Jedd's Surprise Party

The party was a success!!!! Jedd was so surprised that the long planned "coed baby shower" was actually his 30th birthday party! I have received about a million "thank yous" from him since yesterday. We got to see so many of our friends and family which was nice! Our wedding DJ (Digital Doctor) came and DJ'd the party--- he also took so many amazing pictures for us too! The weather was beautiful (hot though) but no rain!!! I honestly don't think we could have had a better day!

Jedd and I at his 30th bday party

On another interesting note, I woke up this morning and had my first set of contractions! I was so scared that Audrey was planning on making an early debut, but thank goodness they stopped! It's getting so close that I guess we just have to start being ready all the time now. In just 3 weeks she will be full term. I think my goal by next weekend is to have my hospital bag packed----- just in case....

I'm excited for the next upcoming weekend--- to see so many of my friends I haven't seen in ages for our baby shower. Hopefully we have another nice day! For now, I am going to relax--- we had such an exhausting weekend! I need the extra day tomorrow just to recover!

Back to School

Today was the first day of school with the students back. I loved my new job!!!! The students seemed great and it should make for a pretty fun year!

We received Audrey's 1st Thanksgiving outfit in the mail yesterday. I ordered it off Ebay for 5.00 and the lady even sent a 1st Halloween shirt with it for free! It's soooo cute. I'll post pictures soon! I'm getting so excited. Every little ache or pain I have I keep wondering if this is it (even though I'm hoping she stays put for another 4 weeks).

We have such a busy weekend coming up. I'm so excited!!! I still have a lot to do yet but I'm sure it will all work out!!! Then I get to see so many close friends on the 7th which I am even more excited for!!! Everything definitely seems to be happening fast!

33 weeks pregnant

I can't believe it's been a week since I updated! I have been very busy now that school has started and I started a new job this year!

We went to the last part of our "Baby Boot Camp" series tonight. We learned about feeding, diapering, taking care of umbilical cord, and a few other things. Both Jedd and I were so exhausted that all we could think about was getting home! We won't have another childbirth class until the 2nd weekend in September.

Audrey is now 33 weeks gestation!!! Only 7 more weeks until her due date! I can definitely feel how big and strong she is getting. We are anticipating her arrival every day!!

Some stuff about Audrey at 33 weeks:

• Amniotic fluid is at its highest level during your pregnancy.
• Your baby's head size has increased 3/8ths of an inch due to rapid brain growth.
• Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers -- forming connections in your baby's brain will give her the skills she needs to thrive as a newborn. This week, she may be able to coordinate sucking and swallowing with breathing.
• While most of her bones are hardening, her skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. The bones will be able to move slightly to make birthing easier.
• Your baby takes intermittent deep breaths -- of water! That's okay, though since she gets oxygen from the placenta. This breathing exercises muscles and encourages her lung cells to produce more surfactant (a protein essential for healthy lung development).
• Your infant is now 17.2 inches long and weighs 4.23 pound
  

32 weeks pregnant

Today was a very busy day! First off, I am officially 32 weeks pregnant!! YIKES! I could be holding my baby girl in just 5 short weeks! Jedd and I went to our first "Baby Boot Camp" class tonight and loved it!!! It was a million times better than our first class. We learned how to comfort baby (5 different ways), how to soothe and calm, what to use/do when baby is sick, how to tell if baby is sick, etc. It was so great!

I have to say, my husband is quite the baby swaddler! It was fun to practice too! Next week she said we're practicing a lot of diapering stuff and we'll get to try stuff out too.

A little about Audrey at 32 weeks:

• Audrey is up to 3.75 lbs and about 16.7 inches long
• She is now gaining about 1/2 lb per week
• She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair
• Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth

Another great day

Today was fun!!! We had our 32 week check-up bright and early! My belly was measuring perfectly- 32 centimeters for 32 weeks pregnant (well... tomorrow anyways). I'm so glad!

Afterwards, Jedd and I spent the day shopping. We ended up finally spending the money to get bushes/shrubs/plants for our front walkway. We do have a "baby shower" coming up here in less than 2 weeks! Jedd is outside right now planting everything. It looks goofy because they are all such tiny plants right now, but I think it will look great when they grow.

I'm back to work tomorrow! Boo! I actually don't have to go back until Wednesday, but I decided to go in tomorrow for a few hours to get stuff done. Then, Jedd and I have our first "baby boot camp" class. I'm so excited for that!

I need to update house pictures, Audrey's nursery pictures, and stuff we got for Audrey soon! We've had a lot of changes! Oh, and my shower is finally scheduled for September 7. YAY!!!!!! I can't wait to see everyone!

Getting antsy

Well I just got done eating an awesome brownie sundae!!! Yummmmmmmm!! Audrey has been in my ribs every day now!!! I poke at her little feet and she kicks me back! I'm sure I annoy her. That's okay because her being in my ribs annoys me too. Tomorrow I have my 32 week check up! Jedd and I are going to that together and then going shopping to get some stuff to finish up the inside of our house!

I was on The Nest Baby boards tonight and noticed a LOT of people having babies around 35 weeks!!! Um, I had to mention to Jedd that for us that is in 3 weeks! AHHHHHHHHHH!!! I really want Audrey to be at least a 37 weeker, so fingers crossed!!! I just think it's crazy that we are getting that close. If Audrey is born full term (September 23) she will be here in only 5 short weeks. And I couldn't be more excited!

I start back at school on Wednesday. I have 3 days of lovely/boring inservice this week. Not looking forward to that--- but I am grateful that it will keep me busy and before I know it Audrey will be here and I'll be off again with her!!

2 months to go

I am officially due 2 months from today!!! Coming down the homestrech now...

Started getting some weird pains again last night--- but dr. insists they are just my ligament loosening to prepare for her head to fit through the birthing canal. Ouch!

I did something fun today online--- I filled out a small questionaire to see what they thought about baby--- I did NOT enter baby's sex or anything, and this is what came up:

Madame Zaritska's reading

Madame Zaritska, our resident clairvoyant, wants to help you prepare for the arrival of your child. Here she does her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.

What she senses for you:
The day you deliver, outside will be sunny. Your baby will arrive at night.

After a labor lasting approximately 12 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 10 ounces, and will be 18-1/2 inches long. This child will have green eyes and a lot of hair.

But there is more. I sense that you wonder if you will have a difficult time during labor and birth.

31 weeks pregnant

I am 31 weeks pregnant today! AHHHHHHHH!!! That means that if Audrey is born full term (37 weeks) I could technically be holding her in 6 weeks. I'm so excited!!! I now officially move into my 8th month of pregnancy! It some ways it feels like it's taken forever to get here and in other ways it feels like this has all happened so fast.

A little about Audrey this week:

• The rate of physical growth slows down just a bit, but even though she doesn't get much longer, she will gain a lot of weight the rest of the pregnancy
• Fat continues accumulating. This layer of fat turns her skin from red to the rosy pink she will have as a newborn
• Calcium, phosphorus, and iron are being stored and her bones are growing and hardening
• Audrey is 16.2 inches long and weighs 3.3 pounds
• Her brain enters another period of rapid growth, producing hundreds of billions of new nerve cells!
• She may move to the rhythm of music. Studies with heart rates show that she prefers some types of music to others--- already
• Lungs are the only major organ left to complete development. These last few weeks can be vital-- with each day increasing your baby's abillity to breathe on her own.

Audrey's weight is comparable to carrying 4 navel oranges (over 3 lbs)! No wonder Mommy's back is hurting more and more everyday!

Home Improvement Weekend

We were super busy all weekend getting stuff done around the house. All of the bathrooms are officially updated with new fixtures, faucets, mirrors, etc! Such a relief! I'll take and post pics soon.

I ordered Audrey's lampshades last week and found out that the order had been cancelled. I tried calling the company and never received anybody after 20 minutes of waiting. They refunded my cc though so who knows. It was such a good deal too--- now if we want the same lampshades, it'll cost double in price! They are so expensive!

I also ordered Audrey's valance for her window and her diaper stacker from her Bubblegum bedding set. Both could only be bought online and since I"m worried people won't get stuff online from our registries, it was no big deal. I found them cheaper than Target too (at Bed, Bath, and Beyond) so it was a good deal.

Jedd hung an extra shelf in Audrey's closet today and I need to get to Walmart to get baskets to put her mittens, booties, bibs, etc. in them. I also need more hangers because this girl has TOO many clothes already! We do have a nice variety of sizes which helps!

Besides "home improvement" weekend nothing else is new with us! We've just been so busy getting our house the way we want it. It's exciting but a lot of work.... (just ask Jedd)!

TGIF!

So today I went into school to get my classroom ready for the new school year. It's so hard to believe summer is almost over. I can remember back in June hoping this summer went fast because summer being over meant Audrey was coming really soon! And she is!

Already made it to 30.5 weeks pregnant! I can hardly believe it. Jedd and I went to our 1st childbirth class last night. It was such a waste of time. We knew everything they talked about. We were also the most pregnant people there. Everyone else was due in December, January, or even February. Totally our fault for waiting until the last minute! The next class (in Sept) should be more informative though with breathing techniques, etc.

We also have a 2-week "Baby Boot Camp" class starting on August 19 too. This is a class they really recommend--- lots of informative things to learn-- diapering, feeding, tricks for baby, etc. Jedd is really excited about this class.

This weekend we plan on getting some more stuff done in our house--- it's almost completely done the way we want it! We only need to save up lots of money so we can replace all the sink countertops in the bathrooms and the countertops in the kitchen. Of course Jedd wants his basement done soon too!

Audrey has had her foot sticking out of my right side all day today--- it's so funny looking! She's still being a busy girl in there--- and I know she has to be running out of room to move. That's all that is new from here! Olympics start tonight and with both of us being athletes in our lives, we are excited!!!

30 weeks pregnant

OH MY--- I am 30 weeks pregnant today!!! I can hardly believe it and I have said it 100 times today trying to believe it. I'm excited, overwhelmed, thrilled, nervous..... we only have 10 weeks until we meet our little girl! Jedd and I got a lot more done in Audrey's nursery tonight. We bought a floor lamp and cute little lamp for her and we're waiting for our lampshades to get sent to us (they match her Bubblegum bedding). We also hung the first picture in there--- which tells all about her name. I also got other pictures ready to hang--- we're putting mine, Jedd's, and Audrey's baby pictures in frames on the wall. We still need to find a nice white mirror for in there--- but it's coming along. I also got online tonight at Target to see if I should just order our glider--- but saw it was backordered about 2-6 weeks. AHHHHHHH! I'm going to hold off since we haven't had a shower yet!

I had my 30 week checkup today. It went really well. I explained and asked about the aches and pains I've been having-- all normal. The dr. was a little concerned over a few episodes I had while we were on vacation. My heart just started racing, I had trouble breathing, and it was really hard to relax. He took bloodwork and said if this should happen again I need to go to the ER right away. I'm glad I asked... He measured me and I was right on track for 30 weeks--- he says "the small side of average". Of course I was worried (since Trisomy 18 babies are small) but he said I should be very thankful she's on the small side of average-- that's exactly where I want her for birth too. So that made me feel better! He also said there are no indications of anything with Trisomy 18. YAAAAAY! Audrey's heartbeat today was 157--- steady and strong. Of course, I knew she was strong and growing--- her punches and kicks are starting to become very uncomfortable!

So a little about Audrey in the womb:

• She is nearly 3 lbs now!!!
• Her head is getting larger to accomodate a period of rapid brain growth.
• A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her. As she continues to grow, the amniotic fluid will decrease.
• She spends time opening and closing her eyelids. Her eyes can move from side to side following a light source. She may even reach out to touch the light.
• Early lanugo is beginning to disappear. Her own hair may begin to appear.
• Toenails are entering their final growth stage.
• Bone marrow is now in charge of red blood cell production.
• She now has the capability to produce tears--- within the womb!
• By the end of this week, Audrey will be about 15.7 inches long and weigh 2.91 pounds!
  

Relaxation

The beach was amazing (and I'm sure Audrey enjoyed her first time on the beach)!

We're back

So this is long overdue! We had a wonderful time last week at the beach! We relaxed a lot, rode jetskiis (for me--- slowly), went out to eat, to the beach, etc. Of course, like all vacations, it went way too quickly!

Before we left for the beach, we ran to the mall quick to get some odds and ends. I stopped by Motherhood Maternity because I needed a white shirt--- but I saw a dress I liked. I didn't say anything, because I didn't "need" it-- but Jedd pointed it out. He said he thought I should try it on. So I did. And we both loved it! So I bought it and I'm going to wear it to my baby shower.

Here it is---- perfect with my hair color!

Audrey has been growing a lot lately! Every morning I wake up and can't believe how big my belly is getting. Of course, I always get the comments about how small I am for being due in only 2 months-- but to me, I'm huge!!! I think Audrey really liked our little vacation too because she was very active this week! Her punches/kicks are getting stronger and stronger! I feel blessed everytime I feel her. It was hard to believe that the next time we'll be in OCMD, it'll be with her. We can't wait!

I have my next check-up (30 weeks) tomorrow in the morning. Jedd is coming with me and he hasn't been there in a few appointments since they aren't that important anyways. I'm excited!!!! The last ten weeks is approaching...