10, 9, 8, 7, 6....Blast Off!

The countdown continues. Only 10 weeks left to go...

Aaron and I spent this past weekend catching up with friends. Aaron had a guys' golf weekend down at the beach and my best friend from Charlotte, Polly, came up to visit for the weekend. We both had a blast and had much needed "friend time." Polly helped me make some decorations for Parker's room. She's very artistic and I capitalized on her talent while she was here. Check out the pictures below. These letters are either going to be hung over the crib or over the changing table...we are still deciding on the layout of the room before we hang the letters up. Hopefully this weekend we will have some new pictures to post of the nursery.

We started by painting the white letters the same cream color as the bottom half of the wall...

Then we (meaning Polly) painted all of the dots on the letters. We attached brown ribbon to hang the letters.

Here is the guard dog checking out everything new in Parker's room.

Here is a close up of the letters.

Here are the letters so that you can compare them against the wall and the furniture. We will post pictures once we arrange all of the furniture in the room and decide which wall we are going to hang the letters on.

THANK YOU POLLY FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP. THEY LOOK AWESOME!

I had another doctor's appointment yesterday. Mostly good news as usual. My glucose screening came back normal, which means no gestational diabetes. I was worried about this, considering my weight before getting pregnant put me at a higher risk, as did my family's history of diabetes. They said my blood pressure looks amazing for someone who is 30 weeks pregnant. I weighed in at 10 lbs over my original weight...still on track to gain around 15 for my pregnancy, which they also said was great. The doctor did introduce some news that upset me. After measuring me, he said that I am measuring about 2 weeks ahead of 30 weeks. He told me that "I'm growing him big." This 1-2 week overage has been a consistent measurement for the past 4 or so doctor's appointments. I asked him what this means and he basically said that I am probably growing a big baby and not to rule out a C-section at the end. We still have a few weeks to determine Parker's size and they will continue to measure me. If I continue to measure two weeks over, they will do another ultrasound to determine his size. He said it could potentially just be that my uterus is larger than normal and/or that my body is just carrying the baby in a larger area. They won't know this until another ultrasound is completed. I am not sure when this will be done. I'll find out at my next appointment in two weeks. I was really taken aback by this because it's not the image of pregnancy/labor that you visualize. I never pictured having a baby by C-section, so it's a huge possible change of thought for me. Aaron has been very supportive, saying that all we want in the end is a healthy baby and mommy and however that needs to happen, we will do it. I'm not gonna lie and say that I'm OK with this possible outcome, but I know I need to do what's best. I think what confuses me most is that by looking at my belly, looking at my weight gain, and comparing my body to other women who are 30 weeks, I am not by any means "large." In fact, I feel like my belly looks smaller than it should now. Please start praying that I can have this baby naturally and that he'll slow down his growing just a little bit.

Other than that, things are going along well. I have been dealing with sinus allergies/stuffiness/congestion for the past few days. This is the first time I've been sick since being pregnant, so I feel lucky for that. I'm hoping it will pass soon. My stubborn self actually took some time off of work this week to rest up and get better...so hopefully that will help.

Until next time...here I am at 30 weeks (you'll have to excuse the not-so-great picture...I had to take it on self timer by myself).

Parker, be nice to your mommy...

I am slowly passing out of the honeymoon phase (aka second trimester) and moving into the "not so honeymoon" phase (aka third trimester). Although things are not unbearable yet, I am beginning to get uncomfortable. My back has been a huge source of discomfort for me. My lower back is constantly aching and throbbing. It might have something to do with this beach ball I am carrying around on the front of my body. It doesn't matter if I am sitting or standing, I am constantly in pain. Lying down flat seems to be the only thing that helps. Standing, bending up and down for little people, and sitting in tiny chairs at tiny tables all day is only making things worse. Ms. McKoy, my TA, has just been wonderful and has helped me out a ton in the classroom. I don't know what I would ever do without her (for more reasons than I can count)!

Also, Parker has decided that when he is not in motion, he enjoys spreading out across my belly. With him being about 15 inches long and not having that entire space in my belly, he loves to make himself comfortable underneath my ribs. LOVELY! Having a constant knee/leg/foot up under my rib cage is just incredible (sarcasm). I love you buddy, but you have to give mommy's insides a break at some point. It's really starting to hurt....badly.

With all of that said, I am still enjoying and loving every minute of being pregnant. It's such an amazing and out of this world experience. The stuff your body goes through and the changes that occur are nothing short of a miracle. We love to feel Parker rolling, kicking, and punching every day. Aaron's favorite part of every day is still laying on my belly at night, talking to his baby boy, and feeling him move in my tummy. He has been such a supportive husband and father already. His excitement and support only makes me that much more excited about this adventure we are about to begin...

We started our birthing class on Monday night at Rex Hospital, the hospital where we will give birth. We are in a 5 week course with about 12 other couples. Last night we talked about the anatomy of the pregnant body and what exactly is happening on the inside over the 40 weeks of growth. We also had a chance to talk about Pre-Labor symptoms vs. True-Labor symptoms...which I thought was very helpful! Even after hearing that we don't have to head to the hospital until contractions are 5 minutes apart...my Type A, planner husband will have me sitting in the car when I am having contractions at any time interval(he would say it's just to be prepared). I might find myself sitting in the car for 5 hours, just as a preparation haha. We also ended the class with some relaxation exercises. Aaron and I got into a giggle tantrum just as the instructor turned out all of the lights, had everyone take deep breaths, and asked us to start thinking about a relaxing place in our mind. It was quite embarrassing, but you have to keep things fun, right? Hopefully this won't happen again next week...

Aaron and I have a very busy couple of weeks ahead. We have a lot of traveling to do (both for work and pleasure) and we have many things left on our "Baby Bucket List" to complete during the time in between. But most importantly, we are making our alone time together a priority. We understand that this last three months is so important for our marriage and our time as a couple. We are going to do everything we can to savor our last few months of "us time."

We are in for a big change...ready or not, here he comes...

Happy 3rd Trimester to Me!

So today officially marks my third trimester. Only three months left to go. Only 12 weeks of pregnancy left to experience. I cannot get over how fast this has gone. I went to the doctor today and everything still looks and sounds great! I'm feeling wonderful and the belly continues to grow. I have not gained any weight over the past two weeks since my last appointment...which means I still have gained about 8-9 lbs since the beginning. Next Monday we begin a 5 week birthing class. We will go every Monday for two hours each session to learn "birthing and baby stuff"...whatever that might mean. We are getting ready for our little man's arrival and we are so excited!!!

Thank you for all of the continued support and encouragement (and compliments).

Evidence of Maddie's Nesting

This is what I came home to today...

Side note: This tissue box has been in the exact same place for three years and she has never even paid it attention. It has even been covered by a hard, decorative box. Today she obviously was drawn to it. Parker....this one's for you...literally.

Evidence #1

Evidence #2

Evidence #3

Maddie is nesting....literally.

For the past three months, I have been coming home almost daily to a mess made by Maddie. Basically, throughout the day, Maddie gets into anything made out of paper and tears it to shreds, leaving us piles around the house for when we get home. We can close every door in the house and lift every trash can off of the floor, but somehow she manages to find paper somewhere to tear up (receipts, packaging, mail, newspaper, tissues, etc.) We have crated her, punished her, ignored the behavior, etc. and have been very frustrated as to what to do to stop this behavior. She's been out of the crate for over a year and just started this behavior about three months ago. Since Aaron and I were out of ideas as to what to do with her to stop this behavior, we called the vet to get some advice.

I explained to the vet what was going on. She asked if Maddie was tearing anything else up (furniture, shoes, clothing, etc.) and I said not at all. In fact, she'll tear up paper food packing, and leave the food alone. I also explained to the vet that I was pregnant and had heard that dogs were very sensitive to their owner's change in hormones and chemicals. I asked if this behavior could be a reaction to being anxious about my changes and this was how she was taking out her anxiety. She stated that it could be, but after listening to more of my description of what was happening she told me her conclusion:

Maddie has sensed that there is a change in my body's chemicals and has sensed that I am pregnant. Since she is a female dog, she is feeling the need to get her "nest" ready for the arrival of a baby. As female dogs do when they are pregnant themselves, she is using materials around the house to build a bed for "her puppies" (aka baby Parker). She waits to do this while we are not home for the same reason that breeders build beds for their pregnant dogs in a dark corner of a secluded room....dogs prepare for birth in private. My sweet little Maddie girl is helping her mommy build a bed for baby Parker when he arrives. I have to admit...I teared up a bit when the vet told me this because I thought it was the sweetest thing. Isn't it amazing the natural tendencies of animals? God is incredible...

Needless to say...Maddie is no longer punished when we come home and find torn up paper around the house. How can I not just think that she is so cute and being so helpful and nurturing? Look at that face...

She is going to be a great big sister!

26 Weeks and Counting...

This week marked 26 weeks. CRAZY! I had a doctor's appt on Wednesday and everything is looking great. Parker's heartbeat sounded wonderful, I am measuring exactly at 26 weeks, and the doctor told me that I have gained 7 lbs. since the beginning of my pregnancy (which made me happy to hear). I have joined the "Two-Weeker Club", which basically means that from here until I reach 36 weeks, I will be going in for check-ups every 2 weeks to get measured and to get Parker's heartbeat checked. My baby boy is growing and I no longer have a "baby bump." I am into the obvious baby belly stage. Here is a picture of me at 26 weeks.

I am on Spring Break this week and I am taking the time to relax, cross things off of my "To Do" list, and pamper myself. I went to Ocean Isle this past weekend with my family to have a family vacation. It was wonderful and relaxing! We stayed in a beautiful house on the beach and had a chance to sit back and relax. It was a much needed break from reality. We went to a winery and took a tour, hung out at an outdoor festival/concert, went to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, went shopping, walked on the beach, played games, read, and laughed a lot. It was so refreshing for me to spend time with my family for a long weekend. My mom and sister spent some time on Sunday helping me shop for maternity clothing. My sister was not happy with the fact that I was wearing my regular pants unbuttoned and unzipped instead of having proper clothing that fit :) She told me that I needed to be comfortable and not walk around with open pants HAHA. They were such a HUGE help to me and I am now fully stocked and ready to go out on the town with CUTE and COMFY clothes.

Picnic Lunch at the winery with the family

Outdoor music festival at the winery

Stacey, Alan, and Aaron enjoying the food and music

I have also had a chance to pamper myself this week. I got a haircut, a massage (courtesy of a gift from my wonderful Aunt Gail), and a pedicure (courtesy of my wonderful sister Stacey). It's been so nice being able to treat myself and feel relaxed. Parker likes the fact that his mommy is nice and chill...

Aaron and I are heading to Myrtle Beach this weekend with his mom to start renovations and decorating in our NEW BEACH CONDO! Aaron and I will be the new owners of a beach condo at the end of April and we are very excited to have a vacation home to use throughout the year. It's a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo that is located in a wonderful community in Myrtle Beach. Pictures to come later...

Those are the latest updates here with the Chappell Family. We are getting more and more excited as the days pass...