Pregnancy Update: 39 Weeks

Surprise!

Yep, I'm still here, hanging out...but I won't be much longer! :)

How many weeks are you now?
39 Weeks, 6 Days - I'll hit 40 weeks TOMORROW...FORTY!!! Who knew I would make it this far, especially with all of the craziness that went on around week 26?!

Since this is the last update, let's compare a few pictures, shall we?

Baby's size?
Watermelon (That could be any range, shape, or size...oh Lordy!) per the What to Expect app

Weight:
I gained a pound back...

Total Weight gain: 29.5 pounds overall

Symptoms:
Over the past few days, I've had more and more cramping and the pressure in my pelvis has increased (sorry if that's TMI). I'm pretty sure he's dropped  because of the added pressure and I'm making more frequent bathroom trips (although everyone at church on Sunday kept saying he was still too high...if I had a dollar for every time someone told me that, I would be rich).

EXTREME fatigue has returned this week - it's like the same fatigue I experienced in the first trimester.

I am happy to report that I was dilated to a 1 cm at yesterday's appt. I also had a contraction in her office that she observed. She also said that I'm thinning out a little which is great!  She doesn't hold out any hope that I'll go into labor on my own, so we'll see what happens. Either way, I just want the outcome to be a healthy baby and a healthy me!

I still don't have any swelling and my blood pressure has remained excellent - yay!

I'm also continuing to work at this time and plan to do so until my due date (tomorrow) or if labor begins sooner... :)

Cravings?
Snoball...and I had one on Monday night! Yum!

Aversions?   
Strong smelling foods....that mainly includes fish. :)

Sleep?
I'm still sleeping well at night for the most part although rolling out of bed to use the restroom is rather comical!

Purchases?
Amazon registry completion. I also helped my mom with the purchase of a new mattress and sheets for the baby bed at her house! I've been enjoying the local baby thrift store, too...which is always a ton of fun! :)

What I Miss:
Bending over like normal. Also wearing normal workout clothing. You don't realize how much you miss something until you've been without it for so long! It's fun being pregnant, don't get me wrong...I am just excited to be at this stage and knowing I will have my body back soon makes me happy! :)

What I'm looking forward to:
Meeting my sweet baby boy!!

My husband's family also started a pool where they are guessing Brayden's weight and birth date, so I'm excited to see who wins the game! :)

At this week's Doctor appointment, we moved a few things around because my OB will be out of town on the original induction date. Instead, I'll go in on Monday night (I'll be 40 weeks and 3 days) for cervidil, then begin induction on Tuesday morning (that's if he hasn't arrived on his own yet, but I'm still crossing my fingers I'll go into labor on my own)! It's crazy to think he will be here in less than a week, regardless!

What I'm going to miss:
Feeling him move inside of me...seriously one of the most incredible feelings in the world!  

Best moment of the week:
Hanging out with most of my girlfriends one final time before becoming a mom. I had dinner with my running buddy a few weeks ago, went to the movies on Friday night with a friend, and had pizza and snoballs with friends on Monday night. It also helped the time pass because lately, time has been draaaaaagging on by...

My exercise ball has become my best friend and I've also resumed squats/lunges. I plan to resume walking again this afternoon (if the weather cooperates)! I also purchased a box of red raspberry leaf tea and I've been drinking it on the regular. This tea is supposed to help with the labor process so we will see how that goes! :)

I want to thank each and every one of you for your words of support and encouragement throughout this entire process from our pregnancy announcement, infertility journey, running journey, and each weekly update! You'll never know how much it means to me!! :) I can't wait to introduce our sweet boy to all of you!

This could possibly be my last blog update for a little while. In the meantime, you can follow me through various social media outlets if you're interested in announcements/updates:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Until next time, see ya real soon! :)

Disney Baseball Themed Baby Shower

About a month ago, several of my friends, family, and women I highly respect and admire came together to throw Brayden and I a baby shower. The day was beautiful and perfect and I couldn’t have asked for anything more! These ladies really know my personality and style!!

The shower was held at my church in the children’s building. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that our church experienced flooding back in December which caused a LOT of damage to our main building. Since everything was still under construction (and still is), the original plans had to be tweaked a bit and the shower location was moved to our children’s building sanctuary.

I love what these ladies did with the space that was available for them! The shower theme was just like his nursery, Disney Baseball. 

Balloons were even placed on the street corner so no one would get confused as to the location of the shower!

As guests entered, a welcome table was available complete with a sign-in sheet.

I LOVED the favors!! 

How cute is that pen? It's shaped like a baseball bat!

Mickey diaper cake!

I also thought these cards were a nice touch! It was fun to come home and read each and every one - I loved all of the personalized wishes for Baby Brayden!

The table centerpieces were a cute as can be with peanuts, pennants, and baseballs!

For the gifting area, they printed pictures from our ultrasounds and a picture from each week of my pregnancy! It was fun to see how much Brayden had grown over the weeks!

They also set up a gift display table for guests to see the gifts once they were opened. How cute are the little baseball outfits hanging behind the table?! 

The food area was really cute too! I loved the addition of fresh flowers with the peanuts and sand! :)

Even the drink station was festive! 

We saw this cake on pinterest and found someone who could make it. She even added Mickey ears to the hat on the top of the cake! 

These cupcakes were super yummy, too!

These corsages were handmade and each of the women figures in our lives received one (my mom, Jason's mom, and Jason's grandmother). 

My dress for the shower came from Pink Blush Maternity. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it online! Actually, most of the maternity clothing I purchased for myself came from Pink Blush! 

My awesome group of shower hostesses!

My mom, Jason's mom, and Jason's grandmother

Before long, it was time to open gifts!

We were incredibly blessed with the outpouring of love and support from our family and friends! I can't say thank you enough!!

Before I knew it, the shower was over! While everyone cleaned up, I had a bite of cake (or two) and kicked my feet up to relax. (Whoops, sorry guys!) This chair was incredibly comfortable and I didn't want to move, seriously!

All in all, the shower was AMAZING and far beyond anything I could have asked or even dreamed of! I so appreciate all of the women in my life who took time out of their busy schedules to help put on this shower. I also appreciate everyone who came to the shower to show their love and support for the newest addition to our family! I seriously have the best friends and family in the WORLD!! Love you guys!! 

Have a wonderful day!! :)

Easter Weekend Happenings

Happy Monday! Yep, baby boy and I are still hanging out over here, just waiting for something to happen! :) We had a fantastic Easter weekend with family and although Jason had to work, we managed to see him a bit, too!

My weekend began with a half day of work on Thursday! My dogs were groomed that day, so Jason and I had a late lunch, grocery shopped, then picked up our girls.

We sent this picture to our parents via text and said, "We have an announcement to make..." A little late for that, yes? Whoops! :)

Our girls after being groomed - I love it when they are both nice, clean, and have less hair!

On Good Friday, I slept in pretty late for me as I had a rough night the night before. I'm trying to absorb all the sleep now while I can!  We spent the afternoon split between the bank (did you know they are open on Good Friday cause I sure didn't!), a late lunch, and a little time with my dad. Overall, it was a good day!

 Friday officially made one week until my due date! (Now, we are at 5 days!)

I also worked on making this dessert for Saturday's family get together - I'll definitely share the recipe soon, but it was delicious!!!

On Friday night, my friend Kim and I saw the movie Miracles from Heaven. I CRIED through 75% of this movie and so did half the theater so I know it wasn't just the pregnancy hormones (although I do know that contributed)! This seriously is a great movie! 

Saturday morning was a super productive day as I ran an errand for my dad, stopped by Michaels for a frame, then came home and made these delicious Cadbury chocolate brownies. Again, I'll share the recipe soon! (They were AMAZING!) 

We spent the afternoon with Jason's family for lunch and an egg hunt which was super fun! 

 I loved watching my niece open each egg to see the "surprise" inside...so cute!

Saturday also happened to be my parent's 39th wedding anniversary! We had dinner at OCharley's followed by cake at their house!

Oh yes, and the Easter bunny also visited their house and "dropped off" baskets for Jason and I! Yes, we still get Easter Baskets from the Easter Bunny and I love it! My basket is even vintage...it's been in use since I was 2ish years old! :)

 
On Sunday morning, I helped in the coffee shop which was probably my last time for a while. Since our church is under construction after major flooding back in December, we've been holding our services in the Kids Building. We've also had to split to two Sunday morning services as the Kids Building doesn't near hold everyone for just one service. For Easter Sunday, we also had overflow rooms where the service was being live-streamed from the Sanctuary. Overall, I do have to say that everything came together and worked out great without any major hiccups! 

The coffee special of the day was a Chocolate Bunny Latte, although the bunny turned into a chicken peep instead! It still worked...and was super cute, too!

Another tradition on Easter Sunday for our church is the flowering of the cross. This symbolizes new life after Jesus' death on the cross on Good Friday. Everyone in attendance on Easter Sunday morning has the opportunity to place a flower on the cross and although it takes a while, it's one of the most beautiful and touching moments I've ever seen.

As I was placing my flower on the cross, the realization of how far Jason and I have come in just one short year really hit me and I became overwhelmed with emotion. Last year at this time, we were in the middle of our infertility journey, full of uncertainty, and had no clue where the future would take us. Jason's surgery was a month later...would it work? Would we be able to conceive on our own? Now here we are, exactly one year later...just days away from delivering our baby boy! Call it what you want, but I know where my hope lies...and it's in a God who is faithful and answers prayer!

Needless to say, one of those "emotional hormonal moments" that I discussed in my pregnancy update on Thursday hit me and I couldn't stop crying. Easter Sunday mess, I tell ya! Hah!

With the cross from our first service!

Lunch on Sunday afternoon was with my dad (Just him and I because my mom and Jason both had to work). We drove all over town and finally found something open (besides OCharleys which we had the night before). I'm always up for McAlisters, so why not?! :)

On Sunday afternoon, my high school friend and bridesmaid in my wedding came over for a visit. We got to catch up and discuss all things OB. It was great visiting with her!

After she left, I had an interesting dinner. For some reason, the thought of a PB, banana, and honey sandwich came to my mind. I hadn't eaten one of those since I was like...12 maybe? It was good, although I don't think I'll have another any time soon! As you can see, Madalynn enjoys being a little beggar! I also enjoyed some of the remaining strawberry dessert from the day before and again, there's Madalynn. She's so funny!

 I spent the rest of my afternoon/evening on the exercise ball, trying to encourage this little boy to get going!

We'll see if it works! :)

Have a super Monday!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun for Easter?