Fall/Halloween Decorations

This past weekend, I convinced Jason to drag my fall/Halloween decorations upstairs. I don't have very many fall items, but the chilly weather had me motivated to put out the things that I do have. Here are a few pictures of the decorations:

Woven pumpkins on a silver leaf-shaped tray

Fake pumpkins at the top of the stairs (don't they look real???)

Fall wreath & Horn of Plenty hanging in front of mirror

And my favorite, the "Haunted Halloween Tree" :-)

25 weeks!!!

It's time for my weekly picture ... here I am at 25 weeks:



I did my glucose screening test on Monday - today I got a call from the nurse, I passed the test with a score of 105. (the goal is to have below 130). She also mentioned that my hemoglobin count was 12.8, which was great as well (normal is between 11 to 15). So it looks like there are no worries of me having gestational diabetes, what a relief!

We've been working on finishing the nursery - our goal is to have it completed before our baby shower next Sunday, Oct. 25th. A few of my Michigan friends are hosting the shower, but we decided to have it at my house so that we (I mean, Jason!) wouldn't have to drag the gifts across town. I am sure our guests will want to see the nursery, so we are hoping to have it perfect by then.

Not much else is going on - Jason & I are staying busy with work, and anxiously awaiting Easton's arrival. Easton is still kicking and moving up a storm, but Jason has yet to feel any movement from the outside. I am hoping that happens soon!

24 week update

I'm 24 weeks pregnant - the weeks keep passing by! This week marks a milestone.... a pregnancy is officially considered "viable" at 24 weeks, which is insane to think a little one can make it if they come so early! Of course we want him to keep "baking" as long as possible, but it is reassuring to know that if Easton decides to make an early arrival, he could still be fine. Crazy, huh???

Here's my 24 week picture - notice the nursery in the background, we've made a lot of progress!

I visited my OBGYN for my monthly appointment today ... everything is going great, and I have finally gained some weight. I am up 5 lbs. from my last appointment - usually that would be shocking, but I welcomed the news considering I haven't gained a lot thus far. It took a few tries to find it because SOMEONE was moving around a lot in my belly, but Easton's heartbeat was strong at 145 beats per minute. My pelvic bone-to-uterus measurement was 25 cm, which is right on target. My blood pressure was fine & there was no protein in my urine. It was a good check-up!

I am scheduled to take the glucose blood test next week, which tests for gestational diabetes. I am not supposed to eat/drink anything 4 hours before the appointment, and once I arrive I drink a sweet, syrupy juice. They make me wait an hour and then take blood. Say a prayer that all goes well with the test, and I'll post an update once we get the results.

We've made a ton of progress on the nursery - all of the clothing that we received from our showers & as hand-me-downs are hung up in the closet, and all other gifts are put away. There are decorations/pictures hanging on the wall & we've begun organizing books, hats, socks, toys, etc. into their own baskets. We have a couple more final touches - but I should be posting nursery pics really soon, so stay tuned! :-)

23 Weeks

It's been a busy few weeks - The fall quarter started this week, so I've been getting back into the swing of teaching again. I am teaching 4 classes this quarter, which is considered a full load at the college level. It's been hectic getting all of my syllabi, worksheets and other paperwork printed and ready for the students. Also, my body is adjusting to all of the standing and walking around, which has been tough since I have been off of work for the past month! But, so far, so good - we are hanging in there!

Here is my 23 week picture:

In other baby news, Easton has been moving and kicking up a storm lately. I can feel all of the flutters & movement inside, but we haven't felt anything from the outside quite yet. I am hoping Jason will be able to feel a kick really soon. We have our next doctor appointment next week on Wednesday October 7th at 2:30pm - please say a prayer that we get a great report. I'll also schedule my glucose test at my next appointment, which means I will have to drink a syrupy orange-flavored liquid to determine if my blood sugar stays at a normal level. I've heard that the liquid tastes nasty, so hopefully I do well on the first test and don't have to repeat it :-)

We've been working on getting Easton's room together - we received SO many nice gifts from our two showers, so now we are trying to figure out the best way to organize clothing, hats/booties/socks, toys, etc. We have another shower coming up on October 25th with our Michigan friends, so there are more goodies & gifts to come! Easton is such a lucky little guy, and we are blessed to have so many people that love & support us.

Family Baby Shower 9-20-09

My shower hostesses - Aunt Bettie, Me & Aunt Lois

Sunday brought on "round 2" of the baby showers - this shower was hosted by my aunts Bettie & Lois, and was held at my parents' house. The majority of our female family members were in attendance, including both Grandmas-to-be & Great-Grandmas-to-be, Aunt Cindy, Great-Aunt Renate & Lois, Cousins Kristin & Valerie, Second-cousins Dagmar & Claudette and my sis-in-law Ashley. Several family friends were there as well, such as Jeanette, Beverly, Barbara Hogan & Hazel. My friend Kim attended too - she had a wedding to go to on the "friend shower" day, so we were happy to have her with us on Sunday.

My aunts have a knack for attention to detail - everything was planned perfectly, from the baby shaped sandwiches to the baseball-themed cupcakes & favors. We started the shower with a "Mom-to-be" fact game .... each guest was given a list of facts about me and had about 10-15 minutes to memorize them. Next, they were given a blank sheet of paper & had to write down as many facts as they could remember. I think my friend Kim had an unfair advantage - she won with 18 facts! However, my aunt Cindy came in a close second with 15 correct, so she must have studied well! :-) Below are some photos from the shower - it was a perfect day with the family!

Top to bottom: the food spread, beautiful quilt made by my Great-Aunt Renate, "Easton" pillow made by aunt Bettie (using doily from Jason's deceased Dad's house), Diaper wreath from my friend Kim & finally, ALL of the nice gifts!

Friend Baby Shower 9-19-09

Hostess Steph, Hostess Martha, Prul, Hostess & sis-in-law Ashley, Me & Stacy P

My Lobster Girls! Betsy, Prul, Me & Mayhan

The "Amys"! Amy Hill, Me, Amy TB & Amy Stan-Dan

Last weekend kicked off with my friend baby shower on Saturday afternoon. What a fun day! The shower was held at my best friend Martha's house, who hosted the event along with my good friend Stephenie & my sister-in-law, Ashley. SO many people traveled from all around to be there for this special time - friends traveled from Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilmington, Jacksonville, Lynchburg & Richmond .... but the "furthest traveler" award goes to my friend Amy TB, who came in from Tennessee! I was amazed at the turnout and how generous and thoughtful everyone was. The food was delicious & nothing can beat having so many friends in one place at one time. Here are some pictures from the shower:

The gifts & the food!

Time to open the gifts!!

A cute bathrobe from my Mom

Handmade burpcloths from Betsy - this one is camouflage! :-)

Pregnancy Portraits!

While I was in Danville last week, my friend Chrystal offered to take some pregnancy pictures of me. Chrystal has been doing photography on this side for several years & I have always admired the beautiful pictures she takes of her two daughters, Kinsley & Ava Graye. I was a bit apprehensive about taking maternity shots, mainly because I feel big & I did not want to show my bare belly. Chrystal immediately put me at ease & made me feel not only comfortable, but also beautiful. It also helps that she is a hair dresser, so she is quite in tune with how to make her subjects look good. She's a wonderful friend and extremely talented .... take a look at some of the pictures below:

I was SO happy with how they turned out - and you see that I got over my "bare belly" apprehensions! :-) We took these photos on Friday, and Chrystal showed up at my shower the next day with two 8x10 framed prints and several smaller prints ... she must have stayed up all night editing & making them perfect! We displayed them at both baby showers & everyone loved them - here are a few pics of the prints:

Words cannot express how grateful I am for these pictures - I will treasure them always! THANKS CHRYSTAL, we love you!!!