Third trimester, here we come!

We've made it to week 28 and still going strong! Had my appointment this morning, and it was so exciting! Well, drinking the glucose-orange-slice-drink wasn't thrilling but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Passed the glucose test with flying colors, so that was a stress reliever. Next came the scales.... I've gained 14 lbs since the beginning of the pregnancy. I know that's not much but it sure seems like a TON! So far I've been fortunate and haven't gained anywhere except belly -- but it's a heavy belly to carry around all day! :) Still have ten or so weeks to go, so I guess I better get used to adding the weight on.

Everything's right on track so far, and besides being exhausted after busy busy days at work I'm feeling pretty good overall. So thankful for that! Braylin's a busy bee in my belly -- as I'm sitting here typing, I can watch my stomach move around with every move she makes. I love it and can't help but smile or laugh every time she starts her wiggling.

The most exciting part is that I'll start going to the doctor every two weeks now!!! Ahhh!!!! That makes it seem even closer to delivery time. I was so excited when he said that. Time has just flown by!

More good news.... going to have an ultrasound done tomorrow. Can hardly wait to see Braylin! It's been so busy at work lately we haven't gotten a chance to do an ultrasound on the labor unit so I'm looking forward to it!

28 week update from "What to Expect When You're Expecting":
This week your amazing baby has reached 2.5lbs and may be almost 16inches long. Baby's skill of the week: blinking. Yes, along with the other tricks in a growing repertoire that already includes coughing, sucking, hicupping, and taking practice breaths, your baby can now blink those sweet little eyes. Dreaming about your baby? Baby may be dreaming about you, too, courtesy of the REM sleep she has started getting. But this little dreamer isn't ready for birth day just yet. Though her lungs are nearly fully mature by now (making it easier for her - and you - to breathe a little easier if she were born now), your baby still has a lot of growing to do.

Welcome to the world Elyse!

Well, if you already read the below post about Melissa, here's an update..... Elyse Suzanne Simmons is here! She was born at 5:09pm and weighs 6lb 9oz. I'm waiting for a picture, Laura! Hurry up and get there so we can see this little cutie pie! Three and a half weeks early, but Chris' text said that baby and momma are doing well. Yippy! Now they can come to Shreveport for Christmas so we can meet her!

Silent Labor, what?!

Ok, so I hope Melissa doesn't mind me telling this story...I know I'd be bragging if it was me! Though I can hope and wish and pray my labor goes like hers, I think she is just the lucky one-in-a-million.

We have some very good family friends, the Lewis', who we were always traveling with or having crawfish nights with since Laura & I were in elementary school. Oh the memories! Laura's sister Melissa and her husband are expecting their first baby, Elyse -- her due date is early December (I think around Dec 8th or so). So Melissa goes into her regular Ob appointment today and what-do-ya-know.... she's dilated to 5cm. Not 1 or 2 cms like most first timers.... FIVE!!! Yes previous pregnant ladies, it is true. Dilated to 5 cm and had absolutely no discomfort or pain. She had no idea! Now don't we all wish we could get to 5cm, be admitted to the labor unit, have an IV & fluids started, break our water, and still not need an epidural?! It's called silent labor, and I've only seen a few patients on our labor unit with this lucky streak. But being the smart thing she is, Melissa is going ahead and getting her epidural for when those contractions really kick in.

So now we sit and wait for little Elyse to decide to make her appearance into the world! I'm so excited for Melissa and Chris (and Aunt Laura and the grandparents) I can hardly stand it!!!!!! And since they live in Houston, all we little Shreveporters can do is wait on some pictures!!!!

Clumsy at 27 weeks

I seem to have become stupid as this pregnancy flies by. All of a sudden I'm having trouble thinking of words I'm trying to say, or I totally lose my train of thought in the middle of a sentence! What in the world?! For example, I typed the second sentence above and when I read over it I had typed "foods" instead of "words". I'm becoming stupid. Hopefully that'll disappear after pregnancy. :)

I'm so excited to report that I scheduled my maternity pictures!!! Yippy!!! I wasn't going to take any, but the girls at work continued to insist. Plus, I know two people who had them done and they were absolutely beautiful. So I figured I should take a few so I at least have this time saved as a memory. However, the negative side of having maternity pictures made.... I'm now stressing that my belly button is going to pop out and/or I'll have stretch marks by the time it's picture time. We don't take them until early January -- she wanted to wait until I am around 35 weeks. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed my belly continues to behave. And we tentatively scheduled newborn pictures!!!! Oh my gosh, I can hardly wait!!!!

Update from "What to Expect When You're Expecting..."
Your baby graduates onto a new growth chart this week. No longer will she be measured crown to rump, but rather from head to toe. And this week that head-to-toe length is a full 15 inches (more than a foot long!). Your baby's weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over 2 lbs. And here's an interesting fetal factoid: Your baby has more taste buds now than she will have at birth. Which means that not only is your baby able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid when you eat different foods, she might even react to it. For instance, some babies respond to spicy foods by hiccupping. Or by kicking when they get that spicy kick.

Shower Pics

Here's a few pictures from the shower.... starting with me, my mom & the hostesses!

4 years together

Today is our four year wedding anniversary and what a wonderful one to celebrate! I am so thankful to have Jay in my life, and I have loved every day with him. Four years sure did fly by quickly. This anniversary is even better than ones before since now we can celebrate our little miracle together. We are both so excited to have Braylin on the way -- starting a family together is such a blessing. Tonight we're going to Tokyo for dinner (it's one of my favorites but we never go!) and then we can also count next weekend as an anniversary gift. We'll be in Dallas for a quick getaway trip. The King Tut exhibit is in Dallas until May '09, so we are so excited to be getting to go see that! It hasn't been in the U.S. since the '70s, so I'm ecstatic we are able to go.

Shower time!

Baby shower, that is. Six of my mom's closest girl friends hosted a shower this past weekend, and oh what fun it was!!! I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I had. The brunch food was absolutely delicious, and the decorations were so pretty & adorable. The "Braylin Paige" M&Ms in the booties and diapers were so cute. Braylin is a spoiled rotten little girl and she's not even born yet! We had a wonderful turn out and received tons of baby gifts. Thank you so much to everyone!!!!! And special thank yous to Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Austin, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Olive and Heather for throwing such a special shower!!!

Jay was a little overwhelmed, I think, when I came home with a SUV full of gifts, but we are gradually getting it all put away in Braylin's room. Clothes, bibs, burp cloths, hooded towels, diaper genie, toys, diaper bags, peanut shell, and the list goes on and on and on. Of course I spent that afternoon washing everything in Dreft which was so much fun because then I got to look at everything again and organize her little drawers with her little clothes.

I am most definitely planning a photo shoot in the nursery tonight so that I can post pics of the nursery and some goodies we got! It is just all so very cute! For now, just give me a little longer.... I promise to post some pictures!

26 weeks

From "What to Expect...."

Next time you're browsing thru the meat department, pick up a 2-pound chuck roast just so you can get a sense of how big your baby is this week. (I don't really like that analogy -- I can think of a few things that sound better than a chuck roast baby.) Your baby now weighs about 2 lbs and measures in at 9-plus inches long. Another momentous development: your baby's eyes are beginning to open. The eyelids have been fused for the past few months so that the retina could develop. The colored part of the eye (the iris) still doesn't have much pigmentation, so it's too early to start guessing baby's eye color. Still, she is now able to see -- though there's not much to see in the dark confines of her uterine home. But with the heightened sense of sight and hearing that she now possesses, you may notice an increase in activity when your baby sees a bright light or hears a loud noise. In fact, if a loud vibrating noise is brought close to your belly, she will respond by blinking and startling.