36/37 Week "Bumpdate"

36 Weeks! Feeling ready! Nursery and newborn essentials are good to go! 

37 Weeks!

Baby: At 36-37 weeks the baby is nearing full term! This means that the baby could be born anytime now and is equipped with what she needs to survive life on the outside! She is around 7lbs and around 19-20 inches. 

Movement:  I have been feeling tiny little rhythmic pulses down below my belly button on the left side. These are precious little hiccups that come and go. I also feel her quite often through out the day. Her movements feel like she is rolling or sliding her legs/ feet and trying to get comfortable. Every now and then I will feel a big kick in the ribs- ouch!

Cravings? Lately I have been loving and craving the Starbucks bbq briscuit sandwich on sour dough. It's probably what I want my first meal to be after delivery!

Symptoms: This week, sleep has been hard to come by- I think God might be preparing me for something!! ;) My hips/pelvic bone hurts late at night and I feel a pressure when I get out of bed that gets better as I walk around.  When you are pregnant, your body produces a hormone called relaxin that actually allows your bones and ligaments to spread for a safer & roomier passageway for baby! So as the baby drops lower into my pelvis, I know this will only continue to get worse until she finally makes her debut.

Labor signs: Been having slight onset of menstrual cramps, but nothing consistent. Usually happens during the night. Normally if I go to the bath room and drink a big glass of water it goes away, but last night was the first night it didn't go away for a bit longer. Last two weeks I have been checked at the doctors office, she says my cervix is "favorable," that I am dilated (open) 1-2 centimeters and I am 80% effaced (thinned out). Just for your knowledge, 10 cm dilated and 100% effaced means the baby is coming out. :) So I am at least making progress! At my last doctor appt, we got an ultrasound to make sure everything is going well and make sure nothing is blocking her head from being engaged in my pelvis. It was fun to see her on the screen as we haven't had an ultrasound since week 21 to find out the gender. 

Highlights from the past two weeks:

Kidnapping Felicia for a girls morning out for her birthday! We got pampered with pedicures, Starbucks and chocolate covered strawberries! It was definitely a treat!

Lunch with the Scotts! In this picture I am 37 Weeks and my friend Kea is one week ahead of me! Loved getting to talk about our pregnancy journeys & how fun it would be if we went into labor at the same time!

Great time with this group of friends finding the "Escape Code" with 2 minutes to spare! What a fun night!

Exercise: At 38 weeks I have decided to put teaching fitness classes/ instructing dance on hold. I will really miss it, but I am hoping to be rested and ready for the delivery. I am so glad that I have stayed teaching throughout my pregnancy as it has helped in SO many ways!

Diet/Weight: At my last appt. I weighed in at 154! My bump is gradually growing and my weight gain lately has been slow and steady (maybe a 0.5-1 pound a week).  I have not gotten any stretch marks thus far and my belly button went from being an "innie" to being completely flat & tiny. Kinda funny looking! :)

Prayer needs: Please pray for a safe & uncomplicated delivery! Pray for my doctors, nurses, labor support and of course, for Audrey Grace to be healthy! 

Looking forward to: Seeing when labor will actually begin and what it will feel like. It's such a weird time right now as I try to proceed to live life as I normally would, but also knowing that it could happen at ANY time! Crazy to think how much our life is going to change- but we are excited for it!!! Also, I am looking forward to attending a breastfeeding class and Infant Safety/ CPR class this week.

Thankful for: My husband, who has been my rock during this pregnancy. When things are overwhelming or stressful, he has been there to hold me, comfort me & tell me that everything is going to be okay. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! We are looking forward to becoming parents together. 

I am wondering when the last blog post "bump date" will be and when I will actually get to post about our new little love!! :) I'll update you either way! 

Until next time,

XOXO

Dorothy & Audrey Grace

34/35 Week "Bumpdate"

34 weeks! 

35 Weeks!

We have now completed 34 & 35 week and are about a month away from meeting our little love!

Baby: is around 18 inches long and anywhere from 4-6 lbs. I can definitely tell she is growing quickly. Audrey Grace is beginning to lower herself into the head down position for a safer delivery. Fun fact I recently learned: Babies have a reflex that when they hit the top of the uterus- they duck there heads making them do a somersault which allows them to get in the right position. Also, since their head is the heaviest part of the body, gravity helps to keep them that way. At my last appointment, Audrey was in the right position! 

Bump: Getting bigger everyday! You can't tell very much from the front, but can definitely tell if I stand to the side. Still no stretch marks, which I am amazed! When it gets itchy I slather it in the "Mothers Special Blend" oil I have. It works great to keep it supple and moisturized.

Favorite moments: I have a few... From last week my favorite moment was getting to see the dance team perform "Dare" by Shakira and see all their hard work come to fruition. They did an amazing job & I am so proud of them. The video is on my Facebook if you didn't get a chance to see them perform! I also enjoyed having an awards banquet for the team to honor their passion & hard work! 

2015-2016 BHS Dance Team

Talk about precision, stamina, skill and flexibility!

1st Annual Dance Team Awards Banquet

The next weekend Tyler and I went to a birthing class. We got some great info and it really got us excited that we are getting so close...At one point, Tyler looked over at me and got all giddy and said "I just got REALLY excited" I think it is becoming more real for the both of us as we get closer. I especially loved the labor comfort techniques they taught us... :-) who wouldn't love a great back rub from their husband!?? Thanks Tyler ;).

Also, on Sunday my precious friends from small group threw me a baby shower! It was so much fun getting together with everyone and we appreciate the gifts so much. One of my best friends from college also drove up to celebrate and got to stay with me for the night. I felt so blessed & loved! Thanks to everyone who came. I will do a separate post on the shower and adorable decor.

Movement:  She is moving a ton and I even caught her movements on a video that will be so fun to look at when she is finally here. Her movements sometimes shift my whole belly which is crazy! She usually likes to be with her back/butt on my left and legs on my right upper side right by my ribs.

Cravings? Nothing in particular.

Symptoms? Feeling pretty good! Just some mid back pain & multiple trips to the bathroom. Lack of being able to sleep through the night is no fun- but I think it's my body's way of preparing me for what's ahhead.

Labor signs: I had my 36 week check up and group b strep test. She also did a cervical exam to make sure the baby is in the right position- which she is! During the appt and while listening to the heart beat she asked "do you feel that contraction?" I had no clue, but I was having a Braxton hicks contraction which is just my body's way of practicing for labor. So unbeknownst to me, my uterus would get hard and then relax & you could tell through the heartbeat monitor when it was relaxed bc her heart beart was louder and easier to hear. Baby is "ballotable" meaning she is still floating with her head down, but her head has no  descended into the pelvis just yet.

Mood/energy: A little tired due to waking up in the night- trying to get snag a nap when I can!

Exercise: I didn't think I would be still teaching fitness classes right now at 35 weeks, but surprisingly I am!! Honestly feel like I will still be teaching until I go into labor. We will see, but I can still do the majority of the moves with very few modifications. It's amazing what your body can do if you keep it up during pregnancy! I feel fit and flexible and as ready as I can be for labor. I definitely listen to my body and know when I should take it easy.

Diet/Weight: Doc said pregnancy is when you want to be in tip top health for yourself and especially for baby. I have been eating well and of course satisfying those occasional pregnancy cravings. I do not weigh myself except at my doctors appointments. At the last one I weighed 152lbs! Pre-pregnancy I weighed around 125. So I have gained a total of 27 lbs. I am feeling good about the amount of weight I am gaining. It was slow and steady until about 20 weeks, then it went BOOM as you can see in the chart from my Sprout pregnancy app.

Ever wonder where the weight is distributed during pregnancy? It may seem like its all in the belly, but thats not actually the case- for a 30lb weigh gain, here is the average breakdown:

• Baby: 7.5 pounds
• Placenta: 1.5 pounds
• Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
• Uterus: 2 pounds
• Breast tissue: 2 pounds
• Blood volume: 4 pounds
• Fluids in maternal tissue: 4 pounds
• Maternal fat stores: 7 pounds

Looking forward to: I am excited that I am now at weekly Doctor appts and only have 4 weeks away until her due date!! Doctor says she thinks she will wait to come until 3 or 4 days before or after her due date- March 9th... We just can't wait to meet her!

Thankful for: My family and friends who have been nothing short of amazing during this special time! 

Dorothy & Audrey Grace

Audrey Grace's Nursery Reveal

I have always heard about the "nesting" instinct in mothers that kicks in during the end of pregnancy, but I never knew if it was a real thing or if I would experience it. It is basically an increase in activity and drive to "nest"- an intense desire to have everything ready for the new baby. Well, the "nesting" bug has definitely hit me the last couple of weeks as I have certainly been in nesting mode. It is a real thing, y'all! I have been cleaning, preparing, decorating and getting things ready for Audrey's arrival! We now have less than 5 weeks left until her estimated due date!

I am happy to say we have put the finishing touches on Audrey Grace's room! Now we are just missing ONE thing- our precious baby girl. But until then, I am happy to show you her finished room! 

When we moved here, this room was already painted aqua. We lucked out with this refreshing and fun color for the walls. I decided to decorate with pink, white and hints of gold. Her nursery has a modern glam feel mixed with shabby chic elements. I love to decorate and see how the colors and decor come together. Here are some pics of the finished product! Enjoy!

The crib we are using was Tyler's crib when he was a baby. His dad built it which makes it super special and unique! So excited that Audrey Grace will get to sleep in it. It used to be an stained oak color- after a few coats of white paint, this crib has new life again! Plus, we love the extra storage it allows. Also, last night I made the floral monogrammed "A" to put above her crib and I love the way it turned out.

Here's an up close picture of the decor I have sitting on the drawer part of the crib. I really like the "Love the Journey" saying as it is highly appropriate for the next stage of life we are entering! I know this rocker/recliner will come in handy for those late night feedings! AND it will also go great in our living room when we don't need a nursery anymore.

We put a day bed on the opposite wall. Gold polkadots always make me happy :) Also, I love the pillow I found for the day bed- it says "She leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes." I definitely think this phrase will be true for our little girl.

One of my favorite pieces in the nursery is this beautiful lamp that Tyler got me (and Audrey Grace) for Christmas! It looks beautiful in her nursery and gives it a touch of glam. I tried to stick to decor that we would use even as she gets older. I didn't want it to be too "babyish" to where we couldn't use it when she is older.

I don't think you can read the words in the frames from the pictures... but the gold frame says "Hello sweet beautiful girl" and the white frame has one of my favorite verses on it from Psalms, it says "Create in me a pure heart." I just love these sayings! Of course, Hobby lobby has done it again! #obsessed

Here are a few different views taken from the entrance of the room...

Hope you enjoyed the little tour of her new room! It was so much fun to see it all come together. Let me know what you think in the comments below! 

 We are ready for you, baby girl! :) Now, we wait...


xoxo,

Dorothy

32/33 Week "Bumpdate"

Pregnancy journey update: 

Here I am at 32 weeks with my good friend Brooke who is expecting a little boy approx. one month after me! It has been so fun getting to experience journey to motherhood together. 

33 Weeks Pregnant

6 weeks until Audrey Grace's estimated due date. Which isn't saying a ton, since only 5 percent of women deliver on their given due date. Babies born as much as 3 weeks before their due dates or up to two weeks after are considered full term. So we will just wait and see what day she picks for her birthday! :) Here's an update on how we are doing:

Baby: During these upcoming weeks, Little Audrey's size could vary greatly.

No clue why my app chooses such obscure foods to compare her to (what in the world is a durian??), but she is somewhere between 4.2-5.8 lbs and nearing 18 inches long. She is now keeping her eyes open while awake! (I wonder what it is like to look at the inside of my uterus!? Haha). Her bones are hardening, except for the ones in her skull as they must be slightly moveable & overlap so that she can make her way out of the birth canal. She is starting to run out of room and it's getting a little cramped in there! As a result, she is getting more and more ready for her descent and it is likely that she is getting in the head down position for birth. 

Bump: I am really showing and feel bigger EVERYTIME I get out of bed in the morning! It is hard to go from a laying down position to sitting up because of the extra weight on my tummy! Because we are in the middle of winter and it's so dry,  I have to slather my skin in oils so I am moisturized and not so itchy! 

Favorite moment of the week: Getting to spend the day with Tyler perusing the aisles of hobby lobby for a good two hours (he didn't complain TOO much) and working to put the finishing touches on Audrey's room!  We updated an old piece of furniture that my mom gave us and it turned out beautifully! 

Before:

Before paint, cabinet doors, and new knobs...

AFTER! So excited about the finished product! 

We also used one of the date nights that his mom gave us for Christmas which was a "coffee and questions" date. She had typed up several questions for us to talk about over coffee. The questions revolved around getting ready to be parents together and got us discussing numerous things such as the qualities we hope to instill in her, beliefs on discipline, best child hood memories/traditions we would like to keep, how to overcome obstacles and teaching her about God. It was a great night!! We had so much fun and it got us really excited to be parents together. 

Another fun moment this week was putting together the stroller and car seat!!! Makes us feel even more ready for her to get here!

Got her stroller and car seat! 

Miss anything?! Sleep. It has been really hard to get a full night of sleep lately! 

Movement: I love to feel her move anytime of the day. She gets super active when a familiar song comes on. Currently it is "Dare" by Shakira since the dance team I coach is dancing to that song and it's on repeat. Haha! She also loves the worship songs at church. Recently I have noticed she has been getting the hiccups! It feels like tiny little pulses that are in a somewhat rhythmic pattern. Her kicks have gotten pretty strong. I can see my stomach move a lot of times if I pay close attention. I love to feel her move. It always reminds me that I am getting closer to being able to hold her in my arms and that all of this is beyond worth it! 

Cravings? Last night at 10:30pm I had an intense desire for some chocolate chip cookies! So naturally, Tyler and I made a batch to eat!! They were yummy- especially with a big glass of milk! 

Sickness? I have a cold right now- just congested, stuffy nose and sneezing a lot! Hopefully it will go away soon! 

Pregnancy symptoms:  My feet hurt really bad if I am standing for too long but my back hurts if I am sitting for too long, so I have to switch it up often! Overall though, I am feeling really good. 

Mood/energy: Feeling pretty good! 

Sleep: I have been waking up and have not being able to go back to sleep as quickly as I used to! I try to take a nap during the day at some point if I am feeling exhausted. 

Exercise: teaching PiYo twice a week and  teaching dance. Might have to "cue" a lot more during PiYo and do more of the modified moves! We will see how this week goes!  

Diet/Weight: I will find out total pregnancy weight gain at my appointment tomorrow!

Prayer needs: Praying specifically for Audrey to stay cookin' until full term (40 weeks), for a uncomplicated delivery and making the transition to having a new born to take care of! 

Looking forward to: BHS Dance team performs on Friday night for homecoming. Can't wait to see all their hard work come to fruition! Love those girls! Also, can't wait to see my family this weekend! 

Thankful for: Definitely this entire journey and the fact that we will have a daughter soon!

Until next time,

Xoxo- 

Dorothy & Audrey Grace

30/31 Week Update "Bumpdate"

30 WEEKS!

31 WEEKS! 

Baby: Approximately 8 Weeks LEFT! Baby Audrey is the size of a pineapple measuring around 16 inches love and 3 lbs! Her brain and lungs are continuing to develop at warp speed. If she were to make her debut now, she would have more than 90% surivial rate. Of course, I am not wanting to test that- and I'm hoping she keeps cooking until full term (40 weeks).  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 the skin. Her immune system in getting stronger everyday and gearing up for the outside world.

Bump: It's funny, I get a wide variety of reactions from the size of my baby bump. Some are amazed at how much I have grown in the last few weeks and say "Wow, you really popped this week" or some say "You are SO tiny!" Well, despite the remarks, I definitely don't FEEL tiny and can definitely see a major difference in the mirror! She is really growing fast!  

Maternity clothes? Yes! Definitely maternity jeans, they are SO comfy... and just lots of flowy/ loose tops or blouses. 

Favorite moment of the week:  Seeing my sister and new nephew for Christmas! They also got to come stay with us for a few days! It was so fun having my sister with me as we set up the nursery and made more preparations for Audrey Grace's arrival. The excitement is truly building as we get closer and closer to her estimated due date.

Movement:  TONS! She kicks me on both sides at once and then a lot on my right side underneath my ribs. It is an amazing feeling- a bond between my baby girl and me has already begun. She responds to music and gets very active when I lay on my side at night. 
Cravings? Hot chocolate! 

Sickness? Just slight pain in my back/hips. I cannot sit in a chair for longer than an hour without a little back pain. I either have to lay flat, on my side, or walk around. 

Labor signs: Slight menstrual cramp feeling everyonce in a while. Doesn't last for longer than 10 minutes.

Mood/energy: Very good!

Sleep: Waking up a little more throughout the night, but once I get comfortable I can get back to sleep pretty quickly.

Exercise: Teaching my favorite workout format- PiYo and still coaching/teaching dance at the high school and Ballet Yahweh. This keeps me pretty active! I am going to try to continue to teach until closer to her due date. We will see how long I can keep it up! 

Diet/Weight: Weighed in at 149.50 at my last appointment. I am right on track with a total of 25 lbs gained so far! I am supposed to gain around 1 pound a week from here till d-day with most of the weight going directly to Audrey!

Prayer needs: Just for continued health, that she continues to develop until full term, and that I can have an uncomplicated delivery! 

Looking forward to: Excited my friends here are throwing me and Audrey Grace a baby shower. Can't wait to get together with everyone and can't thank everyone enough for their support and love! It has been fun getting to put together our baby registry online at BabyList and in store. Tyler and I had a lot of fun just "shooting" things with the nifty scanner at Target and making sure we got everything covered!

Thankful for: Time spent with my family and the many blessings we received during christmas! My in-laws were so sweet to provide us with a rocker/recliner and crib! They also gave us a precious wooden cradle that will go in our room for the first few months of her life.We are almost finished with the nursery and I will be sure to post pictures when it is finished! 

Photo credit: Milliron Photography

Also, super thankful for my husband during this special time. As we wait in anticipation, this picture reminds me of the 3 great years with just my husband and the incredible memories and times we have shared. Could not ask for a more loving, patient, kind and strong husband. I will always cherish the time we have had together just as husband and wife. I know he will be an amazing father to our first child. After a couple of months of marriage, I remember convincing Tyler that we should get a puppy.. When we finally got to meet our little pup we just fell in love! Darling has filled our lives with such joy and lots of cuddles! And now I'm so excited to add a new baby girl into the mix. In just a few short weeks, our lives are going to change (for the better). I feel so blessed to experience this miracle of pregnancy and venture into motherhood with Tyler and my little pup by my side. 




Until next time, 

Dorothy & Audrey Grace