Memories

Even though this trimester is reminding me a whole lot of the first, it has been wonderful! Bran and I have a new favorite game. While lounging on the couch together, we watch my belly roll. When Griffin stops, we feel where he is then try to guess if we are touching his back, butt, or some limb. It never gets old!!
One of Bran’s best friends from high school came to visit the other night with his wife. They brought Griffin a gift – a changing pad and first aid kit. Side note: I love practical gifts! Anyways, today while Bran was eating lunch, we were checking out the changing pad. Bran got a very serious look on his face, scrunched his brow, and said “Hum… It just hit me. We will be changing diapers for the next two years. Hum…” He makes me laugh.
The nursery is coming along slowly but surely. I’m hoping to get the final coat of paint up before Christmas. The ceiling needs another coat of paint as well. I bought a new ceiling fan for the room because the old one is so dark and hangs down so low. I will put the final coat of paint on the floating shelves tomorrow, and my goal is to get those hung as well as the fan before I go back to school in January. After that, the fun decorating can start! January is going to go by so fast. Between showers, birthing classes, and work, it will be my due date before I know it. Bran and I are so EXCITED!

29 and 30 Weeks Plus Graduation Day!!

   

Well there it is…. my huge belly! It keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger. But that hopefully means I will have a healthy little boy! (or big boy… ha!)
How far along? 30 Weeks
Weight gain? I think it’s around 25 pounds. And I am supposed to gain a pound a week for the next ten weeks. Yikes! I guess I am just not one of those blessed pregnant women that only gain like 10 pounds their whole pregnancy. Oh well… I guess I will be Weight Watchers newest member in March. ha!
Maternity clothes? Most of the time. I still wear some dresses and longer shirts. Around the house, I try to wear some of my old t-shirts, but they no longer cover my belly. Bran laughs at me.
Sleep? Um… bleh. It’s ok I guess.
Best moment this week? I love that I am able to say that I only have 10 more weeks left! It sounds shorter than two and half months.
Movement? a ton!
Gender? boy!
Labor Signs? None
Belly button in or out? Still in, but getting more flat.
What I miss? Again, not having heartburn. I had the worse heartburn EVER the other night. That, coupled with Mexican food, did not bode well. I was over the toilet for thirty minutes one early, early morning. GAG. I made it the whole first trimester without getting sick, but not the third.
Milestones? This doesn’t really pertain to Griffin so much, but I finally graduated with my master’s degree!!!
Cravings? Nothing really. First trimester, I couldn’t eat hardly anything. Second trimester, I was a bottomless pit. Third trimester, my appetite is back to normal.
 
Friday after school, Brandon and I drove to Jonesboro. We met my parents over there for my 10:00 graduation on Saturday. I was so glad that they came to support me. It meant a lot! The drive was sooooooooooooooo long, so I’m thankful it is over. I am glad I went, but I’m also glad it’s over!

    This is my “I really need to use the bathroom so let’s speed this up!” face. ha!

   It is finished!!!!










So thankful for my great parents!!

So since I am now homework free…. I think Bran and I will start painting the nursery today!

28 Weeks and Christmas Photos

How far along? 28 Weeks! Only 12 more left!!!
Weight gain? I’m not quite sure. Doctor’s appointment is on Thursday, so I will find out then. I have been eating lots of junk this past week… I need to be better!
Maternity clothes? Yes! They are much more comfortable. My t-shirts and regular shirts just don’t cover my stomach anymore, and no one wants to see my bare, white belly!
Sleep? It’s ok most nights.
Best moment this week? Well…. I passed my glucose test!! Super excited about that!
Movement? He hasn’t moved as much as the week before, but he is still in there kicking around.
Gender? Boy
Labor Signs? Not that I know of! ha!
Belly button in or out? In.
What I miss? Again, this heart burn is awful! And I am beginning to feel more uncomfortable. It’s nothing unbearable of course. I just cannot find a comfortable spot and stay there for long.
Milestones? Officially entering my final trimester. I cannot believe that I only have three more months. I have SO much to do….
Cravings? cereal
My friend Meg took some photos of Bran and me yesterday. Here are a few of my faves. She did a great job! I finally got my Christmas cards ordered!

   

   

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 Weeks
Weight gain? 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes!
Sleep? eh. Not as good some nights.
Best moment this week? There were so many! On Tuesday, my mom came down to Russellville and was able to attend our last ultrasound appointment. Brandon, his mom, my mom, and I got to see little Griffin in 4D. Technology is so amazing! He has my lips and Bran’s brow structure. He already looks so precious!


I also got to go shopping with my mom and sister this past weekend. I bought a lot of stuff for Griffin’s room including new bedding. My self-less mother is going to be making his bedding! I cannot wait for it all to be done!
Movement? He is moving quite a bit. He seems to be very active around suppertime!
Gender? All boy!
Labor Signs? None
Belly button in or out? In
What I miss? Heartburn is killing me. It can go away anytime now!
Milestones? Seeing Griffin in 4D and getting my glucose test out of the way. I am also starting my two-week appointments! eek!
Cravings? comfort food
 
I cannot believe Thanksgiving is already over… The holiday season is in full swing! I LOVE this time of year, but I cannot wait for next year! Experiencing the holidays with a baby with be that much more fun and exciting. I have only three weeks left of graduate school. I am so ready for it to be over with. My motivation is completely gone. My motivation to get anything done is gone actually. The tiredness is back in full swing. I better find it quick though. The next three months are going to fly by and my little boy will be here before too much longer!

Baby G

My precious baby boy. It was love at first sight.

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 Weeks! Only two more and I will be in my last trimester… crazyness…
Weight gain? My scale says 20 pounds. That makes me sad, but hey, it will all be worth it right???
Maternity clothes? Still pants. I love that they fit, but hate how the crotch always rides down. So irritating!
Sleep? It’s ok. Sleep isn’t the best but it’s not the worst either.
Best moment this week? Brandon finally got a piece of Griffin’s furniture together! AND I bought the perfect rug for his room.
Movement? Oh my goodness… it’s been almost non-stop. I love it!
Gender? Boy!
Labor Signs? None. But let’s face it… I really wouldn’t know it if I did. ha!
Belly button in or out? In
What I miss? This heartburn is killing me. I won’t miss it.
Milestones? Getting pieces of his room together.
Cravings? Nothing really

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 Weeks!
Weight gain? Oh my word. I’m probably at around 20 pounds. I haven’t weighed myself since my last depressing doctor’s appointment. ha!
Maternity clothes? Still just pants. Maternity tops are still a little too big.
Sleep? It’s good for the most part. I overslept a couple of weeks ago and ever since, I have been waking up on the hour every hour starting at around 3am. It’s really annoying!
Best moment this week? Yesterday Bran and I went out on a date. The cashier at the restaurant asked how far along I was! She was the first stranger that knew I was pregnant. It’s about time I start to look like it!
Also, Griffin’s furniture came in yesterday. Bran is going to start putting it together soon. I am excited to get in there and start decorating. My sister is going to help so I know it will all look good!
Movement? He is going crazy as I am typing this! Last night, I put some Christian music on my phone through Pandora and put it on my belly. Griffin started going nuts. Bran and I just sat and watched my phone get kicked around as he was grooving to the music. It was pretty cool!
Gender? Boy!
Labor Signs? None
Belly button in or out? In, but getting more flat.
What I miss? My face not being so fat!
Milestones? Getting all of the nursery furniture in was a milestone. I am ready for it to be put together and to get started decorating.
Cravings? Just pizza still. I am trying to be better about what I eat. I don’t want to gain another 10 pounds in a month!

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 Weeks
Weight gain? Well this is an interesting topic… If you go by the doctor’s scale, then 17 stinking pounds!!! But my scale says 13. Either way, I start walking tomorrow.
Maternity clothes? Just pants for the time being.
Sleep? Still good!
Best moment this week? I had my monthly doctor’s appointment and got to hear his heartbeat again. I love that sound!
Movement? Oh. My. Goodness! Griffin is a mover and a shaker.
Gender? Boy
Labor Signs? None
Belly button in or out? Very much in
What I miss? No heartburn. I am having heartburn ALL the time. Other than that, everything is fantastic!
Milestones? Just making it this far is a milestone I think! I’m almost to the six month mark.
Cravings? Coke. I don’t know why, but I think I crave it because I know I’m not supposed to drink it.
 
And just for a comparison, here is my 13 week shot and my 23 week shot:
           
I think it’s hilarious that my hair is curly in both of these pictures. I rarely fix it this way! But I can definitely see why I’ve gained so much now!

Out with the old!

I have had a wonderful day off! Since conferences were this week, today was a flex day. The only thing that would make it better would  be if Bran was home tonight. He is playing Jesus in our church’s Hell House production. Bran was on the front page of the newspaper today in the Heaven scene. He always makes the paper when he puts on that Jesus costume! He won’t be home until after 11:00 tonight, tomorrow night, and Monday night. It makes me so sad. Good thing I have my crazy dog to watch over Griffin and me.
Anyways, I had my doctor’s appointment this morning. Everything was great except I put on a ton of weight this month! I have to watch what I’m eating a little more closely. Then I went to a carpet store to look at some rugs for our living room and Griffin’s room, went to Hobby Lobby for a project, then to Lowes and Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. It was great to be able to actually have the time to get some stuff done. When I got home, I had to take a Statistics test. Gag. So glad today is my last day of this class. I only have one more test left then I am home-free!
After my test, I worked on transferring my clothes to my new closet! We have a weird alcove in our master bedroom that was a complete waste of space. I wanted my dad to turn it into a closet for me, but since I’m not his favorite, I just had to make do with whatever Bran and I could do on our own. We bought an organizer at Lowe’s, and Bran did a wonderful job installing it for me. It took him forever, but everything is nice and level and sturdy. And the best part, we did it together and didn’t argue at all! lol Usually projects like that can make our patience run thin with each other, but we did a good job.
Once I transferred all of my stuff, I worked on getting Bran’s stuff out of the nursery into my old closet. I really like how everything turned out! It’s much better use of space. It’s def not my “dream closet” but it most certainly does the job.

The picture makes the curtains look silver, but they’re really blue.

The shelves completely eliminated my need for a dresser. Woohoo!

     

Two bags of trash and a bed full of clothes to donate to Teen Challenge! It feels so good to get rid of the old stuff!

Bran’s new closet is nice and neat and organized! I give it a week before it’s destroyed!
And even with all my hard work, Griffin’s room still looks like this…

I can’t believe I just posted this… but that’s real life! lol It has actually come so far! We have removed a treadmill, bed frame, and a bunch of other junk. Now to find a place for all of Bran’s hunting gear…. *sigh*

Statistics and 22 Weeks

Let me start off by saying, I’m so over graduate school. I just submitted my Statistics Research paper. I put it off for four weeks, so I spend my Sunday afternoon typing eight pages. Thankfully, I only have one more week left of this class, then a week off, and then I will be in my very last class!! Woohoo! I will be so excited to have my free time back!
I could use some more free time this week. I have parent/teacher conferences on Tuesday until 9pm. That’s always such a long day. I have 15 essays to grade, report cards to finish, AIPs to update and print off, and a host of other things to get done before Tuesday. Tomorrow shall be a long day as well. Sigh…
On to the fun stuff! Well to me anyways…

How far along? 22 Weeks
Weight gain? 11 or 12. Not exactly sure. Too much though!
Maternity clothes? Just pants. However, my dresses and tights are so much more comfortable to teach in all day.
Sleep? Still good!
Best moment this week? We ordered Griffin’s furniture. I think we got a great deal. Since I found out we were expecting, I’ve searched everywhere for good furniture. I either found cheap furniture that wouldn’t last, or really nice furniture that was overpriced. I came across a sale last week at JC Penny’s online and ordered a three piece set: a convertible crib, changing station/dresser combo, and a dresser. It’s backordered, so we will get it at the end of next month. That works out perfectly because the nursery needs some major deep cleaning before then!

Movement? Lots! I love that Bran can feel him move so much now too. Griffin really starts to kick if the computer is sitting on him. He must not like that! Every time the laptop is on him, he will kick so hard that he moves it. I love it!
Gender? Boy! Griffin Blaine
Labor Signs? None
Belly button in or out? In
What I miss? Not having heartburn every.single.day.
Milestones? Buying his furniture after five months of searching!
Cravings? pizza, pizza, and more pizza

20 and 21 Weeks

             
How far along? I am currently 21 weeks!
Weight gain? Gag… I don’t even know now. I think I’m like at 10 pounds now. Makes me sad.
Maternity clothes? Pants for sure. That’s all for now.
Sleep? Still good.
Best moment this week? So many… but one that has nothing to do with Baby G is making a 100% on my dumb statistics test! I hate this class!!
Movement? He is moving a LOT! I love to feel his little kicks.
Gender? Boy! His name is Griffin Blaine. We refer to him as Baby G! lol
Labor Signs? None thank goodness!
Belly button in or out? In, but is stretching more and more.
What I miss? My skinner face. I am retaining water in my face, hands, and feet so bad. I think I make it out to be more than it really is, but my face is truly fat. My neck and chin feel HUGE. It’s really gross. You can really see it in pictures too.
Milestones? For 20 weeks, it was finally getting to go shopping for Baby G with my mom. We got some of his bedding and a few things for his nursery. I had a lot of fun with her. And of course 20 weeks marked half way in my pregnancy. For 21 weeks, Bran finally felt two really strong kicks for the first time. There was no doubting that they were from Griffin! We have figured out that ice water makes him go crazy!
Cravings? Nothing in particular. If anyone suggests something or I see a commercial, then that’s what I want. For example, the other night at Hog Wild, the waitress asks if we would like an appetizer. We never order an appetizer… let alone hot wings. But as soon as those two little words came out of her mouth, h-o-t.w-i-n-g-s, that’s what I had to have. I never, ever eat those. But they were so good that night!

Gender Reveal

Last Thursday I had my anatomy scan. Brandon and I were both so excited to finally find out what our little blessing would be. We both had a feeling that it would be a girl. We had the ultrasound tech put the gender revealing ultrasound pictures in an envelope instead of telling us. Bran and I even closed our eyes during that part of the ultrasound. We wanted to find out at a little get together we had with our friends that night.
My mom and sister came down to help get some decorations together for the party. I decorated in pink and blue of course. Brandon and his dad grilled burgers and hot dogs, my sister made some yummy baked beans, and my mother-in-law brought the potato salad. I was so grateful for all the help because I couldn’t have done it on my own!


My friend Dara and I made these centerpieces for the tables. They took FOREVER. The flowers are made of felt, stuck in a styrofoam ball, and placed on top of a glass that I painted white inside.

The cupcakes were ordered from a local bakery and were sooooo delicious! Half were vanilla and half were chocolate. All were dipped in ganache with a white question mark on top.



The guests that represented their guesses!

My fellow favorite teachers! After quickly stuffing our faces, it was cupcake time!!

So thankful that they came down!


Brandon’s face is PRICELESS!




It’s a boy!!!!!!!!!! We couldn’t be more excited!
And his name will be………..



TBA