The Zoo and 33 weeks!

We are getting so close to welcoming this little girl into our home!  I can't believe there are only 7 weeks left until the expected date of arrival.  I told AJ tonight that I think she may come early - it seems I am beginning to have the symptoms of "pre-labor."  I have definitely been having Braxton Hicks contractions, have been getting really tired lately, and have had some nausea.  We had our first "refresher birthing class" on Monday - which is why I remember these symptoms!  It was a great time of course, watching really old videos and listening to the instructor.  Luckily it was only 2 hours and we only have one more class!  It is definitely worth it since it gives us a huge discount on the actual delivery.

This little girl is giving me more pain lately.  Still nothing severe of course, but we were walking through the grocery store yesterday and I kept getting these sharp pains in my leg.  I guess she kept hitting  a nerve somewhere and it was not something I enjoyed!  She continues to push really hard and sometimes she pushes all the way from one side of my stomach to the other.  

This past weekend we took one last trip before we are limited to being within an hour of Springfield.  We decided to go to St. Louis and take Preston to the Zoo!  Several of our friends came along with their kids and we had a great time - even though it rained!  We had about 3 good hours before it started raining, then we stuck to the animal houses for an hour or so.  Preston loved the elephants and snakes!  We think the snakes were his favorite, so that is the shirt we got for him.  Whenever we left the first couple of animals he cried but he soon got over it when he saw the next animal.  Preston had a great time - even skipped his nap!  He slept for about 5 minutes on the way back to Jenny and Joel's house and then would not go back to sleep.

Other big news - AJ finally got his truck!  It took a lot of looking and duking it out with each other to agree on several different issues, but we worked it all out and he loves the final product.  Now, he just needs to finish his masters degree completely and then our agreement is finalized!  

No other news to report that I can think of.  I have a doctor's appointment next Tuesday so if there is anything to report I'll let ya know!  

Have a fantastic week and weekend! 

Joel, Everett, Preston and AJ

Look out for that snake!!

The new truck!

Preston really likes riding in the truck

33 weeks - getting big!

32 weeks

I cannot believe there are only 8 weeks to go.  I am definitely ready to have this little girl join our family, but it seems like the time is flying by.  AJ seems to tell me daily now that I am getting bigger!  He and my co-workers as well keep telling me that everything seems to be more in my belly this time than with Preston and I just keep growing outward at the stomach.  I think this is a very good thing.  I much prefer to only gain weight at the belly - hopefully it will come off quickly!  My class reunion is in August and I would like to be able to fit in my normal clothes comfortably!  

At my doctors appointment this week everything was "just about perfect" is what he told me.  My weight gain is going spectacularly, baby's heartrate is staying consistent around 140bpm, bloodpressure is good and although he didn't actually measure my stomach this time, he said that was good too!  I go again in 2 weeks.

We finally got Preston's furniture!  It only took about 6 1/2 weeks, even though they told us it would only be 4 at most, but it has arrived and Preston loved it last night.  It took AJ about 2 hours to put it together, seeing as I wasn't much help, so Preston didn't get to go to bed last night until after 9:30.  Once it was put up and everything was together, he was allowed back into his room crawled up into the bed and said "ni night."  I think he was a little tired.  He didn't move an inch last night once he was in bed.  The bed rail we are borrowing, doesn't work with his bed so we are hoping he doesn't start to roll all of a sudden.  So far since he has been out of his crib, he has only rolled off his mattress once - not too bad for almost 2 months time!  

Preston continues to love playing outside and with his bat and ball.  Tonight he would put the ball on the tee by himself, pick up the bat and swing - when the ball  hit the ground, he dropped the bat began clapping and yelling "yah" while looking at us and waiting for us to clap as well!  It was very cute.  AJ wasn't quick enough to get video, so pictures will have to work.

We are also in the process of hopefully finding a truck for AJ.  There is a really nice one that I am trying to negotiate a deal on and AJ really likes it, so we'll see.

That is all for now.  We plan to go to the zoo in StL this weekend, so hopefully the rain is scattered enough for us to enjoy some time there!  Have a fantastic weekend!

31 weeks

Still feeling good!  I do seem to get tired a lot and not want to do some cleaning once I get home, but of course it still gets done...As the weeks fly by, it seems like this little girl is definitely running out of room.  I know I said this with Preston too, but she pushes so hard against my stomach at times, that I am almost positive she is trying to get out!  Not too much has changed otherwise.  Nothing else has been done in the nursery, we are still trying to clear everything out that doesn't belong in there.  Some items will be going to my co-workers garage sale and then if it doesn't sell, is getting hauled to Goodwill.

We bought Preston a bubble machine.  HE LOVES IT!!  He asks for it almost daily. 

Sunday we went to the Springfield Cardinal game with some friends.  Preston loved watching the 2 mascots when they were around and really wanted to go see them, but it seemed like everytime we got close to one, they went the other direction.  One of them is Louie, a bird just like Fredbird, so Preston would say "bird are you?" when he couldn't see him.  We left the game a little early, seventh inning, partly because Preston was getting very antsy and partly because the Cardinals were winning 12-1.  On our way out we came upon the other mascot, Fetch.  Preston got his picture taken with him and loved it! 

Hanging out watching Elmo!

Grandma in town

The weekend after Easter Grandma Jackie came in town to spend some time with Preston before he has a new little sister!  We went to the airport on Friday evening to pick her up and Preston was so excited to sit on a bench while we were waiting that he tripped and ran his eye right into the edge of the bench.  OUCH!   He cried so hard for a while, it was very heartbreaking and I thought his head was indented when he first did it.  When Grandma came out to where we were, about a minute after he fell, he let her hold him and she enjoyed the cuddling.  We stopped and got some ice at the McCalisters right there, but he wasn't a huge fan of putting it on his eye.  Preston's eye swelled a lot right away and the next morning he was barley able to open it.  Oh I hated it!  It got better pretty quick but it definitely worried me for a day or so.

That Saturday we went to a gymnastics birthday party for Chelsea, little girl of our daycare provider.  Preston loved being there and running around.  Of course he fell twice on the concrete, you know the couple spots where there are no mats!  

Otherwise we just did a lot of playing while Grandma was here.  Sidewalk chalk, walks, playing in the backyard, getting a new bubble mower and watching Elmo were some of the common themes.  Preston got to stay home from daycare Monday and Tuesday with Grandma and just hang out.  Dropping him off at daycare(which he loves) on Wednesday was not the easiest of course!

30 weeks

Time seems to be flying by.  I can't believe it has been 30 weeks already!  We went to the doctor on Tuesday (the appointments are now every 2 weeks) and he said everything was looking good.  He measured me and said he wasn't sure how she came up with 24 weeks when the nurse measured me at the last visit, when I should have been at 28.  He told me that she isn't his normal nurse, nice but obviously measures "different" than he does!  The heartbeat sounded good and he looked at the labs from my glucose test (good!) and the measurements from the ultrasound - he said the baby is in the 45-50% in everything and the amniotic fluid measured well!  Good to know that everything is good with all the numbers and that this little girl is measuring average and not big!!  AJ and Preston came along for this doctor visit and AJ asked Dr. Lehnert if I had given him trouble about getting married this time around...he said "actually she did!"  He said he had no plans to be getting married again this year, just as good for him as for us!  Preston was born on his wedding day, probably pretty close to the time he was actually getting married!  

This little girl moves a lot!  People ask me if it is more than Preston moved, and I honestly can't remember if it is or not.  She does completely change the shape of my stomach sometimes, especially at night when I am sitting on the couch able to relax.  There has been a couple of times when I am pretty sure she has "kicked" one of my patient's arms, during passive range of motion!  No one ever says anything though.  

I think we have come close to agreeing on a name!  We haven't finalized it officially, but this is the closest we have been yet!!  You still don't get to know until she arrives though...sorry!

This weekend my mom, Mimi, comes in town.  She gets one last visit with just Preston before this little girl arrives.  She is very excited, especially since she gets to watch him all on her own on Monday and Tuesday.

Preston still does not have bedroom furniture...The company said it would be 2 more weeks past when they told us it would be in - BOO!  So they are giving us free delivery and set-up.  Even though he is still just on a mattress on the floor, he is loving his big bed and sleeps wonderfully in it!  I'm not sure he gets out of it once he is in it for the night.  He even goes and gets in it all on his own and lays down on his pillow!  

Easter with Preston was a blast.  He loved searching for eggs and kept asking for "more" to find!  It was a lot of fun to see his facial expressions when he would find and egg!  We got to do several hunts, one Saturday with all the cousins, one at church and then one more at Memaw and Papa Gegg's on Sunday after church.  The church egg hunt wasn't very successful as Preston just wasn't fast enough to keep up with the older kids.  There was a very nice older boy that came over and gave Preston a couple of his eggs.

Preston continues to love being outside and is becoming more and more curious about everything.  Today, he pulled 2 tulips out of the ground from our back flower garden and dumped out some "elmo" tomato plants that AJ had planted in little pots for him and then set outside this morning to get sun.  Oops, forgot to pick them up I guess.  

Other than that, not too much is going on around here.  I hope to get more of the nursery done, so we can get some pictures up.  There is still some stuff in there that we need to get out before we can do too much more  The weather has been beautiful and we really would like it to stay that way, mostly for Preston's sake since he likes being outside so much.

Have a blessed weekend!

 30 weeks

Getting his Easter basket!

A new toothbrush!  It plays "Peter Cottontail"

Going on the hunt

Found one!

Preston and MeMaw

Look!  Another one!

Loving family!

Church egg hunt

Found another one hidden in the garden

Aunt Ali and Preston