Baby E. 34 Weeks

{35 weeks today}

Baby E’s Stats

Baby: A butternut squash or large cantaloupe! She’s estimated to weigh almost 5 pounds OR more! (which is possible since she was over 3.5 pounds at 29 weeks!) She’s also about 18 inches long, she won’t grow length wise much over the next few weeks, but she’s sure to be putting on the pounds as her fat layers are filling out! And the urinating thing, thebump.com says she’s going about a pint a day…interesting & weird fact all in one.

Sleep: Not really. Some nights I’m able to make it to about 3 or 4 before I have to use the bathroom, but once I get up to go I never really fall back asleep & usually end up going another 3 times before the alarm goes off. And let’s not talk about how much baby hates when I sleep on my left side.

Clothing: Still the same as last week. Dresses, leggings, & skirts! I had an old navy dress that I bought thinking it would be perfect for now & after baby comes. Then I washed it according to the directions & it shrunk about 4 inches. Now it’s basically a shirt.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Salsa & white cheese dip from a local Mexican restaurant. I went 2x this week basically for that dip. I just finished the leftovers last night, so hubs might be making a stop to pick up some more! It’s just that good!

Symptoms: Same as last week. Aches & pains all over, swollen ankles & feet, & oh we can add bloody noses to the list. I get about 3 a day.

Movement: Yep! But it’s becoming less “kick-like” and more just she’s stretching out and pushing her butt out. I can still feel her heel sliding across my belly all of the time though.

Doctor’s Appointment: Next week, then it’s every week from there on out!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: Hubby finished painting her room & now it’s time to decorate! Finding furniture that fits & is justified is proving to be a challenge though. It’s such a small room, we are really limited so I have to get creative! E had her 3rd shower this week! The ladies at work threw me a breakfast shower & besides the yummy food, Emma got tons of gifts! Lots of outfits & necessities! One of my sweet teacher friends even got mama a fun “care package” with candles, bubble bath, & a book! That’s my kind of gift! Little E is so loved already & I’m so blessed to have so many people in my life who are just as excited to spoil meet her!

Thoughts: I’m feeling so anxious to meet her, but so not ready yet. It’s such a strange feeling. I want her to be here so I can cuddle her & see her beautiful face, but I am such a type-a person (gasp, who would’ve thought! shocker right?) that I still have so much to get done before she makes her arrival! I like to be “prepared” for things. And yes, before you all comment that you can never REALLY be prepared for a baby, I know that. I do. I just mean, I don’t have any of her clothes washed, I don’t have a bag packed, I don’t have her room finished, I still have 1 more shower to make it through, etc……. The list goes on. Let’s not mention what I need to finish up at work & at church to feel ok about taking a very quick break from it when E comes! Like I said last week, we are praying that God delivers her at the perfect time and in His perfect will, so whenever she comes will be AMAZING & WONDERFUL. Just won’t lie when I say this mama needs just a few more weeks to get stuff done:)

Friday’s Letters

Dear Body, you just continue to grow. This series of pictures in the same shirt really proves just how amazing the woman’s body is during pregnancy. Let’s see if I can make it another 6 weeks to get a pic in this shirt again! Dear M, love you so much. You continue to make me laugh every single day. Even, or should I say especially, on days when these hormones are raging wild & I act like a crazed lunatic. We’re almost to the end! Dear House, I can’t help but smile when I think about you. Yep, an inanimate thing & it makes me so giddy! I love everything about you, except the very loud next door neighbor girls who play on our porch & try peeking into our door when I’m laying on the couch with my pregnant belly hanging out. Yea…how’s that for a visual on your Friday morning :) Dear E, we are so close to meeting you. SOCLOSE! But, mama still has lots to get done before you make your grand entrance so I’m ok with you staying nice & cozy in there for awhile longer! Dear Weekend, I’m so glad you’re here! Now if you could move verrrrrrry slowly, I won’t be upset!

 

A Nursery for Emma. Help us!

On a whim I entered a giveaway over at Mom’s Best Network last week & to my surprise I was chosen as a semi-finalist to win a dream nursery!!

As most of you know, M & I literally just paid off our final credit card & moved out on our own after a year & a half of living with my in-laws! Money is certainly tight & who wouldn’t want to give their newborn child a beautiful room to welcome them home to?!?

We do for sure:)

If you are interested in voting for us, here are the details:

"We are excited to include you all in helping us pick the final winner of the  Destination Nursery #dreamnurserymakeover! You may vote up to 10 times a day for each of the semi-finalists, the only thing it requires is that it can only be done ONCE each hour…and you must put your email address in each time you vote…Once you finish voting be sure to visit our Facebook page  where you may also LIKE + SHARE  your favorite videos to also help them increase their chance for winning!"

• We will take the total number of votes + face book likes and shares and divide that by 3…the Contestant with the highest average of VOTES, LIKES, and SHARES wins!
• Voting Ends Friday May 17th at Midnight EST.
• Winner Announced Saturday afternoon.

The direct link to the blog post to vote is : here & we are number 2! We are clearly in last place at this point ha!

The direct link to the facebook page is : here & our video is along the right side of the timeline!

You have to like the video on their facebook page & share it directly from their page in order for it to count!

Thank you so much for helping! We are excited to be a part of the giveaway & even if we don’t win, we can’t wait to see what the Destination Nursery team designs up for the winner!!

And since this is all about miss Emma anyways…

{seasonal wind studio}  

Baby E. 33 Weeks

{34 weeks today!!}

Baby E’s Stats 

Baby: A durian? No clue what that even is! She weighs about the same as a pineapple and is over 17 inches long! She’s keeping her eyes open when she’s awake & is coordinating her sucking, breathing, and  swallowing! Looking less and less like an alien & more like a sweet little baby!!

Sleep: No. This belly is uncomfortable & I’m up to pee 2 or 3 times a night. I dread changing positions while I’m sleeping so usually one side of my body goes numb…

Clothing: Dresses, leggings, & maxi skirts. Found a pair of Liz Lange dress pants at the thrift store for $3. They fit perfect for about 5 minutes or until I sit down, then they are baggy but they were nearly free & I can live with them for the next month!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Pepper! I have wanted it on everything this entire pregnancy and that isn’t changing. Last night, I was completely stuffed but yet I scooped myself some more potatoes…Mike said it’s only because I couldn’t just eat the pepper straight from the shaker. He’s funny.. #butnoseriously he was right.

Symptoms: Not going to go into too much detail, but let’s just say baby girl has to be getting herself into position. Pressure & sharp pains are now a regular occurrence, especially when I go from sitting to walking or lifting something heavy. My feet are disgustingly swollen all the time and my lower back just aches.

Movement: Oh yes! Some people say she’ll slow down towards the end because she is running out of room, but I haven’t noticed that really. She still feels like she’s doing flips in there!

Doctor’s Appointment: This week!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: Hubby and my step-dad put up her crib!! It’s perfect! And then the next night M decided he wanted to paint her room. Ha. So now the crib is in the middle of the room with a giant sheet over it while he paints. I’m excited to make her room special! I’ve been on the hunt for some antique frames to use for a gallery wall & I’m still trying to figure out what to do about a dresser or furniture. The room is SMALL so it’s limiting!

Thoughts: “I am loving being pregnant, I really am!”—that’s what I wrote last week. And then like a switch, I’m feeling more and more uncomfortable & that statement is beginning to change a little. I still love being pregnant and don’t really want it to end, but I am starting to understand what people mean when they say they are just done with carrying a baby. It’s really tough work during the last few months. The belly is huge and heavy, the feet are huge, the weird pains are more frequent. I have my final shower in 4 weeks, so as long as she stays in long enough for that and then for me to wash and get all those things situated, I’ll be a-ok! But, I also know my plans are nothing like God’s. M & I are praying that His will is done, so we know that no matter when she comes, it will be perfect timing.

{sneak peek at our photo shoot with seasonal wind studio}

Fridays Letters

Dear Hubby, You are rocking this upcoming daddy role! E is such a lucky little lady to have you! I’m excited for you to paint her nursery & make it special for her! I love how much you love her already! Dear Weather, You have been so nice lately & then my weather app says possible snow showers on Monday….what in the world? It’s May in case you got confused. Dear Home, I can’t believe we have already lived in you for 2 weeks! The past year and a half is already feeling like a blimp in time. Slowly you are becoming “ours”…and Emma’s too since she’s got A LOT of stuff already! Dear Bump, You are feeling heavier & larger by the day. You are also causing some pretty sexy cankles & swollen feet. And by sexy I mean hideous. Dear God, I am amazed at your faithfulness. Your timing is so much sweeter than ours. And your plans for our lives will never compare to our measly momentary wants. The Lord truly does give us the desires of our hearts & in 4 weeks I will officially become a stay at home mama. I can’t even type that without tears forming. The journey He has taken us on has been emotional and trying, but in the end He had it all worked out. M’s calling it my retirement & I’m ok with that :)

Baby E. 32 Weeks

{33 weeks today!}

Baby E’s Stats

Baby: Now we are back to a squash comparison. I’m thinking they mean a long summer squash or something because a pineapple is definitely bigger than a squash! But what do I know? The websites say she is almost 4 pounds and almost 17 inches long!! She now has fingernails, toenails, & real, fuzzy hair! Can’t wait to put bows in it it & paint those baby nails!!

Sleep: Still depends on the night. I’ve been exhausted lately & was hoping that would make it easy to fall asleep, but I think the opposite happens.

Clothing: Dresses, leggings, & maxi skirts. This won’t be changing for the next 2 months!!!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Still wishing I could have regular coffee every single day…but only a few more weeks! Loving watermelon & cantaloupe!

Symptoms: That knot in my shoulder is still coming and going. My feet are still swollen, to the point I can barely fit my right foot into a shoe..it’s not pretty people! I still get random sciatic pains, but nothing like I used to!

Movement: Still feels like she is doing flips in there! I’ve noticed the movement is definitely more noticeable on the outside. She must be stretching out because my stomach just gets rock hard and sticks right out & then it feels like she is sliding her foot or elbow across my belly!

Doctor’s Appointment: Every 2 weeks for now!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: E had her second shower!! My mama threw this one & it was so perfect! She did such an amazing job & baby girl got so many cute clothes! My parents bought us our crib & I’m seriously ecstatic about it! I didn’t think anyone would actually get it for us & then to find out my parents bought it almost immediately after we put it on the registry was a nice surprise! I can’t believe the love people already have for Emma! It’s so amazing to see what babies do to people & how soft their hearts get!

Thoughts: I am loving being pregnant, I really am! Mike is so ready for her to be here & I am so not. Yes, I want to meet her and love on her, but I have this weird feeling that I am keeping her so protected in my belly right now & once she is born, I’ll be responsible for keeping her breathing and alive! Such a huge responsibility! I shouldn't say I’m worried about it, I just think I’m going to miss this feeling. The kicks & jabs & movement. How do mama’s cope with losing that “closeness” once baby is born? I’m so not ready to let our little bond go yet.

 

We got our maternity photos done yesterday & I can’t wait to see them! I was so unprepared for them & definitely wore this outfit above for them. HA. I’m going to do some more at the end of May to really get the final, big belly in some shots! Oh & in case you didn’t notice, I FINALLY got my hair done! Hallelujah, right? Those roots were really bad. I actually didn’t plan on getting any color, just a trim…but my hairstylist refused to let me leave her chair with my hair looking the way it was! So glad I listened to her!

 

E’s First {Surprise} Shower

Let me tell you about the sweetest ladies & girls I know. They range from 10-15 & have some pretty big hearts! 2 of these girls have a mama who is beyond incredible & has been planning a little shower for Emma for months! I can’t explain how much of a blessing she is. Always willing to help with anything, so only fitting that she took on the role of corralling 25 young girls to throw me a surprise shower! It was perfect & sweet & just so special!

the party planner & her daughter

The girls filled a piggy bank for E & made a prayer bracelet! This was my favorite. Each girl put a bead on and said a prayer for my sweet girl! And they made guesses on when she’ll come and how big she will be. Let’s just say some girls got it wrong…I hope!

Seriously the cutest games! Some were new to me & they were a ton of fun.

Let’s play a riddle game & the final four have to drink water from a sippy cup! So fun!

I’m hanging onto that string to see just how much bigger I get over the next 7 weeks…which on second thought, I probably don’t want to know.

We had a soup bar & it was such a good idea! I sampled everything & might have had seconds, but who’s counting?

The cake was adorable & delicious! One of my girls grandma’s made it! Of course, I had to take that picture :)

Time for presents!

Everything was so adorable! I can’t even handle all the pink & polka dots! I want Emma’s wardrobe!

My sweet little sister spent her savings on the rock-n-play! I was shocked! Little E has such a great auntie!

What a fitting onesie!! Believers Chapel will have a lil’ believer! And those clothes…I die!

Me & my mama! She helped the hostess pull this special party off!

These girls make me laugh!

I can’t believe that, by His grace, I am able to lead these girls. They are amazing.

Thank you Laurie for planning and staying up late to put this together. I could never say thank you enough. Mom, thanks for helping in any way Laurie needed. Tree & Rene thanks for being there and showering E with love! Jeannie, thanks for making a soup!

Girls….THANK YOU for spoiling Emma. Seriously, we don’t deserve any of this, yet through your sweet, sweet hearts you chose to love on my little girl. I can’t wait to watch her grow up with all of you as her Godly examples.