A Few Baby Shower Pictures

Baby Shower #1 - Incredible!

We have made it home safe and sound from our first baby shower weekend, and what a weekend it was! 40 family and friends gathered together for a day-long fun-filled event. Swimming, corn-hole, volleyball, roasting marshmellows, an incredible amount of gifts and just an overall fantastic time.

We are so thankful for everyone who was able to make the shower, and are just blown away by everyone's generosity. We (along with Smyrna Baby) cannot thank you enough!

We are looking forward to receiving everything in a couple of weeks so we can start setting it all up.

Pictures to come soon (need everyone to send them to me!).

3rd Trimester...7 months...only 84 days left!

Wow. That is one heck of a title if you ask me. Today I have hit a major milestone - the third trimester!

According to my weekly babycenter.com email:
How your baby's growing:
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Confessions of a Registry Peeker

My name is Erin and I am a Baby Registry Peeker. I can't help myself. I did it once just for kicks, thinking there was no way anyone had bought anything, but sure enough someone had. Now, with 4 days until our first baby shower, I am obsessed with checking it at least a few times a week.

Earlier this evening, I found myself thinking back to our engagement when I would do everything I could to refrain from looking at our wedding registry, but (of course) failed miserably. As I wrote here in my wedding blog, I would always frown at the idea of peeking - "it's like searching for Christmas gifts in your parent's house when you were a kid and then putting them back. There is just something about that that doesn't seem right."

Of course, the way I can justify it these days is that the gifts really aren't for us. They are for Smyrna Baby. So, as long as I am not whispering to our baby everything he/she is going to get, it's all OK....right?

Baby poking me!

Smyrna Baby has this new thing - it's not really kicking as much as it is pressing his/her foot/elbow/hand into my side. It is the craziest feeling, as I almost think that if this little one presses hard enough, I may see a body part come popping out of the side of my body! Of course, I love it. I imagine that Smyrna Baby is stretching, trying to get comfortable, and then I benefit from the sensation as well as being able to press in that area and play a game of "Guess that body part"!

I got a little worried on Saturday when I felt little movement, but read over the weekend that often times babies will have 1-2 (or more) days where they do not move. They are going through a growth spurt, and are more or less resting. It was comforting to read nonetheless.

We have an exciting week in store - transition into the 3rd trimester, have the Glucose test and take the Rhogam shot, and fly up North for our first baby shower!

Maybe I should consider getting some sleep given what we have in store over the next several days...

27 Weeks...1 More Week before 3rd Tri!

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

3 Months from Today...

As I lay here pressing on my belly, giggling when I feel a little tiny body part, I find myself wondering what we will be doing 3 months from now? Will Smyrna Baby be here? Will we be anxiously awaiting his/her arrival? It's hard to believe that in 12 weeks or less, we will have a new member of our family!

I just hope that the next three months go smooth, Smyrna Baby continues to cook, I continue to feel well and those nasty hormones stay away (they resurfaced again yesterday and this evening).

The (Overwhelming) Essentials

We took our first class this weekend - Baby Essentials. The class description, according to the Northside website is: "Do you have questions about giving your child his first bath, or diapering or feeding your newborn baby? Practice these important parenting skills, while also learning about infant cues and characteristics."

From 9-12 on Saturday, we sat amongst 4 other (nervous)couples where we learned everything from how to swaddle a baby, various ways to soothe the baby, how to put a diaper on a baby, how to properly hold and pass the baby and even how to give a newborn a bath.

Midway through the class, we were allowed to step out for our first restroom break. Well, I broke what was apparently the biggest cardinal rule: don't leave the baby in the room by itself while leaving the room! I practically got my hand slapped (what's the deal this week?) because I actually contemplated leaving a babydoll (not a real-life baby). I tried to make a point to let the instructor know I wouldn't do that in real life, but only proceeded to get a disappointed look. So, I picked up my fake baby and properly carried him/her to the restroom while I waited for my husband to take over baby duty! I had memories flooding back from high school where we had to carry around a baby doll for 24 hours...or, maybe it was an egg? Anyway...

Not too long after "the incident", I had a total "oh shit" moment where I seriously wondered what the heck we have gotten ourselves into. It had nothing to do with almost leaving the baby on its own, but more to do with the amount of information we were being given (this is how you hold the bottle; don't use a bumper pad - it can cause SIDS; be sure to use a ceiling fan - if you don't it can cause SIDS, etc).

But, by late yesterday afternoon, I was starting to feel better and kept telling myself that people do this every single day, so there is no reason why we can't either!

26 weeks...only 14 to go!

According to Babycenter.com:
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

According to Fitpregnancy.com:
Your baby weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and has undergone a growth spurt in the past few weeks. From weeks twenty to twenty-eight, she almost doubles in height and now would be about a foot tall if she could stand. This week marks a major milestone in your baby's hearing and sight. Your baby's hearing system (cochlea and peripheral sensory end organs), which began fine development during week eighteen, is now completely formed, and over the next few weeks, she'll become increasingly sensitive to sound. In about a month, you'll feel her jump if she hears a sudden loud noise. Sound passes easily into your uterus, which helps her ears develop. Her eyes are almost fully formed. Did you know that all babies have blue eyes in the womb, no matter what their genetic inheritance is? A baby's eyes don't get their final color until a few months after they are born. The air sacs of the lungs, called alveoli, will be developed by the end of this week and will begin to secrete a substance called surfactant that keeps the lung tissue from sticking together.

Hand Slapped

Maybe it's the (2) Oreos a night I have been eating OR the large amount of fruit I've been consuming for breakfast OR maybe it's just that my body is doing what it's supposed to! Point being that I've apparently put on 7 lbs in the past month. Honestly, I was surprised - last month's gain of 5 was one thing, but 7 was definitely more of a surprise. But, no big deal - as they say in "Knocked Up", "Your baby wants you to gain a whole mess of weight!"

I probably wouldn't have thought too much of it, except when I asked the doctor-with-no-bedside-manner what his thoughts were on a 7-lb weight gain, he said, "Well, whatever it is that you are eating that you obviously shouldn't be - needs to be eliminated from your diet."

WOW. Absolutely speechless.

I pictured him with a thought bubble above his head with images of french fries, milkshakes, candy bars and more, when he should've been picturing fruit, fruit and more fruit. When I explained that I had started to eat more fruit, I received a lecture about how much natural sugar is in food like that. While it's healthy, it's LOADED with sugar.

Again, WOW.

I'll spare you the details of the other conversations we had in the 10 minutes I was in the room. Good news, I am still measuring on track and my blood pressure is good. I just apparently need to cut back on the...fruit!

It's a ME day!

It's the last one I am probably ever going to get, so I may as well enjoy it! Honestly, I had these big intentions to really go all out, make a big deal about this birthday since it's the last one before I'll become a Mom, and guess what? I've made it about as low-key as possible! I worked (hard I may add), had some delicious Publix birthday cake and spent time with my husband and dog. Honestly, it has been perfect.

I was hoping to have pictures from my birthday celebration (work) to post, but haven't downloaded them yet. They will come at a later time.

I'm off to the doctor tomorrow for a 26-week check up. Keep your fingers crossed this baby is still measuring right on track. With the amount of cake I ate today, I hope it doesn't throw the doctor's off in their calulations (or drive up the scale too much either) :)

25 Weeks...

According to Babycenter.com, Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

According to Fitpregnancy.com, Your baby weighs 1 1/4 pounds and is a little more than 11 inches long, about the size of a small bag of sugar. In the last third of pregnancy, she'll double and triple her weight. Your dexterous baby can touch and hold her feet and make a fist. Your partner may be able to hear her heartbeat by pressing his ear against your belly. Your baby has a regular sleep schedule now and active and inactive periods. You may or may not be able to discern what those periods are. Her nostrils, which have been plugged, open up.

I find the sleep schedule interesting, as for several days I could detect that as soon as I was finished with a meal, Smyrna Baby would settle down and rest for a while. It actually makes me wonder if this will be a challenge we face once the baby is born - he/she trying to fall right asleep after eating - something that several books discourage (eat time, play time, sleep time is the pattern that is encouraged).

It will definitely be interesting to see if any of today's patterns are similar to what will be happening 4-5 months from now!

Hormones: 1500; Smyrna Mom: -10

Call it denial, but I think I honestly believed I could get through 40 weeks without having hormonal issues. Talk about a big slap in the face. Saturday I was in the BEST mood; Sunday night, I felt like going on some form of a rampage; yesterday, I felt anxiousness like I haven't felt in ages accompanied with a little bit of anger (for no reason); and today came the tears. A lot of them. 4 times in fact - 3 times at work and once on my way home.

Interestingly enough, a friend of mine who is due very close to me emailed yesterday to say she started going through the same thing the past few days. Last week, she broke down crying at work which, she said, she rarely does. In many ways, we both found comfort knowing that at least we weren't completely weird.

I have very strong intentions to kick these hormones in the ass, but it's going to be tough. Very tough. But, given that I have dinner with friends tomorrow, a haircut on Thursday and dinner with a friend I haven't seen in 10+ years on Friday, I'm bound to perk up...right? Please?

Last Solo Trip

We took what will be our last "solo" trip (for a long time) this weekend to Highlands, NC. Some friends of ours loaned us their vacation home for a couple of days, and it was just what the doctor ordered! I had a few objectives going into this trip - a) sleep in on Saturday, b) see Dry Falls, c) take a nap, d) spend some time outside. I accomplished all four goals!

We walked around the downtown area of Highlands, ate breakfast at the cutest little joint called Ruka's (both mornings) and dinner at an old Victorian style home, drove to Cashiers, NC (nothing to write home about) and just spent some good quality time together.

Smyrna Baby became rather active over the weekend - especially while we were driving around those curvy mountain roads. We deduced that he/she will LOVE roller coasters later on!

Smyrna Momma keeps on growing - and is looking especially big in this maternity dress!