Happy Friday

Almost Time

I have begun the waiting game. 38 weeks along and I am ready for this little guy to be here. The days have become longer and my only thoughts surround when he will make his entrance into the world.

I have been experiencing some Braxton Hicks and they are not too fun. At night I barely sleep because no matter my position he is fully pressed on my bladder.

I make Austin tell him each night that needs to come out but he doesn't seem to listen.

I am happy he is comfortable but I can't wait to meet, hold and love my little boy.

34 weeks

With just over a month till our little man is due our excitement is growing each day. Here are some things that have been going on in my 8th month of pregnancy.

I am starting to feel like there is no more room for this baby to grow. I am stretched to my limit which in turns means I am constantly uncomfortable. Sitting and laying just aren't my favorite things to do.

Austin likes when the little guy is, as I say, acting a fool in my tummy. He will come over real close to him and say things like " Mason! This is your dad, kick if you like me more than mommy." or "kick if you want mom to go bake us a cake" or my favorite "kick if you think mommy is stinky and needs to go shower" (this is typical Austin)

I have gained a total of 9 pounds which puts me at a big 120 lbs!

Silly songs on the radio make me cry for no reason other than I am pregnant. Lyrics that get me every time include
"won't he be a sight to see with his football helmet on, this will be his first love till his first love comes along"

"doctor says the baby's fine but you'll have to leave, his momma's fading fast...."

"...I won't be there to see the birth of our little girl. I hope she looks like you, I hope she fights like me...."

My tummy is constantly lop sided, hard and doing the worm. I love it, little movements keep me assured he is okay.

I can't even look at a glass of water without having to pee.

That is pretty much the low down with my pregnancy right now

our decision

As you know we are planning to have a home water birth for Mason. Lots of people question why we would do this.

Austin and I spent some time talking about what we liked to have happen when we got pregnant and how we would like to deliver. We both were all for the idea of having a natural birth. At first I was thinking we would do this in a hospital and honestly kind of weary of the idea of having a home birth. His sister had done it once before and and was planning her second one. Her and her husband talked greatly of the experience and wanted to help inform us about it in any way they could. Honestly I wasn't too hone on the idea.

Was it safe?
Who does home births in 2011?
What happens if something goes wrong?

We watched a very informative video, The business of Being Born, and instantly I knew this is what I wanted to do.

I want to make my own decisions without pressure from nurses or doctors.

I want to labor and deliver naturally

I want to have a personal experience with my husband and not 25 staff members

I want to hold my baby immediately after birth for how ever long I want before he is rushed away to be clean, measured and weighed.

I want to be in my house, where I can shower, clean, feed and rest in my bed the night I deliver.

Austin and I both strongly believe this is what is right for us and we have a very knowledgeable midwife we put our trust in. We know the baby and I will be safe and proper care will be given to us. We understand some situations may occur where this birth will not be able to be preformed at home and in that case we trust our midwife to make the necessary decisions and take proper actions in time to get us safely to a hospital.

Although some believe this is still a crazy idea we are more than certain this will be a wonderful experience we will remember and charish.

and to Mason

This is not only your room but where you will be born

this is not only our kitchen sink but where you will take your first bath

this is not only your mommy and daddy's bed but where you will sleep your first night

this is not only where you will be born but it is your home

We are already so in love with you and can't wait to meet you!

Nesting

I can definitely say I am re-visiting my nesting days lately.

I have packed and repacked the diaper bag

Ordered and received our birth kit

Put together the carseat/stroller

Washed all most the baby clothes

Now it's just a waiting game.

*Approx* 8 weeks left!

Things I love...

More so now that I am pregnant

1. Slippers- easy on and off. No bending over to tie or put on

2. Austin's t-shirt collection. Nothing more comfy than a bigger shirt that actually covers your belly without constant need of pulling down

3. ANYTHING with an elastic waist-enough said

4. The snack cupboard. I feel better about putting this up because I made the picture so small =)

5. Ice tea and bottled water. For some reason tap water just doesn't do it for me these days and I never had a problem drinking it before.

Things I don't like so much now that I am pregnant

1. Walmart- Wears me out. I have discovered that it is a much more pleasant place on Mondays than it is on a weekend day. Upside to not working.

2. Bottom drawer where I keep tupperwear lids. Each night is a hassle to put the leftovers away.

3. Bottom shelf of dishwasher

4. Reaching into the bottom of the washer to pull out clothes. Being so short probably doesn't help much either

Pretty much anything low that I have to bend over to reach.

What are some things you loved and didn't love so much while pregnant?

Soap, Etsy, Toys & Growing

This post is a little bit of everything that we have been up to since my last post. Speaking of which seems like forever ago when really it was just last week I believe. Funny how something as simple as blogging becomes so a part of your life. I feel like if I don't blog often I am losing touch with everyone and vice versa, not that there is always something exciting and new going on. Maybe its just the girl in me that likes to write in a diary (although this one is as not private) about her day and her thoughts. Who knows

Back to the post

1. *Soap* I finally made homemade laundry soap about 3 weeks ago. I know, where have I been? Living under a rock? I LOVE it. I love the smell, the price, the simplicity. I did have one small drawback, while I was melting the grated soap in boiling water it seemed to chuck together and not fully melt. I ended up having to pick out chucks in the end. Is there a trick to this?? Someone please help!

 

2. *Etsy* My etsy shop is up and running. Wooo HOO! 

3*Toys*

What are these?

Lets start with what looks like a salt shaker. 

This is actually Austin's new microphone for harmonica. When it came I was a bit skeptical about it working and why he spent money on it but sure enough he plugs it into the amp and I can hear him loud and clear

It is also made to be easy to hold while holding the harmonica too

 Now to the cigarette box

When this came I laughed. 

What is it ?

This is the amp. Yes, the amp.

A cordless amp you plug the microphone into.

And again, yes it works. Who would have thought by the looks of this our whole house could be filled with blues harmonica

*Growing*

And finally I am still here and still growing.

Baby Mason is bigger each day.

This is a quick shot of my big, round, perfect belly

 

Q&A

24 weeks this week!!

More and more excited to meet our little man

I thought it would be fun to post a little Q&A for this months update

How did you find out you were pregnant? I found out with a three hpt. My cycle is always messed up and I never know when it is coming. I got a custom of buying cheap tests and testing whenever I went more than a month and a half without it coming. I took the test in the afternoon and kind of expected nothing, when the 3 minutes were up I swear I saw a faint line, a VERY faint line. I told Austin that night at dinner but we didn't get too excited yet because I wasn't sure if it was me or if the line was really there. yes the line was that faint. The next morning I took another, (I couldn't wait the 3 days before you are suppose to try again). The line was faint again but more visible. Just to be sure I went and spent a little more on a digital test, nothing is faint about the word pregnant popping up.

What was your reaction? I cried, I was so overwhelmed with emotion I sat in our bed and cried. I almost thought it wasn't true. I was excited beyond belief.

What was Austin's reaction? He didn't even take a breath before responding with "take a test and see if it's a boy" He wanted a little boy more than anything although I know he would have been just as excited with a girl =)

Who did you tell first? After Austin, of course, I called my sister Brooke. She was at school in St. Joe. She was as happy, excited, and supportive as I could have hoped for. Later when I told my other sister, Emily, she shared this reaction. It was nice to have them so happy for Austin and me. They are both super ready to be aunts

What is the hardest thing about pregnancy? Waiting. Every milestone we hit makes the baby seem more and more real. Not that I think the baby isn't real but I become anxious when new things happen such as: hearing the heartbeat, finding out the gender, feeling movement, seeing my belly grow. It is so hard waiting 9 months for this little guy. 

How are your eating habits now? After a month of not eating much due to sickness I lost 8lbs. Once I started feeling better I ate like I was a teenage boy. I was eating everything in sight and constantly. Finally this last month I have calmed down. I am not as hungry and I have learned to eat better, instead of grabbing a snack cake I enjoy fruit. Lucky for me I have only put 7 of the pounds I lost back on. I am working on being healthy not only for the baby but for me.

What do you think will be the hardest part of being a mom? Without a doubt mornings. I am to say the least NOT a morning person. I know I will have very early mornings once he is here and at first I will be very grumpy. I am not worried about being a mom, I have always been around kids and actually newborns between my mom's daycare and working in a nursery a few years ago. I think I am pretty well prepared although I know it will be different having a baby around 24/7

 If you have any other questions feel free to comment with them and I will answer!

my special boy

As I sit and feel Mason kicking me today I realize how lucky, grateful, and blessed I am. ( I could go on and on). It feels like just the other day we were struggling to get pregnant. When I say it feels like just the other day I don't mean that at all. It took 17 months for us to finally say we are expecting. The long journey was full of tears and upsets. I was a complete mess thinking we might not be able to have a family. I wasn't patient to say the least and I wasn't pleasant to be around when the topic came up.

I won't lie.

I hated hearing that others were expecting. I wasn't excited to see my friends overwhelmed with joy to be carrying a child. I was bitter and resentful. I hate that I had this attitude and I am sorry for even letting myself be so self-absorbed with my wants. I can see now that our time was coming and God was preparing us for our child. 

I read this little bit on a blog today and I wanted to share it with you. This is the part that really struck me but you can read the whole thing here

There are women who become mothers without effort, 
without thought, 
without patience or loss, 
and though they are good mothers and love their children, 
I know that I will be better. 

I will be better not because of genetics or money or because I have read more books, 
but because I have struggled and toiled for this child. 
I have longed and waited. 
I have cried and prayed. 
I have endured and planned over and over again. 

Like most things in life,
the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams. 
I will notice everything about my child. 
I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore, and discover. 
I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life. 
I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold, and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. 
My dream will be crying for me. 

We have thanked God everyday for 22 weeks for this little boy

Oooh Oh We're Halfway There!

YAY!! Today I am 20 weeks!!

This pregnancy is really flying by... ok so maybe it isn't flying but it sure feels nice to be halfway done. I am still feeling great and really enjoying having this little man growing inside of me. I am happy to feel him kicking everyday now :)

The nursery is about complete. I know it is a bit early but I really wanted it done before I lost energy and motivation to put it together just how I wanted it. 

Small Preview, work still being done :)

My excitement for Mason to be here grows each day!

Cutest little booties representing dad's favorite team

16 weeks

 

 Just for fun a comparison of 16 weeks to 20 weeks.

20 weeks

 *The give-a-way- I forgot for just a second I offered a prize to a random correct guesser of our baby's gender. And the winner (thanks to random.org) is...

JOY!!

I am in the process of making a special surprise for you. It may be another week or so before it is done since I am still without a sewing machine but I am sure you will love it!!

I literally almost peed my pants!

I thought it would be fun to share a funny little story with you all.

Monday I had my sonogram and I was so worried about drinking enough water that I literally almost peed my pants. I have never had a sonogram done before and wasn't exactly sure how it worked. Everybody kept saying drink lots of water or have fun with all that water drinking. I was so worried that if I didn't drink enough water and have a full bladder it wasn't going to work. I spent all morning drinking water. About an hour before my appointment I decided I wasn't going to use the restroom until after we were done at Baby Waves. While Austin was wiping snow and ice off the car just 30 minutes before our appointment I realized I didn't have to go to the bathroom at all. My bladder wasn't full!! Oh no I thought. I rushed around the kitchen and gulped a full 36 oz cup of water. I then filled a smaller 16oz cup to take with me. As we were getting closer to the place I realized my bladder was pretty full and thought "hey I timed this just right."  Boy was I wrong. By the time we pulled into the parking lot I was afraid to move as I knew I would wet my pants right there.

*Side note*  I have a tiny tiny tiny bladder and I am like a small child when I have to pee. If I have to go I have to go now and it's not good

Getting out of the car I realized just how full my bladder was. IT HURT! I slowly walked inside the building bow legged trying to hold it in. Austin said I looked hilarious and like I definitely had to pee. After we checked in I sat in a chair with my legs crossed. I looked at Austin and told him I had to go now, there was no more holding it for me. He told me to ask the lady up front if it would be ok. As I started to stand up I sat immediately back down. I looked at him and said "I can't move or its coming out" He laughed at me and said I had a huge look of panic on my face. He was pretty sure I was about to pee my pants right there. I finally stood up and told the lady up front I had to use the restroom and there was no way for me to hold it any longer. She pointed me in the direction and again I slowly crept bow legged down the hall. I passed a lady on the way and she gave me a giggling smile.

When I returned to the waiting room, feeling MUCH better, Austin was laughing at me. He said the lady I had passed was the ultrasound tech and when she walked in she said "that must be my next mom about to pee her pants."

Luckily for me I have to use the restroom every 15 minutes so midway through our appointment I was already trying to cross my legs again. Next time I know that needing a full bladder doesn't mean 10,000 oz of water :)

firsts

Although our little man isn't here yet pregnancy has brought so many first to us. I am amazing how something so small, the size of my hand, has so quickly filled my heart with love and joy.

Here's to the developments that have brought smiles and joyful tears

*First positive pregnancy test

*First time hearing that little fast heartbeat

*First time Austin bent down and talked to our baby

*First signs of showing

*First stomach flutter from a strong little leg kicking

*First sonogram where we could see all the little features formed

*First time we were able to us HIM instead of our baby

I am excited to experience the many many more first to come. Looks like our sweet boy has already captured our hearts!!

and it's a .....

BOY!!!

 We are so excited to be welcoming a sweet little boy into our family. We had a blast at our sonogram appointment and couldn't be happier. This little guy was super active, flipping all over the place and giving us wonderful shots. He waved at us, gave us the thumbs up, scratched his head, rolled over, and talked (we saw his lips moving!!)

He is definitely a boy and was proud to show off his little parts :)

Head, and spine

My favorite shot, Baby Mason saying no more pictures!! He better get use to it though :)

 He weighs 6 oz and looks perfect for how far along he is. I was beyond excited and joyful to see this little guy and was amazed at how much of him was already visible. I can't wait to meet him

Easy Chocolate

I think it goes without say that the easiest chocolate snack that satisfies every time is the no bake cookie.

So good, So easy.

AND

So what if I just returned from the midwife and she said to try to cut out the peanut m&ms and reach for something more healthy. A little no bake never hurt anybody :)

**Separate Note**

Monday we find out the gender of our little baby so I thought it would be fun to see what you all thought this little one is going to be. As far as old wives tales I have taken many test and they are pretty much all coming up equal boy to girl outcomes. The heartbeat at 12 weeks was 172 and today at 17 weeks it was 164 (if you believe you can tell from heartbeat.) Let me know what you all think and maybe I will choose a winner from the group of correct guessers Monday and send a little treat your way!

Yay for...

being 16 weeks pregnant

no longer having morning sickness

being able to eat.....almost anything i want

a healthy, growing baby that is now sensitive to light and poking. and can also hear our voices

a mom who has already supplied the baby room with plenty: a crib, a changing table and about 1000 diapers
(and a coach diaper bag for me :))

grandparents who surprised us and the little one on Christmas with a car seat and stroller

a husband who loves holding my tummy and talking to our baby

only 2 more weeks till we know if this little one is a mini me or austin jr.

for sisters who argue over who will be the best aunt. I know they will both be great

And POO for the cold that doesn't allow me to get outside and exercise!

Taking a Moment

I haven't been on here in awhile so I thought I would take a moment to let you in on ALL the things happening; both good and bad.

Lets start with the bad so by the time we get to the end of this post we are happy again!

Austin's truck got broken into......again. This is the second time since July. They took the only thing they took last time, the cd player. Only they don't just take the cd player they take the whole center dash, vents and all. This leaves all the wires hanging everywhere and you can see the engine from the inside of the truck! Not a fun situation.

To make matters worse I am losing my job. The company I work for is shutting its doors as of the new year so I will be unemployed. Maybe this is a sign I need to be a stay at home mom?? Nah, that is not my plan. I am looking for part time work as we speak, well after this post :)

Now for the in between news.

Itty

Austin brought home 2 more geckos a few weeks ago. I asked him not to bring home any more pets since we have a baby on the way but he thinks bringing them home when I am at work makes it ok since I can't do anything about it at that point. To tell the truth I was sick when he brought them home so I didn't fight him over it. He hasn't named them but I call them Itty and Bitty. They are so small.



Bitty



 Good News!

I made our Christmas cards again this year. After the time and effort it took last year I had decided just to order some this year. BUT when I went into the office a few weeks ago and saw all the scrapbook supplies and materials I had already I knew I didn't need to purchase anything to make them so why not send out free cards?? Again they took a good chunk of time but I really like how they turned out.

Pregnancy has been going super well lately. Morning sickness has completely vanished, hopefully for good (knock on wood). The baby has to be growing by all the food I eat, it seems I barely go 30 minutes without cramming some sort of food down my mouth. I should probably start watching how much I eat. I am 14w 3d and we are planning to get a sono at 18 weeks to make sure everything looks ok and hopefully tell the sex of the baby.

I have started dreaming up ideas for the baby room. I can't wait to get the crib up and the room decorated. We have discussed names and Austin is set on Mason D. or Rylee Elizabeth. One of these will probably be the name since he is so hardheaded and I have mentioned 100 other names none of which he will agree on.

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday!

Just for fun

I found this link on Baby Center this morning and got a physic prediction for the birth of my baby

Madame Zaritska, using her mystical powers, has the following prediction:

The day you deliver, outside will be rainy. Your baby will arrive in the middle of the night. After a labor lasting approximately 35 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 15 pounds, 11 ounces, and will be 18-1/2 inches long. This child will have medium brown eyes and fluffy black hair.

 

Although this is just for fun, I really hope my child doesn't come out 15 pounds and my labor is not 35 hours!!

Boy or Girl?

Lately Aus and I have been really interested in what we are having.

 We still have 8 weeks till we find out but it's fun to imagine and talk about what it would be like with either a boy or girl.

Of course Austin is set on having a little boy, someone to do "man stuff" with him.

In my interest I have taken some gender prediction wife tale tests. I found 2 on Kalinda's blog and I took 3 on facebook (and if its on facebook it has to be right).

Unfortunately they are all divided.

I had 3 boy results and 2 girl results.

I guess we will just have to wait till February to find out!

12 Weeks

A little update on the baby growing going on around here.

I am 12 weeks!

Slowly my all day sickness is fading. I still have bad days here and there but good days are in the mix which is quite nice.

No foods ever sounds good to me. Austin will name off 100 different things when I am hungry and I will say no to them all,  on the other hand if you just place food in front of me I will eat it :)

I am not sure how much, if any, weight I have gained.

I don't have a baby belly yet, more of a bloated ate too much tummy

And some photos so I can look back and see what I looked like pre-baby

Pregnancy...this far

So far pregnancy has been an experience.

I thought I knew what to expect when we found out we were expecting but I had no idea.

Being sick has been the roughest part.

I felt great up until my 7th week.

I started out at 112 lbs and today I am down to 106. Hopefully when I feel better I can start putting back on the weight.

I felt extremely tired weeks 5-8 but I think I am getting use to the feeling and it doesn't bother me as much, as long as I am in bed by 9 :)

I am so grateful and excited to be growing this baby.

We rented a doppler and love listening to the tiny heartbeat in the evenings.

Here is a picture at 8 weeks.

 Tuesday I will be 10 weeks but I still haven't grown so I didn't take a new shot.