Baby Update: 34wks

Umm, seriously? This is cah-razy! Lots of stuff happened in the last week & I'm sure it will just continue until Little One is born!

We are only 3wks away from official full-term, 5wks away from possible medical induction, & 6wks away from "technical" due date.

This week, the websites estimate Elias' weight as 4.75lbs (a CANTALOUPE) & almost 18inches long. You can tell the length has slowed considerably as he was growing 0.5-1.0 inch each week... now, he's in the fattening up stage! :)


Thoughts/Happenings:
** We have another week until our doctor's appt. He will do a check to see if my body is progressing at all towards labor & also complete a beta test. If I'm positive, I'll need some prophylactic antibiotics during labor. If not, I get to labor @ home as long as possible!!

** We met with our doula Sunday. Very good meeting. We still feel very comfortable with our plans & are excited about the additional support our doula will provide!!

** We had two baby showers this week! One @ work on Wednesday & one @ church on Saturday. They were so much fun & we pretty much have all we will need (umm, we THINK we will need?) for the baby's arrival! There are several items I'll still need, but most definitely was not comfortable w/ other purchasing them! :) I don't have pictures of all the stuff, but I will try to take the rest of them tonight & post them tomorrow!

** Nick & I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary on Friday. G'Ma was so sweet & prepared a meal for us... more to come on that later!! I have a post ready w/ pictures for that! :) It's hard for me to NOT reflect when I reach milestones, so I think of what I expected when we got married. I would have thought we'd have several little ones running around & maybe done with the child-making "thing". But, God has different plans than we do. We are so thrilled to be expecting this sweet little boy he created just for us to love & raise for Him.

** We are rescheduled for maternity portraits on August 1st. After cancelling our first session & several emails back & forth, we will be using the same photographer ( Amick Cutler), but here in the "greater Tallahassee area" instead of Pensacola. He & his wife will be in town that weekend, so we're hoping to head to the Coast to take pictures near the lighthouse. I'm so thankful this will work out & will share pictures here as soon as we get them!

Symptoms/Cravings:
** Pretty predictable here... milk, steak, cheerios, sweet stuff. Heartburn is coming pretty consistently, but not horrible. I have more aches & pains moving around at night... sleeping is harder cuz my back & hip get to hurting, but it sure doesn't stop me from sleeping! (Last night, I got approximately 10-11hrs!) Clinicals are a bit more difficult, but still not unbearable. Standing up is harder since it requires more than a quick thought & leaning over to pick up trash (or anything) takes much more effort & time. LOL It's funny. I still haven't had horrible swelling, but my ankles & hands will get swollen at night.

Heading to the grocery store tonight after work, then home for a bit of resting & organizing in the baby room. Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

Baby Update: 31wks

Today marks 31wks of pregnancy! Can you believe it!? It sure is getting more & more real, but still unbelievable! :)

Little One is over 16inches long (WOW!) & weighs approximately 3.3lbs... or the weight of...


(four naval oranges)

Thoughts/Happenings:
** We got the stroller + carseat set this week! It was magically assembled by Daddy Nick & I love it. I pushed it around a bit to see if I could work it right, but it worked MUCH better after Nick unlocked the front wheels. I still ran into stuff, but I'm hoping most places will be a bit more spread out than our little house is! :)

** We saw Elias via 3D/4D ultrasound on Friday. It was wonderful. His little head was buried deep in my right side & his legs & curled up knees where tucked under my right ribs... poor guy doesn't know he's got a whole other half of the uterus to get comfy in! We went home w/ two DVDs, a CD of photos, & 10 or so pictures. I love them. :) My parents, g'parents, Nick's mom + nieces, & my sister-in-law made it!




** We had a doctor's appt today. This was the one where they scheduled another 2D ultrasound to review Elias' growth as I was measuring a teeny bit small two weeks ago at our 29wk appt. Our little guy is measuring 31w5d, so even a bit ahead of schedule! Which is awesome! They estimated his weight as 3lb15oz instead of the "average" 3lb5oz (like the oranges above), so a bit bigger. We'll take that! :) He is also head down & the doctor said that he will more than likely stay head down. He was very active during the u/s & for the appointment that followed! OH, he also has hair! We have a picture, so I will plan to scan it tonight to share tomorrow on the blog! :)

** Birthing class went well again. We watched a video about different coping techniques during labor & practiced more positions. Weird to think we only have 1 more class left!

** Since we have a couple of baby showers coming up soon, I am pretty sure I finalized up our registry & will not be peeking in the next couple of weeks! :) Got some super cute things in there that I'd love to have for the baby... cute AND functional. Or so I hear (functionality), like the swing & bumbo seat & baby wrap! :)

** We're hoping to head to the store & get the 25% discount on the dresser/changing table to complete the furniture in Elias' room. Then, we can finalize plans for the mural in his room, & really get his room ready. I'm SOOOOO ready for his room to be set!!

Cravings/Symptoms:
** Same ole, same ole cravings!

** I have an achy lower back during the night... I can still sleep, but it seems the only time my back hurts is when I'm laying down. I'm considering moving to the recliner in the future if it gets worse, but for now... it's fine!

Baby Update: 28wks

Well, I have to say that I have some of the BEST friends in the world. Seriously.

Nick's birthday & my birthday are very close together. So, we usually celebrate w/ a dinner or date out. Weeks ago, Nick emailed me an invitation for that date. It was supposed to be Friday night.

I say SUPPOSED because it was all a hoax. For a surprise baby shower. Nick & the girls worked it out perfectly... Saturday while working on the baby room, I kept remembering all of these little things that I could have picked up on or what-not, but it was so sweet.

First, onto how big Elias is getting!! He's 2.25lbs (WHOA!) & 14.8inches long! His weight compares to the weight of a chinese cabbage...



Thoughts/Happenings...

** Well, the baby shower of course! I feel silly for being so surprised, but they did a wonderful job of orchestrating it! I was in class w/ these girls literally every day in the past week & no one dropped a hint or anything! I don't have pictures from the night yet, but did snap some pictures of some of the gifts. They were so special to me!! I cried when I realized what they were doing (the surprise shower) & even more after I got home from the shower. It takes me back to never knowing if we'd ever have an opportunity to have a child... we are so blessed to be pregnant & doubly blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives.

Here's a cute puppy-dog sleeper w/ a frog romper (I think that's what they are officially called?)


Here's a gorgeous handmade crocheted blanket in some of my favorite colors!


From the hostesses (hmm, plural for hostess?), Elias' baby book!


Along with a hooded towel, coordinating bibs, & a gift card that I used to buy this play quilt & crib skirt!


A shirt (it says I love danger!), onesie, elephant toy...


And these wonderful monogrammed receiving blankets! I love seeing his name on them!


From another nursing friend, three of the sweetest, bestest books!


And the extra carseat base, so that Nick & I can have bases in each car to switch the carseat in & out of! :) (PS: this was from the friend that also works in the neurological ICU & definitely has safety in mind!!)


The next couple of pictures are the gifts from Mom... some shorts, shirts, & the cutest toof-brush!


The toothbrush holder + ribbiting soap dispenser...


And the matching rug for Elias' bathroom!


** Head back to the doctor's in a week! We'll be visiting each two weeks from now on until mid-August. We have lots of questions to ask about labor & delivery...

** We cleared out the baby room on Saturday! There's still transitional items in the living room, but as soon as the crib is assembled & then the rocker is moved into the room... we'll be able to move the other stuff in as well. It's hard to know if something will look or feel right until it's in there, but we don't want to have to move everything out of the dresser or shelf if we need to rearrange stuff! I pulled all the packing stuff out of the crib box, so hopefully Nick can get the crib put together by the end of the week! You know there will be pictures!

Here's a quick shot of how the living room looked @ one point! Remember, we switched the bed from room to room & cleared out space to assemble to crin IN the baby room!


A peek into the baby room & the beautiful antique dresser for his room. There are drawers that slide into this opening & I still need to clean & polish it more. But, exciting none-the-less!


** This weekend, we ran into the sweet friend who has offered to paint Elias' room! She's amazing & we have yet to decide what we'd like painted, but it's exciting to have ideas! Hopefully we can figure out something in the next couple of weeks!

** We got a couple of bags of clothes to go through for Elias' wardrobe. I haven't tackled this project yet, but hope to this weekend in between studying & school projects due next week. (Only 8 more days until this current summer semester is over!)

Cravings/Symptoms...

** Started getting these back aches in the morning. I can sleep just fine, but when I wake up it's painful moving around. I think I figured out the sleeping position that helps, so I am going to be trying that from now on to see if it helps w/ the lower back aches!

** Same food cravings! :)

Baby Update: 27wks

Elias is now 14.5 inches long from head to toe. It may not sound very big, but here's snapshot of 14.5inches w/ my belly...


He also weighs approximately 2.0 lbs or the size of a head of cauliflower!


Weird, huh!? And, since we recently had an infant/pregnancy loss bereavement lecture which was pretty upseting (thankfully, Elias was moving literally the WHOLE time... an answer to prayer...), he has a 90% chance of survival outside of the womb if something were to happen this week. Please don't think me morbid, but thankful. I actually met a girl this weekend in the post-partum floor that was 1 day ahead of me & had her little girl a week ago. It's a miracle both her AND the baby made it alive. Mmm, we are so very blessed.

Thoughts/Happenings...
** We got Elias some great Little Tykes outdoor pieces from a friend's yard sale. They will need to be cleaned, but we got a great deal on them!


** We had another doctor's appointment yesterday @ the 27wk mark. We had a different doctor, but she was nice enough. I am measuring at 28cm, have gained 22lbs so far this pregnancy, & Little One's heartbeat was "between 145-150". Didn't get an exact number, but oh, well. We are now heading to the doctor every 2wks! Crazy, huh!?

** Nick went to our first birthing class Monday. Again, I will miss two of the classes, but he is recording them for me & I have listened to a good part of Monday night's class. We also have various things to practice for this class, which is kinda funny. I'm sure it'll help some, but I'm very glad we've already locked in our doula for the labor & delivery! :)

** I think we will work in the baby room some this weekend. I actually have three weekends w/out clinicals!! So, we're hoping to move the twin bed out of the baby room & into the office; at least review the crib (still in box) to make sure it's not scratched or bummed up or something; move little clothes from the original dresser to the beautiful antique dresser we will be using now; maybe something more? Although, this sure sounds like more than enough to keep us busy this Saturday!

Cravings/Symptoms...
** Just love watching my stomach... we can now SEE him wiggling from the outside. It's so cool. I'm hoping to catch it on video to save for later on. I still can't get over how blessed we are. One year ago, it was rough. Personally, relationally, hormonally, emotionally, financially, spiritually... it is amazing the difference a year will make & this miracle has so much to do with these changes.

** Same ole, same ole! Milk, ice cream, steak. Still chips, too! ;)

BeBe Update (26wks)

For reals!? Almost to the 3rd trimester! Only 11wks to full term!!

And, our official baby-ticker to the right, says 98days left!

Elias is as long (from head to toe) as an English cucumber... 14inches!

and weighs approximately 1pound11oz! Still *so* tiny!

Thoughts/Happenings:
** First out of town trip (other than the trip to JAX to confirm the pregnancy) since we've been pregnant. The actual trip wasn't too bad. We scheduled stops to walk every 1.5-2.0hrs which helped break the trip up. The rental car (a Ford Fusion) had a funky angle in the passenger seat... so that coupled w/ sitting so long is what I think caused me to be so crazy achy & tired Saturday! And last night, when we arrived home 10hrs after beginning the trip, I felt pretty exhausted. We took about 2hrs worth of stops on the way back down & even stopped @ an outlet mall where we found some deals on clothes for Elias, Daddy, & Momma. I didn't snap any pics, but I'll try to later. He even got snow boots... for $1. Couldn't resist. And what boy does need as many boots as possible!? I think we will only have one more trip out of town to the Tampa Bay area to visit Nick's family & friends before Elias arrives. Due school obligations every other weekend (I am so ready to be out of school once again), we haven't been able to travel much on the weekends. Hoping to have a nice trip in July to the sunny beaches! Oh, yes, we will be heading to P'cola for the maternity portraits, too. So, two more! :)

** We have our next baby appt in one week from today. Then, we begin going every 2wks. Maybe it will seem to fly by then. Sure hope so, since it means I'm getting closer to the end of school, too! :)

** Our birthing class begins next Monday. Umm, wow!? Since my school schedules takes up most evenings & weekends, we were blessed to have a birthing instructor that is willing to work w/ our crazy schedules. Her class is the one we really wanted to make it into, so I'm very happy that she will work w/ us. Not sure I would have found another one that could have scheduled us anyhow. It's a 6wk class every Monday night from 7:00- 9:30pm. The first two classes, I will be in my nursing class, so Nick will attend alone & record the sessions to review w/ me later. The third class, I should be able to attend since we are scheduled for a final exam from 6:00-7:15 that night... then I will head to the class. Finally, the last half of the classes, I will head from work to the birthing class! :) Disappointed to not be there the whole time & I hope that Nick won't be too uncomfortable being half of a couple, but I'm happy we are getting to attend a birthing class.

** We bought a small wooden train set for Elias this weekend. And some other wooden toys. I'll have to snap pictures of those, too!

Symptoms/Cravings:
** This past week, Elias' nightly movements are pretty predictable... I sit for a while & wait. Then he starts to wiggling! AND we can see them from the "outside". He'll move somehow & it's funny to see the outside of my belly jiggle & rumble. Weird stuff, but so amazing.

** Give me ice cream, milk, & steak... I'm still pretty predictable when it comes to cravings. This week, our Sunday School class is heading to a Japanese Steak House... so I'll be miserably bloated from the filet mignon I'll eat that night! I just can't resist the good food!

Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday! I'll whine a bit & say that I am pretty much over working full-time & attending classes/clinicals 10-25hrs each week on top of being pregnant... I'm ready to knock one of those responsibilities out. I just keep telling myself I only need to make it through June 17... three weeks and two days...

Just for fun... since I haven't taken a belly shot in weeks (school on Tuesday night gets in the way), I had Nick snap a couple before heading into work today. The first one was just for fun... those slightly cheesy, "gazing at my belly" shots you all see...


And here's a belly shot...

Life Outside of Infertility/Pregnancy

Since I was off from work today & super motivated to start working on my TO DO list for this weekend... I thought I'd also snap some photos of things around the house that made me happy.... Here goes!

My list included cleaning the sleepers I bought @ the yard sale a few weeks ago. Since it was a nice day, I hung them out to dry! Too cute!


Which led me to some veggies we're growing. Our selections includes cucumbers, squash, zucchini, watermelon, bell & banana peppers, lots of 'maters, & some marigolds.


Which will (this afternoon!) go into these raised beds Nick constructed a couple of evenings ago. They are 4' x 4'. We decided to start small, but next year we plan to add a couple more raised beds!


And while we were @ Lowe's last weekend, we grabbed some pretty petunias!


Silly cat...


And lazy dogs!




Hope you enjoyed a snapshot of my day! I am currently sitting at the community college since we were SUPPOSED to have lab hours scheduled right now & I thought I'd take advantage of the open lab to study some & review for my simulation lab this evening. But, I'll just have to spread out all my books & notes on the floor here!

Have a wonderful Friday!

Ultrasound at 18w6d