4-D Sonogram

First of all, I slept for roughly 30 seconds last night. This fear of needles has almost put me over the edge! I couldn't even get excited about seeing her on the 4-D sonogram because my stomach was in knots over the shot and blood work. I know that the nurses in the doctors office hate to see me coming, and to be honest I am not all that crazy about going to see them! But I am happy to say that the Rhogam shot and the blood work are over; however things didn't go so well with the gestational diabetes test:( I failed the test miserably! If your sugar is over 140 you have to come back for the 3 hour test. Mine was 164:( They later informed me that for the 3 hour test (which is when you sit in the doctors office, drink a really sweet drink, and they take your blood every hour for 3 hours) they don't prick your finger-they actually take blood from your arm! That's when I broke down and cried in the doctors office. The nurse practicioner, who knows exactly how I feel about all this blood taking, kept say, "why did YOU have to fail the test!" Which leads me to beleive she isn't excited about me coming back for the 3 hour test.

Amen, sister! Me either!

Here are some of the 4-D pictures. I am not sure what you see, but I will include the description of what we see...

Face profile- beautiful:)

During the majority of the sonogram she tried to hide her face, and her hands were in her face most of the time. Just beautiful:)

During every sonogram we have had she is always moving her mouth. During this sonogram she, of course, was moving her mouth. Her daddy said, "just like her mother" and to that statement she stuck her tongue out at him...(which were my feelings exactly)

Maybe Adam and I are the only ones that see this, but we are pretty sure she is laughing in this one... so beautiful:)

Crossed feet

Crossed hands in front of her face

We think that she looks like she is crying in this one...and she is just beautiful:)

27 Weeks

Baby Reese weighs about 2 pounds which is about weight of a head of cauilflower

How Far Along: 27 weeks
Weight Gain: 19 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: No. I am now lathering in Mother’s Friend which has been recommended by several people. Adam hated the smell of Coco Butter, but now he says the Mother’s Friend makes me smell like an “old woman”.
Sleep: Good
Baby Movement: Yes. Around 8:00 every night she practices her ballet and gymnastics moves :)
Food Cravings: I love Crystal Light fruit punch!
What I Miss: Nothing
Looking Forward To: Tuesday we will be going for the 4D sonogram and I can’t wait to see her little face! I would also like to ask for prayer on Tuesday morning around 8:30. I will be getting the Rhogam shot and my blood taken for the gestational diabetes test before the sonogram.
Milestones: At 27 weeks Baby Reese is now measures from crown to foot instead of crown to rump. She should be about 14 inches long and weighing about 2 pounds! She is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals, and opening and closing her eyes. Her brain is also very active at this point.

4D pictures to come on Tuesday!

"Elena, I have no medical experience..."

Since I have a very serious issue with my throat closing up anytime I am near a doctor’s office, I thought that a prenatal class was necessary for Adam and I to attend before the birth of Baby Reese. For the record, Adam basically went to this class kicking and screaming. I would rather have my blood taken again than hear him complain about this class…haha, just kidding! On Friday night the last words I heard were, “I just can’t imagine what they will talk about from 9 till 3 tomorrow.” Overall, I was well informed of lots of important things…some I needed to know and some that I could have gone a lifetime without hearing! It has been well documented that I am TERRIFIED of needles. I know, I know, this is completely a mental problem and quite frankly I have no desire to face this fear in hopes of fixing it! I have made up my mind that a couple of needles, big as they may be, will not stand in the way of my joy on the day I meet my first child. I know as soon as the IV and epidural are over I will tell Adam how it wasn’t as bad as I thought, but getting to that point is what keeps me up at night….Well, now I am not the only one up at night…Adam couldn’t even eat all of his Chick-Fil-A nuggets during our lunch break from the prenatal class because he was queasy. The sweet nurse who was over the class told us all we wanted to know and more about the way in which this sweet little girl will arrive into the world….most of which was way more than her Daddy ever needed to know! For those of you who have never been to a prenatal class- they show videos!! And no offense to anyone…but why would any woman refuse an epidural??? I really don’t understand, but every woman for herself, I guess. Adam will be in the room for the birth- which I am pretty sure he would wait in the lobby with the grandparents if he thought I wouldn’t tell Baby Reese when she is older- but he has made it clear he will have no part in this birthing experience other than staring straight into my face. A direct quote, “Elena, I have no medical experience. I am not qualified to hold your leg or anything else.” After his behavior during and after the class I seriously question if he will even be able to cut the cord. Until she is bathed and powdered I am not sure he will even look at her! When we took a tour of the labor and delivery room Adam felt better because “the lights are going to be dimmed” and “there is a couch that I can lay on if I get light headed.” Please let’s make sure Adam is comfy while I give birth to our child! An anesthesiologist came to the labor and delivery room while we were taking a tour and gave a full description of the epidural process… surprisingly, I felt much better about it after I heard what he had to say. After all, an epidural can’t be as bad as contractions, right?? While we were at the class the hospital went into a “Code Black” which was due to a thunderstorm warning that went into effect…is that a bad sign?

Even though the class took a whole Saturday I highly recommend it! I learned so much and it has eased some of my fears about having a baby...even if it didn't help Adam at all:)

26 Weeks

Baby Reese is the length of an English Hothouse Cucumber (which I have never heard of) and weighs about 1 2/3 pounds

How Far Along: 26 weeks…I firmly believe that this is the hottest summer on record! Or maybe it’s the extra weight and baby I am carrying around that makes it seem that way.
Weight Gain: Up 2 pounds this week. Total 17 pounds
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: No. I have ordered a cream called Mothers Friend to try. The smell of Coco Butter is getting really old so I thought I’d try something new.
Sleep: Good
Baby Movement: Yes. Sometimes what I think is her head looks like it is trying to break out of my stomach, but then I read last night that could be Braxton Hicks Contractions.
Food Cravings: Right now I love the Chicken Strip salad at Chick-Fil-A with ranch and 1000 island dressing.
What I Miss: Nothing
Looking Forward To: I have been looking forward to the 4-D sonogram in two weeks…until…this week when I was at my monthly check up she told me we would do the gestational diabetes test (which includes taking blood) and the Rhogam shot (for A- blood type) on the same day as my 4-D sonogram. Needless to say, all these needles have put a real dampener on my excitement for the sonogram. Tomorrow we are going to a birthing class- not to learn how to breath during labor, but to take a tour of the hospital, hear an anesthesiologist talk about an epidural (I just hope he doesn’t bring a real needle for demonstration because I really don’t want to know how big it is!), and most importantly for Adam to hear what all of this is going to be like and what he will need to do when I go into labor! He is far from happy about spending a Saturday in a birthing class, but there are things I really need to know in advance!

Milestones: Baby Reese’s stay in Hotel Womb is now two-thirds complete- which makes her Mommy really nervous that we are not nearly ready for a baby to come in roughly 14 weeks! Although her eyes are still sealed shut the retina development is complete this week. Her hearing also continues to develop and she can now recognize her Daddy’s voice.

Several of my family members went in together and got us the stroller and car seat we had picked out. I got it yesterday and could't wait to put it together.

Baby Reese, your Daddy never reads instructions because he can usually figure things out just by looking at it, but when he put your stroller together he read the instructions since something so value would be riding in it.

Nothing will remind you your having a baby like a car seat sitting in your house! Thanks you for the awesome gift Auntie Kay & Mike, Griff & Shannon, Nanny, Papa & Katherine!

25 Weeks

I am about a week late with this post, but I have had serious problems with the internet this week!

At 25 Weeks Baby Reese is the size of a rutabaga weighing about 1 1/2 pounds and 13 1/2 inches long

How Far Along: 25 Weeks

Weight Gain: Up 1 pound this week for a total of 15 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Yes.

Stretch Mark: No. Still lathering in coco butter daily.

Sleep: Good

Baby Movement: Yes.

Food Cravings: Watermelon:)

What I Miss: Nothing

Looking Forward To: The furniture coming in next week, I hope. The bedding is being made and I hope it looks the way I have it pictured in my mind!

Milestons: Baby Reese is the size of a standard letter, but would cost way more than one stamp to mail. She gains about 6 ounces every week which is mostly accumulating baby fat, but also growing organs, bones, and muscles.

The Life of A Traveling Salesman

For those of you who don't know Adam travels a lot with his job. Since I started teaching school I get to ride with him during the summer (he mainly drags me along so he can nap and I can drive). I don't get to lounge at swimming pools all day while he works...oh no,no,no my friend! We never stay in the same hotel (or as you will see below, motel) more than one night, and we do a lot of driving. For example, we left home yesterday stayed in Gastonia, North Carolina last night, tonight we are in the small costal town of Edenton, North Carolina and tomorrow we will be headed to Jacksonville, North Carolina...and hopefully home by Friday. I am convienced that if you look at the map we are at the absolute edge of the world tonight! Just for the record, any of you planning to travel to this area of the world should know...Edenton, North Carolina does not offer AT&T cell service! No service whatsoever! Anyway, we usually stay in places like this...(kind scary, right?)

But we get to see places like this...

Being the wife of a traveling salesman is hard work too! I usually look about this fantastic...haha

And here is the traveling salesman himself

It seems like every trip I go on with Adam I make the announcement that we are moving to that town. Last summer I decided that we were moving to Waynesville, North Carolina, but this summer I am really liking this little Edenton place...except this little cell phone issue!

24 Weeks- At The Beach

At 24 weeks Baby Reese is the length of an ear of corn

And looks something like this

How Far Along: 24 weeks
Weight Gain: Ok, so maybe I freaked out a little bit (or a lot) last week about gaining 4 pounds. This week for the weigh in I had lost 2 of those pounds…so maybe Adam was right…water retention. So I am giving my oath…I will not freak out again about a weeks weight gain. So the total at this point is 14 pounds.
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: No. Still lathering in Coco Butter daily.
Sleep: Boppy, the maternity pillow, and I are sleeping very well!
Baby Movement: Yes
Food Cravings: On our way to the beach this week I had my favorite breakfast food…Hardee’s Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits!! Then last night I had yummy crab cakes. Tonight…pizza. I might need to be reminded about that oath I just made.
What I Miss: Nothing
Looking Forward To: The furniture should be coming in within a week or two. The 4D sonogram in a few weeks!
Milestones: Baby Reese has gained 4 ounces since last week. Her face is almost fully formed with eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair…which has no pigment at this point and is white.

We have been at the beach for a few days with some of our favorite people. I spent more time under an umbrella this trip than all previous beach trips combined...plus I wore WAY more sunscreen than ever before....AND wore a swimsuit that covered my ever swelling stomach...needless to say there were a lot of firsts this trip! I vow to be back in a two piece swimsuit next year...Please remind me of that after Reese gets here and I am exhausted from no sleep and start skipping trips to the gym in the afternoons. (Dear Santa, if your reading this I would really like an eliptical this year...)

Baby Daddy didn't burn this trip either...another first (mostly because he napped in the room during the day)

All the girls rode to dinner together and let Anna Kate ride with the guys. She screamed the whole way. Don't worry Anna Kate we all cried the first time we were alone with them too!

Baby Reese, this is how Daddy spent our last beach trip without any responsiblities...

For those of you worrying about the oil spill- The guys spent a significant amount of time in the water looking for "tar balls"- this is the one they found...

D.D. and MeeMaw,

Next year we would really like to come to the beach with our friends. Since Reese will not be walking at that point can she please spent a few nights with ya'll? We will be looking for a response in roughly 12 months from now :) That should be plenty of time to make a decision.

The Nursery Part II

My sweet, sweet husband had a suprise waiting on me today when I got home... he had cleaned out the nursery (previously an office), painted the one pink wall in Baby Reese's room (with the help of D.D.), and bought and hung the chandelier that I had picked out a few weeks ago!!!




Here is a current picture of the nursery...yes, there is only one pink wall. As stated in the previous post, Dear First Born, I am not a huge fan of pink. So this is as much as I can stand on the walls of my house!

Doesn't every little princess deserve a chandelier in her bedroom?? Our little princess certainly had to have this hanging from her ceiling...

I would have had pictures of the painting and moving of office furniture, but Adam did all of this as a suprise so I have no documentation of this momentus occasion.


In other news...we have had some serious moving and shaking going on in our yard in the last few months. Here is our house a few weeks ago...

And....here it is this week...look closely at the foundation with those lovely rocks plastered on the previously tacky block

Please pay no attention to the DEAD grass...we had to plant grass that grew throughtout the winter and dies in the summer to help cut down on the amount of mud in our yard over the last few months. We have now planted summer grass, but it hasn't grown enough to see yet. I know, I know, I need plants in the front yard! I am trying to grow a baby. I don't have time for all this yard work!