I'm Still Pregnant!!

Here are a few pics from this weekend...

Trey's head at the end of the rainbow

Taking cover during the storms

Yes... I am still pregnant! I have been so bad about updating the past couple weeks. The good news is that we haven't had too much excitement. Things have been pretty calm around here. I've had a couple doctors appointments that have gone well. I will stop all medicine this week! After I hit 35 weeks they will let me go into labor at any point. We go next Wednesday to determine if she's still breech. If so, we will schedule a c section for August 4th (I hope I don't last that long)! I have a little less than 5 weeks to go at the most. No one seems to think I'll make it that far but who knows!

They say that you should notice a decrease in movement at this point in the pregnancy due to space issues. Well... Natalee doesn't seem to have space issues because she's moving all over the place. She likes to play all through the night. Around 4:00 a.m. she starts to calm down but not before a good round of hiccups. I'm lucky to get a couple hours of sleep at a time. She weighs about 5 1/2 lbs at this point. Her growth is right on target. It's hard to believe she'll be here in a few weeks! I'm getting anxious, excited and nervous all at the same time. I hope I'm cut out for this!!

I'm so thankful to still be pregnant so I'm trying to keep a positive attitude despite the swelling, irritability, sleepless nights, muscle spasms, stomach cramps, ect. Being pregnant in the summer is no laughing matter! I can't seem to get cool! I have turned our bedroom into a wind tunnel. Trey freezes every night and I'm still on top of the covers sweating like a pig (especially after hoisting myself out of bed for the 90th time to go pee)! I have definitely become a calamity. I'm very entertaining to watch. I always thought I would care about looking cute throughout my pregnancy. Right now I don't care how ridiculous I look as long as I can get from point a to point b. There is definitely a lot of waddling going on! It's exhausting hauling around all this extra weight. Give me another couple weeks and I'll be ready to have this baby! I plan to start walking around the neighborhood at night as soon as they give me the go ahead! Hopefully that will speed things along.

I was able to to leave the house this weekend! I felt as if I was released from prison. They don't want me standing on my feet for long periods of time but a little standing here and there is fine. We took the boat to the pro wakeboard tour on Sunday. It was so nice to be on the water again. I miss my lake time so much! Hopefully I'll be able to get a little wakeboard time in before the season ends.

Here's a look at what's going on with the little one this week...

Your pregnancy: 34 weeks

How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Only 3 More Weeks of Bed Rest!!!!

I can't believe it! Only 3 more weeks of bed rest! That may sound like a long time but trust me after 2 months of bed rest it's nothing! If things go well over the next 3 weeks I will be taken off total bed rest! They will most likely keep me on the medicine that stops contractions until 36 weeks. I would love to be able to get out and about during the last couple weeks of my pregnancy. I'm so sick of looking at my house all day every day!

Everything went well at my weekly appointment. I'm measuring exactly where I should be. The little one weighs about 4lbs by now. She's growing and getting stronger by the day. I swear she's practicing her kick boxing skills on an early morning basis. Typically between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. The child obviously doesn't care about my inability to sleep during these times. She is still in the breech position but she still has some time to turn. The doctor said if she's still breech at 36 weeks they'll determine if it's safe to try to turn her. I hear that works about 65% of the time. If I'm not a candidate for the procedure they'll go ahead and schedule a c-section around week 37 or 38. Hopefully I'll make it that long. My doctor informed me that my cervix has started to soften. She said this is just natures way of preparing the body for dilation. Once this process starts it's hard to determine exactly how long it will be before you go into active labor. Every person is different. If I make it to 35 weeks I'll be thrilled! It's mind blowing to think that's only 3 weeks away! I think it's safe to say that's she'll be here in 5 to 6 weeks at the latest. There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like I've been pregnant forever!!

The nursery is almost complete. We have all the major items. The only thing left is the small details. It is definitely an inconvenience trying to finish up the nursery while on bed rest. I would give anything to drive myself to the store to buy the remaining items. Trey and I were able to make a babies r us trip last weekend. I feel like we bought the entire store. I think he was a bit overwhelmed. I had to remind him that I don't get out much so we needed to buy everything at once, haha! It's safe to say that we have all the necessities. Now we just need to put everything together. That should be fun. I'll post some pictures when we get everything completed.

Here's a look at the little one this week

Your pregnancy: 32 weeks

How your baby's growing:By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Natalee Grace at 30 Weeks

I can't wait to meet her!

Great News and a Beautiful Shower!!

The Mack Girls

Maren, Me and Mom

Cousins

Ashley's diaper cake. So cute!

Yes... I know!! I'm huge! Can you believe she's 20 weeks pregnant? I was twice that size at 20 weeks!! I bet she doesn't have the chips o'hoy issues I had.

The week was off to a great start with a beautiful shower thrown by Ashley and Ann Arms. They really went all out (which is not shocking). The afternoon was perfect. It has been a neat experience for Ashley and I to be pregnant at the same time. I have pictures of our mom's together when they were pregnant with us. We are exactly 5 months apart. I can't wait to see those photos next to the current ones of Ashley and I.

I was so excited to see our out of town family! Trey's sister Lisa came in from South Carolina which was a nice surprise. My cousin, grandmother and aunts came in from Nashville. I know the days of spending quality time with family will be limited once the baby arrives so I was thrilled to spend the day with everyone. It's weird to think the next time I see them will be after I have Natalee.

We had our 30 week appointment Tuesday. Everything looked great with the baby. She's 3 lbs 10 oz and 18 inches long at this point. She should start gaining half a pound each week up until about 36 weeks. I can tell it's getting tight in there. Her movements are much more slow and exaggerated. I can look down and see my stomach distorted. Currently she is in the breech (or transverse) position. They don't seem to think she will turn but who knows!! Thus far she has kept us guessing and on our toes. She's already got a mind of her own.

They decided to go ahead and take me off the ibuprofen. At this stage of pregnancy continuing the medication could be harmful to her heart. I'm now taking a higher dose of procardia and will continue this up until week 35 or 36. Unfortunately the change in medication caused my contractions to flare up again. I got nervous today and went back in to the office to be examined. They did another fetal fibronectin which came back negative!! I was told to take it easy and rest assured that I have another couple weeks in me. That means we will make it to 33 weeks! When we started this process at week 24 I didn't think I would get this far. I am beyond thrilled to be this far along! My ideal situation would be to get past 36 weeks so she can come home with us. I know the NICU is an amazing place but I really want her to be able to come home when we do. She needs to stay cozy in my belly for another 6 weeks.

Here's a look at what's going on this week:

Your pregnancy: 31 weeks

How your baby's growing:This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.