Shower (Sam's IP Team)

Last night Sam's old team from IP threw us a baby shower. It was such a nice get together and we were so honored that his team wanted to host an event like this for us even after Sam left the company. What awesome people! The food was really yummy and it was fun hanging out with everyone outside of work. We got some really great gifts including Harrison's car seat. Since a car seat is required to bring the baby home from the hospital, it is really nice to know that we are prepared now!

Belly Time - 32 Weeks

Sam took some pictures last night before we headed to his work shower. I thought you would enjoy seeing my big belly!

(We were having a little chat!)

Harrison in 3D

We went in today for our 3D/4D ultrasound session (currently 31 weeks and 2 days). Our doctor's office offers an optional 3D/4D ultrasound session. The pictures that are produced are in 3D but are also real time (hence the 4D). The session is recorded on VHS (some places offer DVD) and the pictures from the session are all copied onto a CD. The pictures can be extremely lifelike.

It isn't a medical procedure so it isn't covered by insurance but it is well worth the money. The appointment was suppose to last about 30 minutes but I think we got about an hour session. Harrison decided to be a little stubborn and thought it would be best to squish himself up into a little ball and hide in my ribs. This did not produce the best pictures possible but regardless it was a lot of fun. The best pictures we got were two pictures that were taken after we had finished our session. Cherie the ultrasound technician felt bad that we hadn't gotten a really clear facial shots so she asked me to sit on the table one more time. She had already taken the CD out so of course this was the perfect time for Harrison to cooperate. Luckily we could get some print outs of these shots.

I thought it would be fun to list some of the observations that Sam and I had during this ultrasound. It will be interesting if baby Harrison acts the same way after birth.

Harrison likes to sleep with his hands by his face. We have seen this in both ultrasounds. Harrison sleeps with his little hands tucked around his face. Sometimes he sucks his thumb but most of the time he just likes to snuggle with his hands around his head.

Harrison likes to chew on his feet. Most of the pictures of Harrison's face also include his feet. At first it just looks like a hand but on closer inspection you realize that it is actually his feet up above his head or in his mouth (in this case his foot is covering one of his eyes). Hopefully this will not be a favorite activity that is carried too far into childhood.

Harrison does not like to be photographed. If a camera is present all cuteness must stop! In the picture below Harrison is covering his face with his hands.

Harrison does not like to be woken up from a sleep. If you can get this little guy to wake up he will fuss. We are convinced that we saw frowning at one point after we tried to shift him a little during the ultrasound. When we were watching the real time imagine that occurred while this picture was taken it almost seemed like he was fussing.

Harrison has adorable chubby cheeks. I just can't wait to kiss them!

Feeling Very Stretchy

So this is a relatively random post but I thought I would share, I feel like I am being stretched today! No not mentally but actually physically stretched. Like my stomach could pop!

Maybe it is from the enormous amount of food I have consumed today (I have tried to stick with mostly healthy food ... except for the ice cream social at work - hee hee) or maybe it is because my belly is getting BIG! Either way, I guess I should count myself lucky that this is the first day I have felt this way. I mentioned this to a coworker this afternoon and she laughed at me and said "it's about time!". I guess that is a compliment.

I will also add that I have noticed today that Harrison can now kick me in the ribs. I wonderful trick that he couldn't do a couple of days ago. I am looking forward to seeing where he is positioned at my doctor's appointment on Monday so I can understand what I am feeling when I feel all of his crazy movements.

I guess I am going to go rub some lotion on my balloon belly and head to bed. I will try to remember to take some pictures of my midsection tomorrow to share so you can see the belly (covered of course) for yourself.

Happy Father's Day

I have a lot of fun imagining what our future will be like. I can’t wait to see Harrison for the first time. Will his eyes be blue like mine or brown like Sam’s? What color will his hair be? (Of course, we are all routing for red!) Who will he look like? Whose personality traits will he have? I don’t think there is any doubt that he will be strong willed! What will his first words be? As he grows older what will his hobbies be? Will he be good in sports? (I know that isn’t a trait he will get from me!) Will he enjoy school?

These are just some of the many questions that swirl around in my head.

I know Sam thinks about these things too. I have caught him looking at local camping and fishing sites. I know he is day dreaming about eventually taking Harrison on lots of adventures. I am excited to think about all the wonderful father and son moments they will share. I do not even doubt for a minute that he will be a wonderful father.

Happy Father's Day to all the current fathers and fathers to be. I hope you enjoy this day!

Doctor's Appointment Update

I forgot to post an update about my last doctor's appointment. I guess that is what happens when you get good news. You forget about it...funny how the bad stuff is so much easier to dwell on.

Anyway, appointments these days are pretty routine. Here's the routine:
Walk back to the nurses station while making small talk (entertaining)
Get blood pressure taken (perfect)
Go to the bathroom and pee in a cup (results good)
Get on scale (only gained a pound but I think my last weight taken was too high so it evens out)
Sit on exam table and wait for doctor (yawn)
Doctor comes in and reads file (always curious if he can remember us without the files)
Doctor pulls out a tape measure and measures my belly (measured right about 30 weeks)
Doctor ask about Harrison's movement (yup)
Doctor asks if there are any problems or questions (not really)
Doctor schedules next appointment (in TWO weeks - wow it's already that time!)

We also went over the results of my blood work. I passed the gestational diabetes test. Yeah!!!! I am so happy I don't have to go do the 3 hour test and even more excited that I don't have gestational diabetes. The doctor did say that my result showed that I was mildly anemic. Anemia is very common during pregnancy so he wasn't overly concerned. He just reminded me to be extra careful about taking my prenatal vitamins and to watch for additional signs of anemia. I may have to start taking additional iron supplements (yuck) but hopefully I can regulate it naturally.

So that is my health report for everyone who is interested. Harrison and I are doing great!

Showered with Love

This weekend was so special! I was surrounded by about thirty wonderful ladies who showered me with kindness, compliments (thanks ladies I really needed those!) and lots of fabulous baby gifts!

The shower was hosted by four really wonderful ladies (Em Johnson, Renee Pomeroy, Carol Smith and Maggie Rocket). The shower was held at Maggie's beautiful home in Point Clear. It was so much fun sitting on the bright and cheerful porch overlooking Mobile Bay.

The shower was a brunch which meant lots of yummy foods and drinks. I was especially excited about my one special request - petits fours! I am such a sucker for those little cakes and these were really yummy. I am still enjoying them since the ladies were nice enough to send me home with leftovers.

Baby Harrison received too many presents to list here but let me just say how thankful we were to all the sweet gifts.

Here is a link to a gallery containing lots of pictures from the shower as well as a few pictures of some of the gifts in Harrison's room.

Baby Shower Pictures

Updates Coming Soon...

Sorry I haven't written any updates for the last week. Sam and I just returned to Memphis after a long visit down in Fairhope. It was a jam packed weekend full of lots of fun! We spent a night at the Grand Hotel Resort in Point Clear, attended a fabulous baby shower hosted by a bunch of really sweet ladies, visited both sets of parents, attended a dinner party on the river in our honor, and lots lots more.

We are pretty worn out so I will write more detailed updates about our trip over the next couple of days. Be on the lookout!

Sam's New Job

Just a little update to let everyone know that Friday (tomorrow) is Sam's last day at International Paper. He will be leaving the company after 6 years to try something new.

He will be working for a company in Memphis that specializes in medical related supplies and equipment. He will continue to serve an IT function. This new position will be focused on project management. I am sure he can explain it much better than I can :-)

While he is really sad to be leaving a lot of wonderful people (I am really sad to be losing my lunch buddy!), we are really excited about this new opportunity!

Yucky!!!

I had to go in for my gestational diabetes test today. The gestational diabetes test occurs sometime between the 26th and 28th week of pregnancy. The test involves quickly drinking a sickeningly sweet liquid, which contains 50g of glucose. The testing center I attended gave the option of orange, fruit punch or lime. I selected fruit punch since I heard it wouldn't taste as bad as the others - think Fanta without the fizz and about twice the sugar. They gave me five minutes to finish the drink but at least they gave me a straw. After finishing the drink you have to sit very still for an hour (thank goodness for waiting room magazines) and then they take a bunch of blood samples (they use this chance to test for a couple of other things too - at least they only prick you once).

At the very latest, I should get my results back at my next doctor's appointment (next Monday). Hopefully I passed! If I fail (15% of all women fail the first test), I will have to take the 3 hour test. This test requires fasting first followed by drinking another disgusting drink. This time you have to sit for 3 hours with blood drawn every hour. Definitely not something I want to do!

Harrison's Room

We have made a lot of progress on Harrison's room over the last couple of weeks. This weekend we finished up a few little projects so I thought now was a good time to share a few pictures. The only thing left to do are the decorative touches - art (see previous post for a preview), lamp, baskets for storage, etc.

View of Harrison's room from hallway: Comfy chair and bookcase (for all those adorable children's books):

Harrison's crib:

Curtains (I made them myself!) and letters above the window:

27 Weeks

Thought you might be interested in a developmental update.

27 Week Update Care of Babycenter:

Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn’t bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby’s brain is very active now. Wonder what he’s thinking?

Your body is gearing up for the final lap, so you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They’re carrying extra weight, after all, and your uterus is putting extra demands on your circulation. (As your uterus expands, it puts pressure on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.) Unfortunately, the cramps are likely to get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day.

I haven’t felt the baby have hiccups yet. I don't know if I just don't recognize the movement as hiccups or if he is just hiccup-free. Evidently Sam hiccuped a lot when he was a baby - guess little Harrison hasn't picked up that habit yet.

I have been getting leg cramps at night - a feeling like a charlie horse is going to start, but then if I move fast enough it doesn’t happen. A few times, I haven’t caught it in time and have woken up to my leg being curled up in charlie horse pain. It goes away pretty fast, but it’s annoying. The charlie horse I got last weekend stuck around for almost a week. Ouch! Hopefully the banana pudding I had for dessert tonight will help keep away the leg cramps :-) Not quite on the diet but at least it might do some good.

It’s so hard to imagine that I’m in the third trimester now- well according to some of the sites anyway. Other things say it doesn’t start until week 28, but I’ll take what I can get. I can’t wait to meet Harrison, but I know he’s not done growing in there, yet. Everyday I think this becomes more real to me, and I get more excited about having a baby and not just being pregnant. I think I spent most of my awake time feeling the baby kick, playing with my belly, thinking about him, and getting his room ready for his arrival! August 23rd (or whatever day he actually decides to get here) will be here before we know it!

Art for Harrison's Room

I am so excited! I just ordered the art work for Harrison's room. I have been struggling to find the perfect thing. I was torn between a couple of different artists but kept coming back again and again to an artist whose work I found on Etsy. For those who don't know, Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling homemade items and the supplies need to make homemade items. It is a really cool site and I have already purchased several things from there. To Sam's dismay, I am sure I will be buying more after Harrison is born! My latest purchase is a series of prints by Erica Vess. She operates an Etsy shop by the name of beeskneesstudio. I have just ordered the following:


The three "mommy and baby" prints will go over the crib. The two prints below will be a little bigger and will go on each side of the window in the baby's room. I am so excited about these prints. I can't wait to get them framed and to see them in the room.

Stay tuned for more pictures of the baby's room. I guess you could say nesting is in full swing!

Sneaky Sneaky

Harrison is a good kicker. He likes to do somersaults in my stomach at all hours of the day and night. He likes jumping on my bladder and the occasional sharp kick to the pelvic bones. Other days he is up in my ribs tapping on my tummy like he is practicing for a future as a professional drummer.

Harrison does not like to kick when others are watching. He is sneaky - the ninja of kicking. Rumors of Harrison's excellent kicking skills have been met with eager response. Dear girlfriends cup their hands to my belly hoping to feel the sweet little tapping of baby kicks with no response. Harrison does not perform on command.

Sam and I are not immune to this treatment. We love watching my belly move with Harrison's movement. Many nights we will lay in bed watching my stomach for movement. Without fail, Harrison waits till we are distracted to put on the show - as if to punish us for our lack of devotion. As soon as our attention returns he is super still. No way will he cooperate!

Maybe this is a little preview of the stubbornness in our future. I can't imagine where he would be getting it from?!?!

Two Years Ago Today...

Two years ago today I married my best friend.

It's funny how time passes us by. In some ways it feels like we were walking down the aisle just yesterdays. In other ways it seems like we have done too much and shared too many memories together for it to only be two years. I guess that is one of the many special things about marriage, it can feel new and familar all at the same time.

Sweet Sammy, I don't know what I would do without you in my life. I hope you know how much you mean to me. I can't wait to welcome little Harrison into our lives and to make our loving family even biggier. Happy anniversary!

Belly Time

I have had several requests for a belly shot over the last month. I guess it is only far to share that with you since it really is the only physical proof I can put on the blog to prove I am in fact pregnant and not just making all this up. I have to admit that I have been putting this off for quite some time. I don’t think it was totally intentional more just a matter of circumstances. I kept thinking I would put an outfit on and be like “damn, I look awesome today!” and would be moved to grab the camera and record that moment in history. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened so you guys are going to have to settle for this:

I feel like I have been growing a lot over the last couple of weeks. I am pretty happy to have a belly. I have really struggled with the “do I look fat or pregnant?” debate and I am sure Sam has gotten tired of answering that question. I feel pretty confident that I look pregnant now especially since I have been asked by several strangers when I am due (which is a VERY gutsy question by the way). I think I look pretty good for 25 weeks and I guess that is all that really matters.

One additional note (or life lesson if you will), if you really want to make a pregnant person happy tell them they look great. I have observed that most pregnant don’t like being told they look small or that there is no way they are really x weeks pregnant because it makes them think you are telling them they aren’t healthy enough (I know we are crazy!). We can never be told too many times that we are glowing or that we look wonderful! By the way, that wasn’t a plug for compliments; I just thought I would share that info for all the other pregnant ladies out there :)

Back on my Feet Again

I think I have almost fully recovered from the sciatic nerve issues I was experiencing last week. After many hours spent in bed with a heating pad, lots of stretching and a few warm baths I can do most activities without grimacing in pain. I also switched my chair at work which I believe has helped tremendously. I still have back aches and I have this sneaking suspicion that I could do something simple like bend over to pick up a dropped item and be back where I started but I will take what I can get for now.

I learned a few things while spending a few days on bed rest:

1. Bed rest sucks! (Sorry for the phrasing but there really is no other way to describe it.)
2. There are at least 4 hours of pregnancy related shows on daytime cable television and they pull you in.
3. No matter what you wear while on bed rest, you always feel like you have been in your pajamas by the end of the day and that another shower is needed
4. It is nearly impossible to type while laying on your side.
5. My dog is totally unloyal and would really prefer to have the bed to herself all day long.
   

Hopefully I will not have the joy of experiencing this again during my pregnancy!

Mother's Day

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I hope all the mom's out there had a wonderful day!

It was fun today getting wished "Happy Mother's Day" for the first time! :-)

The Sciatic Nerve is a Pain in the Butt!

The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that starts in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb. It is the longest and largest single nerve in the body and mine really hurts! Evidently, the changes that occur to your body during pregnancy can put extra pressure on this nerve and cause a great deal of pain and there isn't much you can do about it. Oh joy!

After a week spent in pain, I decided to go to the doctor to confirm my own self diagnosis and make sure Harrison and I were in good health. The doctor gave to a full exam and we are doing fine. I am still in pain but I am taking it easy. I have been given several recommendations to try to reduce the pain but mostly I have to wait it out. Hopefully this will all pass soon.

A Little Religion

Shortly after Sam and I found out that I was pregnant, we created a list of things we wanted to do before welcoming the baby into our lives. The list contained lots of different items: home improvements, increase savings, organize closets, etc. One of the items on the list was to find a church. We both grew up with exposure to church communities and wanted to offer that same exposure to our child. We also thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to meet other young couples and especially other new parents. Our reason for picking Germantown United Methodist Church was probably a little unusual – we attended a wedding there and really liked the minister. His wedding service was one of our favorites we had ever been to so we were excited to see what his sermons would be like.

We started attending services in February and really felt at home. After attending for a couple of weeks we started attending a Sunday school class and quickly started to make friends. Our Sunday school class is really active and we are really excited about all the social events. We have been to several social functions and we are looking forward to many more. As an added bonus, our good friends Angie and Pete attend the class as well!

After attending for several months, Sam and I felt confident that this was the right church for us and decided to join this week. We are now official members of Germantown United Methodist Church.