20 Weeks

I can't believe it! I am already half way through my third {and most likely last} pregnancy.

This pregnancy has been so similar to my other two, and maybe even easier. The first trimester I had a terrible cold that turned into a bad sinus infection which took me down. I felt terrible for 2-3 weeks, not even related to pregnancy, but I was miserable & I think my body took so much longer to heal because of being pregnant. Thankfully the exhausted/queasy/sick feelings passed very quickly and I was back to feeling great just before beginning my second trimester. 

Now that I am well into the second trimester I am feeling amazing. I have only gained 3-4 lbs, which is way less than my other two pregnancies. However, I started out close to 8 lbs heavier than I was with my other two, which might explain why I have gained so little. I haven't had many cravings, besides always wanting to eat something spicy. My appetite is not as ravenous as my last pregnancies, and I sometimes forget to eat {being a Mom of two can do that to you} and it doesn't really affect how I feel, thankfully. I sleep very well at night, and rarely do I need a nap during the day. My hips have officially started their torture on my poor body, and I have days when I can barely bend down, and days when I feel great! I am hoping they relax a bit and give me some relief in the coming weeks so I can continue to take care of my kids and home without feeling like I've tortured my body in doing so. 

This sweet baby has started to move quite a bit more in the last few days. My placenta is anterior, and I have felt little movement over the past few weeks. I felt the first flutters around 12-13 weeks, but then I didn't feel much for a while. I was beginning to worry, but after my 18 week ultrasound when I found out my placenta was anterior, my fears subsided because I knew you feel less movement with that position of the placenta. I am excited for the big kicks and rolls that will be coming soon, they are one of my favorite parts of pregnancy!! 

This week also brought some lovely Braxton Hicks. Not surprising though. This is almost exactly like my other two pregnancies. My spastic uterus just likes to remind me that I have no control over what is going on in there. I am just hoping this baby won't put me on bedrest!!! But, if it does happen, I have some incredible help that I know would be here everyday to take care of me and my boys! {Thanks Mom!}

We are still going to be surprised with the gender, and we are still tossing around name ideas. I am thinking we won't even have names we are set on until the baby is born and we see what we are blessed with!! Camden tells everyone the baby is a girl, and he also mentions that his baby sister will be named Cheeseball! I promise, that will not be the name!! But if it is a girl, I am sure Camden will have a nickname for her for years to come. Sorry baby, I didn't choose your nickname!!

I think that is all my updates! I am so excited to have another newborn in the house, and I am already craving a baby in my arms!! I hope the next 20 weeks just fly by so I can hold my sweet lovey!! 

It's time!

Hello Blog World! 

It has been months & months since I have spent any time or energy on this blog. I decided it was beginning to feel like a burden to try and keep up with, so I put it aside and focused on my family more. I have recently started to really miss keeping our lives and stories written down, so I thought now was a good time to do some updating. 

And what better way to start than with this---

Baby #3 is growing away. Due in May!!!

With my first pregnancy I wrote updates every week...second pregnancy I wrote an update every couple weeks. And, well, third pregnancy, I am announcing it on here about half way through. Ooops!! 

Our lives get busier and busier as our kids grow up, but that doesn't mean I want to forget any of these special moments. So I hope you will follow along as I begin this blog journey again, and as we prepare to make our family a family of 5 this spring!!!

Grayson's Birth Story

11.11.11

Our sweet little Grayson joined our family. Here is how he got here.

I had gone to see my doctor on Thursday morning for a regular check up. I was still 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced, the same I had been for the past week. She asked me if I wanted to have her strip my membranes. I  was a little afraid of doing that because I have heard it is very painful and doesn't always help things along. After she checked me she said my membranes had already started separating on their own and she could just help them along a little bit. She said doing this either works or it doesn't, but it was worth a shot. It only took a second, and it didn't actually hurt very bad. I didn't start noticing any cramping or contractions right away. I went about my day, stopped for groceries, played with Camden a bunch, and cleaned the house. That evening I started to feel some painful contractions, they were not close together, but they hurt. I didn't think anything of it because I ALWAYS have contractions. I didn't eat much for dinner that night because I wasn't feeling very good. Wes and I had a good night just hanging out after Camden went to bed, however, I was tired and went to bed earlier than normal. My contractions were starting to come around 10 minutes apart. I didn't really want to time them because like I said, I always had contractions. These were a LOT more painful than anything I have had before, but I tried to ignore them. We went to sleep, but I couldn't sleep for long. I kept waking up with the pain of my contractions and they would always make me have to use the bathroom. I was up all night, but still didn't think I could be in labor. Around 4am the pain was getting so bad in my back, so I got up and took a really hot shower. It felt really good to have the water on my back during my contractions. After my shower I got back in bed and tried to sleep more. Wes had to leave for work at 6 and since I wasn't feeling very good I texted my mom to come help with Camden. I was trying to convince myself that I wasn't in labor because I have so much preterm labor I didn't want to get my hopes up. {Which is why I let Wes go to work even when I was having BAD contractions 4-6 minutes a part.}

After my Mom came over, she took one look at me and knew this was it. She said, "This is the real thing, you probably should call Wes". So I called Wes and told him to hurry home, it was time to go to the hospital. He was all the way down in Mesa, so he hurried back as soon as he could. I got all my stuff together and as soon as Wes got home we loaded up and left. My parents took Camden and dropped him off at Wesley's cousins house.

We got to the hospital at 8am and all I could think was that they were going to send me home and tell me I wasn't in labor. That was my fear. They took me back right away to a triage room and checked me first thing. The nurse said, wow you are already to a 6!! I couldn't believe it! I think I started crying because I was so excited it was real labor. Wes hurried and texted my mom and his and told them they better get here! Then they asked if I wanted the epidural. I have gone back and forth so much on whether or not I wanted one. I decided I did want one, so she said they needed to get an IV started. No biggie, I thought. I have a good pain tolerance, and IV's have never been a problem. Well today was different. The first nurse blew one of my veins, then she tried again in a different spot and couldn't get it. The pain of them digging needles into my skin was worse than my contractions. They were having issues because each time I had a contraction my veins would constrict and they couldn't get the needle in. After 4 tries and 3 nurses later, the IV was in and I could finally relax. I couldn't believe how painful the IV was. I almost just told them to stop and let me labor naturally because the IV was worse than labor. After the IV trauma they took me to a labor room and said the anesthesiologist would be in to give me my epidural after he finished in the surgery he was in. I thought it would be no biggie so I just relaxed and was breathing through my contractions. After about an hour they said he was finally on his way in. My doctor showed up right before the anesthesiologist and was going to check to see how dilated I was. She could tell I was uncomfortable so she said, let's get your epi in, then I will check you. So around 9:15 I got my epidural, it started working around 9:30. My doctor checked me at 9:30 and said I was at a 9 and she expected me to start feeling like pushing very soon! WHAT?! I almost made it the entire way without the epidural?! I was almost a little mad I didn't have her check me before I got my epi. If she had told me I was already at an 8 or a 9 I would have just said to forget the epi and let's just finish this thing. She broke my water at 9:30 when she checked me, and about 30 minutes later I was ready to push. After 10 minutes {3 contractions} of pushing, little Grayson Brooks came into the world. 

Grayson Brooks was born at 10:17 on 11.11.11

7lbs 12 oz, 21.5" long

He came out and cried right away. He turned pink instantly. They put him right onto my chest and I just held him and snuggled for as long as I wanted. They asked me if I wanted to have him weighed so I passed him off to get his measurements. They said he scored a 9 on his APGAR because he was doing so great and crying so good. 

After all settled down, they wrapped him up and gave him back to me. He was starting his little grunting noise and that concerned the nurses. I didn't think much of it, I tried to nurse him and he latched for a few seconds but didn't really nurse. They said because of the grunting it may take him some time to relax and be able to nurse. They took us into our recovery room and we were left alone to snuggle and have some skin on skin time with him. 

The nurse would come in periodically and check on him. They became pretty worried when his grunting didn't stop. They brought down a few nurses from the NICU to check on him. They felt that he needed further monitoring and he would need to be brought up to the NICU. So 2 hours after he was born, they wheeled him away from me. That hurt!! I immediately got up, got dressed, and we walked up to the NICU to be with him. That is when everything became a whirlwind. 

I was so thankful for my quick and easy delivery. It was such a blip in the timeline of what happened while we were at the hospital. We spent 2 hours at the hospital delivering Grayson, but 11 days of our life in the NICU with him. I have recovered so quickly from labor. I barely tore, I healed very quick, and basically have lost almost all of my pregnancy weight from all the emotional stress.

We are now home as a family of 4 and Grayson is doing perfect. He healed so quickly and we are so thankful to have him home with us. He is 2 weeks old now and already changing so quickly. We just love this little guy and feel so blessed to be his parents.

Deja vu

I must have spoke too soon.

2 nights ago, just a few hours after I wrote my last blog, I started to have some regular Braxton Hicks contractions. Nothing too concerning, because I get them all the time. But they started to come more often and while I was laying down. A few of them started to hurt which in my mind meant maybe they were becoming more than just a Braxton Hick. I drank a ton of water, and was feeling so tired, so I was hoping sleep would help. I woke up a few times in the night for my usual bathroom trip, and both times I woke up I was still having the contractions. In the morning, as soon as I woke up, I had one. After talking to Wes about it, we decided that if they continued through the morning I should give my doctor a call. Since I have a history of preterm labor, she has warned me that if I have more than 6 Braxton Hicks an hour, I need to be seen. So we started our morning, and I was having between 4-6 an hour. I took a nice long shower to see if that would help anything, and it didn’t. I decided I should just call and hopefully get some advice from my doctor. She was in surgery for the morning, and the nurse I spoke to recommended that I head on over to the hospital for monitoring, especially with my history. 

Wes was at work, so my Dad came over to watch Camden and my Mom took me to the hospital. They got me all set up on the monitors and my contractions were pretty minimal. I was glad they weren’t doing too much, because that meant that hopefully it was nothing and maybe the painful contractions I had the night before were nothing. Well about an hour after watching my contractions they came in to check me to make sure I hadn’t dilated with all my previous contractions. That is where the problem came. I am 34 weeks, and I was dilated to a 2 and 50% effaced. They said it can be normal to already be just a tad dilated at this stage, especially with your second baby. However, after they checked me, I got up to use the restroom, and when I got back in bed my contractions started up again. This time they were all 5-8 minutes apart. I knew as soon as I started to feel them come on that the nurse would be back in, she would give me a terbutaline shot, and they would most likely send me home on bed rest. 

I was right. 

They gave me the terb, and I had another contraction a few minutes later, then they stopped. She said the terb should stop them pretty instantly and relax my uterus for at least an hour. Well it did work, but only for about 45 minutes. Then my contractions started up again, but this time they were about 10 minutes apart. They said 10 minutes apart is normal, since I am allowed to have 6 an hour. After speaking to my doctor they said I would be sent home and be put on strict bed rest for the next 2 weeks. They want me to get to 36 weeks before little Grayson is allowed to be born.

So now I am supposed to stay off my feet, basically all day. I totally understand why, because any time I am up doing things, my contractions start again. I know bed rest is not going to be easy, especially with a toddler on my hands, but I know it will be so much easier than having to have Grayson in the NICU for a few weeks. 

Thankfully Wes has only 4 half days of work next week, so he will be home with Cam and I a lot. While he is gone, my amazing, and always willing to help Mom will come hang out with us. I think the first week will go by pretty quickly. And the second week I know I will just be counting down my days to freedom. 

I guess there are some women who always have their babies early. It looks like I might be one of them. Camden was born at 37 weeks, and I have a funny feeling that Grayson will be too. I see my doctor on Thursday this coming week, so I am curious what she will tell me, and if she will really let me off bed rest after only 2 weeks.

Anyways, since I will have more down time now, I am sure I will write a few more blog updates on the other things going on in our lives.

34 Weeks

Oh yes, please notice the difference between my last pregnancy and this one. Yes, longer hair is a better look for me. Yes, I was way more chubby last time. Yes, Grayson is smaller than Camden was. Yes, my wedding ring still fits me this time around. And yes, this was my last pregnancy picture I took when I was pregnant with Camden. I went on bed rest like a day after, and had him 2 weeks later. I am not hoping for the same bed rest stuff this time, but I am hoping for a healthy, early baby. A girl can wish, can't she?

Pregnant: Top 10 Things

Here is a list of my top 10 things I love about pregnancy, and the 10 things I dislike.

::LOVE::

10. I LOVE carrying our babies and being the only person in the world to know what it feels like to feel my babies move and kick.

9. I LOVE the special treatment you receive from family, friends, and strangers. Everyone gives a pregnant Mom genuine kindness.

8. I love that I can gain weight at a ridiculous speed and it is completely ok.

7. I love eating whatever I want, and treating myself to any treat that I would normally think twice about eating.

6. I love napping on a regular basis and don't feel bad about leaving laundry in a pile next to the bed. I am growing a baby for goodness sakes, I need my rest.

5. I love that I am blessed to be able to be pregnant. I know how hard some people try to get pregnant, and I can't imagine the heart break of never getting pregnant or loosing a baby to a miscarriage. 

4. I love the planning and day dreaming about the day our baby will arrive. 

3. I love my husband more and more with each day of pregnancy.  I love how kind, compassionate, and understanding he is of me and the obnoxious pregnant woman that I can be.

2. I love ultrasounds and seeing our babies move all over the screen. I am always in complete awe that there really is a baby growing inside of me.

1. I LOVE the end result and love to snuggle, smell, and kiss my babies.

::Dislike::

Trust me, as much as anyone loves being pregnant, there are plenty of dislikes and things to complain about! So, here we go!!

10. I dislike that I have to pee like every 20 minutes. It is so annoying, especially when out trying to run errands or in the middle of the night when you are in such a deep comfortable sleep.

9. I dislike being tired ALL the time. As much as I love my naps, I would love a day where I feel full of energy and ready to conquer the world...ya, I won't be feeling like that for a loooong time.

8. I dislike wearing maternity clothes. The idea always seems so fun at first, but as soon as the only thing you can fit into is maternity, you really hate walking into your closet and selecting from stretchy pants and baggy shirts.

7. I dislike shaving my legs when pregnant. I still do it out of necessity, but it is so difficult once the belly gets so big. Grrrr!

6. I HATE (yes, dislike is not the right word for this) summer in Arizona when pregnant!! Enough said!

5. I dislike the times when you are sitting and can't quite breathe because of the position you are in. And for that matter, I also dislike that I breathe a lot louder and harder when I am pregnant and my husband thinks it is funny.

4. I dislike arm fat, knee fat, and having my thighs rub together. Yes, all of this happens late in my second trimester, and I start to look super sexy around that time.

3. I dislike sharing my food when I am pregnant. Camden is always hungry, and loves to take whatever I am eating at any moment. I get a bit grumpy when he takes my favorite bite of pizza, steals my english muffin, or grabs my cheese stick right out of my hands. Back off, Mama is HUNGRY!!

2. I dislike how uncomfortable I am. Sitting, standing, laying down...they all make me hurt at some point during the day, and sometimes you just feel downright miserable.

1. I REALLY DISLIKE that pregnancy feels like it will never end. Towards the end you get so anxious to meet your baby, and so darn uncomfortable, that you feel like you would do anything to get them out. That is when you see the crazy huge Mom's out for a speed walk, jumping on trampolines, and chugging castor oil. Please, just get the baby out!!

In conclusion, there are many likes and dislikes about pregnancy. I honestly don't hate being pregnant, but I do get impatient about meeting my baby, and I start to miss feeling normal. Who knew that walking would be so difficult when you are 6 and a half months pregnant.

So what about you? Are there 10 things on your like and dislike list?

Maternity Pictures by Radiant Photography

Last week we were so blessed to have yet another photography session with Scottie and Breanna from Radiant Photography. They are the ones who created our beautiful engagement photos, our breathtaking wedding photos, and the spurt of the moment photos we used this year for our Christmas card. We have become friends with both Scottie and Breanna through the last couple years and we are so blessed to have them in our lives. They are a remarkable couple, fabulous photographers, and they have huge hearts for people. We recommend them to everyone we know, and about everyone we know has ended up using them, as well as becoming great friends with them.

As Wesley and I talked about how we wanted to do our maternity session, I emailed Breanna to see if she liked the ideas we were envisioning. She loved our idea, and between her and Scottie, they created exactly the emotion and feel of the pictures we dreamed about. They completely captured the love and excitement we have for this baby boy all through the lenses of their cameras.

The day we did our pictures the rain had been pouring down all day. We had debated about putting it off for a few days, but by the afternoon we thought we could tough it out. When we started the pictures it was sprinkling, then it began to rain a bit harder. It only lasted a few minutes and then cleared up for the rest of our session. We had perfect weather (the cold wind was perfect for a hot flash, pregnant Mama) and also had the beautiful clouds in our background. Thank goodness we didn't postpone the pictures because of the weather, because who would have thought that the next evening I would be in the hospital having contractions, and be put on bed rest 2 days later.

I don't even know how to put into words how much we love these pictures, our photographers, and this beautiful baby boy who made these pictures so fun! All I can say is that if you need a photographer for any occasion; engagement, wedding, maternity, newborn, senior pictures, or just a fun session, please give them a call. They can capture the emotion of your occasion and you will become great friends with them in the process.

Love you guys, thanks again for these remarkable pictures!


Visit their site:
http://radiantphotographyaz.com/

Or to see more of the pictures from our session visit their blog: http://radiantphotographyaz.com/radiant_life/



I just had to start with this picture. Wesley is the hottest husband ever! I adore this face he is making! I'm hoping Camden looks just like his daddy!



g

What bed rest looks like....

My bed rest buddy...Sassy loves bed rest!

.
My huge belly, soft slippers, and wonderful mom in the background. She is taking the best care of me!


Electronics to keep me connected.


Ok ok, its a rough life. Mom brought me Starbucks and my childbirth book to keep me busy.


This is what bed rest looks like for me today! It is pretty tough doing nothing. As crazy as it sounds, I honestly am not a fan. It is weird to not be allowed to go put my dishes in the dishwasher, or take clothes out of the dryer. I am trying my best to be content with how my home looks, but when you are feeling like "nesting" yet you are not allowed on your feet, it is so hard to not ask someone to help you! This morning Wesley was so kind and vacuumed our carpet, rugs and wood office floors, as well as emptied the dishwasher, made me breakfast, and set up the bassinet in our room. Right now my mom is over, and she volunteered to clean our bathrooms. I have been blessed with the best family!! Ok, and I have to brag a little more on my mom! Yesterday, Wesley was at school all day, so my mom said she would come over and help me out so that I could stay in bed and never worry about getting up. Let me just tell you the list of things she did for me...she came first thing in the morning, made me breakfast, started our laundry, we made a list of things we needed for the hospital, a list of things still needed for Camdens room, we packed our hospital things, packed Camdens bag, she ran to a million stores to get the list of "things we still need", made lunch, cleaned my kitchen, washed more laundry, helped with dinner, cleaned up all of dinner, and made me feel like the most blessed daughter in the entire world!! My mom is a busy lady, and she has taken time off from her everyday busyiness to come and help me out. She is such an incredible mom, and I hope to someday be as loving, selfless, and compassionate as her. She cares so much for Camden and I, that she does not even want me getting up for anything other than a quick trip to the bathroom. I had to convince her that I could take a quick shower and could sit and dry my hair without putting to much strain on my body. This whole bed rest thing is hard for me to follow the rules, so I am thankful she is here to lay down the law and make sure I don't move to much.

As for how I am feeling. I called my doctor yesterday, and they said I don't have to continue taking Terbutaline every 4 hours. I did that for the first night and man did I feel awful. It makes you shake like nobody's business!! They said I only have to take it as needed...so if I feel any contractions at all, I have to take it. Last night I did have to take it 1 time around 5 o'clock, and it was not to fun. It did stop the contractions right away. Not only does it make you shake, but it also gives me acid reflux. I had a hard time eating dinner because my throat was burning so bad. Thankfully it stopped and I was able to sleep really well last night. And no contractions yet today. Praying we don't have any!

We go to the doctor on Wednesday to make sure I haven't changed at all. The other day I was nearly 3 cm dilated, and 70% effaced...with no pain! So hopefully we are not much further along than that. I will continue to be on bed rest until I am 36 weeks, which is February 1st. After that, as of right now, the doctor said I will be free to be on my feet and back to normal life. If I go into labor, they are not worried because I will be full term. So, from how fast things progressed the other day, it is my guess that he will be here the first week of February. :) My heart is smiling, I can not wait to see this little boy!!

Those are my updates for now, I will let you know how bed rest is going, I am sure I will be blogging more, as I have nothing else to do right now!

34 Weeks and a visit to L&D

34 weeks!

We went to our scheduled Dr. appointment Tuesday afternoon, and Camden is still measuring a week ahead, so we are measuring at 35 weeks. He is head down and I am guessing he will stay that way because he has no where else to go! Since he is measuring big we are hoping that he will just come early. Since I am so tiny, the doctor said it could be a cause for concern if he gets waaay to big. I don't think they want me trying to deliver a 10 lb baby naturally. Lets just pray he is an average 7 lb boy who comes a week or 2 early. Mommy and Daddy would love that!!

After our doctor appointment Wesley and I headed down to his school. Those med students need a little fun in their life, so Wes and a few of his friends joined a basketball league at Midwestern. They have games every Tuesday night. I was the only wife who made it to watch his team, so I sat there as the lonely cheerleader. They didn't win, but I sure had a great time cheering on my man!! He was my favorite player, by far! :)

When we got home, I decided to take a few pictures of Camden's room to post on our blog. While I was snapping pictures, I took a step backwards and tripped over the footrest to our glider. I landed square on my tail bone. It hurt pretty bad, and shook me up quite a bit. Wes ran to my rescue and Sassy was very concerned for my well being. I went and laid on the couch to make sure everything was ok. For a while I could not feel Camden moving. This worried me sooo much. We called the nurse on call for our doctor, and they recommend that any time a pregnant woman falls that you should go to labor and delivery to be checked out. So off we went to labor and delivery. On our drive there I finally felt Camden moving around which eased my mind, but I was beginning to have a few Braxton Hicks contractions. We drove to the hospital in the beautiful rain as we prayed that everything would be ok. Thankfully it only takes 12 minutes to get to the hospital (even in the rain). When we got there, they took us in right away and got me all hooked up to monitors. Camden's heartbeat was perfect and they were not worried about him at all. We loved listening to his heartbeat and he even kicked the monitor a few times and had the hiccups. Such a cute sound! I was also hooked up to a contractions monitor and I was having mild contractions about 5 minutes a part. Nothing to worry about. They also checked my cervix, and I was dialated to a "tight" 1, which is about normal for how far along I am. After being on the monitor for about a hour, my contractions started to increase, and I began to feel like they were real contractions, not like the regular Braxton Hicks. They were about 2 minutes apart...I was about ready to ring the nurse, when all of a sudden she came in and looked a little concerned. She said they wanted to give me a shot of Terbutaline which helps to relax the uterus and hopefully stop contractions. The shot gives you a burst of adrenaline which causes you to shake and your heartrate to jump. It was actually funny, Wes and I were trying to eat our food and my hands were shaking like crazy! I didn't really mind my heart racing, it was not to uncomfortable. The shot worked pretty instantly and my contractions stopped. They monitored me for another hour or so and checked me one last time. I had not dialated any more, so I was cleared to go home.

As scary as it was, I am so glad we went and had everything checked out. Wesley and I said it was our practice run. We now know how fast we can get to the hospital, and exactly where to go when we get there. Thankfully everything was ok and our sweet Camden is still snuggled up and comfortably growing in my tummy. The doctor told me to be on "best rest" for today to make sure no more contractions start, and if all goes well today, I will be back at work tomorrow.

Please keep us in your prayers that we will make it to full term and that Camden will be born with no problems. We love our little boy so much and we are willing to do whatever it takes to get him here safely.

33 Weeks

We are now just 3 weeks away from being considered "full term", but still 7 weeks to complete the full 40 weeks pregnancy. I am praying that Camden will come a little early, as long as he is ready, healthy, and his lungs are fully developed. Mommy is getting tired, and this pregnancy is definitely starting to feel exhausting. I can tell a difference within the last week in just how tired I am feeling. Sleep is pretty good until I have to roll over..I feel pain and exhaustion trying to accomplish this task. It is like I have to completely sit up in order to roll myself to the other side. Wesley definitely notices every time I roll over because I make such a commotion. Whew! And working full time is starting to now feel like I am working 100 hours a week. It is hard to pull myself together in the morning, and usually by lunch time I am ready to take a nap. I don't mean to sound like I am not enjoying being pregnant, I think it is just because we are nearing the end of the road, and my body is feeling it. I still wake up each morning and feel Camden rolling around and I just think of how blessed we are to have this strong, healthy baby growing inside of me. I couldn't have wished for anything better. The Lord knows my heart, and he knows how much I love this baby boy, and especially how excited I am to meet him. I would be willing to endure all of this pain for him all over again. But...I can't wait to be able to reach my toes again and roll over onto my stomach while lying in bed. :)

32 Weeks

Just 4 weeks away from being considered "full term". I don't think he will be here at 36 weeks, but if he is healthy and ready, then by all means Lord, please send him then!! We are having so much fun watching my belly move and bounce around as our little boy exercises. He is very active throughout the entire day, and he gets the hiccups just about everyday, sometimes twice a day. As much as I am loving it, I am sooo ready for him to be here. I am sure all of my blogs from here on out are going to be about how ready I am to meet my son. Sorry if it gets tedious, but I CAN'T wait!

This weekend is my first of 2 baby showers, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing so many friends and family as we celebrate our little one. I am sure he will be showered with so much love! I will definitely update on the shower and let you all in on some great pictures.

That is all for now, we are off to game night with our fun young marrieds group!

31 Weeks...and more Christmas

We are now 31 weeks, and I am getting really excited. I can't believe Camden will be here in 6-9 more weeks. I feel like we are so ready for him. We have our first shower a week from Saturday, and I know that will be a blast. Right now I am feeling really really big! I am at the point where you think it is impossible to get any bigger, and yet I know I am only going to grow from now until he gets here. My weight gain has seemed to slow down a bit, and I am not sure why. My last doctor appointment they said I had lost 1 lb from the previous appointment 2 weeks before. And when I weighed myself on our home scale yesterday, I still haven't gained anything. My only guess is because I am running out of room in my stomach, so I am not eating as much as I was before. I know Camden is still growing, my belly is proof! But maybe he is taking his nutrients from all the extra storage in my hips :) He is still measuring right on track, and possibly a little big...but we will see!

At this point in pregnancy I, like most women, start to feel ready to be done. As much as I love my big 'ol belly and feeling our Camden moving around ALL the time, I am just so ready to be small again. Being big is difficult. I can't see anything below my belly button, I can not put on certain shoes, or paint my own toe nails. Shaving my legs is a big event! I have realized how thankful I am for our HUGE bath towlels, because a standard size bath towel does not fit all the way around me. And I didn't think it was possible for maternity clothes to start to feel to small, but it is! And just regular day to day things are so much harder when you are this pregnant. It is hard to breathe when you sit a certain way, and I seem to run out of breath sometimes by just talking to much! Ohhh the fun! Also this week, I have started having some serious Braxton Hicks contractions. I have had them a lot throughout my pregnancy, in fact I think they started for me around 16 weeks. But just this week I have been getting them more frequent. It is nothing to worry about unless they are consistent and have a pattern. So I have been tracking them, and I am going to for sure let my doctor know. Everything I have heard about them though is a good thing. It is getting my uterus strong and ready for the real thing! So I guess I can't complain, if it makes labor quicker and easier, then bring on the Braxtons!

We also just celebrated Christmas with Wesley's family yesterday. We had to stretch it out a few days because his brother and our sister in law were out of town. We had such a great time celebrating together last night, and Wes and I got the best gift ever! Our stroller system!! We (or maybe just me) was soooo excited. I feel like we are now officially ready to bring Camden home. We have his infant seat now, and the stroller that it locks into! Here is what it looks like! I think we are ready!!

30 Weeks

This picture is almost a week late...but I thought I would post it anyways to keep for the records! I am getting huuugggee!! I barely recognize myself when I walk by my reflection!

29 Weeks

29 Weeks!

We are getting closer and closer!! Ahh I am so excited. Camden is doing so great. He is so active, and his schedule seems to be the same as mine. Every morning when I wake up, I feel him rolling around as if he is stretching to wake up just like I am. Through out the day he moves a lot, and at night, I fall asleep feeling his little movements, but they never last through the night and he never wakes me up. So hopefully this is his schedule and he sticks with it :)

I am feeling really great as far as my pregnancy goes, but I seem to have come down with a cold this week. This makes it really hard to finish my Christmas shopping which I keep putting off! I did however make it to a few stores after work today, and I am getting really close to being done. Ahh, then I have to wrap everything! I normally love this time of year and all the chaos, but this year it is exhausting me. I am so excited to celebrate Christmas with our families, and I can not wait until I am finished with everything I have to do.

Here are a few pictures of my growing belly! We are off to our childbirth class, please say a prayer that we don't get the giggles tonight (how embarassing). I doubt I will be laughing tonight since I am not feeling to good. I am however craving a big meaty taco from Taco Bell, yuck! I never ate Taco Bell before I was pregnant, and tonight, I think we are having that for dinner! Oh how things change!

28 Weeks

We have been so busy lately that I have not had anytime to write a 28 week post... now we are almost 29 weeks! So here is the picture (for the record) and I will update on what is going on in my next post!

27 Weeks

As I am writing this I am few days past 27 weeks. I am feeling so good, except for a little incident we had this morning. When I was pulling into my parking spot at work I started to feel really dizzy, my vision blurred and I thought I was going to faint. It was pretty scary. I put my car in park, pushed my seat back and dropped my head between my legs. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to really worry me. I waited a few minutes before I felt comfortable enough to walk into work. I told my dad what had happened (he is my boss :) and he called my mom who insisted I call my doctor. The doctor said I could come in for an appt just to ease my mind! So my mom came to pick me up, there was no way I wanted to drive again. Thankfully everything is ok. My doctor said it is totally normal for pregnant women to feel faint, but she did take some blood work as a precaution to rule out any serious problems. I also have very low blood pressure...so she suggested I increase my salt intake! (yuck) I think the only thing I like that is salty is salt and vinegar chips, so maybe I will try to eat a bag of those later! Otherwise everything seemed normal, she told me to go home and rest for the day and hopefully it wouldn't happen again. She measured my belly and said I am measuring about 28 weeks! Cam is going to be a big boy. I am hoping he will come early and not be 10 lbs like his daddy was. We have our scheduled appointment this coming Monday, so I am still going to go in and do a follow up to make sure everything still looks good.

Here is a list of other things going on...we are sending out baby shower invites next week! I can't believe it is already time for the shower. I am so excited! We are also going to schedule our maternity photo shoot very soon, hopefully for early January. My birthday is in about 3 weeks, so that will be fun. Tomorrow is our first child birth class, and that meets every Thursday. We have to register at the hospital soon, yay! And...after our appt on Monday we will begin going to see our doctor every 2 weeks. Whew, I think that is it, besides all the other regular holiday parties we have coming up too! I am really looking forward to the next few months leading up to meeting our baby boy!

Well I am off to take a much needed nap. My third trimester exhaustion has already begun, and I know it will just get worse the bigger I get!!

Moriah

26 Weeks...Dear Camden

26 Weeks!

Dear Camden,

Your Dad and I are falling so in love with you each and every day. You are our world right now, and I can't imagine how much different our lives will be once you are in our arms. In just 10 weeks I will be full term and you are welcome to come any time around then (but not any earlier). As I am writing you this, you are wiggling around in my belly. I love feeling your movements, and I can't wait to see what your little body looks like instead of just feeling it. I know I am going to miss the sweet moments that I have with you, feeling you kick and roll. I feel like I have a secret when I am out shopping...I just smile to myself because I can feel you and no one else in the entire world will ever know what it feels like to hold you in their tummy. You already seem to have developed a silly personality (a lot like your mom and dad). I will sit with my hand on my tummy and feel you move like crazy, but as soon as I tell someone you are moving and their hand graces my tummy, you stop! It is like you are trying to play a joke on them, or me...I sound like a crazy mom, and I have to explain that I promise he was just moving a minute ago!! You little stinker. I think you will definitely be a momma's boy. We are so excited to meet you for the first time, and just stare in to your beautiful eyes. Of course you will have beautiful eyes, I mean come on, have you seen your dad?! As your arrival comes closer, I am becoming more and more anxious to see you, but I am not nervous at all. You would think the thought of being in the hospital, giving birth, would freak me out...but it doesn't. I am thrilled to go through child birth, and all that it entails just to see you. I am praying you are as easy going as your dad and I were when our moms had us. But if you aren't, we promise to still love you the same...you just might not get the power wheels your dad promises to buy you on a daily basis. :) I am sure you are going to be a very easy going baby, you have been the best baby so far, and made this pregnancy so easy on me. I think I want to have 10 more babies if they all go as easy as this one. (ok, maybe not) Although, I am missing my skinny body, and if I never get it back, it is ok, because it was well worth it to have a little miracle like you join our family. The holidays are coming and we are excited to think that next year at this same time we will have you with us, and you will be about 9 months old. So exciting to imagine!

Well baby boy, your Dad and I love you so much, and we are so thankful that you are growing so healthy and strong. We pray for you each and every day, and there is not a moment in the day that you are not on our minds. We can't wait to meet you, and smother you in kisses (you will be way to little to tell us not to!!).

Love your Mom & Dad

25 Weeks

Well I am still feeling amazing. I love when people say, so are you feeling good?? My answer to that is ABSOLUTELY!! I completely LOVE being pregnant. I love holding our baby in my tummy, I love feeling him move, I love being huge, I love eating whatever I want, I love going pee every 30 minutes, I love seeing my reflection when I walk by a window, I love dreaming about what Camden will look like, I love looking at baby clothes, I love my dear husband and how much he loves our son, I love wearing non maternity jeans on my "skinny" days, I love that I have gained 20 lbs and it is ok, I love my slight waddle when my hips get sore, I love the stares you get just because you are pregnant, I mean come on, it is a great reason to stare at a little girl with a big tummy, I love registering for baby stuff, I love my wide hips, and I love love love our baby boy!!! Whew, that was long winded!!

We had our first appt at the new doctors office last week, and it went very well. The nurse was so sweet and answered all of our questions (we had a lot since we are transitioning from another doctor). I had only gained a pound and a half from my last appt 3 and a half weeks earlier, so that was fun. I definitely think my weight gain has slowed down a lot, thank goodness! I am sure my hips were tired of growing, so they are resisiting and just letting Cam gain the rest of my pregnancy weight. I can not believe how near we are to our third trimester. After our next appointment we will start going to the doc every 2 weeks instead of 4. So exciting. This pregnancy is sure flying by, and soon we will have our baby boy in our arms.

I also found out last night that my best friend Jackie will be here the week before and after our due date!!! I am SOOOOOOOOO excited! She recently moved to North Carolina and she wasn't sure if she would be able to make it back to Phoenix until around April or May. I was so sad that she would miss his birth. I really wanted her to be with me (hopefully in the delivery room) to take pictures, she is a fab photographer! I wouldn't let anyone else have that respnsibility! And now that she will be here, I am hoping Camden decides to come when she is here!! Yay!!

Also this week, Wesley is officially on Fall break. He has 2 full weeks off, so I decided to use some of the PTO I have been saving up all year and enjoy the time off with him. We don't have really big plans, but we are trying to fill up each day with something fun to do together. Today we finished our Target registry, went to Costco, and now we are off to the park for him to play some b-ball while I read some magazines and soak up the sun. Tomorrow we are going out to breakfast, then off to finish our Buy Buy Baby registry. We have my cousins b-day party on Saturday, as well as a house warming party for a friend that evening. Sunday we are going to church, then having Thanksgiving with Wesley's grandparents. Hopefully, Monday and Tuesday we will be able to make it up to Flagstaff to enjoy some of the cold weather. I am loving this time off with him, it is going to be the last vacation time we really can enjoy before Camden is born. Wesley's Christmas break is only a week, and it is in the middle of his quarter, so he will have a lot of studying to do even on his week off. His next break after that will be spring break, which starts right on Camden's due date! (We hope he comes the night after Wes takes his last final).

Anyways, that is all for now. We are off to enjoy the amazing weather!!

24 Weeks

24 Weeks!!

Not much to update....except....This 6 months pregnant mama is wearing a pair of non maternity jeans!! Whoop Whoop!! Ok, so they are a little snug, and look a bit like stretchy pants, but hey, they are on and they are jeans that button!!!! YA!!! But don't worry, I have tried to put on at least 3 other pairs of my larger pre pregnancy jeans, and they don't even get past my knees!!

Ok, gotta run, play time in my belly has begun...for the fifth time today. This little boy is sure active!!

Kicks Kicks Kicks

I love when Camden kicks me. It is the best feeling in the world. However, the last 2-3 days he has discovered my bladder. Apparently he thinks it is fun to kick or jump on. Whatever he is doing, it definitely is not my favorite. It is still great to feel him kicking and moving, I just wish it was more in the middle of my tummy and not so slow. I have tried everything to get him to flip around. I have gotten on my hands and knees to do pelvic tilts, hung with my hands down at my toes, and laid flat and kind of squished around. Not one thing has helped! Today I actually felt a kick/punch up high, so I thought, yay, he turned around! Nope! He then started laughing at me and kicked my bladder a few times to assure me that he hadn't. I think he was just punching me up high, and kicking me down low.

Silly boy...it is ok, I still love you more than anything. I can not wait to meet you, and kiss those sweet little toes that are kicking me.

New picture tomorrow...we are already 6 months! Woo Hoo, only 3 more and we will be full term. :) My heart is rejoicing as I think about how close we are getting. My arms are craving a snuggley baby boy!!