pictureeeeeeeees (:

This was in Wayne when we went and saw a movie

This is the day of my shower. My mom is the best. And
my best friend!

This is my long lost friend Leslie. . .

And this is the famous Swader Bader. Everyday he
comes up with a new name for my baby. Yesterday it was Tray.
Today he said I should name him Strat. (:

and some MORE...

This is the HUGE basket that Kristy gave me. It had everything I need from now until he's 2! Bottles, sippy cups, binkeys, and tons of clothes. Everything from newborn to 24 months... really there is more than it even looks like in the picture. There was everything he needs for a bath, everything he needs for every meal... there was bibs and spoons and forks and bowls and plates... and like I said... EVERYTHING.



This is the outfit that my mom gave me. Everytime we find anything that says mommas boy, or anything to do with mom.... we buy it. Hahaha. I have quite the collection of clothes that say he is a mommas boy. This is the outfit I will probably be bringing him home from the hospital in. I've been in the process of washing everything that he has in the dreft soap. And theres not much left to wash. I think I am officially ready for him to be here.

This is one of his many first pairs of wranglers. Theres no legs to them haha. Just enough to cover his bum. Which will be perfect for this summer. Denise and Ericka bought these so that he could dress up to fit in with the rest of my family. (:

MORE baby stuff!!

This is the car seat that I wanted sooooo bad. Grandma Trena, Grandma Wood and Aunt Sandy all went in on a gift and this is what they got me. I've got it all put together now and ready to go so that when he decides to come all we have to do is grab this and the diaper bag I packed and head to the hospital.



This is the crib that was given to me by my moms friend Vickie. She gave me soooo much baby stuff!! There was a crib, a changing table, a rocking chair, and a high chair. I am so lucky that she gave all of this to me. Cribs are $200 and I wouldnt have bought one for him because they are sooo expensive. I keep telling my mom that he is going to be sleeping in my bed everynight anyways but she says that he's going to grunt and make noises all night and Im going to want him on the other end of my room. I still think she's wrong.... maybe (:
This is the changing table that Vickie gave me. Its all loaded up with all of the stuff that I got from the baby shower. The two boxes on the right have 704 wipes in each box. Then you can see all the wipes that are lined up on the bottom shelf. I have TONS of wipes. I guess that just says how messy babies are. Then to the right is my amazing diaper genie that I bought with the money that Shad and Kelly gave me. I love it already. Its pretty nifty. And all of that isnt even half of the stuff that I got from the baby shower!


This is a little onesie that Aunt Kristy gave me. It's so cute! She gave me another one that says "Small dark and handsome". Holy holy holy.... she gave me a HUGE basket of baby stuff. Ill post a picture.... (:

BABY SHOWER!!!

This is what the baby binkeys look like. Hahahaha. We made a ton of them and had them sitting out at the shower. We still have a lot left over too.





This was the invitations that we sent out. My mom and I decided to have the shower a week from the day that we started making the invitations. So we put 90 invitations together in less than 24 hours and had them mailed out the next day.

This is the gift that I got from Cory and Wendy. Wendy works at the western store here in town and knows that this baby is going to be a cowboy the day he is born. This was one of my most favorite gifts that I got because it was something that I would have bought for him if I would have seen it.




These are the boots that also came with the wranglers and button up shirt. I didnt get a whole lot of cowboy stuff, but these are the cutest boots I've ever seen.

6 more weeks...!!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 34:fetus in eighth month Your amazing baby is on the move! They’ve been riding fairly high in your stretched-out womb till now (while kindly compressing your poor internal organs), but now they’re planning on making the big move to your pelvis this week. If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift that signals that your baby is most likely out of breech position, with their head now resting on your pubic bone. In liver news: although not quite fully formed, your little miracle’s liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste. In general, most of your child’s prenatal physical development is pretty much up to snuff and ready for the outside world. Naturally, further weight gain is expected—so you’re still not at maximum capacity despite probably feeling like you definitely are maxed out.

And how's mom doing? Obviously the big change for you is the notable weight shift (known as “lightening” or “engagement”). Now that your baby is resting deeper in your pelvis, you may find yourself walking as if you're carrying a watermelon between your legs. Yes dear, you’re officially “waddling” these days. Try to comfort Now that your baby is resting deeper in your pelvis, you may find yourself walking as if you're carrying a watermelon between your legs yourself with this thought: it’s nearly over. Soon, you’ll just have to carry your adorable little watermelon in your arms. And in a rare spate of good news: this weight shift means you can breathe easier now that your lungs aren’t compressed. The not-so-good news, it’s a trade off: (we’ll wait till you’re back from the restroom) this new position has your poor bladder even more squished than before. We’d recommend writing your bladder little love poems to convince it not to leave you altogether, but unfortunately bladders don’t speak English (only Italian love poems will do).

If you've recently noticed some less-than-appealing itchy red bumps on your belly (and possibly around your thighs and belly), you've got yourself a harmless but not fun round of pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP if your don't have the patience for the full name). If you feel itchy ALL over your body, that's different, and you should call your health care practitioner as this could be a liver problem.

At your next check up you can expect your physician to conduct a Group B Streptococci test (GBS), a common bacteria screening. As long as you have a strong immune system, you’re in the clear (one more reason to eat right and exercise!), but your little one is more susceptible to serious health complications (including meningitis, pneumonia and blood infection) if not diagnosed and treated properly—so the tests are good for some peace of mind. Hang in there momma, you’re already a super-star for making it this far!

week 31.... down to single digit weeks left!!!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 31:fetus in seventh month Your not-so-little-one is just a bit closer to their birth weight and height at around 4 pounds and 17 inches. With each added layer of baby fat, your baby's skin starts to look more and more like it will when they finally get to see the light of day. The heavy news: you can expect your miracle-gro muffin to gain about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth. Great. That's just what you needed. Even more weight to carry around!

Your baby's still-developing immune system has gained substantial strength over the past few weeks getting them in full gear to face our disease-ridden world o’ wonders. Obviously, a large majority of your child’s immune strength will be derived from exposure to breast milk as well as the outside elements. Their cute little noggin’ (which could already be covered with luscious locks or just purty peach fuzz), is still soft because the skull bones have not yet fused together. As much as that sounds a little too vulnerable, their “skull softness” allows for a much smoother passage through the birth canal during labor—something both you and your little swimmer will appreciate when it’s finally time to “go!” Also, some babies will have that “soft spot” on their head for up to one year after birth.

And how's mom doing? Have you felt anything you suspect might be contractions already? Braxton-Hick contractions are part and parcel of the second half of pregnancy and lucky for you, become more frequent during the third trimester. Cleverly dubbed “false labor” contractions, these spasms are an obnoxious fake-out and So next time you’ve got yourself a pair of damp head-lights in the grocery store, just go ahead and purchase the nursing pads to protect your clothes, bras, and any remaining shreds of dignity you can salvage shouldn’t be confused with premature labor. The fun part of having BH contractions is that it’s not unusual for them to be painful... and by fun, we mean “why oh why, does the third trimester mean everything is uncomfortable?” Still, just a heads up: if you notice the contractions more than four times in one hour, or even more glamorous—changes in your vaginal discharge, call your healthcare practitioner right away.

As for other third-trimester niceties; your nipples may be engaging in a bit of “pre-milk” expulsion at the most untimely moments. So next time you’ve got yourself a pair of damp head-lights in the grocery store, just go ahead and purchase the nursing pads to protect your clothes, bras, and any remaining shreds of dignity you can salvage

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As your magical growing baby obstinately refuses to shrink or give back any real-estate in your belly, you can sit back, "relax," and take in the heartburn and increased lower back pain. If you choose, you can always eat less with each meal, and instead opt for smaller more frequent meals, this should help the heartburn. As for your poor back, get off your feet and elevate them above your heart, double-check the names list, and how many key baby-items you’ve already got in your registry. If you’re lucky, you might just make it in less than eight weeks! Hang in there wonder-mom, we believe in you!

11 weeks left..... 77 days

WOW!! Only 11 weeks left. That seems like no time at all. Yes its still 2 and a half months. But that seems so short. And I feel more and more unprepared everyday. Hopefully he stays in till May and doesnt come too early. These past few weeks I have really LOVED being pregnant. It truly is amazing. Everyday after work I just sit in bed and play with my little guy. He is so playful. A few days ago I played music to my belly. Haha. It sounds silly I know. I bought this set from motherhood and it came with a dopler to listen to the heartbeat and little speakers to play music to or talk to your baby. It came with two classical CD's so I played some of the music to him the other day. And I think he loved it. He would move clear over to the side of my belly where the speaker was. He is very playful all the time. If I put one of my hands to my belly he moves over there and pushes on it. One of my favorite moments was when I was in the car driving with my mom. The sun was on my belly and he moved clear over there to where the sun was. I read that he opens his eyes a lot now so Im sure that he moved over there because it was so much brighter. I absolutely love how active he is. Even at night he is constantly moving and adjusting with me. I dont know when he sleeps. Because it seems like he is always kicking and pushing on me. At work when I lean up against the counter he kicks it back. My belly is very entertaining and most of my nights consist of me laying in bed playing with him. I havent felt him have the hiccups... yet. But im hoping that happens soon. That would really be entertaining.
I have come across a new name that I love. Breckan West Taylor. Im still chewing on it to see how I like it. But I really like it a lot. I do change my mind a lot though, so hopefully I will come to a decision before he gets here.
Life has been absolutely fantastic just in the past week. Things have really started to fall into place and I am not stressed out AT ALL.... I dont remember the last time I wasnt stressed to the max about financial issues or complications with a stupid boy. Its probably been since I was 15 years old. But it feels absolutely amazing. And I owe it all to my mom for all the support and help that she has given me.
I cant wait for two more months till my son gets here. It seems so silly to me to say that I have a son. Its going to take some adjusting to. I wont be the only "mommy" in the household. Life is changing fast and its taking some serious time to adjust to it. And hes not even here yet! But I love my life and the way that things are going. I couldnt be more blessed or ask for anything more.



Fetal development in pregnancy week 29:fetus in seventh month
If you’ve been feeling butterflies moving around in your belly, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill pre-birth performance anxiety. No, it’s your amazing baby with a case of the hiccups: a fairly common occurrence at this point resulting from practicing breathing for their big birthday. In addition, to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, your little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of their overall body weight. Yeah, compared to we adults, it’s not a lot, but when they’re little like that—it’s certainly a healthy (and warming) accomplishment in its way. Another fantastic accomplishment: your baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis—the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components. Another fantastic-accomplishment: your little monkey has been peeing into their amniotic sac for a little while now (this is why potty training takes a while) and if you didn’t know, actually swallows it along with the rest of the amniotic fluid. Although the concept is nasty, their urine is sterile and as part of the amniotic fluid base, is replaced several times throughout the day. So if you didn’t know before, now you can tell people, that yes, you drank your own urine—you were still in the womb, but nonetheless, you’ve been there.

And how's mom doing? Here’s another new-parenting-issue that you probably don’t have the time or energy to handle: the decision whether or not to breastfeed. If you thought this was one of the obvious ones (stick out breast, attach child, feeding commences!), think again. Right off the bat, there are women that simply cannot breastfeed for medical reasons—and have no choice in the matter but to opt for formula-feeding. Then there are the women who attempt to breast-feed and run out of milk, or the baby won’t latch on (they even have breast-feeding classes because despite the apparent animal-easiness of the behavior, some babies just don’t take to breastfeeding).
Now, if you are planning or deciding whether or not to breastfeed, here are some of the big reasons why it’s a great thing for you and your little “sucker”: breastfeeding actually releases a hormone that will help you relax (and if you don’t nurse milk production will actually cease: i.e. use it or lose it!). If you choose to breastfeed, your body will produce oxytocin—(no, not Oxycotin, Rush Limbaugh already took care of that), which actually increases uterine contractions to decrease post-birth vaginal bleeding.
And the vain reason to breastfeed: all that charming excess body fat you’ve gained is used for milk production, thus making it MUCH easier for you to return to you pre-pregnancy weight. Also, nursing mothers’ bones re-mineralize faster than those who don’t and are less likely to contract ovarian or uterine cancer before and after menopause. Not to mention the fact that breastfeeding means you’re directly bolstering your baby’s immune system. For even more reasons why your child will benefit from breastfeeding, visit womenshealth.gov.