FULL TERM:)!! 37 weeks

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels that Jackson is now considered full term! He could come anytime and be just fine! Although Adam and I are praying every night that he comes when he is fully developed- only Jesus knows his birthday!

We have gotten practically everything ready for the event. His nursery is completed; everything is washed, and I have a somewhat finished list for the hospital bag in my mind. I at least know which things I want to throw in a bag..gosh we are so close! 

My belly is growing by leaps and bounds..or at least I should say Jackson is growing! My stomach muscles are really starting to feel the strain, but my sweet husband has been helping me with anything that is uncomfortable for me to do! This morning he brought me a chick-fila chicken biscuit in bed:) He's the best! Also, I didn't really have any cravings up until this point,  but now...gosh my desire for a chocolate milkshake has somewhat overtaken me! Well- anything sweet right now seems to be on my mind CONSTANTLY! In fact, after this post I think I'm going to make me a homemade one! Yummy!


Anyway, Adam and I are doing so well. This week I have an appt. and my doctor will check if I'm progressing. Adam is going to come with me for the slight chance that there may be an ultrasound involved. The nurse told me a few weeks ago that if the doctor can't quite figure out what position our little man is in, he would do an ultrasound. I would LOVE for the doctor to know immediately that Jackson is already in the perfect position, but if he can't tell, I would LOVE to see his sweet face in an ultrasound, so that is why Adam is coming, well that and just because he loves me!


Speaking of doctors, let me just say how much we love our doctor and his practice! The entire staff has  been such a blessing to us. The two ladies who work the front desk are the sweetest, most encouraging two women! And the office itself runs so smoothly that I've never had to wait longer than 5 minutes in the waiting room. Also, the doctors are christians so they play christian music through out the place, which can be very comforting at times. Anyway, we just have been so pleased with the entire experience. What a blessing!!

Alrighty well, here are some more pictures. I can't believe there will only be a few more belly pictures left!! AHH! And the one front on...yeah I know my belly looks lopsided..haha..guess it's how he is positioned??

36 weeks...phew!! Am I done yet?!

Well I am just past 36 weeks...and I don't think my belly could get any bigger?! And I'm not sure Jackson has a whole lot of room in there...he seems a little squished right now:) Actually right now he is pushing a limb into my ribs. I have a feeling he will be a big boy like his daddy! 

Symptom wise, I am doing great! Really my only struggle is sleeping...and some nights are better than others. Last night my hips ached all night, so I think I flipped over maybe 30 times or so? Crazy right?! Good thing I'm not working! I don't know what I would do if I had to be somewhere early in the morning after that kind of night's sleep! I'm also have lots and lots of Braxton Hicks. Adam and I are praying that the practice contractions are just getting my body ready for the real deal! I am also waddling now..I think. It's hard to tell. I asked Adam and either he really couldn't tell or he was just being sweet, but he said he didn't think I was waddling. I think he's wrong:)

And the nursery is pretty much finished!! And it is my favorite room in the house! I'm tempted to sleep in there! But I don't think Adam would like that too much:) Anyway, most all of Jackson's stuff is washed, and I've come up with a tentative list for the hospital bag. We are getting ready!!  I go back to the doctor next week, and  he will check me for progress! Let's pray for progress!  I can't believe we will meet our little man in just a few weeks! Here are some pictures:

the completed nursery (we still have to hang the curtain):

 

And some belly pics! (And I'm not sure why my camera takes some pictures with really bad exposure)

35 weeks and the nursery so far...

Well I cannot believe we are getting so close!! Adam and I are starting to realize how soon we will have a little one home with us!! I haven't been sleeping that well, but thankfully, for whatever reason, last night I slept better than usual. I only woke up twice to go to the bathroom (thanks to Jackson sitting on my bladder:) and my hips didn't start to ache until early in the morning. Some nights my hips ache all night, and I toss and turn until morning, but this morning was better! 

I'm really not upset about the not sleeping well. I figure God is just preparing me for the several times I'll wake up in the night once Jackson gets here, which have I said I am SO excited about!? (the him getting here part, not waking up:)

Anyway, this has nothing to do with baby stuff, but I want to point out that I am so proud of Adam. He started P90x this week with several guys. They meet at 5 IN THE MORNING to work out..and Adam has done great! He says I can expect a chiseled husband in 3 months!:) I'm just so proud of him for getting up that early. Maybe in a few weeks I'll be up that early too feeding our sweet child. Wow- life is about to change!

The nursery is almost complete- and it looks amazing! The crib came in yesterday, and Adam put it together in about 45 minutes. I've washed all of the bedding, so that today I can see what it will all look like put together! All that's left is hanging the curtain, hanging the wall art, and applying the tree applique that our fun decorators ordered. 

As far as the daunting task of organizing all of the baby stuff and putting in the nursery, mom is coming today to help me do all of that. I'm so excited to see this room come together!

I also have a doctor's appointment this week, which is always so fun. I'm still having lots of Braxton Hicks, so I'm hoping that means my body is getting into gear! Well, (now) only a week and a half until our little man is considered "full term"!!! I can't wait to find out what his birthday is:)

Ok so I'm putting up some belly pictures...AND some pictures of the nursery so far...but...know that it is not finished! I just can't wait to show you the progress :)!...and there are ALOT of pictures I'm posting!

Here are some pics of some of my high school/ college girls and the creative genius (one girl's mom) who are working on the room!

This next picture is of an old bookshelf my grandparents bought us from an antique store for 20 bucks....I've posted a pic at the bottom of this post of the book shelf in its new paint color!

Adam putting together the crib...

 And the room still has a few pieces of artwork and decorations coming...And that giraffe print piece (which I love)  is a curtain, made by one of my girl's mom's,  that we haven't (obviously) put up yet.

And here is the freshly painted bookshelf! That by the end of this decorating venture will be filled with baby stuff...

So there you go! Hopefully by the end of this week everything will be put away and ready for our little man to get here:)

8 1/2 months...34 weeks!

Well...let's see..the past couple of weeks have been REMARKABLY different! And not in a bad way...just wow...it is so hard to move around now..and it is so hard to do "normal" things like putting on my shoes! So my sweet hubby is doing those things for me. He is the greatest! I've also starting have lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. They don't hurt; they are just more annoying than anything. I did ask the doctor because sometimes I'll have 5 or 6 in one night. But he said I shouldn't call unless I have 4-6 in one hour. But he said that it is great to have them, that my body is just prepping itself for labor!  

Speaking of labor..I think I'm in denial that this baby is coming in just a few weeks! It still just seems so surreal (which seems to be my fav. word nowadays). The nursery is coming along slowly- but we are SO excited. In case you didn't know, one my my small group girls, who is in college now, decided to give Adam and I a great baby gift! Her mom is an interior decorator, and their gift to us was doing our nursery! So this weekend 4 of my small group girls and the one girl's mom came over and started on the project. They painted the walls, and a bookshelf that we already had. They also worked on fun art projects for the walls, and one of the other girl's mom made a curtain! The room is going to look so awesome! As soon as it is complete, I will put up pictures!

And we had our last shower last Thursday. Several precious women from church hosted it, and they did an awesome job. It was the most special event. At some point during the shower, 4 different women prayed over me and baby Jackson. That moment brought me to tears. 

One of my favorite moments was opening a gift from one of our dear friends. They put their baby gift in an Easter basket. No one else would have noticed why that was special...but it melted my heart, and let me tell you why. Last year, about this same time was when we lost our first baby. And that same friend dropped off an Easter basket for us filled with goodies and a card saying that God had a plan for our lives, and that they loved us. And now, a year later, they were able to put gifts for baby Jackson in an Easter basket for our shower. It was just a small reminder of how far God had brought Adam and I. I know a miscarriage isn't the worst thing that can happen to someone..but to us..God used it to absolutely transform our lives. And now every time I feel Jackson kick, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness. When you've been through a valley, the harvest is that much more fulfilling!! 


I took some more pics of course...and where at one time I thought the pictures made my belly look larger than it really was...now I think my belly is larger in person than in pictures! If you see me, you can decide:)

 Ok Ok...I know my arms look deformed in this next picture...but it was the best one of my belly front on! so...look past the alien arms...

A

And here are some pics from the shower..

And here is a picture of all of my beautiful hostesses!:) The nice picture didn't turn out:( It was SO dark..but I think someone else got a "formal" pic. This one makes me laugh anyway!

33ish weeks

We are counting down the days!! Just this week I'm starting to feel like a whale:) Getting comfortable is very difficult, and my hips are super achy. However, overall, I'm doing well, and Jackson is still moving so much. I can't tell if he is head down or not right now, but the Doctor said he could keep flipping for a couple more weeks. By my next appointment, he should be good and settled and head down..that is our prayer. 

I did have an appointment last week that went very well! The doctor said I have a very healthy normal pregnancy. They did do some more routine blood work, and unfortunately the nurse had to stick me twice to get to the vein in my arm. She said I was blessed with "little veins". I didn't see it as much of a blessing when she was fishing around in my arm for the right vein, or any vein for that matter. The doctor did say I was measuring right on target, and things were looking great!

Last week we also had the lady, who is graciously doing our nursery as a gift, come over to look at the space. I have to say, she is incredible at what she does!! We loved all of her ideas, and I absolutely cannot wait to see the finished product. They are working on it this weekend, so hopefully by next week I can have some pictures posted!!  

And yesterday, I was doubly blessed with a surprise from my fellow co-workers! When I called in for the weekly conference call, my boss (who is also my friend and lives in Dothan) asked me to open my front door. There she was standing with a wrapped gift for me from all of the women I work with!! (all of us who do what I do live all over the country) They had me on speaker phone as I squealed and opened the gift. It was awesome:) They all went in and got us the little lamb swing that we wanted!! It was a great moment, in spite of me still being in my bathrobe:)

This journey has just been so fun, and it keeps getting better. I cannot wait to meet Jackson. I really am so in love with this little boy already. I can't imagine what it will be like to finally see him, hold him, and kiss him!! Only a few weeks to go! Please keep praying for us, that both mommy and baby continue to stay healthy!