38 Weeks

38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain: 25lb.

Maternity clothes: I am so ready to not have to wear only maternity clothes. My wardrobe selection is very limited, and I am ready to be able to just wear some different things. I remember how eager and excited I was when I first "got" to wear maternity clothes... haha! Oh how a few months can change your perspective!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: I have been sleeping pretty well. Getting up about 3 times a night and waking up maybe 1-2 other times just to turn over in bed. 

Best moment this week: Having an ultrasound and getting to see our little girl!! :) We had an ultrasound at this appointment just to check on everything and make a guess at Caroline's size. Based on their measurements, they guessed her weight at 7lb. 6oz. right now. I don't know how accurate those estimates really are, so it will be interesting to see how much she really weighs when she makes her grand entrance!!

Miss anything? Laying on my stomach. That is just the one thing that I crave more than anything that I can't do right now. Haha! It seems like such a silly thing.

Movement: I promise sometimes it feels like she is trying to kick her way out of my stomach. She is going to have some muscular little legs based on how hard she is kicking me now!

Food cravings: I haven't really had any specific cravings, but I am trying to just eat small frequent meals and snacks. I have run out of room for my stomach to really hold a normal sized meal comfortably.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Girl!!

Labor signs: I am definitely having contractions... they just aren't strong yet. They will just come and go randomly throughout the day. I was 1cm dilated this week. We talked about a possible induction next week if I am dilated more... but I really want to go into labor! I know it is convenient and nice to just have it scheduled, but I have always wanted it to just start naturally. So we will see! I have just been praying that I will have a peace about God's timing for an induction or labor and know if that is the right thing to do this week or not. I am not really leaning towards the induction this week... so we will talk about it Tuesday with my Dr and see. I just want what is best for Caroline.

Symptoms: My hips have still been hurting some... mostly when I first wake up in the morning. I am just thankful that means she is moving down and my body is getting more ready for her! Hard to complain about that... haha!

Belly button in or out? Out -- it also seems to be poking out more this week than before. Not sure if it is just how she is positioned or what. Haha!

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment this week and seeing if there is any more progress toward labor. We could possibly be meeting our sweet baby girl (either because of induction or going into labor) this week so we are definitely looking forward to that possibility more and more every day!! :)

Caroline Grace Thaxton : {Nursery}

The day has come for Caroline's nursery reveal! Here is a photo tour through her room.

This is the view when you walk in the door. Behind the door is her closet. Beside the closet is her bathroom.

 I LOVE this corner! I know I will be spending many hours here, and I can't wait! (The door in the background is her bathroom.)

Caroline's bedding was custom made... for someone else. Haha! My mom and I found it at a consignment sale with no signs of wear or tear on it! Great deal for a one-of-a-kind piece!

 Her swing! I sure hope she likes it because I love it! It looks so cozy...

Her dresser and custom window treatments by yours truly! :) I had lots of help from Mom, Dad, and Blake. It was a fun project, and I love how it turned out in the room.

 Up close of the monogram I did!

 On the wall opposite of her crib, we have a twin bed so we can partly use this as a guest room still... or if I need to take a little nap while Caroline naps! :)

 My mom made this banner for Caroline's baby shower. The shelf was in my cousin's room when she was little. The bear in the middle of the shelf is what we put footprints on where I used to work. I had my best friend at work, Rivers, decorate a bear for Caroline before I left so that I can have a piece of them here with me in Florida!! It is now in her hospital bag so we can get footprints on it when she is born! :)

Well there it is!! I hope y'all enjoyed the tour! Come and see it in person and visit Caroline when she is born!! She can't wait to meet everyone! :)

37 Weeks... FULL TERM!

37 Weeks

How far along? 37 weeks... Full term!! Caroline could come any day now! That is so crazy to think about!

Total weight gain: 24lb.

Maternity clothes: My mom gave me a really cute navy blue maxi dress that is going to be perfect for the last few weeks! I think I am going to wear it on a date night soon! We have to take advantage of our last few dates before Caroline makes her big debut! We all know we won't have time for awhile after that!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: I have actually been sleeping really well... besides the waking up lots to turn over and use the restroom. But I cannot complain about that at all! It has been much better this past week.

Best moment this week: We had a really great week! Sunday-Tuesday, Blake's cousin (April) and her husband stayed with us. His Grandmother and Grandaddy brought April and Dustin to the beach as a surprise for April's birthday. We had a great time spending time with them for a few days!

On Wednesday, Mom and Aunt Nancy came over to Milton after my Dr. appointment for the week and we had a full day of fun!! We fixed up Caroline's nursery (next post will have lots of pictures!!) and had a great day shopping around town a little. We went to the Piano Cafe, which is in downtown Milton inside the Old Post Office (which is also an antique shop). It was great to have some girl time and get lots accomplished too!

Miss anything? I miss being able to go in a store or anywhere and not get a billion stares. Haha! When you are big and pregnant... people's heads turn and look! I am not big on being the center of attention so I am ready for people to stare at my pretty baby instead of me. Haha! :)

Movement: She is one hyper child some days! One day this past week, she was moving so much Blake said it looked like she was about to bust out of there! We grabbed the video camera, and of course she stopped moving completely!! We waited a few minutes and she started again. We caught a little on video but it was not as crazy as the first time. It will be so strange in a couple of weeks (or less!) to not feel or see her kicking inside of me. I think that is one thing I will actually miss after she is born. It is such a special bond to be able to feel that inside of you!

Food cravings: I have just wanted lots of fruit recently. I have been eating lots of blueberries, oranges, bananas, grapes, and peaches. I am so thankful for wonderful fresh fruit at this time of year to satisfy my cravings!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Girl!!

Labor signs: Same ole contractions... Haha! I am wondering when they are going to be getting more intense. They are still very mild at this point, but I know that will soon change! I really want to go into labor as opposed to being induced, so I hope that works out for me!! We will see in the coming weeks...

Symptoms: Last week, I said how my hips have been hurting... Well, I think that pain is paying off. The Dr. (I actually saw a female Dr. who is in the same practice as my Dr. this week because he is out of town) said Caroline is getting lower and in my pelvis now! Her exact words were, "She is making her exit maneuvers." Uh oh!! Getting close!

I also now have the STRANGEST pregnancy symptom ever... Well, at least it has been my strangest symptom. The upper part of my belly is numb. It itches, I scratch it, but I can't feel a thing!! It is bizarre and a bit annoying. I asked the Dr. about it. She said it is from nerves getting stretched and compressed. She said all the feeling should come back after I deliver. I also realized that the hot water in the shower makes it feel very strange now that it is numb. So... I am officially a strange pregnant lady with weird symptoms! Haha!

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Looking forward to: Getting to hold Caroline and see what she looks like! It is such a huge answer to prayer that I have made it to full term, and now all I can think about is my baby girl being here and in my arms! I am praying for a safe and healthy delivery for me and Caroline (whenever God knows it is her day to come). I am not anxious for her to be here... I just want to enjoy these last few days and weeks of being pregnant and for her to make her grand entrance in God's timing.

36 Weeks

36 Weeks

How far along? 36 weeks... Only one week until she is considered full term!

Total weight gain: 23lb.- No change in weight this week at the doctor! Yay!

Maternity clothes: I am getting tired of wearing maternity jeans. Because they have the elastic at the top, I have to pull them up everytime I stand up. I wish they stayed up well like normal jeans. This will give me lots of motivation to get back in my normal size jeans quicker! Haha!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: I did the SAME thing this Saturday night that I did last week- how strange! I woke up at about 5 and couldn't go back to sleep. I didn't get a nap that afternoon though, so I slept VERY good the next night! 

Best moment this week: Blake's family was in town so we had so much fun with them!! They all got here Friday night. Saturday, we went to lunch and then spent the afternoon on the beach. We also took some family photos that night on the beach. Here is one of my favorites!

Tatum is so active it is hard to get her to not wiggle in a picture. Haha! One of my favorite moments this weekend was when I asked Tatum where baby Caroline was and she pointed at my belly!! Here is a picture of it! It was so cute! 

Then we asked her to give Caroline a kiss so here is her "kissy" face! :) 

My sister-in-law, Summer, also took some maternity pictures of me! I will have to make another post to show you some of my favorites later!

Along with a great weekend with family, Blake and I also joined a church!! We joined Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola. It is a large church, but immediately felt like home when we visited. The Pastor (Ted Traylor) is not ashamed to preach the Gospel and holds nothing back in his sermons. He has been teaching from Revelation, and it has been so powerful! I have learned so much in just the few weeks that we have been there. I am so excited the Lord led us here and can't wait to see how He grows us in the years ahead through Pastor Traylor's leadership. This is a much needed answer to prayer. Praise the Lord!!

Miss anything? I have wanted to lay on my stomach soooo badly this week!! My back has been hurting some and I just feel like if I could curl over and lay on my stomach, it would feel so much better. Well, that is incredibly impossible right now, so I have just been dealing with it. Haha!

Movement: Of course! It was fun for Blake's family to get to feel her wiggle and kick so much this weekend too!

Food cravings: I have wanted green grapes for a few weeks but couldn't find any that looked too good. Well, I found some this week and they were DELICIOUS! :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Girl!!

Labor signs: Feeling those contractions more and more. It is making it more and more real that I could go into labor at any point now. Because of that, I am much more conscious of my contractions and how close together they are. No change in dilation from last week's appointment, even after feeling way more contractions this week. They must just be really mild right now. I can't imagine what real contractions are going to feel like! Eek!

Symptoms: I have noticed my hips hurting this week. I am assuming they are just moving and adjusting for childbirth, but it is quite uncomfortable some times! Blake said he thinks they are looking wider (THANKS!) these days too. Haha! He didn't just come out and say that... I specifically asked him since they have been hurting, so he wasn't in trouble for his answer. 

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Looking forward to: I am feeling more ready for Caroline every day! We now have her monitor all set up and ready to go, even though she will probably be sleeping in our room for a little while. I am starting to pack her bag (and my bag) for the hospital. So, I am looking forward to just being more and more ready for her! :)

35 Weeks

35 Weeks

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain: 23lb - This week at the doctor, my weight was actually down a pound, but I think it was just the time of day. Haha!

Maternity clothes: Anything stretchy and big is GREAT! All of my normal t-shirts are too short now, so it is either one of Blake's t-shirts or a maternity shirt these days.

Stretch marks? No... hoping I can keep this going for just a few more weeks!

Sleep: I have slept pretty good this week. Saturday night, I was asleep less than 4 hours and then woke up WIDE awake!! I have no idea why! It was crazy! I made up for it with a great nap that afternoon though.

Best moment this week: My baby shower is Mobile! It is so great!! I got to see so many friends and family, and we were so blessed with an insane amount of amazing gifts for our sweet Caroline! She is one loved little baby! I am thankful for all the family that made it such a special shower. No detail of overlooked, and it was perfect!! I could not ask for better hostesses! Here is a picture of me with all of the wonderful ladies who made my day so special!

This next picture gives you just a little taste of how many gifts Caroline was given at this shower.

Miss anything? I can't think of anything specific this week that I have missed. 

Movement: Yes! She is so active! Every time I go to the doctor, she goes crazy!! I lay back, they put the doppler (to listen to her heartbeat) on my belly, and she starts kicking and punching like there is no tomorrow! The nurse is always so amazing at how hyper she is! Haha!

Food cravings: Nothing crazy to tell about this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Girl!!

Labor signs: More braxton hicks but not painful yet... just definitely more noticeable. I was dilated a "fingertip" (about 1/2cm) and was 90% thinned out this week at the doctor! Now I will go to the doctor every week.

Symptoms: I think the only "normal" pregnancy symptom that I have not had is heartburn. I don't even know what it feels like! I am so thankful because so many people say how horrible it can be.

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Looking forward to: Blake's family is coming in town next weekend for Memorial Day! I am so excited about seeing all of them and getting to spend some time at the beach too!

34 Weeks

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks... 6 weeks to go!!

Total weight gain: 23lb.- I don't normally weight myself at home, so we will see what the Dr. says next week!

Maternity clothes: Right now I am loving wearing Blake's big t-shirts. Nothing is too comfy, so just having a baggie shirt on to relax is nice. I still enjoy dressing up in my cute maternity clothes when I go out though! :)

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: I am on a "regular" sleep pattern of waking up at about 3 and 5 every night.... wonder if this has anything to do with Caroline's sleep schedule. Haha! We will soon see!

Best moment this week: Blake was out of town at the beginning of the week... and no, that is not the highlight of my week. Haha! But because he was gone, I went to Mobile and got to spend a few days with my parents. Most of the time it was just me and Mom because Dad was also out of town! We had lots of fun girl time... I am so so thankful for my mom and all she means to me (happy late mother's day from the blog!). I have been so blessed to have a wonderful mom who I also consider my best friend. I really enjoyed this special time we got to spend together and look forward to having that mother-daughter bond with Caroline!

Miss anything? Comfort... of all kinds. Haha! Comfort in sleeping, walking, wearing clothes, bending down to tie your shoes, breathing a deep breath... Ok, I am done with my complaining list. I am really trying to have a positive attitude and not focus on the minor  discomforts of pregnancy. According to my phone app, Caroline is the size of a cantaloupe this week. A cantaloupe. Seriously--- think about carrying around a ~20lb. cantaloupe that wiggles and kicks in your stomach. Yes, that is what it feels like. Haha! I know she doesn't weight 20 lb, but having all that weight in my belly now makes me feel like the top muscles of my stomach are about to rip off, to put it nicely! I forgot what I was even supposed to be writing about. Ok. Back on subject... so I guess I just miss being comfortable.

Movement: Yes! I can definitely tell when she is awake or asleep now. Although she likes to randomly kick me all day, her most active times are normally in the morning around 8 or 9 and then at night around 9 or 10.

Food cravings: Pancakes... and we had them tonight for dinner! YUMMY!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Girl!!

Labor signs: No... just some braxton hicks.

Symptoms: I am not sure if I have talked about this before... but I have the dark line (linea nigra, for those nurses out there) in the middle of my abdomen. It has been there for a long time now, but I couldn't remember if I mentioned it. It is so interesting what hormones can do to your body!! I wonder how long it will take for the line to go away after she is born...? Anyone know?

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Looking forward to: My baby shower in Mobile is this weekend!!! I am so excited about getting to see everyone who is able to come and catching up with friends!

I forgot to tell about our hospital tour last week... It was a lot of fun! The lady who took us around basically did a mini labor class in the middle of the tour! Haha! Blake learned some new things and got to see some brand new babies in the nursery! It was a long tour, but I am glad we now know what the room will look like. It makes it easier to really picture her being born and being in our arms... I can't wait!! :)

33 Weeks

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks... Can't believe it is getting so close!!

Total weight gain: 23lb.

Maternity clothes: Right now I am wearing a t-shirt and some yoga-type pants. I can't imagine getting any bigger than I am now, but I know I will in the next few weeks! My selection of clothing is getting smaller as I get bigger! At least I only have a few weeks left! :)

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: I have slept pretty well this week!! Can't complain!

Best moment this week: We went to Auburn this past weekend to see my cousin's graduation. Along with the graduation, we got to catch up and visit with friends and family in Auburn. It was strange being back in Auburn with it not being our home. That is where Blake and I met and started our dating relationship and our marriage. Auburn will always have a special place in our hearts, even if we don't live there. 

Another highlight of this week for me was getting Caroline's carseat and stroller!! Thanks, Gigi and Pappy for helping us get it!! I feel much more prepared and ready for her to come now that we have that!

Miss anything? I miss sleeping on my stomach and back. I wasn't too much of a stomach/back sleeper before, but when it is not an option, it makes you want it that much more. Haha!

Movement: Of course! My little wiggle worm is doing cartwheels in there! I have no idea how she is positioned now because she is moving around so much! Maybe she realizes that she is running out of room and wants to take advantage of wiggling as much as she can now. Haha!

Food cravings: Since I knew we were going to Auburn, I was of course planning out where we would eat days before we left home. Well... I got my craving satisfied when we ate lunch at Mike and Ed's Barbeque on Saturday! YUMMMY!!! I have missed me some Mike and Ed's! We have only been to one BBQ place in Milton, and it was just ok. We need to venture out and try some other places, but it is hard to compete with Mike and Ed's.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Girl!!

Labor signs: No... just some braxton hicks. I have been noticing the braxton hicks contractions more, but it is nothing painful.

Symptoms: My belly getting bigger and bigger by the day! It was so fun to go to our old Sunday school class in Auburn and for everyone to see how much I have grown. Haha! They haven't seen us in almost 2 months, so it was a big difference!

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Off

Looking forward to: We have a tour of the hospital this week to see what the labor and delivery unit is like! I can't wait!