37 weeks!

Well, the last of the baby showers has been had.  Thursday after work, Garrett and I met my mom out at her work for a "Grandma Shower" that they threw for her (and us).  It was a lot of fun and great to see those that I had not seen in quite a while.  I've have known many of my mom's co-workers for several years and they've watched me grow up over those several years.  It was so kind of them to put that together for my mom and us.  Not only did we get several smaller goodies and essentials, but many of them also went in together and bought us our rocker/ottoman that we registered for our nursery.  Garrett has already put it together and we love it!!

Saturday, we spent the day with our girls (Maggie and Cambrie) out at Garrett's families for their annual pig pickin'.  It was a lot of fun and both girls did great!  They certainly were pooped after the fact though and slept the best either of them have probably slept in a while.

I went Monday for my weekly doctor's appointment and again my mom went with me.  This time however, she and I both decided to take the day off and tackle a lot of those things that I had been stressing about and putting off.  The doctors visit went great.  I have only added 2lbs to my weight and blood pressure is still good.  The doctor did say that I need to start eating more red meat though because I am slightly anemic... nothing to really worry about though or be a cause of concern (Garrett is actually taking full advantage of it and came home with a load of hamburger meat and steaks, lol).  Afterwards, we went back to the house and started organizing Grace's clothes and washing them.  While they were washing we went out to lunch to one of our favorite places, Haystax, and got to see one of our favorite people, Beth!  Oh and I ate a nice big burger (got my share of red meat for the day).  After lunch, we had a nice time together getting pedicures before heading back to the house for more work.  Mom and I were able to get all of the bath, feeding, clothing, and diapering stuff organized... as well as all of Graces toys and blankets that she's received.  Our dresser/changing table is due to arrive this week and once it does, we'll be able to move clothes from the boxes into the dresser and be pretty much set! :)  Also, we packed my hospital bag.  It is all set to go, along with a packed diaper bag and both are in the car, ready and waiting.  Now, I can finally say I am ready for Grace to be here!!  (Whenever she is ready of course).  So, did I mention how incredibly awesome and amazing my mama is?!  She is... she is the absolute best!  Thanks mama for everything!  I am still amazed and happy that we got as much done as we did!

This has been a pretty great and productive week.  I am blessed to have such a great people to help me get organized and ease my worries, as the big day quickly approaches.  Grace has been very active also.  She really is moving more than ever, or so it seems.  Maybe it is just because she is running out of room, so her movement is considerably more noticeable.  Either way, I love it!  Also, she is still fairly high in my stomach and has not really dropped much yet.  Once she does drop though, who knows how quickly she'll make her arrival.  I do only have 17 days left until my due date.

Your baby's the size of a watermelon!

Yay! Baby has reached full term. She likely measures around 18.9 to 20.9 inches and weighs about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. She's gaining about 1/2 ounce each day.

your baby at 37 weeks

• She's practicing some skills: inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking.
• She's getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready for his first diaper.

36 weeks!

Well, only 24 days to go... I cannot believe it!  Last week I mentioned the wonderful maternity shoot that I had with Jackie.  Well, be sure to check out the Ihnenfeld Photography Blog for a sneak peak of some of Jackie's favorite pictures :)  Here are just two of my favorites, as hard as it is for me to even narrow it down that much...

Thank you again so much Jackie for the fun session and beautiful pictures!

This week our wonderful Gospel Community family threw Garrett and I a fun co-ed baby shower.  We had a wonderful time and yet again were showered with some fun and practical gifts for grace.  Thank you to each of you for your generosity and support!  We appreciate it more than you know!!  Garrett and I are so blessed to have met this wonderful group of believers this year, that we now like to call friends and family.

Saturday and Sunday Garrett and I drove down to Ft. Lauderdale to surprise my sister at her dance competition.  This is the only competition before Grace is due to arrive and one that would work out for us to definitely be at.  So, we decided to not tell her we were coming and just showed up to surprise her.  We had such a great time and it was so nice to be able to watch my little sister perform on stage.  Her solo was, yet again, unbelievable!!  She never ceases to amaze me.  Thank you so much to Andre and Lauren for letting us stay at their home for the weekend and for the sweet goodie bag for Grace.  You both are such wonderful friends and Garrett and I are so blessed to have you in our lives.

Monday was my weekly doctor's appointment.  Mama went with me since Garrett had to work and it is not really feasible to take that much time off work every week now for him.  So, she got to come in and hear Grace's heartbeat and experience the joy with me.  Grace was pretty active during the appointment too, so I could see my belly move while he was measuring her heartbeat... such a great feeling!  I was also very happy to hear that all is going well; Dr. Bevitz had no bad news for me.  Grace Lynn is growing as she should be and again, I did not gain any pounds from my last appointment!  That is quite the accomplishment for me and again, I'm not going to count on that happening here on out because I am in the last few weeks and she will be doing a lot of growing... I just hope it's all her growing and not just me, lol.

Some changes/milestones include:

• Yep, my belly is becoming an outie... you can see in the pictures that it is definitely sticking out.  But, there is still a small portion hanging in there.  I guess we'll call it an outie though since most believe that is what it looks most like, lol.
• My feet look like elephant feet (at least to me they do).  They have been swelling up so much lately; it is crazy.  I also had to take my wedding rings off because I did not want to risk them getting stuck and Garrett would probably have a heart attack if they had to cut them off, lol.  He says "better safe than sorry".  I just cannot wait to put them back on after Grace arrives and all this swelling hopefully goes down.  Yes, I know, does not sound very flattering... but I guess that is part of being pregnant.
• Sleep is still pretty rough.  I wake up on average about 5 times a night (between 9pm and 5am) with either heartburn or to use the restroom.  It's not terrible; just makes for some tiring days.
• The weight of the belly is finally becoming more noticeable to me.  Throughout the day I don't really notice it, but when I get home and wind down, that is when my back starts to hurt some.
• I've also just noticed how much my hips have stickin' grown!  I tried on a pair of shorts that used to be slightly big on me and I can't even get them past my hips :(  I know that I'm not going to be able to button them obviously, but was at least hoping my legs had stayed close to the same size and my hips had not gotten that wide, but no such luck.  Please tell me that these massive hips I'm not used to will go back down closer to my normal size at least.  I am really hoping to get back into pre-baby body shape and clothes, but right now, it's just hard to imagine.

I know all that sounds kind of negative, but please don't get me wrong, this pregnancy has been great!  I would not change anything for the world.  I still love very much feeling Grace move.  And, I get so excited when Garrett gets excited about seeing and feeling her move.  We are both very ready and anxious to be parents.  He is constantly saying that she can come any day now... he's ready for her to be here.  I love that he is so excited about this new journey and I know that he is going to be one heck of a father!

TheBump.com says:

Your baby's the size of a coconut!

She's still in the 17.2- to 18.7-inch and 4.2- to 5.8-pound range and continues to beef up.

 

your baby at 36 weeks

• She's getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on her own.
• Her skin is getting smooth and soft and her gums are rigid.
• Her liver and kidneys are in working order.
• Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.

 

35 weeks!

Well, time is ticking away now.  Garrett has not been more ready for Grace to be here, but I am just now starting to get into my panic/worry phase (more so than I already had been).  I just feel like there is still so much more for me to do before Grace gets here.  The nursery is about done, but still waiting on a dresser/changing table and still have to wash all the bedding and Grace's clothes and pack my bag.  I know I still have 4 weeks, but that is only 4 more Saturday and Sundays, which is when I can get the most work done.  Also, this month is so booked, that really only leaves me 2 Saturdays.  During this time, I've also got to get prepared to go on maternity leave and get things at work all taken care of.  I know, I know, I need to stop worrying and just enjoy the moment because I really am LOVING being pregnant and love feeling our little girl move around in there.  She makes me that much more excited to hold her and I am really looking forward to that day!!  I just need to keep remembering to "not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present 'my' requests to God" (Phil 4:6).  I know this is going to be a crazy month.  I hope and pray, for my sake and more importantly Garrett's, that I can just hang in there and quit stressing.


Monday I went to the doctor for my last bi-monthly appointment and had nothing but good news to hear.  I learned that I had not gained any weight since my prior appointment.  I am not expecting this to happen every time by any means, but it was great to hear!  He also confirmed that Grace is head down... hopefully not going to have a breech baby like her daddy was.  He said no 15lb baby for me, but also no 5lb baby, lol.  My stomach is growing good and her heartbeat is still growing strong.  It is always wonderful to get good news and confirmation that our little girl is growing healthy and strong.  Now, I begin going to the doctor once a week and she will be here within the month hopefully.

Other things this week, Garrett and I went out to dinner with his parents, Aunt Cincy, Courtney, Sam, Colton, and a friend of Cincy's.  We went to Dixie Crossroads (Oh, how we love that place!).  It was a wonderful time!!  Grace even received a couple nice little goodies... a handmade blanket from her Great Grandma Gardner and a personalized hooded towel from Sandy.  Sunday, some of the ladies of my home Church of New Horizons threw me a little baby shower at one of their homes and showered Grace with more things.  It was so sweet of them and we all had such a great time!  Thank you Cheri and Wendy so much for planning the wonderful event.  I am very grateful and had a very enjoyable time.

Our Whale of a Tub for ms. Grace :)

Garrett and I also were both blessed with showers from work.  Yes, I know, we probably hold the record for baby showers, lol.  Every shower has been out of the desire of a family member or friend.  I did not specifically ask for any of them, but definitely will and have been enjoying them all!  Each one has been small/quaint and a good time.  Grace is definitely one blessed little girl!  Heck, Garrett and I are one blessed couple to have such amazing and loving friends and family in our lives!!  We really do appreciate and love you all more than you know!  We still have two more planned, which you will hear about in future blogs :)


Well, at the work showers, my work was so very kind as to buy us our stroller travel system.  I was on cloud nine when I saw that's what Garrett and I received from their generosity!  Thank you Karin for planning the wonderful event and being so gracious!  Garrett's work shower was a complete surprise.  He showed up for work like any normal day and all the ladies decided to surprise him at lunch with a shower.  He had no idea!  They were kind enough to bless Grace with some adorable outfits, necessities, toys, etc.  They even had some fun with Garrett (see below).  Thank you to the ladies there that were also very gracious and kind! We are beyond grateful!

Garrett with some of the gifts he received at his work Shower for Grace

Yep, they got him to put the pig towel, washcloth, and pacifier on, LOL
Love my husband... such a good sport :)

Myself with my wonderful co-workers that contributed
and took part in the shower

TheBump.com says:

Your baby's the size of a butternut squash!

She's about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. From here on out, she won't get much longer, but she's plumping up. She's now about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds, and she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth.

 

your baby at 35 weeks

• Now, her hearing is fully developed, and she responds best to high-pitched noises.

 

34 weeks!

This past weekend a wonderful family friend threw me a baby shower at her home.  Thank you so much Cindy for the great shower, food, gifts, and just always being there!  Cindy has literally watched me grow from the time I was in the womb.  (My mom will tell you stories of how she rescued her from my terrible baby stage, haha).  They both say that they hope Garrett and I are blessed with a much better  baby than I was, lol.  Guess we'll know real soon!  Anyways, Cindy has been a long-time family friend and part of my life.  I cannot wait for her to also be a part of Grace's life.  Also, many thanks to Greg and my mom for helping to set up the shower and help with some of the delicious food.  And, to all of those that took time out of their day to be there for the occasion, it really means a lot to me and I enjoyed spending time with each of you.  Thank you!!

Marla, Debbie, Cindy, Mama, Me, Theresa, Patti, and Barb

My mama and I... LOVE HER!!

The Beautiful quilt that my mom hand-made for Grace

Also this weekend, a friend of mine, Jackie, came over to shoot my maternity pictures.  Jackie is the same wonderful photographer that documented Garrett and I's special day last year.  I think it is pretty amazing that she will have been part of our lives and helping us to document it from wedding day to the birth of first child and hopefully for many other wonderful future occasions.  I have known Jackie since I was in grade school and find it pretty cool that we were able to reconnect recently and that she now will get to know Grace as well and watch her grow up!!  While Jackie was taking some maternity shots, it was a pleasant surprise to see my mom and sister pull-up to the house.  They came over to hangout with us for a little while and to also see Jackie.  Mama took a couple candid pictures on her camera too while here, lol.  Below is one of my favorites that mama caught.  It only makes me that much more excited to the ones Jackie took.  After the pictures, it was nice to just be able to relax next to a fire with Garrett, my mom, and Amanda.  Nice to finally see Amanda too after a long while!  She's been so busy with dance lately (it is that time of year), it's hard to spend quality time with her, but I do enjoy it every chance we get it.

Candid Picture by Mama

God has definitely blessed me with some incredible people in my life.  This weekend was yet another confirmation of that.  I cannot wait for Grace to meet all my wonderful friends and family!  She will be here before we know it.  Only 38 days left until due date... oh boy!  I really do think she is about ready to be here.  I've learned that your body will start to clean itself out the closer you get to giving birth and I have definitely been feeling a little more nauseated lately.  I almost feel like I am back in my first trimester, but lucky for me I had it pretty easy then and am hoping that it continues going as such.  Garrett is so ready for her to be here and I still am enjoying the pregnancy part, but now with the nausea kicking in... I'll probably be just as ready here real soon.  My mom did say that is what the 9th month is for, lol, to make me ready to have this little baby.  Also, my belly is starting to look more like an outie; which Garrett is oddly excited about, haha.  Technically still an innie though; we'll see if that changes in the next month.  All in all though, everything else is same ol' same ol'; just waiting patiently as little Ms. Grace grows and moves around inside my belly.

Your baby's the size of a durian!

At less than two months to go, she weighs in at about 4.2 pounds to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches.

your baby at 34 weeks

• She's recognizing and reacting to simple songs, if you're singing them. (If you're not, start! She may find them soothing after birth.)
• She's also urinating about a pint a day.