39 weeks

Lots of waiting and wondering when the b-day will be..... Dr. said today I probably won't be delivering this week. I have mixed feelings about this.... excited to move on with life, meet the baby, get my energy back, etc. But on the other hand, there will be a whole new set of challenges....lack of sleep, not being able to do as much out of the house,etc. However, I look forward to finding new meaning and direction in life and learning a new kind of love.

Hang'n out at the Cardiff campsite (39 weeks)

38 Weeks!

Almost There (37 weeks)!

Dave and I have been getting ready for the baby to come in the next few weeks. We are getting excited and a little nervous. We have heard how difficult it is the first month after the baby comes home so we are trying to get as much sleep as possible. I have been having fun cooking up a storm and freezing everything so we don't have to cook as much. We got our crib yesterday and I washed all of the baby clothes and blankets already. I'm realizing how easy it is to lose baby socks in the laundry.....they are so minature!

I am excited to be done being pregnant. It is getting really difficult to walk, sit, sleep, and pretty much everything. The baby has "dropped" so it is putting a lot more pressure on my back and pelvis. But at least I have more room below my ribs and I am not getting heartburn anymore! I have also developed a little case of carpal tunnel syndrome from water retention. All I can do right now is eat less salt and drink more water so I retain less and the carpal tunnel will go away soon after delivery. Even though I have some swelling, my blood pressure is great so there are no signs leading to the development of preclamsia (which is common nearing the end of pregnancy).

Dave and I have narrowed the baby name down to two choices. We just hope the baby doesn't come out a GIRL after all of the thought we put into deciding on these two names! It may take meeting the baby to make the final decision!

Hopefully soon we will have happy news to share with everyone!!!! We can't wait for you to meet the baby!

Dave's play-doh baby

Finally...a picture of me and the baby belly

April Update (33 weeks pregnant)

Dave and I just had our 1st Anniversary over the weekend. It was a nice weekend. We cannot believe how much has changed in one year and that we will be having a baby in less than 2 months! It has been a little stressful going through so many life changes in one year but I think Dave and I have grown and learned a lot about each other through the process.

The pregnancy is going well. We (me especially) cannot wait to be done with this stage of the pregnancy and to meet our little guy! I had a doctor's appointment last week and the doctor said that the baby is already in head down position which will make delivery much easier. The baby's heartbeat was strong at the appointment. My blood pressure, iron levels, and other lab tests have tested very normal. My belly measures about 33 weeks now which makes my due date around June 5-11. In a few weeks the baby should move lower in preparation for delivery and hopefully I will be able to have more room to breath and digest food! I feel the baby constantly especially about an hour after I eat. I now know which of his body parts are moving where. His elbows are hitting my elbows, his feet are kicking my ribs and I can feel his hands in my lower abdomen. He especially likes to move at night when I am trying to sleep! This is getting me used to sleeping less! Dave and I have started taking childbirth preparation classes. It is fun to see all of the pregnant bellies in class and to meet other couples going through the same thing.

7 mos. pregnant

I went to the doctor a few days ago. Everything is right on track. Very healthy. The baby's heart rate was 149BPM when they took it the other day. It was funny because he kept kicking the monitor as she was taking the reading.
I am starting to feel the baby move around more and more everyday. He loves to kick my right elbow when it's resting at my side. He also gets hiccups every once in a while. Dave can feel these too!
As for me, I am feeling good although starting to feel more exhausted than normal. I am a little tired of being pregnant. I miss being as active as I was before and being able to wear normal clothes! I joined a baby boot camp class so I could continue to get good exercise and also to meet other new moms. This has been great for me and it will be something I can continue to do with the baby.

Western Caribbean Cruise

Mom and Dad took Dave and I on a cruise to the Western Caribbean. It was great for Dave and I to get away for one last vacation before the baby is born. The highlights were tubing down a Jamaican river through a tropical forest, swimming with the stingrays off Grand Cayman, and floating down a Mayan River south of Playa Del Carmen in Mexico. I have to admit, Jason, Dave, and I got hooked on Blackjack and had a blast playing at the casino. It was fun spending time with Mom, Dad, Jason, Jan and Pat, Grandma, and Aunt Janet, Lexi, and Logan. We were busy every second of the trip!!! I am still trying to catch up on sleep!

It's a BOY

If you look closely, you can see the boy part. This is a view from the bottom of the baby, so you will see it in between his legs :-)

Baby's foot

Here's a good photo of the foot.

How big is baby?

Check out this link to see how big the baby is. It's Feb. 1st and I am 22 weeks. : http://community.thenestbaby.com/cs/ks/blogs/nb_checklists/pages/how-big-is-baby.aspx

20 Week Ultrasound- Jan. 18th

The ultrasound tech told us our baby is very healthy and "thriving". She measured all kinds of things (the spine, feet, etc.) to make sure everything was healthy and on track. The doctor moved our due date up a little bit to June 11. AND we now know the sex..... IT's A BOY!

Christmas in Houston....6 months away from being new parents.

I think Dave is practicing for the baby.