The Hospital Bag... Less than 5 Weeks to Go

This mama helped cure her blues with a special purchase of her own. After making some essential returns at Babies R Us, I found a new hospital bag. Steve Madden is any ladies sunshine on a cloudy day :) Especially when you find it at TJ Maxx. 

So on today's agenda... Pack the hospital bag. With the help of multiple Pinterest links of suggestions to bring. Seriously what did we do without Pinterest?!?

Still working on finding the perfect diaper bag... that's next on the list.

35 Weeks

 Baby Brynn, This momma is anxiously waiting to meet you! 

The chalkboard is back! Mama had the energy for some crafting errands this week.

How far along? 35 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Maternity...and a few bigger/ stretchy sweaters I have. I count down the minutes that I can come home and put on sweat pants and one of Mr. H's big tshirts. Yes this is the highlight of my day.
Sleep: The past two nights I have woken up at 3 o'clock in the morning and stayed awake for 30 minutes to an hour. Little girl thinks 3am is her time to show off her acrobats. Luckily I have been able to fall back asleep when the twists and turns stop. I have returned back to my afternoon, or evening naps. Getting as much rest as I can before her debut.

Miss Anything?  An appetite. Nothing sounds appealing. I'll eat because I need to. I feel like I don't have any room in my tummy for a full meal. I need to try and eat smaller meals to make sure I am eating enough.
Movement: Oh yeah! Mr. H is convinced that she is going to punch her way out of my stomach. He gets a kick out of watching her kick and punch creating lots of quick bumps. She is most active in the evenings.

Food cravings: Still lots of water! And still loving the La Crouix soda water. This has been my saving grace! :) I have a feeling this delightful treat has found a permanent spot in our refrigerator. Mr H and I cannot get enough. This week my secret Halloween buddy brought me a bag of crunchy cheetos. They did not stay around long! :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Lately my body has been feeling different. I wish I had a better way of explaining it. But a few mornings at school I have been feeling a bit dizzy and light headed and my heart beats a bit faster. My blood pressure is fine so that is not an issue. At my last appointment I told my doctor and she said it was blood pooling. After standing for too long my blood pools at my feet and has difficulty circulating past this huge belly of mine. It's gotten a lot better when I start feeling like that I just have to sit down for a bit, sometimes a bit difficult with 24 kinder babies.

Gender:  All girl :)
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions throughout the day. This little girl has dropped and as of my last appointment I am dilated at 1cm already. My doctor reassured me this could be a LONG process but that bit of news lit a fire under my husband's hiney and when I returned home he was organizing and tiddying up in the nursery! So sweet.
Symptoms:Now that she has dropped I feel like I can breath a little bit deeper but Brynn has left my right rib battered and bruised. Very tender. The pain has subsided a bit but the pressure has only transferred to the lower regions causing a lot of discomfort there and in my lower back. This is why the doctor decided to check me at my last appointment.

Belly Button in or out? Still staying in.
Wedding rings on or off? On, so glad about this.

Best moment this week: At 34 Weeks we had our last big baby shower thrown by two of my best girlfriends. I will post pictures when I get some :) After the news of being 1cm dilated, the nesting began. I called my mom with a minor freak out and she reassured me that she would come over and help me organize and set up the nursery. She's the best! We folded, put away and organized all the sweet gifts that had been piled and tucked away. It was so fun to see all of the pretties we had collected. We also worked out the stroller car seat situation and I feel like we are ready if she made an early debut.

Looking forward to: This Thursday we have our 36 week sonogram! Since we were released from seeing the specialist I have missed seeing our girl dance around on the screen, so I cannot wait to see how much she has changed. After measuring big at 32 weeks my doctor told me if she was big and I was "growing a toddler" we would talk about inducing. I would love for this all to happen naturally but along with the that news we found out that she is sunny side up, facing out. This does not call for a c section (praises) but it would cause back labor, which I have only heard nighmares about. This position explains the pains in my lower back already. 
After the sonogram, I have my regular check up which will now turn into weekly check ups and then my breastfeeding class. Mr. H gets a pass for this one :) 
Happy or Moody most of the time: I think my hormones have been in hibernation or have been stored up until the end because this weekend I have been a rollercoaster of emotions. Laughing, crying, nesting, lounging, yelling (at the dogs, not Mr. H). I even texted Mr. H on Saturday with a forewarning... "I am in a funk today." Be afraid, be very afraid! Well he responded perfectly. 

I woke up from my afternoon nap met with a new pair of Toms, perfect for my uncomfortable feet, and a gooey Cinnamonster. YES PLEASE! My husband knows how to cure my blues. Love this man! :)

Maternity Pictures at 34 Weeks

Our family was lucky enough to have our Maternity Pictures taken by the ever so talented Nathaniel Chadwick. Nathaniel was a groomsmen in our wedding and shortly after moved out to Los Angeles, California to persue a career in photography. He has made it big in the city of dreams photographing for many TV shows and the likes of Mr. Morgan Freeman. Needless to say we were elated when he said he would take our maternity pictures. I was checking my email like a stalker, waiting for the gallery to be posted. I was not disappointed what so ever! We feel lucky to have such a talented friend.  Check out his work at: www.nchadwick.com  How good looking is my husband?!?  Oh goodness I cannot wait for this girl to get here! :)

Before Brynn

As of my last appointment the doctor said there was a chance that I may only carry sweet Brynn until 39 weeks. Which means at 35 weeks we only have 4 more weeks, if that, as a family of 2. Things are in full swing at our house. Some may call it panic mode... Before our last shower this past weekend my mom came over and helped me organize the nursery including the closet, the dresser and all of the other fun things. That was such a relief. After the decorating, the fun stuff, I was at a stand still and a bit overwhelmed. No matter how many baby organization ideas I pinned on Pinterest, I would still stare at everything and wonder where to start. I just needed a mother's touch, or maybe just her company to light a fire under this hiney.

Since then the nesting has begun. And is in full swing.  Hence the to do list titled, Before Brynn. I have had the urge and desire to nest, but just needed a little motivation. Nothing like the news of less than 4 weeks left to start this fire.  The couch is my nemesis after a long school day. So we are tackling the list one item at a time. The husband informed me that he has the weekend off. He may be a bit busier than he thought. First items on the agenda, installing the car seat and packing the hospital bags. Yes friend, this is getting real. We could not be more excited!

I have this idea in my head that everything has to be perfect before she comes. Well she's going to come when she comes whether the bathroom cabinets are organized or not. I am praying for peace when it comes to this. I would rather spend these last few weeks loving on my sweet husband.

One thing that was not on the list was coming home again to a trash can ripped to shreds. Yes my thoughts flashed back to last time when we rushed Kali to the emergency vet at 2 am. Instead of a repeat, I remembered what 2 friends had told me about using hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting.  So a quick trip to Tom Thumb, one bottle of hydrogen peroxide and one google search later we have one puppy with empty stomach.

Well if you need to do it the trick works. And as hard as it was to watch I'm so glad we did it. There must have been a bag of chocolate chips on Kali's level, so who knows what could have happened. 

I truly believe our God has a sense of humor. This wasn't too funny to me but I was definitely reminded after this peroxide filled night that our plans are not the same as His. I am trying to remember this when I am stressing about clean tubs and cabinets. She's going to come when she comes. 

Happy Wednesday y'all!!! No I haven't forgotten Week 34 we are waiting to share and see our Maternity Pictures. And coming up on Week 35 the chalkboard returns. Mama got some more chalkboard paint. 

October 15th

Today, October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day. I woke up this morning with a tugging on my heart and a need to be near to the Lord. I had no idea about the day until a friend sent me something on Facebook. No doubt, that tugging was no coincidence. The Lord our God knows exactly what the heart needs and He knew that I would need some extra love today.

On my way to work I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise containing the promise of a new tomorrow. He will draw near to us, the broken hearted. And although my heart is full of anxiousness to meet my sweet daughter there is, and always will be a longing to hold our first born again. Baby H is forever in our hearts. He came and left way too soon. Some days the only thing that I find comfort in, is knowing that one day will be reunited with him in Heaven. And what a glorious day that will be.

Yes, I am member of a club that I would wish the membership on no one. Its a special bond between woman, where they just know. They know the heart ache, the tear filled nights and sometimes days. I am proud to stand with many brave woman and share in their healing. I am grateful for God's mercy and His knowing that I would need other woman to suffer alongside. Hopeful Hearts, a grief group has been exactly what I needed and led me to a Homegroup where 3 other woman went through similar situations. God is sovereign.

So today I stand, holding hands with other grieving mothers and we long for our babies. But one day there will be no more tears and we will see those faces again. I am thankful for that promise. Yes, God is good.

33 Weeks

  Please excuse the absence of the chalkboard... Wanted to share a picture with the hubs from this weekend's baby festivities or wanted to share a picture from her new favorite iPhone app Red Stamp or maybe this mama is too lazy to go buy another can of chalkboard paint :) 

How far along? 33 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Maternity...last week was just a tease. The temps are back up in the high 80s with 100 % humidity. It does wonders for this preggos already inflamed sinuses.
Sleep: I have been sleeping really well considering how far we are into the 3rd trimester. I am still battling the awful leg cramps in the middle of the night. And the heartburn seems to be creeping into bedtime and interrupting my slumber.

Miss Anything?  An appetite. Nothing sounds appealing. I;ll eat because I need to. Well I lied, ice cream always sounds appealing. I think I just miss being comfortable. I am really not complaining but simple things are definitely getting more and more difficult.
Movement: There is a lot of twisting and turning going on in there. There's not too much wiggle room for any big kicks. Luckily there have been no swift kicks to the organs. I'm still waiting on the roundhouse kicks at the end.

Food cravings: Still lots of water! And still loving the La Crouix soda water. Ice cream like I said before but not much else. I am trying to keep a balanced diet here in the end but nothing sounds great.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Sitting for too long. She is so high up in my rib that sitting straight up put a lot of pressure on my stomach making me a little queasy.Brushing my teeth has been catching my gag reflex but its better than stank breath!

Gender:  All girl :)
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Still the pain in my right rib, although she is getting heavy on my belly she must be one long girl because her rump is pushing on that rib so hard. Heartburn is wicked right now! Tums peppermint have been such a relief.

Belly Button in or out? In- I asked my doctor when and if she thought my belly button would pop out she said I have a pretty deep button and it may just pop even with the belly and not stick out.
Wedding rings on or off? On, so glad about this.
Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy! I cannot believe it is so close... especially if she comes early. In almost one month our sweet daughter will be lying in our arms. This thought will take away any anxiety... all the car issues, the maternity leave worries, the bills, and the never ending what ifs. All will disappear with Sweet Brynn in our arms. (Well most of them...) I am trying to rest in the promise that our God has bigger plans. There is such peace in that.

Best moment this week: My sweet mom, my sister, my mother in law and 2 sister in laws threw us the most beautiful baby shower this past Saturday! There was so much love in the room. So many of our close family friends were there that walked through our first pregnancy with us with Baby H so it meant so much that they were there with us. Brynn is so blessed already with so many goodies. Especially in the clothes department. I guess buying girl clothes is just too much fun. So many clothes that this mama did her first load of baby laundry. There is something about the smell of Dreft detergent that motivates me to do laundry. So ignoring the mountain of Mr. H and my clothes, I washed, dried, and folded sweet onesies and socks for our girl.

Looking forward to: We have our last shower this weekend. Two of my sweet girlfriends are throwing us a shower for us and some of my closest girlfriends. They have been working hard for weeks and I cannot wait to see what they have planned. Mr. H and I will be making a trip to Babies R Us this week to make some returns and in exchange we will get some essentials before she comes.

We cannot wait to meet our little girl! :)

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Maternity...LOVING the cooler weather! This weekend the high was 52 degrees. It was legitimately cold! It was beautiful... especially for this human heater.

Stretch marks? Nope. Hopefully none in the last few weeks.
Sleep: I have been sleeping really well considering how far we are into the 3rd trimester. I have heard horror stories about woman with chronic insomnia at this point, so I am considering myself very, very lucky. No sleep for a kindergarten teacher does not work out so well with a class of 24.

Miss Anything?  An appetite. Nothing sounds appealing. The shower food this weekend was delicious... maybe I'll just be snacking on finger foods until she comes. We learned at birthing class this weekend that smaller, more frequent meals work better because the stomach is so smooshed.
Movement: There is a lot of twisting and turning going on in there. There's not too much wiggle room for any big kicks. Luckilly there have been no swift kicks to the organs. I'm still waiting on the roundhouse kicks at the end.

Food cravings: Still lots of water! And still loving the La Crouix soda water. We tried the lemon and lime flavor and it's like Sprite without the syruppy sweetner. We LOVE it! I am still on a soup kick. My mom brought over some taco soup this Saturday and then after our birthing class the cold weather called for grilled cheese and turkey sandwiches with tomato soup.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Sitting for too long. She is so high up in my rib that sitting straight up put a lot of pressure on my stomach making me a little queasy. The cooler weather is bringing lots of yucky germs to my kinder babies. There are boogers galore... not good for this pregnant mama's gag reflex. 

Gender:  All girl :)
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks Contractions continue. We learned a lot about these in our birthing class. Just the body warming up and teaching the body how to get ready. The human body is amazing. Not only growing a little baby but preparing and then laboring through the birthing process. Nothing but amazing! No other symptoms though.

At my bimonthly appointment I asked the doctor about my rib pain and she said little girl was up in my ribs and pushing out. My right rib is actually displaced because of the pressure. She said I was measuring 34 weeks when I am 32. Silly me I asked, "Does that mean she is coming early?" No, no silly first timer... it means she is big. Thanks Mr. H!

Belly Button in or out? In- I asked my doctor when and if she thought my belly button would pop out she said I have a pretty deep button and it may just pop even with the belly and not stick out.
Wedding rings on or off? On, so glad about this.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and a little anxious. I am praying big prayers for this anxiety. It is everything; are we really ready? school, my long term sub, my students, me, Tom and on and on it goes. I am trying to rest in God's peace and plan for our girl. 

There is so much to think about in the last few weeks. We are trying to get everything in place. With Mr H and I on opposite schedules we are doing what we can together with the time we can.
Looking forward to: This Saturday my mom, sister and inlaws are throwing us a shower. It will be one for the books. They have let me in on a few of the secrets, including the food, and all I need to say is BRUNCH! Oh holy pancakes on a stick, it will be good. I can't wait to see all of the family friends from both sides. It will be so fun.

Best moment this week: We had a busy, busy weekend. We celebrated Baby Brynn with our friends from Grapevine Crossfit with our first baby shower. It was so fun to think that we will be using all the sweet gifts on our baby girl in just 8 short weeks. We were so blessed with all of the gifts. 

The next day we bundled up and headed to our crash course on childbirth. Usually it is a 12 hour course split into 4 sessions on a weeknight. Mr H's schedule just does not agree with these "normal" scheduled events so our option was one 10 hr course jam packed with graphic videos galore and lots and lots of information. We got a lunch break where we had already scoped out the Bakers Bros. nearby. I have already decided this will be my post delivery meal.

We were already so ovewhelmed with all the information.

We are so happy with our choice to deliver at our hospital. This course only confirmed this. The instructor, the services available and the gorgeous facilities put our nerves at ease. We feel grateful to have this type of hospital so nearby. November 1st I will be attending the breast feeding class. I told Mr. H he could skip out on this one...

Crossfit Baby Shower

 

This weekend we celebrated BIG with our first baby shower. Our friends at Grapevine Crossfit threw us a beautiful shower full of love and lots of yummy snacks. I LOVE shower food! It is so crazy to think that we are at the point of our pregnancy that we are having showers. We have lots to celebrate... a healthy baby girl and almost at full term.. Crazy!

 Sweet Seamus, one of Brynn's many boyfriends.

 The wonderful hostesses, Bevin and Shannon.

We are so blessed! Thank you to all of our Crossfit friends for a wonderful first baby shower. They have been there for us through our pregnancy with Baby H and it was so special that they were able to celebrate with us for our first daughter.

Thank you, thank you! Love, Katie, Tom and Baby Brynn!