If I Can't Sleep, I May As Well Blog

One thing I definitely won't miss about pregnancy?  The insomnia.  I woke up for a bathroom break around 2:40 and have been awake ever since.  It's so miserable to want to sleep and not be able to! 

However, since I am awake, I thought I'd briefly recap our Christmas weekend.  Since we spent Thanksgiving with my family in Memphis, we headed to Illinois to visit Stephen's family for Christmas.  Our first stop was to stay with his parents on Thursday night.  On Christmas Eve, I was thrilled to see that it was SNOWING!

Photograph proof of the snow 

That evening we went to the Christmas Eve service at my in-laws' church (Stephen's dad is the pastor).  Several members of the church gave us presents for Charlotte, and they are SO sweet.  After the Christmas Eve service Stephen and I followed his parents to his grandmother's house, where we spent the rest of the weekend.  The drive would have been fine had it not been for the crazy snow we encountered.  I was a nervous wreck the whole time.  At one point I couldn't even look at the road because it just made me nervous and want to cry.  (Of course, these days everything makes me want to cry.  I am practically a water fountain.)  Fortunately, we made it there safely, although the trip that usually takes an hour ended up taking almost two because of the road conditions. 

Christmas day was spent eating yummy food and watching movies and napping (Well, I think I'm the only one who did any napping, but it was divine).  We didn't take any pictures on Christmas, but here are some we took the day after:

It's hard to believe that next Christmas we will have a BABY!  I can't wait. :)

What was your favorite part of Christmas this year?

Merry Christmas!

*Card created using Shutterfly.

Only 10 Weeks to Go!

I feel like I say this every week, but I can't believe how far along I am!  I'm entering my 30th week of pregnancy, and I am getting to the point of being more and more excited about meeting Charlotte and holding her in my arms.  I'm just thankful that for the most part I've had a very easy pregnancy and that so far everything looks great with our little one.  Here's hoping that will continue all the way up to and through labor and delivery!

Baby's size?  Charlotte is almost 3 pounds now and between 15-17 inches long. 

Weight Gain?  Ummm...

Stretch marks? Still no new ones.

Belly button in or out?  Still in.  I'm thinking it may stay that way, although things could certainly change in the next few weeks.

Sleep?  It's getting harder and harder to get a good night's sleep.  I've ended up on the couch or in the recliner some nights.

Foods I am loving?  I am all about the clementines and of course anything sweet.

Foods I am hating?  Shrimp has lost any and all appeal to me for some reason.  I used to really like it.   

Best moment this week?  Having a Christmas date with Stephen.  We saw White Christmas performed by the local theater guild, and then we had a yummy dinner at Outback (I'm blaming my recent weight gain all on that dinner). 

Movement? She is moving and squirming and who knows what else in there!

Symptoms?  Lots of visits to the bathroom, lots of nasal congestion, sleepless nights.   

What I miss? Sleeping through the night and not needing a bathroom break.

What I will miss? Her little movements.

What I'm looking forward to?  Christmas!  I'm hoping for a white Christmas, too!

Weekly Wisdom: Fiber is your friend.  Anyone who is pregnant will probably know what I am talking about. :)

Milestone: 10 weeks to go!

Emotions:  I have cried more in the last few weeks than I have in a LONG time.  My poor husband is putting up with a LOT.  I love him more every day for it.

On Birth and Babies and Books

Hello, bloggy friends.  I confess that I have not been feeling very bloggy over the past few weeks.  This shouldn't be a surprise since my posts have dwindled down to practically nothing.  I have no idea if I'll suddenly be hit with a new burst of blogging energy, but I have been doing this whole blogging business for almost 6 years (I began my first blog in Jan. of 2005-crazy!).  Maybe it's time to retire.  I don't know.  Anyway, today I did feel like blogging, so here I am! 

I am 29 1/2  weeks pregnant, which blows my mind.  I can't believe that in a little over 10 weeks (or maybe sooner!) we will actually get to meet Charlotte and hold her in our arms.  That thought is both thrilling and terrifying.  I have a lot of fears about becoming a mom, especially about those first few weeks.  I don't really know ANYTHING about newborns except what I've heard from others, and even that's not much.  How will I know what to do when Charlotte cries or is fussy or won't sleep?  What if I drop her on her head?  (Kidding, only not so much.)  Right now I'm on the hunt for some good books on infant care, so if you know of any, please share!  I know that reading a book STILL won't really prepare me for the real thing, but at least it will make me feel more informed, right?

Next month Stephen and I are taking a childbirth class at the hospital where I'll have the baby, and I'm both looking forward to it and horrified.  I am sure they will show some horrendous, emotionally-scarring birthing video and I'll wish there was a way to just keep Charlotte in my belly forever so I won't have to deliver her.  I'm still on the fence about whether to have a natural childbirth or get an epidural, but maybe I'll know more about which option to choose after this class.  And possibly scary media aside, the class will hopefully be informative, and it will be neat to be taking it with other couples who are expecting a child.  I will keep you posted should anything noteworthy happen at these classes.  We will go once a week for 4 weeks, and then we'll be experts at everything!  Right?  Of course.  :)

I can't believe Christmas is almost here.  Where did the month go??  We are traveling to Illinois to see Stephen's family, and I am hoping we'll get a little snow.  However, so far the forecast shows nary a hint of that glorious white stuff, so I don't know if that will work out or not.  It will be fun to spend some time with Stephen's family, too, since it's been a while since we've seen them.  This will also be our last Christmas without a child, which is kind of weird to think about.  Next year we'll have a sweet little girl hogging all the attention. Rats.  :) 

Okay, I've ended the last two paragraphs with smileys, so it's definitely time to wrap up this post.  I hope you all are doing well, and please let me know if you have read any good baby books! 

Third Trimester is Here

Am I really 28 weeks along and in my third trimester??  I can't believe it!  I can't wait to see our little princess!

Baby's size?  Charlotte is roughly 15 inches long and about the size of a Chinese cabbage (which I couldn't even pick out at the grocery store, haha). 

Weight Gain?  As of last Wednesday's appointment at the doctor, 23 pounds.

Stretch marks? Still no new ones.

Belly button in or out?  In.

Sleep? Oh sleep, how fickle you are!  Some nights I sleep GREAT, and then other nights I wake up frequently and when morning comes don't feel rested at all.

Foods I am loving? Hot chocolate, ice cream, clementines, and apples.

Foods I am hating? Nothing new. 

Best moment this week?  Going to a friend's baby shower and then registering for Charlotte at Target on Saturday.  I hope the registry isn't lame; I have NO idea what I'm doing!

Movement? Yes, and Charlotte is definitely getting stronger with her kicks.  I am hoping that Stephen will be able to feel her in the next few weeks.

Symptoms?  I'm going to the bathroom all.the.time.  And I'm still rocking the nasal congestion and dealing with headaches.  Fun times. 

What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach, running, wearing "normal" clothes.

What I will miss? Feeling Charlotte move; I love it!

What I'm looking forward to?  The Behold the Lamb of God concert tomorrow.  It's one of my favorite Christmas things!

Weekly Wisdom: If you feel like crying, just do it. :)

Milestone: Entering the third trimester!

Emotions:  My emotions have become more and more crazy lately.  Bring on the waterworks!

Good News

I passed the gestational diabetes test!  I also only gained 3 pounds since my last visit 4 weeks ago--woot woot! :)  Thanks to all of you who offered advice and prayers and encouragement.  I really appreciate it.  My appointment wasn't until 3:15 in the afternoon, so I had scrambled eggs and one slice of toast for breakfast, then tuna and peanuts for lunch (random, I know).  I didn't eat anything after 1:15 and chugged water all day long, too.  I knew if I really had gestational diabetes none of that would help, but I wanted to at least give it a shot. :)  All of my bloodwork came back great, and Charlotte's heartbeat was nice and strong, so everything looks good.

I go back in 3 weeks for my next appointment, and then I think at the appointment after that one, they are going to do a 3D ultrasound. I told the doctor about my concerns regarding the size of my belly, and he said it looks like I'm just carrying low and he wasn't worried about it, but they will watch it and then if needed check things out on the ultrasound just to make sure, which made me feel better. 

Thanks again to all of you for your support!