35 Weeks

Do you all know how far along 35 weeks sounds??? Wasn't I just five weeks and starting this weekly pregnancy update thing like a couple weeks ago? Now I only have FIVE WEEKS TO GO. Five little weeks until baby. It blows my mind. (you will most likely get this exact paragraph every week from now on. Be prepared)

Our sweet little baby is totally all the way developed, but if delivered now might still need an incubator because he/she may or may not have enough fat to keep his/her body temperature up. Still, we are close, SUPER close to it being okay for this baby to be born! The estimates say the baby is now 19-20 inches and over five pounds. It also says all babies are different and who the heck knows how big OUR baby is because no baby is the same. This is just the averages. So...good to know. The baby is still moving around like crazy, but in a different way. I have way less pokes and jabs and way more rolls...shifting from here to there. Just a smooth movement over my belly in which I picture him/her trying to get comfortable in a VERY tight space! Also, I am pretty sure the baby has dropped. Things seem...much lower.


As for me, I am good! My blood work came back good from my appointment this week, so we are holding strong with slightly elevated BP that doesn't seem to be getting worse. At first they really seemed to think I would deliver early, but now I am getting the feeling we might actually make it all the way to the due date! Like I mentioned, I think the baby has dropped and this is giving me a little more room to breath, plus seems to be helping with the back aches when I roll over in my sleep. Nice to have a break from that. I am getting more tired, but it doesn't bother me much seeing as how I am suppose to be resting all the time anyways. I cannot imagine working full time these days, seeing as how when my four hours was up yesterday I came home and feel asleep...for four hours. It was awesome.

Okay, now to some belly pictures..

shirt down

shirt up

Baby Shower #2!!

Well, as I have mentioned about a million times, I had my second baby shower on Sunday. It was awesome! My mom and aunt had us the shower, and everything was perfect. Food was delicious, games were fun, decorations were adorable, and the company was the best! Seriously, Nick and I are ridiculously lucky to have such amazing friends and families that support us this much. We have been given basically everything any new parents could ever want. Plus cash to get all the stuff we don't even know we want, but will become obvious to us once this sweet baby arrives. It's awesome! We came home from this shower with the hotsling (YAY!!!), the Baby Einstein Exersaucer, the Bumbo seat, the the boppy pillow, tons of adorable baby clothes, and tons and tons more. Heck I even got NURSING clothes for ME. That's right. My mom is a genius. It. Was. Awesome. So, here are a few pictures of the wonderful day!

Here is me with my mom and my aunt Josie...they were great hostesses! Also, aren't we adorable in our black and white? My family likes to match. It's what we do. me with my sistersMe with the grandma's to be! me and my NanaFour generations!

Just to break up the random pictures of my family, here is the food table....mmmmmmHere is me with my Mamaw and three of her sisters (aka my great aunts)My aunt Donna and cousin Arielle. While standing to take this picture, the baby actually kicked my Aunt Donna. It was awesome.Here is another one of me with my mama...just because it's cuteand me with my mama in law...because we worked hard to get this picture! Sally got to see how obsessed my family is with pictures. It's a sickness...

Yet another family shot...this time with my Mamaw and mom and aunts on that side and my sisters...see...a sickness.

And finally, a picture of me actually sitting down. Somehow I didn't get many (any) pictures of the present table, or the actual present opening and all that stuff. I do have this one loan picture of me sitting (following doctor's orders!) but I assure you I did spend the majority of the shower on my butt eating tons of great food and laughing with my wonderful family!

Little of This, Little of That

First off, I have a new review up over at Chic Shopper Chick, and it is a giveaway for a great skincare kit! Take a look if you have time and enter to win!!

Secondly, I had a wonderful time at my baby shower on Sunday! My little mommy and my aunt did an amazing job hosting and it was absolutely perfect! I got tons of great pictures, so I will do a post about that tomorrow. As of today, I am exhausted for some reason. I guess I am just recovering from working the weekend and having the shower. I also had my doctors appointment today, and ended up being there for three hours. That might have something to do with the exhaustion...

The doctors visit was interesting. I am still doing good with the old weight gain, which sorta surprised me. I feel so big all of a sudden, but I have only put on 27 pounds. Not too bad! As for my blood pressure, the top number was down, but the bottom number was up. I thought they were going to just let me go, but then he took a look at my feet and said I needed to get on the monitor for awhile. He came back and said that all looked good. He then checked my cervix to see if I was dilating. (I am not...good news. Much to early for anything like that) Then I was off for some blood work. He said as long as it comes back okay tomorrow, that he will see me in a week. All was well by the time I left, but somehow the appointment had an odd feeling considering I thought my BP seemed better.

He marked on my paperwork that I had preeclampsia, them added a note of increased BP and positive protein. These are things that were not talked about with me at all. I was sorta annoyed, but I will ask about the protein when I call for the lab results tomorrow. They haven't told me I have preecalmpsia, and if they are still letting me work, I assume it was just an insurance thing. Still, up until now it has only been called pregnancy induced hypertension, so it really surprised me. Maybe I will ask about that when I call tomorrow too... Oh well. As of now I am still able to work part time, which is awesome. I got to go to the wedding and my baby shower, both of which I really thought I would have to miss after the hospital deal. From this point on I am totally happy to sit back and relax so this sweet baby can do some more growing! Speaking of relaxing, I think it is about time for a nap...

Tom Boy...Sorta

Well I am managing to lay around and relax today. I made a half hearted attempt to go see my friend (and Bio Girl Reader!!) Danielle and her new baby in the hospital, but Nick sorta mentioned that maybe I should, you know, follow the doctors orders and stay on the couch since I worked today and tomorrow plus I have my shower out of town tomorrow..and I have to say I think it was a good point. I am just not so good at telling myself no, but once it is pointed out to me, it becomes the OBVIOUS answer. Anyway, I am hoping to see Danielle and little Wyatt on Monday (my day off!) and for today I am getting in some couch potato-ing time!

So, what am I watching on the old TV during this relaxation time? That would be the NFL draft. My dad, the greatest dad ever-for the record, managed to have himself three daughters. He took this in stride, never minding to be surrounded by women, but he did push for a boy dog at one point. Still, he never minded all the girls. He embraced all things girl, but he also taught us to love some things that maybe aren't at the top of most girls list. For instance, I LOVE NFL football. LOVE IT. Like people used to tell Nick how lucky he was that I would watch NFL with him on Sundays (and Mondays...and Thursdays) and he would just laugh. It was ME that always turned it on. ME that wanted to go to the games. He liked it too, but his NFL love really grew from mine.

I consider myself a true fan. I completely understand the game, know the players, and keep track of all the teams. I can hang in there with most guys in an NFL conversation. I can totally hold my own. I like to think of myself as tough. I true fan, not just a girl that picked a team and has a pink jersey (I do NOT wear a pink jersey...just for the record). Then, as I sit here and watch the draft I have to admit something to myself. I love to see who goes where, to watch the teams be built, the strategy behind each selection...that is part of the reason I watch. But really, the REAL reason I love the draft...is because the players cry. They stand up and look all tough, then they hug their mom's and they burst into tears. There is nothing better than a linebacker who can't hold it together on draft day! Makes me get a little teary eyed too...because it is all so sweet. That is why I REALLY love football. All those girly emotions...

34 Weeks

And here we are at 34 weeks! Hard to believe. I started doing my research for this post (it is serious stuff...takes me about five minutes) and every site I look at for each new weeks post said the same thing. If you are worried about pre-term labor or having this baby early, you can breath a little easier. Babies born at 34 weeks and beyond typically show no signs of being premature besides a longer hospital stay. This is a huge relief. It isn't like we want this baby to come anytime soon, but with the part time work and the elevated blood pressure we do know that it is a possibility. It is reassuring to know that if they do decide we need to induce early, the baby should be fine. Huge HUGE relief.

Now, our sweet baby is doing pretty great accord to the 34 week update! He or she is now 4.75 - 5 pounds. (I KNOW) and is about 18 inches long. That is totally a BABY size. The baby is now settling in to the head down position, so looks like they hang upside down for quite a long time. Poor baby. The finger nails are now fully grown and reach the end of the baby's fingers, and the toe nails are not far behind. The babies organs are all fully mature except for the lungs, and all in all the baby is well on it's way to being born!

As for me, well from my post yesterday you can probably see that I am actually enjoying my new slower pace. I worry about making things difficult for work, but at the same time feel that my twenty hours a week are really helping and know it is just something that is out of my hands. They have all been great, and that makes it worlds easier. I am sleeping well ( I have back aches, but they aren't terrible, and I guess I just accept them at this point) and the baby is getting bigger which is leaving much less room for things like my lungs and my bladder, but all in all I am just rolling with the changes and happy that the sweet baby can stay in and keep packing on the pounds!

Now to the belly pictures...

shirt down

shirt up!

Taking it Easy

So the past several months I have been asked a question. Mainly from people at work, but also just from random inquisitive people. The question, " So how close to your due date are you working?" This question amazed me. Actually, I guess what amazed me was everyones SHOCK when I would say, "Ummm...I am working until my water breaks!" (for the record this answer sorta horrified Justin). Seriously though, I had NO PLANS to take time off before this sweet baby arrived. I honestly didn't see a need. I didn't want to waste my time off, and I felt totally fine, so I was rolling with it all the way until the end. There was no other logical option. I was perfectly normal. Why would I need to take off??

Now, many people thought this was insane. I had women telling me they took off the entire month before because they were just to exhausted to work. Really?? REALLY?? A MONTH before...just to REST. I thought they were insane. Either that or I thought I was immune to all negative pregnancy side effects because I was FINE to keep working. And not only to keep working, but then to do all the normal stuff I always do after work and on the weekends. I was maintaining my normal life. Didn't bother me at all. Sure I was tired when I got into bed at night, but who isn't??

Then nearly two weeks ago I was forced to slow down. Cut back to 20 hours of work. On light duty. Doctor ordered rest. I thought I would die of boredom. What would I DOOOOO?? There is only so much TV to watch...only so many books to read. I would force myself into labor just so I could get up and DO something. Well...I was totally (TOTALLY) wrong. I had no idea how tired I actually was. No idea how far I was running myself down! NO idea that 20 hours would feel like PLENTY, and the relaxation would be a welcome addition to my schedule. I know as each day passes that I am getting farther along with the pregnancy, so I am getting more and more tired, but I really don't know that I would have been aware of it. I would have just kept going.

Now that I am forced to rest, man does it feel great! I am watching an amazing amount of TV (totally hooked on the Learning Channel...mainly "A Baby Story"...which may or may not keep making me cry) and I am reading (decided to dive back into the Harry Potter Books. Nothing sucks me in like seven books at the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry). Beyond that though, I am just resting. I am taking things slow and really getting ready for this baby. I didn't realize how exhausted I was, but now nearly two weeks in, I can tell how much better I am. My blood pressure doesn't really show it (or maybe it does because it isn't going up, it is staying border line) but I can FEEL it. I needed to slow down. And I am just not the type of person who does that well on my own. I needed a push. Like a doctors order. Or a trip to the hospital. Or maybe both. I guess these doctors know what they are talking about after all!

Laura's Wedding!!

**went to the doc this morning and all is well. Blood pressure was a little too high, so they had me lay down and took it about thirty minutes later. It came back good the second time, so they said that it looks like the half days are working and they will see me in a week! He also gave me the all clear to go to my Shower on Sunday as long as I get a ride and take it easy. YAY!!! Now to the wedding...**

So, as you might remember, I was allowed to go to a wedding this weekend! You all know how I love weddings. This was a special one because it was for our super close friend Laura. We met her working at the coffee shop where Nick and I met, and have been close to her ever since. We sorta lived together in college (one of those old houses that was split into two apartments, she lived upstairs, I lived downstairs) and have stayed close for the last eleven years. Amazing that much time has passed...

Anyway, the wedding was wonderful. I don't have my normal volume of wedding pictures because...well, we were running a little late to the ceremony and actually cut the minister off to get into the last pew of the church. Nick was on the aisle and he isn't as okay with taking a million pictures during as wedding as I am. Not sure what is wrong with him. Anyway, he managed to get one shot of the actual ceremony...

stellar photography. He tried to get them coming down the aisle, but the camera took to long and they had already passed us. Huge wedding picture fail.

Still, the wedding was super sweet and we loved every second. We then headed over to the reception, which was totally awesome, even for the pregnant girl that pretty much stayed seated the entire time. Food was heaven, cake was heaven, bride and groom were totally adorable! We got to see people we haven't seen in years, which is always enjoyable. We did lots of catching up and promising to stay in touch. You know how those weddings of old friends go. There were so many people from the coffee shop there, it was shocking. We actually took a huge picture of everyone who ever worked there, but alas, it wasn't with my camera. Still, I did manage to get some pictures, so here are a few from the night!

Here are the bride and groom cutting the cake. Her dress was awesome. Like no wedding dress I have ever seen, but it suited her perfectly!

here are the bride and groom during their first dance

And then here is me and Nick...in his new birthday suit...which is obviously a suit he got for his birthday and not, you know, the naked kinda "birthday suit"...because that would be sorta awkward at a wedding

Next we have me and my friend Amy from the coffee shop. Her little boy turned up his sippy cup right as Nick snapped the picture, which was sad because now you can't see his adorable face. He is so stinkin' cute...

And now we have me and the bride! I look HUGE in this picture, but Laura is absolutely adorable

And finally a last self portrait of me and Nicholas. I look tired, but it was totally worth it. We had a blast! I do love a good wedding...

That's my Baby...the one with the Monocle!

So remember how I told you that we got two pretty bad ultrasound pictures from the hospital? Well, I figured it was time to share! We aren't above poking fun at our own child, even when he/she is still in the womb...that's not wrong, is it??

So here is picture number one! Um...what is up with the baby's EYE?? Doesn't it TOTALLY look like he/she is wearing a monocle? Nick and I think it does. Clearly the baby will be a MASTER at Monopoly...or maybe just be a billionaire. Gotta be one of the two. According to the doc it is the baby's eye lid or something like that. Still. STILL. Also, check out that mighty frown! The baby is NOT PLEASED that we are taking it's picture. Also again, I think the baby is going to look exactly like Nick. Not because of the monocle eye or the joker frown...but just because somehow even in this bad picture the baby totally looks like his/her papa!Okay, this one isn't very clear, but you can see half of the sweet baby's face. Looks like the baby might be a little crowded in there...Still, I actually love this little partial face picture! Just wish they had gotten a more clear shot. I do realize the doc had to come in on a Saturday to do this ultrasound, so he wasn't really in the mood to spend extra time just for our enjoyment. Oh well.

As a side note, the doctor said I had an insane amount of umbilical cord in there. Is that abnormal? Also, he pointed out that it isn't always the best thing to grow the biggest baby in the world. Hmmm...do you think he is trying to tell me something? Like cut back on the Easter candy....surely not!

33 Weeks

Well, we had a serious week 32! Lets keep our fingers crossed that week 33 is much more uneventful. According to the websites, our sweet baby is now up to 17 inches long and over four pounds. We actually know that our baby is bigger than that, but whatever. This weekly posting will stick with the averages. The doctor did tell me that the baby is most likely measuring big because Nick an I are both so tall. This can really throw the numbers because they calculate weight based on length. Seems like we might be having a really LOOOOONG baby. Also, as a total side note, in our ultrasound the doctor said he could see that the baby has hair!!! How amazing is that?? In my head this was a bald baby, but looks like he or she is going to take after their daddy and be born with some hair. Adorable!

As for me, despite all the weekend drama I really feel good! I never actually felt bad. Just a little dizzy and super swollen. After several days of rest my feet once again look like my feet! Oh how I have missed them! I am super rested and really feeling wonderful. This part time work thing isn't half bad!

Now to some belly pictures!

Shirt down

Shirt up

Happy Easter (Really Late...)

Well I went back to the doctor today and everything is holding steady! So happy about this. Seems like this half day schedule is going to work out for us for at least the time being. I gotta say that it is sorta an ideal schedule! Work half time, then I MUST go home and put my feet up. I think I can handle that. Especially since I get paid for the half time off because of my short term disability. Not a bad deal at all. PLUS, the doc gave me the green light to go to the wedding on Saturday. YAY!!!!! I am not really on bed rest as much as I am on "Take it easy-Doctors orders" This I can totally live with!

Anyway, now that the medical/baby stuff is under control, I thought I would show you some pictures from Easter at my parents! We actually did Easter a week early over there, which turned out great because had it been on real Easter it would have been the hospital weekend. Things just work out sometimes...Anyway, here are a few pics!

Here is my mom and my mamaw, me and baby C. Four generations! Here's me with my Nana! And me with my Aunt Josie. After we ate an insane amount of wonderful food that my mom made, we decided it was time for Croquet. We are huge nerds. Also, Nick is AWESOME at croquet. Who knew?? Also again, Nick and I think this picture is hillarious. We look all outdoorsy. This is a total lie. Next we had an Easter Egg hunt...you know, just for the kids. The thing is, my cousin is nine, and the rest of us...well...we still consider ourselves kids. Check out how pumped my little sister and brother in law are for the hunt...

Missy took off like a bolt of lightening...couldn't even see her she was so fast...Nick and I held our own in the hunt as well. Come to think of it, maybe running around trying to beat my nine year old cousin to some eggs wasn't the BEST thing for my blood pressure...

Anyway, it was a WONDERFUL Easter! We loved every second of it. The only thing that will make it better is that next year we will have Avery and Baby C there to join in the fun!! Oh...and the fact that next year dad promised to fill some of the eggs with cash...yeah, THAT will also make it better too!

Update

So I went to see my real doctor today, and man oh man I like him SO MUCH BETTER than the on call doctor from the weekend! Mainly because he actually talked to me, which is a big plus. When I got taken back into my room they checked my blood pressure and it was once again high. Annoying because I have been checking it at home yesterday and today and it was totally normal! They had me lay down for about twenty minutes and it went back down to the normal range. Right. So....as long as I am relaxing, my BP is totally normal.

The answer was to cut me to part time at work and to have me resting the rest of the time (the doc's exact words were "I want you to be a couch potato") and see how things look in a couple of days. I go back in on Wednesday for another check, so this part time plan will have all of tomorrow to see how it goes. I am really hoping that they let me do a few things because I have this wedding I REALLY want to go to on Saturday, then I have my other baby shower the next Saturday...what do you think the odds are of me being allowed to attend these two events?? I am thinking not good. They don't sound like "couch potato" activities, but I will ask about the wedding on Wednesday if things look good. On top of that, work is really not ready for me to be gone yet, so that is an entire other stress. I am trying to not worry about it, but it is a real mess. Still, the absolute most important thing is this sweet baby. I am not going to do anything that puts him/her in danger or rushes the birth when it is clearly to early for this little guy or girl to get here! So...I guess I am off to watch some TV and get some R&R!

And Everything has been Going so Well...

So guess where I spent Friday night? Anybody? I will give you some hints...

They give you breakfast in bed...And they let your husband sleep over...but in a very uncomfortable chair

So once your husband gets into your bed with you, he will decide THAT is where he is sleeping next time! Also, they don't let you wash your hair...They can be cruel at this mystery location.

So...did you guess it? Right. I was IN THE HOSPITAL! I KNOW. The easiest pregnancy ever hit a small bump in the road. It all started Friday while I was working. My feet were AMAZINGLY swollen. Like, they have been getting big, but by noon they were painful to walk on. I was also feeling dizzy every time I stood up, so I figured I needed my blood pressure checked. The thing was, my BP is ALWAYS super low like 110/50, and I didn't want to call the doctor and drive ALL THE WAY (maybe three miles) to the office just to hear, "Looks perfect!" So I came up with a plan to run to the grocery store where they have a machine you can use. I plop down and hit start. 145/85...hmmm...Is that high? I am really not sure. It's high for ME, but it is something to call the doc about?? I decide I need more data (bio girl remember...HUGE nerd) I elevate my feet for five minutes, then take it again. 134/80. Hmmm...five more minutes, 134/81. I head back to work.

I give the doc a call and sound like a complete idiot as I attempt to give the receptionist my data collection information. She seems totally confused. I am worried about my BP, but I already TOOK my BP...three times. And want to tell the nurse the data I collected...and...yeah. She thought I was crazy (it still doesn't seem that crazy to ME, but it blew her mind...). The nurse called me back at four and said those grocery store meters read a little high, but to come on in and get it checked. At this point I am pretty sure we are about to have a "I think I have a UTI, no, it's just a baby" / "baby isn't MOVING...no wait...baby is sleeping" sorta visits. I told Nick he DID NOT need to come. I told my mom she DID NOT need to come. Nick listened. Mom met me in the waiting room. They took me back and my BP was 150/92. I learned that anything over 140 in the top number is a red flag, anything over 80 in the bottom is a red flag. They put me on the monitor and had me lay down for 25 minutes. Baby sounded great but BP was 144/88. So...We were ADMITTED to the hospital.

We get there and they have no beds. My family is all there (half of them work at this hospital so it is easy) and they bring us some dinner. They get get us a room and start the 24 hour urine screening. Basically they want to see if it is just high BP or if it is preeclampsia. We learn that really, the pee is the ONLY reason I am there. I have no IV, no meds, only monitored every eight hours...we are basically having a little weekend get away to the hospital! Actually, they did leave me on the monitor overnight because I was sorta having a lot of contractions. Like at one point every three minutes. Crazy talk if you ask me, but that is what the monitor told them, and they believe it more than they believe me.

Saturday there is more laying around. Nick read me and the baby over 100 pages of the Hobbit, which was great! (Remember...we are HUGE nerds. We do not hide it) We have tons of family come visit, which was awesome! We got flowers and doughnuts, chocolate covered strawberries and double doozy cookies. It was pretty enjoyable in that gotta-be-in-the-hospital sort of way. Nick at some point commented on how funny this must be to the nurses. They see family pouring into the room...tons of gifts. They think, "man, she must be bad off!" they look at the door, and a sign that says "URINE COLLECTION". Serious stuff!

We did get an ultrasound on Saturday! (Fun things happen in the hospital). We didn't get any great pictures, but we got two sorta bad ones I will post this week. The doc totally freaked us (okay just me) out but searching and searching for something...having me flip sides, flip again, flip again...looking looking looking . Finally the nurse asked what he was looking for. He hesitates (my heart beat picks up) and says " I..am...... just ...................... looking ....................... for....................................." Right. That is how he drug it out, then he STOPPED TALKING. A minute later he said, "Oh there it is. I was looking for the right arm." THE RIGHT ARM!! I could have told him the kid had one of those! We found out the baby looks great and that he or she is measuring TWO WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. Right. I am measuring at 34 weeks. This baby is going to be HUGE.

All day Saturday my BP was good. It was 110/50 when I was laying down, and 130/75 when I was sitting up on the edge of the bed. There was only trace proteins in my urine, so they decided we could come home last night! We had a wonderful nurse who helped make that happen and we are SO GLAD to have had her! They basically want me to check my BP three times a day, and go see my real doctor on Monday. For now we are basically on "keep an eye on it" mode. Let's hope we stay there!

And that is the very long and detailed story of our 24 hour urine collection. Anyway, happy Easter everyone! I have some Easter pictures which I was going to post today, but looks like they were trumped by the hospital stay. I will get that post up later in the week!

32 Weeks

Which means eight weeks to go! We have had a big baby week what with the first baby shower and everything. To say we are in full baby mode around here would be the understatement of the year...

So our sweet little baby C is still growing away! Apparently he/she is coming in between 17 and 19 inches long (depending on the website I read) and weighs between 3.75 and 4 pounds. The baby is fattening up, practicing his or her breathing and blinking skillz and basically getting ready to be born! All my resources do agree that things are starting to get pretty crowded in there, so movements may decrease a little from this point, but everything seems the same for now.

As for me, I am still trucking along and doing great! I just read that apparently it is because the baby is moving down some that I am having problems with some of my maternity shirts. They fit me in most places, but they aren't LONG enough. They get stuck on the belly and don't come all the way down to my pants. Annoying really. I had assumed it was because I was so tall, but apparently this is a common problem for everyone right around now. Good to know I am not alone. Besides the growing-out-of-MATERNITY-CLOTHES issue, I am really doing great! I have the nesting thing going on, so I am sorta feeling productive. I am still sleeping pretty good, eating a ton, swelling a little (and sometimes a lot), and basically just about normal for 32 weeks pregnant! Now belly pics...I don't look as large as I do in the shower pictures. That dress somehow really showed off this belly. Still, here we are at 32 weeks...

Shirt down.

Shirt up!

Nesting

So I think I might be starting the whole pregnancy nesting thing...either that or I have a serious case of spring cleaning fever. I have never been a person who is overly clean. I am not dirty, but I am sorta cluttery (thank GOD Nick isn't, so he keeps my pack-rat nature under control). I just don't let little things at the house get to me. I will run the vacuum, but when I hear people say things like, "I have pets, so I HAVE to vacuum every day!"....Ahhhhhh hahahahahaha! That is REALLY not me. I take on more of the attitude, "I will get to cleaning when I get to it...no need to stress". So yesterday sorta took me by surprise. I was off work, so I was going to go to the grocery. I was cleaning the kitchen, just so it would be easier to get the groceries in and put away, which is totally normal. Then...something changed. I went to put something in the fridge and it hit me. I needed to clean out the fridge. I was running late and had much more important things on my to do list, but I just NEEDED to quickly clean it out. Like NOW. It could not possibly continue to look this way for one second longer.

So I cleaned the fridge. But I just didn't toss things that were sorta old and make room for the groceries (my normal "fridge cleaning") Oh no. I CLEANED the fridge. Like take everything out and start to SCRUB. Like learning that every little piece of your fridge actually comes apart and you can wash it all in the sink by hand! And finding out that if you do that, your fridge will look BRAND NEW! Now every time I open the fridge I scan it to make sure nothing is making a mess in my beautifully clean fridge. I want everything to stay in it's place...because that is WHERE IT GOES. This is really not me.

I now have my eye on the base boards...and the cabinets...and the walls. Are you suppose to clean walls?? If this keeps up this is going to be a very productive eight weeks!

Baby Stuff!!

As promised, I thought I would post a couple of pictures of how well the nursery is coming together now that we got our entire nursery set at the shower!

Here is a shot of the newly made bed! my sisters got us the bedding set, which looks so great in the nursery!! We are planning on getting the letters to hang the baby's name on the wall, but clearly we can't do that until we know if it is a boy or a girl. Besides that, we are still working on wall decor. Nick doesn't like the idea of putting any holes in his new perfect walls...so we are going to have to have a little discussion about that...he thinks we can use fishing line and hang them from the ceiling. Right. Here is a closer shot of the bed, and you can see how cute the mobile is! Nick's dad and step mom got us the mobile, lamp, hamper, wall hangings and pillows for the nursery to complete the themed decor. We are completely in love with it all!!Here is the changing table and chase. Look at how cute that owl stuffed animal is! I love him... You can also see the changing pad and what not, which was from my mom. It single handedly changed the old dresser into a changing table! Plus there is the wipe warmer and the little green basket stocked with some baby stuff...all great gifts from the shower to help us pull the room together!! Totally out of the nursery, but here is our high chair that Nick's mom and step dad got us that Nick put together this weekend. It looks so great in our dinning room. Love love love it!

Besides these things, we have tons and tons of much needed baby stuff like out baby spa (not just a tub...a spa. I will be jealous of the baby's baths...) the swing (which is portable...because sometimes I am cleaver), the bottle set, lots of books and clothes, diapers and toys...tons of great and thoughtful gifts that the sweet baby will need and love! I am sure once we get all that unpacked and in a home, I will have even MORE pictures for you all, but for now, I thought I would show you these few things we have together.

Baby Shower!

My sisters, Boo and Missy, and my cousin Liz had me what has to be the best baby shower EVER yesterday! Seriously, everything about it was amazing. It was a beautiful day, the house was absolutely adorably decorated, the food was TO DIE FOR. The cake...oh man, the cake. We had amazing guests and just an all around wonderful time. They were super smart (and crafty) and made this advise/well wishes book that was passed around for everyone to sign. My sister had taken all my belly pic's along with all other pics of me pregnant with friends and family over the last seven months and had it all scrap booked in with room to write for the guests. It came out SO AMAZING and I will love if forever. It made me want to cry as I read over everyones sweet letters of encouragement and love last night. I really recommend you all having this at any baby shower you have/throw in the future! Okay, here are some (lots) of pictures of the great shower. Thanks so much guys!!

Here is me and my sister Boo... And me and my sister Missy...and me with Liz and Wesley (the most perfect godson EVER). You all sure do know how to throw a party! Thanks for the perfect shower you three!!My adorable mama!My wonderful Mama-in-law and Sister-in-law CandiceMe with Little Charing, Big Charing and Morgan. Three of my favorite people! I do realize I look gigantic in lots of these pic's, but this one takes the cake. I have no explanation except...well...I'm pregnant!Here is my hanging out by the "heaven cake". Nick and I have raved about the love of our wedding cake for two and a half years, so they got the cake from the same place. DELICIOUS. Also, the diaper cake is the one I reviewed for Chic Shopper Chick! It was adorable!Here is a shot of the food table. Everything was amazing!Me and Miss Mandy. She is due in late July with a sweet little girl!Me and my wonderful aunt, Mrs. Who! Me and RhiWe got a TON of amazing baby stuff! We are so lucky to have such amazing friends and family! You will get a post tomorrow about all our new stuff, because this post is WAY to long already without going into how Nick and I nearly have the nursery set up!! Pictures tomorrow. Wesley was such a great helper with the presents! I have about a million pictures of me opening gifts...and I look like a total dork in all of them.Me and Arielle, who I was so excited was able to make it with her mama!My sister Boo with two of her great school friends, Alyssa and Shawna, whom I just love!! My me with adorable sisters again, just because they look cute in their matching black and yellow!

Okay, that's it for now. I have a TON more pictures of this shower, but I am thinking you all get the general idea. Shower=amazing! Thanks to everyone who was able to be there. You made the day perfect!