my baby shower and the Nursery

This past weekend was just wonderful. Filled with friends and family. We had our friend shower and the girls that put the shower on are absolutely amazing. There were six of them and they did a fabulous job. It was great. I decided to make a slide show of my 33 week pics, and of the shower and a few thrown in there from my b-day. Oh and also of the nursery finally all finished. WOOHOO!!

So if you have a chance enjoy the pics. The nursery is in there randomly. We worked hard on it all weekend and I think we are all set and ready.
It seems a little cluttered but I still think it looks great. I'm so excited to meet our baby boy in the following month to month and a half. :)
God is so good.

33 weeks and 3 days

This week has been crazy. I feel like I've fallen off the blog world and had no time to get on and check everyone and update. Sorry for being a bad blogger. I hope everyones week went well. I'm going to try to play a little catch up this weekend on those of you I haven't gotten to check up on.

Today we went to see the doctor. It wasn't what I would call a good appointment. 5 weeks ago our son was in the 40th percentile. 2 weeks after that he was in the 35th percentile. 2 weeks later he was 33rd percentile and 1 week later (that was today) he was in the 24th percentile for his size and gestational age. He is slowly dropping in the percentages.
Thats the bad news. The good news is our doc told us that he looks beautiful and healthy. No stress and his heart sounds great. He said we can just watch him closely like we have been doing. He weighs about 4lbs 2oz right now. My main goal for Cooper is that he weighs over 5lbs at birth. I asked my doctor if he thought that was possible and he seemed to have no worries that he would make it for sure to atleast 5lbs. So that was assuring. We go back in 1 week to check his growth again and see whats going on. They said they don't start to worry or really get to involved with the size until the baby is under the 10th percentile. So we still have a ways to go.

Tomorrow is my 2nd shower. Its my friends shower. Six of my best friends are throwing it for us and I can't wait to be there and see what they have done.

Tonight I went to go see a movie with 5 friends of mine and my mom. We went to see the "time travelers wife". First of all I just bought the book in a quick attempt to read it as fast as I could before seeing the movie because good love stories are always better to read first. I didn't of course get to finish it and now I've seen the movie and don't know if I can finish the book. I CRIED LIKE A BABY!!!
for those of you interested in seeing this movie or reading the book I will not tell you any details I will simply say I was sobbing when it ended. So hard that other people in the theater were looking at me funny as I walked out with my puffy red eyes. I never cry that hard, especially not in public. I'm not a big crier but apperently that movie just wrenched at my heart. So if your interested in seeing it, Warning you will most likely cry.
As we were walking out of the movie a man was standing in the walkway off to the side. He nicely said "oh I'm waiting for my wife" and motioned for us to go past him. I passed him and said to my mom and bf "I'm so glad I didn't come with him". I meant my husband, I was so glad I didn't go with my husband because then I probably would have cried even harder. As I finished saying it though I realized how it sounded to that poor guy and I said "my husband I mean, I'm glad I din't come with him". The man said "Wow thats not very nice" but luckily I knew he was joking. My mom and friend were cracking up though because only I could blurt something like that out and bring some poor stranger into my comment without even trying. I tend to somehow start up conversations with strangers by saying random things all the time. This is just me. I talk! I talk about random things to random people all the time.

Ok well I guess its time for me to go. I'm so excited for tomorrow. I'll post some pictures and stories from the shower later this weekend.

Oh and by the way, we got our furniture in!!!!!! YAY! I'm so excited. It looks amazing, I can't wait to take pics of the nursary also so you can see that. All of these are soon to come.
TATA LADIES!

A birthday and a doctors appt.

I'm now 32 weeks. Yay!
Yesterday was my 27th birthday. I can't believe I'm 27 years old. It was such a nice day though. I had a great time at work with all the work friends and the sweet gifts they gave me. One of the ladies I work with gave me a whole handful of adorable kids books for me to put on the book shelf in Coopers room. I LOVED this gift. When I got off of work I met my best friends for a girls pedicure! I haven't had one all summer and I wanted one bad. It was great. Except for the fact that I think I might have bruises up and down my right leg due to the near beating my lady did when she was "massaging" my legs. Hah, It actually hurt. But the rest of it felt great and my toes look just beautiful.
I went home with the girls all following me to meet all of our hubbies at my house so we could go to dinner. To my surprise my younger brother had driven two hours to surprise me on my birthday. He's in college at OU and is just finished with summer school and lives in Norman with the rest of my family. He works every weekend so when we go there we see him but its always so short and I feel like I never spend time with him. So this was a GREAT surprise. We all went to dinner and enjoyed the night. I got a yellow purse from my friend Shannon, I love it! Its so sunny and fun. I love birthdays, but I was exhausted by the end of the night and ready for some much needed rest.

Today we went to see the doctor. This visit was important because we have been sitting on pins and needles for weeks now waiting to see if he grows and if its enough for them to feel confident he can stay in there and grow for quite some more time. The doctor we saw was so sweet and explained things great. (Our doc is out of the office this week). He measured the baby's head, femer, and waist 2 times to get an accurate measurement, he felt like the baby had consistently grown (although he's still small and his waist is still small) he felt he had grown consistently over the past two weeks and felt good about the progress. He said to come back next week and we will measure again and keep hoping that he keeps on growing slowly but surely. If his growth declines at all thats when they will start to worry but so far we have made it this far and will definitely make it to 33 or 34 weeks. I have a great feeling that he might suprise us all and stay in there growing slowly but surely until the very end. That would be SOOO GREAT!.
The doctor said the heartbeat was great, the amniotic fluid looked wonderful and my placenta looked good. So everything else seems good. We can do this Coop. God is watching out for us.

Thank you to everyone for all the prayers. We appreciate them always.

Our baby shower!

Cooper room halfway finished.




First of all I want to thank all of you who sent a comment on my last post. I was very upset and worried and still am but feel encouragement and power in prayer. I appreciate your support and just want you all to know that it means allot to me. So thank you.

Now for a happier post than last time. We had our first baby shower on Saturday. It was my family shower and it was just beautiful. My mom and S.I.L threw it for us. They did an amazing job. I have TONS of pictures so I have to share some. I will try to only post ten or so, but I have so many good ones.
We are blessed with some really great friends and family and the shower was everything I dreamed of.
We now have the nursery half done. The walls are done, there are lots of baby items in the room but unfortunately half of our furniture is still on back order. So I am going to post pics of what we do have in there right now and then when we get the furniture in I will post more.

Also my sweet cousin Caroline came to my shower. She took some pictures for us (she's interested in photography) and I think she did a great job. So I will post some of the maternity pics she took of me in my shower dress and of me and my hubby.

Update on the baby: We won't know more on his status as far as growing and his waist circumference until a week from tomorrow. But as far as I know we are both doing well. I feel really good which is sort of bothering me since I know he may not be feeling the same. I would trade and take that discomfort away from him in a second if I could :(
We met with the pediatrician and I am feeling VERY good about him. He was so great. He wants us to call him after every appointment and tell him the status so he is ready and waiting and knows exactly whats going on with our little Cooper and what to expect the day he's born. I feel like he's really on top of things and knows the situation.

I just want to say a prayer for our little guy before I finish this post.

Dear God, Please watch over our son and help him to grow and to be healthy mentally and physically and to be ready to enter this world when his time comes. Please give us the strength to make it through these hurdles and bring us together safely. We love you!
Amen

Please pray for our little Cooper

Today we went to the doctor, I am 30 wks and 3days pregnant. Our appt started out fine, The babies heart sounds great, his head and femur measured at about the 30th percentile. Still slightly below average but he's healthy. Then our doctor decided to measure his stomach because he said it looked a little on the small side and sure enough it was -2 compared to his body size. I didn't quite understand what this means so we had the doctor explain further.
Basically (and he said this is more common with IVF babies but there is no reason or cause for this). His stomach isn't growing as it should. Its pretty small therefor he can't eat as much. He's getting nutrients just not as much as he could be so he's growing slowly. The doctor said that this problem will not get better while he's in the womb and that it can either stay stabalized and the same or get worse. If it gets worse then they will consider taking him early because if his stomach starts to shrink and he's not getting nutrients and they can't fix the problem it would be worse for him to stay in then to come out.
I called my mom the minute we left the doctor, she helped me to feel a little bit better but no matter what I'm so worried. Then I got to work and my boss new something was wrong and I burst into tears and he starts asking me whats going on. I explained it to him and its like it all hit me. I'm only 30 weeks pregnant. I know its not happening right now but I really wanted my son to be healthy and ready and strong when he comes out and its looking like that may not happen. I have been praying extra lots today and will keep praying that he keeps growing and that this stomach problem stays the same and doesn't get any worse so that he can stay in and keep growing gradually for the next atleast month and a half. He weighs 3 lbs right now. He won't gain as fast as he should but every week he's in there he will gain as long as his stomach doesn't start shrinking.
Please help us pray for our baby boy. I'm so worried about him but trying to be positive because I know that the stress and worry isn't good for him or I either. I know prayer is what will help us through this so please pray for our Son.

I appreciate it girls. And I will update as soon as they tell me more. They want us to wait 2 weeks before checking him again to see what happens in that period of time but after that we go 1-2 times a week depending on if its getting any worse. So we will know more in two weeks.

Is it real!

Yesterday I started to feel the worry coming back. The worry I experienced in the first tri-mester when I wasn't sure things would work out. Of course we made it through that point and here we are. I always have worried but it seems like the past few months have been better. Today marks my 30 weeks! We are ten weeks away from my due date and I couldn't be more excited and happy to meet and hold and love my baby boy. But somehow I'm starting to worry so much because we are so close of all the what ifs. Like we've made it this close, He's my baby. He's my everything and I already feel like he's out and in our lives and I just wish I new he would be safe and sound and come out fine. So I pray! I pray constantly for his safety and wellness.
I also started to realize today, just how blessed we truly are as women. Even though it may be uncomfortable and a pain sometimes pregnancy really is such a blessing. The fact that we as women are chosen to experience it just amazes me. Its sad, my hubby can't feel these kicks from inside of him. Talk to him all day long or just know he's in there listening or sleeping while I work. I'm sorry to any women reading this blog that hasn't reached this place in there journey yet or who may never be able to experience this. I am not by any means trying to rub this in any of your faces. I pray for all of you so much, I think of all of the girls on my blog that are suffering, that are expecting, that are exploring other journeys, and I know its hard to read about all the pregnant women every day.
I just had to say how special it truly is that we as women are chosen by God to experience this. It is beautiful and amazing.

So as I said I'm 30 weeks today. I can't believe it. Last week was a good week, Cooper isn't moving as much or I should say as strong as he has been in the past. It started to scare me so today I started counting kicks and he's still kicking well over 10 kicks every two hours but its just such soft kicks. I assume he's crammed in there and that's why?
I see my doctor on Friday so I will definitely ask.
Sunday morning I awoke to a terrible jab of pain in my lower right side. IT HURT SO BAD! I cried. I was at my parents visiting and I lay on there couch with little tears running down the side of my face (not sobs or anything just a few small tears). But my mom asked if I was ok, I explained that it was a sharp pain in my lower side, Nothing I had felt before. I could barely stand up straight. I kept having BH'S too. My mom went to wake my husband while I lay there in agony. He came and comforted me as he always does. Talked me into getting up and walking slowly and he and my mom suggested I take a warm shower and then see how it felt. I showered and walked and sure enough it subsided. I assume it was a pulled muscle.
The day before we spent the day with my parents, brother, sister in law and niece Natalie. Natalie had put her hands up for me to pick her up quite a few times throughout the day and it was hard to resist her she's so dang cute. So I did and I'm assuming I pulled a muscle doing that.

I posted a few pics of my cutie pie niece playing in the sprinkler and then some of my brothers and hubby. Me and my sis in law and me and my niece. It was a great weekend, I absolutely LOVE my family. They are my everything so here are some pics of our fun weekend with the fam.

This Saturday is our shower, I can't wait to post how it went!

29 weeks

Not much to update on, except I posted one picture of sweet Cooper at 28 weeks along.
As far as how I'm doing, Good I think? I feel pretty good this week. Tired (what else is new). The babies kicks have been growing to new strength these days. He's getting stronger and I love it. Its becoming such a big part of my day to just enjoy feeling him move while I work. Its so amazing.
I've been having pains down my sides. Nothing serious but it almost feels like an ovarian cyst but its higher up on my sides so I know that's not what it is especially on both sides in the same place mid side running down. I assume its the round ligaments stretching.

My mom bought me my baby shower dress a few weeks ago. Its from the Gap maternity. I love the dress but I took it to an alteration shop to have them cut the bottom off and make it into a bubble dress. I didn't like the way it hung. I went back to pick it up today and I think its going to be good. Its definitely a bubble, which is what I wanted. It looked a little full and funny without shoes but then I put heels on and it looked much better so I'm looking forward to wearing it to my shower in just 1week and 1 day!!! woohoo. So soon, I can't wait!

In other news my ankles are swelling again. Not really bad but noticeable. Its like my bone and the top of my foot are allot bigger than they should be. That's not very attractive. I'm drinking water and have put it on pillows tonight, But I'm not sure what else I should try. One side is worse than the other so it looks funny. How can I make it go away?

I realized yesterday that I only have 11 more weeks until my due date. That doesn't sound long at all. It made me antsy (in anticipation to meet my son) and nervous (for fear of actually delivering) and scared that I need to get more done NOW! I just can't wait. God is so gracious!