Thanksgiving with Shawn's Family

Thanksgiving. The beginning of the Holiday season and the perfect opening act for Christmas! This year we were blessed to be able to spend the Holiday with Shawn's family. Because I had to work, they drove up to our home and brought all the goodies with them! Between my side of the family and the Shawn's side the of the family, we have so much to be thankful for. This year has brought us to celebrate Engagements, BIG 50th Birthdays, Adoptions, Weddings, the anticipated arrival of another Grandchild for both families, and so much more. We are beyond blessed and in happy times and sad times we have so much to be thankful for.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We didn't take many, but here are a few pictures from our holiday celebration:

Shawn decided that even though we don't have cable yet, we had to be able to watch football, so the an antena it was!

And here is where all the extra pounds are coming from...

Our Nephew, Ethan, after a big meal of turkey and tea...I mean formula! Love this little man!

Shawn and his siblings, Kim and Keith.

38 weeks Pregnant on Turkey Day!

Praying that everyone had a great kick off to the holiday season! Christmas is right around the corner!

37 weeks and 6 Days : )

My sweet pumpkin (or basketball, as most people seem to think I am smuggling some sort of sporting equipment these days)...you can come ANY day now. Your Mommy and Daddy are so excited to meet you and the anticipation is starting to drive us crazy!

I'm really going to miss my bump! It's my favorite accessory!

Along: 37 weeks and 6 days! We're just about the size of a leek. (Since I know we will be super busy tomorrow, I decided to go ahead and update today!)

Size: Our Nugget is weighing in at about 6.8 pounds and is roughly 19.75 inches long. He or she has mature organs that are ready for life outside the womb! Yay! 38 weeks, was the goal after our little stint at the Birthing Inn a week and half ago, so we have made it and I'm pretty sure we are going to pass it!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Up 26 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Most days I am wearing maternity jeans and a maternity top. I figure I only have a few more weeks to rock the maternity wardrobe. 

Gender: We are literally DYING to find out! 2 weeks give or take!

Movement: Enjoying every bit of it, because I know I am going to miss it once it's gone. 

Sleep:  Sleep has bee pretty bad which means I am officially preparing for sleepless nights with the babe. 

Exercise: I was being a good patient and not running as to make it to 38 weeks, but since that is tomorrow, I think I may bring out my running/walking/jogging shoes so we can get this show on the road! ; )

Cravings: I'm eating smaller meals, but much more frequently. As of late I have been craving all things cinnamon which explains the cinnamon sugar pretzel and homemade snicker doodles we baked last night!

Symptoms: I'm definitely nesting. We went crazy in the kitchen yesterday baking and I have been going around the house making sure everything is just right for when Little Luda arrives. I even jumped the gun and put out our Christmas decorations, which I think is justified since Thanksgiving seems to be a little later than normal this year. I've also been have "contractions." Not sure if they are real or braxton hicks, but based on the fact that I was still only 1 cm dilated and 60% effaced on Monday, I'm going to go with braxton hicks. 

Best Moment of the Week: On Saturday Shawn and I did a little shopping and went to see the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. We had such a good day together. Just enjoying the two of us. As each day passes we get more and more excited to meet our little blessing, which makes us cherish each day even more, because we know that things will never be the same and that are lives will forever change, in a good way, once we hold our precious baby for the first time!

37 weeks!

So I figure I should start with what really matters...has there been any labor progression. And the answer is, yes. However, it was a little too much for my OB. On Tuesday afternoon I took advantage of the semi nice weather and went for a run/walk. I ran a little over a mile and half and walked 2 more miles. When I got back, sorry if this is TMI for some, I noticed a little spotting, so I did what I was supposed to do and called the OB because I was having some cramping as well. Little Luda was still bouncing around in my belly as usual, so I wasn't too concerned, but the OB did want me to go to the Birthing Inn, to be monitored. Shawn had just gotten home, so I took a shower, got ready, grabbed a snack and we headed to the hospital. When I got there, the nurse, like me wasn't too concerned and thought we would just monitor the baby for 30 minutes or so and then I'd get to head home. Well after 30 minutes the nurse came back and asked me if I was feeling anything. Turns out I was contracting every 3-4 minutes with a moderate intensity. Who knew that belly tightness and twinge in my back was a contraction...not this first time mom! Anyways, they had be down lots of fluid in hopes that a little hydration would slow the contractions, which it did not. The end result was a subcutaneous injection of Terbutaline, basically an anti-contraction medication. I'm still up in the air about the whole scenario, but Little Luda has handled everything like a champ, so that is all I am worried about. I went back to the OB yesterday and as of then I was 1 cm dilated and 20% effaced. Still a long ways to go, but hopefully we'll be meeting our Little Miss or Mister sooner rather than later!

 

Here we are hanging out getting monitored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, our usual stats:

Along: 37 weeks...Little Luda is the size of a swiss chard.

Size: Our Nugget is weighing in at about 6.3 lb and measuring roughly 19.25 inches. At this time our baby's organs should be fully developed and prepared for the outside world. Yay!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 25 pounds as of yesterday. 

Maternity Clothes: Loving all my stretchy, comfy clothes! Thanks mom for spoiling me!

Gender: I had a baby boy dream last night, but in my dream Shawn and I each had a different name picked out for the baby. I can't wait to know if I am going to have a son or daughter...any hour/day/week would be fine by me!

Movement: We're still having lots of movements, although I am noticing that our Nugget seems to be super active and then rest for a while...maybe he or she is forming sleep patterns already? I'm just going to plan for no sleep and be super excited if I get any!

Sleep:  I've had a few bad nights this week with lots of hip pain and cramping (which I now know are contractions). However, I've had time for naps in between getting everything ready for the baby, so I still feel pretty rested throughout the day.

Exercise: I was still running up until Tuesday, but I think I am going to stick to walking from here on out with a little pre-natal yoga thrown in there just for kicks.

Cravings: I have loved PB and Banana bagels this week and have started making a weekly visit to Panera Bread for a Cinnamon Crunch Bagel and Decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte. Definitely one of my favorite moments of the week!

Symptoms: Looks like I can officially put contractions on here as well as the hip and sciatic nerve pain. Heartburn has been it's usual...we totally should have invested stock in Tums!

Best Moment of the Week: On Saturday my parents came up for the evening to bring us our glider for the nursery and to help install ceiling fans in all the rooms. We had our blinds installed that day as well, so there were a lot of items checked off our list of to do's before Little Luda arrives and it felt great! The nursery is 95% finished with just a few things to hang and of course a Nugget to arrive! I'm so happy with how it turned out! Here are few pictures:

 

Don't worry, the Teddy Bear (aka Georgia), will not be sleeping with the Nugget!

 

 

 

Where have the past 9 months gone?!? 36 weeks today!

My precious Little Luda, I can not believe that you have been growing in my belly for 9 months. It seems like only yesterday that I was telling your Daddy that you'd be arriving in December and now we are just weeks away from your big debut! We love you so much already and can't wait to hold you in our arms for the first time! And as always, bake baby, bake!

(Sorry for the cheesy mirror pictures, it was the best I could do this evening.)

Along: 36 weeks...Little Luda is the size of a head of romaine lettuce!

Size: Our Nugget is continuing to pack on the chub at a rate of about an ounce a day. He or she now weighs nearly 6 pounds and could be more than 18.5 inches long. All of these weights and lengths are estimated based on the average weights/heights of babies, but I'm thinking they may be pretty accurate. Only time will tell! Little Luda is also starting to shed the downy covering of hair that has been on his or her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that has been protecting our Nugget's skin for the last 9 months from the amniotic fluid. At this point our Nugget is estimated to be head down, yay! We start weekly appointments next week and we will know more about Little Luda's position and labor progression then.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: My guess is between 24 and 26 pounds, maybe more. Little Luda and I are definitely packing on the pounds here towards the end. Again we will have an official number next week after our appointment on Wednesday.

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity clothes with a few sweaters and such that still work from pre-pregnancy.

Gender: We may be on the boy train...Shawn had the first baby boy dream that either of us have had throughout the pregnancy last night. Up until now we have both only had baby girl dreams and can I just say, I LOVE that he dreams about our Baby too!

Movement: Still staying super active. I know that it is normal for movement to slow down as our little one runs out of room in my belly, but I'm hoping that he or she keeps on kicking and rolling until the very end. I love every movement I feel and think that it is definitely going to be something I miss once Little Luda arrives.

Sleep: We had a really busy weekend, so sleep was minimal, but I still have felt pretty rested, which is all that I can ask for.

Exercise: We ran the FCA 5k this past Sunday with my family. Little Luda and I finished in just over 36 minutes, we did a combination of walk/running, and I ended up placing third in my age group. I was pretty proud of myself to have been able to do that at nearly 9 months pregnant. Since then I have doing my normal walks/jogs and prenatal yoga to keep me feeling active without over doing it.

Cravings: Carbs, coffee and chocolate. I have allowed myself more decaffeinated drinks this week. I was originally avoiding coffee all together, but I have definitely enjoyed indulging.

Symptoms: Heart burn, back pain, legs cramps and PREGNANCY BRAIN. I seem to be forgetting everything. I left my glasses and phone charger at my parents house and forgot to close the garage all in one day. At least I remember to lock to the door to the house, right?!

Best Moment of the Week: We have had quite the week. Last Thursday I left for North Carolina and spent the weekend celebrating my cousin Jennifer and her now husband, Casey! We had such a fun weekend. Nails, bridesmaid luncheon and rehearsal dinner on Friday and of course the big celebration on Saturday. Everything was absolutely beautiful and I love that all the hard work Jen put into making her wedding one of a kind came together beautifully!

AND THEN, on Sunday I was blown away, by my cousin/friend Laura as she asked me to stand beside her on her big day in March! Laura and I grew up together, our Dad's are first cousins making us third cousins, and she has remained someone that I know I can count on at anytime in my life. I have loved seeing her relationship with her soon to be Hubby, Mike, develop and look forward to sharing with them in celebrating their love for one another. Let the party planning and bridesmaid fun begin!

Yes Honeydew, we do love you! 35 weeks!

Along: 35 weeks...Little Luda is the size of a honeydew melon!

Size: This week Little Luda is weighing about 5.25 pounds and roughly 18 inches long. At this point all of our Nugget's major organs are nearly complete! The kidneys are completely developed and Little Luda's liver is capable of processing waste. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of yesterday I was up 24 pounds, I think Halloween candy and all the other sweets I have been craving are catching up to me. With that being said, I'm ok with that number. My original goal was to try to stay around 25 pounds, so we'll see what happens. As I always say, a healthy Baby and a healthy Mommy are all that we are worried about. 

Maternity Clothes: I'm rocking mostly maternity clothes these days. They are so much more comfortable and seeing as I am only in this stage of life for a limited time, I may as well take advantage it. 

Gender: For the first time EVER I had a mother of a patient tell me I was having a girl and with all my girl dreams that I have been having we are definitely riding the girl train this week. I'm literally dying to know at this point!

Movement: Little Luda has been his or her active self. At my appointment this week the doctor told me that they are pretty sure that the baby is head down, which is good news! I'm just hoping the Nugget stays that way!

Sleep:  I take what I can get!

Exercise: We went for several walks this week and I squeezed a short 2 mile run on Tuesday. I definitely feel better on days that I walk/run, so I am trying to do that as much as possible. Big "race" this weekend!

Cravings: Sweets will remain at the top of my list, along with their close cousin, salads. I really need to watch what I'm eating a little bit more, but everything tastes SO GOOD!!

Symptoms: Heart burn, back pain, some abdominal cramping and LEG cramps! I have woken up with cramps in my legs several times a night this week, definitely not fun!

Best Moment of the Week: I've worked 6 of the last 8 days, so there hasn't been much time for relaxing, but we did manage to get some more work done around the house. We added a few touches to the Nursery and have been hanging up pictures around the house. I feel like I have so much to do before Little Luda comes and even though I know he or she won't really care what the house looks like, I just want everything to be perfect!

34 weeks && our GORGEOUS maternity photos!

33 weeks 2 days, Photo by Abby Grace Photography

Along: 34 weeks and 1 day! Little Luda is the size of a Cantaloupe!

Size: This week Little Luda is weighing about 4 3/4 pounds and is just about 18 inches long! His or her fat layers are started to fill out which is making him or her rounder and will help with temperature regulation once the Big Day arrives! Our Nugget's nervous system is continuing to mature along with his or her lungs. Good news, if our Nugget were to be born between 34 and 37 weeks he or she may have a few short term health problems, but in the long-run will most likely do just as well as a full term baby! Of course as I always say..bake, baby bake! 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I 'm going to go with 21-22 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing a mixture of both! I really do love dressing my baby bump, which as of now is stretch mark free! (I probably just jinxed myself.)

Gender: We are definitely starting to get anxious to find out whether or not we are going to have a son or daughter. There is an overwhelming amount of little boys running around in our friend pool, with the newest addition being added just this morning, so with that being said, we are bound to have the girl! Only time will tell!

Movement: Still staying super active! At times is can be a little uncomfortable, but I am not complaining about the awesome feeling of having Little Luda move around in my belly!

Sleep:  Can't complain about sleep this week. It's been pretty good and I've been able to grab a few naps here and there which have been really helpful.

Exercise: For the month of October I wanted to jog/walk 50 miles. Although I did not reach that goal, moving and working have taken it's toll on my outdoor time, I did manage to go for 37.5 miles this month. I'm still really pretty great when I'm jogging/walking, so as long as my body lets me I plan to keep on moving. We've signed up for a 5K in Fredericksburg next weekend, so I'm excited to "run" another race with our Little Luda!

Cravings: Sweets, which has been perfect with Halloween! And I also have fallen in love with plain yogurt and granola. Shawn suggested we eat that instead of cereal and it has been a big hit for me and Little Luda.

Symptoms: Heart burn wasn't as bad this week, but it is definitely still an issue, especially on nights that I work. My back has been pretty achy and I'm starting to feel pretty tired most of the time. 

Best Moment of the Week: On Sunday Saturday Shawn and I got to go and take our maternity photos at a farm out in Leesburg. My roommate from college, Abby, is a photographer and although she typically sticks to weddings and engagements, she willing took our photos for us. I've only seen a few sneak peeks, but from what I have seen they are absolutely GORGEOUS! Abby is so talented and I am so blessed to have someone in my life to capture this special moment for us. Here is a link to her blog with a full post of our shoot! Check her out, she's pretty awesome!

Photo by Abby Grace Photography