Nesting

It's been so nice to have a little more free time than usual on our hands. I've been able to do quite a bit of nesting that I really just haven't had the time for so far. I've already washed her clothes through 3 months, and all of her bedding and other "accessories." Her car seat is ready to go (Brad is planning to install it and have it checked out this week). This weekend Brad was able to assemble her pack and play and her swing. I know it's probably jumping the gun a little, but I have good reasoning.

I really don't want Lucy to think that her WHOLE world is changing when Emma gets here. She's been our baby for a few years now and she's about to become our first born - we refer to Emma as her baby sister! Brad and I have already planned ways to include her and to never make her feel like any of her house is off limits. She's allowed in the nursery, will still be sleeping in the bed with us, and will be allowed to "check Emma out" as much as she wants to (luckily, she's never been a licker, just a sniffer!). I don't want there to be any chance of resentment. I really wanted the pack and play and swing to be in the living room now so that she can get used to them. She has checked both out and doesn't seem too freaked out yet - I'm sure that will change once there's a crying baby in them!

Tomorrow we're going to start packing "the bag." Brad has had several nightmares so far that involve me going into labor and there being no "bag" so I'm going to go ahead and start packing to ease his fears.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what to include or not to include, other than the usual things that you hear about? I'm all ears!

Thursday we have an ultrasound to check her size and a checkup. I'm excited because I can't wait to see what she's weighing in at these days. I know that for 35 weeks she should be a little over 5 lbs and around 18-19 inches. The last ultrasound that we had showed that she was in the 66th percentile for height and weight - quite a bit bigger than we were expecting. I can't wait to see how much she's grown! After this next appointment I start going weekly. By the end of this party, I will OWN the parking deck!

Here's Emma's Pack and Play. It has a changing table (on left) and a "newborn napper" on the right. It also has cool features - a night light, vibration, and several music and sound settings.

This is the Pack and Play with the canopy removed (I think I like it better off).

This is her swing. I think it's called the "little lamb." See the ears?
It also has lots of features - lots of music and speed settings and nature sounds.

I swear this is the SOFTEST thing I've ever felt!

35 Weeks

We've hit week 35! We've also hit the end of school this week, which feels awesome. I can honestly say that it hasn't hit me yet that I'm not going back after summer vacation. It probably won't until Emma's here and Brad is back at school. It's sad, but it's going to be a great time in my life and I know how lucky I am that I will get to stay at home with her. Like I tell people everyday, we'll be broke and will be eating rice and beans, but it will all be worth it.

This week has been good, but exhausting. I've been busy packing up my personal school stuff and doing it all with no A/C at school, which doesn't help these swollen ankles! At least now I can prop my feet up at home with the air set on "freeze everyone in the house to death."

My hands have started to fall asleep this week - mostly my right. I've heard that it's common and caused by the stress that is put on your body to circulate all of the extra blood that you have when pregnant. It makes sense, but hurts! I'm hoping that it's short-lived.

I've really overdone it today. I was my friend Mary's "decoy" today for her surprise 30th birthday party. We got to hang out and spend some good girl time together this morning. Brad and I then went to her party. We had to leave THERE and head to the Cheesecake Factory in Buckhead to meet one of Brad's fellow teachers and some of their students for an end of the year celebration. We had a great time and discovered that Emma LOVES cheesecake, but it gives her the hiccups.

Needless to say, I'm exhausted. We're going to try to take it a little easier tomorrow for sure. Here are plenty of pictures of week 35. I like to call the first one "Lunar Eclipse." I actually took it somewhat by accident while experimenting with camera settings. I thought it turned out pretty cute! The others were Brad getting artsy fartsy on me while taking my typical weekly belly shot. Unfortunately, it only occurred to me to have Brad take them after my exhausting day, and it shows!

Miss Lucy has to be in the middle of EVERYTHING!

My Favorite

34 Weeks

We've had a great Memorial Day weekend to kick off week 34. We had our childbirth prep class at Northside on Saturday - it was ALL day! It was taught by an RN that is certified through Northside to teach classes. She's also a Lamaze teacher, which is basically what the class was. I thought it was a little cool because it's basically the same class that my parents took before I was born. We graduated with honors and have the certificate to prove it.

As long as it was, it was a little nice because most of the class focused on relaxation techniques and massage techniques. Long story short, Brad gave me a body massage most of the day! We left class and went to Babies R Us for a few last minute things that I knew I wanted to have before Emma gets here. We had dinner out with our friends Elizabeth and Bernard afterwards. It was a busy but very fun day.

Yesterday we went to the big farmer's market near the airport with mom and dad and then to dinner at Melear's for BBQ. Yum! Emma loved the BBQ. Today was just nice and relaxing. We've spent the entire day at home nesting. We've done 2 or 3 loads of baby laundry (in addition to the 2 loads of our own). We've been organizing baby things and I even got the thank you notes from my last shower finished and ready to be mailed. It's been nice to be so productive today, but to have stayed in my jammies all day too!

We only have 2 days of school this week - tomorrow and Wednesday are post-planning. There's a ton to get packed and moved from school to home for me, but I'm ready to go ahead and get it done. After that we're free! It hasn't sunk in yet for either one of us. We also have our hospital tour tomorrow which I'm looking forward to. They'll show us where to go and what will happen once Emma's on her way. I've seen the Women's Center a few times, but only the post-partum rooms.

Here's another ever-expanding-belly pic from this weekend.

Doctor's Appointment

There weren't really any updates to speak of from my doctor's appointment. Emma's heartbeat sounded great and she's growing well. The doctor wants me to have one more ultrasound when I go in for my next appointment in 2 weeks. She says that because of the size of the cyst that it's harder to measure the size of the baby and an ultrasound will solve that problem. I'm hoping to get a solid decision on whether or not they'll induce me early or not because of her size (the doctor mentioned it 2 weeks ago). I'm pretty sure she's grown quite a bit over the last few weeks - I've gotten HUGE. People from work stopped me all day to tell me that I "popped" again and that I looked ready to have her. One teacher even recommended that I go home because I looked like I was about to explode. I certainly feel that way!

I've been having quite a bit of pain from my belly button down this week. After asking several moms that I know and then asking the doctor, I discovered why. Emma's "dropped" as they say. It's not very noticeable to look at my belly, but I can certainly feel all 5lbs of baby on my pelvic bones!

Tomorrow is our childbirth preparation class at Northside. We're looking forward to it, but wishing that it wasn't all day long (9-4). I had the option of doing a weekend class (2 days, 1/2 day each), weekly classes (a few hours a week for several weeks) or doing it all at once and we decided to get it out of the way. On Tuesday night we have our hospital tour. I'm looking forward to that as well. I'm afraid that it may bring on the fears of labor that I'm currently trying very hard to suppress. So long as they can promise to do a "drive thru" epidural as I pull into the parking lot, we'll be all good. ;)

I can't believe that I only have 3 more weeks until I'm full-term, and 42 days until her due date. Time has flown and has dragged on and on and on, all at the same time. We're ready for her, but not nearly ready. Does that make sense?? I've washed her newborn and 3 month clothes, set up her nursery, read books and done internet research on breastfeeding and newborn care. However, there's still a pile of shower gifts on our dining room table to be sorted through and washed, thank you cards to be written and sent, and last minute things to buy at Babies R Us. It makes me wonder if we'll ever feel truly "ready." I feel ready in the sense that we're both fairly prepared to handle a newborn. I know that I will be overwhelmed with lack of sleep and emotions for the first several weeks. I'm aware that our lives will never be the same, and I'm READY for it. Brad on the other hand.... :) He'll get there.

Today was the last day of school for the kids. We still have 2 days of post-planning. I can honestly say that today was cathartic for me. Some teachers are sad when they leave their students, knowing that they aren't coming back. When I left my job in Carrollton I cried like a baby. Today.....nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sure, I will miss a few of my students. In all honesty, this year has been tough. I've had 10 students for most of the year - a HUGE caseload for a special needs classroom. I've dealt with a lot of things at school from my personal life - a lot of ups and downs. Some of my kids were particularly tough - known throughout the department as the class that no one would be caught dead teaching. Think wild monkeys on crack wearing diapers. You can ask Brad if I'm exaggerating - he's seen them. I've also dealt with a tough parent all year that has made me miserable. For some reason, because I can't cure her son's autism I must be the cause of it. I'm just so glad to see the year go by that it's hard to get emotional about it. It's also hard to be sad to leave when I know that the best part of my entire life is waiting for me. I can't wait to hold Emma, make Brad a "daddy," make my parents "grandparents," and get to know my sweet little girl. She's so loved already by so many people that it brings tears to my eyes to even fathom.

33 Weeks

I can honestly say that this has been the first week that I have been flat out UNCOMFORTABLE. I'm hot, there's no air conditioning at school, my belly is huge and hard, and standing up from a sitting or lying position hurts like hell. It seems like gravity takes over as soon as I stand and everything from my belly button down hurts. I've been told that it's normal and likely because Emma's starting to drop some. I think she's just as sick of this heat and lack of sleep as I am! Did I mention that my shoes will barely fit by lunchtime because of the swelling feet? Only a few more days until I can go barefoot and prop my feet up whenever I want to - 2 more days with the kids and then 2 of post-planning. Yea! Now that I have gotten my complaints out of the way, have I mentioned yet how much I love being pregnant? Seriously, I haven't been this happy or upbeat in my entire life. I told Brad that now he just has to keep me pregnant. He didn't think it was nearly as funny as I did.

She's been head down almost all week. How do I know? Hiccups. The location of the hiccups is her dead giveaway. This still hasn't kept her from digging under my ribs with her little toes though! She's moving around and kicking a ton and is getting bigger by the minute. I swear that my belly can't stretch much bigger, but just when I say that it seems like I double in size!

This past weekend was SO busy. We had baptism class early on Saturday morning, followed by the baby shower that Brad's sister hosted for us. On Sunday we celebrated my Dad's 63rd birthday, which was a lot of fun. It was a weekend full of running around and staying busy, but it was nice.

Here are some pictures of the shower that I promised. We had a great time. Brad even came and made a brief appearance on his way out to the pool room with the other men who tagged along for the tea sandwiches. I wrangled him in for a few pictures before the estrogen levels got the best of him.

Brad and I in front of the spread. I think I'm bigger than he is now!

Brad's mom, Katherine, and sister, Stacie (who hosted the shower).

My sister-in-law, Holly - love her!


Stacie measuring my belly before a shower game - everyone overshot except for Brad's grandmother - she's my favorite ;)

I have another check-up tomorrow, so I'll be sure to update if there is any news, although I'm not expecting any.

3D Ultrasound

I had a great baby shower yesterday that I'm dying to write about and post pictures of, but I only have a few minutes and want to post some pictures of our 3D Ultrasound that we had today first. I'll post more this week about the shower and a belly picture.

This was our second 3D ultrasound - the first was when Emma was 18 weeks. It's amazing how much she has changed! She has fat now and isn't nearly as scrawny. She looks pretty much like she will when she's born at this point. She was precious - she kept sucking her thumb (or putting her thumb close to her mouth - hard to tell) with her index finger pointed straight up. It looked like she was saying "Ssshhhhhh!" Too cute! The ultrasound tech said that she looks like she's going to be a school teacher. We both laughed - she had no idea that we are both school teachers! We can't wait to meet her! Here are some pictures. It's hard to tell from ultrasounds, but in the first one she seems to look EXACTLY like I did when I was a baby. We'll see soon!

Looking like mommy - and her eyes are wide open!


Shhh!!!

My favorite - she loves her hands.

Asleep with her hands under her chin.

Baby Shower & 8 Months!

I've been remiss in posting lately, but I have some good excuses. For starters, I had a great baby shower last weekend that my aunts hosted. It was wonderful and I've been busy washing cute baby outfits, putting away, organizing things, and writing thank you notes ever since. On top of that, we only have 2 more weeks of school left and I have more to do to finish out the year than I have time for. I typically make it a rule to take home as little as possible, which I usually am able to accomplish. This week however, I have a feeling I will be having some late nights. Ick.

My family threw Emma and I the BEST baby shower ever. I had so much fun and got so many awesome gifts that I can't wait to put to good use. Emma even got her first bathing suit and sunglasses! My mom got us the most awesome travel system (carseat, carrier, and stroller) that I can't wait to use. Brad and I have spent most of the week finding places for things, washing baby clothes, and just doing some general organization in Emma's room. This little girl is spoiled already. Here are some pictures from the shower.


I am officially 32 weeks (or 8 months) this week. I keep saying it, but it truly is SO hard to believe that she'll be here so soon. I can't wait. She's really discovered my ribs this week and has spent most of her time while I'm sitting with her feet in my ribcage. Can we say, uncomfortable???? My mom got to feel her kicking the heck out of me yesterday because she was so mad that I was laying on my side. She's a little kick boxer and boy, does she have staying power. She absolutely will NOT stop kicking until I turn over. I've tried to wait her out - no luck. I have a feeling that she and I may have a few "battles of the wills" coming up in her pre-teen/teenage years. I, of course, was an angel growing up, so I feel certain that this payback will be for Brad's awfulness! ;)

I had a good doctor's appointment this week. I am going every 2 weeks now and they are making sure that I am familiar with all of the doctors (which I know most of already) so I saw Dr. Angus. I gained 2 lbs since my last appointment which brings my grand total so far to 7 lbs, and Emma weighs about 4 or 4 1/2 of that. I'm supposed to gain about a pound a week from here on out, though 1/2 of that goes straight to Emma. She's supposed to gain 1/2 lb a week from this point on. I'd be SO happy if I really DO only gain 15 lbs, though I'm not holding my breath there. My appetite is pretty low, mostly because there just isn't much room for food anymore. Here's the belly picture for this week. We decided to change the scenery and use her changing table/dresser as a backdrop this time. Only 6 more weeks until I'm considered to be "full term!"

Cutest stuff EVER!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am ANYTHING but a girly-girl. However, when it comes to shopping for Emma, I'm all about the froofy pinks and lace. When I saw an embroidered diaper cover on the bottom of a friend's baby, I flipped. I've been looking at them on the internet ever since, but haven't ordered any. Today, to my surprise, I walked into work to find a baby gift bag on my desk. Guess what was in it????? Not one...but TWO precious embroidered diaper covers!!! They are the cutest things I've ever seen!!!! I can't WAIT to see Emma's little butt in them. Thank you Mira! I don't have your address, otherwise I'd send you a VERY BIG thank you card.


I've tried to "cut myself off" as far as buying baby clothes goes because Emma's accumulated quite a few outfits already - perhaps more than she'll ever even wear. I've done fairly well so far, but I HAD to cave on this one. It's called a pillowcase dress. I got it in 12m, hoping that she'll be able to wear it next summer. It's not very fitted and looks like it can grow with her. You can even put a long-sleeved t-shirt under it and some cute tights for the winter. As if it wasn't cute enough already, she can even wear it as a 3T-4T shirt with some cute jeans. Looks to me like either one of Mira's diaper covers would look precious with it too!


I'm 31 weeks today. Only 6 more weeks until I'm considered "full term." Wow. I had a shower at school on Wednesday. Here's a picture of Mom and I at that.


This is a picture of a stool that my friend Amy hand-painted for Emma. She looked at the bedding set that we picked out at Target and painted it to look EXACTLY the same - I'll have to remember to take a better picture of it soon. SO pretty!



Tomorrow is the shower that my aunt's are throwing for Emma (and me too, I suppose!). I can't wait! I'll be sure to bring my camera and take plenty of photos. I'll also try to remember to get Brad to take the "belly shot" between now and then as well.