Here's the story...

Jessica Villemain Photography
...of how this sweet angel came into this world...

Wednesday, September 29th

I was off work on Wednesday but scheduled to work on Thursday. I had been miserable at work for awhile because of swollen ankles and sore hips, so I was contemplating calling in on Thursday and talking to Dr. Harper on Friday morning at my 38 week appointment about coming out of work until after the baby was born. I ended up calling the doctor's office on Wednesday afternoon and they faxed a work excuse putting me out beginning on Thursday until January 2nd. It was hard to believe I didn't have to go back to work!

Thursday, September 30th

I began having some mild cramps on Thursday, but I didn't think they were contractions because I only felt them in the lower part of my abdomen instead of all over and my belly wasn't tensing up. I talked to Kristen (my own personal Labor & Delivery nurse!) and she said they could be, but they might not. Either way, I was glad not to be at work!

Friday, October 1st

I had an appointment with Dr. Harper Friday morning for my 38 week check-up. He asked me if I wanted him to check my cervix (Um...of course!! Why else am I here?!?) and I was 1.5-2 cm dilated. He said we would go ahead and make an appointment for Tuesday, October 5th, but he didn't think I would need it. He felt with my dilation and the beginning of contractions, I would probably go before then.

After we left the doctor's office, Thomas and I went to lunch at Cheddar's and then to do some last minute shopping. All morning and all through lunch, the contractions I had been feeling were getting stronger and stronger, but nothing unbearable.


Once we got home, we went over to Aunt Charlotte's house to take some belly pictures because I'd been wanting to do it and time was getting away from us! We had a good time taking them in her yard and then at our house in the nursery. Even Scarlett got in on the action!

As the afternoon went on, the contractions were getting stronger and stronger...

That night, we went to Mikata's to celebrate Kristen's birthday. During dinner, I would tell my mom when I started a contraction and when the next one started. They were about 5-7 minutes apart at this point. I was also having to get up every now and then to walk around because I was getting uncomfortable. Before we left to go home, Kristen said half-jokingly that we should go on to the hospital because I was probably going to have the baby that night, but I didn't think I was, so we went on home. The contractions started getting stronger and more painful the closer we got to home and once we got there, I noticed my bloody show when I went to the bathroom. I of course was freaking out because it looked like a lot and I was worried about a possible placental abruption (thanks to my job working in the NNICU!). I was also having trouble completing sentences because of the pain and Kristen had already told me that was a sign I was getting close. I called Kristen and she said I should probably go on in, but to go ahead and call the doctor and he would probably tell me the same thing. Dr. Carlton was on-call that night and once he called me back and I told him what was going on, he said to go in to OB Assessment, they would put me on the monitor, and let him know what was going on.

We checked in to the hospital at 11:50 PM. In OB Assessment, they put me on the monitor, did a urine sample, checked my blood pressure, and did a cervical check. I was 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced, but my water had not broken yet. The nurse told us that I would be staying because I was already 4 cm, but they had to call the doctor any way.

Once confirmed, they moved me to my room and I was able to put on my cute gown my mom made me (it's monogrammed of course)!


After arriving in my room, my nurse came in and started my IV (one stick...yay!) and fluids. I had to have a liter of fluid before getting my epidural. At this point, my contractions were painful, but I was breathing through them and handling it okay. I had planned to do some walking and maybe bouncing on the exercise ball we bought, but I decided to go ahead with the epidural about 1:30 AM so that I wouldn't have to deal with worsening contractions while he put it in. I did have one or two during the insertion, but it wasn't too bad and Kristen helped me breathe through the pain. And may I just say, epidurals are absolutely fabulous! It was great to be able see my contractions on the monitor, but not feel them at all! After the pain from the contractions was under control, my sweet little girl decided to keep her feet pushing upwards and gave me the worst heartburn of my life! The nurse gave me a Pepcid, but it didn't work at all. They decided to give me this oral medication that tasted horrible, but it worked. It worked until they had to lay me flat to check my progress. All the acid came back and I was miserable. That's what kept me from getting a good night's rest...heartburn, not contractions! The doctor wasn't planning on coming in until the morning to break my water, so all I had to do was try and get some sleep. Not an easy task with the heartburn and the nurses coming in to check me and empty my bladder. And there was nothing on TV! So we ended up watching a marathon of "Who's The Boss?" on TV Land.

About 7 AM, shift change occurred and my nurse, Renee, came on. She is absolutely amazing! While my night nurse was good, she didn't have much to do but maintain me because the doctor wasn't coming in until the morning. When Renee came in, she laid out the plan of what we were going to do, when we were going to do it, and how we were going to it. She said we'd have a baby by lunch. Dr. Carlton came in shortly afterwards and broke my water...clear fluid-yay! After he left, Renee said we were going to sit me up and let gravity do it's thing to help bring the baby down. Once I'd been sitting up for awhile, Renee wanted to do some practice pushes. After trying a few, I wasn't getting the hang of it because I couldn't feel where I was pushing and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to push effectively when the time came. Renee said she didn't think Amelia had a lot of hair because she couldn't feel it. I found that hard to believe if the old wives tale of a lot of heartburn = a lot of hair was true!

A little while later, I started having break-through pain and the anesthesiologist came in to give me another dose of pain medicine in my epidural. Once my pain was better controlled, we started doing some more practice pushes, this time with better pushing on my part. With each push, Amelia would drop down, but after pushing, she would go back up. By this point, Renee changed her mind and said that Amelia had a head full of hair! We got the word that Dr. Carlton had gone to his son's football game, but that he was about 15 minutes away. So we did some more pushing to get ready for his arrival. After pushing through about five contractions, Renee told me to stop because the head was almost out and we needed to wait for the doctor. Then she said, "Well, she's blinking at me so we better keep on going!" Kristen yelled out in the hall to get a resident in the room.

Amelia then arrived at 10:57 AM! When they put her on my chest, the Respiratory Therapist in me came out and I said, "Kristen, she's not pinking up. I think she needs some O2." She said, "No she's fine." And then I felt at the base of her umbilical cord to feel her pulse to make sure it was strong. I can't quit doing my job even when I'm having a baby!




She was fine of course (Apgars 8 and 9) and they took her to the warmer bed to get cleaned up a little bit.








I only needed 3 stitches and after those were done, they brought her to me and we tried breastfeeding. She went right to breast! Hallelujah! After doing that for a little bit, they took her to the nursery to give her a bath and get her measurements.

She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. And not to mention a FULL head of jet black hair! Heartburn myth confirmed!


While she was getting cleaned up and ogled at through the window by lots of family, I was eating a little bit of lunch and getting moved to my postpartum room. Once there, they brought her to me and then we had lots of visitors. They didn't stay long though so we could get some rest. I must admit, I had a pretty easy go of things and wasn't in a lot of pain. I was able to get around comfortably and get a much-needed shower. Our night in the hospital was pretty decent...for Amelia and I anyway. Thomas didn't sleep well on the pull-out sofa and the nurse was having to come in every few hours to check our vital signs. I wish I could say the breastfeeding continued to go well. She started biting and wasn't latching on very well. That was worse than the labor pain! The lactation consultant was a God-send! She showed me some different positions and we were able to get through the night.


Sunday, October 3rd

After Dr. Sims came to see Amelia the next morning and Dr. Carlton released me, we got ready to go home.





We dressed Amelia in her going-home outfit that my mom made. So beautiful and special! She took smocking lessons from a friend and it turned out so pretty! She also added buttons to the sleeves that she had when she was learning to sew as a teenager. Such a neat touch!








Once we got our discharge instructions and packed everything up, we headed home as a family. After we got there, we started welcoming lots of visitors who couldn't wait to meet Amelia. We had to have a photo shoot though!



We had a nice afternoon of visiting with family and friends and once everyone was gone, the adventure of parenthood began...

I'm still here...

Jessica Villemain Photography
Not to worry friends! I'm still here and enjoying being a mom to sweet Amelia sooo much! I plan on blogging her birth story eventually, but she's keeping me pretty busy these days! Hopefully I'll get to it before I go back to work. Happy Thanksgiving!!

37 Weeks/T-minus 3 weeks

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.
How Far Along: 37 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain: I had gained a pound at the doctor's office, so now I'm +4 lbs for the pregnancy
Maternity clothes: Oh yes. Very necessary.
Sleep: I haven't had a good solid night of sleep lately. I either wake up every time I turn over because my pelvis hurts or my crazy dreams wake me up. I miss you, sleep!
Best Moment this week: Finding out my progress at the doctor's office (See "Labor Signs") and getting my labor bag and hospital bag almost packed. Yay me!
Movement: Her new fave place to play is right on top of my bladder.
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: When Dr. Harper checked me the other day, he said I wasn't dilated any yet, but that my cervix was thinning out a little. I was expecting something like 20-30%, but he said 60-70%! Holy crap! He said we would probably be delivering in about 2 weeks.
Belly button: Innie, but becoming more shallow
Cravings: Nothing really specific this week
Nausea: It hasn't been too bad this week...thank goodness.
What I miss: Love it all!
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: Itchy boob. Just my left one. Ha ha!
Weekly wisdom: The human body is an amazing thing in that it knows what to do and when to do it to develop and birth a child. A-mazing.
What I am looking forward to this week: Being 38 weeks pregnant!

36 Weeks/T-minus 4 weeks

How Far Along: 36 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain: I had lost 2 lbs at the doctor's office, so right now I'm +3 lbs for the pregnancy
Maternity clothes: My scrub pants still fit well, some better than others. I've actually worn some maternity jeans a few times when it's been cooler outside. I don't see getting too much use out of those though!
Sleep: It's good except for the multiple pee breaks and waking up to turn over due to pelvic pain. But I can usually go right back to sleep.
Best Moment this week: Hearing Amelia's heartbeat at the doctor's office and hearing that everything is going great! Just a few more weeks! AND My co-workers gave me a shower at work on Tuesday. We had Mexican food and cake and we got lots of great gifts! Thomas and my mom came, so that was fun. As much as I dread going to work sometimes, I do have some fantastic co-workers and they make it bearable!
Movement: Instead of kicks and jabs (well, she still likes to punch me in the bladder), she mostly just packs up shop and moves to different places in my belly causing it to contort in certain places.
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: No signs that I can tell, not even Braxton Hicks contractions. I thought the doctor was going to check for dilation this week, but he said he doesn't like to over check, especially until they know the results of my GBS test (which was done at the visit). My next appointment is on Tuesday, so he'll have the results and check me then. I'm now going to the office once a week until the end!
Belly button: Innie, but becoming more shallow
Cravings: Mostly stuff that I don't need to eat. Especially stuff that doesn't have a lot of fiber in it, which I definitely need a lot of now!
Nausea: I woke up with it Wednesday night, but it was dinner-related. I'll say this: I don't not want a Sonic cheeseburger again for a VERY long time.
What I miss: Working without being uncomfortable and so tired at the end of my shift.
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: A few weeks ago, I mentioned "you don't want to know." Well, that's the case again this week for the same reason except it's a lot worse. If you're very interested, I'll tell you. But for the casual reader, it's probably TMI!
Weekly wisdom: Holy crap! I only have 3 weeks from tomorrow!
What I am looking forward to this week: Going to Atlanta tomorrow to visit Justin and Kate. We haven't seen their new house, so we're looking forward to that. We're also taking Scarlett and going to a dog park. Good times!

~ ~ ~
Here are some pictures I wanted to share this week.....

This is the baby book I chose for Amelia. I wanted something unique and couldn't find one in a store that I fell in love with, so I knew I could find one on Etsy. In case you haven't heard of it, it's a website where people hand-make everything from clothes to jewelry to pretty much anything you can think of. It's an awesome site! It came with all sorts of pages to document her first year and blank pages for photos. I can't wait to get started on it!


I wanted to show just how many clothes Miss Amelia has already. These are all the clothes that she won't even be wearing until 6 months. The rest of her newborn/3 month clothes are in drawers. Insanity. Also note the amount of diapers. There are more in a box in the bottom of the closet. My dad estimated the amount around 750. Again...insanity.

35 Weeks/T-minus 5 weeks

How Far Along: 35 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain: I haven't gotten on the scale this week, so we'll see next week at the doctor's office
Maternity clothes: Definitely a daily requirement
Sleep: The sleep I do get isn't of the best quality since I wake up from pelvic pain every time I turn over. And I'm now getting up more than once to pee. Good times!
Best Moment this week: Having two showers over the weekend, seeing my fam in Augusta, and going to the breastfeeding class at the hospital on Tuesday. I learned a lot!
Movement: My new favorite thing is for people to see my belly move without having to point it out. So funny!
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie, but becoming more shallow.
Cravings: I was craving soup for dinner last night and Thomas made some potato and sausage soup. Yum.
Nausea: It's been decent this week
What I miss: Love it all!
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: On nights after I work all day, I have to be hauled off the couch by Thomas. No fun.
Weekly wisdom: Holy crap...30 days to go!
What I am looking forward to this week: There's not much left of this week and definitely not looking forward to working this weekend. I have my 36 week check up next Thursday and we get to see if I'm progressing any. Here's hoping I'm not just yet!

34 Weeks/T-minus 6 weeks

How Far Along: 34 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain: I had actually gained 5 lbs at the doctor's office this week!
Maternity clothes: I bought some nursing pajamas and lounge wear last week, so I've got that covered. I'm still tired of the tops I have, but I'm going to have to get over it!
Sleep: It's been mostly good this week with the exception of last night. I didn't ever get into a deep sleep.
Best Moment this week: Getting to hear Amelia's heartbeat on Monday and hearing that things are right on track. Dr. Harper said we'd play it by ear in terms of when I stop working. It would be really nice if I could stop getting ridiculous assignments at work that make me trek to the very opposite side of the hospital to see patients. I feel like the person making the assignment forgets that I'm pregnant or doesn't care. Either way, it's exhausting work!
Movement: Very active and running out of room! Her butt was poking out the other day at work and I had a co-worker feel it. When she kicked, it scared the girl to death! It was hilarious!
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie, but becoming more shallow
Cravings: Unfortunately, I'm craving cake. A co-worker brought homemade pound cake to work this week. Yummmm
Nausea: Just this morning when I was brushing my teeth.
What I miss: Love it all!
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: I don't think there's been anything new or odd this week. I'm sure that will change!
Weekly wisdom: There are so many people anxiously awaiting Amelia's arrival!
What I am looking forward to this week: My co-workers are giving me a shower at Shogun tomorrow night and we're going to Augusta on Sunday for a family shower. Busy weekend!

Nursery Blog!

Okay people, here it is! The much-anticipated nursery blog. We finally got everything put up and organized over the weekend. Enjoy!
View from the door

Crib and such

Rocker/recliner. Very comfy!

Chest of drawers

Beautiful artwork done by my cousin Kristen

Dresser/Changing Table

Lots and lots of books!

33 Weeks/T-minus 7 weeks

Baby is now the size of a melon!
Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

How Far Along: 33 weeks and 4 days
Total weight gain: I was 1 lb up when I got on the scale the other day. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, so we'll see!
Maternity clothes: The number of work clothes going into the "Can't wear until after pregnancy" side of the closet is increasing on a weekly basis. I wore a pair of scrub pants the other day that made me uncomfortable all day. Blah. I'm also pretty tired of the maternity tops I have, but I don't think I'll buy any more this late. That would be kind of ridiculous.
Sleep: It's been really good lately. Especially on my days off...I can sleep until around 12 or 1 even with pee breaks.
Best Moment this week: Getting most of the baby laundry done and put away and filling out my work schedule for the last week before I go out. Yay!
Movement: Still a very active little girl! It's so much fun to lay on the couch and watch my belly ripple with her movements.
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie, but becoming more shallow
Cravings: Strawberry ice cream...yummo!
Nausea: It hasn't been too bad this week...thank goodness.
What I miss: Love it all!
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: You don't want to know.
Weekly wisdom: Having a day off without doing a thing is completely necessary.
What I am looking forward to this week: Shopping for fabric for the hospital gown my mom is going to make me and going to a consignment sale tomorrow.

Marathon Baby Shower Day!

Thomas and I were so blessed to have 2 showers given in our honor yesterday. The first was a ladies brunch at my cousin Erin's house and the second was a diaper shower/BBQ at my cousin Kristen's house. It was such a great day and a huge reminder that Amelia is going to be so loved!

Ladies Brunch
The glowing (or is that sweat??) mom-to-be

The cute and delish cake!

The yummo spread. We had Monkey Bread, quiche, fruit, pigs-in-a-blanket, apples and dip, muffins, cake, punch, and juice.

Kristen painted these canvases for the nursery. They match my bedding and they are so beautiful! She is so talented.

This is such a sweet card made by Gabby, the granddaughter of a family friend. She made it out of the shower invitation.

All of my wonderful hostesses

~ ~ ~

Diaper Shower/BBQ

Each family had to make a diaper creation for the shower. They were all so neat!

A sneak peek of the food. We had BBQ sandwiches, brunswick stew, baked beans, cole slaw, chop che, chips, cake, and homemade chocolate ice cream.

Kristen's pizza diaper creation

Justin and Kate's White Trash Diaper Bags

Kenny and Natalie's Diaper Stroller

Aunt Charlotte's diaper cake on left and my mom's on the right

Scott, Richelle, Hagan, and Anna Grace's diaper baby

We also played the fun, yet disgusting, game of "Name the melted candy bar in the diaper."

32 Weeks/T-minus 8 weeks

My wonderful mom and I at my shower last weekend. She's the best! I'm not nervous about this upcoming journey of motherhood because I know I'll have her by my side or a phone call away.

How Far Along: 32 weeks (August 15-21)
Total weight gain: I had lost those 2 lbs I had gained at the doctor's office on Monday. Oh well!
Maternity clothes: The number of regular scrub tops I can still wear comfortably is quickly dwindling, so I've been wearing my t-shirts a lot more. Thomas really loves the capri pants I'm wearing all of the time, but I've informed him that there's no other option right now!
Sleep: I think I've found my heartburn regimen for sleep time. I take one Pepcid and 3 Tums before bed and for the past 3 nights, I've only woken up to pee...not to take Tums. Yay! Last night though, I actually woke up twice to pee. Let's hope that's not going to be a reoccurring thing!
Best Moment this week: It's a toss-up between hearing that everything was going great at the doctor's office on Monday and having 2 showers yesterday (details of those in a separate blog). Other than having to work, it was a great week!
Movement: She still hasn't punched me in the ribs yet, but she's moving around a lot where it looks like an alien is trying to escape from my belly. So neat to lay on the couch and watch!
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie
Cravings: I'm back craving juice again. We stocked up when grocery shopping this week.
Nausea: Hmmm....it's back with a vengeance. In addition to having to brush my teeth before putting on mascara, I now have to brush my teeth before I eat anything if I get up later in the day. Otherwise, it's just not a pretty sight.
What I miss: Normal size ankles
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: I hear these popping sounds occasionally, sometimes after feeling Amelia kick. I asked the doctor about it and he said it was probably just my joints popping. I was concerned at first that it might be my water breaking, but I'm not leaking, so that's not it. Thank goodness!
Weekly wisdom: Propping up my feet for a few hours a day is necessary!
What I am looking forward to this week: Blogging about the completed nursery!

Baby Shower!

My first shower yesterday was given by teacher friends of my mom. It was held at Cindy Gordon's home in Warner Robins and we had such a great time! Amelia and I were showered with many amazing gifts!


The wonderful hostesses and me


We had very yummy food! It was a brunch, so we had breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, grits souffle, a chocolate tray, stuffed tomatoes, cookies from Wilson's Bakery, coffee punch, orange juice, and lots of other stuff.


This is an absolutely gorgeous monogrammed quilt given to me by the hostesses. It was draped over a big basket and then filled with lots of books!


This is a diaper cake that my mom made. It's one of her new favorite hobbies!


Two of my favorite ladies! My mom and my Aunt Charlotte.

31 Weeks/T-minus 9 weeks!

How Far Along: 31 weeks and 4 days
Total weight gain: Still maintaining at 0 lbs gained for the week. I have another doctor's appointment on Monday, so we'll see what the scale says then.
Maternity clothes: Definitely a daily wardrobe requirement
Sleep: Not too good these days. My hips are starting to bother me (I'll talk more about that in the new pregnancy symptom section) and I wake myself up when I turn over because my pelvis hurts so much. Plus, the 2 AM pee/Tums break doesn't help in getting restful sleep. All of this is probably why I took a 4 hour nap on the couch yesterday!
Best Moment this week: Marking things off our to-do list: Our Prepared Childbirth Class on Saturday and Infant CPR last night. I was aware of a lot of the information we learned at the Childbirth class just from work and school, but I enjoyed learning the relaxation techniques and Thomas learning how to give a good back massage. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm excited about labor and I'm ready for it. I know I'll probably change my tune when I'm going through it, but that's how I feel right now.
Movement: She's still kicking, punching, and rolling up a storm. They say as she gets bigger, she won't be rolling around as much, but the kicks and punches will get stronger. I haven't had the pleasure of a rib kick yet, but I know it's coming!
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie
Cravings: Still craving sweets more than anything else. My appetite is definitely a healthy one! We went to Carrabba's last night after our class and after I finished my entire meal, I could not believe I ate that much. Very yummo!
Nausea: I'm not having any nausea really, but there have been two instances this week that I've thrown up while brushing my teeth after I've eaten. Blah.
What I miss: Not sweating in an air conditioned room. Like right now. And the fan is on. Boo August!
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: My hips start killing me no matter what side I lay on in the bed and even with a pillow between my knees. I've always been most comfortable sleeping on my stomach and I can still kind of sleep that way.
Weekly wisdom: Holy crap. My baby is due in 2 months!
What I am looking forward to this week: My first baby shower this Saturday! Several of my mom's friends are giving me one and I can't wait! I'll post a Baby Shower Blog on Saturday or Sunday. Promise!!

30 Weeks/T-minus 10 weeks!

This is an acorn squash and since Amelia is the size of a squash this month, here you go!
How Far Along: 30 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain: When I got on the scale this week, I had lost the 2 lbs I'd gained last week. Oh well.
Maternity clothes: I'm still very much enjoying my new t-shirts at work. I especially like them because I look pregnant instead of just a fatty, which is how I look in regular scrub tops. And perfect strangers are noticing...like the woman manning the check-in desk at the Family Birth Center. A nurse and I were going to a stork squad (we get called to all c-sections, babies born at less than 36 weeks, and anytime the baby's having issues) and when we walked up, she said, "Oh I thought you were coming to deliver!" Um no. Not for another 10 weeks. Thanks. Another day, I got on the elevator with some scary construction worker dudes and I did my best to just stare straight ahead and not engage them. But I could see one of them eyeing me and he was like, "When is your baby due?" I said October 10th. He said I would have it on October 3rd because that's his birthday. He also said I was going to have twins. I don't think I look that big, but I apparently haven't been looking in the right mirrors.
Sleep: My bladder clock has decided that 2:15 is the time to wake me up to pee. And then I can't go back to sleep for about an hour. My brain wakes up and I can't help but think of all the things I have left to do, how the labor is going to go, how breastfeeding is going to go, etc. I usually fall back asleep about an hour before I have to get up. No fun!
Best Moment this week: Seeing Amelia in all of her 3D/4D glory on Tuesday. She was so good and she looked beautiful! It was a relief to hear (again) that everything looks great. Definitely a relief.
Movement: Lots of kicks and punches!
Gender: Sweet baby girl!
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie
Cravings: Nothing specific. I have more things that I absolutely do not want these days.
Nausea: It hasn't really been an issue this week...thank goodness!
What I miss: Getting through a day at work without sweating for 90% of it. Yuck.
Stretch Marks: Present and accounted for!
New/Weird Pregnancy Symptom: When I'm sitting in a chair, I am not comfortable unless I am sitting semi-reclined. My back just hurts way too much when I sit straight up or lean forward.
Weekly wisdom: Tums Smoothies are my new best friend! Thanks Ginnie! While they still leave a bad taste in my mouth, they are a lot less chalky and more palatable.
What I am looking forward to this week: Going to our childbirth education class tomorrow at the hospital. I'm looking forward to learning a lot of stuff I had no idea about. I know Thomas is just as excited....right.

3D/4D Ultrasound

Miss Amelia did so great today at our ultrasound appointment! I was told to increase my fluid intake a few days before the ultrasound and eat something sweet about 30 minutes before to make her more active. After lunch with the in-laws, I chose a Snickers bar as my sweet treat...like I was going to argue with those instructions! She was very cooperative and showed her face like a good girl. We got lots of great pictures! She weighed 3 lbs 13 oz today, meaning she gained 6 oz since last Wednesday. The ultrasound tech said she should weigh about 7 or 7.5 lbs at birth. She was also head down, so hopefully she'll stay that way and not turn back breech.

Here are some of my faves...


This is a 2D profile view


Miss Amelia just chillin' out. The object on the left of the picture is the placenta. She likes laying up against it!


Her sweet smile


Is something funny?


Chubby cheeks!