28 & 29 Week "Bumpdate" Third Trimester Begins!

The last two weeks have been a blast and also such a whirlwind! As the semester came to a close, our calendars were filled with Christmas parties, dance team & ballet Christmas performances, lots of shopping (mostly online this year), and preparing to meet our newest addition in March. It has been a fun and exciting time in our lives. Crazy we only have 11 more weeks (give or take) until we meet this precious little lady.

28 weeks! 

29 weeks! 

Audrey Grace is 15.2-16.7 inches long and weighs anywhere from 2.5-3.8 lbs and is growing rapidly everyday! She will double, even triple in weight as she packs on that precious little baby fat that is making her energy surge and will keep her warm once born. Her living space is getting a little crammed and it makes it easy to feel any kicks or jabs she makes! 

At our last prenatal appointment Audrey Grace measured right on track and my doctor said she may be around 7lb 8 oz when born, which is how much I weighed when I was born! One of my pregnancy apps compares the babies growth to games or toys. This week Audrey Grace is the size of a Barbie convertible! Beep beep! Better watch out! ;)

Favorite moment of the week: Getting to celebrate Christmas with Tyler, Robyn, John! Loved getting to visit and spend about a week with them. While we were there, some family & friends on Tylers side threw us our first baby shower for Audrey Grace. It was so much fun! We feel so grateful for the love & support as we prepare for her arrival. 

Movement:  I feel her move several times throughout the day and especially at night. I am feeling stronger movements and yesterday was the first time I could actually see her move just from watching my stomach! It was amazing to see her roll, kick and change positions. It's so fascinating! 

Cravings? Bagel bites and HOT CHOCOLATE! <3 

Sickness? No sickness-  Only occasional aches/pains. My feet have started to hurt a little bit & I continue to have mid back pain if sitting for too long! 

Labor signs: None, thank the Lord! 

Mood/energy: Feeling great. Energy level has been normal. Feeling some "nesting" symptoms coming on soon! 

Sleep: Only recently has it gotten harder to roll to my other side because of my belly! It takes more effort but still sleeping pretty well once I get comfy! 

Exercise: PiYo 2-3x a week.  (Pilates/yoga/strength training) and some hand weights. I was invited to co-lead a Piyo class while in Nebraska and it was really fun! I really enjoyed getting to meet another Piyo instructor and lead a class together. 

Diet/Weight: At my last appointment at 27 weeks I had gained 16lbs total which is great! Doctor said I will probably gain around 8-10lbs in the next 11 weeks as Audrey should nearly double/triple her weight before she makes her debut! 

Looking forward to: We are on our way to visit my family in Arkansas and all my siblings and new nephew will be there! I can't wait to hug and snuggle with him and get to hangout with my family! 

Thankful for: This stage of life! Really enjoying pregnancy and the excitement continues to build as we wait till her arrival! We will be busy setting up her crib, a beautiful new cradle and rocker/reclining chair from Tylers parents! Can't wait to decorate her room. :-) 

Feeling so blessed to be on this journey to parenthood with the man I love! This pregnancy has been an amazing experience and I can't believe in 11 short weeks (give or take) we will embark on a totally new adventure as parents. Not every day has been a walk in a winter wonderland, but every ache & pain is BEYOND worth it!!! We can't wait for our little precious heart to arrive. 

We are already in love with one of the best gifts God has given us! We can't wait to meet you Audrey Grace. March can't get here fast enough! 

26 & 27 Week "Bumpdate" & 2nd Trimester Review

26 Weeks

27 Weeks

WOW! Hard to believe I am done with the second trimester. Only one more to go! I am now 7 months pregnant and we are getting really excited as we inch closer to the due date (March 9th). Most of the time it seems that this pregnancy has flown by, but other times I just want to hold baby Audrey in my arms already! I know she will be here before we know it!

  

The second trimester has treated me well besides a few back aches and pains. Weeks 17/18 with round ligament pain was the worst- but once that subsided, I have felt really good! It is so amazing getting to experience this miracle taking place inside my body. God is truly knitting Audrey Grace together in my womb.

This week Audrey is around 2 lbs and 14.5 inches long with her legs extended- about the size of a rutabega. Haha!

 She is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals. In the previous weeks her eyes have been developing under fused eye lids, now she can open and close her eyes- although theres not much to see right now! She is showing increased brain activity and her brain is getting more complex everyday. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help- if she were to be born now. 

Favorite moment of the week? Tyler surprising me with tickets to go see the Nutcracker in Springfield on my birthday. It had been a tradition when I was little to go see the Nutcracker with my dance teacher around Christmas time, but it had been such a long time since the last time I saw it. It was a really good ballet and the dancers were fabulous! 

Movement? One of my favorite things right now is getting to feel her kick and move inside of me all the time. I can tell she enjoys being on the right side of my stomach and is starting to go up close to my ribs on that side. Actually- as I was typing this blog post I felt the first kick to the ribs. It kinda hurt a little bit! 

Cravings? I could really eat some bagel bites right about now. Random, I know...

Sickness? Last week I caught a 24 hr stomach bug that was going around. Being sick while pregnant is no fun at all! But it didn't last long and I feel 100% now!

Gender: ALL GIRLLLLL

Labor signs: During week 26 I felt what I would describe as the onset of menstrual cramps- except very light and not very painful. They only lasted one morning and then went away. 

Mood/energy: Great! 

Sleep: Good for the most part. I sometimes wake up with hunger pains in the night and will get a glass of water or milk and a banana or something and go back to bed.

Exercise: Still teaching PiYo 2x a week. I am so glad that I have been able to continue teaching and feel so good getting to stretch and stay strong during this pregnancy. It has helped with my mood and energy levels as well.

Diet/weight: Will know total weight gain on my appointment this Thursday! 

Looking forward to: Seeing my girls on dance team perform their christmas routine at the game on Tuesday and at their assembly on Thursday! They have been working hard and I know they will do a great job! Tyler and I are also looking forward to being with family and friends over Christmas break! I especially can't wait to see my sister and little nephew Samuel! Also, Tyler's sweet friends and family are throwing us our first baby shower for Audrey Grace! We are really excited about that!

Prayer needs/ praises: Thankful for a healthy pregnancy thus far! Pray for continued good health for me and for Audrey as she is developing during this last trimester! 

Thankful for: God's provision of all that we need. While we feel emotionally ready for Audrey Grace to be here, we do not feel "physically" ready- as in, there is still a lot to do as we prepare her nursery and get the things we need (like lots of diapers, lol). But we are thankful that God always provides what we need in the right time and trusting Him as we prepare to be parents! I know Audrey is going to be SO loved and cared for- no doubt!

I'm excited to move into the third trimester as that means we are one step closer to holding Audrey Grace in our arms! 

xoxo,

Dorothy and Audrey Grace :) 

24 & 25 Week "Bumpdate"

24 weeks & 5 days pregnant! 

Baby Audrey is now around 10.5-11.8 inches and weighs about a pound and a half. She is the size of a cantaloupe- But even more sweet :-) Audrey Grace is beginning to exchange that long, lean look for some baby fat. Her wrinkled skin will smooth out and she will be able to regulate her own internal temperature. 

She is also growing more hair – and if we could see it, we would now be able to discern its color and texture! I can't wait to see what she looks like!

Bump: She is deciding to reveal herself more and more! I feel like I am about to have an outie belly button in a few weeks as she gets bigger. She is growing so quickly!

Favorite moment of the week: Definitely spending time with Tyler in Point Clear. We had an amazing relaxing time together exploring the resort, trying fun local restaurants & coffee shops, seeing the adorable downtown area, relaxing in the spa, staying up late watching Parenthood and getting to sleep in late, exploring a WWII museum and eating all the seafood we could handle! It was wonderful! 

Then we drove a few hours west to join my moms side of the family in New Orleans for thanksgiving. It was a ton of fun and definitely a thanksgiving for the books! There were 70+ relatives there, lots of yummy food, plenty of room for the kiddos to run around outside, a fishing pond, and since my cousin is an equine veterinarian and she was hosting, she had some beautiful horses and even gave the kids some pony rides. It was a great time with family! 

Miss anything? I just miss my sister and her new baby Samuel. Can't wait to see them at Christmas! 

Movement: TONS. This girl dances to the music. Seriously, she hears a song come on and usually I start to feel her move a lot more.   

Cravings? I'm really wanting some bagel bites right about now. 

Sickness? None!

Gender prediction: ITS A GIRL!

Labor signs: none.

Mood/energy: Very good

Sleep:

Diet/Weight: Weighed in at 136! So I am up 11lbs from pre-pregnancy weight. Doctor says I am doing great! 

Looking forward to: My birthday coming up Dec 8, fun Christmas parties, and seeing my family at Christmas! I am also looking forward to seeing my girls on the dance team perform their new Christmas dance they have been working on! Come out and see them perform at halftime during the first home basketball game Dec 15! 

Thankful for: My sweet husband who has been taking such amazing care of this Preggo wife :-) He is truly a rock star and it is so fun to experience this season together. I can't wait to see him as a father. Talk about melting this mamas heart!!! I know she will have him wrapped around her little finger too! 14 more weeks! 

Until next time,

Dorothy & Audrey Grace

Our Gender Reveal Party & 22/23 Weeks "Bumpdate"

22 Weeks and ready to go find out whether we are going to have a boy or girl! Baby is the size of a papaya! Finally weighing a little more than a pound and around 1 foot tall!  :-) 

It was so hard to wait to find out the results from our 21 week ultrasound... but we wanted wait until both sets of  parents could make it into town so we could find out all together! It was definitely worth the wait! 

So thankful for our many friends and family who helped celebrate our new little one! 

Click here for the short video of the gender reveal party and to see what everyone's guesses were!!! http://youtu.be/SKFbR4kqFGs

Both wearing our pink and navy to the gender reveal party! The theme was "Tutus or Ties- come find out the surprise!" 

Tutus or Ties?

With the beautiful decor and yummy food!

The box holding the balloons! Will they be pink or blue? We shall find out shortly!

Everyone casting their vote! Are you on team girl or team boy?

Babies in a blanket! This made me laugh.

Bouncing Boy Blue or Tickled Pink Girl?

The final tally... Lets see if they got it right...

Love being on this journey with you, Tyler!

Finally time to find out! Here we go! 

 IT'S A GIRL!!!! We are SOOOO excited!!! 

Thankful for family traveling to come for the reveal!

Wishing my two older siblings and their families could have made it! But don't worry, they will get their fair share of kisses and snuggles when the baby comes! 

My awesome friends who put this all together. Thank you so much!

We are also excited to announce the name we have chosen for our little girl! Her name will be Audrey Grace. I have always loved names with a specific meaning and when I found out these name meanings, I was sold. We could never fully commit to a boy name and now we don't have to for a long time! Audrey means "noble strength" and Grace means "Gods undeserved favor." Our prayer for her is that she would experience the love and GRACE of God and that she would be STRONG in the Lord all the days of her life. Please be in prayer with us! 

Also, here's a quick 23 week bump pic! Audrey Grace is growing like crazy!!

I am 23 weeks pregnant & SHE is now the size of a grapefruit! (It's so fun to be able to call her that!) SHE is finally filling out and getting some fat on those bones! Her face is fully developed and her ears are getting more finely tuned! She loves to kick, roll and stay awake during the night and sleep during the day. She's my little night owl. 

I am feeling great and this week has been fun getting to start decorating her room and going to register with Tyler! We are registered at Target and Babylist (an online registry that allows you to add items from all different stores) You can find that registry online here:  http://babylistregistry.com/dorothyandtyler 

Thankful for your prayers, encouragement and support as we set out on this new adventure!

Until next time, 

Xoxo- Dorothy and Audrey Grace :) 

21 Weeks "Bumpdate" and Ultrasound pics!

Houston, we have a bump! 21 weeks and feeling great!  21 weeks is a big milestone to hit when going to Doc Allison! This is when the ultrasound is scheduled and we get to see the family jewels... 

Or not... 

We have actually decided to wait to find out the gender until next weekend (Nov 7) when both sets of parents will be in town! So we have had to wait a week & couple of days until our gender reveal! We had the ultrasound and got to see our little love bug's profile, spine, legs, and 4 chambers of the heart! It is still crazy to me that the little person we saw on the screen is what is in my belly! Here he/she is!!! First profile pic of Baby Pro! We are already so in love! 

Laying on his/her back with head on the right, facing up. Great profile shot! 

Here is the baby facedown with his/her leg fully visible. 

And here is the "string of pearls" aka his/her spine! Face down, with its little legs tucked in close. 

It was so hard looking away when our Doctor was confirming the gender. We had her write down the results and I just knew we had to get rid of them as soon as possible. I didn't want to be tempted to look! So we hurried to give the envelope to a friend who is going to put pink or blue balloons in a box for the reveal. 

We get to find out in 3 days! We are dying in anticipation to find out if we will have a daughter or son!!! 

Baby: is about the size of a large banana (seven inches in length and almost 11 ounces in weight). Growing rapidly and everything is looking healthy! 

Bump: I feel like the baby really popped out this week and last! 

Favorite moment of the week: definitely the excitement we felt to see our baby on the ultrasound! He/she was an active little thing! 

Miss anything? Being able to move quickly and not lose balance! 

Movement: lots and lots! Love when Tyler puts his hand on my belly and we both feel baby Pro move.  

Cravings? Not anything in particular!

Sickness? I am feeling very good! A tiny bit congested, but nothing bad. Starting to feel a little lower back pain if I am on my feet for a long period of time. 

Gender prediction: I still have a hunch that is it a boy. But we will see in a few days!!! 50/50 chance! 

Labor signs: none. 

Mood/energy: I have felt really great this week! 

Sleep: like a rock! 

Exercise: Teaching PiYo 2x a week & dance 3x a week.  

Diet/Weight: Weighed 131 at my last appointment. So in total, I have gained 6 lbs this far. 

Looking forward to: this weekend when my family and friends will be gathered with us to find out the big surprise! 

Thankful for: My friends Laura, Erin, Jade and Morgan who are helping us celebrate by throwing us a gender reveal party! They are so great! I am so blessed to have these ladies in my life! 

I will update here after the party sometime!! 

Until then,

Xoxo

Dorothy & baby PRO :)  

20 Weeks "Bumpdate" HALFWAY THERE!

20 Weeks!

Baby: We have hit the halfway mark in pregnancy! Baby is the size of a banana measuring around 6.5 inches and 10.2 oz! He looks like a mini human now with tiny features and all parts are developed. Now it's time to grow, grow, GROW!! Baby Pro is mainly just growing bigger and stronger now- but there are key developments going on such as nerves in the brain which control the senses, these are still forming, eventually enabling him/her to smell, see, hear, taste and touch. He/she is starting to taste the foods that I eat in utero and studies show that he will likely prefer those foods when he enters the real world. 

Bump: This is the week that I finally "popped." Others could tell and I can tell my body is changing. This is the biggest miracle I have ever had the privilege of being a part. God is truly amazing the way he is knitting this baby together in my womb. We feel so blessed. 

Maternity clothes? Yes, this week I finally had to buy some maternity jeans and looser fitting yoga pants. My clothes were getting too tight in the mid section! Maternity pants are so COMFY. Haha! I had an entourage with me while shopping to find them and the guys cracked me & all the other women in the maternity store up with their reactions to the "belly band" attached to the jeans. This was a new experience for everyone! We can all see how all jeans need to have this expandable waste line! Haha

Favorite moment of the week:  Getting to spend the weekend in Fayetteville AR, visiting friends and family and seeing the Razorbacks win in the 4th over time against Auburn! 

Movement:  October 21st was an amazing night! I had been feeling a lot of movements. Tyler finally got to feel baby Pro move and kick for the first time!! So excited to be on this journey together! 

Cravings? Loving savory snacks. Pizza tastes really good to me right now. 

Sickness? SO SO SO happy that I have not experienced the "round ligament pain" I had experienced the past couple of weeks. I am feeling really good now! No sickness or pain.

Gender prediction: We find out SO SOON!!! Cannot wait for our 21 week ultrasound! 

Labor signs: None.

Mood/energy: Very good!

Sleep: Great!

Exercise: Same as last week, currently teaching new lessons at PiYo and man I am so sore from it- in a good way! Loving these new moves and music! I am noticing my balance is not as great as before. I have a little something throwing me off! ;) 

Diet/Weight: We will see at my next appointment! 

Prayer needs: Just for continued health during these cold months and that the baby grows strong and healthy! 

Looking forward to: FINDING OUT THE GENDER! Two bumpdates away from finding out if Baby Pro is a boy or girl! So excited.

Thankful for: Having good friends and family in Arkansas and getting to spend time with them! 

Until next time, 

Dorothy & Baby Pro