37 weeks

It feels like I've been pregnant way longer than 37 weeks! Actually, I can barely even remember what it was like to not be pregnant. It went by so fast until about ten weeks ago or so, and now it is c-r-e-e-p-i-n-g by! And it's especially hard for me to remember looking like this...

But as I've said a million times, I loved the majority of pregnancy and am still so humbled to have been able to even experience it. So never mind that this is what I am looking like these days...

Because even though it will take some time to get rid of this massive bump, very soon I will be looking our son in the face and will immediately forget all about the miserableness!

Now on to week 37. We now have a FULL TERM baby! Praise the Lord for that!! This week Gray is estimated to weigh around six and a third pounds and is a little over 19 inches long. Although he will continue to gain weight, he is fully developed and ready for life outside of the womb at any time now. Did you hear that Gray? You are ready to come out and play now. And mama is really ready for you to come out. Just so you know.

I went to the doctor on Friday and had a little bit of a scare. My blood pressure was high for the first time. The nurse seemed so surprised that she checked it 4 times before taking record of it. Of course they immediately suspected preeclampsia but no protein was showing up in my urine. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor for a while to make sure everything was ok with Gray. It scared me y'all. Everything has been perfect for so many appointments and I went in being so excited to get checked for the first time and next thing I know, I'm being hooked up to all of this stuff. I had to push a button every time I felt Gray move so they could see if his heart rate was going up like it should. The monitor indicated that his heart beat and movement were perfect, which was such a relief. They took an additional urine sample to send off to check for other issues but I never heard anything back that afternoon so I am assuming it was all fine. I have to monitor my blood pressure very closely and if it goes up at all, I have to call the doctor immediately. It's been very inconsistent over the past few days but has not been any higher at all, so that's been comforting. It could still be an early sign of me developing preeclampsia, in which case they will probably either have to schedule an induction or c-section. I don't want either, but most of all I want our baby boy here safe and am willing to do whatever that takes. I'll be pretty anxious to get back to the doctor on Friday.

On a lighter note, I am dilated one centimeter. It's definitely not much to get excited about but at least it's something! When she checked me her exact words were "Bless your heart, he is really giving you pressure and pushing on your bladder!" When I asked her if his head was down she said, "Oh honey, it's definitely down." I knew he was really low and I was pretty certain his head has been down for a while, but it was good to hear for sure. When I was hooked up to the fetal monitor, it showed that I was having some contractions. The nurse had to ask me if I knew I was even having them. When they told me when a contraction was starting, I was able to associate it with what I was feeling. I've thought I was having them here and there, but they haven't been very painful yet and I just didn't know for sure if that's what it was. Now that I am certain, I've been feeling them off and on all weekend. I am to the point of being willing to do anything to get this boy out, so I wanted to walk yesterday. The heat makes my swelling worse so we went to the mall and walked for about an hour. I definitely felt the contractions get stronger and more frequent with walking but it still wasn't anything to get excited about yet. I literally had to stop at every department store to pee and we got several stares, laughs and comments by more obnoxious people, but don't think that's going to stop me from trying to walk this baby out!

I'm not going to hold my breath, but it would be really exciting if my next post was about Gray's birth instead of week 38 ;)

36 Weeks

Another week of waddling down, only 4-ish more to go. Maybe less if we're lucky. Did I say that last week? ;)

Gray weighs about 6 pounds this week and will continue to gain about an ounce everyday from here on out. He is about 18 and a half inches long. It's hard to tell if he is really big or if mama's so short that he just really doesn't have much room in there. Either way, I can feel his sweet little body parts from one side of me to the other. His movements continue to get more and more uncomfortable, although I still LOVE it every time I feel him. He is big enough though that his movements can be seen by someone sitting across the room. I love to just sit and watch my belly and imagine what that little booger is doing in there. Sometimes my entire belly is completely lop-sided and it looks so weird.

I am almost to the point of being "over" pregnancy. It's been such an amazing experience and I have loved it but am just so big, so uncomfortable and so, so ready to meet our little guy. At this point it is very likely that I will get more rest when Gray is born than I am now. I am not sleeping more than an hour and a half at a time, between bathroom breaks and trying to get comfortable. I'd much rather be up nursing or changing diapers every other hour than peeing and fighting getting this huge belly back in bed. The swelling has still been bad but is somewhat off and on. Usually I can get it to go down some by elevating my legs but I am starting to see it stick around more and more. Pretty soon I'll have no choice but to wear my slippers out in public because none of my shoes fit these fat feet.

All of Gray's clothes and all of the nursery items have been washed in sweet smelling baby detergent and are good to go. We went to the fire department and got our car seat installed this weekend. The only thing left to do is decide on a pediatrician. Paul is going to try to take a day off next week so we can visit some pediatrician's offices and make a decision. We can wait until we're in the hospital to make the decision but I'd rather know before then.

We had our last birthing class last night. We learned all about the postpartum joys; the pain, the bleeding, the swelling, the hormones going crazy, I could go on and on. Surprisingly though, it didn't freak me out one bit. I think I am just so ready for Gray to come out that I am up for anything at this point (not that I have a choice, but you know what I mean). We also got a tour of the labor and delivery and mother/baby floors and learned how and where to check in when it's go time. They are having a very slow baby week and had a lot of open rooms and y'all, I was willing to pay big money to just check right on in last night. But instead I'll just work on  my patience and wait on our sweet little man to come when he is ready.

35 weeks!

Only about five more weeks to go! Maybe a little less if we're lucky ;)

This week our boy weighs about five and a quarter pounds and is a little over 18 inches long. He only has two more weeks until he'll be considered a full term baby! His kidneys are fully developed at this point and his lungs and brain are close to being done too. Mostly he is just working on packing on pounds for the last few weeks.

I went to the doctor on Friday and everything checked out great. I'd only gained two pounds in the last two weeks which was good news to me. It was my first time seeing this particular doctor and I really liked him a lot. It helped that he told me everything was "perfect", including my weight and belly measurement. For some reason he didn't say that my belly was measuring as if there were two in there. I wish I could take him everywhere I go so he could answer to all of the obnoxious people I seem to run in to. Like the one at Target today who said, "When are you due-today?" When I told her it was more like five weeks she said "Must be twins." My friend Meredith was with me so it made it a little easier to laugh it off this time.

Apparently this is what one looks like at 35 weeks when pregnant with twins...

I've started packing Gray's hospital bag and plan on getting mine going this week too. Each week gets harder and harder to move around and do things and with the swelling getting worse too, I really want to try to have everything done in the next week or so. Paul and I have starting getting things we still need from our registry and we plan on getting the car seat installed this weekend.

I go back to the doctor next week and they will check things out down there for the first time to see if I have effaced and/or dilated yet. From then I will go weekly until baby boy decides to make his grand entrance.

I'm going to be a mommy real soon y'all. Crazy, but oh so exciting!

Weekend Recap

Most of the weekend was spent celebrating the wedding of my good friend Meredith, and her now husband Chad Tucker. If that names sounds familiar to you, it's probably because you've seen him reporting on Fox 8 news. Chad is a great guy and they really couldn't be more suited for each other. Meredith and I went to high school together but she was a year behind me and we never knew each other well then. We became good friends about 5 years or so ago and have even been to Africa together twice. She has shared in so many of her friends joy as they/we have gotten married and we've been praying and waiting for her husband for a long time. It was so exciting finally getting to celebrate her wedding.

The wedding festivities started with a bridal brunch on Friday downtown at the Screaming Rooster. I'd never been there before and it was a super cute place. Meredith is a hair stylist and is always super fashionable. She's one of those people that looks gorgeous in anything. She loves hats so in honor of that, we all wore one at the brunch. She brought a bunch extra for people like me who don't own a funky hat, because we look ridiculous in them. It may be hard to believe with as silly as I look in this hat, but Meredith can totally pull it off. And it definitely belongs on her and not me!

The brunch was a lot of fun and we even got to meet some movie producers that are here filming the new movie with Owen Wilson. Did y'all hear he was hanging at Mozelle's last weekend? The producers were fun to talk to and they told us how much they are loving Winston and all the southern-ness (pretty sure that is not a word) of good 'ol NC. 

After the brunch everybody headed out to the wedding venue to help with decorations. This big mama went home to put my swollen feet up before the rehearsal dinner. I guess I shouldn't even say "venue"; the wedding was at the home of a couple that Chad knows. Their beautiful home and farm is about an hour away in the mountains and was one of the most stunning places I have ever seen in my life. We had a delicious southern rehearsal dinner consisting of two of my favorite foods,  BBQ and mac and cheese.

Saturday we got there several hours before the wedding to take pictures and whatnot. Meredith and Chad technically only had one bridesmaid and one groomsmen and the rest of us were considered "honorary". We still walked down the ailse and did everything a wedding party would do, but Meredith didn't want us to all have to buy a dress we'd never wear again and have to worry about all the other stuff that comes along with being a bridesmaid. It was really laid back and I loved that she did things that way. We got to wear whatever we wanted, as long as it at least somewhat went with the royal blue and green wedding colors. It's obvious how much Meredith loves pregnant bellies when she insisted I be a part of her wedding, even though I told her months ago I'd be huge by her big day.

The wedding could not have been more perfect.

Sunday was baby dedication day at church. They have two a year-one every Mother's Day and one in November right around Thanksgiving, which is when we'll be dedicating Gray. We knew several couples who were dedicating their babies and it was such a sweet time. Then our pastor delivered an awesome sermon on women and mothers. Although much of it will not be easy, Paul and I are so excited to become parents soon and plan on trying our very best every day to do life, marriage and parenthood God's way.

I guess you can say I celebrated my first Mother's Day yesterday. Although I don't feel 100% like a mommy yet, it was still a very special day. Paul got me the sweetest card and a gift certificate to one of my favorite stores. My family all got together last night to celebrate all of the mothers. My brother grilled salmon and KING CRAB legs!!! It was so delicious and we all had a great night. We are blessed with wonderful family. It's crazy to think that next Mother's Day we'll have an almost one year old!

Y'all have a good week!

34 weeks

Gray weighs about four and three fourths pounds this week and has possibly hit the 18 inch mark. His fat layers are filling out and he is becoming more plump. His central nervous system and lungs are continuing to mature, although they are very close to being done developing! If Gray were born this week, there is even a good chance he'd be able to breath on his own already. Every day he stays in me cooking is a relief. I've known of several babies born really early and although they survived and live a normal life, it was a very tough road for them and their mamas and daddies. So as uncomfortable as I am right now, I am praying daily for the little booger to stay in me until he is completely ready to come out. Don't get me wrong though, in another three weeks when he is full term, I'll be wishing his arrival at any time!

Every week day gets a little more uncomfortable than the one before. Even though Gray is getting bigger, I am still feeling him move a lot. He spends most of his time on my bladder and in my ribs, which is a tad uncomfortable as you can imagine. I am sure his movement will change soon as he really starts to run out of room in there. The lovely pregnancy swelling joined me last week. It started in my ankles but at times my entire legs and feet are swollen too. By Sunday evening my legs almost all looked like one size. It's really attractive and I'm pretty excited about it. Oh, and it feels real good too. It's always a lot better when I wake up in the morning but by the middle to end of every day they look like tree trunks again. Honestly though I am very thankful it didn't start earlier. I've had several friends who got swollen a lot earlier in pregnancy and I can't imagine having to deal with that for months. My face has gotten a little puffy too. My hands are a little swollen but I am still able to wear my rings. I think I will take them off soon though because I have a small fear of having to get them cut off.

Just when you might think I can't get any bigger, think again...

Friday was my youngest nephew's 8th birthday (which seriously makes me want to cry) so I took him lunch to school. As I was leaving, a teacher stopped me and asked  me when I was due. When I told her, she said "Dang, looks like there are AT LEAST two in there!" It was the first time I did not laugh. As a matter of fact, I didn't even crack a smile. It was funny the first 500 times but the more miserable I feel, the more it gets really old. I am aware of my size but seriously, what makes people think they can say things like that out loud? So I joked that day on Facebook about how the next person to make a comment was going to get smacked. The next day my family threw a wedding shower for my cousin and her fiance. We had it in a big room at our church. Paul and I got there to help set up and as soon as I walked in the door, one of the janitorial staff who was there helping get the tables and chairs out looked at me and said, "Aww, twins!" He had the biggest smile on his face and in a truly innocent way, he was certain I was having twins. Regardless, I found it hard to laugh it off. He looked at Paul and said "By the look on her face, I'm guessing I said something wrong." I still found it hard to come up with some grace and I looked at him and said in a very stern teacher voice "Don't EVER say that to a pregnant woman again." And then my mom and Gram made me feel bad because "he didn't know any better". Hey mom, remember when you were barely 40 and got asked if you wanted the senior citizen discount at the dry cleaners? Haha, just kidding but I couldn't resist. Anywho, soon enough our sweet baby will be here and all of these rude comments might be funny again.

We had our third birthing class last night. We learned all about epidurals and c-sections. The nurse who taught our class told us that about 90% of women at our hospital get epidurals. I plan on being in that percentile. Last night was also supposed to be the meet the doctors night where a doctor from all of the local pediatricians come and tell you why you should choose their practice. There was some kind of miscommunication though and that is actually going to be tonight. Thankfully for some weird reason, Paul only has one soccer session tonight and we'll both be able to go. I am hoping we can decide on a pediatrician soon. There are several to choose from but we know of someone different who goes to each practice and they all have good things to say about where they go so it sounds like we can't really go wrong.

Ok y'all, I'm off to vote. Hoping the lines aren't too crazy for the sake of these swollen feet.

Happy Monday!

Mondays definitely didn't used to be a very happy day for me. As I've shared to some degree, this school year has been very challenging and Mondays were the most dreaded day of the week. Since I've been written out of work, that has certainly changed. Despite my foot and back causing me a lot of pain, I am so thankful not to have to be on my feet for 10 hours a day in a stressful work environment.

Mondays have actually become one of my favorite days. Paul doesn't have soccer after school so he gets home early. Sophie and I love when Daddy comes home!  I usually stay off of my feet most all day and don't do much of anything so I can save my foot and back for a fun afternoon and evening with Paul. I really hate laying around but have had plenty of thank you cards to write and reading to catch up on to keep me "busy" while being off of my feet. We started our birthing classes two weeks ago and now we have that to look forward to on Mondays too. Last Monday before our class we went and bought our stroller and a few things from our registry that we still needed. Tonight we'll probably do the same. Since we had our last shower last week, we know what we still need and have several gift cards to help us get those things. I wouldn't say I have entered to full-on nesting stage, but I am having a little sense of urgency to get the rest of everything done and bought before Gray comes.

Today's lay-low Monday house chore consists of doing baby laundry. Until today I hadn't washed one single blanket, burp cloth or any clothes. I'd been waiting to see what all we got from our showers so I knew if any sizes needed to be exchanged. Also, we really didn't have that many clothes at all because I knew we were going to be getting a ton of hand-me-downs from my friend Lindsey. I got those from her last week and OH MY GOODNESS there is some cute stuff! Gray is going to be one well dressed little boy. So the baby laundry should be done by today or tomorrow and then I need to spend time sorting and organizing sizes and clothing items (sleepers, onesies, "going out outfits", etc.). We didn't have room in the nursery for a dresser and the closet is reeeeally tiny so I am going to have to be very diligent about how I organize his clothes. Even still, I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday. Thankful.

Y'all have a good week!

More baby showers

Leave it to my sweet husband to save the day. He downloaded Firefox and I've been able to get Blogger to work through that...yay!!!

My friends Abbie and Lindsey hosted a baby shower for me on Saturday.

They had been planning this shower for a long time and I knew that with them, it would be amazing. But it was even better than I imagined it would be. There are a LOT of pictures with this post but this blog serves as my main "scrapbook" of memories so I didn't want to leave anything out. And the pictures don't come close to doing the shower justice. Either I don't know how to operate it correctly or my camera does not take good pictures inside.

For a 2:00 shower, there sure was a huge spread of "snacks". I know my friends well so I'd skipped lunch that day. Thanks to Ashley, Alex, Marie and Steph for helping with the food!

Abbie made the cake and as usual she blew us all away. It was so dang cute and the best tasting one yet. Paul and I are still enjoying the leftovers.

I couldn't stop oohing and aahing over all of the decorations.

Look at those precious thank you cards! And they are already all addressed!

Lindsey put some of our maternity pictures out as part of the decor.

They even got some baby pictures from my mom.

 Loved this super cute diaper cake made by my dear Alexandra.

Even matching labels for the water bottles! I think Pinterest had a little something to do with the decoration ideas but they still put a lot of time into it.

There were several people that couldn't be there and I missed them terribly. But to have this many of my favorite people in one place was such a blessing to me!

Meredith is obsessed with my belly. We'll see if she loves hers this much when she's this huge one day ;)

The food, decorations and all of my friends being there certainly would have been enough for this girl! But I also got some really special and nice gifts on top of that! All of the girls from our Sunday School class at church went in together and bought us a stroller! We also got some really cute clothes and some needed items from our registry.

My mom knitted this blanket.

The colors and the pattern are so perfect. It's so beautiful and the time I know she put into it makes it even more special.

As if all the planning and time she put into the shower weren't enough, Abbie gave us this scrapbook for Gray.

She already has every page completely decorated with different events and milestones and there is even a page for every month of his first year.

It just brings tears to my eyes thinking about how much time I know she put into this. She said she started the day we found out we were having a boy. I really can't express how special this gift is to me. And if that still wasn't enough she also made this adorable fleece blanket and burp clothes.

That shower will definitely go down as one of my most special memories of pregnancy!

We had our last shower this week at Paul's school. He is very loved by all of the staff and it showed in their kindness and generosity at the shower.

We got more really cute clothes, a hand-knitted blanket, some needed items for Gray and several gift cards, which is great because we still have a lot of things to get from our registries.

Blessed continues to be an understatement. We are so grateful for all of the wonderful showers we've had and for the love and generosity shown to us by so many people. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everybody!!