32 Weeks

32 Weeks!

Total weight gain: 21 pounds

She moves pretty constantly now. If I haven't noticed her moving, I can usually sit down for a few minutes and feel her move right away. Ben says she moves all night long, but fortunately I don't feel her! I have said it before and I will say it again, I sure hope this little girl sleeps like her Mama! My entire family sleeps like rocks - my parents, sisters, brothers, and Blair too! Ben unfortunately does not - he wakes at the slightest noise.

I think she had the hiccups last night. She was "bumping" me every two or three seconds pretty consistently for about 10 minutes. I told Ben and he looked at me like I was crazy. When he felt her he said "Aww, poor thing! She does have the hiccups! Go eat some peanut butter!" He also tried scaring them out of her by yelling through my stomach. Needless to say, it didn't work. :)

It was hot up here this past week! I was a little puffy and I am assuming it had something to do with the heat. I thought I was going to have to break down and take off my wedding rings, but it has cooled off and helped tremendously with the swelling. My thermometer outside was reading 94 degrees and I had a little bit of a freak out and thought there is no way I am going to be able to make it through this heat until July. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather stays mild until delivery time!

Read more...

31 Weeks

We are counting down in the single digits now!

31 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 20 pounds

I am still sleeping through the night with no bathroom breaks. I got my wedge back from Mom and Dad's house and it is heaven. I have started having some Braxston Hicks pretty much daily. I don't have anything too regular (and I know to watch out for if they are regular), just every now and then and especially if I haven't had enough water.

Either a head or foot is under my right rib area and that is her favorite place to push. This makes traveling and sitting for long periods of time pretty uncomfortable. If I push back I can get comfortable, but then I make her mad and she starts to push harder. On the way home from Georgia this weekend I had the car seat laid all the way back pretty much the whole way home. I may or may not have taken a nice long nap like that too :)

I have been diligently working on baby bedding this past week. I am trying to get it done before my mom and sister come up next weekend. I have quite a bit to do and I am trying really hard not to mess up so it is taking me a little while to get it completed. I have only had to break out the seam rippers once so far - that is a record for me!

Read more...

30 Weeks

This week marks the beginning of the countdown. I have ten weeks left and I could not be more excited to meet our little one! I have been busy getting things together for her room and I am trying not to think about all I have to do and my fast approaching deadline.

I started sewing her bedding this week while we were out of school due to tornadoes. I didn't have power for four days, but as soon as it came back on I got busy. I now know how to sew a fitted crib sheet and I have also finished the panels to the bed skirt with some major calculating help from my mother-in-law. Remember your algebra if you want to sew! Next up, bumper pads!

30 Weeks

Total weight gain: 18 pounds

She weighs about three pounds now and is the size of a head of cabbage.

She is moving a lot lower now than she has been. She is still moving on the right side, but she has started pushing down as well. I was a little worried that she felt so low, but I went to the doctor yesterday for a check up and she said that I am measuring on track and she probably only just feels low.

Speaking of doctor appointments, I had my last four week appointment yesterday. I now will go every two weeks for three more visits, then I will go once a week until she comes! Everything looked good yesterday and her heart was beating away at 140 bpm.

Another movement note (for my memory), she is either laughing or practicing her boxing moves or she has some serious hiccups because sometimes my whole stomach will start shaking. It is the weirdest feeling in the world. It only lasts a few seconds and isn't uncomfortable, I just wish I could see what she is doing in there!

Ben and I have a fun weekend coming up. My sister Ashlee is graduating from nursing school and we are making the trip down to Georgia for her pinning ceremony. I couldn't be more proud of her for graduating with honors while taking care of a husband and an extremely busy two year old. Go Ash!!

Read more...

29 Weeks

11 more weeks! I didn't realized that last week was the first week of my third trimester. The countdown is on!

She is the about 15 inches long now and weighs as much as a butternut squash. 

I think she is doing somersaults in my stomach because she is moving all over now. Over the past week I noticed that she moves as soon as I wake up (or I start being aware of her moving!) and I have found myself really looking forward to it. I find myself staying in bed longer and longer each morning for our quiet time. She will sort of "play" with Ben too. She kicks, he nudges, she kicks harder. I think Ben gets more enjoyment out of that game than me!

Total weight gain: 18 pounds

(Ben says "That's mostly her, right?" - I kindly informed him that no, she only weighs a whopping 2 1/2 pounds right now!)

I still am feeling great. I definitely have been forced to improve my posture since I have gotten a little bigger. She gets all under my ribs when I slouch and it does not feel good. My doctor hasn't called me about my sugar test, so that means I passed it. Thank the Lord!

Read more...

Tequila-Lime-Coconut Macaroon Bars

We had a family reunion this past weekend and I made sure that I asked Ben what we wanted to eat since I usually make what sounds good to me! I was flipping through this month's Southern Living and when I saw these, I knew they would be Ben-approved. Tequila, lime, coconut macaroons - this was definitely a Ben recipe! I whipped this up the morning of and they were easy to make and the cleanup was a breeze due to baking them in a tin foil lined baking dish. These would be the perfect ending to a Summer BBQ!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons tequila
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Garnishes: powdered sugar, lime rind curls

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
• 2. Stir together 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.
• 3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned.
• 4. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a medium bowl until smooth; whisk in coconut, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir together baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup flour; whisk into egg mixture. Pour over hot crust.
• 5. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Lift from pan, using foil sides as handles. Remove foil, and cut into bars. Garnish, if desired.
• (recipes and photo via Southern Living)

Read more...

28 Weeks

I took a much needed trip to the beach this past week for Spring Break and now I can't wait for Summer to get here! My mom was able to go with me and it was lovely to be able to spend some relaxing time with her. I was able to go back to Georgia with her for a couple of days and spend some time with my parents, Mo, Ash, and Blair. We had a family reunion as well so I got to see some extended family too. I didn't want to leave the beach or my parent's house, and I especially didn't want to leave the company of my family! Seeing them for a week at a time makes me realize how much I miss them. 

Ok, back to the baby. Sorry for all of the belly pictures. I do these mainly for my memory and also for my family since they aren't here to see me grow!

Here I am at 27 Weeks:

I am now 28 weeks! 

Ben and I were talking this week and he said something about her getting here in four months.... I told him he needed to recalculate! We are working on a little less then three months until we get to meet our sweet baby girl. Ben and I have a lot of change facing us right now and I am trying to remain stress free. Three months is a long time, right?!?

Total weight gain: 18 pounds (yes, I ate everything in sight at the beach. Thanks for the strawberry cake, Mom!)

She has started moving my whole stomach when she moves. Last night I was lying on the sofa and Ben was watching my belly move and his facial expressions were priceless. I wish I had taken pictures of the shocked and slightly grossed out face. She was moving both sides of my stomach and Ben says it is "alien-like".

I have been sleeping well, but I left my wedge pillow that I stick under my stomach at my parent's house and I didn't realize how much I loved that thing.

I am in all maternity clothes minus a few tops that I have bought in a size larger to accommodate my growing belly. I think the most exciting thing this week was having her move so much when I am on my side. It is so weird to see your stomach moving so much!

Read more...

A New Look

Welcome to my new blog look! A huge thank you to Lindsay at Lindsay Nicole Design. She was a pleasure to work with and took my non-vision and turned it into exactly what I wanted. I am super excited about my new links at the top and you will be able to easily access cookie pictures and ordering info. I haven't really worked on any of the content, so bear with me until it gets finished completely!  Thanks so much for my beautiful new blog, Lindsay!

Read more...

The Beginnings of a Nursery

This one is going to be a rambler! Sorry!

The nursery isn't very far along, but I have had some requests for nursery photos, so here they are! This is what her room looks like in it's current state. It's still pretty bare, but it has potential!!

 
(Excuse the ladybug invasion on the floor)

Aren't those pieces of furniture the most precious things you have ever seen? They are from Welch's Antiques and a gift to Little Miss from her Grandma Karen and Aunt Jo. They are just what I was imagining in her room and I can't wait to fill them up with baby things! The smaller piece is going to be used as her changing table.

I think I may have mentioned this before, but we are going to make her bedding. I fell in love with these Free Spirit fabrics and then found out that they are discontinued. Thankfully, Shannon at Wilson's Fabric in Boaz, AL found them and ordered them for me and we picked them up this week. I think I am even more excited now than I was before now that we have them in hand! I can't wait to get them on her crib. I think it is going to look fabulous!

This fabric is going to be the bed skirt and the outside of her bumper. 

Sheets are going to be made of the two fabrics above.

We also have some ivory minky thrown in and this cute pique dot by Fabric Finders:

These are her curtains.

I ordered a chair for her room so we can cuddle and be comfy. I decided on a swivel, glider, recliner from Best Chair Company in a linen fabric. I tried to get something that didn't scream "nursery!" and that we could possibly use in another room after the nursery is no longer a nursery.

Her crib, sans mattress.


These ghetto fabulous wheels are going to be removed. I call them her "rims". Why in the world would they put these bright gold rollers on a sweet nursery bed?

Here is a peek inside her closet! She already has so many cute things. I can't wait to dress her up.

I think one of my favorite things so far is this tiny bathing suit.

 We are going to have to make a trip to the beach before I have to go back to work and she is going to be in style! It is so tiny I don't know how she is ever going to fit in it!!!


I also got her this little outfit that Blair had once upon a time, but it went MIA the night after she wore it at the beach. When I saw it on the clearance rack I had to grab it!

There it is! It ended up being pretty pink, which I did not imagine I would ever do, but I think it is going to be perfect. I will post more pictures as it comes together!

Read more...

26 Weeks

26 Weeks! 

She is the length of an seedless cucumber and she is a mover! I continue to feel her throughout the day, mostly on the right side.

Total weight gain: 16 lb

Not too much exciting happening right now. I got her furniture moved in her room and it looks just as cute as I thought it would. I go to have my sugar test this afternoon. I hear the goo they have you drink is just fabulous. I think the worst part of the whole thing is going to be that I am going to be anxiously awaiting the departure time for my Spring break beach trip! The countdown is on and I could not be more excited!

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful Spring weather!

Read more...