Ch-Ch-Check it out!

I created a new tab about my pregnancy!  It includes my weekly bump photos as well as links to some of my popular pregnancy posts.

Find it here.

Keep your eyes out for my birth story and some more picture updates!!

For now, I'll leave you with this precious pic of my little man.  He always looks SO comfy! <3

4 years ago today I married my best friend!

After over 9 years together, I can't even begin to think of how to sum up my relationship with Nick.  I'll try to do a super short version for you all!

We met back in 2002.  (This was from Halloween 2003, none of my older pics are digital and this is a picture of a picture!)

We built a house together in 2005.  Home Sweet Home!  (This is from the year we moved in...our landscaping is so tiny...that tree on the left covers our bedroom window upstairs now!)

We got engaged in 2006 (on the beach)!  Nick proposed during an evening walk on the beach in Fort Myers, FL (one of our fav vacation spots) with a LIGHT-UP ring box.  Perfect?  yes!

We got married in 2008.

We found out we were pregnant in 2011.

We had our first son in 2012.  Welcome to the world, Carson!!

 A lot has happened over the past 9+ years, but the one thing that is the same is that I keep falling more and more in love with him!  (Mushy sappy, I know!)

I'm so happy to have found my best friend and even happier that we get to spend the rest of our days together.  Nick, you make me so happy and I feel so lucky to call you MINE!

Carson has arrived!

Carson Anthony arrived on May 18th, 2012 at 5:29pm.  He weighed in at 7lbs 2.9oz and measured 19.75" long!  He is absolutely perfect and Nick and I are in heaven!  I love our new little family!

I'll try to get a birth story together to share soon but for now, here are some pictures!

skin to skin minutes after he was born!

Loving all his hair!  He also got Daddy's lips :)

Proud Daddy!

Go Bucks!

All ready to go home!

First car ride...Mommy was so nervous!

hanging out at home all snuggled up!

39 Weeks / Last Update!

It's so weird to think that this is my last update....also weird knowing that TOMORROW I will be at the hospital having my baby boy!  Our induction is scheduled for 8am and I am SO anxious and nervous but mostly EXCITED!  I can't wait to meet Carson Anthony!

I feel like everything at school is ready.  I don't get a sub for my reading position so I had to pack up my room (talk about a pain at 39w pregnant)!  I did as good as I could and might have to go back right after school ends.  As far as my kindergarten class, I have everything ready for my sub: report cards are done, plans are done, classroom is organized, kids are ready!

According to the Bump, Carson is about the size of a Watermelon at 6.2-9.2lbs.  Eek...let's hope he's closer to 6-7lbs rather than 9!  Baby Center says that Carson weighs as much as a Mini Watermelon at a little over 7lbs.  I like that estimate better than 9.2lbs!  Anyone have any guesses on Carson's length/weight?!?!  I'm so curious and have NO idea what to expect!  I'm thinking high 7's to 8lbs maybe and around 20.5-21"...??  Total stab in the dark there.

How far along? 39 Weeks...officially 9 months pregnant according to this site!

Total weight gain: Still on that 1lb a week plan....I was up 28lbs at my 39w appointment!

Maternity clothes? Yes and I'm anxious to start wearing some of my old clothes.  Not getting too hopeful but I'm hoping I won't be in maternity clothes all summer, lol..I don't even have any shorts! (Scroll down for my newest bump pic!)
Stretch marks? nope.  I thought I found some the other morning but they were actually creases from my sheets from sleeping, ha!
Sleep: Not wonderful but it's not awful either.  It's getting so hard to turn over and I have been tossing and turning a lot!  I still get up a lot to pee but that's been the entire pregnancy basically!
Best moment this week: Since technically tomorrow is still this week I'm going to go ahead and say having Carson is the best moment...can't wait!
Miss Anything? I miss having a tan and I also miss NOT having to pee every 5 minutes! :)
Movement: Carson's movements have still been slow but Dr. G said that he's probably just out of room.  She's happy with the amount of movement we've reported and he still has random dance sessions so I'm happy with that!
Food cravings: Still love ice in all of my drinks! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Gender: Baby BOY Carson! <3
Labor Signs: Nothing new....progressing a little bit as far as my stats.  At my 39week appointment I was over 3cm ("3+" according to Dr. G) and 80% effaced.  She also stripped my membranes to get things going!
Symptoms: BACK PAIN!  We had a zoo field trip Tuesday and after being on my feet and walking the ENTIRE time (except to eat a quick lunch), my back was KILLING me.  I felt like an 80 year old woman.  It still hurts today but surprisingly, it's better when I'm on my feet.  I feel it the most after sitting or laying down.  Weird.

Belly Button in or out? Halfie...I want my old super innie back!

Wedding rings on or off? Off!  They weren't too tight but with the hot weather I was starting to panic that they *might* get too tight (paranoid much?!)  I went to Kohls and bought a cheap-o ring so people wouldn't judge me (especially since I feel like I look 16)!  My rings still fit so I need to decide if I should wear them to the hospital or not.
Happy or Moody most of the time: SO SO SO EXCITED!
Looking forward to: Meeting Carson TOMORROW!

Here is my bump at 39 Weeks..last official bump picture and LAST DAY AT WORK! P.S. I'm aware that I look like I got fried in the sun.  Somehow the white balance settings on my camera got messed up.  I promise I'm not a tomato in real life! :)

38 weeks!

I can't believe I'm 2 weeks away from my due date.  It seems like everyone says the last month or so goes SOOOO slow, but I couldn't disagree more.  Maybe it's because it's the end of the school year and I'm super busy with trying to prep for that as well as prep for my LT sub?  Either way, I'm very anxious to meet Carson but I also know that I'll miss feeling his kicks all the time.  (Sounds dumb but it's such a great feeling!)  I went to the doctor for my 38w appointment and she wants to set up an induction!  She said my body is "obviously very ready" and since Carson's heart rate has been lower and he has been consistently measuring ahead, she would love to induce me NEXT FRIDAY MAY 18th!!!  Every week she acts surprised that he hasn't come yet so I'm kind of hoping he comes before the induction date just because inductions make me nervous.

According to the Bump, Carson is about the size of a Pumpkin!  The Bump also says that baby may have "an inch or so of hair already"!  I do remember the ultrasound tech showing us Carson's hair back at 33w so I'm very curious to see how much hair he comes out with!  (Not to mention what color?!)  Baby Center tells me that Carson is about as long as a Leek.  Their size estimates say about 7lbs and more than 19.5" long.  I'm very curious to see how big Carson is going to be!

How far along? 38 Weeks! 

Total weight gain: Last week I was up 26lbs and now I'm up 27lbs....seems to be a 1lb a week pattern!

Maternity clothes? Yep!  I feel very lucky to still be able to wear a lot of my non-maternity tops.  I didn't want to spend a TON on maternity clothes since I don't know what time of year I'll be pregnant next time (not to mention what will be in style)!  (scroll down for my newest bump pic!)

Stretch marks? no.  Nick mentioned that he was surprised I didn't have any the other day and I yelled at him to run and go knock on wood!  If I get any now, it's his fault :)
Sleep: Not so great anymore and it drives me BONKERS when people say "get sleep now while you can!"  I can't because I have a huge belly in the way and I have to pee every hour!  I guess my body is just getting me ready for Carson :) 
Best moment this week: Getting more things done at work just in case I go early.  I also feel fairly satisfied with everything that is done at home.  We made another trip to Babies-r-Us (we need one closer to home!) and bought a second changing pad cover and boppy cover just in case.  I had 20% off coupons so why not!  I also got to go to one of my best friend's weddings and it was gorgeous!  I was supposed to be in the wedding but I backed out back in the fall since I didn't know what life would be like at 37 weeks pregnant.  While I'm sad I wasn't able to walk down the aisle for her, I'm thankful that I was able to attend and see how pretty she looked! 
Miss Anything? Still missing having a tan and I also miss having a DESK JOB.  My job as a teacher (a traveling teacher at that) is becoming very very exhausting as this pregnancy goes on!  I envy those of you who can sit at a desk and go to the restroom or grab a snack any time!
Movement: Sooo, after our little mishap last week (read: Carson teasing us), I was very attentive of his movement and I did kick counts just like Dr. G said I should.  After our appointment Friday I counted for 4 hours and only once did I get 6 kicks.  I usually got 4-5.  At this point, the office was closed for the weekend so I decided to eat some dinner and see if food would help wake Carson up (I had already tried ice cold juice, peeps, and carbs).  After dinner I still wasn't getting enough kicks so I called the after hours # and the on-call doctor called me back and said becaues of his lower heart rate at my appointment, she wanted me to go into L&D for monitoring.  I had a quick freak-out session, but we got our things together (luckily everything was ready) and headed to the hospital.  They hooked me up to the same machine as I was on earlier that day to check on Carson's heart rate.  Luckily he started moving around right away (such a punk)!  The nurse and the on-call doctor both said that Carson looked "amazing" so they let us go home and told us to continue doing kick counts but try for 5 instead of 6.  They said that this late in the pregnancy sometimes the babies just get into sleep cycles or run out of room!  I also found out that I had a few contractions while I was there.  I had no idea, but they showed up on the machine alright!
Food cravings: I'm still loving ice in all of my drinks.  I'm very thankful that we have a fancy icemaker at my afternoon school so I can re-load my Tervis tumbler! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Gender: Baby BOY Carson! <3
Labor Signs: I had some contractions while at L&D but I couldn't even feel them.  That night I woke up several times to pains but they weren't really timeable and they went away by morning.
Symptoms: My back pain has gotten pretty bad.  It hurts a lot after I sit or lay down for a while.  I don't like using the heating pad b/c it's been hot in Ohio and I don't want to overheat! 

Belly Button in or out? Halfie, haha!

Wedding rings on or off? On and not really loose anymore.  If I was going to be pregnant for another month (or through the summer), I'd probably look into buying some fake bling to hold me over.  My rings still come off easily enough though so I'll stick it out for a few weeks!Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited to meet this little boy of ours!
Looking forward to: Meeting Carson!

Here is my bump at 38 Weeks!

For all the Teachers...

I usually don't like forward emails, but I got this at work the other day and it made me laugh...especially after testing week!  I hope you all enjoy!

The following questions were set in last year's GED examination.  These are genuine answers (from 16 year olds)............OH DEAR!

Q. Name the four seasons
A. Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar

Q. Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink
A. Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large  pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists

Q. How is dew formed?
A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire

Q. What causes the tides in the oceans?
A. The tides are a fight between the earth and the moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins the fight

Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on?
A. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well endowed

Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections
A. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election

Q. What are steroids?
A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.  

Q. What happens to your body as you age?
A. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental

Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A. He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.  

Q. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A. Premature death

Q. What is artificial insemination?
A. When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow

Q. How can you delay milk turning sour?
A. Keep it in the cow                 

Q. How are the main 20 parts of the body categorized? (e.g. The abdomen)
A. The body is consisted into 3 parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels: A, E, I,O,U..                                                                 

Q. What is the fibula?
A. A small lie

Q. What does 'varicose' mean?
A. Nearby

Q. What is the most common form of birth control?
A. Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium   

Q. Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarean section'
A. The caesarean section is a district in Rome

Q. What is a seizure?
A. A Roman Emperor.      

Q. What is a terminal illness?
A. When you are sick at the airport.   

Q. What does the word 'benign' mean?
A. Benign is what you will be after you be eight  

Here are a few of my favs...hahaha....

• If you want to buy a house, you must be well endowed (you can always tell a fibula though)!  
• If you don't want to get a girl pregnant, wear a condominium.
• If your carpet isn't staying on the stairs, get some steroids.

Full Term!

I find it so weird to say I'm full term with this pregnancy!  At 37 weeks I only have 3 weeks until my due date!  I know I'm posting late again, I wanted to wait and see what happened at my 37 week appointment today!

According to the Bump, Carson is about the size of a Watermelon!  Check out my newest bump pics below and see if you agree! ;)  The growth estimates are getting to be a bigger span (18.9-20.9" and 6.2-9.2lbs).  I'm really curious how Carson is going to size up!  Baby Center tells me that Carson is about as long as a stalk of Swiss Chard. 

How far along? 37 weeks!!!

Total weight gain: Last week I was up 25lbs and now I'm up 26lbs. 

Maternity clothes?  Yes...almost went to get another Old Navy tank since it's been in the upper 80's here but I resisted...I'm just wearing the same stuff over and over...so fashionable!  (scroll down for my newest bump pic!)

Stretch marks? no
Sleep: Still lots of tossing and turning and waking up around 5am for a potty break almost every night.  After the 5am break (which is usually break #2) I can never fall back to sleep right away!  It also hurts when I'm rolling over...my stomach gets crampy!
Best moment this week: Probably getting the rest of Carson's things (we did registry completion shopping)!  We got his swing, rock'n'play, my breast pump (oh-so-exciting), and some of the smaller things we still needed.  I also did ALL of his laundry...even the new stuff that my MIL bought us after I had finished everything else, haha!  We also got the carseat bases installed...so fun :)
Miss Anything? Still missing having a nice glow from the sun!
Movement: A few weeks ago I noticed Carson hadn't been moving as much.  Silly me didn't even think to do kick counts (I wasn't sure if they were even the same at this point in the pregnancy).  Earlier this week (Tuesday?) I noticed Carson hadn't really moved much at all the whole day.  I mentioned this at my appointment this mornind and when Dr. G did the doppler, Carson's heart rate was only 120bpm (it's always been 140 or higher).  She seemed concerned and sent me over to do a NST right away (NST = non-stress test).  Basically it's a fetal monitor that monitors the baby's heart rate and contractions that the mommy may be having.  Apparently I had a few contractions (I had NO idea).  We had to wait for Carson's heart rate to "peak" aka get past 150ish 2 times within 10-15 minutes.  It took FOREVER.  Finally after we "passed" the test, we were sent home with orders to do kick counts.  I have to count to see if he kicks/moves 6 times within an hour and if he doesn't, I have to call the doc. 
Food cravings: ICE (does that count?!)  Throughout the whole pregnancy I've loved ice water but lately I want ice in EVERYTHING...juice, water, gatorade, anything!  haha, so weird and random.  One of my co-workers asked if I may have PICA, lol!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Gender: Baby BOY Carson! <3
Labor Signs: No....I think I had a few contractions today but I honestly don't know (I feel so stupid saying that).  I know I had some at the doctor but I couldn't feel those!  Later in the afternoon I felt a really strong tightness and I felt like I couldn't get my body straight enough to make it feel not tight (does that make sense?)...my stomach felt hard but who knows.
Symptoms: I already typed out everything above but other than all that, I've still had some back pain...pretty severe the other day where it was hard to walk! 

Belly Button in or out? Halfie, haha!

Wedding rings on or off? On and not so loose...haha!  I think it's the hot weather.  I can still get them on and off but they're definitely snug.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and ANXIOUS to meet this little boy of ours!
Looking forward to: Meeting my little man and hopefully feeling him kick more!  He's making mommy nervous!


Here is my bump at 37 weeks (36w6d)!

Here are a few pics Nick snapped in the backyard (I was sad that I wasn't able to get maternity pics).  I'm still hoping we can get a few pictures of us together before Carson's big arrival!  These were taken at 36w3d....

His first pair of shoes!

Hard to believe that ultrasound was about 6 months ago!!