37 Weeks

How far along? 37 weeks

Baby size: Winter Melon, 6.30 lb, 19.13 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor today and have gained 29 pounds.  I don't want to see the 30 pound mark!!
Maternity clothes? Yes!  I am hoping my one pair of black maternity pants and khaki capris will last me at work until delivery.  I bought a pair of maternity jeans but have only worn them once since I can't wear them to work, and on the weekends I only want to wear gym clothes.
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: Sleep was bad for most of the week.  Monday, I was up at 2am and couldn't fall back to sleep.  Tuesday, Daniel had to referee games so since I was home alone I decided to go to bed at 7pm to catch up from the sleep I lost Monday.  I was sleeping so good until the doorbell started to ring at 10pm.  I was not about to answer the door that late home alone.  Then my phone rang and it was Daniel.  He said to come to the door with his spare set of truck keys because someone at the gym had picked up his regular keys.  He had called my cell phone 8 times before ringing the doorbell, and I did not hear it once (the phone was laying right beside me on the night stand).  Once I realized what had happened, I could not fall back asleep because I was worried that someone I did not know had Daniel's truck keys, my car keys, and our house keys!!  At midnight I finally got up and ate a bowl of cereal to try to calm me.  I think I was back to sleep by 1:30.  Wednesday, I woke up several times unable to go right back to sleep, and finally Thursday night I slept my first full night but of course I had early morning duty Friday morning so my sleep was cut short again. 
Best moment this week: We were able to check some other things off of our list.  I got all of her clothes and blankets washed, hung, and folded with the help of my mama.  We also worked some more in the nursery and I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We got her car seat installed with the help of my cousins Rick and Jeanne.  They have 3 boys so they are experts on this by now :)   But today was the best moment.  I had a doctor's appointment, and our favorite ultra sound tech told Daniel at the game he refereed Tuesday night that she would try to sneak us in for one last ultra sound since we missed her the past 2 times.  She was able to, and it made my day!  I have pictures below.  We learned a lot about Emersyn.  Her heartbeat was 143 bpm and she was measuring in at 7 pounds!!  She is now in the 60%ile for weight.  They said she would probably be between 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 pounds at delivery.  My fluid level is at a 13 which they said was good, and she has a lot of hair.  She is breathing on her own and was sucking her little thumb : )  The doctor checked me again today and said the baby's head is at a -2 and pretty low.  I am only dilated a 1/2 cm but have begun to thin.  My Strep B test came back negative and thyroid levels were good.  They said everything looks great so far!!  I am getting a little nervous now knowing that it can be anytime... and I still have procrastinated packing my bag!!!  I have got to do that this week.
Miss Anything?  Eating whatever I want.  I really miss enjoying salads, spaghetti, baked ziti, broccoli, and okra without having heartburn or an incredibly swollen stomach.
Movement: She is more active everyday, or maybe it is just because she is bigger.  I can still feel her all over, and it is pretty funny to see her roll from side to side.  She has had the hiccups several times this week and it is always on the bottom right side of my stomach.
Food cravings: Bread, bread, and more bread.  I have craved really healthy foods because I hate the way anything heavy or greasy makes me feel.  I do not need to feel any more swollen than I already am.  Daniel has been making smoothies for me that I really enjoy.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Same things, but I just avoid them.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: Burning throat in the afternoons, sharp pain in my lower left pelvic area at times, lots of bathroom breaks, feel full a lot quicker than normal, swelling in legs and feet, hard time breathing when sitting up (standing/walking/laying are the most comfortable for me)
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: Seeing what Emersyn looks like in person.  We keep trying to pick out features from the ultrasound pictures, but I cannot wait to see what she has of Daniel's and mine when we see her for the first time.

Some of our maternity pictures

36 Weeks

How far along? 36 weeks

Baby size: Honeydew, 5.78 lb, 18.66 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor last Thursday and have now gained 28 pounds :/  I have been holding a lot of fluid this week, so hoping that is the reason for the gain.
Maternity clothes? Yes, but I am still finding new outfits from my closet that I can put together with non-maternity clothes.
Stretch marks? No, so far so good.
Sleep: Sleep has been good and bad this week.  Monday night, I woke up at 2am wide awake and knew I was no where close to going back to sleep.  I had a lot on my mind with all the things I needed to do to prepare for the baby and to prepare to be out of work.  I knew I needed to wash my hair and shower for work Tuesday, so I went ahead and took a long shower  at 2:30am and just spent time in prayer talking to God about life and where He is leading our family.  Then I dried my hair and went and sat in the rocker in Emersyn's room and prayed some more for her health, a safe delivery, her salvation, being the kind of mom He wants me to be, and just thanking him for such an incredible blessing!!  Then I headed to the couch to prop my feet up on pillows to try to go back to sleep.  Tuesday night I slept hard all night... so hard that Daniel had to move to the couch because he said my snoring woke him up haha.  You can't help but to snore when you are sharing your lungs with a baby.  Wednesday night I was up at 2:30 again, wide awake.  I didn't shower in the crazy morning hours, but just headed to the couch, got on Pinterest for  a while and then when to sleep.  The rest of the week was the same, good nights and bad. 
Best moment this week: We had a very productive weekend.  Saturday we had a yard sale at our home from 7am-noon and did pretty well.  Then I went for an hour prenatal massage that my sweet husband gave me for Mother's Day.  It was heavenly : )  Then we went to Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby in Greenville to return our duplicates and purchase most of the remaining items we really need before she arrives.  Today after church and lunch we started putting together baby items and washing the bedding.  I also got the house cleaned except for mopping.  I told Daniel that there are very few things that make me happier than a clean house.  He thinks I'm crazy and I'm not sure he will ever understand :)  Thursday, I had a doctor's appointment.  My blood pressure was good and the baby's heart rate was 131 bpm.  Way lower than last time, but the doctor said that was good that you want to see a variation in the heart rate.  They checked my cervix for the first time, and I am showing no signs of going into labor anytime soon.  I am at a zero and no thinning has occurred.  I am praying that she isn't too late... don't want a Halloween baby, so if you have any "old wives tales" to help let me know.  I had to have blood work taken, got the TDAP shot, and had the Strep B test.  I was very disappointed to hear that I will not have another ultrasound.  Back at 30 weeks, they told me I would have two more ultrasounds before delivery: one at 32 weeks and one at 36 weeks (which would be next week when I go to the doctor).  Apparently they counted the unscheduled ultrasound they did on me when I fell as one of the last two, and I told them not to count it because I was by myself and wanted to have other people with me for my real scheduled ultrasounds.  Plus the ultra sound tech we really like did not do the ultrasound when I fell and she was on vacation for our last ultra sound, so I really wanted just ONE more :(  Maybe they will change their minds...
Miss Anything? My ankles and being able to bend over with ease.
Movement: She is still very active.  The doctor told me Thursday that I should begin kick counting from now until delivery.  Once daily I should time how long it takes her to kick 10 times.  I told her if I lay down and am relaxed and quiet, she will kick 10 times in a minute :)   Also, her kicks are not only single movements, she rolls.  I can watch my stomach completely change shape as she is changing positions.  Several times this week she has literally felt like her feet are underneath my rib cage.  It is pretty uncomfortable especially when sitting.
Food cravings: Pretty much the same.  I enjoy bread and sent Daniel on a bread run one night last week because we were out of bread.  I also love fruit, ice cream, water, apple juice, cheese, chicken, potatoes any way, popcorn, and peanut butter.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I love salads but the aftermath is still not good.  They are hard to digest and swell me up immediately.  
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: My throat has been burning as bad as it did during the first trimester.  I have been keeping gum in every afternoon and evening to try to relieve the pain.  I have also been swelling more this week.  Monday, I had a meeting at school from 8am - 11am where I was sitting in a chair the whole time.  I literally watched my ankles/feet grow.  I worked until 8 Monday night and then had Open House Tuesday night so was not home again until 8pm.  My feet just got bigger because I had no time to lay on the couch and prop them up.  Wednesday night I decided to skip our small group Bible Study because I was beginning to worry about how swollen my feet were.  I got home from work at 5 and kept my feet propped high on 3 pillows from 5 until 8.  I only got up to use the bathroom (which was like every 45 minutes).  By bed time I could actually see my ankle bone again, but they were still not back to normal and have not been since. 
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: Having some "down" time.  I am ready to hold my baby girl, be at home, and not worry about anything but taking care of our little family.  I still have not packed my hospital bag yet!!  I don't know why I am procrastinating that so much?!!

** I will post maternity pictures next week.  We are waiting for the disc of images to be ready.

35 Weeks

How far along? 35 weeks

Baby size: Coconut, 5.25 lb, 18.19 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: I have gained 25 pounds as of the last doctor's appointment.
Maternity clothes? I am wearing some maternity clothes, but I have become very creative lately with putting together some of my regular outfits because I am running out of clothes to wear to work.  Luckily many of my dresses and skirts still fit.  If I wear pants they are pretty much all maternity, but I can get away with some of my stretchy, longer tops especially if I put a  cardigan with them.  I am not into spending money on maternity clothes this late in the game.
Stretch marks? Not so far... but my stomach has been itching like crazy this week. 
Sleep: Sleep has been pretty good minus the middle of the night bathroom breaks.
Best moment this week: Wednesday we were given a baby shower by my sweet co-workers.  We received some really special things and lots of gift cards.  Mommy loves shopping : )  Mama and I also went for a much needed pedicure after the shower.  Thursday we had maternity pictures taken so we could remember this special time in our lives.  I cannot wait to see how they turned out!  I will post pictures in the next blog post.  We also had two wonderful showers this weekend.  Saturday night my college roommates gave us a cookout shower and Sunday, my family gave us our final shower.  We are now ready to sort through all the wonderful things we have received in the past few months so we know what still needs to be bought before baby girl makes her debut in October!
Miss Anything? Speed.  I get so frustrated at how much slower I am at accomplishing tasks at work, which in turn makes me have to stay way later than I want to.  Also, I miss my brain!  Two days this past week, I forgot to send home the reading homework sheet with my students.  Once is forgivable, twice... I had to write a parent apology letter for my pregnancy brain!! 
Movement: Many of the emails about pregnancy I receive say that the movement becomes less in these last few weeks, but not for our baby.  We learned early on that I have an anterior placenta, meaning the placenta is on the front wall of my uterus.   Therefore, when she was kicking early on, I wasn't able to feel it as strongly as most moms because she was having to kick through the thickness of the placenta too.  I guess the girl's legs and arms are much stronger because I sure do feel her now.
Food cravings: I was craving something sweet one day last week and went rummaging through the pantry.  I found an unopened box of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies that I had purchased back in the spring from one of my students.  In the spring, I wanted nothing to do with chocolate, but it was a wonderful surprise to find this week.  I have been eating a few a day!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I have noticed a pattern of my stomach swelling way more than normal when I eat fried okra.  It did it a few weeks ago when we ate at Tupelo Honey.  I felt like I was literally going to pop, so the next day when we ate at Daniel's parents for Sunday lunch I did not eat any of the okra.  This Sunday, mama fixed fried okra and although it was delicious, I felt like I was going to pop afterwards at the shower.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: My throat has started burning in the afternoons again.  I also had a terrible pain in my lower back one night last week.  Daniel and I were in the den watching our recording of Cedar Cove.  I had been laying on the couch and asked him to pause it for a bathroom break.  When I started to walk back to the den, the left side of my back was aching from the top of my hip to my bra strap.  I laid on my side on the couch and placed a pillow behind my back, but the pain only got worse.  I got Daniel to walk me to the bed, and I climbed in to lay flat on my back.  The pain was so sharp tears were rolling down my face, and I was literally rolling from side to side.  It only lasted for around five minutes and has not happened again, but I think that was a preview of what's to come with contractions.  Not looking forward to it!! 
Belly Button in or out? It is in, but it is almost as stretched as it can be.  The skin around it is also very tender and almost a blueish bruised color.
Wedding rings on or off? On, but they are beginning to make a red ring around my finger.
Looking forward to: Going shopping for the remaining items we need before bringing baby home and getting together my hospital bag just in case...

We have finally decide on a name for our baby girl!!  Emersyn Joy McDowell : )

Baby Shower Given at Work

 The shower was given for Monica (Oct. 10), me (Oct. 18), and Kelly (Sept. 26) since we are all due within a few weeks of each other!

 My first grade team minus one who had to be at a meeting.  Thanks for putting together the shower Annette, Amanda, and Missy!!

 Me and Monica due 8 days apart!  We started our teaching careers across the hall from each other 7 years ago and have been best friends since : )

 Co-workers enjoying the shower theme "Ready to Pop!"

Thanks for coming Mom!!

Thanks for coming Nancy and Emma!  Nancy (Daniel's mom) used to be the secretary at our school until she retired last May.

Baby Q Shower Given by my College Roommates

 Soon to be Mommy and Daddy :)

 With the hostesses: Kathryn and Jennifer.  My other friend Brantley was also a part but was unable to attend because she was put on bed rest last week.  She is due 10 days before me.

 Kathryn, Grace, me, and Jennifer... Clemson girls!!

 Me and Jeanna

 Nathan, Jeanna, baby Abigail, and Sharon (Jeanna's mom)

 Shower of blessings!!

 Emmie and I have already been listening to Christmas music together!!  Can't wait to spend the holidays with my baby girl this year and see how cute she looks in this outfit from her Aunt Barbara and Jeanne : )

 LOVE this outfit that Grace and Chad gave Emersyn!  

 Emma helping with gifts

 My parents' friends, Carole and Walt

 Daniel's Parents: Gran Gran and Papa

 Jennifer and sweet baby Grace!

 I think they had a little too much fun writing messages on the diapers!

My parents: Mimi and Pappy

And THIS is what an eight month pregnant mommy looks like after 9pm... totally unattractive but it's just the way it is.

Shower Given by My Family

 Delicious desserts

 Jill (made the delicious strawberry cake) and my sweet MamaDoris

Elizabeth (Daniel's sister), me and Nancy (Daniel's mom)

 The hostesses: my cousin Jeanne, Aunt Barbara, Aunt Sarah, Aunt Maria, me, and Aunt Cindy.  Thanks so much ladies for all you did to make it so special!!

 Invitation

 Blessed with two wonderful grandmas!!  Momom, me, and MamaDoris.

  Mama, me, Aunt Mert, and Aunt Sarah

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks

Baby size: Honeydew, 4.73 lb, 17.72 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor this past Thursday, and I think this is the first time I have not gained weight : )  I was actually down 3 oz.  Total weight gain as of right now is 25 pounds. 
Maternity clothes? Yes!  And some of them are beginning to get tight.  I do not know what happened from Friday to Saturday, but I woke up with my stomach sticking out much farther than normal.  It is crazy how much my stomach has changed over time.  It's been high, it's been low... it's been wide, it's been narrow and I am sure it is only going to continue to change as we get closer to her arrival.
Stretch marks? Nope, but I have been staring in the mirror this weekend to make sure because I feel like my skin is going to tear it is so tight.  Praying the stretch marks stay away until the end!!
Sleep: Sleep has been as good as it can be at 34 weeks pregnant.  I have had to wake up once a night (usually around 2:30) this week to go to the bathroom.  This is something new.
Best moment this week: We had lots of great moments, so I will try to keep it as short as I can.  Tuesday, we went to tour Spartanburg Regional.  We have now toured both Regional and Mary Black.  I have heard great things about both, so we have been back and forth about which to choose.  People have said that Mary Black is personalized and you receive more special attention because it is not as busy.  Also, everything is on the same floor (nursery, labor room, and after delivery room).  People have told me that Regional is very busy and you will have multiple nurses in and out, but on the plus side,  Regional has a higher level NICU in case there is a need, larger waiting rooms for our large families, and there is an anesthesiologist there at all times (at Mary Black they have to call them in, so my epidural could be delayed... and no I am not trying to be super woman like my mom and deliver all natural, give me the drugs).  SO, we still have the decision as to which hospital to deliver at.  We are up for any other suggestions from people who have had experiences.  I am leaning a little more towards Regional today...
Wednesday, was our 3 year wedding anniversary.  We both had to work and then went to our small group Bible studies after work because we decided to celebrate Friday instead.  On our way home from church we had a great time talking in the car about HOW MUCH God has blessed our marriage in such a short time through our families, home, church family, growth in Christ as a couple and individually, jobs, memories we've made, and our precious baby girl that is on her way.  Looking back, we are amazed at how God can and will do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine when we surrender our lives into His hands.  
Thursday, we had a doctor's appointment and ultrasound.  I was a little sad because our favorite ultra sound tech was on vacation, but I stayed positive and enjoyed seeing our baby girl.  They measured her and said she was weighing in at 4 pounds 10 ounces.  They said this ranked her in the 23%ile for weight, which kind of worried me, but the doctor said that was completely fine as long as they did not get below the 10%ile.  They also said her legs were measuring in the 18%ile which seems crazy to me because Daniel and I both have long legs, and her head is measuring in the 64%ile.  Not sure how accurate all this really is, but the doctor seemed to think everything looked great.  Her heart beat was 173 bpm, which is much higher than it has been.  It has been staying in the 140s-50s.  We joked and said she can feel the stress of the beginning of the school year : )  They also said she was practicing to breathe on her own which was great.  Sadly, the lady was unable to get any good profile pictures, but I posted a few below.  I go back in 2 weeks just for a doctor visit, no ultrasound.  
Friday, we had a date night in Greenville for our anniversary which included Tupelo Honey for dinner and Marble Slab for dessert : )  Then of course we had to make a stop in at Buy Buy Baby and Destination Maternity because that's what expecting parents do on their anniversary right!!
Today, our sweet Sunday School class gave us a baby shower.  We got some wonderful things including lots of diapers and wipes, which we were thrilled about!  We have heard we can never have too many of those : )  We are so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group.
Miss Anything? Breathing normally, and I never thought I would say this, but I am ready for summer to be over.  I am normally the person who cannot wait for the first day it is warm enough to lay out in the sun in spring, and then I want to cry when the first frost hits.  Pregnancy has changed this!  I told Daniel today that I am ready for 70 degrees and nothing warmer.
Movement: She is very active these days, and she has had hiccups several times this week.  Daniel tried to yell at my belly one night when she had them... he said he was trying to "scare" the hiccups away for her.  Oh my!
Food cravings: Cereal every morning for breakfast with a peach or banana mixed in, and I have had an apple every day for lunch with usually sandwiches since we teachers have to eat so fast!!  I do have to limit myself on potato chips (especially salt and vinegar) and fries, and of course pickles are always welcome!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Really just the same things that I know to avoid.  For example, daddy had hash Saturday night for Momom's birthday, and though I normally LOVE hash, I knew better than to eat it because the onions would mess with my stomach.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: I felt pretty good all throughout the work week, but this weekend has been a different story.  As I stated above, my stomach magically popped out further from Friday to Saturday, and this weekend I have struggled to catch my breath worse than normal.  It was so bad today at church that I had to finally get up and leave.  If I am the least bit over heated it makes it harder to breathe.  I almost feel like I am going to pass out if I cannot get enough breath.  I have been a bit whiny this weekend, but I apologized to Daniel today in advance for any whining I do between now and delivery.   
Belly Button in or out? In but barely :(
Wedding rings on or off? On, but they are beginning to make a red ring around my finger.
Looking forward to: We have our final showers this week.  My work is giving me a shower Wednesday, and then we have a friends shower Saturday night and family shower Sunday.  After Sunday, we will know more what we are still missing and need to go purchase before she arrives.  In the next two weeks, I want to take care of getting everything organized and ready in case she decides to surprise us early.  I also have not packed my hospital bag, so I plan to do that in the next few weeks.

Baby girl's face

 

Foot

 The yummy breakfast food made by our Sunday School girls.

 Our Sunday School class

 Opening presents

 What's inside??

 Noah playing with the rubber duck baby girl got :)

 Derek and Amanda

 Our preacher's wife, Katrina, and her daughter Kalie

 My friend since Jr. High, Jeanna, and her sweet baby Abigail (first day to church)!

 Thankful for all the thoughtful gifts!

Ben and Beth

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks

Baby size: Honeydew, 4.23 lb, 17.20 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: 25 pounds as of a few weeks ago.  I go back to the doctor this Thursday.
Maternity clothes? Yes! 
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Sleep has been really good lately.  Work is making me sleep pretty hard throughout the night!  I have rarely been waking up to use the bathroom.
Best moment this week: I had a great long weekend off!  Friday was my 29th birthday : )  My mother in law and niece, Emma, brought me lunch to work and surprised my class and me with homemade red velvet cupcakes; I had lots of sweet phone calls, texts, and cards from family and friends; and Daniel and I went to the Apple Festival in Hendersonville for some yummy apple treats!  Saturday I spent the day at my parents pool relaxing with them and Daniel.  My parents fixed me a birthday lunch and my brother came to eat.  That evening we had my birthday dinner with Daniel's family and watched the Tigers play.  Sunday and Monday Daniel, my parents, and Daniel's parents went to the lake house and had a great time relaxing, getting sun, riding in the boat, and laying on floats in the water.  Pretty perfect way to spend my birthday and Labor Day!! 
Miss Anything? Being able to lay on my belly while laying out in the sun.  It is doable on a float in the water because my belly can sink into the water, but it is just not possible on land.
Movement: She moves the most when I get home from work and for the rest of the evening.  Some days I feel like she is stretching out as far as she can because I can feel her from the top of my ribs to the side of my hips.
Food cravings: Still love fruit!  I have had a peach almost every day and the last few days I have been eating an apple from the bag of apples we bought in Hendersonville. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: The heart burn has been much better so far.  I hope it stays that way.  I am weary to eat certain foods that have been hard to digest or have given me heart burn such as: tomato based foods, onions, bell peppers, steak, bacon, salads, broccoli, meat loaf, etc.  I also try to eat dinner at least a few hours before bed time so it can have time to digest before I lay down.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: It has been hard to catch my breath on some of these humid, hot days.  It is the worst in the mornings when I am driving to work for some reason.  I guess because I have showered, dried my hair, and quickly put on make-up.  I just have to take long, deep breaths.   I also have been cursed with some irritating bumps on my face and back.  I feel like I am entering puberty for the first time!  Hope it goes away after the baby is born... I am assuming it is just the hormones.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: Celebrating our 3 year anniversary this Wednesday and going to my doctor's appointment this Thursday!!