39 weeks- Pregnancy Questionnaire

How far along: 39 weeks & 5 days

Total weight gain: gained 30 lbs. 

Maternity clothes: I'm not gonna lie, I think I'm going to miss them! They're so darn comfy! However I have noticed a few of my maternity tops are on the snug side!!!

Stretch marks: Still here. 

Sleep: I've had a few really rough nights but overall I get sleep...eventually!

Best moment of this week: I really had a great Sunday at church! I'm going to miss being there for a few weeks!

Miss anything: sushi, rare meat, being able to walk outside without getting super hot and turning pink immediately annnnnnnnd sleeping comfortably! 

Movement: On Saturday evening I realized Raleigh hadn't moved much. It freaked me out but before I fell asleep I felt a few small movements. As I went about my Sunday I continued to monitor him. I drank orange juice, a coke, iced water... & he just didn't do his normal spastic moves & rolls! I decided we should go get checked out just because I'd HATE to ignore potential risky signs. So we headed into L&D. It worked out in the end... we were able to sign all of our paperwork & get acquainted with the hospital more! We got an ultrasound which showed us our lazy baby was just perfect. He has little room & was just sleepy! Even the u/s tech spent nearly 30 minutes trying to get him to move and wake up! She estimates Raleigh is measuring 8 lbs & 8 ounces... give or take a pound!

Food cravings: Pancakes & Cheeseburgers. Ha!

Anything making you queasy or sick: I'm feeling really good!

Have you started to show yet: definitely. 

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks... 1cm dilated, 70% effaced, -3 ... woohoo!!! Progress. 

Belly button in or out: Still in, but really close to being out still! 

Wedding rings on or off: Still on. I'm shocked!!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, excited, nervous...

Looking forward to: besides meeting our little man? Experiencing childbirth with my husband & seeing our families soon! 

Late at night before bed, 39 weeks & 4 days! 

And just like that...

I'm 38 weeks & 5 days pregnant... & very much ready to meet this baby. 

I'm suddenly short of breath & I having a rough time catching it. Not a good feeling. 

Indigestion is terrible again & I'm exhausted... to name a few symptoms. 

I know it is absolutely all worth it in the end! I'm thankful that I've had a fairly easy pregnancy thus far. I also know that I am blessed to be able to carry this child, so please don't think I'm not grateful... I'm just being real... I'm ready to not be pregnant! I'm ready for the next stage. The next chapter. I'm thinking this is how God designed us to feel! The thought of parenthood is daunting & can be overwhelming... but at this point my discomfort pushes me to be ready for the next stage! 

Come on Raleigh... your mom & dad are ready to meet you!!!

Pregnancy Questionnaire:

Well this is fun! Here goes....

How far along: 35 weeks (and 2 days!)

Total weight gain: gained 25 lbs. 

Maternity clothes: what about them?! You know I've been rocking my maternity pants!!

Stretch marks: ohhhh yes. Despite my efforts... they're here. 

Sleep: I actually slept pretty well last night! Nathan makes fun of my grunts while trying to roll over! Lol

Best moment of this week: seeing Raleigh's face! He actually cooperated with our growth scan ultrasound. I cried when I saw him. He is so handsome! 

Miss anything: sushi. I really want it! Spicy tuna to be exact. Also sleeping on my back... oh and being able to shave my legs easily!! 

Movement: oh yes! The other day Nathan was on the other side of my office & we both just watched my belly rolling back & forth! I love when he catches these things with me & we can experience them together!

Food cravings: anything that is bad for me... well that & corn on the cob (which I make bad for me) & sliced tomatoes! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: occasionally random smells, but thankfully not nearly as much as my first trimester! 

Have you started to show yet: ha! Is that a joke?!

Gender: boy!! 

Labor signs: hip pain & Braxton Hicks contractions.... but not really anything else. 

Belly button in or out: soooooooo close to being out! It's out when I'm laying down! 

Wedding rings on or off: on!!! Yay! I'm pleasantly surprised I'm still comfortably wearing them!

Happy or moody most of the time: I think I'm happy...... my hubby may say I'm moody! Lol

Looking forward to: meeting this little boy!!! 

Our ultrasound from this week! 35 weeks. I'm so in love. I can't wait to kiss his cheeks!!! 

Hormones + Realizations= 34 weeks!

Let me be really honest. Hormones are no joke! This week I've had ups & downs like an insecure middle school girl! I'm talking- crying over nothing... then finding anything to cry about! It makes me feel crazy, but I'm thankful it has been short lived downs & mostly ups this entire pregnancy. 

Tuesday we had our hospital visit. I felt better about the whole process but Nathan was getting anxious just walking the halls! Pray for us. This is going to be an interesting & very new dynamic for us!!  

Wednesday was tough for me. I think it was the combination of exhaustion from my terribly uncomfortable attempts to sleep & also the hospital tour making it a reality that Raleigh would be here soon (ready or not!) and I'm 100% sure my hormones were whacky! Everything made me cry. I literally ran between rooms at work, ducking into a bathroom to cry... then trying to get it together... just to lose it in an elevator... then to make it to my office... where I lost it again! It is kind of comical now... but I genuinely felt crazy! Thankfully my tears stopped & my dear friend Jismarie helped me feel pretty & did our maternity shoot. I'm sure the images she captured are ones I will treasure forever! Here is a behind the scenes shot Nathan took with his camera! 

I'm realizing (apparently slowly, thank God this process is 9 months!) that we're going to be parents & that scares the bejesus out of me! I mean how are we supposed to be the sole providers for this baby when I still feel like I need my own mother?! When I think about it, it terrifies me yet at the same time I feel so unworthy of this amazing task set before me! What a blessing?! This child has been entrusted to us. Wow. I think it's ok I'm terrified. It's kind of a huge deal! I don't know if I'll ever feel ready... prior to holding Raleigh in my arms, but I know God would not have entrusted us with such a precious gift if He didn't think we could take care of him adequately! I'm sure motherhood will stretch me like no other! I'm ready to be refined & taught an entirely new level of love. 

PS. Happy 34 weeks & 1 day! Check out my basketball. 

Raleigh's Nursery

Whenever it finally sunk in (has it really though?) that we'd be bringing a child into our home the wheels started turning in my head! Where will he sleep? What about our guest room, we can't lose that because all of our family lives out of town!? How will we fit a queen sized bed & a crib into a small space? How much do we want to spend on this nursery? How do I decorate for my little boy?

Well, I'm still not exactly sure about where he'll start off sleeping! I'm going to try the nursery from day one (it's not like our room is far away... we live in a small apartment!). We kept our guest room... & made it into fully functioning nursery & guest room combo! We had to turn the queen size bed into a "day bed" of sorts, but I think it will work. Every piece of furniture we purchased was a Craigslist/ internet find... & of course we got it all for a steal! I decided to decorate the way I'd like it... not too frilly of course, I mean it is for our boy! I wanted to use things that could go in any room of our house but together create a nursery. From day one I thought we were having a boy! I decided to purchase green fabric before our ultrasound confirmed we were in fact having a boy. It was a safe bet & after all it is my favorite color! Each detail has been picked out for a reason & each nicknack has been placed because it's special. Our families have their touches in Raleigh's nursery, which makes it extra special... so here goes!

 Here is one side! Ok- let's break it down. Far left are hooks, I found that at Target for $4! It's perfect for Raleigh's towels. We found the crib on Craigslist... we bought it with the matching changing table for $275! I love it. My Pop Pop bought Raleigh's mattress and my Grandma Barbara lovingly sewed the crib skirt. Maw Maw, Nathan's Grandma, bought us the rocking chair & ottoman... which we found on Craigslist for $85!

That gorgeous rug? I love it. It was an Overstock purchase! I found is for $130, which kind of seemed like a lot at the time, but it adds so much! It could go in any room of our house & it's wool so it's a natural fiber I don't mind my son crawling on. See those gorgeous drapes? My awesome Grandma Barbara & mom made those too. I found the fabric at a craft fair. It used to be a vintage mattress cover. See the vintage suitcases? Well for now they're ok but I'll have to figure out how to mount it open when Raleigh starts to pull up on things; I don't want his little fingers to get pinched! I bought those from our friends Matt & Mel Hux before they moved across the country... it makes it extra sweet!

 

 Here is the "day bed"! It's queen sized & comfy... so come on down! Another challenge was keeping this bedding & making it work with a baby's room. I didn't want to part with it! I think I may take a few naps in the future right there! ;)

Oh, this artwork. I could not be more pleased with it! I saw these on Zulilly one day & knew it would be perfect for Raleigh's nursery. I spent $30 on the artwork, $16 on the frames & 79 cents on the green paint which Auntie Katherine used to paint the once cream mats!! We're a little ghetto... but that saved me $120!! The green is perfect.

"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Corinthians 13:7... that's what the sweet giraffe canvas reads! I LOVE it. My sweet friend & coworker Linda Rose surprised me with that at work one day. She said she couldn't wait until my shower to give it to me & I'm glad! I was so excited to hang it somewhere special. Oh, this is also our changing table! I also have a solid green changing pad cover & another one in the green print... both made by my mom & grandma again!

Here is Raleigh's dresser. It's full of lots of clean and organized clothes & blankets!! My mom & sister are the best. Raleigh's daddy is an excellent painter, apparently! He took the vintage white dresser we bought for $90 & turned it into this adorable yellow gem! Since this nursery doubles as a guest room, I made sure to provide a mirror... which I found at Target for $19.99. The picture frame was a gift from Dan & Bev Bonner... I can't wait to put our first family picture in it! (Well at least our first good one!!)

 

 Here are some of our nicknacks! The bunny was my most beloved stuffed animal. I was convinced it was the Velveteen Rabbit! The bib was Nathan's which was hand stitched by a friend of Carol's. The cigar box was from when Nathan was born!

Here is my favorite corner! Hanging is a prayer that Grandma Carol cross stitched for Nathan's nursery. It just happpppened to match perfectly!? The little table came from Gramma Claudia's house. Nathan painted it yellow too! The pillow was made by my Grandma Barbara! Oh- and there is Raleigh... his little ultrasound is framed!

This shelf I found that at Target on clearance for $16. It has little chalkboards but I haven't decided what to write! I bought it before I had the crib & changing table... I love how perfectly they match!? Hanging from it is Raleigh's baby bonnet & Nathan's baby shoes. On top of it is an adorable personalize giraffe push toy from my friend Meghan & a sweet plate from Nathan's Aunt Karen!

Last thing. My totally impractical & impulsive buy pre-marriage! I found this lamp at a little antique store in western NC when I was vacationing with my mom & dad. I saw it & fell for it! It's green & antique... anyone else seeing a trend?! I had it rewired & got it for $30. I love that it's displayed & on a dimmer! Thanks Dad AKA "Antonio" for hanging it & setting it up on the dimmer. 

 I had fun decorating Raleigh's room. I loved the challenges & the "treasure hunting"! As you can see our families helped provide special nicknacks, homemade gifts & the serious labor to make it all come together. There are still a few things that need to be hung & polished but, for the most part things are in order!! Raleigh is a loved little boy & I can't wait to bring him into his new home!

Best educational free date ever!

Last night we had our very first class before baby Raleigh arrives! It was a basic newborn care class. We reviewed things that are common sense and learned other things like cord care and how to give baby a bath. (Also common sense... but it was a nice refresher/ reminder!) Nathan proved to be an excellent diaper changer... at least when it involved a fake baby & no mess, but I think he'll be just fine in the real situation! We washed our fake baby and learned how to clean the umbilical cord.

We had lots of laughs together & giggled through the entire class... while taking it very seriously of course! All in all it was fun and I think we'll be able to meet Raleigh's most basic needs!  ;)

We were the first couple to arrive so we had first choice of our baby. Meet baby Price! 

A friendly PSA!

If it was never appropriate to talk about a lady's weight pre pregnancy, why do people feel the need to discuss it durning? Don't get me wrong... it doesn't offend me when someone talks about my baby's growth and keeps it to the "oh, look at your belly, he is getting so big" statements. It's the moments people feel the need to use words like huge or ginormous when referencing me. Or how about the random strangers that can't believe I'm only "x" many months along... "are you sure they got your due date right?!" Lady... I don't even know you!! People- have some common sense! It's just not wise to discuss such things with hormonal women... Ever. The End! :)

Growing Belly 21-28 weeks

Whew! A lot has happened in the last 8 weeks! Mr. Raleigh has grown quite a bit... and apparently so have I! So here is the recap:

Late night shot in my pjs! 

After a delicious sushi dinner! (Don't worry... I stuck with tempura!)

This week Nathan was out of town... He had the opportunity to go to a huge church planting conference! Also, I NEVER show my bare belly but I was shocked how much my body had changed! Pardon my pasty whiteness! ;)

Feeling good and clearly rocking a preggo belly! Yay. 

25 weeks and wearing my $12 maternity dress from Kohl's! Love that place. 

Tired but thankfully not sick! 

Not sure what I was doing with my face..... but this was the best one! Lol

Annnnnnnd 28 weeks! Officially in my third trimester! How did that happen so quickly!? 

I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy is wrapping up. I'm just praying that I continue to feel well and that this heat/humidity will be nice to me! Raleigh is a big boy and we're grateful he is growing and is healthy! With our last ultrasound at 28 weeks we were told he is in the 89% for growth and is estimated to weigh 3lbs already! Crazy. 

Next time I'd better not wait 8 weeks to post my growth... I may just have a baby by then!!! Holy moly, what a thought!