39 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 39 Weeks... Our daily countdown is now in the single digits!

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper should be about the size of a mini watermelon. She should be around 20 inches long and weigh approximately 7.25 pounds. But as I mentioned last week, Harper measures about a pound larger than my app says she should be. According to our ultrasound yesterday, she's weighing in at 8 pounds and 2 ounces.

Total Weight Gain: As of right now, my total weight gain fluctuates between 35-40 pounds. It's weird. I stepped on the scale at the doctor's office and I weighed one thing; then I stepped on the scale at the hospital an hour later and weighed about five pounds less. Don't know how that happens so at this point, I'm not quite sure what to tell you! haha

Maternity Clothes: I continued to mix it up this week thanks to the warmer weather. My dresses and skirts were pretty much all pre-preggo clothes. But my shirts, jeans, and pants were maternity. When I'm at home, I pretty much stick to tank tops and the hubs sweat pants. 

Stretch Marks? Just the ones on my hip!

Sleep: I'm still sleeping great. I've even been sleeping like a normal person; i.e. with only ONE pillow! What?! It's been months since I've done that. I've also been sleeping a solid eight to eleven hours a night! Isn't that crazy?! Some nights I don't even wake up to pee. I'm hoping I'm not going to pay for all this extra sleep when Harper arrives! haha

Best Moment This Week: Finishing up all of our final "Before Harper Arrives" to do list items. Harper's things have officially been stored and organized to my liking. We had our second set of maternity pictures taken on Friday. We've set up all of Harper's items in the house (the swing, pack and play, bassinet, etc). Her car seat is officially installed in my nice clean car (we actually did that two weeks ago!). Our hospital bags are packed and waiting at the door. And I've officially finished all of the thank you cards that we had to write! Now we're just waiting on our precious baby girl to make her appearance.

Miss Anything? Still just being able to move around comfortably!  

Movement: Harper is back to moving quite frequently again. I'm guessing she's getting herself ready for delivery. I'm definitely going to miss watching my belly move all around once she arrives. I could spend hours just watching my belly bubble up, dip, and twist all around. 

Food Cravings: I haven't really craved much of anything this week. If I had to say I craved anything, it would still just be ice cold drinks. It seems that I'd much rather drink an ice cold drink these days then eat anything.

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: My Braxton Hicks contractions are getting much stronger and more uncomfortable these days. But I'm not complaining since it's helping my body prepare for the real thing!

Symptoms: My swelling and acid reflux are about the same. They aren't much better but they aren't any worse either so I can't complain. 

Belly Button In or Out? It's still in.

Wedding Rings On or Off?  I put them back on last Friday but then I freaked out that they might not come off by the end of the day if my hands were to swell so I took them back off and haven't tried wearing them since. 

Mood: I'm starting to get anxious and nervous now. I'm not actually nervous about the actual birthing process; afterall, they have drugs for that haha. I'm getting more and more nervous about what it's going to be like after Harper arrives. I'm worried that I'll be too sore and tired to care for her; that I may not be able to provide enough milk for her; that I won't know what I'm doing, etc. But at the same time, I'm trying to remind myself that tomorrow will bring it's own worries so I just need to take it one day at a time.

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl! We have an appointment with our doctor next Tuesday. If she hasn't arrived by then, my doctor is going to try to get me into the hospital to be induced that night. If there is no availability, I'll definitely be induced on Wednesday! So the count down is officially on. We'll have a little girl in our arms next week! 

38 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 38 Weeks... We're getting so close!

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper should be about the size of a leek  (these fruits and veggies sure do get stranger and stranger). She should be around 19.75 inches and weigh approximately 6.8 pounds. But according to our last ultrasound a week ago, she's  surpassing the typical weight gain by about a pound. Looks like I'll be pushing out an eight to nine pound baby in a few more weeks!

Total Weight Gain: As of Friday, I'd gained two more pounds at my doctors appointment which puts me right around 37 pounds total. However, over the weekend, my swelling in my legs and feet have actually gotten somewhat better so I'm not sure currently where that puts me as my fluid retention is the major part of my weight gain.Hopefully, that helped me drop a few pounds :P 

Maternity Clothes: With the warmer weather this week, I've been able to mix it up. I've been wearing pre-preggo maxi dresses and skirts but I pretty much stick to maternity tops unless they're of the flowy and loose variety. When I'm at home, I lounge around in yoga pants and old t-shirts. Occasionally I steal some of the hubs basketball shorts because they swallow me whole... which sorta makes me feel good and not so much like a whale :P haha 

Stretch Marks? Still just the few stretch marks on my left hip! Hoping I can make it the duration of this pregnancy without adding anymore!

Sleep: OMG! That is all I do do these days.  Friday night I slept for eleven hours and then I laid down twice for a nap on Saturday. On Saturday night I slept another eleven hours and then spent the afternoon laying around. I'm definitely in that end-of-pregnancy tired-all-the-time phase! But I'm going to soak it all up because when Harper gets here, I'll be entering the no-sleep phase. 

Best Moment This Week: Finding out that our baby girl is quite healthy despite her kidney/bladder issue. We were relieved to know that this issue may affect her when she's first born but will not be a long-term problem as it is quite easy to treat if it doesn't correct itself outside of the womb. In other great news, we also found out that if Harper has yet to arrive by her due date, we will be induced either the night of her due date or the day after as my doctor hopes for her to be delivered during the day! We're so happy to at least have a set deadline and know that she'll be here by a certain point!

Miss Anything? Being able to move around as freely as I used to. I seem to forget that I can't just jump out of bed anymore or just bend down and pick something up. 

Movement: Harper moves less and less these days as she's running out of wiggle room. However, that doesn't stop her from wiggling when her Daddy talks to her. I swear, she will go all day without moving but as soon as Kevin puts his hand on my belly and starts talking to her, she goes nuts! She's most definitely going to be a Daddy's girl! 

Food Cravings: Ice cold drinks and hot dogs... which is weird because I've always been a cheeseburger kind of girl but if I catch the sight of a hot dog, that's all I can think about! Thank goodness a Sheetz just opened a mile from our house and I can fix those cravings in a hot minute! Even better, I can get three hot dogs for $1 and a free fountain drink. I'll take that :P Those deals couldn't have come at a better time for a prego woman!

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: I've had quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions lately. Other than that, just the fact that I've began to dilate and efface; though Miss Harper has still not dropped any!

Symptoms: You know, just the usual. My swelling has actually gotten better over the past few days. I'm guessing it's due in part to all of that napping I've been doing so I've been able to stay off of my feet. However, I've noticed that even though my feet and legs aren't swollen as badly, my face is starting to puff up! But thankfully, I only have a couple of weeks left to go and I can deal with that. My acid reflux is starting to flair up again. It's gotten pretty intense in the evenings but I've discovered if I wait a few hours to lay down after snacking or eating, it seems to be a whole lot better and doesn't give me near as much trouble. 

Belly Button In or Out? I still have an inny. I've been waiting for my belly button to disappear but it's still just hanging in there. 

Wedding Rings On or Off?  I'm still not wearing them in fear that my hands will start swelling and they'll have to be cut off. I just don't want to take that chance. 

Mood: I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not having mixed emotions these days. I'm so excited about meeting my daughter and I can't wait to get her here safely and in my arms. However, at the same time, I'm nervous about all of the changes that are going to take place. I'm worried about how it's going to affect mine and Kevin's relationship; how I'm going to tackle all of my OCD notions with a new baby (i.e. keeping the house neat, clutter free, and organized); how am I going to function on no sleep; and am I even going to know what to do enough to be a good parent? All these thoughts run through my head and I start to freak out a little. However, I've been reminded they're all completely normal  thoughts and you just take it one day at a time. Hopefully, I'll be able to remember that when she arrives though!

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl and finishing up those last couple of items on our to-do list! As of this weekend, I should have just about everything checked off of the list... or at least all the ones that I really wanted to accomplish. We're also looking forward to our second set of maternity pictures that will be taken on Friday (:

An Update on Harper

On Monday, I took off work in anticipation for that phone call from the doctor. Around 9:00am my phone rang and sure enough the Caller ID flashed my doctor's office name. As I answered the phone, the secretary informed me that I could not be seen at Baptist Hospital as soon as my doctor had liked so they had arranged for me to see a fetal specialist at the Center of Maternity Fetal Care at the hospital where I would deliver. Unfortunately, they couldn't see me until 8:30am the next morning.

So on Tuesday morning, I headed to Greensboro to meet with the physician. When I arrived, I was blessed by how nice the people were at the center. They offered multiple times to get me some food, drink, etc and really went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and welcome. A kind nurse took my blood pressure and weight. Then I was whisked off to a giant ultrasound room. The spaciousness was a bit overwhelming. I felt like I was lying in a delivery room with all of the machines and technology that were surrounding me. It didn't help that I had to lay there for five minutes by myself since the hubs couldn't get off work for our visit.

The ultrasound tech came in a short time later and introduced herself. She was very nice and informed me of all that she would be doing. She informed me that she would do a full anatomy exam but it would be hard to see some of  Harper's body parts due to her size as this ultrasound was so late in my pregnancy. Thankfully though, Harper cooperated and the tech was able to see everything she needed and she was able to complete the whole ultrasound in about forty five minutes.

Following my ultrasound with the tech, I was left alone in the room for about ten minutes while she prepared her final report. A short time later two doctors came in to introduce themselves to me. They were both nice and seemed personable. They explained that they were going to perform their own ultrasound so they could verify things for themselves and they'd explain everything as they went along.

After about 20 minutes of them poking and prodding my belly to get views of Harper's kidneys at all sorts of angles, the ultrasound was finally done. They cleaned me up and then sat down to discuss with me the results of their findings. Basically, they told me what I already knew. Harper's kidneys were swelling due to hydronephrosis. However, unlike most babies, Harper's hydronephrosis was occurring at an unusual part of her body. In most cases, babies that suffer from hydronephrosis have trouble getting their urine from the kidney into the ureter. However, the ultrasound showed that both of Harper's kidneys were emptying into her ureter. However, once at the bottom of the ureter, it wasn't going through the bladder. Having not seen this much before, they offered two solutions. One being that Harper has a blockage between the ureter and bladder; the second being that she may suffer from hydronephrosis reflux. A condition just like acid reflux but involves the bladder and urine instead. Basically it's where the bladder allows some urine to pass through and sends the rest of the urine back up. The doctors assured me that both options were completely curable and would not have a lasting impact on our daughter. They even explained that even though her kidneys are retaining water at a rapid pace, she is still expelling quite a bit of waste as my amniotic fluid is not low at all. So it was very encouraging to hear.

The only drawback with both possible causes is that neither condition can be fixed until Harper is delivered. As soon as she is born, she will be placed on antibiotics right away in order to prevent her from getting a kidney or bladder infection from the bacteria she'll be exposed to out of the womb. We then will have to meet with a urologist instead of a nephrologist as was originally planned since now they feel that her bladder is the problem and not the kidneys.

So where does all this leave us? Basically, we're waiting now to meet with a urologist at Baptist next Tuesday at 3:30pm. The urologist will check out her bladder and see if he/she can determine the exact cause of Harper's ureters not emptying completely into her bladder. Then we'll be waiting until she arrives to fix the issue. However, this time, we feel so much more prepared. We know that even though we may face some challenges when Harper first arrives, in the end the Lord is blessing us with a healthy, beautiful baby girl and for that we are very thankful and blessed.

Dressing the Bump: OOTD

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted my maternity OOTD's. Part of the reason is I was on Spring Break the week before last and just didn't have any cute outfits to share. The other part is that I really don't have an excuse. Wednesday just sort of snuck up on me and I forgot to post. But I'm back and here are the few outfits I managed to remember to take pictures of (:

Maxi Dress: Target

Sandals: Palms (Shoe Show)

T-shirt: FCA from way back in the day...aka High School

Workout Capris: Marshalls

Tennis Shoes: Nike Free Runs (Nike Outlet)

Tee: Motherhood

Maxi Skirt: Walmart

Sandals: Palms (Shoe Show)

Chambray Shirt: Forever 21

White Tank: Motherhood

Black Maxi Skirt: Walmart

Sandals: Palms (Shoe Show)

Brown tee: TJ Maxx

Khakis: Motherhood

Sandals: Palms (Shoe Show)

Scarf: VF Outlet 

37 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 37 weeks and officially full term!

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper should be about the size of a swiss chard (whatever the heck that is). She should be around 19.25 inches and weigh approximately 6.3 pounds. According to our ultrasound this morning though, she's weighing in around 7 pounds and 4 ounces. Yikes!

Total Weight Gain: Currently I've gained about 35 pounds. As I mentioned in my post this past Sunday, I had gained six pounds in one week... most of which is fluid. Thank goodness! 

Maternity Clothes: Maternity clothes during the day... pre-preggo clothes at night.

Stretch Marks? Other than those few stretch marks that suddenly appeared on my left hip, I'm in the clear. 

Sleep: Sleeping amazingly well. I generally get up once during the night to potty but then I can go right back to sleep. 

Best Moment This Week: Getting to see my daughter's face! I've never been able to see the full frontal version of her face but at our appointment on Friday I did! I am in love with her chubby little cheeks and can't wait to kiss on them!

Miss Anything? Just my pre-preggo body! I just want to be able to remember what normal legs, ankles, feet, and toes look like. Mine have been swollen for so long that I've forgotten what they used to look like!

Movement: Harper's movements have become more sporadic over the last couple of days. She typically moved most in the evening and during the night. However, I'm feeling her now during the early afternoon and early evening. Fingers crossed she's adapting more to a normal person's schedule and w'e're not going to have a nocturnal baby on our hands!

Food Cravings: Still just ice cold drinks!

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there.

Symptoms: Mainly just swelling. This week my swelling has gotten much worse! Over the past couple of months, the only thing that really swelled was my feet and most of the time it was just the right one. Now, both of my legs and feet look like tree trunks. No lie! My toes are so swollen I can't even bend them now! haha But on a positive note, my acid reflux has gotten much better! It'll still hit me every now and then but it isn't happening as often thank the Lord. I've noticed that I'm popping less and less Tums these days and I'm able to get by with just one Zantac pill a day.

Belly Button In or Out? It's still in but it's still just a tiny sliver. My thumb nail fits in it perfectly. haha

Wedding Rings On or Off?  I can still wear them but I chose to take them off. With my rapid weight gain, I was a bit afraid my fingers would start swelling as bad as my feet. Due to the fact that Kevin had my rings custom designed and made, I was a bit nervous about wearing them and potentially having to have my rings cut off. The thought of them not being able to repair my engagement ring and wedding band is a little to much to bear. I'd just rather go without them. 

Mood: Super excited! Harper can arrive at any point now!

Looking forward to: Taking our birth and baby class this Friday and Saturday! It makes it seem that much more real that she really is set to arrive any day now. Which leads me to the next thing I'm looking forward too.... meeting our baby girl! I can't wait to get her in my arms and watch her and her daddy bond. I know Kevin is going to be such a great father. Just the way he oohs and ahhh's over her in my belly confirms that. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when he gets to actually hold her and dote all over her. 

Babymoon

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin and I took a babymoon. It was kind of last minute because we debated whether or not it was safe to go away this late in my pregnancy. But after talking with my doctor at our appointment the week before, she assured us that we should be fine since I was only 35 weeks pregnant and  there were no signs or symptoms that Harper would be making her way into the world that week.

So on Monday night when Kevin got off work, we headed to the beach along with my sister, her husband, and my nephew. We left shortly after 6:30 and got there around 11. As soon as we got there and I felt the warm ocean breeze and smelled the salty air, I knew we made the right decision to take one last trip as a family of two.

On Tuesday morning, we slept in. When we woke up, my brother in law had breakfast prepared for us. It was delicious! He fixed bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and cheddar biscuits... all of which are my favorites. After breakfast, we got ready for the day. My sister and I headed out to do some outlet mall shopping while the guys went and caught a movie. After our shopping adventures, we all met back up at our condo and relaxed for a while. Before dinner we headed back to the outlets with the boys to do some more shopping. The guys actually shopped as much as us girls did. Kevin racked up and walked out of the outlet mall with three large bags in hand... something he's never done since I've known him. haha After shopping, we headed to get some dinner at our favorite pizza joint at Myrtle Beach. It's called Sir Pizza and reminds us so much of a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint that used to be in our hometown that was recently torn down.

On Wednesday, we spent the morning laying around and relaxing. Around lunchtime, my sister and I headed out to do some more shopping while Kevin and the boys hit up yet another dude movie. We actually ended up beating the guys back to our condo since we didn't have much luck at the second outlet mall. Though I did score a new pair of tennis shoes and some super cute outfits for little Harper doodle. Later in the evening, we all headed to Nakatos, our favorite Japanese restaurant in the world! There are only three of them: one at Myrtle Beach,, SC; one in Atlanta, GA; and one in Charlotte, NC. We never make a trip to the beach without eating there at least one night. And when I say never, I mean NEVER. You just can't pass up their delicious Japanese noodles.

After dinner we headed back to our condo. We had intentions of going back out and doing something like normal grown ups but Kevin and I ended up laying in our room for hours just talking and enjoying our time together. We talked about when we dated, what life would be like with Harper, our hopes and dreams for our little girl and future family, and all sorts of other topics. It couldn't have been more perfect of an evening.

On Thursday morning, we packed up our belongings to head back home. It was hard to say goodbye to the sunshine and 70 degree weather but as we were leaving it started to rain. It's always okay to leave the beach if it's raining. It was just sad to return home to 40 degree weather and sleet on the ground. But our maternity pictures were scheduled for the next day, so it made it easier to accept.

All in all we had a great babymoon even though we shared it with my sister and her family but we enjoyed every minute of it. Too bad I just didn't take any pictures to share!

An Update on our Little Girl

On Friday afternoon, I left work and headed to the doctor for another routine weekly appointment. As per the usual routine, the nurse weighed me; took a urine sample; checked my blood pressure; and asked me if I'd had any cramps, contractions, or swelling. After completing my chart she sent me to a waiting room to meet with my doctor.

After looking at my chart, I knew immediately, I was going to be tested yet again for toxemia. When I was 29 weeks pregnant I was tested for toxemia due to my swelling, headaches, and seeing spots but the results came back negative. However, this time, I knew when I had saw my blood pressure had shot up 15 points since my last appointment last week;  my legs and hands were swelling worse than they've ever been; I'd gained six pounds in a week (something I hadn't done in the last month);  and I'd been seeing spots throughout the day,  I immediately knew there was going to be a red flag to the doctor because all of these are signs of the condition. Sure enough as soon as my doctor caught sight of my  tree trunk looking legs when she flipped up the drape cloth to check my cervix, she started asking me twenty questions. After answering her questions, she told me after she finished up with me that she wanted to me to head to the lab and have some blood work done to make sure I had not developed toxemia. 

As the doctor was finishing up her time with me, I asked on a whim if Harper should be moving as often as she used to. I explained to her that she doesn't move as often these days but I assumed it was because she was running out of room. Her reply was for her to move ten times in one hour between 5-8pm. I explained that Harper has never really moved ten times in an hour. She only makes her appearance known in the evening and when she does I only feel her wiggle and squirm a few times. Just as a precaution the doctor wanted me to have some further testing to make sure Harper was hanging on okay in there. 

I was sent to the lab where a phlebotomist did my toxemia blood work then I was taken to an ultrasound room to check on our baby girl. The ultrasound tech was super nice and talked to me the whole time. It was clear Harper was in no way distressed. She wiggled and squirmed for most of the ultrasound. She even allowed me to see her full face for the first time. 

After my ultrasound, I was sent back to my doctor's waiting area to meet with her to go over the results of my ultrasound. However, when I was called back to the doctor's office, I discovered my doctor was rather irritated with her nurse. Apparently, she had ordered for me to have an NST (non-stress test) not an ultrasound and her nurse had misunderstood. Unfortunately, it was after 5:00 by this point and everyone who could perform the proper test had already left to go home. After much huffing and puffing, my doctor decided she'd just look at the results of the ultrasound to see what was going on with Harper and her lack of fetal movement. Thank the Lord there was a huge mix up because upon looking at the ultrasound, the doctor discovered Harper's hydronephrosis had grown increasingly worse and had there not have been a mix up she'd have never caught it. 

Now let me explain and say that we've known Harper has had hydronephrosis pretty much since we found out we were pregnant. Hydronephrosis is when the kidneys swell due to water retention. It is the most common problem found during ultrasounds and it affects about one out of every six babies. In most cases, the problem corrects itself before a baby is ever born. In those few cases that don't correct themselves in the womb, a baby may be placed on antibiotics until it corrects itself. In worse case scenarios, babies will undergo surgery and doctors will place a stint in the urethra to allow for urine to pass through. As of our last ultrasound a month ago, our doctor was sure Harper's was correcting itself. Her right kidney was still slightly swollen but the swelling had reduced and was barely there. However, after looking at our ultrasound on Friday, she discovered that both of Harper's kidneys were now swollen and were almost double their size due to fluid retention. This is a huge concern because due to the size of her kidneys, the fluid is backing up into her bladder and could cause irreparable damage. 

After asking my doctor what I needed to do, she told me she was sending me to see a high risk fetal physician that specializes in pediatric nephrology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (a research hospital about an hour away). Unfortunately, the doctor's office was closed since it was after five so my doctor could not call and get me an appointment. She explained to me that she was very concerned and didn't even want me going over the weekend without seeing this physician but we had no choice. She told me that she'd be calling the doctor as soon as his/her office opened on Monday morning and would be demanding they see me immediately so I was to keep my phone with me at all times come Monday. She explained to me that the purpose of seeing this doctor is for him/her to assess the condition of Harper's kidneys. Our doctor said if the condition is as bad as it appears to her, then she needs to know whether Harper needs to be delivered immediately, be induced in a few weeks, or try to come on her own. At this point, this gave her greater fear than the fact that I could potentially have toxemia. 

So as of right now, we are playing a waiting game. We're waiting for my toxemia test results that won't come back until Monday. If they do come back as positive, there is a potential chance that our doctor may go on and take Harper this coming week. We had discussed this back at my 29 week appointment when I was first tested for the condition because the only cure is to deliver the baby early. At this point, delivering Harper will be safe as she is currently a healthy weight and is considered full term. We're also waiting to meet with the high risk doctor to see what is going on with Harper's kidneys. Then we'll be waiting to see what the actions the doctors decide to take.

But all in all, through this waiting, we've gained a lot of patience. We trust God and know that His hand is in this. This was proven by the fact that there was a mix up in my tests Friday. There is no doubt in my mind that this was not an "accident". God used the doctor and her nurse's confusion to intervene and have the doctor see what He wanted her to see. Had the mix up not happened, Harper's condition would have gone unseen and the risk of danger might be greater. That my friend is God's handiwork and proof that He is real!

In the meantime, Kevin and I greatly welcome your prayers. We'll let you ladies know what we find out as soon as we know something (: Hopefully we'll be loving on these sweet cheeks very soon!

36 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 36 weeks

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper is about the size of a crenshaw melon. She should be around 18.5 inches and weigh approximately 5.75 pounds. 

Total Weight Gain: As of my last doctor's appointment which was this past Friday, I'm pretty much maintaining my weight gain at this point. I'm hanging somewhere around 30 pounds... give or take a few. 

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much maternity clothes these days but I still lounge around in my pre-preggo lounge clothes while I'm at home.

Stretch Marks? Well it's official... I have a couple of stretch marks... on my hip of all places! But at least it'll be hidden by bathing suits and underwear so that's okay! At least all of the noticeable places are still stretch mark free! And you best believe, I'll start applying lotion to my entire body from here on out!

Sleep: I've been waking up more and more during the night these last few days but I fall right back to sleep after rolling over. 

Best Moment This Week: We have several things to be thankful for this week! Kevin and I had a great babymoon! I'll blog about it later this week.. sorry I haven't done it sooner! We also had our last baby shower on Sunday and we were beyond blessed with goodies. And last but not least, our doctor's appointment went great on Friday! We found out Harper was head down so we didn't have to schedule a c-section as we originally thought . We also found out I was 1-2 cm dilated and am 50% effaced so we were told she may make her way earlier than expected which is fine with this baby mama!

Miss Anything? My pre-preggo body...selfish...maybe...but I know it's all worth it!

Movement: Her movements are less frequent these days as she's running out of room but they are also much stronger when she does wiggle and squirm! So I'm kind of thankful she's slowed it down a bit. haha

Food Cravings: Sweet tea and salty fries especially if they're from Mickey D's! 

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there. 

Symptoms: Just the usual... acid reflux and swelling.

Belly Button In or Out? Believe it or not, it's still in! It's barely a sliver. so I'm waiting for my belly button to pop out any day now!

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still on! 

Mood: Super excited!

Looking Forward to: a few things this week! Since I'm at the 36 week mark, I have to go to the doctor weekly so we'll be going back on Friday to check on Harper Doodle. I'm anxious to find out if we've made any more progress in the dilation and effacement department! I'm also looking forward to our Breastfeeding Basics class this Saturday... though I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about it! The whole concept is a bit scary so I'm hoping I'll feel a bit more relieved after the class. But just in case I don't, I signed up for the Breastfeeding Beyond the Basics class to get even more info! I'd rather be prepared then not! 

Baby Shower #3

Yesterday, after church, my family threw us our last baby shower. It was by far our biggest shower yet; mainly because our church family attended too. We were showered with so many gifts that it took me over a solid hour to open them all and I also had to have my Dad bring the Suburban to help me get all of the gifts home. I wish I had taken a picture of our vehicles. They were packed full!. Harper was beyond blessed! She officially has a full closet of adorable clothes and her drawers are full of outfits, onesies, bibs, blankets, burp cloths, and adorable baby accessories!

Here are some pictures of the event! 

Aly and I before opening gifts

The cake... the blocks spelled out Harper's name

The gifts that were brought in before the shower began

Me and Brenda... the teacher I student taught with! 

Best friends since first grade!

Me and Nicki! We had to have a picture of our two girls together!
 They're going to have lots of play dates in their future!

Kim & I

Lauren & I 

Olivia & I 

Brittni & I 

Emily & I 

35 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 35 weeks

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper is about the size of a honeydew melon. She should be around 18 inches and weigh approximately 5.25 pounds.

Total Weight Gain: I go back to the doctor on Friday but I'm thinking around 30 pounds total.

Maternity Clothes: For the most part, I've stuck to maternity clothes this week. They're just more comfortable. But I still lounge around in my pre-maternity yoga pants and some of my bigger t-shirts. 

Stretch Marks? Not a one! I'm hoping since I've made it this far without any that I'm home free! 

Sleep: I've been sleeping great lately. Part of it is because I'm on spring break and have been nesting non-stop so by the end of the day, this girl is exhausted. The other part I think is due to the fact that my husband is now officially on day shift and is not working nights anymore and I sleep so much better when he's at home sleeping in the bed next to me.

Best Moment This Week: We have quite a few things to celebrate this week! One being that Kevin and I are currently on our last vacation before Harper arrives. I'll be blogging about our babymoon later this week when we get back home. The second exciting thing thats happened is that we finally ordered Harper's outfit for her newborn pictures. I worked with an amazing lady on etsy who is creating just what the Hubs and I envisioned for her to wear. I'd love to tell you about it but I want it to be a surprise so you'll have to wait!! The last thing that I'm super excited about is getting more items checked off of our "Before Harper Arrives" to-do list. At this point, we just might have everything accomplished before she arrives! We only have a few more things to finish and our goal is to get most of those done this weekend. This makes for one very happy preggo mama! 

Miss Anything? Still missing my normal looking legs and feet. They're so large these days it's embarrassing to wear short dresses or skirts haha

Movement: Harper's movements have slowed down a lot this week. I'm guessing she's running out of room. At first it concerned me but she still gives me a quick kick or jab here and there to let me know she's still hanging in there. 

Food Cravings: Still just craving ice cold drinks. The icier the better! This particular week, it's been ice cold sweet tea, Sundrop, and Coke. 

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: Just Braxton Hicks contractions here and there

Symptoms: Still the usual. My acid reflux has gotten better during the day but has began to hit me at night. It usually strikes around midnight or so.  I've started chewing gum in my sleep (not sure how safe that is!) but it's definitely helped keep the reflux down and allows me to get back to sleep without having any more problems throughout the night. My legs, ankles, and feet are still swelling. My right one is still continuing to swell much more than my left. By the end of the day it's so swollen that I can't put any weight on it and it's starting to feel bruised. In addition, I can now only wear sandals because my other shoes are too tight. Thank goodness for warmer weather! And did I mention it's becoming practically impossible to buckle and tie my shoes... like seriously! I need someone to help me if they don't slip on lol

Belly Button In or Out? In and it's just about closed over. I give it a week, two tops and it'll be completely gone!

Wedding Rings On or Off? On 

Mood: The closer I get to my due date the more anxious and excited I am to meet our little girl! 

Looking Forward to: We have lots of exciting things happening this week! I'm looking forward to our doctor's appointment on Friday. We'll find out for sure what position little Miss Harper doodle is in. For most of my pregnancy she's been frank breech (meaning her butt's down and her feet are over her head). If she's still breech, we'll be going on and scheduling her c-section which makes me excited since I can choose her birthday and know when she's coming. Also, on Friday, after our doctor's appointment, we'll be taking our maternity pictures as long as the weather cooperates. Then on Sunday, we'll be having our last and final shower. This will be our biggest shower yet as it's being given by my family and all of our church is invited. I can't wait to see all the goodies Harper is going to end up with!