3d cutie!

yesterday we went to the doc for our 34 week appointment. our doc wanted to do an ultrasound to see the size of the baby because he had been measuring a little bit ahead. we were thrilled to get an ultrasound!

david was next door and was on his way to meet me so i tried to stall as long as i could by using the bathroom, asking questions, etc. finally we started with the ultrasound and david made it just a few moments later.

our baby was so precious! the last u/s was at 22 weeks, so of course he looked entirely different this time around.

the sonographer was so patient and nice. said he has lots of hair and his belly is large (in the 90 something percentile). he weighed an estimated 5 lbs and 5 ounces which is right on track for his age. so we might not have a big baby after all. we also saw his lungs and the sonographer said he was "practicing breathing." what a good little boy!

the sonographer then did some 4d imaging. it was very cool. we watched from the TV screen and saw very detailed, real time images of him. he looked peaceful and happy! he was also practicing sucking and he was moving all over the place.

i didnt get much work done when i got home because i just stared at his u/s pics for an hour or so. in the spirit of the holiday i dressed him in a santa's hat. he's just so cute i couldn't help it!

mostly we were happy he seemed healthy and developing well.

back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound.

showered with love :)

Last weekend baby mcconda was showered with love and presents from so many wonderful friends and family. we had two showers... one from aunts susan, julie and jennifer, and one from aunt laura and nonna. it was awesome to celebrate with the people we love. thank you to all the aunts and grandma's for making everything so perfect! now, we just need baby mcconda to GET here!!!!

Here are some pics from the showers.........

Me and the girlies

laura had a chocolate fountain... not sure who liked it more, me or autumn :)

me, austin and lauren... lauren is just a few weeks behind me!

playing a game that liz and erica let get out of control. competitive much?

ok, awful pic of me, but this is the baby's bedding... so baby and so cute!! can't wait till he's all wrapped up in it :)

my sisters did a great job on the decor!

full of thanks!!

this year i am especially grateful for the wonderful things in my life.

im thankful for a healthy, easy and enjoyable pregnancy. though i haven't felt perfect, and at times it is tiresome, i really have been blessed with a relatively easy past 7.5 months. there's not too much i can really complain about.

im thankful for my family and their endless supply of solicited (and unsolicited) advice...

im thankful for my friends (both new and old and now, both near and far)

im thankful for God who always takes care of me, never leaves me, never disappoints me, and loves me despite the many mistakes ive made and the many flaws i have.

im thankful for an easy and happy transition to west virginia (for the most part :) though i never wanted to move away, there are many good things that have come from it. i have learned that you have to carry your happiness with you wherever you are and it is always your own choice whether or not to be happy. i also learned that sometimes you cant get everything you want in life exactly like you want it (booooo!)

and lastly, i am thankful for david-- the most supportive, encouraging, hardworking, and funny partner. i never brag about him on the blog but he deserves credit. the boy works so hard and never complains. despite a crazy and demanding schedule, he still attends doctor appointments (some 6 hours away!) picks me up milkshakes when i have cravings, listens to me babble about registries and nursery decor, and sometimes even reads my baby blog : ) he is going to be the best dad!! i couldn't have picked a better father my child. that is what i am MOST grateful for this year.

oh, and im thankful for peppermint chocolate milkshakes from chick fil a.

i am not thankful i cant get them on sundays : (

bowling ball babies

some families pass down impressive genetic traits. like beautiful baby blue eyes or curly, shiny hair. what trait do the women in my family pass down? apparently, BIG babies. like, really big.

my mom said all four of us were well over 8 lbs, with julie being over 10 lbs at birth. my sisters, too, have set remarkable precedent for big babies with ethan at 10 lbs 8 ounces and zoe at 11 lbs 2 ounces. (no, that is not a typo!)

so, i shouldn't have been surprised at the doctor's yesterday when she said that i was "measuring ahead." "What does that mean," I asked her, as i thought we were very confident on the due date. she said it means that my due date is not in question, but rather, that he is measuring larger than typical for 28 weeks. well, great.

i mentioned to her that my family had large babies and this was all she needed to get the discussion rolling. while she's not concerned it will mean anything unhealthy for me or the baby, she said we will definitely have to take it into consideration as i try to have my natural, non c-section, no epidural delivery.

she said its one thing to not have an epidural... it's another to not have an epidural and vaginally deliver a 10 lb baby. in fact, she mentioned that after a certain weight we should probably consider a c-section, given that i have no precedent as a first time mom that i am...ummm... big enough down there.... to handle it. not exactly the news i wanted to hear, but at least i heard it now and can be considering it.

david was busy at work and wasn't able to come to the appointment. to add a cherry to the top he informed that his family too is prone to having larger babies. well, smuge.

still hoping to not have to go that route but staying flexible to whatever happens.

thanks mom for such "special" genes :)

Momma the mall walker....

I have hit a new level of sacrifice for this child growing inside me that I never thought i would. it was one thing to ease up on the diet cokes, add a little milk to my cereal in the mornings, and yet another to entirely lose the ability to wear any pants in my closet that aren't made of elastic. but this is a new kind of sacrifice.

momma is now an official mall walker. it is so sad. david laughed and said, "i always made fun of those people!" i did too. i feel like even my unborn child can feel the embarrassement of joining the mall walkers club. but my yoga instructor mentioned that woman who want to have an all natural birth should--as a prerequisite--be walking about 3 miles per day prior to delivery. so i am trying to get in at least 2 miles a few days a week.

originally i was walking outdoors like a normal person. but it has been cold here lately (we had snow on saturday!) and the hills outside were killing me. at least the mall is a flat walk.

i bought a pedometer that attaches to my sweatpants (cool!) so i actually wear it when i walk to measure my distance. i learned quickly that walking in the mall can be VERY dangerous.... here are some of my daily distractions:

i have learned to leave my wallet in the car and not to stop at any store for shopping. i strictly stick with my laps around the perimeter... if not, this could end up a very expensive hobby!

soon it will be getting very crowded with seasonal and holiday shoppers getting in the way of us "regulars." sigh... the things we do for love :)

26 and counting

when i jumped on the scale at the doctors office and saw i had gained 10 lbs since my last visit, i couldn't believe it... someone should have just shown me this picture! i feel like every morning that i wake up i have grown a little more.

new doctor:

on tuesday, we met with our new doc here in morgantown. we really liked her. her office is attached to where david works, so i think this will be a great benefit for us. it will be so much easier for us to both be at all of the appointments, as i start going to the doc every 2 weeks now. on Wednesday i met david for lunch before our appt in the infamous hospital cafeteria that i've heard so much about. all i can say is no wonder he eats whatever i cook at home : )

i liked the staff and doctor of our new place. she spent time to get to know us personally--why we were in wv, where we were from, how i was feeling, etc. I have been very sore the past couple weeks where my legs meet my belly. often it will hurt to just to stand, walk up stairs, or even lie in bed. so this was the main thing i wanted to talk with her about. the good news is that its "normal" and nothing to be concerned about. the bad news is it will go away, but not until after delivery : ( oh well, my little baby boy is totally worth it.

food and cravings:

it has definitely started. a few weeks ago, i was just hungry all the time. now i'm hungry all the time for SPECIFIC foods. david is awesome. the other night i asked him to bring home either oranges or grapes for me to snack on. he came home with blackberries, oranges, bananas, apples, strawberries, grapes, and fruit dip to dip it in. ha! i made a huge plate and ate it all. this boy loves fruit!!!!

birthing plan:

the planner in me is coming out. i researched online how to make a birthing plan and found good information and templates. we are going to sit down and do this before our next doc visit and go over it with her in details. i'm not going to be an anal or difficult patient, but i do want to try to have a plan and try to stick with it if possible.

here's the link for my preggie friends: http://www.babycenter.com/calculators-birthplan

etc:

nursery furniture is on its way. my mom is coming down in a few weeks to start painting. my patient and more baby knowledgeable sisters susan and julie were nice enough to go with me to register (the right way) so we can now check that off the to-do list. baby boy is moving like crazy all the time. he's a kicker, but i love him.

we can't wait to meet him!!!!!

24 week update

every day i feel more and more pregnant. at the end of this month, i will be in my 3rd trimester which is hard to believe!

my appetite is picking up tremendously. i mean, seriously, there have been a few days where i eat maybe 12 times a day. its usually healthy stuff... fruit, granola bars, oatmeal, etc... but it is all the time!! no more giving david my leftovers at dinner. momma eats it all!

i am in maternity clothes mostly, unless im wearing extra large pjs or something lose. i was having trouble finding maternity clothes so i ordered some online from gap and old navy. i was skeptical, b/c obviously you cant see it or try anything on first and you could only return by mail. but i was happy with almost everything i purchased. i recommend this to other pregnant people... shipping was very inexpensive and there was a lot on sale.

we have found a doc here in morgantown. our first appt with her is in a few weeks on the 26th. with her as our doctor, we will be delivering at ruby memorial (there's only one other hospital choice here!) we have heard good things about both hospitals so we feel comfortable with our decision.

names..... oh geez!! we discussed how nice it would be if the kid came with a name the same way it comes with a sex. "Surprise! You're having a... Billy!" But that is not how it works. David and I have been through this baby name book about a hundred times. David finally had the idea that he create a top ten list, I create a top ten list and we work from there. we have narrowed it down to 5 names. David said I could chose from there and he'd be happy with any of them. But I keep changing my mind!!

the baby loves to move! i feel him all the time. even when i'm trying to fall asleep : ) david can finally feel him too, so that is pretty cool. he is an active little boy.

we tried to register, but we didn't really know what we were doing!! it was overwhelming to say the least. i mean, i knew we would need a little kid's potty, but then you go to register for one and there are like 5 to chose from! What's the difference?! we don't know these things, so i've decided i'm going to go back with grandma cathy and let her help :)

we are traveling this weekend to a wedding. i will post some pics from it when we get back.