Thirty-five Weeks.

This week marks 35 weeks down and 35 days to go until you are due to arrive! It's hard to believe that we're getting so close, but sometimes it feels like that day will never come. You now weigh over five pounds and you are probably about 18 inches long - which the baby books say is the the size of a honeydew melon or a coconut. You're doing more of the same this week, packing on your baby fat, making millions of brain connections, and developing your lungs.

We had a really nice (and busy!) week and weekend - but I'm glad to stay busy at this point, it keeps me from getting too impatient while waiting for you! On Friday morning you and I drove to  Port Austin and spent some time hanging out, then Grandma E. and I met up with Aunt Linda and Uncle Ozzie, Mr. Glenn and Mrs. Joni, Grandma Benita, and Aunt Amanda for dinner at China King - delish!! We spent Saturday hanging out and catching up with your dear Aunt Amanda who came to visit from Georgia and later on your Aunt Kim joined us. It was so nice to just hang out with the girls and chit-chat. 

On Sunday morning we drove down to Imlay City where your Grandma E. threw us a fantastic shower with all of my aunts and cousins. It was above and beyond - great food, great company, and I felt so much love expressed for you and I - it just reminded me how truly blessed I am to be bringing you into this family. We were (once again!) totally spoiled - tons of wonderful handmade blankets and burp clothes and great, thoughtful gifts that I can wait to use!! 

This week it has been SO hot here - in the high 90's - so that has been a little tough on me. We were able to get into the pool at dad's Aunt Kathy's on Monday night, and that was like a little slice of heaven! Other than that, I've been thoroughly thankful for air-conditioning! Here is our picture from this week, it's funny because you were sticking your butt out at the top of my belly which makes my belly look all flat in the front instead of a nice, round ball. You like to do that a lot, and it always makes me smile :)

How far along? 35 weeks
Maternity clothes? I don't have a lot of hot weather clothes that fit anymore, so I'm just trying to make what I have work for the next few weeks.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Very tired lately, and I've not been sleeping as well in this heat - even with the A/C on high...
Best moment this week? My shower on Sunday and spending time with my mom and Amanda - I'm a lucky girl!
Miss anything? Normal size feet - the swelling is a little out of control - and painful!
Movement? You are still moving a lot, just not quite the big, hard kicks anymore - I think you're running out of room
Food cravings? Fresh fruit - especially watermelon & strawberries
Anything making you queasy or sick? Just the excessive heat - makes me feel pretty yucky 
Mood? Feeling optimistic that we are getting close to the end now 
Labor Signs? Not much this week
What are you looking forward to this week? Your dad and I have our June date on Saturday and we also are finishing up shopping for you, which I've been looking forward to.


Keep on cooking baby, only a few more weeks until you join us :)


All my love, Mom

Thirty-four Weeks.

You're growing by leaps and bounds now baby! This week you weigh close to 5 pounds and you're somewhere between 17 and 18 inches long. That means you are about the size of a bag of sugar - adorable!! You are moving around like crazy and this week you can now recognize and react to simple songs :) Your skin is smoothing out as you pack on the baby fat, your brain is still making thousands of neural connections a day, and your lungs are becoming more and more mature.


We had a busy weekend, but it was a great one! I had two baby showers, and we were spoiled rotten at both of them. It is so great to have such amazing family, friends, and coworkers :) I also went to a baby shower for my friend Jessica and met her friend Lisa (who is wonderful!). Lisa just had her son Gabriel last month at the hospital where you will be born, and she told me how great the hospital and nurses were, so that was very encouraging! We did spend a lot of time inside this weekend though - because it was HOT! Having you hanging out with me makes me overheat a lot faster than usual, so thank goodness for air conditioning!


This weekend is shaping up to be another busy one - and I'm so excited about it! Your Aunt Amanda is coming to visit!!! She is flying in on Thursday and I'll drive up to Port Austin on Friday morning so that we can spend the day together ... and I'm pretty sure a trip to China King will be in order!! On Sunday, we'll drive to Imlay City for my final baby shower with my family, which I am really looking forward to. Your dad is hanging out at home for most of the weekend with Leo, but on Sunday he gets to go with his dad and your Uncle Nick down to Detroit to catch a Tigers game together. Should be fun!


Here we are at 34 weeks, before my shower with my girlfriends on Sunday morning:

How far along? 34 weeks
Maternity clothes? I've started to grow out of some things now, but I am trying to resist buying any new maternity clothes when I only have a few weeks left.
Stretch marks? Still none - holding out hope that they stay away
Sleep: It's been a little tough this week, my shoulders and neck have been getting really sore, so I have to keep changing sides.
Best moment this week? Hanging out with the girls at my shower - so nice and relaxing! And I got lots of new mom tips :)
Miss anything? Not bumping into things with my belly - I feel so silly sometimes, but I just forget how big it is!
Movement? You're still moving around a lot and sometimes it seems like you're trying to make your escape through the side of my belly
Food cravings? Powerade, root beer
Anything making you queasy or sick? I've been getting little bouts of nausea here and there, no fun
Mood? Really ready to meet you!
Labor Signs? Crampy, achy back and legs and still having braxton-hicks contractions
What are you looking forward to this week? Definitely seeing my friend Amanda this weekend and my family at the shower on Sunday!!!


Only about six more weeks until we get to meet you!! So excited!


All my love, Mom

Thirty-three Weeks and Happy Birthday Mom!

We're inching closer and closer to meeting you and in the mean time, you are growing by leaps and bounds! This week you weigh about 4.5 pounds and you are about 17 inches long - which my baby book says is about the size of a durian fruit... whatever the heck that is!! Your bones are now hardening - except for your skull bones which will stay soft to make it easier for you to be born :) You are also now sensitive to light... I can see us having some fun with a flashlight in the near future!


You have been SO active lately and I really love it :) It's kind of like our little secret when I'm sitting in a meeting at work and you start rolling around like crazy - it puts a smile on my face! It's also fun to try to guess what position you are in and what part of you is jutting out of my belly. Last night I was sitting back on the couch and I looked down and you must have really felt like hanging out on the right side of me because my belly was so lopsided and we could clearly see and feel your bottom and back sticking out. It was so cute and funny! What is not so cute and funny is when you kick me SO hard in the ribs - I know you are going to be one strong, rambunctious baby!


Here we are at 33 weeks - on my birthday :) :)

How far along? 33 weeks
Maternity clothes? I feel like I may never be able to wear normal clothes again... even my once-baggy t-shirts are stretched waaaayyyyy out now! 
Stretch marks? Nope, but I have noticed the linea nigra (line of pregnancy) getting darker ever since my mom pointed it out a couple of weeks ago... that goes away though!
Sleep: Sleeping well in between my four bathroom breaks... and I'm definitely more tired lately!
Best moment this week? My gloriously lazy, relaxing birthday!
Miss anything? Wearing my wedding ring - I feel naked without it
Movement? You are definitely living up to your nickname Squirms!
Food cravings? Root beer, lucky charms, chocolate!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Sometimes the heat really gets to me and I start to feel light-headed and nauseous
Mood? Excited that we are getting close to the end and to meeting you!
Labor Signs? Lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions, especially when we go for our walks
What are you looking forward to this week? Lots of exciting stuff this week - I have a shower with the ladies at work on Thursday, the we have the Diemer Run 5K on Saturday morning followed by a wedding shower for Jessica that afternoon. Finally on Sunday morning I have another shower with my girlfriends and then your dad's cousin Christopher's graduation party later that day. Whew! We are in for a busy weekend!


Like I said above, I had a wonderful day on Sunday - it was very laid back and low key and I loved every minute :) We went shopping in the morning for some groceries and also bought some curtains and a lamp for your nursery. We got home and had some of the delicious red velvet cake that your dad made for me while we watched the Tigers game. Your dad even wrote out my age on my cake in candles - he's so creative!

I didn't even know I liked red velvet cake - but it is SO yummy! Definitely one of my new favorite desserts :) In the afternoon, we sat outside on the patio and read our books and then ordered some Chinese food for dinner. It was a beautiful day and I'm so glad to have spent it with you and your dad and your brother Leo! One more picture of the birthday girl with the tasty cake:

Here's to hoping my 26th year is the best ever!!
All my love, Mom

Appointment Update.

Now that we have appointments with the doctor so often, it's getting hard to keep up with writing about them! Anyway, we had our 32 week check-up on Wednesday morning and the way the scheduling worked out, I had to go at a time when your dad couldn't make it because of work. So that was kind of a bummer, but luckily the appointments are still pretty routine and boring so he didn't miss much!


The actual appointment consisted of the usual - take my weight, blood pressure and urine sample - all looked normal! I'm now to the point where I can't see my feet anymore past my belly when I'm standing up, which means I can no longer see the numbers on the scale - good news! I think that will be my strategy for the next couple months - out of sight, out of mind :)


The doctor then had me lay back and measured my belly (and you!) - you are measuring right on track, if anything maybe a day or two ahead of schedule! The doctor said that it doesn't really mean much because the measurements can change just depending on how you are laying at the time, so I shouldn't worry about it too much unless you really start to consistently measure a lot bigger. So it sounds like we are on the right track! She then listened to your heartbeat - still going strong at 158 bpm.


After that we talked a little bit more about labor and delivery and she answered some questions I had about random stuff that moms think about and then we were done! Quick & painless... and I'll be back to do it all over again in two weeks... 


Tonight is the first part of our childbirth class that we are taking at the hospital, so I'm excited to see how that goes. I hope it is interesting information, and that we have lots of potty breaks :) The rest of the class is for most of the day tomorrow and hopefully we will leave there being better more prepared for you to arrive! You've been squirming like crazy today, so I take that to mean you are excited too :) 


All my love, Mom

Thirty-two Weeks.

Welcome to Month Eight, baby! We've got about two more months before we get to meet you and you are busy getting ready to come meet us! You weigh close to four pounds this week (!!) and you are probably about 17 inches long - about the size of a squash. You are spending your time blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, and kicking me like crazy! You and I are both now getting bigger by the day - you will about double your weight in the next 8 weeks, hopefully I don't do the same!

We had a great trip up to Grandma & Grandpa E.'s last weekend along with a nice relaxing day at home on Monday! This week should be pretty fun too - we have our 32 week check-up at the doctor's today, then your dad and I are taking our childbirth class at the hospital on Friday night and Saturday. Hopefully we will find the classes useful and they will help us out when you decide to come out and meet us! Then Sunday is your dear old mom's birthday - looking like it will be a fun week & weekend :) Here we are yesterday, on our way out for a walk:

How far along? 32 weeks
Maternity clothes? Starting to actually grow out of some of my maternity clothes - aahhh! My wedding ring also no longer fits :( 
Stretch marks? Just the ones I already had!
Sleep: I'm glad the weather is cooling off this week - it's hard for me to get to sleep when it is so hot!
Best moment this week? Spending time with our wonderful families!
Miss anything? Being able to get off the couch without grunting, rolling over onto my side, and a push from your dad!
Movement? Lots and lots of movement in the last few weeks! It's so cool to see and feel!
Food cravings? Popsicles and fruit
Anything making you queasy or sick? Greasy, fried food just doesn't sound super appealing anymore
Mood? Happy, but feeling nervous that we don't have everything we need for you yet
Labor Signs? Still having some B-H contractions and an achy back
What are you looking forward to this week? Our appointment today and our childbirth class this weekend!


All my love, Mom

Thirty-one Weeks.

We're down to the single digits now for the number of weeks left before you are due to arrive! That is, if you do come on or before your due date of July 25 but I know there is no guarantee of that happening, so I'm trying to keep my patience! I'm becoming more and more anxious to meet you as the days go by, but I also feel like the last seven months have gone by very quickly too. This week you are probably about 16 inches long and you weigh about 3.5 pounds - which the internet tells me is about the size of a pineapple, but I'm sure you're a lot cuter! You are spending your time putting on weight and building more and more brain connections. At this point all five of your senses are working and you are just moving like crazy!


We have had a pretty busy and fun week - your dad's uncles gave us tickets to see The Addams Family musical at the theater on Tuesday night, so we went downtown and had dinner and then saw the show which was really funny. And last night we met up with Grandma and Grandpa P. and  your Aunt Jenni for dinner! Aunt Jenni is here for the weekend from Spain so we get to spend lots of time with her - and she was so excited to see you growing in my belly. I was hoping she would get to feel you squirming around, but you were pretty quiet last night - so feel free to go crazy tonight! And tomorrow afternoon, your dad and I are heading to Grandma and Grandpa E.'s house for the long holiday weekend which I am definitely looking forward to! Anyway, here we are at 31 weeks:

How far along? 31 weeks
Maternity clothes? I hit a milestone this week - my lab coat at work no longer buttons! I had to borrow a bigger one :)
Stretch marks? Not seeing any yet - knock on wood!
Sleep: Sleeping great in between the frequent potty breaks!
Best moment this week? I've had several this week - our wonderful date on Saturday, seeing the play on Tuesday, and getting to see your Aunt Jenni!
Miss anything? I really do miss running - going all out and sweating like crazy - it's been a while and  I probably won't be doing that kind of running for a while. I 'ran' yesterday, which felt good even though my legs were cramping like crazy and I was quickly out of breath.
Movement? Still moving like crazy! I'm now feeling your kicks mostly on my left side and right up in the middle, and sometimes they really hurt! You are one strong little pineapple - I don't think you know your own strength!
Food cravings? Nothing too crazy this week...
Anything making you queasy or sick? We're still on a strict 'No Pizza' diet
Mood? Very happy to be getting close to meeting you!
Labor Signs? Having some Braxton-Hicks contractions, but those are nothing new...
What are you looking forward to this week? My four day weekend, spending time with Aunt Jenni, and our trip up to Port Austin :)


I'm loving every minute baby! Hope you are too :)


All my love, Mom

A Year of Dates: May.

Last weekend is when your dad and I decided to go on our date for the month of May ... well most of our date anyway! We started by getting up early(ish) on Saturday morning and went to Wolfgang's Restaurant for breakfast. Wolfgang's is a pretty popular breakfast place, so we waited for a while before we got a table, but the food was delish and the people watching was excellent!

After our breakfast we drove to the nearby Fulton Street Farmer's Market. Neither one of us had ever been there before, so it was a new experience! It was SO crowded and busy - so that was kind of a pain - but we still enjoyed walking through and seeing all the wonderful things for sale. Since it is still pretty early in the year, a lot of the produce was from out of state. We skipped those things, but we did buy some yummy local asparagus, potatoes, and onions. We also bought some homemade bagels and I also got a Columbine plant for my garden.

Our original plan was to go to Meijer Gardens afterward, but it was about 80 degrees outside and getting warmer so we both decided that we would skip the gardens that day. It is a lot tougher for me to be out in the heat now that I've got you tagging along with me - my hands and feet get really swollen and uncomfortable, no fun! So we went home and did some yard work instead, we got all of the mulch down in the flower beds and the rest of my flowers planted so we were very productive! 


After our yard work was finished, we cleaned up and grilled some steaks and our potatoes and asparagus and listened to the Tigers game on the radio outside - which was a wonderful way to spend a beautiful, warm afternoon! Since we had skipped Meijer Gardens, we decided to go to the movies that night instead. We first got some ice cream from Coldstone (yum!) and then we saw The Avengers movie - it was really good :) So we modified our date just a little bit, but we still had a really great day!


All my love, Mom