Church Shower

As most of you know, Phillip is the music minister at a church in New Albany, MS. We have absolutely fallen in love with this church since August. They are so loving and have made us feel right at home. We've met some great people and truly enjoy our Sundays worshiping there. After trying nearly all the churches in Oxford and never really falling in love with any, we were somewhat discouraged. God brought this job/church to us at the perfect time.

They threw us a shower last Sunday and it was so sweet! I didn't get any pictures of the guests I realized after I got home....opps! We did get some adorable things though and had a wonderful time!

The cake was made my a lady in the church....probably one of the best cakes I've had in a REALLY long time. It was delicious!

Us with 2 of the sweet hostesses.

Sorry for the awkward pose....not sure what I was doing....

Table full of goodies!

37 Weeks!

(Little to no make-up and we had just gotten in from a walk.....lay off!) ;)

How far along: 37 Weeks

Size of baby: Not sure....we will have our final ultra-sound at 39 weeks to get an estimated size!! Can't WAIT!

Total weight gained/lost: I've officially gained 2lbs!!! :) I'm up to 23 total pounds at this point.

Maternity Clothes: Yes

Movement: He's a mover during the day and sleeps at night. Hopefully he'll keep this routine once we gets here!

Sleep: Actually hasn't been bad lately, I'll have to admit. It could be much worse. I do get uncomfortable and my legs go numb at times....but *knock on wood* I've gotten some great sleep the past couple of nights. Random after the past couple weeks rant, I know....

What I miss: My energy level still....

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, Nesting, etc..

Aversions: Nothing new this week.

Highlights this week: Had a doctor's appointment this week and Lee's heartbeat was 145. I made the comment to the doctor that it seems to be all over the place from week to week. One week its in the 130's the next week it may be in the 15o's etc.. The doctor said that is actually what they like to see. He said that he is very pleased when he notices a babies heartbeat have that kind of pattern to it.....made momma proud! ;)

He also "checked" me for the first time today as well....not dialated as of yet. Lee must be pretty comfy in there. Not really in the mood to make his appearance at this point. We are looking forward to our 39 week appointment as that will be our last ultra-sound before his big arrival. I'm interested to know the approximate weight we are looking at. He did confirm that he is head down and ready to go. I guess now starts the "waiting game".....I love this game! :)

36 WEEKS!

(Sorry for no picture.....Phillip is out of town until Saturday and I absolutely loathe the "mirror" pictures so you'll just have to wait! I know you can hardly stand it.....)

How far along: 36 Weeks!!

Size of baby: Not quite sure this week...but he's getting pretty big. His jabs and kicks hurt!

Total weight gained/lost: Still at 21 lbs. At first, I stepped on the scale at the doctor's office and it showed I gained 2 lbs. which was encouraging! I then took my boots off and it was back down to my original weight. Oh well...still measuring on time so I guess we're good!

Maternity Clothes: Yes

Movement: Yes.....his little jabs and kicks hurt quite a bit at this point!

Sleep: I'm just not going to talk about it anymore. Miserable.

What I miss: My energy!!

Symptoms: Just more and more Braxton hicks. My pelvis must also be starting to spread some because it has been extremely sore the past couple of days. Doc says its normal....ouch!

Aversions: Nothing new this week.

Highlights this week: Every week doctor appointments have officially started!! We'll see Tuesday at 10am if I've dilated any!! It's starting to DEFINITELY get real that I'm about to have a baby.....this is crazy!! :) We are just so excited we can hardly stand it!!

Happy Birthday!!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY TUBS!!

He was able to spend his birthday weekend exactly how he wanted.....

What do you think?!

Father/Son Duck Hunting Trip

Phillip and his Dad went hunting on MLK Day with a guide service in Shelby, MS. They were both excited about the hunt, but not the 2:30am wake-up. Ugh! Not what I would call "fun" but there again, I don't see him running to the sewing machine for his "fun" time either! The boys were able to hunt the Mississippi River, which was the first time on the "Old Man" for both Phillip and his Dad. They had a great hunt and killed 5 mallards and 3 teal. Trust me, I got an up close and personal look at them as he came walking through my living room and kitchen with all 8 of them hung on a lanyard headed to the back porch!!

I'm smelling some duck poppers in our future....yes?! :)

Phillip's Dad's first duck was this beautiful drake mallard.

And last but not least, we all enjoyed a quick, delicious lunch before Tony had to head back!

35 Weeks!

(YES....I'm fully aware that my head was cut out of this picture which leaves an extremely awkward looking photo. Got it. BUT, I've had the WORST head cold this week and I've done nothing but sneeze and wipe my nose all. day. long. Therefore, all the make-up, etc. is completely gone. Wasn't in the mood to reapply just for a 35 week picture.....sorry readers! ;)

How far along: 35 weeks.....5 to go....holy cow.

Size of baby: Lee should be between 19-22 inches long and should weigh about 5 1/2 lbs. at this point! Big ole' boy! ;)

Total weight gained/lost: I'm still up 21 lbs. It was confirmed last week at the doctor that I still haven't gained any weight. Apparently, after looking at my charts, I haven't gained anything since November. The doctor's words were that I may have hit a "plateau" of gaining weight and may not gain anymore. I asked if that was a concern and he said as long as the baby is still growing, he doesn't care if I gain any more weight or not. I'm measuring 35 weeks exactly and at this point, have nothing to worry about. Never thought I'd be worried about not gaining any weight....haha! :)

Maternity Clothes: Yes

Movement: Yes! Although, movement is starting to slow down somewhat. Phillip can also feel his little hick-ups all the time now. Bless his heart...he gets them quite often!

Sleep: SUCKS! Sorry. It's awful. I'm at the point where I'm dreading going to sleep because I know I'll not wake up rested. Oh well....no sympathy here....God is just showing me what it will be like in just 5 short weeks!! :)

What I miss: Bending over and being able to touch the ground. ha! You laugh...but its true! Every time I drop something, I have a mental fight go down in my head to determine if its truly worth bending over to pick it up or not. Usually it's not.

Symptoms: My heart burn (knock on wood) hasn't been nearly as bad lately. Thank you, Lord! Luckily, I can still wear my wedding rings and swelling hasn't been an issue either. Pretty much the only symtoms lately (worth mentioning on here...) are increasing numbers of braxton hicks contractions. I can handle it....after talking to some of my friends that have gone through this, I'll take that ANY day compared to some of the things I've heard of them going through! Thank you (again), Lord! :)

Aversions: Nothing crazy....Phillip did fix (I'm sure...) delicious burgers the other night and after fixing my plate and bringing it over to our TV trays.....I wasn't in the mood. Awesome. I know it frustrates Phillip when this happens and it doesn't do much to my attitude either. I ended up having a bowl of cereal later that evening. Ugh.

Highlights this week: We did go to the doctor last Thursday!We had a great visit. Lee's heartbeat was back up at 152. After taking a quick dive at the previous visit being 130, I was happy to hear it was back up and just a going. Although, I had just finished a caffeinated drink, so that could have had something to do with it! Hey...lay off....I'm allowed to have one per day...doctor said so! :) Other than that, we are just anxiously awaiting the arrival of our sweet baby boy. Nursery is ready, carseat is (not installed) but ready, and bags are out of the closet (not packed........), but out of the closet and ready to be! :)

Revelation Song

{This song came on my pandora station while I was sitting at my desk. It's exactly what I needed to hear this morning....just wanted to share! Sometimes I feel like we get caught up in trying to fix a problem instead we should hand it over to God to allow him to work through a problem. Look it up if you have never heard it. Beautiful song!}

Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He

Sing a new song,

to him who sits

on Heaven's mercy seat

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Who was, and is, and is to come

With all creation I sing

Praise to the King of Kings

You are my everything

And I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows, of living color

Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder

Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be

to You the only wise King

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Who was, and is, and is to come

With all creation I sing

Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything

And I will adore You

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder

At the mention of your name

Jesus your name is power

Breath, and living water

Such a marvelous mystery

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Who was, and is, and is to come,

With all creation I sing

Praise to the King of Kings

You are my everything

And I will adore You

Decatur Shower!

Last weekend, we had a WONDERFUL baby shower in Decatur. We had a great time and were showered with such love and support for our baby boy as well as given some super cute/needed items! I only have a couple pictures at this point from my sisters phone but will be getting more to share soon. He's already one spoiled little boy.....

My sweet nieces, sister, and mom drove 8 hours total for the day just to make it over to the shower! Very special having them there!

Loving the blue booties....so cute!

This cradle was made by Phillip's grandfather (dad's father) and his dad especially for Lee. It's a family tradition for his grandfather to make a cradle out of wood from their land for each grandchild. It's beautiful and I can't wait to put Lee in it for the first time in just 5 short weeks!!!!

And last but not least, this was Lee's room once we got back home with all his goodies!!

How spoiled is he?!

Rotten....

Sooner or later we've GOT to teach these dogs they can't get on the couch. Hopefully sooner rather than later as I was hoping to have them trained by the time Lee gets here. As you can see, it will completely break this dogs heart as this has become her FAVORITE past time. She's so nosey!! She's either turned facing the outside or turned the opposite direction watching TV. Such a peculiar little dog.

Choo-Choo!!

So I'm finally getting the chance to play with some monogramming! I know the train is tilted a little up-hill....just ignore that part! :) I'll fix that next time. But how cute?! Trains have been my theme for Lee since we found out he as a boy. Phillip loved trains when he was little, so naturally it become our focus for Lee.

How cute did this burp cloth turn out?!

34 Weeks!

(Note the hot chocolate in the picture!! Definitely a MAJOR CRAVING!!!)

:)

How far along: 34 weeks

Size of baby: Lee is almost 5 lbs and is approximately 20 inches long

Total weight gained/lost: I'm up 21 lbs. as of right now...doctor's appointment tomorrow so we'll see what happens then!

Maternity clothes: Yes

Movement: Of course! Starting to get tighter in there, though....he has LOVED nudging his sweet little feet into my ribs and leaving them there for hours on end! Lovely!! :)

Sleep: Not good....but it's not supposed to be this far along, right?!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and back mostly.....If I never sleep on my side again I'll be one happy camper! (Until the next round of this, of course....)

Symptoms: Starting to become a bit more emotional than normal....I've been REALLY good about this, and still haven't completely broken out in tears just yet....but I have a feeling it's coming. For instance, this morning, I ran over a squirrel on the way to work and I had to talk myself out of crying all the way to work about it. Pitiful.

Aversions: Nothing crazy.....definitely craving chocolate and sweets, though!!! I can't get enough chocolate. I'm normally NOT a chocolate lover so this is definitely "pregnancy".

Highlights this week: Going to the doctor again tomorrow, hearing the heartbeat....yet again! (never gets old), getting the nursery pretty much completed (pictures to follow at a later date), family coming to visit this weekend, getting the swing put together, and probably packing the hospital bags this weekend!! CRAZY!

Here we go....

It's starting to get real, people! Walking around the house seeing these things make us that much more excited about these next 6 weeks passing by! Can't WAIT to use them when Lee gets here!!!

Bookshelf Saga of 2011

We have a bookshelf people!!!!!

Now I know you are not nearly as excited as I am...and are probably thinking what the big deal is with a whopping bookshelf. Let me explain, I tend to let little things in life stress me out...things that don't truly matter in the grand scheme of life. Hence the post about a bookshelf. We have been searching for months for one for Lee's room...could not make up our mind with what we wanted and couldn't find anything we agreed upon. I had in mind a certain height, color, number of shelves, blah blah blah!! (little things in life stressing me out...get it?) We've searched High and low. Little did we know, the perfect shelf was sitting about 5 feet from our front door. When we moved, we had a bookshelf from our old house that we could not find a place for in this house. We didn't want to get rid of it, and therefore put it in the garage to hold Phillip's tools, random crap, ect.. Phillip had the bright idea of trying it in Lee's room just for a temporary fix. I loved it!!!! I knew I married him for something! ;) It fits perfectly in the corner, is the perfect height, and best of all, FREE!!!

Thank you Phillip Stockton for solving the bookshelf saga of 2011!

Dear Lee,

I love you so much already....truly, I do! But, when you nudge your sweet little feet into my ribs for hours on end, I tend to get a bit frustrated. Now I know you are running out of room in there and probably don't have much room to move, but if we could steer clear of the ribs, that would make mommy VERY happy! Thanks buddy! I love you!

Love,

Mom

New Orleans!

Phillip and I spent last weekend in New Orleans for our Anniversary/Babymoon vacation. We had a GREAT time. We realized on the way down there, it's been over 2 years since we've been anywhere just us two! It was a quick trip but just what we needed. We had a great time and look forward to taking Lee with us one day!

Thanks to a good friend of ours who lives close to New Orleans, we ate at this restaurant for our anniversary dinner. It was absolutely delicious. It's a bit out from downtown but a local gem! It was well worth the 1 1/2 hour wait!

4 Years and counting....

Taking a break from walking around town....being 8 months pregnant, we had to do this quite often for the sake of my two feet!! :)

Obviously a must when visiting New Orleans....it was delicious as always!

The weather was absolutely beautiful while we were there. Friday it was high of about 70 degrees, sunny, and BEAUTIFUL!

33 Weeks!

(Yes, we just skipped over 32 weeks. We'll pretend that one never happened. I don't have a picture and it's pointless now to go back and fill in the blanks with what will pretty much be the same for 33 weeks!)

How far along: 33 weeks

Size of baby: Lee is almost 4 1/2 lbs and is approximately 18 inches long

Total weight gained/lost: I'm up 21 lbs...confirmed by the doctor last week. Boo.

Maternity clothes: Yes

Movement: Yes! He is starting to slow down a bit though....I think he's running out of room in there.

Sleep: Not good. I've almost resorted to the couch. I'm holding out as long as possible with staying in the bed. Last night I was up from about 3 until 5:15am. I know this is preparing me for a little newborn in the house, but until then, I would LOVE to be able to get a full nights sleep. My hips are starting to kill me during the middle of the night and feeling like a beached whale while I flop around trying to get comfortable, I'm sure is not pleasant for the husband either.

What I miss: My normal energy level....I can't go nearly as long as I used to be able to. My lower back starts to hurt if I'm on my feet for long periods of time and I'm ready for bed by about 9:00pm (maybe earlier....) pretty much every night!

Symptoms: Still the heartburn.....I LOVE TUMS! ;)

Aversions: Nothing new

Highlights this week: I'm very excited about our Decatur Shower this weekend! My family will be meeting us there for the day on Saturday. Also, I'm super pumped about seeing our good friends Melinda and Thomas Saturday evening!!!