37 Week Office Visit

Yesterday we had our 37 week office visit which started with my blood pressure reading 140/100 ... needless to say, not starting off too well. We were measuring on schedule and she still has a strong heartbeat. We are also progressing in dilation ... this week our midwife said we are more than 1, but not quite 2cm. They took my blood pressure again at the end of the visit and it was around 130/90 ... it was going down, but still borderline. They drew some blood, which all came back negative today. They also went ahead and took me out of work in order to make sure I could get my blood pressure down. My original last day before maternity leave was to be May 1, but they didn't want me going back this week.

Our next visit is 5/6 for 38 weeks

And the Weekly Visits Begin ... 36 weeks

Our weekly email update:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Info from www.babycenter.com


We had our 36 week visit on 4/21. Everything went well ... it was our first exam visit. We will now be going every week for check ups. She said that our little girls heartbeat was in the 140s to 150s ... still beating strong. She also stated that we are already 1cm dilated, but we all know that you can be there for a little while! Our next visit is set for 4/28. I also only have one more week of work before maternity leave starts ... looking forward to 5/1!!

Here is my 36 week belly on 4/24

The Friends and Family Shower ...

My sister and good friend, Kristen Parker, threw a shower for our family and close friends last Sunday, 4/19. It was perfect! We continued to get some much needed clothing and some of the essentials. At least we now know she'll be able to ride home, love tummy time on her Rainforest mat, relax comfortably in her bouncer, and be styling in all of her new clothes.

Cute little onesies


How big is the belly now??


Bouncer seat ...


Tummy time mat ...


Cute little summer outfits ...


She has a ride home!


Blankets "made by" Bubba Mary (green) and Grandma Andrews (pink and brown) with help from Aunt Naomi. She used my grandmothers needles in order to create these beautiful blankets .. I think they would approve!

More Nursery Updates ...

Saturday 4/18 Grandma Connell and Aunt Mary Beth came up to help us get the border up. It ended up being pretty easy and its still sticking! The newest thing in wallpaper appears to be a big sticker ... who would have thought?!

First half ...


The even made sure the corners matched!


Almost done ...


The other half ...

Hartford Shower

The ladies at work put together a baby shower on 4/16. It was wonderful and our little girl came home with some great new outfits! I had a fear that we didn't have enough clothing for her ... that is no longer a fear! Here are some photos from the shower ...

The yummy cake!


A handmade blanket by Annie McDuffie .... she is expecting her first later this year! Its beautiful!


More clothes ...

Our Weekend Away!

Ed and I decided to take a weekend trip with the dogs to a cabin in the North Carolina Mountains! We packed up and headed to Bryson City ... once we got through the bad storms on Friday the rest of the weekend was beautiful.

The dogs loved the fenced in side yard and we loved the large fire pit! We were given a free bottle of wine from The Biltmore ... yes, I had a glass or two over the whole weekend. It's good for you right?!?! Trust me she liked it ... she told me so! We also made time for massages at a local resort and spa. Overall it was a nice weekend.




Ed did a great job with the fire pit and made sure it was just perfect! Once the rain passed ... it was just right outside for all of us a nice sunset in the mountains. We also had some crafty reminders for taking care of our "children" while we were there!










We really had a nice, relaxing weekend away! We know that we will still have these weekends once the little one gets here, but at least this time we did not feel guilty for leaving her behind!

34 Week Office Visit

Our last office visit was 4/8 and everything went well. We are still measuring right on time and the heartbeat was in the 140s. Our little girl is still very active and we've been told over the next few weeks she'll just keep getting fatter :)! Our next appointment is 4/21 and we will be seeing the last midwife in the office. They will do the Beta Strep test then and after that we will be seen weekly.

Couples Shower Hosted by The Billington's

Saturday 4/4 Beau and Heidi Billington threw us a couple's shower. It turned out to be a great evening with great friends. The weather was beautiful and the ribs were tasty! Here are a few photos from the evening:

32 Week Office Visit and 34 Weeks Along!!

Our last office visit was 3/25 ... everything is still moving right along. We got to hear her heartbeat again ... she was in the 150s. She measured the belly again and set us up for our next appointment. Over the past week I've started to feel our little girl with the hiccups ... its a crazy feeling! Our 34 week appointment is tomorrow, 4/8.


34 week update from the weekly email:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.


Info from www.babycenter.com