35 Weeks plus a surprise for Elizabeth!!

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 35 weeks


Baby's size? 5 pounds, 4 ounces... In case you're wondering, that's 10 ounces in a week... Man, she sure is growing!!


Gender? Still a baby GIRL!! Elizabeth Anne


Weight Gain? 23 pounds


Maternity clothes? Mainly maternity, but I can still wear regular dresses and "comfy" pants


Stretch marks? I actually have noticed two... =( But they're on my side and not very dark... Hope these are the only two... And a faint linea nigra...


Belly Button in or out? Depends on the day/time/position... Sometimes flat, sometimes shallow. Part of it has popped out, but it's just the very top...


Sleeping? Ok, I guess. I wake up every hour and a half to two hours to go potty...


Foods I'm loving? Hmm... I'm not loving anything, but I'm not disliking anything, either


Foods I'm hating? Nothing really


Best moment this week? Seeing all my friends and celebrating Elizabeth's soon-to-be arrival! Being told that I don't have to see my doctor until 37 weeks and no more Non-Stress Tests!!!


What I'm looking forward to? Elizabeth's arrival in 5ish weeks!!!


What I miss? Sleeping through the night!!!


Symptoms? They've been toned down this week... mainly frequent potty breaks


Weekly wisdom? drink, drink, drink!!!


Milestones? 35 weeks down, 35 days to go!


Emotions? I cry over just about anything these days...

35 weeks... Beginning to feel huge!

When I got home from my doctor's appointment today, I noticed that I had a package by the front door. I hadn't ordered anything, so I was very curious as to what it was. Turns out, my Mom and Dad sent something fun for Elizabeth... So, in pictures, here it is...

Car Seat before...

Car Seat After...

How cute is this!?

So even though we decided to go gender neutral on our car seat, Elizabeth will still have the cuteness of a girly  cover! Thanks Mom and Dad! I LOVE it!!! =)

Baby Shower!

This past weekend my two sweet sister-in-laws hosted a baby shower for me and Elizabeth. They did such a beautiful job and I loved getting to see both of them, as well as all of my sweet friends that came!! Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Me and my sweet sister-in-laws

Aunt Linda, Granny, me, and Mom (MeMaw couldn't make it due to the nasty weather in Texarkana)

The most beautiful (and YUMMY) cake!!

Amber's take on a "diaper" cake - full of blankets, towels, wash cloths, and fun toys!

The blanket on the bottom tier was handmade by my other sister-in-law, April. It is super cute!!

Clothes line full of gowns, socks, hats, and bibs!

What will be hung on our door at the hospital. One of my Dad's PA's made this!

(We'll obviously fill in the details)

Sweet doll, cute sock monkey, and hippo.

Swim suit, from Mom, to make sure we come down to swim this summer. =)

The cutest activity mat... EVER

Burp cloths made by one of my friends moms... so cute!!

Elizabeth got TONS of cute things, but I don't think you want to see pictures of everything. Let's just say that she is one blessed and loved little girl! I can't wait for her to arrive so we can put everything to good use! Stay tuned tomorrow for my weekly update. =)

34 weeks and some GREAT news!

Well, since I'm so excited and relieved, I'll start out with the good news. The ultrasound tech at my doctor's new office noticed something, called echogenic bowel, about 3 or 4 weeks ago. This could've meant anything from nothing to Elizabeth having some sort of genetic/chromosomal abnormality. My ob said that we wouldn't really know anything until I saw the maternal fetal specialist (the high risk doctor I've been seeing once a month due to Elizabeth's small size) the next time, which was this morning. Of course as soon as I heard that, I started freaking out and thinking the worst. I was dreading today's appointment to say the least. 


I love the ultrasound techs at the high risk clinic! They are so helpful in explaining things throughout the whole ultrasound and even though she couldn't tell me any details, I was able to understand a little more about what echogenic bowel is. The simplest definition is that the bowels are the same "brightness" as the bone, or more bright than the bone. She pointed out Elizabeth's intestines as she was explaining, and I was finally able to see what my normal ob had been talking about.


Well, once the ultrasound was over, the specialist, Dr. S came in. First off, she told me that Elizabeth has had a major growth spurt in the past month and has gone from less than 10th% growth wise to in the 20th%!An answer to prayers! She said that Elizabeth's intestines look great and that it is normal to see some brightness in the intestines this late due to her practicing "breathing" and swallowing fluid. Another answer to prayers! And the best news that she said...


She's releasing me from her care!! Dr. S said that she doesn't need to see me for the rest of my pregnancy, I don't need any more tests (hoping this means I won't have any more 4 hour doctor's appointments and that I won't have weekly NST and ultrasounds), and to enjoy the rest of my NORMAL pregnancy!! So needless to say, Alan and I are both thrilled, ecstatic, relieved, and thankful! I just want to thank everyone who has been praying for us! All our prayers have been answered! :) We just have one more... a smooth and easy delivery. :) In celebration, I stopped by McAllister's and picked up soup and sweet tea!


Now, with all the exciting stuff over, we can get to the highlights...


Pregnancy Highlights


How far along? 34 weeks


Baby's size? About 4 pounds 10 ounces


Gender? Still a baby GIRL!! Elizabeth Anne


Weight Gain? Didn't step on the scale this morning, but I'm guessing between 21 and 22 pounds...


Maternity clothes? Mainly maternity, but I can still wear regular dresses and "comfy" pants


Stretch marks? Not yet!! Hoping I take after my mom and don't get them!!! But I have noticed a faint linea nigra...


Belly Button in or out? Depends on the day/time... Sometimes flat, sometimes shallow. Part of it has popped out, but it's just the very top...


Sleeping? Ok, I guess. I wake up every hour to two hours...


Foods I'm loving? Frozen yogurt with fruit, chick-fil-a, the lasagna I made this week (probably because I used WAY too much cheese), Mexican, really anything!


Foods I'm hating? Nothing really


Best moment this week? Being released from the high risk doctor and finding out that Elizabeth is in "position," she just needs to wait anywhere from 3-6 more weeks. :)


What I'm looking forward to? My baby shower this weekend that my two wonderful sister-in-laws are throwing me! And getting to see my College Station friends that I haven't seen since we moved.


What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach and sleeping through the night


Symptoms? They've been toned down this week... mainly frequent potty breaks


Weekly wisdom? Doctors generally tell you worse case scenarios... Hope for the best, but be prepared for anything.


Milestones? Elizabeth is in position! Being told I can have a "normal" rest of the pregnancy!


Emotions? I cry over just about anything these days...


I can't seem to find my camera cord, so the picture will have to wait. Let's just say I'm starting to feel HUGE! I'm so ready for her to get here. :)

Weekend in Review!

Alan and I had a great weekend! We started off on Friday by going out to dinner at a place neither of us had ever been to, with some friends from church. It's called JB's Steakhouse. I had Chicken Fried Chicken and Alan had Chicken Fried Steak. Both were GREAT, and the company was even better! I actually ate about 95% of my meal which rarely happens.

Saturday morning was low-key; we slept late and went to Sam's and the grocery store. Alan came home and worked all afternoon on something that I can't even begin to explain and I just vegged out and did nothing. That evening we went out with some other friends to a place called CoCos Crepes and Coffee. I wasn't a huge fan of my dinner crepe, but I LOVED the dessert crepe that Alan and I split! The picture below isn't what we got, but it sure looked that good, if not better. We got a Banana's Foster crepe, that had whipped creme and vanilla gelatto on top. SOOO yummy! I'll definitely be going back for more dessert crepes! I also found a cupcake store and a cute kids store that I'll have to go explore soon!



After dinner we were planning on seeing a movie, but even though we got there 30 minutes early, the only seats left were front row. Not fun at all! We ended up pulling the "Our wives are pregnant and it wouldn't be comfortable for them to sit in the front for 2 hours" card and got our money refunded. Instead of the movie, we went and played Monopoly. I didn't win, and I hate not winning... haha... It was still fun!

Sunday was another low-key day. We went to church, but didn't stay for Sunday School. Alan fixed my shark mop, we ate lunch, Alan worked and I made cookies, and then I cooked lasagna for dinner. All in all, a great weekend!

What I'm really looking forward to, though, is tonight! We're having a girls night at a place called The Chocolate Bar. I love chocolate, and this is the perfect time to go since I can eat all I want guilt free. :)

I hope everyone has a fabulous Monday!!

33 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights


How far along? 33 weeks and 2 days


Baby's size? About 4 pounds 3 ounces... If I make it to my due date and she keeps growing at the rate she's growing, she should be approximately 7 1/2 pounds!


Gender? Still a baby GIRL!! Elizabeth Anne!


Weight Gain? Up 20 pounds...


Maternity clothes? Mainly maternity, but I can still wear a select few regular shirts and "comfy" pants


Stretch marks? Not yet!! Hoping I take after my mom and don't get them!!!


Belly button in or out? Still in, but looking a little funny.


Sleeping? Depends on the night... I've had a couple nights of insomnia (one where I e-mailed a friend about coupons at 3 am...) and the rest are normal nights of getting up ever hour or two to go to the bathroom. Let's just say I wake up not feeling very rested most days... Haha. Just preparing me for when Elizabeth actually gets here!


Foods I'm loving? Frozen yogurt with fruit!!! Chick-fil-a, Mexican


Foods I'm hating? Nothing really, although my smell aversions have somewhat come back...


Best moment this week? Yet again I'll have to say my ultrasound... Found out Elizabeth already has some hair!


What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach, not having back pain, sleeping through the night, but I wouldn't trade being pregnant for anything! I'm still loving it, but at the same time I can't wait for Elizabeth to get here!


Symptoms? Heartburn, frequent potty breaks, and insomnia


Weekly wisdom? drink, drink, drink!


Milestones? Less than 50 days to go! And I'm preregistered at the hospital!!!


Emotions? I cry over just about anything these days...

33 weeks!

cute face!

kinda crazy, but the arrows are pointing to Elizabeth's hair... haha

Not much else going on here the past couple days, aside from waiting at Dr. Bruce's office for a total of.... FOUR HOURS... No wonder my back started hurting! Those chairs are not comfortable. As much as I appreciate the proactive approach my doctor is taking, it stresses me out to be there every week and worry about what might be wrong. Can't wait for Elizabeth to get here so my worry will be gone (aside from the new worries that come with having a newborn)!! Seven weeks and counting!!!!!

Nursery!!

Well, with my parents, grandparents, Granny, and aunt coming down in 2 weeks, I figured it was time to get cracking on the nursery. Granted, all the baby stuff had been organized for weeks, but the room was still a wreck, full of boxes of stuff that I had brought from Texarkana to sort through. So this weekend was a cleaning weekend. (On a side note, we also got finished organizing and cleaning 3/4 of our office, but that definitely isn't as interesting as the nursery... haha) Alan put the glider together, I organized the closet and books, AND I went through the MANY boxes and decided what to keep out, what to put in storage, and what to give to Goodwill. I wish I had taken before pictures, because it was bad, but you'll just have to live with the afters. 


The room is still missing a few key items, but those will come with time. My sister is painting something to go above the changing table (she also painted the ABC's above Elizabeth's crib!), and we won't have that for a while, seeing as she is at OSU and we're in Texas... We're also waiting to save some money before we order Elizabeth's dresser! :)


Without further ado, I'm going to inundate you with pictures. Enjoy!

Looking in from the hallway! The glider is at an angle to allow 

entrance into the closet.

Changing table (with some clothes on it).

Where the dresser will go.

Doll bed from my old room. And all the dolls/animals were mine,

 too. I spent about 45 minutes cleaning the top two dolls faces, arms, 

and legs. Let me just say that I LOVE Mr. Clean magic erasers!!

Elizabeth's Easter dress! So cute!

Close up of the detail. Now I just need a cute bow!

One of my all time favorite outfits! One of the 

only things we found at the Mistletoe Fair.

Closet! A lot more clothes than the last time...

In the corner is the shelf Alan built, full of toys, 

towels, blankets, etc.

The  books that I've bought over the years have a new home!

Elizabeth's books in a cart my MIL had painted. Too cute!!

Hope you enjoyed the tour of Elizabeth's nursery! All we're waiting on now is a little girl to occupy it. :)

32 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 32 weeks

Baby's size? Assuming about 3 pounds 11 ounces, since she's supposed to gain about 1/2 a pound a week

Gender? Still a baby GIRL! Elizabeth Anne!!

Weight gain? Up 19 pounds... Gotta slow down a little

Maternity clothes? Mainly maternity, but I can still wear a select few regular shirts and pants

Stretch marks? Not yet!! Hoping I take after my mom and don't get them!!!

Belly button in or out? Still in, but looking a little funny

Sleeping? Ok, aside from getting up to go to the bathroom ALL the time!

Foods I'm loving? Chick-fil-a, frozen yogurt with fruit!!

Foods I'm hating? Nothing really, still not loving leftovers, though.

Best moment this week? I'd have to say the ultrasound... Boy am I getting spoiled seeing her once a week!

What I miss? Well, as much as I love being pregnant, I think I'm getting to the point where I'm ready for Elizabeth to come! I'm ready to have her and then start losing all the baby weight I've gained... Haha

Symptoms? Heartburn and frequent potty breaks

Weekly Wisdom? drink, drink, drink!

Milestones? Less than 100 days to go!! :)

Emotions? I cry over just about anything these days...

No picture this week. I've been lazy and haven't felt like getting dressed up. It doesn't help that it has been raining ALL the time it seems. And when it rains, my hair goes CRAZY!! I do have a precious picture of Elizabeth's foot, though! I just so happen to think it's the cutest foot, ever, but I may be a little partial... haha