Lookout Kindergarten, Here Comes "The Weasel"!

My precious niece Riley, started kindergarten today, this day seemed so far off and it has finally come. She has been so excited about riding the bus! I cannot believe she is growing up! She is the first baby in our family and time really flies. Seems like yesterday when I flew up to Maryland to help for a week so mom could get some sleep! Here is a small sampling of Riley with her Aunt Heather over the years.

Me & The Weasel

Cheering on the Buffalo Bills with Oscar & Meadow

At Chuck E. Cheese on her 2nd Birthday and Visit to Grandmama's

At the Girl's Bridal Shower

Princess Riley

First Day of Kindergarten!!!

29 Weeks & Braxton Hicks!

Yesterday was my 29 week appointment. I was eagerly anticipating it because I would find out if my due date would be changed or if I would get another ultrasound. At every visit we listen to her heartbeat with a Doppler. This visit, you could hear the heartbeat, but you could also hear her moving around. My midwife (Patti) said, “She sure is active!” I responded, “She sure is, I’m convinced she is going to be an Olympic Gymnast, she keeps me up at night!” We concluded that she didn’t like the Doppler because she KICKED it!!! We had a good chuckle over that.

We measured my belly, I don’t know what it was, but Patti said something about it being bigger, and I said, “oh yeah it is large!” My bubble burst from a few days ago! J

Two very exciting items, one, I start going to my prenatal appointments every 2 weeks now! Home stretch! It’s very exciting and scary at the same time! I am having some anxiety about the labor & delivery; but we are taking a birthing class in September, so that will help to relieve some of it, I hope! Two, we get to see the Ladybug again!!! YAY! The doctor scheduled another growth ultrasound for September 2nd. Because she was measuring big at 27 weeks, they want to check on her again. Patti thinks I’m just going to have a big baby! I hope they are wrong. I have several friends who were told they were going to have 9-10 lbders and they were less than 8 lbs! That gives me hope!

So, Wednesday morning, I had terrible stomach pains that made me nauseous. It is hard to explain the pains, but they were off and on all over my belly. They only lasted 5 minutes, but they hurt like the devil! Being a first time pregnant lady, I asked about them yesterday, knowing full well it was probably normal, but I had to ask! Patti said they sounded like Braxton Hicks contractions. I thought they weren’t supposed to hurt!!! Well, indeed they can and do!!! She said I should be getting more and more of them now that I am in the 3rd Trimester and then told me to pay attention when I have them, that 7-8 an hour is not normal, and told me what to do should that happen. Well, I haven’t had anymore until today. I had lunch with Carrie and Joanna and they started after lunch. They hurt like the dickens! I’m not complaining though, I am blessed and thankful and I wouldn’t want it any other way!

"Was she a large girl? Round through the hips? Roomy?" Hannibal Lector

Aside from feeling like a possible target of Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, I have had two compliments this week that would make any very pregnant lady smile.

The 1st was from a fellow pregger in the elevator going to the parking deck of my office building. She turned to me and exclaimed that she hated being pregnant. I responded that I didn’t hate it, but that I had grown increasingly uncomfortable the last few weeks. I asked her when she was due and she said, not until December, this was her second child and she just popped early. I laughed and said, well, this is my first and I popped at 10 weeks! I only have 11 weeks to go though! (I LOVE saying that!!! So hard to believe!) Anyway, she said, “11 weeks? You look fantastic!!” I wanted to kiss her!! She made my day!

The 2nd was today. I went for my physical and the medical assistant asked me how far along I was as I was stepping on the scale, and I told her 7 ½ months, and she said, “YOU ARE SO TINY!” I thanked her and told her I really appreciated that, but that the scale is not going to concur! That was certainly music to my ears, I am NOT tiny. The exact opposite, actually, but I don’t mind. It’s not something I can help!

Oh Sweet Ladybugs! Updated Nursery Pictures!

Below is the link to the most recent pictures of the nursery. It still needs work and I am looking for something to put on the wall over the crib. We do have a fabulous new rug that is not shown that Grandmama bought. It looks much better than the pink one pictured! It's very exciting! Well, you will have to copy and paste the link, I cannot figure out how to make it a url! :(

http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r227/Sassafrass07/Baby%20Charlotte%20Nursery%20Pics/?albumview=slideshow

I had to add this picture of Dad, he is just too much! LOL

Only 11 1/2 more weeks!

Baby Charlotte!

Yesterday Matt & I went to our follow-up ultrasound at my OB’s office recommended by the Specialist we saw in June, just so they could measure the growth of “BC”. At the same time, I had to do my one-hour gestational diabetes test. The orange glucola was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It tasted like old school McDonald’s orange drink. I hope I pass, but based on what the ultrasound tech said, I’m a little nervous. (I’ll get to that in a minute!) Even if I fail, I have to go for a 3-hour sugar test and that test will determine if my days of ice cream and fruit are over for the next 12 ½ weeks. (I say that because those are my only “vices”, really, I eat pretty healthy most of the time with the occasional indulgence!)

We had been eagerly anticipating yesterday morning, so we could get a glimpse of our baby girl one last time before she is welcomed into the world. She is so cute, she looks just like me, haha, just kidding, you cannot really tell on an ultrasound, but she definitely has her daddy’s nose! The ultrasound tech said she looks really good and didn’t see anything alarming. They measured all of her parts, looked at her organs and measured the amniotic fluid. I will probably get those results at my regular prenatal appointment on August 14th.

The ultrasound tech asked me, “You don’t have diabetes do you?” I told her no, but that they were doing my sugar test today for gestational diabetes…I was silently freaking because her question could mean one of two things, I am about to embark on a bland diet with needle sticks for the next 13 weeks OR I am going to give birth to an enormous baby. BC is measuring 28 w 5 days (as of yesterday) and is 2 lbs 3 oz. The specialist in June had her measuring ahead only 3 days from the original due date, but nearly 2 weeks is a big deal!! They have not changed my due date yet, but the tech said I am probably just going to have a big baby. God help me! If they do change the due date, there is a great possibility she will be born at the end of September! I am not prepared; I need my 11-13 weeks! So, we shall see what happens.

To give a breakdown of the differences in ultrasounds:

Original due date: October 31st: Makes me 26 w, 4d

Specialist measuring 3 days ahead, June 5th: EDD October 28th: Makes me 27 w, 2d

Yesterday’s US: EDD October 16th: Makes me 28w, 6d

I think I’ll stick with the middle for now, which means I start the 3rd Trimester on MONDAY!! WHOOP! WHOOP!

Here is the last ultrasound of Sweet Baby C!

I'm STILL Lucky!

I know, I know, as nauseating as this post is going to be, I have to publicly recognize my very dear husband.

I have thanked my lucky stars since the day that I met him that we found each other. He is the most sincere, loving, giving, considerate, patient, kind…I could go on and on, person I have ever met.

He has truly done EVERYTHING for me since we learned that we are expecting. He irons my clothes every morning, he packs my lunch and snacks, he cleans the house, he cooks dinner, he takes care of the animals, he brings me ice cream, he buys me cards, he makes me feel good and laugh at myself, especially since I don’t look or feel like myself these days. This list isn’t even the tip of the iceberg!

In the last week, my “amazingly easy” and mellow pregnancy has caught up with me and I have grown increasingly uncomfortable and irritable. As a result, I know I am not peach pie to be around sometimes and he hasn’t complained, he just continues to do his best to make life easier for me.

I am lucky and I know it and I just want everyone to know how much I love and appreciate Matt! He is one-of-a-kind, my best friend and soul mate…<3

I'm a Human Weeble Wobble & Other Updates!

First Purchase for the Baby is finally hung!

It has been a very busy month for us. I flew to Dallas in late June for a Strategic Writing course my company wanted me to attend and I was fortunate to go a few days early to visit with Gigi (my gramma). She and I had a great time, I got her out of the house and took her out for margaritas! It was so good to see her and check on her, because we always worry about her, but she still doesn't want to move to GA and she is doing just fine. I cannot wait to see her again over Christmas.

While I was gone, Matt took the opportunity to get the nursery painted. He had this vision for the walls and we picked the paint colors before I left. He ran with his idea and when I got home, I could not, (actually, I could) believe how incredible the room looked!! He did such a spectacular job. Baby Charlotte is just going to enjoy her room, it is a work in progress, but it will be fit for a princess when it is done!

No, the wall on the left is not a different color, it is just the glare of the lights. :)

My last prenatal appointment went very well, everything looks good & we scheduled my follow-up ultrasound to ensure Baby C is growing for July 29th. We are really looking forward to seeing her again and hopefully this time we will get better photos!

Over July 4th weekend we made the trek to Charlotte, NC to visit our very good friend Heather. We got to meet her bohunk for the first time and we really had a great time. We really like him and are so glad to see her so happy! I was a trooper and was able to hang pretty late for me these days! Our furbaby, Jake stayed with Grandmama and didn't want to come home!! Mom informed us that he really took to her friend Glenda and never left her side. He is such a human!

During our visit, Baby C started kicking even harder, so you can actually see the movement of my belly now, it was a great moment for me and even better, Matt finally felt her kick for the first time!! It has increased our excitement so much more and cannot wait to meet her!

Last night, the glider chair finally arrived and we also finally finished the craft project for Baby C's room. I should be getting the window panels I ordered by Friday and the bedding is still in limbo...I should've just bought it locally, but I found it online for $60 cheaper and free shipping!! So nearly a month later, I'm still waiting on it to arrive. I guess that is the price to pay for a bargain!

Matt & I painted these letters and I found wooden ladybugs to affix to a few of the letters. I'm OBSESSED with ladybugs!

I'm really excited, Kimberly, Owen, Lily C & Mama C are coming by tonight to see the progress on the nursery and I am hoping Kim's keen eye for maximizing space can help us arrange the room so it looks cozy, not cramped. I absolutely have to have a bookcase and it's funny how a room shrinks! I need her assistance, desperately!!

Everything is coming along and speeding along at an accelerated pace. I really hope time slows down! I will update again after our ultrasound on the 29th!

The belly, 24 weeks, 1 day