28 weeks!

Can you believe I am officially in the third trimester and starting out my 7th month of pregnancy?!?! Lea is well over 2 pounds and over 14 1/2 inches long now. She has eyelashes and can finally open & close her eyes, too. These days, she seems to mostly be working on gaining body fat before her big arrival in September.

I can definitely tell that she is getting bigger... If she makes big movements, you can totally feel her body parts from the outside of my belly. A few days ago, she seemed to really want to sit 'upright' and she kept pushing her head up towards my ribs! It was pretty uncomfortable so I would gently push on her until she moved. Another new thing is that she gets the hiccups at least once a day, every day. These feel like faint, soft taps in my abdomen and it usually only lasts for a few minutes at a time.

At my last doctor's appointment, they finally measured my 'fundal height' for the first time. This is simply done on the outside of my belly with a measuring tape. I measured '25 cm'... which was apparently just right. I have heard (from friends and the Internet) that your measurement should be pretty close to your number of weeks. (I measured 25cm at 27 weeks)

My next appointment is July 21st (31 weeks) and then I will start going every two weeks!

First Baby Shower!

So much fun! We had yummy food and played some silly games. For one game, we had to race drinking out of baby bottles:

Another game was to guess how big my belly was:


The girls also wrote silly comments on disposable diapers... so, when Kevin and I are changing a diaper in the middle of the night, we can have a good laugh! They had birthday cards for Lea, from 1 year old to 10 years old, and wrote birthday wishes for her. And, everyone had to draw a baby... but the catch was that I got to yell out the body part to draw, then you had to pass your paper to the person beside you before I gave the next body part to draw. We got some funny looking babies!!!

Here are a few more pics from the shower:

Me with the shower hostesses; Lee & Heather

Me, Shawn & Blaine (5 months old)

Me and Ashlee

Me & Renee

I received some beautiful clothes for Lea, a gorgeous blanket, burp clothes, a bath toy, baby diaper baggies & dispenser, baby shoes and my car seat! (the car seat actually hasn't been delivered, yet, but it should be any day now!)

It was really a nice afternoon with the girls. I laughed so hard my sides hurt (and, I am now exhausted and ready for bed at 9pm).

Thanks, ladies for a wonderful shower!!!!

Shower Time!

My very first baby shower is this Sunday! (hosted by my fabulous friends, Lee & Heather) I am so excited. It will be really nice to hang out with my girlfriends, eat some yummy food and get baby gifts. Wonder what I'll get??? Teeny, tiny onesies, blankets, toys, etc. FUN!!!

Kevin stayed home today from work because a contractor is coming by to measure our first floor. They'll give the measurements to Home Depot and then we'll find out the estimate for Pergo floors. I'm kinda nervous!

We don't have any plans for tomorrow. I've been "nesting" a bit... washing baby clothes & blankets, organizing the closet and finding places to put all the baby things we've accumulated thus far. I am also hoping to finish the bird mobile this weekend. So, maybe I'll have pics of that soon. :)

Happy Friday!!!

Ahhh! We've hit the 80's!!!

Only 89 days until my due date!!!

27 weeks!

Holy cow, I am now 27 weeks pregnant and it's almost July!!! I've said it before and I'll say it again... time is FLYING by!

Lea weighs about 2 pounds now and she's well over 14 inches long. She's beginning to sleep & wake at regular intervals and she can open & close her eyes, too.

Recently, I have been feeling very light, rhythmic "thumps" in my abdomen. Turns out, it's the baby hiccuping! :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the BEST husband and soon-to-be daddy in the world!!!

We had a great day today. Bailey and I surprised Kevin with a 'Big Breakfast' from McDonald's. I gave Kevin his own diaper bag with his initials embroidered on it. Then, after a little bit of yard work, we took Bailey to Bass Lake Park where we rented a canoe. We wondered if Bailey would be scared but she loved it! Here are a few pics from the day and our adventure...

Nursery decorations!

As you know, I have been working on a few art projects... wall art, toy chest and mobile. Well, I finally have two out of three completed!!! Here are a few pics of the wall art and toy chest...

We also recently put up the window valences...

It's coming along! I ordered an adorable rug from Rosenberry Rooms. It should be here any day. I guess the last things we need are the crib and changing table. (Since I am getting the Anka Sova crib and changer from work, I don't really have to worry about it... it won't even be here in the States until the end of July!)

Belly Pics!

24 weeks compared to 26 weeks

Gestational Diabetes?

I took my screening this morning to check for gestational diabetes. It was not horrible, but it wasn't fun, either! I had to drink 10 oz of a super-sweet orange beverage within five minutes. The first sip wasn't bad... it almost tasted good... but then as I had to keep drinking and drinking and drinking... it got worse. An hour later I had my blood drawn. I have felt a little nauseous ever since. It's almost like that syrupy fluid has just been hanging out in my belly all day! Let's just hope I pass (A. so I don't have to repeat this screening and B. so I don't have gestational diabetes!).

On a lighter note, my very first baby shower is coming up (next Sunday) and I couldn't be more excited!!! Two of my favorite people, Lee & Heather, are hosting it. I can not wait to hang out with my girlfriends, eat yummy food, play silly games and get sweet little baby gifts!!!

26 weeks!

I'm now 26 weeks pregnant and only 98 days away from my due date! Baby girl can hear better and better every day and she's starting to inhale and exhale amniotic fluid, which helps her lungs develop. She weighs well over a pound and is starting to put on some baby fat!

She is getting long!

Sleeping is getting more & more difficult these days. I just can't get comfortable. I am such a 'tosser & turner' at night and when you've gained 20 pounds with 95% of it on your abdomen, it is really hard to roll over in bed. It takes some work...which wakes you up... and then it's hard to go back to sleep.

This weekend we worked in the nursery some more. After getting a rod for the window, we put up the valences. They look fabulous! I also started painting the toy box and it is really looking good. I will post a picture soon. Bailey and I went to the park and I found some nice sticks for the bird mobile I am making. I also got some faux, tiny pink flowers to glue to the sticks. Now, I just need to put it all together! Finally, we went searching for upholstery for the chaise. We found about three that we really like... just need to make that final decision now!

Oh, I forgot to mention... my fabulous (really, he is amazing) husband went to the neighborhood pool with me yesterday! (This is sorta a big deal because he does not enjoy hanging out by the pool.) We went around 5:30pm so it had cooled off a bit. It was so nice. I love getting in the water because it makes me feel 'normal' and light! Kevin even got in with me and pulled me around a bit... I felt like a feather slowly falling through the air. Until I had to get out... then it was back to feeling like my body was made of cement! It was great while it lasted.

99 days?!?!

Holy cow!

We've hit the double digits...

Only 99 days until my due date!

It's officially started!

This week has officially started 'stranger comments'! Every day, more and more strangers are commenting on my growing belly. Yesterday, it was the large construction worker man at McDonald's... this morning it was the two old ladies at Rite Aid. Who will be next???

The three main questions I get are, "When are you due?", "Is it a boy or girl?" and "Have you chosen a name, yet?" Usually, in that order. Then, the most common comment is usually about how hot is it and the humidity and being 8 months pregnant in August and how will I handle the heat?

I need a shirt that says:

"Due in September.
It's a girl.
Her name is Lea.
I love the hot weather."

Working Hard

I have been working hard these past few days/weeks... busy in our personal life, busy at work and busy putting baby fat on my little girl! :) Water aerobics is fun, but I am so exhausted afterward! Plus, since we are three days away from double digits until our due date (this Sunday we will be 99 days away!!!), we are starting to do more at home to get ready. I know I could totally go a week past my due date, but I could have this baby early, too! You just never know.

So, I have started washing clothes and blankets, we're finally getting the orange, velvet chaise (that's in our nursery) re-upholstered and we're finally ordering important items (crib and cradle mattresses, breast pump, furniture, etc.) I have my first shower coming up on the 28th and I am soooooo excited! I can't wait to hang out with friends and be a little selfish for a few hours (I love the attention and am looking forward to the gifts...I won't lie!!!).

Now, the only other big thing we need to tackle SOON is the flooring on our first floor. We finally made a decision on the type... it's some type of Pergo from Home Depot... so, now we have to make ourselves schedule and sign off on the estimate. Wish us luck!

25 weeks!

We had a fabulous time in Wilmington for my brother's wedding. While it wasn't sunny enough to lay on the beach, it didn't rain and was cool enough to relax outside in the evenings. I really enjoyed meeting Sarah's family and friends... and now I have a new sister (in law)!!!

Today marks 25 weeks of my pregnancy. We are getting closer and time does not seem to be getting any slower. Baby girl (whom we are calling Lea these days) is well over 13 inches long and weighs about a pound and a half! She's finally getting some baby fat and her wrinkled skin is smoothing out. She's also growing more hair... and, if she has any on her head, the color is already visible.

I am still feeling great... getting bigger, but that comes with the territory! This past weekend, in Wilmington, I have never had so many belly rubs and comments from strangers in my life. It was kinda fun, actually! :)

Here are some pics from the wedding weekend...

Groom's cake (Britt's Doughnuts from Carolina Beach)

The Hattman's

The Warlick's

Newlyweds on the bow of the boat (heading to the reception)

"We're on a BOAT!"
Arriving at Blue Water for the reception.

Jess & Dave

The "getaway" car!

Dave & Sarah

Tomorrow we head to Wilmington for the weekend... my brother is getting married! (It looks like it might rain all weekend, but all the festivities are inside, so things will still be great.)

Congrats, Dave & Sarah!

Anka Sova

After a long, exhausting day at a photo shoot, I think we have found our crib and changer! At work today, we did a shoot with the new Anka Sova crib collection. It looked fabulous! I am very excited for this new collection. It is partially customizable... meaning you can mix and match different finishes. For example, a popular mix these days is Espresso and Whitewash (which is what we did in our shoot). You can also choose Natural... so the possibilities are almost endless. For our nursery, I think we'll do all Whitewash. (We have brown paint on the walls and I am afraid the Espresso will clash.)

Here's a sneak peak from our shoot today...

AquaMoms

Tonight was my first AquaMoms (water aerobics) class... and, man, did it ever kick my butt! I had no idea it would be such a serious workout. I am afraid I will be sore tomorrow, but I am so glad I am taking this class. I think it will be a great way for me to keep in shape for the next 12 weeks. There were about 16 ladies in the class... ranging from early to late pregnancy. Maybe I'll make a new friend who's due around my due date.

Baby simulator...

A friend sent me a link to Volkswagon's site where you can upload your pic and your husbands pic... then, they show you what your baby will look like. I did it and now I am a little afraid! lol

Here's what they had for Kevin and I....

I did it three times with different pics and each baby is completely different!

Personally, I think the third time was the 'charm'...

24 weeks!

Happy 24 weeks to me! Baby girl has gained about 4 ounces over the past week. That puts her at just over a pound. Her brain is developing more and her taste buds are starting to develop, too. While her skin is still pretty thin and translucent, that will change soon.

My belly continues to grow and apparently my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball! Whoa! I am feeling good... no sciatic pain and minimal back pain. I guess the only things bothering me these days are that my feet/calves get really tired (and sometimes a bit swollen) after walking for awhile and I can no longer eat a lot at one time! I guess my poor, little stomach is getting squished!

Tomorrow I start my water aerobics class. I am really looking forward to a nice, low-impact workout to keep me active once a week. Kevin and I need to start walking more after work, too!

June already?!

I can not believe it is June 1st! Where does the time go? Seriously, this pregnancy is flying by!!! I will be 30 years old in 47 days AND we will have a BABY in approximately 112 days! Holy Cow!!!

We had a nice weekend... Saturday afternoon, Heather, Joe and Olivia came over for dinner. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. Olivia (18 months old) was adorable! She is just a bundle of energy... into everything! Kevin and I did learn that we need corner protectors by our stairs and those little drawer locks in the kitchen! :P Sunday was my Mom's birthday so they came up for lunch at Peak City Grill in Apex. After that delicious meal, we ran around shopping before we had yummy carrot cake (with a TON of candles, thanks to Dad).

After the exhausting weekend, I am trying to get back into work mode. Happy June 1st!