The Home Stretch...aka The 3rd Trimester

I’ve been pretty much MIA the past week due to the extremely slooooow WiFi where we were.  It’s been difficult being away, especially when I have so much on my mind from spending time with my family to reminiscing on childhood vacations and visits to my Grandma’s house in Ft. Myers, Florida. What a week it has been! But that’ll have to be saved for another post. 

On a bigger note (no pun intended--you'll see why if you keep reading), we are in the 3rd trimester, folks! This morning we were given another ultrasound woo hoo!! because at my last appointment they told me they lost my first ultrasound...


Oh, that's too bad, I guess I'll see my baby again, *sigh*...  :) 


She has grown so much in the last 10 weeks, and she is absolutely beautiful and has totally stolen our hearts. We got to see her swallow fluid, stick out her tongue a few times, her eyes open, her arms flailing everywhere, lots of hair, and even at one point she looked right at us and I felt a connection only a mother and her child could have. It was UH-MAZING! 


Oh, and the ultrasound tech said she weighs 3.5 lbs and my due date is more like September 3rd! 


Excuse me!? 


We've got a big girl on our hands! When she told me this I started freaking out a bit... 


What about Lindsey's wedding in August in Indiana? We have 2 months until September 3rd, we're soooo not ready!! Ohmygoodness! I'm hyperventilating!! 


Ok, it wasn't that bad, ha! It was exciting though to think she'd come around the 3rd, especially since that's Travis' birthday! After we talked with the doctor, she reassured me that the due date is still set for September 19th considering I'm still measuring at 28 weeks and based on my last menstrual cycle. So whether she comes around Travis' birthday or mine (on the 21st), more than one Jonesie is going to have a very Happy Birthday! 

How far along? 28 Weeks and 1 Day

Total weight gain: 21 lbs

Maternity clothes? Most of the time

Stretch marks? Nope J

Sleep: Sleep is ok, crazy dreams every night, and a little sore in the mornings from sleeping in one position.

Best moment this week: Spending time with my family in Florida and having them get to finally feel and see her moving! And of course seeing her on another ultrasound and hearing that she's growing perfectly!

Miss Anything? I know this isn’t really pregnancy related but I really miss my sister, Stefanie—she is currently on her way to Uganda for the next 2 ½ months to serve with YWAM.

Movement: Several times throughout the day and night…she’s most active during the night and sometimes when I wake up to use the bathroom it's hard for me to fall back to sleep because of all the movement—we’ll need to change her schedule when she arrives lol

Food cravings: Sweet

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks—they’re a little better this week

Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing, shortness of breath, forgetfulness

Belly Button in or out? Outie!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Finishing my last bag for a friend :)

Peek-a-Boo... 

 I see you!

Ruta-whata? and Father's Day Surprises

Have I mentioned that my sister, Emily, will be attending college at UNC-Charlotte come this fall, which is less than 20 minutes away from us?! This is such exciting news! Besides the fact that she'll be so close to us while the rest of my family lives 7 hours away, I now get to have another sister live by me while she attends college--Stefanie lived less than a mile from me while she attended Anderson University in Indiana. This makes my heart so happy! And having a very special aunt who will love her and spoil her makes Juice Drop very happy too :) I'm so excited that my family is here in Charlotte this week while Emily attends orientation! On Thursday we'll all head down to our old vacation spot in Ft. Myers, Florida for some much needed family time and sprucing up Grandma's house to rent out. Here's to hoping 11 hours in a car will all be worth it!

How far along? 27 weeks 

Total weight gain: last week's appointment was 19 lbs but I'm SURE I've gained a few more pounds since then

Maternity clothes? Most of the time

Stretch marks? No :)

Sleep: Good, not great 

Best moment this week: Celebrating Father's Day with my baby's Daddy :) even though it led to major Braxton Hicks--see below, and my family getting into town and being able to feel Juice Drop!

Miss Anything? Being able to hike 5 miles with ease

Movement: Yep! And she did this crazy move the other day where I felt like my stomach was having a seizure--read that it was hiccups :)

Food cravings: Junk, junk, and more junk!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: Crazy Braxton Hicks! see below

Symptoms: Rib pain after eating and when sitting too long, heartburn, back pain started up this week and it's not fun at all, have I mentioned Braxton Hicks? 

Belly Button in or out? Outie 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Very Happy! 

Looking forward to: Spending the week with my family in Florida! This will be the first time I've visited where I grew up going on vacation in 8 years and I'm so happy Travis gets to go and experience the Vinsel family traditions :)

Father's Day was very special this year. Even though our Juice Drop isn't here just yet, we still celebrated Travis being a first time Daddy. I planned out the whole day full of surprises complete with a french toast breakfast, a hike at Crowders Mountain State Park, and finally a fancy dinner at Basil Thai Cuisine--Travis' new love is pad thai :)

Eye spy with my little eye something camouflaged with the branch! Do you see it?

Let me just say, going on a 5 mile hike at 6 1/2 months pregnant is probably not the best idea. I thought I would be fine, you know, drink plenty of water, take my time, stop to pee if I had to--there was no chance of that with all the traffic along the trails, so I ended up having to hold my pee for 4 hours!

About half way through we took another trail back because we heard it was about a mile shorter--thank God!

Above: this is my face when I had to go to pee within the first mile of the hike
Below: this is my face when I thought about all the steps I was going to have to climb at our half way point--about 3 hours in

Can we just talk for a minute about Braxton Hicks and the fact that I thought I was going to go into pre-term labor right there in the middle of the forest? So after researching I learned that I pretty much did everything I could to bring on these wonderful false labor contractions. This is what I found from thebump.com:

How did I get Braxton Hicks contractions?

They’re just a normal part of pregnancy. The tightness you feel in your uterus during a Braxton Hicks contraction comes from the tensing of the muscles in your uterus. Being really active, a full bladder, sex and dehydration can all trigger Braxton Hicks contractions.

Ok, so check, check, check, and uh, yep, check...I wasn't too concerned until I was still having these quite frequently on Monday as well. I thought about calling my doctor but after I took a chill pill, put my feet up, and drank about a gallon of water the contractions started to mellow out. I would have to say I learned my lesson and will not be taking any strenuous hikes until after Juice Drop arrives! Phew!

We were almost too pooped after the hike to go to dinner. Travis later told me if it wouldn't have been a surprise he would've rather stayed home but after finding out where we were going and that this restaurant offered his new favorite delicacy he was all in. What a great ending to a perfect rousing day!  

Next week I venture into the 3rd Trimester!!!

P.S. What's a rutabega?! ;)

Just Him and Me

It was just him and me for 3 1/2 years.

We were the best of buds, just him and me.

I miss those little moments when it was just us, just him and me.

I miss those times in the car when we would jam to his music, just him and me.

Even though I could do without fishing, I miss being in the boat with two poles hanging over the side, just him and me.

I miss listening to him read me stories, but instead of reading, he'd sing the words, just him and me.

I miss tickle time, just him and me.

I miss hearing him tell me stories of his life growing up, just him and me.

I miss being goofy and making up funny voices together, just him and me.

I miss being with him, just him and me.

Although I've grown up and he's grown older and we're in two different parts of the country, I know that I can always call him up and he's ready to listen, encourage, and support me in everything I do, just him and me.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy, I love you!

Salad, Anyone?

That may be all I'll be eating these last 3 months, particularly because Juice Drop is growing like a weed! I forget how big my belly's getting until I look into a mirror or look down and no longer see my toes. Looking at my belly from my point of view does not give this massive beach ball-like-vessel justice. And then I see a picture below and I'm like Holy moly! No wonder I've gained 19 pounds! How can I really last another 14 weeks and still get bigger?! Fingers crossed Juice Drop isn't the average of her Daddy and me at our birth weight--Travis was 8+ lbs and I was 8.11 lbs 2 WEEKS EARLY! or this Mama will be wishing an epidural was part of her birth plan!

How far along? 26 weeks 

Total weight gain: 19 lbs--whoa, whoa, whoa! pretty soon I'll weigh as much as Travis!! 

Maternity clothes? Pretty much the only clothes I can wear anymore. I went through all my clothes, tried them on, and put away anything that I can't fit in to anymore as to not upset me by seeing them hanging in my closet lol

Stretch marks? No :)

Sleep: Pretty good

Best moment this week: Hearing her heartbeat never fails to make my week better than the last :) Plus finding out we'll get another ultrasound in 2 weeks makes me really happy!  

Miss Anything? Being comfortable

Movement: Several times throughout the day and night! I can now predict the times when she'll move: early morning while I'm still in bed, when I'm eating breakfast, after I eat lunch, middle afternoon, after dinner, then she gets crazy right before I fall asleep :)

Food cravings: Cereal

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: Apparently I've started getting Braxton Hicks (basically like little contractions) where my stomach gets really hard. I always thought that was her head or butt lol but my Doc said it's BH and it's like my uterus is giving her a big hug--which I thought was cute :)

Symptoms: rib pain after eating and when sitting too long, heartburn

Belly Button in or out? Outie 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Very Happy! 

Looking forward to: Travis' first Father's Day on Sunday!! 

I'll leave you with a little diddy that'll make all Mommy's shed a tear: 

          

Bethany Dillon, "You're the Best Song"

And a pic from a little photo sesh with Daddy and Juice Drop :)

100 Days...

Until Juice Drop Arrives! give or take a few days :)

100 days until...

1. Parenthood really sinks in

2. Changing poopy diapers becomes my new calling

3. Meal time is literally every 3 hours

4. Crying becomes my new soundtrack (both baby and Mommy's)

5. What once were quick trips to the grocery store become an entire day's adventure

6. I ask the question what's a shower? 

7. One of us mutters obscenities under our breath during the wee hours of the night while the other is sound asleep 

8. Spit up, pee, and poop become accessories to my outfits

9. Loads of laundry piled to the ceiling and 3 day old dirty dishes in dishwasher

10. I lose my old name and receive my new name: Mommy

But who cares when there is

100 days until...

1. Cuddle time all the time

2. Tiny toes and fingers I could just eat up

3. A button nose

4. Bright eyes looking at me as if I'm the only one in the world

5. Extra soft skin I can't stop touching

6. Feeding time in the wee hours of the night becomes my favorite time of the day

7. We can hear her heartbeat without a Doppler

8. I can show her off outside of the confines of my belly

9. We see her smile (albeit in her sleep for the first few months) 

10. We're a FAMILY!   

 

100 DAYS CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH!

A Cauliflower and a Sweet Surprise

This last week was only the beginning. The beginning of smiles, double takes, questions like how far along are you? and girl or boy? and have you picked a name? and then there's the advice, oh I wouldn't go for that swing! as I'm perusing the swings at Walmart. It feels great to finally be noticed by complete strangers, from the cashier at Aldi's to our postman. It makes it feel like being pregnant isn't just my imagination and Juice Drop is really coming in approximately 105 days, whether we're ready or not! 

How far along? 25 weeks 
Total weight gain: 16 lbs 
Maternity clothes? I'm so thankful for my friend, Heather, who just had Kiah last week (you can read about her here and on her blog). She gave me her maternity clothes since she doesn't need them anymore :)
Stretch marks? no :)
Sleep: getting better now that I'm getting used to using 2 extra pillows for my back and legs
Best moment this week: getting the opportunity to speak at a church this past Sunday about the Urban Eagles and receiving encouraging words and support from the 25 people who attended the meeting. God is Good! 
Miss Anything? eating without rib pain or heartburn after
Movement: several times throughout the day and at night and especially after eating pretzels! :)
Food cravings: mac and cheese 
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: still nope lol
Symptoms: rib pain after eating, heartburn
Belly Button in or out? outie 
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm finally starting to get weepy. The other day Travis and I were walking beside a lake and saw a Mama and Daddy duck with their little babies. Only they weren't little babies anymore--they were like toddlers. I just broke down and started crying because they grew up so fast and I thought about our own little Juice Drop growing up so fast! 
Looking forward to: our appointment next Monday and hearing Juice Drop's heartbeat again! :)

Although our immediate family is still in Ohio, we are lucky enough to have Travis' cousins here in Charlotte with us. They have been absolutely amazing and have taken care of us so well. We are so thankful for them and believe they are truly a blessing from God. Earlier today one of Travis' cousins, Jeni, stopped by to drop off her son's old pack-n-play and a few other baby items. We would've been over the moon with just those things but she didn't stop there...she surprised us with a brand new Britax stroller (the one that I've been wanting!) and we were just floored! She said is was an early shower gift from her, her husband, and Travis' Uncle Larry. We were shocked and beyond grateful for their generosity. We were so excited we had to put it together right away. The whole time we were assembling the stroller we couldn't keep from saying three and a half months can't come soon enough!

Looks like Daddy is ready for a stroll in the park :)

Our First DIY Project

We did it! We completed our first ever DIY home project, and I'd have to say it came out a success! Travis loves anything that allows him to be creative, whether it's designing, drawing, building, and even decorating, yes, decorating :) He made our first bed frame and headboard as a wedding gift, which was then sold at a yard sale a few years later--still a little bitter, let's not talk about it. But this project, this was our first that we did together! Ok, maybe he did most of the work along with a few kids from the neighborhood, and I was there for moral support and to hold the pieces of wood together while he drilled. Travis had been wanting to make a dining table for a long time. He was so excited to create and build a center piece where so many people gather to fellowship and eat. He knew exactly what he wanted it to look like and couldn't wait to begin. Once all the materials were bought, it only took us a weekend to complete--pretty impressive for us!

What we used:

*Wood (spruce) planks from Lumberyard (two pieces of 2" x 10" x 16' boards): $24
           -we cut each 16' board to make two 6' pieces and used the extra 4' for shelves

*Smaller wood planks from Lumberyard (two pieces of 1" x 4" x 36"): $8
           -these boards were cut to 27" and are used to hold the four top pieces together

*Legs from Ikea: $12 (at $3 each)

*Black paint: $4

*Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane: $12

*2" Wood Screws: $3

*Power sander or hand sander

*Fine Sanding Block

*Mineral Spirits

*Power drill

*Not that this is required to make a table but we got our chairs from Ikea for $14 each

How much we spent: around $65

How long it took: 3-4 hours (not including waiting for polyurethane to dry)

How we did it:

Travis hand sanded (poor guy) the the boards.

He applied polyurethane to keep the natural look of the wood and painted the smaller boards black.

We screwed the legs into the two outside pieces (on the bottom--do I really have to clarify that? lol).

We laid the four boards together side by side (top of table facing down).  The two black smaller boards were placed at each end perpendicular to the large boards (not quite touching the legs).

We drilled the smaller boards to the large boards with four screws per large board to secure.

We flipped the table over and ...

Blim Blam! We have ourselves a dining table!

Who's ready for dinner? :)