What's happening with Judas week 35

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. ~babycenter

How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain: 22 lbs. Another 5 lbs from last appt.EEEKKK
Maternity clothes? Yes
Sleep: Not so much. Up almost every hour for either the bathroom or to roll over because me hip is killing me.
Best moment this week: We went this weekend to a festival we have here in town and I got to spend time with a good friend and her almost 10 month old. It was really fun but I think I paid for it on Sunday and Monday, I was in so much pain from all the walking and activity.
Movement: Yep, lots of full belly moving and punching in the cervix (it feels like she is going to punch through to the outside!)
Gender: Girl, Addison Hope
Labor Signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions but nothing real.
Belly Button in or out? In still
What I miss: Sleep, not having swollen feet, not having hip/back pain.
What I am looking forward to: Her getting here and not having to worry about my blood pressure or swelling or any of that!
Weekly Wisdom: Talk to your doctor about everything!
Milestones: Well I am now on weekly OB appointments, I had to retire my wedding rings to the jewelry box for the remainder of the pregnancy because I kept taking them off and putting them back on because the heat keeps making my hands swell and I am scared I am going to lose them. So now I feel like people are staring at me with my big belly and no rings and thinking I am an unwed mother. Plus my blood pressure is up a little. My doctor doesn't seem to concerned because I am not spilling protein and my blood pressure is still in the normal high range but now I am freaking out a little (okay a lot, I really really don't want to develop preeclampsia or have to be induced early). I am glad that my doctor is taking me seriously and having me come in Monday to recheck my blood pressure and make sure things still look good. I also had my strep B test so I should be getting my results soon for that.

The nursery.

So here is Addison's nursery, pretty much completed with everything I am going to do with it. We are still waiting on her car seat and her pack n play to come in. We also need to mount the video monitor but otherwise it is just a few small things that we need from here or there. It is a little scary to think that we are "ready" for her.
This is the going home outfit I had made for her. It is a sleep gown with mittens attached. I couldn't resist the monogramming. I love the way it turned out with the little pink rocking horse and the bird on the hat.

Her letters FINALLY came in! The lady that was making them was without power for a week and got behind and then she had to go into the hospital for a week (well at least that is what she told me) so what was suppose to take no more than 4 weeks ended up taking 7 to get. However I do really like the way they turned out and they were not pricey at all. Plus with the nail covers I love the way it looks!

We put the bassinet attachment on her stroller (the one we got from my good friends S and C). Since she will be using either this attachment or the car seat for the first few months I figured I might as well get it set up. I can't wait to use it.

The tree. I changed all the birds to shades of pink, I figured it went with the room and the color scheme better. The big blue comforter is to keep the cat hair off of the actual comforter (it is a black and white vine/leaf design, you can see it at the very bottom of the bed). My cat has decided she LOVES this bed for napping right by the window so she doesn't miss any action. Luckily they have shown no interest what so ever in the crib or really any of the baby stuff!

The dresser with the changing pad set up. The peacock lamp is probably going to be switched out for one that goes with the room better. That just happens to be the one that was in the room when it was a guest bedroom and I just haven't relocated it. Notice my diaper bag that I LOVE (also a baby shower gift from S and C). Have I mentioned I love when people actually shop FROM YOUR REGISTRY?!

The closet with all of the organizers set up. I didn't realize how much STUFF a small 7 or 8lb being needs. I still think I might have to get more organizers. I wish our closets were bigger but that is what you get when you buy an older house!

The crib! I love the bedding we picked out! I also ordered a different sheet from Pottery Barn with different colored trees and owls and birds. I just haven't gotten around to washing it yet. I am planning on using that one when I get bored with this one.

My favorite corner of her room. I love how everything turned out.

What's happening with Judas week 34

I went with a front view this week too!

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. ~babycenter

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain: 17 lbs, but I am sure more now since it just keeps going up and up.
Maternity clothes? Yep
Sleep: Not so great, I wish it was better.
Best moment this week: Getting all of Addison's room stuff in adnd getting it all put up.
Movement: All the time. She moves more now than she ever did!
Gender: Girl, Addison Hope
Labor Signs: Not really but I have now starting having Braxton Hicks contractions.
Cravings: Anything sweet. I guess that is probably contributing to the weight gain.
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: SLEEP!
What I am looking forward to: Finishing all of our classes and her getting here.
Milestones: Well I guess getting Braxton Hicks is a milestone of some sort.

Funny stuff!

So my sister sent me this email and I was laughing so hard reading them I knew I had to share.
Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

They're Back! Those wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

--------------------------
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
----------------------------
The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'
----------- ---------------
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
--------------------------
Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.
--------------------------
Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
--------------------------
Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
--------------------------
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
--------------------------
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
--------------------------
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
--------------------------
A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
--------------------------
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
--------------------------
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
--------------------------
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
--------------------------
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
--------------------------
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
--------------------------
Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
--------------------------
The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
--------------------------
This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
--------------------------
Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. Is done.
--------------------------
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
--------------------------
Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
--------------------------
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
--------------------------
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church.. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
--------------------------
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.'

Baby shower

Well I am a little late posting this but I was waiting on the pictures from my mom since she is the only one that took any. I had my baby shower last weekend. It was a lot of fun. We had great food (catered by my husband's aunt who runs a catering business), lots of friends and family (about 20 or 25 I think), a delicious cake and lots of gifts for baby Addison. The "theme" for the shower, if you want to call it a theme, was breakfast/brunch since that is my favorite kind of food and then birds(how I have her nursery decorated) and books. Everyone was instructed to bring a book instead of a card so we could start Addison's book collection. Not everyone read the invitation (or maybe they just didn't want to bring a book) but for the ones that did bring books it was great and we got some great books for her collection! We did received a LOT of clothes. A whole lot! She already has a ton of clothes from a lady my sister babysits for and of course most of the clothes we received were for 0 to 6 months. Luckily I had a good friend in town for the shower (she was one of the people that hosted it) so we were able to go through all the clothes we got and decide what we needed/wanted to keep and what we could return for things we actually needed. I am so grateful for all the people that came to the shower and for all the gifts, but I do wish that people would pay more attention to the registry and get us things that we actually needed. From now on I will ALWAYS buy gifts for wedding and baby showers from the registry. I usually did before but I see now how much easier it is when people buy from a registry. Nothing to take back and you actually get things you need.
My mom's work also threw her a "grandma to be" shower. I though that was such a neat idea! I don't have any pictures since it was a surprise shower, but we got lots of clothes and blankets and little things we needed from that too. My mom was so excited!
That being said it was wonderful to have everyone come together and celebrate our little Addison! Here are a few pictures from our festivities!

Me posing with the yummy cake!

Opening gifts, love the look on my face (did I mention that I really hate having my picture taken?)

Everyone getting something to eat.

Cutting the cake. Some people were VERY excited about the cake!

Addison's cake. Yum CHOCOLATE!

What's happening with Judas week 33

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. ~babycenter
How far along? 33 weeks.
Total weight gain: 17 lbs. EEEKKKK! I know it is only going up from here but that is a little scary.
Maternity clothes? Oh yeah and I can't wear any shoes but my flip flops. Good think spring is this weekend!
Sleep: Really good last night but most of the time I am up every hour or so and tossing and turning.
Best moment this week: My baby shower and having my good friend Jeni in town!
Movement: All the time, unless someone wants to feel her move then she is as still as a rock!
Gender: Girl! Addison Hope
Cravings: Pretty much if someone mentions something or I see something on tv that looks good then I have to have that thing!
Belly Button in or out? In still. Slowly creeping out but I don't think it is going to make it.
What I miss: My old clothes. It gets old wearing the same things over and over, and cute shoes!
What I am looking forward to: The rest of our classes and getting the final touches on her room!
Weekly Wisdom: Apparently I am not very full of wisdom. Oh well.
Milestones: I feel like every week is a milestone.

I Won!

I WON!!!
I entered a blog contest put on by Heir to Blair (if you don't know who that is you should, she is a great blogger) and I won! It was for a Bright Starts item of my choice out of a swing two kinds of bouncy seats and a play yard. I'm so excited because we had just gotten the swing and bouncy seat from a friend so I picked the play yard and now we have everything.

What's happening with Judas week 32

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. ~babycenter

How far along? 32 weeks.
Total weight gain: 12 lbs as of last doctor's visit.
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Sleep: Not really, I am up pretty much every hour to either switch sides (thanks to my sciatic nerve pain) or go to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Not passing out. No really, I got super light headed at work but I made it to a couch in time. I am really glad I did not pass out!
Movement: Yep big belly moving ones, and she is getting the hiccups a lot more. My mom said I had them every day!
Gender: Girl! Addison Hope
Cravings: Sweets are starting to make me feel a little sick to my stomach (BOO) so I have been trying to eat smaller and more frequent meals. Oranges and pears are still at the top and now peanut butter with molasses!
Belly Button in or out? In doesn't seem to be getting any closer to out.
What I miss: SLEEP and not swelling in my feet/ankles.
What I am looking forward to: My baby shower this weekend and my friend Jeni is flying in tomorrow and we have a big local baby sale tonight!
Weekly Wisdom: Drink lots of water and if you start to feel funny SIT DOWN!
Milestones: 8 months! It is getting so close now!

Class #1

We had our first baby preparation class last Saturday. Due to my husband's work schedule we had to take the class in the long 6 hours one time span as opposed to three or four 1 and 1/2 hour classes. It was a lot of sitting, but I would say it was better than I expected. It was a child birth prep class. So a lot of what to expect in labor and how to deal with the unexpected. Plus THE.VIDEO. Hands down the funniest part of the class. Not because of what was happening on the video (that was not funny at all and a little bit scary seeing what is going to be pushed through my lady bits) but because of every man in the rooms reaction to the video. Lots of covering of eyes and turning away and a few gagging sounds (not even kidding). My husband's face was PRICELESS. I think I would pay a good chunk of change to have that moment captured! The shock and surprise that crossed his face. I think he now realizes this is serious business bringing a baby into the world! Our instructor was great and I think the class could have been an awful drag if someone else was teaching it. She is a labor and delivery nurse (duh) and she was informative, funny, straight to the point, open, honest, and just a really great teacher.
I am lucky to be delivering at a hospital that is right on track with how I want my birthing experience to go. I have heard all kinds of horror stories about how hospitals will give your baby a bottle if they feel you are breastfeeding up to their expectations or take your baby away from you or not respect your wishes when i comes to your baby. Luckily this hospital is not like that. As long as you have a uncomplicated birth they immediately put your baby on your chest and let you bond (a big thing for me), they fully support breastfeeding (another biggie) with a great lactation center to help you and 2 on call all the time consultants. They do not give your baby a bottle or a pacifier unless you specifically ask and they fully support keeping your baby with you at all times if that is what you want. I am really happy about that.
They also don't push drugs if you don't want them. Even though they don't have a birthing tub they do have balls, a shower, and they are all for walking and trying to get comfortable any way possible. All of the beds have a birthing bar and they have rocking chairs and other things to facilitate moving around to keep your labor moving. I still have not decided if I will get meds although I think I am leaning towards trying to go as long as possible and then getting an epidural. I am just going to be fully informed and make decisions as I go along.
We still have 3 more classes to attend. A Baby CPR class, a breastfeeding class, and a baby basics class. It is really starting to sink in that we are actually going to have a baby. soon.

Please pray

Please say a prayer for my husband's cousin. He was in a really bad car accident yesterday and was rushed into emergency brain surgery to relieve the swelling on his brain from the trauma. He is heavily sedated and is in the ICU. They are not sure at this point what his prognosis is. This is very difficult for the whole family and my husband is very close to this cousin. Luckily he is at a top hospital (the one I work at actually) so he has the best care and got to the hospital quickly. He is showing some small signs of movement and they are hoping that with his youth he will have a good chance of pulling through all of this.

Thanks for the laugh shipping guys!

Okay. So a few weeks ago we ordered a crib and dresser from J C Penney. They came in and the box that had the dresser in it had a huge hole in one side of it. Turns out that part of the dresser was damaged in shipping. I called the customer service center and they were nice enough to send us the replacement parts. Yesterday when I got home the replacement parts had come it! However when I turned the box around to open it there was a hole in the front of the box AGAIN. NOT KIDDING! I have the pictures to prove it.

SPECIAL HANDLING!!! They certainly did that! Maybe the delivery guys can't read so well?

Seriously!? RIGHT under the sticker!

BUT at least the people that package the parts knew what they were in for so we finally got all of our dresser put together.

Once I opened the box and saw that all the parts were still in working order I had a good laugh about the whole thing. Man I would have been furious of it had come damaged again.

What's happening with Judas week 31

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.~babycenter

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain: 9 lbs at last appt but I am SURE that is up!
Maternity clothes? Yes and some of the tops are getting to short now.
Sleep: On and off. I think the tiredness is coming back. I am exhausted as soon as I get home from work.
Best moment this week: Just feeling her move is a good moment.
Movement: Yep and I think she is starting to kick my ribs just this morning!
Gender: Girl! Addison Hope
Cravings: oranges, red grapes, chocolate milk, and of course anything that is bread or sausage!
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Sleeping without hip pain and being able to sleep on my back.
What I am looking forward to: Our first class is this Sat. I am excited to get started on classes!
Weekly Wisdom: Try not to break your toe while you are pregnant it hurts a lot and it is hard enough to walk as it is!
Milestones: She kicked me in the ribs for the first time this morning.

More free stuff ROCKS!

I have the best friends ever (and not just because they can give me free stuff). I have some friends that have the cutest little 9 month old boy (seriously I spent 5 hours at their house this past weekend and he is freaking adorable!). They have decided (I am pretty sure) that they are not going to have any more kids. This means a bunch of baby stuff that has taken up residents in their house has to go. Luckily, I get to be the new owner of all of these wonderful things! This ROCKS! One, because who doesn't like free stuff, especially really nice free stuff. Two, baby stuff is expensive y'all and since I am going part time once this little one gets here we are trying to save as much as possible since our income is going to be going down. Three, this is all stuff that I was going to have to buy if we did not get it at our shower which would certainly cut down on our savings! So WOOHOO, now I am the proud owner of a new (to me) swing, bouncy seat, Dreami for Addison's stroller, Bumbo with tray, 2 playmats, a jumparoo, a baby bath tub, a seat for the adult bathtub and a few other miscellaneous baby items! SO COOL! I can not even begin to say how grateful I am to get all of these things. It really takes the stress off of providing for a newborn.
Now for some pictures of all the cool things I got!