10 weeks!

I know it's so cliche, but seriously, time FLIES! Ten weeks already? Wow! Drew is changing by the day, and since I'm around him so much, sometimes I don't notice that much. But then I stop and realize how fast he's growing and changing, and get a little sad that each stage appears and then leaves so quickly. For example, as he was crying over the weekend, I realized that even the sound of his cry has changed. He no longer has that newborn raspiness. It's like a full, real, cry. It still sounds young, don't get me wrong, but it sounds so different than it used to. When did that happen? How did I not notice until that one particular moment? This time is so fleeting, and I'm cherishing every second of it! I'm so super grateful that I get to stay home and stare at him all day, memorizing every detail and behavior and expression he makes. I know in time, I'll forget those too though, so I'm trying to document as much as possible. For his 10 weeks birthday, here are ten of my (current) favorite things about him...

1. His smile! He still doesn't smile very often, but it's the greatest thing in the world when he does.
2. His palms. He only recently started opening his hands a lot. I didn't realize how much he kept them in fists until he started opening them. He does it a lot when he's eating, and I just stare at the adorable creases and the little rolls on his wrists.
3. The way he moves his head when he's sitting up. Zac calls him Ray Charles sometimes.
4. His "coy" face. Sometimes he does this slight grin, then turns his head to the side, as if he's bashful.
5. His expressions. Eyebrows raised in excitement, eyebrows raised in critical skepticism, (the thinker" (looking out of the side of his eyes, brows furrowed), there are too many to name.
6. His soft soft skin and the way he smells.
7. His belly button. The umbilical hernia makes it pop out, but I just love it, and I know one day I'll miss it. Okay, and sometimes I push it in and play with it. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt him at all.
8. His lips. He purses them, smacks them, searches for his pacifier with them...they're so kissable.
9. The fact he's hot-natured. Sometimes I wish he wasn't, so he could wear his cute clothes, but most of the time, I love getting to see his whole tiny body and feel his sweet baby skin, with no clothes in the way.
10. His hair and head. I pet it with my hand, I stroke it with my cheek, I kiss it. I love that soft fuzz.

Weight-ing game...

Okay, so really it's not a game. It's not that fun at all, but actually it really is fun when you see progress. Sooo, anyone remember that last post about weight, when I said something like "I hope the weight just keeps falling off, and I don't get to the stubborn pounds for a long time?" Yeah, that was a jinx. The very next week I stopped just 'shedding' weight. But I've been consistently trying to eat healthier (while still allowing myself a cookie here or there), and I plan on rejoining the gym in January. I started to join this week, then remembered we will be gone two weeks out of the month, and I didn't want to pay for a whole month when I wouldn't get to use it half that time, so I just decided to wait. Anyways, I'm going on walks when I can (time, baby, and weather permitting) and trying to drink more water. This morning when I weighed, I was 164, which means I've lost 30 pounds in nine weeks. My real goal? My real goal is to lose 30 pounds by my 30th birthday. I set this a few pounds ago, so my goal weight is 137, by May 31st! I think I can do it! And I know it'll feel good working to get there.
READY...SET...oh gosh, here come the holidays...okay, when they're over we get serious...GO!

Two Months!

Firstly, let me say that I am DONE with the Blogger app! I have written two LONG and meaningful posts on my phone and just looked at my blog on the actual computer and realized they never published. Ugh! I was wondering why no one was commenting! :)

Okay, now about this past Saturday (Drew's 2 month birthday!). The only plans we had were to meet Stacy and Chris for breakfast at a place called Norma's. The food was amazing and catching up with friends we hadn't seen in a long time (since the day Drew was born!) was delightful. After breakfast, since it was a beautiful day and we were in the neighborhood, Zac and I decided to go walk around the Bishop Arts area. When we got there, we saw there was an "urban bazaar" going on, which meant that booths were set up in the middle of the street and there were lots of people selling stuff they had made. It was busy, but not overly crowded or unpleasant in the least. Everytime we go there it feels so happy. People walking dogs on leashes (most of the shops allow the dogs to come in!), and strollers and slings everywhere. I felt bad we didn't have Molly with us. :) Zac bought a new shirt with a gift certificate I gave him for his birthday. After we'd seen all the sights and walked all we wanted to, we headed home. Drew was a perfect angel all morning, so I was certain he'd be awake and lively when we got home. Instead, he slept so long. He took a long deep nap (in tummy time position!) and I was able to address and stuff all of our birth announcements and christmas cards. It's so nice to be able to be productive! When he finally woke up to eat, I'd missed him so much (he'd been asleep practically all morning long!) that I sat down to hold him and just cuddle and stare at him. After his bottle I laid him on the floor to play with him and talk to him. He seemed to be in a really great mood, so I called Zac into the living room to see how happy he was. I asked Drew in a real high pitched (baby) voice "Do you know how cute you are!?" and he gave us the biggest open mouth grin! I instantly got a lump in my throat, and tears filled my eyes! I'd seen him smile in his sleep before, but this time he was smiling AT ME! I made him smile! Right on his two month birthday he gave us his first social smile! It was priceless! I was on cloud nine! We played some more and he smiled some more, but that first one was (and still is) my favorite so far. By about 5 we were getting pretty hungry (hadn't eaten since breakfast) so we decided to go eat at Schlotzsky's. Yum! After dinner we went to Bethlehem Revisited in Waxahachie. It's a really neat experience, with actors and livestock (chickens, sheep, camels, etc) and you feel like you are walking the streets of Bethlehem. There are tax collectors, shephers, kings, guards, etc. It's so cool. When we got to the manger and I saw Mary and Joseph cradling that little baby, I kind of lost it. I've been so so emotional about Christmas this year. I have a totally new perspective and appreciation for the miracle of a baby, Mary's point of view, etc. (One of the great posts I wrote that never posted was about Christmas and my new feelings towards this very holy and special day. Boo to the blogger app! Maybe I'll try to rewrite it.)
Anyways, Drew's 2 month birthday was an awesome day. I put on instagram that it was my favorite day. It was a perfect day with Zac, with Drew, the right amount of time at home and away, relaxation and productivity. I couldn't ask for a better Saturday! :)

Today (Monday the 10th) was Drew's 2month checkup. I love getting his new measurements and tracking his growth, so I was looking forward to that part. His head circumference was in the 50th percentile, so perfectly average. His weight was ten pounds and ten ounces, which was 25th percentile, and his length was 21.5 inches, and only 5th percentile. :) He's a small fry, and I love it. If some of my cousins have it their way, he'll be an olympic gymnast. hehe! Unfortunately, he also had to get several immunizations. :( I'd been kind of dreading it, and tried to find someone to go with me, since my pediatrician told me last time that I might want to bring moral support. Zac had to go out of town to tour another high school, my friend Steph had a tax workshop in Ft. Worth, my mom was in Katy with my sister (who just had shoulder surgery!) and my in-laws had a work Christmas party in San Antonio over the weekend, so I hated to ask them to drive up and back in one day, just for the appointment. Turns out I was not giving myself enough credit, because I did just fine, even though it did kind of break my heart. Turns out that the colic kind of paid off today, because I've been a little desensitized to his screaming and crying. (That's trying to see the silver lining.) Anyways, he had three shots and one oral administration. He did turn very bright red and scream, but luckily he calmed down within a few minutes, and by the time I got to the car he was asleep. Phew! He's slept most of the afternoon and evening, which is why I'm able to sit down and blog! I sure wish I made a point to write down more, but it's so hard. When he's asleep during the day (which is getting to be less and less as he gets older), I either want to nap or need to be getting bottles washed and ready, or moving laundry or whatever. Writing this reminds me that I need to update his baby book! Maybe he'll still be sleepy tomorrow, and I can do that then. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today was Drew's first thanksgiving!!! It really deserves a long eloquent post, but I'm so behind on blogging that I'm afraid it won't happen if I wait until I have lots of time to really do it justice. Instead, here are the highlights...
-I was surprised at how easily the tears and lump in throat came. All day, I was happy and emotional at how truly thankful I am to have a baby. Sometimes I look at him and it feels like it's the first time I've ever seen him...his perfection takes me aback and I feel so overwhelmed. How did I get so lucky!? I just felt really particularly thankful for him and just grateful in general this year.
-We are staying with Grammy and PaPa so we spent the day at their house, but went to Eli and Ryan's amazing downtown condo for the thanksgiving meal. We had dinner instead of lunch and ate around 6:30. Ryan's mom did most of the cooking and it was delish!
-All of Zac's family was there, plus Scott's little brother and Ryan's parents. We had a long beautiful table and all got to sit together. There were 11 adults, a five-year-old, 18-month-old, and 6-week-old. :) Lots of joy and togetherness. Great evening!
-After dinner, desserts, and visiting, some of the men went downstairs to play pool, Tatem and the kids went to the top floor to run around in the big exercise room, and Zac and Eli and I took Drew and Matty (Eli's new doggy) on a long walk. :)
Favorite memories-
-Ezra giving Drew "kisses" on top of his head. It usually entailed just leaning in and putting his cheek on top of Drew's peachfuzz, but one time he stuck his tongue out at the last minute and licked him! Ha!
-Eliza and Eli making a gingerbread village. Eli is such a great uncle and bought a kit for them to work on. She was very focused and it looked beautiful!
-Standing on the balcony talking to Tatem. We are both busy mommies, so it was nice to get to really chat and visit.
-Just watching all of our family love on and hold our sweet baby. :)

first trip

Today we got home from our first road trip with Drew. We went to Log Country Cove on Lake LBJ and stayed in a beautiful cabin with my parents and sister and her family for mom's 60th b-day. It was a wonderful weekend, with really no major issues. He did have his first "blowout" on the way down, but luckily we pulled over at a nice gas station with a clean restroom and changing station. No biggie, but I did tell Zac I earned an extra patch for my "mommy sash." :) Drew was such a trooper and watched his cousins, got some cuddles from family, and even posed for some portraits. It was a great weekend...just wish it was longer!
When we left the cabin, Zac and Drew and I went to Leander to see his parents' new home. Eli and Ryan and their new pooch Mattie came over for lunch too. It was nice to visit with all of them. Drew slept the entire way home from Leander to Midlo. Such a great traveler!
Next week we will be on the road again for Thanksgiving week, then the week after that, Zac has a conference, so we will be traveling again. I hope he continues to be a car rock-star! Sure makes driving easier when he's content and sleeping. :)

4 weeks

On Monday, Drew was four weeks old. I know I keep saying this, but the time is flying by. Tomorrow he will be one month old! My sister gave me a whole year worth of shirts to take pics of him on the 8th of each month. I can't wait to do that tomorrow and have the photos to compare as he grows.

So, it turns out that so far, each week of parenting has been harder than the one before it. Drew was officially diagnosed with colic, and that has been quite difficult. Most evenings, he starts getting fussy around 7pm, and it just continues to escalate until 11 or midnight. He's pretty much inconsolable, so we try a million different things, and take turns with him, but he basically cries until he decides to stop. Time crawls when he's screaming. It's a very desperate feeling. We try to stay calm, since he can sense if we are stressed or frustrated or exhausted (we are all three), but it gets so hard. We switch out, and I have to say we are a great team. I feel so sorry for Drew and 97% of the time my heart just breaks for him and I wish so badly I could fix it and help him feel better and calm down. And the other 3%? Well, if I can be honest (and I can, y'all are my friends and family and you know my heart) 3 percent of the time I'm thinking "this isn't what it was supposed to be like." Luckily I've not ever felt mad or resentful towards Drew (which sounds awful even writing out, but I could see how some parents would have those feelings), I truly just feel so sad that I can't help him. Zac said "why can we clone a human being, but we can't find a cure for colic?"

Yesterday he shed tears for the first time, and that was like a punch to the gut. I guess I'd taken for granted crying without tears (or not ever even thought about it!), so when his face was red and he had hot wet tears rolling down his cheeks. It's a whole new level of empathy.

Luckily the days are still pretty peaceful. He has occasional crying spells, but so does every baby. I love when he's awake and alert and we try to make the most of that time. He has started to really relax during bathtime, and seems to enjoy it. He still stretches all the time, and lately the cutest thing has been happening: he stretches his arms so hard that his little fist shakes real fast. It's a little tremble, but it's so cute, and I like to pretend he's fist pumping. LOL!

He's growing so much so quickly. I weighed him today (very unofficially, I just weighed myself then weighed myself again while holding him) and he was NINE pounds! That means he gained two pounds in one month! His thighs are starting to get chunky, and so are his cheeks and chin. I'm compulsive about cleaning his neck area, since he's kind of a messy eater, and it's getting more difficult due to the extra chub. It's so stinking cute though. I bet I kiss him 200 times a day. And I'm not even exaggerating. I can't get enough of his soft warm face. :)

Today someone knocked on the door and for some reason I answered. (I usually don't, especially since my door hanger is covering our peep hole.) Anyways, it was two women dressed very nicely and I could tell they were sweet. Turns out they were Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm not going to lie, in the past I would have been friendly, but then very politely excused myself. Welp, turns out I'm kind of desperate for adult conversation these days, because I stood on the porch and talked to them for a good 15 minutes. She have me a little pamphlet and even asked if she could come back next week to see what I thought of it and I said YES! Isn't that funny? Definitely miss having adult social time, lol!

Anyways, all is good. I'm healthy, Drew is healthy, we are well fed and have the best dad/husband and dog. I know the colic will pass, and I'm focusing on enjoying every moment...even that hard ones.

Three weeks

Drew was three weeks old Monday! I can't believe that today is already day number 23 that I've known him! Time flies! Not too too much has changed in the last week, but here are a few updates:

SLEEP
He's been quite fussy and gassy. Poor guy! He went from making a dirty diaper every three hours to doing it only once or twice a day, and I think it's been a little painful and uncomfortable for him. He will be relaxing or falling asleep and then he'll start to squirm and kick his legs and fuss. His entire head turns red and his veins pop to the surface and he screams. An open mouth, tongue flexed scream. It's heartbreaking! I feel so bad for him! It's gotten a little bit better since we switched formula, so hopefully it will continue to improve. I did call the doctor and he said it's normal to go less often, and when his body gets used to it, he shouldn't be as uncomfortable. I hope that's sooner rather than later. He's still so sweet and cuddly though. It's impossible to be frustrated when he's crying, because we just feel so bad for him. Last night was the worst it's been yet. He started feeling bad around 8:30pm, and it didn't stop until almost 1am! We tried everything (and I do mean everything), but the one thing we couldn't do was relieve his tummy ache. When we were silently driving around the city at midnight, I felt like I was having one of those surreal movie moments. 'Zac and I are driving around our baby to get him to fall asleep...this is like in the movies.' Except when we got home he woke up and it started again. Bless his heart.
Thankfully we both got a long nap this morning. Poor Zac didn't, but I plan on encouraging him to nap as soon as he gets home around 4:30 this afternoon. I feel kind of bad about it, but the last several days have been so pleasant and smooth. I've napped with him in the morning, then fed him and he falls back to sleep again. So I eat lunch and clean bottles and whatnot, then get ready for some outings, and go run errands, all before he wakes up again. It's been really nice. I wish Zac got to enjoy more of the "easy" time, the evenings are always kind of rough. He makes the most of their time together though, and talks to him, reads to him, and they spend all sorts of quality time together. Yesterday they got a quick chest-to-chest nap in the recliner! :)
EATING
Drew is eating up to 4 ounces at a time now. He usually eats every 3 hours or so, but now that he is occasionally eating more, sometimes he goes longer in between feedings. Tuesday night he slept six hours without waking up. Zac was excited, but I almost had a heart attack. lol! As soon as I realized he was okay, I was fine. But for a sec I thought something had to be wrong for him to go that long without being hungry or waking up. :)
After lots and lots of deliberation and pain-staking decision making, I've decided to quit pumping. I was producing about one ounce (one measly ounce!) every 24 hours, (pumping for 15-20 minutes every 3 hours) and I didn't feel like it was worth it. If I could have been giving him more, I think I would have stuck with it longer, but to get one cumulative ounce (from both sides, from multiple pumpings), it hardly seemed logical to keep doing it. As I've said, I do not feel guilty about feeding him formula at all. I'm sad that true breastfeeding did not work out (he latches on, I hold him, we bond, no dishes, etc), but I am not sad that I'm not pumping anymore. Hard to bond with two pieces of plastic.I feel a little relieved to not be in nursing limbo anymore, although, as I said, what I'm sad about is not discontinuing pumping, but the ability to feed him directly, which never worked anyways, and still wouldn't have, no matter how long I pumped. In fact, we were using Avent bottles and had to get a different brand, because the nipples are too large and hard for him to suck out of. Little dude has a very clenched jaw (one reason nursing never worked), and was spilling more than he was swallowing. Plus those bottles made him so out of breath while he was eating, that I have to wonder if that's been part of the gas problem, because he was gasping/inhaling large amounts of air while eating. Who knows?
Let me finish by saying that he is still making the cutest faces. He is even smiling a whole lot more. It's precious! He's alert a lot more often and looks around and seems to really take things in. I could stare at him all day long. Oh wait...I do! :)

***Again, I know everyone has differing opinions on formula vs. breastmilk. I am just sharing my own thoughts on my personal blog. Thanks for being considerate! 

Let me count the ways...

How do I love thee? Too many ways to count, but here are a few of my favorite things about Drew that I love...

-how his soft fuzzy hair feels like the smoothest velvet. I love stroking it with my hand, but my favorite is when it's nuzzled up against my neck and chin. Bliss!

-how he squeaks. Drinking a bottle, stretching, just breathing...the boy squeaks. It's precious.

-his baby stretches. Whenever he wakes up, he makes a big production of stretching every time. It's priceless. My favorite is when both arms are exteded up high, yet his fists barely clear the top of his head. Zac calls this "touchdown." It's definitely worth a lot of points!

-his facial expressions. My number one favorite is probably when he purses his lips like he's making an O. Mom says it looks like he's whistling. Following closely behind is the eyes-closed-but-eyebrows-up-with-a-wrinkled-forehead look.

-his smell! I can't describe it, but it's heavenly. I don't want this baby smell to ever go away, and I get sad knowing it will.

-I laugh everytime we burp him and he releases the biggest man burp. How does such a big sound come from that tiny body? I heard Zac on the phone with one of his friends the other day and he said "my son belches like a thirty year old man!" I think he even had a little pride in his voice, LOL! I have told Drew that I won't always be this excited about him burping, and he should enjoy it while it lasts. :)

There is so much to love about this sweet little boy, but those are just a few of my personal favorites.

Drew at 2 Weeks

Drew is two weeks old now, and the time seems to be passing so quickly. He's already starting to fill out and change, so I wanted to blog about what he's like at 2 weeks, so I can remember forever.
He had his two-week check up on Monday and weighed 7lbs 6oz (25th percentile for weight) and was 19 and 3/8 inches long (10th percentile for height). His head circumference measured in the 50th percentile.The pediatrician called him "healthy and handsome," so of course that made me smile.
Sleep
He typically sleeps well at night. He usually wakes up around 1am and 4am to eat, but then goes back to sleep pretty easily. During the day he will stay awake after eating for up to an hour or two, just looking around, stretching, making funny faces, and almost always hiccuping. Somehow at night he knows to fall back to sleep after eating, which makes life a lot easier for me and Zac. I have been taking the first shift and Zac the second, and that seems to be working well for us. Actually, we both get up when he wakes up and one person changes his diaper while the other fixes the bottle. Once the person who is staying up is settled in and feeding him, the other goes to bed. Works great.
Eating
He eats 3 ounces about every three hours. Obviously there are times he goes longer or shorter, but for the most part he's pretty routine about his eating schedule.He is getting mostly formula, but I'm pumping every 3-4 hours during the day and supplementing with that breastmilk too. I'm not producing much, but hoping that if I continue pumping I will build or at least maintain the supply I do have. Being so sick in the hospital kind of messed up my nursing plans (and the fact he can't latch on), but I'm going to try to pump at least for another month pr so, then I'll reevaluate if I want to go longer. I know any breast milk is better than none, but with the amount I produce and all the time pumping and getting ready to pump, then washing the equipment from pumping, it hardly seems worth it. I know it IS worth it, which is why I continue to do it, but I wish so so badly he could just latch on and we could enjoy the "easy and convenient" side of nursing...without pumping! I have so much respect for people who exclusively pump for an entire year! Luckily, I don't feel bad about giving him formula at all, and in a way its actually comforting because I know EXACTLY what he's getting and don't have to worry about him not tolerating a certain food I ate or caffeine, etc.
***I know everyone has different opinions on formula vs. breastmilk, and I'm not asking for yours, :) Just sharing my own thoughts on my personal blog. Thanks for being considerate!

Weight

Okay, so enough beating around the bush. I plan on losing lots of weight, so might as well blog about it, and be completely honest and open. Like I've said in my weekly posts, I started my pregnancy weighing about 20 pounds more than my "goal weight." So when you add the 40+ pounds I gained during the pregnancy to that, I have over 60 pounds to lose to get to my goal.

10/08--When I was weighed at the hospital on Drew's birthday, I weighed (get ready for it...wait, are you ready?...okay, don't judge...) 194 pounds!!! No, I'm not joking. I was six pounds away from breaking 200! Zac was rooting for it to happen. LOL! He'd say "how cool would it be if you were 200 pounds?!" Boys are weird.

10/15--On the day I came home from the hospital, I saw the scale in the bathroom and thought "oh I wonder what I weigh!?" I thought I'd probably lost about 30 pounds, between the birth and being so so sick. (I threw up insane amounts for several days in a row in the hospital!) So naturally I was a little disappointed when I stepped on the scale and had only lost 20 pounds. Oh well, it's a start. And losing 20 pounds in one week will probably never happen again in my life, so I should be grateful, right? current weight: 174 pounds

10/22--The following Monday I weighed again and I was down another five pounds. So I've lost 25 pounds in the two weeks since Drew arrived. I hope the pounds continue to come off easily (I'm not trying yet, they're just falling off) for a while longer, and I don't get to the "stubborn" pounds until I'm much closer to my goal weight! :) I am feeling much better these days and the weather is pretty nice (actually it's still a bit hot for my taste!) so I plan to start walking soon. That should help with the weight loss, and Drew seems to really like going for walks, so win/win. Weight: 169 pounds

Okay, more to come on this issue in the future. Hopefully I will keep having positive news and dropping numbers! :)

So much to say...

It's been almost two weeks since I've posted on the blog, and I can easily say its been THE most eventful two weeks of my life. I have so much to write and say and document, but I have a seven pound cutie who is way more fun to occupy my time. Maybe if I break the ice with this post it'll get my writing juices flowing again. Here are some of the posts I hope to share soon:
-Drew's BIRTH day
-my time in the hospital
-coming home
-about Drew
-our network of love and support

Hope to be typing and hitting that"publish" button soon. Until then, I have some little blue eyes to stare into...

Night before thoughts...

What did I think about the night before I became a mom? A lot. My thoughts have been all over the place. Here are the main ideas though...

The entire pregnancy- From the moment I found out, to the first doctor appointments, to finding out the gender, and so on. It was an unintentional little brain timeline, like a scene from a movie, playing all the key parts for me.

Molly, my first child- This made me tear up. Her life is about to change so much. I know I will still love her just as much, but I fear she will feel less loved. I think her age and recent health issues also make it harder, because I worry what this big change will do to her. So I cuddled her extra tight and smiled as she sighed her big "good night world" sigh.

Becoming a mother- I've wanted this forever, I KNOW I'm prepared, yet suddenly I felt young and inexperienced and it's like "Really? Me? I'm the one who'll be in charge of this tiny little life?" What an abundant task. I hope it do okay.

Lots and lots of prayer- this also made me cry. I'm so thankful for all the gifts He has blessed us with. I praised Him for our miracle, and thanked Him for a healthy pregnancy. I asked Him to watch over me and Drew tomorrow, and to be with Drew forever and always. I asked Him to help me be the kind of mommy Drew needs, and to honor Him in the choices we make as parents. (Sidenote- Pregnancy has made me feel so very close to God. How can it not?...There is a miracle growing inside of you! It's one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced, and I constantly felt so blessed to be chosen and trusted to be the mother to this little soul.)

The baby- I wondered what he will look like and how he will be. Will he like being held up and down or sideways? Will he be a good eater? I can't wait to learn everything about him and know him so intimately, as only a parent can.

It's 4am...I still have time to (try to) get a few hours sleep. i just finished a banana and some graham crackers, and now I'm passed my cutoff for food. Time is ticking, and I couldn't be more tickled. Now, back to bed and back to my thoughts, or hopefully some restful heavy ZZZZZZZ's.

I'm 39 weeks pregnant!!!

I made it! 39 weeks! Less than 48 hours until we get to meet my sweet baby! I constantly wonder what he will look like. So exciting! :)

How far along? 39 weeks!
Total weight gain: 38 pounds!

Maternity clothes? yep! But to be honest, most of my maternity stuff doesn't even fit at this point, or it's not comfortable. So I keep repeating the same few outfits. :)

Stretch marks? definitely...

Sleep? What's that? Just kidding! I'm sleeping okay, but the muscles around my ribs hurt a lot (front and back), I guess because they're having to stretch. He's way up high. Very weird when he kicks the insides of my ribs! The past few nights I've also been thinking a lot about what he will be like. :)

Best moment this week? Zac and I had a wonderful day today. :)

Movement? Yes, and my whole belly gets deformed and it's very alien-ish.

Food cravings? popcorn, hot drinks (decaf coffee, hot chocolate), watermelon gum

Anything making you queasy or sick? no

Labor Signs: the strongest Braxton-Hicks contractions I could ever imagine, but not real labor contractions or anything

Symptoms: oh gosh...ability to sleep, constantly going potty, reflux, sore back muscles, ribs hurt, puffy feet and hands...you know, just the usual :)

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Happy or Moody most of the time? So indescribably happy! It's surreal! I'm about to be face to face with the little soul that will forever change mine! Swoon!!!

Looking forward to: DREW! But more immediately, I'm looking forward to my family arriving tomorrow!!! Then it will REALLY be real! :) I have a nursery to-do list for my Papa, then I'll blog and post pics of the finished nursery. We are going to go out tomorrow night for a celebratory dinner at a local Italian joint! I'm going to eat a lot, because A) it's my last meal as a pregnant woman, so shouldn't I go out with a bang? and B) I won't get to eat again until after Drew's here, and then it's just a liquid diet until Tuesday.

Today was a good day.

Random, unedited, and choppy; but it serves the purpose...

Got out of bed
Breakfast at Joe's Family Diner in Mansfield
Home, naps and a movie
Fixed pasta for lunch
Made pumpkin muffins. Yum!
Did a few things around the house and finished some laundry.
Showered and got ready for the cold weather and McMurry football game. This took a very long time because I do not have any clothes that fit that are appropriate for 50degree temps. Also, turns out I haven't put on real shoes (other than flip flops) in a very long time, and my feet don't fit in any of my warm shoes. Also, I can't reach my feet, so poor Zac had to put my socks on for me, as well as help me try on like 5 different pairs of shoes. I finally found some fake uggs in the back of my closet that fit. Hooray!
We got to the game as it started at 4, and left at the start of the second half because it was getting too chilly. (and that was under 2 shirts, a jacket, and three blankets!)
On the way home we stopped for dinner at Cotton Patch Yes, as a matter of fact, we are old souls. But in chilly weather, you just can't beat the joy of comfort food!
When we got home, we watched the UT game, and I made some decaf coffee (with lots of milk and some peppermint mocha cream) and ate some candy corn and a pumpkin muffin. Nice end to a wonderful day. :)

38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks!
Total weight gain: 38 pound...I weighed the same today as I did last Tuesday.

Maternity clothes? yep! trying to wear some of my favorites this last week

Stretch marks? definitely...

Sleep? Pretty rough, but I guess I have finally (in my last week of pregnancy) accepted that laying down is uncomfortable, and I'm not quite as hostile when I can't sleep as I used to be. Or maybe I'm just getting used to it? Preparation for baby?

Best moment this week? Spending time with my mom was awesome! I also liked having a rainy-impromptu-date night on Saturday with Zac.

Movement? Yes, and it's so visible to Zac and anyone in the same room as me! Kind of alien-like.

Food cravings? I recently realized that I've eaten A LOT of Schlotzsky's this past month or two. Yum! I go back and forth between the turkey breast sandwich and the chicken pesto pizza. They also have the best chocolate chip cookies! I'm still eating crazy amounts of strawberries! I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come out pink. Oh wait...he probably WILL come out pink! LOL! And it will have nothing to do with how many strawberries I ate.

Anything making you queasy or sick? not really.

Labor Signs: Not really. I've been trying to be active and healthy and upbeat. Dr. H "checked" me today at my visit, and the cervix is still all the way closed, although he said it has softened. I think I might have gone past 40 weeks, if it weren't for the c-section! That's a crazy thought!

Symptoms: Yes...the usual swollen feet, shortness or breath, needing to potty all the time, etc...

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy! Although I've been a little emotional lately. (just ask Zac!) I'm putting pressure on myself to have the "perfect last week of pregnancy" and balance social time with couple time, relaxation with productivity, etc. It's bonkers to think that our lives are about to change FOREVER. I'm so excited to meet my little man. I'm not nervous about the actual c-section or recovery from that, but I do worry about a few things like "what if something is wrong with him, health wise?...what if breastfeeding makes me miserable?...what if Molly doesn't like him, or what if her health regresses after we bring him home?...etc"

Looking forward to: DUH!!! The big day! I can't wait for Monday, October 8th! My little Columbus Day son will be here and I'll hold him and cry and smile and feel like my heart is going to burst out of my body!!! Is it really just FIVE days away???

37 weeks!

How far along? 37 weeks!
Total weight gain: 38 pounds (I asked at the doc yesterday!) Think I can keep it at or under 40? I have 12 days to go...

Maternity clothes? duh

Stretch marks? uh-huh...and the new ones aren't even skin colored. They're kind of a blueish-purple. Oh well. I'm not sweatin' it.

Sleep? Thank goodness my parents brought a recliner when they came two weekends ago! I take shifts in the bed, then when I get up to potty I move to the recliner and sleep a few hours in it, then get up to potty and get back in bed, and so-on-and-so-forth. It's been a nice relief on my achy hips and ribs. :) I do have the most intense BH contractions at night, and all my symptoms are worse at night, but my doc said that's normal, and really it's like that with all medical stuff...flu is worse at night, colds are worse at night, etc.

Best moment this week? We had an awesome weekend! I loved all of it, but felt especially cool being 9 months preggo and breaking the law. Okay, that's a bit dramatic. But we did sneak into a movie we didn't pay for. :)

Movement? Lots and lots and lots of hiccups. If he's moving, he's hiccuping. Or having spasms. Sometimes they can be quite comical.

Food cravings? not really. There are more foods that sound yucky, than foods that sound so good. I guess I'm STILL wanting/loving chocolate chip cookies though. :)

Anything making you queasy or sick? occasionally a BH contraction will be SO STRONG that it feels like I'm getting punched in the tummy, and that will make me temporarily nauseous, but otherwise no.

Labor Signs: Yes, quite a few, but they're just tricksters...I'm not really in labor. I don't think this baby is coming out until he's pulled out. LOL!

Symptoms: Yes...lots! Lately swollen feet, shortness or breath, needing to potty all the time, etc...

Wedding rings on or off? Off. I tried it on yesterday, just to see, and it wouldn't even come to my middle knuckle. :( Haha, whose puffy hands are these, anyways?

Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy! Definitely more tired and physically worn out, but mostly happy and just soaking up these last days.

Looking forward to: my mom is coming in town today so we can spend a few quality days together. I'm pumped! Plans are to see a movie (one that Zac wouldn't go to!), sew a gown for me (not an evening gown, a night gown...like the kind I'll wear in the hospital!), take Zac out to eat for his birthday, decorate the nursery, and hang out. Woohoo!!

Our weekend...

Zac and I are consciously savoring these last days together, just the three of us (you didn't think I'd omit Molly, did you?). We had such a wonderful weekend! Friday night Zac had to attend the high school football game, so I made plans with a friend. We went to dinner, and then because the weather was so lovely (and I get tired of sitting at home!) we went to the football game. We got there at the beginning of half time and stayed until the end. It was so fun to visit in an excited atmosphere (our team won!), and to socialize with other friends too. Saturday morning Zac made toast and scrambled eggs and then we did a few little things around the house. We went to Schlotzsky's for lunch, then headed to Arlington to go to Babies-R-Us. There is one closer to us, but it's pretty small, plus I registered at the one in Arlington, so I knew I'd remember how to find everything I wanted. We had a coupon to save 10% on anything left on your registry. I think we're ingenious, because we checked out a scanner gun to "update our registry" and walked around and added anything we wanted to buy to our registry before putting it in the basket, then returned the gun. When we checked out, we got 10% everything we bought, even if it had only been on our registry for a matter of minutes. :) Don't worry, they still got a good amount of money out of us, but it was so cool when she scanned that coupon and a big chunk came off of the total. Thanks to my Midlo shower, I was able to pay for the entire shopping spree with gift cards, and we STILL have $75 left on a gift card! Woohoo! That'll be nice for diapers or wipes or formula, or new items as he gets older (if it lasts that long, haha). After that we met our friend Bez for a quick visit. Bez owns several GNC stores and is constantly hooking Zac up with the latest and greatest pre-workout powders and pills. We ended up meeting at a Whataburger, and I had a chocolate milkshake. I think that's only my second one since I've been pregnant (if I'm going to have a dessert drink, I'd much prefer a coke float), but it was pretty tasty. After that we came home and napped then headed to see a movie. We bought tickets to see Trouble With the Curve, but when we walked into the theater, there were only seats available on the front row. I never like to sit that close, but being pregnant has made me get even more motion-sick (or whatever you want to call it) in movies, so I knew that wouldn't work. Well a different movie Zac's been dying to see was starting next door at the same time, so we went to End of Watch instead. It was exciting and intense, but also a little hard to handle. When it was over, I did NOT want to go home and try to fall asleep, knowing I'd have nightmares for sure. So I convinced Zac to sneak into Trouble With the Curve. It took some begging, but I told him we only have two more weeks to be rebels and stay out super late, catching a double feature. I am so glad it worked, because I really loved Trouble With The Curve! It was very slow paced compared to the movie we had just seen, but it was a welcome distraction from the story and sights I'd just witnessed in the previous movie. We went home tired but happy. :)
Sunday I made pancakes and home made syrup, then we headed to the park in Waxahachie with Molly. As much as we are trying to enjoy our last weeks of being 'selfish,' we also want to spoil Molly as much as possible. We will obviously do our best to include her in everything with Drew, but I know it won't be the same for her once he's here. So we let her sniff to her heart's content. When we got home, Zac dyed my hair for me. :) I've been wanting it a little darker before the birth. It still looks natural, just healthier and a prettier shade of brown.  Zac's family was driving home from Eli's IronMan in Oklahoma City, so we met them for lunch around 3:30. We had a nice visit and delicious food, then headed home to hang out and do a few low-key chores around the house. We napped a little, ate a small dinner, and watched the Emmy's and some Sunday football. Perfect day!

4 doctors, 3 shots, 2 weeks to go, 1 sweet baby

Last week was quite a busy and productive week! Sorry for the lack of blogging. I think I mentioned earlier, but somewhere about a week or so ago, I went from desperately ready to have this baby, to totally at peace with waiting, and enjoying these last few weeks. I still have a list of things to do, some of it I was able to check off last week, and I have some more to do this week.

-I met with four different doctors last week! Yes, everything is perfectly fine! It's just funny how it all worked out and fell on the same week. Tuesday I had my usual visit with my OB. I found out Thursday that my Group B Strep test did come back positive, so I will get an antibiotic shot before the cesarean. (It is just an intestinal bacteria that does not affect the mom, but can cause issues for the baby...my doc said 20% of his patients test positive. No biggie.) I got a flu shot, and Dr. H told me he'd recommend getting a pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine before the baby comes, so Drew can reap some of the benefits of it.
-Wednesday I met with a potential pediatrician. I'd heard amazing things about him from friends and planned on using him for Drew, but wanted to make sure I liked him and that we clicked. I made a list of questions to ask him. I told Zac after the appointment that if I'd written down what I thought the "perfect answers" to my questions would be, they still would not have been as good as what Dr. T actually said to me. He was so kind and compassionate and knowledgeable. He's been doing this for many years, so he has lots of experience, but he stays up to date with all the current research and trends as well. He has three kids and four grandkids and spoke to me like I was very important. I left his office on a high! A funny story...the next day my friend Heather (who referred me) had to take her sick daughter in. She mentioned that I'd met him the day before, and he thanked her for referring me, then said the nicest thing. Dr. T told Heather "Julia was so sweet! I even went home yesterday and told my wife 'I had the sweetest prenatal visit today!' She really wanted someone thorough and she asked great questions, and it's just so neat that she's been through so much medically and still has a big smile on her face, and is so excited about being a mom!" Isn't that awesome? So Heather called me when she left and told me all that he'd said, which just re-confirmed that I'd picked the right doctor for Drew! :)
-Friday morning I went to my primary care physician for my monthly B-12 shot. I've mentioned on my blog before how important B-12 is. It's been awhile since I'd had the shot (July maybe? Shame on me for missing August!), and with the surgery coming up, I definitely wanted to be as strong (and feeling as well) as possible.
-Friday afternoon, Zac and I met at a local medical clinic in town to get our pertussis shots, and for Zac to get his flu shot. She told us the pertussis would make us sore for a few days, and she wasn't kidding! Zac's hurt more than mine, but I definitely felt it too. On Sunday the pain went from just my deltoid to up my shoulder a little too. Kinda crazy. But oh so totally worth it for the little man. :)  There are lots of PSA radio commercials for getting this shot in the Dallas area, and our local doctor said they've already had a few confirmed cases of it this year! If you're going to be around a baby, you should possibly consider getting the pertussis vaccine. Here's why.

So yep, four doctors and three shots in one week. Speaking of weeks, Drew will be here two weeks from today! 14 days! (or less) So exciting! Weekend update coming right up...

36 weeks!

How far along? 36 weeks!
Total weight gain: Ugh, don't ask. But my 'post-baby goal weight' keeps getting further and further away! Oh well, it'll make a great story (and blog post) when I lose 60 pounds! (I was already almost a good 20 over my goal weight when I started my pregnancy! I've gained 40 pounds, for those of you trying to do mental math right now.)

Maternity clothes? duh

Stretch marks? yeppers

Sleep? Hmm...Monday night I woke at 3am and never fell back asleep (therefore causing tears on Tuesday morning when my doctor innocently asked "so how's it going?") But last night I slept ten wonderful hours, with just a few bathroom breaks. Tonight I went to bed and restless legs (and annoyance at the said restless legs) took over, so I'm back out of bed, in the living room blogging. Sigh...

Best moment this week? I loved my entire weekend. I know I already blogged about it, but it was so fun to have company, a baby shower, and watch the nursery come together!

Miss Anything? Oh gosh, lots. Too many things to name.

Movement? Yes, he's quite the wiggle worm. Lately (especially at night!) he loves my rib cage. Doesn't feel very good, but at least he's moving!

Food cravings? hmm...nothing too strong (my tummy feels full all the time), but I had an iced cookie from the mall after my dr appt, and it was soo yummy! :) I'm also back to strawberries and cheerios every morning. Except today I got wild and crazy and put some frosted flakes and grapes in the bowl too. Yeah, not sure I'll do that again. haha

Anything making you queasy or sick? nope

Labor Signs: Nope! Doctor "checked me" at my appointment Tuesday morning and "it was pretty boring" (translation: no dilation, effacement, or ripening. And speaking of that, who decided to use the word ripening? That's weird and kind of gross.)

Symptoms: It would be silly to list my pregnancy symptoms because I feel like one big walking list of pregnancy symptoms, lol! Lower back pain? Check! Peeing constantly? Check! Fat hands and feet and face? Check! Glow because I'm a moving miracle? Check! :)

Wedding rings on or off? Off!

Happy or Moody most of the time? Soo happy! I am totally at peace with having 2 1/2 weeks left of pregnancy. I'm making a list and checking it twice (a to-do list, that is), and trying to enjoy time with Zac and Molly. We are planning a movie date this weekend. I do NOT like not being able to sleep, but I guess God's just getting me used to what will be the new norm. :) I'm a happy camper, and I love the faces people make when they ask "when are you due?" and I tell them less than three weeks! Such excitement! 

Looking forward to: dinner with a girlfriend on Friday night, a trip to Babies-R-Us to get some last minute necessities and a movie date on Saturday with Zac, and a lazy Sunday!

Midlo Shower

We had a wonderful weekend! Mom and Pops and Owen came in town, as well as Breck! Friday night Papa and Zac went to the high school football game, which was over an hour away. Mom and Owen and I went out to eat, then made a run to Target. Owen was such a blast, and just the best little shopper. He would point to stuff and with the excitement of a 2-year-old say "Look! Did you see that!? It's beeee-youuuu-teeee-ful!" It was precious! Mom and I would laugh so hard that we didn't make sound! He was a hoot all weekend!
Saturday morning Breck and Mom and I got ready and headed to my baby shower. It was at my dear friend Vickie's house, from 10-12am. The spread was gorgeous, with cupcakes, fruit, quiches and some fantastic spinach triangles (I forgot what they are called, but trust me, they were so delish!).

Most of the people who came were my old co-workers from school. No one could believe how big my belly was.

My friend Rhonda, one of the hostesses. I am SO SO sad that we forgot to take a pic of my with all four of the hostesses. :( There were probably between 40-50 people there, so I did lots of visiting and mingling.

Vickie (hostess and precious friend) sat next to me to write down the gifts I received.

Seems like just yesterday I was at Heather's baby shower for Brooklynn, and now she's already almost 9 months old!

Saturday afternoon we went through all of my gifts again and started organizing into piles. (needs to be washed, needs to be put in kitchen, needs to be put in drawers, etc) We hung some of the wall decor in the nursery, and realized the shelf I ordered was damaged. :( That night we ate at my dad's favorite local restaurant, Tuscan Slice. The boys and Breck came home after dinner to watch the UT game, and mom and I went to Target to buy drapes and a curtain rod, as well as a few other "needed" items. My dad hung the hardware and drapes during halftime. Yay! It's starting to look ready! Just a few more touches needed!
Sunday we met some friends for lunch. Mom and Joy have been friends forever, since they worked together at UT for 30-something years together. They were pregnant at the same time with me and Brandy (Joy's daughter), and now Brandy and I are preggers together, and due a month apart! Brandy and her hubby live in Dallas, so mom and Joy talk about making Grandma road trips together to come see their grandkids! :) Pretty special. After lunch the company hit the road (in the rain. yuk!) and Zac and I took an awesome cold-weather-raining-outside nap under the covers. It was such a great weekend, and I feel so good that we got so much taken care of! :)

Getting stuff done...

With the realization that the BIG DAY is just a few weeks away, I'm trying to tie up loose ends and get some last minute stuff taken care of.
--My final baby shower was Saturday (blog post in progress), so I've been returning/exchanging anything I need to, as well as buying stuff I think we "need" before he comes. I printed out our registries and highlighted the items I think we should go ahead and buy. We've been so blessed that we received so many gifts, so it's nice that there are only a handful of things we didn't get, that we will have to buy. Luckily I even have some gift cards still to help with it! :)
--This weekend we finally decorated the nursery. It didn't get all the way finished because the wall shelf I ordered from Amazon came with a dented corner and a large crack all the way down the length of the shelf. :( Needless to say, I had to take it to UPS today to be returned, and I ordered one from Target instead. When that shelf comes in, we can hang it, put some items on it, then we'll be TRULY done with the nursery decor. I can't wait! :) I'll post pics when it's all done.
--I have been looking at birth announcements online, and found several I liked on tinyprints.com. My sis used this company and my photographer recommended them too. I also like that they're related to Shutterfly (have I ever mentioned that I love Shutterfly!?), but even better quality. Yay! I ordered four samples and they came in the mail today. I put them in order of my favorite to least favorite. When I handed the stack to Zac and asked him to do the same, without even realizing, he picked the exact same order I did. :) I guess we know the obvious front runner, and which one we won't be choosing. :)
--I made an appointment with a pediatrician for Wednesday. He came very highly recommended to me, and I'm glad that I will get to meet him and visit before the first visit. I can imagine it being a little stressful, so I think it'll help to already know where the office is, and have established a relationship with the doc. I have a few friends who use this doctor, and I love what they say about him. Can't wait to meet him myself! Can you think of any questions or topics I should bring up this week when I have my consultation?
--I just got home from a walk with Molly. I started to write "I just got home from a long walk..." but it wasn't long. It just felt long. Haha! My lower back hurts a lot these days, and he was playing bouncy house on my bladder the whole time, so I only walked for about fifteen minutes. I bet I sleep well tonight though! :D

Anyways, just plugging along. Trying to enjoy these last weeks and rest and nap and do "me" things, while also taking care of some last minute stuff that'll make me feel more prepared for the big day. Life is good. =)

PS-I just came across this blog post again today. I loved it the first time I read it, a long time ago. I saved it and have read it since. I think it's amazing. If you're a mom, read it. If you're not, you'll still probably get something out of it. :)

PS#2-I just over heard Zac telling Molly that she's his baby and will be for three more weeks, and she'll always be his first baby, and since Drew's a boy, she'll stay his baby girl. It might have made me tear up a little bit. :)

Walking

At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was pretty good about exercising regularly. I'd go to the gym and walk on the treadmill, or take long walks around the neighborhood. Even at the beginning of the summer, I'd wake up early and walk before it got too hot. After my long trip to Austin in August, then coming home sick with a cold and sinus infection, I never really got back into it.
As I get closer to the c-section, I've known I need to be in the best shape I can be, to help with recovery. The more physically active I am now, the easier it will be to get back to, that after the surgery. Tuesday night Zac and I went for a walk around the block. Molly was finally feeling better, so she went with us. It was dark and our little country neighborhood doesn't have many street lights. As we were walking, there was a quiet minute, and I thought to myself "when I imagined being pregnant, I imagined walks like this" and everything seemed right in the world. I smiled to myself, thinking of how my dreams came true. See, in the early stages of pregnancy, it was so easy for every day to be a dream-come-true, but as I've gotten bigger and more uncomfortable (okay, and a little more emotional), it's not quite as easy or obvious to appreciate how marvelous and miraculous this whole experience is. I think that's why the showers and smiles from strangers, and late night walks with your husband and sweet pooch (and all the other things you dream about pregnancy) are extra special. But maybe that's just me.
Anyways, back to the walking...so I know I need to be walking every day for my own benefit. But today's "what to expect" (great app!) tip of the day really REALLY makes me want to walk daily! Read below...

 

I think a daily walk (no matter how tired I am, or how much my feet hurt) is worth it, to have a happier baby with less colic, and more sleep! :) Feel free to hold me accountable...

35 weeks!

How far along? 35 weeks!
Total weight gain:two pounds since my appointment two weeks ago. Sigh...it's getting kind of depressing. Let's say I definitely have gained more than I hoped to, but I know it's so worth it.

Maternity clothes? Yep! And I'm not even sick of them...in fact, I wear them with pride and nostalgia ALREADY, just knowing that they'll only fit a few more weeks. (hopefully- haha!) Special clothes for a special time in my life. :) Sappy, I know.

Stretch marks? yes! And it's crazy...new ones each day! blah...

Sleep? It's not comfortable (hips hurt, tummy is so hard and heavy, and reflux is insane) BUT, I'm sleeping well. I think I'm so tired these days that I fall asleep pretty easily and sleep pretty hard. Embarrassing side note...I've never drooled in my life, and for some reason I drool now. It's gross. I change pillowcases like three times a week. At least I can laugh about it, right?!

Best moment this week? This has been an especially sweet week! Saturday we spent the day in McKinney with my family there, which was awesome. That night we met Eli and Ryan for dinner in Dallas, which was yummy and fun, then we followed it up with cupcakes. Yes! Tuesday I had a great doctor appointment, then had my first playdate with two teachers from my old school who also decided to stay home this year. Ashlea has a 5 month old son, and Melanie has a 9 month old daughter. We had the BEST conversation and the hours flew by! I can't wait to get together again! So nice having a network of new moms nearby. Today I went to my third week of Bible Study, which I've really started to love a lot! After that, I went to my old school to take my girlfriends Sonic drinks. They had made lunch and invited me to stay, so it was a blast getting to sit and visit and eat with them.

Miss Anything? Yes, too much to name. Mostly right now I'd love to go a day without reflux. ;)

Movement? Yes! Love it! Trying to savor every kick and flip and hiccup. What a precious experience to feel a baby move inside of you!

Food cravings: Still chewing ice. Loving IZZE sparkling juice in Clementine and Apple, and still liking chocolate. I made some Jello chocolate pudding tonight, haven't done that ever, or even had it since I was a kid. Yum.

Anything making you queasy or sick: hmm...not really. I thought really hard and can't recall anything. That's good, right?

Labor Signs: nope!

Symptoms: B-H contractions and one bout of high BP last week.

Wedding rings on or off? Off and I haven't even been wearing the fake lately. My hands are still hurting. I guess it's not pain, just stiffness. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! :) I'm not even really counting down anymore. I have a peace that it will happen when it's meant to, and I'm just enjoying every day with this baby in my belly. :)

Looking forward to: my last baby shower, on Saturday!! My mom and dad (& Owen!!!) and my friend Breck are coming in town for the weekend and I'm so excited! The shower will be amazing, and I'm also looking forward to getting the nursery decorating finished, and last minutes shopping done with my mom and Breck!!! Hooray!

***Some notes about my 35 week doctor appointment...
-had my (second!) HIV test done, which prevents them from having to do it to Drew once he's born. I'd much prefer them poke me than him, but I did promise the woman that it would be negative. :) She said "good, I like your confidence!" haha! 
-next visit I will be tested for "strep B." It's a bacterial infection, and if the mom is positive, they will administer antibiotics to her shortly before the birth. Not a big deal, but important to check out.
-we talked a little more in depth about the c-section. I originally wanted him to lower the screen when they were pulling Drew out, so I could watch. After chatting about it though, we both decided together not to do that. He's going to walk Drew around the drape and show him to me up close, which will be better anyways. :) 
-Zac will NOT cut the umbilical cord. Because they do it while the baby is still over my completely opened abdomen, and my uterus will be on top of my chest, it wouldn't be sterile for Zac to be so close, and honestly, that would be a lot for him to have to see. He's fine with not cutting it, and that's not a big deal to me either.
-We are still on the waitlist for the 7:30am operating room. :( This might sound silly, but please say a prayer that it works out we get in. Noon isn't awful, but the doctor and I both agree that the morning time would be SO much better for me!
-I'm sure there was more, but that's all I can remember right now. :)