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