Showered with Love

This past week I was blessed to have two different baby showers given for Charlotte.  The first one was on Thursday night and was given by some sweet ladies from Humboldt that have dinner together once a month, and I've been fortunate enough to tag along on these dinners.  We had the shower at O'Charley's and had such a blast!  (And the waiter gave me a free caramel pie for dessert.  Score!)

 

On Friday night I drove to Memphis to stay the night at my parent's house because my mom's coworkers (who are like one big family) were throwing me a shower on Saturday morning.  I cannot even BELIEVE how many great presents we got for Charlotte.  And what's even better is that some of my aunts from out of town came, as did my sister-in-law and her mom, and my two best friends from college.  It was a wonderful shower!

The surprise of the shower came at the end, when my mom told me I had to close my eyes while they brought out one more present.  I opened them (after what seemed like FOREVER) and saw this:

This cradle has quite the history.  My Uncle Oliver MADE it for me when I was a baby, so both my brother and I slept in it.  My parents kept it all these years.  They showed it to me months ago because they thought I could use it, but it was definitely showing its age.  They talked about restoring it at the time but then didn't bring it up again, so I didn't think much about it.  Turns out they cleaned and refinished it, and then my Aunt Zonia made the bumpers out of the crib sheets that match the bedding in the nursery!  I was completely surprised and moved to tears.  We already have the cradle set up in our room, ready to be used! 

When we got everything from the shower unloaded, here is what Charlotte's room looked like:

 

I am completely overwhelmed by all the people in our lives who want to bless us as we prepare for Charlotte's arrival.  I can't wait for her to be here so she can see just how loved she is! 

I hope all of you had a great weekend as well!

35 Weeks, 2 Days

I had every intention of posting this on Monday, but this week has been very busy, and I just haven't gotten the chance until now.  I only have 33 days until my due date, which is so exciting, but I'm also getting more and more nervous about giving birth.  I have decided to have as natural a birth as possible (unless something like a c-section happens), so I need to start practicing the breathing and relaxation techniques we've learned in our childbirth class.  Speaking of the class, it's been really helpful, and next Monday we go on our tour of the hospital, which I'm really looking forward to. 


Baby's size?  At the ultrasound last week we found out she was 4 pounds, 12 ounces, but I bet she's grown some since then!

Weight Gain?  I weighed last week at the doctor's office, but I forgot what my starting weight there is, so I am not sure.  It's definitely around the 33 or 34 pound mark already, which makes me a little depressed.

Stretch marks? There are some, but they are not very obvious.

Belly button in or out?  Still a very shallow innie.

Maternity Clothes? There are still a few tops that aren't maternity that I can wear, but all of my pants are maternity, and some of them have gotten too snug around the waist because of where they hit my belly.

Sleep?  I have good days and bad days.  My hips have been bothering me a lot, which makes it harder to be comfortable.

Foods I am loving?  Nothing good for me! :)  I got a disappointing batch of clementines at the store this past week, so that was a bummer. 

Foods I am hating?  Still not feeling the seafood.

Best moment this week?  Seeing Charlotte on the ultrasound!

Movement?  Sometimes I think she is using my insides as a punching bag!

Symptoms?  Some back and hip pain, along with the usual suspects: nasal congestion and insomnia.  I've also had a lot more heartburn.

What I miss?  Normal clothes and being able to bend over without discomfort. :)

What I will miss?  Feeling her little punches and kicks.

What I'm looking forward to?  Baby showers!  I have a small one on Thursday night and then another one on Saturday.  I can't wait to see everyone!

Emotions:  All over the place!

Words of wisdom?  Don't look at pre-pregnancy pictures!  I looked at some the other day and got a little sad because even though I wasn't at my goal weight, I was so close, and I actually looked good!  This of course is funny to me as well because at the time I still didn't feel as though I liked my body, but I sure would like it now!

Charlotte at 34 Weeks

The ultrasound today was SO much fun!  It is just incredible that technology allows us to see the miracle God created inside of me.  Charlotte is currently 4 pounds, 12 ounces and is a good, normal size.  She's also head down, which made me happy because she's all ready to make her entrance when the time comes (and assuming she doesn't move before then!).   We absolutely loved seeing how she's growing, and we are more excited than ever to be able to hold her in our arms soon! 

Here are a few pictures of our sweet baby girl:

She was very wriggly during the whole ultrasound, and though the tech tried several times to get a clear shot of her face, she always had a little hand right up by her face.

You can see her little feet and toes!

Look, it's almost like she's flashing a gang sign. Hehe.

Aww, I just love her little nose. (The "PL" in the picture stands for placenta.)

Oh, and now is as good a time as ever to announce that we are changing Charlotte's name from Charlotte Grace to Charlotte Marie!  I think it's a beautiful name, and Marie isn't quite as common as Grace. 

I go back for my next check-up in 2 weeks, and after that I will start going once a week.  Time is FLYING by!

34 Weeks

Do I really only have 6 weeks of pregnancy left?!  Whoa.  I'm getting to that point where I am freaking out about the fact that around that time I will have another human life to take care of, and I am also getting anxious about how much we have left to do.  However, this weekend I am planning on tackling a lot of that stuff, so hopefully then I will feel more confident about things.  What's important is that Charlotte has a place to sleep and clothes to wear! (And one whole package of diapers, haha). 

I am very excited about Wednesday because I am getting another ultrasound!  The clinic where I go doesn't order one after 20 weeks unless there's a medical need, but I ended up requesting one just for my own peace of mind and so we can get confirmation on the baby's sex.  Also, I have had some dizzy spells recently and came close to fainting at work while sitting at my desk not too long ago, and I will just feel better if I can look at her again and know that everything is okay.

Baby's size?  She's between 4.5-5.5 pounds and around 18 inches long.  Crazy! 

Weight Gain?  I will update after my next doctor's appointment on Wednesday.

Stretch marks? A few new ones have appeared, but since I already had plenty from my heavier days, I'm not too upset about them. 

Belly button in or out?  Still in, although it's definitely shallower.  I am thinking it may just stay an innie.

Sleep?  Oh sleep, how I miss thee!

Foods I am loving?  Clementines!  I only have one left right now and am hoping I can find more today because I couldn't over the weekend.

Foods I am hating?  Any kind of seafood sounds repulsive to me right now. 

Best moment this week?  Going through the attic and closets in our house and purging and organizing.  I think Stephen and I are both in nesting mode. :)  Stephen also gave me an awesome back massage this weekend.  My husband rocks!

Movement?  Yes, I feel her little kicks and jabs and flutters, though not as much since she's running out of play space.

Symptoms?  Not much new, except my legs have been rather restless at night.  

What I miss?  Wearing "regular" clothes and running.

What I will miss?  Dreaming about what she will look like/be like.

What I'm looking forward to?  We have our first childbirth class tonight, so that should be interesting.  And of course, the doctor's appointment and ultrasound on Wednesday!  I can't wait to see Charlotte again since the last time was at 19 weeks.  I also hope she's still a Charlotte and not a Charlie, haha.

Emotions:  I have felt less weepy in the past week, but the emotions are still all over the place!

I will be sure and update after my appointment on Wednesday and share pictures, too!

First Snow Day of 2011

For most of the week, forecasters had been predicting snow for our area, and it finally came on Sunday night!  We ended up getting around 3-4 inches, which isn't much, but it's enough to send people around here into a frenzy and close schools and many businesses.  Fortunately, Stephen and I both got to stay home from work today, so we have had a great time.  I made biscuits and eggs for breakfast, and then we went out in the backyard with Bailey. She had a blast running around in the snow.  We also went for a walk around our neighborhood loop, and even though it was cold, the snow made everything look beautiful.  Here are some pics we took of our house and neighborhood:

I would love to have another snow day tomorrow, but the roads are looking pretty clear, and there is no more snow coming, so it looks like back to work for us!  Still, I am always grateful for an extra day off, especially when I get to take a nap. :) 

Did you get snow?  How much?

Nursery Sneak Peek

I kept trying to post a blog all day Wednesday, and I never could get the text editor to load!  Anyone else have that problem?  All seems to be working now, however, so I can share some pics with you! 



First, here's a picture of me taken at 32 weeks on Sunday (well, technically I was 31 weeks and 6 days, but shhh, don't tell).

Since Charlotte's arrival is fast approaching, we are starting to work more seriously on the nursery.  On New Year's Eve, Stephen and my dad and father-in-law set to work assembling the furniture.   Stephen was very excited:

The work in progress:

Crib with crib bedding.  I am thinking about mounting the blanket on the wall but am not quite sure how to do so, as I have not a crafty bone in my body.  Any suggestions??

The furniture set we purchased included a crib, changing table, and dresser.  After much hunting online, I found an adorable lamp to go with the butterflies and flower theme:

And then we found this fabulous swing on Amazon and used Amazon money we got from my parents for Christmas to buy it.  The best part is the swing plugs in so we won't waste tons and tons of batteries! Genius!

We still have nothing on the walls, but I have some wall hangings and decals to put up as soon as I can decide where/how to place them.  Seeing all of the nursery decor come together has made Charlotte's arrival all the more real, and it's so exciting to think that she could be here in less than 8 weeks!  (Please, little Charlotte, don't come late!)

Goals for 2011

Happy New Year!  So it’s already January 4, and I haven’t posted any goals for this year! I’m keeping it simple this year and going with 3 main goals instead of making so many goals that I end up forgetting about some (or all) of them. 

1. Lose the baby weight. Obviously, I can’t work on this one until I actually have Charlotte, but I am hoping that by the end of the year I can be down to 170. I’d love to be at my final goal weight of 160 by then, but I don’t know if that’s possible or not. The plan is to track my calories on SparkPeople like always and develop a consistent exercise routine post-partum. I’ve lost weight before, so I can do it again, but I admit that I am a little apprehensive since I will be juggling time with Charlotte and Stephen and time at my job, but people do it every day, right? 

2. Read through the Bible. I did this a couple of years ago and would like to do it again. I do well with structured plans for Bible reading, and Stephen and I are using this chronological plan that I am enjoying so far.

3. Complete Couch to 5k a second time and run in at least 3 races by the end of the year. I have missed running a LOT since being pregnant, and I can’t wait to get started on it again, so as soon as I am cleared for exercise post-partum, I am starting C25k again. It kind of pains me to think of having to start ALL. OVER. with my running, but I am hoping it won’t be as hard since I know I can do it. If the running goes well, I just may consider training for a half marathon again, but we will see. 

That’s it for my goals. I think having 3 large goals to work on will help me stay focused, and I hope that I can look back on the year with pride at what I have accomplished. 

What are your goals for 2011? What are you doing to make sure you reach them?