our shower weekend.

Being able to go home to CT was amazing. I hadn't been back and able to see so many loved ones since we left last June. It was overwhelming to see everyone again. Not only was it amazing to be able to see and squeeze everyone I have missed so dearly, but to have everyone share in such a special time for me and Lee- indescribable. I honestly don't know if I even have the words, it meant so much that so many people we love share in our joy. That alone means more to us than anything else could.

Lee couldn't make the trip to CT, but thankfully I had Sarah as my travel buddy. I am not the best flyer- as Sarah is now aware of. But it must be noted I am not nearly as bad as you, Heather! I am just really not a fan of taking off- and when the plane moves in a way I feel as though isn't normal. So when I have a hand to squeeze (or potentially break), I feel a little better.

When Sarah and I arrived in Boston, seeing my mom and Heather was so amazing. My mom (with a permanent back/neck injury) who was wearing wedges, RAN to us. We couldn't get to each other fast enough. And when we did, we group hugged and cried. Then, of course they touched the bump and said hi to baby G. :) That night, we met my dad for dinner once he was out of work. That was when it was my turn to run. This pregnant lady ran through Wooster St pizza fighting back tears to hug her dad!  Again- I couldn't get there fast enough.

The weekend is now such a blur of awesomeness. Friday was spent getting to CT from the airport and running errands for shower preparation. Saturday was our shower, full of laughter and love that I will never forget. Sunday I was able to celebrate with my dear friend who got engaged after we moved, and is getting married in CT while I will be almost 36 weeks pregnant. Since I have and will miss such momentous moments for her, I was thankful to be able to attend her bridal shower and love on her! After her shower, we celebrated Mother's Day with my mom a week early since all of us kids were together. It was a great day just being together. Again- full of laughter and love. There were also some quick, but wonderful visits from different family members and close friends- as many as we could squeeze into one weekend. Monday we packed up our things, and headed back to the airport. It was a tearful goodbye, that's always the hardest part. But I left feeling so incredibly loved and with a heart full of memories that I will never, ever forget.


Thankfully, my friend Meg is such a talented photographer and she documented the shower beautifully! All of the shower pictures are from her- thanks for sharing them with me Meg! While I did pack my own camera (even though Sarah laughed at me when I did), I didn't take a single photo (other than a few iphone photos). I would love to see any photos you may have taken too! (I may or may not be looking at you Amy!) :)



Photo overload, brace yourselves!

My mom and Heather did a WONDERFUL job planning and executing such a great shower!

I LOVED getting to squeeze so many loved ones!!

My mom is a little bit excited about being a Nana :)

(Mrs. Pat was SO kind to open her home to us- love her heart!)

I was SHOCKED to see how mature and big Caleigh got!

                                            

Our future nanny ;) 

                                          

I was telling a Lee story- and then laughing at my own story apparently?

Loving the 007 onsie from Matt :)

Our quick front yard photo shoot:

These next two pictures describe the entire weekend- my mom and Sarah legitimately fought over belly time every waking minute. 

(look at how they are looking at each other! hahah- I love that Meg captured this moment so perfectly!)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Our shower was so wonderful- thank you to all those who helped in some way and for all those who came to celebrate with us! We love you all so much! 

Here are a few more iphone photos I took over the weekend:

So thankful for my travel buddy- for the time we were able to spend together and for her hand to hold during the flight. 

Checking out dad's new toy!

I loved growing up seeing this- this is what Lee and I want our son to grow up seeing too.

Celebrating the future Mrs.!

Visiting with the Parkers! 

Ended the weekend with some chocolate soft serve ice cream- a rare find in Charlotte! 

(Amy couldn't decide which kind to get- so she got two!)

(blurry- but I love it!)

(love my mom so, so much!)

It was such an AMAZING weekend!!

weeks 27, 28, 29, 30, & 31

I know- it's been a while. I had every intention to post when I got home from CT, but somehow it has been almost two weeks since then and I have yet to write down what's been happening here. After a few "reminder" texts, I figured I better get a post or two up. :)



So here is what's been happening:

- My heartburn has increased significantly. I have been talking with my doctor frequently about how to remedy it to the best of our ability. Thankfully, this week (week 31) I think we have reached a bit of a solution, for now.

- I have been SO forgetful. I can't remember the littlest things. For example, I will want to look something up online so I walk over and pick up my lap top. By the time I have it open, I have NO IDEA what I wanted to look up. And it doesn't come back to me, even if I go back to what I was doing prior to picking up my lap top. I literally make mental to do lists to get through each day- "put carrots back in the fridge, then go switch the laundry". I take my days in 5 minute spans like that so I do my best to remember to get most things done.

- I am incredibly thankful that I am sleeping most nights. It has become a lot more uncomfortable, and I move around quite a bit and I get up a few times each night thanks to the squished bladder. But, I sleep and I'm trying to savor that now while I can. Lee laughs at me now because within the past few weeks, as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out cold. He also says that I have started snoring, but I am not sure I believe that. (But how would I really know? I guess I just don't want to believe that one.)

- My back pain has been consistent- it is very uncomfortable. But thankfully, I go to an amazing chiropractor and they help correct anything that may need it.

- I have recently noticed that I have been having a hard time getting my thoughts out clearly. Lee and I were at the store getting our crib and I had a question for the employee who was helping us and I couldn't get what I wanted to say out clearly. The employee and Lee were just looking at me and I knew I wasn't making sense, I seriously had to close my eyes and start over again.  My second attempt wasn't much better but I think the employee was slowly starting to comprehend what I was trying to say. Thankfully.

-As each week passes, I am feeling more and more enormous. That's not the best feeling- or the most comfortable. But I am so thankful it means our boy is growing. :)

- Sometimes, it feels like I have a ton of bricks on my chest and it makes it hard to breathe.

- I absolutely love watching baby G move! Feeling and seeing him kick and move his body around is my favorite thing. I don't always love when he kicks my ribs, but I must admit even those kicks make me happy because it reminds me of the miracle growing inside of me.

- I am becoming increasingly more afraid of the labor/delivery process. I am trying to educate, and stay calm the best I can. But, it is scary. Especially when I have never done it before and can not mentally prepare for it like I wish I were able to.

- Food I am loving: boston cream donuts (still), ice cream (this is new this pregnancy), oreos and milk, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken devon (thanks h!), and egg and cheese on a whole wheat english muffin. (I of course limit all the sweets I am loving.)

- Foods I struggle to eat: vegetables. It is a daily struggle for me to force veggies down. A battle- an all out battle that I don't look forward to. I do it, but it's not fun. I am pretty much open to everything else.

- I will put up a separate post for our shower, but I will quickly say it was AMAZING and one of the best weekends I have ever had.

- We bought and put together the crib. That made it all feel very real!

- I think that's all. I could very well be forgetting something, but overall I have been feeling pretty good and I don't have many complaints.


week 27:

week 28: 

(same shirt- left is February, right is April)

end of week 28 (I don't have any from week 29):

week 30:

week 31:

our sweet baby boy.

We had a doctor's appointment/ultrasound on Friday, I was 27 weeks and 4 days. Lee and I were thrilled to see our boy again- we hadn't seen him in 8+ weeks! We were eager to see how much he had grown and changed since we saw him last. Let me tell you, each time we see him- we fall more and more in love. He is by far the most beautiful tiny human being I have ever laid eyes on.

The ultrasound tech did some 3D images too, which was neat because we were able to see some of his features. We weren't expecting that at all, so that was such a nice treat. It is fun seeing/envisioning what he will look like when he is born. We are thinking it looks like he got my nose and Lee's lips. That's all we can tell/predict at this point. Either way- he is amazing!


Prepare your hearts for the sweetest boy...

(playing with his toes)

Everything is looking great- both with the baby and me.  We are just over the moon! :)

weeks 24, 25, & 26

- For Easter Lee and I drove to see Sarah in Nashville. The trip took around 6.5 hours each way. I was a bit nervous about riding in a car for that long mostly because of the whole frequent urination thing. We stopped three times each way, which I was pretty proud of. I know it's a lot more than most people, but considering how often I go- I was proud. We had so much fun in Nashville. Baby G loved being able to visit his Auntie Sarah. In fact, he loved it so much that he decided to put on quite a show for us. While laying in Sarah's bed late one night, all of a sudden I felt a lot of pressure in my belly, so I lifted my shirt and looked down and my stomach was legitimately slanted. He had clearly moved to the right side of my stomach. Then, all of a sudden I SAW him kick. I told Sarah to look and we watched him kick for quite some time. It is the most incredible thing to see. His kicks are getting stronger and stronger, so it's now a daily occurrence to see but it never gets old. Every time I feel him, I whip my shirt up and watch (not in public of course). I love it. It is by far my favorite pastime. I just stare and can feel the silly smile I am wearing while I watch. I ran to show Lee in Nashville, but once I got up baby G stopped. Of course. But Lee has been able to see and feel him kick a lot more since being home. (While typing this, he kicked some huge kicks that jarred my arms as they typed. He must know I am talking about him and wanted to tell y'all hi!)

- One thing that has changed in these weeks, along with how much stronger he is getting, is the insane indigestion/heartburn I experience daily. Week 26 was the worst. I am not sure what happened, but I had heartburn for like 4 days straight. All day and all night. No matter what I ate, if I didn't eat, if I did eat, it was SO bad and incredibly uncomfortable. Luckily, it hasn't been as bad after those four days, but I still have it at least twice a day.

- I have noticed that it is getting increasingly harder to get up from a soft surface (the couch, our bed, etc). I mean, it's not bad or awkward yet, but I have noticed I have to exert more energy in order to get up gracefully.

- Now that it is getting warmer in Charlotte, I am noticing just how hot I feel during the day. I took Jack to music class last Monday and I seriously thought the heat was on. I couldn't for the life of me understand why they didn't have the A/C on since it was very warm out that day. I don't think everyone  else in the class was as warm as I was. I mean, I was wiping my brow. Since then, the weather has stayed very warm here and I am also always warm, no matter what. So that's fun.

- That reminds me of a random comment I got while in Target that I will probably want documented. About a month ago I was walking in Target and a woman walked by me and made a comment that took me off guard. It was the first time that someone in public mentioned my pregnancy, but what was odd was that the lady didn't stop to talk to me. She literally walked past me and made the comment, to a complete pregnant stranger, without stopping and barely making polite eye contact. Anyway, she walks by me and goes, "good luck in the summer heat." I just laughed because what else do you do in that scenario? But when Lee asked me to repeat what she said we were both baffled (him more than I) about what had just happened. But now I know, all she could think of when she saw my little growing belly was how hot I was going to feel before our baby makes his debut mid-July. And while her comment/the situation was a bit odd, boy was she right. And it's only April. Awesome.

- My red, dry, blotchy skin is improving. Thanks to a tip from a blog reader, I tried this lotion that has truly worked wonders. While it isn't completely gone, it's barely noticeable and I am so grateful for that! So thanks Laura! :)

- I had a weird fever/stomach bug during week 25. It wasn't fun at all and lasted from Thursday-Sunday. I am glad that is behind me- that's for sure!

- Sarah came to visit last weekend (week 26), which was such a nice treat considering we had seen her two weeks prior and seeing family that close together is a rarity nowadays. She came to go to a concert with me and Lee. We had a fun weekend hanging out, laughing, watching/feeling for baby G, eating pancakes for dinner, and so on.  On Saturday night we went to an amazing concert. We saw Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and Needtobreathe. Both of which are such great bands- and put on a great show. It was so much fun, and we are so thankful Sarah took us with her. She is already introducing baby G to such good music. I did my best to be a fun concert goer with Sarah- but I will be honest it was hard to stand and be out past my normal bedtime. Lee and I both felt so young (sometimes I wonder if we are really 50) and hip. On Sunday we were so exhausted- but it was all worth it.

- Sarah went on tour a few weeks ago with Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors as Drew and Ellie's (Drew's wife and singer in the band) tour nanny. The management company that Sarah works for in Nashville manages them. Sarah was eager to see them, so we went to the concert early so that we could meet them/talk with them for a bit before they had sound check. (We had VIP all access passes, but if we went backstage to meet them with those passes, and possibly even NTB, we wouldn't have been able to see EL (Drew and Ellie's daughter) and we all wanted to meet/see her.) They were both SO nice! Ellie (who just had EL a few months ago) gave me lots of tips and thoughts that no one shares about having a baby, and it was actually really helpful. Baby G is already super cool because he went to a concert AND met the band. It took me 27 years to do that. He sure is lucky that he has a super cool aunt with connections.



Here are some photos from the past few weeks (photo overload FYI):

Nashville (week 24):

Week 25:  (don't judge me for having a messy room- I had been sick all weekend and didn't have energy to clean)

Sarah's visit/the concert (week 26):

(baby G and his VIP all access pass. coolest baby ever.)

(this is the story of my life.)

(us with EL and Ellie, pre-show )

(us with Drew, post-show)

weeks 22 and 23

Here are a few updates:


- I had a doctor's appointment last Friday and everything is looking good. My next appointment is in April where I will have an ultrasound, take a glucose test, and meet with the doctor.


- The nightmares have stopped, but the weird dreams haven't. Sometimes I wake up in the morning feeling really confused/stressed because of a strange dream I had that night. While I slept all night, I wake up exhausted because of the odd/stressful dream. I have one of those about once a week- so it isn't too bad. And I would take that over a nightmare any day.

- I have been craving sweets a lot more in these past two weeks. In the beginning, I wasn't craving sweets at all. In fact, I threw candy away that wasn't getting eaten. But now I day dream about boston cream donuts and Reese's peanut butter Easter eggs. More than I would pre-pregnancy (I have always loved sweets). It takes some serious will power to not cave and eat one of each every day. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I definitely fail.

- I am having the hardest time making sure I am eating enough vegetables. I really really don't enjoy them. I force myself to eat some each day- but I'm definitely not eating as many as I should be.

- In week 23 I cut over 12 inches off of my hair.  I haven't had short hair since 2007, and I felt like I needed a change. I was really beginning to feel so drab, and pulling my hair back into a pony tail each day didn't help matters any.  I felt like I needed something shorter and stylish so that I was forced to do something to it that wouldn't take me hours to do. As soon as my hair dresser cut the pony tail off, I instantly loved it. I am still adjusting to seeing myself, but I think it is a good change for now.

- Last Monday night I got home from work, made dinner and was relaxing on the couch when all of a sudden my back really started hurting. I figured it was from carrying Jack (the one year old I nanny) and laid down in hopes that it would go away after resting. No such luck. I didn't sleep AT ALL on Monday night or Tuesday night. In fact, I was in so much pain on Tuesday night- at 4 am, I seriously thought I needed to go to the ER. It hurt so bad- no matter what position I was in. I tried laying in all different positions I could think of, standing, walking, sitting, stretching (I googled it and found some yoga stretches to try), I even took a shower in hopes that might help. Nothing. I texted my chiropractor (who are also our friends) the next morning and they told me to come in that morning. So I did and I was there for an hour. They were so thorough and gave me the BEST care ever. I left feeling so so so much better. It was amazing. My back still hurt, but it was a dull ache and bearable, and I was able to sleep through the night (yay for me and for Lee!). I have continued to go to the chiropractor almost daily so that we can fully correct the problem and I can be as close to feeling better as possible. It has been over a week and my back feels a whole lot better, praise the Lord!

- Ever since the back pain I had last week, I have been feeling petrified to give birth. I seriously can't think about it for more than 10 seconds. Because if my back hurt that bad and I felt that miserable- how on earth am I going to be strong enough to give birth? So I think it might be best if he just stayed inside my belly for a while longer. Or forever. Because I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get him out.


Here are some bump pictures for your viewing pleasure.

week 22:

week 23:

 Before and after my hair cut:

weeks 19, 20, & 21

I have really been slacking on posting updates. I don't even have any excuses. I just forget or when I actually remember and have time, I would rather lay and do nothing than form coherent sentences. I am actually going to list what is new these weeks- I am not sure why I didn't start out doing that. It's easier to read and easier for me to write. So here is what has been going on over the past few weeks:

- The dry blotchy red skin is still there. I really wish it would go away now. 

- I have been having the scariest dreams. I have woken up sobbing multiple times and last week I woke up as I was screaming (legit screaming at the top of my lungs) "HELP!" I wish those would end more than I wish the blotchy skin would go away.

- I can't seem to eat enough McDonald's cheeseburgers (just a plain cheeseburger- and it has to be from McDonald's only). I used to really be a french fry only girl- I didn't care about much else. But now, I can not eat enough of their cheeseburgers and could careless about the fries. I know, gross that I am eating at McDonald's but I can't help myself. And it's not very often- I do limit it. 

- Instead of eating skittles everyday, I have resorted to chewing sugar free fruity gum. I feel like that is better for me than all the skittles. So maybe I am making up for the McDonald's with that choice? Or not. Whatever. 

- I have stopped wearing my wedding rings. Not because they don't fit, but because the dry, blotchy skin is also on my hands and when I wear any rings at all it gets even more irritated and I get a bigger rash. 

- My belly has been really itchy- as it gets bigger and bigger. 

- When my mom and sister were visiting we stopped at Target one night to get a few things for breakfast for the next morning and we also decided to head down the ice cream aisle for a little dessert that night. My choice? Raspberry Sherbet. WHO AM I??? 

- Baby G is kicking a ton! He kicks throughout the day, and I LOVE feeling it. Lee hasn't been able to feel it yet because every time the baby is kicking and Lee runs over and gets his hand on my belly, the baby stops. Soon enough he will be able to feel it though, I can't wait to share that with him. Because it really is so amazing. Every time he kicks, I tell anyone who is near me and will listen. :) 

- We can not agree on a name. Lee thinks we should name him Indiana after Indiana Jones. I think maybe we will save that idea for our first family dog. Not our first child. 

- I haven't been sick in a while. I switched my prenatal vitamins a few weeks ago and that has made a huge difference. Overall, I have been feeling so much better!

- I have been having such bad heartburn. No matter what I eat, I get it. It is SO painful. I especially hate waking up in the middle of the night with it. Awful.

- I think that's all. I am having a hard time remembering things so I could very well be forgetting something that has changed significantly- but for now, I've got nothing. 

Here are some bump pictures:

week 19:

(don't judge me for still having Christmas cards up in February)

week 20 (halfway there!):


it's so weird to look down and see this:

(super cute hat from auntie h)

week 21:

Lee.

**Disclaimer: This post makes me sound really bad. And mean. I blame the hormones and lack of sleep. But it is the honest truth- so please don't judge me!**



Being pregnant is hard work. Women definitely go through A LOT while carrying a precious little life inside of them. Every woman is different in what she experiences, but we can all agree that the woman does a significant amount of the work. (obviously.)

That being said, I also want to add that sometimes I think men don't always get the credit they deserve for the role they play throughout pregnancy. Yes, I got sick everyday for about 8-10 weeks. Yes, I have a really pretty red, blotchy looking rash on my face. Yes, my belly is growing and I am feeling more and more uncomfortable in my own skin as each week passes. But Lee has gone through a lot too. He has to put up with my moods. And those- are not pretty. There are days when I wake up sad. Or grumpy. Or better yet- both. And Lee- my word, he loves me through those awful moments/days.

Monday was one of those days. My mom and sister visited last weekend and obviously, it was amazing. So when they had to leave, I was really, really sad to see them go. As to be expected. But then you throw in these hormones and I seriously ugly cried ALL.DAY.LONG. Lee just kept hugging me, rubbing my back, and he made me feel so loved and comforted.

While I was sick in the beginning, there would be days when my alarm would go off and I honestly didn't know if I had the strength to get up- and go through it all over again. I always wake up first because I usually leave before Lee each morning. One morning, I woke up feeling incredibly tired, weak, and sad. As I was walking to the bathroom to get in the shower I heard Lee say, "I love you with all of my heart!" And I seriously melted. How did he know that I needed to hear that that day in particular?? It made my day, and every time I remember it, I smile and feel so loved, even if it was months ago. While I was waking up in the night (I am not sure why I wrote that in past tense, I am still up at least once or twice every night), Lee would/still does roll over, rub my back and tell me what a great job I am doing.

A few weeks ago, I was having a REALLY grumpy Sunday. I knew I was grumpy- I didn't know why- but mean things just kept spewing out of my mouth. I was aware of it and tried to stop it, and I even decided I would make Lee's favorite dinner that night because poor guy had to put up with me. But even as I was getting ready to start cooking- I was still being so grumpy. I really wanted to watch something I had been waiting for all week and it was starting at the same time I needed to start dinner. Poor Lee just kept telling me he didn't need anything special for dinner- I could make him something quick. But I insisted. Knowing that I was ruining what was supposed to be an act of kindness, I started making dinner and stopped talking so that nothing else I would say could ruin it. As I had my head down preparing the meat, Lee had turned the TV and TV stand all the way around so that I could easily see it while I made his dinner. Honestly? How is it possible for this man to love me so much even through my horrible grumpiness??? Because what he should have done was walked out the door and said "I will be back in a few hours" and gone and done his own thing- away from me. But he didn't. He sat at the counter helping me as I needed it, and showed such love to me. I am still- weeks later- blown away by that.

He is constantly doing things that make me feel loved, beautiful, and like I am doing a good job. I feel like men really do have a hard job too. While their bodies don't change and they don't endure the pain, nausea, discomfort, frequent urination, mood swings, etc. They endure dealing with the person who does have all of those things going on. And they have to not only put up with their hormonal wives, but they also have to make her feel good. On some days, that is no easy task.

I am so blessed to have such an amazing man by my side. Someone who loves me- through the ugly. I love you Lee- even if I may or may not have pulled your arm hair this morning while you were making that awful high pitched annoying sound. You are the best husband and support system- exactly what I need to help me through this. I am so grateful that we get to share in this amazing journey together!