30 Weeks

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Size of baby: a squash

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 18 big ones

Maternity Clothes: yes - all the time!

Gender: BOY!

Movement: YES! stronger and stronger all the time.

Sleep: pretty good most nights

What I miss: being able to do things with ease.  putting on socks, shoes, cuddle with the puppies, and ankles!

Cravings: none really.  Trying to eat as much protein as possible.  Helps with the nausea and swelling.

Symptoms: swelling, nausea, fatigue

Best Moment This Week: Pampers, Pizza, and Poker Shower hosted by DeAnn and the I/O Psych program at Tech!  We brought home over 700 diapers and other goodies.  We had a blast and knowing that our baby is loved is AMAZING! 

Milestones: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds.  A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

What I'm Looking Forward To: the last 10 weeks of pregnancy!!  We have a busy but exciting few weeks ahead of us.  My job will be interesting over the next couple of weeks.  As of midnight on 8/1 I will no longer be a HealthSouth employee and will be working for LifeCare.  The transition seems to be going pretty smoothly so far but, nothing has really happened yet.  I plan to pretty much live at the hospital the next 2-3 weeks making sure things roll from one company to the other as smoothly as possible.  I just hope William is up for the long hours.

Our 3rd Wedding anniversary is also coming up in a few weeks.  I don't think there will be a huge celebration since I'll be in the middle of the transition at work but I know that we will celebrate with a nice dinner and time together, which is all I really want!  Maybe I'll even get a foot massage - if Luke asks you can let him know that is all I need/want!

We have LOTS of Dr. appointments on the book as well.  We  have officially begun the twice a month appointments and I really look forward to getting to see Dr. M.  At our appointment yesterday he just sat right down and spent about 15 min talking with Luke about his article in Golf Digest.  He refers to William by name and seems to really care.  He asks us questions and talks about his family like we have known each other for years!  We feel so very lucky to have found him.  I can't imagine trusting anyone else the way I trust him.  I know that William and I are in the best possible hands! 

We also have 3 more baby showers!!  A family shower thrown by my aunts and a couples shower thrown by Molly and Katie.  Luke gets to be involved in this one which I know he will really enjoy.  Plus it will be a great chance to catch up with friends we haven't seen in far too long!  Katie and Molly and planning a  relaxing evening at Camp Simmering and I can't wait!  I wish we had more time to be in Hesston but I know there will be more trips once William arrives.  Can you believe all the people that want to love on little William, he is a very lucky little boy!

And Since you made it to the bottom I'll reward you with a peak and my latest project for William.  This little sign will ensure that we always know which room is his. :)

Summer Vacations 2011

Notice that I titled this post vacations.  Plural because Luke and I went on separate vacations this summer, it was a little odd to explain to people so let me try here.  When we found out we were expecting John (Luke's dad) booked a boys trip for them to go fishing in Alaska!  Luke has been wanting to make a trip to Alaska since his sister Mary lived up there in 2007 but our funds have been limited so it was always out of the picture.  But, thanks to John he got to experience the trip of a life time as he has since explained it to me.  I ended up in Hawaii the same weekend with my family which was a complete coincidence.  We went with American Family Insurance, my dad is an agent and had qualified for this trip and it just so happened that it was the same week as the Alaska "boys" trip.  I of course wasn't going to say no to an expenses paid trip to Hawaii and the same went for Luke and the Alaska trip so we decided to divide and conquer.  We both had a blast and while we missed each other it was well worth it to get to take these last trips before William gets here!

Caution: picture overload below!

Alaska

 

 

this guy decided to go fishing with them!

Can you imagine watching him fish from a few feet away! AMAZING

tractors taking the boat to the water :)

HAWAII

Family Picture 

Mom and Dad

typical mom and dad ;)

on our snorkel trip

a little love for William

I'm being brave and showing you this just because I didn't put a different 28 week picture up. Please be kind :)

kissing my new friend :)

mom and sisters - aren't they cuties!

best sisters a girl could ask for!

on the zip line trip, I stayed back at the resort and soaked up some rays

Dinner - usually my favorite part of the day ;)

on the waterfall tour - I got car sick and had to be taken back to the resort so I didn't get to see any waterfall :(

How Far Along: 29 Weeks

just pretend I look cute please.  Thanks!

Size of baby: a squash

Total Weight Gain/Loss: this one scares me.  I'll get on the scale again at some point but I honestly don't even think about it terribly often.

Maternity Clothes: yes

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Yes, it is much stronger the past few days and very visible on the outside.  My entire stomach area will wiggle when he really gets going. 

Sleep: I've slept pretty good but I'm still just on a weird schedule.  I can't seem to fall asleep at night and my alarm seems way to early in the morning.  I blame it on a week in Hawaii and it makes it easier to accept.

What I miss: non swollen feet, and being able to bend over.  My ankles and feet are swollen all the time and I struggle to find the right position to be able to bend over and put my socks or shoes on each morning.

Cravings: none really.  I am really not all that hungry and often have to make myself eat a meal.  Lots of foods sound good and then after a bite or two I'm stuffed.  There just isn't room for a big meal in there anymore. 

Symptoms: swelling and nausea.  I've dealt with the nausea for 29 weeks now which makes the 11 I have left to go seem bearable!

Best Moment This Week:  I had a GREAT week.  I spent a week in Hawaii with my family and then got to come home to my hubby and fur babies which is always so much fun.  I don't think I could pick just one moment - there were far too many to choose from. 

Milestones: Baby's energy is surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath his skin. And since he's growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), things are getting kind of cramped in the womb. What all this means for you: Get ready for some more kicks and jabs to the ribs.

What I'm Looking Forward To: We have a lot to look forward to but I am most excited about a weekend at home with NOTHING to do.  I feel like I have been running from one thing to another since getting off the plane in Monroe on Monday.  We have a few house projects lined up for the weekend but nothing stressful and if they don't get done then we will finish them at a later time.  I love weekend like this one coming up.  Plenty of time to relax and unwind from a crazy week or two.

Back to the Real World

Holy Crap people, I'm 29 week pregnant today!  When did this happen!  11 weeks (or less) to go!  I'll work on a 28/29 week post and a recap of my Hawaii trip when I have a second to breathe.  I'm also waiting on pictures from Hawaii from my sister Lauren so go bug her and maybe she will remember to get them to me!

He Made It!

Luke made it safely to Alaska! YIPPEE!!!  

Now I just hope he doesn't love it too much, we need him to get on that plane next Saturday and come back to Louisiana!

27 Weeks

How Far Along: 27 Weeks

Size of baby: eggplant

 Total Weight Gain/Loss: 15 lbs

Maternity Clothes: yep, I just got a few new things from Old Navy and a cute top from Katie and Phil for my B-Day so I think my stash is done growing.

Gender: BOY

Movement: all the time and becoming stronger!  He even woke me up the other night from a deep sleep.

Sleep: is getting better. I still don’t sleep like I used to but I guess that is just my bodies way of preparing me for what is to come.

What I miss: not feeling like crap 24/7.  Feeling yucky is really starting to get old.  Even on my good days I don’t feel great and I’m ready for this to end.  Good thing it will all be worth it in the end!

Cravings: none really.  I eat fruits and veggies because they are not heavy. I made myself eat ½ a turkey melt last night to get some protein but eating is a chore most days.  There is just NO room for food.

Symptoms: just a general yucky feeling.  As long as I can get up and move it doesn’t get too bad.  I spend lots of time standing behind my desk at work and I pace in the hallway at home in the evenings just to try and move things around.

Best Moment This Week: celebrating my B-Day at work today!  My coworkers are super sweet.  They had donuts when I got here and cupcakes for lunch time.  Since I’ll be gone on my actual day they arranged my special day around my schedule!  They really are the best!

Milestones: Baby's lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means he's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress. This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Vacation week.  I’m a little sad that Luke and I aren’t vacationing together but we are each getting the vacation of our dreams and for that I am so happy.  Luke leave on Saturday for a week of fishing in Alaska and I leave on Monday for a week in Hawaii!  Luke is going with his dad and I’ll be with my family so we are both going to be with people we love.  Life doesn’t get much better and we are so thankful for families that spoil us!

What a Weekend!

This past weekend we met up with Katie, Phil, Emory, John and Molly in Gainesville, TX.  This is the half way point between Hesston and Ruston so it was an easy drive for all of us.  There isn't alot to do in Gainesville so we spent alot of time in the pool and relaxing in the room.  Emory did AMAZING and I just pray that her cousin William is as easy as her!  Luke and I got lots of great practice and being with Emory all weekend just made us that much more excited to have William here!

Here are some pix I've stolen from Molly!

 

 

 We got home Sunday evening and spent that night comforting a scared Kato.  She isn't fond of fireworks and us leaving her behind maybe wasn't a great idea.  I guess we know for next year that she needs a little extra love on the weekend of the 4th!  She is still pretty skittish and spent much of yesterday in her "safe" spot behind the recliner with her head under pillows and blankets.  

And for the finale to an already great weekend.  We found out yesterday morning that Luke and one of his professors from Minnesota had their research featured in Golf Digest!!!  We've known for a few months now that it would be coming out in a summer issue and so we were thrilled to see his name in print!  All that hard work is paying off, and I couldn't be more proud.

Everyone needs to go out and buy the August issue of Golf Digest!  There is a great article on page 90!