Today's the day...

We have to be at the hospital in a little less than three hours, and my alarm isn't set to go off for another hour. But I'm up (and have been for awhile) because I can't get over the fact that we're finally about to meet our girl.

There are really no words that could adequately describe how I'm feeling right now.  I''m definitely a jumble of emotions, and to say that I'm anxious would be an incredible understatement.  But I'm mostly just ready to meet this little princess that has stolen our hearts. 

 

Hopefully I'll get the chance to check in again once we get settled in.  Otherwise, you can stay updated via Instagram (@MrsHargrave) or Twitter (@Mrs_Hargrave), and I'll obviously get a post up once she makes her debut! :) 

 

Thanks again, y'all, for your sweet words of encouragement and for keeping me sane over the last nine months.  I have a feeling, though, that the real craziness is only just beginning...

Two more days...

I feel the need to pop in and say hello, but I have to be honest.  All I keep thinking is...

... I'M ABOUT TO HAVE A BABY!

Still no labor or contractions, so we're still scheduled to induce on Wednesday. 

(us at 39 weeks... I'd say we're both ready! :))

I am going to do my very, very best to keep you guys updated via Instagram (and possibly here on the blog if I can).  So if you want to go ahead and follow so you don't miss anything, you can find me on Instagram at @mrshargrave (and I usually publish all of my Instagram updates to Twitter, so you can find me there at @Mrs_Hargrave as well).

Until then, we're just trying to stay busy.  We celebrated our last child-free weekend with a little Cheesecake Factory and a trip to the iPic theater to see Oz: The Great and Powerful on Saturday.  Was it just me, or was the movie only okay?  As a devoted Wizard of Oz and Wicked fan, maybe I just wasn't in love with this take on the back story of Oz?  Even so, we loved the theater.

 

 

The chairs were so comfy, and the dessert we ordered was delicious.

 

On Sunday, we took it easy and ended up grilling a delicious dinner:  Italian chicken, chopped BBQ salad, and these campfire potatoes.  (The potatoes were phenomenal.  I'd add a bit more butter next time to keep them from getting dry, but altogether fabulous.)

 

 

I also made these cake batter Rice Krispy treats. 

It was a different recipe than the one I've used in the past (and courtesy of my girl, Kristin), and so much better.  The frosting sent the whole thing over the edge (I used regular vanilla buttercream frosting rather than cream cheese), and I'm not ashamed to tell you that we've already devoured the entire pan.  Judge away, y'all.  They're delicious.

Today, Micah has worked from home, and we've just been tying up some loose ends around the house.  I got new tires (Micah insisted that we get that done before Grace arrived) and did the last load of Grace's laundry (mostly towels and burp cloths).  We also got a fun surprise in the mail.

Grace's baby book came in!  I ordered it on Etsy from here, and I love it.  It's really well-made, and I like the pages and layout.

Alright, friends.  I'm just waiting for Micah to get home from his last softball game of the season (poor guy had to go alone because I get so uncomfortable sitting on hard surfaces for long periods of time these days).  And then I'm going to try and get some sleep (if I can get my mind to shut down long enough to rest). 

XOXO, loves.

April 13, 2013

My darling Grace,

 

It's unfathomable to me that you're already almost here.  It seems like just yesterday that your daddy and I were staring at that pregnancy test in shock, happier than you will ever know at the news that you were on your way.

 

 

Over the past nine months, God has used this time to fill my heart with more love than I could have ever imagined.  We heard your heartbeat for the first time, and I cried at the sound of you.  I had one of the worst moments of my life when I thought we might be losing you and one of the best moments when I saw that you were safe and sound.  I felt you move and marveled at the miracle of it.  We got the best surprise ever when we found out that you were a girl.  We took you to Paris and decided on your name.  Daddy felt you move for the first time and fell even more in love with you.  We spent many hours decorating your sweet room.  We celebrated your upcoming arrival with family, friends, and co-workers. 

 

And now here we are, days away from meeting you, and the anticipation is almost too much.  Because although there is a part of me that is sad to give up this precious time you and I have had together over the past nine months, I know the best is yet to come.  I know that we are about to embark upon the most exciting/wonderful/terrifying/humbling/amazing/exhausting journey of our lives, and we couldn't be more ready. 

We are honored to be your parents, sweet girl.  I know we are going to mess up about a billion times, and there will be moments when you won't like us very much.  But I promise to do everything in my power to equip you to face the world.  I promise to give you every piece of my heart.  And I promise to be the best mom I can possibly be, even when that means doing the difficult thing.   

Just a few more days, love. 

Until then,
Mommy

Some candid thoughts on pregnancy...

These last nine months have been a trip, y'all. Mostly, they have been filled with moments of awe and wonder and love, and I will never get over how incredible it is to assist God in creating a life.

 

But, let's just be completely honest. There have been a billion times in the last thirty-eight weeks where I've had a "What the...?" moment.  My body has done things that I never expected, and it hasn't all been pretty. 

 

So for those of you who haven't yet experienced all of the "joys" of pregnancy, I feel like it's my duty to tell you what you're in for.  Here's a candid list of questions you may end up asking yourself when the time comes.  I share because I care. :)
 

 

Would anyone notice if I took a little nap at my desk right now?

 

That first trimester brings with it exhaustion like you've never ever known.  I made it through four years of difficult biochemistry courses and three years of law school without feeling as tired as I felt those first few months.  Just sleep when you can and look forward to the awesomeness that is the second trimester.  (And do be sure and enjoy that burst of energy when it comes because the third trimester is just as exhuasting as the first.)

 

Do I look pregnant or just fat?

 

Sorry, friend, but you won't look pregnant to anyone but you for awhile.  You'll see that bump start to emerge almost immediately, but most people will be too scared to assume it's a baby or ask you about it until it's really obvious.  And can you really blame them?  No one wants to be the person who makes that mistake...   

 

Will I ever be able to go #2 without struggling again?

 

You will.  The constipation doesn't last forever, I promise.

 

What does heartburn feel like?

 

If you, like me, hadn't experienced heartburn and/or indigestion before you got pregnant, you'll hear about how bad it can be during pregnancy and wonder what it feels like.   Unfortunately, it's just as terrible as you've heard, and as time goes on, those Tums will be about as effective at keeping it at bay as swallowing a bottle of Tabasco.  Get yourself some Zantac and avoid Mexican food like the plague. 

 

What the heck is happening to my nipples? 

 

They're getting darker and bigger and just generally more funky-looking every day.  But apparently I haven't seen anything yet -- nursing will supposedly bring even more fun nipple surprises my way.  Goody.

 

Is it possible to get stretch marks on my feet?

 

I know not everyone swells the way I have swelled, but if you're one of the unfortunate ones who will end up with feet and ankles as thick as they are wide, you'll check your feet make your husband check your feet every day for signs of stretch marks.  Thankfully, we've avoided those so far.

 

Is my face really as fat as it looks in pictures?

 

I hate to tell you, but it probably is.

 

Is it socially acceptable to flick people in the nose after they comment on how huge I am?

 

Everyone loves a pregnant lady.  Most of the time it's fabulous, but sometimes people just can't resist telling you how humongous you are.  (I had someone tell me at seven months that I looked like I was ready to pop.)  Or how you, like them, aren't one of the lucky ones who look like they stuck a basketball in their shirts.  I appreciate the commiseration.  I really do.  And I own a mirror, so I'm under no delusions about what I look like.  But, as women, I think we should all make a pact right this second to promise to never tell another woman that she's "so huge" or "enormous" or anything even remotely close to those sentiments.  I say a little white lie in this situation won't do anyone any harm...

Why does my bladder hate me?

I pee approximately every 30 minutes to an hour during the day, and I get up at least three times a night to pee.  (A couple of weeks ago, I literally got up every hour on the hour for six hours straight.)  As far as I can tell, there's no stopping the daytime trips to the bathroom (I do have to stay hydrated, after all), but limiting my fluids after 7:30 p.m. seems to help at night.  Well, that and the thought that this, too, shall pass.  (Pun totally intended.)
 

Will my... ahem... lady parts resume their normal size and shape after childbirth?

 

We're in this one together, y'all.  I sure hope the answer to this question is yes.

 

What were we thinking??  I have no idea how to keep a little person alive!

 

Again, I obviously haven't yet been able to test this one out, but I'll tell you what I tell myself when I start wondering whether I'm going to be a good mom:  there are thousands of women way dumber than I am who manage to raise perfectly healthy and well-adjusted children to adulthood.  If they can do it, then surely I can too.

I hope it goes without saying that every ache/pain/pimple I've experienced in the last nine months have been absolutely worth it.  I'd do it all again (and probably will do it all again in a few years) to bring a baby into the world.  And I don't take a single second for granted. 

Even so... we owe it to ourselves to be honest enough to laugh at all the crazy things our bodies do for the sake of and in preparation for childbirth.  In the grand scheme of things, nine months really isn't very long, and I hear that we'll be longing for this time again someday.  (Although I feel sure we won't miss the clown feet.  Can I get an amen?)

Bed rest...

At our 37-week appointment today, the doctor found a little protein in my urine (TMI, I know...).  So because of that, in combination with my out-of-control swelling, she's putting me on bedrest for a few days while we wait on labs to see if I have pre-eclampsia, even though my blood pressure is normal.

I also have to pee in a jug for 24 hours so she can get a more accurate protein reading.  Ick.

Thankfully I'm far enough along that if they had to induce immediately, we're still full-term and she'll be ready for the world, but I'd obviously rather do without the pre-eclampsia. :) 

So, if you guys have a minute, would you mind saying a little prayer for me and our little princess? 

I'll keep you guys updated.  In the meantime, I'm obviously going to need some entertainment.  Any books/movies/TV series I absolutely must try?

{No} April Fool's...

I thought about titling this post "Baby's here!" and playing a fun April Fool's Day joke on you guys, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  It's so not in my nature to play pranks - I just end up feeling too bad about it. :)

So instead, you'll just get a little bit of an update.  The end of last week was sort of crazy.  We have a trial going on at work (not one I'm involved in, but my friends are and I'm pulling for them), and my whole floor is moving down to another floor, so I've been in moving mode (which definitely isn't fun when you're nine months pregnant).  My office currently looks like this, and I'm ready to get everything put away and settled.

(What you can't see are the five large bins stacked to the side containing all the notebooks and books that need to be put up on shelves...)

But look at what we did get all put in its place this past week?

Whoop whoop! 

With the carseat installed and the hospital bags (mostly) packed, I think Grace is welcome to make her arrival any day.  I'm getting more uncomfortable by the minute and sleeping very little, so at this point I'll be more than happy for her to come whenever she's ready.  I'm just trying to ignore the part where I actually have to push her out... :)

This weekend, we (almost) finished getting all of her stuff put together and put away.  We pondered the practical./functional difference between the swing and bouncer (you veteran moms are going to have to educate me - is one better suited for certain situations than others, or are they both just alternatives for somewhere to put the baby when your arms need a rest? :)).  We sanitized bottles.  We washed a few blankets and some PJs.  We bought groceries and stocked up on the essentials.

And then when we finally slowed down long enough to sit down and reflect on the fact that we were about to be parents, we freaked out a little. Ha.  I've got both sentimental and silly pregnancy posts swirling around in my head, but for now I'll just say that this whole thing has been a trip.  An amazing, beautiful, exhausting trip.
Yesterday we celebrated our last baby-free Easter. 

When I walked into my family's celebration after having eaten some (delicious) food with Micah's family, the general consensus was (1) that I look like I'm ready to pop and (2) my swollen feet/ankles are out of control.  I tend to agree (and will spare you guys any pictures of the aforementioned swelling.  That kind of thing surely falls into one of these categories, and we all now know how I feel about that). 

When we got home, we watched last week's and this week's The Bible episodes.  Did you guys watch them?  Micah and I have both been believers for a long time, so we knew all the stories, but there is still something about watching them come to life on the screen.  If you missed them, I feel sure The History Channel will be replaying it and/or selling the dvds.  Go check it out!

Alrighty, friends.  I'm going to try and focus long enough to get some work done.  I've got my 37-week appointment this afternoon, and I'll give you an update afterward on how things are progressing!  So exciting! :)

Week Thirty-Six...

How far along?  Thirty-six weeks.  Insane.

Baby is the size of... a crenshaw melon (whatever that is?).

Best moment this week?  We've had a lot of good moments this week.   My work shower went fabulously.  And then this weekend, Micah and I went and basically bought all the stuff on our registry that we hadn't gotten yet:  bottles, side-snap tshirts, the changing pad, etc.  Our cart at Target was overflowing when we got to the checkout line. 

Miss anything?  Same old, same old.  Sleep.  Bending over.  Feeling my hands.  Being able to walk around a store without wanting to collapse from exhaustion/back pain.

Movement?  Lots this week. 

Sleep?  I don't want to talk about it... :)

Food cravings?  Ice, ice, and more ice.  I've been chomping away on it for about two weeks now.  I'm sure it's terrible for my teeth, but I can't get enough.

What makes you queasy/sick?  Nothing.

Morning sickness?  Nope.

Other symptoms?  I think I've officially started nesting.  My best friend gave me heck at my shower about how disorganized my pantry was.  I was bound and determined to leave it as it was, but I tripped and almost fell (again) over all the stuff on the floor earlier this week.  So we spent last night cleaning out all of the expired food and rearranging some things.  It's so pretty and clean now.

Gender?  She's still our little angel girl!

Looking forward to... finishing everything up in the next couple of weeks so that we're READY whenever she decides to arrive!

Nursery Reveal!

Finally, right? :)

I fear that all the suspense and buildup are going to result in a huge letdown for you all, but I want to share our little angel's room with you anyway.  It has been a labor of love, but the end result, I think, is a pretty, happy, simple space that I love being in.  First I'll show you around, and then I'll give you a list of sources at the end so you can find anything you're looking for there.

Alright.  Come on in, y'all!  (And make yourselves at home because you're going to be here awhile...)

*** Note - the first two pictures were taken by Lauren Ammerman Photography after Grace was born and added to this post after its original publish date.

This is what you see when you first walk in the door.

We went with a pale aqua color for the walls.  It took a few days for us to get used to it, but once we did, we fell in love.  I swear, you guys, every single person who walks in this room says, "it feels like such a happy place!" and I'm convinced it's the paint color.

That big empty space over in the corner by the window will eventually hold the glider (if it ever comes in...).

Here's a closer look at the crib.

I opted to do without a bumper.  When she gets more mobile, we'll probably put a mesh bumper in.  But for now, it'll just be the sheet (we'll move the quilt away from the crib at night).

This may be my favorite part of the room.  We ordered the letters from Pottery Barn Kids (and ended up having to paint them because they weren't bright white enough).  The circles are just embroidery hoops with fabric.  It was the simplest thing to put together, but I think it makes a fun statement.

I've talked about the quilt here before.  We had it custom made using Amy Butler's Soul Blossom (Passion Palette) fabrics, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.  So feminine and vintage and comfy. 

The pillow was also custom made (Etsy is a curse word as far as my husband is concerned) using one of my favorite fabrics from the quilt. 

Clearly.  I used the same fabric for the diaper bag.

Now let's spin around to the other side of the room back toward the door.

You've seen a few of these elements before in the sneak peek I tortured you guys with a few months ago.

The lamp base was a HomeGoods find, and I found the shade at Garden Ridge (for $6... love it).  The bear was selected for Grace with much care by Micah in Paris.

The burp rags were (another) Etsy purchase using various fabrics from the Soul Blossoms line. 

I made the canvases myself, and they were a pain.  I had to (1) order the wooden letters (2) draw a grid on the canvases to ensure the letters would be centered, (3) glue on the letters, and (4) paint over each canvas by hand (I couldn't find any flat spray paint in the right colors).  It took about three coats to cover up the pencil lines I had drawn. 

But in the end, I absolutely adore them.  The idea to use the lyrics from one of my favorite hymns just came to me one day, and I couldn't think of anything more perfect.

The banner was another Etsy purchase.  I could have made something like this myself, but since I don't sew (after this, I realize that it would have saved me TONS of money and would eventually like to learn how), it likely would have looked much more homemade, so I opted to pay someone else to do it.

This is the gallery wall.  Oh the gallery wall...

It took forever to come together, but it ended up being fairly cheap (except for the "You Are My Sunshine" sign, which I bought on Etsy).  The frames are all from Goodwill (none of them cost me more than $3 apiece).  I painted and distressed them and filled them with my favorite maternity pictures.  The top left open frame surrounds three vintage-y keys I had laying around the house (they were a Pottery Barn purchase), which I painted to match the green frames. 

I made this by gluing Scrabble letters to white cardstock, and I think it's really fun.

Overall, I really love how the wall came together, even though it took me forever to figure out.  I'll replace a couple of the maternity photos with newborn photos once Grace gets here. :)

The last section of the room (I swear, we're almost done!) is by the window.

I ordered the tissue paper poms from (you guessed it!) Etsy.  The green paper lantern came from Walmart.  The curtains are from Pottery Barn Teen, and the little green "Twinkle Twinkle" sign came from the Canton Tradesday shops near my town.

The bookshelves are actually picture ledges from Ikea.  They were very cheap, and I got all the books from Half Price Books or Once Upon a Child for a few bucks apiece.

Lastly, here are a few random things scattered throughout the room.

When I saw these boxes at HomeGoods, I couldn't pass them up.  The colors are absolutely perfect for the room, and the words made me happy.

The rug is a jersey material rag-type rug.  It's so comfy, and I envision Grace spending lots of time playing on it in the years to come.

This table was a clearance find at Hobby Lobby.  It was originally hot pink, but Micah primed and spray-painted it for me a few weeks ago.  We'll probably put her little sound machine/projector on here at some point.  For now, it'll just go next to the chair so that I'll have a place to set my phone, etc. while I'm nursing.

Whew!

If you've made it this far, you're a champ.  We adore our little girl's sweet room, and we are so glad it's nearly finished!

Listed below are all of the individual elements and where we got them.  If I've missed anything, feel free to shout it out in the comments, and I'll do my best to track down an answer.

Source List

Wall Paint Color:  Lazy Days by Valspar (in flat)
Crib:  Bassetbaby Ava Convertible Crib in white 
Crib Quilt:  Rag Crib Quilt in Soul Blossoms (Passion Palette) (Etsy) 
Crib Skirt:  Custom Ruffled Crib Skirt in Amy Butler's Dehli Blooms in Grass Fabric (Etsy) 
Pillow:  Throw Pillow Cover in Amy Butler's Peacock Feathers in Blush Fabric (Etsy) 
Letters above crib:  Pottery Barn Kids (painted white) 
Embroidery Hoops:  Hobby Lobby 
Diaper Bag:  Custom Maranda Lee Emma Medium Bag in Amy Butler's Peacock Feathers in Blush Fabric (Etsy) 
Lamp base:  HomeGoods 
Lamp shade:  Garden Ridge 
Burp cloths:  Park Life Burp Cloths in Amy Butler's Soul Blossom Fabrics (Etsy - this particular set is no longer available, but they probably do custom orders) 
Wooden letters (on painted canvases):  Unpainted Baltic Birch Wood Letters (2" high, 1/8" thick, Times New Roman font) 
Banner:  Custom Soul Blossoms Bunting (Etsy - I had her incorporate additional Soul Blossoms fabric from the Passion Palette) 
Picture frames for gallery wall:  Goodwill 
"You Are My Sunshine" board:  Custom 21 x 24 Wood Sign Subway Art (Etsy - I had her use a custom light yellow paint rather than the more gold-ish paint that she normally used) 
Keys (in frame on gallery wall):  Pottery Barn's Vintage Keys  
Curtains:  PB Teen Ruffle Rings Drape  
Curtain tiebacks:  Urban Outfitters Triple Beaded Flower Curtain Tie-Back  
Tissue paper poms:  Party Poms Set of 7 in light pink, light yellow, and leaf colors
Green paper lantern:  Walmart's Martha Steward Celebrate Paper Lanters in Green  
Picture ledges:  Ikea's Ribba Picture Ledge (21 3/4")  
Decorative boxes:  HomeGoods 
Rug:  Walmart's The Rug Market Shaggy Raggy Yellow Rug (round 4')
Side table:  Hobby Lobby

Week Thirty-Five...

(Please excuse my nearly makeup-less face.  I hoodwinked Micah into snapping this last night just before the sun went down, and all traces of the morning's makeup were basically gone.  )

How far along?  Thirty-five weeks.

Baby is the size of... a honeydew melon.

Best moment this week?  By far, the best moment this week was celebrating our little one at our big family shower this weekend.  You guys are going to hate me, but I didn't snap a SINGLE picture.  Trust me, though... it was so pretty!  We had it at our house, and my sister-in-law and best friend went ALL out with yummy food, delicious cake, and beautiful decor.  My sister-in-law did manage to snag this quick shot, and I thought I'd at least show you guys the cake, which was gorgeous, and the pretty macaroons.

I can't even express how wonderful it was to see all of the people I love shower Grace with gifts.  We got so many of the big things we needed, as well as the cute, adorable things that making having a girl so much fun.

Seriously, y'all... check out all this stuff.

There are still a few things that we absolutely need before she gets here (the carseat being one of them), but we're mostly set!   

Miss anything?  Feeling my fingers.  Being able to move without grunting.  Bending over.  Sleeping well.

Movement?  It comes and goes.  Last weekend, her movement decreased significantly for about 18 hours.  I finally called the doctor, who told me to come in to Labor and Delivery (who knew it'd end up being the first of two trips in a four-day period!).  Turns out, I was just a teensy bit dehydrated and hadn't eaten much, so she wasn't moving much, but she perked right up at the hospital after they gave me some apple juice.  You can bet that I've been drinking all kinds of fluids since then! :)

Sleep?  Not so much.  God's definitely preparing me for the nights to come.

Food cravings?  I've been on a guacamole kick lately -- the creamier the better!  Still probably wouldn't call it a craving, though.

What makes you queasy/sick?  Nothing this week.

Morning sickness?  Nope.

Other symptoms?  Lower back/hip pain.  Swollen feet, ankles, and hands.  Mood swings.  I've been pretty even-tempered throughout the pregnancy, but for the last two weeks or so, I've been a monster.  My sweet husband has been so incredible, though, in putting up with me.  God bless him...

Gender?  Still our little princess girl.

Looking forward to... my work shower this week, as well as the start of my weekly appointments on Wednesday.  We're officially in the home stretch, y'all!

Sleepless nights, a crummy verdict, and a trip to labor and delivery...

*** Crap, you guys... this was supposed to go up on Friday and I forgot to hit "Publish"!  Be on the lookout for MANY catchup posts in the next couple of days -- including the nursery reveal!***

I haven't been so excited to see a Friday in a long time.  The past few days have been hellish and, well... let me just start at the beginning. 

I made the two-ish hour drive to east Texas on Wednesday morning for what I thought would be the last day of trial.  We had closing arguments and jury instructions in the morning, and then the jury took the case for deliberation at noon-ish.  Thankfully I packed a bag in case they didn't reach a verdict on Wednesday because they called it quits and headed home that afternoon. 

I was so looking forward to a good night's sleep on the cushy hotel bed, but my stomach had other plans.  I woke up at midnight with the same kind of blinding stomach and back pain I had experienced earlier in the pregnancy.  I knew it probably had something to do with the yummy, rich, creamy sauce I ate on top of my fish at a late dinner and that, based on past experience, I'd just have to curl up in the fetal position and cry until the pain subsided several hours later. 

So I did.  I got approximately 1.5 hours of sleep that night before I had to wake up to get to court on Thursday morning. 

As I was walking across a brick street to the courthouse the next morning, I tripped and fell.  I stopped most of the fall with my knees, but my belly (being as big as it is now) did actually touch the ground.  I was pretty shaken up, but Grace commenced her usual movement immediately, and I wasn't contracting or having any other troublesome symptoms.  I had tripped and stumbled a few months ago, and when I called my doctor to tell her about it, she reassured me that, so long as there wasn't any decreased fetal movement, contracting, or bleeding, I had nothing to worry about.  And because I had my scheduled appointment that afternoon, I didn't stress about it.

So I sat and waited on the jury until the last possible moment before I had to leave to head to Dallas for my appointment.  They still hadn't rendered a verdict, but I really didn't want to miss my appointment in light of the fall, so I left. 

As fate would have it, the jury came back with a verdict about 30 minutes after I left.  We lost, and I'm just sick about it.  It was one of those cases we definitely should have won, and I'm incredibly disappointed for the client.

So I was already down in the dumps when I got to the doctor's office to meet with one of the other doctors in my doctor's practice (she likes for us to meet the three other doctors in case she's not the person on call when I go into labor).  When I mentioned that I had fallen, the new doctor sternly told me that I needed to go over to the hospital for observation.  I told her what my doctor had told me in the past, but apparently she's a lot more conservative, and I immediately felt like the worst mom ever for not leaving sooner. 

Before I left, she measured me and told me that she thought I was measuring two or three weeks behind (which was incredibly strange, since I've measured slightly ahead throughout the pregnancy), so she wanted to do an ultrasound.  I was kind of frustrated at how badly she was freaking me out, but I was happy to have an ultrasound because I hadn't had one since I was 22 weeks. 

As I expected, everything looked PERFECT with Grace, and it turns out she's actually measuring fairly large for 35 weeks (6 lbs, 7 oz. already!).  Nevertheless, the doctor still wanted me to go in for observation, even though I assured her I wasn't contracting and she could clearly see how active Grace was on the monitor.

So off I went.  After waiting 45 mintues to even get back to a room (good thing there wasn't a real emergency!), the watched me for 30 minutes, saw that my child is as active as she could possibly be, and sent me on my way.  Praise the Lord!

So now it's Friday, and work is slow, and I'm pretty darned sure I'm leaving after lunch to go home and take a nap.  I totally deserve one after the week I've had, right?

To do's (and, holy cow, how am I so behind?!)...

I've got my 34 week bump date coming at you guys later today (complete with details about how we had to go to labor and delivery on Saturday [everything's fine now, I promise] and how I had my first real emotional freakout moment last night at my sweet family), but for now, I'm posting my things-I-need-to-do-before-our-daughter-arrives-and-oh-my-word-I-just-said-our-daughter-for-the-first-time-and-now-I'm-crying list.

Um, I might be slightly emotional and busting out the cray today, y'all.  

It's just that the reality of giving birth and bring home a child is starting to sink in, and there is so much that we still need to do.  But we've been so busy lately (not to mention the fact that I'm technically in trial right now), and all I want to do when I get home is curl up on the couch with a box of Samoas and snack myself into a happy coma. 

So to incentivize me to start crossing things off my to-do list, I'm putting my procrastination out there for the world (i.e., you guys) to see.  And, as always, if you have any tips about other things I need to be doing at this point (besides sleeping... I'm definitely already following everyone's advice on that one), shout them out in the comments, pretty please.

And here we go...

- pack the hospital bag

- pack the diaper bag

- take a birthing class

- take a CPR class

- wash baby blankets and crib sheets (I'm taking the advice of many mothers before me and not washing all of her clothes yet because she may not end up wearing them all, but I do want to wash the things her sweet little face will be constantly touching)

- figure out organization for her closet

- have car seat installed

- get my car fixed (I've got some issues with the electric locking/windows, and I want to have that fixed before she gets here)

- stock up on house essentials and personal items for once we get home from the hospital

- stock the freezer full of oven/Crock Pot meals

- call the pediatrician we've chosen and get things squared away

- call the daycares we're still debating between and confirm availability

- stock up on diapers

- order thank you notes (this is sort of cheating because I totally just did this, but it feels so darned good to cross through something that I refuse to take it off the list yet. :))

- buy nursing tanks, nursing bras, and comfy pajamas for the hospital

- make list of people to call when Grace is born

- pick out birth announcements

- clear out space in the kitchen for all of her stuff

- cord blood banking:  decide yay or nay

This doesn't include all the "baby" things that we actually still need for Grace, but we haven't had any of our showers yet.  Once those are over, we'll reevaluate and figure out if there are things we still need to buy.

Whew! 

Okay.  It seems more doable now that I've written it all down. 

Maybe. 

Or maybe I need another box of Samoas after all... 

So much love...

There are so many things swirling around in my head right now, but I can't seem to focus long enough to get them written down.  To-do lists for Grace, finishing touches for the nursery, little projects around the house.

But mostly, I just keep thinking about Grace.  And our little family. 

I'm not sure I've really written about this before, but from the time that Micah and I got married, I never felt like anything was missing in our little world.  Mostly, we are happy and content with one another, and so we were never one of those couples who were in a rush to have babies to "complete" our family.  And I honestly believe that if God never blessed us with children, Micah and I could have been fulfilled with just one another.

As time went on, though, we began to feel like we were ready for a baby... if one could ever really be ready for a baby.  And when we talked about it, we decided that it was time.  We always knew we wanted children, and we prayed for God's direction. 

And not long after that, we got the sweetest news of our lives.

Throughout the pregnancy, I've tried to picture what our lives will look like once she's here.  Although I know I can't yet anticipate how difficult it will be, I see Micah wrapped around her little finger and me doing, as my mom always did, my best to give her strength and and confidence. 

And as time has gone by, I've already begun to feel like she's a part of our family.  Micah and I do feel more complete, and we're so anxious to have her here with us.

It's just such a perfect illustration of God's provision.  He is already preparing our hearts to love her.  He is already cleaning out areas in our lives that need to be scrubbed fresh for her arrival. 

And, as bizarre as it may sound, I already feel like a mommy.

This love is a beautiful thing, and from what I hear, it's only going to get better. :)

Maternity Pictures by Lauren Ammerman Photography...

I'm so excited to share my maternity pictures with you guys!  Lauren did an incredible job, and I seriously couldn't love them more.

So without further ado...

(This one is probably my favorite.  He already loves her so much, you guys...)

(I'm pretty partial to this one, too... Heck, who am I kidding.  I'm obsessed with them all.)

I will treasure these pictures for the rest of my life, y'all.  This time is so precious, and I feel so thankful that Lauren was able to capture it so perfectly.  Love you, Lauren, and thank you again!

Week Thirty-Three...

How far along?  Thirty-three weeks.

Baby is the size of... a pineapple.  I love pinapple...

Best moment this week?  Y'all, every moment right now is precious.  The time is just flying by, and I'm trying to soak in every single second.  But getting our maternity pictures back today was especially exciting.  I love them, and I'll be sharing them tomorrow, so don't forget to come back and check them out.  (Just a note, I'm having some trouble with Photobucket, so if you're seeing "bandwidth exceeded" messages on some of the blog pictures, just know that Photobucket has gotten an earful from me, and things should be resolved soon.)

Miss anything?  Sleeping well.  Being able to bend over.  Being able to put on shoes easily.  Fingers that aren't numb.  (The numbness that I was having during sleep has now become "permanent."  So my left middle and ring fingers are constantly numb.)  Not having to pee every 30 minutes. 

Movement?  She's squirmy.  Not quite as active lately as before, but I hear that's normal as time progresses.

Sleep?  Pretty terrible.  Between the peeing and numb fingers, it's not good.  I'm really trying not to complain, but it definitely isn't fun.

Food cravings?  Nothing specific, but boy have I been eating. (Clearly... my belly needs its own zip code at this point.)

What makes you queasy/sick?  Nothing, but I did go buy Micah some new cologne for his birthday because his usual stuff has gotten a teensy bit strong for me.

Morning sickness?  Nope.

Other symptoms?  Swollen feet/ankles.  Itchy skin.  Enormous boobs.  The aforementioned numb fingers.  Walking around for long periods of time makes my stomach feel so tight, like I'm stretching something the wrong way.  A few varicose veins.

Gender?  She's still our little angel girl!

Looking forward to... getting prints of a few maternity pictures ordered and getting the gallery wall in the nursery up and finished.  It looks like our glider is NOT going to be delivered in time for the shower in two weeks, so that's a bit disappointing.  But obviously not the end of the world. :)  And then, obviously, we'll have the big family shower (plus a work shower for me and a work shower for Micah).  So fun!