BUMPDATE (40 Weeks!)

Today is my official due date! Brooks and I found out I was pregnant on February 20, so we have been looking forward to this date for a long time. That's 8 months and 8 days if you're counting :)

Because there was no sign that Connor would actually make his appearance today, and because we had been looking forward to today for so long, we decided that we would do something to make this day special. This morning we got up and went for a late breakfast at DeLuca's (a popular Pittsburgh diner) and then we went to the National Aviary. I have wanted to go to the Aviary for so long and it was just as neat as I thought it would be. It was really a fun day! 

Below are some pictures from our due date adventure.

These penguins were as fascinated with Brooks as he was with them! They kept following him around!

Now for your feature presentation...the regular blog questions!

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a Jackfruit! He's plumping up even more and his hair and nails continue to grow. Can't wait to meet this little boy!

How I'm feeling: Large and uncomfortable. Overall though, I feel really happy. I'm so excited to meet this baby.

Cravings: I have been guzzling lime Perrier this week. I like it over ice with a fresh lime slice. Delicious!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week :)

Sleep: What is sleep? 

Miss anything? I miss wearing my rings and my watch and regular shoes (right now I stick to flip flops). I'm just too swollen to wear anything anymore. Oh and wine...can't forget that! :)

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He's still busy rolling around in there!

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in! 

Wedding rings on or off? Off. 

Favorite moment this week: Today's trip to the National Aviary. Since we had looked forward to today for so long it was really nice to go out and do something special. I will always remember it and all the fun we had.

Most looking forward to: My mom comes on Thursday! And then...having this baby!

In honor of my due date, I thought it would be fun to put together a little video of how my bump has changed over the past 9 months. Enjoy!

BUMPDATE (39 Weeks!)

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a Watermelon!

How I'm feeling: Large. There is no more room at the inn. I'm at capacity. 

Cravings: No new cravings! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week :)

Sleep: I feel pretty lucky that I slept so well for most of my pregnancy. However, those days are gone. My nights of sleep are now filled with multiple trips to the restroom and endless amounts of weird dreams. Apparently I've been told I'll sleep again in about 25 years. I'll miss you sleep, but we had a good run.

Miss anything? Being able to put on shoes without it feeling like I just completed an intense workout.

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He's a busy little bee in there! Little guy loves to roll around :)

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in! I think it just might make it to the end!

Wedding rings on or off? Off. I'm ready to start wearing my ring again! 

Favorite moment this week: Finishing the nursery. It was so nice to stand back and look at my son's room completely finished. I had a vision from the beginning for how I wanted it to look and I really think Brooks and I achieved it. It's my favorite room in our house.

Most looking forward to: Getting some much needed cleaning done around here. Does this mean I'm officially nesting? I'm ready to have my house nice and tidy so when Connor decides to make his appearance we will come home to a picked up house.

Unless Connor decides to make his appearance this week, I'll see you all in 7 days! Due date here I come!

Connor's Peter Rabbit Nursery

The nursery is finally finished! All the clothes are washed and put away and all that's missing is a sweet little boy who can call this room his own. 

This is the view from the door. The room itself is fairly small so I had to be really creative with how we situated the furniture and organized everything. I really wanted to create a comfortable and relaxed space. Soon after finding out I was pregnant I was looking at bedding from Pottery Barn and fell in love with their Peter Rabbit set. I knew instantly that is what I wanted to use in the nursery whether we had a boy or a girl. While planning the nursery, I tried to pick pieces that we could still use as Connor grows. I know one day he will want me to pack away the Peter Rabbit pieces but the bookshelves and the furniture will all be able to grow with him.

Below is another view from the doorway.

We opted not to get a traditional changing table because I felt it would make the room too crowded. Instead, we are using his dresser as a combined dresser/changing table. 

I'm in love with the Peter Rabbit prints above the table. Thank goodness for etsy! These little prints came all the way from London!

This little nook is my favorite part of the room. I wanted a space where I could relax and feel comfortable when I'm up at all hours of the night with Connor. I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. 

Right now his little crib is filled with his lovies.

I can't wait to put these little clothes to use!

These are some of my favorite pieces from the nursery. I found all of these on etsy. 

The framed Peter Rabbit prints are from JPEGgeneration

The bookshelves are from del hutson designs just outside Dallas, TX, which I thought was extremely fitting since that is where Brooks was born and raised. They are made from reclaimed barnwood and I love how they turned out!

The handpainted wood signs hanging above the crib are from Simple Pleasures, a shop in Lancaster, PA.

And there you have it! The nursery is complete...except for a little boy that I hope to add very, very soon!

BUMPDATE (38 Weeks!)

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a Pumpkin! Pretty fitting for October I think! 

The picture below is taken from thebump

How I'm feeling: For being this far along, I'm feeling pretty good. I do feel large and I move really slowly but I'm feeling ok. Each day that passes though I'm more and more ready to just meet my son! 

Cravings: No new cravings! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week :)

Sleep: I'm still waking up a lot and it's not easy to get comfortable. I do get tired earlier in the day but I think that's pretty normal for being 38 weeks pregnant.

Miss anything? I'm definitely ready to have my pre-pregnant body back. I honestly think I will really miss feeling my son move around but I won't miss feeling so large and slow. It would also be nice to not waddle when I walk :)

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He's still rolling around in there but he is definitely running out of room! 

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in! 

Wedding rings on or off? Off. I'm ready to start wearing my ring again! 

Favorite moment this week: Hearing Connor's heartbeat at my appointment yesterday. That never gets old!

Most looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery! It's really close to being finished, I just have to organize everything and finish washing all of his clothes. I'm hoping to have it completely finished by this time next week.

BUMPDATE (37 Weeks!)

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a Winter Melon. According to thebump.com he measures around 18.9 to 20.9 inches and weighs between 6.2 and 9.2 pounds! He's also officially full term! 

How I'm feeling: Extremely pregnant. Large. Slow. You get the point :)

Cravings: The only real craving I've had in the past week has been for brownie batter (not actual brownies, just the batter). Because I can't have raw eggs while pregnant, I made the batter without eggs and had some one evening. It was amazing! Not healthy in any way shape or form, but amazing! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I truly thought the food aversions were over...sadly, no. Brooks boiled lobster tails last night and just the smell of the lobster water grossed me out. Yuck

Sleep: I wake up a lot now. Getting comfortable is also an interesting challenge. I'm grateful I slept so well throughout the majority of this pregnancy, but I think those days may be done. 

Miss anything? My body? My non-swollen face? I've avoided saying "I'm ready to have my body back" throughout this pregnancy but I'm to the point where I'm ready to have it back.

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He is rolling around a lot. Brooks actually laid his head on my stomach earlier and Connor promptly kicked him in the face! That made my whole day! I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in! I'm starting to think it may hang on and never pop.

Wedding rings on or off? Off. My nana's ring fits in the mornings but by the end of the day I'm usually too swollen to wear a ring, so I'm going without.

Favorite moment this week: My two showers that I had this weekend! They were absolutely amazing. I blogged about them on Sunday, if you are interested in hearing more about them you can read that here.

Most looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery! We are picking up the curtains for his nursery this week and after that and a bit of organizing the nursery will be finished. I still have a few other things I need to get ready before he arrives but I will feel so much better once his nursery is finished.

Pittsburgh Showers - Spoiled to Pieces!

This weekend I had not one, but TWO baby showers in Pittsburgh. Can I say spoiled? On Saturday, two of my girlfriends hosted a gorgeous Peter Rabbit shower for me and on Sunday, one of the teachers where I work hosted a baby brunch for me. They were both absolutely beautiful and the ladies truly outdid themselves! 

Sometimes it's really hard living so far away from home - especially with a new baby on the way. When Brooks got the opportunity to move to Pittsburgh, we prayed about it and truly felt that moving to Pittsburgh was what God wanted for us at this point in our marriage. I am constantly reassured that we made the right decision by the people that have come into our lives since we moved here. As much as I do miss Oklahoma, we have made some incredible friends in Pittsburgh. I am so grateful for these women - thank you for making me feel at home here, I am so lucky to have you ladies in my life!

Megan (top photo) and Laura hosted my shower on Saturday. 

They created an absolutely gorgeous Peter Rabbit shower. These are the type of girls that find things on Pinterest and their creations come out even cuter than the Pinterest ideas - they should be party planners! 

Thank you ladies for giving me an absolutely wonderful shower. I am a lucky lady to have you both as my friend, you really outdid yourself!

Below are some pictures from the shower! Enjoy :)

How cute are those napkin holders? They look just like carrots from Mr. McGregor's garden!

The food was so yummy...I won't lie I'm a bit jealous that I couldn't have a mimosa though! :)

Megan and Laura had the letters of Connor's first and middle names on tables for the ladies to paint so that we can hang them up in his nursery. This was one of my favorite parts of the shower! I loved this! 

Unfortunately, I didn't get a group photo of everyone that came. I wanted to include this picture though because my friend Megan Meyer came all the way in from Williamsport for the shower. Thank you for coming Megan!!

Baby Brunch...

Oh my goodness the food was so yummy. In case the scale goes up at my doctor's appointment tomorrow, I know who to blame! :)

This is the lovely Kellie Stock. She hosted my Baby Brunch. She is truly one of the sweetest ladies you'll ever meet. She and the other teachers at Zion really outdid themselves with this brunch. They decided that instead of doing traditional baby gifts they would instead focus on...ME! These women spoiled me. They gave me new super soft pajamas, a spa gift certificate, all sorts of bath goodies and some things for Connor on top of it all. I was blown away! I can't wait to slip on those comfy pajamas and make my spa appointment. How lucky am I?!

I truly had an absolutely wonderful weekend. I feel spoiled and very loved. Thank you to everyone who came and pampered me and baby Connor this weekend. I am lucky to have so many wonderful friends!

BUMPDATE (36 Weeks!)

A little different view for this week's photo. This picture was taken yesterday on our way home from vacation. Connor's first trip to the White House!

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a Honeydew Melon! I went to the doctor this afternoon and she said he is measuring right on track. She also guessed that he won't be a "big" baby. I weighed 9 pounds 3 oz when I was born (I know, I was big!) so hopefully she is right and he won't be a nine pounder like his mama.

How I'm feeling: Large, really swollen, and unfotrunately sick. I've had a cold for going on 3 weeks now. God Bless my doctor, today she actually wrote me a prescription. Hopefully, relief is on it's way.

Cravings: I haven't had any specific cravings lately, which might be because I'm battling this cold. All that sounds good right now is a bowl of cereal. 

Speaking of cravings though, I had mentioned in my blog that I had been craving cinnamon rolls. Last week one of the sweet teachers at the school where I work brought me cinnamon rolls! They were delicious! Thank you Kara!! AND one of the parents at school (who just happens to own a bakery) brought me chocolate chip cookies. She said all pregnant women need chocolate chip cookies. I agree wholeheartedly!

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think the food aversions are a thing of the past! I haven't had any for quite a while now!

Sleep: I haven't been sleeping that well lately but I think that is more to do with my cold rather than the pregnancy. 

Miss anything? Fitting into my shoes! My feet are SO swollen. My doctor said as long as my blood pressure stays normal it isn't a concern but I am retaining some serious water. I miss my normal feet!

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He's been jabbing me a lot lately! He loves to bounce up and down on my bladder (thanks son!) and to roll around in stomach. I still love watching my stomach move when he rolls around!

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in, but barely! 

Wedding rings on or off? I'm retaining so much water that today I actually went without a ring. We'll see if I can wear my nana's ring again this pregnancy, but for right now it just feels better not to wear anything.

Favorite moment this week: This past weekend we went on a babymoon to Williamsburg, Virginia and even though I was battling a cold we had an absolutely wonderful time. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend Kingsmill Resort, it's a beautiful place to relax. We spent some time in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and we stopped by DC on the way home yesterday. We crammed a lot into a short amount of time but we had a blast! Below are some pictures from our trip.

This is the James Landing Grill at Kingsmill Resort. The restaurant overlooks the James River. We ate here for dinner on Saturday and oh my word it was so good to have some amazing southern food. I had shrimp and grits and they were absolutely fabulous! 

This is Brooks outside the Governor's House in Colonial Williamsburg. We spent a majority of the day on Saturday exploring Colonial Williamsburg, if  you are ever in the area I highly suggest visiting! 

Brooks and I drove down to Virginia Beach on Sunday. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than putting big, fat, swollen feet in the ocean. 

We decided to end our vacation with a short stop in DC. We live less than four hours away and it's really a shame we haven't spent more time there. We only had a couple hours but we made the most of it! We are hoping to take a trip back there with Connor in the spring.

Most looking forward to: I have a lot to look forward to this weekend! I have a baby shower on Saturday and a baby brunch on Sunday! I'll post pictures of those next week! 

BUMPDATE (35 Weeks!)

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a Coconut! According to thebump.com he measures around 17.2 to 18.7 inches (as long as 20 inches according to whattoexpect.com) and weighs between 4.2 and 5.8 pounds! From here on out, he won't get much longer but he will continue to plump up between now and delivery.

How I'm feeling: Large and swollen, but overall, pretty good for being 35 weeks pregnant! My feet and ankles swell up a lot so I have to keep an eye on that and I move at a snails pace but I honestly feel a lot better than I thought I would for being this far along. 

Cravings: I've been craving a lot of frozen yogurt. Yum! I've also been craving anything pumpkin, but I think that's more because it's officially fall rather than because I'm pregnant. I baked a loaf of cream cheese pumpkin bread over the weekend and it's definitely almost gone! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well! I have to sleep with my feet propped up because of the swelling (which is more awkward than comfortable) but besides that, I'm sleeping just fine!

Miss anything? Fitting into my shoes! Because I've experienced a lot of swelling lately most of my shoes don't fit well so even though the weather is crisp I'm still wearing flip flops. Hopefully the swelling will go down once the little one arrives.

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He is still moving a lot! His kicks aren't as sharp as they used to be (because he's running out of space!) and now his movements feel more like he is rolling around. It's fascinating to watch my stomach move as he rolls around in there!

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in, but barely! 

Wedding rings on or off? I've officially retired my wedding ring and am wearing my nana's wedding ring instead. Thankfully, it still fits! 

Favorite moment this week: We finished up our labor and delivery class on Saturday - we are all finished with baby classes now! I loved our labor and delivery class. Our teacher was awesome and I feel like I know much more of what to expect now. We also got to tour the labor and delivery floor at our hospital - it was so exciting to actually stand in a delivery room! 

Saturday evening we got to have dinner with some really good friends of ours who moved away - it was so good to see them and their little daughter! 

This weekend was also my prayer shower. The ladies at my church get together before a baby is born and say prayers for the new mom/new parents, and the baby. It's such a special day! My shower was absolutely wonderful and I'm so grateful to the women in my life who are praying for Brooks and me as we start this new adventure together. Connor is a lucky boy to have all these wonderful ladies praying for him!!

Most looking forward to: Our babymoon this weekend! Friday morning we are leaving for Williamsburg, Virginia to take one last trip as just the two of us. I absolutely cannot wait! 

BUMPDATE (34 Weeks, 1 Day!)

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a butternut squash! According to thebump.com he is measuring between 17.2 and 18.7 inches long and weighs between 4.2 and 5.8 pounds!

How I'm feeling: Large and swollen. My feet and ankles are officially one body part (the dreaded canckle). On the plus side, I'm finally getting over the cold that I had last week so I'm grateful for that.

Cravings: Pickles!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! 

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well for the most part. I'm really hoping this continues!

Miss anything? My ankles!

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He is still moving a lot! He loves to spread out in my tummy and kick me in the ribs. I think he's officially running out of space in there!

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in, but to be honest, it's hanging on by a thread. I have a feeling my innie is going to be an outie before this is all over. 

Wedding rings on or off? I've officially retired my wedding ring and am wearing my nana's wedding ring instead.

Favorite moment this week: I got to see my dad this week! My dad has work this week on the East Coast so he was able to stop by for a couple days and it was so good to see him. Brooks and I took him on a boat cruise tour of the city and we just enjoyed each other's company. I'm so glad he got to come see us. 

I also had a doctor's appointment this week so I got to hear Connor's heart beat again, which is always a favorite for me. He is measuring right on track and everything looks good. I go back again at 36 weeks and then my appointments are weekly from there on out!

Another favorite from the last week was our labor and delivery class. Because Brooks travels so frequently we weren't able to take the regular class that meets once a week for several weeks so we opted for the condensed version which takes place over two Saturdays (our last class will be this Saturday). While spending an entire Saturday talking about birth may not be for everyone, I really enjoyed it. I learned so much and am really looking forward to this Saturday when we get to tour the actual delivery rooms. 

We also went to Kennywood last weekend for a friends birthday. We had a really good time! Even though I couldn't ride any of the rides it was a fun way to spend an evening. 

I had a lot of favorite's this past week! 

Most looking forward to: Finishing up our labor and delivery class this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to touring the delivery rooms and finishing up the class. Also some close friends of ours are in town this weekend and we get to see them Saturday evening! Can't wait to catch up with them too!!

Until next week :)

BUMPDATE (33 Weeks!)

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of of a Durian. Am I the only person who had no clue what a Durian is? My curiosity caused me to waste 15 minutes of my life researching Durian Fruit. If you are intrigued, here's an article for you: What the heck is a Durian? For reference, the picture below is from thebump.com

How I'm feeling: Large and SLOW. I'm also unfortunately coming down with the summer cold that has been going around. Hopefully that will be over with soon! 

Cravings: Actually, nothing sounds good right now. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! 

Sleep: This past week I've been sleeping really well. I tend to fall asleep early and despite waking up once or so during the night I sleep soundly. 

Miss anything? Not waddling when I walk. I feel like one of those super large turtles you see at the zoo. I move about as fast as they do too. 

Clothes: All maternity. 

Movement: He is still moving a lot! Little boy loves music! He especially loves country music and the hymns at church. He moves a lot when he hears either of them!

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in!

Wedding rings on or off? I've officially retired my wedding ring and am wearing my nana's wedding ring instead.

Favorite moment this week: Last Saturday Brooks and I tried to go to a fall festival out in the country but it ended up raining as soon we got there so we packed up and drove to a small country town that we love and had a late lunch and did a little shopping. It was so relaxing and nice to get out of the city for a bit!

Most looking forward to: Having this baby! Not an option yet? OK...we have part 1 of our Labor and Delivery Class this Saturday, which I am actually looking forward to. I know that no class can "prepare" you, but I'm excited to tour the hospital and hopefully learn a few things! 

Oklahoma Shower - A Peter Rabbit Dreamworld

Two weekends ago I traveled back home to Oklahoma to visit family and while I was there I had the most perfect baby shower. The theme for Connor's nursery is Peter Rabbit and my shower hosts took that theme and ran with it. Let me tell you, what they created was absolute perfection. Thank you so much to Ashlee, Devon, Becca, and Whitney for giving me such a wonderful shower. You ladies went above and beyond and Connor and I were certainly spoiled! 

My cousin/dear friend Ashlee Henderson hosted the shower at her home. She is an extremely talented graphic designer and she made these gorgeous shower invitations for me! She also made our wedding invitations. Hallmark has nothing on this lady.

Below are some pictures from the shower. Enjoy!

How cute is that little sweater with the Mr. McGregor's Garden sign? And those carrot cake cupcakes...I'm still dreaming about them.

 The decorations were just perfect. The jars on the rights are awesome party favors with everything ready for guests to make cookies when they got home. And the bags on the bottom right were our fun shower game! Each guest had to guess what baby item was in each bag.

Mommy to be! 30 weeks and 4 days. 

Cousins and dear friends for life! Connor is so lucky to have Auntie Ashlee in his life!

Melissa (friends since college!) and Auntie Ashlee

 My lovely hosts! From left to right, Ashlee, me, Devon, and Becca. THANK YOU ladies!! I am blessed beyond words to have you each in my life! 

*My close friend Whitney also hosted the shower but had to be out of town that day, which is why she isn't in this picture. Her presence was certainly felt though! She did a great job and prepared a super fun shower game for us. Thank you Whitney for everything you did! 

 After the shower my family went out to dinner at Hideaway Pizza. Non Okies, if you are ever in Oklahoma you must go! Here I am after dinner with my sister Raegan and my mom. Two AMAZING women - Connor is so lucky to have y'all in his life. 

(I'm sure Raegan would want me to tell you she changed for dinner. She had on a super cute dress at the shower!)

Thank you to everyone who came/helped make this day special. My friend Devon flew in for the shower all the way from Denver, my cousin Lisa and my Aunt Wilma drove in from Arkansas and my MIL and Grandmother in Law drove in from Dallas. It truly meant the world to me to have every single person there and I sincerely appreciate everyone of you and thank you for coming. For those of you who had to make a special trip to Oklahoma to be there, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Connor and I are pretty lucky!

BUMPDATE (32 Weeks, 2 days!)

Baby's Growth: This week Connor is the size of a squash! For reference, the picture below is from thebump.com

How I'm feeling: This blog is a place for me to share my feelings - good and bad. It's a place of honesty. The "how I'm feeling" section won't always be rainbows and sunshine. With that said, I haven't been feeling super peachy lately. To be completely blunt I'm tired (thank you anemia!), I hurt and I feel like I resemble the female version of the stay puft marshmallow man. If you read my facebook, I've expressed some of these feelings there. Sometimes I feel really guilty about the way I feel. Some women try for years and years to get pregnant and would give anything to have this experience and here I am complaining about it. Let me be blunt. I am so extremely grateful for the chance to be pregnant, to give birth and to raise this little boy. Please don't take my complaints as ungratefulness. The truth is pregnancy is hard and thanks to family and friends (who have been so honest and encouraging - thank you!) I've realized it's ok to voice my experiences and feelings. 

Cravings: Cheese and crackers. I'm still craving ice but I found out that's because I'm anemic. After posting about my ice craving last week two friends pointed out to me that is a symptom of anemia so I mentioned it to my doctor at my appointment last week and they were right! I'm taking iron pills now so hopefully the anemia and the ice cravings will be better soon.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Not even the iron pills that I started taking last weekend. Thank goodness!

Sleep: The crazy dreams are back and I still get up at least once a night but I'm not having any trouble falling asleep, hopefully that will continue!

Miss anything? Wine. I probably say that too much. I promise I'm not guzzling wine by the bottle when I'm not pregnant! I do love a glass or two of wine here and there though and I miss it! 

Clothes: My closet could be a maternity clothing store. 

Movement: Connor is kicking a lot this week! And yesterday for the first time Brooks and I got to feel our little man have the hiccups. We probably enjoyed that much more than he did :) I kept hearing pregnant woman talk about baby hiccups and because I hadn't experienced them yet I thought it might be something I wouldn't get to feel - it was such a neat experience! 

Gender: BOY! 

Belly button in or out: Still in! Honestly, that kind of amazes me at this point!

Wedding rings on or off? I've officially retired my wedding ring and am wearing my nana's wedding ring instead.

Favorite moment this week: Last week I went to the doctor and got to hear Connor's heartbeat again. Anytime I get to hear that it's always the highlight of my week. I'm happy to report that Connor is head down and measuring right on track! I've also booked all my doctor's appointments up to 38 weeks, I can't believe I'm coming that close to the end!

Most looking forward to: FALL. I know this isn't next week specific but I am so ready for fall. I'm ready for cooler weather, sweaters, boots, and a certain little boy's fall birthday!