The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 12

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, or Chapter 11.

It's me and I'm still here. Rob and I are heading into the hospital tonight to be induced. The plan is to start pitocin at 5 am Thursday (tomorrow) morning, so we appreciate all of the prayers we can get. Y'all know me, and I am truly scared.

I am praying that my next post is a photo of a healthy baby boy, posted by a healthy momma, of course.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. We could use them all.

I will leave you with a photo of my belly...and please keep on praying...please!

Happy Valentine's Day & The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 11

I made it to 39 weeks!

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, or Chapter 10.

The day that I turned 39 weeks, just happened to be the night Rob and I went out for Valentine's Day. We celebrated by getting a sitter and heading to dinner at Pappadeaux's.

Rob got me a prenatal massage for Valentine's Day, and I must say it was the best massage I have ever had! I enjoyed it so much and felt so much better afterwards. After dinner, we ended up at the movies, and we saw Valentine's Day. The movie was okay, but I was miserable the entire time. My feet were swelling, it was difficult to put them up, Carson was all in my ribs, my feet were super restless, and I just couldn't get comfortable. I watched the last 15 minutes of the movie~standing up in the theatre!

We had a great night out by ourselves, and I am so thankful to have such a wonderful hubby. He is the best! My parents celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary and my dad's birthday~all in the same day! So Happy Birthday Dad and Happy Anniversary to them both. Your cards are in the mail, but I think they may be a little late. Needless to say, Valentine's Day isn't just a day for flowers in our family. It is an anniversary and birthday too!

This post is dated Saturday night, because that's when the photos were taken. But, it is currently Sunday night and still no baby! I will keep you posted!

still here & The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 10

and still pregnant. I promise!

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, or Chapter 9.

This photo was taken of Emma and me, when I was around seven months pregnant. Trust me, I am a lot bigger now....my face and feet included.

I have been up since about 4 am, so Good Morning! I am supposed to be in line, in the freezing cold & rain, signing Emma up for preschool. This is nuts, I know. But, it's how they do it around here. My sweet hubby got up at 4:15 am to do this for me. He didn't want me to get sick right before delivery. I am so thankful!

My last doctor's appointment was this past Monday (I was 38 weeks and 2 days). My blood pressure was a little high. Not too high....just higher than my normal almost dead blood pressure of 100/60.

My doctor is out of town until this coming Tuesday night, so needless to say, I am not hoping for a baby over the weekend!

My next doctor's appointment is Wednesday (I will be 39 weeks and 4 days then).

I am feeling very anxious (imagine that!). We (especially ME) would appreciate your prayers over the next week or two. Excited just isn't the word. If you've ever had a baby before and display any resemblance to a type A personality, you should understand this. I will be excited after it's all over and

a. The delivery went as planned.
b. I am checked-out of the wretched hospital.
c. And most importantly, I am holding my baby, healthy and free of complications.

Our phones have been ringing off the wall...to the point that I can't return all of the phone calls. My husband does work for a cell phone company, but quite honestly, the ringing of the phones makes me crazy! It's a little ironic, right?

I guess I could return all of the calls, but that would leave me on the phone all day! This would be okay, except for that I have a really sweet three year old at home, that I am trying to spend time with before the big day. We have been busy making Valentine cards, complete with paint & glitter, going to Chick-fil-a, snuggling, and reading lots of stories. I love her so much!

I am doing my best to keep up with all of the phone calls. We appreciate all of your thoughts and well wishes! Just bear with me. We plan to have a quiet weekend at home, just the three of us...

I promise to keep you posted-to the best of my ability!

Thank you all for your wishes and prayers! We can't wait to introduce him to you!

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 9

38 weeks and still growing...

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, or Chapter 8.

And here's the proof...

Emma: Mommy you like you have a ball in your belly
Me: Thanks, Memms!
Emma (still thinking): A beach ball
Me: Oh thanks!



I guess "ball" wasn't quite big enough. It had to be a beach ball! She's such a stinker!

Oh, and before I forget, don't forget to vote. I am closing the polls very soon...

I had my weekly check up this past Tuesday. I am 1/2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. We'll see if that changes over the next week...

Since this blog serves as my family scrapbook, I just wanted to mention a few things for my benefit. I do look back at Emma's original baby website (I have it on CD) from time to time to help me remember. And, since us girls seem to remember little to nothing about previous pregnancies...here we go.

Rob and I have been having this conversation a lot lately...

Me: I don't remember this symptom with Emma
Rob: I do. You had that...
Me: Are you sure? I really don't remember.
Rob: Yes, I'm sure.
Me: I leave the room feeling like I smoke crack on a regular basis....

That was joke by the way.

So, in an effort to help me remember, here are all of the things that I can recall from this pregnancy...

I am going to leave out the first four to five months when I feel like I am going to die, and move on to the rest of the pregnancy.

*headaches
*dizziness
*occasional blurred vision~don't freak out~it's from migraines, not high blood pressure
*stuffy nose
*bloody nose
*swelling of the hands and feet
*heartburn
*indigestion
*back pain
*sciatica
*tail bone pain~this one was new for me. I was miserable for a week. I couldn't sit or anything.
*trouble sleeping
*being SO tired
*leg cramps in the middle of the night
*forgetfulness or "pregnancy brain"
*spicy food seeming more spicy when I'm pregnant

That's all that I can think of now. I am sure there's more...

I am still amazed by how many symptoms can be pregnancy related. Aren't you?

The good news is that this will all be over soon, right? Over, yes, but replaced with a long list of postpartum issues.

I'll keep y'all posted...

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 8

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, or Chapter 7.

I am 37 weeks today, so full-term! Coco, this photo's for you...

At 36 and a half weeks, I had my first "weekly" check up with my OB. Everything went well...I am a fingertip dilated with a "soft" cervix, but he didn't give me an effacement percentage.

I am personally not a believer of inducing early, that is just for the fun of it. So, we are officially waiting. Only the good Lord knows when this baby will arrive!

I will also tell you that I am not passing judgement on those of you who have chosen to induce early, it's just not for me. Emma was only 7 and a half pounds at birth, and she was full term. I just think that God gives us forty weeks for a reason, and I would prefer to not take home a five or six pound baby. We all know that no matter how miserable we are at the end of a pregnancy, new babies are far easier to take care of inside of the womb than out.

I am measuring exactly how I should, so my doctor said that I should expect a baby about the same size as Emma. He is not "big," which is something that I think all expectant mothers worry about. My doctor is also on call the weekend that I am due. Yay! Knowing that alone felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.

So, there you have it. The update that I promised....I will keep you posted!

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 7

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 or Chapter 6.

Here I am, on my birthday and almost 32 weeks. That makes me about 3 days shy of officially being 8 months pregnant. No news on the home front. Carson is still growing and so am I!

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 6

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, or Chapter 5.

I am 30 weeks along (well, actually 30 weeks and 2 days)! Everyday counts, right?

I took these pics with the camera on my computer, so the quality is poor, but you get the point.
I have nothing new to report...I am still hanging in there and still going to the gym. I feel like I have bricks for a belly :) I have a check-up tomorrow morning, but I have found those to be pretty much pointless lately.

As far as Carson goes, I have been working on the nursery. We are re-using Emma's nursery, which was the plan all along, but it is being transformed into a more "boyish" room. I still need a lamp, rug, etc., but I will post photos of the finished product soon...promise!

One more subject change...my baby sister is 20 today! So, Happy Birthday Ash! We Love You! And, can't believe that you're 20...I mean really?

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 5

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, or Chapter 4.

I am 23 1/2 weeks pregnant! I guess once I turn 24 weeks this Saturday, I will be six months? yikes! The weeks are flying right by. I can't say this so much for the beginning of the pregnancy, but it is for sure going quickly now.

We are hanging in there with the flu. If Emma doesn't make some sign of improvement today, I plan on calling her pediatrician this afternoon. She is not terrible, but isn't sleeping well and just doesn't feel good. Hopefully, she will be well soon!

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 4

In case you missed Chapter 1, Chapter 2, or Chapter 3.

FYI: There are two new posts below this one...the fall fest and a little retro red. I was a little behind on uploading photos :)

I made it to 21 weeks! I guess I am on the downhill slide? Here is a self portrait of myself...21 weeks and 2 days. I tried to get Rob to take my "bump" photo on Saturday, which was exactly 21 weeks, but the camera battery was dead, and you know how that goes, right?

Just to be clear...this photo was taken the same day, about 30 seconds earlier. Funny how different photos can look. And, no, I didn't eat in between.
And for the BIG announcement. We have officially named baby boy. Emma got so tired of hearing about names for brother, that she proposed to call him, "baby boy." I am serious. On another day, we asked her which name she liked better....and this is what she said:

"I don't like anymore names, Momma."

For those of you who know her, it sounds just like her. It was complete with attitude and all. Okay, so enough is enough. Our newest little bundle will be named...

Carson Chiles Douglas

If you don't like it, sorry! It has been decided, and trust me, it was one big and long, drawn out, complete with arguing and tons of indecisiveness decision.

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 3

In case you missed Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

I think that I made it over the hump! I am 18 weeks, and I am feeling a lot better than I was, so I am thrilled. I am still not 100%. I went to bed early last night with a horrible headache and the lovely nausea. But, I think my days over the toilet are over...let's hope. Rob took this photo. Maybe I should teach him how to focus with our camera.

Here's one of me with my Memms, and no we don't have a name picked out yet. Trust me, we are working on it. If men weren't so picky about their son's names, we would have one already.

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 2

In case you missed Chapter 1.

I made it to 14 Weeks, which is also the beginning of the second trimester. This is the supposed to be the best one of the three, so I am patiently waiting. I think that I felt better with Emma around 15 weeks, but I honestly don't remember. It seemed like a VERY long bout of sickness with her, and I would say the same again this time. Here's to feeling great, no nausea, and puke-free nights :) Please tell me it is just around the corner.

The Baby Bump Diaries: Chapter 1

I made it to 13 Weeks! Hooray! For all of you asking for a "bump" photo, here it is. For all of you that think this is weird, just look away :) I am still having lots of first trimester symptoms, and although some are beginning to subside, others (sciatic nerve pain) are appearing. Oh well, otherwise, we are doing great! This photo was taken just before Rob and I left for our anniversary date, but there will be more on that later!