Praying Through Delivery and a Special Prayer for Us

I have been reading the weekly devotional Praying Through Your Pregnancy for the majority of the past 9 months and have loved it.  The authors take you through the weekly developments for baby and have specific prayers for such things as their hearing, skin, and even future relationship with God.  I take notes and record dates so that I will be able to look back over each of my pregnancies and be reminded of the joy that I felt along the way.  I even gave the book to my Momma for Christmas with the idea that she will pray for all of her grandchildren along the way too.

This week I was especially humbled at the story of one woman's birthing experience as it talked about how spiritual it was.  Sure there was pain but her focus was on the positives of it all.  Just the fact that she was able to have carried her child and that her body was oh so wonderfully made to create, develop, protect, and now deliver such a miracle.  She talked about how she had a team of prayer warriors surrounding her and praying for specific aspects of the delivery and about how she prayed through contractions and the most uncomfortable and anxiety inducing phases.

While I pray for Suzanna Grace all day long I never really thought about my labor and her delivery in this way.  I was telling Mary Agnes last night that usually when I say quick prayers for folks they are just that...quick.  "Lord please do XYZ for ----.  Give them peace, help them to feel your presence...Amen."  My devotion reminded me of how important it is to call out to the Lord with our specific request and that He hears us.  I am sure that there will be modifications and revisions to this prayer as I live through it and realize new specifics that laboring and new moms need but for now, I like this prayer that the book provided.  It is my prayer for our sweet friends who will deliver in the near and distant future and one in which I hope that you will pray for Suzanna Grace and I in the coming weeks.  

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for the privilege of knowing You as our personal Savior and Friend.  Thank You for the awesome privilege of praying for the sweet friends who are pregnant, will one day become pregnant, and for those who will soon meet their precious little one.  I praise You, because You are a great and wonderful God, full of love and care and understanding for each one of us.

Lord, I pray that you will give ----------- (mother’s name) the most wonderful birth experience she ever imagined.  Be close to her from the time she goes into labor and throughout.  Let her feel You left her up into Your love during each contraction.  Let her know You are with her, helping and guiding ---------- (baby’s name) to be born.  Give her strength and endurance. 

And Jesus, I pray Your holy presence will fill the room as ------------ (baby’s name) comes into the world.  Let there be an atmosphere of joy and gladness, of peace and praise.

Give her an awesome birth experience, one she will treasure forever.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 At the end of each devotion you are given a journal assignment.  Questions that guide you in preparing for the baby, thinking about how you will further your relationship with God, friends, family, baby, husband, and sometimes even check/"to-do" lists.  This week I was to make a list of people who I could count on to pray for me while I am in labor and then to make sure that I asked them to.  Since I know the power of prayer I wanted to humbly ask that anyone who reads this blog join me in prayer in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to the arrival of our precious girl.  Knowing that these prayers are coming already and will continue to come from all over the country from friends and family fills my heart and brings tears to my eyes.  Please feel free to pray anything that you like...no one is picky when it comes to prayers :)  If you like, simply pray this prayer for our whole family: 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for the privilege of knowing You as our personal Savior and Friend.  Thank You for the awesome privilege of praying for the sweet friends who are pregnant, will one day become pregnant, and for Georgia Anne who will soon meet her precious daughter, Suzanna Grace.  I praise You, because You are a great and wonderful God, full of love and care and understanding for each one of us.

Lord, I pray that you will give Georgia Anne the most wonderful birth experience she ever imagined.  Be close to her from the time she goes into labor and throughout.  Let her feel You left her up into Your love during each contraction.  Let her know You are with her, helping and guiding Suzanna Grace to be born.  Give her strength and endurance. 

And Jesus, I pray Your holy presence will fill the room as Suzanna Grace comes into the world.  Let there be an atmosphere of joy and gladness, of peace and praise.

Give Georgia Anne an awesome birth experience, one she will treasure forever.

And Lord, take care of that ole Kyle throughout Georgia Anne's labor and the delivery of his first daughter , Suzanna Grace.  Help him to be the rock that his girls need and the spiritual leader of their growing family. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I want to thank you for taking the time to pray for us and hope that you know that we can FEEL your prayers.  I would love to return the favor too.  Please let me know how I can pray for you and I will...and not just a quickie.  

35 Week Update

How Far Along? 

I think it is safe to say that we are no longer worrying about either of our weights and/or growth.  It is wild to think that next week I will be able to say that I am 9 months pregnant!  WOW!  This week I am saying, "I am nearly 9 months pregnant..." which, so far, gets lots of crazy looks from folks.  

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

Goodness gracious!  If these stats are legit then Suzanna Grace is all cooked and could potentially come any day and be one healthy little lady!

Maternity Clothes?  I love my maternity pants.  LOVE.  I am still wearing my regular flowy tops and rotating the Piko tops throughout the week.  Yesterday, as I was out walking in the WARM 32 degree weather, I kept feeling cold on the bottom of my tummy...realizing that not only was my t-shirt too short and exposing my stomach by my button up coat was also exploding from the middle button down.  I love my pregnancy body and would not trade full coverage for anything right now. 

Weight Gain?  At the DR this week I was at 142 which is a total gain of about 22-24 pounds.  Still on track with about a pound a week and hopefully plumping up our sweet girl.  Who doesn't just love a baby with rolls?!

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  My stomach itches like crazy which lets me know shes growing and stretching.  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  Actually much better this week, thank goodness.  My pillow fort is growing and poor Kyle has given up even making the bed in the morning because of the number of pillows and supports that I have added to the routine.  If I can prop myself up on three pillows and then only slightly sleep on my side (what in the world...it's become a science) then I can make it through the night only needing to get up for a bathroom break.  I am wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that she has flipped too???  

Movement?  All.The.Time.  I will oh so very much miss this feeling.  Her movements are whole body rolls and poking out of limbs.  This week she has woken me up during the night several times because the movements are so strong.  What a miracle. 

Food Cravings?  Oh how I wish there was a Mexican place with the soupy gooey queso dip up here.  The only thing that the Mexican restaurants around her have is the fried queso which, lets be honest, I will settle for and plan to grab today at lunch time.    

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? No!  Still have a little less than 5 weeks to go.

Belly button in or out?  Out and flat.  By the end of the day she's poking through my shirt.

  

Wedding rings, on or off? It's on but not as loose as it has been.  Still think the freezing temps are keeping the swelling down.

What I Miss? Being able to bend over and tie my shoes/put on my boots without feeling like I am going to throw up or pass out from crunking over. 

Symptoms? Aching hips. 

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy.  I could cry at just about every mention of babies, friends, family, and all sweet things but, as my Momma would say, that are always happy tears.  

Dr. Visit Update:
Kyle met me at the doctor for our 2 week check up with the final doctor in the practice, Dr. Poppy (sp?), on Wednesday.  I was anxious to ask her about the techniques for trying to help Suzanna Grace flip and whether she thought that heading to San Fran was a good idea.  Like all of her partners, including my beloved Dr. Heraty, she was loud, bubbly, and just oh so wonderful.  She quickly told us about one technique which requires you to eat something sweet and basically get as close to standing on your head as you can without actually doing it.  As your husband watches on you put your bottom up and head down and do a little swaying as baby moves because of the sugar high...hopefully she gets her up and down confused and through the sugar dance she flips right on over.  

As soon as the DR started trying to find the heartbeat we could tell that something was different.  Her HB has always been on my right side but this time it wasn't...luckily I wasn't feeling panicked by this since I could feel her moving around.  The Dr moved over to my left side and quickly found that precious sound on my lower left side.  Kyle pointed out, "Wow...I bet she has moved!"  We didn't want to get our hopes up too much, but after a tummy "touch" exam to see if she could feel SG's head pointing down, we went to another room for a quick sonogram to confirm...no more breech, much less frank breech, baby girl....we have flipped!  Hooray!!  The DR says that she is pretty low and will hopefully stay head down.  Suzanna Grace moves so much and I know that she could still flip herself back into a breech position but right now she is right where she needs to be!  Go girl!!

Sweet texts from family ;) 

Best Moment of the Week: 

Seeing our sweet girl, hearing that glorious strong heartbeat, and learning that, for now, she is NOT breech!

Looking forward to...  

Visits from my Momma and MA in the next two weeks. 

Sweet things and Life in General:  

We clearly did not make that baby moon trip to SanFran.  In fact the doctor laughed at me when I asked.  I did not have my heart set on it since I knew that 35 weeks was probably too close to go time.  Kyle still went to SanFran for his work trip on Friday though and considered staying for the weekend to give himself a babymoon...I told him that he had my blessing but he left the warm 75 degrees and flew back to me late Friday night.  Kyle and I still enjoyed some time together though and he took me to look at 3rd bands (push present) downtown.  Missing the warm weather but still enjoyed a Chicago babymoon.

Last Sunday we hosted Supper Club and a late celebration for Kyle's birthday.  Potato soup was on the menu along with some good ole birthday ice cream cake.  Since we have been cleaning out in preparation for SG we are down a few chairs but no one seemed to mind and we rotated through couch, chair, and floor spots.  Thanks for taking the picture Ash!
We are truly blessed. I love our friends. 

 Ole Sam came for a visit last weekend as he visited hospitals and did interviews for his fellowship after residency.  The McBees and Moore's showed him a great time and enjoyed hearing all of his parenting advice and worldviews...Sam style.  Sam has been a close friend since freshman year in college and with two new Chicago babies arriving in 2014 we would LOVE for Sam, Richa, and Nandi to move to Chicago too!  

34 Week Update

How Far Along? 

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

Maternity Clothes? Exclusively.  I feel like I really became pregnant less than a month ago in terms of me being able to feel the extra tummy measurements and having the need for bigger clothes.  I am not sure if it is the clothes that add to me looking bigger or that I am in fact bigger and the maternity shirts just fit.  I sure do love an elastic jean though and will miss the belly band after baby. 

Weight Gain?  20 pounds as of last week but hopefully continuing to steadily gaining about a pound a week...grow baby girl!  

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  My skin has never been so "moist" and soft.  In addition to the fact that I drink gallons upon gallons of water each day the lotion reallys seems to have been helping as there are 0 stretch marks to report!  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  I think the fact that I was awake around 4:50 beginning this post should answer that question.  I sleep hard for a few hours but the moment that I wake up my mind starts running and, in addition to being uncomfortable, I cannot shut it off.  I have also been having weird dreams.  Not so much about the baby...but about Philip Seymour Hoffman and random people from high school...I read that this is common during pregnancy and, like everything else, has something to do with your hormones. 

Movement?  Literally every second that I am sitting down.  She is so active and it is not just little jabs---she continues to move her whole body.  Just a few minutes ago my tummy looked deformed because she was pushing so hard on my right side...then a few seconds later she would do a full body shake down, even out, and then put her weight on another side.  It is absolutely wild.  Last night the only way that I could describe her movements was to say that she was tweerking, as her little bottom was pulsating on my left side. (This of course scares me because there is nothing else that worries me more about having a daughter than her becoming a teenager...and just the thought of Miley Cyrus makes me cringe.)  

Thank you Lord for an active little girl who will no doubt be an outstanding athlete receiving a full ride scholarship to an Ivy League school where her kindness, smarts, and athleticism will surely continue to carry her through to success...does it hurt to dream big??  I think not (plus I read that there are not enough girl athletes to use up all the scholarships that are available...just saying...)!

Food Cravings? Just the usual...anything sweet. 

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? No!  Still have a little less than 6 weeks to go.  I was born at 5.5 weeks so this week is a little nerve racking as we see if she will be like her Momma...

Belly button in or out?  Out and flat.  By the end of the day she's poking through my shirt.

  

Wedding rings, on or off? It's on but not as loose as it has been.  Still think the freezing temps are keeping the swelling down.

What I Miss? Nothing.  

Symptoms? Aching hips.  I find that I need to sit down more often too. 

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy.  I could cry at just about every mention of babies, friends, family, and all sweet things but, as my Momma would say, that are always happy tears.  

Dr. Visit Update:

We had another growth sonogram this Tuesday and got to see our sweet girl yet again.  Since she is so big it is becoming harder to get shots of her face and nearly impossible to get a profile shot (PS-our hospital does not do 3D sonos).  She measured exactly where she should for a 33 week 4 day healthy baby, there was plenty of amniotic fluid for her to dance around in, and her tummy was full.  I knew that she was breech but this sonogram told us that she is "frank breech" which means she has folder herself in half and her legs are straight over her head (do not google images of this...it's a little scary and looks super uncomfortable...which my DR assured me it is not for the baby).  In fact, in one of the shots that I saw, her little fist was actually holding on to one of her ankles.  I think that this just goes to show what a southern girl she is as she has rolled herself, like a roly poly, into a ball in protest of the bitter cold Chicago winter.  If my tummy would allow me to stay warm in a similar position I think that I would join her.  I was told that being frank breech makes it harder for the baby to move themselves into their head down birthing position but that her moving herself or the doctors assisting in flipping her was not out of the question.  We are just putting that in God's hands and knowing that HE will put her the way that she needs to be for the best possible delivery.  

Suzanna Grace weighed 4.9 pounds and though she was asleep for most of the sonogram (surprisingly) she did wake up towards the end and give us a few little waves.

Funny enough my Momma was able to locate an X-Ray of herself when she was pregnant with me and sure enough I am breech and one of my legs is sticking straight up by my head as well.  My Momma says that leg stuck straight out of swaddles and blankets for weeks, if not months, after I was born.  It looks like ole Suzanna Grace is following right along in her Momma's footsteps...

Best Moment of the Week: 

-Receiving our 2013 Family Year Book in the mail! 

I saw this idea on Pinterest last year and since then I have become the queen of creating hardcover, bound picture albums online.  I usually find great deals on Amazon Local or Groupon and am able to create 20+ page books for less than $20 which is way less than printing all of the pictures that we take and physically putting them into a photo album.  This way I can include narratives about what we did, people we saw, and the fun memories that were made on each page as well. Look out for many more of these to come as I have already been inspired to make several once SG arrives, including "On the Day You Were Born" where you include pictures from babies first few days AND the texts/emails that were sent and received about baby and  "Who Loves Suzanna Grace" a book of faces and names so that she will always be able to see her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. 

-Valentines with my sweet Kyle
There has never been a doubt in my mind that ole Kyle would be a fabulous Daddy and I have enjoyed seeing and benefiting from him practicing his "even more tender hearted, sweet girl Daddy" skills on me.  My students had a hay-day trying to guess who sent me flowers at work (a first for Kyle) and a nice surprise dinner reservation capped off a very special day.  I know that when he has an additional Valentines next year he will treat her like a little queen as well.  That ole Kyle...  

Looking forward to... 

Visits from my Momma and MA for final momma-daughter/sister-sister time before SG arrives.  Both of them are secretly hoping that we spend one day together and then SG decides to come.

The San Fran trip would be top on my list but we won't know until Wednesday when I go to the DR. if I can go or not.  I will still be 5 weeks out but Lord knows that we do not want to have a SanFran baby and I am just so worried that Suzanna Grace will feel the warmth of the sun, decide it is in fact spring in Chicago, and try to come while we are away from home. (Have I now made her sound like the groundhog??)  We shall see. 

Sweet things and Life in General:  

Life, in general, and babies are such miracles.  Each day the Good Lord opens my eyes a little wider to how blessed we are to have a healthy little growing girl and gives me the strongest desires to be better for her.  This week we found out that some of our Madison transplant Chicago friends will be welcoming a baby in August (shout out to G and Meg Alvarez for their July baby news that I forgot to mention before now) and we eagerly are anticipating the arrival of 3 precious babies this week (possibly next), Isa Claire Rosamond (Mallory and Tyler, plus big brother Alec), Bailey Templin (Kate and Walt), and Baby Sirois (Marisha and Adam).  Friends in MS, the Bains, welcomed their baby girl on Wednesday and I sobbed throughout the day as I watched and rewatched the video of Daddy Russell bringing out his baby girl to show off to their friends and families.  I just CANNOT wait.  God is good. 

As we praise the Lord for our healthy girl we also join in prayer with the Clay family.  Their little guy John Pearson is such a fighter and his parents are oh such wonderful examples of courage and faith.  Lauren and Wesley post updates and specific prayer request often so please check them out and add their precious baby to your prayers right now.

Chronicles of Clay

33 Week Update

How Far Along? 

Even though those may appear to be the # 5, I can assure you that I am, in fact, only 33 weeks along...not 55 weeks.

Also the beautiful piece in the background is new and was painted by a dear friend, Krista Shows.  She's the one that did the "Ol' Suzanna" song that I posted a while back and aside from her many other talents, she is also an artist.  The painting is SO big that we were not able to find a way to get it from MS to Chicago until my parents drove up in January.  We LOVE the piece though and cannot wait to use it as a background for Suzanna Grace's newborn pictures!  

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

Now, for Rob's sake, I would say that a pineapple is a fairly accurate comparison ...right Chef?  It's wild to think that she is nearing her birth weight too! 

Maternity Clothes? 

Yup.  I can still do the belly band in a pair of my regular black and red stretchy jeans which gives me 4 options for pants...What to do, what to do...  I also ordered two of those Pinko tops from my favorite Madison,MS/Instagram store, Pink Possum, and think that maybe I will just live in them until SG arrives.  The owner, Becca Turner, has shipped to me several times and was so sweet to include a precious pink sersucker pasci clip for SG in my latest order.  She carries womens and baby clothes and her prices CANNOT be beat!  Check her out!

Weight Gain?  20 pounds :) Steadily gaining about a pound a week...grow baby girl!  

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  Dr. Star commented after checking SG's heartbeat, "Oh and no stretch marks...good for you."  Thank you friend...it's the little things that make a pregnant woman, who really has no control over anything, proud.   

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  Same ole, same ole.  3 am seems to be my wake up time each morning.  So far I can always fall right back to sleep.

Movement? Still lots of movements at night but they have changed.  The DR says that's what happens as they get bigger and run out of room to really flip around.  She still jolts my whole stomach though and at times I can feel body parts poking. She moves a lot when I am at school especially when I am meeting with small groups...I think, and my students would agree, that she is already a social butterfly and gets excited by all of the talking. :) I know that every move is a miracle and it's just fabulous. 

Food Cravings? Just the usual...anything sweet. 

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? No!  Still have 6.5 weeks to go.  I was 6 weeks early though and my Momma did not have labor signs until her water broke...just saying. 

Belly button in or out?  Out and flat.  By the end of the day she's poking through my shirt.

  

Wedding rings, on or off? It's on but not as loose as it has been.  Still think the freezing temps are keeping the swelling down.

What I Miss? Nothing.  

Symptoms? Aching hips. 

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy.  I could cry at just about every mention of babies, friends, family, and all sweet things but, as my Momma would say, that are always happy tears.  

Dr. Visit Update:

At the DR Friday I met another DR in the practice, Dr. Star, and LOVED her.  She walked in and said, "Dr. Heraty has told me so much about you.  Nice to finally meet you."  Now as you know, I ADORE Dr. Heraty so this comment put me on cloud 9.  After checking me out Dr. Star told me that I was right on track in terms of weight gain and congratulated us for a healthy, "very low risk" pregnancy" that had hit a milestone...if SG were to try to come today they would not try to stop her.  WHAT?!  SG knows that leaving the warmth of the womb would be a terrible decision considering it is 1 degree in Chicago today.  I was still measuring about 2 weeks behind so she ordered another sonogram for next week.  I was scared/nervous the first time they ordered a growth check sono but since SG was great in the last one and I have consistently measured this far behind the whole time, I am just looking at this as another chance to see our girl!  Dr. Star mirrored Dr. Heraty in explaining that because she is breech my "off measurements" may be because of the way that she is laying.  My Momma and I decided that it's just SGs way of showing what a southern girl she really is as she has curled herself up in a little ball (a true showing of the fetal position) because she does not want to have to endure the worst Chicago winter anyone has very experienced.  No one can blame her.

We also talked about the fact that SG may continue to be breech.  She told me that we would talk about "mid-wife" techniques at 35 weeks and that they could try to flip her around 37.  Dr. Star also mentioned something that really hit home.  She said that sometimes babies are breech for a reason...maybe the cord would otherwise get wrapped around...or that trying to flip them could put them in distress.  We are just praying now that the good Lord will put Suzanna Grace in the position that will allow for the best labor and delivery for both of us. God's plan is greater than ours so I think we will leave it that way. 

Anyone have any thoughts on this?  I have not heard of anyone who had their baby flipped by the doctor...

Best Moment of the Week: 

-Hearing that sweet 150 heartbeat yesterday.

-Celebrating my Sweet Kyle's 29th Birthday with friends last night. I have giggled to myself over and over at this picture which spans from 7th grade to Senior year of HS...we were so young...and the fro...

Kyle tells me that, though he does not read the Blog, his co-workers have somehow found it and continuously take and edit pictures of him from here and send them around the office.  I personally think that's hilarious and highly encourage it.  Ventas folks, please have a hayday with these gems. 

-Adding these little leg warmers to her ever growing wardrobe.  I am thinking that when her Daddy takes her to her first tailgate, which undoubtedly will mean cold weather in Chicago, she can wear her football themed warmers under her smocked outfit.  Clearly. 

Looking forward to... 

-Babymoon to San Fran in two weeks...seeing as we continue to have good DR. visits...In my head I know that it will be a game time decision about whether I travel. Dr. Star said it was fine...but I just had to know that everywhere I go from now on could be where we deliver a baby.  Anywho...Any suggestions on things to do, places to see, or restaurants to visit? 

-Visit from my sweet Momma at the end of the month and from MA the first week of March.  Looking forward to just enjoying each other before SG arrives.  

Sweet things and Life in General:  

OMG... did y'all see the IG post of SG's first American Girl doll?!?!  This doll was created to look like me which is exactly what I picture Suzanna Grace to look like too...my mini-me. Thank you Brooke, what a perfect and thoughtful gift!

Week 32 Update

How Far Along? 

32 weeks!  Hey GGUUURRRLLL!

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

My word.  So many things about this picture...nearly 5 pounds? WOW!  Only 8 weeks until she comes...double WOW!  

Maternity Clothes? Still mixing it up.  Two new maternity tops as I realized, to my disappointment in terms of wanting to not buy any new clothes for myself, that even the normal flowy shirts were getting a little tight.  The jean shirt that I attempted to wear last week was literally only held on by two buttons by the end of the day.  What was I thinking?  Have no fear, the pleather maternity pants were still in full force for date night Friday. 

Weight Gain?  Going to the DR on Friday so we will find out then.  I am guess between 20-25ish pounds.    

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  Same ole, same ole.  3 am seems to be my wake up time each morning.  So far I can always fall right back to sleep.

Movement? All.the.time. I LOVE it.  She is most active with BIG movements, rolls, and jerks at night.  

Food Cravings? Candy bars...specifically any with almonds.  And...we go through a 6 pound bag of lil' cutie oranges in about 5 days.  Yum!

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? No!  Still have 8 weeks (a little less) to go!  I was born 5.5 weeks early (very healthy at 7 pounds and strong lungs though) and all of my siblings were between 2-3 weeks early...Kyle, of course, was TWO weeks LATE!  I cannot wait to see how/when Suzanna Grace makes her debut!       

Belly button in or out?  Out and flat.  I will spare you the picture that my Momma demanded that I take of it showing through my shirt.  Hehe. 

  

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.  I have noticed it being a little more tight this week though. 

What I Miss? Nothing.  In fact I am at the point where my hair is fuller and more thick than it's been since I was a teenager and my nails are so long and strong.  Ah to enjoy for the next 8 weeks before, as I hear, it all goes back to normal...and sometimes worse. 

Symptoms? Aching hips.  I feel like I do lots of grunting as I move around throughout the day.  I still sit on the ground with my kids when I teach and usually need one of them to help me up...which they think is funny.  I tried to explain my "pregnancy brain" to them and now they think it's hilarious to point out when the baby has "stolen my smarts."  One little guy exclaimed, "You're baby is going to be REALLY smart!"  Thanks kiddo.   

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy.  I could cry at just about every mention of babies, friends, family, and all sweet things but, as my Momma would say, that are always happy tears.  

Best Moment of the Week: 

1.  Restaurant Week was this week in Chicago and we enjoyed a late supper downtown after Kyle's class on Friday night.  Nothing makes this 8 month pregnant lady more happy than pleather, Samantha Wills jewels, and, especially, a date night downtown with that ole Kyle.

2.  We started the week with freezing temps and two days of schools being closed.  Renee and I made quite the dent in my "Baby Needs" list.  As of now, all I need to buy is the stroller and a diaper bag., both things that I plan on waiting until February to buy.  I started packing our things, too...matching Mommy and SG PJs = check, coming home outfits...including hand smocked daygown and bonnet, plus white stockings...if needed = check.   

I cannot get over the fact that a human's feet will be able to fit into these socks.  Will her feet be square?  I also found out that the washing machine eats baby socks just like grown up socks and then spits them out in the most unexpected places...like your jeans pocket. 

Looking forward to... 

-Babymoon to San Fran in a few weeks.  Any suggestions on things to do, places to see, or restaurants to visit? 

-Visit from my sweet Momma at the end of the month and from MA the first week of March.  Looking forward to just enjoying each other before SG arrives.  

Sweet things and Life in General:  

-A fabulous SnapChat from little sister.

-Ottero...Just watch.  I laughed hysterically and then texted the video to everyone I knew when I first saw this on a blog....then, after watching it a few times, started thinking it looked like fun.  I mean, the baby seems happy.... 

Don't you just LOVE the new BLOG design!?!  I am so pleased with it!  Check out 3Eleven by Elevenlove's Etsy Shop and browse her designs!