30 weeks

I'm a slacker, I know. Can I blame it on Thanksgiving? Or that I am so tired and busy that my days just fly by? Yeah, that works.

30 weeks isn't all that bad. I feel pregnant and the heartburn is still there with a vengance, but this baby in the belly thing is pretty easy. (I say that now...) I'm starting to have a harder time sleeping but I'm taking the positive approach and telling myself it's in preparation for February. Dave is being so helpful with Cooper and let's me sleep in (which is awesome!!!!) so I have him to thank for me not being as grumpy as I could be. Thanks hon.

We go to the doc every two weeks now. It seems too soon but I guess it's crunch time so it's necessary. We also start our birthing classes this week, fun! We're taking them at Inova Alexandria Hospital which is where I'll be delivering. We also have a tour scheduled for December so we'll be familiar with the hospital. Man, it's fast approaching!

Here's my 30 week photo:

Thanksgiving was great, my dad and step mom came to visit. We ate a lot, played lots of games and worked on the kitchen which is starting to look awesome. We also visited Montpelier, President Madison's home in Orange, VA. My sister-in-law Su works there as a docent and we got to get the tour of the house and grounds from her. The home was owned by the DuPont family until 1984 and they are now returning it to it's former glory... it's down to its bear bones now but still fun to see.

Here are some pics from Montpelier:


Scott is coming over tonight to help move the slab of granite from the bar. Once that's done we'll be able to move the remaining cabinets, tear down the half wall and put the table in. It already feels very wide open in there and we have so much more cabinet space!


Here's a pic of the new cabinet wall, this used to be the dining room. We're going to put more base cabinets where that chair is.


Almost done with the curtains and bed skirt for Emma's room and once I get them done I'll post some picures of that as well. It's starting to look really nice. Dad and Lynn bought us the side table for her room as well as some butterfly picture hangers for Christmas (yes, early!!!), Mom gave me some antique doll dresses and Bill and Barbara gave us an adorable frame with her name in it that I still need to hang... it looks like I have a ton to do in there!

I have so many people to thank for all the clothes donations for Emma. She's already spoiled and she isn't even born yet! Her closet and two dressers are completely full and it's about 90% 0-6 month clothes! Now I really need a bigger house! I can't wait to dress her in some of the outfits she has, they are absolutely adorable!

And lastly, here's the 30 week update:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.

Love to all!

28 weeks - Yeah Third Trimester!!!!

Hi everyone. We're officially starting the third trimester today and let me tell you, I definitely feel the difference. I have not been sleeping, am VERY emotional and am sore all over. I've been having Braxton-Hicks contractions a lot lately especially when I walk. I guess my body is preparing for Emma's arrival. I'm trying to take it easy these days because the last thing I need it to be put on bed rest!

The house is a disaster. We're trying to do so many things at once and it's very trying on me. I've started to nest a little bit and can't stand all the junk laying around. Last night Dave finished the shelves in one of our closets and we're starting to put things away. I know that in time it will all find it's place, but man it's hard having boxes next to your chair while you're trying to get things done. Much relief to me we're tossing a bunch of stuff, finding new homes for other stuff and just generally cleaning house. We plan to start the kitchen this week but who knows!

Time is flying by... 12 weeks and counting! I went to Babies R Us this past weekend and ordered our glider and about freaked out on the woman when she told me it takes 10-12 weeks to get here. Good grief, I need more time! But, thankfully, I got it ordered and I can check that off my list. I'm still searching for the perfect rug (that's not $450) but haven't found it yet.

Emma is a lot more active these days but only kicks when I'm calm. I guess that's my sign to relax more. Dave is able to feel her move a lot more but she's still very shy toward him. He still hasn't seen her move but once she gets a bit bigger I'm sure he will.

Here's the update for this week:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

After this week I'll be going to the doc every two weeks until my 36th week. I got a call that my glucose test came back negative so I'm clear for diabetes, but I am anemic and have to take an iron pill every night. It hasn't been easy, I throw up on iron so I have to make sure my stomach is very full and should be drinking lots more water, which is still very hard for me to do. In the past I have had bouts of RLS, restless leg syndrome, so hopefully the iron will work for that too. I get my Rhogam shot for Rh negative blood on Thursday so we'll be clear until delivery if Emma has Rh positive blood.

Hope everyone is doing well!

27 weeks

Gooly how time flies! I can't believe I'm already at 27 weeks! The real countdown starts now... 13 weeks left!

I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. Last week was a doozie. I had two printers totally screw up two jobs, had a bazillion things to do and pretty much had a breakdown at the end of the week. I decided that I needed a weekend to myself and did just that... I didn't work at all this past weekend and it felt great!!! I'm paying for the hard work I did on the house though, I'm sore all over! If only I could soak in a hot tub right now!

This weekend Dave and I worked like mad people on our house. Our current projects include: redoing the kitchen, building shelves in the basement closet, Emma's nursery and eventually the bathroom. I'm starting to wonder how we're going to get it all done in such little time. Oh, and we just finished the office too.. we finished painting, put up another desk and rearranged everything, it looks great and it very functional now.

I worked this past weekend on Emma's room and and very happy with the results. I was going to buy a decal for the wall from Pottery barn Kids but decided last minute to try painting it myself. I'm so glad I did, I love it more than the one I could have ordered. Here's what I did...

Here's the rug I think we're going to get to tie it all together... it's from Pottery Barn.


I've been feeling pretty good these days, just more pregnant and a lot less energized. I feel like Emma has doubled in size since week 24 and I'm pretty sure I look like it too. I can't get out of cars easily anymore and small household projects like laundry are daunting. I even had to have Dave help me tie my shoe the other day. How pathetic is that!

Emma kicks a lot these days and I love to watch my belly move. It brings a smile to my face every time. I think she's shy toward her daddy though, everytime he stops to watch she stops kicking. It's actually funny and I can see her in there saying "ha ha daddy!".

Copper is doing well just not completely himself these days. He's been on so much medication fro mhis hot spot that he's sleeping a lot and not eating much. We give him cheese on his food but these days that's not even enough. Spoiled dog. He came back from the park this morning and must have bitten his tongue, Dave said hes mouth was full of blood. Good thing I didn't see it, I would have been freaking out! That's all I need! He's fine now, just sleeping upstairs in his bed. Awe....

Well, works beckons. I hope everyone is doing well!

25 Weeks

Hi everyone...I've finally gotten around to taking my 25 week picture:

Boy is that belly white!!!! Can you tell I didn't wear a bikini this year? (I think those days are gone!) Emma is growing rapidly and trust me when I tell you I can feel it. I've had pretty bad round ligament pain in my lower abdomen... things are definately starting to stretch. I'm even starting to outgrow some of my early maternity clothes...sorry Dave!

Dave and I have been working really hard on the house the past few days. We've finally finished painting the office and got really lucky to find a farm table very similar to the one we already have (which Dave uses as his desk) to serve as my new desk. With the hopes of a third person in the office we need the extra desk space for sure. Tonight we'll be rearranging the space and getting things in order down here.

We also started working on the kitchen. We went to Restore last week and found a pantry cabinet that matches our cabinets for $50!!!! We were planning on spending close to $700 to buy one so we're very happy we went that day. We're going to be making the dining room part of the kitchen since we need more cabinet space... with bottles, bibs and all that comes with a baby 4 cabinets just isn't going to cut it anymore! I'll post pictures once the realy work starts.

Other than the round ligament pain I've been feeling pretty good. I had pretty bad heartburn for a few weeks but it seems to have curbed a bit. I'm sure something new will take it's place soon. Maybe backaches?

Su, my sister in law, gave us tons of baby clothes, blankets and baby gear this weekend. We are soooo thankful. I had a pretty good time going through it all while we watched the Steelers on Sunday (sad, sad game). Emma's pretty lucky to have two older nieces that have passed things down! I also went shopping with Barbara this weekend and got some essentials for Emma's arrival. I think with a pack of newborn diapers we'll be ready to roll. Well, sortof.

Here's the 25 week update:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but she's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. Her hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after she's born.

Love to all!

24 weeks

I got home last night from a long weekend in Michigan visiting my family and having my first two baby showers... it's was so much fun. Thanks to everyone that gave me such wonderful gifts, Emma is truly blessed by so many of you and Dave and I really appreciate your generosity. We recieved a lot of great baby gear and now I just need to find room to put it all! We got a lot of 6-12 month clothes, our crib matress, high chair, monitor, sheets and blankets, two diaper bags, some toys, and lots of other really fun stuff! I don't have pictures yet, but will post them when I get some.

We're 24 weeks now and I'm starting to really get antsy to get things done. The nursery isn't nearly finished, the house needs a ton of work before she arrives and I still haven't found a good designer to help out once she's born. I'm pretty cool with the idea of being a mom and not too nervous about that, just a bit worried about how I'm going to get my day to day tasks done. Maid? Personal Chef? Clone?

Here's our 24 week update:
Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance **that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

We go in Thursday for the Glucose screening test to determine if I have gestational diabetes. I'm hoping this test goes smoothly... if not, I'll have to have another test that lasts three hours, yuk!

Have a great week everyone!

Poor Cooper

We have a very sad puppy in our house today.... we got back from the beach on Sunday and Cooper had a very bad infection on the side of his face. We took him to the vet this morning and he has a "hot spot" which is basically a sore that he scratched so much it spread and got really bad really quickly. He had to be sedated this morning so he could be shaved and cleaned up and he's still pretty groggy. He has an e-collar on now and HATES it... he keeps bumping into things and looks so sad at you it makes me want to cry. Please pray for Mr. Cooper that he gets better soon. :(


Our week at the beach was great. We had to work a little bit but it wasn't too bad. I don't think we're ever going to have a real vacation ever again. Maybe when we retire, but that's so far in the future it doesn't count! Calgon, take me away!!!! Some beach pics...

This was the whole gang on crab night. We ordered in crabs, crab legs, shrimp and hush puppies, Yum! From left...Lauren, Sara, Emily, Jeff, Dave, Danny's dad Bob, Danny, Brant and Stacy.
Here's Coop swimming in the pool. He just loved it and didn't want to get out. He'd even do laps without the ball just to be in there. :)

This is Ainsley, Brant and Stacy's 4 year old daughter. She's the cutest thing and loved to have her picture taken. She'd be playing in the waves and see me with the camera and stand and pose. Watch out Stacy!!!!

I love this picture. I'm not sure what Dave is looking at, but they're playing Bocce Ball. From left... Jeff, Dave, Sara and Lauren.

Some exciting news, Dave got to feel Emma kick for the first time on Friday. His face lit up, I think he was actually surprised he felt it. She's kicking a lot more these days, but still likes my bladder, ugh. She's still breech and I'm hoping she get's a big energy spurt and flips over soon.

I got a call from my insurance company last week asking for approval for a perscription for Rhogan to be shipped to my doctor. Apparently I have Rh negative blood and there's a chance Emma could be Rh negative (since Dave is) and my body could reject her if our bloods we're to ever mix. It's a shot I have to have at my next appointment that will block my antibodies from attacking her. It was a bit scary at first, especially since my doctor never mentioned it to me but I'm finding it's normal and happens to a lot of women.

In a few weeks I also have to do the "oh-so-fun-Glucose-test" which I am NOT loking forward to. I'm a bit nervous that I'll end up with gestational diabetes because of my blood sugar issues, but let's all hope that doesn't happen. I have to drink this fruit punch stuff an hour before my apoointment then give blood twice while I'm there. I thought being pregnant was fun!!! I think I have given blood about 10 times so far and I'm only half way there!

No news on the nursery. Mom is coming in Nov. to help but I haven't done anything else since I took the last pictures. I need to get moving on it, pretty soon I'll be the size of a house and wont' be able to do anything much less decorate!

Here's the update for 23 weeks:

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

I'm excited for this weekend, I am going to Michigan to visit my family and both sides are throwing me a shower. I have one on Friday night with my mom's side and one Sunday afternoon with my dad and step-mom's side. I can't wait to see everyone, it's been a while since I've been home. It's going to be a short trip, but with work these days I can't afford to stay much longer.

Well, back to work. Have a great week everyone!

22 weeks

Greetings from Nags Head, NC! We're at the beach this week for what I'm considering my last vacation before Emma arrives. We won't be doing much travelling from here on out (together, that is). I do have two baby showers in two weeks that I'm flying to Michigan for, but after that I'll be homebound.

The beach is great. We got her Saturday evening around 6 and will be staying until this coming Saturday. I think we're going to go visit some friends in Kilmarnock VA Sat evening to wrap up the weekend, which should be fun. Cooper is enjoying every minute of this vacation... he's getting to swim every day, which he LOVES! He gets in the pool like it's his second home and never wants to get out, he just swims laps. It's hysterical and get's me nervous sometimes because I can tell he's tired but keeps going! He's got two puppy friends here, Chica and Dixie, and loves chasing them around. He's a bit of an instigator when it comes to rough housing, but it's great to see him get along with other dogs. Yesterday he got to go for a run, swim in the pool, go for a car ride and got to go to the Sound so he was pretty tired. I'll try to take pics of him swimming in the next few days.

Based on my due date we're 22 weeks now. Emma's growing rapidly, but I don't seem to be, which I guess is a blessing. I thought I was pooching out more but I looked at my past weekly pics and not much has changed. I'm definately in maternity clothes now but can still wear some of my old tops. I'm sure that will change in the next few weeks. :)


Here's a pic of Cooper and me in my preggo bathing suit... so comfy!!!!


I got some great news last week from my cousin Scott that he and his girlfriend Jen are having a baby a few weeks after us. (hi Jen - can't wait to meet you!) I am so excited for them and thrilled that I'll have someone to talk to that I'll actually know who's going through some of the same things as me. I talk to a lot of girls on an online thread but I've never met them so it's a bit different.

I've had some pretty bad heartburn lately and more leg cramping, which stinks, but other than that I'm feeling pretty good. I've been able to stay up late with all our friends here and have been sleeping pretty well considering the anaconda pillow is at home. The bed sucks here, but I think I'm so tired by the time my head hits the pillow it doesn't matter much. I know my time of sleep is limited so I'm trying to get as much as I can now! Dear Dave has been great and let's me sleep in every day, I can't tell you how wonderful that is!!!

Here's the update for 22 weeks:
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Emma's room is still the same but we've cleared out some of the big toys we got from friends and I've started cleaning out the dressers. Our plan is to put up the bead board in the next few weeks but we'll see. I'd like to get everything done before Thanksgiving but not sure we can stick to that schedule, work has been very hectic and time just flies!

Well, it's time to eat again... one of the best parts of being pregnant!!! I'm eating constantly and love it! My fav's these days are all fruit popsicles, Smart Start cereal and any pretty much any piece of fruit I can get my hands on. Emma likes fruit too... she kick a lot right after I eat some. :)

Love to all!