Honest Scrap Award

Thank you to Ashely of My Acronyms Give Me Character, for giving me the Honest Scrap award earlier this month (yes, I’ve been slack!)!! Go check her out! It's always nice to have people give you a blog award. I like keeping the blog for myself, but it's nice to know that others enjoy reading as well!

Rules for the award:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and list their blog and link it.
2. Share "10 Honest things" about yourself.
3. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.
4. Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

My “10 Honest Things”:
1. I really miss cheerleading in high school—especially the competition squad. We might have fought sometimes, but I had so much fun with that group of girls!
2. If I could go back, I would not have majored in Accounting in college. I don’t have the time, money or desire to go back to school now. If this whole opening my own business thing doesn’t work out, I just may go back!
3. I have worked out a grand total of 4 days since I had the baby. That will be changing…starting 1/1/10! lol!
4. I have no desire to be pregnant again. I didn’t enjoy it. BUT, I would do it again in a heartbeat! (And I hope I get to!)
5. I’m not on birth control. I REALLY hope that we get a surprise and don’t have to do treatments for our next baby.
6. The idea of having another baby also scares the crap out of me!
7. I wish I could sing. But I can’t. Not even a little. I still do, though!
8. I really, really hate when people fish for compliments. If someone wants to compliment you, they will.
9. I have a long list of wants for our next house. I can’t wait to start looking. (This will not be happening in the near future, though.) Jordan laughs at me...then he says, "Don't forget we want ____!")
10. People who complain on face book everyday are hidden or removed from my friends list. I can’t stand it. If you have a bad day, a little complaint here or there isn’t terrible. I mean, I do it so I have no room to talk. But every. single. day. just gets kind of depressing! Try to find the positive stuff in life, people!!

I have awarded these 7 lovely ladies:
Hillary from Making Me Mom
Jennifer from Blonde Ambition
theworms from Inconceivable?!
Bluebird from Little Bluebirds Fly
t.bird from look at the birds...
jwhite from Life in the White House
K from Not How I Planned

Christmas Time!

Christmas this year was--dare I say it?--pretty close to perfection. Why wouldn't it be? We had our sweet baby that we have spent the past 3 Christmases longing for in our arms! It was so much fun to spend the holidays with a baby around. Our little monkey is quite the social butterfly.

We started the week off with dinner and presents at Jordan's parents' house. They were heading to TN for Christmas, so we wanted to make sure they got to see Hampton before they left town. Wednesday, we headed down to south GA to see my grandparents and uncle. We (dad, mom, my brother & sister, Hampton, Jordan and myself) all piled into my dad's Yukon and hit the road. It was crowded, but we had a good time. We're quite the group!! Thursday we had our Christmas Eve service at church. Jordan and I looked at each other before going in and said no sharing the baby tonight. This is our time to celebrate the gift of Jesus and the gift of our handsome son. And no one fought us on that. He snuggled right into his daddy's chest and slept the whole time. We decided to haul all the gifts over to mom and dad's that night so that we could wake up there on Christmas morning. It was great! Boy oh boy did Hampton get some goodies! I can't wait for him to actually care about his new toys! We got to visit with my other grandparents that afternoon and my uncles and 2 cousins stopped by yesterday.

And today, we rest. The cleaning and putting away of stuff can wait.

From our family to yours

Have a very Merry Christmas!!

3 Months!

Another month has come and gone! Hampton is smiling and laughing and "talking" so much these days. I can't get enough!! Tummy time and activity time are getting more bearable, and Hampton is starting to be happy for a good 10-15 minutes playing on his activity mat or chilling out in the swing. And sleeping--well, it's a whole new world! He naps in his crib most of the time, and he is now in his nursery full time at night (unless he just refuses to go back to sleep and mommy is too tired to fight it...then he winds up on my chest, asleep in minutes). I don't have him on any real schedule, but his schedule is becoming more predictable. I'm usually pretty quick to pick up his cues and know when he's done playing, hungry, wants to move around or be held, or when it's just about time to go to sleep. He has rolled over once, but I'm pretty sure it was more of an accident--we put him down in the pack n play on his tummy, and he woke up and didn't want to be there and kicked and cried and wound up on his back. Other than that, we have no rolling over success. My little monkey is changing everyday, it seems!

Busy, Busy (and a little lazy)

My blogging has been scarce recently, and I fully plan on fixing that! Like everyone else, I'm going, going, going this time of year, and when I have the chance to sit down, I'm too lazy to do anything else. I want to get back in the habit of regularly posting to not only keep you readers updated but to be able to remember this time because it is FLYING!

I also got an Honest Scrap Award from a blog friend, and I plan to post that really soon! (I promise I haven't just ignored you, Ashely!)

For now, how about a picture of my sweet baby? :)

Breastfeeding

Oh, breastfeeding--what mixed feelings I have for you! I'm not one of those hard core breast-is-best kind of people, but I did want to bf my baby for atleast the first 3 months. Why 3 months? I have no idea; it was the lucky number I pulled out of the sky.

At first it was terribly difficult, but after a few weeks, we both got the hang of it. The toe-curling pain that came along with each latch has finally gone away...most of the time. So many people told me what a bonding time bf would be, and I agree for the most part. I mean, I'm with him all day, every day, so I am bonding with him while rocking him to sleep, cuddling with him, or playing. I do love having this time with him when we've been around others all day. It's my chance to snatch him away from whomever and sneak away to be by ourselves for a little while.

I don't love breastfeeding, though.

Although the pain during feedings has gotten much better, the pain after is making me want to pull my hair out. It is so uncomfortable to put a bra on. I don't know if it's the milk coming back in after feedings, or what, but the sensation after each feeding is enough to make me double over in pain sometimes. And, Hampton takes forever to eat. I'm talking 45 minutes to an hour each feeding. Then he eats again 3-4 hours later. I feel like a prisoner to my house and couch! (Yes, I know I could feed him wherever, but I don't feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public.)

So, I'm starting to seriously consider weaning. I struggle with this b/c I know that breastmilk is what's best for him, but I think it will be better for me physically and emotionally. I hate to give up when so many other women have such struggles trying to bf. Next week will be 3 months. That was my goal. I just don't know...

On that note... baby's awake. Time to eat!

Birth Announcement

My sister, the artist of the family, made our birth announcements for us, and they came out SO CUTE!! I was a little nervous at first b/c I just wasn't sure how the whole thing was going to turn out, but I couldn't have been happier! Thanks again, Ash!

Too good to be true

The past couple of nights, Hampton has done really well sleeping. Tuesday he slept from about 12-7 and Wednesday from 12 to almost 8! Both nights he spent a good chunk sleeping on his own in the pack n play, too! Exciting, huh? But alas, here I sit feeding at 5 am after trying to get him to take the paci for a solid 30 minutes. So, was this whole "sleeping through the night" thing just a fluke? Or could his cold/congestion play a role in not sleeping so well? I guess only time will tell, but I hope it turns out to be that it wasn't just a 1 or 2-time thing. It's amazing what a 7 hour stretch of sleep can do for a very, VERY tired mommy!!

So thankful

This year has been rough, with Jordan having no job and then flip-flopping between several low-paying ones and the several issues I encountered with my pregnancy, but everything has worked out. God has held our hands and guided us through the valleys, and here we sit--Jordan preparing to go to work in the morning as Sales Manager in the same place that started the "job adventure" just over a year ago and me with our sweet, healthy baby boy in my arms. We spent the day with both of our families, and I just sat back and took it all in. God has blessed us in so many ways. And for that, I am truly thankful.

I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Skip-Bo, Anyone?

You can take Hampton's place...

And just b/c he's so darn cute :)

2 Months!

I can't believe my little man is already 2 months old! Where has the time gone? He is growing so fast and making new discoveries each day. He is loving all the fans and lights around the house, and is starting to focus on us and follow us with his eyes. And, I may be biased, but I'm pretty sure he gets cuter by the day!

Hampton had his first shots this morning and he was not pleased. Our appointment took forever, so he was already crying when the nurse came in. Add needles into the mix, and you have one unhappy baby. :( Thankfully, as soon as Jordan picked him up, he was perfectly fine and has been sleeping the day away.

2 month stats:

Weight: 10 lbs, 6.5 oz; 25th%

Height: 21 1/4 in; 25th%

Head circumference: 15 1/2 in; b/w 25th and 50th%

Dr. H said he was on the "petite" side, but growing as he should!

Thank you sweet baby Jesus

For this:

Yes, this is my sweet child napping in his pack n play this morning. By himself. For TWO HOURS!!! Will it happen again?? A girl can only dream! :)

Catching Up

Last Friday I had my 6-week post partum check up. I feared having to get checked, but it wasn't bad at all. I'm all healed and ready to carry on with normal activities. Yippie!! (Too bad I have a terrible cold...some activities are having to wait ;) ). I'm not quite down to pre-pregnancy weight, but I think that once I get back into exercising, it won't be long. I've been in my pre-preg jeans for weeks now, so I just need to work on this muffin top!

We also went to the RE's office last week to visit Dr. L and the nurses. They were so excited to see the little guy. The office held a Baby Party on Thursday night to celebrate all the successes, but we didn't make it because of me being under the weather. I was pretty bummed. It would have been nice to talk to other women/couples in the area who understood the struggles and feelings of IF. Next time...

My sister has moved back to the east coast from Oregon! She's in town until this weekend when she heads to South Carolina to start her new job. We've had so much fun hanging out at my parents' house, eating delicious meals, and shopping. Hampton has been quite the trooper throughout all the girl time!

My little monkey has had a rough last couple of days. He has been so fussy and not napping well (even when laying on someone). I don't know if it's the colic, a growth spurt, possibly reflux, or just a bad day. Has anyone seen my baby's manual?! I have started cutting things out of my diet (dairy, gassy vegetables, spicy foods, red tomato sauces). I was already trying to avoid most of these, but by cutting them out, the doctor said we could start narrowing down the problem. It is going to be no fun, but I will do anything to help this little guy out. It is just so pitiful.

All in all, thing are going well. Each day is a new challenge, but we are just holding on tight and enjoying the ride!!

Happy Halloween (a little late)!!

Can you handle the cuteness??

I am one of them

While dealing with infertility, there always seemed to be pregnant women and babies everywhere. I couldn't go anywhere without being surrounded by big bellies and tiny babies. I learned to deal in order make life outside of my house, well, livable. But there was one place that I hated to go during the weekday work hours--Target. That place is like mommy central. Every time I walked in there for a quick errand during my lunch break, I was bombarded by giant strollers, wild toddlers, and mommies just trying to occupy themselves and their children. It was like they were mocking me, and I couldn't get away quick enough.

Today, I became one of them. I had a dentist appointment this morning, and after, I really didn't want to go home. So, I went to Target. For no real reason, other than to walk around and be out of the house (of course, I wound up spending too much money. dang Target!). I had older women ooing and aahing over my sweet baby boy. I found myself gushing about how he is almost 6 weeks old, growing like a weed, and just the sweetest baby ever to a sales associate.

And then I saw a young girl (woman?) who, as she passed by, just took a quick peek in Hampton's carrier and smiled. Now, I have no idea if this girl was infertile or if she had kids at home or daycare or if she even wanted kids, but it made me stop in my tracks. For just that second, I saw myself in her--looking at babies as I passed by, a small smile covering up the tears that wanted to fall. It made my heart hurt, and I wanted to pick up my little guy and just hug him.

I don't know why Jordan and I have been given this trial in our lives, and I don't know why we were blessed with this baby while others are still waiting. I do know that I will never forget what it feels like to be on "the other side."

Shhhh...Baby's Sleeping!

Hampton is taking a nap. In his swing. Not my arms. I should be showering, or cleaning my house, or really, anything productive. But I'm not. Ha!

It has been really hard to figure out what to do with my colicky baby. During the day, he has to be held all the time. He seems to like the car seat and going for rides, so I try to get us out as much as possible. Night time was horrible for a few weeks, but I think we're starting down a better road. Hampton sleeps on my chest most of the night, but I have been putting him in the pack-n-play next to me after his night feedings, and he will usually sleep there for an hour or two. I take this time to roll on my side or stomach. ;) Breastfeeding is going well. He sucks like a champ. My right side was terribly sore earlier this week, but I've worked on helping him get a better latch, and it is making a huge difference.

The past month has flown by. My little monkey is growing and changing so fast. He is trying really hard to lift his head during tummy time. He is looking around and really starting to focus on things. Smiles are coming more and more often, but I haven't been able to catch one on camera yet. Jordan and I are quickly learning his cues, and we can usually tell when he wants food, sleep, or just to be held and loved on. It is usually the first, followed by the last, which results in the second!

Having a baby is: wonderful, exhausting, exciting, hard, and many, MANY more emotions all rolled into a big ball of bliss. I love it!! I always wanted children, but now that I have this little guy here and in my arms, I know that I was meant for this. Being a mom has just come so naturally. Do I have questions? Sure. But who wouldn't? I already want another one!!

1 month!

Baby boy is growing so fast! He was not pleased about taking pictures, either. This was the best I could do!

I know I've been MIA--Hampton has been colicky, and I am holding him all the time. It's hard to peck out a decent post with just one hand :(. I will give a real update and get back to the blog real soon...I hope! :/

My Boys

Saturday afternoon, I went to hop in the shower and asked Jordan to pick out something for Hampton to wear and dress him while I was getting ready. He put him in a cute little camo trimmed outfit that had a matching hat and booties.

Adorable, no?

Well, while I'm in the bathroom drying off, I hear Jordan say, "genius!" and look out to see what's going on. And, much to my surprise, my husband had put on his own camo, and they wore matching outfits. It was so funny!
Gotta love 'em!

It is my due date!

I'll be honest, I was 100% sure that I would still be sitting here today with no baby, scared to death of giving birth to a giant headed, chunky little boy. Instead, I'm looking at my little peanut (who didn't have a big head AT ALL! Stupid ultrasounds!), sleeping soundly next to me in his swing. :) Crazy!

2 week appointment

We went to the pediatrician yesterday for Hampton's 2 week appointment (2 weeks! already?!), and he is doing well! He is now 7 lbs (25%) and 20.5 inches (50%). He's growing like a weed! Breastfeeding is going much better, but I was worried that he wasn't getting enough food. The doc said it looked like he was doing just fine, though. He does have what we are treating as an infection in his right eye. It has been mucousy and gunky for a few days, so we were given a prescription for eye "drops" (really a gel-like medicine that we have to put on a q-tip and rub on his lower lid...poor baby). After 4 or 5 days, if his eye doesn't look any better, we can rule out an infection and assume it is a clogged tear duct, but Dr. H wanted to treat him for an infection first--just in case.

All in all, things are going well. It's been pretty much a blur b/c we haven't done much of anything. We had a few rainy days here, and I found myself sitting on the sofa snuggling with the monkey all day. I'm in shock how quickly the days pass, but when your schedule consists of feeding every 2 hours, it's hard to fit much else in. We did get out today and visited my old co-workers. I feel like I have much more energy tonight, so I'm going to make it a point to try and get out every day that we can now that I'm getting a little more used to everything. The weather here is still pretty warm, so I'm hoping to get some walks in before it gets to be too cool.

We took some pictures for our announcements the other day, and I have to share. Can you handle the sweetness?!?! I'm so in love!!

I'm Alive! My Birth Story

Wow, I can't believe how quickly the days have gone by. This first week has been a blur, but I am falling more and more in love with my little monkey as each day passes. I've been MIA b/c I'm trying to catch a few winks of sleep here and there. I'll be back to updating (with some cute pictures) soon!

For now, here's my birth story. It didn't go as I had planned, but I wouldn't change it:

Tuesday morning I went in for my weekly BPP and NST. The BPP showed my fluid levels were at 5. Last week, they were at 7.9. The tech called my doctor and instead of doing the NST, she just sent me right over to L&D to be monitored. I was hooked up by 9:45 and things looked okay-baby was moving, heart rate was good, and my contractions were there, but not too drastic. My blood pressure was pretty normal as well. A couple hours later, they came in to draw some blood, and I passed out (twice!), causing both heart rates to drop. Things got back to normal quickly, though, so no one was too concerned. Jordan showed up around lunch, and the doctor on call came in to tell us that he was going to let us go. He wanted me to call my doctor and let her know I had been in L&D but all was well. I let him know that my doctor was the one who actually sent me to L&D, and he said to sit tight while he called her. My doctor got there about an hour later and said she had talked to the high risk doctor and they both agreed that it was time for the baby to come out! Jordan and I just sat there...shocked. I was not expecting that!! So, it was time to have a baby...

Dr. H let me get something to eat and then said they would start the cervadil around 4. Around 3:45, they measured me (1 cm dilated), inserted the cervadil, and let me be. It was a rough night b/c the heart rate monitor kept losing the baby. They had to come in and adjust it practically every 15 minutes. Around 3 am, the doctor came in and wanted to get the cervadil out even though it was about an hour early. I was having contractions one on top of the other (not really strong or painful ones, though) and it was causing stress to the baby. Once that was removed, they checked and I was still just 1 cm. The doc decided she was going to try and stretch me to 2--and let me tell you, that was THE MOST PAINFUL thing I have ever experienced. They started the pitocin drip around 5 am, and my contractions started coming a little stronger. By the next check, I was still 2 cm, and they decided to insert some catheter with a balloon on the end to help move it along. The first time it came right out, so I got to experience that fun twice! I guess it worked b/c by the next check, I was 4 cm. At this point, they broke my water and also inserted a catheter that lays next to the baby and could get a more accurate heart rate. Around noon, my contractions were so strong and were back to back. It was HARD. I tried to stick it out, but I finally decided that I wanted to go ahead and get the epidural. The anesthesiologist came shortly after, but at the same time, the doctor came in to check me b/c the catheter was picking up my heart rate, not the baby's. They decided to put a tocometer on his scalp for the best reading. Suddenly, Hamp's heart rate dropped drastically and mine skyrocketed. They had me quickly get on all fours, gave me oxygen, stopped the pitocin, and gave me a shot of terb (?-not 100% on the name. It was to help my uterus relax). Things calmed down after a few minutes (that seemed like forever!), and I was able to finally get the epidural. At this point (12:15ish) I was 6 cm, but the baby was still pretty high, so she sat me straight up to let gravity do it’s thing. My doctor had to leave and would be back from 3 to 6. She guessed that I would be delivering sometime in the late afternoon/early evening.

Obviously the epi made me and the baby relax so much because a resident came in around 1 to check me again, and I was 10 cm with an anterior lip. They said I was close, but it could be another little while. After about 15 minutes, I asked my nurse if I had the uncontrollable urge to have a bowel movement if that meant I was close to pushing. She said yes and did I think they should check me again. Most definitely! At this point I was ready to go, and everything was set up pretty quickly. I started pushing at 1:34 pm. It was really much easier than I had anticipated (NOT easy, but easier!). My nurse was a great coach, and the baby moved with every single push. After 31 minutes of pushing, Hampton was here at 2:05 pm! It was such a surreal feeling. Jordan and I were in love!

When he came out, he wasn’t crying and I saw the cord wrapped around his neck, which freaked me out, but he did reach up and grab the clamp on his cord and fought with the doctor to let go. At that point, I knew he was okay. He was taken to the other side of the room to get cleaned up while I waited to deliver the placenta. I was getting more and more nervous b/c more and more people kept coming in the room, and all they would tell me is that he was fine. It sure didn’t seem that way! We were finally told that he had fluid in his lungs and was breathing very heavy. It was taking all his strength to suck in, so they took him to the NICU. It was heartbreaking that the first real look I got of him was with an oxygen mask covering his sweet little face.
At this point, I had finally delivered the placenta and was getting examined. Turns out I had two tiny tears on both sides, but I didn’t even have to get stitches! After getting cleaned up and letting the feeling return to my legs (I only pushed the button once, so it wasn’t too bad!), I was carted off to my post-partum room and was FINALLY able to see my baby around 8:30 that night.

Hampton was able to leave the NICU after about 24 hours. They took the CPAP off Thursday morning, fed him twice and he did well. It was great to have him in our room finally. He stayed with us the next night, and then had to be put under the lights for jaundice. The hospital does not have a nursery, but we had them take him to the “watch room” that night b/c his apnea pad kept going off and he kept pulling off his “shades.” I knew I wouldn’t get a wink of sleep with all the alarms going off and worrying about his little eyes being open under the lights. He came out from under the lights on Sunday morning, and we were discharged that evening. It was a l-o-n-g few days, but I am glad that they took the time to make sure he was okay. Now that we’re home, he’s still jaundice, but I let him spend some time in the swing by the window for a little while each day and it seems to be helping. After being given 2 bottles first thing, and my milk not being in, it was a struggle to get him to latch. We worked with a lactation specialist for a couple of days, and she gave me some good advice. Eating has gotten much better, and he is latching well. I don’t think he feeds long enough right now (about 10-maybe 15 min on each side), but we’ll work on that. Other than that, things are going well! Though sleep deprived, we are having a wonderful time being parents!!

Hampton is here!

Our sweet baby boy arrived last Wednesday, September 23! After a report of low fluid levels at my BPP Tuesday morning, my doctor decided it was time to get him out. He weighed 6lb13oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. He had fluid in his lungs and had to spend his first 24 hours in the NICU, but is doing much better! I will share my birth story soon. For now, I'm going to love on this little guy:

You're trying to buy an early baby, aren't you?!

My appointment on Friday went well. My protein level is about 100mg, and the cutoff for pre-e is 300mg, so it looks like so far I'm alright. She said she'll probably have me do another urine collection after this week's appointment. Blood pressure was 145/85 (not TOO bad, but still up there), and my doctor joked and said she knew what I was trying to do: get my baby here early! Ha! I wouldn't mind, but I really have no desire to be induced, so no! My doc doesn't do an internal check every week, so I don't know if there has been any more progression. That's okay though, because I know that I would drive myself crazy guessing when this baby was coming! I've been having lots of contractions but nothing timeable--boo! Other than that, things are looking good! I am officially full term!

Week 36 Pregnancy Quiz

How far along: 36weeks, 4days
Total weight gain/loss: +29
Maternity clothes: Yes and no
Stretch marks: None on the belly...the boobs and butt are a different story :/
Sleep: Still comfortable, so that's nice
Best moment this week: Getting things all put together in the nursery. We're ready when the monkey is!
Movement: Pretty calm this week. I think he's so low and out of room!
Food cravings: Nothing much. Really loving sweets recently, though.
Gender: Boy-oh-boy!
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out: Stretched thin
What I miss: The ability to breathe. I've seriously been stuffed up since Feb. This is ridiculous! What I am looking forward to: My appointment tomorrow. Any more progression? We shall see :)
Weekly Wisdom: Don't procrastinate. The end sneaks up on you!
Milestones: Hospital bag packed and car seat is installed. This is going to happen!!!

Holy mood swings, Batman!!

My pregnancy week-by-week book warned me about this. I had no idea what I was in for. I can go from happy to sad to annoyed and back to happy in no time flat. Seriously. Ask my husband. He's a trooper.

It is so strange to have absolutely no control over the way you feel. I cried today b/c I was making Jordan late to meet some friends for a round of disc golf. (Like I care. It's disc golf for goodness sakes!)

I don't see this coming to an end soon. I'm sure it will only get worse until my hormones balance out once the baby gets here. Good luck to those who have to be around me. Hopefully I'm not TOO bad! haha! :)

Guess Hampton's arrival date and stats!

Click on the Expect Net icon on the right and play along!! No prizes, just the joy of being right!

P.S. For those who are competitive: It asks the gender. I can't figure out how to make it not ask. If you guess the gender wrong, you will get 400 points--and this is not bowling, you want a low score. You have been warned! ;)

Week 35 Pregnancy Quiz

I have to be tested again for Pre-Eclampsia. Which means I once again get to pee in a jug for 24 hours and then go get my blood drawn! Fun times! Not! The doctor decided that with a combo of a still "not-so-normal" BP (a.k.a. high), my suddenly very swolen feet, and apparently the presence of protein in my urine at the last 3 visits, that it might be time to do this again. I have to say I agree!! So, here we go again...

Good news, the NST and BPP went well on Wednesday! My fluids are a little low, but not at dangerous levels. The baby is measuring in the 62nd %, so he's not as huge as everyone was making him out to be (at least we think!). My cervix is nice and soft and has thinned about half! And she said the monkey's head was right there. He is VERY low! So, mommy and baby are getting ready! Due 1 month from today! Woo hoo!!

How far along: 35weeks, 5days

Total weight gain/loss: +29 (HELLO water weight! This swelling is insane!)

Maternity clothes: Yes and no...mostly no :P

Stretch marks: Nothing new!

Sleep: Still sleeping well, but I'd love to sleep all day long. :)

Best moment this week: Our beach trip. Have I mentioned I love the beach?

Movement: He's been pretty feisty recently!

Food cravings: Vanilla ice cream with peanut butter-YUM

Gender: It's a boy-confirmed again this week as he politely flashed his good to the u/s tech!

Labor Signs: None.

Belly Button in or out: In

What I miss: Energy to do anything for more than 5 minutes without being wiped out

What I am looking forward to: This may sound weird, but washing baby stuff this weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: Don't be afraid to ask "stupid" questions at your doctor visits. They may not be so stupid after all!

Milestones: 35/35

I *heart* the beach!

We were able to get away for the Labor Day weekend and spend a few days at the beach with my mom and dad. It was so nice. The weather was perfect, we had nothing on the agenda, and I got to get away with my husband--which I didn't think was going to happen this year!

The trip was pretty last minute, and before we decided to go, I had made plans for a photographer friend to take some maternity pictures for us over the weekend. Well, we had to cancel once the trip was planned, and she lives out of town, so I decided that I would just have mom take some pics of us on the beach. This would have been a great idea--if the wind had not been gusting! Mom was able to get a few good shots, but I'm hoping that I can convince Jordan to head out with me one more time somewhere around town and try and get some better shots. We'll see...he's not one who loves getting his picture taken :)

35/35!

Yes, that means:
I'm 35 weeks today.
I have 35 days left until my due date.

Please excuse me while I go faint...!!!

Week 34 Pregnancy Quiz

I had an appointment this morning, and all is well! The monkey's heartbeat was beating away, and he was squirming all around. I love it! My blood pressure was a little high, and Dr. H had me have it redone after the appointment was over. It went up-grrr! My belly was measuring at about 32.5 weeks, but she said that it is growing and that is what matters. I have another growth scan next Wednesday and start weekly appointments from here on out. First line of business, Strep B cultures (if you know what that is, it sounds like real fun. not.). So, here we are. A few weeks from having a baby. Holy. Moly. :)

I don't have a picture this week. :( I tried to take my own in the mirror, and my tremors resulted in 4 completely blurry pictures.

How far along: 34weeks, 5days
Total weight gain/loss: +26
Maternity clothes: Yes and no...
Stretch marks: No more than last week-that I can see :/
Sleep: Still sleeping well :)
Best moment this week: Watching the daddy-to-be put together the bouncer and other stuff. He is just so excited!!
Movement: Something about the hips and ribs...that's where I feel him most.
Food cravings: None. I'll fix a whole meal, take a bite, and it is disgusting. :(
Gender: Boy oh boy!
Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Being able to sit for more than 5 minutes without my back hurting.
What I am looking forward to: I'm sitting in a beach front condo as I type. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't drink a bottle of water before getting in the car for a few hour trip to the beach. You would think that would be common sense, right??
Milestones: Tour of the hospital--it is getting close!! Also, I'm starting weekly appointments with the ob!

Tour of L&D and Post-Partum rooms: Check!

Oh my, talk about making it REAL!! Our hospital is pretty old and is currently undergoing a makeover, and my doctor kept saying "Just make it through delivery and you'll be rewarded in the new post-partum rooms." This had me very nervous. I'm thinking that ceiling tiles are going to be falling and the floor peeling up in L&D, but it was not bad at all! The worst part was the horrible wall paper in the rooms, but as Jordan put it, "You'll have that baby out in no time in order to get away from this wallpaper!" The new PP rooms are nice, but, I mean, they are hospital rooms, so not that exciting! They do have big bathrooms, are plenty roomy, and have flat screen tvs, so not too bad!

2 surprises:
1. There is NO nursery. Baby stays with mommy at all times, but you can request that a nurse come take baby for a little while if you need a break. We don't have a problem with this, just thought it was weird! (I hear now that this is becoming more common practice. I like it, but I just had no idea!)
2. Vaginal delivery ladies stay 48 hours, C-sec ladies stay 72 hours. I thought that seemed kind of long for a vag delivery, but I'll take it! I'm sure I'll soak in that time and appreciate having nurses around to take care of us!

Times they are a changin'

Yesterday was my last day of work! Kind of. It was my last day at that job. :)

I have decided to venture out and start my own Accounting business! First thoughts--Rebekah, you're about to have a baby--right? It's craziness around here, but I think the timing is great. I'm taking until the end of this year to get things together, get my name out there, getting an office set up, and taking care of the rest of the fun stuff. I am currently looking for clients, but I'll hit the ground running in January. The plan is that Hampton will be able to come to the office with me 3 days a week (I'll be in the office 4), and he will stay home with his daddy on his day off. I'm hoping to avoid having to send him off to daycare everyday, so we'll see how it all works out. I'm just hoping to have the best of both worlds here--a little bit of working mom and a little bit of a stay at home mom!

Wish me luck!

Week 33 Pregnancy Quiz

Dear Time,

Please slow down for just a bit. I have 40-something days until this baby comes and WAY.TOO.MUCH.TO.DO.! Mom says this type of freaking out is normal. I think it is unhealthy and may cause a nervous breakdown. Ball is in your court...

Thanks so much,

Rebekah

How far along: 33weeks, 5days

Total weight gain/loss: +25

Maternity clothes: Not really. Some, but still mostly just wearing dresses and skirts to work and Jordan's t-shirts at home :)

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I think I'll be one of those whose belly just explodes at the very end, bringing with it lots of stretchies...yikes!

Sleep: Yawn...Need I say more?

Best moment this week: My 2nd shower!

Movement: He's still a pretty calm baby. A few rib kicks here and head butts in the hip, and then he's ready for a nap!

Food cravings: None. Though, I did eat a half carton of Cookies and Cream ice-cream for lunch the other day! I needed the calcium, ok??

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None. Having Braxton Hicks occasionally.

Belly Button in or out: In, but I'm not sure that will last much longer!

What I miss: My sanity :/

What I am looking forward to: Having a good-bye party/baby shower at work today. Monday is my "official" last day!!!

Weekly Wisdom: Try not to get too tied up with a birth plan. I think it is important to know things don't always go as planned and not realizing this can cause a lot of unnecessary stress.

Milestones: My book says that he now keeps his eyes open while he's awake. I wonder how entertaining looking at my uterus wall is? Weird.

Baby Shower, Take 2

My wonderful friend Hollee hosted a shower for me this past weekend, and just like last time, it was great. She made some wonderful food, and I ate way too much sugar! The little monkey didn't seem to mind, though! It was a much smaller group of friends, which was nice because I actually got to talk and interact with the guests! It seemed to be a pretty busy weekend for many because several friends weren't able to make it, but it is the end of summertime and there is lots going on. I know they'll come celebrate with me when Hampton gets here, and that's what is important! :)

Here I am with the hostess and my bestest friend:

My friend, Ashley, who has cheered me on throughout. She is also newly expecting #2!!:The food. Yum!:My mom, grandmother, and me:

Hollee suggested that guests bring books for us to read the little guy. I'm reading the sweet note Ashley wrote in the book she enjoys reading with her little girl, The Kissing Hand:

Monkeys!:Great bibs! "My Dad is Cooler than your Dad" and "Spit Happens!":

I remain completely overwhelmed by the generosity of others. Our sweet baby has no idea how incredibly loved he already is, but I can guarantee there will not be a day in his life that he isn't aware of it.

Just for fun...

Never a dull moment at our house! This is what I went through last night trying to get Jordan to take my belly pic. He would not give the camera back--he just kept shooting! Some turned out funny, some pretty scary, but here they are: the good, the bad, and the ugly...