(I look horrible in this pic, but it is what it is.)

Once he is here and things settle I will post a few pictures, announce his name, stats, and be on our way. I probably won’t be around much the rest of the week, understandably, but I will try to share pictures as often as possible!

Thanks for all of your love and support and I can’t wait to introduce baby boy to the world!

P.S. She is a nut!

When we were in the process of buying our new home my mom was on the hunt for furniture, at reasonable prices, to furnish it. We were still trying to figure out what we wanted to do in the living room regarding the TV/entertainment center when my she stumbled across this;

Now, at first you may take a look at it and walk right past because you assume it’s out of your price range (or because it’s too big). Well, my mom stopped and read the price tag–$20. She did a double take a thought it had to be a mistake, especially since it was sitting next to a wicker hamper for $30. She found a sales person and asked if that was the real price or if it was supposed to say $200. The lady checked with a manager and came back to my mom with this response “once things are marked we can not change the price, so yeah it’s $20.” Mind you, this is an Ethan Allen piece, which retails for a couple thousand dollars.

My mom called me, gave me the news, and sent a picture for approval. I told her that even if we didn’t use it she could re-sell it and make money on it.

Obviously, we ended up using it but with a modification. Our TV wouldn’t fit inside with the doors attached (it originally had doors) so my dad removed them. But, let’s get back to the main point…$20!! We both agreed that this was the deal of the century!

Here is a picture of our living room. I still need to put a plant of some sort in the corner, but for the most part this is the most finished room in the house.

I used shoe box lids to create the art work. Yes, shoe boxes. I spray painted them, painted the grey with white dots and then mod podged on cut out animals.

I also made the mobile. The clouds and rain drops are felt stuffed with batting and then glued closed.

My dad had left over wooden circles lying around his warehouse which led me to this idea. I painted them and my mom attached hooks on the back to hang.

The changing table, crib and hamper were previously Rylie’s. It’s nice to be able to “hand down” furniture from an older child.

This frame was used in Rylie’s old room, so I just took her initial out of it and stuck the baby shower invitation inside. I plan on replacing it with a newborn photo once he is born. I glued the wooden monkey and tiger onto the frame as well.

And of course Rylie couldn’t be left out. I can’t believe she use to fit in a tub like that! She’s growing up so fast!

Once the room is complete I will do an update on it. He will be here with in the next week! Can’t believe it!

Total weight gain/loss: Enough!

Maternity clothes? Yes. I’ve been wearing the same 3 outfits

Sleep: Decent, but I keep waking up thinking I am having contractions. It’s just the baby moving.

Best moment this week: Knowing that I am one step closer to meeting my boy!

Movement: Yep, but it’s more rolling and pushing instead of jabs.

Food cravings: Nothing.

Gender: BOY!

Belly Button in or out? Out.

What I miss: Regular pants.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting my boy! Either this weekend or next week!

Labor Signs: Sunday I had a few contractions that were uncomfortable, but it was nothing I could time. I’ve been having a few here and there throughout the week, but again, it’s been nothing strong or even timeable. Today I had another appointment and I am 3cm, and still 50% effaced. Once again she recommended some husband and wife time to induce labor. There is a little bit of bad news though. She said my placenta doesn’t look too good. Basically it looks like someone who is 41 weeks, or a smoker, which I am not. But the good thing is that the baby is completely healthy and is moving normally, so she isn’t sure what is causing the placenta to be like that. She said it is nothing to be too alarmed about, but to keep my eye on my body and any changes the baby may have (like less movement, etc.). She would admit me now, but because the baby is perfectly healthy there is no reason to. She is hoping I go into labor on my own this weekend and if not she wants to re-check it on Monday and possibly admit me sometime next week. Another possibility could be a blood clotting disorder, or simply that the baby has outgrown the placenta. She just can’t figure out why my placenta looks the way it does with a baby so healthy. So with that being said, please say a prayer for the situation. Just pray it is nothing serious and that the baby is as healthy as possible. Of course it scares you when you hear bad news of any kind, but I’m sure it will all be ok. I don’t want to stress myself out about it.

Milestones: Full term!

Things I’ve been experiencing this week: A few contractions and I feel like he dropped some.

Size of the baby: His estimated weight is 7 lbs 7oz.

I love this series of photos!

Happy Wednesday!

It now sits at the end of her bed and all of her stuffed animals and blankets are inside. Seriously though, the thing barely shuts because she has so many stuffed animals. The kid is obsessed with them!

Please excuse my less than par photos. I didn’t feel like setting up a good shot and all that jazz.

Total weight gain/loss: Apparently the Dr. office scale has been broken, so all that weight I thought I had gained, I hadn’t. I stepped on it and was shocked by the 7 pounds I lost. She quickly informed it was broke, but it’s now fixed. So total I have gained 26 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Yes and I am running out of options.

Sleep: Still pretty good. My body is preparing me for the baby though. I wake up to every little noise, when I normally sleep pretty deep.

Best moment this week: Seeing my boy again, getting the nursery painted, getting his fabric in, painting his artwork. I know, I’ve waited till the last-minute for many things.

Movement: Yep, but he is running out of room.

Food cravings: The Little Italian place’s pasta. Too bad they closed

Gender: BOY! With a name finally!

Belly Button in or out? Out.

What I miss: Not being out of breath all the time.

What I am looking forward to: I guess now it’s just the count down until he arrives.

Labor Signs: At my last apt. he was head down, I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. She asked me how often I was having contractions and my response was “I didn’t know I was having any.” I guess she could see I was having very mild ones. It pretty much could be any day now. She also mentioned (dad you can skip this part) if we wanted to have the baby Sunday, have a lot of sex Saturday night. We don’t want to have the baby until next weekend (Seth is done with school next Friday) so I guess we will be sleeping in separate bedrooms until then.

Milestones: Full term!

Things I’ve been experiencing this week: Lots of stretching and pulling of my skin. I’m still having round ligament pain if I am on my feet too much.

Size of the baby: His estimated weight is 6 lbs 11 oz. She said if I went to my due date he would be 8 lbs 11 oz. (all of this is a rough estimate though.)

The top I am wearing is non-maternity. It’s actually from Forever 21 and I am hoping to wear it post-baby with a possible belt. It’s nice to be able to carry things through pregnancy and there after.

Rylie’s outfit is from Old Navy. It was a gift from Seth’s sister last year and she now fits into it, and might I add, looked super cute!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who came and celebrated (and even to those who couldn’t make it and sent a gift anyways)! I really appreciate everyone, as each one of you has a special place in our lives. And thank you mom for throwing the shower (and Robin for helping her). I really appreciate all you do!

I also had a few maternity pictures taken this week, and believe it or not, it was a team effort by the husband and I. I showed him what I wanted, set up the camera and he snapped away. I was going to have pictures done, but I just can’t justify spending $300 or more for something I can do myself. So, the husband had a quick lesson and I did the editing. I think we make a good team. We are going to go out Sunday or Monday and take a few more for a bit of variety, but the ones we got so far turned out great!

I’ve been praying a lot lately about the first few months with a newborn, and especially about the transition from one to two. I also pray for Rylie and how she is going to handle it. Having been through the newborn stage before, it is rough. Sleepless nights, mommy’s hormones are out of control, and I’m sure it’s a lot harder having a toddler to take care of on top of it all. So every night I’ve been asking God to keep me strong, to keep my family strong and keep us all healthy and safe. It’s one of the best things I can do to prepare for the next chapter in our lives.

What also helps me stay positive is thinking about all the “firsts” that this baby boy will have. There are so many things that bring me joy in watching Rylie grow up, that all those “bad” memories fade away. I love reading her baby book and remembering the first time we fed her rice cereal. She loved it, which knowing her now, makes a lot of sense. Also, her first steps and how proud I was. And the coolest thing about all of this is I get to do it all over again. I get to experience my baby boys first bath, cry with him when he gets his first “boo-boo”, and one of the sweetest things will be watching him and his big sister interact for the first time.

Having a brand new baby can be tough, but it is so rewarding. Those hard moments are just a snapshot in the big picture of life. One day I will be sending my last child off to college thinking “where has the time gone?” I want to cherish every moment–the spit up filled, temper-tantrum crazed, sleepless nights and not wish away time. It will be hard, but I have a God who will help me get through it, who will lift me up in the times of need, and I have loving family and friends who will support me and listen when I need a shoulder to lean on. I am blessed beyond comprehension and I couldn’t be more grateful.