Sam and I spent this past weekend in Orangeburg. We had a wedding to attend on Saturday- Congratulations Timmy and Jessica- and we were given a baby shower on Sunday at Sam's church. We had so much fun at both the wedding and our shower! Caroline received so many wonderful things at the shower! It was nice seeing and visiting with friends at both! It was also nice to hear compliments on my pregnancy- some couldn't believe that I only had 2 weeks to go! I have been very blessed with my pregnancy and I'm thankful that all has gone well- normal blood pressure, appropriate weight gain, carrying through to the third trimester, etc, etc! I am thankful to the Lord for all of these things including wonderful supportive family and friends!

So tomorrow makes week 38! Just this past weekend I've noticed definite swelling in my ankles. I don't know if it's because I was busy over the weekend, lack of sleep, or just being plain pregnant! Today after recess I noticed it more so I went to the school nurse to check my blood pressure- it was normal. Then I e-mailed pics to my oldest sister- who is also a nurse and she thought that I needed to go ahead and make the phone call to my OB's office. Tammy, Dr. Holladay's nurse said it was normal and to not worry- I was nearing the end and swelling comes with it! I came home after school today- I felt like I was on vacation because usually I stay so late and I was home in time to watch shows before the news came on! I propped my feet up, watched tv, wrote thank you notes, and dozed off! It was nice! The swelling- I was told would be normal if it were in my lower extremities- I can still wear my rings, etc! My legs, feet, and ankles do not hurt so I'm not going to worry too much. I never understood until now why expecting mothers would say "I'm ready"! I LOVE being pregnant but Caroline- I feel is getting bigger by the day and more cramped, I'm waking up a lot more during the night and I'm uncomfortable in lots of places and I'm so tired, so I hope this doesn't sound selfish to say that "I'm Ready" to meet my baby girl! I go back to the OB on Thursday! We'll keep you posted!

Here's some pics of the shower in O'burg! Before the shower we watched our niece and nephew (Samantha and Christian) in a children's church program!

Week 37!

Today makes 37 weeks! According to the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting" Caroline is full term today! I had my doctor's appointment also today and I saw Dr. Holladay, my regular OB- I was very excited that he was in the OB suite this afternoon! Everything again checked out to be great news! BP- normal, urine- normal, weight- gained 3.5 pounds (not so bad- Sam's been fixing these yummy cinnamon streusel muffins and they're very addictive- I ate three in one day)! So total weight gain 35 pounds.

We got the results from last week's B strep test and I'm negative for this type of strep- so no antibiotics for me prelabor nor during labor- I was very pleased about this too! Dr. Holladay measured me and I'm measuring 36 weeks- still a week behind but again nothing to worry about.

I had a few questions for him that involve- LABOR- this word tends to make me nervous and cringe but it's going to happen! I received some handouts from last week's visit- came home, read them, and then afterwards had a host of questions. My first question- okay- really how do we know when to "make the call"? Dr. Holladay told me that my contractions need to be five minutes apart for one hour, I needed to be huffing and puffing with the contractions, and I need to be thinking to myself I can't take this anymore- these are signs that I need to "make the call"! I said okay, GOT IT! I'm trying to have all this planned in my head- I live 30 minutes from Baptist- so thirty minutes into the contractions- I'll make the call!!! I know, I know- things don't always go as planned no matter if you're the best planner in the world- but at least I can say I have a plan!

Oh, Dr. Holladay told me that I was also 50% effaced but no show no signs of dilation yet! I said, "oh that's good"! He told me that no I want to be dilating because then when its time to deliver I wouldn't have to work so hard- in other words if I wasn't dilated at all I would have to labor for a long time even if I were to be induced- so dilating at this point is what I want!

I'm getting anxious as I prepare my children for my leave- I've had some parents during our parent/teacher conferences last week to tell me that their child is very upset that I won't be back. I'm sad about this too and it was heartbreaking to see them so sad as I was telling them again that Mrs. Leviner won't be returning. It's really a lot of preparation in getting things organized for someone else to teach your classroom. I love my long term sub- Shirley Smith- she's done several long term sub positions for my team and I even told my team that I'm jealous that they get to work with her and I don't- she's such a Godly woman and Leviner's Lambs are going to love her- so I don't have anything at all to worry about! As of now I've gotten my maternity binder, filled with all kinds of information, ready. I've worked on getting end of the year permanent records, language arts folders (for when they go to second grade), testing samples placed in the ELA folders, summer reading packets, etc, etc. I'm now going to tackle 3rd nine weeks report cards, and getting my room ready for Ms. Smith. I'm going to have to come back when school's out to pack my room up for the summer- I may try to put some things away before I leave- but we'll see about that! Being a teacher is the best job in the world but it keeps me very busy- its a 7am to 6pm job! However, when school starts again in the fall I'll be leaving ASAP to get Missy Moo so I can spend that precious time with her- I'll never get the missed time back and I want to enjoy all of her firsts! I love her so much already but I just won't really know how much until she's born and I'm holding her for the very first time!!

Also, today I requested the doctor's on call schedule for the rest of March. It looks like Dr. Holladay won't be delivering me but I've seen most doctors in my practice and I'm okay with that- they're all WONDERFUL. I'm guessing- from the schedule that it could be either Dr. Salley or Dr. Stands- but we'll see!

I'll keep you posted!

Snow Day but without the Snow!

Today was a snow day but we didn't have snow! The weather forecasters called for one to two inches of snow in the Columbia/Lexington area but it never came! Since school was already canceled Sunday afternoon for Monday it was too late to change any district's plans- so it was a snow day but without the snow! I needed this day! I spent all day washing Caroline's clothes, bedding, etc! I did five loads of laundry and got most of her things folded or on hangers and put away. I can't still can't believe that I'm going to have something so small- so I took a picture of one of her onesies- it's so cute patootie. Sam has put together all of Missy Moo's furniture! Her room is coming together nicely! We still have some accessories to hang and some items to purchase but we're on our way to having her nursery ready! Wednesday I go for my 37 week appointment! I'll post then with any news.

I haven't blogged in a while but here's the latest!
On Sunday, February 22nd my very best friends Raven and Heather hosted a baby shower for me! It was so much fun and Caroline received so many cute, wonderful, and much needed baby items such as adorable clothes, books, mittens, socks, hats, bathtub, diaper genie, boppy, umbrella stroller, blankets, stuffed baby animals, changing pad cover, sleep positioner, pink and white polka dotted rubber ducky (it's just so cute- I've included a picture), towels, washcloths, letters for her name and much more ! It was also very nice to just get together with family and friends to celebrate this very special time in my life! Here's some photos! Doesn't the food look yummy! Raven even made homemade chicken salad and it was out of this world! Thanks girls!

Week 36!

On Wednesday, February 25th I had my 36 week appointment. This was the first time that I would be checked for any signs of progression- dilation or effacing. As usual, Sheron took my vitals- BP- normal, urine- normal, weight- stayed the same- I couldn't believe that I didn't gain any weight this time. I am eating less in my opinion, though not on purpose but I'm just not that hungry. So after my visit with Sheron it was time to get "checked". I saw Dr. Salley this time and he like all the other doctors in the practice was fabulous! When he first walked in and made introductions I felt like I already knew him (he took very good care of my friend Heather during her pregnancy even though she delivered at 25 weeks gestation- Morgan Kate, her daughter is now 6 months old and thriving). He first asked me if I had any labor questions. I told him that we'd just completed the birthing class (the one offered at the practice) and he said great! He then handed me information on labor-guidelines for when to know if you're in labor- and another on being induced. He said the practice does not believe in inducing women just because they're tired of being pregnant but they do induce if you're over your due date of course and for other health related issues! For an induction to take place you have to be "favorable"- showing some signs of progression. I thought this information was pertinent and even further believed that this practice believes in being very professional and medically sound when making decisions about their patients. After all of this it was time to get "checked". I was dreading it a little because I'd heard stories of how uncomfortable it was to be checked while pregnant, but it didn't bother me a bit. I was also swabbed for B strep, (normal procedures for being 36 weeks) and we'll get the results when I go this Wednesday for my 37 week appointment- this too didn't bother me. I asked Dr. Salley how much he thought she would weigh at birth and if she was head first. He told me that indeed she was head first and that she would weigh between 7 and 8 pounds at birth (he assured me though that the weight was a guess since she wasn't on a scale- funny). I measured at 35 weeks and questioned this because if I'm 36 weeks I should be measuring 36. He said this was fine and that he'd rather see me measuring a little small than big- he commented that there are too many big babies being born. I took a sigh of relief because I was beginning to worry that something could be wrong. After he wrote down the notes in my chart he commented that I had only one page of notes in my chart and that was good (meaning I was in good health) because some patients have lots of pages with lots of notes. This got me thinking and praising the Lord that I've had a great pregnancy and that my body has handled these new changes very well. I'll be going back on this Wednesday- so I'll post more then!

Caroline's first Build-A-Bear!

Finally, my coworker and friend, Lynn, and I went to make our Build-A-Bears for our babies on Friday, February 27, 2009! This was so much fun! We got their heartbeats recorded on special Build-A-Sound devices at one of our doctor's appointments. Today we took the devices to Build-A-Bear where we picked out the bears and then had the sound devices inserted inside of the bears so that when we mashed the paw we can hear their heartbeats! We had a lot of fun making the bears- naming them was the hardest. We called our husbands for "cute" bear names but they couldn't think of any. After some thought we came up with "Moo" for Caroline's bear and "Huggs" for Matalyn's bear! I've started to give Caroline the nickname of Missy Moo so this is why I chose it for her bear! I'm sure the nickname won't stick but the name will still be cute for the bear although she'll name it what she wants I'm sure! Lynn treated me with Caroline's bear and that was so sweet of her! We had a lot of fun and we recommend it for any expecting parents!

Baby shower at WKE!

Today, my school gave me a baby shower! We had such a great time! My team did an awesome job preparing for my special day! I had several friends that I use to work with but are now in other schools in my district come to the shower and it was so nice to see them- thanks Jenna and Kelly! Caroline got so many things like onesies, sleepers, clothes, diaper warmer, toys, receiving blankets, socks, baby legs (Heather I'm so excited about these baby legs), hamper, wipes, handmade monogrammed diaper bag with matching monogrammed changing pad, tummy time boppy mat, gift cards, books, bibs, etc, etc. I am so appreciative of all the things we got today. I can't wait to organize all these new baby things in Caroline's closet!

Today was some kinda day- let's call it bittersweet. It all began when I woke up at 5 am with a yucky stomach bug. It was also Sam's 32nd birthday! I stayed home from work and he decided to stay home and take care of me (he's such a sweetie). After watching Madagascar 2 (again) and getting some rest I decided that at 3:00 I needed to meander out of bed. By 4 I felt like a human again and decided that I was going to try and make it our first lamaze class! This class was very interesting- Tammy- my OB's nurse led the session and gave us along with a room full of other expecting parents very good information on how this whole birthing process WILL WORK. I was a teensy bit nervous seeing diagrams, (especially when she first walked in the door and asked "Whose doing natural birth"- not a girl in the room raised her hand), pictures, brochures, and handouts on how my body will somehow birth a baby but afterward I thought that it was useful- after all I might just somehow remember this one session when I'm in the second stage of labor and remembering how Tammy taught me to breathe through a 90 second contraction- just think 2 commercials! Tammy was wonderful in her presentation and left no one in the dark so to speak about what would happen in each stage and phase of labor- somethings however were very interesting like: most women will only be in labor 15 hours (I'm thinking false I know people that have labored nearly 2 days), some women come into the doctor's office needing/wanting to be checked and they'll say "If I take my pants off I'll have to push", you'll get a second dose of an epidural after your baby's head and shoulders have entered the birth canal (we'll turn down the first epidural so you can feel when you have to push), husbands- don't let your wife hold your hand just make a fist and tell her to clench it, and so on and so on. After the posters were shown and presentation made some dad's to be looked white as ghosts- I'm sure they were thinking about the part when Tammy said some dad's- the biggest ones- just pass right out after seeing their wives give birth.
Seriously, it was a very good session and we have one more next Tuesday where we'll learn about c-sections, more breathing techniques, and tour the hospital. It just seemed like what she explained in an hour an a half- all the stages and phases of labor/birth would take a woman in labor forever to accomplish- but I keep reminding myself that God made our bodies so that we could do this miraculous thing- give birth.
Tomorrow makes five weeks from our due date- Tammy mentioned that most women give birth seven days before their actual due date- again interesting! Sam and I have bets as to when Caroline will be born and how much she'll weigh, etc. We are just so excited to be going through this experience and think that its the most wonderful thing ever.
I'll be posting more later!

Happy 32nd Birthday Sam!

Tomorrow Sam turns 32! So let's all sing to him:

H-B-T-Y

H-B-T-Y

H-B-D-S

H-B-T-Y!

We went out to eat tonight with our neighbors to celebrate Sam's birthday early because tomorrow night we have our very first lamaze class! We are very excited about the class! After Wednesday we have five weeks to go! According to this man at church when told that I was having a baby in five weeks he commented that I needed to grow! As you can see from the photos- the new one at the top (Raven- he, he) I have certainly grown! These past eight months have gone by pretty fast! I hear however that the last month is the hardest! Caroline is so busy now- yesterday was the first time that we actually saw the outline of her body parts through my stomach- I think it was her elbow- this was very painful but funny to watch! Sam was so amazed! He says that she's getting anxious to meet us as we are her!

This past weekend was a treat! This weekend we kept our 15 year old niece Courtney! Sam had 2.5 dates all day long for Valentine's! We had so much fun together! For our valentine's dinner Sam cooked us steaks and the fixings!

34 and Still Growing!

Today makes week 34! I had my 34th week appointment today and everything is still looking great! This includes blood pressure, weight, and measurement! Yes, this time I did say weight- I only gained 1/2 pound! I was so happy when Sheron told me this bit of news! Today ends my two week appointments- I do go back in two weeks for my 36th week appointment but then after that I'll be going weekly until Caroline's born!
On rotation today was Dr. Stands- next to Dr. Holladay he hangs the moon! He's so nice and will spend as much time with you as you need him to! I had two concerns/questions today for him. One, I'm so thirsty all the time- just like I was in the first trimester- he said I could be dehydrated- I don't see how this could be for someone that drinks over 60 oz. of water a day but we'll increase the water intake! Two, could he tell already what position she was in. After checking her heart rate he said he found it on my left side so that means she's getting into "the position" so he felt around my belly and noted that he didn't feel anything hard at the top of my belly (her head) but thought that she was in the transverse position- head on one side of my body feet on the other. He told me that she had plenty of time to move into the birthing position! I was happy to hear the latter.
We begin our birthing class on Sam's 32nd birthday- Feb. 17th! We're very excited about taking the class and I'm sure we'll be loaded with lots of information from general hospital info to relaxation techniques (hopefully for the both of us!!).Here's also a picture of the polka dots! They are finished and Sam's so proud!

First Baby Shower!

Today we had our very first baby shower! We have been looking forward to this day all week long! It was a family baby shower given by my two sister-in-laws, Missi and Angela! We received so many nice things and it was great being in the company of our families! I cannot possibly list all of the gifts that Caroline got but she did get her very own pink Bible, piggy bank, crib, boppy travel swing, baby monitor, clothes, receiving blankets, baby wash, shampoo, wipes, diapers, hiney cream, clothes, onesies, sleepers, shoes, monogrammed burp cloths, washcloths, bottle washer, toys, monogrammed hairbow wall organizer, and lots lots more! Her mommy even received a few items! We are so appreciative of all the gifts and are very blessed to have family members that traveled many hours to share this day with us. Thank you all!

Yoo-Hoo Feet...Where Are You?

Yeah, week 32! I had my 32 week appointment today! Everything is still looking great! All of my vitals were wonderful- normal blood pressure, 146 was Caroline's heart rate, measuring 32, and finally minimal weight gain- yes only 2 pounds! Ever since my last appointment I tried doing some things differently- I changed my breakfast cereal- from Cinnamon Toast Crunch to Frosted Mini Wheats, I've been drinking less milk and more- yes even more water (with a little, I mean a lot of Crystal Light flavoring), eating less yogurt and snacking on more fruit. I feel like I am going to turn into a Pink Lady apple (they are the best in case you've never eaten one). I was in and out of the doctor's office in 20 minutes.
I came home from the doctor's office to find Sam drawing polka dots on one of Caroline's walls. I was really excited to see how these polka dots would turn out. After dinner Sam began to paint them and I love it!! He's still not finished but he's worked hard on them all afternoon. He's really excited about being able to draw and paint them- when he's finished I'll send more pics! We ordered our baby furniture last Friday and Sam just got the call saying that it was in! So tomorrow we'll be making a trip to Babies-R-Us to pick it up! Oh, I am so excited!
Here's a couple of pictures! My belly is well- BIG! We just had our maternity portraits taken and from them I think my belly looks like the shape of an egg- it makes me laugh to look at it! We had fun taking those portraits and I can't wait to get the prints we're ordering!
I think in the beginning of my pregnancy I've shared some typical "pregnancy symptoms". Well today I got a new one! This morning I woke up and could barely walk- it was more like a wobble from a stretching pain/sensation "down there". As the day progressed I found myself beginning to think that I was waddling- yes, yet another stymptom that I said that I would never get- Waddling! I wasn't bothered by this symptom- somehow pregnancy has calmed me down a bit- because another friend said that she had this same symptom! I did however mention this "pulling/stretching" ache to my doctor and he said that this was very normal and that it would only get more dramatic. I'm thinking that I'm going to be in a wheelchair because it REALLY hurts to walk- however I'm not complaining! Also, look at the last picture- what do you think it is? This is the my view of my feet Yoo-Hoo Feet...Where Are You! I use to be able to see my whole foot now its only a mere peek of the toes- another thing that makes me laugh! My belly doesn't just affect my view of my feet- I need help getting up off the floor, I can't easily bend over, I'm unable to shave my legs, put on socks, tie my shoes, and squeezing through spaces is almost impossible! I love being pregnant! It's fun to see and feel all of these exciting and new changes!
Caroline is a busy bee! The doctor asked me today about her fetal movements- was she moving a lot, etc. Since my last appointment she's gotten a lot busier. He told me that she would be moving less often now because of the amount of space she's inhibiting! Her kicks are really hard and I'm feeling them on both sides- I'm thinking at times that I'm being kicked near my back almost (I've read in the famous pregnancy book "What to Expect When You're Expecting" that I would feel harder kicks because there is more fluid than baby)! Also, my ribs- my poor ribs- at times I think they are going to break. Under my right rib is her favorite hang out spot! If you look closely you can tell that she's hiding there- most of the time!
Also, here's a picture of me and Mr. Kitty! He's noticing that his mama has changed- he seems very attached to me- he NEVER wants to sit on my lap and tonight he just decides that he has a big pillow to lay on! He's so sweet! When Sam works in Caroline's room he just walks around her room and meows!

Maternity Photos

On last Saturday we took maternity photos with our photographer! Here's the link and password to get on to view them:
Here's the log-in for collages.net:
Go to www.collages.net.
In the "view an event" section, enter username: Melissa and Sam, Maternity
password: 10292
I'm still getting use to them! Its hard seeing yourself this way- I feel very vunerable!! Patty, our photographer recommended that we wear dark pants and said denim would be best; however I didn't realize that she'd be getting me in my tennis shoes (I wore those for comfort)! Let me know which is your favorite! I couldn't wait to take the ones with her blanket, blankie buddy, and her toy Raffe!

Out of the Double Digits!

Nine weeks to go and I am so excited! Today I met with HR at my DO to discuss my maternity leave! My last day for this year is Friday, March 20th! I have enough leave to take the rest of the year off if she doesn't come any earlier than March 13th! I am so sad about leaving my children- this is by far the best group of children that I've ever taught- but then I'll be getting Caroline!!

Tonight we're picking out pink paint to go above the chair rail! Originally Sam was wanting to have the brown and the navajo white but I told him her room wouldn't be complete without the top part being pink (even though he's already painted with the navajo white). Sam's also going to polka dot one wall to match her bedding with a deeper shade of pink. I can't wait to see it all finished!

Working on Caroline's Nursery!

Caroline's Take Home Dress!

I've been told that Caroline needed to be frilled up when she left the hospital for home! Sam and I did a little shopping today for her and this is what we found. Its not a Feltman Brothers dress (which is what Melinda and I wore) but we thought this one was a lot cuter and cheaper!! We had fun picking out this little white smocked dress (with bonnet) and thought that we'd use it for her dedication too! I know it looks a little big for a newborn but the saleslady told me that they don't run any smaller than 3 months and my oldest sister assured me on the phone that this size would be just fine- I'm needing a lot of reassurance these days (but if its too big then we'll choose another "Fru fru" dress).

While we were shopping Sam found this very cute watermelon jumper that he just had to have for Caroline even though it was more pricey than I thought we should pay. He told me that he wanted to pick her out something on his own and that his little summer jumper would be cute on her- how could I say no (even on sale it costs more than the take home dress)!

We had a lot of fun shopping for our baby girl!