35 weeks

I haven't been the best at posting pics of my growing belly. It's frankly getting a little too large to fit into the camera frame. But, for your viewing pleasure, here are the pics from 34 and 35 weeks respectively.





It's a good thing you can't see my feet because they've become quite the swollen mess these days. Good thing Robert loves me unconditionally because one look at my "Shrek feet" (as my friend Christina fondly dubbed her swollen preggers feet) is a crazy scary sight. Maybe it's the 99+ degree weather, or the fact that I now weigh a whopping 150 pounds (32 over pre-pregnancy weight), or maybe it's just that this is par for the course at 8 months pregnant. But there's one thing for sure, I'll definitely be glad to have my normal feet and body back in two to four weeks.

That's our new catch phrase now - "two to four weeks" - because we're on the official countdown. Basically, Trey could be here in as early as two weeks (if he comes on his own, aka I go into labor, anytime after 37 weeks) and no later than four weeks from now if we end up with an induction at 39 weeks.

I can definitely tell a big difference in my ability to handle pregnancy that came on somewhere in week 34/35. It's much harder to get though a work day these days. There seems to be a whole new level of fatigue that pretty much lasts 24 hours, and carrying him is honestly just harder - because let's face it, little buddy is heavy! The swelling of the feet doesn't help either - but it is a nice excuse to prop up your feet on the couch after a long day at the office. Again, this is probably all normal for this stage, but it did catch me by surprise how "useless" (My words, not Robert's) I became almost overnight. Good thing most of our baby prep is done because I don't think I'd have the energy to tackle it now.

Honestly, I'm just ready for him to be here. To meet our sweet little man, for sure, but also to finally not be pregnant any more. Which is a pretty amazing thing considering the concept of giving birth has been mostly freaking me out during the majority of the pregnancy. I think the swollen feet, fatigue, and other symptoms you have in the last weeks of pregnancy definitely get you ready to say, "Sure, I'll push that 7 plus pound baby out of my vagina. That's a completely rational idea, doc." Talk about an attitude transformation.

But funnies aside, we are mostly just so thankful that we continue to have good weekly reports from the doctor. I had my 35 week appointment yesterday and Trey continues to look great (kicking up a storm, good heart rate and breathing, etc.). I'm really not worried about him because of all the activity he always has. I feel him move so often. My amniotic fluid levels were good and so was my blood pressure. As I mentioned, a little swelling (really just in the feet - and more so the right foot than the left - which Robert's dad says is actually normal because of the way the uterus puts more pressure on your right artery; also, Trey is situated on my right side, still head down thankfully) started settling in last week and is pretty much here to stay, but it does go down, thankfully.

I have been staying active as much as possible. My sweet friend Katie Crawford (20 weeks pregnant with a baby girl!) is keeping me on the walking trail! We did 5 miles last Saturday which almost wiped me out but I'm determined to keep it up when I can. Haven't been as faithful this week since I've been fighting a cold and wasn't taking any meds until the doc yesterday said to go for it. It's so nice to now be able to breath!

We are actually feeling really good about being ready (as ready as you can be) for Trey. His nursery is complete aside from the rocker/ottoman, which we should be able to pick up this weekend. I need to do a couple more loads of laundry for him (new clothes from the baby showers), and Robert put his swing and bouncy seat together this week. We got the car seat and plan to give the cars a good clean this weekend so we can run by the Homewood fire station and have them install the car seat bases for us.

My other goal this weekend is to go ahead and pack our bags. It's probably time we had them ready to go by the door...just in case.

Ryan's Graduation

My baby brother Ryan graduated high school last week. I was nine was he was born and remember going to the OB appointment with my mom the day we found out he was a boy. It's amazing how time flies when the youngest - who happens to be the tallest - leaves the nest to take off for college. We are so proud of Ryan and the young man he has become and his heart for the Lord. He has lots to look forward to in Tuscaloosa for the next four years, and I know he'll be a great uncle to Trey. I remember when David graduated high school four years ago and I leaned over to Robert and said, "We'll probably have a baby by the time Ryan graduates."And low and behold we almost do!

Ryan's graduation, coupled with the fact of being (and feeling) every bit of 35 weeks pregnant, and that this week UA torn down the dorm I lived in my sophomore year of college, has me feeling a bit old these days.

Nothing like a graduation celebration dinner with the family at Stix to cheer you up. Turns out you get extra food for being pregnant if your Japanese chef is nice, so clearly we should have been hitting that place up for the past eight months.

Here's Ryan getting his diploma from his principal.

We always gave Ryan a hard time because Kyle and I both won the principal's award (or whatever they called it) at Clay-Chalkville our senior years (me mostly for being a nerd; Kyle mostly for being cool, nice, and useful and always helping the administrators with their technology problems). David was just always big man on campus who everyone loved, and so we always told Ryan he had a lot to live up to to uphold the family tradition of being tight with the administration. Turns out he and Mr. Laney are pretty tight. We may have won the award but Ryan somehow gets his principal to pick up his tab at Waffle House as a random act of kindness kinda thing. Go figure. Actually, I probably take a free meal at Waffle House over a dusty award mom has in the attic anyday, so maybe Ryan's on to something.

Here's "Sunshine" (as his friends have been calling him due to the long hair - a reference to that quarterback from California in the movie Remember the Titans) with mom and dad. He says he's keeping it long until his mission trip to Costa Rica this summer so he can get authentic dreds, then he's shaving it off.

And with David, Emily, and Big Mama (I swear Kyle was there - not sure where he was when we took the pic.)

Congrats, Midge! We're proud of you!

34 Week Update

34 weeks today. Hard to believe we only have just over a month to go until we get to meet Trey!

I'm on my weekly schedule with my doctor's appointments, and yesterday Trey "passed" his Bio -Physical Profile (BPP) ultrasound screening that we'll also have done weekly until he comes. That basically means he scored well in his movement category (he's an active little guy), and his breathing and heartrate stats were good too. My blood pressure is still looking good and my amniotic fluid levels were normal, so we got an "all-clear" for this week.

I need to blog about the two super-fun baby showers we had this past weekend and lots of fun times with family in town to help celebrate his coming arrival. More pics and details to come about that...

We also have made major progress on his nursery with his bedding and drapes now in place. I LOVE them! Will wait to post pics of the finished product once the rocker/ottoman arrives, hopefully by this weekend or sometime next week, so you can get the full effect.

32/33 Week Update

Yesterday we had my "almost 33 weeks" OB appointment.

Trey was 4.5 pounds (at two days shy of 33 weeks) and is doing well. His growth is on target. He's measuring somewhere between the 55th and 60th percentile in growth - so shaping up to look like a good, healthy, average baby.

They are going to start seeing me weekly beginning next week. Because of my connective tissue disease, I have an elevated risk of stillbirth in the third trimester, so we will have targeted ultrasounds to look for specific biomarkers every week from here on out to test him to make sure he is breathing okay, moving okay, etc. Basically, these tests will ensure that he's not in distress. The ultrasounds could take up to 30 minutes each time because they have to grade him on the four factors they are testing (breathing, movement, can't remember the other two at the moment...). So needless to say, they are watching the little guy closely in this final stage, and for that we are grateful. They will also moniter my amniotic fluid level to make sure that's on target as well.

And, my doc pretty much said that if all still looks good she would likely induce me at 39 weeks because waiting until 40 weeks and especially waiting until 41 weeks further increases the risk for a stillbirth, a chance she doesn't really want to take.

SO, looks like chances are good we are having a June baby and not a July baby - but we're just going to play it by ear, week to week, for now. One week is not a huge deal, and of course he could come on his own much earlier than that, but for some reason thinking "June baby" vs. "July baby" is a big change for me. I think I was in a little bit of shock leaving the doctor and had to reprocess this new date in my head. Of course, by the end of the day yesterday Robert and I were both gearing up for "T minus 6 weeks" until we get to meet our little man - if not before. That's certainly exciting, even if I have to be induced. Which, again, is not a huge deal - just not exactly what I was expecting. But we're all about being flexible these days.

If I am induced, I have a higher likelihood of needing a c-section because I didn't go into labor naturally, mainly because it's my first pregnancy. But my doctor said the more walking I do and activity I keep up in the next six weeks the better my chance of having my labor progress naturally even if they do induce - and thus less likely the c-section.

So here's to trying to keep staying active in the last seven (strike that, six) weeks! And here's to being thankful for my sweet friends Katie Crawford, Anna Kathryn Ellis, and Pam Kwena for walking the Lakeshore trail with me faithfully for the past several weeks and months and sometimes pushing me the entire 5 miles (down and back) because all that has been good for me and baby - and apparently we need to keep it up for as long as I am able. Warning: I may turn in to less of a talking "walking buddy" and more of a really good listener - primarily because I'm out of breath! And thanks to other sweet friends who have now promised to be my walking buddies.

Oh, and we did have an ultrasound yesterday with another chance to see our little man in 4D, as you can see from his little picture at the top of this post. He's still head down (hallelujah for being in the birthing position already) but had his little head tucked to the side, of course with his arms right up by his face the whole time so it was a little difficult to get a good profile shot. He's basically crammed in there. Good thing he's flexible (as evidenced by another 2D shot where you can see his toes are touching his forehead as his feet are extended straight up (knees flexed) pushing against the top of my uterus and hence my ribs, lungs, etc.).

Yep, flexibility is good because his personal quarters are about to get even tighter in the next seven... (strike that, six...) weeks as he packs on the pounds in preparation fo his big debut.

Mother's Day

What a special blessing is the gift of a mother! Robert and I are both blessed to have mothers who love the Lord and have faithfully modeled lives dedicated to Jesus for us over the years. What great examples for me as I transition to the role of mother to little Trey.

They are faithful prayer warriors (probably more so than we will ever know), servant-hearted leaders, wonderful hostesses and providers, "keepers of the family" so to speak, gospel-reminders (preaching and living out the gospel to their children and families faithfully), committed to serving the church body, great listeners, and long suffering with our fathers! For which we are all very grateful! :)

I am sure my appreciation for them will increase 100 fold once baby Trey comes and they are my lifelines for the first two weeks. I am so thankful for such family support and their willingness to take time off their jobs to serve us in this way.

But even now and in the previous months of pregenancy they have been so encouraging and supportive. Faithfully praying for Trey's salvation, sending encouraging emails, marveling at the baby God is growing in my womb and reminding us to enjoy each and every stage of the process.

And then of course Robert's mom has spent countless hours of her free time (who really has "free time" when you work fulltime as a nurse/office manager and are also a fulltime wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter?) in her sewing room making Trey's bedding and drapes, monograming blankets and making cute little outfits for him. Not to even mention the dozens of phone calls, emails, and texts to me to discuss fabrics and everything else we've talked about in prepping the nursery along the way.

And my sweet mother has sacrificed her Saturday to come clean my house - all with a joyful heart! (Who does that???) - to help give it a good scrub down before baby comes. Robert was out of town this weekend visiting an old college roommate in Memphis (last man trip for a while), and it was so good to have my mom to keep me company and help me around the house. We laundered all of Trey's clothes which are now hanging so cute and pretty in his armoir and closet. Instead of cleaning, we decided to re-plant the mailbox flowerbed with some beautiful summer blooms since the warm weather had taken its toll on my pansies. They'll always be another day to clean, and I know when that day comes she'll be there to help!

I am so very thankful for our moms!! For these and so many other reasons.

And this Mother's Day I was also thankful for the opportunity to be a mother. And even though Trey's not visible, apparently it's apparent that I'm his mom. Everyone from experienced and seasoned moms and grandmothers at church to the cashier at Publix wished me a happy mother's day this year. Most of them caught me by surprise, but what a sweet gesture nonetheless. I am, technically, a mother....with a whole lot to learn!

Nesting

Disclaimer: I should have posted this at the end of April. It was saved as a draft which I found and am posting now. As an update, the nesting has gotten a little better (as in calmed down) now, but for a while there it was insane. Warning to anyone expecting: This stage really does come out of no where. All of a sudden you're a cleaning, purging, tireless machine. Might want to tie your husband and pets to the couch so you don't throw them away or donate them to the thrift store with everything else you discard in prep for baby.

I totally thought this stage would skip me entirely, but it's here. In all its crazy glory.

Let's just say that, based on the past two weekends and even some weeknights after a full day's work, they could make a reality show about me entitled something like "Adventures in Nesting..." (dun, dun, dun - imagine the scary music in your head).

The show would be like "Hoarders" in reverse, but completely as shocking and just as dangerous. I'm already a little bit of an obsessive cleaner and neat freak. But mostly it's because I just like things in order. A place for everything and everything in its place. But this is a whole new level of insanity. And it came out of no where.

I'm talking about cleaning out junk drawers and cabinets in the kitchen, going through ALL my clothes and discarding what I don't and never will wear - then going through some of Robert's, cleaning out entire closets, and making about a gazillion trips to the thrift store to donate the items we purged. I donated everything from clothes and coffee mugs (to make room in the cabinets for bottles and such after horrifyingly realizing we had no kitchen cabinet room for baby's stuff) to random wedding gifts and old laptops (we had four!).

It's amazing what you can accumulate and store that you never ever use. We should probably go through the house like this every year just to keep things under control. Though it would be even better if we had better self control and didn't buy or accumulate stuff we don't need along the way.

Ah, so much to learn.

31/32 weeks update

Wow. Time is a flyin' by. I was 32 weeks yesterday and realized I never posted an update on my 31 week appointment.

The short and sweet is that all is well and Baby Trey looks good and is growing on schedule. We are so blessed and grateful for God's goodness throughout all the stages of this pregnancy.

The Highlights (in brief):

-Trey is head down (or was last week) and in his birthing position. He's kicking up a storm - mostly to my lungs. Little buddy is getting strong, and mom's taking a beating.

-Fundal measurement was 31 cm- right on target for two days shy of 31 weeks when they took it.

-Heart rate was strong. Came through loud and clear on the doppler. Dr. Richards found it nearly immediately, and also found his head - nestled down there in my pelvis. Again, he's getting big.

-Weight gain was consistent with 28 week appointment - I'm still hovering at about 20 pounds above pre-pregnancy weight, though I suspect that is currently on the rise given the rapid weight gain he goes through in the next eight weeks (doubling weight). He's probably between 3.5 and 4 pounds right now.

-Ultrasound appointment coming next Monday (May 16) so hopefully we'll have some more pics to post on our little man as well as updates on his size and progress to date.

In other news, this post and the others I've been meaning to write for the past three weeks are delayed mostly because we've been crazy busy lately with nursery and baby prep, childbirth classes, work, volunteering, church, disaster response, etc.

I have been meaning to blog about the storms and how God has used them to teach Robert and I so much about the gospel, what it means to be Christ's hands and feet to a hurting community, how to really help, etc.

I also have a mother's day post in here somewhere and hope to get that up soon.