A peek into our future.

During the week, while my mom is in town to help with Baby Rylan, she is referred to as "the nursery". What that means is she takes the early morning baby shift so Rylan's Mommy and Daddy can get a few good hours of sleep in before starting the day.

Well, our mom had to head back to Austin for the weekend, so that means Andy and I have stepped into "the nursery" role. 

We took Rylan around 7am this morning, and had a good 2 1/2 hours with him before he was hungry and had to go back to the Mama Buffet. 

We got a good look into what our mornings may look like in about 10 weeks... Me crashed out on the couch with a baby snoozing on my chest, or Dad stationed on the couch with the baby in one hand and the TV remote in the other. Seems pretty accurate to me! ;)

Forgive my oh-so-glamourous picture here -- I could kick Andy for not fixing my hair before taking that photo! haha, just kidding. [Kind of.] I look terrible asleep.. but love snoozing with Little Man cuddled up with me so I won't delete it! 

And, here is Andy with the baby and the remote. :)

I think Rylan enjoyed visiting with his Uncle Andy! 

While we were "on duty" we kept just looking at each other and commenting on how crazy it is to imagine that in 10ish weeks, this will be us. We can't wait to meet our sweet girl!!! 

And I certainly hope we have "a nursery" handy to help us in the early morning hours! :)

In Pregnancy News -- 

My belly/Camryn has grown SO MUCH in the last week! Andy I didn't see each other from Sunday afternoon til Friday evening, and as soon as he got here he seemed stunned at how big my belly is now. I don't usually notice from day to day, but this week its hard not to tell -- I mean, ALL of my maternity clothes are quickly becoming too tight, or too short. Its becoming harder and harder for me to get up out of bed or stand up off the couch, and I have finally reached a point where my belly is bigger than I realize when it comes to scooting around something or opening a car door -- I am constantly bumping my bump into everything these days! [Sorry for that, Camryn!]

We have our last monthly appt next week, and after that we start our biweekly appts. I cannot believe that! We are getting so close. 

Squeee!

I have been feeling pretty good these days, and for that I am very thankful! 

New belly pic coming soon!

Your Cousin, Rylan Cooper

With a little over 11 weeks left before your due date, Camryn, I was lucky enough to be present for your cousin Rylan's birth.

I have read many books and websites about childbirth. Your daddy and I enrolled in a childbirth class.  I have read birth stories from online forums and heard birth stories from family and friends... but nothing quite compares to being there from start to finish with my sister while she delivered her first baby.

Even seeing all she went through, and hearing her thoughts on the process (without leaving out any gruesome details!!), I still don't feel at all prepared for the day I will deliver you.

I am excited for that day. 

I am anxious for you to be here.. to see what you look like, to hold you in my arms, to be able to kiss your sweet face and watch you sleep and stir and stretch your tiny arms.... 

I really am excited.

And scared.

Well, terrified, really. 

Your Aunt V was due on 6/14 (I thought 6/12 but I didn't realize they had pushed it back a couple days). 

On Thurs 6/11, she left work around lunch to start her maternity leave early because she was having recurring back pain that she thought may be early labor.

The back pain stopped sometime that afternoon and she said she felt great on Friday, hardly even felt pregnant (which would have been great any other time during the pregnancy, but by that point she was eager to get the show on the road!). 

Your Daddy and I got to Houston Friday evening and sat around visiting for a while, excited to be spending their last weekend pre-parenthood with them. She was set to be admitted to the hospital Sunday evening to start Cervidil overnight and Pitocin Monday morning. 

Saturday morning we all schlepped around the house in our PJ's being lazy, and just after lunch she told me she was leaking fluid, and she wasn't sure if it was her water breaking or not. 

I wanted her to call her doctor or go in for an ffn test.. but because she was having absolutely no contractions, she decided to wait it out a little bit and see what happens.

We went about our plans - pedicures with our mom, a last minute run to Target for a few things she needed to pack in her hospital bag, etc. When we finished our trip to Target, we got in the car to head home and she said she was still leaking. 

Again, I said I would call the dr if I were her... but she wasn't concerned enough to do so and didn't want to be sent home for a false alarm. 

By the time we went to bed that night, she had soaked through 4 pairs of panties/pads!! We all (my mom, your Daddy and I) went to bed that night fully-clothed with our bedroom doors open just convinced we'd be dashing to the hospital sometime in the late night hours.

We were wrong. No such luck.

I crawled into bed with her for a few minutes in the morning, and we just chatted for a few minutes before I left the room so she could try to get some more rest. Not 5 minutes later she casually walked into the kitchen and said "I think its time to go". Apparently she had gotten up to go the restroom and had her 'bloody show'. We all sprung into motion, dashing around the house finding shoes and keys and wallets before she casually said "You know, I think I'll take a shower first". 

WHAT?! Are you sure?? Okay, fine, but make it a quick one!

Your Daddy and I decided to go ahead and go so we could pick up breakfast for everyone on the way to the hospital, and by the time we had kolaches in hand and were en route to the hospital, I got a text from my mom saying "5 minutes apart!!!". 

Wow! She went from not having ANY contractions, not a single Braxton Hicks, to contractions coming 5 minutes apart (this started in the shower). 

She went up to L&D and they took her into the triage room to check her.. they asked her to change into a gown in the bathroom and while she was in there her water really broke.. not just a slow leak anymore.  She came out of the bathroom and apologized for making a mess on their floor... the nurse took one look at it and said "That's amniotic fluid, no need to check you - let's get you a room!". 

She was admitted at 915am and was still only 1cm dilated (as she was the week before) but the nurse said her cervix was paper thin.

The fact that her water started leaking the day before and she hadn't called or come in to be checked really baffled the nurse! I guess they are used to getting first time moms who come in for (seemingly) no reason.. and here she was with her water broken and didn't even call. ;) She's a rockstar like that, your aunt.

Because it had been so long since her leak started, they wanted to get the Pitocin going pretty soon so they could move things along, so they gave her a bag of IV fluids in preparation for the Epi and Pit. 

They started her epidural around 11 (much to her relief, those contractions were looking very painful!!!) and started her Pitocin soon after. I'm not sure of the unit they measured the Pitocin drip, but they started at a 6 and increased by 6 every half hour or so. By 215 the Pitocin was at 42 and the nurse checked her progress to find she was now dilated to 6cm! 

Around 230 she started feeling some pelvic pressure and the nurse realized they never gave her the "epi button" to boost the epidural every so often. They attached the button, pressed it and told her if she was still feeling pressure/pain in another 15-20 minutes to call the nurse back. They checked her again before the nurse left the room and she proudly exclaimed "7 cm and the baby's coming down a lot more!". YAY!

Pushed the epi button again at 245 but by this point she was feeling pain with every contraction, where as before we would have to tell her she was even having one. Called the nurse back just after 3 and at 311 the nurse said she was fully dilated to 1o cm! HOLY COW! She went from 1 to 6, 7, 10 in a matter of an hour! 

They started doing "test pushes" at 324. I'm not really sure what differentiates a "test push" from a REAL push, because they certainly seemed like real pushes to me!!! 

The on-call doctor (who we didn't love) came in at 345 and the broke the bed down, wheeled in all the carts of things they would need (including the baby scale, so exciting!!), and got down to business.

Rylan was born at 401 pm (37 minutes of pushing) weighing in at 7lbs even, 19 1/2 inches long. 

I will save the gory details of the delivery, but will say I sat wide-eyed for a while.. taking in the scene from a stool in the corner of the room up by V's head.

We found out very shortly after delivery that the dr had to do a "partial 3rd degree episiotomy" (where "partial" apparently means "almost"). Ouch. 

Rylan's APGARs were 9 and 9, and he clearly had very healthy lungs, as proven by his beautiful wailing. 

I stuck around to take a few quick pictures of their first couple minutes as a family of 3, then everyone left the room for them to have some bonding time to themselves. 

It was truly an amazing experience for me to be there for his entrance into the world. 

Amazing. 

And terrifying. 

I just cannot wrap my mind around the idea that that will be ME in 11 weeks or less. 

Wow. 

I hope I handle labor and delivery as well as she did!!! She did AWESOME. Not one scream. No profanity. No threats of bodily injury directed towards her husband (or anyone else). She did great.

Rylan is a handsome, perfect, sweet little man. 

He is eating well (though his mama is in pain!), he is sleeping quite a bit (though not always at night), he has spent quite a bit of time alert taking in the new world he's a part of, and he is the world's sweetest cuddle bug (at least until you come along, sweet girl). 

I am so in love with this precious babe, and can only imagine how much greater the feeling of awe and admiration will be with you, my daughter. 

Being here for his arrival, for his first few days home, his first pediatrician's appointment, his first bath -- all these things have taught me a thing or two about the way I will need to handle things at home when you are here, Camy. It has helped me make some of the decisions I've been pondering, and made me rethink some of the decisions I thought I had already made. 

It has been a great crash course in Mommyhood for me. I am so thankful to have been able to walk along side my sister on her journey, so thankful that we got to experience our first pregnancies together, so thankful she will there walking me through my delivery, and HUGELY thankful that you will have a cousin so close in age to grow up with and share your life experiences with.

I hope you and Rylan are able to develop a strong bond. 

I hope you will always be the best of buds. And love and trust each other as much as your Aunt and I do. 

I can't wait for you two to meet. To celebrate the holidays with the both of you. To watch you both grow. 

I couldn't have imagined a scenario better than this for the way our 2 families would grow. 

Lonely

Good evening my sweet girl.

I keep hearing or reading that 'what Mommy feels, Baby feels'.. and if there is any truth to that statement, then I need to apologize to you.

You have been on quite the emotional roller coaster with Mommy the last few days!

We have gone from excited anticipation of your cousin's birth [story to follow soon], to awe and admiration of your Aunt's strength throughout labor and delivery, to joy and pride and love for your new cousin, to a feeling of loneliness and sadness over missing your Daddy.

We spent Friday afternoon on the road to Houston once more.

We spent Friday evening visiting with Aunt V & Uncle K and your Nona.

We spent Saturday eagerly overanalyzing your Aunt's every move and twitch and breath, just waiting for her to go into labor.

We spent Saturday night tossing and turning, trying to get at least some sleep although we were convinced we'd be heading to the hospital before sunrise (we were wrong).

We spent early Sunday morning worrying about your Aunt and pressuring her to call her doctor... until she announced to us that "It's time to go". 

We spent Sunday day sitting in the Labor and Delivery room, doing all we could to help Aunt V through the process, all the while taking bets on when baby Rylan would arrive.

We spent Sunday evening in awe over the perfect little creature who has become a part of our lives now.

We finally got some sleep Sunday night, before spending the day Monday getting to know said perfect creature.

Now here we are, an hour shy of midnight Monday night. 

Laying in the game room of Aunt V's home, alone.. sad.. homesick.

Overjoyed for Baby Rylan's safe homecoming.

Excited for the week ahead and all the memories to be made.

But sadly wishing your Daddy could have spent the week here with us, too.

He had to go back home to Austin this afternoon because we cannot afford for him to miss a week of work.

I thought the excitement over the new baby would distract me from the fact that I'll be "alone" the next 4ish days. But I was wrong.

Not only do I want your Daddy here for me (yes, I am selfish like that).. I also wish he could be here to see all these firsts with Rylan.

In 11 short weeks (or less) you will be here with us. 

It will be your Daddy and I that will have a whole new perspective on life, and be full of all the questions and concerns first-time-parents all have. 

It will be us learning how to adjust our lives to accommodate our outside baby.

It will be us sleeping in short spurts between baby feedings and diaper changes and just moments staring at the little life we have created.

I want him here to be apart of these memories with your cousin, and also here to see what we're in for soon.

I want him here to play with my hair and 'tickle my back' until I fall asleep. 

To cuddle me when I wake in the middle of the night, like he will cuddle you in a couple short months, too. 

To talk to you before bed and tell both of us how much he loves us before we tuck in for the night.

To wake up and rub my belly, trying to see which side you nestled into while we slept. 

I miss your Daddy being here. 

I don't know if I'll make it the whole week without him. 

But Baby Girl, feeling you move in there reminds me of how much love we have for each other. Of the life we made, of the life we'll love... of you and our future growing with you.

Do you miss your Daddy's voice when you don't hear him for a while?

Do you miss your Daddy's touch? Can you tell when its your Daddy's hand feeling for you, and not mine? [Daddy thinks so, because you always stop kicking when he puts his hand on my belly!]

I hope you know how much your Daddy loves you, how much your Mommy loves you -- and that the intense love we've always had for each other has grown exponentially with you now a part of our world.

28 weeks.

• How far along?: 28 weeks.
• Total weight gain: 30 freaking pounds. Good grief!
• How big is baby?: About 2 1/2 lbs and 15ish inches head to toe.
• Maternity clothes?: I have just a couple prePG t-shirts I can still get by wearing, but nearly everything else is maternity. I did discover that sometime I can find cute tops that aren't maternity and just buy a larger size. So hooray for that!
• Stretch marks?: Belly is still stretch-mark-free, boobs are still covered.
• Sleep?: Its been getting more and more difficult for me to even fall asleep, and I rarely get a solid 3 hour stretch. I am still waking every night sometime around 3 am and it usually takes about an hour for my to finally doze off again. :(
• Best moment this week?: So far I guess the best moment would be taking the pics with my sister before we headed back home. We wanted pics of our bellies together because that will likely be the last time we are pregnant together! 
• Movement?: Still feeling her big, pronounced movements several times a day, but she does seem to have slowed down a bit on the moving and shaking. Its fun to sit and watch my belly dance, and its a little strange (but neat!) to see a limb move across my belly or a hand/foot/bum stick way out on one side. 
• Food cravings?: BLT with avocado and cheese. Yum. I want them all. the. time. And root beer floats. Yum Yum. 
• Labor signs?: Thankfully, no. But there have now been 3 instances where I think I was having BH contractions. 
• Belly button in or out?: If I'm standing, still just the top half sticks out. When I am laying down, its perfectly flat.
• What I miss: Deep Sleep. Mexican Martinis. Walking across the house or to the mailbox without getting winded. 
• What I'm looking forward to: Baby Rylan will be here with us sometime in the next 6 days, at most!
• Milestone: Third Trimester! YIKES!

I know every week I say that I can't believe we've made it this far, and this week is no exception. 

28 weeks just blows my mind. I am so grateful to be able to carry my baby girl, to help her grow and develop in there, to feel her kicks and punches, and to hear at every appointment so far that she is healthy and right on track. What a blessing she is. What a miracle.  And my how time is flying!!! 12 more weeks. Just 12. This 40 week journey is 2/3 over and I am just in awe of that. 

I forgot to update after my routine appt around 27 weeks - so the quick rundown is that I passed my Glucose Screen (YAY!) but my iron levels came back even lower than they were last time (BOO!). I now have to up my iron supp dosage to twice a day. Ugh. Camryn's heart was beating strong and fast, and my fundal height measured exactly where it should have: 26 1/2 cm for 26 1/2 weeks. We were given an explanation of kick counts (that I can start doing today if I feel I need to), and told to really be cautious with the summer heat and staying hydrated and rested. 

Last week A and I attended our first Child Birth Class (its a 4 class series) and it was interesting. We have a very small class, just us and 3 other couples, and I don't know how I feel about that yet. After making the introductions around the room, we got right into breathing techniques. We were told to grab our pillows and find a spot against the wall to get comfortable. We went over 3 different breathing patterns - one 4 second pattern for early labor, one 2 second pattern for when it gets a little more intense, and one combo 2 second/panting pattern for the transition period (the most painful part). The instructor would walk us through a couple one-minute-"contractions" then she would ask the husbands to coach the wives through a couple sets. She would count up to four for the inhale and then down from four for the exhale - "In, 2, 3, 4... Out, 3, 2, 1" - but in Andy's mind, he wanted to count up to four for the inhale and then up to four for the exhale. So when it was the husband's turn to coach, it would throw him off to hear people counting down on the exhale so he would jumble the numbers trying to catch up to everyone else. It was hilarious, but I was trying so hard to just breathe and not bust out laughing (remember - small class, everyone would have noticed I was giggling!!). As we were walking to our car after the class ended, Andy very nonchalantly said "Babe, I think I need to work on my counting" and I just busted up laughing. :)

Other than the breathing techniques, we were shown some posters of the changes a pregnant body goes through - and it was amazing to see the pre-PG cross-section of the body and all the organs and then the progression all the way up to the 40 week cross-section - seeing how little room there is at that point for the intestines and the stomach and the bladder, and seeing the lungs all squished up -- no wonder everyone complains about being so miserable in the end! It was also interesting to see that way the lower back gets pulled in to account for the belly sticking out so much - explains the horrible back pain I've been having. Maybe now that Andy physically saw the changes I am facing, he will understand a little more when I cry about my back or my hips or my chest hurting!! Not that he isn't supportive, because he has been amazing, but I am glad he will know now that I am not being dramatic - everything is effected when that belly grows!!! 

One thing I really liked that evening at class, that doesn't really pertain to the class itself, is just before everyone was leaving, a lullaby played over the speakers of the hospital and the instructor pointed out that they do that every time a baby is born! How sweet. :) I love that!!! 

Camryn, Sweet Girl, Happy 28 weeks!!! I am so happy you are still in there growing and kicking. Here's to another happy, healthy week with my Baby Girl!! 

Long Update [Attitudes, Road Trips, and Pregnant Husbands]

Oh, baby girl. 

This pregnancy is such an adventure for us. 

We spent 4 hours last Wednesday (June 3) hooked up to a contraction monitor and a heartrate monitor in the Labor and Delivery wing of the hospital. You know, the one where we spent so much time in January and February!

This trip wasn't your fault though, we can thank your cousin Syd for this one.

I know you can hear voices now, and when you are born you will recognize the voices you've been hearing on a daily basis. Well, I have no doubt you will recognize Sydnee's squeals of disapproval - we hear them several times a day. 

Before Wednesday's afternoon nap, however, Syd didn't think a squeal would quite get her point across. She wanted me to really *know* she wasn't ready for nap, so when I picked her up to carry her to bed, she threw herself backwards, arching her back. 

It knocked me off balance and as I began to fall, I worried about knocking her head on the wood floor. I am not sure how exactly I contorted myself, but I caught myself on my left hand and left knee, and still had Syd in front of me holding her with my right arm. She must have had her feet straight out, because I somehow landed on her feet/legs - getting a hard kick to the belly in the process. I did keep her from hitting her head though, so I suppose it was mission accomplished. 

It hurt Mommy right away, but I stood up and took her to her bed before going to lay on the couch for a few minutes. 

I was having constant pain in my belly (I mean, I was just kicked pretty hard!) but no signs of anything terrible - no cramping, no bleeding or leaking fluid, etc. I was debating whether or not I should call your daddy but I didn't want to worry him, but your Nona called a few minutes later to ask me something.

I told her what happened and she assured me that everything was probably fine but said that I should go ahead and call my doctor. At that point I called your daddy and he agreed - he thought I should have already called the doctor by that point.

I really expected the OB nurse to say to lay down for a little while and take it easy and give me a few red flags to look for, but nope - instead she said "How quickly can you get here?".  She asked me a bunch of questions, including if I had felt you move since the fall. I told her I had not, but it had only been about 30 minutes so I wasn't too concerned about it.  She still wanted me to come in. I was shocked that it seemed like such a big deal, but I know its better to be safe than sorry, so I called Nona to come get Sydnee and called your daddy to come home and take me in to the doctor.

By the time we got to the doctor, a little over an hour since the fall, I still hadn't felt you move and was still in pain, so that's when I started getting worried. I was called back rather quickly and saw the doctor almost right away (compared to the usually longer waits for routine appts!). I was relieved that he was able to pick up your strong heartbeat on the doppler right away, and thought "Great! Baby Camryn is just fine. Thanks Doc. We'll be going now.. have a great night!" but I was wrong again. My doctor explained that a fall onto my belly is considered a "minor trauma" and automatically requires 4 hours of monitoring at L&D.

On one hand I was shocked and disappointed that our night would be spent strapped to another bed in L&D but on the other hand, I still hadn't felt you move and was relieved that we'd be able to really make sure you were okay. 

We walked over to the hospital, were sent up to L&D and admitted to the very same room I had to stay overnight in during 1st Tri. We had my favorite nurse (Anita) and she got us all hooked up to the 2 monitors.  The contraction monitor sat up high on my belly, and the heartrate monitor was placed just below and to the right of my belly button... after about 10 minutes with the monitors on, you got MAD. You did NOT like them one bit. You gave me the hardest kick you have ever given me, right at the heartrate monitor. You made my whole belly jump enough that your daddy could see it from across the room! And man that kick was loud over the monitor speaker (at the computer). Not 10 seconds later you kicked it again, and again, and again... enough that the nurse had to reposition it to get a good reading of your heart! 

Over the course of that 4 hours, you never did get used to it being there. You would be calm and quiet for a few minutes, then get angry that we clearly weren't following your wishes and start kicking right at it again. 

I was so relieved to feel your strong kicks, and so amused at your little show. I hate to say it, but it sounds like you've already inherited a little bit of your mommy's attitude. :) I'm sure your daddy is pleased. 

As much as I originally felt like 4 hours in the hospital would be a nuisance, I have to admit that it was kind of nice to get to hear your heartbeat all evening. 

I didn't register any contractions on the monitor, and your heartrate stayed in the 130s-140s most of the time (right in the middle of the normal range) so we were released around 9pm and I was told to just take it easy for the next few days and call if anything changes (if I start cramping, bleeding or leaking, if I feel a decrease in movement, or if the pain doesn't go away by the weekend). I was pretty sore the next day when I would bend over or twist a certain way, but the pain was no worse than a pulled or fatigued muscle. By Friday, all was pretty much back to normal.. just in time for us to head to Houston to visit with your Aunt Vicky and go to your Uncle Tim's High School Graduation. :)

We had a great time in Houston this weekend! It was (likely) the last time that me and your Aunt Vicky will ever be pregnant together (Rylan is due any time now!!). Its kind of crazy to think about that. I remember when she still lived at home before she graduated and when I was in 4th and 5th grade thinking she was just the coolest sister ever (even though she despised having her pesky little sister around!). I would sneak into her room when she wasn't home and go through her clothes and lay on her bed and just be in awe of her awesome room! It wasn't until I hit high school that we started getting a lot closer, and now here we are -- years later, happily married adults starting our families, and we get to share this experience with each other! It makes me even more excited about all that we have in store for us, knowing that I get to face this parenting adventure with her and you get to grow up with cousins so close to your age. We are truly blessed, sweet girl, by your presence in our lives and by our families being such a big part of this adventure.

At this point your cousin Rylan seems a little to comfortable incubating. He is due on Friday (just 4 short days) but Aunt V is still only 1cm dilated and "thinning out" (same progress as last week). If Rylan doesn't decide he's ready to grace the world with his presence this week, V will be admitted to L&D Sunday evening to be induced. If that's the case, we will head back down to Houston on Saturday to spend the last day prebaby with Vicky and Kevin and hopefully help ease her nerves/anxiety, and Mommy will be staying the majority of the week there to help out and get to know Rylan. You treated me pretty well in the car this past weekend, so I hope you do the same next weekend as well! 

Before I go, I have to share these pictures. Vicky was 39w2d and I was 27w5d.

This first one is from Tim's graduation, I don't even look pregnant with that dress on! [Long story short about that - unfortunately he got very sick right before the graduation ceremony, vomiting with a very high fever of 104 at one point, so Nona had to take him to the ER and he didn't get to walk the stage. He was very disappointed, but we are still very proud of his accomplishment, whether he walked or not.]

This one was right before your daddy and I were heading back home. We wanted to take a picture of the 2 pregnant bellies together, but neither of us had showered yet - so they aren't the most beautiful photos, sorry!

Your daddy and your Uncle Kevin were cutting up and making jokes about our big bellies, so we subjected them to the same treatment -- back to back belly shots of their "sympathy bumps". It was hysterical. 

Here's another one of me and V - we didn't know Andy was taking that photo, but I like the way it turned out. 

And one more just for good measure.

You know, I have felt so HUGELY pregnant the last few weeks, but being around Vicky at 39weeks made me realize how far I still have to go. I cannot imagine what it will be like when I have a belly like that one! Yikes. 

Seriously behind on the blogging!

Lots to update here, Baby Girl! 

First, we decided that the rocker for you and Mommy is just too important to give up on. Since your room won't accommodate our comfy chair, Daddy and I decided to nix our home office and create another baby space for you and your cousin, Syd. We got to work last weekend on clearing out the computer stuff, the books on the shelf, and all Mommy's craft supplies. We moved one of our desks into the closet in there and will be using that closet as a sort of office nook - the printer is in there, all Mommy's supplies are in there, and the filing cabinet is squeezed in there, too. We moved most of the other pieces of furniture out of there, and just have 1 desk left we need to relocate. Your Daddy built us some shelves in the living room niche, so I didn't have to sell all my books, and I think he did a great job! I think we really turned a wasted space in the corner of the living room into a functional little corner. Your Daddy is so handy! 

Once the old office is all cleared out, I will be begging your Daddy to do something to spruce up the walls, and we will be buying a big rug to cover the old carpet. Your cousin Sydnee's toddler bed will be in there (since you will be booting her out of the nursery soon) and we will put your rocker in there as well. I am also hoping to move all the toys that currently reside in our living room into the new "play room" as well!

As for your nursery, sweet girl, we have plans to add some shelves to the side wall of your closet and add another bar for hanging clothes. We still need to apply your vinyl wall words over your crib (but Mommy is too chicken we'll mess them up!), and order your mattress and crib bedding. Other than that, we are just waiting to see what kind of goodies our loved ones get you at the showers before doing much more. 

After spending Saturday as busy bees, we changed pace a little for Sunday and Memorial Day Monday. Sunday was Mommy and Daddy's First Anniversary and we had a wonderful, laid back day. Since the traditional first anniversary gift is paper, I got your Daddy tickets to a Round Rock Express game and he got me a gift card for a prenatal massage. He must have been listening all the times I whined about the toll you are taking on my back, sweet girl! Aside from the "paper" gifts, your loving Daddy got me the James Avery Lover's Knot ring and I got him a new watch. One of the highlights of the day was courtesy of your Nona, though.  She surprised us with a replica of the top tier of our wedding cake!! You see, we were keeping the top tier in her deep freeze because our freezer is so small, and about a month after our wedding last year, someone accidentally unplugged her freezer without realizing it. It was a couple weeks before your Nona even noticed, and everything in the freezer was thawed and rotten and had to be thrown out. She felt so terrible about our cake being ruined that she coordinated with our baker (behind our backs!) to have a fresh one made for our anniversary. We were so surprised, and so touched!! What a sweet thing for her to do for us. 

Monday we enjoyed a lovely anniversary dinner at McCormick and Schmick's before heading to the baseball game. We had such a great time at the game and I was thrilled to learn that you take after your Mommy when it comes to ballpark treats such as funnel cake and Dippin' Dots Ice Cream - you loved em just as much as I do! And I think you enjoyed the loud music and cheering as well - you were dancing quite a bit in there, Little One! 

Another milestone on Monday was hitting the double digit countdown mark.. as of Monday, we had 99 days til your due date! I cannot believe it. We had more than 250 days when we found out about you, and now today we have 96. Blows my mind. 

On one hand, it is so exciting to know that in about 96 days (or less), you will be our outside baby - here for us to hold in our arms and cuddle and kiss and love on. On the other hand, Oh. My. Goodness! We only have 96 days (or less) to get ready for you to be our outside baby!! ACK!

Yesterday Mommy had a hair appt that ran a lot longer than we anticipated (four hours!) and as much as I love making a trip to the salon, you were not a fan of me sitting straight up in that chair for so long. You were pushing on my belly so hard, and making me squirm to try and readjust.. my back was hurting and my tail bone was killing me -- but I hope you'll understand one day just how important it was for me to endure such a long appt! I know you don't get it now, but baby girl, Mommy's roots and gray hairs were out of control! :) 

After my appt, I headed home to get ready for our maternity pictures. 

We had really been looking forward to professional belly pictures with me and your Daddy but for a while, after Daddy lost his job, it didn't look like we'd be able to work them into our budget. We are very blessed to have some super talented friends, though, and we were able to work out a trade-off with Lyndsay (who I hope you will meet soon, Baby Girl!) to get a few photos done. We are so thrilled with the sneak peeks she showed us, and can't wait to see the rest. We wanted you for so long Camryn, and have had such an adventure with you as you've grown in my belly.. it is so wonderful to document this time with you. Having these pictures of my sweet Camryn-bump means so much to me and Daddy. :) 

Before I go, sweet Girl, I need to ask a favor of you.

Your cousin Rylan is due anytime now, and when he decides he's ready to make his arrival, we will be jumping in the car to drive down and be with him and your Aunt V. Last time we took a car trip, you did not treat Mommy very nicely. I am warning you now that we have at least 3 trips in the car coming up in the next several weeks, and I am begging you, Little Girl, to please please go easy on me this time. Especially if I end up having to drive myself. Please no restless legs or numb bottoms this time. Please no nausea in the car or terrible back aches. Please, just be kind to Mommy. 

Oh, which reminds me of your silly Daddy this morning. As he was leaving for work I rolled over in bed and said "Please tell your daughter to get off her mother's bladder" and he walked right up to you and said "Camryn, do as your mother says." I immediately wondered how many times you will hear that in your life.. haha.. and thought, "Well, there's a first time for everything."

We love you so much, Baby Camy.

Let me apologize in advance for the sugar rush I have to give you tomorrow at the doctor's office!

**kisses**

Well Baby Girl.. our preparations for you are in full swing.

We got your beautiful wall words in the mail, and have them taped up in position at this point but not properly applied to the wall.  I know the final outcome will be just gorgeous, but I am a little trigger-shy at this point and afraid I will do something wrong in the process. So for now, until Mommy gains a bit more courage, they will stay taped into position. 

We also got an adorable bird nest print that we plan to frame and hang in your room somewhere.. along with a manilla-paper bunny your Daddy made when he was in Kindergarten. We are hoping to frame the bunny in a shadow box for display in your room. 

We have the super-cute letter blocks that spell out your name, and just need to find a couple floating shelves to hang in your room so we can display them.

But the biggest addition to your nursery so far is the furniture!! Your Nona ordered your crib and dresser a few weeks ago, and Daddy and I went to pick them up today. Of course we had to put them together right away, so they are fully assembled and in position. 

The only bad thing is they take up much more room than we were anticipating, so we've had to nix the rocking chair (we think). We are still playing around with the arrangement of the furniture in hopes of finding a solution that would accommodate the rocking chair I've fallen in love with -- but I am prepared for the idea that I may have to give that up. I don't think you'll mind being rocked to sleep in the living room recliner, right Sweet Girl? 

Camy-Lou, I am so so glad that you have reached such a wiggly phase. Without your jabs and kicks and somersaults, I don't know how I would have made it through the last few days. I'm sure you've noticed my faster pulse and elevated blood pressure -- and I hope it hasn't bothered you! Mommy has been a little (or a lot) stressed out since Thursday, when your Daddy unexpectedly lost his job. I've tried to remind myself of just how blessed we are to have you with us, and that has helped me keep things in perspective.. but its still been difficult for me to not worry about how we will be able to prepare and provide for you when our financial status is now taking another huge hit. I know that your Daddy and I can make this work, and we will all be just fine.. I just have to remember that as long as we have each other and we have you, all will be well in the end. So thank you my little love, for your constant daily reminders of your existence in our world. Thank you for the kicks and punches and for rolling around -- it reminds me to pause and be thankful for all that we have, even in the midst of this trying situation.

Daddy and I love you so much Baby Girl.. and we promise to do everything we can to make sure you feel that love every single day. 

24 weeks.

Happy Belated Viability Day, my sweet Camy. 

24 weeks is the magical milestone I have been waiting for.. the point in the pregnancy where your little life would have a chance of surviving in the outside world (should anything happen early). 

Now lets be clear, Camryn. You do NOT have permission to make an early appearance. Ya got that?

You stay put in there, where you can continue to grow and mature safely, for at least 14ish more weeks. 

Its just a comfort for me and Daddy to know that your fragile little life has a shot at this point. 

So, Happy V-Day my love. 

• How far along?: 24 wks, 1 day
  
• Total weight gain: 17 pounds. Oh my word. I think I may be at the high end of the allowed 25-35lbs, if I don't surpass the range all together. :/
• How big is baby?: At our ultrasound 11 days ago, Baby Girl was measuring in at "just over a pound". Babycenter says that she probably gained about 4oz between week 23 and week 24, so I guess that would put her at about 1 1/4 lbs! Wow. She should be about a foot long, from head to toe. 
• Maternity clothes?:  We are now in all maternity, all the time.  Well, I take that back.. I have a few pairs of lounge pants/shorts I can still wear, but only around the house. 
• Stretch marks?: None on the belly.. but LOTS on the boobs. That is a recent development, within the last week or 2, and I am not a fan. They are pink/purple and all over!!! In fact, they are so bad that I am thinking I may not be able to find a swimsuit that would cover them (and trust me, they need to be covered!). I will be highly disappointed if that's the case because I have been so looking forward to spending the dog days of summer in the ILs pool. :(
• Sleep?: Huh? Sleep? I'm confused?? Is sleep possible during pregnancy? ;) I am NOT sleeping well these days. I get restless legs every.single.night, which makes it very difficult to fall asleep. I still wake up several times a night to either get up and pee, or to change positions (which is QUITE a chore). I have also started having some crazy dreams again.. so I often wake up from a dream and then sit there thinking about it unable to fall back asleep. 
• Best moment this week?: Celebrating Mother's Day with my amazing husband and his family. I was so touched by everyone making it a point to celebrate with us this year, and I love the card "from Camryn" and the gift from my MIL. 
• Movement?: Baby Camryn is a mover and shaker!!! And I love every minute of it. She has found my bladder, which I could do without, but at this point its still more amusing to me than it is a nuisance. Her movements feel much bigger and stronger now (which doesn't surprise me given her size) and I love love getting to watch my belly dance. 
• Food cravings?: I've been eating a lot of salads lately. And I've also been craving lots of grilled veggies. :)
• Labor signs?: None so far! Thank goodness. Hope it stays that way for a while longer!
• Belly button in or out?: When I'm standing, the top of my belly button sticks out. When I'm sitting or standing though, its still an innie. 
• What I miss: Sleep. Wine. Sleep. Coffee. Sleep. 
• What I'm looking forward to: Lots to look forward to in the next few weeks! This weekend our wonderful friends from Houston will be staying with us and I can't wait to spend some time with them! The 24th is our 1 year wedding anniversary/5 year dating anniversary. :) We are going to get massages at a day spa.. can't wait! On the 27th I will be getting my hair done and then we will be doing a Maternity Mini-Session to get some photos for our shower invites. 
• Milestone: Viability Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

There's a lot of debate about whether or not expectant mommy's are in fact considered "mothers" yet, and whether or not we are deserving of recognition on Mother's Day.

Here is where Daddy and I stand... 

Of course we are aware that next year will bring a different set of joys and emotions and pride when Mother's and Father's Day roll around, and we will be able to wake up to a smiling (not screaming!), mobile little baby girl. We know that the responsibilities of parents of an "outside baby" far outweigh the responsibilities of parents of an "inside baby". But here's the thing: You are still our baby, Camryn. You are still a living, growing, squirming sweet girl, whether or not we are waken up in the middle of the night by your cries. Whether or not we are charged with physically feeding you every few hours and changing your diapers. You are a very real presence in our lives, and every decision we make everyday is somehow traced back to what would be best for you. I am your mother now, and Daddy is your father. We couldn't imagine moving through this day (or Father's Day) without acknowledging all the ways you've already changed and enriched our lives, and how much we so love having you with us. 

Today has been a wonderful day so far. 

We woke up and spent a few minutes feeling you stretch and wiggle before getting up to get ready for church. 

While Mommy was in the shower, Daddy came in and laid a card on the bathroom counter. I didn't expect him to get anything for me today (we are celebrating Mother's and Father's Day at the end of the month with a half-day at the spa), but reading the card choked me up a bit. Apparently you, sweet baby girl, told Daddy what to write, and it was so, so sweet to read my note "from you". I love you Camryn, and your Daddy for doing that. 

The youth at church handed flowers out to each of the mommy's (including the expectant ones!) and the service acknowledged how amazing mothers are in the world. 

After church we went with Daddy's whole family to enjoy a wonderful lunch at Pappadeux. Yummy. While we were there, you grandma (Naw-Naw) gave me such a sweet gift: the James Avery "Mother's Love" charm for my JA necklace. I love it. The whole family is so excited about meeting you, Camryn. Your Aunt A and your Aunt C (and their families) gave me some very nice cards, as well. 

Once we got home, Daddy and I decided we should take some special Mother's Day pictures of Mommy's growing belly in your nursery, and I just can't believe how much you've grown already. I spend lots of time each day staring down at my belly.. but seeing those profile pictures always surprise me! 

I am so glad we have had such an enjoyable day. Our weekend really started out a little rough, with our air conditioner going out Friday afternoon (when it was in the 90's outside!!). We spent the night in a hotel that night so Mommy could get at least a little comfortable sleep, and dealt with an A/C repair man Saturday morning, who shocked us with a bill that was a bit difficult to swallow. After all the stress surrounding that unexpected situation, we spent Saturday evening relaxing on the couch and munching down on a delicious dinner of grilled chicken and grilled squash & zucchini (compliments of your Daddy). That's when the weekend finally started looking up again, just in time to celebrate Mother's Day with smiles on our faces. 

Camryn, my little love, I can't help but think about what this day will be like next year, and all the years to come. I can't wait to meet you baby girl, to see your sweet face, and kiss your chubby cheeks. I can't wait to wake up on Mother's Day next year and get to cuddle you and love you and celebrate just what a blessing you are in my life. 

We love you so much, Camy. More than you will ever know. 

It's been wonderful today to dream about all the Mother's Days with you I have to look forward to in the future.

If I could kiss you sweet girl, I would. 

The Picture Post

Camryn's latest ultrasound pics: her beautiful profile, straight-on face shots, and the FEMALE confirmation. 

And here are some pics of the nursery progress. We had some trouble with the lighting and taking a pic of the almost-finished-stripe.. the lights out picture is the most accurate color wise, oddly enough.