Hello Third Trimester...

Today I am 28 weeks pregnant... thus entering into my THIRD TRIMESTER! Whoa! Today is a special post... in previous posts, I've mentioned that Jordan's brother and his wife were expecting a baby as well. Well... on Tuesday, July 27th, sweet little Eden Hope Weathers entered the world around 1:24 in the afternoon. I was so blessed and honored to be a part of her delivery (I was the photographer).. This is the second time I've been in the delivery room. The first time was when my cousin Emma was born (it was a GREAT experience), but this time was special because I knew that in just a few short months, I'd be delivering my angel.

As I think back on Hope's delivery, the only word I have to describe it is... beautiful... the way our Creator has orchestrated and designed our lives from our very first breath is absolutely amazing to me. Hope is absolutely beautiful. She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz. and was 20 inches long. She looks like her momma :) and has big blue eyes and a head full of dark hair. Aimee (my sister-in-law) and I have often said how fun it would be to have babies that are close in age. Well, Hope and Ada will be around 11 or 12 weeks apart in age so we're thinking they will be really close :)

I'm really stretching these days... both physically and mentally. Right now I'm on vacation with family in the mountains, so I really have time think and reflect on things. Physically, I am growing. There are days my stomach is actually sore. However, some of that may have to do with the fact that Ada is SUPER active. I'm sure it's just because this is my first baby, but I really didn't expect movements from her that actually hurt sometimes... Mentally, I've really been starting to go through all the things I'm sure every new mother goes through. "Who will she look like?", "Can we handle a new baby?", "Are we sure that we are ready?"... etc. It's a daily struggle for me to keep all my anxiety and worries under control and trust in the Sovereignty of my sweet Lord. However, I know that He is who He is and that my circumstances do not change that! HALLELUJAH! Also, when I feel these bouts of anxiety coming on, I try and remind myself of the things God has already blessed us with during this pregnancy: we got pregnant with the first round of Clomid I took.. much to the surprise of us and my doctor, every screening test and sonogram has shown that Ada is developing absolutely perfectly, I have felt well (minus the morning sickness) and been able to do most, if not all, of the things I did before I was pregnant, Ada is very active and that is a reassurance to me that she's okay, Jordan has been an AMAZING supporter, encourager, and has earnestly prayed over me and this baby from the beginning, and it has been a joy to watch my family share in the excitement and joy of this pregnancy... wow... that's just naming a few! I want to record these things so that I can look back and be reminded in the future.

Okay, I know this post is getting long, so on to Ada's developments for the week. Right now, Ada's eyes are partially open now and she can actually blink. She also is having Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep... is that not crazy? Speaking of her eyes, they have color now. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, but they do have color :) The reason I'm growing is because she is growing! She's now measuring at about 15 inches from head to toe and weighing in at around 2.5 to 3 pounds! Well, I think that's a long enough post for this week...

27 Weeks...

Ahh... 27 weeks. I'm starting the last week of my second trimester. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and so emotional, but this week, I've been a little sad that it's all going so quickly... even though the past couple of weeks I've been complaining that it's going so slow. Oh boy... hormones!

This is a short post this week... I've got my hands full today. My mother-in-law and father-in-law payed us a surprise visit yesterday evening and have been visiting all day today. On top of that... I've got my nieces and nephew so my sister-in-law could go to the doctor... she's due any day now with a sweet baby girl.. Hope. Yes... we plan on Ada and Hope being B.F.F's... after all, they are only going to be around three months apart in age. 

Ada's developments this week: Her lungs and immune system have been maturing this week. In fact... if Ada were born today, she would have an 85 percent chance of surviving (with medical assistance) because her lungs are capable of breathing air. Of course we want her to stay in there to term, but isn't it amazing the medical breakthroughs God has blessed us with! Ada's length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! Her brain tissue and neurons are developing and her brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. Ada's measuring around 14.5 inches and is weighing in just over 2 pounds! 

I'm still battling swelling, but I've been walking... a lot, and swimming when I can. That has helped a lot! My next doctor's appointment is the first of August, so I've got about two more weeks. Until next week... :)

26 Down... 12-14 more to go!

Well friends, today I am 26 weeks pregnant. This week has seemed to creep by as well; however, I just keep thinking about how in two weeks I will be in my third trimester! I remember just yesterday, counting down the weeks until I was in my second trimester!

I've been feeling pretty good these days... as long as I stay out of this heat! Goodness gracious... I feel like this is the hottest summer EVER!... maybe it's just because I'm pregnant :) I'm still battling some swelling.. I've had to take off my wedding rings :( It's killing me to not wear them! I got some good news... I passed my fasting sugar test at the doctor. This is huge, because the cut off is really low and I passed! Diabetes runs in my family, so I was really nervous about developing gestational diabetes. Thankfully, since I've passed this test, my chances for developing gestational diabetes are extremely low! I gained a little more weight last month then I liked (Dr. Daniel had no problem with it), but I know myself... I had kind of slacked off on walking and definitely gave in to my cravings every now then. So.. I've started back walking... about an hour a day at least four days a week. My sweet grandfather (PawPaw) is my walking buddy. PawPaw will be 76 years old in January. He's very healthy except for two things... he has two artificial knees and a gut :) So... we decided we would both benefit from walking everyday, and let me tell you... he is a trooper! He goes the full hour and stays up with me. I am so thankful for this time with my PawPaw. I know that this time is precious and I cherish it... even if it is 100 degrees outside!!!

Developments in the nursery are at a stand still right now. As much as I want to work hard and get it all done now... I realize that I do have plenty of time and I should really wait and see what I get at my shower. It's totally my personality to get my mind set on something and then throw myself 100% into it. I'm very stubborn that way.

Ada's developments this week are quite significant. Air sacks are developing in her lungs so she will be able to actually take a breath. These air sacks are technically called "alveoli" and will continue to develop for the next nine years of her life... is that not crazy? The retina in her eye is completely developed this week, although her eyes are still sealed shut. Ada's brainwaves for her auditory and visual systems are actually detectable this week. So, her brain is actually registering things like sound and light. Her hearing is continually developing, and soon she will start to recognize our voices (Jordan and I talk to her all the time :) Ada is weighing in at approximately 1 2/3 pounds and is around 14 inches from head to heel.

The more I think about it, the more excited I get. The maximum amount of time I have left is 14 weeks. 14 weeks ago, I was 12 weeks pregnant. WHOAH! That seems like just yesterday! Oh be still my heart! I can't wait for her to get here so I can hold her in my arms! My prayer is that I would not wish time away. I realized the other day, that I will never have Ada in my tummy again. Hopefully I will carry other babies... but not her. I pray that throughout the rest of this pregnancy and in the years to come... that I will not focus on the "next" thing, but I would live in the present and soak it all in :)

25 Weeks...

Why oh why is it creeping by? I know I've said this before, but some weeks fly by and others creep. I think time is starting to creep because Jordan and I are so ready for her to get here. Sometimes... I go sit and rock in the nursery and try to imagine what my sweet baby will look like. I don't know if I've shared this before, but here is my prediction... Ada may have some of my features, but overall... she's going to look like her Daddy. I don't know why.. I just have this gut feeling. I think she will have a head full of black hair, a cute little button nose, and bblue-gray eyes. Oh yeah.. and I'm praying she has her Daddy's lips... their very full and plump!

I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday of this week. So far everything is great! I'm now officially in my positive weight gain... plus 5! Oh dear... I better get use to the number on the scale going up... I just have to keep reminding myself that in the end, I will have a beautiful baby girl to show for it! Ada's heart rate at my doctor's appointment was 157... healthy and strong! I've been really worried about how "much" I'm showing... I feel huge! But, when the nurse measured me, I was measuring right on schedule. I guess I just feel bigger than I actually am. I still have a hard time imagining just how big I'm actually going to get. My sweet sister Caitlin went with me to my appointment with me. She left for Honduras this morning... pray for her and her team. She will be with a team there in Honduras for a month working in orphanages. By the way.. she has a blog that she will be updating when she gets a chance while she is there. Here is the link.

Ada's developments this week... her hands are fully developed she's spending a lot of time these days groping around. Because her brain and nerve endings are developed, she can feel the sensation of touch. Her arms and legs have grown and are now pretty much proportional to the rest of her body. Ada's nostrils, before now, were plugged up... now they are clear and she is practicing breathing through her nose. Okay.. this is cool... her spine is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments! Capillaries are now forming and it's giving her skin a pink glow. Also, the blood vessels in her lungs have developed this week. She weighs around a pound and a half... whoah... fatty :) and she is around 13 1/2 inches long.

Have a great weekend! I will post again in a week :)

24 Weeks...

Yay! 24 weeks down... only 14 more to go (Yes, we are still praying she comes around 38 weeks... in fact,  we are praying over a specific date.. October 9th)... So far, so good. I'm having more frequent swelling in my feet and ankles... a couple of times, it's even gotten a little uncomfortable and I've had to stop what I'm doing to go prop my feet up. Jordan's been amazing! He is so patient with me... I have to admit, I'm so very spoiled! Ada's movement is getting stronger and stronger. Jordan's loving it! He can see her kick and roll... it amazes us how it never gets old. Now, my family is able to feel her kick. I love seeing the expressions on their faces when the feel here... pure joy! Sleeping through the night is getting a little more difficult. I've developed slight apnea just from the pregnancy and it only really affects me if I sleep on my back. So... I have to stuff pillows behind me so I stay on my side. The apnea plus the fact that I get up to use the restroom at least three times a night makes for difficult "good night's sleep"... I guess the Lord is just preparing me for those late night feedings that are coming here in a few months! In the grand scheme of things, I have nothing to complain about! I realize how blessed I am to have a healthy baby girl growing in my belly... a supportive and loving husband who adores his daughter already... a great family... and I really feel good!

Ada's developments this week... she's working hard, getting her lungs ready and packing on the pounds so she can be ready to live outside of my tummy :) She gained about a half a pound just this week (I'm sure I did too... lol)... She's getting bigger and bigger and things are getting a little crowded in there... I'm sure of it! Her ears are fully functional now, and she may even get startled at loud noises or sudden movements! She's getting used to the sounds she hears everyday in my womb... my heartbeat, my breathing, mine and Jordan's voices... etc. Her inner ear is fully developed as well, so her sense of balance is working. She can tell whether she is hanging upside down or right side up :) No wonder she kicks when I float in the pool on my stomach... poor thing's hanging upside down! She can also feel and sense my movements. She's still measuring at around a foot long, and she weighing in at around 1 1/3 pounds!

I have really been working on the nursery this week. Jordan was so sweet to give me my "nursery allowance" (we totally had to set a budget or else I'd go crazy spending money left and right!)... so I really went to town this week. I bought valances for the window, my grandmother and I used two of the valances and made a crib skirt, we bought a rug, a friend let me have a table she was getting rid of that I'm more than likely going to use as a changing table (thanks Jami and Katy :)... I made a little floral arrangement from an old box I found at the thrift store, I bought a crib sheet for the crib, and I made some homemade wall art... see... I told you I've been busy :) I'll end this weeks post with some pictures of what I've done in the nursery so far...