26 weeks y'all!

I feel like I say this every week, but this pregnancy really is going by fast. It seems like yesterday I remember thinking about how I couldn't wait to be 15 weeks, and then 20 weeks. Now I'm almost seven months pregnant and only have a couple months to go. I've loved being pregnant and still do, but the closer I get the more ready and excited I am to meet our sweet baby boy.

Gray is almost two pounds this week! The estimated weight starts to really vary depending on the baby source, but two out of three of mine lean towards two pounds so I'm going with that. I don't know about Gray, but I sure feel bigger this week.


The rapid weight gain that he is putting on is not only evident in my belly, but also in the feel of his movements. I cannot even tell y'all how much I love feeling him move. It's the most amazing thing in the world and every time I feel him I just try to imagine what he's doing and how he's positioned at the time. The other day I could feel and see the strangest movement yet. It felt like he'd just woken up from a long nap and was stretching those sweet little arms and legs of his. I don't feel him as much during the day since I'm on my feet and moving constantly, so I live for the moments I get home and can see and feel him gettin jiggy with it in my belly.

Big boy is about 14 inches long from head to heel. His lungs are still super busy working to prepare for life in the real world and he is even starting to inhale and exhale small amounts of amniotic fluid. Our boy now has his very own fingerprints and footprints and all of the components that make up his eyes have developed and they even are starting to open.

I started having some major back pain about a week ago. It feels like I've maybe pulled a muscle or something, rather than typical pregnancy back pain. Laying flat on my back or on my right side is the only thing that relieves the pain. Standing and even sitting are what makes it hurt the worst, which makes teaching and being on my feet 10 straight hours every day cause for some long days. For most of the day today it was finally starting to feel better but by the end of the day I was in quite a bit of pain. I plan on calling the doctor tomorrow to see if they can give me something other than tylenol, because that is not even touching the pain. Other than that, I am still feeling pretty good.

I found out today that we are getting the nursery furniture not this weekend but next. I AM SO EXCITED!!! I'd been thinking it was going to be the end of April before we got the furniture but my friend Lindsey (who we're getting it from) is moving her two year old to a big boy bed and his new room is going to be ready sooner than she thought. We're going to spend this weekend cleaning out closets and moving some furniture around to empty out what is now our office but will be Gray's room. We'll have to store a couple pieces of the nursery furniture until we move one day since our office/Gray's soon-to-be room is not much bigger than a large closet. But I'm just so excited to start working on his room I don't even care.

Come on weekend!!!

Weekend Recap

It's been forever since I've had a chance to blog about our weekend. Life has been so busy and I've made the pregnancy posts a bit more of a priority.

We had a very busy, but great weekend.

Friday night started with dinner at my friend Kristen's house with her hubby, Jimmy, and their sweet little one, Grace. I taught with Kristen for two years but she retired last year to be a stay at home mommy. I actually took her teaching position and classroom this year. We haven't gotten to see or even talk to each other as much as we both wish we could because "life" has just gotten in the way. So it was so, so good hanging out with them. We joke but yet are very serious about planning an arranged marriage for Grace and Gray. It isn't every day you find a couple who shares as many of the same beliefs and values and they are definitely one of them. Jimmy is in medical school and will actually find out this Friday if he matched to do his residency here at Wake. We are praying so hard that he does because Paul and I both could use them around for many years to come. Plus, Grace and Gray need to go ahead and start getting to know each other so Kristen and I can get on some early wedding planning ;)

I hate I didn't snap any pics of sweet Grace but check out this adorable bib that Kristen got for Gray


It couldn't be more perfect! It was the first thing I've gotten with his name on it and I nearly peed my pants.

Saturday morning Paul and I headed out to get some baby things done. We ordered Gray's glider thanks to my very generous Mom and Gram! The gilder is the only piece of furniture we had to worry about since we are buying everything else from my friend Lindsey. We've been looking at them and pricing them at several different stores for a couple of months now, so it was so exciting to finally get it ordered. It will be here in just a couple of weeks! Babies R Us was having an expo this weekend so we went there to check it out. It wasn't much of anything, but we got to show my mom some things we registered for and I went ahead and got my diaper bag. I'd been thinking I wanted a really cute one and just haven't found one that was "it" and that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I wanted to get something that wasn't too girly, since we're not even having a girl, plus I know Paul will be helping me carry it a lot (sweet man already carries my purse when it starts to hurt my shoulder). I ended up getting a plain black one that is in the shape/style of an over-sized purse but with lots of good pockets. I don't know what Paul was more excited about-the fact that it was only 40 bucks or that it didn't have flowers all over it.

I may have mentioned before that my good friend Abbie and her husband are foster parents and have been fostering two twin four year old boys since August. Paul and I have babysat them before but we got to keep them overnight this weekend. Chris and Abbie hadn't had a night without the boys since they got them and they went out of town for a night. We were so excited for them to be able to get away and even more excited to spend time with those precious boys. I won't share their names or any pictures in order to respect their privacy, but just picture two of the cutest, dark hair, dark eyed boys you've ever seen. It's been a very challenging time for Abbie and Chris, to say the very least. Besides the fact that they went from a family of two to a family of four in less than a day's notice, these boys came from a pitiful situation all around. They knew very little when they first came to live with Abbie and Chris. They barely knew their names, let alone any colors, shapes, numbers or letters. And they definitely didn't know what any type of structure or discipline was at all. Just a half of year later, you'd barely know it was the same two children. They have learned so much and come so far. We took them out to eat Saturday night and to church on Sunday and they were far better behaved than most of the children we saw who are twice their age. The weekend with them was truly a delight and a blessing. I don't think Abbie and Chris will ever know what a blessing they are and what an impact they are having on those two precious boys. I respect them so much for what they are doing and have no doubt that they are pleasing God in their obedience to be foster parents. It just makes my heart smile.

Sunday evening was busy playing catch up on cleaning, grocery shopping and laundry. We were scheduled to have a showing today so we were up really late getting the house spotless and everything put it its place. I had one of the crappiest days today that I've had in a long time and the icing on the cake was when our realtor called an hour before our showing to tell us that the people had cancelled. It's times like those when our house being on the market is really difficult. It's been three years now. THREE! And today is certainly not the first and probably won't be the last time that has happened. But if that's the worst thing that we have to face all day, I'd say it's a real good reminder of how very blessed we are.

Signing out, gotta get busy on week 26!

25 weeks

Baby boy has gained a half a pound in the last two weeks, putting him at a whopping one and a half pounds. From this point on, he will gain about six ounces every week and will double in size in just one month! Until now, most of our sweet little man has been just bone and muscle, but a lot of his weight from now on will consist of quite a bit of fat. This is becoming a lot more obvious in mama too.



Those pictures were taken just this morning but I don't feel like they do my belly justice. I think that shirt must be a little loose because check out the bump here (this was taken a week ago in Cancun)...


Perhaps this is a good time to interject week 25 updates to report that you should never, under any circumstances, tell a pregnant woman what you truly think of her belly. I have been so amazed at the comments I've gotten from people. I can't even count the number of times I've heard "Are you sure there aren't two in there?", and "Dang, that belly is HUGE already!". Really people?! I mean, it's fine for me to say and think that, but it's somehow very different coming from anyone else. Thankfully I haven't been an emotional wreck during my pregnancy, so I have yet to shed a tear over these rude comments, but it still blows my mind. Paul and I were at a restaurant waiting for dinner one night in Cancun and a lady in front of us turned around and very obviously noticed I was pregnant. I'm thinking she might be getting ready to tell me how cute my maternity dress was but instead she said, "Whoa! When are you due?" When I told her I was due in June, her exact response was "OH MY GOSH, is there only ONE in there?" Had I been thinking a little faster, I would have been very mature and responded with either "No, there are actually three in there" or "I'm due in June, when are you due?" (she was definitely NOT pregnant). I am so thankful that I have had a great pregnancy and that I love my baby bump because otherwise I could be in some serious state of depression right about now. The crazy thing is that almost everyone who has said these things to me has children and has been through pregnancy themselves. Not to mention that not one person who has had this diarrhea of the mouth has not been in the best shape themselves. Ok, I'm done.

Back to week 25.

From head to heel, Gray is about 13 and a half inches long. Sources say he has a lot more hair but as I've said before, he doesn't stand much of a chance in that department, at least not according to mama and daddy's baby stats. His face is now fully formed and he even has all of his eyebrows and eyelashes. He has fingernails now and his tiny hands and fingers are also fully formed. He is able to make a fist and is most likely spending time discovering body parts with those precious little hands. Baby boy's sweet little nostrils are starting to open up this week. I just cannot wait to see and kiss that sweet little nose! His vocal chords are now functioning and because of that, he is even able to have the hiccups, although I haven't felt them yet if he has.

I went to the doctor yesterday. I hadn't been in five weeks because my monthly appointment was due while we were gone last week. Although I feel Gray move every day now, it was still so comforting to hear his heartbeat and that everything is looking good. I've gained 8 pounds since my last appointment, which is a few over the pound a week estimate. I know Gray is growing like crazy, but I thank an all-inclusive vacay for at least a few pounds of that. That puts me at a total of 17 pounds, which sounds like a lot to me but the doctor said it was right on track. I go back in three weeks for my glucose test and they will go ahead and see me for my regular monthly appointment then too. After that I'll go back in another four weeks but then after that I start going every two weeks. It's crazy how fast it's going!

I am still feeling pretty good, especially considering my HUGE baby bump. I think I had my first craving today. It had been about five hours since I'd eaten when I left work this afternoon. I had to stop at the grocery store to get a few things and all I could think about on the way there was cereal. It didn't matter which kind, but I HAD to have some. I've never been a big fan of breakfast so cereal isn't something I typically eat. I got home and scarfed down two big bowls of Lucky Charms and could have easily eaten another two. So, it's hard to say whether that was hunger or a pregnancy craving, but a craving sounds way more fun so I'll go with that.

Ok, I'm sure this more than makes up for not having a week 24 post so I'll shut up now. Y'all have a good week but whatever you do, don't go telling any pregnant ladies how you really feel.

Babymoon

Paul and I spent 5 nights in Cancun for a pre-Gray trip last week. We haven't been away (just the two of us) since our honeymoon. Also, with me soon changing careers to a stay at home mommy, our budget will be extremely tight for many years to come so we felt like this was something we ought to do now while we could. The trip was close to perfect. We stayed at an all inclusive resort called the Gran Caribe Real and it was even better than we expected it to be. It was extremely clean and the staff and service were exceptional.





We spent most of our time on the beach.



It seemed like Gray moved constantly while we were there and I loved every minute of it. I'm going to take that to mean he loves the beach as much as his mommy does. Since he's getting bigger, his kicks are more distinct and Paul was able to see his kicks for the first time while we were laying on the beach. With a view of him kicking, the beach just feet away and my hubby right beside of me, I wanted to stay there forever.


The resort had different exotic birds brought in almost every day of the week. Definitely a highlight of the trip!



Although we spent the majority of our time relaxing on the beach, we did venture out for two excursions. One was a sunset dinner cruise. The food was not great but the view certainly made up for it.





One afternoon we went to an aquarium and got to swim with the dolphins. That was something I'd always wanted to do. Since I was pregnant though, my dolphin "swim" consisted of me standing on a platform (with a bunch of little kids who were too afraid to do the "big people swim") where I got to pet the dolphin, teach it how to do a trick and let it kiss me on the cheek. Apparently dolphins can sense when you are pregnant and they are so curious about the baby that they don't pay attention to anyone else. It was still fun being able to see and touch them though and since Paul and I did separate things, we got to watch each other and take pictures. Paul got to actually swim with the dolphins and even got to take a foot push ride.






After long days of soaking up the sun, we dressed up a little at night and enjoyed lots of wonderful meals.









We had a filet and lobster dinner on the beach one night. The food and atmosphere were both amazing.





We had a lovely trip and are so glad we got to have a nice long getaway before the sleepless nights begin in just a few short months. Now it's time to get ready to meet our sweet little guy.

Week 25 post coming soon!

23 weeks

Some of my baby sources say I am six months pregnant starting today, some say I'll be seven months in just another two weeks. Regardless, I am certainly starting to feel more pregnant by the day. I am getting to the point of being uncomfortable at times, especially after I eat and my belly is full or after I've gone up the stairs at school for the nineteenth time of the day. With the daily expansion of my bump, it's getting harder and harder to paint my toenails and put my shoes on. I know all you moms are thinking "JUST WAIT". If I had even a penny for all of the times I've heard that so far, I'd be one rich mama! That might even be worth a whole separate blog post one day. Anyway, thankfully I am still feeling pretty good most of the time and am certainly still loving pregnancy.

This week Gray weighs a little over a pound and is a little over 11 inches long. It's crazy that he is already probably more than half the length of what he'll be when he's born. He can now sense my movement and he is able to hear more distinct sounds. Paul and I talk to him every night and tell him how much we already love him. This week baby boy is busy developing blood vessels in his lungs and at this point, they would even be strong enough for survival in the real world. Of course we are praying every day that he stays inside of me for several more months, but it's comforting to know that he is to the point of it being possible for him to survive outside of the womb if something were to go wrong and he had to come early. I am starting to feel more powerful movements from our little man. I usually feel him at night when we get in bed and I'm very still. It's my favorite part of every day. Paul felt him again the other night and the kicks were a lot stronger than what he felt the first time. It is so amazing!

Mama and Gray at 23 weeks...


Daddy and I are getting more excited by the day to meet our sweet, precious son.

22 weeks

I only have about another month until I am in the third trimester...crazy! This week Gray finally weighs one whole pound! He is about 11 inches long from his head to heel. Sweet boy is starting to develop tooth buds and his lips, eyes and eyelids are becoming more distinct. He doesn't have pigment in his irises yet, but if I remember high school biology like I think I do, daddy's blue eyes dominate my green ones. That was so 15 years ago though so there is a real good chance I could be wrong. Anywho, according to my baby sources his brain and nerve endings are mature and developed enough to process the sensation of touch. He doesn't know to touch anything in particular yet, but any and everything he can get those sweet little hands on is quite exciting for Mr. Little Man. I can't wait for him to get a hold of Mommy and Daddy's hands in a few months! His reproductive system is working overtime this week too. That's all I really want to say about that-this is my baby boy we're talking about! This week Gray is really starting to have a sense of taste and is able to taste what I am eating. My sources tell me that if we want Gray to eat peas and carrots, I should be stocking up on them right about now for a better chance of him liking them. I wouldn't say I've been eating super healthy by any means, but knowing what I eat is what he eats makes me at least think more about what I'm popping in my mouth. I am quite confident that he likes those Caramel Delight Girl Scout cookies that I got today, accompanied with a big 'ol salad of course.

Paul felt Gray move for the first time last week! It was very quick but there was no doubt that he felt him and he was soooo excited! I am feeling him more and more each day and it is just the most incredible thing. He was moving around quite a bit yesterday and I could even see the movement through my shirt. That was a first and it was so cool.

I finally started feeling better on Friday. I felt horrible all last week and lost most of my voice, which made teaching interesting. I probably should have stayed home a day or two, but I hate being out. I think most of my teacher friends would agree that it's easier being sick and at school than it is to be out. Sub plans are a pain and dealing with everything that happened while you were out is even more of a pain. Thankfully we had a pretty restful weekend too and I think I am almost back to feeling 100%.

Here's what big mama is looking like at week 22


Front shot...watch out!


Until next time...

21 weeks

I like that from now on I can refer to my pregnancy as being half way over. Certainly not because it's been bad because I have loved being pregnant and have had a very easy pregnancy for the most part, but I am already so just excited to meet sweet baby Gray that I can hardly stand it!

Baby boy is growing, growing, growing! Several people at work today told me they thought "he" had grown a lot over the weekend. In other words, "dang your belly has gotten even bigger!"...haha! I definitely look like most of my friends did when they were 25-30 weeks, but I love my bump and I'm not uncomfortable (yet) so this big mama ain't complaining (yet). Here's a picture so you can see for yourself...


This week Gray is estimated to weigh three-quarters of a pound and is about 10 and a half inches long. He now has eyebrows and eyelids. I can't wait to see his beautiful little blue eyes! My baby sources say that soon his movements will feel more like full on kicks rather than slight flutters. Last night I was feeling him move so I put my hand on my stomach to see if I could feel it that way too. Sure enough, I could! I was so excited because I thought Paul would be able to feel him too, but every time he'd put his hand on my belly Gray would stop moving. Hopefully soon Paul can experience the joy of feeling his son moving inside of me. It is just so, so amazing!

I am still feeling great as far as pregnancy goes, but I have been sick for going on two weeks now. What started out as a cold turned into a sinus and double ear infection last week. I've been on antibiotics for five days now and honestly have felt worse each day since I started the medicine. I get about three sinus infections every year and I'm afraid I've become immune to amoxicillin. I wasn't thrilled about taking an antibiotic while being pregnant, but the doctors say it's safe and much better than an infection roaming my body. Hopefully I won't have to go back for a second round. On top of already feeling like poo, I woke up with my eyes completely crusted shut yesterday morning. It was disgusting and painful. I have NEVER had any kind of eye funk so this was a first for me. We went to the CVS Minute Clinic (best thing in the world if you've yet to discover it) Sunday morning and I was diagnosed with conjunctivitis. That just sounds nasty! So they gave me some prescription eye drops and my eyes are already less funktified today. I can't even tell you how many people asked me at work today what happened to my eyes and if I'd been crying, and they look ten times better today than they did yesterday. It sure was a good self confidence boost coming to work today between the belly and the eye comments ;) Oh, and unfortunately the majority of my 28 fourth graders haven't seemed to give a flip that I feel like crap, which hasn't made things any better.

On a more exciting note, we registered yesterday. One of my long time BFFs Lindsey went with us. She has two little ones and we wanted some expert advice so that number one, we weren't there for nine hours and number two, so we didn't just get scanner happy and register for all kinds of unnecessary items. It was a lot of fun but very overwhelming! It was so hard deciding on what we thought we'd really need and what was the best deal but what was the safest. We knew having a baby wasn't going to be cheap but DANG! All of the big stuff we registered for is pretty gender neutral. We will be re-using all we can for baby number two, even if it's a girl.

Now I just need February and March to fly by so I can start on Gray's nursery! No pressure Lindsey, no pressure ;)