Third Trimester Confusion

So, apparently there's differences of opinion on when "technically" the third trimester begins. Here's what I discovered after doing a little online research (not always recommended but in this case surprisingly helpful).

You are only technically pregnant 266 days if you go full term. The 280 days is full term plus 2 weeks prior to ovulation--when you weren't even pregnant. If you go by the 40 weeks (280 days) the math would be 13.3 weeks and you would be in your third trimester at about 27 weeks. If you go by 266 days, you would be starting your third trimester in the 25th week. So, docs go between 25-28 weeks for that reason.

We'll, since I'm now 25 weeks, one of my weekly baby/pregancy email updates sent me the following message:

Welcome to the third trimester! You're really in the homestretch now. While reaching the third trimester feels like great progress, with it comes a return to fatigue, dizziness, and constant trips to the bathroom. To relieve back, hip and leg pain now, try to keep walking, swimming, practicing yoga or doing any other nonweight-bearing activity. This also can help you recover faster physically after childbirth. To make sure you'll enjoy your baby shower, schedule it between weeks 30 and 36; you'll still be spry enough to enjoy it.

Well okay then, I guess we'll just embrace the third trimester now since fatique, back pain, and restless sleep are starting to again become my constant friends. All a small price to pay in the long run for a little buddle of joy. Overall, I really am feeling great (can't complain) and have had a very nice and uneventful (someone please knock on wood - immediately) pregancy to date.

Here's hoping for smooth sailing in the home stretch. I can't believe we're already to that phase. Enjoy each stage of life because they certainly do fly by.

Hostess Gifts

If you read the baby shower post you know how blessed I was to have seven amazing friends host such a special event for us. I wanted to give them something they would really love for their hostess gifts, and ultimately decided on monogrammed beach towels! What better way to welcome spring and summer.

I purchased some huge white cotton terry clothe towels on cottage.com. They are huge (even long enough for Anne!) and so soft. Shipping was super fast and then I passed them off to a friend a work who has a monogramming business. She did the super cute double monograms with the initial and name in black and pink with a really cute font. (You can check out her online store - The Gathering Place Boutique - on Facebook.)

I wrapped them with some fun ribbon and we were ready to go. I think they were a huge hit! I sure loved them (almost got one for myself but resisted) and hope my sweet hostesses did too.

Trey's First Baby Shower

Some sweet friends threw me a baby shower on March 12, and I was honestly so overwhelmed with gratitude for all the wonderful love and support from everyone who was there to celebrate with us. Such great generosity and excitement about welcoming Baby Trey to our family! We are truly blessed by amazing friends and family.

My sweet hostesses were so creative and energetic. The shower was amazing! I was touched by the cousins, aunts, and family members who traveled from afar, the old friends and college roommates, bridesmaids and special friends both old and new from so many stages in my life who came to be with me from Auburn and Tuscaloosa and all parts of Birmingham. Even sweet friends who mailed gifts because they couldn't be there in person. It made it all so special. Here are some pics from the shower. (My sweet mom did an amazing job of capturing all the memories for me!)




Katie Crawford - truly a hostess with the mostess, who opened up her home for the shower and designed the cute invitations. Sweet Michelle made Trey's beautiful diaper wreath with the cute elephant. Laura made and iced and decorated the delicious cake with cream cheese icing! Jess came from Jacksonville and Amy came from Arkansas just to be there and help host. Ash and Anne did so much to help plan from Birmingham, buying our Chico pack n play for the hostess gift - which I was so excited to get - and making sure everything was great. These ladies are amazing and sure know how to shower a friend with love and support during a special time.

Cute decorations for our "III" and the delicious and beautiful cake!

Thanks everyone for making the day so special!

27th Birthday

Despite a rainy day, I had such a wonderful birthday last week - made special by the kindness of so many friends and family who went out of their way to make me feel loved. It's always such a treat to get all the sweet text messages , voicemails, facebook walls posts, tweets, calls, and, yes, even birthday songs. Thank you all!

(And, no, I didn't wear that hideous "27th birthday" t-shirt, but apparently people do because I found it available for purchase online. Thought I would throw it in for laughs since I failed to take any pics of birthday events.)

I actually was out of the office for a conference all day on my birthday, so it was nice to get a change of routine. The Alabama Association of Nonprofits held its annual Nonprofit Summit conference on March 9 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. The keynotes and sessions I attended were very well done, and my supervisor also presented on taking your stewardship/donor relations program to the next level.

After work, Trey and I got in a quick workout at the gym before cleaning up so Robert could take us out for a birthday dinner. We dinned at Fire, a new restaurant in Mountain Brook. I had purchased a Posh Birmingham (like Groupon) certificate a few weeks earlier, so we definitely put that to good use. The shrimp and grits I had were amazing. Robert had the fillet with hollandaise sauce. Both were excellent. (For more details see the Dining Local section of my blog.)

After a nice, leisurely dinner (I love taking the time to talk with my husband over dinner. It seems we rarely do that at home.), we headed to Bottega Cafe for coffee and dessert. Actually, I got the chai tea and we split the chocolate terrine. Perfect on a rainy night.

The next evening my parents had us out to their house for my birthday dinner with my grandmother and brothers. Ryan made his delicious chicken alfredo and mom made her broccoli salad which I love. Big Mama even made some soup for Robert and I, as well as Kyle, to take home for food for the week. So thoughtful. I commented on these cute potted yellow violas and dwarf irises mom had potted and displayed on her porch by the door. They ended up being my birthday gift and look great on my sunporch, officially welcoming spring. Dad also gave me a pack of diapers! So cute. We definitely needed to grow our collection.

Everyone at work was so kind on my birthday also, surprising me with balloons for my office and a birthday lunch out. My sister-in-law mailed me a super cute watch and ring, and Julia mailed a precious maternity top from Gap. (Maternity shirts are kind of our running joke since Julia mailed me a top from Target several years ago for my birthday that happened to be maternity - when I wasn't pregnant. It was super cute, but at least now she technically got it right!)

Thanks for all the birthday love, friends and family! Makes turning 27 not bad at all! Except if someone makes me wear that hideous shirt.

23 week appointment update

Last Thursday I had my 23 week doctor's appointment. We were so thankful that Trey was doing well and growing on schedule. He weighed in at 1.1 lbs. He was hiding his face (positioned face down, facing my back) but we were able to get the few ultrasound pics above. The first two are close ups of his face. The third confirms he is definitely a boy, which Robert asked that I have double checked!

I weighed in at 135 pounds -13 pounds over pre-pregnancy weight (122) and seven pounds over the total six pounds I had gained four weeks ago when I weighed 128 at 18 weeks. It's crazy to me I only gained 6 pounds in the first 18 weeks and then more than doubled that in the last four weeks from weeks 18 to 23. I guess we're both getting bigger, but they said it was all on schedule. So if they're happy, I'm happy.

My next appointment is scheduled for April 7, when they will do my glucose test and Rh blood test at 27 weeks. We will have another ultrasound then, and they said it would be the perfect time to do the 4D ultrasound since babies apparently look best on 4D between 28 and 30 weeks, when they're getting fat on the face and "chubbing up" (my words, not the doctor's) but aren't so big they can't be coaxed to move around the womb in order to get nice diverse photos from all angles.

27 and 23 weeks pregnant

Today is my 27th birthday, and it marks 23 weeks of pregnancy. Not sure I ever thought I'd be 27 and 23 weeks pregnant with my first baby. Don't know that I necessarily had a time line, and not sure if this fits it or not, but it certainly is exciting.

My sweet dad took me out today for an early birthday lunch. We were talking about getting excited about Trey coming, and about my youngest brother going to college next fall, and about both getting older. (Dad recently turned 57 and now I'm turning 27 - true to our 30 years apart nature which always helps us remember each other's age.) Dad made a comment that he would be 61 when Ryan graduates college in four years. I told him I would have a four-year-old! I think I won.

In pregnancy news, Trey has definitely made his presence known. I swear I've grown several inches and lots of roundness in the last two weeks alone. It's as if one day he just popped, and since then my tummy has been getting bigger and bigger. Here's the belly at 23 weeks. (Not the best picture after a long day at work, but you get the point - he's growing!)

Case in point, I had no less than 10 ladies come up to me at a Junior League meeting last Monday and say, "I didn't know you were pregnant. Congrats!" Another 10 who did know I was expecting said something like, "Wow, that baby is getting big." Same comments followed at church the next week. Yes, I think Trey has now made his presence known visibly for the world to see.

I have my next OB appointment Thursday, so we'll have to see just how big the little man is getting and how many pounds I've gained since last time. I think it's on the up and up, but apparently that's par for the course at this stage. Hopefully I'll have a new ultrasounds pic to post along with some updates on his size and development. Stay tuned for details.

In other news, my belly button is shrinking. Literally. This is so strange. I came to the realization last week when I looked down and noticed it was smaller, or narrower. I can barely fit my pinky finger in there. So weird!

Nursery plans are coming along. I'm making progress on fabrics for bedding and curtains, have ordered some swatches, and am hoping to make final selections soon. We have a good idea of what we want to do to the room as far as paint color and molding, but need to make some final selections and pick a weekend to get to work on some actual construction and fixing up. Have a great armoire I need to paint antique white. Have made absolutely no progress on a crib purchase after searching everywhere and looking at a gazillion options. I only a general idea of what I want. I'm going to hope that I just know it when I see it, and that that retail epiphany happens sometimes soon. We own two (2) newborn diapers.

But Trey's collection of cute bibs, burp clothes, and clothes is growing steadily thanks to my inability to refrain from buying him a cute outfit when I see it. Case in point, this precious Kissy Kissy polka dot sleeveless romber I got off Zulilly. Love it.

And the burp clothes and bibs. So cute!

Pregnancy diary

A sweet friend gave me this pregnancy diary/journal. It's been great and something I probably would have never purchased for myself. I'm so glad she was thoughtful enough to anticipate what a expecting mom might need. I highly recommend if you are looking for an easy to use maternity record book that's cute, basic, and not at all complicated or overwhelming.

I love the way there are small spaces for photos and for journaling - mainly to fill in the key details. It's not overwhelming (like trying to fill in your life story) but a nice, easy-to-follow way to keep track of the special details. I've actually been able to keep up to date pretty well with each stage, big event, etc. I doubt Trey will every look back at this, but it will be nice to remember and reference, especially for any future pregnancies. It's been great for this journalism major mom who never ever journals. Thanks, Caroline!