Weekend Festivities

David and I didn't take any pictures this weekend, but we had a really nice one. We had originally thought that we would go out to eat for my birthday dinner on Friday night, but I had subbed all day in 3rd grade and was feeling super tired, so we decided to stay in and push the birthday dinner back to Saturday night.

We spent Friday night in front of a nice fire watching TV. It was delightful and we were able to go to bed the earliest that we had all week long.

Saturday was our child birthing class. It was a LONG day, 9:00-4:30 to be exact, but we were both really glad that we went. We knew a lot of it, but quite a bit was new information to us. She also explained things that we already "new" much more clearly. We also watched videos...don't really feel like watching those again any time soon.

After the class we scooted over to Katherine and Jay's house to see Caroline (who was adorable and perfect), and then went to get ready for my birthday dinner! Before we left for dinner, we did another "get ready for the baby activity"...we attached the car seat bases in our cars! Again, don't know why we didn't take a picture of that activity, but they are in and ready if she decides to come early. I have also managed to pack a small bag. I think I've got the necessities of what I will need in the hospital...well hopefully.

We went to a restaurant called NoRTH for my birthday dinner and it was delicious. It was "modern Italian." I'm not really sure what modern means, but it sure was good. Turning 27 has been great and we enjoyed thinking about how this was the last birthday we would celebrate together without a littler one. Pretty amazing.

Today was a great day at church and David is at school working on some lab work while I hang out at home. I'm loving this cold weather and burning fires. I wish Fall would last for months and months. I realized today that I have the "hardest waiting time" (as in the time in the pregnancy that seems the longest), in my favorite season. There's something to be thankful for! :)

36 Week Appointment, and Maternity Pictures and 27th Birthday

Yesterday, which was my 27th birthday, I had my first weekly visit to my doctor. First of all, I had a wonderful 27th birthday. David made it very special by making me breakfast in bed and taking me to lunch at a really cool spot downtown on his lunch break. I also got a pedicure and was able to relax and pamper myself all day long. Delightful. So, being 27 is just fine with me. :)

I was excited to start the weekly visits to the doctor. Waiting between appointments, especially when it's a month, seem like it takes forever. But a week seems so quick!...and I love getting updates and hearing her heartbeat. Here are the stats...

1. Her heart rate was 160 and sounding good.
2. My blood pressure was right on target.
3. My belly measurement was almost exactly 36 weeks (we were 36 weeks and 1 day when I went).
4. I am dilated to about 1 cm.
5. Abigail is "extremely low" according to the doctor and she said she could feel her head.
6. We are/were 80% effaced. So my cervix is already thinning out quite a bit and she said this gives us a slight headstart.

So, all that being said, I actually felt the need to get that hospital bag packed. I commented to the doctor about how I couldn't believe we were already 80% and that we hadn't even taken our childbirth class yet. She laughed and said to just not go into labor before we go (Saturday), but if I do, they'll tell me what to do. IF I DO? reality check. Time to pack the bag...we're just waiting now. So who knows, Abigail could decide to make her debut in a couple days, or wait until we're all the way to 40 weeks. Regardless, I think I'm really going to like getting to go every week. My next appointment is on Halloween, so we'll see if we're even more effaced or dilated.

A couple weeks ago (the last weekend in September) we were able to take some maternity pictures with the photographer we also chose to do Abby's newborn and 6 month shots. We had a great time and she sent us the disc recently. Here are some of our favorites...it makes me really excited to see what creative things she does with Abigail.

Garage Sale Weekend

This has been a great weekend. We were pumped to do our first garage sale! By ourselves we didn't have near enough stuff to do a sale, but we teamed up with our great friends the Thorpes and had enough stuff to sell together.

We didn't really have any illusions about making tons of money, but we thought it would be fun to do. We got up early early early and set up. It was COLD. So cold that we brought our outdoor fire pit that Tripp gave us and sat around it in the driveway.

My signs really brought the crowds in...





Rigging up a clothes line...



Just two pregnant girls trying to make some money!



The sale was a total success in three ways...

1. We had a great time of fellowship with Jay and Katherine.
2. We got rid of some stuff that we really needed to get rid of.
3. We made enough to cover some groceries. :)

After the sale we relaxed a little bit and then decided to go fishing! We didn't catch anything but it was very relaxing and the perfect end to a fall day.







The weekend was made even better when we got a text from our friends Katherine and Jay (yes, the same Katherine and Jay that were our partners for the garage sale)! Katherine went into labor Saturday night and had their sweet Caroline today at around 2:00 in the afternoon. Katherine and I have gone through our entire pregnancies together and she was due about 2 1/2 weeks before us. Caroline was born 2 weeks early and is perfect in every way. David and I went up to the hospital tonight to see them and congratulate them. We love them so much and can't explain what dear friends they are. It made this very real for me to see Katherine with Caroline. Abigail's birth really is impending and I can't wait. Caroline was the prettiest little baby and David and I both got to hold her. Absolutely wonderful and beyond special. Jay, Katherine and Caroline...we love y'all so much!



So, clearly this was a fantastic weekend. We had a great time with friends and then those friends had a baby! This week I am working a little bit and we also go to our first weekly appointment. I'm excited to be going once a week now, because I love updates and hate waiting inbetween appointments. :) We are also going to our maternity care coordinator visit on Tuesday night and have our birthing class on Saturday. I also plan to go to Katherine's and spend some time with Caroline too. ;) It's going to be a good week I think!

35 Week Update

We had our 35 week appointment today to check on Abby and it was so much fun. We were scheduled for another sonogram and we couldn't wait to see her one last time before she is born.

We saw her kicking (which of course I was also feeling), sucking with her mouth, moving her hands and feet, blinking, all four chambers of her heart pumping strong and we even saw a smile. Here are the updates:

Position: Woohoo! Abigail is head down! I'm so glad to know what parts of her I can feel and what parts I'm touching when I press on my belly.

Her head is down on kind-of off center on my right side with her little booty up and a little off-center (more on the left side). Her legs and feet are folded down back toward her head (where she continually kicks me on the right side in my ribs).

Size/Weight: After all of the measurements she did on the ultra-sound (head, heart, all leg bones, belly, arms, spine etc.), she estimated Abigail's weight at 5 pounds 11 ounces. We were thrilled...on her way to being a nice big healthy girl.

Measurements: I'm measuring right on track. Today we are 35 weeks and 1 day, which is exactly what my uterus measured. So thankful. My blood pressure etc. still looks good as well.

The rest of the updates were eye openers for David and I. She explained that as of next week, all the rules change for us. They will go from making sure I don't go into labor, to watching for signs of labor. She also said for us to go ahead and pack a hospital bag next week. So now we really truly wait. We wait for her to come. Next week I start my weekly exams that include a cervical exam. So, next Wednesday (my birthday), I get to experience my first weekly visit!

Here are some pictures of the sonograms:

Sweet foot. I was happy to see 10 little fingers and 10 little toes.



Profile shot. Does she look like any either on of us? In another view I was sure she had David's nose. Sweet precious little profile...I can hardly stand it she's so cute. I can only imagine how cute we'll think she is when she's born.



A front view! She decided to look at us! This is my favorite shot that we got. I love her little cheeks. In my mind they're chubby already...can't wait to kiss them. It was in this view that we got to see her give a little smile and blink.



I feel like someone re-charged my batteries at this appointment. I was feeling like 5 weeks was an eternity and I couldn't imagine going 5 more. But now that I've gotten to see her again and hear how great she is developing and growing, I KNOW I can do it. I can carry her for as long as she needs and I know the Lord will bring her in His perfect timing. He has taken her all the way to this point and is growing her up nice and strong. What a miracle pregnancy is. I want to enjoy this last part and always remember what it felt like to have her inside me.

As a side-note, I made cherry pie this week. Mine and David's favorite dessert in our favorite season!

Tripp's Bachelor Party and Kara's First Shower

You know I couldn't resist changing the blog background to something "Fallish." The weather is SO GREAT. True Fall around here with warmish days and colder nights. Complete with mornings filled with hot chocolate or apple cider under a blanket in the living room. This is the most interesting Fall I think I've ever had in my life. I'm working so minimally at this point, that I'm basically transitioning to being a stay at home mom. Abigail is growing like a careless weed and I feel her punching and kicking me constantly. She keeps me up at night and makes me tired in the day, but I love it. I can't wait to hold her. It feels so close now.

This past weekend David and I divided and conquered and got in some great family time. My Dad had planned a bachelor party at the lake for Tripp that coincided with Kara's first wedding shower. David dropped me off in Fayetteville and then headed on to the lake. I stayed with Tripp (before he headed down) on Thursday night and was able to run errands and spend time with him and Kara. I really loved it.

After Tripp left for the lake, Mom got to Fayettevile and we stayed at Kara's parents house and got to know her family a little more. It was delightful. We had a total girls weekend. Kara's Mom, Teresa, cooked us great meals and we spent time on wedding stuff, watching TV by the fire, and all of it in our PJ's!

We ALL got our nails done too. Is is bad when the man asks you, "When was your last manicure?"...and then you can't actually remember when that was?



The shower was on Sunday, and was adorable. I was so glad to meet some of the other bridesmaid's as well.

Decor...



Me, Kara, Colleen (Kara's sister) and Kim (Kara's sister-in-law). Isn't my new sister-in-law adorable?



Kara with her mom and my mom.



While I was doing all things girly, David and Tripp and Ben (David's brother), as well as Kara's dad and brother, were doing all things manly at the lake. Dad had hired fishing guides for Saturday morning and apparently it was super cold, but they caught enough to eat that night. Here are a couple pictures from the successful weekend.

Before heading out...





They cleaned all the fish and then the Lodge cooked them up for them for dinner with all the fixins'.



I think they caught enough.



All total there were 13 men there and I think they had a fantastic time. Wonderful job Dad! Mom and I also had a delightful time with the Cornett family. I was extra glad to be able to go to the shower since it will most likely be the only one I can go to.

This week I have been working around the house. I love the feeling of having dinner ready and everything in order for when David comes home. What have I been doing you ask? Well...

I've baked...



I've crafted...



...and I've even spent time with an old friend...



:) Seriously though, Sooie can't get enough of laying on my belly.

One thing that came in this week is something that we ordered for Abigail's newborn shots. I was so hoping it would come in in time and it did! Starting her love of the Razorbacks early. I can't wait to see her in this. It's going to be precious.



Here's a 34 week picture! Growing growing growing but still feeling pretty good.

The last week and a half in pictures

Not too much has gone on since my last post. I worked some last week, and I'm working less this week, so I'm just trying to enjoy these last weeks before Abigail comes. I received some great advice from Lauren and she said to spend these last weeks taking care of myself, before I begin taking care of all the needs of someone else. While I can't wait for Abigail to get here and 7 weeks seems like an eternity, I think this is good advice, so I'm going to try and take this advice.

I.AM.GROWING. The ways that my body is changing to accomodate Abigail are mind boggling. I know that I've got a lot more changing to do, and I want to go through it with grace. I am so thankful to be pregnant. I'm so thankful that my pregnancy has gone so well. The whole pregnancy is a blessing and we cannot wait for her to get here!!!!!

Anyway, last week I managed to get up a little Fall decor. I love Fall so much and will drink apple cider any chance I get. :)



On Saturday I was able to help host a baby shower for Katherine. She's about 5 weeks away now and we can't wait to meet Caroline! Our friend Jessica drove up for the shower too.





On Saturday night we headed off to the Sprint Center for the Eric Church concert and had a great time. I will say that standing at a concert for a long period of time is a little more challenging than when I was not eight months pregnant...but we really had fun. :)



Sunday was a great day at church and Pastor Steve preached a powerful message about staying true to the one true gospel. Wonderful. On Sunday afternoon we were able to meet the photographer we have chosen for Abigail's newborn and 6 month shots to take some maternity photos. It turned out to be so much fun and we loved our photographer. It really makes me look forward to the newborn shots. We haven't gotten to see the pictures, but she did put two pictures on facebook as a sneak preview that we LOVE. Here they are and as soon as we have more, we'll post more. We can't wait to see them.





And just in case anyone is curious, Deuce and Sooie are doing just fine during this time of change. :) Sooie is as lazy as ever, but very snuggly, and Deuce keeps me company while I cook and is a great walking partner for me. He keeps me moving fast when I want to slow down.



I'm going to the doctor tomorrow for a standard check-up and will have another one two weeks later, at which point we'll start our weekly visits. Hard to believe! We're really looking forward to this weekend because David is going to my brother's bachelor party at the lake and I get to go to a Mother/Daughter shower for Kara with Mom. I also will finally get to meet Kara's mom!

Oh and Happy October!