38 Weeks...Are we there yet?!?!?!

I'm trying to wear similar shirts in all the pics so we can see more of the changes/progress.  My poor shirts  can hardly fit over my belly anymore!  She dropped a lot this week, so my belly tends to poke out of the bottom of my shirts quite often.  Kinda embarrassing, but at this point I really don't care!  It's so ridiculously hot outside, I'm just hoping not everybody is noticing the constantly sweating 9 1/2 month pregnant lady!   Crazy how hot you can feel...ALL the time!  We're getting so close!

How far along? 38 Weeks

Total weight gain: 32 lbs
Maternity clothes? Without question!  And, sadly, most maternity shirts can't even cover my belly anymore!  Travis likes to point out that my belly is sticking out...often
Stretch marks? none yet!
Sleep: Not good.  Not good at all.   The numbness and pain in my hands (specifically my right hand) is out of control.  Apparently, that's relatively normal for women in pregnancy.  Especially late in pregnancy.  I absolutely cannot sleep at night unless I'm laying on my back at an angle, which is as comfortable as it sounds (please note the sarcasm).
Best moment this week: Thursday was a big day.  She dropped big time!  We thought it was almost game time, but no dice.  I was having serious contractions all day, and she felt like she was trying to push her way out all day long.  Travis came home and couldn't believe the difference in my belly from when he left that morning.  She is certainly getting ready! 
Miss Anything? Sleep...wearing my wedding ring....remembering what it must be like to not have sausage toes and fingers by the end of the day...
Movement: Yep.  Kinda slowing down a bit.  She has active moments, but not as often.  Definitely getting harder for her to move in there. 
Food cravings: This girl wants some sugar!  So hard.  Fruit is definitely still on the top of the list, but wouldn't mind throwing in some cookies and cupcakes.  ;-)
Anything making you queasy or sick: meat
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: Kinda.  Contractions are more common.  Definitely have had to stop a few times and breathe through it.  One today literally brought tears to my eyes!  
Symptoms: She is really pushing down.  Still feels like she's cutting off my femoral artery in both legs.  Crazy the pressure.
Belly Button in or out? still pretty flat
Wedding rings on or off? Off
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy & EXCITED !
Looking forward to: Meeting her! SO  very ready for her to be here!

A Little Comparison

I decided to take a pic of the bare belly and compare it to the beginning and the half way point.  Pretty crazy the difference between the first 20 weeks and the next 17! 

So this is 12 weeks...

And 19 weeks...

And, good lord, 37 weeks!  I only wish I had been doing more belly shots throughout.  Doesn't it blow your mind what happens week to week?!  Insanity!

37 Weeks...So. Huge.

How far along? 37 Weeks

Total weight gain: 30 lbs.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: I have this new thing where my right fingers are going numb.  Yeah, crazy and scary.  I wake up and can't feel them.  Happens during the day randomly as well.  Pretty sure there's a pinched nerve in my shoulder/neck.  Seeing someone this week.  SOOOO lucky I'm married to a massage therapist/trainer!  He is soooo smart and good at what he does!
Best moment this week: Getting the last few things up on the wall and things getting more organized in her room.  I also would like to add I am loving that cleaning/nesting mode is in full effect.  Organizing and stocking up on everything right now!
Miss Anything? You mean besides ever really being comfortable and not hauling around a huge belly??  
Movement: Still tons and tons.  Poor thing is living in some tight quarters!
Food cravings: Still want fruit for every meal...other than that, not craving a ton.
Anything making you queasy or sick: meat
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: At 2cm dilated and 60% effaced, with some braxton hicks happening every so often.  Starting the all natural stuff to help start contractions.  
Symptoms: Just the braxton hicks really.  My feet are starting to swell by the end of each day.   Epsom salt bath is crucial at this point!  To all my preggo friends reading, it helps tremendously!
Belly Button in or out? flat
Wedding rings on or off? off
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy, excited, nervous....so much going on!
Looking forward to: Travis and I cannot believe she is almost here!!!  I mean, I am very aware of the fact I've been pregnant for the last 9 months, but it's becoming a huge reality real to me that she actually has to come out somehow!  Holy.  Crap.   I've loved her growing in my belly, but now she's got to make her way out...intense.

36 Weeks

Lots to talk about this update.  And finally a picture!  I can't believe we're at 36 weeks!!!  

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain: around 30-32 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Without question! Starting to wonder what clothes are going to be like not having a belly anymore!
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: Like i've mentioned before, I'm not a napper.  and the reason is because I don't nap.  I SLEEP.  We're talking 2-3 hours.  For instance Thursday I felt pretty sleepy around 2:15.  I decided to take a "short" nap....woke up at 5:15.  Yikes!  anyways, it made sleeping that night brutal.  No deep sleep happening after that long "nap!"  SO, all that to say, I sleep like a rock every night, minus the giant ache in my bladder when I have to pee.
Best moment this week: Going to see my midwife this week!  We decided to do the 36 week check to see if i had progressed at all.  Apparently, mommies across the DFW metroplex are holding on to their babies past 40 weeks.  Yay, I know.  She has 3 mommies right now at 41 weeks.  You can just invision the huge eye roll and "oh great" that came after hearing THAT news.  Anyways, I think she was reluctant to check me at the risk of disappointing me and having to tell me zeros across the board for any progression.  So, she goes in, does her deal, and as I'm looking at her I see her eyes get pretty big.  Turns out I'm 1cm dilated and 60% effaced.  YAY!!! Progress!! **And yes, from all you naysayer/debbie downer/3-4 time moms out there reading, I realize I could stay here for quite awhile and go nowhere, BUT for a first time mom, it's super fun to hear  ANYTHING is happening down there.   So please don't rain on my parade.  Thank you!  
Miss Anything? I miss a lot of things here and there...I miss wearing normal, cute clothes.  Don't get me wrong, there's some cute preggo fashion out there, but honestly don't have the time or money to pour into going there.  Seems silly for to me to kill myself trying to pay for a wardrobe that's so short lived!
Movement: TONS of movement, and hiccups like 2-3 times a day!
Food cravings: I am literally to the point where I want fruit for every single meal.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still meat, but it's getting better.  I would just rather eat fruit all day.
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Feeling good.  She's getting a little cramped in there, so makes all her movement a bit uncomfortable.  The pressing on the bladder thing isn't the most fun, and she takes a couple shots to the ribs here and there.  I can totally tell she's dropping and getting into position.  Feel like she's trying to come out already!
Belly Button in or out? flat as a board
Wedding rings on or off? off
Happy or Moody most of the time: Had a roller coaster of emotions this week... but doing good, and getting super excited!
Looking forward to: Meeting her!  So many questions!  As much as the punches to the ribs and sitting on my bladder is annoying, I really am soaking up every minute of it.  I know I'm going to miss it once she's out!  

34 Weeks

The weeks are going by so fast!!! So, so, so very scary!!  But, scary AND exciting at the same time.  Annabelle's room is coming along, but not quite finished.  Cannot wait to show y'all pictures!!  I know I said this last update, but I am definitely feeling quite pregnant.  Had my first legit, "I"m soooo huge" preggo moment this week.  Not fun.

Since I don't have any pics of me, I decided to give you a couple sneak peeks into the nursery.  Once pic is the glider I had done, and the other is a couple wall hangings I've made with the help of my super talented friend, Lacy.  Enjoy!!

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain: just about 30 lbs.
Maternity clothes? maternity & anything comfortable
Stretch marks? nope!
Sleep: sleeping really hard at night, but the getting up to pee thing really is annoying!
Best moment this week: getting a lot done on her nursery.  waaaay behind in this department!
Miss Anything? sitting comfortably at all...anywhere.  she is all over my ribs!  
Movement: lots of hiccups.  around 3 times a day it seems.  she still loves my right side.  i can almost always find her little bootie!
Food cravings: still just fruit and dark chocolate chips.  really loving cantaloupe, watermelon, and peaches
Anything making you queasy or sick: still meat and protein in general.
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: No, but some braxton hicks randomly
Symptoms: LOTS of lower back/SI pain.  right collar bone still going out of place, which is random and weird.
Belly Button in or out? pretty flat still
Wedding rings on or off? leaving it off.  don't want to take any chances of having to cut that sucker off
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: getting her nursery finished!  that and for her to drop a little so she's not all up in my ribs all the time!

Baby Annabelle's Shower

It was a great day, celebrating our soon to be little Annabelle Christine.  Lots of great friends came out to shower her with precious gifts!  So grateful for each and everyone of you!  Amanda and Lacy did an amazing job putting it all together!  It was all so very cute!!

We decided to do the name reveal at the shower.  Lacy came up with a super creative game to do that.  She tied 24 balloons, 12 to each side of a rocker.   I sat in the middle.  Each balloon had a different name on it, but only one balloon actually had the correct name on it.  Each person at the shower got a safety pin, and one by one they went up and popped the balloon with the name they did not think we had picked.  There were some really cute names up there, and I never thought in a million years they'd be able to figure it out.  Travis and I told no one but the few that were hosting the shower.  So, one by one they came, and it was down to two names:  Claire and Annabelle.  Can you believe it?!?!  I could not!  So then we took a vote to see who thought it was Claire and who thought Annabelle.  The overwhelming winner was Annabelle.  Could not believe it.  How did they get it?  So, Annabelle Christine was revealed.  Really fun game!

I wish I had more pics, but there were some camera mishaps, so, unfortunately,  I don't have a ton.  Here are a few I do have.

The amazing cupcakes and cake pops by Mrs April Steed

Me and Lacy

Name Reveal game

They figured it out!!

Lace and Katie

Cameron made a quick appearance

Me and my Mom

32 Weeks

So, this week was my baby shower!!! So much fun celebrating sweet Annabelle!  Lacy and Amanda did an amazing job planning everything (as usual!).  And the super fun part is that we were doing the name reveal!  I've said it before, and brag on her ALL the time, but Lacy is seriously the most creative person on the planet!  So talented.  So, here's the game she came up with...I sat in a rocker with 12 balloons tied to each side of the chair.  On each balloon she wrote a girls name.  Only one balloon had the correct name on it.  Each lady that came to the shower got a push pin.  They had to figure out which name they thought it WAS NOT, and pop that balloon.  The idea being that the last balloon standing would be her name.  So, the popping began.  I sat as each lady came up one by one and popped a name.  They absolutely crazy thing was that it came down to 2 names:  Claire and Annabelle.  Can you believe that?!?!  SO, Lacy had them take a vote to see which it was.  A few said Claire, but most everyone said Annabelle.  How in the world they guessed it is beyond me.  Seriously, could not believe they got it!!  I guess my friends know me better than I think!  Little Annabelle got some of the cutest clothes, and lots of great things for mommy too!   A huge thanks to everyone for coming to celebrate and pray over our sweet girl!  She is going to be one well loved little girl!


How far along? 32 Weeks
Total weight gain: 25 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes. REALLY feeling like a big ole pregnant lady
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: Sleep is good...pillow between the knees is even better.  I'm tired ALL the time.  I don't normally nap well, but the last week or so I've had ZERO issue taking a nap.  And I'm not talking these weak hour long naps, we're talking hardcore 2-3 hour naps.  Yeah I know, but it is soooo nice!
Best moment this week:  It's the best and worst of my week: seeing my chiro.  I've started seeing a chiropractor once a week for my SI, a high rib that goes out, my neck is hypermobile (thanks to pregnancy), and a random collarbone pops out of place now.   I know, but it sounds a lot worst than it is, expect the SI issue.  THAT is as bad as it sounds.  It feels amazing as I'm laying there getting adjusted and massaged, then I walk out the door and 24 hours passes.  Inevitably, I can't walk a day later, and maybe even 2 days later.  Cannot wait to get on a normal workout routine again!
Miss Anything? Being able to lay on my belly.  I soooo miss just being able to lay flat on my tummy, or back for that matter!!
Movement: Still tons of movement & and tons of baby hiccups!  She still LOVES my right side.  She is seriously there ALL the time!  It's so funny.  
Food cravings: Um, I guess fruit in general.  I just do not love food right now!  BUT, I'm happy to report that chips and salsa have made it back into my world!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Same ole same ole...hate meat!  So hard to eat protein.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Symptoms: Lower back pain quite a bit.  Headaches are gone, thankfully
Belly Button in or out? Ummm, pretty flat
Wedding rings on or off? On, but barely.  This heat is not forgiving for swelling.
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY!
Looking forward to: Finishing Annabelle's room!!!

Dramatic Trust

“Pray that I would have clarity,” he said. Mother Teresa replied firmly, “No, I will not do that. Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” When the young man commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed. “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

What I often pray for others and myself is that we will have clarity. That God will give us discernment and wisdom. What I’m realizing more and more is that although these things can be good, what we really should be craving is trust in Him. What I should be praying for others and myself is for God to grant us the ability to trust. Trust is a hard thing. It takes an enormous amount of courage to say with complete truth, “I trust in You. Wherever you lead, I will follow.” Knowledge is so much more comforting than blindly walking. (Amen?)  Unfortunately, clarity is fleeting, and rarely cultivates lasting trust. It really just temporarily alleviates uncertainty.

Life the last several months has been hard.  Since moving back to the DFW area, life has pretty much gone the opposite of everything we hoped and "planned."  I know, I know, God laughs at our plans....BUT when things go so completely NOT the way you thought they would...it's hard. Really hard.  Especially when it involves jobs not working out and a baby coming.  Stress-ful.  

I've been reading through Psalms for awhile now.  Lots of good stuff.  I love the emotions in the Psalms.  It's really perfect for someone as emotional as I am (especially the preggo version of me!).  I find comfort in the authors' dramatic verbiage.  It's almost as if I can visualize this man's cries for help and pleas of anguish, that almost immediately turn into this stoic face of reciting indisputable truth.  He takes his moment to cry out, then remembers God is on His throne and is in control.  Often times, I find myself getting stuck in the first phase of that process...the crying out and pleas of anguish.  I don't quite make it to the reciting of Truth.  Not a great place to stop, agreed?  I'm not sure why I do this to myself.  Why in the world would anyone stop at the worst part of a movie or book?   I usually want to get through that part asap!  I suppose it's my tendency toward the dramatic, but either way I've been trying to reflect and figure out why I do this.  


As always, I believe this comes back to love. If we cannot say from the depths of our souls that we are cherished and loved by the One and Only, then trust is really just a lofty notion. How can we trust all that we are and will be to someone we don’t believe loves us? If I know God’s love for me is never- ending (Eph 3:17-18), that He will always fight for me (Ex 14:13-14), and His protection never ends (Ps 121:8), then how can I not trust Him? If trusting Him is as hard for you as it is for me, may we revisit daily, hourly if necessary, the depths of His love for us. I long to trust Him completely. 

Revival Within

So, I've been writing several blog posts over the last few weeks.  Some in my head, some I've actually typed out and keep pressing "save."  Either way, there's been a lot God has been bringing to the forefront...overwhelmingly so really.   Makes me excited what God is showing and revealing to me, but it's a lot.  And sometimes when I feel overwhelmed with things I tend to stop and distract myself with other things.  Hate that quality about myself, but it's true.  So, here's to one of a few blogs to come...

"Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." Heb 10:23

I am eternally grateful for the work the Lord has done within me. For the path I’ve been on...for the lessons and blessings He has bestowed on my life. Even in the hard stuff I can be forever grateful for His refining.  Unfortunately, I have found myself in a bit of a spiritual funk lately. Prayer, being in the Word, journaling, the whole nine yards, have been a bit lacking to say the least. I’ve talked with a few friends, asked for prayer, continued to go to Him daily, but nothing. Aren’t these points in our walk frustrating? Drives me crazy...

I started journaling in college, and have found it to be a great blessing. It has become and invaluable tool, as it allows me to go back and revisit things He has taken me through. Well, this time I was surprised to find my light ignited with past emails.
I randomly went back to emails I had received and written a few years ago. As I read, I was overcome by the passion and drive I had for the Lord. I found myself longing to be there again. Of course, this didn’t happen instantaneously, but the clouds were and are beginning to lift. The Lord reminded me of His faithfulness. He reminded me of the importance of faith. And sometimes faith is remembering He’s here even if we don’t “feel” He is there. I get frustrated in the times I am not overwhelmed with Him...when I’m not growing in some way...when I’m not in the depths of despair or having a mountain top experience. I have the all-or-nothing approach to many things in life, and find I carry that over to Him sometimes. A piece of advice I gave someone in one email in particular really hit home...

“...remember He is there. Ask God to remind you of His goodness. Remember the times He has rescued you over and over again. The times He has held your hand, showed you the way, and loved you through the lowest points. He is that same God now that He was then.”


 Sometimes it seems God is silent, not saying a word, but it’s then that maybe He’s wanting you to “see” Him more than “hear” Him. So, what about you? Are you in a season of hearing? Or seeing? Or maybe both? Just don’t forget to take the time to BE with Him...whatever that looks like for you.  It's sometimes the hardest step, but just finding 5 or 10 minutes to give to Him can make all the difference in the world.  Lord, help me to be still and know YOU are God...

And her name is...

Annabelle Christine

Meaning:  Graceful, Beloved
Verse:
"I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations."

Psalm 89:1

We cannot wait to meet you sweet Annabelle!!