When Will He Be Here?!?!

So, do you think he'll come early or late? Three things to consider:

1. We're due July 14.

2. There's a full moon on July 7.

3. They say first babies usually come late.

I posted a new poll on the right of the blog ~ go ahead and vote!! :)

Officially FULL TERM!

Well, we're closing in on the end of 37 weeks, which means in a day or two, the baby will officially be FULL TERM! Wow! I'm so thankful for this milestone. At the doctor last Thursday, everything looked great, and I am not dilated any yet - which he said was normal. What is normal is the slight swelling and tiredness I've been having lately, but again, most days I can still see my ankle bones and make it through the day without a nap, so I consider myself lucky :)

I'm not going to divulge the total number of pounds gained so far (LOL) but I'm certainly still growing, despite all I've read that says in the last few weeks, "you may even lose a pound or two!" HA! Not happening here ~ check out the latest belly pic:

The doctor also said last week that it was time for me start resting up for the big day, so Monday June 29 (TOMORROW!!) is my last day at work ~ YiPpEe!!!!!! So, unless tomorrow's the day, what a relief to know I won't go into labor at "the Eastman"...ha ha!! Really, though, I am very glad to have this opportunity to rest up considering how super busy we've been lately with baby stuff, baseball, baby showers, and such. I think the first thing I'm going to do after a big fat midday nap is finish packing my bags for the hospital!!

35 Week Appointment

32 days and counting!! I'm so excited this baby boy's almost here! I had my next doctor's appointment on Monday, and everything went great. He's measuring right on, heartbeat was 136 bpm, and blood sugar had improved since last time (probably since I didn't eat a big ol' bowl of Apple Jacks right before this appointment like my previous one - ha!).

I saw Dr. May this time and he was able to tell that the baby is facing head down - Whew! Let's just hope he doesn't get too frisky and turn around in the next few weeks :) He showed me how he teaches medical students to tell what part is where on a pregnant belly ~ it was so cool! It's all in the how you move your hands to palpitate the abdomen. Turns out the pokey thing I've been feeling around my belly button is his bottom!! Dr. May reminded me that babies don't have much fat back there yet, so I've been feeling his tailbone - hee hee!! Sorry Baby - you've been getting lots of pokes in the booty lately...I thought it was a foot or elbow!!

We've also been going to Lamaze classes for the past two Tuesdays. Not many people teach or take these anymore, but I found a nurse at ETSU that's a certified Lamaze instructor. For us, the whole point of this is not to try to make it through labor unmedicated, etc.. (HA!), but really just to get some idea of what to expect and how to cope a little better (i.e. avoid crying and panicking - which doctor's offices tend to do to me sometimes!!)

It's turned out to be just that - which is GREAT. We've learned tons more than was offered at the hospital-offered classes, and best of all, it's not only focused on (obviously) mom's role, but Dad's, too. We've really learned good ways to communicate, what to expect from each other, and how to get through this as a team. I think Mark really appreciates having some idea of what's going on...we've learned what all the terms the doctors will use mean, exactly what's happening during each stage of labor, and what's normal and what's not. Hopefully this will take a lot (OK, maybe some) of the "fear of the unknown" away :)

OH! P.S. Thanks to everyone that left a comment on our photographer's blog ~ we get a free 8x10 now!!

Where Does the Time Go?

Well, the last week of May was a fun whirlwind of activity, and I really can't believe May's gone already! To start off the last weekend of the month, Thursday night was Bunco! time ~ I'd been waiting all month for this fun girl time :) So, we're at Brenda's house this month, and I saw this cute cake and thought, "Wow! That's fancy...I bet it's delicious. Can't wait until halftime to try some!"....well, little did I know I was in for a surprise. The Bunco Babes had planned a surprise shower for me!! I really didn't expect that, and again, am so blown away by everyone's thoughtfulness and generosity...what a sweet bunch of ladies ~ I'm so glad I'm a Bunco Babe!! I wish I had some pictures, but Janet (who did bring her camera and take some) just became a Nana over the weekend!! I'm so happy for her! And will just have to get those pics another time :)

I did get a picture with my camera of the cake topper.......how cute!!

Then on Friday, Mom came up to spend the night and go to a baby shower my girlfriends were having on Saturday. So, we made the most of our short time and did several errands around town. The most exciting was picking up the bedding that was finally ready!! The crib skirt, bumper and valence were BEAUTIFUL and it was such a relief to get them early enough....remember we only have about 6 weeks to go! So, we got that home, and did a few more things around town.

Saturday's shower was amazing, to say the least. My girlfriends really worked hard to make it special and I so appreciate it! I loved seeing all my Jr. League friends; Jennifer, whom I hadn't seen in at least a year (!); and lots of Mark's family that were so sweet to drive all the way from several hours away.

The Hostesses with the Mostesses!

Mark's mom Susanah, Aunts Ginger and Jodie, and cousin Anna

Mom and Me

Sweet Friends O' Mine :)

Belly Shots by the Pros

Two posts in two days?! I told you there would be a flurry of activity here as I caught up on all that's been going on, didn't I?! Well, I am SO excited to show you our maternity photos! This photographer, Rachel Anglen, took some family pictures of us last fall that we used for our Christmas card, and I think she's got such a cool style. Check out these maternity pictures she took at Allendale mansion (yes! That's where we got married...I thought that was so special :)

If you have a chance, please leave a comment on her blog. If we get 10 comments, we get a free 8x10 ~ yippee!! Click on the link below....

Anglen Photography Blog

So....which one is YOUR favorite?! I'd love to hear!!