Camping Trip & 33 Weeks

Eric and I, along with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law, spent Memorial Day weekend camping at Bull Shoals Lake.  We had such a good weekend!!  Saturday, we went out on the boat and, although the water was a little too cold to swim (Hayley and I tried, but just couldn't brave it!), we enjoyed soaking up the sun, fishing, and cruising around.  Sunday, we spent the day being lazy and hanging out at camp.  After relaxing (and fishing for Eric) for a few hours yesterday morning, we packed up and headed home.   We were fortunate to have great weather throughout the weekend and it was sooo nice to be able to hang out with family and relax!  I didn't take many pictures while we were there, but here are a few!  Although I don't have an "official" 33 week picture, I'll end this post with my pregnancy highlights.

33 Weeks

How far along: 33 weeks and 6 days

Baby's size: weighs about 4 pounds and measures just over 17 inches long

Maternity clothes: I’ve managed to keep wearing my jeans with the help of a rubber band, but am wearing mostly maternity tops. I’m still trying to wear as many dresses as possible, especially since it is getting hotter!

Sleep: My sleep is becoming pretty inconsistent.  Some nights, I sleep great.  Other nights, I’m very restless and don’t get as much sleep as I’d like. 

Best moment of the week: Camping with my family this weekend!

Movement: He is still pretty active. The bigger he gets, the more I feel.  It’s a feeling I absolutely love!

Food cravings: Still no food cravings to report!

Symptoms: Acid reflux/indigestion are pretty common…I pretty much always have a bottle of Tums nearby.  I’m having to use the bathroom more frequently, which can be annoying! J  With Eric and I being so busy most of the time, I have noticed I’m starting to tire much quicker than before.

Looking forward to: I’m headed back to Harrison this weekend for my second baby shower with family and friends!

Couples Shower

This past weekend was another busy one, which is becoming all too common!   Saturday night, our friends here in Little Rock hosted a couples baby shower for us.  We had a blast getting to hang out with friends and family and loved getting to open Jackson's gifts!  We can't express enough how much we appreciate our friends who put time and work into hosting our shower and are grateful to all of those who attended.  Eric, Jackson, and I are so very blessed!  Sunday afternoon, Eric and I met up with his niece for our maternity picture session.  We arranged for the pictures to be taken outside and after Saturday's humidity, we were afraid we would regret this decision.  Luckily, although it was pretty warm, there was a nice breeze to keep us from melting.  We can't wait to see how they turn out!  Between these events, I sorted all of the clothes, blankets, etc. I have bought or received for Jackson.  I was able to get most everything washed and put away.  I am hoping to finish up the rest this week.  With plans to be out of town for the next two weekends and only seven weeks left until my due date, I'm feeling the pressure to get everything ready!  As fast as the last 33 weeks have passed, I have no doubt these next seven will go by just as quickly, assuming Jackson stays put until his due date!  Here are some pictures from our shower.

 

Amazing dessert made by my brother-in-law.  I won't even tell you how many I ate!

 

My family!

Our awesome hostesses!!

 

31 Weeks

 

How far along: 31 weeks and 5 days

Baby's size: weighs about 3.3 pounds and measures over 16 inches long

Maternity clothes: I’ve managed to keep wearing my jeans with the help of a rubber band, but am wearing mostly maternity tops. I’m trying to incorporate as many dresses as possible because they are WAY more comfortable!

Sleep: I’m still sleeping fairly well. Some nights are better than others, but I don’t feel tired during the day, which I figure is a pretty good thing!  I’m getting up more often to use the bathroom, but am usually able to fall back to sleep fairly easily.

Best moment of the week: Our trip to Gulf Shores with Eric’s parents!

Movement: He is still pretty active. Since he is getting bigger, I’m feeling more and more of his movements.

Food cravings: I’m still not craving anything in particular.  The bigger Jackson gets, the less interested I am in food.  I feel like there isn’t any room for food, especially with having such a short torso!

Symptoms: I still battle acid reflux/indigestion regularly, but Tums are still doing the job.  As I mentioned above, I’m starting to feel very full all the time.  I feel like Jackson, my lungs, stomach, and pee are constantly battling for room in my body, which will probably only get worse as I progress!

Looking forward to: Our friends here are throwing us a couple’s baby shower on Saturday and my parents are coming down for it.  I’m looking forward to getting to hang out with everyone!

Beach Trip

Eric and I, along with his parents, spent a good part of last week in Gulf Shores for a little mini vacation before Jackson gets here.  It was the earliest in the year that we have been to the beach and the weather was definitely cooler, which was a nice change!  The temperature ran in the upper 70s during the day and mid to upper 60s at night.  It was wonderful to be able to lay on the beach without sweating our butts off!  When we got there Wednesday night, we immediately hit the beach for a walk.  We spent all day Thursday on the beach, went out for dinner, and then played a competitive round of putt putt golf.  I kicked butt (putting a hole in one on two different holes, yes two!) and thought I had beat Eric aka Mr. Golfer, but we ended up tying...dang it!  Friday, we had a rainy day, so we enjoyed laying around the condo, reading, watching TV, and napping, throughout the morning and then Shirley and I did some shopping that afternoon.  We were afraid Saturday was going to be a wash out as well, but the rain moved out and we were able to spend the afternoon on the beach.  As always, the vacation passed by way too fast, but we had a wonderful time!  I posted all of our pictures on Facebook, but here are a few of my favorite from our trip.

Jack is probably going to kill me for this one...

29 Weeks

A few weeks ago, my mom mentioned paying for me to have a 4D ultrasound as a gift and I jumped on the chance!  As my pregnancy has progressed well, my doctor told me at my last appointment that I wouldn't have another ultrasound.  I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to get to see Jackson one last time before his arrival.  My 4D ultrasound appointment was this afternoon and we filled the room with family.  My mom and dad, Eric's parents, Eric, and I were all excited to get to see Jackson.  He wasn't super cooperative and, due to his head being down, there wasn't an abundance of amniotic fluid to make the pictures super clear.  However, we were lucky enough to get to see his sweet face and watch him open and close his mouth.  We listened to his heart beat and were able to confirm that he is indeed a boy! :)  Here is one of the pictures taken where it looks like he is smiling (yes, we are hoping the Porky the Pig resemblence disappears once his is born lol!).

 

29 Weeks

 

 

 

How far along: 29 weeks and 6 days

Baby's size: a tad over 15 inches long and weighs about two and a half pounds

Maternity clothes: I’ve managed to keep wearing my jeans with the help of a rubber band, but have switched mostly to maternity tops.  I picked up a few summer maternity items this past weekend and am hoping I can make do with what I’ve bought for the next 10 weeks. 

I figure by the end, I’ll be wearing nothing but shorts and t-shirts anyway!

Sleep: I’m still sleeping fairly well.  Some nights I have a little bit more trouble with getting comfortable.  I’m getting up more often to use the bathroom, but, luckily,

I usually fall back to sleep pretty quickly.

 Best moment of the week: Getting to go with Eric and our

families to see Jackson today! 

Movement: He is still pretty active.  Lately, I’ve noticed more of a routine with periods of activity and periods of rest.  I’m praying he follows this pattern after birth because he is more active in the morning, afternoon, and right before I go to bed. 

 I figure I’m not that lucky though! J

Food cravings: I honestly don’t know that I’ve been having food cravings lately.  Every once in a while, I’ll want something sweet, but don’t crave anything in particular.

Symptoms: I still battle acid reflux/indigestion regularly, but luckily Tums will knock it out pretty easily.  I’ve noticed I’m getting short of breath easier than before, which I attribute to my short torso and his getting bigger.  I’ve also noticed I get tired more easily, especially on days Eric and I are really busy.

Looking forward to: Eric’s parents, Eric, and I leave for the beach next week! 

I can’t wait for this vacation!!!

Nursery Update

I was so excited for my mom and nana to be able to come down this past weekend.  It was wonderful getting to spend time with them!  Friday night, my mom, nana, Hayley, Dunn, Eric, and I went out for dinner and, on Saturday, us girls went out for lunch and then shopped.  While we were out, I finally found a chair for Jackson's room.   Thankfully, this was the last piece of furniture we needed and now I can focus on picking up the last few decorative pieces needed to complete the nursery.  Late Saturday afternoon, we returned to the house and my mom and nana started working on the curtains and throw pillows for Jackson's room.  My grandma did an amazing job of whipping those curtains out with what seemed to be miminal effort!  Mom and nana also got all three throw pillows made out of fabric I ordered to match the bedding.  I'm getting one of them monogrammed with Jackson's initials, but the other two were ready to go on the chair.  A big thanks to mom and nana for all their hard work!!  Sunday, after mom and grandma left, Eric and I picked up the chair and got it in the room.  I'm so very pleased with how it looks and so very thankful to have found an extremely comfortable chair!  Lord knows, it's likely to be put to great use!  Here are some pictures from this weekend.