The "D" Word... Getting ready for labor

So labor appears to be approaching at a more rapid pace than I expected it to and well, it's not what I expected. 

I'm putting it out there because it will be interesting to see what actually transpires. James may enjoy being holed up in the womb until Cinco de Mayo for all I know... we shall see.

I am kind of modest and even though I share parts of my life on a blog for all the world to see, I don't share everything. So in the interest of full disclosure, I get all squirmy and weird feeling when I use the word "dilation." I don't know what is appropriate but I only feel comfortable talking about it with a very small handful of people. 

That being said, it feels weird for me to even bring it up on the blog. BUT because I have been told I am going through a semi-unusual experience for a first time mom, I will hesitantly share with you that the doctor says that I am doing the "d" word and as of yesterday was "more than three but less than five." And that's all I will say about that. 

Gah. Glad that's over. 

You wont see me Tweeting these sorts of updates all through labor but I did want to ask, what has your experience been? 

I keep getting pats on the back about it and I'm all, Thanks?

But on the inside I'm all, What does it mean?!

James is not due for another 10 days and my Dr. keeps smiling slyly and telling me I'm very "favorable" for labor. 

Well, I certainly hope so. The baby must come out. 

Does she mean he is coming soon? Does it mean an easy breezy delivery is in my future? Is there such a thing? 

And it's 2013 for crying out loud, why can't they predict these things already? 

Do they not know I have family traveling from high and low to dote on this child? 

And my floors can only stay swept for so long... 

So if there is anyone out there who has the spiritual gift of telling me when my baby will be born, please please please let me know. 

I asked James and he didn't say a word. I guess that will be the first thing we work on... speak when you are spoken to, son. 

38 Weeks and a Baseball Game!

I had planned to show you guys the really incredible maternity pictures we took last week but it will have to wait until later when I understand how to put pictures from a DVD onto my computer...

In other news we will be having a baby probably in the next two weeks and all I could think about starting yesterday was the possibility that any day this week might be exactly one week from the day we have our baby and I wont even know it. If you could follow that, thanks for riding the crazy train with me. 

I'm not sure why that thought blows my mind but it is probably because even though this baby is bigger than ever and I am more aware of his presence than ever, it still feels 100% surreal. Honestly, I just have to try not to think about it sometimes because the flood of emotions is too much and my poor little mind gets carried away. 

Don't get me wrong, I am BEYOND excited but even the excitement can be a little overwhelming. 

We had such a great weekend this weekend. Some of the boys from the youth group Andrew and I helped with in college are now in college themselves and play baseball. They had a double header in Mobile so we made the drive over to see them play. 

I don't think we had seen them in 3 years and ohmygosh it was so great to catch up! We are so proud of them and the men they have become. Andrew and I could not stop talking about it all the way home. Love them!!! 

The other best parts of the weekend included:

- Zaxby's (which we do not have within 2 hours of NOLA)

- A stellar racer-back sunburn because it means summer is almost here

- New sheets for our bed

- Sleeping almost all day Sunday

- Some majorly yummy homemade strawberry shortcake at Lifegroup

- Scott and Sarah showing us our beautiful maternity pics

- Waking up this morning to start my last week of work!!!!!!!

And lastly, here's the view from 37 and 38 weeks pregnant. Happy Monday to all!

36 Weeks and Hating Nail Polish

Aside from all the morning sickness and crazy emotions and all the normal pregnancy things that happen to everybody, I have had the STRANGEST aversion to nail polish. 

Let me start off by saying that I don't think I have gone more than one hour without polish on my toes in the last 13 years. That is not hyperbole people, that is real truth.

For some strange reason after I found out I was pregnant last August, I took off my "end of summer" coral toe polish and I haven't painted the darn things since. I think I was a little paranoid about chemicals and what-have-you in the beginning. Which also caused me to go a few days sans deodorant and I even tried washing my face with olive oil. Fortunately for everyone, that ended pretty quickly and I am happily back together with my Secret and anything Sephora has to offer my skin. 

But not nail polish.

I keep thinking I will get the urge to grab a new spring color or go get a pedicure but I don't. And I certainly don't have the energy to contort my body so that my hands reach my feet for three coats and a sealer. 

Life is so weird. 

Part of me feels a little embarrassed that my toes are naked but the other part feels sort of liberated. Does this mean I'm becoming a feminist? Doubt it. 

I'm pretty sure I'll get them painted before James comes. I'll paint them for the same reason I laid out at the beach Friday to get a tan, and am hoping my bangs grow out a little more, and have written down in 12 different places not to forget my makeup bag and CHI when we leave for the hospital... 

Because infant boys ALWAYS care that their moms are tanned and coiffed. Duh.

Please don’t hate me as much as I hate myself for writing that.

Anyhow, here is what's going on at 36 weeks gestation!

How far along?  36 whole weeks.

Baby is the size of... honeydew melon.

Best moment this week?  Going to the beach on Friday!

Miss anything?  I miss sleeping on my back and stomach.

Movement?  Big ones! I swear I feel a little foot sometimes.

Sleep?  I sleep really well when I am asleep, I just hate having to get up or roll over a billion times a night.

Food cravings?  Ice. Ice. Ice.

What makes you queasy/sick?  Nada.

Other symptoms?  Hating nail polish??

Looking forward to... Andrew’s parents coming this weekend, our Dr. apt on Tuesday, and finishing the nursery!

Just a little more nursery progress....!!!

Andrew Weekend

We spent Monday-Thursday acting like it was Friday night so by the time the weekend actually rolled around we were plum tired. 

I had been wanting to take some time to have an Andrew weekend where he got to pick everything we did and I would cook him anything he wanted or take him anywhere he wanted to go. I just thought it would be fun to celebrate what a great husband and soon to be dad he is. And let's face it... every weekend is Charlotte weekend and the boy deserves a break once in a while.

Late Friday afternoon we decided this would be a good weekend to do it since he didn't have to work Saturday so we headed to the grocery store to get all the things to fulfill his requests. He chose Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese (say that 5 times fast) for Friday and steak, twice baked potatoes, Caesar salad and homemade brownies for Saturday. Man food.

We came home and I got to cooking and he got to sanding a piece of furniture that we had been putting off painting for a good six weeks. He got a coat of primer on it and we sat down to eat and I honestly can't remember what happened after that. I guess we went to bed.

Andrew got up ridiculously early Saturday and I slept until 9. We had coffee and he finished a big research paper. We continued working on the piece of furniture and confirmed the fact that I can't paint anything in less than 9000 very thin coats of paint. And it's still not finished.

He decided he wanted leftover Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese for lunch and to go to City Park. So we did. When we got there, there were about 2 billion other people there because someone decided to get married and someone else decided to have a barbecue competition. 

We spent 15 minutes finding a parking spot and 10 walking around before we decided it was windy and cold and not close enough for me to get to a bathroom easily. So we went back home.

We hung out and painted and got going on cooking dinner. Andrew decided he wanted to rent Skyfall so after we enjoyed our steaks (which by the way were cooked by Andrew and by far the best he has ever grilled) we sat down to watch the movie and have brownies.  

And since we are approximately 83 years old in our hearts, around 8:30 we decided it was getting late and we'd better go to bed and finish the movie the next day. 

Sunday was pretty normal. We went to church, ate more leftover BCM&C (he loves the stuff) and I grocery shopped while Andrew helped a friend move. I also got to stop by the hospital and visit with my friend Stasia who just had a baby girl! 

We cleaned up the apartment in mad dash like always and hosted Lifegroup. Then we finished Skyfall and went to bed early. Again.

And that is the story of how Andrew chose to spend his special weekend!

And how I gained three pounds.  

34 Weeks and a Giveaway!

Well technically 34.5714.

Also known as 34 weeks and 4 days.

And believe me, every. day. counts. 

This has been a pretty fun week. Andrew is on spring break and even though we are both working this week, everything feels a little more relaxed.

Monday night we went to dinner at Dat Dog. It was delicious. What pregnant woman doesn't love an enormous Guiness dog with chilli, cheese, ketchup, mustard, and onion? Oh, with a side of cheddar, bacon, ranch fries please. 

We went with our friends Leah and Adrian who also have fun blogs. (Leah is hosting an awesome giveaway right now, scroll to the bottom to check it out!) They are practically professional runners but they still eat crazy hot dogs which I think is awesome. I somehow didn't get a pic of Adrian... sorry Adrian!

Tuesday I had my first New Orleans snowball with my OTHER friend named Leah. It was green apple flavored and it was heaven. I told Andrew he needed to work an extra $40 into the budget because I would be requiring a snowball every day until James comes. 

Also, we are house sitting for a family on campus who have a real live, stand-alone home, with central AC and a jacuzzi tub and a king sized bed. So basically I feel like we are on our honeymoon again except we have to go to work everyday and feed the dog. Miss Laura even left a tray for breakfast in bed! I love it and I don't want it to be over. 

Lastly, our friends Matt and Leigh Anna from Georgia are here with their beautiful baby girl. Matt is taking a workshop on campus so Leigh Anna and I are getting to spend time hanging out with James' future wife, Maddie Claire. 

Week 34 of pregnancy has been really good to me so far. I'm sleeping really well and loving peanut butter banana protein shakes among all other food known to man. Seems like that is all I can talk about these days.

See that real jacuzzi tub in the background? Pretty awesome! Have a great day before Friday!

Also...

The first Leah I mentioned, the running one, is hosting her first ever giveaway on her blog!! She is giving away an Endorphin Warrior bracelet. These are awesome bracelets that can be worn while working out and have motivating and inspirational phrases on them. I totally want the conquer one to get my mind set for getting back in shape after James comes!! 

Go enter to win HERE!!!

No More Google Reader

If you peruse blogs you might have heard that come July, Google will no longer provide the Google Reader service. 

I didn't even know what Google Reader or any RSS reader was until about a year ago. When I realized that I could "follow" other blogs and they could all be compiled in my "reader" it was like a whole new world opened up to me.

Suddenly I didn't have to bookmark my favorite blogs in my browser or try to remember which ones I liked to read and search for them. They were all seamlessly compiled in my Google Reader where I could scroll through one by one. Google Reader told me which blogs had new posts so I could easily browse through the newest content on all my favorites. 

Going through my reader pretty much became my favorite way to procrastinate at work everyday. 

Kidding.

I was pretty disappointed to find out that there will no longer be Google Reader in July and I am still holding on to hope that they may change their minds, but in the meantime...

There are a couple alternative readers that I am trying to figure out in case Google doesn't read my blog and comply with my wishes. 

They are Bloglovin and Feedly. Here are some screen shots because this post would be boring without some pictures. 

If you have Google Reader, or are like I was not long ago and don't have any way to compile your favorite blogs, I would encourage you to try these.  

Just sign up, search for, and add all your favorite blogs (kind of like following friends on Twitter or Facebook). You can even import your Google Reader blogs into both of these services.

And if Yellow Brick Life happens to be one of the blogs you like, you can click on the tab at the top on my page that says "Bloglovin" or the one on the sidebar to follow there! 

I hope that didn't sound too in your face. I want you to like me but I would never try to tell you what to do. 

Anywho, happy reading! I'd better get back to work now...

Friday Five

I haven't even blogged this week but I'm still here and life is still moving forward. I thought I would do a little Friday five recap of this week and since I am a little behind on updating, I'm going to start with last weekend.

{Mama coming to NOLA} Last weekend my mama and her best friend, Miss Ann, came for a long weekend in New Orleans. We had a great time going to the doctor, shopping, relaxing, and eating. We got all the baby stuff washed and ate an amazing brunch at Elizabeth's. We had praline bacon as an appetizer which was basically bacon covered in a butter/brown sugar glaze. I had the bananas foster french toast as my meal. It was scrumdidiliumptious. 

{Parenthood} Andrew and I have really been into the show Parenthood and have basically blown through all four seasons in about 3 or 4 weeks. I know it sounds silly but I think it has been a good conversation starter for us on parenting dilemmas we might never talk about. I'll pause the show and be like, "If that were James what would we do?" I know it's impossible to know but it's kind of good chatting about it. We will be wrapping up season 4 tonight. I haven't handled everything going on with Kristina this season very well, and I'm pretty glad we will finish it before I'm 39 million weeks pregnant and a basket case. That might be too much.

{City Park} Andrew surprised me on Tuesday afternoon by telling me to get in the car because we were going to walk around City Park. I was SO excited to spend a beautiful spring afternoon with him on a Tuesday, which happens to be my least favorite day. It was great even though I had to go to the bathroom 3 times in 30 minutes. 

{The Bachelor} All I gotta say is, I'm glad it's over. I'm part of the .0002% of the world who is not swooning over Sean. I kind of suspect he is not all he is cracked up to be. I know the only other person in this galaxy who agrees is my sister-in-law.. but we are cool with that. 

{Date night} This hasn't technically happened yet but it is happening come 4:30 this afternoon. Some of our sweetest friends gave us a gift card that is good for two awesome New Orleans restaurants. One is Juan's Flying Burrito... a fave of ours. The other is a really neat looking pizza place called Slice Pizzeria. Not sure what we will pick but I'm pretty sure it will go something like this: 

I'll want to try Slice because I have something in my DNA that makes me want to try new things even if the alternative is something that I know I love. 

Andrew will want to go to Juan's because he has something in his DNA that makes him want to always stick with what he knows he loves and not risk disappointment by trying new things. (And he is recently into spicy everything.) 

We will end up at one of the two and just enjoy the fact that we don't have to cook, clean, or pay. And since we went at 4:30 we beat the crowd and can be in bed by 7, finish Parenthood, and be asleep by 8:30. It will be a glorious Friday night and everyone will come out a winner. 

I realize 99% of this post was about percentages (weird), food, and T.V. but that's life right now! 

Have a GREAT weekend!

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The Weekend I Felt Like a Tired Whale

This weekend pregnancy fatigue and discomfort really started setting in. I was having a hard time accepting the fact that I probably needed to slow down and rest, especially on the weekends. In my initial denial I committed myself  to baking 4 dozen muffins, completing 3 major nursery projects, taking a friend's maternity pictures, cooking 2 labor intensive meals, going to breastfeeding class, going to Sunday school and church, and hosting Lifegroup. 

By Saturday at 1:00PM I found myself so tired that I wanted to lay down on the carpet at the breastfeeding class and take a nap. It was clear in the first 10 minutes that babies have an innate ability to find the boob and Andrew was there to take notes, so what was the harm? I made the choice to exercise my social graces and not lay down in the middle of the floor but my exhaustion resulted in a little meltdown later that afternoon. I felt like I just couldn't be all I could be anymore and it was driving me crazy and making me feel behind in life. 

The good news is, Andrew and I ended up having a really helpful conversation about priorities and resting and making the most of the next few weeks together and not over-committing and avoiding run on sentences. Not really about that last part.  

I didn't get everything done that I had planned, but I think I got the important things done. The others can wait. Or be forgotten altogether. It helped that the city of New Orleans went under a boil water advisory on Sunday which meant I couldn't wash my dishes. Oh darn. 

I did complete a couple of nursery things that I am pretty happy with. 

I bought the wooden letters at Hobby Lobby for about $10 and painted them. The stripes were an afterthought. I may do a little tutorial about it because it got a little confusing and there might be at least one other person in cyber space as remedial as me when it comes to crafts. 

I covered this lamp shade with a $3.50 fabric scrap, also from Hobby Lobby, and painted the base of the lamp. 

If it weren't for my stellar photography, you would be able to see that the fabric is not perfectly smooth and flat on the shade. But it's OK. The weird part faces the wall and no one can see it. And I doubt anyone cares if it's a little bumpy. James certainly doesn't. 

And for kicks, this is me 32 weeks pregnant and tired. That's the outfit I wore to Lifegroup. Paint-stained sweatpants, non-maternity shirt that almost doesn't cover my stomach, and bedroom slippers. That's what I call doing life together. 

It's getting increasingly harder to angle my head in a way that disguises my 3-7 chins. But here's to trying!

Linking up! 

Nursery in Progress

I really didn't want pregnancy to take over the entire blog but alas, in these final weeks, it is sort of my whole life and I really have nothing else interesting to talk about. 

Everything in my world seems to be centered on all the things to do before the baby comes and all the  things we will be doing after he comes. I certainly don't mind it, but you may feel otherwise. I wont be offended if you take a 7-11 week hiatus from reading. I can't say I wouldn't do the same. But be warned, when you return it might be all about babies... I've been told they have a tendency to take over as well. 

So here is what's up with our nursery. It is by no means complete but it is further along than it was, say, when we moved to New Orleans. I should put a disclaimer out that I follow sort of an organic process when decorating. I don't really have a vision of what the finished product will look like or an inspiration photo. All my rooms kind of unfold piece by piece.  I do know that I want it to be calm and serene. Boyish but not in-your-face boyish. Timeless and practical. 

These are from when we moved in.

We are keeping a double bed in the room for multiple reasons, one being that we live far far away from the nearest family member and we foresee visitors in our future. 

Our crib came from Pottery Barn Kids and our changing table came from a furniture place in Auburn, AL. We scored an amazing Black Friday deal on it. 

These are the fabrics for the crib bedding. My mother in law is making the bedding. She is an incredible seamstress. She has made the most beautiful crib bedding for my niece and nephews and I knew long before James was a thought that I wanted her to make ours. 

I changed out the pink and green quilt for a white one and my mother in law is making shams out of the geometric fabric as well as a monogrammed throw pillow. 

We got the rug this past weekend at... wait for it... Kmart! And I couldn't be more pleased with it. The pictures kind of cast a shadow but its a soft blue and taupe check. 

We bought the baskets from TJ Maxx, aka, Basket Mecca. I fell in love with that bicycle basket and decided it would be perfect for toys. Andrew loved it too because he cycles as a hobby and loves all things bike related. 

The chair was Andrew's grandmother's. She rocked his mama in it and his mama rocked him in it. You know I LOVE sentiment! The side table and lamp are getting makeovers this weekend. And the beautiful sign was made by our neighbors who gave it to us as a surprise shortly after we found out we were having a baby.

That's it so far! Hopefully the next time I post about it, it will be the finished product. Even now I just sigh every time I walk by. I am falling in love with it and with visions of a tiny little boy who will call it his. 

30 Weeks

Oh if I could ever get my life together I might rule the world. Or at least feel good about having my life together. 

That's the thing with this pregnancy business... the minute things start to get into a routine a new stage hits and you are back at square one. 

I used to only wake up to run to the bathroom 1-2 times per night. Now its 3-4. Overshare? 

I used to be able to eat full meals and feel like a normal person. Now its multiple snacks all day long because for some reason real estate in my stomach is sparse. And I do so long for a big meal...

We did a lot of fun stuff this weekend that included working on the baby room and going to dinner with friends and I would tell you all about it and show lots of pictures but I am off to a Dr. appointment. 

They used to be monthly, now they are every 2 weeks. But I'm totally not complaining about that. 

Hope you all had a fab weekend and a lovely Monday! 

28 Week Pregnancy Update

My friends Stasia and Ryan have been doing these fun little pregnancy updates on their blogs and I have always thought I might like to do it but consistency has never been my strong suit. 

Today I decided there is no harm in throwing one in there even if it’s kinda late to start and I might not do another one. Who’s with me?

Also, the past three week’s pregnancy photos have looked ridiculous and I decided to just leave them out for fear they might land on Awkward Family Photos. Or this blog post. (Please click over to it, it is hilarious.)

So here is a little personal information that you might or might not find interesting to supplement.

Oh and here is a little comparison pic from 24-28 weeks. I thought it would be a good one since I have on the exact same outfit. Just to deal with the elephant in the room, I realize that the “bumps” in the rear and on either side of my mouth are the ones growing most rapidly. It’s ok, I accept myself as I am.

How far along? 28.5 Weeks 

Total weight gain? You wish…

Baby Related Purchases? We haven’t really bought anything ourselves yet, but we might be purchasing supplies for some furniture redo’s for the nursery soon. Does that count?

Movement? A whole flipping lot of movement and I love it. And it is strange. I told Andrew that it feels like when your eye gets a twitch and you can’t control it or you have a muscle spasm, except it’s your whole insides.

What I miss about not being pregnant? Getting excited for spring/summer clothes. Wearing normal clothes. Exercising hard. Not gaining weight. Being able to suck in.

Cravings? Cupcakes. Nipped that one yesterday.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I have been feeling sick in the morning again and I really don’t know why. I usually feel sick if I get too hungry.

Gender? BOY! Goodnight you moonlight ladies… rockabye Sweet Baby JAMES! (Name that tune and I’ll giveaway one free shout out.)

Labor? No, thank goodness. But I get some painful tightness in my tummy when I exercise which might be Braxton Hicks? Maybe?  Maybe not?

Symptoms? Other than occasional crazies I still feel pretty a’ight. I have random days of extreme fatigue that come out of nowhere but they are pretty manageable.

Worries? I worried a little about our 28 week appointment since I measured so big last time. I am still a little worried about the results of my glucose test. I hope those Krispy Kremes didn’t do me in.

Best moments of the week? The baby shower, duh. Also, having a great appointment and finding out that I am measuring right on track now.

Looking forward to? Really getting the nursery together. Mardi Gras parades. The New Orleans baby shower later this month.

Size of baby? By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. 

What’s the baby is up to? He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Disclaimer: I know I keep things kind of light on the blog but in all seriousness, I am so so thankful for almost 29 weeks of healthy pregnancy. I recently came across a forum for women who were due in April like me but are not going to be united with their sweet babies until Heaven one day. It was so humbling and I am so grateful. If you will, please join me in praying for these women. There is a Healer who intimately understands the pain of losing a child. Let's be fountains of His grace. 

The Best Shower Ever

I can already tell I feel tempted to use really dramatic and excessive adjectives throughout this post that may make me sound like I am exaggerating a lot, but bear with me folks... it was just so fantastically ideal! Ha! 

I just had one of the most enjoyable weekends of my life. Some of my sweetest friends threw me a big baby shower in my hometown in Georgia and every moment was like a dream.

I flew home Friday and remembered why I don't like to travel by plane. I wish so badly that I was the type to just hop on a plane like a jet-setter. I really try to fake it in the airport as if its my 23rd flight this year and rolling through security with my purse zipper hung on my sweater is no big deal. But I don't think I'm fooling anyone.

I digress...

I arrived safely with my family, enjoyed some delicious chicken thing at Applebees, and went home and got in the bed so I would be fresh for the shower in the morning.

When I arrived I was greeted by the amazing hostesses; my BFF Katie, her sweet mama, April, and Mandy. Celia couldn't come because she had an unavoidable work thing and we missed her.

Everything looked adorable and smelled amazing! And I'll just go ahead and say I ate 3-12 samplings of each and every food item because it was my shower and I didn't want to leave any room for doubt about how much I appreciated the efforts.

A few of my best friends from college sweetly surprised me and came down from various Georgia locations. It was WONDERFUL to be together as that rarely happens now that we are old and scattered about.

I didn't think our friend Faren would be able to make it because she had been visiting our friend Autumn in Chattanooga, who actually had a baby the day before. So when I looked up while opening presents and saw her standing there with her mama watching me as if she had been in Bainbridge all her life, I almost had a heart attack! They basically drove a billion miles all night/morning from Tennessee to South Georgia for little (big) ole me and I couldn't have been more grateful.

I got to visit with family (who also traveled a stretch to be there) and friends that I rarely see. I have said so many times over the past couple days that I have never felt so loved. 

The gifts were overwhelmingly generous but the company was truly the best. I don't know if it's age, living far from home, or hormones, but I felt more touched by the outpouring of love at the baby shower than I did through all of my wedding events.

I got to spend the whole afternoon after the shower with my girlfriends, laughing and catching up. I really felt like I was in some kind of wonderful dream all day. It was magical.

The next day, as I kissed my family goodbye at the airport, I was moved to tears at just how filled up I felt. It is good to be loved. And I am so thankful that James is being born into a circle of people who love him, Andrew, and myself that is so far reaching. 

I can't believe the whole thing went by so fast. I have been reliving it in my head over and over. I know without a doubt that it will be one of the most special memories I have from pregnancy. What a blessing!