Baby H: Weeks 25-28

Week 25

This week was Thanksgiving! We had a weird Thanksgiving holiday this year because my parents decided to pack up just the two of them and drive up to New Mexico to tour a ranch they were looking at buying. Because of this, my sisters and I all spent Thanksgiving day apart - either with our significant others and their families or with friends. On Saturday, we did all get together for a second round of Thanksgiving at my aunt's house in Katy.

{Thanksgiving, round 1 - @ Luke's grandpa's house in Portland, TX}

{Snapped a couple of Christmas card pics in front of our house before heading to Katy for Thanksgiving, round 2}

{And one with our first two babies!}

Unfortunately, I got food poisoning after Thanksgiving, round 2, but it only lasted one day. It was rough, but I could handle one day. I was thankful it wasn't any worse! I do also remember that week 25 brought with it my first experience with uncomfortable pregnant sleep. I started tossing and turning more and waking up to use the bathroom became more frequent. And I realized that the tightening I'd been feeling in my stomach for the last few weeks was actually Braxton Hick contractions, ha! I blame it on being a first timer. :)

Week 26

I had an uneventful dr. appointment during week 26. I was in and out quickly - everything looked great! Barrett decided during this week that he was going to become a fan of kicking and rolling around pretty much 24/7. At work, my stomach would start going crazy in the middle of meetings. In the evening, he would roll/punch/kick like a little ninja, especially when I laid on my side. I also experienced my first swollen ankles this week. Lucky, I learned that I could get rid of these fairly easily by adding a little more activity/walking to my day and putting my feet up in the evenings. 

That weekend, I drove up to Waco for the last football game of the season, which also happened to be the Big 12 Championship game. It was an especially sweet weekend with my girlfriends/college roomies because I knew it'd be my last weekend in Waco with them before I became a mom. 

Week 27

Luke got home from being gone for about a week or so for work - and it was perfect timing! We got to go pick up Barrett's baby furniture and Luke put it together in his room. I originally had a tough time deciding what furniture to buy, but I'm so glad we went with the set we did. It includes a crib, dresser, and bookshelf and it's a beautiful chocolate brown color. We also bought a crib mattress even tough we were registered for one because dad just couldn't help himself. Once he'd put the crib together, he had to have a mattress for his boy! #toocute

{Bentley is always supervising!}

We also went to the Houston Zoo to experience their Zoo Lights Christmas event with our friends, Sarah and Andrew, and their little girl, Peyton. 

{It's always so fun hanging out with this little one!}

Barrett and I also decided that week 27 meant we were in the third trimester (Ok, maybe just I decided, ha!). I know that different websites say different weeks count as the beginning of the third trimester, but think about it - 40/3 = 13.2x2 = 26.6. Yup, 27 weeks sounds like the third trimester to me! In honor of our last trimester, I took a bump selfie. 

Week 28

I had another doctor appointment this week and again, nothing new to report! Measuring exactly on time, blood pressure was good, and baby's heartbeat was strong as always. This week, Luke and I got a taste of parenthood when we babysat Peyton. Sarah and Andrew had just bought a new house and needed a kid-free day to get some moving and house prep done. So Luke and I took Peyton for the day and it was so fun!

 

{These two were fans of each other}

 

I was given diaper duty, while Luke handled all the feedings. We took Peyton to Target (and bought her stuff like good babysitters do, ha!) and when people told us how cute our kid was, we just said, "Thanks!" It was fun pretending to be parents and I'm not going to lie, I think we were both sad when we had to give her back. I can't wait for Peyton and Barrett to be buds. :)

 

Week 28 was also spent finishing our Christmas shopping and I remember specifically that about this time, Barrett's movements were getting crazy! I could feel him moving all the time. He was kicking me much harder, he was rolling around a lot at night, and when he stretched out head to toe, I could feel him down in my pelvic area as well as up in my ribs. It was about this time I knew we were having ourselves a big boy!

 

 

The greatest thing ever

Baahh!! I've fallen so behind again! Baby H: Weeks 25-28, Weeks, 29-32, and Weeks 33-36 coming soon, especially since Baby H himself could be arriving any day now and I may not get another chance to write these. Lord have mercy! But of course, instead of playing catch up, I've decided to write a blog post about something that has surprised me these last few weeks of pregnancy. :)

At about 32-33 weeks, the people who see me on a regular basis (husband, church friends, co-workers, etc.) started to notice a change in my bump a.k.a. "Whoa that thing came out of no where! It's like overnight you just popped!" Yes, people, there is quite a large baby boy in there *written with a sarcastic tone and rolled eyes.* And around the same time, poor baby started getting knocked around a little more. I felt like I was running into everything! Baby has gotten hit by the car door as I've climbed out of my car in tight parking spaces, I've run into open filing cabinets at work, and the list goes on. I swear, he's going to come out with a dent in his head! But this isn't the surprising part of pregnancy I'm talking about.

{bump}

This morning (mind you, I'm almost 37 weeks), I stopped to get to get gas and a cup of coffee on my way to work. As I was pouring my coffee, a gentleman walked up next to me to reach for a stir stick on the counter and in trying to make room for him, I accidently ran my baby bump into the counter. I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry sir. There's a lot going on right here," I said with a smile and a rub of the belly. He looked sweetly at me and said, "Oh no worries! It's the greatest thing ever." 

The greatest thing ever. I've heard many versions of this phrase over and over again the last few weeks. I expected to hear it from women, but surprisingly, it's the men who keep saying this to me. And they don't just spat it off nonchalantly. It's always said in such an endearing way that almost makes me tear up. It's like all these dads see my big ol' belly and take a couple of seconds to reminisce on the joy of fatherhood and the blessing it truly is.

My boss does this to me all the time. We'll be talking or joking about something related to parenthood and he'll get into this serious mood for just a couple of seconds and say, "It's the best job I've ever had." And on Friday night, Luke and I went to dinner at Lupe Tortilla and ended up having about a 30 minute conversation with a guy named Jonathan who has two little girls, 3 and 7. He kept telling Luke, "It changes you man. I'm not the same guy I was before my girls. It's the best thing that could ever happen to you. I'm so excited for you guys!" Seriously? I don't know why this shocks me so much, but I can't even count the number of dads that have gushed over having children to us.

I guess I just wanted to remember this aspect of pregnancy. Their sweet dad faces that look off just slightly into the distance and reflect fondly over the life-changing experience Luke and I are about to go through, their sweet words and the grace they give this momma-to-be for the way her bump runs into just about everything these days, and the last few days before Luke becomes a dad that I pray will think back fondly over this adventure called fatherhood. Thanks to all you sweet dads out there. You warm this momma's heart.

Baby H: Weeks 13-16

As I'm starting to write this blog post, I'm kicking myself thinking, "This is why you should have stayed on top of blogging!" I'm looking through Facebook and Instagram, trying to spark memories of what all went down weeks 13-16, ha! Poor kid, momma is already failing at keeping up with your life. Maybe this is that "pregnancy brain" thing that people are always talking about. ;)

So, here are the highlights:

Weeks 13-16 were great! The second trimester sort of came out of nowhere. I remember counting the weeks and looking at online pregnancy websites to confirm I'd actually made it. I felt great! The morning sickness portion of my pregnancy was over and, although most people still thought I'd just eaten one too many cheeseburgers for lunch, I was starting to feel pregnant. It would still be some time before I felt recognizable kicks, but I definitely could feel life/movement and it was a pretty incredible thing.

I had my second doctor visit during week 13. Luke got to go to this one and since he didn't get to see our baby on the sonogram when my pregnancy was confirmed (week 9), my doctor was so sweet to do another sonogram for us so that Luke could see our little peanut in action! I also felt sort of dumb at this appointment because my doctor asked me if I had any questions for her and honestly, I hadn't thought about it, so my answer was no. After the fact, I felt so dumb. Of course I had questions! I just wasn't prepared. That set me on track to have plenty of quality questions for my 17-week appointment. I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to ask questions again!

During week 14, we closed on our house!! It was the best feeling to know that this whole ordeal was finally over and maybe I'm being sarcastic, but if we don't move for another 20 years, I'm cool with that. The only downside was that we still had another two weeks before we could move in because the sellers were renting back from us while moving their family to El Paso. But we did the best we could to get ready for the move and then waited impatiently to get our little family up to the northeast part of Houston.

{Officially official homeowners}

During this two week moving wait, I was blessed with the opportunity to help host a shower for my cousin's fiancee, Haley. These lovebirds had a country, shabby chic wedding this weekend in Brenham, so that was the theme we went with for her shower. It was so nice getting to see and catch up with so many of the women from my dad's side of the family that drove up for the shower. Mom and I were in charge of decor, shower games, and cake. Mom rocked the decor and flowers like a champ! I got Haley's shower cake from Memorial Bakery and it turned out SO good! It was marble cake with a butter cream frosting in the middle and butter cream icing. Yum!! Shower games went great and we all had a really nice time catching up.

{At Haley's shower}

{Awesome cake!}

This must have been the month of wedding showers, because the following weekend, Luke and I drove down to Corpus Christi for a couples shower for one of his best friends, Jake, and his fiancee, Holly. They had a really cute nautical theme for this shower and Holly's family cooked a fabulous meal. I'm really glad Luke and I got to make their shower because a few weeks down the road at their wedding, Luke would be a groomsman, while I'd be in Waco for Baylor homecoming. I'm thankful I got to celebrate this sweet couple when I did.

{Jake and Holly at their couple's shower}

By week 16, we were moving into our home (praise Jesus!). Luke drove down to Hallettsville the night before the move (this is where all of our big stuff was in storage) and loaded up the trailer. That Thursday morning, September 25th, I met mom at the house where the cleaning crew was already working on getting the house ready for Luke's arrival. Mom and I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart for a few extra cleaning supplies and then we ran to HomeGoods to look for a few items that were on my to-buy-for-the-new-house-immediately list, like new bath towels, bathroom mats, etc.

Once Luke arrived and the cleaning ladies had left, the real work began. We unloaded everything into the garage so that from there, we could clean/dust everything before it got moved into the clean house. Also throughout the day, our cable was set up and both our new mattress and washer/dryer set were delivered. It was like Christmas in September and I loved every minute of it! Mostly, it just felt so good to have a home base again. A place that when we said, "I'm coming home," to each other, home really meant home. This was something that Luke and I had been praying about for over a year now and in God's perfect timing, it was happening.

{New washer and dryer from mom and dad = early Christmas present!}

{New yard tools for a man with his very own yard]

As for my actual pregnancy and the baby? Well, here's a little look at the ol' bump during weeks 13-16. :) I still hadn't gained any weight at this point, but I will say that I noticed a new level of exhaustion during these months. It wasn't the same as in the first trimester when I slept all of the time though. It more like every day was enough. After waking up early, working a full day, coming home, and making/eating dinner, I was done. I noticed a decrease in my workouts about this time too (up until this point, I was running/walking/using the elliptical 3-4 times/week) and honestly, I regret not pushing through this. But since day 1 of my pregnancy, I've really wanted to listen to my body. So I was confident there was a reason for the rest I was getting. I was also really enjoying no more nausea and food starting to smell normal again! During these weeks, I craved meat, cheese, and eggs. This is Luke's kid to the extreme!

{Left to right: Working out at the gym at my office around 13 weeks, 14 weeks at work, and a comparison of 4.5 weeks to 15.5 weeks}

Baby H: Weeks 9-12

Week 9

At nine weeks, I had my first doctor appointment. Unfortunately, Luke had been out of town for work (remember here?) and we tried so hard to get him back to Houston for this appointment, but he ended up getting back either that night or early the next day (my preggo brain can't exactly remember). So, off I went to my first appointment! I wasn't really nervous or excited; I honestly had no idea what to expect. This was also my very first time to see any doctor in Houston, so there was a lot of general paperwork to be filled out and questions to answer. I didn't even end up meeting my Obgyn at this appointment; I saw her PA instead. Whitney (the PA) was super sweet and let me ask as many questions as I wanted. Once all of the initial steps (weighing in, family medical history forms, etc.) were out of the way, it was time to confirm my pregnancy.

{Baby H's first picture}

If I hadn't believed I was pregnant up until this point, I did now! Wow - I can't even fully put into words the overwhelming feeling that came over me once I saw that teeny tiny little thing on the screen for the first time. At 9 weeks, my baby wasn't just a little blob, but a little sour patch kid baby with a head, body, and little arms and legs that wiggled. I didn't quite cry, but I think my giggly laughter sort of sounded like it, ha! It was an unbelievably cool experience. I found out then that my official due date is March 11, 2015. Luke got back to Houston shortly after and it was so fun showing him the video of our wiggle worm I took during that first sonogram.

Week 10

That next weekend, Luke and I drove down to Corpus Christi. While there, our dear friend Jade, who also took our engagement pics, my bridal pics, and our wedding pics, met us in town for a quick photoshoot so that we'd have some fun pictures to share with the world once we let our little secret out. I'm SO glad we did this! I know it's vain, but I'm glad I got a few nice pictures of Luke and I before I got big and preggo. ;) They turned out great and I can't thank Jade enough for always capturing the best moments of our lives.

While in Corpus, I also did a super preggo thing and bought a pickadilly snow cone. Now - if you're from South Texas - this is not uncommon. But anyone else would have looked at me and been like, "Seriously, girl? A pickle snow cone with pickle chunks?? Where's the ice cream that goes with it??" Ha! Yes, pickles and ice cream may be an old joke during pregnancy, but this girl has always loved pickles and with summer wrapping up, this was a perfect treat. My child will definitely love pickles from day one!

Week 11

Week eleven was fairly chill. We were in escrow on our house and signing new papers left and right. We learned during this part of the house buying process that you really shouldn't make any large purchases. So instead of buying anything, Luke and I had a few dates nights that included dinner and a lot of browsing at furniture stores.

{Love these girls!}

That weekend, I rode with my friend and college roommate, Cat, up to her lake house in the hill country to meet up with the rest of our college roomies for a girls' weekend. It was a really nice getaway and a chance for all of us to catch up as the summer was winding down. This was also a really special weekend for me because it was the first time we were all together since I'd told them about Baby H. We've all been through so much together (sharing a house, Baylor football games, too many Tri Delta functions to count, engagements, weddings...the list goes on!) and it felt so good being able to share this next chapter of my life with them too. I can't wait for more husbands and babies to be added to this group! :)

Another highlight of week eleven was that at about this time, my morning sickness/gagging/overall bleh-ness began to subside. I know so many girls that deal with this for much longer, so you can guarantee I was counting my blessings!

Week 12

Week twelve started out a little rough, but honestly, I don't remember why (probably house stress!). What I do remember was having a package delivered to my office that totally cheered me up. My poor momma was dying to know if Baby H was a girl or boy and since she couldn't buy clothes for the baby yet, she bought maternity clothes for me and had them sent to my office. Subtle, mom. ;)

{Jolly is the best! Jolly = my mom's grandmother name}

And the weekend of week twelve, Luke and I drove up to Waco for the first football game in the new McLane stadium. Y'all - it's GORGEOUS! The new stadium was even more than I expected. It was a super hot day, which was a little miserable until about 7pm, but I survived. I just drank a ton of water and $5 lemonade (yikes!). We have season tickets and love our new seats! I'm so happy that we have season tickets with all of my best friends from college. It's a tradition I hope we continue every year.

Baylor ended up with their first win on the season and in the new stadium. It was really fun to be a part of such a monumental day in Baylor history. Oh, and guess who else showed up to the game?? Baby H's little bump made it's first appearance that weekend, which was also really cool. It sort of freaked me out, ha! But hey - it was bound to happen sooner than later. :)

Baby H: Weeks 5-8

Ok, it's catch up time! I've decided to recap the first half of my pregnancy (can you believe we're almost half way there??) in increments of 4 weeks. Without further ado, here's weeks 5-8.

Finding out we were pregnant was overwhelming. We both felt very early on that this pregnancy should stay our little secret until we could better wrap our heads around the next steps. The day after we found out, I scheduled an appointment with an Obgyn in Houston who was recommended to me by a close friend. I was originally going to see the doctor around 7 weeks, but I ended up having to push this first appointment to 9 weeks for one reason or another. That story will make it into my next post. :)

House hunting. Luke and I called our realtor immediately after finding out about Baby H and let her know that we were very serious about finding a house sooner than later (we'd done a little looking here and there, but nothing too intense). That weekend, we saw about 10 or so houses. We actually found one that we really liked and made an offer. But within the next day or two, Luke was called out on a 3-week stint for work south of San Antonio and I was left in Houston to finish house negotiations and get the ball rolling on paperwork. We settled on a number and were in the last couple days of our option period when an unsettled feeling came over me and I called Luke to tell him that I wasn't 100% sure this was our house. Luke has always been so great about reading me; he can call my bluff in an instant. This time, he could tell I was truly unsettled about this decision. With his blessing, we backed out of our offer. And looking back now - I'm so glad we did! We'd settled on a price close to 20k over what the house should have been selling for (we learned later). Love when the Holy Spirit leads us!

We were back to square one and, unfortunately, my husband was still out of town for work. So about a week and a half later, my mom and baby sister drove up to Houston for round #2 of house hunting with me. At this point, I was about 6-7 weeks pregnant and whoa - was I starting to feel it! I would lay down in the back seat of my mom's, car nauseous and gagging (and trying to hide it!), while she drove house to house. If you read this post, then you know we did end up finding a second house that I loved even more than the first (all while Luke was gone - he hadn't even seen it at this point!), made an offer, were turned down, and then received a call about 10 days later saying that the buyers backed out and asking if we wanted back in. Talk about an emotional roller coaster ride! At 8 weeks preggers, my husband still wasn't back in Houston, I'd fallen in love with and had my heart broken over house #2, and was then was put into a position to make a quick, very serious house-buying decision while in the early stages of pregnancy hormone overload. Thank goodness, Luke came back to Houston before our option period on house #2 was up and got to walk through the house. *Proud wife moment because he loved the house I found!* We now had a home picked out for Baby H and this time, we were 100% ready to commit.

{House #2 - we love it so!}

Letting the cat out of the bag. When my mom and little sister drove up to Houston to help me house hunt, they stayed at my aunt's house where Luke and I were also living temporarily. Being the nauseous, tired, emotional wreck that I was, I went to lay down in my bed after we'd wrapped up house hunting. My mom came in the room to check on me and I was crying. She asked me what was wrong and I told her I was just really stressed. But obviously, that wasn't all the info. At 7 weeks pregnant, I was missing Luke and stressing out so much about finding our sweet baby a house that I couldn't hold it in anymore. I whispered, "There's more. I'm pregnant." And then the tears really started to flow! It was the first time that I'd been able to say out loud to someone other than Luke the scariest fact I'd ever faced. My mom hugged me, teared up, and laughed. "Sara, this is amazing. You're going to be just fine! You're not too young or haven't gotten your life figured out yet. This is the next step and you and Luke have got this!" It was so good to tell my mom and poor thing - I swore her to secrecy. I know it sounds silly, but we had our reasons and we really needed her to keep our secret just a couple weeks longer. Once Luke was home from being gone for work, we were able to tell my dad, sisters, Luke's parents, and close friends (side note: although he acted surprised, I'm pretty sure a little birdy told my father before we did...ahhemm mom).

{Mom made me chicken parm the night I told her about Baby H. Mmmm comfort food!}

{Also - random fact - I drank a lot of smoothies at the beginning of this pregnancy}

Telling work. I had no clue how to tell my boss that I was pregnant. I had just started my new job and was so scared that he'd be upset. Ironically enough, work actually found out I was pregnant right after my mom did. It just so happened that I was having a conversation with my boss where telling him fit right in, so I went for it. Of course, I teared up (seeing a theme here people?) and before I knew it, I was apologizing. "I'm pregnant and I'm so, so sorry. It wasn't planned - really. I really hope you aren't mad." His response? "Sara - CONGRATS! This is amazing news!! Seriously, did you think I'd hired a 27-year-old married woman with no kids thinking that something like this couldn't happen? Of course I knew it could and I'm thrilled for you and Luke!" #mindblown

I couldn't believe how wonderful his response was! And over the next few weeks as different people on my team found out, their responses were as equally wonderful. I could have waited at least another 5 weeks or so before telling them, but I'm so glad I told everyone as early as I did. We talk each week about how big the baby is getting. My co-workers ask to see sonogram pictures and take me to lunch on a regular basis (whatever "the baby" wants). I couldn't have asked for a better work family to support Luke and I in this next chapter of our lives!

{Somewhere in between all of the house stress and baby secrets, I managed to get my new office decorated}

Working out and weight gain. I continued my normal workout routine during weeks 5-8 (running or run/walking 2-3 miles, 2-3x/week) and although I didn't lose any weight, I didn't gain either. I've known many people with terrible morning sickness and I absolutely count myself as one of the lucky ones. By week 9, my nausea and gagging was subsiding and would only got better as I progressed. I also craved a lot of veggies these first few weeks as well as sour chewy candy (although I tried to refrain as much as I could!).

{I decided not to take pics every single week, but here's the very first one taken just before the 5 week mark}

{Working out about 6 weeks preggers}

{No real bump yet at 7 weeks)

{Skyping with the guy while he was away. No words can describe how much I miss my husband while he's gone!}

Up next - weeks 9 through 12. :)