Practice...

There are moments that I think I will go crazy if I try to read one more thing about pregnancy and babies. Really, people have been doing this since the beginning of time... and mostly without the help of Dr. Sears or The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding... I'm telling myself that it's all going to be okay. We'll figure this out. We don't have to be perfect.

I'm feeling less overwhelmed about all the baby "essentials". The list really has gotten ridiculously long. Pac 'n plays, bouncy seats, carriers, swaddling blankets, snap 'n go's, exersaucers, strollers & car seats to be used once they grow out of the infant ones, jogging strollers, play gyms, high chairs, cribs... I admit, most of this we do have. Oh, and one more thing. A Moby wrap. This I'm pretty excited about.

It's one very long piece of fabric that comes with instructions on how to wrap a baby to carry them around. It' s a little intimidating, so I practiced on my dog. You know, better to drop him than the baby. (just kidding... I was very careful not to drop him) Anyway, he loved it. We're definitely going to have some jealousy issues once the baby comes. Here's a picture of me with Charlie in the Moby wrap. A little hard to get on with my belly and all, but still effective.

Baby Moon

11 days until my due date! Things are progressing toward this baby coming. I'm dilated 1 centimeter and 75% effaced. The doctor has been running some extra tests because the baby is a little small. So far, everything has come back perfectly fine. Derek and I were both around 7 lbs 5 oz, so I think we just grow them small! Last measure the baby was weighing 6 lbs 1 oz... 20th percentile. Seems to me like having a baby on the small side could have it's advantages!

Last week, Derek and I went on a little vacation down to San Antonio. We stayed at a Hyatt resort, spent a lot of time by the pool, went to the River Walk and the Japanese Tea Gardens. Here are some pictures from our "babymoon". We really had a great time relaxing and just enjoying each other before our two becomes three!

Japanese Tea Gardens:








Here I am at 37 weeks. I'm definitely starting to feel pretty heavy and uncomfortable!




Pool Time!





Derek... gotta love $3 push pops!

Collage of Shower Pictures

Time is getting close to welcome baby Hall! My due date is 18 days away. It's hard to believe we're so close! I have to admit, though, that December feels like a LONG time ago at this point. That's when we first found out I was pregnant!

We have been so blessed by three more baby showers! Here are just a few pictures from those. Some from a shower in Austin that was mostly church friends and family, some from a shower the ladies I work with threw, and some from a shower in Texarkana.



Austin Baby Shower - Shaunna & me




Winnie the Pooh!



Austin... cupcakes from Hey Cupcake! Yum.



Work Shower: Elaine, Laura, me, Louise, Lynn, Debi, Ronnah, Carolyn, Mary, Jenn & Jessica
(Such sweet women! They threw an awesome shower for me and Baby Hall. Plus, what a treat to spend work hours eating cake and opening gifts!)



Cutting the cake... it was really yummy with raspberry filling



Austin Baby Shower: hostesses + mom
Stacy, Kaely, mom, me, Natalie, and Kristen
Another fabulous shower! We really are so blessed to have such amazing friends. This baby will definitely not lack being loved!



Derek came to help load gifts.



Texarkana Baby Shower!
Derek's family was able to come for this one. His Aunt Judy, mom, and grandmother are to my left. A couple of sweet women from my parent's church threw this shower for me in June. It was a great time of catching up with old friends and spending time with family.



mom & me

Nursery

The nursery is done! We went with greens and browns. I think this will work well, whether we have ourselves a little boy or a girl! We bought a few new things, refinished and repurposed some old things, bought some things second-hand... It's all come together very nicely! I love just sitting and rocking and looking around at everything. I suppose I have the nesting bug pretty bad!



The crib before mattress and bedding.



Just beginning to sort things out...



All put together now... Derek's mom and aunt made the bed skirt and the bumper pads. They turned out great!



Our second-hand changing table and my Pottery Barn chalk & pin boards. Derek was making just a little bit of fun that I had to have the Pottery Barn ones! They're just so stinkin' perfect, though!



We're hoping this baby loves to read since we both do. The armoire we bought used and Derek repainted it. I added the Anthropologie knobs... I could go crazy with Anthropologie knobs. I really have to restrain myself!



Derek deserves some relaxing after all his hard work putting this room together. He really did the grunt work. I just did the fun parts! The rocking chair is SOOOO comfortable! My parents, grandmother and aunts/uncles went together to buy this for us.

So that's the tour!

Answered Prayer, a Surprise Shower & 30 weeks...

Probably the most excited thing I have to report is an answer to prayer. At my 24 week ultrasound, we'd been told I'd probably have to have a c-section because of the position of the placenta. (gross word, I know) We started praying that God would move it! All it had to move was 1 centimeter. I mean, faith like a mustard seed can move a mountain, right? Well, at 28 weeks, it was so far out of the way, the doctor didn't even bother to tell us how much it had moved. It had become a non-issue. Praise God!!

Below is a picture of me taken today! It doesn't get more current than this. (at least for June 7) I'll be 30 weeks on Tuesday. I've started going for check-ups every other week, and we started our birthing class this last week. Very interesting! Life really is a miracle. Did you know that there are valves in a baby's heart that close and others that open when it takes it's first breath? Tell me how in the world that could have "evolved".




About a month ago, Derek and I took a trip to Texarkana and stopped in Tyler along the way. I spent the evening with my old co-workers from Mother Frances Hospital. Actually, co-workers is a really lame word for these ladies. They are dear friends and greatly missed by yours truly. I knew I was going to eat dinner with them, but when I walked in they had actually set up a surprise baby shower for me... cake, presents, green chili stew and all! We had a great night together. Below are some pictures from my first baby shower!



me & Joy



Deby's got some cake skills... how cute are the marshmallow booties!



lt to rt: Tami, Lauren, Joy, me, Jennifer, Deby, & Steph



Tami, me & Stephanie