marks: Only those I already have on my thighs from highschool sports!

Belly button: It’s an inny

Sleep: I’ve needed a nap every day this week, and thankfully since I work from home was able to take a 30 min cat nap every day around 2pm.

Best moment this week: Getting to eat food I was craving.  1 night it was Thai food and the next lobster!!!

Hardest moment this week: Not getting to take a nap and being slightly stressed about Neal’s nose surgery…I ended up having a slight cold during this time and then a 3 day persistent headache.

What I’m missing:  Being 100% open to people about things, we aren’t telling everyone yet we are expecting, so I’m missing my ‘truthfulness’.

Movement: still too early!

Cravings: I would still love some more lobster.

Queasy or sick: Not queasy just sick from a little cold I had.

Looking forward to: Our appointment was moved up to Feb 7^th, so I can’t wait for that!!!

How far along: 10ish

Gender: Still wondering if it could be twins.  My mom’s a twin, her grandmother is a twin, mom has twin siblings, I have twin cousins on the same side of the family…

Weight gain: 1.6 lbs

Working Out:  Doing Tone it Up weight workouts, did the Secret Admirer Cardio once and was at about the same level that I normally do it at! And I went to Restoration Yoga with a new friend!

Clothing Choices:  Preferring dresses with tights/leggings at this point over jeans.  I have to use a hair tie to keep my jeans comfy!  I tried on some maternity jeans at Old Navy, they were more comfy on the tummy, but decided not to get any yet.

Stretch marks: No new ones, just my soccer ones ;)

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: Needing a nap every day

Best moment this week:  I'm thinking I'm starting to see a bump!

Hardest moment this week: Calling the nurse at my doctor’s office to find out that we don’t get to see the baby and we’ll only use the Doppler to try to hear the heartbeat.  I had my heart set on seeing our baby, so I had my first hormonal cry L

What I’m missing:  I’m wanting that over medium egg again…

Movement: None

Cravings: Brownies, particularly these espresso brownies from this place in downtown Newburg, IN, Vecchio’s!

Queasy or sick: Thankfully, nope!

Looking forward to: Updating my blog to get it ready for more baby posts.  We are SO close to being able to make sure baby’s developing okay and we can tell everyone!!! 

How far along: 11ish

Gender: Thinking a boy, when anyone refers to baby, we all say “he”

Weight gain: 2 lbs

Working Out:  Yep! Did Tone it Up Secret Admirer Cardio workout and a few of their toning workouts this week as well as a long walk with a friend when I went to Nashville, and then on Monday the 10^th, PB Finger’s Walking Treadmill Workout

Clothing Choices: Finally bought maternity jeans, and they are super comfortable!

Stretch marks: Nope.

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: It’s so-so, not great, but not awful.

Best moment this week: We got to see our baby!!!!!! On Friday February 7^th, 2014 we got to see the cutest little baby moving around.  The doctor couldn’t determine how far along I was because of my difficult period cycles, so we were scheduled for an ultrasound.  Baby’s heart rate was 170, about 4.3cm long from bottom to top of head, and 11 weeks 2 days!  Best day ever!

Hardest moment this week: Losing my engagement ring for about 2 hours.  I was shopping, had been to 5 stores, had gloves on and then realized it was gone.  I went to every store, only to come home later, empty my shopping bags, and find it in the bottom of my freezer bag from Aldi.

What I’m missing:  I’d love some goat cheese, looks like I need to search the stores for some pasteurized goat cheese!

Movement: The cutie was moving around a lot on the ultrasound, but it’s of course too early to feel!

Cravings:  None that are really strong, I did think I was going to go to Dairy Queen a few times for a blizzard this week, but haven’t.

Queasy or sick: Smells are getting to me.  The dogs are awful to me, but I love them anyways, I walked in a ladies room after someone had umm you know gone #2 and gagged twice, but I had to pee soooo bad!  That was the first time during pregnancy I really thought I might throw up.

Looking forward to: Being able to tell people about baby!

How far along: 12

Gender: Up in the air!

Weight gain: 3.6 lbs

Working Out:  Yes! A Tone it Up workout on Wednesday, went to Power Yoga Thursday, and worked out twice with the hubby over the weekend doing chest and triceps one day and then leg day the next.

Clothing Choices: Loving the maternity jeans

Stretch marks: Nope.

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: It’s so-so, not great, but not awful.

Best moment this week: When some of our friends who got our post card announcement called or texted to congratulate us.

Hardest moment this week: Cramping.  I’m already getting round ligament pain, and it’s no fun.

What I’m missing:  I’d really like a beer.

Movement: Too early to feel still

Cravings:  I’m back to wanting lobster.

Queasy or sick: Just certain smells get to me.  I can’t stand many perfumes/colognes when people walk by, and the dogs are still smelling.

Looking forward to: This week or at Week 13 (Feb 19^th) we’ll announce on social media!

How far along: 13

Gender: I totally go back and forth, but this week I made a specific “boy room” nursery plan and another “girl room” nursery plan on Word and was oh so proud of myself

Weight gain: 3.6 lbs

Working Out:  Not as much this week because I had a cold.  I did still do some arm workouts at home and on two days took two longer dog walks (yes I have to walk them separately) when the weather got warm.

Clothing Choices: I spent a lot of time in sweat pants and leggings this week…just didn't feel awesome.

Stretch marks: Nope.

Belly button: Inny

Sleep: Pretty good, I got a t shirt material cover for a Lechco pillow my friend Emily gave me a LOVE it!

Best moment this week: Announcing on social media!  I know it’s a little silly, but I am just glad it’s out there.

Hardest moment this week: Just being sick is no fun.

What I’m missing:  I’d really like a beer.

Movement: So I think it was just my stomach grumbling and wanting to feel baby moving, but  I felt a little flutter.

Cravings:  Okay, so I really do not like McDonald’s, at all…but my husband and I have been watching the Winter Olympics and there’s TONS of Chicken McNugget commercials on, so when I see them I crave the McNugget.  We got some on Saturday for lunch, and oh it hit the spot, but after 2 nuggets I said, I’d much rather have had Chic-Fil-A Grilled Chicken Nuggets!

Queasy or sick: Just a little sick, not so quesy, I even lit a candle this week to make the house smell better…I really need to bathe the dogs.

Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move, I know I could still have a few weeks before this happens, but I think it’ll be so sweet!

Cheers to baby's first trimester, and joys to baby's second trimester!!!  All your love and prayers are still very much appreciated!  xoxo ~Neal & Tamara

First Trimester Workouts

As many of you know, I truly love working out.  I love being in shape and having toned muscles. I love the feeling I get after a great run or a sweaty yoga session.  There's nothing quite like those endorphins!

During my first trimester of pregnancy, I was able to stick to a very similar routine to what I've been doing over the later part of 2013.  Since the Tone it Up Love Your Body series in early 2013 to the Evansville Half Marathon in April 2013, I've slowed into more of a maintenance routine.  After the Half Marathon, we realized my foot was fractured...yea, I needed better running shoes, silly me.  I didn't run nearly as much for the later part of last year, and when we found out December 19th, 2013 that we were pregnant (5 weeks prego to be exact!) I wasn't even thinking about running.

My cycles have been crazy since the time I was 16.  When I run a lot, I notice they are much much further apart.  I actually only had two periods in 2012, and when the Half Marathon was finished in 2013 I had a cycle that pretty much lasted 62 days with a few 2 day breaks in between...I'll do a post on my journey to more natural cycles and this pregnancy ;-)  Thus, when I got pregnant, I thought should I even be running?  So I tried, and I epically failed!  My normal runs on a treadmill start at level 6 and move to an 8 or even a 9 at times with an incline of 2 or more.  When I attempted my first jog at level 6 I had a horrible side ache almost immediately.  So I walked 2 miles instead.  A few days later, I tried again, and that's when I learned my body just isn't in shape for running at the moment.  It wasn't until about 2.5 months into pregnancy that my body could handle a little jog.

Even though for all of January and a portion of February I wasn't really running, I still wanted to partake in the Tone it Up Love Your Body series as much as I could.  My way of partaking was doing nearly all of the toning routines I could from their weekly workout schedule.  I would walk if I went to the gym, but chose not to walk outside because I seriously hate the cold, and for most of January, our neighborhood was covered in icy sidewalks and roads.

I've also been going to yoga or doing at home yoga at least once a week.  I love yoga and would do it more if the studio I enjoy wasn't so expensive.

So here's a wrap-up of my favorite workouts from my first trimester:

Cardio:
PB Fingers 30 Min Intense Incline Walking Workout
Tone it Up Secret Admier from the 2013 Love Your Body Series
Tone it Up HIIT routine (from first DVD)
Tone it Up HIIT from the 2014 Love Your Body Series
Treadmill walking 2+ miles at a pace of 3.5-4 and increasing incline every minute and then decreasing every minute after I got to an incline of 15 and continuing that cycle until I hit at least 2 miles.

Toning:
Tone it Up Love Your Body with Kettelbells
Tone it Up Love Your Arms & Abs (I didn't do the Pistol Crunch or Ab Crunch if I felt uncomfortable)
Tone it Up Love your Booty from 2014 and the one from 2013 (didn't do the body surfing move b/c I thought I'd crush the baby, yes I know that's not realistic, but it wasn't comfortable!)
Tone it Up Love Your Total Body (by far my favorite during this trimester, I would do these moves when I got super tired mid day and needed an energy boost! I work from home so that's acceptable, gotta be more careful in an office!)
Tone it Up Love Your Legs
Tone it Up Love your Arms
Basically, I love all the Love Your Body Series Workouts!!!

My "Schedule" (I say this loosely because if I didn't feel great or was too tired, I didn't force myself to workout)
1-3 Days of Toning
2 Days Cardio
1 Day Yoga

Here's a lookback at my Instagrams of some of these workouts!  (Follow @LivelyHappening if you want to keep in touch with these and the Etsy shop designs!)

This was the day I found out I was pregnant! I saw my picture after posting this and though...hmm I look different, lets take a test!!!

Do you have any suggestions of other great first or second trimester workouts?!? I'd love to hear them!

Our Biggest Announcment...A BABY BRATTON!!!

I just can't keep this a secret any longer, Neal and I are expecting our first child this August!!!!!! 

We sent postcards out to many family & friends in anticipation they would get them before I put the news on the blog and on Facebook, but it seems 1/2 of the recipients have gotten there's days ago, and the others are still waiting.  Don't be offended if you didn't get one, Neal and I are still waiting on one we sent to ourselves so who knows they may just be lost in the mail....oh the mail...

Here's a sneak peak of our announcement we made through Vistaprint.

Our good friends, the Larson's, were awesome enough to take 40 or so pictures until we got the right shot!

A little background and what to expect next:

We found out December 19th that we were pregnant, and had the joy of being able to reveal to Neal's entire family at Christmas!  Later, we got to tell my parents and their loves over Skype!  I'll do a post with the cute family reveals,including the awesome way I told Neal, down the road.

I seriously always have the best Christmases!  One year, I got Sasha (our sweet puppy), another we got engaged, and then this last one, we found out we were having a baby! 

You can follow Neal's and my journey through pregnancy and the start of parenting here on the blog!  I plan to do a weekly post with progress, funny moments, hard moments, workouts, food, & clothing choices of the moment as pregnancy progresses.  Once the little monkey is here, I'm sure I'll get to fill you with our parenting triumphs, failures, and laughs (hopefully this little one won't be as much as a handful as our last baby, Walden...see this post if you need an OH MY GOSH moment!).

We hope you share with us in this love and joy God has blessed us with.  Your prayers and encouragement are always accepted as we do our part to raise this child with Him as our leader.

Our Nerdy Valentines

Neal and I are pretty practical people.  You won't see us dropping dough at a fancy dinner, going out to tons of concerts, or buying extravagant gifts such as a mini vacations, lush jewelry (why buy it when I make what I love?!), or fancy watches.  I mean, don't get me wrong, we totally go on awesome vacations that we plan together (we'd both hate it if the other spent over $100 on something we didn't agree upon), he spoils me with occasional goodies, and I made daily adventures for us to do leading up to Valentine's day.  Right now, we are just at the point in our lives where we want to stash our cash like squirrels waiting for winter.  We save big and then we put money towards retirement (heck yes, can't wait!) or into another investment property.

So what did these two nerdy savers do for Valentine's Day?  Well we absolutely loved it and we enjoyed some super awesome planning together.

First, I did get him the gift of Cracker Barrel pancake mixes.  They were 2 for $8, and I just had to get the original buttermilk, chocolate chip, and apple cinnamon flavors.  We started the day off with the always delicious buttermilk pancakes.

Later in the day, Neal totally surprised me with new fish!  I know, again, super nerdy, not many women I know would be excited about 3 beautiful angel fish on Valentine's day, but I was (and still am) pumped!  We've talked about filling out tank with more of these beauties.  We only had 1 pink kissing gourami fish and 1 silver dollar fish left in the tank, and all I've wanted was to get some beautiful angel fish to accompany them.

I finished up working as Neal came into my office and asked me for my weight and height.  Hmm, not so romantic, or is it...?  He was getting us signed up for life insurance!!!! Whoop whoop!  That's something we both have been meaning to do for a long time!

We rolled into the evening by playing one of our favorite games, Cashflow, by Robert Kiyosaki, the real estate mogul, entrepreneur, and writer of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.  We played 2 rounds, the first one, I never got out of the rat race, Neal wooped my butt. The second game, I won, but just barely!

We shared this experience over delicious drinks and a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's!  I mean come on, what else would you ever want on VDay than your own heart shaped pizza!?  It's one of my favorite traditions we started back in college when Neal had Fraternity recruitment on Valentine's Day.  We didn't have time to do anything big or fancy, so that when we started to look for fun and practical.

Neal even got 1/2 and half so he could have pepperoni and I could have cheese, so sweet!

The evening ended with watching one of our favorite shows, "Shark Tank", and then some winter Olympics!

It was perfectly nerdy and I loved it.  We had awesome (un-healthy) foods of pancakes and pizza, I got new fish, we are getting life insurance, and we played a practical game that helps us learn for the future!  I love my husband, he's just so perfect for me!

14 Days of Valentines!

I've been totally trying to wrack my mind about what to do for Neal this Valentines Day. 

Last year, I gave him a 'Man Bucket' filled with  a Taco Bell gift card, his favorite wine wood tip cigars, Blueberry Crumble coffee, 6 unique beers, a lovely bottle of red wine & a homemade card.

This year, I don't have a gift in mind just yet, but I'm doing 14 Valentines leading up to the day!  

These are little love you notes, some ideas for a cheap and easy date, etc.

I'm thinking Neal will love the idea, but we'll have to wait and see, right now he's still sleeping and I'm up about to go work on some jewelry for the shop!

If you want to make your own wine cork board, look no further than this post!

Happy February!  I hope you enjoy this little project!  

What are your plans for Valentines Day?