38 Weeks and Ready to Pop!

How far along? 38 Weeks
Total weight gain: 25 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Not too many
Sleep: Off and On….Heavy baby, bathroom trips, and mockingbirds
Best moment this week: Scheduling my last few doctors appointments!!
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? In all honesty I’m now missing the ability to bend over easiliy!
Movement: All the time!
Food cravings:  Italian!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just when I over eat!
Have you started to show yet: Understatement

Gender prediction:  Baby Boy Dawson
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger , some cramping, Dawson’s head is low and ready!
Belly Button in or out? Just plain crazy looking….in but the top pokes out ?!?
Wedding rings on or off? Off L
Happy or Moody most of the time: Somewhat moody…just ready to meet my baby!
Looking forward to: Holding my little man in my arms!

Well for now we are in the waiting game!! Everyday I wake up hoping for some action, but want whatever is best for my little buddy!  I am excited to have the end in sight and knowing that the maximum amount of time I will be pregnant is around 3 more weeks!  EEEEEKKKK needless to say that feels sooo good to say!  I had my appointment Wednesday and everything looks great, Dawson is growing perfectly on schedule and moving down as necessary.  I started having some cramping this week and braxton hicks quite frequently so the doctor went ahead and checked to see if I was progressing.  He said that I had definitely softened but no dilating yet, but that the cramping and contractions are the start to a possibly short or long process....Basically his words were keep an eye out now that you are term any day could be the day!  Oh how exciting yet so blah not being able to know....I have such a "need to know" personality that this part kills me!  As for now we will keep an eye out for the signs and get the bags packed! 

I think seeing this face makes the wait so much longer to me....I cannot wait to kiss those cheeks!!!!

35 Weeks and Counting Down

How far along? 35 Weeks
Total weight gain: 23 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Not too many
Sleep: What is that?
Best moment this week: Date night with my hubby
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything?  Eating without acid reflux
Movement: Dawson has been quite wiggly sometimes even painful!
Food cravings:  All over the place this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still getting a little nauseated lately…not sure why this is but it isn’t terrible thank goodness!
Have you started to show yet: Oh yes!

Gender prediction:  Baby Boy Dawson
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger but that is about it!
Belly Button in or out? Just plain crazy looking….in but the top pokes out ?!?
Wedding rings on or off? Off L
Happy or Moody most of the time: Somewhat moody…just ready to meet my baby!
Looking forward to: Approaching the last month of pregnancy!!!

 

I can definietly tell this little boy is having major growth spurts.  His knees and feet and well...everything feel so large moving around in there!  Each day I am amazed that he still has 5 more weeks of growing to do....where in the world will he fit???  One night this week He almost had me in tears his moving was so painful.  It was as if he was stretching and turning so hard that I really thought my skin and insides would rip...It was the wildest thing to watch and had Brent and I dropping our jaws at how my belly could even look so wild!  Needless to say I have been quite sore the past couple of days from that nights events....rib cage OUCH...and hips ...well I am getting used to those being sore!  I am so excited that we don't have much longer until Dawson makes his arrival into the world!  Praying for a healthy and safe "Finale" to pregnancy and delivery! 

33 Weeks and counting down!

How far along? 33 Weeks
Total weight gain: 22 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Maybe a few?
Sleep:  Depends on the day…but nothing as good as the old days!
Best moment this week: Hospital Tour and Maternity pictures
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything?  Being able to breathe normally
Movement: I think we have a wild child on our hands with all of his movement
Food cravings:  Cheeseburgers!!!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still getting a little nauseated lately…not sure why this is but it isn’t terrible thank goodness!
Have you started to show yet: Oh yes!

Gender prediction:  Baby Boy Dawson
Labor Signs: Noticing some changes heading that direction but no “labor”
Belly Button in or out? Just plain crazy looking….in but the top pokes out ?!?
Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting a little tight
Happy or Moody most of the time: I’d say happy about baby but moody about how I feel...
Looking forward to: Baby shower this weekend with my friends!

Oh goody...We are getting so close!  I am more ready than ever to meet this little man!  Each squirm and kick get me so excited about the coming days!   The past couple of weeks I have been feeling a bit more "pregnant" I guess you could say.  I had heard the ..."wait til you can't breathe"...."wait til you cannot sleep"...."wait til you get up all the time to use the restroom"..."wait til you get heartburn"....well I guess I should say yes..yes...yes...yes.. and yes..!!!  I do believe baby boy is beginning to be crouded inside his mommy and is definitely causing all of these pregnancies discomforts.  I have tried not to complain but some nights I truly understand all of my friends who told me how wonderful pregnancy is until you get close to the mid 30 weeks then you are just ready to have the baby! I am definitely ready to have my baby in my arms and feel a little more human around the tummy region, but the none the less I am so thankful for this blessing of carrying a child. I have learned that my body has limits at this point and I cannot go,go, go without paying for it that night or even the next few days.  Over spring break I thought it would be a good idea to spring clean and get my "nesting" done while at home.  I made sure I was drinking water and taking breaks,but apparently I did a tad too much.  I had a couple of nights where I thought "wow this baby is growing and it hurts".  I know the doctor had told me to expect some pain from all of the stretching so I just said well he must really be stretching my body out!  I had my appt and as always answer all of the questions about what type of pains I had last week if any...etc... as I described those nights and what I was feeling, to my surprise the doc said ...yeh...those are contractions!  I had experienced braxton hicks so I knew those were normal, but this other feeling I thought was a very painful growth spurt lol!  They told me to drink up and rest and make sure it went away!  I have been taking it easy this week after work and drinking my water...I definitely have noticed a decrease praise the Lord!!  I think I have learned my limits at this point and am grateful that it was nothing to be concerned about right now!   I have found myself thanking God for making me a woman and allowing me to experience the joy of carrying a baby.  There is definitely nothing in the world like it and I can only imagine the joy it will be when I finally hold this little miracle! 

On a side note I love how our maternity pics turned out thanks to Jamile King! She did an awesome job capturing exactly what we wanted!

 

 

 

30 Weeks....The countdown begins!

How far along? 30 Weeks
Total weight gain: 21 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No Hallelujah!
Sleep:  Getting tough with all of this extra weight…not really a side or back sleeper so I really just have no clue how to get comfy.
Best moment this week: Getting Dawson’s hospital hat! 
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything?  Eating without heartburn!
Movement: He is loving his karate practice these days!
Food cravings:  Sour Skittles again!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I have had a few waves of nausea lately…weird?!?!?
Have you started to show yet: Most definitely

Gender prediction:  Baby Boy Dawson
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In- but it seems to just be fading away to nothing
Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting a little tight
Happy or Moody most of the time: A tad moody...I blame my back pain
Looking Forward to: Hearing Dawson's heartbeat this week!

I cannot believe baby Dawson is getting so big!  I am sooo excited to only have 10 weeks left in my countdown! Things have been great for the most part.  Lately I have had this terrible back pain to the point that nothing I do relieves this pain and I just cannot get comfortable.  I just want to lay out flat and cry multiple times a day lately but my wonderful hubby helps me get some relief putting pressure where I hurt and massaging my back.  I have had off and on pain all of my pregnancy, but nothing like this.  Sometimes it is my hips, but lately it has been from my shoulder blades all the way down to my hips and sometimes shooting down my leg....I thought uh oh sciatica?!?  I surely hope not,but I am so excited to have my appointment to see a chiropractor tomorrow!  I hope that I am just majorly out of alignment and he is able to give me some releif to get through the next 10 weeks.  I tried sooo hard to say oh its just normal...but many of my recently pregnant friends have said I should call the doctor considering it isn't going away and seems to take my breath away it is so painful at many points in the day.  At first I thought I just need a nice massage...well I called the doctor and obviously a massage will releive the tension but if I am crooked or Dawson is on a nerve than that will not fix my problem.  They told me to call a chiropractor so I did ASAP.  I was a tad nervous since I have never seen one and even more nervous considering I am pregnant. Being my researching self...I just had to read some articles on chiropractors and pregnancy.  To my amazement it can be super beneficial with labor and delivery being just around the corner.  It can help breech babies turn, help my hips line up for the proper position, and obviously relieve pain from carrying the baby.  I was also excited to read that many women who had been using chiropractors in the last trimester found that their labor and delivery was faster.  At this point I am looking for pain relief, but if it works the wonders they say it does I am truly looking forward to the benefits! 

So excited to put my baby boy in his hat! I love it!!! 

 

28 Weeks!

How far along? 28 Weeks
Total weight gain: 17 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No Hallelujah!
Sleep:  A little better this week…some back pain and acid reflux but to be expected!
Best moment this week: Relaxing
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything?  My cute shirts!
Movement: Yes!!! He is a wiggly little one!
Food cravings:  Cereal! ( I used to hate milk and cereal)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: Most definitely

Gender prediction:  Baby Boy Dawson
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In- and praying it stays that way!
Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting a little tight
Happy or Moody most of the time: Lately I’ve been happy with random weepiness
Looking forward to: This being my last trimester!! WOOHOO

I cannot believe that we are 12 weeks away from meeting our sweet Dawson (or sooner)  !  I am so happy to be in my last trimester and am so thankful to have had an easy pregnancy so far!  Not much other than enjoying this wiggly boy inside me each day.  I cannot wait to see what he looks like and kiss him! 

Baby Shower Fun!

Last weekend was so much fun!  I went back to Raleigh to have my first baby shower with family and some close friends and had such an awesome time!  My mom and sisters all got together to and planned an amazing day!  Everything was exactly how I would have hand picked it and so much more!!!  My sister-in-law and I drove from Charlotte to Raleigh on Friday and the fun began!  We had such a great ride talking about what life with Dawson is going to be like and how life has already started to change around here. Once we got to Raleigh, my big sis Heather spoiled me (as always because I'm the baby and that is what big sisters do )  and did my hair and eyebrows....much needed these days!!!  After I left the salon I went to my Mom's house and had a fun evening with my mom, other big sis, and neice.  We had so much fun playing Mary Kay ...watching Dawson do gymnastics all night and trying on footie pajamas!  It was an awesome start to a great weekend.

Yes these are my 10 yr old nieces pajamas...and I think I did strectch them out! 

 

Saturday I got kicked out of the party area and banished to a morning alone so my family could set up for the party.  Once the time came it was so neat seeing everything that they had worked so hard on.  I loved every detail.  The shower was wonderful and Dawson was one spoiled little boy!  He received so many great items and we are truly grateful for everything that our family and friends did for us last weekend! 

I posted my pics on facebook since it is MUCH quicker!  Enjoy

24 Weeks and some Exciting News

How far along? 24 Weeks
Total weight gain: 12 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No Hallelujah!
Sleep:  Really struggling these days between baby boy kicking and my back aches!
Best moment this week: Getting a lot done in the nursery
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything?  Easily putting on my socks
Movement: Yes!!! He is a wiggly little one!
Food cravings:  My sweet tooth is back with a vengeance
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: Most definitely

Gender prediction:  Baby Boy Dawson
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In- and praying it stays that way!
Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting a little tight
Happy or Moody most of the time: Lately I’ve been happy with random weepiness
Looking forward to: Hearing his heartbeat next week!




So to start I am sorry for being such a LAZY blogger...I guess I am at the stage where I want to see bigger numbers for my weeks :)  Also, I have been so up and down with the big decisions that come with having your first child.  Shewww calculating finances...thinking about childcare...thinking about all of these medical bills etc.  has really taken a toll on me the past few weeks. 

Brent and I had really  began to talk about important issues once I hit about 19 weeks.  We started thinking about what would be the right decision of childcare for Dawson as I would return to work in August.  We had prayed about this issue since the time I got pregnant but really it did not seem to bother us at all until reality set in!  We had talked to a good friend about in home care and touched on daycare , but we were pretty much against daycare since my work schedule is so flexible and I do not work in the summer or over holidays.  We had been set that we would just do in home care with a friend from church and I would return to work once mid August rolls around.  The more we disgussed things and prayed for a peace....the less I felt okay with this decision.  I had always thought that I would be a working mom and that was that.  The more I talked to Brent the more I seemed to cry about that decision...I could not wrap my mind around dropping my child off with someone while I go and take care of other peoples children.  Call me crazy and I know many people have to do this and it is a reality, but I could not convince myself that it was right for me.  Brent and I agonized over what to do because obviously God was not allowing the peace we had prayed for and I was not going to easily sign a contract feeling this way!  The more we prayed and listened to the sermons at church the more we were both convinced that I needed to be a mom before a teacher.  How could I truly raise my child the way I think is right when the majority of my time is spent with other peoples children?  The hard part was seeing the numbers add up....how would this work?  After much prayer and thinking we decided that I would stay at home.  Oh buddy was I nervous about turning in my letter of intent, but God always has a way of showing you that you are doing the right thing.  That week Brent got a good raise and when I went to talk to my principal he actually wanted to talk to me about next year.  I thought UH OH....how do I tell him this, but before I knew it we were talking about if there was any way I should spend a couple of years at home with my child.  He was saying how important that time is and that he highly encouraged it....WOW what an easy way to resign.  With all that being said I am beyond excited, yet nervous to be a stay at home mom!  I thought I would never say that, but I am glad that God has clearly shown us what I should do and that even though there will be some sacrifices it will all be worth it!