36 weeks 4 days

So as of today I am 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I will be full term on Monday! I went to the doctor this morning and had to have a routine bacteria test done. Hopefully that will come back negative. If the test comes back positive they will put me on an antibiotic once I go into labor and treat the baby as well. Seeing that I have so many antibiotic allergies that may be a difficult task or one that won't be too enjoyable for me so lets just hope its negative.  While at the doctor I did find out that I am officially getting closer to delivery (which I could have told you) yet have nothing concrete to report as far as how close. I am 60% effaced and 1/2 centimeter dilated. My doctor seemed a bit surprised by this but said it's all in good timing and nothing to really worry about. She said I am farther along than expected but she still couldn't tell me if I would deliver earlier than my due date or right on time. As far as stomach measurements things have slowed down a bit. I am measuring exactly 36 centimeters which is on track for a normal pregnancy but smaller than excepted based on my passed measurements. So basically, we are playing the waiting game for the next three weeks.

While I was at the office I had a contraction that the doctor observed. She was shocked with my reaction to it because I didn't even flinch. I am not super woman and have an extremely high pain tolerance it just didn't hurt. I have been having contractions like that for a few days now so maybe I am just blowing them off as being normal. Don't get me wrong, they are uncomfortable because of the pressure and the muscle aches they cause but they do not hurt. I did have a few contractions on Tuesday that I can honestly say hurt. I was extremely uncomfortable with them but keep telling myself they will only get worse so that I am not being naive. They were just a small taste of what is to come.

I am ready to be done being pregnant. I want to get back to normal. I want to join my teens in a rousing game of whipped cream whiffle ball on Sunday and not have to sit back and just watch. I would love to go on a bike ride with my hubby. I want to sleep without pain. I want to bend over and not feel out of breath instantly.  But I don't want any of those things so bad that I cannot wait for her to be ready to come. Though my patience is wearing thin, I am willing to wait it out until the timing is right. I will have all of those things back very soon along with a wonderful baby and happy family.

36 weeks 2 days 

These are a few of my favorite things.

This weather today is making me one very happy person. Today is forcing me to make a list of a few of my favorite things (kinda like the song) all of which I have been able to enjoy today. So here I go:

1. grocery shopping with my hubby

2. movie nights with my hubby (we haven't done this yet but its soon to come) 

3. having my doors and windows open 

4. eating yummy strawberries (although, they would be better if they were freshly picked from Henley's farm) 

5. beach walk scented Yankee candle 

6. the smell of fresh cut grass 

7. a somewhat clean house 

8. being in a crafty mood 

9. sitting on my porch enjoying the sunset 

10. watching my dogs unsuccessfully but whole heartedly attempt to catch butterflies.

So as of today I am 35 weeks and 4 days into this pregnancy. I have just over 4 weeks left and cannot wait to be done. My acid reflux/ heartburn has truly been giving me a fit and the braxton hicks are becoming more frequent but overall I still feel pretty good most of the time. Baby girl is moving around a ton but I have noticed the past few days her movements have become less drastic. Instead of full on punches and kicks she is just pushing outward. I have noticed that I am slowing down and not feeling as full of energy as I have the past few weeks. It didn't seem to phase me to walk a ton or even lightly jog from one place to the next but now I do not feel that I have the same drive or motivation to move quickly or go long distances. I suppose this is typical. Everyone tells me it looks like she has dropped and I am starting to agree. I am noticing little things that I had been warned would happen as she started to drop and now after looking at the past few weeks pictures I see what they see.  Last weekend Tim graduated from LU with his Masters in Professional Counseling. We drove down to Lynchburgh, VA for all of the festivities of the weekend and for the first time this pregnancy really caught up to me. The long car ride made my legs ache, the walking made my feet swell, and my stomach muscles began to really hurt from all the movement and braxton hicks that I had been having. Though the weekend was tough on me I would not trade it for anything. It was so good to see my husband graduate and I am beyond proud of his accomplishments. I have my next appointment on the 26th; one week from today. I will update afterwards and let everyone know what is said as we get closer to the big day.

I have not updated pictures in a long time so I will update with what I have for the past few weeks. 

Week 32

week 34

week 34- no feet at all.

35 weeks

32 weeks 2 days!

The last week was completely insane with work being holy week and all. I love this time of the year but for some reason it just seemed so rushed this year. I had pies to make for the teen pie sale, my mom was in town until Wednesday morning, Thursday we had a Maundy Thursday service at church, Friday the teens ran the Good Friday service (which I keep calling Black Friday for some reason... seems more fitting than Good Friday if you think about it). On Saturday we had the children's Easter egg hunt at church that I had to help with followed by our regular weekly Merge service. Then on Easter Sunday we had a Sonrise service at 6am, breakfast with the entire church at 8am, Sunday school at 9:45am, Easter Cantata at 10:45am followed by a baptism service, and then Tim and I joined a few families from church for brunch. Fortunately, I was able to take Monday off and reflect a little on the meaning of Easter and rest after the long week. It may have been a day late but I am grateful for the chance to be reminded that I serve a mighty God and am blessed with the grace of a loving Savior.

As of today I am officially 32 weeks and 2 days pregnant... just over 7 more weeks before my due date. I have a feeling time is going to fly by. I was looking at a calendar today and I am pretty sure there are is only one more weekend that we will have to prepare for anything Tim and I want to get done before she gets here. We have pretty much finished baby shopping. We made our target and babiesrus runs this past week and now have everything and more that we will need (at least I hope...). There really is not a whole lot new going on other than the busy schedules. I have my next appointment on the 9th and then I believe my appointments begin occurring on a weekly basis.

Here are a few updates for this past few weeks.

PA Baby shower

Amos found a new seat on the stroller box

31 weeks 3 days

Excuse my absence but life has been crazy.

I know I have not blogged in weeks but my life really has been going crazy. Since our hospital visit I have had another doctors appointment and found out that baby girls is doing just fine. She is growing well and it won't be long until we see her. I am currently in my 32nd week. Baby girl is about 4lbs and 16.5 inches long. She is quiet the kicker. She is moving a whole lot more often than before and honestly it is the strangest feeling at times. The other night while laying in bed Tim kept feeling her kick his back and he finally say "thats weird and annoying". Tell me about it... its inside of me all day long. It may be strange and slightly inconvenient at times but it really is nice to feel her move. It is a reassurance that all is well and things are moving along as they should. As far as me, I am feeling very good. I often here people complain that at about this time they are so completely over pregnancy. I cannot honestly say that thought runs through my mind too much. To be completely honest, I often forget I am pregnant. It takes me running into a door frame with my stomach, trying to squeeze into a pre-maternity shirt, tying my shoes, or being on my feet too long and having swollen toes and a sore back to realize something is different. I feel like I move at the same pace and I can do the same things I did before pregnancy without great complication.Though Tim may beg to differ, I do not feel as if anything has greatly changed. I feel like I could go run a mile right now and feel even better afterward. No, I will not be doing that but I am simply saying for the most part I feel very normal. The heartburn still exists but it has just become a part of life and not really something I even relate to baby. For the most part I cannot complain about being pregnant.

This past weekend the ladies from church threw us a very nice baby shower. My mom was able to drive down for a few days and attend it with me. We got so many nice gifts. We were blessed  with our high chair, car seat, stroller, boppy pillow, baby carrier, lots of clothes, toys and blankets. Honestly, I think the only things left to buy are diaper wipes, sheets, a changing pad and covers, and a few other small items. Her room has quickly filled up but it's not just her room. The drawers of her dresser are full, her closet is lined with clothes, the kitchen now contains a high chair, one cabinet now has bottles, bowls and spoons, and the basement now has a box of clothes from 6-24months and a stack of other baby supplies that wont be used for the first few months of her life. We are ready! I said the other day that if she came now we would have everything we need... what a scary reality. It won't be long. As a matter of fact, today marks exactly 2 months until my due date. 

My mom just left this morning and I am kind of shocked at my feelings right now. Typically, when we have guests in our home by the time they leave I am ready to say goodbye and get back to normal (no offense to anyone). The past few visits with my family have seemed very rushed and so packed with an agenda that they fly by and are often more stressful than enjoyable. My mom was here for a week and from the moment she walked through the door (literally) she was working. She began with cooking dinner, made curtains for 2 rooms, hung curtains in 2 other rooms, hemmed the sheet I had hanging in the guest bedroom closet door, helped me price some teen yard sale items, organized and sorted baby clothes and gifts, helped me make pies for the teens pie sale this weekend, washed dishes every day, and even changed the sheets on the guest bed before she left. We ran from store to store buying fabric, curtain rods, thread, groceries, along with any other errands that had to be done. The time together was packed full and flew buy incredibly fast. When she left this morning I honestly thought to myself, "man, I am not ready for her to leave yet". It's not because I want her to stay and do more work around my house but more because I want her to stay and simply relax. I am blessed to have a mom who can come visit for a few days and is okay with lending a hand and taking part in our chaotic lifestyle and I am very grateful for all she did while she was here. Knowing I will see her in 3 weeks for Tim's graduation makes things a little easier but again I know that weekend will be busy and not the visit I want to have. I am missing my family a lot today. I realized this week how nice it is to have someone around to talk to and to run errands with. I often do not notice how busy Tim and I are and how that takes away from our time together. I know both Tim and I are feeling the stress and pressure of getting things done but maybe we need to take a day to do nothing but be together. I am not saying we have some serious issues, I am simply saying that sometimes life gets busy and I don't want to take advantage of the precious time I can have with important people. 

Well, it is time to head off to work for another busy day, followed by a busy day tomorrow with the Maundy Thursday Seder Meal, Fridays Good Friday service, Saturdays church Easter egg hunt and Merge, and  Sundays Easter celebrations. Have a wonderful rest of the week and a very happy Easter!

Expect shower and belly pictures soon!

We'll need some smelling salts, ice, juice, and a chair please!

So last night Tim and I went on our tour of the hospital I will be delivering at. I was a bit nervous before hand just because the reality of things is really starting to sink it and it was a bit surreal. The entire evening was quite the adventure. We can say once again that nothing Tim and I do together is mediocre or average... it is always an adventure.
Before I go too much further I should tell you that Tim has always had an aversion to hospitals or any procedures. He simply does not like the atmosphere and has warned me about this several times. I noticed when Tim had his MRI and other scans for his headaches that he definitely was not a big fan but I think that is pretty normal when undergoing anything new that could reveal unwanted results. He has had a history of passing out and waking up with people surrounding him on the floor when he is in certain medical situations but I had never experienced this extreme with him before.  Last evening on our 45 minute drive down to the hospital and even as we waited, Tim didn't express any level of discomfort. As a matter of fact I was the one probably showing more nerves than Tim which is extremely unusual for me since hospitals and me have a long history and really don't phase me much.
We began our tour by visiting the neonatal intensive care unit. I pray that I never have to cross the threshold into that wing of the hospital. We then followed our guide upstairs to the triage area. They showed us the awkward little jacuzzi that could be used for comfort that really made me feel uncomfortable just thinking about it.  They then moved us on the the actual triage rooms and explained how these tiny little rooms would be where I will stay until 4cm and then be moved into a labor, delivery and recovery room. All was going great... Tim and I were getting a feel of what will happen and kind of getting a sense of ease about this upcoming adventure. We then moved to the labor, delivery and recovery room and things suddenly took a quick shift. Crammed in the room with about 10 other couples and our tour guide, Tim suddenly showed some discomfort. He began shedding his coat and whispered in my ear "i am getting really hot". The room was very warm and the body heat probably didnt help. Not two minutes after entering the room he again leans over and whispers in my ear "i need to go out in the hallway and get some fresh air". I kind of looked at him and thought "really?!?!?" but didn't react much to it. After standing their for another 10 minutes or so and not hearing or seeing my husband I began to wonder if he was alright but I didn't want to disturb the whole room by pushing my way out to find him. Suddenly a nurse came running into the room, pushed her way in front of the tour guide and grabbed the smelling salts right on the counter next to me. I still feel a bit bad about my reaction because I had this gut instinct that was telling me to go check on Tim. I had a feeling those smelling salts could have been for him but I tried to push the thought out of my mind and focus on what the guide was sharing with us. A few minutes later as we began to exit the room I saw Tim standing in the hallway looking a quite unusual. His face was pale, his eyes were glazed over, and he was dripping sweat. If I didn't know better I would have thought he had just ran a marathon by the amount of sweat dripping from his face. At that point I needed to question no more, I knew the smelling salts were definitely for him.
Apparently, the warmth of the room was just too much for him. He said he knew when he left he was getting ready to pass out but didn't want to make a scene so decided to leave. After finding a chair and sitting outside of the room things just got worse and he began to get tunnel vision so he decided to make his way to the nurses station on that floor and request some water. A nurse met him in the hallway and probably took one look and knew something wasn't quite right. He tried to tell her he needed a drink but apparently the words didn't come out and he just mumbled at her. She immediately sat him down with his head between his legs and got him some juice and an ice pack. She never actually had to use the smelling salts but grabbed them just in case. It is possible that he simply overheated but it is my opinion that he had a bit of a anxiety attack. We had only been in the room for about 2 maybe 3 minutes when he left and the nurse had just started pulling out equipment that we may see when we go to the hospital. She showed us the belly monitors to measure the babys heartbeat and contractions and I guess that was just too much for Tim. I totally understand this anxiety and discomfort and I am glad Tim knows when it is coming but now I just have to hope he will actually say something if it pops up during the real deal. We have determined that it will be in writing for the nurses on delivery day that Tim will need some smelling salts, ice, juice (which he really liked), and a chair handy at all times. Many would think, doesn't that make you uncomfortable knowing he could pass out when you're in the middle of this big ordeal but honestly it doesn't. I am glad I now know what to look for and will never take his warnings about not liking hospitals as a joke ever again but I honestly feel that Tim's nature to push through when he absolutely has to will kick in on delivery day. He is always strong no matter how uncomfortable when he has no other choice. When it comes time to have this baby, he will have no choice but to push aside the feelings and if he doesn't so be it.
Our night didn't end with Tim's close call. We finished the tour despite Tim still not feeling his finest and went to pay for our parking. When you go into the garage you get a ticket and then have to pay at one of the machines before leaving. When we went to pay, the machine decided quarters didn't sound yummy so we tried to pay with Tim's card. Sounds simple enough right... NO. The stupid machine ate his card and our parking ticket. It would have been no great deal if there hadn't have been a line behind us but thats never the way it works. Finally, we found someone to help us get Tims card out. We waited for him to go all the way upstairs, get the key, unlock the machine, and dig through the box inside to find our ticket and our card. There was one perk to the whole card eating machine though... we got free parking for having to wait.
Like I said, nothing we do comes without adventure. We aren't satisfied without some form of craziness whether it be big or small. Let's just hope the real deal doesn't go as crazy as the practice run but if it does guess it will make for a good story right?!?!

VA visit/ baby shower/ and 28 and 29 weeks.

So last Thursday we packed up the car and drove eight hours to my parents house for a quick weekend visit. When I say quick I am not even joking... it seemed like the weekend came and went before I could even realize it. We actually went to VA because Tim had to take a test at school so that he can graduate this May. We drove 8 hours down to my parents house Thursday and then the next morning we drove 4 hours out to Lynchburg for Tims' test; I waited in the car for 3 and half hours for him, and then we turned around and drove 3 and half hours back to the beach for the night. Then the next morning we got up and met up with Eric, Laurie, and Grace (my youth pastor in high school and his family). Afterwards we ran some errands and then went to our baby shower. I feel so fortunate to have so many people who love and support Tim and I and our growing family. It was a great time to see old friends and family and just enjoy fellowship with them. They also gave us so many great gifts that will come into great use for when baby girl gets here. After the shower we went back to my parents house long enough to pack up the car for our journey home the next morning and then  headed to the church I grew up in for revival. The next morning we went back to church, ate a quick lunch and then hit the road for another 8 hour journey back to PA. To top off the very busy weekend, Tim and I were both sick while we were away. Needless to say, it was a few very exhausting days.

I had an appointment last Wednesday and found out I am anemic which I am sure has contributed to why I feel so easily exhausted. Other than that everything seems to be going well. I think it really sunk in for Tim that things are starting to get closer during our appointment. The look on his face when he realized we now move onto two week appointments instead of four was pretty priceless. Since then he has been talking a lot about the things we need to get done before baby girl gets here. Our list is almost sickening and quite a bit overwhelming but I believe we can finish it all. We have spring cleaning to do, painting to finish, gardens to mulch, a vegetable garden to plant, a lawn mower to fix, curtains to make, any baby planning we need to finish, and so on.

Not a whole lot has changed with the baby and me other than she is definitely starting to move a whole lot more. She is most active within 30 minutes of me waking up and then around 8:30-9pm or anytime I eat. It is such a weird feeling to feel her moving so much. I am interested to see if her movements match up with her active times once she gets here. The heartburn is definitely still there but I think I just need to get used to it for at least the next 11 weeks.

As for this week which marks 29 weeks as of today, there is not a whole lot that will be going on. Tim and I have our hospital tour on Tuesday evening. I have my next prenatal appointment on Friday. I don't expect it to be anything abnormal.  I have a feeling the next 11 weeks are going to fly by seeing that in those 11 weeks there is a lot that will happen. My mom is coming to visit in just over a week, I turn 23 on the 15th, we have a baby shower on the 16th, Wednesday- Sunday of  Easter week is going to be crazy busy, May 6th and 7th I am taking our teens to acquire the fire, May 12th-14th Tim and I will be traveling back to Lynchburg, VA for his graduation, May 15th-18th is our Missional Summit at church, May 23rd we have another parenting class to go to, May 30th is our 2 year anniversary, and then we are into June with graduations and such. Those are just the main things I can think of off the top of my head that are coming up. I know there are lots of teen things, doctors appointments and other smaller things that are coming up that will really make the next few weeks fly by. She's coming sooner than we think! I am getting excited!

Maybe I will get Tim to take a few pictures this week so we can update you all on the growing belly.

27 weeks

I will start my 27th week of pregnancy tomorrow. That means the start of my third trimester. How crazy is that? I only have 13 weeks left. Not a whole lot has changed pregnancy wise since my last post. I did have my glucose test on Thursday which was definitely not fun but was not nearly as bad as I had expected. The nurse warned me that she tried to drink one of the nasty syrup-like orange drinks the other day because she gave up soda for lent and was not making it very well without the sugar and in her opinion it was "scusting" (I think she meant disgusting). I drank the drink and then was sent out for an hour to kill time until I could have the blood work done. I walked target for 40 minutes or so and then I started to feel a little woozy so I decided to go sit in my car and relax until I could go back to the lab. I am glad I actually got to go walk around instead of sitting still in the awkward waiting room of the lab office. I don't have the results yet which makes me thing they must not have been bad. I have another prenatal appointment on Wednesday afternoon and hopefully I will find out the actual results of the glucose test then. I am pretty sure this weeks appointment is my last appointment before they change to every two weeks instead of every four. The only new thing I have noticed with this past week of pregnancy is more round ligament pain. If I didn't know better I would think I did 100 sit ups this afternoon.

Tim and I leave for VA on Thursday morning. Tim has a very big test for graduation on Friday afternoon so that is the main reason we are heading south. We will be going to my parents Thursday night to drop the dogs off so they can keep them during Tim's test then heading back to Lynchburg for Tims test Friday. After his test we will make the journey two and a half hours or so back to my parents house. Saturday we will be going to a family friends house for a baby shower with some friends and family back home and then we will probably go to revival service at the church I grew up in. Sunday we will go to church again and then as soon as church is over we will drive the eight hours back to PA. I am hoping the long car rides won't be too hard on me seeing that I have had some issues with cramping up if I don't change positions often. Though the weekend is pretty well booked I am very excited to go home and see my family and friends.

The weather here in PA has been starting to change just a slight bit. The past few days we have been fluctuating between 40s to the 60s. I know thats a wide range but this bipolar state cannot decide what it wants to be; winter or spring.  As a matter of fact there is supposed to be snow Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I am glad we will be leaving for VA if it does snow. Today was particularly nice so Tim and I decided to go out and take some pictures. Tim had fun playing photographer and taking some pictures to document my current belly. Though the pictures look like it, I really do not have an outie belly button. It has changed shapes but is not popping out completely. Hopefully as the weather gets warmer we can get out more often and take more pictures!