T -6 days and counting!

We had our 39 week appointment today and it went pretty well! My blood pressure looks great, his heartbeat was at 130, and my belly measured right on track at 39cm. There has been a bit more progress and the nurse seems to think I won't make my next appointment. The doctor however says that he will see us next Friday for our 40 week, 1 day appointment. I sure hope he is wrong and the nurse is right!

If this little guy is stubborn and we do make our next appointment... we can then choose to be induced on the 9th. I guess it is nice to at least have a date in mind and something to focus on. Hopefully he decides to make an appearance before then though!

Right now I am at at a really good 2cm (basically between 2 and 3cm), still 80% effaced, and he is at -2 station still. We will just have to keep going on those walks and hope that this guy comes when he is ready... and that he will be ready very soon! (Especially as the walk last night was darn right cold at 32 degrees with a wind that gave a windchill of 25 degrees!).

It is looking more and more like he will be a November baby. It is also looking like Mitch and I will get our wish and not have a Halloween baby!

Eviction Notice... Served.

Dear Baby Boy Hofer,

You are hereby officially served your eviction notice. I would love to be pregnant with you for a little bit longer, but it has now gotten to the point where I am having a hard time walking due to some ligament pain in my left leg/groin area. This, to me, is pointless pain and I find myself tired of it. That leaves us with one option and that option is for you to go ahead and make your arrival into the world. If I'm going to be in pain... we might as well make it worth something, right?

Lovingly,
Your Mother.

P.S. Your father is anxious to meet you as well. I think he is growing tired of the nightly foot massages he is currently giving me.

38 Weeks... And Counting.

We had our 38 week doctor appointment today and he looks to be doing just fine still. His heartrate was at 138 beats per minute and my belly measured 38cm (same as last week). Also the same as last week is my dilation and effacement which was a little frustrating for me to hear today. He has dropped a bit lower though, so there was at least some progress since last week.

The doctor explained to us that he predicts he will be seeing us next week... for our 39 week appointment. So what did Mitch and I do this evening? We went for a long walk to maybe convince this little guy that we would love to meet him sooner than later.

I just keep reminding myself that 13 days is really not a lot of time and we actually do have a lot to do before our son arrives. This is also the very last week or two that it is going to just be Mitch and I... and I want to enjoy that to the fullest. Our marriage is very important to us and while we are very excited for our little man to arrive, we are also a bit anxious about all of the changes that come with that.

Ready or not... only 13 days to go until that due date of November 4th.

A Moment of Reflection

It is absolutely amazing how much one learns in 9 months.

9 months ago, Mitch and I were pretty clueless when it came to pregnancy, babies, and everything else that comes with when you are expecting. We thought we knew what we were getting into, but now I know that we really didn't.

I remember back in June when we first walked into Babies-R-Us to start our baby registry. We had no idea what we needed... or what some of the things in there were for! From bedding to furniture and monitors to feeding supplies, we quickly realized that we were in over our heads and didn't have a clue about any of this stuff. I remember at one point I looked over at Mitch and told him that I was amazed that people were able to have babies and know how to take care of them. We quickly found ourselves to be very intimidated by the sheer amount of items in that store that I told Mitch that we needed to just go home and come back with our moms because I didn't know what to do in the store. (Yes, this would qualify for a mini-breakdown.) We went back to Babies-R-Us the very next weekend with both of our moms and they were our guiding light and helped us with our registry. I will never forget asking what a receiving blanket was... and then 5 seconds later asking what a flannel blanket was. (Word to the wise? They are the same darn thing.)

Last weekend, we finished up our registries and finished buying everything that we may want/need right away to help make life a bit easier for our new arrival. We didn't need the assistance of our moms and we actually knew what we were doing. It's truly amazing how much changes and how many things you learn throughout these 9 months of pregnancy.

The truly scary thought is if we've learned this much within the last 9 months... I can't imagine how much we still don't know and will need to learn.

Oh, Baby! 37 Week Update.

My doctor informed us today that we are officially out of the preemie stage and our little guy would be just fine if he made an appearance. The appointment went very well today... my belly measured 38cm today and he had a heartrate of 148 beats per minute (he was moving around and being active today!). My blood pressure is still nice and low (100/60) and let's not talk too much about the weight gain. Let's just say that I'm still within the recommended weight gain of 25-35 lbs, but I'm going to go be going over that 35 number any day now. If only my love for Reeses Peanut Butter Cups wasn't being encouraged by all of this darn Halloween candy that is out!

The past day or so I've been experiencing some low back pain and it looks like it was for a reason! I'm still only at 1cm dilated, but I went from 25% effaced to 80% effaced. I'd say that is a pretty significant change! The doctor says that I will probably make it at least 1 more week, which really put the deer-in-the-headlight looks on our faces. We really have a lot to do and we are starting to feel the stress of getting everything ready for the baby... and also packing and cleaning for the move.

I also really need to get a hospital bag packed.

It's just really difficult to try and get all of this stuff done when I am so exhausted every day. I have also been in a lot of pain for the last few days and it has really been trying to keep up the positive attitude. I'm not quite ready for him to be here yet, but I also have been struggling with the pregnancy lately. It's complicated, I guess. I'm just going to take it 1 day at a time from here on out.

Besides, the countdown is dwindling down. We have 20 days to go until we reach that due date.

36 Week Dr. Appt

Today was the first of my weekly doctor appointments and it went well. He is definitely head down and in a good position for these final weeks until he arrives. His heartbeat is staying pretty consistent with our past visits at 130 beats per minute and my belly is still measuring right on track (so I am assuming 36cm). I had my Group B Strep test today and we will get the results next week at our appointment.

They also did the first internal exam today and I am showing a little bit of progress, not that it actually means anything. You can stay at the same level for weeks... or you could change dramatically within that same day! (They really don't make it easy on us!). Currently, I am at 1cm dilated and 25% effaced. It will be interesting to see what we will be at next week at our next appointment.

I can tell that he has dropped a little bit as when he gets the hiccups, I definitely feel them quite a bit lower than where I used to. Wow... it really is getting close to his birth day. I think Mitch and I have a busy weekend coming up with all of the shopping, cleaning, and getting ready we have to do!

Colds and pregnancy do not mix well together.

After 8 months of pregnancy, the inevitable happened. I became victim to a runny nose, sore throat, sinus pressure, crummy feeling... common cold. I quickly came to the realization that a cold is the last thing that you want in the last month of pregnancy considering that you have limited options in what you can take for relief, you already can't sleep well, and you feel a bit uncomfortable all of the time anyway as is.

Thankfully I am just about over the cold. It really only flares up at night now (surprise, surprise), but during the day I am pretty good now. The cold had a long 4 day run, but somehow my immune system fought back and won.

In other news, I know I still have 4 weeks... but I am fairly convinced he has officially run out of room in there. The past 2 days have been rather painful with his movements and while I am thankful for the constant reassurance that all is well with him, I do believe that he could be a bit gentler. Just sayin'.

We still have quite a bit left to do before his arrival. We need to get the car seat bases installed into our vehicles, get them inspected at the fire department, pack the hospital bag, pack the diaper bag, finish purchasing baby items, and wash all of his clothes and blankets. And clean. And start packing up the house in boxes. And, of course, remembering how to breathe. Oh my.

35 weeks... 35 days.

Today completes 35 weeks and marks the beginning of the last 35 days... until the due date. Meaning, we have no idea how many days are left, but we can safely say that the end of the pregnancy is near! Sometime between now and 7 weeks from now, we are going to have a baby.

Wow.

We officially completed our birth and parenting classes last night were we received a certificate and everything. Not exactly sure what we are going to do with the certificate... other than have it as a memento in the baby book.

Lately, little man has been enjoying flipping side to side and he switches either every day or every couple of days. He stays head down, but he flips which side he is facing. One day I will have his back on the right side of my belly button and his feet poking out of my left side... and the next day it will be the exact opposite. Which is fine and all, however, it doesn't exactly feel the best as he really is running out of room in there!

Happy 35/35 to us!

First comes marriage, then comes baby... and house?

We are currently in the process of buying a new home... at the exact same time as getting ready for our little man to arrive. So in other words, it is a very exciting, hectic, scary, and overwhelming time in our lives right now!

We are going to be selling our townhome to Mitch's brother, Kyle, which makes it a little bit easier and less stressful (so if it takes us 3 days to actually move, it really isn't that big of a deal). Our closing date is currently set for November 19... so just after little man is going to arrive!

Our nursery is mostly done at this point with the exception of wall decorations. With us moving shortly after our son is born, it really doesn't make sense to decorate the walls. We will wait to decorate until we move into the new house and re-create his nursery at that point.

How about that? He is going to have had 2 nurseries when all is said and done... and all within 1 month of life! Hopefully our family and friends will be able to help us out as I really won't be much help so soon after delivery. It will be difficult, but we really are blessed with so many wonderful people in our lives that I know we will be okay.

Vikings Game!

Baby Hofer just went to his very first Vikings game today... and it was a win! I could tell that he was a bit overwhelmed with all of the noise and when the fireworks would go off? Oh my, he didn't like that one bit. He jumped every single time those fireworks would go off. At least we know that he can hear? It was a lot of fun though and we had a blast. I will say that it was a lot of walking/standing/stairs/etc. for an 8 months pregnant woman to handle, but I like to think I did relatively well. My ankles swelled up a bit, but I've been taking it easy since we got back home with my feet propped up and that seems to be doing the trick.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions. Final score: Vikings- 24, Lions- 10.

34 week Dr. Appt, Baby Shower, and More.

Today was our 34 week appointment and it went well! I received my flu shot today and Mitch is set to get his within the next 2 weeks at work. Little man's heart rate was at 130 today and I measured 34cm... right where everything should be! Next appointment will be for our 36 week check-up and then it will be weekly after that. Wow, we are definitely getting there!

This past weekend I had my last baby shower hosted by my friends Ann and Becky. It was absolutely wonderful and we were blessed with our family and friends showing up and the gifts they gave us to prepare for the arrival of our son. In the next couple of weeks we will start finishing up the registry and getting everything else that we might need/want. We also need to get the carseat installed here one of these weekends into the Escape. It's really starting to come together!

On Wednesday morning, Mitch and I were both heading out to go to work in the morning and as I was backing out of the garage... I definitely crashed the side mirror of the car into the side of the garage. Awesome. Nothing like an 8 months pregnant woman taking out the side mirror of her car... and with all of these emotions I have right now? Let's say that it wasn't a pleasant experience. All in all, a very minor thing that is getting fixed right now as we speak at the Ford dealership. It just didn't seem that minor to my emotional pregnant self at that time.

Speaking of being 8 months pregnant... I feel like he is running out of room! He pushes so hard against my belly that he actually completely distorts my whole belly. He still moves quite a lot, it is just a little different from before. Instead of kicks, he rolls and moves around. Last night he had some really strong hiccups that Mitch was even able to feel. At all times, I can push on my belly and feel him now... which means that when he is awake? Wow, do I know it. This can make sleeping a bit more difficult than I would probably prefer, but at least I know he is doing alright.

We also had our 4th birth and parenting class Wednesday night and it went really well. They actually had a baby doll there that Mitch and I had to hold for the whole 2.5 hour long class. I told Mitch that I was holding our baby, so he could hold the baby doll! It was a great class with a lot of really good information. We even got to meet a pediatrician and ask him a ton of questions after he talked with us for a good while.

Countdown? 5 weeks, 6 days (or a total of 41 days total) until the due date.

Ice Cube Drama.

So, my birth and parenting class instructor? I no longer like her. I mean, I get that I'm going to be in a lot of pain and that labor and delivery is difficult... however... I don't agree with making us pregnant women squeeze a painfully cold ice cube in one hand for a pretend "contraction" so we could use our breathing techniques and comfort measures we have been learning about in class.

Let's just say it doesn't feel the best. And she made us hold that ice cube for a really long time. Twice.

I am starting to freak out a little bit about the whole childbirth experience. Up until now I have had the very realistic, "yeah, it is going to be painful, but there is nothing I can do to change that and it will be worth it in the end." Now? It's more the "Oh emm gee! This is not going to be fun and I'm not really sure I am going to be ready for this for another year or two so if we can just go ahead and undo this whole pregnancy that would be great. Ok, thanks."

Nevermind that I have less than 7 weeks until my due date.

Part of my mind is okay with everything and the other part is a tiny bit overly anxious.

Now, don't get me wrong... I am still very much excited to have our little man here within the next two months and I wouldn't trade my pregnancy for anything. (And that is saying something as I am really starting to get uncomfortable and getting up to use the bathroom 5 times in one night while waking up with leg cramps 3 times in that same night is not my idea of fun.) Every time I look in his nursery or do something to get ready for his arrival... my heart just floods with so much love, wonder, and pride. I'm really looking forward to being a mom and while I am a little bit scared right now, I know that it will all be worth it in the end because it already is now.

Countdown? 6 weeks, 6 days (48 days total left until my due date).

Nursery progress... and our 32 week appointment.

Tuesday night (September 7th) we got a call from Babies-R-Us saying that our crib was finally in. So off we went to get the crib and crib mattress... and of course we put it all together that same night. And by we, I mean Mitch put it together while I sat in the glider drinking sweet tea and taking pictures. I like to think I provided the much needed moral support?

Either way, the crib looks amazing and Mitch really did a great job. Now we just need to try and figure out how we are going to configure so much furniture in such a tiny room. It sure is cramped in there! Once we figure out the configuration, we will get started on the wall decorations and getting everything finished.

Our 32 week appointment was this morning and it went well. I found out that I passed my gestational diabetes test with flying colors (I was at 87) and that all of my blood work came back with no issues. I have been very blessed to not have any issues with my health throughout this pregnancy! His heart rate was 136 beats per minute and he is still head down (which is how he was at 27 weeks). We also were able to set up the remaining doctor appointments (there are 6 left). Every two weeks from now until 36 weeks, then we switch to weekly appointments with the last one scheduled for November 5th (40 weeks, 1 day). It's amazing to think how quickly November is getting here!

In addition- here are some pictures from Labor Day weekend at my dad's house. We purchased a brand new camera (a Nikon) that we really like. We wanted to get a really nice camera before the birth of our baby boy (imagine this... we plan to take tons of pictures of the little man!). So, we decided to go ahead and get it now so that we have time to learn all that we can about the camera ahead of time. We have been really pleased with the camera so far and look forward to it being used quite extensively! The first picture is of Mitch and I and then the second picture is of my dad and I "comparing" bellies. I'm pretty sure I win the biggest belly award... hands down. I really have no idea how my belly is supposed to grow any bigger!

Countdown? 7 weeks, 6 days (or a total of 55 days until the due date).

31 weeks, 3 days belly picture.

So, here I am at 31 weeks, 3 days. It is fun to take the picture in the nursery (and I can only imagine it will be even more fun once we get the crib in and set-up!). I am feeling quite large these days... and my sweet, darling Mitch lovingly tells me that I'm only going to get larger. Thanks, dear. Actually, Mitch has been fantastic and says that our son is just getting bigger and healthier and needs more room. It is still fun to watch his eyes light up when we talk about future plans involving this little man. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Showers, Cribs, Classes and Babies!

Last Saturday I had my very first baby shower in Sioux Falls, South Dakota hosted by my wonderful mother-in-law. It was fantastic... and I wish I had pictures, but I will have to get them from my mother-in-law as I completely forgot to bring my camera. (This is becoming a recurring theme for me!). The shower went great and our little man received many wonderful presents. Of all of the gifts, I do have 3 favorites. 1. A blue and green handmade afghan by our little man's great grandmother, Dorothy Olson. 2. The glider that my mom and Da-Da got us. 3. A double picture frame with one blank side and the other a picture of Mitch in a Winnie-the-Pooh outfit... along with the outfit that Mitch wore 27 years ago.

Truly, truly blessed.

The only difficult part of the shower was the drive home. I was quite uncomfortable on the ride back and was having some cramping and tightening of the belly that I can only assume are those pesky Braxton Hicks contractions. There was no pattern to them, but they sure made for a long trip back home. Note to self? Don't go on long distance car trips in late pregnancy!

In other news, my good friend Michelle is not going to be able to make it to my local baby shower on September 18th. So, we met up on Monday to go get our dessert at Broadway Pizza (they make the BEST deep dish chocolate chip cookie sundae) and afterwards went back to my place as she had gifts for our little man. She was way too generous and got him way too many things... and we couldn't love the gifts any less. My favorite by far is the handmade quilt that Michelle made. Now that is something that he (and his parents) will cherish forever.

The shower definitely helped move the nursery along. One of the gifts from Mitch's parents was the crib bedding set... and of course that meant that we needed to go out and get the crib! So on Sunday we went to go get the crib, crib mattress, and changing table... and of course they only had the changing table in stock. We are still waiting for the crib and crib mattress to arrive at the store so we can go pick them up. Once we get the crib set up in the nursery we will be able to figure out how we want to arrange the furniture and then begin decorating the walls. It's really starting to come together!

Wednesday was our very first childbirth class and it went very well. It was very basic, but we had anticipated the first class being that way so it wasn't much of a shock to us. There was still some useful information and I'm glad we are doing this. We have 4 more classes to go (and I'm excited that the next one involves massage!). Mitch stands by the fact that these classes are an elaborate ploy to just get free massages from husbands. I'm pleading the fifth.

Well, you know how I have been pregnant with 2 of my friends Ashley and Becky? That is no longer the case as Ashley gave birth to her baby girl (name unknown as of right now) last Saturday and Becky is going to be induced sometime today. So in just a day or so, I will be flying solo in pregnancy. It was so much fun to see and hold Ashley's little girl and I can only imagine how much fun it will be to do the same with Becky's little boy. It definitely made me anxious to be holding our little man, but trust me... I can still wait. Yes, I do feel like I have been pregnant forever and yes, I am tired of the aches and pains and all of those pesky negative aspects of pregnancy. However, I know that he isn't ready for the outside world yet... and I think I still need some time to just enjoy spending time with my husband. I really don't want to rush through things just to rush through them. I'm currently enjoying getting his nursery put together with Mitch (okay, so watching Mitch put the nursery together as I sit in the glider drinking my sweet tea.... same thing right?). I'll have to put pictures up here of those events also... I'll try to do that with a new belly picture (as it is that time again).

Countdown: 8 weeks, 6 days (or 62 days total) until our due date!

30 weeks!

Alright. Here I am at 30 weeks pregnant with our son looking at the remaining 1/4 of pregnancy... and getting very anxious. I feel as if there is still so much to do before we welcome his arrival and that somehow 10 weeks is just not going to be enough time. On the other hand... 10 weeks is a long time to go! How can the same time frame seem so far away and so near all at the same time?

Pregnancy wise, things are going well. I'm still feeling relatively well and hey, I can still bend over and pick things up off of the floor. I consider that a win. I haven't seen any new stretch marks (knock on wood), my weight gain is about 23 lbs, my belly button is an outie now, I'm still craving the sweets, and I miss the days of the cute kicks my baby used to give me. I am now getting the painful my-baby-is-over-3-lbs-and-wants-to-move-around-in-a-tiny-space movements that can really downright hurt sometimes. However, don't get me wrong. I will take those painful movements 100 times over not being able to feel him move. It's a reassurance thing that tells me my little man is doing alright and growing like he should. So bring on the pain? Pregnancy IS weird.

Also, my first baby shower is this Saturday! I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to see what we will be getting for our little man. I told Mitch that we will definitely be spending Sunday in the nursery to go through all of the gifts and put them where they belong. We are so blessed to have such loving family and friends... our son is going to be completely taken care of and that fills me with so much joy that I can't even begin to describe.

Countdown: 10 weeks, or 70 days, left until our due date!

Announcement: I have a GLIDER!

Alright, so back in June when my grandpa (Da-Da) had his health scare and we all rushed down to Tennessee, I discovered a new item of furniture at his house. A glider. Now, I had wanted a glider for the nursery before this point, but holy buckets did this seal the deal. I was absolutely in love and heaven help anyone that sat in my glider while I was at Da-Da's house in Tennessee. (My cousin Katie has a story about this...).

Fast forward to yesterday. Yesterday my mom called me wanting the garage door code because she had to drop off a delivery. A BIG box of a delivery.

My wonderful, loving... and very astute Da-Da and mother got me a glider for the nursery. How wonderful is that? Mitch put it together for me last night and I am currently gliding away in the glider as I write this. To say that I love it would be an understatement.

So, in honor of my newly acquired glider... I present a picture of the nursery thus far. The walls are painted (moonlit yellow), the carpet has been steamcleaned, and we have a dresser and a glider at the moment. And of course Brady, the dog, who looks a bit less than thrilled that mom made him sit there for the picture. The nursery is definitely starting to come together... and I couldn't be more thrilled.

28 week Dr. appointment, a wedding, and a baby bump picture.

Today's baby bump picture was actually taken in the nursery! The walls are painted and the carpet has been cleaned and we are ready to start putting things in his room. Right now we only have a dresser, but in just under 2 weeks, I have a feeling we will have a few more items to put in there. It's hard to believe there is less than 2 weeks until my first baby shower! It is nice to be able to take the baby bump picture in his nursery though... it is quickly becoming one of my favorite rooms in the house. There is just something about going in there and imagining him being there in the near future that is so relaxing and peaceful.

Last Thursday we had our 28 week appointment... which included the infamous glucose test for gestational diabetes. Honestly, the drink wasn't bad at all. It tasted like orange syrup and was very easy to drink. I got a little jittery afterwards and then started to feel a bit nauseous, but nothing too bad. It was the crash that followed that was so hard for me. It took all I had to make it through the rest of the day (I worked until 9pm because of the appointment being in the morning). I haven't heard anything about the glucose test, so I'm assuming no news is good news and that I do not have gestational diabetes. Therefore, I've been continuing to feed that uncontrollable sweet tooth that appeared out of nowhere... and crossing my fingers that it doesn't come around to haunt me in the way of stretch marks and out-of-control weight gain.

Which, speaking of stretch marks, I cried the other day. At 27 weeks, I found my first stretch marks... and they are on the back of my right thigh. Yes, I know that they are a "badge of honor" and all of that, but I really had hoped to skate through pregnancy without any. So, now I am hoping that the worst is over and that I'm done with getting stretch marks.

Back to the 28 week doctor appointment. He is measuring on track and his heartbeat was at 133 beats per minute (he was resting at the time) and it sounded really good. I also got my RhoGAM shot on Thursday due to me being RH negative as well as an ID card I got to put in my wallet. Our next appointment will be on September 10 at 32 weeks and then I will be seen every other week.

In other news, my youngest brother, Andrew, got married this past weekend (Aug. 14) to Aimee. We have another Bridge in the family now... and I wish them only the very best. It was a beautiful wedding ceremony and they both looked so happy. It is so weird for me to think that my baby brother has a wife and a daughter, as well as three stepsons. I wish I had some pictures, but of course I forgot to bring my camera so I am going to have to rely on my mom and dad for pictures. I will say that while in the 7th month of pregnancy... dancing the night away is not the best idea. While it was a blast being out there dancing with Mitch, my dad, my cousin Katie, etc., I sure felt it by the end of the night... and the next day.

I don't know if I have mentioned this as of yet, but Mitch and I are pretty settled on a name at this point for our little man. We call him by his name at home or when it is just us and it really makes me feel closer to our son. The only downfall is that we sometimes catch ourselves about to say his name when talking about him to others! I will say that the parents really have been understanding in our want to keep the name to ourselves which is wonderful. I have also noticed that since reaching the 3rd trimester, my fatigue has skyrocketed. It seems that all I want to do now is sleep!

Countdown? We're down to 10 weeks, 3 days.

A mini Mitch? I think so!

Let me just start by saying that I am so glad we decided to do the 4D ultrasound. I really feel (and Mitch agrees with me) that we would have regretted not doing this after it was all said and done. It was a wonderful experience for not only us, but for all of his grandparents as well. Mitch's parents as well as mine all were there with us and what a great time!

It was really fun to get to know his positioning and what I'm feeling when he moves. He sure does like to move and he continued to show us that side of him. We also discovered that my placenta is on the right hand side of my body, which is where he loves to hang out. He cuddles on up next to the placenta right next to the main blood supply that has my pulse with it. He still loves to have his hands right next to his face and it looks as though we will probably have a thumb sucker on our hands. I guess that makes sense as I was a thumb sucker until I was about 8 years old!

We also caught him mid-yawn and oh boy was that a big yawn. He stretched his whole body for that yawn and we got pictures of both the yawn and the stretch. The ultrasound also made me certain of one thing... our little boy is going to look just like his dad. I can hardly wait! He was just so precious to watch on that huge screen and I can't help but love looking at those pictures we have over and over and over again.

With the ultrasound we were treated to about an hour of viewing pleasure and we were given a DVD of the whole ultrasound as well as a CD with 35 high-resolution photos. We also got a goodies bag that has a couple of useful things in it (such as a bottle cooler with re-usable ice packs).

All in all, I couldn't be happier and I know that Mitch feels the same way. All of the soon-to-be grandparents loved the experience also and that means the world to me. This little man of ours is already loved by so many people... and he just looks so precious. Seeing him today makes me anxious to meet him in 12 weeks give or take.

Why, hello 3rd trimester.

It's official. I am now in the third trimester and we are down to only 13 weeks left until my estimated due date of November 4th.

Not to mention only 2 more days until our 3D/4D ultrasound where we will get to see our little man again... and the grandparents-to-be will get to tag along. I know I am excited and it sounds like everyone else is also.

As far as the pregnancy goes... I really can't complain. I can tell that he is getting bigger and stronger as his movements, kicks, and stretches have become more and more forceful with each passing day. There are times where he honestly takes my breath away! Mitch and I both love to feel and watch him move around in there (even when he does decide to be difficult and move for mom, but not for dad). I have some aches and pains... and it is hard to get comfortable at night, but overall it hasn't been bad. What has been bad is my ever growing sweet tooth. I honestly can't get enough chocolate now and somehow I really don't think that is what our little man needs (or what his mom's thighs need). Hopefully this particular sweet tooth phase will disappear soon!

The status of the nursery is well... slowly, but surely getting there? We have the room emptied out and tonight we went out and bought the paint. We went with "moonlit yellow" and I'm very optimistic with how it is going to turn out. Mitch, Aimee, and Darwin are going to be the painting crew this Sunday and I am looking forward to being able to check another item off of our checklist.

Tomorrow I need to really get on top of daycare interviews/tours. Time is starting to feel a bit tight!