36 Week Belly Picture

36 Weeks!! Hopefully he will be here by this time next month. I've been so blessed with an easy pregnancy...thank goodness! I've been uncomfortable lately, but nothing unbearable. I'm loving the cozy sweatpants in this picture....I swear I could wear them everyday! Especially since it is cold outside and I'm home for the break. I think next week, after Christmas, Steve and I are gonna work on packing our "bag" and installing the carseat...he will be here very SOON!!!!

4 weeks & COUNTING!!

Well, it hasn't been that long since I last posted, but so much has happened that it feels like FOREVER!! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving...spent lunch in Greenville at Nanny's then came back to Steve's parents for dinner. I was so happy to have a few days off from school to destress & relax. Mama and daddy helped me put up my Christmas decor because they were both out too. Me and mama did most of the inside stuff and daddy did the outside stuff. I hung my "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament even though I probably should have waited til next year :)

The Saturday after Thanksgiving my cousin's Lauren & Amber and my aunt Susie threw me a baby shower in Greenville, so we were back on the road again. It was at my Nanny's church. It was very nice...I'm so thankful for those girls...nothing like having aunts & cousins that you are close to and spend so much time with. Family is the best! I got lots of good stuff...mostly clothes, blankets, etc... I also got the Little Lamb Swing that we registered for! It was put together the next day and I love it! It is so sweet and cuddly looking and it's gender neutral so we can use it for the next one no matter what. It plays the SWEETEST music...it is so weird to think that in about a month he will be here and the swing will no longer be just a piece of furniture in his little nursery.

The next weekend, some of my mom's best friends from her school threw me a shower in Beulah. I invited a lot of my close friends from high school and some other special people. I grew up going to school at Beulah and staying at the Elementary school after school with mama so I was very close to some and a lot of the teachers have watched me grow from little girl to now almost a mommy! The shower was a brunch and the food was amazing! The same group of friends threw us a wedding shower and they always put so much time & love into making everything so nice and making me feel special! I was happy that so many of my friends were able to come... Haley, Melissa E., Melissa W., Tamara, Amanda, Ashley S....my friend Audrey from Troy came all the way up and it was great seeing her. Nanny, Lauren, Taten, and aunt Susie came up for this shower too and it meant so much to me. I got some nice things that I didn't have. I felt very loved and it was a great day!!

My last shower was last Sunday night at mama's church. I grew up going there and they threw me a diaper/gift card shower. It was so nice...the food was delicious & the cake...well everyone was going on and on about how great it was. I took leftovers to my school and Steve's work and had tons of people asking who made it. There were also some adorable cookies that our friend Lane had gotten with his name on them. I am grateful for the sweet ladies that helped with everything!

I have had six amazing showers and cannot even express how grateful & blessed I feel! I have some kind, amazing, thoughtful, generous, hard working, people in my life and I just LOVE THEM ALL!! I always try to help out when I can and go to weddings, showers, birthdays, etc... for my family and friends. You just never know how much it means to them. When you have special things and so many people come and show you love it makes you realize how important it is to do those kinds of things. It has certainly meant a lot to me.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas we had 3 busy weeks back in school...I took a personal day to work on my progress reports and was very glad that I did. I always get so stressed during Christmas time and taking that day helped my stress level tremendously. I didn't want to be overworked and overstressed and go into labor early!!

I can't believe I made it all the way to Christmas break! I remember thinking at the beginning of school..."Christmas break is so far away and by that time I am gonna be wobbling all over the place!" Well here it is!! It went by so fast! I don't think I have actually started wobbling yet, but definitely at the end of a long school I feel achy and like I'm walking a little funny! Everyone at school keeps saying he looks like he has dropped, but I don't think he has cause I can still feel him kicking up in my ribs. It took me a long time to finally feel him move, but once I did it was NON STOP!! I love feeling him move. I know it is special for a mother to experience all of these things but I just wish Steve could feel what it was like too...he just knows what I tell him but it is just not the same!

Our childbirth class was great! We learned alot and it helped me to feel a little more prepared for things, although I know nothing can truly prepare you for being parents! Steve enjoyed it too I think. He did get a little weird about the whole epidural thing though...when we were watching the video it was showing some very dangerous risks and things and he was feeling a little like he didn't want me to have one. He said he wouldn't be mad at me if I got one but he wanted me to have an open mind and not just go in saying for sure that I was going to have one. Well this past week at my doctor's appt. he went with me and asked the doctor lots of questions about them and Dr. Bowie made him feel much better. He said, "I'm gonna ask him if his wife had one and that will tell me a lot!" Well Dr. Bowie didn't have anything bad to say about him and he reassured Steve that those risks were VERY rare...he had NEVER seen any of them in his ten years of delivering babies...and when Steve asked about his wife he said that she had had 2 of them...whew!! I believe he also said he thought they were one of the greatest things ever invented! I was SO glad that he made Steve feel better about it because I really want us to be on the same page when it comes to the delivery...even though ultimately it is about me and I am going to be the one going through everything...I know he will always be supportive of me no matter what but it is nice that he doesn't have those fears in the back of his head as much anymore.

Well I've managed to write a TON!! I feel like I will be able to keep up with the blog better now that I'm out on Christmas break. I'm thankful to be off and resting these last few weeks. When Bentley arrives I hope that I can share exciting things on the blog...when I have time!! I feel like the 7 weeks of maternity leave are going to go by so fast! But I'm not gonna think about that right now...Right now I just wanna focus on these last few weeks with my husband and getting things ready for my angel! Thank you for sharing this exciting journey with me!

Me & Steve at our childbirth class...we talked about pregnancy symptoms, labor & delivery, postpartum issues, breastfeeding, & infant care...it was very helpful & informative...I'm so glad we went!

Ok, I promise I'm gonna find time to post when we get out of school! For now...I'll just post a few pics from recent baby showers and our childbirth class. I've been so busy and absolutely exhausted after school lately...my brain kinda shuts down and I don't feel like writing. More to come soon!

33 Weeks!!

He finally decided to show his face a little :)

Great Friends...Great Showers...I'm a blessed mama!

I cannot even say enough about my baby showers this week. First of all, I have the most thoughtful, hardworking, creative, loving best friend in the ENTIRE WORLD!! Every little thing...every little detail...was well, just perfect is the only way I know to describe it.

The Rosemont shower was on Tuesday afternoon. It looked so pretty! Each table had a brown table cloth with food trays in the middle. That way, nobody had to get up you could just serve yourself at the table. There were these adorable, delicious pedifors that were chocolate icing with baby blue B's & polka dots..also sausage balls, fruit, and blue punch set up on a different table. I am grateful to the rest of my pre-k team for helping too!! Stacy made the sausage balls and Jensine made the punch. Kelly Garner also helped out. I taught her little boy 2 years ago and she works at ACE at our school. We have been really good friends ever since and it was so sweet of her to help. The highlight of the shower was when I got a surprise!! Jenna had been sneaking around the school for weeks getting little videos of teachers giving me advice on my new baby...she also filmed one day while I was out of school different kids in our class saying how I could take care of my baby. It was the sweetest thing!!!! I came home and watched it again with Steve and mama. One of the funniest parts was the "unsensored" version that was tacked onto the end...5th grade team... it was hilarious!!! We also played a baby word scramble relay game and the table that finished first got jeans passes. I got so many great gifts....diapers, wipes, bath time stuff, clothes, a jumparoo from Kindergarten, and Jenna & Kelly got me the umbrella stroller I registered for along with some adorable owl themed bags with Bentley's name filled with goodies. When I got home, Steve was in the garage waiting for me. I was so relieved that he was home from work because I was exhausted at the end of the day! We unloaded everything then mama came over and helped. I showed everything to her and STeve as we took it out of the bag. Mama was a huge help.....we had a big trash bag for tissue paper and we were taking things out, I was sitting on the floor handing her stuff telling her where to put it and then folding all the bags to save. I swear if anyone needs a baby bag for the next 3 years I will have plenty!! :) It was nice to have everything in its place. It was a great shower!!!

My 2nd shower, also hosted by Jenna along with Kelly & my friends Bonnie, Jessica, & Audrey was AWESOME!! It was at Rosemont Baptist Church in the fellowship hall. The room was already decorated with Christmas trees all around and they had the tables set up with brown table covers. In the center were boxes that looked like baby blocks with a ducky & baby balloons tied to them. There was a little platform with a table with all the gifts on it the food table was just as you walk in. Jessica made the cake, which was delicious & adorable!! It was 2 tier with baby blue, white, and brown polka dots. It had his initials on the top. The punch was blue too with little rubber duckies floating....so precious! Bonnie brought chicken salad croissants & sausage balls...YUM!!! There was also cheese & crackers, cheeseball, and Rolo treats...Jenna's new signature dessert:) Everything was wonderful! And I was starving so I was ready to eat...I think I went back and visited that cheese ball like 4 times! lol Oh, and I can't forget about the adorable banners...they were blue and brown & said, "Cute & Cuddly, A Bundle of Joy, Ashley's Expecting a Baby Boy!" Jenna got them somewhere online & they were just precious.

After eating we played some games. The first game was like a Price is Right game..there were 20 baby items lined up on the platform and each item was priced. Everyone was asked if they thought the price was higher or lower. If they got it right, they kept their little diaper pin...if they were wrong they had to bring their diaper pin to me. At the end of the game we all checked our diapers and the two with the dirty diapers got prizes! It was a lot of fun...and there was no telling how much money was spent on all those items and I got to keep them! Next we played a game that had 12 responsibilities on it...like "feeding" or "changing poopy diapers" etc.. Jenna had asked Steve to pick 6 that I would do and 6 that he would do. I had to try to match the answers. She had this huge board set up with the duties and I had to velcro the names beside the right one. I got six right...Steve said there were some things he would do that I would not have thought!!! Let's just see if he sticks to it! OH, and for every answer that I got right, they put a dollar in Bentley's piggy bank (which was one of the items from the first game). The next game was between me & mama....we had magnetic boards that had baby necessities on them. We had to sit back to back and choose 5 items that we would grab to put in the diaper bag if we were in a hurry. I think we got 3 matches..so that was 3 more dollars in the piggy bank. They were all so much fun! One more thing that everyone guessed was how many paper chain links I was around...I was 24! Monica got it right and won a prize.

Then it was time to open gifts! There were lots of people that didn't get to come because so many illnesses are going around, but we still had a good turnout of about 20 people. I got some GREAT stuff too!!!!!! Lots more diapers...which I really need...other baby necessities...cute burp cloths and bibs...books...bath stuff...pacifiers,etc... I even got some stuff for me! Amy & AJ got me a bag full of things like Aeromatherapy lotion, soap, cozy socks, etc... I will be taking those things to the hospital! :) Another neat gift was a trendy hospital gown from Stephanie Walker & Melissa Cotton...Stephanie sews and she made it...it has velcro on the top sleeves and ties in the back just like a regular hospital gown. I have never seen anything like it...I will be stylin' when Bentley makes his arrival! Jenna, her mama, and Kelly got me the My Little Lamb bouncy seat that we registered for..it looks so cozy and soft. I can't wait to see him in it :) They also got me some nice bottles & other things I needed...even batteries & a protection plan for the bouncy seat! And last, mama and daddy got the stroller & car seat combo we wanted!! She brought it over before the shower and dropped it off at the house. It was so big and awkward in the box so we decided not to take it to the shower.

After the shower, several people stayed and we played baby Family Feud. I love love love that game & have always wanted to go on the show!! It was fun. When we got home, once again mama stayed and helped put everything away. His little drawers, closet, and cabinet in the bathroom are starting to look full :) It was all so empty before. Steve put the stroller together and I worked on figuring out how to get the car seat out of the base...those things are tricky! I love the way the stroller moves...it glides so easily & maneuvers and turns great! I think we are really going to like it. I have another big pile of clothes stacked up to wash now. And, another one of the Price is Right items was baby laundry detergent...so works out perfect!!!

All in all, it was a great day! My friends have a very special way of making me feel special & I just thank God for the great people he has put in my life! I couldn't ask for anything more!!

What's been going on??

-I've had some gall bladder issues the past few weeks. Very uncomfortable..especially after I eat. The doctor said that a lot of pregnant women get "sludge" in their gall bladder duct and it should go away after I have the baby. If not, it could possibly be gall stones or something. I have my fingers crossed that it doesn't get worse and it goes away. I would hate to have to have surgery right after baby is born and I'm on maternity leave. That would stink!

-I am still loving my kiddy cereals...my most recent favorite is Frosted Flakes.

-We are having Christmas at our house for my daddy's side of the family. It is usually about 30-40 people so it's kind of a big deal! Good thing my mama is coming over to clean and help get things ready. I am going to be ready to POP by then!! We've been in the process of trying to decide what day to have it on. I kinda want to have it the weekend before Christmas so it's not so many days of back to back stuff going on....I hope the holidays don't wear me out! Next Christmas is going to be very special.

-I bought a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament at the holiday market and can't wait to hang it on the tree...do I have to wait til next year?

-Today I called and reserved Bentley's spot for daycare. He is going to stay at my friend Jessica's Meme's in-home daycare. He will start March 1st. It is a small home setting and will be easy for Steve to get to every morning to drop him off. I think it's going to be perfect! I also think that the responsibility Steve is going to have will be really good for him. Will also be helpful for me! It only makes sense b/c I leave for work every morning at 6:45.

-I have baby showers the next 4 weekends & I am SOOO EXCITED!!!! I also have one tomorrow at school! I know a lot of money, time, preparation, & love have gone into each one and I'm grateful to know so many wonderful people! My best friend Jenna is hosting 2 of them along with some other friends of mine and I've seen all of the hard work and detail she's been putting into making things really special for me. She's been trying to keep everything a secret, but she has a hard time keeping things from me :) I am blessed!

-Sleep is getting harder....uncomfortable, uncomfortable, uncomfortable!!! I am also having a harder time breathing. Poor Steve has had to put up with me snoring for a while now...or so he says :)

-I am taking maternity pictures Sunday and I can't wait! I hope they turn out goood and I don't look GINORMOUS!!! I have been trying to decide what to wear, etc.... I would like to take something cute with STeve & Gunter for a Christmas card.

-I bought some comfy black shoes to wear with my black pants...the heeled ones I had were not cutting it! My feet were killing me after wearing me to school...the weight of my belly makes a huge difference. I actually came home crying to Steve about how I needed new shoes...hormones!!

-I got signed up for childbirth classes at Lanier...I wasn't able to do the one at West Ga medical center so we are going in Valley. It is only 2 nights, but the good news is that it is free! The one in lagrange was going to be 75 dollars!

-I've been getting advice on pediatricians in the area and I think I have it narrowed down to about 4 that I would like to visit and decide which one I like the best...maybe during Christmas break???

-Yesterday at Steve's parents' house, I felt something amazing!! Usually Bentley's kicks are kinda short and choppy but yesterday I felt something big...and it poked out and kinda rolled. Now sure if it was a fist or heel or what but it was REALLY NEAT!!!

-We are going back to try the 4d thing one last time next Wednesday...if it doesn't work out then we were meant to be surprised I guess!!

-Last night, Steve & I were on the couch watching tv and I was thinking and said, "You know, we only have about 9 weeks for us to be able to just lay on the couch together with nobody else around." Then I got all teary eyed..not because I'm sad it's just very very very weird to think about. For the past 3 and a half years this has been mine & his house and now our lives are about to change forever!!! I'm sure once he gets here things will be hard to imagine our lives without Bentley, but right now it is just very surreal. I'm excited, anxious, and a little freaked out all at once....NOT MUCH LONGER!!!!

4D TAKE 2

Well, Mr. Bentley was being stubborn and would not put his hands down AGAIN!! We are going back on Wednesday morning, the 24, to try one last time. I really love the sweet lady that works there and appreciate her taking so much time with us to make sure we get what we paid for. Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday.

Just before we left. I am 30 weeks & 3 days! :)

Me & Steve waiting at "Image of a Miracle" He gave me a hard time about taking so many pictures but he apologized later....I just want as many memories as possible!

Burnt Belly Button

Sunday I was ironing a shirt to wear to church. The ironing board comes right up to my tummy. Well, I was just ironing away when....WHOOPS...right into my little belly button!!!! Now I have a brown triangle shape around my belly button!!! I immediately put aloe on it, but didn't help really. I was more worried about the fact that I am going to be taking maternity pictures next week than the actual pain of the burn. :) I sure hope it goes away fast or the photographers can do some editing for me! lol Just one of the many clumsy things to come I guess!

30 weeks

I am starting to get a little uncomfortable at night when I sleep...tossing & turning & waking up about 5 times at least! I know it is only going to get worse before he gets here, but I am thankful to be pregnant & I'm dealing with it the best I can!!

Only 10 more weeks....hopefully sooner!!!!

Thinking & worrying a little.......

Well...I've been in my 3rd trimester for almost 2 weeks now. I am very happy to be getting closer to finally meeting this sweet blessing I've been carrying around for the past 29 weeks! Things are starting to really set in and the end is in sight...I keep thinking ok only 3 and a half weeks til Thanksgiving...then 3 weeks til Christmas break starts. After Christmas break I will not be going back to work until the first of March. So basically I only have 6 and a half weeks left of work until my life is changed forever!! It is exciting and kinda scary at the same time!! I am starting to worry about my maternity leave and making sure I have everything done before it's time to be off. I also worry about my job in general and how this baby is going to affect it...I always pride myself in going above and beyond and putting my heart & soul into my school & kids. I really hope that Bentley & lack of sleep does not change my outlook on my job. I want to have my family priorities straight, but still be great at what I do...ya know??

The past few weeks have been a little bit tougher for me. I have started to feel some of the weight of my belly and my body has been achy in the evenings when I get home. I've noticed it is harder for me to get up and down...especially after sitting "criss cross applesauce" at the carpet with my kids & sleep....well I'm waking up every 2-3 hours tossing & turning and going to the bathroom a gazillion times! My friend Elizabeth that works with me let me borrow a pregnancy pillow that she used and it is AMAZING! Don't know who invented those things...but I would love to give them a hug! It is like the only thing i can lay with and feel completely comfortable. Only thing is, I feel like with Steve in the bed it takes up too much room. Speaking of Steve, he has been very good to me lately...just helping me and comforting me all the time. I know I've been an emotional basketcase too. Seems like I cry at least 3 times a week about something. It's crazy!!! I'm thankful he's been not only putting up with me, but also making me feel better emotionally and being so sweet about my changing body.

I have gained almost 20 lbs now...my goal is to stay under 35 total and I'm really scared I'm not gonna do that! At first I wasn't gaining anything at all so it was easy just to kinda eat what I wanted and not worry...well now I think it's time to start cutting back on some of my bad habits I created... too many tater tots at school & too many sweets for starters! :) I also want to start walking more. I am really scared that when it comes time to deliver I'm gonna be too out of shape and tired to push!! I haven't started getting freaked out about delivery yet...just not thinking about it really. I'm sure it will hit in the coming weeks.

I'm kinda frustrated at myself b/c I went to register us for some birthing classes and one of the 5 week classes has already started and the all day Saturday class is on the day of one of my baby showers. And they aren't offering any classes in December....my fault I guess I should have checked into this sooner. I'm thinking about checking into some classes at a couple of other hospitals...not sure if they will accept people that aren't delivering at their hospital????

We went Friday to our 4d ultrasound in Columbus. I thought I was doing good drinking a Mt. Dew trying to get him to move around a bunch. Well, it didn't work out exactly like we wanted. After about 5 minutes he put his little fists in front of his face & was trying to roll over. The sweet lady tried and tried to get him to move...I went outside and walked around for a while, but no luck! So we are going back next week for free so we can hopefully get some good shots. I really like that place and feel like we have gotten our money's worth for sure. I'll post some more pictures when we get them. So far, we think he looks like Steve with my nose. We'll see!

4D Ultrasound

Our little boy! Just before he decided to put his fists in his face & roll over!!
We think he has my nose...and Steve's lips :)

Getting ready to see our little man!

What would I do without this man?? I can't wait to add on to our family!

Me with my Mt. Dew trying to give Bentley some extra energy!!

28 Weeks!!!

My belly is GROWING!! I started my 3rd trimester last week and I am starting to feel the weight a little. I can definitely tell a difference in my day as far as dancing, getting up & down, and playing with my pre-k'ers!! Makes for a tiring day...and my lower back is starting to hurt a little in the evenings. Here is a picture of my belly at 28 weeks.

Baby shower invitation :)

I am IN LOVE with the adorable invitation for the baby shower that is going to be at my school. Thanks to my creative bff! Can't wait!!

Fun during Fall Break

Me Posing with our first pack of diapers. They are a size 2 given to us by Steve's friend Troy at work and his family. They also gave us our first wipes & baby lotion! And a very thoughtful gift, the book Goodnight Moon, that his kids love to read. :)

Three High School Friends all Preggers at the same time!!

Amanda: 29 Weeks, Ashley: 27 Weeks, Tamara: 24 Weeks

Me & Amanda Posing with our Baby bumps at her shower!!!

I got all of Bentley's clothes we have so far washed, sorted, folded, & put away this weekend!! I love doing things for him and getting his room ready. Never knew laundry could be so much fun!!! I'm glad to be ahead of the game...looking forward (well I guess) to starting my 3rd trimester tomorrow!!!!!

First Baby Shower

Yesterday Steve's department at work threw us a wonderful baby shower! I am off for fall break so we had it yesterday so I could be there and everyone else would already be there. The shower was at the corporate center in one of the conference rooms there....it was a small room so everyone was kind of in and out dropping by to eat and mostly the ladies stayed to watch me open all the gifts. It was decorated soooo cute with jungle themed napkins, plates, table cloths, etc... The cake was made by my friend Jessica who is married to Courtney that works with Steve. It had chocolate icing and it had orange, blue, & green stripes with a little lion on it and the words "Welcome Baby Bentley" It was delicious!!! All the food was great & we got lots of good stuff!

Steve's dept. got us the pack n' play that we had registered for at Babies R' Us...it is chocolate brown with swirls on the inside...it has a bassinet & changing table built in and makes nature sounds and plays music. I actually broke into the box while Steve was busy and put most of it together by myself! It was pretty easy...the changing table part is still not put together though because the directions didn't make sense to me so he's gonna have to work on that later. It is in the nursery right now but will go in our room later on and probably spend some time in the living room too once he's here!

Ryan & Lindsey gave us a precious blanket that Lindsey made herself! It was adorable and had little animals all along the outside edges...so soft!! It was a very thoughtful gift.

We also got 2 of the bathtubs we registered for...whale tub...Sherri suggested I let my mom have one at her house so that is what I did. I gave it to her last night!

Another neat gift we got was a picture frame that had seven openings. In each of the openings there was something that was shaped like the letters to spell Bentley's name. We hung it in his room already and it looks great!!

We also got some towels & wash cloths, bottle drying rack, Melissa & Doug toys, portable changing pad, & LOTS of gift cards! Gift cards are great because we can put them together later to buy some of the big things we still need or use them for diapers,etc... later on down the road.

Here are a few pictures from the shower and gifts after we got home. I forgot to ask someone to take pictures while I was opening presents...oops! It was a great afternoon & I'm so thankful for Steve & his job and the wonderful people that he works with. Thank you to EVERYONE!!!!

26 Week Belly Picture...Almost 3rd Trimester!!

Bentley is kicking & growing!

I am up super early on this Saturday morning & Steve is still snoozing, so I thought this would be the perfect time to blog about some of the things that have been going on the past couple of weeks and some of the thoughts I've been having. So much has happened since the last time I wrote, so this could be a little long....sorry!

The biggest thing I guess is that I FINALLY have started feeling Bentley move! It started on September 25 at my cousin Jack's birthday party...while we were waiting on everyone to get there I felt something strange in my tummy. This is how I described it to my friend Jenna..."It feels like there is something inside me chewing bubble gum and blowing a big bubble and right when the bubble gets to the edge of the inside of my tummy it pops! And I felt the popping!" Weird description...but the best way to tell how it really felt. For the next week after the party I only felt him about one other time so I was a little disappointed. Then last week I started feeling him more frequently and consistently. It usually starts when I get home from school...I guess I'm so busy at school to notice it maybe??? I think I have felt him everyday this week...he is kicking more too...like 4 or 5 times back to back and it is so amazing! I can just picture his little self in there swimming around:) Steve says he's gonna be in there bench pressing...he's a nut! Everytime I am at home and we aren't busy we both lay on the bed and feel my tummy. Steve has felt him move about 5 times. SO SWEET!!

Now that my belly looks pregnant, we have realized that he will be here sooner than later! Before, it was like...ok we've got 6 months til he's here...now it's like we have 3 months! And I know it is going to go by very fast...with fall break, Thanksgiving, & Christmas break. Everytime there are holidays it seems like the months go by faster! But I feel like we've been ahead of the ball game so we will have everything ready when he gets here no doubt. His room is coming together so nicely. His furniture is all put together with the bedding & curtains & I ordered a wall decal from ETSY with his initials and me & my cousin Lauren put it above his crib. I also have a sign that my friend Bonnie made for me. It has his name with a special space to put his birthday, weight, etc.. when he is born to hang on the hospital door. She took home his diaper stacker so she could match the colors & it matches his room perfect....very thoughtful gift!!! Here are pictures of the wall decal & sign that Bonnie made:

I have started thinking some that I kinda wish we had painted his nursery...just so that it looks more "baby" ya know? But hopefully in the long run we will be happy we kept it neutral. Maybe once I get more stuff in there it will have a more "baby" feel to it. Definitely when he gets here it will feel that way!

I am looking forward to our first baby shower next Friday at Steve's work. I am out of school for Fall break so we are having it then so I can be there. Sherri is putting it together and it is going to be a drop in shower at 2:30. ..can't wait!!!! Someone from one of the branches above Atlanta sent us the Boppy pillow that we had registered for this week. There was a target package on the porch & we had no idea who it was from....very exciting! I just love all the baby stuff!!

A few other things:

-Steve's aunt Darlene came to visit last week and brought two big bags of Carter's onesies, sleepers, etc.. for Bentley! They are all so tiny & sweet:)

-I bought an adorable Kelly's Kids outfit at my friend Kimberly's party last week. Mama went with me & bought a precious baby blue giraffe print sleep sack with a matching hat...can't wait to see him all snuggled up in it after a bath!

-The "Pre-Spoiling" continues!

-I still love my Reese's puff cereal...have eaten a bowl every morning for the past 2 months and have yet to get tired of it!

-Gay, Ga craft show was fun...lots of cute baby stuff and I had a blast. Mama & Lauren weren't feeling well though so I felt bad for them.

-My cousin Lauren is pregnant again...hopefully a girl...but we've gotten really close the past year or so and I'm so glad and looking forward to our babies growing up together. Jack will be Bentley & unknown baby name's Mentor. :)

-I am pretty much in maternity clothes or belly bands all the time now...my belly is poking out too much for my regular pants. Some clothes make my belly look bigger than it really is and when I look in the mirror I'm like "Woah!!"

-I have gained about 15 pounds so I'm on track as far as weight gain. I would like to keep it between 25-35 pounds...the suggested weight gain for me. Probably closer to 35 I'm sure!

-These pains in my ribs can be uncomfortable at times. Last night at the movies I could not get comfy in my chair...I kept leaning from side to side trying to ease it up and I felt like I was getting on the guy's nerves sitting beside me.

-I am trying to savor these last few months with Steve & I by ourselves...lots of date nights & sleeping & cuddling....He'll be here before we know it!!!

Here is a picture from last night's date night...Thanks to my friend Jessica for the cute shirt! It really shows off my belly. :)

24 Week Baby Bump!

Nursery Progress 9-24-10

Here is a quick tour of the nursery thus far...it looks a little empty, but I am so glad that the big furniture is finally all put together!! I can't wait to start adding personal touches now!!

Over half way there!

Things are moving a lot faster since school started. I feel like from 17-22 weeks just flew by! The weeks were going by very slow during the summer. Starting about week 20 I really started to show. I feel like the past 3-4 days I have gotten even bigger!! I am LOVING my baby bump right now...just little and cute...don't know how long it will last before I start getting huge, swollen & miserable, but right now I am just happy in the moment! I borrowed some adorable maternity clothes from another pre-k teacher in my county and they are really showing off my belly. I am very grateful for Kerri & Jessica for sharing their clothes with me! They are being put to good use & saving me a lot of money! I went to Kohl's and bought 2 plain shirts and spent over 40 dollars! I am a thrifty shopper & like to find things on sale...better yet CLEARANCE!! LOL

I was pumped to get the wall decal for Bentley's nursery in the mail yesterday! It is chocolate brown with his initials...it looks very fancy and swirly and his initials are very pretty together. It is going to go above his crib. I'm planning on getting my friend Bonnie to come over and help me hang it because she has done it before!! My friend Stacy & I are going to Studio on Third Avenue to paint a picture that I am going to hang in his nursery. It is baby blue with a chocolate brown tree branch and a little birdy sitting on it. It looks very very sweet and I'm happy that he will have something painted by his mommy to hang in his room. :)

I still haven't felt him move yet. Supposedly, you can start to feel them around 20 weeks. I don't know if maybe I just don't know what to expect or if he is just too small. A friend told me to try laying on my tummy to see if I can feel him but I tried last night and nothing! I'm gonna keep trying though. I am bound to feel something soon! I'll be 23 weeks on Tuesday.

I am getting excited about showers coming up in the next few months. I have one shower in October at Steve's work, three in November, one at school, one my friend Jenna is throwing outside of school, and one in Greenville that my family is throwing, and then one in December that my mom's friends are throwing for me!! I feel very blessed to know so many caring people. I can't wait!!! Bentley is going to be very spoiled!! I was always spoiled as a child, but I don't feel like I was ever a brat....hopefully I wasn't :) There are two kinds of spoiled...bratty rotten spoiled & sweet spoiled. I sure hope Bentley is sweet spoiled!! :) I think I have learned a lot teaching pre-k about how I want to raise my kids & disciplining. Steve is going to be great too. He is great at teaching, training, and disciplining our dog...that sounds crazy but I think it's just a glimpse of how he will be as a daddy teaching his child. I love him so much! Sometimes I just get teary-eyed thinking about us being parents together and I'm so thankful that he gave me this miracle that is inside me right now.

22 WEEKS!!!

21 Weeks

*I am obsessed with Reese's Puff cereal!
*I have gained like 8 lbs. and I am showing for sure! Some pants won't button..I've been using belly bands on some of my old pants :)
*I have had a horrible cold that will not go away...I wonder if Bentley can feel me coughing so hard?? Probably not :)
*Mama & Aunt Susie bought me some cute stuff at Belk's that was on sale...love it all!
*I went to an upscale consignment sale and got some sweet stuff. I also bought 2 darling outfits from Kimberly Ray, a teacher & friend at my school.
*Steve & I used the prenatal listener that Jenna got me...we think we heard the heartbeat, but not 100% sure!
*We had company last weekend...they have a 7 month old named Colt so I got some mommy practice and he was just the sweetest angel!
*Hopefully Steve & I can start working on putting the hutch together this weekend...I can't wait.
*I bought Bentley 4 more Disney movies...bought boy movies this time since I knew I was having a boy...last time I got princess movies:-) I bought Cars, Dumbo, Monsters Inc., and Peter Pan.
*I go back to the dr. in 3 weeks to take the glucose test for gestational diabetes...hopefully it will be negative
*I went back to Zumba last week and did really well...only bad thing is I haven't been back! I need to get my exercise on! Maybe when it cools off :)
*My cousin Lauren just found out she is pregnant...her baby will be due in May...SO EXCITED that our babies will be close in age and can play together!
*I have 1 shower already scheduled in October and 3 showers scheduled in November...I can't wait!
*I bought 2 maternity tops at Kohl's...maternity clothes aren't cheap!!! Luckily I have some good friends that have helped out with that! :)
*I can't believe I'm over half way there...it's been so easy so far and I'm looking forward to the next couple of months while my belly grows (probably gonna be ready to get rid of my belly come Thanksgiving)

THANKS FOR CARING ABOUT ME AND SHARING THIS AMAZING PREGNANCY JOURNEY WITH ME!!

Here are a few ultrasound pics from 15 Weeks I have been meaning to post

20 Week Belly Picture

Bentley is growing for sure! I'm starting to show more and more everyday!

Putting the Crib together 8-29-10

Here are a few pictures of us putting the crib together. Steve's parents came over to borrow a movie and wound up staying to help. We were so grateful!!