32 Weeks

Baby Reese is the size of a large jicama...I googled and discovered that a jicama is similar to a turnip and is often eaten with salads. I am learning an awful lot about food types!

How Far Along: 32 weeks
Weight Gain: I've lost track....such a shame:)
Maternity Clothes: Yes and I have to go back to actually wearing decent clothes next week when I go back to work :( I have spent my summer lounging around in Adam's boxer shorts and t-shirts.
Stretch Marks: Not yet, but I have had so many people tell me that they didn’t get any stretch marks until the baby arrives and they started losing the weight! Just when you think you’re in the clear!
Sleep: Well I officially think we are in trouble! In the last few nights I have noticed that she moves around a lot! If that is any sign as to how our nights are going to be when she gets here it is not going to be good for us!
Baby Movement: Yes. She is getting more cramped in there by the minute.
Food Cravings: Nothing in particular.
What I Miss: I definitely do not get around like I used to. In my previous life I could run circles around Adam. Now he is always walking ahead of me and looking back asking, “what has happened to you?” Well, for starters I am carrying around an extra 20+ pounds! Not to mention how bad my feet hurt. I had to go run a few errands in Oxford on Monday and when I got home I told Adam I was exhausted. His words of wisdom, “As big as you are you need to slow down!” HAHAHA!
Looking Forward To: We finally got the furniture in (pictures below). I am most looking forward to seeing her sweet little face in a few weeks.
Milestones: At 32 weeks Reese weights around 4 pounds and is about 19 inches long (depending on which website you read describing the average size at this stage). She is busy getting ready for her big debut by practicing swallowing, breathing, kicking, and sucking. Her skin is no longer see-through, but is now opaque just like ours.

We finally got the furniture in! I still have no clue what is going to go on the walls, but here is what we have so far…

I stole this idea from another blog. For now I put this outfit into this frame with burlap backing, but once Reese arrives I plan to use this to save the outfit she wears home from the hospital. Once I decide where it will go it will hang on the wall.

This is the quilt my BFF Stephanie gave Reese to hang over her crib. I can't imagine how she knew I wanted this. I have only been talking about it for the last 30 weeks or so:)

Another idea I stole from a blog. This is called a Blessing Ring. I got a necklace from the jewelry section of Hobby Lobby, added a pink ribbon and hair bow to it, and it is used to save all of the sweet cards we were given at our showers. I love this because it is a great way to keep up with all the cards, and it is a great reminder of how blessed we are to have such thoughtful family and friends.

I can’t imagine what she is going to wear, can you??? Bless her heart she hasn’t gotten any clothes:)

I love wall scripts so I ordered this to go above her closet...

Sadly, I have to go back to the real world next week and my trips with Adam are over for a while. Actually probably a little longer than a while since we are about to have a baby, and riding in a car for 8 hours a day isn’t exactly baby friendly. So I rode with him this week because I might not get to do this for several years! Along the way this is some of the things we saw. North Carolina is a beautiful place!

To get this picture....

This extremely pregnant girl walked down and back up all these steps plus some more to see this waterfall. It was a struggle. I sounded like I needed oxygen when I got back to the top!

Showered with Gifts and Love

For the past two weekends we have been showered with gifts and love! Last Sunday DeeDee and Big Daddy's church, County Line Baptist, hosted a shower for Baby Reese.

Isn't the cake the main attraction at a shower???

The hostesses

I forgot to get a picture of my favorite things at the shower so I had to make a picture when I got home....petifores from the Hub in Wedowee! These make me very happy!

On Saturday night we got to see some of our closest friends at the shower hosted for us.

The picture below are the hostesses and myself. All of us were swept off our feet by our now husbands and soon-to-be husbands who all became friends as fire fighters in Auburn.

Left to Right: Adrianne Bazzell, LaRae Jackson hold Anna Kate, Kathryn Pack, myself, Abby Bauer, Ami Pearson, Leigh Allen, and Samantha Fetner.

Baby Reese and I at 31 weeks.

My friends since birth:)

Matthew Allen slaving over a hot grill cooking hamburgers on an already scorching day!

Adrianne suggested this photo and I love it!

Thank you all for hosting/attending our showers! Your friendships mean so much to us!

31 Weeks and the Gestational Diabetes Test

At 31 Weeks Reese is the size of 4 navel oranges weighting about 3 1/2 lbs

How Far Along: 31 weeks

Weight Gain: I have lost track...such a shame;)
Maternity Clothes: I went by a Motherhood Maternity store this week and got a couple of things since school starts back in two weeks:(. I am going back to work until she gets here which should be about 7-8 weeks from school starting. I know, I know I will be swelled up like a balloon every afternoon from being on my feet all day.
Stretch Marks: Not yet.
Sleep: God bless the makers of the Boppy maternity pillow! I love those people. I had to break it to Adam that the pillow will not be disappearing after Reese gets here.
Baby Movement: Yes. She is getting more cramped in there by the minute.
Food Cravings: I got to eat Olive Garden after my 3 hour gestational diabetes test last week (more on that in a moment) and it was delicious!
What I Miss: Being able to bend over to get things. I have always wondered why pregnant women walked funny, got up from a sitting position funny, and scratched their stomach all the time. Well, I now know first hand that they walk funny because there is a baby in their stomach. They get up from a sitting position funny because there is a baby in their stomach. And they scratch their stomach because that baby in their stomach is causing their skin to stretch and it itches! Who knew growing a baby caused such things! I am also having some serious tailbone issues. I would not wish this on anyone! If I sit too long my tailbone feels as though it has been broken, if I stand too long my feet hurt….its a loose loose situation! The doctor says the tail bone thing should go away…a few months after she is born…
Looking Forward To: We are getting the furniture today!! Although I hate to have to go back to work I love to see the fall season coming!! Fall is my favorite time of the year…hence, why I chose a fall wedding. I love everything about fall…the weather, football, the decorations, and all the fall festivals. Just to be sure I get my house decorated for fall before Reese gets here I will be putting out all of my fall stuff the weekend of Labor Day. I know it’s a little early for most of you but that is also my birthday weekend and I consider it my gift to myself. I am already thinking about all of the pictures I am going to make of Reese with pumpkins, hay bails etc! I am also excited about seeing some really good friends at our shower this weekend.
Milestones: At 31 weeks Reese is heading into a growth spurt. She will accumulate lots of fat under the skin for the next 9 weeks.


As for the gestational diabetes test: I should get Adam to write this part of the post just so you can get the full effect…I was right on time to the doctors office (8:00 a.m.) which in my book right on time means being late. But anyway, I felt no need to get there early. Adam dropped me off at the door because I had not had breakfast and I get to feeling really funny when I do not eat on my normal schedule (Breakfast- as soon as my feet hit the floor; Lunch-promptly at 11:00; Dinner-no later than 5:00- yes, my feeding schedule would remind you of an elderly person in the nursing home, but Big Momma is serious about eating…and it has nothing to do with expecting a child- I have always been this way.) Anyway, the nurse sat me down immediately and tried to take my blood…I am talking my whole body wasn’t in the door and she is tying that band around my arm.
“ Do you mind if I lay down somewhere for you to take my blood? I get really light headed when having my blood taken.”

“Are we going to have to lay you down every time we do this today? Because the office across the hall is closed today and I don’t have anywhere you can lay.”

So I was forced to sit in that chair with the half table thing in front of me. It didn’t take me long to realize I had been lied to…Oh, they would be taking my blood once an hour for three hours all right…plus two more times that were never mentioned! I walked into the waiting room to find Adam since I had left him to park the car…

Upon seeing the tape across my arm…

“Have they already tooken your blood?” (no that is not a typo- he said “tooken”- apparently he was so shocked that I had let them take my blood without having a melt down his speech had been temporarily impaired.)

“Yes, Adam and I have already drank that awful drink too.”

“You are growing up before my very eyes! I am buying you a prize for this.”

The nurse wrote on a piece of paper the exact time I should step back into that terrible room, sit in that horrendous chair, and have my blood “tooken”… 8:35, 9:05, 10:05, and 11:05…those are all in addition to having it “tooken” the moment I walked in. Adam was in utter shock each time I went back, had my blood “tooken” and came back out without him holding my hand, and without a melt down. I have not idea what force came over me. It can be described as nothing less that a miracle from the Lord. Now granted I still feel as though the entire day was a waste of time and totally unnecessary… but I will admit I was a big girl. I mean really this is huge for me…I had by blood “tooken” 5 times in one 24 hour period without being emotionally scared for days thereafter… maybe I can bring a baby into this world…we’ll see.

Each time I came back into the waiting room to see my husband so proud (and shocked) I was told, “you are getting a prize when we leave”. So I got to eat Olive Garden for lunch (he knows my weakness and it is eating out)….and…. I got an iphone!!! YAY! Technically I was in desperate need of a new cell phone and the whole “you were a big girl, I am so proud of you” thing really had nothing to do with it, but Adam tried to act like it did.

So, I got the results on Monday and I passed the test! See having my blood "tooken" all those times was unnecessary!

SOLD!

This is such a bittersweet post. Three years ago we bought our first home. It was built in the 60’s and in desperate need of some updating. So we spent several months refinishing the hardwood floors, putting up sheetrock, painting, and since I married the cabinet man we got new cabinets throughout the house. Many, many funny stories happened at this little green house. One of my faovirte was our first Halloween I had big plans for handing out candy since the house is right in town. However, the kiddies trick-or-treated a day earlier than I expected and I didn't have any candy. So I ran to the store which was sold out of candy and I was forced to buy Little Debbie cakes. Well word spread fast that the Robertson's were handing out zebra cakes and oatmeal pies and we had tons of visitors. It had just gotten dark when a Trail Blazer came to a stop in the road. Small children started getting out coming for their Little Debbie's when Adam noticed a stray dog coming into yard. He clapped his hands and yelled, "get outta here, get outta here." With little legs still hanging out of the Trail Blazer the mother gased it and drove off in a hurry. We assume they thought Adam was yelling at them. Trail Blazer, whoever you may be, we were not yelling at you! There is also a very funny story about a political candidate relieving himself in our front yard when he thought we weren't home...but I won't go into details about that eventful evening. But most importantly we came home from our honeymoon to this house, brought our first born (Dixie) home to this house where, on my hands and knees, I buried an invisible fence, and made the adjustment into married life at this house. A little over a year ago we decided to move and put the house up for sale. We bought another house, took a leap of faith, and lived on a prayer that someone would like the house as much as we did and buy it. After a year and half someone finally came along and made us an offer. Selling a house rates right up there with having your blood taken on the fun scale, and it would be just fine with me if we never partake in this activiy again! I took a walk through the house one last time last night and we closed on the house today. Green as it may be I will always love this little house that was filled with so many memories that we will not soon forget!

30 Weeks

At 30 weeks Reese is about 3 pounds and 15 3/4 inches long which is about the weight of a large cabbage

How Far Along: 30 weeks

Weight Gain: 21 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: Not yet, but I really do question how big can you get? I don’t feel like I can grow one more inch however I know the growing is really about to start.
Sleep: Good
Baby Movement: Yes. After 28 weeks you are supposed to keep dedicate 1 hour each day to count the number of kicks which should be at least 10. This almost makes me crazy. If I am really busy and don’t pay attention I start to wonder if she has moved at all and then all kinds of thoughts enter my mind. I promise pregnancy has made me crazier than I ever was before! What will motherhood do to me?
Food Cravings: Anything and everything.
What I Miss: Cool weather and being able to catch my breath. I feel like there is no more space in my abdominal area and I can’t really breathe all that well.
Looking Forward To: Once again there has been a delay in the furniture…which is really starting to bug me. And for those of you who have been hearing me complain about this matter I would like to take this time to apologize. Furniture that should have been here in 6 to 8 weeks has now taken 12 weeks…but “it should be here end of this week or the first of next week.” I am seriously doubting it since I have been told that for 3 consecutive weeks. Friday is the big day for the 3 hour gestational diabetes test, but I am not thinking about it because I don’t have the energy to get upset this week. This week has been completely dedicated to completing my course work for my master degree and I am almost done!!!!!
Milestones: At 30 weeks Baby Reese is starting to shed the lanugo which is the downy hair she grew to help keep her warm. She hasn’t gained much weight or height this week because all of her energy has gone to developing brain cells.

I got the bedding last weekend and I am in love with it! Here is one of the bumpers and the bed skirt

My friend LaRae monogrammed this onesie for Reese and I love it!

She inspired me to get MeeMaws monogramming machine out and learn how to use it. For those of you who know my mother…she owns a small Hobby Lobby in the upstairs of her house. She has EVERYTHING…including a Cricut scrapbooking machine and a monogramming machine. I am going to be putting it to good use in the next few weeks. It is actually easier to use than I thought. And this is what the dinning room looks like with all of this creativeness going on...

29 Weeks

At 29 weeks Baby Reese is the size of a butternut squash

From a mans perspective she is about the length of the wheel on the original Big Wheel

How Far Along: 29 weeks
Weight Gain: 2 lbs this week. Up 21 lbs total. It is looking like I will go over my goal of 25 total lbs:(
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: Not yet
Sleep: Good, but I am dreading starting back to school in a few weeks because sleeping till 8 every morning will not be happening.
Baby Movement: Yes and it has given us endless entertainment trying to determine which of her body parts are protruding.
Food Cravings: Olive Garden
What I Miss: Cool weather
Looking Forward To: Hopefully her furniture will be here next week:)
Milestones: At 29 weeks Baby Reese’s head is growing to make room for her developing brain. Her muscles and bones are also continuing to mature.

28 Weeks

Baby Reese is the size of a Chinese Cabbage

How Far Along: 28 weeks
Weight Gain: I read that average women gain 11 pounds during the final trimester which starts this week for us. Yikes 11 more pounds…well she only weights 2 lbs so hopefully most of that will go to her! No weight gain for me this week.
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: Not yet, but I thought I saw one on my leg…so I quit looking at it and put on extra Mother’s Friend in that area.
Sleep: Much better since the Rhogam shot is over!
Baby Movement: Yes. She moves around a lot. But of course at the 4D sonogram this week she was sleeping so good and didn’t want us to see her face.
Food Cravings: Olive Garden
What I Miss: Nothing
Looking Forward To: There was a delay with the furniture and it will not be here for a couple more weeks and the bedding is going to be ready next week! After seeing the 4D sonogram Adam and I are in love already and can’t wait to meet her.
Milestones: At 28 weeks Baby Reese can blink her eyes (which we saw on the 4D) and has eyelashes. Reese’s sleep pattern now includes the REM phase which means she could be dreaming, and I for one would love to know what a 28 week fetus could possibly dream about.