33 Weeks- Last Baby Shower & Andrew's Birthday

How far along? 33 weeks. Wow.
Total weight gain? 16 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Have I mentioned how much I love my yoga pants? I live in them, with some maternity mixed in with my normal clothes. I got my winter clothes out the other day, since all of a sudden it is FREEZING in Indy! Really excited about being cozy in my hoodies, sweaters, cords, etc. Hope they'll still fit over my belly.

Sleep? Sleep schmeep. 

Best moment this week? Our last baby shower was this past weekend in Indy, and Betsy and Allison did an AMAZING job throwing it. I was blown away by all the details and felt so loved and celebrated. They really should go into party planning. Seriously. I am still overwhelmed.

Me and Betsy

Alikat and me

Some of the sweet details.

Something is seriously in the water on our street! Adrienne is due 2 months after me.
And there are two other buns in the oven on our block, both due within two weeks of me. We love our neighbors!

Emily and I are finishing off the Baby Boom of 2012 in our church. :)
 Austin, Macy, Hank, Graham, and Ryne are all sure to be BFF's. 

We also celebrated Andrew's 29th birthday this past weekend. He wanted something low-key, so we celebrated with baby shopping, Outback, Batman, and my first attempt at gluten-free cupcakes. 

So stinkin glad he was born.

He is really excited about those cloth diapers.

Gluten-free cupcakes= SUCCESS! 

Miss anything? The usual.

Movement? He's a mover all right.

Food cravings? Pineapple, of course... And I've had a major sweet tooth lately. Bring on the sugar at all these showers and birthday celebrations!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? I think I'm starting to slow down in general. I just can't keep going like I used to, so I take breaks on the couch whenever I need to. But overall, feeling much better besides no sleep.

Have you started to show yet? Yeppers.

Labor signs? No. Supposedly I should be feeling false/ practice/ whatever contractions around now, but I haven't yet.

Belly button in or out? It's almost flat now... Eek.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy. 

Name possibilities? Grahaminator. Grahammy Tammy Taffy. Grahammer doodle.

Looking forward to? Not sure if I'm looking forward to camping, but that's coming up... :) Should make for some interesting stories. Andrew's promised me an air mattress and to get up to go to the bathroom with me each time in the middle of the night. So we'll see how that goes... Also, we have officially started on the nursery! By started, I mean we've moved everything out and put down drop cloths to paint... Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll actually have some pictures to post of some progress. :) Our crib is ordered and should be arriving soon. Things are happening, people! Can't wait to really put Grahammer's room together.

32 Weeks- Am I really 8 months preggo??!!

Check out that belly!!

How far along? 32 weeks. I cannot BELIEVE the end is so close!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!
Total weight gain? 15 pounds. Feeling huge and wondering how my tummy is going to stretch any more to make room for this growing baby! Wow.

Maternity clothes? I definitely took an hour trying on clothes to wear to my baby shower this past weekend. A lot of my normal clothes are just getting too small for my big belly, but a lot of my maternity clothes are still too big. Can I just wear my yoga pants to every occasion on leaving the house... or staying in it?? :)

Sleep? Sleep is just pretty elusive these days. Too uncomfortable to fall asleep, too uncomfortable to stay asleep. Another super painful leg cramp this week in the middle of the night. Boo sleepless nights.

Best moment this week? No more sinus/ allergy congestion!!!!! Baby shower in Andrew's hometown! His sister Kristie did an awesome job. We can't be more grateful for all the precious clothes and baby gear we received! And it was so fun to celebrate little Graham with his family. 

And my sweet friend Laura came to visit!!!! It was so refreshing to hang out and show her the sights. She loves Indiana!! When are you moving here again, Laura?? :)

Miss anything? Being comfortable.

Movement? All.the.time.

Food cravings? Back to pineapple this week!! My acid reflux completely went away when the sinus/ allergy congestion did, so I am inhaling all that acidic pineapple. :) I also have noticed I like meat more now that I'm preggo. My son must be a carnivore like his daddy. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? I'm definitely napping a lot now... maybe because I never sleep at night anymore. I also felt pretty weird all weekend- really faint, weak, hot, exhausted. Not sure what was going on. Really missing that easy second trimester...

Have you started to show yet? Mmmmm-hmmm. I dreamed last night someone made a really rude comment about my belly, but no one has said anything mean or awkward in real life to me yet.

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? It's still in, but still making its way out. 

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Not so happy most of the week-- just not feeling good. But the last few days, I've felt much better.

Name possibilities? I can't wait for Graham baby to be here!!!! 

Looking forward to? My last baby shower! Celebrating Andrew's birthday.

31 Weeks- Sick of being sick...

A couple of days before 31 weeks... My belly is blowing up!!

How far along? 31 weeks.
Total weight gain? 14 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? I've been mixing in a few maternity items with my normal wardrobe, and it really hasn't been so bad. Still living in my yoga pants as much as possible. :)

Sleep? Sleep was pretty rough this past week. I typically get a pretty bad bout of sinus/ allergy congestion twice a year, and it's that time. Ugh. Between the snot gathering in my head and throat, and my cough triggering some acid reflux, I could barely fall asleep or stay asleep all week. Waking up gagging in the middle of the night is not my idea of fun. 

Best moment this week? Honestly, I feel like I was just surviving this week. Pregnant people should not be allowed to be sick or have any other issues. Ugh. We attended childbirth class at my doctor's office and feel a little more prepared for what's coming down the road. Eek! I still can't believe I'm going to deliver a baby in a couple of months! Ahhhhhh! I did start a new book this week that I LOVE though, called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It's about cultivating gratitude in everyday life and slowing down to experience God. I really like this quote from the book...

"I don't really want more time, I just want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in the day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done yesterday." 

I know my life has slowed down considerably since moving to Indy and getting married, but I still feel the drive of our culture and my inner self to idolize busy-ness and rush through life, not really noticing God or what He's doing in and around me.

Also, for those of you wondering about the twins I used to nanny for, little Reese is doing great these days! She is at home, building up her immune system since chemo knocked it out, and the happiest baby I've ever seen! 

Reese & Philip (18 months)

Phil still loves to snuggle and read books. Mmmm I love it too!  

Miss anything? Being able to breathe, get through the night without gagging, not take four kinds of medicine a day, etc, etc. Did I mention I'm sick of being sick?!

Movement? Lots of movement. All the time. Lots of hiccups. 

Food cravings? I gave up pineapple this week because it's supposed to be acidic, which could trigger acid reflux. Sad day. Nothing tastes as good.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? It's hard to distinguish between the congestion and acid reflux, or if it's the pregnancy or the sinus/ allergies that are causing my exhaustion... Everything affects everything else and it's not fun. 

Have you started to show yet? For sure.

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? It's still in, but the skin on the top of it totally sticks out, which makes me look like I have an outie in most tight shirts. 

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Not so happy this week. Wanting desperately to just feel better.

Name possibilities? Graham. Graham baby. Little Grahammers. Graham cracker. 

Looking forward to? Feeling better. Baby shower! My sweet friend Laura coming to visit!

A shot of our bathroom sink/ vanity in our office/ guest bedroom the other day. I love that my husband can do anything around the house, but I was ready to brush my teeth in the bathroom sink instead of the shower! Plumbing is finally fixed, and the rest of the house is finally getting back to normal. Unless there's an emergency, this was the last of Andrew's DIY projects around the house for a long time. Maybe one day we will get to the nursery. :)

30 Weeks- Let the countdown begin!!

30 Weeks- Graham Baby is the size of a pineapple! Yum. :)

How far along? 30 weeks. Only 10 weeks left! Ahhhhhhh!!!!!
Total weight gain? 13 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? I finally busted out some maternity clothes this weekend! And I surprisingly didn't feel frumpy and gross... I even have one pair of maternity capris I love so much I might try to sneak them into my normal wardrobe post-baby. :) 

Sleep? Sleep is just becoming more and more uncomfortable. It's hard to go to sleep, it's hard to stay asleep, and for the first time in my life, getting out of bed in the morning is enjoyable.

Best moment this week? I think being back at The Oaks (a private school in downtown Indy) last week was really great for me. I subbed there two days a week last year (while I nannyed the other three days), and had accepted a full-time job there for this school year-- and then I found out I was pregnant! I decided to stay home with the baby, so I resigned from the position but asked to sub until little Graham makes his appearance. They said they would love to keep me busy until then! :) One of my biggest struggles in moving to Indy and marrying Andrew has been feeling like I moved into "his world"-- his city, his church, his circle of friends, etc. Honestly, I have been fighting against it, wanting to make my own world here, which isn't exactly the picture of a healthy marriage. :) But in any case, The Oaks is so refreshing because it feels a little bit like "my world"... I love the teachers/ administrators, the students, and the vision of the school. It is amazing to be a part of their community and purposes. I love being back in the classroom- I really feel like God wired me up for that! And of course everyone has been so excited to see my belly, since I wasn't showing in May when I saw them last.

Miss anything? Mostly just being comfortable. Sitting or standing for too long is uncomfortable. Trying to share a couch and snuggle with Andrew while watching a movie is uncomfortable. Trying to go to sleep is uncomfortable. Just having a big belly in general makes everything uncomfortable. Ugh. It's worth it, though.

Movement? He sure does love to move. I think I've also started feeling his hiccups. A couple of times this past week, I noticed a steady pulse in my belly that didn't feel like his normal movements. I checked my pregnancy books and favorite websites, and it seems accurate. So funny to feel him hiccup inside me!

Food cravings? I rediscovered pineapple pizza and pineapple juice this week. Oh my.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? Restless legs- which apparently are aggravated by antihistamines in sinus/ allergy medicines. Fabulous. This past weekend brought on a rough bout of major sinus/ allergy congestion issues for me, and the only medicine that I've found to work is apparently making my restless legs worse-- which is just the uncontrollable urge to move my legs, especially at night when I'm sitting or laying down. Just imagine how fun that is to try to go to sleep with! And last night I experienced acid reflux for the first time in my life, which feels as unpleasant as it sounds. Andrew had to take me to get some medicine at 1am just so I could lay down in bed without gagging. Ugh. But did I mention what a good hubby he is to me?? I just love him.

Have you started to show yet? Yep. 

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? It's still making its way out...

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy for little Grahammers. Not so happy being big-bellyed, uncomfortable, congested, and sleep-deprived. Ha. Just preparing me for what's ahead, right?

Name possibilities? Graham Harrison Buckle just has such a nice ring to it. :)

Looking forward to? Childbirth class--eek! Upcoming baby showers. Hopefully getting rid of this sinus/ allergy crap and feeling better!