7 More Weeks!
Several people have asked me what I’m doing to pass my time now that I’m not working, and whether or not I’m tired of being home yet, and I can honestly say, no I’m not tired of it…at all.  I’m actually really enjoying my time to do what I want, when I want.  I wake up and make breakfast, and figure out what needs to be done for the day.  Then I walk for an hour or 3 miles with my dogs, and come back to shower and eat some lunch, and then run whatever errands I need to, and do what needs to be done around the house.  I have always done better when I’m on a schedule, so this works for me right now.  When Garrett gets here, I know my routine will change, but I feel it’s really important to keep myself and our baby on schedule, and I know it will take some time, but I will figure out what works for us.  Until then, I’m going to continue to enjoy my time preparing to be what I feel I was truly meant to be which is a Mom.  I know it won’t be rainbows and butterflies all the time, but I still cannot wait to begin this chapter of our lives : )

According to ParentingToday.com Nesting is “Feeling the need to prepare for the arrival of the baby by cleaning, organizing, etc” and it often happens toward the end of pregnancy.  These are some of the things I’ve done this week…

Washed, folded and organized all of his clothes

And Blankets

Put together his bouncy seat



And started setting up his closet (Most of his clothes are in the dresser and I ran out of hangers : )  I’d say I’m nesting…how about you??

We got so many clothes and things at our shower last week, and we’ve got 5 people coming to stay at our house this weekend for our Charlotte Shower, so I just couldn’t resist! I had to get organized before I could clean : )

On another note, I had a check-up today, and all is Great with both of us!  Weight gain is fine, blood pressure was 106/70, Heartbeat was 140, and the Nurse told me I have one of the best looking belly’s, and not a stretch mark to be seen : )  Now I’m sure she says that to a lot of her patients, but these days, I’ll take what I can get and lets hope the No stretch mark thing holds true for the next 7 weeks.  I figure if my feet and ankles continue to swell like they have been, then that will make up for 10 women who have stretch marks!  So yeah, even though my blood pressure is great, I’ve got swelling in my feet, and if I wear more supportive shoes, then my ankles just look like golf balls : (  And my Mom tells me, it’s just going to get worse.  Oh well, it will all be worth it once our Little Guy gets here!  I go back in two weeks for another check up, and after than I’ll be seen every week!  It’s getting closer!!!!!!!

Lunch and snacks for the road



Me at 8 months pregnant with my Grandma McLeod : )



Best. Thing. Ever.

I don’t care who you are, you are but you have not lived until you’ve had Malley’s Chocolate Covered Pretzels.  They’re the perfect combination of saltiness from the pretzels and sweetness from the smooth creamy chocolate, and I could literally eat an entire box if left alone with it. 

Yesterday I slept in : ) and after I got ready I headed out to Beachwood to do a little shopping, and to pick up a few things.  My Mom met me when she got done working and we picked out some new clothes to wear to the shower!  Afterwards I met my cousins Mary, Anne, and Sarah at a Restaurant in Little Italy called Washington Place.  The food was incredible and the company was even better!  It’s not very often that I get to spend time with my cousins so it was very special and I can’t wait to see the rest of my family tomorrow evening!

Aside from the usual lower left sciatic nerve/back pain, I’m feeling pretty good, just getting really anxious for all the wonderful things I have to look forward to!  Dan flies into town tomorrow and we’ve got a really busy day planned, but I will post again after my shower with some pictures and an update on the remainder of the week!

The Countdown is On!

So…this is it…our weekly countdown is in the single digits now!  Although I still have 9 weeks to go, Garrett will be considered full term in 6 more weeks, and of course, I want him to be as close to his due date as possible, but, if he decides to come just a little bit early, I’m pretty sure I’ll be ok with that : )  My belly is getting bigger and bigger as the days go on and it’s starting to make me a little bit uncomfortable.  Now, I know it will all be worth it in the end, but it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.
Symptom wise, I’m still feeling pretty good.  I’m walking 3 miles with my dogs almost every day, but the lower left side of my back has really been bothering me.  Especially when I go from standing to sitting or vice versa.  The Dr. said it’s completely normal because my ligaments are stretching, and my hips are widening to prepare for the baby, and obviously the extra weight is putting more pressure on my joints and making my back arch more, but it constantly feels like it needs to crack or stretch, and I can’t seem to do either. 

Also, lately my feet have been bothering me too.  I’ve had the swelling especially towards the end of the day or if I’ve eaten a lot of sodium, and my gym shoes and my walks help, but since it’s sandal season and of course I’m wearing sandals because they’re the easiest thing to put on, and because I have high arches and sandals typically don’t have much support, my arches, and the balls of my feet have been super sore!  I did some reading and researching and I know you’re supposed to get new shoes every 6 months or so, but since I’m not running any more, I guess I just didn’t think that rule still would apply as strictly to me.  Boy was I wrong!

See how worn out the soles of my shoes are!

I decided to read a little and I learned that due to the way that my soles are worn out, and the way my footprint looks in a “wet-test” I am a “normal” to “underpronator”  That means that I have normal to high arches so one type of shoe is better than another, and I was definitely overdue for new shoes!  Not to worry I remedied that situation yesterday as soon as I read about it, and now I’ve got brand new pink gym shoes with the right support, Check out the difference in the soles!

New shoes vs Old shoes

Me, Mom, Dad, and Jeff

My Mom and Dad drove down from Ohio on Thursday and spent the weekend with us!  I had not seen my Dad since the end of January and my Mom since almost the end of February so it was nice to have them here and to get to spend time with them.  The first thing my Mom said to me is I can’t believe how big and hard your belly is!!!  It’s definitely grown a bit since they last saw me, and I’m pretty sure that soon enough my belly button is going to pop, it keeps getting closer and closer to the surface of my skin!  I had to work on Friday for a few hours so my parents just hung out until I got home and then my Mom and I spent some time in the sun while my Dad washed and waxed his truck.

Saturday the weather was forcasted to be pretty yucky, so after a delicious breakfast at the Original Pancake House in Charlotte, my Mom and I decided to do some baby shopping.  I have another shower for my friend Catherine coming up soon, and I had some coupons for the Baby Stores so we set off to see what we could find.  I got Catherine her gifts and my parents wanted to get Dan and I our stroller!!!  I was really excited to get it, and couldn’t wait to put it together and practice!  Garrett is going to be riding in style!

Garrett’s Sweet Ride!

Oscar checking it out!

Saturday evening we went to dinner and then came home and just watched a movie.  It was a nice relaxing evening! Then this morning Jeff came up and we went to mass, and came home to a yummy breakfast that Dan made for us!  Yet another reason why he is the Best Husband Ever!  My parents stayed until about 1:00 and then got back on the road to go back up to Ohio and I went down to NoDa to meet my photography class for our group shoot.  We got to see some pretty cool scenery and we practiced what we have learned in our class.  I can’t believe that Tuesday is already my last one!  It has flown by, but I have learned so much and I am really glad I took it. 

So…even though in a perfect world, my parents would live closer to us, it makes me appreciate the times I do get to spend with them even more, and I had a Great weekend! 

This is my last week of work, and then I am going to be traveling a little, relaxing a lot, and preparing for Garrett’s arrival!  Can’t believe I only have 4 days left with my kiddos!  It’s a bittersweet feeling, and I’m going to miss them a bunch, but I am really looking forward to my time off before our little guy is born!

Have a wonderful week, and a Very Happy Easter, Here is my

Weekly Update!

I had my 28 week check up today and everything was great!  We were scheduled to have another ultrasound because Garrett was measuring big at my last appointment and I also had a routine check-up and my glucose test.  I had the orange drink and it tasted like a flat sunkist drink with a bad after taste.  I don’t drink sugary drinks often so I got a headache pretty soon after I finished and I had a little bit of heartburn as well.  But my blood pressure was great and I’m up 19.5 lbs which the Dr. said is perfect.  After I drank my drink and got my timer set for 1 hour I had my ultrasound and Dan and I got to see our little man again!  His little mouth was opening and closing and he’s getting bigger!  Because he’s getting bigger the picture of his profile isn’t as clear as our previous one but he’s a little cutie!  He was moving around a bit because of the sugar and his measurements are right on track. He is 2 lbs 12 oz right now and in the 67th percentile.  I asked again about his head and measurements and because I was such a big baby and Dan is so tall the Dr. said they will do all they can to make sure he’s  not 10lbs when he’s born, Thank Goodness!  Here are the latest pictures!


Garrett’s Profile and his right hand



Big Foot!



Little arms up by his face in the top picture and another face shot on the bottom!

So, although the face photo’s are a little alien like, he’s still precious and we’re both doing great!  I go back in 3 weeks for another check up!

On another note, Susan’s baby shower was this past weekend and she and her Mom did a great job with everything!  The decorations were super cute, the food was yummy, and she got so much stuff!  Believe it or not, Caden, and Garrett are 3 weeks apart and this is the very first picture Susan and I have together of our baby bumps!  They’re going to be best buds and I cannot wait for them to grow up together!  You can check out Susan’s blog http://www.reallifetravels.com/ to see some more of her pictures!

So, that’s about it for this week, Only about 12 more weeks until we meet our Baby Boy!!  Luckily I’ve got a lot going on in the next few months to keep me busy, and hopefully make him get here sooner! I am SO excited to meet him!!!!!

Third Trimester…..Here I Come!

So Baby Center says I’m 27 weeks which is true, and What to Expect says I am beginning my 28th week, which is also true and that means, I am just about to enter into my third trimester!!!!!  Yahoo!  What an amazing feeling it is to know that in 12-13 more weeks we will meet our Baby Boy : )  The nursery is finished, my registeries are finished, Garrett consistently rolls, kicks, and moves all over the place, and my showers are about a month away!  It’s all becoming so much more real, and I couldn’t be more excited!

 

 The room looks pink because it was a little girls room before we lived here and the fan had pink shades over each light bulb.

Changing table



Dresser and Mirror



Right corner of the room with chair and crib

 

See the different sports balls on the mirror : )







Cute chair, ottoman and table



His Name : )



Best I could do of getting the most in the picture



 


First view from the front….a little scary!

                   6 Months!

Today I am 24 weeks pregnant!!  It feels like it was just yesterday when I was talking to my Mom and just praying to get through 3 months with good news.  Now I’m coming up on my third trimester and before we know it, we’ll be meeting our baby boy! Thankfully, I have had a pretty comfortable pregnancy and I’m still feeling great, just a few minor aches and pains that are to be expected.  Hopefully I can keep up the “feeling great thing” for a little while longer!



Big Belly!

  I had my 24 week check-up this afternoon.  It was another routine one, weight (still on track) blood pressure (120/70, Normal on the first reading Yay!!) Hearbeat (151, one of my favorite noises : ) And for the first time they measured my fundal height with a measuring tape. The fundal height is the distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus.  They do this to make sure you are on track with your due date, by measuring size, growth rate, and position.  Generally, your fundal height in centimeters should roughly equal the number of weeks you are pregnant, and they give you a 4 cm window so since I’m 24 weeks, I should be measuring between 22 and 26 cm, however, I was measuring 27 cm today, so a little big.  The Dr. told me it was more than likely nothing to be worried about, and when I asked her what may cause a larger measurement she told me it could be several things.  He could be laying funny, have a larger head (like the Robare babies on Dan’s side), or just be a big baby (which makes sense considering I was almost 10 lbs and Dan is 6’5″.  I don’t think there’s a chance that we won’t have a big baby!  So if I continue to measure big, Baby Garrett just might share a birthday with his Grandpa.  My Dad would love that!

Baby Garrett has become quite the mover over the last week or so!  He’s been moving all over the place, and although I can only see my belly move a little when he does, if I put my hand on top of it I can feel it from the outside as well as the inside! It feels like he’s rolling and flipping all through my stomach and I think he’s going to take after his Momma and be a little swimmer!  I can’t wait for Dan to get back into town so he can feel him too! 

The nursery is starting to come together (at least in my head) We’ve gotten the crib and mattress as well as the dresser and changing pad, and our bedding!  I picked up a couple paint samples and painted some poster boards to put on the walls.  I’ve also gotten some white shelves and picture frames, and a big white mirror to go above Garrett’s dresser.  I’m leaning towards a navy (or comparable darker blue) for the walls with a lighter blue and white accent.  I have the letters in his name for above his crib, and my good friend Erin is letting me borrow a bassinett that matches perfectly with our color scheme!  Check it out!



Oscar still isn’t too sure about all this new baby stuff!

  I’m so EXCITED for my Mother-in-law and sister-in-law to come into town next weekend to help paint the nursery and set it up!  I will post more pictures when we’ve got it finished!  In the mean time…here is my

Weekly Update!

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain. 17ish lbs

Symptoms? Sore back, and a heavy belly.  I’m finding it harder and harder to stand up without making a grunting noise : )

Maternity clothes? Yes and Dan’s shirts too.  I’m so thankful that Tyler and Erin have lent me their maternity clothes!

Cravings of the week? Brownies and frozen yogurt, apples and peanut butter

Sleep? Pretty good, just tossing and turning throughout the night quite a bit.

Best moment this week? Hearing Garrett’s Heartbeat.  It will never get old!

Belly button? Innie

Movement? Look out Michael Phelps, I think we’ve got a swimmer on our hands!

What I miss? My pre-maternity weight

Looking forward to?  Dan feeling Garrett move, My photography class starting next week and Lynn and Amanda coming to help put the nursery together!

Weekly wisdom? Workout/stretch for as long as you can. 

Milestones? 6 months mark!