36 weeks

Almost there! I cannot wait...this kid is literally hurting me! I went to the doctor on tuesday to get a check up and go over my test results. The good news is that I do not have preeclampsia. However my iron and potassium levels were a little on the low side and my protein was a little on the high side. Since my blood pressure has been all over the place the doctor said that they will just keep monitoring my blood pressure at each visit and if anything changes in the meantime to just call or go in. My doctor thinks that because I am nearing the end my levels may just be related to that. So I am eating a banana or 2 a day and also taking an iron suppliment. I knew something was up because I was feeling so tired and sick the last week or so. I have gained a total of 26 lbs so far and my doctor seems to think I shouldn't gain more that 35 total. Even though the number on the scale is a little scary to me, she says I am doing very well with my weight.

My sister-in-law found a growth chart on line and according to Will's last ultra sound he should be measuring in the 90th percentile now. That is one big boy!! I believe at 28 weeks he was just under 4 lbs and average is 2 lbs 10 oz. I already have a couple of friends booking trips to come and meet our little Will. I am excited to be off work for a little over 3 months to be able to spend all that time with my little guy. I also arranged his newborn pics with my friend Chelsea who did our maternity pics. I am sure I will still take some of my own, but you never know how tired and up for it I will be when the time actually comes. After all I can never have enough pictures of him :)

36 weeks



34 weeks

I am pretty much done with being pregnant. I am tired. My ankles are huge. I feel like this baby couldn't possibly get any bigger...but I know he will. The heat is probably the worst thing for me right now. I feel like I am never cooled off and I am always hot even when the thermostat is set at 73 degrees. I just want to hold my son!!!

OK! So now that I am done with that, on to the bi-weekly update. I have gained a total of 23 lbs so far, which is a little surprising to me since I thought it would be more, water weight wise. The doctor told me to start counting kicks at my last appointment 2 weeks ago. It should be 6 or more kicks per hour, twice daily. I did it for a couple of days and he was already at 20 kicks in less than a half hour. Its safe to say I pretty much stopped counting...he kicks all the time!! I started to have some blood pressure issues within the last 7-10 days. Sometimes it would be high (between 135-140) and sometimes really low (103/69!). I had another doctors appointment today and told her what had been going on. She set up a test for preeclampsia. I have to collect urine for 24hrs (sick!) and then have blood work done. She doesn't think I have it but wants to rule it out anyways. Less than 6 weeks to go with this guy and then I can't wait to spend lots of time with him while on leave.

I had a couple of baby showers as well. My best friend Nicole threw me a shower as well as my mother. It was nice to see family and friends. We pretty much received everything we needed except for our stroller and high chair. And William has enough clothing for a year...easy! Thanks to everyone who came or sent gifts, we appreciate it so very much. Now on to the waiting game. The last measurements of him put me at a due date of September 8th instead of the 21st...we shall see!

33 wks

34 weeks



32 weeks

I can't believe I'm almost in the home stretch of this pregnancy! I am getting so excited to meet our son!! I have gained a total of 22 lbs...so far, but with the water weight picking up speed who knows where I will end up! I had a serious case of the cankles the other night. My left ankle was swollen bigger than I have ever seen it this entire pregnancy. It made me sad to see how swollen my legs have gotten when I return home from work. I have also started to get less and less sleep at night. I read that 75% of women get insomnia in the 3rd trimester and I think this girl has got it! I also started to worry, just a tad, about the delivery. It's funny because it's not the actually delivery as much as it's how am I going to get to the hospital! I keep having this thought that I'm going to go into labor while out visiting one of my stores for work and I will end up calling one of my bosses to come and get me to take me to the hospital. It's so weird! My brother moved out the other day and ever since then all I can think about is cleaning this entire house! I think it's safe to say the nesting portion has kicked in! All I want to do is clean!!!

Since most of the baby's weight gain is happening from here on out, I have decided to take a photo every week of my ever growing baby belly, instead of every other week. Also the last 2 view from the top pics will be the only ones. I actually had to lean forward to get the toes in! I haven't been able to see my toes in months!! I hope these next 2 months fly by!!

view from the top @ 31 wks

31 weeks

32 weeks



Baby Boy's Nursery!!

And finally my vision is complete! I have been dreaming of this nursery since before we were pregnant. I couldn't imagine it any other way. I made all of the wall art except for the black and white "Baxter look-a-like" photo and the flag banner. The large gray and yellow frames I bought and painted and will soon hold my son's newborn photos as well as a maternity photo of the 3 of us. The bedding is all from Land of Nod, crib I found on Overstock.com and the 4 other pieces of furniture where purchased at antique stores. The dresser/changing table and the night stand where both repainted. The yellow chair was left as is and the foot stool was recovered in fabric purchased at a craft store. Chris and I did everything ourselves and love every single bit of this room! I cannot wait to complete it with our son.

 walking into his room

 starting at the left of the room

notice Bax under the crib

30 weeks

Our 28 week appointment went great! Will's head is down and in position for his arrival. The doctor said it is highly unlikely that he will change his position. We weren't able to get very great ultrasound pictures of him since he was head down and facing the placenta. All of his measurements were of course ahead. I was measuring at 30 weeks during my 28 week appointment! He is either going to come early (which I hope he is a bit early) or he is going to be a BIG boy! He is in the 75 percentile. I have gained a total of 20 lbs, according to my last visit, and have been doing pretty good food wise. I haven't had any cravings for awhile for anything specific. I will also be going to every other week doctor's appointments. Ultra sounds are done unless the doctor finds it necessary to have one. I am getting very anxious to meet our son!

We also had our maternity photos done by my friend Chelsea, who is an amazing photographer! We spent about an hour (yuck!) outside in the early evening in 100+ degree temps having them taken. Good thing we did them at Agritopia where they have tons of shaded areas! I was surprised I didn't get all hot and sweaty like I thought I was going to. They came out amazing of course! I love them! And it was also nice to get some updated photos of Chris and I since we hadn't had any done since our wedding 4 years ago!

His nursery is just about complete! I have to just put some of our maternity pictures up in a couple of frames and it's done! I love it so much! It came out exactly how I wanted it to. I also have a couple of baby showers coming up. Since my sister-in-law Kassie is also expecting my mom is throwing us a double baby shower with family in about a month. My best friend Nicole is also throwing me a little shower with friends and co-workers in a couple of weeks. I'm excited to see everyone who is coming to both showers since I pretty much spend all of my free time at home in the AC! My in-laws are also coming for the shower my mom is throwing. It will be nice to visit with them for a short weekend before they come back the following month to meet William.

30 weeks

the view from above!

(maternity shoot sneak peeks!!)

28 weeks

I can't believe I only have 12 weeks left until I get to meet my little boy face to face! Chris and I are so very excited to become parents. I did my 3 hour gestational diabetes test, which was miserable, and the results were good...no diabetes here! That was such a relief for me, you have no idea! I finally found the matching bumper to the crib bedding. It has been sold out online and the company only has about 5 stores nation wide. So I called the first store on the list and they had 1 left! Totally made my day...and then it was quickly ruined by the facebook ambush I received. Comments from "they are no longer recommended" to "you don't care if you suffocate your kid??". WOW. I had heard that they weren't recommended but the reasoning didn't worry me. Kids can suffocate or choke on a lot of things and a crib bumped was the least of my worries. My mother used one when we were kids and everything was fine. If it was that serious of a recommendation bumpers would have been pulled from the market completely. Plenty of them are still being sold. Recommendations are always changing when it comes to children and as parents we have to decide what to worry about and how to learn and grow as parents. Comments about me already being a "bad mother" are uncalled for and just plain rude. My husband and I were just livid at some of the comments. Worry about your own children and stop telling me how to raise mine. I do appreciate all of the helpful tips and advice, but don't judge me or call me a bad mother because our opinions differ.

On a lighter note, our maternity pictures were yesterday evening! I was so excited to have them done! I was texting my friend, Chelsea, back and forth the other night talking about our shoot. It was making me more excited discussing the ideas and props and clothing options. LOVE IT! I can't wait to see them! Tuesday is our 28 week appointment...can't wait to see our little man!

(a few sneak peeks of our maternity shoot! 28 wks.)



26 weeks

I am officially in the 3rd trimester! I cannot wait to meet our little boy and to think he could arrive anytime in September! William has been very active in this belly of mine. He usually starts kicking me every morning between 3-5am, then his next round is about lunchtime followed by a very active afternoon and evening. Sometimes at night, before I go to bed, he has a mini round of kicking but other than that, his schedule for soccer practice is pretty routine. I have also been using my mommy boppy pillow (a special maternity pillow for sleeping) every night for the last couple of months and I have recently found the BEST position to sleep with it and it has been so great to finally get plenty of comfortable sleep! I am also taking my second round of gestational diabetes testing this week. YUCK!! The first 1 hour test was a little on the high side so my doctor re-scheduled it again, but for a 3 hour test with fasting. I am so not looking forward to it. My next appointment is on the 28th and we will also have an ultra sound done, which means I get to see my little boy again! We are also getting our maternity pictures done next week by my friend/photographer who is amazing! I am so excited to see them already :)

Will's nursery is ALMOST ready to be revealed! We have been working hard on finishing it before my in-laws come to visit in the beginning of August. I have a couple more nursery projects to finish (wall art) before Chris and I hang everything up on the walls. Other then that everything is ready to go! I even washed and put away all of his clothes we have bought or have received from people. I know, I'm a little bit crazy...but I am soooo excited to be a mother to this little guy! I already can't imagine my life without him.

(26 weeks & 4 days)