38 Weeks

It's so hard to believe that I've almost reached the end of my pregnancy.  I can't express how thankful I am to have had such a smooth pregnancy and am praying for an equally smooth delivery! :)  It has gone by so fast and I can't believe that sometime within the next two weeks, Eric and I are finally going to get to meet this little guy!  At my appointment this past Wednesday, the doctor told me she feels like I will not have him until pretty close to my due date, if I don't have to be induced.  She said they will not let me go past 41 weeks so Jackson is guaranteed to arrive sometime before July 17th.  I'm praying Jackson will make his appearance when he is ready.  I want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all of our family and friends for their support throughout this pregnancy!  Eric and I could not be more blessed and I'm so grateful that Jackson will be surrounded by this same love and support! 

38 Weeks

Look at that belly!! :)

 

How far along: 38 weeks and 4 days

Baby's size: weighs approximately 6.5 pounds and measures slightly over 19 inches long

Maternity clothes: Although I still occasionally wear my jeans to work (only with the help of a rubber band!) with maternity shirts, I’m trying to wear as many dresses as possible since they are so much cooler.  At home, I refuse to wear anything but shorts and a t-shirt.  I really dislike this heat and humidity!

Sleep: Luckily, my sleep has improved over the past two weeks.  I still have the occasional night where I’m more restless and I still get up a gazillion times to use the bathroom, but overall, I’m getting better sleep.  It has helped greatly with my energy levels during the day, not to mention my mood. Haha! J

Best moment of the week: I had a wonderful time at my church shower last Sunday.  Also, last night, Eric and I enjoyed the slight break in heat and humidity, packed some sandwiches, and went to Two Rivers Park for a picnic and walk.  It was so nice to get outside, relax, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Movement: He is still pretty active.  Poor little guy is getting pretty cramped so I’m getting lots of rib jabs.  There is nothing like getting to see my stomach move around! 

Food cravings: Still no food cravings to report.

Symptoms: I’m still living on Tums for acid reflex/indigestion and using the bathroom a gazillion times a day. J  Other than the occasional uncomfortable rib jabs and lower abdominal pressure, I feel pretty good.

Looking forward to:  I’m sooo glad this is just a 4 day work week!  Hopefully the weather will stay slightly cooler so Eric and I can get outside and enjoy some fireworks on Thursday (providing Jackson doesn’t make his arrival!). 

Jackson's Finished Nursery!

We have FINALLY finished Jackson's nursery and absolutely love how everything came together!  Now we are just waiting for him to make his appearance! 

 

Church Shower

Last Sunday, several wonderful ladies from our church, Central Church of Christ, hosted a baby shower for Jackson.  We had great turnout and Jackson was once again blessed with numerous gifts!  We are so very thankful to everyone to came and for those who sent gifts.  Eric and I can't express how very blessed and appreciative we are!  Here are some pictures from the shower.

Love this beautiful banner one of the hostesses made!  We had to hang it in his room.

Eric's favorite gift!  haha!

The hostesses (minus a few!)

36 Weeks

As always, I can't believe how fast my pregnancy is going by!  We have been so busy over the past few months that the weeks have flown by and here I am, a few short weeks from my due date.  Last weekend was another busy one.  Eric and I went to Hot Springs to celebrate our anniversary, going out for dinner and spending the night at the Arlington.  I can't believe it has been a year since our wedding, but what a wonderful and crazy year it has been!!   It was so good for the two of us to get away and spend some time together.  I'm so glad I married that wonderful man and can't wait to see what our next year holds!

As for our nursery, I've pretty much gotten everything finished.  There are just a few last minute touches, including hanging some wall art and putting pictures in frames, that need to be done, but I hope to have that all wrapped up this week.  I'll post pictures of Jackson's finished nursery sometime this next week!  I have everything washed, folded, sorted, and put away.  This week, Eric and I put together all of Jackson's baby paraphernalia, including his swing, bouncy seat, stroller, etc., and got his car seat set up in my car, just in case!  On a side note, I must say, Graco really needs to invest in a company/employees who demonstrate the ability to write clearer instructions!  It's a miracle that Eric and I are speaking to each other, especially after dealing with the swing! :)  Eric, Jackson, and I have been so blessed with very generous family and friends and are so very thankful for all of the many gifts we have received. 

 

36 Weeks

 

 

How far along: 36 weeks and 4 days

Baby's size: weighs almost 6 pounds and measures near 18 ½ inches long

Maternity clothes: Although I still occasionally wear my jeans to work (only with the help of a rubber band!) with maternity shirts, I try to wear as many dresses or shirts and leggings as possible.  When I’m at home, you won’t find me in anything but shorts and a t-shirt!  I’m pretty much hating this heat!

Sleep: Over the past few weeks, I’ve started having trouble getting good sleep.  I fall asleep fine, but wake up many times throughout the night and am unable to go back to sleep.  I feel pretty tired most days. 

Best moment of the week: I had a wonderful weekend hanging out with both of our families!

Movement: He is still pretty active.  As he is getting bigger, I'm feeling less kicks and more big movements.  There is nothing like seeing a knee or his butt stick out!

Food cravings: Still no food cravings to report!  Very odd, isn't it!?  I was just telling Eric this week how lucky he is that he hasn't been sent on any midnight craving runs at any point throughout my pregnancy. :)

Symptoms: Acid reflux/indigestion are still pretty common…I pretty much always have a bottle of Tums nearby.  As expected, I'm having to use the bathroom more often.  Jackson is starting to move lower so I'm feeling more pressure in my lower abdomen.

Looking forward to:  My final baby shower this weekend at church. 

Happy Father's Day!

I want to take a moment to wish all dads out there a Happy Father's Day, especially my amazing dad, Mike, and Eric's dad, Jack!  Also, I want to wish my sweet husband, a very soon-to-be daddy, a Happy Father's Day!  It is always awesome to watch him with our friends' kiddos and I have no doubt he will be a wonderful daddy!!  

My parents made the last minute decision to come down to spend the weekend with us and we had a great weekend!  Saturday morning, my mom, dad, and I went to cheer on my sister, who participated in the Color Me Rad run, and then the four of us spent the afternoon shopping.  With my due date rapidly approaching, there were some last minute items I needed to get bought and put away in Jackson's room.  Saturday night, Hayley, Dunn, mom, dad, Eric, and I went to dinner at the Butcher Shop as a Father's Day celebration for my dad.  Dinner was amazing and it was wonderful to get to spend time with my family.  Today, after church, we celebrated Father's Day with Eric's dad at his parent's house with an awesome lunch made by his mom.  I'm so glad Eric and I were able to spend time with each of our wonderful dads on this holiday weekend. Jackson is so blessed to have these two amazing men to look up to!  They will be awesome grandpas! :)

My sister, dad, and I before dinner last night.

 

Eric, his dad, and brother at lunch today.

Maternity Pictures

We were excited to get to see our maternity pictures this week!  I wanted to share some of my favorites.  A big thank you to Eric's niece, Stephanie, for taking them! :)  I was 33 weeks when these pictures were taken.

Baby Shower in Harrison

My sister and I went home this past weekend for my baby shower hosted by several of our family friends.  Everything looked so beautiful and the food was delicious, especially the amazing petit fours from Rick's Bakery!  We had a great turnout and Jackson was blessed with tooo many presents! :)  Eric and I are so very thankful for everyone who attended or sent gifts.  We can't wait for Jackson to get here so we can put all these awesome gifts to use!  Another big thank you to Patty, Christine, Beth, Lauren, Gail, Lisa, Jessica, Sharon, Madelyn, Jeannie, and Diane for hosting this event.  I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate it!  Here are some pictures from the shower!

 

 

The Hostesses (minus Lisa, Jeannie, Lauren, Sharon, and Diane)

My sweet grandmas!

Jackson's soon-to-be grandmas and great-grandmas!