23 weeks, 4 days!

Yesterday I was 23 weeks, 4 days pregnant with my baby boy.  These pics were taken when we got back from eating at Chili's, so my belly is full of good food and baby!  I've been feeling really good, still.  My feet have been pretty swollen lately.  It worried me a little, so I went to the doctor just to have him check me out.  Everything was totally fine.  He said some women just retain more water than others.  Now that I think about it, they got really swollen after my weekend in Dallas....when I ate a foot long hot dog and a huge thing of nachos, plus a coke oh yeah, and a funnel cake.  Hmmm....maybe that had something to do with it :)  Anyway, I am really watching my sodium intake and propping my feet up whenever I can at school and at home.  Today, I got some new shoes to fit my fat feet...one pair is a size 6 and the other is a 6 1/2!  I used to wear a size 2 in kids and 41/2- 5 in adults!!!!  After I have the baby, I think I'll just give these shoes to Ashley....hopefully my feet will go back to their normal size because I have so many cute/little shoes!  But if they don't, do you really think I care?  Nope!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 23 weeks, 4 days in the pic

Size of baby: More than 11 inches long, a little over 1 pound, about the size of a large mango.

Weight gain:  I weigh 124 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Yes! I definitely have to wear maternity pants and I have been wearing maternity shirts, but I can also wear some non-maternity shirts, too.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: YES! I love feeling HIM move all the time now! In just the past couple of days, I've felt him more by my belly button and up by my ribs. I can tell he's getting bigger and stronger!  He is most active at night when I get in bed.  I don't mind one bit that I can't go to sleep right at that moment because he's moving around so much.  I love falling asleep with my hand on my belly.  I usually have to get up around 2:00 to go to the bathroom.  This must wake him up because I can usually count on him moving around and kicking for a while when I get back in bed.  LOVE IT!

Sleep: I have to get up several times to go to the bathroom, but I can always go back to sleep.

Symptoms: Still snoring...sorry Chris! Also, my legs have been a little achy lately and so have my knees. I guess it's the weight gain. Swollen feet and calves. 

Cravings: FOOD period! I am loving food these days!

What I miss: I was kind of craving sushi the other day. That is one dinner date I will look forward to after he is born!

Best moment this week: Going to the doctor again to check on my swelling.  While I was there I heard his sweet heart beating.

What I am looking forward to: Working on his nursery!
How's that scar looking? Still stretched out and laying flat.

Belly Button: A lot more shallow.



Arkansas vs. Texas A&M weekend

We had the BEST weekend in Dallas!  We went for the Arkansas/ A&M game.  It was definitely the most nerve-racking game I have ever been to.  We played terrible the first half of the game, but by some miracle, we did great the second half and barely won!

Jennifer and Ashley.  On our way to the game. 

Me and Chris :) 

Chris and his dad 

We had a huge group for the weekend.  Cliff and Edie and Carl and Betty came from Little Rock.  Darien, Jennifer, Nancy and Nancy's friend Joyce, came from Mississippi.  Me, Chris, Darien, and Jennifer (and our two dogs) stayed at Ashley and Wayne's house.  We had so much fun!!

Here are the guys:  Wayne, Cliff, Darien, Chris, and Carl  

Gettin' their drink on ready for the big game!! 

Me and my sissy :) 

I had so much fun with Ashley.  She and I loved getting all kinds of junk food.  We started off with a funnel cake, then she got chicken strips with fries and I got a foot long hot dog.  Then we shared a HUGE order of nachos.  YUM! 

Ash, Me, and Edie 

Ash, you are so cute!!

We won!!! 

Chris and Jennifer.  I was so relieved we would be riding back with happy guys :) 

When we got back to Ashley's house, the guys were worn out.  They took naps and Ashley and I got everything ready for dinner.  Mom and dad kept the kids during the game.  They came over around 6:00 and we all just had the best time visiting, laughing, playing, and eating!!! 

Here's my favorite little guy.  Nathan is such a little character.  I just love playing with him!! 

Here he is with Nancy.  He loved having everyone over and was such a good boy, as always! 

My sweet baby Charlotte.  She has got such a personality now!  I love being with her because she is out of the stage where she has to be with Ashley all of the time.  She loves to play and comes to me a lot now.  It's fun chasing her....she just runs and laughs.  She is the sweetest little thing!! 

While we were at the game, Nathan and Mama went to see Dolphin Tail.  He loved the movie, and so did mom!  He has a huge collection of animals and wanted to get his dolphin and play with it with a bowl of water.  He said the dolphin's name in the movie was Winter and the little boy's name was Sawyer...see Sawyer on his towel?  So cute! 

Nathan being silly! 

Nathan and Auntie Carrie being silly! 

We had such a fun weekend!!!  Thank you Ashley and Wayne for hosting! 

22 weeks, 6 days!

So, I'm actually 23 weeks, 1 day now, but last week was so crazy, I just didn't get a chance to do my weekly blog post.  I had my camera with me on Friday, so I did the self timer and took this pic at school.  I don't think I look that cute, but I do think my baby bump is cute :)  I am going to do better this week!!!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:  22 weeks, 6 days in the pic

Size of baby: 11 inches long, 1 pound, about the size of a spaghetti squash (what is that?).

Weight gain:  I gained another pound, my doctor said.  I weigh 124 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes! I definitely have to wear maternity pants and I have been wearing maternity shirts, but I can also wear some non-maternity shirts, too.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: YES! I love feeling HIM move all the time now!  I love putting headphones on my belly and feeling him dance :)  In just the past couple of days, I've felt him more by my belly button.  I can tell he's getting bigger and stronger!

Sleep: I have to get up several times to go to the bathroom, but I can always go back to sleep.

Symptoms:  Still snoring...sorry Chris!  Also, my legs have been a little achy lately and so have my knees.  I guess it's the weight gain.  Nothing too bad, though. 

Cravings: FOOD period! I am loving food these days!

What I miss: I was kind of craving sushi the other day.  That is one dinner date I will look forward to after he is born!

Best moment this week:  Having my checkup at the doctor and hearing his sweet heartbeat!

What I am looking forward to: Working on his nursery!
How's that scar looking? Still stretched out and laying flat.

Belly Button: A lot more shallow.

Aunt Mona's quilt and Mama Pearce's lamps...

Mama Pearce loved to quilt....and knit and crochet!  Mama Pearce's quilts were always so pretty.  All of the grandkids have at least one of her quilts and I think the great gandkids have one, too.  I can remember going to her house and seeing all of her quilting squares ready to use and she always had a quilt that she was working on.  Her quilts were hand quilted and beautiful.  Aunt Mona sent baby a quilt, but this one is so special because she used Mama Pearce's quilting squares.  Even though Mama Pearce is no longer here, she had a hand in making her great grandchild's quilt.  And like Mama Pearce, Aunt Mona hand quilted the whole thing!  Thank you Aunt Mona, I just love it! 

The different colored squares were Mama Pearce's.  Aunt Mona added the yellow pieces and border. 

I love this label that is on the back of the quilt.  My niece, Taylor, wrote "Handmade by Aunt Mona 2011."  I love that she helped, too!  And look at that handwriting! 

Mama Pearce meant so much to me.  I remember so many special times Ashley and I had with her.  When we went to visit, Ashley and I would wake up early with her to help make breakfast.  We always had scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast.  Mama Pearce always let us help her in the kitchen.  She had a big collection of old Barbie dolls that we loved to play with and dress up.  We always watched our "story" together which was "Days of Our Lives."  We had fun just sitting on the front porch or playing in the yard.  We would go out back and pick gooseberries to make gooseberry pie.  Oh, and she loved to go to garage sales, so we would go with her and she always got us a toy or a book.  I loved being with her so much and I have so many more fond memories of her.  When she passed away, the grandkids got to go to her house to pick out any of her things we wanted.  I picked out quite a lot.  I love looking at her things that I have in my house and remembering her.  I remember getting these two lamps, although I wasn't sure where I would use them.  Now that we are expecting our baby, I want to use one or both in his nursery.  They are pretty much in perfect condition...a few little worn spots, but I love that.  One still has the light bulb in it and it still works.  The base is a mirrored base with a little flower etching going around.  The lamp stem has marbleized glass balls going down.  I just need to get a lamp shade for them.  I'm going to take the lamps to a lamp store to get the cords checked out and maybe even get the cords replaced.  There's no telling how old these lamps are.  But I think they are perfect and beautiful and would look so sweet in baby's nursery....I love the thought of having a little part of her in there. 

"Grandma"

For the past 3 years, my class has had a class "Grandma."  Her name is Betty and she is a retired Kindergarten teacher.  She contacted our school and wanted to know if there were any classes that would like to have her read to the kids.  I jumped at the opportunity and for the past 3 years, she has come to my class every week (well, except for the time she went to the Caribbean with a "man friend" for 2 weeks!) to read to my kids.  She always brings a bag with 3 books and my kids sit quietly on the floor and listen to her read. 

 She tells my kids that since her grand-kids don't live in Austin, THEY can be her grand-kids and call her Grandma. They know the day she is supposed to come and when they see her open the door to the classroom, they all yell, "Grandma!"  This is how it's been the past 3 years every week.
 

Before school started, I called Betty to let her know when she could start reading to my new class.  I also told her my exciting news!  She was sooooo happy for me!  I mean, genuinely so extremely happy and excited....like a Grandma would be!  Today, she brought me a gift.  This is a baby blanket that she started crocheting when she found out I was pregnant....she made a blue one AND a pink one :)  How sweet is that?  So, she said she will keep the pink until I need it or one of her granddaughters needs it.  So special!  



Baby's first mail!

I got home today and saw a package waiting on my doorstep.  I opened the box and saw the cutest gift box inside.  I knew it was for baby!  One of my best friends, Adriana, sent him the CUTEST clothes! 

Look at all of this she sent! 

These little pajamas are soooo cute!  I love new babies in footy pajamas.  And there's a matching hat AND blanket! 

Umm....seriously, how cute is this?! 

And this little romper!   

When I saw this outfit, I just about died!  Look at the cute red polo onesie and the overalls AND the hat!   

I can see baby chillin' at the beach with an ice cold bottle of milk in this outfit!   

I love that he now has some outfits for the following summer.  Our baby is definitely going to be one stylish lil' fella!  Thank you so much, Adriana.  We love you!!!



21 weeks, 1 day!

So, today I am 21 weeks, and 1 day pregnant.  I am so excited about painting his room.  I got the fabric swatches in and can't wait to pick out a paint color.  I also received a few pictures that I ordered and his growth chart is on the way.  I have his whole nursery envisioned in my head, but I don't want to get too many things until we have his furniture...then I can really decorate.  My little man has been very active the past few days.  This morning, I was laying on my side and I think he was doing somersaults or flips!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 21 weeks, 1 day
Size of baby: 10 1/2 inches long, about the length of a carrot, three-quarters of a pound.

Weight gain: Still 15 pounds, I think. I go back to the doctor at the end of the month.

Maternity Clothes: Yes! I definitely have to wear maternity pants and I have been wearing maternity shirts, but I can also wear some non-maternity shirts, too.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: YES! I love feeling HIM move all the time now!

Sleep: I have to get up several times to go to the bathroom, but I can always go back to sleep.

Symptoms: Chris also says I have started snoring loudly at night...ha!
Cravings: FOOD period! I am loving food these days!

What I miss: Not a thing!

Best moment this week:  Receiving the fabric swatches....ready to pick out the paint! 

What I am looking forward to: Working on his nursery!
How's that scar looking? It actually looks the best it's ever looked because it's stretched out and laying flat.

Belly Button: I've noticed that my belly button has gotten more shallow this week.

My friend Heather, gave me this sweet little blanket.  I can just picture baby boy holding it and loving on it because it is so soft. 

She also gave me this balm.  It is so creamy.  She said it's good to rub on your belly to minimize stretch marks and you can also use it on baby, too.  I've been slathering it on my belly and it feels sooooo good!