Thoughts from the Baby Daddy!

I saw an interview with the dad-to-be on another preggo blog and thought it'd be fun to get some of Andrew's perspective on my pregnancy recorded before this baby comes! Andrew played along, so here we go...

The hubs the night we found out we were preggo!
Celebrating at Cheesecake Factory.

(Jaye) What's been the best part of pregnancy?
(Andrew) Do I have to pick just one thing? Seeing the ultrasounds, watching Jaye's belly grow, reading to Jaye's belly, praying over Jaye's belly, getting the nursery ready.

What's been the worst part of pregnancy?
Not being able to snuggle as close to Jaye as I used to ... and watching Jaye be uncomfortable.

What are some of your favorite memories over the last 9 months?
Coming home and seeing everything laid out when Jaye first told me she was preggo (a onesie that said "I love Daddy," the 3 pregnancy tests that all showed positive, etc.); telling a random Menards lady that we were expecting (since we kept it a secret for the first three months, we were both dying, so we told a few random strangers, the Menards lady being the first person Andrew told- ha!); telling our Moms and calling family with the news; reading to Graham; praying for Graham; camping.

What's been the most surprising thing about pregnancy?
How much I worry about stuff- Is our baby okay? Is he functioning? Will Jaye survive? When other people go through this, I think everything will of course be just fine, but I lose all objectivity when it involves us.

What has been the hardest over the last 9 months?
Thinking of ways to serve Jaye and love her. It's an increased opportunity to do it, and I'm not great at it to begin with... But we didn't fight any more than we normally do.

Are you nervous about labor?
Yep. About something going wrong, of a certain person yelling at me, complications, being cranky when I don't get any sleep.

What are you nervous about being a dad?
Being cranky with no sleep, loving Graham and Jaye well, balancing all the roles of life.

What are you most excited about being a dad?
Teaming up against Mom... Doing guy stuff- rolling over, walking, shooting guns. The basics.

What kind of dad will you be?
Drill sergeant. No, just kidding. Hopefully warm and caring and thoughtful, one who mentors his little boy into a man. That's what I want to be.

How will you get through the sleepless nights the first few months?

Jack Daniels... Well, I took 4 weeks off... so I guess I'll sleep when he sleeps?

What has Jaye missed the most during pregnancy?

Turkey sandwiches.

What has Jaye most needed to hear in pregnancy?

That I think she's beautiful.

Is Jaye the stereotypical preggo woman?
Nope. I expected ridiculous mood swings- crazy lady, sobbing all the time. She hasn't been like that.

Has Jaye had any crazy preggo hormone moments?

I think there were two times. I remember thinking that this was probably a pregnancy moment and smiling, even though she was really mad. It was okay the next morning. I don't remember what it was, but I remember thinking, "Why are we fighting?"

How did you feel when Jaye told you she was preggo?

Similar emotions to that of a deer who sees headlights. Unsure if he should step out of the way or stand still.

(He was totally shocked at first, but obviously warmed up to the idea quickly as we snapped these photos right after I told him the news and has been so, so excited ever since. :))

How did you feel when you first felt Graham kick?

Excited.

What baby chores will you help with? 
Financial support.

What baby chores will you dread?
I know I won't have to change any diapers, but if I had to... that's what I'd dread.
(In case you haven't picked up on Andrew's sense of humor yet... We're both laughing at this point because we KNOW this is not true! He will be helping with the diapers. Period.)

What's your favorite baby item you've received/ bought?
Cloth diapers. Video monitor. Crib.

How do you think life will change once we have a baby?
I'll have to be less selfish. I'll have to slow down.

What do you think Graham will look like?
My eyes, Jaye's smile, our hair.

What do you hope little Graham is like in general?
Persistent with things he tries to do/ goals he sets; caring; unwavering in his faith; strong in all senses of the word.

What are you most looking forward to once Graham is born?

Just having him in my arms. Looking at him, talking to him, singing to him.

One of my fav preggo pic's of all. Andrew LOVES reading to Grahammers.

The start of our cloth diaper collection.
Andrew is seriously so excited about this!


Andrew really has been the BEST through this whole experience. 
So patient, supportive, helpful... I couldn't have asked for more.

38 Weeks- READY.

38 Weeks- Feeling like Grahammers is taking over my whole body!
They're now saying he's an average-sized baby (instead of little),
and my belly can definitely tell. :)

How far along? 38 weeks.

Total weight gain? 22 pounds. For some reason there were occasions to have dessert like every night this week.. and Graham baby loved it. :)

Maternity clothes? Whatever works. I didn't buy a maternity coat since I'm from Tennessee and you don't wear a coat before mid- November (my due date). But since it's been freezing here for a month and I'm stubborn, I've just been making my normal coats work. Some will barely zip around my belly, some I button at the top only. I know I look pretty ridiculous with both, but I refuse to give in for the last two weeks.

Sleep? Sleep hates me. 

Best moment this week? Obviously hearing that everything is okay with little Grahammers!! We are just so, so thankful. His growth and development are fine and normal, his brain is fine and normal. Still breathing huge sighs of relief. Whew. At my normal 37 week appointment, my doctor told me that according to the prenatal specialist's measurements, Graham is measuring in the 50th percentile overall (his whole body), so he might not be quite the little baby we were expecting! He's officially moved up from everyone saying "he's just a little baby" to average size! Go Grahaminator! Just a late bloomer. :) I feel like he is taking up my whole body these days, with his head so far down but his feet still kicking up in my ribs. They are estimating his weight at 6 lbs, 7 oz now but admit ultrasounds aren't super accurate at weight. I wasn't dilated at all this week (first time they checked me), which my doctor says is no big deal and that lots of people don't dilate until they go into labor.

Miss anything? Having energy. I'm just really tired these days. Bending over easily. 

Movement? Now that he's been in the same position for over a month, it's so fun knowing which of his body parts are wiggling around. Before then, it was hard for me to identify what exactly he was doing in there! These days, he mostly shakes and pushes his little butt around on one side of my tummy and kicks on the other side.

Food cravings? Major sweet tooth this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? I have energy during the day, but completely collapse after work in the afternoons. Really tired. My stomach just hurts sometimes now- partly because of the contractions, but partly because of Graham too. I keep saying it feels like he's "burrowing" his little head down, using his whole body weight, inside me, a lot of the time.

Have you started to show yet? Oh yeah.

Labor signs? Still just Braxton-hicks contractions occasionally. 

Belly button in or out? It's pretty much out now. Gross.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Soooooo happy Graham baby is okay!!!

Name possibilities? Graham baby!!!

Looking forward to? Getting this show on the road! Now that I know he's fine, I'm ready!! But still freaking out about labor, of course. :) I've read up and now can't think about it too much. Graham has a second cousin on Andrew's side scheduled to make his/ her appearance today, so we cannot wait to meet that sweet baby!! And our next door neighbor's due date is today, so we keep waiting to see them rush out to the hospital. Babies all around! I also seriously cannot wait to dress Graham up in ridiculous costumes for Halloween next year. I told Andrew I was going to buy the cutest dinosaur, monkey, puppy, whatever costumes I could find in after-Halloween clearance sales and just dress him up every day for the first few weeks of life anyway. So stinkin cute.

I guess I'll settle for Thanksgiving being his first holiday...
with a turkey on his little butt. :)

And everything is just fine!!! WHEW.

Hard to see here, but everything on the ultrasound pic's and
these measurement charts are healthy and normal for Graham baby!!!!

I thought about waiting til my 38 week blog post, but I have gotten so many messages since my last post, I thought I'd go ahead and update everyone. I headed to the appointment with the prenatal specialist this morning with a heavy heart, desperately clinging to the promise "He alone is my refuge, my place of safety. He is my God, and I trust Him." Psalm 91:2 NLT. I had told Andrew last night, after he held me and prayed for our Grahammers, that deep down I really sensed that our little peanut was just fine. But after I arrived to the appointment and started reading all the paperwork about what the ultrasound could reveal being wrong with my baby, it was hard to breathe again. IS HIS BRAIN OKAY??? Does he have major developmental issues? Will I have to deliver him early... like today??! The ultrasound tech lady saved me from my thoughts spinning out of control and began to roll over my belly for what seemed like forever, taking pictures, examining things from every angle, measuring, measuring, measuring... Will this ever end? I'm not sure if it was the nerves or Graham baby squishing my lungs/ slowing my blood flow from lying on my back that long, but I got really light-headed and almost passed out, which has become quite the norm during pregnancy. Ugh. She sat me up for a while, doused me with cold, wet rags, and then we proceeded. She warned me that the doctor might want to re-check me just because he's very thorough, not because it meant anything was wrong. She left and I waited, trying not to hyperventilate. I knew from many, many ultrasounds this pregnancy that she wasn't allowed to interpret anything for me until I talked to the doctor. Finally, he walked in, introduced himself, and then immediately said the sweetest words I've ever heard: "Everything is just fine with your baby." He said Graham baby's head is crammed down really far into my pelvis, which makes it really hard to measure accurately (which was an issue from my normal doctor's office since the beginning of all this, weeks ago). But that Graham's head width, head circumference, and everything else on his body is falling in the normal range, so there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. We went through all the charts and measurements, and he assured me everything looks healthy and fine. He said he'd send the report back to my doctor, and that I could proceed like normal over the last few weeks of my pregnancy. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!! As I called Andrew, I couldn't hold back the tears of sweet relief and gratitude. I'm still crying just writing this post. Pregnancy hormones or basket case mom? Time will tell. :) Jesus, thank you, thank you, thank you for your great mercy in developing our little boy. 

37 Weeks- Full Term!! And Worrying...

Wow, look at that belly grow!!! Pre- baby bump to 37 weeks... full-term baby boy!

How far along? 37 weeks. Officially full term! We made it!!

Total weight gain? 20 pounds.

Maternity clothes? I heart sweats. Here are my favorite yoga pants from Target that have gotten me through the third trimester. It's really my only pregnancy must-have. Mine are black, and I'm wearing them in the pic above.
http://www.target.com/p/mossimo-supply-co-juniors-yoga-pant-oxford-blue/-/A-14102280#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=yoga%20pants

Sleep? Not sleeping very well at night. Needing naps a lot.

Best moment this week? Welp I wish we were celebrating being at full-term, but instead we're back to Worry-land again. After my 36 week appointment and ultrasound, my doctor told me that her gut instinct says that everything is fine with Graham baby, but she wants to be sure. So she is sending me to a prenatal specialist with better ultrasound equipment to remeasure his head, check blood flow to the brain, etc. They couldn't get me in for several days, so my doctor had me come back to see her the next day. They monitored his heartbeat and movement for a while and said everything looks great with that. So now we just have to wait a couple more days to hear what the specialist says. Andrew has been great through all this, taking the role of being the strong one since I have been more of the disaster. :) I know this is the first of many, many times I will not be able to do anything for my child, but trust God and wait. It's just so hard.

Miss anything? Oh you know, normal things. Sleeping and breathing mainly. :)

Movement? He is always kicking up my ribs these days. I think he's gotten taller in the last couple weeks. Ow.

Food cravings? The usual.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? Weak and light-headed at random times. Tired.

Have you started to show yet? Mmmm-hmmm.

Labor signs? Lots of Braxton-hicks contractions. Still not hurting, just tightening up my whole belly. So crazy my body knows just what to do to have this baby! God really did design it this way.

Belly button in or out? Still flat...

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Anxious.

Name possibilities? Graham baby!!!

Looking forward to? Hopefully getting some concrete answers from the specialist that Grahammers is just fine.

36 Weeks- One Year Anniversary & Nursery Progress!

36 Weeks- Feeling huge!!!

How far along? 36 weeks. Nine.months.pregnant... Wow. It really has flown by. Peeing on the stick (okay, okay, on three sticks just to make sure!) and telling Andrew we're going to have a baby seriously does not feel very long ago.
Total weight gain? 19 pounds... and feeling huge.

Maternity clothes? Just wanting to be comfy all the time now. Bundling up in old sweats mostly.

Sleep? I've been having to get up to go to the bathroom a lot more lately in the middle of the night. And having multiple crazy, vivid dreams each night. Needless to say, sleep isn't great, and I need a nap about every other day now.

Best moment this week? Celebrating our one year anniversary! Can't believe we had a baby celebrating with us. :)

1 year ago today! We said "I do" in Jamaica on 10.15.2011.

Well the chalkboard writing didn't really show up,
but here we are celebrating our anniversary this past Saturday night.

Anniversary dinner out with the hubs.
I sure do love being married to him!!

Our "wedding cake" (shower cake, whatever :)) from a year ago...
Not bad after being in the freezer that long!

Nursery progress! Andrew and I have been working so hard at painting, cleaning, organizing, buying, returning, washing, decorating, hanging, rearranging everything in Graham baby's room. It's starting to look like we're actually going to put a baby in there! Finally! Here are some pic's of some of our progress...

We love our crib!! We ordered online from Target, and it is exactly what we wanted.
The personalized canvas is just waiting there until I decide what else to hang on that wall with it.
And our video monitor is peeking out from behind the lamp. We are so excited about that thing!!

The curtains are navy blue and light blue,
the only "theme" we really have going on in here.

Glider, changing table, and bookshelf full of sweet blue things. :)

Graham baby will have no problem being clothed for the first year of his life!
Thanks to all our friends and family who stocked us up. :)

The next item on the to-do list: figure out what to do with this wall of built-ins.
I love the storage but can't figure out what to do with it.
We removed all the built-in doors to paint the walls brown,
and I'm thinking I'll paint them white with brushed nickel knobs. Any suggestions?

Also, my 36 week appointment isn't for a couple more days, so we will see what the ultrasound reveals this week. Trying not to be anxious about it.

Miss anything? Sleeping through the night. Breathing normally. BEING COMFORTABLE.

Movement? He is passing his kick counts like a champ! My doctor says his movements are his one voice to me to tell me everything is okay, so each day he seems to be screaming that he's doing just fine. :) I can tell he is getting bigger and stronger as he seems to be staking more and more claim in my stomach as days go on. Ouch.

Food cravings? I've been wanting more comfort foods lately- sweets and carbs. Not sure if it's from the weather or my nerves or what... Or maybe the fact that I made a surprisingly amazing pumpkin cake and it just really wants to be eaten... But how could you not crave that??

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? The usual. I get very weak, shaky, and light-headed when I'm really hungry these days, feeling like I'm going to pass out. I'm going to have to start stashing snacks in my purse more often. Pretty tired this past weekend. But honestly, the third trimester hasn't been that bad for me overall. My first trimester was the worst by far- every day nausea and total exhaustion. Sooooo glad that's over.

Have you started to show yet? Yep.

Labor signs? I didn't really think I had been feeling anything, but in the past 24 hours, I think I've been recognizing some Braxton-hicks (practice) contractions. They don't hurt, but my belly just gets really tight and hard all over. Weird.

Belly button in or out? Flat. Have I mentioned how much I hate belly buttons in general?? Ready to not think about mine anymore...

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Still happy but anxious.

Name possibilities? Not feeling creative with the nicknames right now.

Looking forward to? Hopefully a good report after the ultrasound this week...

Baby Checklist:

• Paint nursery
• Decorate/ organize nursery
• Finish built-ins wall in nursery
• Wash everything that might touch Graham baby's skin
• Pack hospital bag 
• Pick pediatrician
• Install car seat
• Clean out freezer
• Hospital tour
• Read up on childbirth, etc.
• Finalize (buy, return, exchange) baby gear

Things I thought I'd never hear myself say... But here they are coming out of my mouth. Often.

• "My alarm hasn't gone off yet this morning, but I'm so uncomfortable, I'm just going to go ahead and get up."
• "I'm going to use cloth diapers for our baby."
• "I'm really hungry. I think I want some meat."

35 Weeks- "Measuring Small" & Maternity Pic's

How far along? 35 weeks. Eek!!!
Total weight gain? 18 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? Somehow most of my "normal" shirts and sweaters still fit over this belly, so I'm rocking normal on top and maternity on the bottom mainly. I can't wait til I can fit into my skinny jeans and cords again, though. Until then, I have a couple pairs of maternity pants for work and sweatpants for every second after work. :)

Sleep? Sleep has been okay lately...

Best moment this week? First, we probably should cover the worst moment this week... At my 34 week checkup last week (after I wrote the blog), I was "measuring small." So basically they measure my uterus at each visit, and it's supposed to correspond to the number of weeks I am. So I should've been 34 cm at 34 weeks. I measured 32 cm instead. My doctor didn't act very concerned, but said she wanted me to have an ultrasound just to make sure everything was looking okay with Graham baby. This was the first time in my pregnancy my doctor has not said everything looks "great" or "perfect," so of course I started freaking out. Graham still moves around inside me like a maniac, and his heartbeat was good and strong... but could he not being growing and developing like he should be?? After I left the office (the ultrasound lady was gone, so it was scheduled for today), I immediately texted Andrew, then called my mom, crying, and Googling anything I could find on the topic. Mom insisted I was probably just having a small baby, like all the women in our family. Google was surprisingly reassuring as well. But I just couldn't face the fact that something could be wrong with our precious baby. Did I do something wrong? Could I have prevented anything? What is the worst case scenario here? Finally, Andrew came home from work, and between his reassuring words and God's numerous promises, my heart found some rest. 

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.- 1 John 4:16

God is for us. -Romans 8:31

O my Strength, I watch for You. You, O God, are my Fortress, my Loving God. God will go before me. -Psalm 59:9
I had my ultrasound this afternoon, and the three biggest questions were answered: Graham weighs enough (estimated around 5 lbs, 5 oz.), is getting enough amniotic fluid, and is not breech. The only thing that could be "off" is that his head is measuring small, but they said he is just a small baby, so it's probably fine. They had a hard time measuring his head on the ultrasound anyway because it is already buried in my pelvis (TMI?). They want to do another ultrasound at my appointment next week just to keep track of it. Worst case scenario is that Graham would have to be delivered early if his head size doesn't develop, but they said that is a long way off, and everything is most likely fine. Their words were reassuring, but things like this are still hard to hear and interpret. Andrew surprised me and came with me to the appointment, which was soooooo nice. He really is the best. Now I'm just trying to cling to God's promises and not freak out... Ugh. They want me to do "kick counts" every day because they say Graham's wiggles are his voice to let me know if something's wrong. After I eat a snack, he's supposed to kick 6-10 times in an hour. As soon as I got home, I ate a pear, sat down, and put my hands on my belly to feel him. 8 kicks in 2 minutes! He's fine, right?!

On a lighter note, I wanted to get a few pictures of me and Andrew during this sweet pregnancy time full of anticipation, dreams, and uncomfortableness. :) Some of my Pinterest poses ambitions didn't exactly look like I thought, but here are some of my favorites... :)

Miss anything? Bending over easily. Turkey sandwiches. 

Movement? Kicks, punches, wiggles, stretches... I'm not sure what all he's doing in there but it always feels like the Olympics.

Food cravings? I heart pineapple. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? Still crazy dreams every night. Tired most afternoons. Shortness of breath for little reason. 

Have you started to show yet? Definitely showing. People at the grocery store or wherever make comments, but no random stranger has tried to touch my belly yet.

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? It's still flat, but the skin right on top of it definitely sticks out. So weird. I don't mind it when people I know touch my belly, but I kinda freak out when they rub over my belly button. Ugh.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy but anxious.

Name possibilities? Graham. Graham. Graham. We cannot wait to meet you!!!

Looking forward to? Finishing the nursery and a bunch of other random things on my checklist.

34 Weeks- Camping Adventures & Nursery Beginnings

That belly sure is growing, as well as all the baby supplies behind me. :)

My belly from my perspective... so funny to me!
And yep, that's Pinterest on the computer. Always scouting out gluten-free recipes for the hubs. :)

How far along? 34 weeks. 
Total weight gain? 16 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? Yoga pants. All.the.time. I couldn't have made it through the third trimester without them. I also found some old sweatpants tucked away in the closet, so I have definitely become that girl. Sweatpants every day.

Sleep? Sleep was actually better this week overall.

Best moment this week? I survived camping at 34 weeks! It was a pretty chill trip, with more sitting around the campfire than hiking and stuff. We got to enjoy the company of good friends and some roasted marshmallows. The air mattress was great, and the hubs had a great attitude about getting up with me for bathroom trips throughout the nights. :) This was our last trip out of town until Graham comes! We'll be waiting in Indy from now on.

And we have nursery progress!!! Yessss. This is the first layer of paint (a light ish brown color-- the picture doesn't really capture it), but we've still got a second coat, the ceiling, and trim to go. The crib came in the mail, so as soon as we finish the paint, we can start assembling the rest of the room!! We have plenty of adorable navy blue and light blue things to fill it up with. :) Can't wait for it to be finished and ready for him!!

Miss anything? Just being comfortable in general.

Movement? He was super aggressive this week. Some days I feel like he is just beating up my insides. I think he's ready to come out. :)

Food cravings? More salty this week... bring on the chips!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Symptoms? All I have wanted to do this week is sleep and eat. Literally. I feel like an infant myself. This is the first time during pregnancy I've noticed a significant increase in my appetite, and I don't think I've made it many days this week without a nap. I also had acid reflux again the other night-- the first time since my sinus/ allergy congestion went away. I forgot how horrible it is... trying to lay down to go to sleep completely exhausted, and gagging over and over again for hours if you get anywhere near a horizontal position. And of course it happened when we were camping, with my Tums nowhere near. Ugh. Will have to blame that on the greasy hamburger and massive amount of chips I consumed earlier that night. My body is just not used to it.

Have you started to show yet? Mmmm-hmmmm.

Labor signs? Nothing yet.

Belly button in or out? It's pretty flat now, but I can make it pop out depending on what position my belly is. So weird.

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Just ready to have this baby! I was feeling uncomfortable and huge and exhausted the other night, and asked Andrew to just go ahead and deliver Graham already. :) Andrew keeps insisting this baby needs a few more weeks to cook.

Name possibilities? Grahambino (thanks Aubs!). Grahamtastic. Grahamosaurus.

Looking forward to? Hospital tour. Getting the nursery in order.