Less than 8 weeks to go!

The last picture I posted--and the last post I wrote--was 2 weeks ago! I'm now 32.5 weeks and have less than 8 weeks until my due date! As of November 1st I can officially say that Baby H is due "NEXT MONTH!" Wow...seems surreal to say that....

Here is the most up-do-date picture of "us"

Not sure how much bigger I'll be getting in the next 7 weeks but I hope not TOO much bigger....everyday tasks like bending down to pick something up or even getting up out of a chair are starting to seem like struggles with my big belly in the way.

Here's another fun picture to show my progression since 14.5 weeks--every 2 weeks up until now at 32.5 weeks! Crazy how much things change every couple weeks....I miss my 14.5 week body...haha! Soon enough, I hope to get it back....

Last time I posted I talked about my excruciating sciatic nerve pain on my left side that I had been battling since 17 weeks, but got unbearable during weeks 29-31. I had a chiropractor appointment made and everything....and one morning early last week--I woke up, rolled out of bed, took a step, and said "Casey! I can walk!!" It was such a relief...I wasn't hobbling around like a 90 year old woman, I wasn't flinching with every step I took....I was pain free! Knock on wood, it has remained that way since that morning. My guess is that the baby moved off the sciatic nerve and will hopefully stay that way for the remainder of the pregnancy. I canceled my chiropractor appointment because last week was just WAY too busy. Now, lets hope the pain doesn't come back!

We had our 32 week appointment this week and all looked well. I took my blood pressure before I left home because I knew it would be high at the doctors office. At home it was 106/60, and when they took it there it was 140/88! I wasn't surprised...but the doctor wanted to be safe and test my urine for protein to rule out preeclampsia. Fortunately, it tested negative! (Knock on wood....)

I asked the doctor if she could tell the position of the baby by feeling my stomach and she said she would be willing to bet that he or she has turned head down. She was explaining that she could feel the head way down low, the butt and back curled up on my left side (where I always feel the most movement) and the hands and feet hanging out over on the right side, where I feel random pokes and jabs. Whew! She said generally when they turn head down, they stay that way for the remainder of the pregnancy. Lets hope he or she cooperates and doesn't decide to reposition again! I'm feeling so much movement and really enjoy laying and watching my stomach morph and twist and turn :) I will miss that!

Baby H's heartbeat was a steady 140 as usual (it's always been 140-145) and I'm measuring right where I should be. I've gained 26 pounds so far (!!) and am going to really try and watch what I eat for the next 7 weeks. If I gain a pound a week like they suggest, I will end up right around 35 pounds total which is considered normal--but I have to get through Thanksgiving and Christmas....that's just cruel! :) I dont "feel" like I've gained that much...and it baffles me since Baby H is only about 3-4 pounds right now....but, whatever, as long as we're both healthy I guess that's all that matters!

I will say that I have been VERY paranoid about preeclampsia lately. Some days my hands, feet, and face feel swollen and I can't get any of my rings on, and ALL my socks and shoes leave indents on my feet. However, I think I've chalked that up to foods with too much sodium because some days I'm perfectly fine. Just another joy of a pregnancy reaching the end, I guess.

We finished up our baby classes this week and I will say that I found them VERY helpful!! I feel more prepared (and maybe a little more scared!) but overall I am so glad we signed up and took the 5 week session. We also met some great people that we hope to keep in touch with!

Last time I posted I also mentioned that we scored a FREE 8-drawer dresser on Craigslist:

And I am proud to say that after a lot of blood, sweat and tears (ok maybe it wasn't THAT bad...) we refinished it by stripping the varnish and adding a few coats of white paint! Look how perfectly it turned out!

I couldn't be happier with how it looks now! It looks like a brand new dresser and you can see so many more details than you could when it was the dark stain. Now I can finally wash all the teeny baby clothes, fold them, and store them in the dresser--rather than having them piled up on the floor--where they've been since my shower 5 weeks ago! And now I can re-arrange the rest of the room and start hanging things on the wall....eeeek! It's becoming so real!

You'll also notice the quality of the brown dresser picture is terrible, whereas the quality of the white dresser picture is great. That's because I've hopped on the iPhone bandwagon! I don't think I've put that phone down for more than 10 minutes since I've had it...haha! I love that thing.....

In other news, Casey's healing leg/ankle is progressing and he can now walk without crutches! Well--a few steps here and there, anyway. He still uses 1 for balance and usually still uses 2 when we go out somewhere. However, it's HUGE progress and I would say in a few more weeks he will be able to walk (or limp) totally crutch free. What a long, exhausting ride it's been. Tomorrow night marks the 10 week anniversary of when he broke it. TEN WEEKS. Can you imagine not being able to walk for 10 weeks? I can't.....and it makes my heart break for people who can't walk at all....something we take for granted each and every day....

Speaking of Casey--he left for his Ohio hunting trip yesterday! I hope he doesn't overdo it and I hope he is still able to enjoy himself even though he can't really "hunt" like he usually does. He will probably set up in the corner of a field and hunt from there. No treestands or climbing for him! I'm so glad he was able to go this year. It would have crushed him if he had to stay home...he looks forward to this trip every single year, and this year out of any year--I think he needed it the most. Just to get away, clear his mind, and relax. He's been stuck in the house for so long that the fresh air will do him good! I'll be fending for myself for the next 10 days but it's ok with me....I've "run the house" for the last 10 weeks so what's another 10 days? Haha...

That's all for now. We have our next doctors appointment at 34 weeks (every 2 weeks now, rather than every 4!) and after 36 weeks it will be every week! I can't believe how fast time is flying. We better pick out some names, huh? That's a whole other topic....we aren't sharing baby names since we want it to be a surprise--but even if we were sharing the names, we don't have any picked out! We have a very short list that changes every week....so chances are, this baby will just be named Baby H for the rest of his or her life :)

More later! Happy Friday!

Getting there!

It's been about 2 weeks since my last post and Baby H is growing like a weed and I am too! Here is my latest picture at 30.5 weeks. Somedays I wonder how much bigger I'm going to get--it kind of makes me nervous!

Everyone tells me I've only gained it in my belly but personally I definitely see a difference in my face, arms, thighs, etc....! It's all worth it though, right? And temporary (I hope!)

I'm still feeling good for the most part except my sciatic nerve pain which has flared up now and then since 17 weeks has become practically unbearable at times! It doesnt start in my lower back and radiate down my legs--it is strictly in my left butt cheek and with every step I take it feels like someone is stabbing me. It hurts to walk, bend down, stretch, etc! And it's ONLY on my left side--which makes sense to me because most of the movement I feel is on my left side--so I'm guessing Baby H has settled right onto the nerve.

I called a local chiropractor/masseuse and have an appointment scheduled in a week. Hopefully I can make it another week! It seems to be the worst after I walk a lot, and after I sit or lie down for a long period of time and then stand up.

Oh well--if that's my main worry right now, I think I'm doing pretty well!

Casey's leg is healing and he was given the OK to put weight on it. He is still using crutches but will eventually (soon) be able to transition to just 1, and then eventually no crutches at all. He is still planning on going on his hunting trip to Ohio in 2 weeks so we'll see how that goes! I don't mind that he goes--in fact, I'm happy for him. He looks forward to that trip all year and it would have broken my heart (and his) if he had to miss it. I'm not nervous about being home and doing everything on my own for a week because I've been doing everything on my own for the last 8 weeks since he broke his leg! Laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc....it's been a challenge but we've managed and it could have been a lot worse! I see it as early preparation for when the baby gets here. I've never been so busy in my life as I have been these last 8 weeks, so I might as well just keep it going until baby gets here!

My craft show last weekend went GREAT and I made almost triple what I made last year! It went so well that I actually signed up for another craft show on November 12th! It's the day Casey gets back from Ohio so I know I'll want to spend the day with him--but, I'll go make us some extra cash instead :)

Baby H's room is coming along but I still have so much arranging and finishing up to do! I scored a beautiful FREE 8 drawer dresser on Craigslist and it just needs to be stripped and painted white to match the crib. I plan on doing that sometime this week. Then I can get all the clothes washed and dried and folded and put away, rather than piled on the floor like they currently are! Here's the FREE dresser I found:

I'm looking forward to seeing the room continue to come together. Once the dresser is stripped and painted, I will need to finish the crib bedding (the crib skirt and the other fitted sheets) and then hang the fabric embroidery hoops on the wall, and the mirror, etc. Whew...I'm glad I started this process EARLY because after Casey broke his leg, I sort of lost time for everything related to the baby room!

My 28 week appointment went great and I'm right on track as far as weight gain, measurements, etc. The heartbeat was a steady 140 as usual and our next appointment is on November 2nd, when I will be 32 weeks! I can't believe how fast time is flying by.  Right now I have about 9 weeks left....with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner--it's going to come so fast!

We have baby class every Tuesday (this Tuesday will be the 4th class out of 5) and last week we went on a tour of the hospital. It made everything VERY real, and a little scary! I try not to think that far ahead but it's impossible not to. Where will I be when I go into labor? Will I know? Will I go too early and have a false alarm or will I wait too long and give birth on the way there? (Haha). Will I go before my due date, on my due date, or after my due date? Will it be a boy or a girl? Will I have an easy or hard labor? So many questions that won't be answered until that very day!!!

That's it for now! I'll update more later as more exciting things happen.

Into the Third Trimester!

Wow, it's been a while since my last post and so much has happened!

Let's see...where do I even begin? My last post ended with "We're off to a wedding tomorrow so I'll take my "almost 27 week" picture then"

Well, here it is!

That was back at 26.5 weeks....now I'm 28.5 weeks! 2 weeks makes a big difference, because here I am today:

Baby H is growing each day! He or she is pretty active when I lay down to go to sleep at night, but it never fails--whenever I say "Casey! Quick, feel right here!", he or she immediately stops! :) Stubborn....!

Anyway, the day after the wedding we attended a couple weeks ago--our friends Tyler and Lindsay invited us to lunch. My mom had mentioned that she wanted to meet their daughter (Finnley) who was just born in the end of May, so we planned on stopping by my parents house when we got home from lunch. We stopped at our house to let the boys out since they weren't too interested in going for some reason, and Lindsay, Finnley and I took off to my parents house. As we drove up the driveway, I noticed some random cars parked on the lawn and was a little confused, but I didn't think much about it until I looked at Lindsay who was driving and she said "I'm Sorry!!!" Still--I was confused, and had no idea what was going on!

Little did I know, I was arriving at my very own BABY SHOWER! What a surprise!!! I got out of the truck and was greeted by my dad, with tears in his eyes. He gave me a big hug and I proceeded to walk onto my parents porch which was filled with friends and family! To say I was shocked was an understatement...I didn't even know what to do! There was nothing that made me think I was having a shower that day....someone could have come right out and told me and I still wouldn't have believed them. It was the perfect day :) Looking back, I feel so silly that I just DIDN'T catch on!

My mom has one sister and one sister only--and she heads to Florida later this month. My mom wanted to have a shower that she could attend, so she put together the shower that day for a "small" group of family and a few friends. I say it was a small gathering but there were 25+ people there!

My brother snapped some pictures during the shower and here are a few for your viewing pleasure!

 The adorable onesies and toys hanging on the clothesline :)

 My mom did such a great job decorating!

 The diaper wreath my mom made me :) Its so cute I don't want to take it apart!

 Me--clueless

 My dad greeting me :)

 Overwhelmed!

 The baby afghan my mom made me :)

 Oh boy--what next!?

 Yay! My in-laws got me the diaper bag I wanted!! It's beautiful!!

 My brother and his girlfriend outdid themselves and got me an infant tub FILLED with clothes, toys, towels, bath supplies, etc!

My Aunt Colleen got me the most beautiful white rocking chair for Baby H!

 So. Much. Food!

 The sherbet punch...soooo delicious!

 The incredible cake my dads coworker made, to match the plates and napkins!

 My mom, me, and my mother-in-law

I am such a lucky girl! I was surrounded by people I love for the afternoon and everyone was so generous with their gifts. It was something I wasn't expecting and I was so overwhelmed! I feel like I didn't get a chance to chat with everyone, but I just didn't know what to do or where to be or what to do next! We got so many things...from clothes, to toys, to a highchair, pack and play, diaper bag, blankets, diapers, bottles, stuffed animals, rocking chair, bouncer, bath, etc!! We are so lucky and appreciate it so much!

I haven't done anything more to the nursery--mainly because it looks like THIS right now:

 Oh my! I have some serious organizing to do!

Otherwise, life is good! Casey's leg is healing and he is currently at 5 weeks post-surgery. We have an appointment for him next Thursday where he can begin putting weight on that leg and ankle...and take a few steps! He's made huge progress and things are getting easier each day.

As for me, I have my 28 week appointment tomorrow to hear Baby H's heartbeat which is always exciting! Not looking forward to getting weighed since I believe I hit the 20 pound mark, but it's all worth it! (I try to keep telling myself that!!)

I've been feeling good, although my back has been hurting by the time I go to bed each night. But, I literally sleep like I'm in a coma, and I have never had to get up in the night and go pee. (Not a single time since I've been pregnant!) Is that really rare or something?? Everyone I talk to says they were up multiple times a night and couldn't get comfortable or sleep at all at this point in pregnancy. Maybe I'm lucky, or maybe I just haven't made it to that point yet!

I've been busy preparing for a craft show I'm participating in, so that's taken up most of my free time lately. It's something I look forward to, though--and I hope to make some extra cash!

That's it for now. I can't believe there are only 11.5 weeks left....my pregnancy has FLOWN by! With the holidays mixed in there I'm sure the end will fly by too!

Updates!

Whew! It's been 2 weeks since my last post and a lot has happened. First, here's a picture of me and Baby H last weekend--when I was almost 26 weeks (I'm now almost 27 weeks)

Let's see--what's happened since last time I posted?

I passed my 3 hour glucose test! YAAH! I am so relieved and excited. I was really nervous about that one....I failed the 1 hour test miserably, but I guess you shouldn't dwell on the numbers too much--its pass or fail, and apparently even if you fail miserably you can still pass the 3 hour test. Whew...one less thing to worry about.

Casey's leg is doing alright but he still has very limited movement and spends his days on the couch, bed, or recliner. He is up and around a little more than he has been--but his max is still about 2 hours and then he has to go lay back down since his foot turns weird colors and swells and throbs. We're making progress, though. Today marks the 3 week anniversary of his surgery so in another 3 weeks he should be able to put some weight on it. Slowly but surely....

The nursery is coming along GREAT! I assembled the crib (by myself!) a couple weeks ago and it's beautiful!

 All of my pieces

All of my tools!

Whew, this is a breeze!

 Finished product---LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

 After I applied the wall decals (also by myself--very proud!)

 I adore everything about these decals!

 The mobile back in place

 The crib bedding I made! All that's left is the crib skirt which will be finished after my fabric order arrives. The skirt will be the same fabric as the bumpers.

Ahhh....I feel like I've made so much progress! I have other fabrics for 4 other fitted sheets, and I'll get to those eventually!

I made these really cute fabric embroidery hoops and they will be staggered on the wall above the bureau/changing table (once I find one!) Oh, and of course the mobile I made too!

I had another foot swelling issue and I can honestly say I have never seen my feet so swollen in my entire life! I had absolutely no ankles whatsoever and they HURT! My shins kind of molded into my ankles and my ankles molded into my feet. They were puffy, squishy, achy, and just plain UGLY! Fortunately it lasted for about 3 days and this morning they're slowly going back to "normal". I still can't see my ankle bones, but hopefully relaxing today and having them elevated will help.

We're off to a wedding tomorrow so I'll take my "almost 27 week" picture then :) We'll see how Casey holds up--the wedding is about 40 minutes from our house and if Casey can only have his leg down for about 2 hours max, it should be interesting to see how long he lasts....!

More later!