Maternity Pictures

Back in October, my sister, Lindsey, came into town and Justin and I headed to the trails at Ross Bridge to take our maternity pictures.  I was 30 weeks pregnant at the time.  My sister is so fabulous....I'll just let the pictures below speak for themselves.  If you ever want to use Lindsey for any pictures, just let me know or go to her website for Lindsey Smith Photography. 

Next post...35 weeks!!!  My first weekly appointment where they check me for progression will be on Wednesday so I'll blog after that.  Well, it may be Thursday before I blog.  Justin and I are going to the farm to spend the day with two of my best friends and their family, which is kind of my second family because I've known them so long.  So excited for Thanksgiving!!!

Baby Shower #4….Sort Of.

We did have a fourth baby shower….sort of.  I guess you can count anything as a shower if it involves people coming over to one central location and providing gifts for the baby.  Justin’s buddies threw him a diaper shower last weekend while he was in town.  It was hosted by two of his really good friends, Trevor and Yarbrough.  All the guys came over to our house to watch the Auburn/Georgia game and brought diapers for Carter.  I wasn’t at the house, so it was an all guys day.  My breastfeeding class was that day at Saint Vincent’s satellite location on Hwy 119.  Justin was supposed to go with me but it was the only day they could do the diaper shower, so I had Tiffany go with me instead.  Not that Justin would have been helpful in any way for that class, I just really wanted someone to go with me so that I wasn’t by myself.  It was actually more beneficial and made more sense for Tiffany to be there with me instead of Justin since she has boobs too.

The class was supposed to be from 9am-12:30, but it was actually over early at 11:30, so we headed back to my house to pick up some items I’ve gotten duplicates of at my showers to take back to Buy Buy Baby.  I also had several gift cards that I got at my showers that I went ahead and used to purchase a few of the things that were still on my registry that I really wanted.  We got back to my house before the man shower was actually over so we just went upstairs in the nursery and unpacked/arranged some things.

We racked up on the diapers and wipes though!!!!  I really hope Carter stays in size 1’s for a while…

And while Trevor and Yarbrough were at Publix buying things for the shower, Yarbrough told Trevor “you know, we should get a cake.  Chicks have cakes at showers don’t they?”

Not like cakes chicks have, but I was still thoroughly impressed that they thought to get a cake.  And it was FRIGGIN DELICIOUS!!!

I had my 33 week appointment the day before this shower and it went well.  I saw one of the docs that I actually hadn’t seen yet, so as of now I’ve seen everyone except for one doctor and from what I understand from others, that doctor doesn’t do deliveries anymore.  So I think I’ve met everyone that would have a chance at delivering Carter.  I have my top 3 of course.  I’m hoping that one of those 3 will be around the day Carter comes.  I told the doc about my extreme headaches and dizziness that I was experiencing and she said that if it happens again to go home and lay in bed and take 2 extra strength Tylenol and if it doesn’t go away to call.  Luckily, I haven’t had it happen since Halloween.

I asked when I would be at the point where I wouldn’t be allowed to leave town.  She said that I can go anywhere in the continental US up until 37 weeks and then I need to stay put.  We were asking because Justin is doing a race in Georgia the first weekend of December and it’s right next to Calloway Gardens where they do a HUGE Christmas lights spectacular that I REALLY want to go to since he’s running right next to it.  However, that race is a mere 3 days before I turn 37 weeks.  I told Justin that I would schedule my 36 appointment for the Friday that we’d leave to head up there and see what my progression is like before making the decision to go or not.  Chances are, if I’m dilated at all I won’t go.  It just makes me nervous.  I still may not go, even if I’m not progressing yet, depending on how I’m feeling.  As of now I’m feeling TONS of cramps and Braxton hicks contractions that just make me uncomfortable so I may just stay at home in bed. 

My appointments are now weekly so my next one is next Wednesday (day before Thanksgiving) at  10:15am.  This is when they will “check me” the first time.  I’m kind of nervous about it.  Mainly because I think what other people have been telling me is true and that I’m doing way too much and haven’t been resting enough.  I’m afraid that I may be too progressed for 35 weeks and that the doc will put me on limited or even full bed rest.  We’ll just see how it goes I guess.  Justin is on his last week of travels  this week and when he get home tomorrow, he’ll be home for good.  THANKFULLY.  I am about to utilize his services in opening all the gifts that are still in boxes and putting them together (things like the pack n play, co-sleeper, diaper holder, etc).  Hopefully we’ll be ready for this baby before he’s ready to be with us.  I’ll be full term in LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!!!  I am in such shock at that statement.

Baby Shower #3

So baby shower number 3 happened on 11.10.11.  It was a shower thrown by 8 of my closest friends at work.  I have to start this by saying how truly blessed I am to have the job I have at the firm I work for.  Our shareholders allow wedding and baby showers that are usually really big showers!  It’s not just getting a gift here or a gift there….the firm will spend hundreds on your shower not to mention the 40+ people at work that usually chip in for your gifts.  We racked up at this shower and I am so grateful for my job and the shareholders I am working for.

I should preface this by saying that the 8 people that hosted my shower know me better than a lot of people and one of the things they have ALWAYS made fun of me for is the fact that I listen to Christmas music starting in September.  Seriously.  I will listen to it on my computer on pandora until it finally comes on 96.5 in November.  The day of my shower I was told not to go near the training room (where the showers are held).  When it was time for the shower to start, they came and got me and Justin from my office and wanted me to enter the room first.  This is what I saw:

On top of the fact that the entire room was decorated for Christmas, there was also Christmas music playing in the background.  To see that they took so much time to make this shower so specifically for me absolutely made my month.  When I opened the door to the room I just stared in awe and my friend, and host, Ashley said “are you going to cry?”.  My response was “I might”.

These are four of some of my favorite people at work, three of which were hosts.  Meredith, Julie, Marlene and Mindy (yes, we have TONS of M names at our job).

I got my Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper, which was something I intended to buy if no one else had bought it.  It’s what Carter will sleep in when he’s in our room the first several weeks.

I also got my changing pad and a blue cover to go with it.  Another thing I was going to have to buy. 

Justin’s a lot like me, he doesn’t really like opening presents in front of a lot of people.  It’s just awkward.  But he knew he’d have to do that at this shower.

Dryer for washed bottles

LOVE THIS!!!  Another one of my favorite people at work, Emily, hosted, but instead of putting money in for the host gift, she gave me something on her own.  How stinkin ADORABLE is this?!?!

Cute little Christmas bib

I was extremely shocked and very thankful that I got this.  It’s the breathable monitor by AngelCare movement.  I hadn’t originally registered for this.  A couple of months ago, two of our good friends, Joe and Katy, lost their 9 week old son to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).  It’s when babies die from just rolling over onto something on accident and not being able to roll back and they suffocate.  I’d heard of it of course, but until then, it had never happened to anyone I knew.  Walt’s funeral was the most emotional event I’ve ever been to and I honestly cried for days for the Bridges family and also out of fear of if that could happen to Carter.  I immediately registered for this afterwards.  It’s a monitor pad that goes under the crib mattress that detects movements so small, like breathing.  If the baby is sleeping in his crib and stops breathing for 20 seconds, the handheld alarm (which will be in our room) will go off indicating we need to run faster than ever upstairs to help him.

Another big thing we got was Carter’s play mat

And another big item I wasn’t expecting was the ExerSaucer.  They literally bought all the big things  on my registry that was left with exception to one.  On top of all the gifts, the shareholders gave me a very generous amount of money to complete any items off my registry that we hadn’t gotten yet. Have I mentioned that I love my job and coworkers??