I saw this Eudora Welty quote on a friends Instagram and had to copy it because it is just oh so true. This blog in itself is a modern example of a good tale...or so I hope. There is nothing that I love more than a sweet handwritten letter or visiting with with friends and/or family for hours as we put our"great talkers" skills to work. The great thing about Chicago is that, contrary to Southerners' beliefs, it is not the north (nor are they/we Yankees) and Midwesterns are a lot like Southerners in terms of their endearing personalities and good ole folk spirits. I hope that for as long as we stay here we are able to instill the best of both the south and the midwest in our little girl. (And Lord...please let her develop a southern accent...)
How Far Along? 29 weeks!
Size?
Suzanna Grace is:
AHHH!!! Look at that beauty! Our hospital does not offer 3D sonograms and when we saw her on Wednesday she was only willing to give us a face on shot...no profile. I have to brag on her though for her Aunt Ashlee as she is a firm believer in profile and slightly head tilted photographs taken of women. She says that very few women have mastered the straight on look and agrees that Suzanna Grace shouts confidence! ;) That's her little hand by her face too...perhaps she is practicing her "hand, hand, wrist, wrist, touch the pearls, blow a kiss..." and is, at the very least, giving us a wave. Get it girl!
Maternity Clothes?
Still mixing it up. There are a few pairs of pants that still fit comfortably with the help of the belly band but I am in love with my ASOS black tights. I have a pretty standard uniform of the black tights and some type of flowy top. I bought this beautiful dress for the shower next weekend and am thinking of pairing it with my fur vest and tights:
again...ASOS should be paying me to shop there...
Weight Gain? I went to the DR on Monday and am right on track-still gaining about a pound a week and having a total gain of between 14-16 pounds. I was measuring small (I have been since they started doing the tummy measurements) so my doctor ordered an ultrasound to check on Baby Girl. I was, of course, a little nervous and disappointed in myself since I have been making very conscious efforts when it comes to gaining weight and growing. My DR assured me that women just carry their babies differently and that since Suzanna Grace is VERY active and had already kicked her twice during the appointment the ultrasound was more for my peace of mind. Luckily there was a cancellation on Wednesday morning so I was able to get in pretty quickly for the ultrasound. We loved being able to see Suzanna Grace again and could not get over how big she is! Baby Girl had a great ultrasound and hit all of her measurements perfectly. Her length and weight (2 pounds 12 ounces) were right on track and there was plenty of amniotic fluid surrounding her. We should get the final say from our DR Monday or Tuesday but the tech said that everything looked good. I keep hearing the phrase, "some women 'hide' their babies" when they are pregnant. I do not want to hide my baby. I want to show her off and I think that over the past few weeks especially she's been showing out loud and proud. Just happy to be healthy all around.
Stretch Marks? Nope, Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.
Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!
Sleep? I am getting plenty of sleep and rest. I was basically on bedrest for about four days as I enjoyed the last of our Christmas break and then 2 snow days. It was glorious. I wake up at least once during the night, usually around 3:30, to go to the bathroom but I always fall back asleep pretty easily.
Movement? Oh yeah, ALL.THE.TIME. Suzanna Grace doesn't just give a few little kicks and jabs...she rolls her whole body and, presumably, gets excited and tries to jump out. I know from the ultrasound that her head is on my right side and her booty is down (breech) so it's fun to know that might be moving.
The other night I fell asleep while Kyle was still reading in bed and the next morning he told me that she was kicking him in the hip throughout the night. He said at one point he had to get out of bed and laugh at the situation because he could not believe that he couldn't sleep because of her kicks as I was just a sleeping on through them. I cannot get enough of her high-fives, body rolls, and twists.
Food Cravings? Nothing really.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness.
Labor signs? No! Still have 11 weeks to go!
Belly button in or out? Proud and out. Kyle told me last night that he assumed that the tummy measurements (fundal height) were from my pelvic bone to my belly button at each doctor visit. I laughed and laughed since he also assumed that my belly button would eventually move to be right under my sternum so that it would measure 40 cm. Oh goodness. Bless him. After explaining what the DR is looking for he did agree that it made much more sense.
Wedding rings, on or off? On. I will be really sad when/if the answer to this changes... thank goodness for freezing temps which equal less swelling.
What I Miss? Nothing. I am just so happy to be carrying this sweet girl that I cannot really complain about missing anything.
Symptoms? I think that as soon as I hit the 3rd trimester a signal went to my hips and told them to start aching. My DR recommended that I try yoga which did help a little, but I am afraid that I have developed a slight waddle.
Happy or Moody? Happy! Do y'all have the "On the Night You Were Born" book? If you don't you should buy it. I sit in her room and read this book to her over and over. All of Nany Tillman's book are precious and I think are essential to any child's library collection. She even has a new one coming out called The Crown on Your Head and I cannot wait to buy it too.
Best Moment of the Week:
1. Seeing our sweet girl on Wednesday and having a healthy check up. God is good.
2. Sweet time with friends this week. Between being homebound because of the snow and the nerves that came with my Monday doctor's appointment, my precious friends again came through and helped me remember to count my blessings and reassured me everything would be okay. From an hour long uplifting, just what I needed phone call from Mrs. Jeane, to an afternoon bus ride and movie with Renee, an unexpected Mommy card from Sarah, Baby Shower for Miss Bailey Templin, and then a girls night in with my oldest Chicago teacher friends, I end the week with a heart that could just burst. Thank you friends.
Kate (expecting Miss Bailey) is due one month before me. At her shower we had a preggo vs. preggo/nursing mommy game of pong sans alcohol. We're wild.
4. Mass cooking with Kyle. Last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were COLD! As in you could not go outside without freezing to death. The schools were even closed and folks were advised not to be outside for more than 15 minutes at a time. Yikes. I recruited Kyle though and we did some mass cooking and freezing so that we will have some meals now that he's in school 3 nights a week.
Looking forward to...
-Family and friends arriving this weekend for Suzanna Grace's Baby Shower.
-Painting the nursery and adding the final pieces of furniture and accents! Hooray!
Have I mentioned how talented my family members are? My Daddy and Momma have built an oversized shadow box frame, daybed headboard and window valance and baby sister Mary Agnes (plus Momma) has sewn every piece of bedding and curtains for the nursery. How would I do this without them? I FaceTimed with SuSu and Daddy B tonight to see the progress and could not get over the fact that my request for nail head required measuring and hand placing every single nail head. Daddy's sure do love their little girls.
Oh and "1 of 1", Daddy's business has been and will continue to make custom pieces for others too if you are interested. Just wait until you see his final pieces and then I guarantee you'll be asking for his contact info. I am amazed by his talent.
Sweet things and Life in General:
I am not sure how I came up with the time for this alarm but I love the email and phone reminders that I get each Friday reminding me that we are one week closer to meeting our baby girl. Oh how I will miss these.
Just for documentation purposes:
Kyle started the winter quarter this week with only 2 out of the 3 classes due to the cold weather on Monday. Bless him, he has spent the whole day today preparing for next week's classes too. Kyle has been at Kellogg working on his MBA in the part time program since Summer 2012 and is planning to take 3 classes, instead of 2, for the next two quarters so that he will be able to finish this summer (a whole quarter early might I add) before I have to go back to work. I am constantly amazed at his work ethic and time management skills. He's a smart fella and I am oh so proud.
Well, I have once again managed to write a novel about all that occurred in just a weeks worth of time. The blog is getting a facelift in the coming weeks so get excited!
XOXO
Daddies are the best!! My Daddy has done so much for both of my girls and their nurseries. E has Papa wrapped, as I am sure Leighton will in no time...and I LOVE it! :) Can't wait to see all your nursery goodies!
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