Final Pregnancy Days

Today could be the very last full day of being pregnant (and not being in labor) for me. I cannot believe it! I have been so thankful to be able to experience pregnancy and have really loved it. Yes, I felt exhausted at the beginning and have had heartburn for months on end, but I've also been able to see my belly grow and feel and watch Baby Girl BH moving around inside of me. It has just been the best. I'm a little sad for it to be over but am eager to meet our little one!

A few final pregnancy notes and stats:

Weight gained: 28 pounds

Cravings: apparently those will forever and always be tater tots and potatoes in general. Sabra hummus def tops the list, too. I've also always up for Ramen at our local spot, Doodles.

Symptoms: a bit more belly and back soreness over the last couple of weeks, heartburn, a little less energy, sweating.

What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, sleeping without having to go to the bathroom several times a night.

Thanks to all of our friends and family who have been such wonderful supporters through these 9 months. Know we appreciate it and love y'all!

Now let's have a baby!!!

It's not polite to point!

Hi there, folks! I'll be back later in the week to dish about my super fun baby shower and pregnancy photo experiences, but for now I wanted to share a couple of pictures that made me laugh. The first is from yesterday...the last day of my 7th month. Notice the pointy baby belly. She was sticking something out there! The second is today, the first day of my 8th month. Baby Girl BH was rounded out. The difference makes me giggle.

31w6d

32w

30w4d

We hit the 30 week mark this week. Only 10 more to go! Can you believe it?!? Here are some stats for you to enjoy:

Pounds gained: 23

Cravings: These have really settled down. I am pretty into lemonade and limeade though. Sadly, these drinks also give me wicked heart burn. *womp womp*

Movements: I'm experiencing a lot more rolls and general moving around and less jab-like action. It's also pretty clear by looking at and touching my belly where Baby Girl BH has situated herself. These days she spends much of her time on the right side.

Sleep: This is starting to change a little bit. I'm waking up much more now and it takes some time to get settled and comfortable when going to bed.

What I miss: I haven't really felt a tug toward things that are no longer in my diet, however Jeff did bring home some Summer Ciders last week. Do they look refreshing!

Overall feelings: I am still doing pretty well with the energy level, however my belly and back are starting to feel a little tired and sore from time-to-time. HOWEVER, you can see from below, I haven't lost my sense of fun. :)

Third Trimester!!

A picture just I was reaching the 28 week mark (27w5d)! The belly is getting bigger!

A look back...here I was at 8 weeks:

Currently I am feeling pretty good. I have a little swelling now and then, but nothing too terrible. The heartburn has made a comeback. Baby Girl BH is still moving and kicking around and I still love each time it happens. Jeff can feel her moving, too. Sometimes you can see my belly moving along with her kicks and rolls. It's truly awesome.

At this stage, she can hear us while in the womb so we are starting to read to her and will soon be introducing her to our favorite music. As of Friday, she was 2 lbs 4 oz and looking great!

Last Work Trip

I'm on the final leg home after my last pre-baby work trip. Although I do love to travel and enjoy that part of my job, I am ready to be home. I'm ready to start really preparing for Baby Girl BH to join us. And to spend a summer with Jeff. We're actually going to kick off the summer this weekend with a little "baby-moon" to Chicago. We are *so* looking forward to time away and together. Lucky us!

While traveling, I hit the 27 week mark! Here's what it looks like:

Pardon the self portrait in the hotel bathroom. It's the best option I had to capture the week.

Baby Girl BH's movements are getting a bit bigger these days. I can see my belly move with her sometimes. It's fantastic! I'm still drawn to savory and richer foods and, thankfully, the heartburn has settled down a bit. Sadly I must report that I'm pretty sure the weight I'm gaining is going right to the thunder thighs (eek! say it isn't so!).

We head to the doc tomorrow for another ultrasound. Perhaps we'll have more in-utero pics to share. :)

26/20

So I've hit a milestone...in weight gain. 20 pounds. Eek!! Here's what it looks like...

I'm also hitting 26 weeks. Only 2 more weeks and I'll be entering my third trimester. It's hard to believe. We went to the doc today and she is very pleased with everything. Baby Girl BH's heart rate was at 135 and the doctor is not at all worried about my weight (phew!).

These days I am definitely living in an almost constant state of heartburn. I also had my first bout with swelling while I was facilitating a program for work in Tennessee. It was more standing than I am used to and I had one heckuva left cankle. I definitely have a greater appreciation for pregnant women who have jobs that require them to be on their feet. Other than that, I'm not suffering from much in the symptom department. Yay me!

Baby's First Picture at UT

For those who don't know...I love my alma mater, The University of Tennessee. Before heading up to the mountains of Tennessee, I spent a day on campus. While there, I got Baby Girl BH's picture with an iconic campus statue, The Torchbearer. Gotta get our future Vol acclimated to campus traditions! :)

6 Months!

It's true! I'm starting my sixth month of pregnancy. Have I mentioned how fast this is going?? We've gotta slow down! For now, here are some 6 month tidbits:

Pounds gained: 15

Cravings: Savory foods, Chocolate Cheerios, and still loving tater tots

Clothes: full on maternity pants (no more belly band with regular pants), shirts a size up, some maternity shirts

Movement: For the first time, I actually saw my belly move from the little girl. It was amazing. I really like feeling her move around.

And a pic of the bump. Warning, skin is involved! Scandalous!

22weeks3days

How long until I can't see my shoes? And allergies.

I thought it would be fun to start taking pics to see how long it takes for my feet to disappear from my view. This pic was tough to take. I don't feel like my belly looks as big as the camera does from this particular angle. 21weeks and I can still see them.

Also, it's allergy season! I'm being hearkened back to what it was like before I took allergy medicine. Although I'm happy to abstain from the meds for Baby BH, I'm thankful for modern medicine and the allergy meds that have come as a result of it. Sniffle, cough, sniffle, cough.

Half Way Mark

It is hard to believe it, but I have reached the halfway mark of my pregnancy! 20 weeks yesterday! Right now I am of the mindset that it is all going by too darn quickly. And with each day that goes by without issue and each appointment that shows a healthy baby growing, I become more and more grateful. Love, love, love this baby already.

Place Your Bets!

What is in there?? Boy or girl? Girl or boy? If Baby BH cooperates, we'll answer this mystery tomorrow after our ultrasound. So this is your last chance...place your bets, people!

Pic taken at 18w5d

Baby belly and my first maternity clothes

Here's a baby bump picture with some attitude. Check it! What do you think about that? :) I'm not really getting a bump like you see all the movie stars sporting. I'm getting thick in the trucnk, don't you think? Although I'm not wishing to get too large too early, but I don't think I'll mind when things bubble out.

To accommodate my growing trunk, I've had to get my first couple of pieces of maternity clothes. My college BFF was so sweet and sent me a box of some of her maternity clothes. There is one pair of jeans in particular I'm getting some serious use out of. Most of the maternity tops are still too big for me, so getting some shirts that are a size larger has been helpful. It's an interesting experience, trying on maternity clothes. I especially like the faux belly to try on. It's interesting to get an idea of what I'll look like the further along I get.

Here's a pic in my first fancy maternity dress. Jeff and I went to our cousin's wedding so we had to look super cute! I'll also be wearing the dress next month at the LeaderShape Institute's 25th Anniversary Gala. It has room for growing so it'll still look nice the next time I wear it.

This may not be the last cute clothing pic I post. I do love clothes and may showcase them here. :)

Celebrity Siting

Phew! What a week it has been. Jeff and I were both at a convention in St. Louis for a few days and had plenty to catch up on when we returned. All of that has kept us from posting lately. However, Baby BH had a chance to get his/her first photo with a celebrity! It's the Weeeeeaaazzzlllleeeee! Pauly Shore. As a big fan of the movies "Encino Man" and "Son in Law", I was pretty excited. I'm sure the baby was excited, too.

We also wanted to share a new belly pic. It's at 14 weeks 5 days. Although not especially noticeable when I'm dressed, this picture sho

ws the beginnings of belly growth.

I am happy to report that I'm getting some of my energy back. Some foods still taste off to me, but Jeff has been great about letting me dictate many of our dinners. He even went to the store for me the other night because I wanted breadsticks and chocolate soy milk. Lucky me!

First of the Belly Pics

Howdy! Lots of people are asking if I'm showing yet. Well, I can say that I've learned a pretty cool trick with my pants, which are beginning to get uncomfortable to keep buttoned all day. Take a ponytail holder, hook it on your pants button, thread it through the button hole, hook the other end onto the pants button. Voila! I imagine this is a good trick for big holiday meals, too.

So my body is changing, yes. But rather than looking pregnant, I think I look like I've eaten a few too many donuts (or too much rainbow cake!). But here...you judge for yourself.

8 weeks 3 days

12 weeks 4 days