Hospital Tour & Week 25

I've been so lazy with posting lately & I apologize for that. I tell myself that I'm going to post & then I just get side tracked... So now I'm laying in bed posting from my good old iPhone. 

First things first, I'm at week 25 this week. & little lady is the size of a cauliflower. 

She's moving a decent amount and causing me quite a lot of discomfort. Leg cramps, heartburn, reflux, round ligament pain all seem to be daily staples in my life. It is all worth it though. 

We are getting paint for the nursery next week and picking up her crib as well :) and then the fun begins. My baby shower is also coming up in about a month and I'm really excited :) 

Other news: 

Did something I've never once done before. And maybe it has something to do with the bad memories I've got at PMMC or maybe it's just the plan I have for this rodeo. Either way I did a hospital tour of L&D and I'm SO GLAD that I did. 

If you're pregnant, I recommend scheduling a tour. You learn so much and get familiar with the staff and hospital . Today at my tour I was told about the "family waiting room..." It's a place where friends and family can sit and wait while I'm in labor. Now, given the bombardment of last time I gave birth, I am pretty against people visiting. But it was more so great news for Caleb. The hospital also endorses sibling involvement which is something really major and important to me. 

Since I've been stressing about what to do if I go into labor and jamie isn't there in time, what do I do? Well now we have a solution. We can bring him with us and he can wait right there with us. And then come in and meet the baby right away. <3 which means a lot to me. It's tough because we don't have anyone real close by that we can rely on... My mother in law is out of the question, because she's never around or has an excuse. So finding this out was a great thing. 

I have a lot of different things I want to do with this birth compared to the others.

1. No pain meds. I want to go completely natural. I know it sounds crazy, but it's something that I really want to try. Women did it this way for hundreds of years and I want to experience it. Besides Rays throat will be right there for me to strangle him so. Lol. He can deal. 

2. Delayed cord clamping. I feel like this is a fairly new premise. But it's something I feel strongly about doing. By waiting a few minutes for the cord to change color the baby gets vital blood etc. 

3. Having a mirror. This was something I literally decided on YESTERDAY. Something that freaks me out a little bit but I think that it's beautiful and I want to see her be born. 

4. Pulling her out. This is something new to me as well. I'm going to ask if I'm allowed to pull her out when her head is right there. 

5. Pictures!!!! I want a lot taken in the delivery room. I just want everything documented and saved and remembered. Considering it will probably be done with an iPhone I'm not too worried about quality, because these are for our memories. No one else. Plus knowing Caleb can be there now right down the hall, I'm excited to catch those first moments with those 2 together. 

All in all I'm excited. Taking a hospital tour was something I'm really glad that I did. Something that I wish I had done in the past, but I'm glad I did it now. Here's hoping that July gets here soon! :) 

24 Weeks Down, 16 more to go!

Highlights and Lowlights of Week 24 of My Pregnancy:

Highlights: 

• My little lady has been moving much more frequently, reassuring me she's doing okay in there :) 
• WE HAVE HIT THE AGE OF VIABILITY! (although everyone has something different to say)
• No preterm labor scares or contractions (besides Braxton Hicks) & if you know me, you know I've dealt with preterm labor every single time
• STRONG HEARTBEAT! <3 At my appointment last week, she was squirming around but her heart rate ranged from 120-154 :)  
• My pregnancy support belt from Motherhood Maternity has helped with the lower abdominal pain & I have been able to work out again! :)  
• I'm measuring right on schedule! 
• I am feeling more and more comfortable with my pregnancy body <3 =) 
• Getting excited (and kind of anxious) for labor, but more excited right now. Looking forward to holding my baby girl in my arms and kissing her little face.
• Set on my birth location and birth plan. We are doing delayed cord clamping (you want your baby to get the most from you before the cord is cut, so we are waiting until the tube loses color to cut it) and we are doing immediate skin to skin contact. 
• Linea Nigra... it might seem odd but I never really had that line with Caleb or Gianna or Nick. This is really the first time I have it. And it's not really that bad. It's still faint, but it's kind of exciting for me. 
• Loving  the Motts Apple White Grape Juice & tomato red onion salad with EVOO (light) 
• Almost to the THIRD trimester already =) 28 Weeks and we are THERE. 

Lowlights:

• HEARTBURN/ACID REFLUX/INDIGESTION - it gets pretty terrible at times... to the point it wakes me up or I vomit because of it. I am usually taking Zantac in the morning and before bed. 
• Abdominal pain/tailbone pain - my support belt helps but it's still there. 
• Fear of too much weight gain (I'm working out and staying healthy and I know the weight will come off. But seeing numbers go up on the scale after staying the same for so long freaks me out). 
• Still not leaking any colostrum. Breastfeeding is REALLY important to me. By this time with Caleb I was leaking already, and I haven't done that yet. Not really stressed about it but will be meeting with a lactation consultant to see if theres anything we can do.
• Shortness of breath
• Swollen feet/ankles. Usually from standing too long. Nothing I am too concerned with yet.
• Difficulty shaving my legs, LMAO. & of course right in the beginning of warmer weather. I'm going to need to ask Ray for help pretty soon ;)  
• Glucose test is coming up on the 16th of this month -___- and with Caleb's I almost threw up because it tasted so horrible.
• Back pain... begging my hubs to give me massages constantly LOL. And I've gotta feeling I'm going to have back labor 
• Uncomfortable/Restless when I'm sleeping. Once I am finally comfortable I need to find a new position. And moving around is extremely uncomfortable.
• Itchy belly 

Weight Gain: +16 pounds 

Doctors say I'm on track. I feel like I'm gaining faster this time. But I'm still healthy. And doing well. Working out like I have been makes me feel better about the weight I'm gaining.

Baby Girls Movements: Moving a lot more frequently & we can see it now on the outside of my belly <3 which I absolutely LOVE. 

Food Aversions/Cravings: I haven't been craving too much... but I am always hungry it feels like. When I made London Broil the other night for dinner I got really bad heartburn from it, and when I made turkey chili I felt sick afterwards - so I don't think the baby likes either of those things. LOL. Which I hope goes away when she's born because they're my favorite things. 

BIG NEWS: 

• I have a venue for my baby shower!!!! If you know me, then you'll know what a relief this is for me... I didn't want to have to do it at my apartment. While it's certainly big enough... I just didn't feel like doing it here. The parking situation here is a pain in the ass, and the parking authority has been out with a vengeance as of lately.. 3 hour parking and they'll chalk your tires. And then ticket you for $30. And I would HATE to have people come here and then get tickets because the parking authority is like a bunch of nazi's. Actually having it in the township building my husband is a police officer at! =) So I'm really relieved about that.  
• Baby Shower Invitations will be getting mailed out TOMORROW!!!!! <3 So if you've sent me your address? Be on the lookout for your invite. =) Grateful for my best friend Emily who is helping me with everything baby shower related. I probably wouldn't be doing a shower without her.
• COMPLETELY NEW NURSERY DESIGN. When we looked at our baby girls room we figured that the original nursery idea we had chosen wasn't going to look right. It's a smaller space and I think the stripes would look odd. We have a brand new idea picked out and we are super stoked to start it... <3 We are going to pick up paint and supplies next week and then HOPEFULLY getting started the following Monday (when Ray is off of work).  Once the nursery is painted and complete then we can start working on getting the furniture together and everything else.
• I'm really wanting to do maternity pictures... something with my shadow and the silhouette of my belly. Hoping I can get my sister Julia to do it for me.
• Picking up some baby stuff next week... haven't decided on what though yet. I keep switching around with car seats, strollers and things like that. LOL. I'm indecisive with these things. 

 

All in all I have been acting an extremely good pregnancy. The heartburn has been terrible but manageable. The lower belly pain was excruciating, and I'm glad that the support belt has brought me so much relief. I am feeling good though. Hungry a lot but good ;) 

Other Big News in the Liczbinski Family: Caleb has his 1st t-ball game next Wednesday night and I am beyond excited to see him play. Oddly enough his team name is the same as his daddy's team when he was little - why wouldn't they be exactly the same? Haha. GO MARLINS!! Easter is this weekend as well, so we are dying eggs and doing an egg hunt. Not a big Easter person so we aren't going anywhere or doing a big dinner or anything like that.

I hope everyone has a great rest of your week, weekend & a great Easter holiday! <3 =) 

Remember to follow me on Instagram: @jennaliczbinski 

I post really frequently with bump shots, pregnancy updates and family and fitness updates! =) 

XOXO, Jenna

23 Weeks and feeling super pregnant!

23 Weeks this week and feeling beyond pregnant. 

I've been dealing with a lot of pain and it's really upsetting.

Thankfully no L&D trips yet, but I think there's going to be one in the near future. 

I am having lots of round ligament pain and pain in my lower abdomen. It makes even basic mundane tasks like walking up the steps, walking, or switching positions in bed extremely painful.

My OB suggested I go to Motherhood Maternity or another baby/motherhood store and get myself a good belly support band to help me with the discomfort I'm feeling.

She said that it's all the pressure that's happening down there and a belly band will help lift everything up and will hopefully help with my discomfort. I've never had this issue before, so this is something new to me and extremely painful. Some days are worse than others, but yesterday I could barely move.... I took Caleb to Bounce U and I think I overdid it...but I was in pain before that.

This week baby girl is the size of a grapefruit, papaya, or large mango!

So many different food comparisons!! 

Measuring at 11 inches and weighing in at over a pound already she can sense and feel my movements and listens to my voice and my heartbeat. <3 

Besides the pain in my abdomen/groin area, I have shortness of breath, I'm pretty tired, and dealing with insane heartburn/indigestion/acid reflux. I carry Tums and Zantac with me wherever I go.

Pretty awesome right? LOL.

I just hope I start feeling better soon, because I am so incredibly uncomfortable and not being able to do basic things makes me upset. Like I want to workout and do things like squats, donkey kicks, fire hydrants and all of that, and I'm just in so much pain that I can't get through anything. I'm going to try and focus on working my arms out at least and I'm hoping that getting this belly band is going to help me out significantly and I can get back into somewhat of a normal routine. 

I also have been dealing with swollen feet and ankles. Specifically when I'm on my feet too long. Nothing I am too concerned about just yet. 

But uncomfortable nonetheless. 

Still dealing with hemorrhoids which apparently a belly band will help with because of the pressure going on down there. 

If getting this belly band doesn't help me out at all I'll be calling my OB and asking them what I can do or what can be done to alleviate some of this pain. Which I'm hoping they don't recommend bedrest.... because I'm so busy! And I have a crazy toddler that keeps me on my toes 97% of the time. But with every one of my pregnancies I've suffered from bedrest and preterm labor. But I can never go into labor ON MY OWN I've always been induced.... So I'm thinking that this pregnancy wont be any different... I usually go into labor a month early and I get bedrest. With Caleb I got the steroid shots for his lungs and I'm expecting the same to happen this time around. But I've also never experienced this type of pain before so I don't know when I'll be put on bedrest or anything else. 

Only time will tell I guess.

I'm trying my best not to overdo it. And to take it as easy as I possibly can. 

(Its hard sometimes though because I get restless)

So we shall see what happens. 

My baby girls health  and well being is first and foremost. <3

We chose her carseat: 

Chicco NextFit Convertible Seat. <3 

A friend of mine has this one and she absolutely loves it. 

I saw this one at Babies R Us and felt this compared to the Graco 4ever 4 in 1 seat, and this one feels much more comfortable and versatile. It's also got the 9 recline positions and it looks more comfortable for an newborn... 

Originally we were going to go with an infant car seat. 

& then we got to thinking about how Caleb didn't use his infant seat for longer than a month or two, if that. This NextFit seats seems more practical because it'll last longer and she will get more use out of it. So we are thinking of just going with the convertible seat. 

Which is completely safe for newborns to use. 

And one of the officers at Ray's PD is carseat certified and all of that so he's going to install it for us. 

Thankfully. So he said there's no way we won't pass inspection at the hospital :) <3

Now I'm trying to find a stroller thats versatile for both Caleb and for the baby! 

**Any suggestions would be seriously helpful** 

This is the Graco Ready2Grow Click Connect Stand & Ride Stroller.

The front looks like it's got the infant carrier part but I'm not sure. Based off the website it says it works for newborn to toddler but I am not really sure. 

We have the Sit and Stand stroller already but this was when we had expected us to get an infant car seat, and while I plan on doing a lot of baby wearing, it's not something I'm entirely sure of ... Car seats are helpful, but they do get bulky.

any suggestions!? 

Follow me on Instagram and give me your input!

@jennaliczbinski

Have a great weekend <3 

50% Complete... Half Way There.. 20 Weeks!

**50% Complete!!!**

I honestly can't believe I am already HALF WAY through my pregnancy already!! And after all I've been through to get to this very point...I just feel so truly blessed. Every day stresses happen, but nothing can take away the joy and overwhelming happiness I'm experiencing in this moment.

This week, Baby Girl is the size of a:

All the food comparisons kind of confuse me to be honest...especially because some fruits/veggies seem larger in comparison to others. Any who.... she is around 6.5 inches long and weighs around 10.2 ounces right now.. she also has working taste buds now and is gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid each day -- compared to the lower amounts before!! 

Baby has grown a lot this week compared to last and that's because until week 19 the length of the baby is measured from the top of the head to the bottom (you might hear your doctor refer to this measurement as crown to rump) because they are still too curled up and therefore are very hard to measure. And at 20 weeks the baby's length is also including those precious little legs - and baby now is measured from top of the head to the heel. 

My little lady will also be developing some more "regular" sleep patterns at this stage in the game and I may become aware of them -- considering most babies become the most active when mama's go to sleep ;) Baby Girl's uterus is also completely developed & if you're having a boy the little guys testes will start descending. Most of the energy is utilized in gaining weight now for the little one. My placenta has also reached it's maxi-mom thickness and is busy supplying baby girl with all the nutrients, oxygen & disposing of wastes! 

Mommy this week: 

On edge... I feel overly stressed out - and I do have a lot going on personally right now. I think miscarrying prior to this pregnancy doesn't help matters because I am constantly worrying and wondering what's going on with my little lady in there. Miscarriage really changes a person & I would be lying if I said it didn't suck... The last thing I want is to be nervous at a time where I should just be over the moon with happiness. Once I start feeling more vigorous kicks and seeing the movement I think I will balance out a little bit more. I swear, I need an ultrasound machine in my house. It would make me feel so much better. I'm also BREAKING OUT LIKE A TEENAGER GOING THROUGH PUBERTY. How fun is that -____-  it's extremely gross and unattractive and it's happening a lot on my chest. Gross. My energy is pretty high - to an extent, and my libido is pretty much at it's peak. Although I'll be honest -- I get self conscious and feel kinda gross about the way I look now. I know pregnancy is a beautiful thing and all of that, but it's still a big change - no matter what. I'm restless at night, and have serious problems getting comfortable at night. Even the body pillow doesn't seem to help me right now... I have trouble falling asleep - it's almost like I'm back to being an insomniac, but then I'm up early. I toss and turn and can't seem to get comfy. And I have horrendous backaches that make me want to cry. Luckily my husband massages my back for me a lot which helps a great deal. Also I'm still dealing with the whole hemorrhoid thing - which I've just come to accept that I don't think they're going away any time soon. Not symptomatic so I guess I can't be too concerned but they are annoying to say the least. 

Other symptoms:

- vaginal discharge: it just keeps increasing until delivery.

...how attractive.

- Leg cramps: so far so good... I had them bad with Caleb and I would wake up screaming. I have a really high water intake, so I'm hoping it keeps me in the clear.

- Heartburn/Indigestion: on occasion, nothing majorly terrible though. I've gotta feeling the next few weeks will prove me wrong.

- High Energy/Libido: both are in high gear...for the most part

- Mild swelling: yup. ankles and feet. Especially if I stand too long. :( 

- Shortness of breath: probably the biggest one I'm dealing with at the moment. 

- Belly pain: accommodating that growing baby and uterus.

I'm feeling pretty good for the most part. I have some minor aches and pains, I feel like I'm waddling, and my baby bump is getting bigger. I feel little flutters and I'm looking forward to them getting stronger and having Caleb feel them. <3 Restlessness sucks, but it's all part of it. Confused on if we are doing the nursery design or not - because we might be moving and we aren't sure. I don't want to put money out for no reason. So we shall see. I did get a bunch of baby girl clothes though, which is exciting for me. Heres a contender for a coming home outfit:

How cute are those little shorts! & the tank top onesie<3 

UGGHHH. LOVE IT ALL. 

And I love Carter's.

Here are some more clothes I grabbed: 

I got SO much stuff from the Carter's outlet for both the baby and for Caleb <3 Love love LOVE it there so so much. 

I also got these and I can't wait to see my babies in them come July.

& for the first time since starting this blog, I am going to share a recipe with y'all.

If you're like me and you love the crockpot then save this one!! 

It's called Lemon Garlic Chicken and it's delicious.

You need 1 whole chicken, about 4-5 pounds. 

4 lemons

Seasonings - I used steak seasoning, fresh basil, thyme, rosemary, lemon pepper, sea salt and some pepper...and of course garlic. 

Slice up some lemons and lay them flat on the bottom of the crockpot along with some garlic *I used garlic salt Lawry's* and I just did it according to my taste and what I know everyone likes.

You're going to want to remove the innards (if there are any) wash the chicken and pat it dry. Season the inside of the chicken first... I used steak seasoning, some sea salt, pepper, basil, and then I sliced up some lemon and put in on the inside of the chicken - 2 or 3 slices at most.

I placed the chicken on top of the sliced lemons and garlic and then seasoned the outside of the chicken with everything and covered it with some lemons *as you can see*

Cooked it on high for about 6 hours.

Internal temp read 170 degrees when it was done -- chicken should be at 165.

Take it out and let it stand for about 15 minutes. The juice in the bottom of the chicken goes great over top of the chicken.

This came out SO GOOD. And the chicken stayed so juicy. It had the right amount of seasoning and taste and it was so delicious. I served it with green beans and brown rice. Definitely something I'll be making again in the near future. 

Just wanted to share that with y'all! 

Have a great rest of the week and weekend.

And in the meantime...

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 

Xoxo, Jenna

Bump Board: 19 Weeks & Update!

Hello all! I know I missed my bump board blog post last week for 18 weeks, but I've been going through some personal issues that I needed to focus on. Everything still isn't completely 100% but a lot like my mama, I'm strong and always overcome the obstacles put in my way <3 & this will be no different. Life comes with trials and struggles and you can either run from them or learn from them. It's okay to step back once in awhile and just focus on YOU and your own life and issues. I'll update more on current things going on. But first... 

Here's my 18 week bump board from the week I missed...

I had the 2nd part of my sequential screen, and all my results came back normal. Nothing to be worried about on that front. Had an OB visit and little ladies heartbeat was 145 BPM. I love hearing that song. She was the size of a sweet potato last week! :) 

As I had mentioned before this is a successful pregnancy after a devastating loss. This pregnancy isn't something I expected to happen and it surely wasn't something we were trying for. We had tried for some time and after my cervical cancer issues the doctor told me my odds were pretty low of getting pregnant again, so although we tried nothing happened. I tracked my period, checked when I ovulated (but definitely tried to not focus on that) and still nothing happened. Every ailment and symptom I've experienced this time around has honestly been such a blessing, even if sometimes it drives me crazy. I wouldn't trade in anything I'm going through now for anything. Although the nerves I have this time around are like nothing I've experienced before. And then coupled with the personal issues I'm going through it didn't really help out too much. (Don't worry health wise I am all and so is my baby girl!<3)  I know some people are pro-choice and in some instances I believe I am too... but knowing the devastation I suffered over a unwanted loss I can't imagine anyone wanting to willingly go through that pain and know what they're doing is something they've CHOSEN. It's something I have never believed in fully. My views have changed as I've gotten older and I now believe in some cases it has to be done, but I definitely think theres better options out there. In my own opinion I believe that if you're being sexually active and you don't want to get pregnant, you should take all necessary precautions to ensure it doesn't happen. Birth control, condoms, etc. So many people out there want to have babies and so many people aren't able ... so it's just something that weighs on my mind from time to time when I think of women that just go out and have unprotected sex and are promiscuous and then they go and have abortions like it's nothing. And after so many you'd think they'd get a punch card for how many they have.... its just ridiculous to me. 

...Especially after what I went through and experienced and what I know so many other women have gone through. It's just God awful in my opinion. I have friends that have terminated pregnancies, and friends that are fully pro-choice and I don't think any less of them for it, but these are my own values and my own beliefs. I just feel as though abortion shouldn't be considered if you're not being careful yourself. You make the decision to lay down and have sex, so you should be mindful of possible consequences from it happening. Again, there are specific instances in which sometimes it is necessary - rape, incest, disease, a life of suffering for the child, etc. In those cases I truly understand. What I don't understand is someone willingly terminating a pregnancy because they "don't want it".

That's all I'm saying. 

On to happier things... 

my 19 week bump board <3 

She is the size of a mango! Can't believe that next week I'll already be halfway through my pregnancy. Now is when it usually flies by...except for the last month of pregnancy which I think has 749 days in it ;) Haha. I have been feeling little flutters and they seem pretty distinct. Nothing that can be felt from the outside just yet though. I swear any time I put my hands on my belly to feel her moving she stops...stubborn -- just like me. Imagine that ;) 

Little Miss is around 6 inches now and weighs about 8.5 ounces <3 

Pregnancy is so amazing to me. The changes a woman goes through and the struggles and different things she experiences just to bring new life into this world... All completely worth it. 

I'm pretty tired as of lately. Had some energy there but it's significantly diminished and I just want to sleep. A LOT. But obviously being the mommy of a busy 3 year old makes naps next to impossible. I've only gained 10 pounds at this point, and I am still carrying pretty small. My boobs feel like the heaviest part of me right now so that also means super fun backaches :( Luckily, Ray will help me out with a massage once in awhile, but I am going to be looking into a prenatal massage and hopefully that'll do some wonders for me. Although massages kinda creep me out, lol. I don't know why, but they do. I prefer my husbands hands to a strangers if that makes any sense. Bedtime is usually a fun routine these days... it takes me forever to get comfortable & then I'm restless a lot at night and I'm tossing and turning for a good portion of the night. My bed seems really comfy when I lay down in it at night but when I wake up I feel crippled. Shortness of breath has become my own worst enemy as well. I get out of breath over the littlest things. Walking up steps, around the grocery store, getting out of the car. I get really faint at times too. Which they say is all common during this stage in the game. Sciatic nerve pain has also returned and my bad hip is acting up - which is also thanks in large part to this crappy, cold winter! Also.... freaking hemorrhoids. Ugh! How embarrassing and awful. I asked my OB about it because they weren't going away, but they aren't bothering me. She said because I've been pregnant before and the pressure of my uterus I could have them the whole time or they could go away. The pressure makes them appear, plus constipation and all that fun stuff. It sucks, but like I said to be pregnant again is a real blessing, so as much as I want a normal butthole (hahaha) I can deal with this to have my healthy, beautiful baby girl <3 

My Pretty Pretty Princess <3 

• Developing a protective coating over her skin, called vernix caseosa. It's greasy and white and you may see some of it at her birth.
• Working on her five senses. Nerve cells for her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in her brain.
• No quicks anyone else can feel yet, but I definitely feel them now.. somewhat frequent but not as frequent as they will be soon. Definitely something I can't wait for. <3 One of the most exciting parts of being pregnant. 
• Her anatomy scan is scheduled for March 16th <3 And I can't wait to see her on ultrasound again! <3 And I'm hopefully going to be feeling tons of kicks by then. I'll be drinking OJ beforehand again like my best friend had suggested before and I had a little wiggle worm in there =) 

Not much has been going on (other than the personal stuff) I work out when I can and I eat right... the cold weather is kind of a bother and I don't like to go out that much because I absolutely despise the cold. Been living in yoga pants and leggings and comfy clothes. I'm freaking out a little bit about weight gain but also not trying to let that consume me because I'm not overeating and making a big of myself just because I'm pregnant. 

Current Stresses:

1. Normal stresses of being pregnant after a loss. I worry more than I should but it's lessened a lot more than in the beginning. Im confident and I know that God's got this. But I worry a lot. Especially when I don't feel kicking yet and I'm almost 20 weeks but I felt them with Caleb a little later I think. Every pregnancy is also different. Gotta keep telling myself that.
2. Weight Gain. Something that can be completely handled and maintained the proper way without depriving myself or the baby girl of any nutrients. I just have a huge fear of becoming overweight *(logical right?)*  considering I lost a lot of weight. I try to work out as much as possible but back pain, hip pain and sciatic nerve pain make it kinda tough. Hoping to get an elliptical or something.
3. Biggest stress?? Where we live. We want to get out of here really bad. For a few reasons. Mainly the noise and the fact that nothing is done about it by our landlord. We have dealt with it for quite some time and now being pregnant makes it even worse. So we have some things to consider in terms of that and possibly breaking our lease without penalty. I am looking at a bunch of different rental properties and have emailed many realtors so I am hoping I can find something and all goes smoothly. Prayers appreciated <3 

That's about all that's going on in my neck of the woods. Got a baby shower to plan, things to do. And life to live. I can't wait for spring. And for summer. <3 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend :) 

- xoxo, Jenna 

Gender Reveal & 17 Week Bump Board!

The night before my 3D/4D ultrasound I had a dream we were having a baby girl 

and sure enough.... 

Baby Liczbinski is a Little Lady <3 

Words can't describe how incredible happy we are & just how blessed that we feel to be able to experience having Our Rainbow Baby :) Ecstatic doesn't even begin to describe what we are all feeling. Caleb has said it was his "baby sister" since the very beginning, and Ray felt the same way. Now that we know, we can start shopping, name picking, and really planning out our nursery (which I found another perfect idea, after being set on one idea) - Thanks a lot Pinterest ;) - I'll share that idea later with you. 

(I know this picture is blurry, but it shows our excitement. This is right after we popped the black balloons and found out we were having a little girl. <3 You can just see how happy we are and how excited we felt. Even though I felt like I was having a girl from the beginning, the Liczbinski side breeds a lot of boys. So to find out we were having a little girl was amazing. 

Tears were definitely shed.) 

Our Gender Reveal went wonderfully...we had a few people over; my dad came up, my sister Julia (who is also the Baby's Godmother), my best friends Jamie and Emily, my mother in law & brother in law, & Jamie's son (& Caleb's best friend Jackson), and Ray's best friend Ben came by later. The only thing I would have changed is how we did the reveal...why? Because Party City is absolutely terrible. They barely put any confetti in the balloons so the effect we were going for didn't happen. It was obvious there was pink in the balloon when we popped it, but it still wasn't at all what we had hoped for. Not to mention the balloons started deflating about 2 hours after we got them, so I was pretty pissed off because they're helium filled balloons!! We have gotten balloons for Caleb's birthday & they stay inflated for weeks and I wanna pull my hair out. It wasn't the first time I've had an issue with Party City, so I won't be getting balloons from that particular location anymore, if I go to the store at all. I would rather go elsewhere. Regardless, our gender reveal went wonderfully and we couldn't be any happier!! <3 Being able to experience pregnancy again & to have a healthy little miracle growing inside me is incredible and shows me just how great God's love is. It felt like my mom was with me yesterday too as we popped our balloons & found out we were having a baby girl. I know that she is shining down on me and looking out for all of us. <3 

& that brings me so much peace. 

I love this picture.

I couldn't be any more blessed to be able to bring a little princess into this world with him as her father. She will always be protected. Words can't begin to describe the love I have for this man. When I met Ray four years ago I would have never guessed that we would be married with our 2nd child on the way. We have experienced so much together and unfortunately a lot of tragedy, but so much joy. & this is bringing so much joy into our lives.

 He's everything I could have ever wanted in a man & then some. <3 

These are some of the pictures from our 3D Ultrasound that we had on 2/11. And it was just amazing. Having never experienced a 3D ultrasound before we were so anxious as to what to expect. From the moment she switched to the 4D real time I was mesmerized. I couldn't even believe how amazing it was to see our little baby moving around, sucking her thumb, and yawning. It was just beautiful. The baby also loved her daddy's voice! Any time Ray would talk she would become so active & wouldn't stop moving around. It was so precious. We went to Mommy's First Glance in Pottstown/Limerick and it was such a great experience. It's a business run by one woman and you can tell she loves her job and what she does. The office was so spa like, and so comfortable. There was a huge sectional couch for family and a tempurpedic bed for me. There was a big flat screen tv on the wall and we could watch the baby that way. It was AMAZING. We plan on going back when I'm between 30-36 weeks (depending on how I'm feeling and everything else) for another ultrasound when the baby is more developed and we can see more of who the baby looks like and everything else. We are going to do that later and I'm going to invite my mother in law along to experience it with us, since she's never seen a 3D/4D ultrasound before.

On to my Bump Board: 

Baby Girl is the size of an Onion this week! 

1. Her rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone.
2. And she's growing some meat on those bones — putting on some fat.
3. She's growing a stronger, thicker umbilical cord, too.
4. Baby Girl is practicing sucking and swallowing
5. Fingerprints are forming
6. Baby Girl can be startled by noise! 
7. Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though her eyelids are still sealed

I am so excited to know that we are having a little girl <3 And I am so happy to be pregnant :) Let the name picking & nursery planning begin!! =) <3 

Pregnancy Symptoms at 17 Weeks

• Vaginal discharge, sweat, mucus and more bodily fluids. They're in full force, because of your increased blood flow. Well...yes. Gross, but yes.
• Weird dreams. This might be hormonal, but it might also be the result of your nerves and anticipation. My dreams are so much more vivid now. And they are freaking weird but I love being able to actually remember my dreams - because when I'm not pregnant I never remember. But I do have dreams now that are insane.
• Itchy boobs and bump -- as they're growing, your skin is stretching thinner. My stomach itches a lot and my boobs on occasion. Speaking of they are humongous. 
• Rapid weight gain. You've probably gained about five to 10 pounds by now. As of my last visit I only gained 7 pounds, and my next appointment is on Tuesday the 17th of February. I am trying to work out as much as I can, but I get exhausted really quickly. Trying to do as much as I can though.

Other Common Symptoms:

- Increased Appetite --> definitely. Love all the food.

- Heartburn/Indigestion --> surprisingly not suffering from it really. I've had it a couple times but nothing like when I was pregnant with Caleb.  I still have time though, so we shall see. :) Baby Girl is all worth it. <3 

- Bloating & Gas --> ugh. gross. but yes... bloating has diminished somewhat but still keeping my water intake up as much as possible. and gas is the same and gross. hahaha. Ray hates it - but payback baby. Hahahaha.

- Occasional headaches --> I'm pretty good in this department, thank God.

- Faintness or Dizziness --> Ugh. Yes. I hate this feeling. Vertigo is the worst feeling. In the world. It happens to me a lot lately, like when we go grocery shopping I literally need to hold on to to the cart so I don't fall over. It's pretty scary. Trying to have small snacks more frequently and drink LOTS AND LOTS of water.

- Backaches --> Wahh. I always have back pain. And luckily an amazing husband that's willing to give me massages ;) I'm also expecting sciatica to happen because it's something I suffer from regularly, but when I'm pregnant it increases so bad as time progresses. 

- Stretch Marks --> No new ones thus far. But if I get more - my baby girl is 100% worth it. I used to be self conscious about mine, but guess what?! Its proof of the miracle of life. And the life I grew inside me. <3 

- Shortness of Breath --> I swear I walk up the steps & I'm winded. Walk to the bathroom, I'm winded. Minor things, I'm winded. & they say it's normal. An increase in progesterone causes this. You need more oxygen when you're pregnant, and it's one of the most annoying symptoms ever. 

- Hemorrhoids --> honestly. Gross. And I'm dealing with it...again. I had the same thing with Caleb. Must be because I married a Liczbinski... cause he's a pain in my butt the babies gotta be too ;) LOL. I'm kidding. ;) 

All in all I have been having a really great pregnancy. Minor symptoms, and I feel really good. This pregnancy is so different than when I was pregnant with Caleb. Easier... so I hope that means an easy labor, LOL. Especially because I'm going to be going natural this time. So lets pray <3 hahaha. 

Here is my other nursery idea... Now it's a toss up. So many decisions.

I love the ceiling and the walls... This is going to be so tough. 

I also convinced Ray to go to Target tonight to look at Baby Girl stuff. <3 

And I want macaroni salad. So there's that. ;) 

My precious little baby girl <3 

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Have a great weekend & an awesome Valentines Day!

Xoxo, Jenna