32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks

Baby size: Acorn Squash, 3.75 lb, 16.69 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor last Tuesday and had gained 25 pounds! SCALE SLOW DOWN!!
Maternity clothes? Yes!  There are so many normal outfits I miss wearing, especially to work.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I have been sleeping about the same.  I wake up a few times during the night to turn, but fall right back to sleep.  I have been more exhausted this week since it was my first week with my kids being back to school.
Best moment this week: Wow!  It has been a week to say the least!  Sunday night I climbed in the bed at 6:30pm, yes 6:30.  I went full speed all week like I was not even pregnant.  I know only by the grace of God and the adrenaline I was running on was I able to do everything I did.  Monday was the first day my students came back to school from summer.  
Tuesday I made a scene in the hallway after the kids left by falling  I already had a doctor's appointment scheduled for Tuesday at 3pm, so at 2:40 I was headed up the hallway at work to sign out.  There was water in the hall on our freshly waxed floors and my feet came completely out from under me, and I fell to my rear end.  In the process I managed to hit my knee (which hurt the worst) and chip off the new pedicure I had paid for on both of my big toes.  The fall really did not hurt and as the teachers crowded around to check on me I told them I was fine, everything was okay... until I stood up.  When I went to stand, I immediately had a leak.  I started crying and went into panic mode not know if my water had broke or if I was bleeding.  I walked to the bathroom as quickly as I could to check it out.  Turns out the hard impact was rough on my bladder and I had wet my pants!!  How embarrassing.  SO, I had to run home and change my undies and quickly touch up my make-up from crying before heading to my doctor's appointment.   I did not call Daniel or Mama to tell them what had happened because I was afraid I would start crying again and did not want to enter the doctor's office with a messy face.  I called the office to let them know I was running late and told them what had happened.  When I arrived, they took me back immediately.  I was only scheduled for a check up, but when the nurse asked me what happened, she said she wanted me to have an unscheduled ultrasound to make sure everything was okay.  Tears starting coming down my face again, because THEY thought something could be wrong AND this was the first appointment I had been to alone.  When I went back for the ultrasound, I said, "This won't take the  place of my next ultrasound where they measure will it?"  And she said it would.  I held back the tears again and told her politely that I did not want the ultrasound because I wanted my husband to be there for the measuring ultrasound.  She said she would have to ask the doctor and I said okay.  She ended up not doing the long measuring ultrasound, but still did a quick one to check my fluid, placenta, the baby, and she even checked the blood in the umbilical cord.  Thankfully everything was okay!!  It sounds like nothing now, but at the time, I was a nervous wreck and thinking about everything that could be wrong and having to go on bed rest or maternity leave on the SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL!!  On a positive note, baby girl is head down for now!!  Hopefully she will continue to cooperate and stay ready for delivery when the time comes.  
Wednesday, I was able to hold my friend Jeanna's sweet baby girl who was born on July 27th.  I went to see her the day after she was born in the hospital, but was not able to hold her at the time.  She is so beautiful and little!  It is almost scary to think I will be responsible for something so tiny soon!!  
This weekend, we hosted a "Stock the House" party for my brother at our home.  It was so much fun spending time with family and his friends.  He was blessed to receive many wonderful gifts that will help make his new house a home.  I also attended my friend, Monica's baby shower for her little girl Lillian who is due Oct. 10th.  On Sunday, my mama's friend Dawn hosted a baby shower for our baby girl.  We were overly blessed to receive so many wonderful gifts from ladies at our church, neighbors, and some of my mama's friends.  You can see pictures below. 
Miss Anything? Being able to go to the bathroom anytime I want!  This summer I had gotten used to going to the bathroom at least every 2 hours during the day, even at summer school.  This week with my kids being back, I am averaging one to two times during the school day and it is just not enough. 
Movement: She has been moving a lot lately and not just small movements.  It is almost like she is doing "the wave" across my whole stomach.  I guess that just means she is getting bigger and bigger.  Also, I can tell that she has dropped some.  She was totally up in my ribs.  I think that is why the heart burn was so awful the past few weeks.  I have not had to take one Tums this week "knock on wood," and I can see sight of a bit of my waist again.  I am still curious to know if the terrible cramping I had a few Sundays ago was due to her dropping and moving from breech to head down.  Not sure, but last Monday morning I could tell a difference in the way my stomach looked and Daniel even commented.  When I got to school last week, one of the teachers I work with, Annette, said I looked like I had dropped.
Food cravings: We had a chocolate cake at my brother's party and it was delicious!  I have been snacking on the left overs a little bit too much lately.  I also still LOVE cereal and milk.  I think I could eat it every night for dinner.  I also need to drink more water at work.  I am running out the door so early every morning that sometimes I do not get my water bottle fixed and by lunch time I am extremely thirsty.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I can't think of anything new that is making me sick.   I had a pretty good week last week.  Again, I think I was running on adrenalin and did not have time to think about anything else but making it through.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: I have started to have more cramps in my calves at night, but they say this is normal.  The swelling in my feet has been much better than the week before because I have been moving around a lot.  The week before I was sitting in meetings all day and my feet were just hanging.  My throat usually still burns in the afternoons, and as you can tell from my fall, I cannot hold my bladder as good as normal.  Daddy said he is going to purchase me some depends :( 
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: A long weekend!!!  We are out of school Monday so we are planning to go to the lake for part of the weekend.  My birthday is also Friday, and I am looking forward to a special date night with my sweetie : )

My friend Monica and me at her baby shower.  Our girls are due 8 days apart : )

My brother, Clay's, stock the house party at our home.

 Opening gifts

 He has a lot of family and friends that really love him!!

 Dawn pinning on the adorable pin she made me out of a white hair bow and pacifiers. 

 The food table.

 Dawn, me, and Daniel's mom

 Me and Mama

 Sweet ladies from our church.

 Other ladies from our church.  We love our church family!!

 Her monogram!  

 Mama, me, Dawn, and Nancy

 Dawn and mama, best friends : )

 All of baby girl's things!!

Overly blessed!!

31 Weeks - First Baby Shower

How far along? 31 weeks

Baby size: Pineapple, 3.31 lb, 16.18 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: As of the last appointment I have gained 20 pounds. 
Maternity clothes? Yes!  The only non-maternity clothes that I can pull off now are dresses and stretchy skirts.  Most of my normal shirts are getting too short to wear, so I wanted to go shopping for more maternity shirts to wear to work.  I've said it before, but there are just slim pickins out there in the maternity clothing world.  I shopped for close to 3 hours in Greenville and came home with ONE shirt, ONE.  Do you know how much damage I can do in 3 hours when I am shopping for normal non-maternity clothes?  
Stretch marks? Nope, praying they stay away the whole time!
Sleep: This was my first week back to work for staff development days, so I have been pretty tired and sleeping through the night.  We had "Meet the Teacher" Wednesday night and I got home after 7pm.  When I woke up Thursday morning I told Daniel that I did not even wake up once to turn or if I did turn it did not wake me up.  I was exhausted!!  Saturday night was a different story.  I had pretty bad heart burn after eating dinner Saturday night and went to bed still not feeling good.  I had taken 4 Tums, but they didn't seem to be helping.  I woke up at midnight in terrible pain through the middle of my belly around my belly button and continued to cramp until about 3am when I finally fell asleep on the couch.  I did make it to Sunday School the next day, but went and took a nap at my parents house while Daniel and my parents were in preaching.
Best moment this week: I enjoyed meeting all of my students and their families on Wednesday and getting everything ready (as much as I could) for the first day of school with kids.  We were also blessed with a wonderful baby shower on Sunday afternoon given by Daniel's sisters and mama.  We got a lot of cute and much needed items for our baby girl.  You can see some of the pictures below.
Miss Anything? Not having to set an alarm clock.
Movement: She was very active when I was sitting in meetings all week.  It was pretty entertaining to look down and see her moving my belly : ) 
Food cravings: Still loving fresh peaches during this peach season.  Saturday morning, Daniel and I had a late breakfast date at Strawberry Hill when he got off of work.  The peach pancakes were delicious!!  The gravy biscuit, eggs, and hash browns I ordered were too.  I also craved white rice Sunday night because I felt like it may ease the cramping in my stomach.  It did help me sleep through the night!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I am not sure what caused the extreme cramping that lasted for over 24 hours, but I did drink some of Daniel's Mountain Dew Saturday at Costco because I was so thirsty, and I rarely ever drink soft drinks.  Even when I am not pregnant they are rough on my stomach and give me indigestion, so it could have been part of the problem.  After having the heartburn and cramping so bad Saturday night and Sunday, I was really scared to eat much of anything all day Sunday which was really sad because we went to Momom's for Sunday lunch.  I stuck to mostly starches like potatoes, biscuits, and mac and cheese.  She had so many other delicious casseroles and one of my favorites, sausage balls, but I was afraid that eating them would make me feel worse. 
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: My legs and feet have been swelling pretty bad this week.  I think the long periods of sitting in meetings with my feet hanging down have not been good for them.  Friday was pretty bad because we had a meeting from 8am - 3pm with my legs hanging down.  This is the worse they have swollen in the whole pregnancy.  Saturday late afternoon, I sat with them elevated pretty high for a few hours to try to help, and the same thing happened as when I elevated them from the beach trip.  I had to pee like every 45 minutes.  Then Saturday night, from midnight until 6am I used the bathroom 5 times!!  I guess all that fluid had to go somewhere--just glad it got out of my feet for the most part.

Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: Getting to know my new students this week, celebrating my brother moving into his new home Saturday night with a house warming party, going to Monica's first baby shower Saturday afternoon, and having a baby shower for our girl Sunday at my mama's friend, Dawn's, home.  Fun weekend to look forward to!!

 Daniel and I with the hostesses of the baby shower.

 Fruit baby that my creative mother-in-law made :)

 Mama and Daddy to be!!

 Yummy food and presents

 Daniel's mama and me

 

 My two mothers and baby girl's grandmas - Gran Gran on the left and Mimi on the right.

 

 The Jones family plus Daniel : )

 Mama and Daddy trying to decide the baby's birth date, weight, and length.

 Excited about receiving a Vitamix blender from Daniel's parents.  Planning to TRY to make our own baby food with things from Daniel's garden.  Any tips are welcome!!

 Monogrammed baby blanket in her nursery colors: pink and green!

 Baby Genius videos and cds from baby's Uncle Craig and Aunt Kim!

 Two pack and plays haha!!  My parents and Daniel's sister Jennifer bought the exact same gift AND wrapped it in the exact same paper.  This seems to happen a lot with our families : )  For one of our wedding showers, Daniel's parents and my parents bought us a set of pots and pans.  Then for our lawn and garden shower, my parents and Daniel's grandparents both bought us a blower.  We are doubly blessed!!

Thankful for all the gifts our little girl received! 

Brother looks like he is having so much fun lol!!  He and daddy couldn't seem to understand why men were invited to the shower : )

 Toilet paper game!!  Everyone tore off the amount of toilet paper they thought it would take to wrap around my belly.

 Daddy and Matt (Daniel's nephew) discussing how much to tear off.

 Looks like everyone is having fun with this game!

 Matt was only ONE square off!!  

 My father-in-law was multiple squares off!!  Should I be offended?  Haha!

 Daniel's Grandma Shirley measuring.

 Daniel's sister, Jennifer was close too!

But the winner was my daddy.  He got it exactly!!  He seems to be smiling pretty big to be complaining so much about having to come to a baby shower.  I think he may have actually had some fun : )

30 Weeks - What's the Name?

How far along? 30 weeks

Baby size: Winter Squash, 2.91 lb, 15.71 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: As of the last appointment I have gained 20 pounds.  I go back to the doctor next Tuesday.
Maternity clothes? Yes! 
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Sleep has been fair.  I am thankfully able to sleep and do not just lie awake, but I do wake up often to turn and readjust.  I am still rolling to my back even when I begin on my sides.  I guess I need one of those infant sleepers that keep them on their sides : )
Best moment this week: I know I am going to sound like a total loser on this one, but getting my house totally clean!!  My goal was to do this before going back to work, and the goal was accomplished.  My husband even got our nasty garage spic and span.  It's funny how when we were dating quality time was my main love language.  Now that we are married and share the responsibilities of a home, I definitely think acts of service is my new primary love language!!  The only thing that has not been done are the ceiling fans and cleaning the baseboards (I cannot climb or bend very well at this point).
Miss Anything? Speed!  My mom came to help me in my classroom, and she was Heaven sent!  I told her what she was able to do would have taken me three times as long because of how much effort it takes me to lift and bend.  She dusted all my nasty shelves and storage bins and help me put the room that was all up on my cabinets back together again.  Don't know what I would have done without her.
Movement: She has been very active this week.  I had Daniel feel my belly to try and see if he could tell where her head, bottom, and so forth were laying.  As he was pressing around on my belly she gave him a huge kick or fist.  It was hilarious, like she was saying "don't mess with me."  Daniel jumped back and said, well the Bible says fathers do not provoke your children, so I better stop messing with her  :)
Food cravings: Nothing really specific this week besides the usual foods I enjoy.  Throughout the whole pregnancy bread has been my staple along with cereal and milk.  I was joking the other night saying that if I had been pregnant during the snowy months, I would have been THAT person that ran out for milk and bread at the slightest chance of snow because I do not like living without it.  We did run out of bread one day last week, so when I made my Wal-Mart trip Saturday I went a little overboard on the bread purchases.  We now have loaf bread, french bread, cinnamon raisin thin bagels, and soft taco shells in our cabinet. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: I did get sick brushing my teeth again this past week.  I also ordered one of my favorite meals at Cracker Barrel Sunday - meatloaf - and the peppers and onions were not very nice to me the rest of the afternoon and evening. 
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: Swelling in my legs and feet by the end of the day, loss of energy (the 20 weeks were the best!), and it can be hard to catch my breath at times.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: Baby girl's first shower is this Sunday given by Daniel's sisters and mom.  I cannot wait to see all the cute girly things, and hopefully it will help put the nursery together a little more.

***SO, the million dollar question has been "Do you have a name picked out?"  This has been one of the hardest decisions we have had to make even more than which stroller, diapers, paint color for the room, or crib.  In high school I always said I would name my daughter Olivia Grace, but then Olivia became overused.  When we were first married, I decided I wanted our first daughter to be Ella Grace which I still love; however, five people I know who are having or have had babies this year used Grace, so it did not seem as special and unique to me.  We went back and forth with using Ellasyn Joy and calling her Ella for short, but I like the ring of Ella Grace better.  So, we have decided to save Ella Grace for later if we have another girl and hopefully Grace will not be so popular by then.

We do know the middle name we are using is Joy which is my middle name and my mama's first name.  And of course the last name is the easiest part!!  For the first name, we are going between Emersyn (Emmie for short) or Emilee (Emi) for short.  I go back and forth each day.  I love how Emersyn is unique and means brave and powerful.  But I also love how Emilee is a classic name with a unique spelling and means industrious and striving.  Votes are welcome, but don't get your feelings hurt if we don't use your choice : )  So the bad news is: no, we do not have a name picked out, and I may not decide until I look at my sweet baby girl for the first time.  The good news is we DO know her monogram!!  So all those who have been asking if they can get things monogrammed for her, the answer is YES: EMJ :)

29 Weeks

** Sorry for not having a chalk board picture, but we were out of town and did not have the chalk board with us : ) Excuse the bad hair day... it was raining outside when this was taken!

How far along? 29 weeks

Baby size: Acorn Squash, 2.22 lb, 14.80 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: This past Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment and have now gained 20 pounds!!  Slow down please!!
Maternity clothes? Yes! 
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Sleep has been pretty good until I went out of town this week.  I was not used to having a different bed, and though they were not uncomfortable it just wasn't the same as my bed at home.  I told Daniel there were 3 things I could not wait to get back home to: my bed, cereal and milk, and my recording of Cedar Cove (love this show on Hallmark).  I did enjoy sleeping on the beach though : ) 
Best moment this week: Being able to see our baby girl this past Tuesday (July 29th) at our ultrasound appointment.  The ultrasound tech said everything looked great!  Wonderful praise report : )   We did not get a great profile picture because she would not cooperate, but we did learn that she weighed 2 pounds 13 oz which puts her in the 45%ile for weight.  We also learned that her foot was measuring the size of a 32 week pound baby!  Haha.  We have said from the beginning that the girl is going to have some big feet, and she loves to put her feet up to her mouth.  Her heart rate was 145 bpm, which they said was great.  Unfortunately, she is currently breech, but we are praying she will turn in the next few weeks.  I will have appointments every two weeks or so from here on out since I am considered as having hypothyroidism.  I also had to get a shot at the appointment because my blood type is Rh negative.  We have two ultrasounds left unless she decides to arrive early.
I was also able to go on a vacation for several days which was happy and sad.  If any of you know my weather history... the rain seems to follow me anytime I try to take a vacation or plan a special event.  Last summer we went to the beach with my parents and had a tropical storm grace us with its presence the first week in June.   I went to the beach with my aunt's family the year before for a week and it literally rained 4 days straight.  The day after we got engaged at Wild Dunes, it rained while we were trying to get pictures around the resort with our families. It was nasty weather the day of our gender reveal party, and it rained so hard the night of our rehearsal dinner that our wedding coordinator skipped the rehearsal dinner to run to my parents home where the outdoor reception was to be held the next day to bring everything that the rain could damage inside my parents house.  These are just a FEW examples : )  SO, on the six days I was gone to the beach... the sun decided to shine only 2 hours of that time.  For all you math people out there that means out of the 144 hours I was there... I saw 2 hours of sun.  BUT, although I was sad at the time, looking back I am so thankful for the time away with the people I love the most!!
Mama and I usually like to try to take a girls only trip once a year, so we went to Charleston for a few days just us.  We enjoyed laying in the clouds, yes clouds no sun :(, walking on the beach, eating yummy food, and doing  a little shopping.  I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to have mama/daughter time!!  I have so needed it especially with me being so busy working and preparing for a baby and mama being busy working and taking care of my grandparents.  
Daddy and Daniel came down Friday late afternoon to join us and we stayed with my parents' friends, Walt and Carole, who have a beautiful home in Mount Pleasant.  We had a wonderful time with them despite the fact that it rained all day Saturday and Sunday. 
Sunday, Daniel and I were supposed to head to Kiawah Island for a little "babymoon" getaway before she arrives; however, we canceled that due to the stinky weather and decided to just stay at Wild Dunes.  We still had a great time together and did not realize HOW MUCH we needed that get away for our marriage to have the opportunity to slow down, talk, and give each other undivided attention.  I highly recommend that all married couples make the time and use the money to take at least one trip together each year, even if it's simply a long weekend as we did.  It does wonders for your marriage and hey, it's cheaper than having to pay a therapist to help solve the issues that come from not pouring time into your marriage.
Miss Anything? Recipes with multiple ingredients.  I was looking at the dinner recipes I have pinned on my Pinterest page the other day, and there were SO many that I cannot make due to the recipes containing tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, or any other foods that give me indigestion.   
Movement:Her kicks are getting stronger, but she still is the most active in the mornings and evenings when I am laying in the bed.  While we were at the beach, mama and I made a trip (or two) to Marble Slab for some much needed ice cream.  The first visit I ordered chocolate ice cream with pecans and Reece cups mixed in.  When we got back to the hotel and laid down, she was going crazy.  I was so excited for mama to get to feel her so much.  Normally she kicks in one area, but it was like she was rolling and cutting flips all over my stomach.  We felt her at the top, bottom, and both sides of my stomach.  Mama says she loves chocolate as much as her "Mimi."
Food cravings: Speaking of ice cream, we have now become friends again.  I could care less about sweets until around 4 or 5 weeks ago.  On our trip, I had Marble Slab with mama twice and once with Daniel on the way home in Columbia.  Thankfully the closest Marble Slab to us at home is in downtown Greenville or my weight and pocketbook would be in trouble.  I also SO missed my cereal and milk that I normally have each morning for breakfast at home.  I know, who would choose cereal and milk over hot breakfast meals cooked by your mom or from a restaurant... ME!! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: I have always had a problem with "gagging" sometimes when I brush my teeth even before I was pregnant, but while on vacation, I actually got sick one morning while brushing my teeth.  I guess I am going to have to take it easy on brushing my tongue so well and use mouth wash as a supplement.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: My calves and ankles swelled more than usual while at the beach.  Not sure if it was from the humidity, the drive down, or the food I was eating.  They did the same back in June when I went to the beach with Daniel's family.  I also keep Tums nearby after dinner because heartburn is pretty common, and gum stays in my pocketbook for those afternoon throat burnings I experience.  
My emotions were also a little off while at the beach.  I am normally a pretty "hardcore" person and do not cry easily at all, but this weekend the flood gates opened.  Saturday, Daniel and I were trying to decide what to do with the rain - to still go to Kiawah or just stay in Charleston.  We really wanted to go somewhere we had never been before, but thought it was foolish to experience a new place in the rain.  While talking about it, I just starting crying thinking about having only one week left before going back to work and got completely overwhelmed with all I need to do in the nursery and at home before then.  I said, let's just end it early and go back home.  Thankfully my husband put his foot down, and said we both needed to stay away from responsibilities a few days longer before we both "cracked."  The next afternoon my tear ducts started dripping uncontrollably again on and off for several hours for really no reason other than being tired, overwhelmed, and I guess a bit of anxiety of how we are going to juggle everything.  Monday, we went to lunch at Eggs Up Grill and we were just sitting at the table talking.  I was telling Daniel how wonderful it was to spend time with my parents for a few days and the tear ducts started flowing again... IN PUBLIC!!!  I hardly ever cry alone, much less in public!  I had told him how them leaving the beach was almost like moving out of their house all over again, and I had a lot more to say about it but told Daniel, let's talk in the truck because I could not talk without crying!!  Embarrassing :/ 
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to:Deep cleaning my house this week when we get back in town.  I want everything to be in order and spic and span before the school year starts back on August 11th!!

This was the best profile picture the ultra sound tech could get this time.  She even had me turn on my side to try to get baby to move, but she would not.

Baby girl's big foot.  I am 28 weeks and her foot is measuring at 32 weeks : )

She already has hair!!  Get the bows ready : )

Daniel finished painting the crib before I left for the beach with mama.  He did a great job on it, and I cannot wait to get the bedding now!!

Mama and I ready to eat some seafood at Shem's Creek.

Just a little comic relief picture!  Monday morning as soon as Daniel and I put on our swimsuits to sit in the clouds on the beach, it began to rain.  Sporting the swimsuit, cover up, and umbrella.  

 Same tree back in September 2010 the day after we got engaged (it was raining that day too!)

It's not fair that men don't have to worry about their hair in the rain!

Making memories again in the rain 2014!!

When we got engaged 2010.

While there this time, Daniel and I decided to take a walk by the house we stayed in with our families and friends after our engagement.