31 Weeks

When it comes to pregnancy, all I can say is people lied. See chart below:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Expectation	Reality
Midnight milkshake cravings	Midnight pee runs
Hating my body	Loving my new bump
Severe Acid Reflux	Yeah…they didn’t lie about that
Amazing cravings: fast food, ice cream, chocolate	No cravings except the occasional gummy bear
Crazy stretch marks	No new stretch marks (forthcoming maybe?)
Waddling like a duck	Still walking like a normal person
Glowing skin	Acne popping up in the weirdest places
Fear of birth process	Calm, knowing that my body is made for this purpose
Swollen feet	Yeah…that is true.
Random people touching my belly	Not one person has yet to touch my belly without asking.
Looking like a blimp by 5 months	People could barely tell I was pregnant

For some reason, I think I have been one of the lucky pregnant women who have been blessed with a fairly easy pregnancy. While there have been a few bumps in the road (failing my first glucose test and having to take the 3-hour glucose test that I swear almost killed me...no worries though I passed and a minor heart mishap that was due to stress), my journey has been smooth sailing.

Gwendolyn has been growing and moving, I have a husband who is supportive and extremely involved in the preparing process (and in dealing with my extremely emotional, tired self). I honestly thought I would complain a lot more. 

How far along?  31 weeks! (Almost 8 months!)

Total weight gain/loss?  11 pounds! I am very proud of how much I have gained. I am right on target for not gaining too much or too little.

Maternity clothes?  Yes, on the reg.

Stretch marks? None! (Well besides the ones I already had)

Sleep?  Lately sleep has been iffy. Acid reflux has taken it's toll on my sleeping habits, waking me up in the middle of the night. I havestarted propping myself up on three pillows which isn't too comfortable but any sleep is better than no sleep.

Best moment last week? Our baby shower in Conway and at my work! It never ceases to amaze me how much people love us. I am so grateful for my mom, sister and sister-in-love for all they did for the shower in Conway and for my co-workers for raising $145 for us!

Movement?  Constantly and I love it! (Except when she sticks her hand/foot in my rib or decides to karate chop my bladder). I have noticed peak times when she is active and I freak out if she doesn't move during those times. I love how she responds if I press on my belly or tap on it.

 Food cravings?  As long as I stay away from Pinterest I usually don't have intense cravings. While Pinterest is a bride's ebest friend it is a pregnant woman's enemy! All the amazing food! I bought my sister a 3-pound bag of gummy bears as a thank you gift for helping with the shower and since then I have wanted gummy bears.

Gender? She is still a she and forever a she shall she be.

Labor signs? Not that I am aware of. I am new to the pregnancy thing. Someitmes it feels as if my uterus gets tight but there is no pain associated with it, so maybe it is a Braxton-Hicks? Who knows...

Belly button in/out? Completely in. I don't think it will ever pop out! Though, isn't that how you tell when a baby is done cooking? Your belly-button timer pops out?

What I miss: I miss gin and tonic. People are going to think I'm an alcoholic. I miss medium-rare steak.

What I am looking forward to: My maternity photos with Studio 9 Photography! I am looking to do some Christmasy photos (as well as regluar ones) If you have any ideas, let me know!

Funny Story: So last night I woke up and noticed that my legs were wet. My first thought: "I peed the bed!" Second thought: "My water broke!" Then I realized I was just really hot and sweaty.

Letter to Saint Peter

On Veteran's Day, I want to share with you a song that has been one of my favorites. Many of you know about the obsession love I have for Edwin McCain. The song, "Prayer to Saint Peter" is off of his Messenger album.

Little did I know, that this song was actually a poem written by Elma Dean in 1942. From Oakland, California, Elma realized that the war (WWII) was not going well for the US and the poem was written to convey her sorrow for the young men who were being killed, including some of her son's dearest friends.

The poem was originally converted to a song by John Gorka and then covered by Edwin.

On this Veteran's Day, let us remember to thank those Veterans whose eyes may not shine as bright as they once did, clouded by the haze of shrapnel and visions that we can never imagine. The one's in wheelchairs and hospital beds. The one's that wear the "Vietnam" hat and quietly walk by you. The one's that just returned home and have yet to learn what the aftermath of being a combat soldier is. Let us also remember those who gave their lives.

Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die

You know God knows how young they were
To have to die

Give them things they like
Let them make some noise
Give dance hall bands not golden harps
To these our boys
Let them love Peter
For they've had no time
They should have bird songs and trees
And hills to climb
The taste of summer
And a ripened pear
And girls as sweet as meadow wind
And flowing hair
And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here

Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die

You know God knows how young they were
To have to die

And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here

It's gonna be all right
With us down here

29 Weeks and counting

So I have hit the third-trimester mark and I have to say that being pregnant has been such an amazing experience thus far. I have been blessed with an "easy" pregnancy (minus having heartburn sent directly from Satan himself, swollen feet and the normal aches and pains). I feel as if I have been in one of the best emotional states of my life, even if I cry over the smallest things.

There has been so much joy that has come out of carrying Gwendolyn. I have grown closer to our Father, how can you not when you are carrying a little miracle inside of you?

So I have been absent for the past month, mostly due to my camera disappearing (blog posts are 10x more interesting when there is at least one photo). I found the MIA camera in our Halloween decoration storage box, what was it doing in there? Probably the Monster Mash. 

So here I am with a 29 week update. I will post a picture of our amazing Halloween costume a bit later.

Looking a bit swollen.

Joseph and I took a Babymoon to Maggie Valley/Asheville (thanks to our wonderful friends Mark and Jessie!) Joseph wanted to see a waterfall so after a nice little hike down a steep mountain side, we ended up here, at this beautiful sight. The trek back up wasn't much fun but we made it.

How far along? 29 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 11  pounds...The doctor was a little concerned last week at my check up as I am measuring 17 cm. She said if I was measuring 16 cm or less she would be more concerned. She actually told me to eat more red meat!

Maternity clothes? Yep. There are a few of my pre-preggo shirts that I can still wear but not many.

Stretch marks? They are still there but not getting any worse so that is good!

Sleep: On and off. Gwendolyn has found my ribs and she enjoys kicking them frequently. Between her kicks and my overactive bladder I wake up at least 5-6 times a night.

Best moment this week: Watching my stomach before bed. I try to go to bed an hour or so early so I can read. She usually decides to squirm and kick (I don't think she is enjoying Jane Austen) and I love watching my tummy roll and move with her movements. It is such an indescribable feeling to see your stomach move.

Miss Anything? Gin, Jack, Jim...I miss sleeping on my back, seeing my toes, being able to shave my legs without having to prop my leg up on my sister-in-love's medical chair from when she broke her back. I miss running too, which I never thought I would say. Since I wasn't really a runner before getting pregnant (I had only participated in one 5k), it wasn't safe for me to continue running after pregnancy.

Movement: She is always moving and I love it! (Except when she kicks my ribs or rolls on my bladder. No fun...)

Food cravings: No crazy cravings, soda mostly. Though I have learned that Pinterest is a pregnant woman's worst enemy. Anytime I see a food item on there, I want it immediately!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Chinese food still isn't happening...the thought of it makes me want to hurl. Mexican food isn't on the top of my list either but to my husband's dismay.

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes, over the past two or three weeks she has popped out! It is nice that people can actually tell that I am pregnant and not just gaining weight at a rapid speed.

Gender: Sweet Southern Girl. I was listening to Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl" and it made me so happy that our first little one is a girl. My mom just told me that my nephew (though 2 hours away) keeps saying "Pink Baby!" So he knows he will have a little girl cousin on the way!

Labor Signs: Not really, though I contract frequently when I pee.

Belly Button in or out? Innie! I hope it stays that way.

Wedding rings on or off? I finally took them off and put them away this week. It was getting to the point where they hurt. I started wearing my right hand ring but before then I looked like an un-wed, pregnant woman. (People give you looks).

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Though moody at night when I am super tired (Poor Joseph)

Things you love:  I love watching her move in my tummy. I love talking about being pregnant. I love dreaming about who she will be. I love planning for her arrival. I love planning her nursery. Most of all, I love her father.

Looking forward to:  Her arrival. Though I don't want to wish away this stage of my life as it is so special. I am also looking forward to our baby showers! So many people have put a lot of effort into planning these events for us and we are so grateful and can't wait to spend time with family and friends in celebration of Gwen!