pregnancy in pictures

14.5 weeks

17 weeks: GIRL

almost 18 weeks

20 weeks: Halfway

21 weeks

Full Term

Last week-feeling huge.

I just can't believe how close we are!

Ladies and gentlemen, we made it, we are full term! This Tuesday at my doctors appointment I was told that I was super tight and wasn't making any progress so she attempted (there's no way to know if it worked for sure) to strip my membranes-can you say uncomfortable and ow?! So when I went in to the office today she tried again to strip me. Apparently, I was at a "soft 1cm" and Baby is at 8lbs 1oz (Alex was a 9 pounder and I was 8 something) so we decided that if by next Friday, the 27th, I hadn't gone into labor on my own I will be induced. Insanity! 

I never thought I'd be one to be induced and am really hoping my body can figure things out on its own. We have two more visits next week and I had my last day of work today so hopefully things will start to happen! 

In other news we got Baby's blessing dress in the mail, my mom finally committed to a flight, we got a much needed oil change and I did this survey I stole from a beautiful friend's blog.

About the Mommy!

Name: Emily 
Age: 24 
Hair Color: Brown
 Eye Color: Brown

About the Daddy!

Name: Alex

Age: 25

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown and green

Finding Out!

What day did you find out?: Cinco de Mayo, 2013
How did you feel when you found out?: SHOCKED, anxious, excited, and everything else
Who was with you?: Alex of course
Who was the first person you told?: Other than Alex...my parents!
How did they react?: They were on their way to the temple and so excited!

About the Pregnancy!

When was your first appointment?: June 16th

When is your due date?: Christmas Eve-December 24, 2013

Have you had any ultrasounds?: Yes, like 8 now. 

Have you heard the heartbeat?: At every appointment!

What was the heartbeat?: What kind of question is this-it's fast and so real!

Sex of the baby: Sweet Baby Girl

About the Birth!

Do you know what you are taking with you?: Hopefully everything we need and some cute outfits for Baby Peach.

Who is going to be with you?: Alex

Are you going to videotape it?: I would rather die.

Natural or Medicated?: As natural as can be, then medicine please.

Do you think you will need a c-section?: No, but you never know!

Will you cry when you hold your baby for the first time?: Maybe, I'll certainly be happy to finally see her!

Do you think Daddy will cry?: He might tear up

Do you know what you will say to the baby when you first hold him/her?: I love you, or something like that.

Do you have a name picked out?: We're pretty sure we agree on one.

Is your baby going to be named after someone?: No

About Week 39!

How far along are you? Too far, 39 weeks 3 days-4 to go!

How big is Baby? Today she measured at 8 lbs 1 oz

Weight Gain? Duh

Stretch Marks? Ugh, yes.

Sleep? When Baby lets me. 

Symptoms? Well it's flu season so I now have a runny nose along with all the other symptoms of pregnancy.

Movement? Of course, especially at night!

 Food Cravings? Not really.

Labor Signs? A few Braxton Hicks and fewer "real" contractions.

Belly Button in or out? In for life!

What I am looking forward to? Snuggling and kissing a little angel fresh from heaven!

Best moment of the week? Having a one last ultrasound of baby!

Other Random Questions!!
What was your first symptom?: Gas probably but Alex will say, missed period for a few months.

What is the baby’s room theme?: Grey and pink, I guess.

What was the first thing you bought for the baby?: We bought a pink blanket!

Will you cloth diaper?: No thanks. 

BFing or Formula?: Why yes, in that order.

What is your favorite pregnancy book?: I started two...I like Secrets of the Baby Whisperer

What do you look forward to doing again once you are no longer pregnant?: Breathing, laying on my belly...VOLLEYBALL and other sports!

What physical features do you hope baby will get from Daddy?: Those gorgeous eyes and perfect smile and everything.

What physical features do you hope baby will get from you?: Height

Is he ready to be a Daddy?: He has no choice but yes, he's the best!

Are you ready to be a Mommy?: Oh gosh, I think so-pray for me!

false alarm

It happened! On Saturday morning I thought my water might've broke. 

So naturally Alex went into panic and I went into denial. 

He was in the shower when I told him and he wanted me to call the doctor but since it was a weekend (after hours) they had to check me at the hospital, which is literally across the street from their office. 

Of course I hadn't packed my hospital bag so I did that first and took a nice warm shower all the while putting Alex over the edge-he really wanted to make sure everything was ok. 

When we got there we found out that the paperwork and insurance forms I had given them a week or two earlier was never entered and so we had to sit down and do the whole process right then and there. It was a good thing I wasn't really in labor!

It was a super slow day at the hospital so we felt no rush or pressure and were able to see what will happen when Baby really is on her way! The nurses were nice and a fellow doctor from the office I go to was there and super friendly and informative. 

After checking Baby's heartbeat and showing us that I was having contractions (just not "big" ones or any I could feel) they sent us home and we just relaxed for the rest of the day. 

I think we were both kind of happy to have a sort of test run and hopefully when out little peach does come we will be able to stay calm and have a pleasant experience. 

I am so happy that I have Alex as my forever soulmate and am really hoping Baby has more of his features than mine because he's so dang attractive! 

I can't believe we are growing our family and I am really hoping to be the best wife and mother I can be because I truly do have the best husband and baby!

the most wonderful time of the year

We got our very first Christmas tree! I love it! This will be our 3rd Christmas together and the first two we were college students that went out of town, Texas, to celebrate. This year we have no choice really in traveling or not so we'll be here in Georgia, having a baby, and celebrating with Alex's family and really starting some of our own traditions!

Also, can we believe it's DECEMBER!?! What in the world-we're having a baby this month-in weeks-in days! Things are getting more unreal. We had our hospital tour and doctors appointments every week, I don't know what to expect but I know I want to have baby out of my belly and into my arms to give her kisses and snuggles. I've tried telling her this but nothing has changed yet. C'mon Baby!

spoils of thanksgiving

Now that I am so large my tossing and turning in the night and getting up to use the bathroom has started to really take a toll on Alex...poor him. He's told me he can feel me get up at night and that my body pillow is taking up the entire bed. Luckily after we had Thanksgiving dinner at his grandpa's house we were able to upgrade to a Tempurpedic-king size bed!

Thanksgiving Day:
We're terrible picture takers and this isn't flattering at all but oh well-this is our 5th Thanksgiving together.

Apparently his grandfather, an orthodontist, traded a set of braces for the bed but wasn't impressed so after a while he gave it to us! It's been wonderful for Alex to not feel me moving so much and to have room. I love it too, it just makes getting up a little more difficult because you mold right into it! 

I wanted to do some Black Friday shopping and convinced Alex to take me. We were able to find some king sized sheets and comforter set on sale which was awesome and what we needed since we had a queen. We also got a bassinet for Baby that all ended up matching each other-awesome! Now we have a nice queen bed for my parents when they come for the holidays and cozy king for us and a spare twin waiting at Alex's parent's house when we move into a bigger space! Hooray! We are super thankful for all the things we've been blessed to have!

Just a silly photo after washing all Baby's clothes...she's supposed to be that big when she comes out-weird!

nose frida

Alex had his work Thanksgiving dinner this week and he made funeral potatoes. They turned out so good and all the ladies he works with were super impressed. The business he works for is really a close knit group and they were so kind to invite me and get to know us better. The food was all so great and I was so full I didn't know if I could even drive home afterward! In the care package my friend Summer sent me last month we got a Barbie and Ken doll that are supposed to represent her and her husband Mark and I was sure to have them join us in our feast!

So happy to have Mark and Summer join us!

My visiting teachers stopped by too and gave me some gifts because they both missed my shower. One of them, Emily who had her first baby last Christmas, gave me some of her favorite things she has with her daughter. Behold the SnotSucker! hahaha I died at this little apparatus it is so crazy-thank you Swedes. I also got my super cute diaper bag in the mail from Amazon. I shouldn't be so excited about a diaper bag but I am!

You literally are supposed to suck out your child's boogers. 

Skip Hop makes the cutest bags!

We also had our last class of Lamaze! I can't believe we are one step closer to being parents and soon my doctor visits will be only a week apart. I'm anxious for any extra ultrasounds and to see how good our little peach is growing.

we did it!

baby's month

This month we started our birthing classes! They'll be the first 3 weeks of the month on Tuesday nights-it's crazy! In our class there are 6 couples including us; we're half and half too, 3 expecting girls and 3 expecting boys! It's funny because we went around and introduced ourselves and babies and all the families with boys had names for them and all the ones with girls didn't! There is one other couple due by the end of this year; their due date for their little boy is the day before ours, December 23rd. I'm really looking forward to being able to sit with Alex and learn a thing or two together because unlike me he will probably soak things in and remember them better than me with my scattered baby brain.

Just me after our second class!

I had my second shower on the 9th here in Georgia and it was a blast! It was a grey and pink chevron theme with elephants and turned out so cute thanks to my mother-in-law and sweet aunt-in-law and lots of others I'm sure! In my ward we have a fabulous cake maker who made the cutest cake you ever saw for Baby Peach and it was so delicious! I got so many wonderful and handmade things it was super awesome and I'm so glad to have so many friends and family who love and support our little growing one!

Cute decorations everywhere!

the spread-so tasty!

I forgot to take a picture before we dug in but isn't it awesome!?

My dear friend Hillary on her mission in the D.C. area knows I am a Redskins fan and mailed us the cutest outfits for a darling girl so she can be a fan like her mama and grandpa Steve! I love it!

This month is certainly going to be all about Baby and getting everything ready that we can and need for her! We are getting anxious to see her and Alex is prepping to be the best dad ever, it's the sweetest thing.

birthday blessings

Alex got me super awesome birthday roses and some bubbly!

Being far away from my family has been super difficult for me to deal with. Don't get me wrong, Alex's family (my new family) is spectacular and has been so very supportive and loving and I'm sure we'll never be able to thank them adequately enough but I want my family around too! Perhaps it's these pregnant hormones that make things a little more dramatic. Anyway, in planning a baby shower my mom determined she'd rather take vacation days from her work and put them toward a longer stay when Baby comes...meaning she wouldn't be able to come to the shower here in Georgia.

Drama. I mean c'mon how could I not be devastated that my own mother wouldn't be there for her first grandbaby's miniature birthday party?! But wouldn't you believe it things worked out for me to be able to fly to my homeland, ahh Texas, and celebrate with my mom, sister, grandma, aunts, cousins and friends! It was fantastic-the best! 

I arrived on the 30th of October, the day after my birthday, and without Alex because he wasn't able to take off work. It was the first time since our sealing for us to be apart overnight and I was 32 weeks pregnant...of course I bawled on the flight, I hate being away from Alex and the fact that I just started getting some stretch marks on my belly was NOT helping. Luckily the flight was in the evening and I had an empty seat next to me so I wasn't too embarrassed and pretty comfortable but I did start to swell! It was so silly-apparently flying will do that to you, especially a pregnant version of you.

So when I got off the plane my sweet sister (in all her 100 lbs glory) came to help me get my huge bag from baggage claim. I imagine it was a funny sight to see two girls, in our conditions, carrying such a large bag, I would've laughed! My mom was out at the car ready and so surprised to see how much Baby had grown and she was happy to pat my belly and ask how I felt. It was so nice to be in Austin-there really is no place like home.

I'm a terrible picture taker (I'm asking Santa for a camera to maybe help me be better at documenting our lives.) You'll just have to take my word for it when I tell you that the decorations for the party were so adorable-I'm sure my mom has some photos somewhere. I walked in saying, "This is so cute!" and thinking, "This is for me...c-r-a-z-y." 

It was so fun to spend time leading up to the party hanging out with my siblings, parents, puppy Donna and friends. At the party my mom made a baby out of fruit (complete with watermelon stroller, orange head and pacifier) that was so cute and yummy and my grandma an amazing cake decorator made probably the best strawberry cake I ever had with a waterfall! They sure do love me. I got to visit with people who've known me forever I feel like and play fun games with them and of course get some wonderful gifts: clothes, books (love), diapers, blankets, etc. It was truly a blessing for me to go and spend that time with my family and friends to visit and be showered with temporal and eternal gifts!

Donna Dog wearing a hat for a split second-that deserves a treat :)

I loved getting books for Baby and want a bunch more. I need to get my hands on some classics. The gospel related one is super awesome and came with a "map". As for the other two books I've already read them to Baby :)

My parents' attempt at making playdough babies.
 My mom decided to make the dough which turned out great but she had to add in some Ovaltine to give it a more realistic pigment-ha! Mom made the giant baby on the left and Dad made the one on the right-we all thought it was a parent holding a baby and said it was so sweet and good job Dad until he told us the whole thing was the baby just sitting and folding its arms! We all died laughing, needless to say I hope Baby isn't too massive or mature.

Austin is seriously the greatest. 

October Occurrences

Having this baby has consumed my thoughts, energy and time...so my blogging has been slacking.

I apologize. 

This will be a quick review of the things we've been up to:

Since moving here to Georgia, where Alex grew up, we've been able to spend some time with his childhood BFF Jake and his cute wife and their adorable son. They live not too far away in a beautiful house where they invited us to do some pumpkin carving and for us ladies, painting. It was so much fun; I think we watched a movie but I know we ate some delicious cookies!

Alex carved another Falcon pumpkin (he did it last year) and I painted a Frankenstein that turned out looking like a lego head...it was great and we proudly put them on our porch with the "Cinderella Pumpkin" (a blue pumpkin) Alex's parents got for us at a pumpkin patch.

I don't know of any better looking pumpkins!

On a date night Alex and I swung by the dollar tree and picked something out for each other to craft. I got a sudoku puzzle book-which I love! And Alex a little elephant bank to paint. He did a super good job with the super cheap paint and we decided that Baby Peach will love her elephant piggy bank.

Isn't he the cutest?

We got a 4D sonogram done by the grace of our lovely friend and nurse and it was awesome! Baby girl was squished and never really too photogenic but we did get to see her cute little face with a button nose and little duck lips-she's going to be so cute and I love her so much!

look at those lips!

Since my birthday is on the 29th and I'll be going to Texas the 30th we decided to celebrate the weekend before. Let me just say that I hate being away from Alex and never have overnight and I'm really upset he can't go with me. Anyway, for my birthday we went to the used bookstore and got some great books, ventured to the temple, ate at Chuys (a taste of heaven!) and got some small canvas' and paints for crafting! This month really was very craft filled. It was a blast and I hope to get better at documenting things when they happen...wish me luck!

One of my awesome books-I finished it in one day and it was from the "free" bin of the bookstore!
It was a complete thriller and I highly recommend it.

My painting! It's a small summary of my 23rd year of life: graduate, move, baby, etc. 

Other than those things I got a care package from my lovely friend who's also expecting a girl-it was the best! We went to a corn maze/pumpkin patch with Jake and his wife. We played at the park and got our first frost of winter on our cars that went away very quickly. Gotta love October!