Katie, Latley

ending lots of days with a bowl of fruit loops. devin bought me the biggest box he could find haha


coop and this belly, man.



18 weeks


20 weeks, 3 days



my favorite part of the ultrasound was seeing her spine! it's so crazy that we have the technology to do this. it blows my mind!


i know this little alien face probably isn't cute to anybody else, but i seriously think it's adorable. pretty sure she's gonna be gorgeous. we have another ultrasound of her face like this from her gender check, taken about a month earlier than this one, and you can already see so much development! It's crazy how fast they grow in there! I know 9 months seems like a long time, but then again, it only takes 9 months to grow a fully formed baby! What!


20 weeks, 5 days - and probably my favorite bump picture to date! devin's getting pretty good at taking these for me haha


when coop gets all cuddly




when coop wants all the attention (and probably whatever food was in my hand)


he'll sit with his butt in the air like this for several minutes at a time.


u swirl is the best frozen yogurt. i'd know.


my hiking boots came! with all this rain, we haven't gone hiking yet to break them in, but i am so excited to take these babies to glacier next month! i can't believe this trip is getting so close! we planned this on new year's eve!

21 Weeks

+ Today I am 21 weeks, 5 days

+ baby girl is as big as a CANTALOUPE!

+ had our anatomy scan and I had a lot of anxiety going into this appointment. i had spent the few days before not really feeling pregnant and feeling a little bummed that i hadn't felt much movement (if any, because i've questioned it each time), but as it turns out - baby girl is just in there being absolutely perfect because she measured exactly right, has all the right organs in all the right places, and was wiggling around a ton! the ultrasound tech said feeling movement between 20-22 weeks is a lot more realistic, so that was a relief! i don't know why i was so nervous - she is doing great!

+ during the anatomy scan, we found out i have an anterior placenta, which means the placenta is between the baby and my stomach, which could be why i'm not feeling anything yet! the placenta muffles movement, and it's totally normal, so that was a relief too! regardless, the ultrasound technician said i will start noticing a big different in the next week or two, when babies' movements  tend to become stronger and more regular!

+ our list for baby names is getting longer and longer haha some days i feel like i have a favorite, other days i feel like we haven't even found the right name yet, so... who knows what it will be like in october, but right now, this girl could go awhile without a name! we're still planning on waiting to choose a name after she's born, so we can meet her first!

+ we started a registry at target! we never registered for our wedding, so it was a lot of fun!

+ i haven't mentioned this in awhile, but smells are still really bothering me! one of my co workers makes turkey bacon in the microwave every single morning and it reeks to high hell and i hate her for it. she eats at her desk a lot, and it drives me absolutely crazy! cooking at home is getting a little better, though!

+ still full force for strawberries and frozen yogurt. fruit loops are holding out pretty strong too! also still averted to sausage, which is one of the foods that i first got sick with at the beginning of my pregnancy!

+ got a bunch more maternity clothes this week and feeling way more comfortable. now i've got a combination of low and full panel pants and it makes a difference to have an option! i can still wear regular jeans, but i don't think that will last much longer!

Anniversary

Never knew it could be this good. Happy four years, love.

Twenty-Eight

 There's nobody else in the whole world I could ever possibly love more than you, Dev. You are kind. You are passionate. You are sincere. You are fiercely loyal. And you work harder than I would ever have the strength. We've gone through so much since your last birthday. It's been quite the year! But I have a feeling 28 might be your favorite. I can't wait to watch you become a father - to hold our baby girl for the first time, and to figure out parenthood with you. You'll never know how much your love means to me. Happiest Birthday, babe.

Mother's Day

 

I used to dread Mother's Day and cry in sacrament meeting when the primary would get up to sing. This year, I cried anyway, but only because I realized I'd have a kid up there on the stand waving to me and not even trying to sing in a few years. I felt pretty spoiled on Mother's Day and was happy I was included in all the celebration. Devin got me these beautiful flowers, and we spent the whole day with family. It was perfect.

 

I have said this so many times but these three people are my best friends. I love my siblings so much, even though none of them are good at group texting. I wanted to make sure Kelli and I got a photo together, expecting this to be the last time I'd see her before her baby came, and it turned into a perfect opportunity to get some pictures of all of us together!

 

This is pretty much what it looks like 90% of the time when we're together. I never laugh harder than when i'm with my sisters.

 

Kelli and I just showing off our parenting skills ;) 

 

Uh yeah, this picture makes me look as pregnant as my full term sister! yeesh.

 

I'm sure we'll be pregnant at the same time again, but I still wanted this picture! I love getting to experience this with her. She is going to be such a good mom. I can't wait to meet her little babe!

Devin and I picked out a bunch of different succulents and potted them for our moms and sisters for mother's day. I "accidentally" got an extra one and gave it to myself, ha!

These Moments

There aren't many moments where I feel good and comfortable with being pregnant, but this was one of them. And since these moments are more rare than I wish they were, I felt like it needed to be documented. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with how amazing this process is. Babies are miracles. (And Coop still loves laying on my belly, haha)

20 Weeks

+ today i'm 20 weeks, 4 days

+ little girl is the size of a MANGO (or banana - banana seems huge! She's now being measure head to foot instead of head to rump, which is why the size jumped so much! She's about 10 inches long and 10 ounces!)

+ feels pretty surreal to be HALF. WAY.

+ i feel like my bump has plateaued and hasn't grown much since about 17 weeks - i know it won't last though!

+ had the best, best mother's day. i felt so spoiled and humbled to be included in all the celebration, even though this little girl isn't quite here yet! everyone says it counts though, and i agree. i am a mother!

+ I think I've felt some movement, but it's just so hard to be sure. I'm pretty good at psyching myself out, so I wouldn't be surprised if I haven't really felt her yet.

+ anatomy scan is tomorrow and I am so excited, but also feeling nervous and anxious. I can't wait to get another ultrasound and see my doctor again (I love her, and feel like I haven't seen her in forever - it has been a month), but I'm nervous and anxious because I hope everything is good! I hope it's normal that I haven't felt her move yet, and I hope she's measuring healthy. Over the weekend, I wasn't feeling pregnant like I do during the week, and I'm sure it was just because I wasn't in my regular routine, but any tiny thing makes me so nervous, I can't help it!

Some Things About Pregnancy

18ish week bump

it makes me feel guilty to admit that pregnancy has not come easily to me. i wanted it for so long, and i know so many women who would give anything to have this pain and discomfort and worry and stress - i know, because i was one of them. but that doesn't change the fact that the pregnancy i had imagined, the way i had glorified this process in my mind, is not how it has happened for me so far. sure, i'm only half way, and things could change, but it's still been really hard. i had so many expectations in my mind, so many things i set out to do and be once I was pregnant and they just aren't happening. 

it's not all bad, not at all. there's not much i love more than looking down to see a little growing bump and staring at this baby girl's tiny profile in the sonogram hanging proudly on our fridge, but pregnancy hurts. and it's tiring. and it's hard. there are so many things about pregnancy that you could never have prepared for, so many things that you can't read or hear about from other women - so much of it that you'll just have to wait and see for yourself, and that's really overwhelming! so no, pregnancy isn't easy. but i have never once questioned if it was worth it, because it absolutely is. and i know that will only become more true as time goes on.

it's something that changes as you go from being a woman to being a mother - your life isn't about you anymore, and it starts with pregnancy. this body isn't mine right now - it's a vessel to carry this sweet baby. everything my body is doing, it's doing it for her. my hands and feet are always falling asleep because my blood flow is concentrated on her, not on me. i'm already finding it difficult to get a good deep breath, because my lungs and organs are moving out of her way, to make this space as comfortable as possible for her. and i already have to pee about every 30 minutes because she wants to sit on my bladder, and that's okay, because that's her territory now. i'd do it for her anyway. even my body knows that it's all about her now, and it's put my needs aside.

and that's how it should be. that's pregnancy. and ultimately, that's motherhood. it's the single most selfless thing anyone could ever do - become a mother. and it's something i'm sure i won't even fully comprehend until she gets here. it's something i pray for every night - to be a good mother. to adjust to the selflessness. to always remember why i do this, why i did this, and why i'll do it again and again. but i'm not going to spend this pregnancy (as tiring and painful as it can be) worrying about the weight i'll gain, or the swelling or stretch marks i'm sure will come. i'm not going to sit here and hope for selfish things, because that is so stupidly far from the point of all this. i don't care if she's 5 pounds, i don't care if she's 10 pounds. i don't care if she's 3 weeks early or 3 weeks late. i just want her here safe. i want her here healthy. and i'll do anything to make that happen. anything. and i know she'll do it on her own time. she knows better than me. my body knows better than me.

it's not about me. 

10 Cute Things Under $10

1. this print (and many more in her etsy shop!)

2. i can't stop buying these adorable tea tins

3. am i the only one constantly looking for cuter dish towels, like these?

4. have you seen these EOS smooth sticks?

5. get the travel size version of my favorite mascara to test it out if you haven't already!

6. how about a fresh new nail polish shade? loving essie's summer nail polish collection

7. a tiny little dry shampoo to keep in your purse for those moments of need! this one's my new fave.

8. i love this entire line of candles from Target!

9. i'm a sucker for cute notebooks.

10. loving these studs - i've worn them every day since i bought them!

19 Weeks

+ Today I am 19 weeks, 1 day

+ baby girl is as big as a GRAPEFRUIT

+ we have loved shopping for a baby - tiny things are adorable! It's hard to not buy just size newborn in everything! we were doing some shopping at the traverse mountain outlets and whenever we go up there, devin can't help but stop in the columbia store and try on all the mountain hardwear jackets, but this time, we went in and he walked straight to the kid's section and picked out a tiny purple fleece, and a little pink and orange shell. baby girl's first of many! when we were dating, i would tease devin all the time about his extensive outerwear collection, until he got me started on my own, and now we both have a bit of an obsession, so buying some coats for our daughter (who will be a newborn through the whole winter!) was kind of surreal, but also awesome. she'll be the warmest and best dressed baby on the block! now all she needs is a down and a soft shell and she should be set for a year or so.

+ also worth noting: HEADBANDS. so much fun to buy. both devin and i were born with hair, but hardly any, so i'm not expecting anything different for this girl - but even if she does have a full head of hair, she'll be well accessorized! the best places i've found headbands so far are etsy, sometimes on brickyard buffalo deals, and the quilted bear. where are your favorite places to find headbands for baby girls? (i love the felt and leather bows most!)

+ i can usually make it through the first half of the day without feeling pregnant at all, really, but the last half of the day is killer. my stomach feels tight, i can't catch my breath, and pants become the enemy. the last few hours of work are always really hard, but once i get home and can relax and change into sweats, i feel much better! also, the last half of the day, from my belly button up is really tight and hard. you'd think i had a six pack or something?! below my belly button doesn't feel as hard, which is where i would have expected to feel hard, so i'm a little confused...

+ anxious as ever to start feeling this girl wiggle around in there! it's killing me! there have been a few times where i've questioned if i've felt something, but i ultimately decided i probably didn't. but i've also been worried i've missed some movement! my apps say that she is only awake for 6 hours out of the day, so that probably has something to do with it, and first time mothers don't usually start to feel kicks until later into the 5th month, so within the next week or two it should start!

+ getting to a point where the only way i can relax at the end of the day is with a bath!

+ craving: tart frozen yogurt with tons of fruit on top - it's all i can think about! and strawberries. (not any different from last week, haha)

Cooper Lately

You love him as much as I do, right? No?
Okay, you can skip this one.

 

yes, he still does this. and yes, it's still completely on his own. i don't influence this at all. it's all him.

 

i think some dog breeds get... genderized? because coop's a pretty dog, most people assume he's a girl at first. and i'll tell you - the pink bandanna does not help, haha! he only wore it for the gender reveal party, i swear. we'll probably put it on him again when we bring her home from the hospital or something, but that's it. he's adorable anyway, and totally pulls it off ;)

channeling his younger self and looking exactly like he did as a puppy and melting my dog mama heart while he's at it!

the way he cuddles with just about anything or anyone. it's the cutest. he's had this raccoon stuffed animal since christmas and it's lasted longer than most stuffed toys he's had. he loves it and carries it around all the time.

Katie, Lately

 

did i already post this? i have no idea. but we've been grilling everything lately. a) because i can't be bothered to cook right now (smellssssss blehhhhh) b) devin loves it and could probably win a competition with his burgers, steak or chicken - he's an amazing cook (griller?) and c) it's so unseasonably warm for spring - we love spending evenings outside.

 

so my office did a march madness bracket, and when the boys in charge of it asked me if i wanted in, i said no. i know absolutely nothing about basketball, especially college basketball, and I don't even have cable! but they convinced me it would just be for fun, so I filled out a bracket. mind you, the guys in our office have a massive TV by their desks and watch ESPN all day, every day. they are all sports fanatics. you wanna know how i filled out my bracket? well, rank obviously. i'm not an idiot. but when that failed me? i picked the team logo i liked the best. AND I WON. i can't tell if this was a good or bad move, being the new girl and all. do you think they hate me now?!

 

sundays are the funnest slash most stressful days to get dressed. so many cute clothes, but so little time. on second thought, maybe the problem is too many cute clothes?

 

he gets excited about going anywhere. 

 

this photo of little devin just kills me. he was the most adorable child i have ever seen and there's nothing cuter than seeing your spouse as a baby and kid! side note: the orange blanket was devin's baby blanket, and we've still got it. and he can't wait to give it to his daughter.

 

office lunch fridays are the best fridays.

 

my brother took this photo and didn't send it to me until after i posted about the gender reveal, but i love it and wanted to post it anyway!

 

a few years ago, we started a tradition for my mom's birthday where my sisters, my mom and i all get together for a big girl's day! this year, we went to ogden to my older sister, Kelli's house and finally saw her nursery (it's so cute!), helped her fold some baby clothes (basically the best chore ever) and got mani-pedi's at a local salon. my mom is extremely ticklish so this was her first pedicure ever and she loved it! well, she loved most of it, and put up with parts of it! haha!

 

i love that he has been laying like this lately, i think it's the cutest thing ever. he definitely knows something is going on, and i think he loves her already.

on friday, i marched into Macey's, walked straight back to the deli and ordered myself a twist cone. absolutely no shame. and i didn't even get any weird looks. people don't question pregnant women, haha!