27 Weeks

27 weeks on 8/28/14. Do I look tired, because I am. It's a good tired, but still… I only have 5 more days of this "long term" sub position that I'm doing. It's been way harder and more stressful than I thought it would be! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and this next week is a busy and exciting one for many reasons, so I'm looking forward to it! 

I don't know if it's the stress of being back in the classroom or lack of sleep from getting up all night to use the restroom, but I have been panicking a lot lately. Little things, big things, I panic. Here are some of the things that have really bothered me this week: listening to someone smack while eating (I already hated this and now it's even worse), watching Andrew kill a spider-I almost cried, worrying that we won't get the things that we need for Claire, watching a student incorrectly sort some shapes that he spilled, worry about getting on a boat, my shower not being clean, and a few other things… Lord, be with Andrew the next 13ish weeks! 

- I've gained 10 pounds
- Bras have become my worst enemy. I feel like I can't breath when I'm wearing them. I've even gone up in size, and it doesn't help. Don't judge if you catch me going commando up top. Mmmk?
- We found a few items for the nursery and for the babe.
- I wanted and made a chocolate pie and it. Was. Good.
- My teeth are starting to get so plackey every day. I swear I brush!! I might have to make it 3 times a day.
- A coworker looked at me and said "I'm pretty sure the baby grew over the weekend." I think she's absolutely right!
- Brooke W. gave CC a BAG FULL of newborn sleepers and 0-3 sleeper gowns! I die over the tiny cuteness.
- I ate sushi (all cooked) and started to swell soooooo bad!!!! No mo.
- She kicked Andrew's face while he was laying on the belly. He was so happy.
- I'm pretty sure she kicked a nerve on my left side today. It happened about 4 different times, and I definitely squealed. (It hurt.)
- I got up to pee 4 times last night. I wish it wasn't true.

26 Weeks

26 weeks on 8/21/14

- Claire Bear loves herself some morning playtime! Lately, That's when she's been moving the most and doing the strongest kicks.
- This is probably silly, but I started to worry about her being "upside down" when I lay on my left side. I read that she is starting to understand up and down, and when I lay on the left her head is down. I realize how stupid that is as I'm typing it...I want her head down for delivery, right?! (Get a grip of yourself, Mer!)
- Lord, help me not to panic and mess the children up during heir first week of kindergarten. I met them and parents tonight and immediately felt more overwhelmed than I have ever felt in a classroom.
- Change of pace, Claire is a night owl.
- Went to Arkadelphia for Andrew to compete in the Olympic triathlon.
- Road trips are still rough on the swelling/numbness.
- Pretty sure I had some Braxton hicks contractions on the first day of school....13 more days...I can do this. (Pain started at the top of my uterus and lower back and then settled down to the bottom of my uterus - or what I assume to be my uterus.)
- I slipped and fell at school today. My foot slipped right out from under me and I landed on my side. My stomach didn't hit the ground nor has it hurt since then. I was mostly scared and embarrassed because people saw.
- Being back on a teacher's routine has made me so very hungry.
- I'm starting to get so HOT when I sleep!!!
- Her kicks are sometimes completely on my side. They almost tickle.
- 10 days left in my long-term sub gig. Boom.

25 Weeks

25 weeks on 8/14/14

- back cramps
- A day of working with Mrs. Wing in the classroom
- Claire has started moving all the time, not just when I'm sitting or laying down.
- Bought her memory book
- finally bought a new bra
- Had my 24 week appointment on 7/11:
• Measured 25w 2d at 24w 4d and weighed 1lb 12oz
• She had one foot tucked under her bottom (like sitting Indian style) and the other was right up by her face. She was using one hand to pull her foot to her mouth and the other hand was resting by her chin.
• Did my glucose test. I drank the orange flavor and didn't think it was that bad. It tasted like fanta, and I love all things orange flavored anyway.
• Almost an hour after the drink, Claire went nuts.
• Had a limited ultrasound to get a good look at CC's face and she was smacking her mouth the whole time.
• Saw Dr. Hix and he was nice.
• I've gained 7.5 pounds total.
• Heart rate was 151
- I passed the glucose tolerance test! Whoop! The nurse said that my levels were 101 and anything under 139 is good to go. I don't know what that means, but I'll take it.
- Had a great night with some friends from our original small group when we first started going to pathway!
- Started back to school with kindergarten testing and "meet the teacher" night!

24 Weeks

24 Weeks on 8/7/14

- Babymoon at Pensacola beach! It was rough not laying on my stomach, but we made it.
- I wore a 2 piece...whatev. I'm certain that people weren't judging me, they we watching the friend under the next umbrella that was in a thong every day.
- Andrew took some mid pregnancy maternity pics of me today and I love them! So thankful to have guy that doesn't mind taking pics of me before we go out to dinner.
- I burned the belly. It hasn't seen the sun all summer. An entire days exposure on the beach might have been a little much. At least I used SPF 70 all day instead of tanning oil. (I didn't use any tanning oil on this trip, only sunscreen. First time ever.)
- I think I know now which movements are hiccups and which are actual kicks/arms. Hiccups are several in a row and a few inches below my belly button.
- Lord, help me with this heart burn/bloating! I'm determined to find out what type of food sets it off.
-Ride home from the beach was even easier than the ride down.
- Our crib came in during the babymoon! The Duffield's came over to put the big box inside. - We put together the crib and then had to spend some time moving the furniture around...only for it to end up in the original spots that I had planned for everything...sorry, babe. The nursery is a lot smaller than I thought it was!
- There's something I don't like, and that's constipation.
- I've gained more weight. Like 4 more pounds...curse the babymoon food!
- My current food obsession is the land-o-lakes cheese squares...so, so delicious.
- Last night a man followed me into my garage looking for "Shelly". A few minutes later we found a cop looking for that man...it literally scared the pee out of me.
- A tiny bit of (growing) cramping this week.
- She was moving like crazy around 4:30 am!

Babymoon

For those that are not in the know, a babymoon is defined as "a relaxing or romantic vacation taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born."

And that's what we did…

At the beginning of the summer it hit me that Andrew and I will not be enjoying the beach just the two of us for a very long time. My family goes every other summer, and when we go next summer, Claire will be with us! I asked if we could go, and it didn't take long for him to agree that it is something that we needed to do. Just the two of us.

We decided to go for just a long weekend (Thursday-Sunday), and we decided to stick with a place that we know - Pensacola Beach. It was so great and honestly, the perfect amount of time for just 2 people.

We drove to Little Rock on Wednesday night to have dinner with Matt, Kristi and Keely. We stayed with Matt and Kristi so that we could cut out a few hours of our drive and get up and go on Thursday morning. We left around 6:30 and stopped to get donuts from Shipley's in Pine Bluff. The drive was so easy (or so Andrew told me)! I did drive for a little while and I only slept for a little over an hour…that's amazing! We stopped a few times for walking and bathroom breaks. We made it into Pensacola Beach a little before 4:00, got gas and drinks, and then checked in. This gave us PLENTY of time for a great afternoon out on the beach!

We made it to the beach!

My view has changed a little...

He's so happy!

After we spent a few hours out on the beach, we packed up to head in and get ready for dinner. We went to one of my family's "go-to-restaurants" called Peg Leg Pete's. Apparently it's everyones go-to and the wait was 1.5 to 2 hours. Luckily, we got a seat at the bar! Perks of going just the 2 of us… We had Imperial oysters (with crab meat and parmesan on top), cajun fried catfish and blackened grouper alfredo pasta. 

I think baby girl grows a few ounces after I eat. The mid-section definitely gets bigger after meals! 

After we ate we went to a Circle K market and picked up some lunch supplies: bread, peanut butter, and chips. I figured that the hotels complimentary breakfast would have jelly, and they did. Yes. We also took apples, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, chocolate covered pomegranates and yogurt from the hotel for snacks. Andrew got a bag of ice from the liquor store in the hotel parking lot. Class-y. Our hotel was a Days Inn motel. It was pretty much what we expected it to be. Not the nicest place, but it was right on the beach with a king bed and complimentary breakfast. We had a good night's rest until the lobby gave us a wake up call at 6:50!!! (Just a little baby prep I guess.) It was actually a good thing though because Andrew needed to run, I got us packed a ready for a D.A.Y on the beach and then we went and had breakfast. It was Andrew's favorite breakfast - yogurt, granola, bagel and cream cheese. Then Andrew got to do something that he was so excited to do. Drink hot coffee on the beach. He was seriously so excited! We were on the beach and right on the water by 8:30. That is where we stayed ALL DAY LONG. We didn't come in at all until 6:00. It was heaven. 

I wore a 2 piece again…and you will not see this picture on Facebook!!

It was kind of cloudy all day with a cool breeze and no waves. We got a in the water a few times, but most talked, read, and played games on the beach. 

That night, we went in and I got all dolled up for Andrew to take some "midway maternity" pics of me. He was thrilled. He really did a great job, and I'm thankful for them! After pictures we decided to actually get out and explore Old Town Pensacola. We never leave the beach when we go with family. Some locals that we met the night before suggested a restaurant called Jaco's. It was wonderful and in a beautiful spot! Andrew got the best fish taco's we've ever tried and I got an Island flatbread with crab, avocado and mango salsa. ohmyword. We left the restaurant and walked around Old Town. I got some gelato and Andrew got a beer at a local brewery. It was another great night. 

View from dinner.

At the brewery. 

The next day was pretty much the same routine. We were on the beach by 8:45, but this day was AMAZINGLY beautiful and sunny. We tried paddle boarding which was so fun, and not as easy as it looks. It was $20 to rent for an hour and we both got to ride it. Andrew was good at both knee paddling and standing up. I was great at knee paddling, but got a little nervous to stand up. I did do it twice, but got paranoid that I would fall on my stomach, so I stayed on my knees. We tried riding together and that was hysterical. First we tried me sitting indian style and Andrew behind me paddling. Then we tried me paddling and Andrew laying flat. It seriously was so funny and I got so tickled. We had a great day!

My favorite view. 

Andrew's out there… see him?

Safety first. 

Where we spent 2 1/2 perfect days. 

23 Weeks on the beach.

My one and only. 

I was actually really sad when it was time to go in on Saturday. 

We stayed in Pensacola Beach for dinner and tried another suggested restaurant called Red Fish, Blue Fish. Y'all!!! My mouth waters thinking about it!  It was an all open air restaurant which was gorgeous. We got some carne fries for an appetizer and Andrew got a po-boy with sausage and shrimp (maybe) and I got my favorite meal on the trip, a swordfish sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and this amazing sauce…ahhh. I couldn't stop eating and then was a tad bit miserable the rest of the night. We left dinner to go and play putt-putt, but that wasn't a good idea because it was so crowded. We went to the boardwalk instead and sat around while Andrew enjoyed a Bushwhacker. We went back to the room to pack up and get ready to leave the next morning. 

At Red Fish, Blue Fish

On the boardwalk.

We were up and eating breakfast by 6:30 Sunday morning. We packed the car and were on the road by 7. We made excellent time getting home and we even stopped in Russellville to have dinner with mom and dad. 

Last view from breakfast on Sunday. 

We had an amazing babymoon! I was so thankful for time away with my main squeeze and now I'm so excited to take Claire with us next summer! 

Worry and Relief

I just found myself stuck in a {short} rut of worry. I find that Claire is usually very active. All the time. We got back from the beach yesterday and I didn't feel her move a lot during the car ride home, I didn't feel her at all last night or this morning. Of course, I panicked and thought that I did something to hurt her in some way. I prayed last night that she was ok. I woke up praying this morning that she would be ok. I looked up "ways to make the baby move" and they didn't seem to work. I played Oceans on my phone. I put it directly on my stomach. That sweet girl started moving almost right away! I love that the song that gave me the most comfort in waiting for her is now giving both of us comfort and encouragement. I think The Lord does everything for a reason. I know that he wanted me to listen to the words of the song this morning and remember to trust him. All the time. He knows what he's doing. He knew that once I heard those words I would calm myself down and my sweet girl would wiggle and give me some relief. I'm so thankful for small moments like these.

(**And from last night through this morning she has been going nuts.**)

23 Weeks

(23 weeks on 7/31)

- My fingers always swell in the summer. Every summer since we've been married I haven't been able to wear my rings much. Now I can't tell if it's heat or pregnancy. My wrists and feet are still good to go, so I'm going to say it's just heat! ;)
- Nursery. Is. Painted. And it's exactly what I wanted!
- Andrew finally got to feel her again on 7/27. It's only the 2nd time he's actually felt it and she was doing lots of kicks to show off.
- Went to the pool with the Snelson girls and the Duffield girls.
- Had lunch with the Willard girls.
- Had a harsh reality check that I can't be in control of everything...maybe that can be it's own post some day.
- Girl goes crazy around 10:00 pm every night and 9:00 am every morning.
- I went all the way from Fayetteville to little rock without stopping for the bathroom! Yay me!

- Had dinner with Matt, Kristi and Keely and got to see Kevin afterward. 
- Drove to the beach for our "babymoon"! I did really well bathroom wise, and even drove some, but my elbows felt really locked up and my hands and feet did quite a bit of swelling. We had to take walk around breaks...and Andrew suggested spelling the alphabet with my feet. That really helped!