33 weeks today!!!!

My goodness!!!!  We are almost ready to meet this sweet little boy!!  I can not believe we are 33 weeks today and in just a few short weeks he will be in our arms!!!  

I have been terrible about updating this blog!  I hate myself for it, because I so much want to document this amazing journey, but man life is SOOOO busy!!!!   Between working full time, taking care of a busy toddler and just being absolutely exhausted from pregnancy, it seems the blog posts always take a back seat!!

But I have several posts I hope to do over the next few days. We finally completely finished his room this week and took pictures so now I can finally do the post on his room.  Also, last weekend we had my maternity/family photo session done!  These pictures are going to be so amazing!!!  We got a few sneak peaks and I am absolutely IN LOVE!!!  So I will do a quick post on that and then last but not least, two weekends ago, my girlfriends gave me the sweetest baby shower and I MUST get that post up as well. All the pictures from the shower are on my big camera not my cell phone so it will take a bit more effort to download them onto my computer and then the blog but I will definitely do it because it was the prettiest shower I have ever seen and they worked so hard on it for me and Jacob!!!  

So as far as how I am doing, we are hanging in, getting bigger everyday but feeling pretty decent. I still have my PICC line in with 24/7 IV Zofran which has made such a huge difference in my life. I can pretty much eat and drink whatever I want, and I am very rarely if ever nauseous. Yeah!!!!  

At the doctor last week she decided to start twice weekly NST testing, where they hook you up and look for his heart rate accelerations and decelerations, monitor for contractions and keep an eye on his fluid levels; as all these things can rapidly change here in the last weeks of pregnancy when you are high risk like me ;)!!!!  But every test has been perfect I am so thankful to have such amazing doctors that are watching me so very closely.  

She did say that this next week on Tuesday, August 4th they will be doing an ultrasound to measure his size and growth estimate and then we would talk about delivery scenarios which may include induction several weeks early.  My birth defect in my intestines is a major factor here in this delivery and we want to try to maximize the chance that I deliver him vaginally and NOT have to have a C-section due to the complications that would undoubtedly arise should I have to be cut. So going a bit early where he is a bit smaller would help us in trying to reach that goal. 

So I will find out more next week at my appointment and see what she is thinking about how all this would best play out. 

Here is a snap hubby took of me just as we were leaving to get our professional photographs made last Saturday night.  Jacob has really grown a lot lately and finally poked out there to let us know he really is in there. I was so small for so long I was wondering if I was ever going to REALLY look pregnant??!!  But alas, I think I have finally achieved that look!!  

And not to leave out our sweet angel Chloe, she has been getting more and more excited with each passing day for her baby brother's arrival. I know she thinks he is never coming because we keep saying soon, but soon feels like an eternity to a 3 year old.  

 Here she was last Saturday running errands with us looking adorable as always....... 

 And here she was the next day on Sunday after church....... She never looks anything other than adorable and she loves having her picture made!!!!  Some days she will remind me, "Mommy, you forgot to take my picture!!"

I got home from work a little bit early yesterday, and she wanted to sit outside on our deck and play with her PawPatrol pup figurines, so we did just that......  And then she promptly reminded me that I had forgotten to take her picture that morning, would I please do it right then?  

And this was our picture....... How could I refuse taking pictures of such sweetness?!?!   

Sean and I are so SO blessed in our lives.    When I take inventory of my life and all that we have and have been given, it's hard not to just shout it to the roof tops how GOOD the Lord is to us.   Life isn't perfect, but it is pretty darn close!!!!  And with the addition of this miracle little boy, we just might have achieved PERFECTION ..........

30 weeks today!!!!!

It is so hard to believe that we are 30 weeks along in this miracle journey today!!!  I can't believe it will only be a few short weeks until we are holding our sweet Jacob in our arms!!!  

I am feeling quite well these days.  I have my PICC line in still, which gives me IV Zofran 24/7 and I am able to eat and drink pretty much anything I want now.  I did go to the doctor two days ago and they said Jacob is weighing in now about 3lbs and is head down and ready to get out!!  I definitely feel so much pressure, more than I ever have before but I am just trying to tough it out a bit longer. 

Things are going well over all, Sweetness and I have been attending birthing classes at the hospital on Monday nights, and I am very much enjoying those and learning a lot!!!  

Here we are going into class this past Momday night, being goofy in the car!!! 

Also this coming week on Tuesday we are also attending a one time, 3 hour breastfeeding class to help you prepare ahead of when baby arrives for moms wanting to breastfeed. I so badly want to be successful in this breast feeding endeavor. I am going to give it my very best shot for as long as I can!!!!  

I am going to get my hospital bag packed and ready as best I can this weekend, because you just never know when you will need it!!!  And I have 2 more finishing touches I am going to get put up in Jacob's nursery and then I promise to do the post showing off his sweet little room that I have been promising forever to do!!!

Next Saturday is my baby shower!!!!!  I never dreamed in my life that I would get a baby shower, and I am just so thrilled to be having one and thankful that I have such sweet girlfriends willing to do it for me!! 

And then.......... The following Saturday night on July 25th, we have our maternity/family Pictures on the beach at sunset!!!!  I can not wait for these!!!  We

Have spent quite a but on our photographer, but she takes AHHHHHHmazing photos and this is such a special once in a lifetime thing for me that I want it to be captured perfectly.  My dress has been ordered, and a special friend who makes amazing custom little girl dresses is making Chloe's to match mine........ I literally can not wait to see how beautiful they turn out!!!  

So we have lots coming up in the weeks ahead!!!   I am still working full time trying to work as long as possible until I go out on maternity leave!!!  

Well that's it for now, I will be back soon with another update!!!  Thank you all again for your prayers as you have walked on this journey with us!!!!  

Childbirth classes

So tonight Daddy and I began a 6-week class on childbirth!!!  I can not believe I am getting to experience this!!  I just never ever dreamed it would actually be ME preparing for labor!!!  

It was very informative and fun. There are 7 other couples in there as well and the teacher is very nice and knowledgable!!  It's so nice to feel that closeness to Sean as he learns ways to help me relax and I learn what to expect my body to do to help bring this miracle baby boy into the world!!!

We are now 28.5 weeks along!!!  I hit the 3rd trimester last Thursday at 28 weeks!! We are truly on the home stretch now.  And now that I am not puking all day every day, thanks to the IV Zofran in my PICC line, I am really enjoying my baby bump and enjoying being pregnant. 

I feel baby Jacob moving and kicking all around everyday and it's such a reassuring feeling knowing he is doing okay and just getting comfortable!!  

His room is almost done. I haven't posted the pictures yet because I need to get the swag curtains hung but then I will be done and I will do a post on his room full of Pottery Barn Kids' Eli the Elephant. 

Yesterday, we had a get together of my Mommy closet group and we had a tea party setup for the kiddos and a professional photographer came and took pictures of the group and individual families. They were all so adorable, I can hardly wait to see Chloe's pictures. Here are just a few we snapped on our iPhone so they are no where near good quality but just wanted to share a few of them!!!

Here's the whole gang....... At the tea

party!!!!!  

 

And a few of my angel baby girl.....

 I will certainly post the professional shots when I get them in a few weeks!!  And now I get to prepare for our maternity/family session which is tentatively scheduled for 4 weeks from now at the end of July. My mom is making me a gorgeous white and baby blue chiffon long maxi type dress and I am going to have Chloe in something white with those same blue accents!!!  We are taking them down on the beach at sunset and I know my photog will capture some amazing images!!!  

That's all for now...... Getting closer and closer to holding our sweet baby boy!!!  Thank you for your prayers and well wishes and for coming with us on this journey.  And what an exciting journey this is!!!!!! 💙👶🏼💙

Baby Jacob update!!! 27 weeks today!!!

So this morning I went to my regular OB appointment!!  Everything is going great.... I can say that now, because baby Jacob has been causing trouble for momma the past couple weeks!!!!  

Since I last updated, Mr. Jacob It has been giving Mommy a run for her money. Basically the nausea and vomiting have been in full swing so badly that I went into preterm labor 3 weeks ago at 24 weeks along. It was of course was much too early, and I was admitted to the hospital. I was in there 4 days and they gave me the miracle drug of IV Zofran and of course I felt so much better. They were able to stop the labor and the Zofran stopped all the vomiting.  So the decision was made to have a PICC line put back in through which I can receive IV fluid hydration each evening and IV Zofran 24-7.  Taking Zofran by mouth just does not work for me for some reason. 

 It has made a huge difference. I got the PICC line put in a week ago today, and I have not thrown up one time since I started the IV Zofran!!!  I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to not be so sick with debilitating nausea all day, everyday.  Thank you Lord!!!

So this should hopefully keep me from going into preterm labor again and let me keep baby Jacob inside where he is safe for as long as possible!!!  

At my appt yesterday, I also got to get a sneak peek of him again!!  Everything looks great!!  The technician was able to get a few cute pictures...... 

Here is a shot of his face, missing most of his chin in the picture because he always is moving!!! 

And the money shot for Daddy...... He is still a BOY!!!!  

A few issues they have been trying to correct is my blood pressure, it is staying very low, like 97/43 kind of low, so they are watching that closely. Also my blood glucose test results came back, indicating I am anemic and have low blood sugar. Go figure!!!  Everything is low with me these days!!!  Sooooooo I am now on iron pills bc it can be very dangerous to have low blood levels while pregnant. It can also cause preterm birth. So we are trying to fix that, but just some small issues. Nothing big. 

All in all, I am doing very well now, and it feels so good to move into the third trimester today!!!  The one new symptom I am definitely having this week is swelling  of my feet and ankles. It just started about 4 days ago and man, I have never ever seen my feet this swollen. Here is a picture I took when I got home from work yesterday!!  Ouchie!!!!

I am so enjoying feeling him move all around and knowing he is doing okay and is an active little baby helps keep the nerves at bay. Every night about 10 pm is when he gets super active. Daddy lays beside me and gets to watch my stomach move all over and he loves to feel him kicking and moving in there. This is definitely a dream come true to experience these moments with my sweet husband. 

So I will close with the weekly pictures I have taken each week. I think I last posted belly pics at 20 weeks, so these will be from 21 weeks thru today at 27 weeks!!  

 

I don't notice the growth from day to day but he sure has pushed my "bump" into a definite "pregnant belly."

I can hardly wait to hold him in my arms, and I know all this suffering that I have been dealing with be a distant memory the instant I see that sweet face!!!  

God bless you, until next post.....

Daddy's Birthday

So yesterday was my sweet husband's birthday.  We mostly celebrated this past weekend and Chloe sure loves to celebrate anyone's "Happy Day", but especially her favorite person in the world- Her Daddy!!!  

Sunday evening we all went out to dinner to Daddy's favorite place. I gave my Sweetness a new Fitbit Charge HR for him to use while he exercises everyday during lunch. He has really enjoyed using it the past 2 days and watching his heart rate and his tracking his water and food intake. It's amazing what all these wearable devices can actual do these days!!!  

I also gave him a Clemson sport watch which he really loved!!!!  Anyone who knows my Sweetness, knows he loves his Clemson Tigers!!! 

And then yesterday on his actual birthday, I gave him one more present- this very nice razor from The Art of Shaving store. He had been eyeing it for some time and he said it gave him the best shave ever!!  I was so happy he was happy. 

Also we had a cake and ice cream celebration at MiMi's house last night. Chloe had to help blow out the candles and she really did blow out most of them!!!  

It was great fun to celebrate the man that makes our lives complete. He is such an amazing husband and father and I know Baby Jacob will love his Daddy just as much as Chloe does!!! I am one blessed woman to have him by my side to do this life with.  He has been an outstanding helpmate to me through out this very hard pregnancy, and I know he will continue to be an amazing help mate once Jacob arrives.  I love him more than he can even imagine!!!!!!

Earlier in the day, it was 'Crazy Hair Day' at Chloe's preschool and I posted this picture to face.book.  Her hair really wasn't crazy per se, but it was about as crazy as Momma could get it that early in the morning!!!   LOL 😉

The next birthday coming up will be Baby Jacob's!!!!  Tomorrow we will be 26 weeks along-- it's going by so quick but still so slow at the same time as I am STILL dealing with nausea and vomiting on a daily basis that has never let up the whole pregnancy. It is still so bad that tomorrow morning I am having a PICC line put back in again so I can have IV Zofran and fluids to try to get me through  until the end safely.  

Tomorrow I will do an update on Jacob and all that has happened in the pregnancy since my last update at 20 weeks, complete with belly shots from each week.  Stay tuned.......

Memorial Day 2015 vacation

My goodness, so much has happened in life and I keep meaning to update this blog and life is SO BUSY these days!!!  But I am going to try to catch up on all the posts I need to get in. 

A couple weeks ago, we both took off work on Friday and headed down to the Outer Banks in NC where Sean's family

Had rented a beach house for 2 weeks over the Memorial Day holiday. We went down Thursday evening and came back after 3 days of heaven at the beach!!!  We had a blast with aunt Joan and Uncle Bob as well as Denise, Bobby, Marissa and Mikie Gammer!!  

One of the highlights we found on the main road was Duck Donuts. daddy is now obsessed with them and we found out they just opened a new store right down the street from our house in Va beach!!!  

Chloe is such a beach baby, she wanted to stay on the beach day and night. But here are some cute snaps I took of her on our first beach vacation. 

Her and Daddy had a blast going out into the ocean. Chloe wanted to keep going out further until a big wave smacked her in the face and then she was pretty much done with the water, but the sand never lost its magic!!! 

She had a blast playing with her older cousin Marissa.  They dug a huge hole and they played in that hole for what seemed like hours. So sweet of Marissa to play with Chloe so much!!!

The next day Chloe and Daddy flew her Frozen kite with the princesses on it!!!

We took a day and went to see the ferry and went to a fish fry at the local firehouse......  We really had so much fun.  

Chloe and her cousin Mikie also had some great times playing.  Here they bonded over playing games on his iPad...... Go figure. 

Before we pulled out to head home, we snapped a few pictures and I absolutely LOVE this picture of my two luvies......

I didn't realize that I didn't get any pictures of Aunt Joan and Uncle Bob. That makes me sad.  I'm usually such a good picture taker, but pregnancy brain must be taking over. 

I will update more on baby Jacob and the pregnancy in my next post. So much to update. 

But this was such a nice weekend, we had the most perfect weather ever, never got HOT, just 75 degrees and windy. I got some nice sun and had that sun kissed glow for a couple days which I always like but I certainly am not a sun-worshipper so I stay pretty white these days!!!

What a wonderful time we had!!  

Mother's Day 2015

I am so sorry I have been slack about updating this blog lately. It's not because I don't think about it, I just am so tired at the end of the day- this is the thing that just doesn't get done. 

But I did want to make sure this post got done somewhere!!!  Mother's Day last weekend was such a wonderful day for me. I tend to get so sentimental and emotional being pregnant these days, the beauty of the day weighed heavily on me. The most beautiful baby girl in the world is MINE- as she calls me Mommy and I have the most amazing miracle fluttering and kicking around in my tummy. How could I ever ask for more?!?!

We had a beautiful weekend, and then on Sunday, actual Mother's Day we had Aunt Gloria, Uncle Andy, cousins Heather and Drew and my Mom all over for a cookout on our new deck!!! The weather was perfection!!!!  Here is a picture is me and Chloe and of course my precious momma!!!!

It was such a wonderful day!!!  My Sweetness took Chloe shoping the day before and they picked out for me the most beautiful gift.  A Willow Tree sculpture of an expectant mother!!! It just made my heart melt and reading the cards from the both of them was so touching!!!  I am such a blessed woman. They have been sitting on our mantle in the living room since I got them but I think the sculpture will probably live on a shelf in Jacob's room...... It is aptly called "Awaiting a Miracle".  

I will always cherish this time of being pregnant, and I thought it was such a wonderfully thoughtful gift of my sweet husband!!!  I just adore him!!!

Here is one of my favorite pictures from the day....

I have a fantastic app on my phone that allows me to decorate pictures that I take with words and stickers etc and I post them on Facebook etc. I love pictures!!!!  

And one more of my sweet little angel......

The night before, she and I had a mommy- daughter spa evening. We took a shower together and then I let her use my special "coconut" lotion that she loves the smell of so much, and we covered ourselves in it and then dried our hair together and put on our jammies.   We then painted our toes the same color and she thought that was the neatest thing, having her little toes match her Mommy!!!  The next day when I was taking the above picture, she said "Mommy, be sure my pink toes are in the picture too!!"  It just cracked me up!!!  Good memories!!!

The pregnancy is going along great. I can't believe I will be 23 weeks tomorrow!!!!   We are so close to viability day and knowing he has a chance to survive outside the womb should

any early labor happen although I don't see or anticipate that happening!!  I have still been so sick. This past Monday night I had to go to the ER again to get IV fluids and IV Zofran to stop the vicious vomiting cycle I was on for about 4 days for some reason.  I was very dehydrated and was having contractions due to the dehydration so it was a necessary thing but they took great care of me there and I even got to see my OBGYN, Dr Wright!!!!   She happened to be on call that night for the hospital. I don't see her regularly anymore because she referred all of my prenatal care to the maternal fetal medicine group bc I am so high risk for many reasons, but she has been my doctor for over 14 years and I love her!!! She was very happy to see the pregnancy was perfect and he was healthy and spunky as ever!!  

I will post again tomorrow with the past 3 weeks of belly shots since I fell behind in posting them.  I really have a belly now and am definitely feeling PREGNANT!!!  It really is a glorious feeling!!! 

But it was a wonderful Mother's Day for 2015, and I have so many beautiful reasons to celebrate being a mother this year!!