Ok For Real...Any Day Now!!

39 Weeks!

It's official! If I don't go into labor before Friday, I'll be induced.  I'm so scared and so excited and so nervous and so thrilled...every emotion imaginable, all at the same time!!  Ryan is soooo excited, too!  We had a doctor appointment today.  I am dilated to 1 cm and very thin.  I have a lot of swelling in my feet, especially my right foot (she says from the position of the baby) and my blood pressure was high...according to the nurse..."not freak out high, just a little high."  The swelling in my feet really got worse last week while I was in Orlando and the swelling just hasn't gone down.  My hands are kinda swollen, too.  I got a "pregnancy wedding band" from Moore's Jewelry when we were in Iuka during the summer.  At the time it was big and just barely stayed on my hand, now I have an indention from it.  I'm planning on having it engraved with the baby's name and birth date and will keep it for him or her. 

We have been busy this past week just trying to get last minute things ready.  We got the bases for the car seats installed in our cars.  It was quite a process and soooo glad we went to Safe Kids for the installation.  They covered everything...they installed one base and then Ryan installed the other so they could see if he did it properly.  It was a lot more difficult than I was expecting it to be.  I can't wait to see how cute the baby looks in the car seat!  We have our bags packed for the hospital...well, we have the baby's bag packed, my bag packed and Ryan says he knows what he will throw in his bag.  We now have the Pack'n Play, swing and bouncer set up and waiting for a baby.  Some clothes, towels, wash cloths, burp cloths and blankets are washed and ready, too.  I'm sure there are other things that I'm forgetting...if you think of something important I may have forgotten PLEASE let me know!! We didn't do such a great job on our "trial run"--the trip to Orlando.  We planned to bring everything we would need at the hospital, but forgot EVERYTHING we had packed for the baby. HA! 

Here are a few pictures from the baby's room.  These pictures may not post very well because they are from my iPhone.  These were taken a couple of weeks ago, so it actually looks a little different now.  I know the walls look really bare, but we are hoping to make it a little more gender specific after the baby arrives.  The car seat is actually in the car now.  We got this super cute little "diaper buggy" (think diaper cake, but it's a baby buggy) that is sitting on the little bookshelf now.  Most of the furniture in the room came from Ikea. In this picture the curtains, bookshelf and baskets are from Ikea.  We got the rug at West Elm.  Luckily we had the walls painted this color when we moved it, so we didn't do any painting. 

We decided just to use the dresser (from Ikea) as the changing table.  We got the paddle with hooks on it from Town & Country in Iuka.

We (my parents, actually) have a chair ordered from Circle K Furniture here in Jacksonville that will go here.  It's a brown upholstered swivel glider/rocker.  It was so comfortable in the store, can't wait until it comes in.  The night stand is from Ikea.

Ok Healthy Families people, before you freak out.  All stuffed animals, bumper pads, boppy pillow, blankets, etc. will be removed from the bed before the baby goes in.  I've had to review enough child deaths to know that safe sleep is no joke...not pushing my opinion on anyone else...but, I'm telling you, having to review 1 file where a baby dies due to unsafe sleeping conditions is enough for me. And, unfortunately, I've had to review way more than 1.  Ok, I'm done.  That's your Public Service Announcement for the day! :)

April Shea is doing a painting of the baby's name on a canvas to go above the crib.  She is soooo talented I can't wait to get it!  We got the crib bedding from Pottery Barn.  We really wanted something very plain, without any kind of pattern (and this is definitely very plain) and we (Mr. and Mrs. Huntley, actually) got the crib at Pottery Barn. 

Thankfully, the room is big enough for us to keep a bed in there...considering my family travels from Iuka as Ryan says in a pack, I don't think we would be able to make it if we lost a bed!  I say they travel as a circus...and after all the stories they have from the trips (think wart flying off the top of the minivan and their clothes all over the 4-lane--before they even get to Cherokee...the passenger side door not opening so my grandfather having to crawl out the driver's side...Kinsley texting me quotes from MawMaw and PawPaw--none of which I will repeat!) I think my description is better!! HA!!  One of the yellow pillow cases is missing (I left it with April so she could match the color for the painting).  We got this bedding from West Elm, I think we got the headboard there, too (but we got it right after we got married).  The star fish wall art was a little DIY craft project that Ryan and I did (thank you, Pinterest).  Actually Ryan did it all (cut the bead board, sanded, painted, etc).  I just hot glued the star fish on and all but 1 has fallen off, so I'm thinking he's a better crafter

Due Date: October 4, 2011 October 3, 2011 (I've been wrong since our 18 week ultra sound!)
Size of the baby: Baby Huntley (according to my book) is almost 7.5 pounds and total length is about 21 inches.
Weight gain/loss: Last week at my doctor appointment I lost a pound. So, I was at 35 pounds total.  Today at the appointment I had gained 3 pounds. Putting my grand total at 38 pounds.  I was hoping to stay under 35 pounds, but I didn't.  I celebrated after the appointment with a Big Hot Ham and Cheese Combo from Hardees--this is without a doubt one of my top 5 FAVORITE foods.  I'm serious and I won't be having another for a lonnnnnnng time.  If you haven't had a ham and cheese from Hardee's, you are missing out!!! Oh, and I got a some kind of cinnamon doughnut from Krispy Kreme, too.  Yeah, so I may be over the 40 pound mark now. :)
Maternity clothes:  Everything is maternity and very little still fits.  MY STOMACH IS HUGE. 
Gender: We will soon find out!
Movement: The baby is still moving a pretty good bit. I hoping this means the baby still has room to move and the size of my stomach is due to hot ham and cheeses and not the size of the baby!!! HA!
Sleep: I'm still sleeping good.  I've been very lucky with sleep.  I get up several times to go to the bathroom, but I'm able to go right back to sleep. 
What I miss:  Bending. Shaving my legs in the shower.  Not having to roll myself out of the bed or off the couch. 
Cravings: We still eat at Picasso's a lot (actually we ate there again tonight). I've been eating a lot of sweets lately, too.
Symptoms:  Heart burn, swollen feet and ankles, weight gain, etc.
Best moment of the week: Finding out that Friday is the big day!  I realllly can't believe it is here already!!  This time next week we should be home loving on our sweet little baby Huntley!!! WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

Thanks everyone for all your sweet comments, text messages, emails, thoughts, prayers, etc. throughout the pregnancy.  I can't even begin to tell you how blessed Ryan and I feel to have so many people so supportive and so excited for us.  I promise that we do not take it for granted.  We have definitely been blessed far more than we deserve and we thank the Lord for it all the time.  This is such a special time for us and all of you make it that much more special! 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  Please pray for an easy, quick! (but not too quick!!) and safe labor and delivery.  Please pray that Baby Huntley is as healthy as he or she can be.  And please pray that Ryan and I are the kind of parents to our baby that ours were to us! 

Any Day Now (at least that's what I like to think)!

Hi everyone!  Hope all is well!  We are doing great.  I'm 38 weeks today and getting SO nervous and excited and every other emotion imaginable!  Didn't Ryan do a great job with his post?!  We've had a great week...and since (hopefully) things will start moving along now I'm going to try to update at least weekly.  Just a warning there may be a little TMI in this post, but you've been warned (Kinsley!)...

We had a doctor appointment on Wednesday, 9/14.  Everything was good.  It was my first "cervix check."  Yowser.  That's all I can say about that.  I was dilated about a "fingertip" (that makes me laugh because I just told Lori Beth about a month or so ago to remind me not to use that term...then, that was EXACTLY what the doctor said when she checked).  No weight change since my previous appointment (thank goodness, since I gained 6 pounds at that one).

On Friday, 9/16, my co-workers surprised me, TOTALLY surprised me, with a baby shower at work.  It was so sweet of them.  They even snuck Ryan in for it.  I have some pictures that co-workers took...but they are at work, I'm at home so I'll have to add them later. 

Saturday, 9/17, our friend, Jamie Holmes, got married.  He and Ryan have played soccer together basically their entire lives.  He even played at Birmingham-Southern with Ryan.  It was such a beautiful wedding in Fernandina and reception at the Rebault Club.  We had a great time and loved getting to catch up with friends from our Birmingham-Southern days.  I don't have any pictures from the wedding.  Dang it, I gotta get better at this picture taking thing. 

I had another doctor appointment today.  I'll be in Orlando for our annual Healthy Families Florida meeting at the end of the week, so she wanted to see me today to clear me to go out of town (Ryan is going, too).  I can't wait to see my friends that I worked with in Tallahassee!  Everything was good with the baby today.  I am still dilated about the same.  She said she was going to go ahead and schedule me to be induced on September 30th, but if I haven't progressed any more by my next appointment (9/26) she will push it back into October.  We can't believe the baby could be here in less than 2 weeks...or maybe a little longer.  We aren't in a rush...we're ready whenever the baby is!! We have an appointment to get our car seat and a base for Ryan's car installed tomorrow, so we will realllly be ready then...except we still haven't packed bags. 

Hope you all have a great week!  I just can't wait to be posting pictures of the baby on here!  Please please say a few prayers for an uneventful delivery and a happy and healthy baby. 

Beth

37 Weeks (Ryan's Perspective)

Hey Everyone!  This week instead of me blogging, Ryan is going to do it...

37 Weeks
Quick synopsis of what's happened since the last post:

• Jacksonville shower - The shower was hosted by my cousin, Julia Lawless.  Beth's parents and my Grandma McCarthy made the trip down.  They helped assemble items from the shower and finish setting up the baby's room.  We are so blessed to have such loving family and friends that have been so generous and just as excited about Baby Huntley as we are.
• We have completed 2 of 3 childbirth classes.  Both classes have been informative and interesting to hear other couple's prospective.  Something new I learned in the class was about the epidural procedure.  It's actually a catheter, not a shot. 
• Interviewed the pediatrician.  I think we got it...one interview=one pediatrician.  Beth and I both really liked her and felt really comfortable with her.
• Tour of the hospital.  This was actually a lot quicker than I thought it would be.  Pretty simple, we toured the waiting rooms, nurses areas, patient rooms (where Beth's going to be the whole time) and the nursery.  One thing we took away from the hospital tour was that babies do not stay in the nursery.  The baby's stay in the room with his/her parents basically the whole time.  I think we only saw 1 baby in the nursery (for circumcision) and all maternity rooms were full.
• Doctor's appointment.  Really not a whole lot happened.  Dr. came in, measured Beth's stomach, listened to the heart beat and told us she will see us next week unless Beth goes into labor before. 

Something Beth hasn't shared with everyone are the names we have picked for the baby. 

Girl:  Mollie Bryant Huntley (after Beth's grandmother, Mollie Darwin, and Bryant is my mother-in-law's maiden name).  My wife is from Mississippi where I think it is the law to have at least 1 child with a double name, so we will call her "Mollie Bryant."

Boy:  James McCarthy Huntley (McCarthy is my mom's maiden name and James after my Grandfather Huntley, Beth's dad, brother and grandfather).  We will call him McCarthy (or Mac).

Due Date: October 4, 2011
Size of the baby: Baby Huntley (according to my book) is almost 6.5 pounds and total length is about 21 inches.
Weight gain/loss: Beth had a doctor's on Thursday (9/8) and had gained 6 pounds since her last appointment (2 weeks ago).  That brings the total to...36 pounds.  I told her she looked like she lost weight. 
Maternity clothes:  She is wears a lot of the same outfits over and over. I guess she has slim pickings.
Gender: Don't know.
Movement:  The baby is moving a lot.  I have actually seen her stomach move when the baby moves.  In the past I had to put my hand on her stomach to feel it.  She told me today that the baby was moving a lot while she was at work. 
Sleep: I would say Beth is sleeping good.  Her snores and groans have increased in the last week.  She is not getting up to go to the bathroom as much, which makes me nervous.  Charlie has moved to my side of the bed due to the lack of room on Beth's side. 
What I miss:  I think she misses a glass of wine every once in a while and being able to bend at the waist.
Cravings: Picasso's, a restaurant by our house. We eat there once or twice a week and she craves anything on the menu.
Symptoms:  Swollen ankles, tired, heart burn, weight gain, grouchiness...just joking
Best moment of the week: Getting together with my parents for family dinner and Beth's parents being there. 
A few pictures from the weekend:

34 weeks!

34 Weeks! (and 2 days). 

First off--HAPPY 38th ANNIVERSARY to Mr. and Mrs. Huntley!    

This is moving soooo quickly!  I am still feeling good, but definitely more uncomfortable.  Luckily most of my discomfort is at night, especially when I get up to go to the bathroom and in the mornings.  I think moving around during the day actually makes me feel better.  I have a lot of pain in my right hip and under my stomach.  It's kinda funny to me because almost every morning (or during the night) I wake up and hobble to the bathroom...hobbling like I can't put pressure on my right leg or my hip will "give out"...and I tell Ryan, geez I feel like Brooke (Gentsch NUNLEY) and Tag (her brother).  If you don't know them, they are both VERY athletic and very tall and have been very hard on their joints.  It takes both of them at least a good hour in the mornings to "get going" and be able to walk without limping.  My ankles and feet have been swollen a couple of nights, but all in all I really can't complain. 

I know I mentioned on an earlier post that we were trying to decided whether or not to go to childbirth classes.  I went to a breastfeeding class last and it was SOOO helpful and I really realized what a HUGE commitment it is.  Makes me nervous.  We enrolled in child birth classes, too.  We start this coming Tuesday and will go each Tuesday for 3 weeks.  Let's see...what else...we are still in limbo about childcare.  Just on waiting lists.  The room is almost finished.  I'll post a picture as soon as it's a little more organized and get a few things hung on the walls.  And I have the baby's coming home outfit, made by his/her Aunt Kinsley...or Auntie Thundercat, as she prefers to be called.  Kinsley made them in a size 0-3 months, so she's going to make a newborn size, too just in case.  I am realllly hoping the baby will need the newborn size!! 

Ryan and I have been trying to do some things that won't be as easy for us to do after the baby comes.  Like...going to the movies on a week night, going to the gym together (don't get excited, I walk at 2.5 mph watching something on Bravo on the treadmill while Ryan actually works out and runs 394873874 miles), staying in bed until 10am one morning (which we NEVER do...and may have been the result of a birthday party the night before), Libby spent the night with us one night and other things like that.

Sooooo, here I am.  34 weeks, 2 days...and I can't believe that I'm going to keep getting bigger!

Due Date: October 4, 2011
Size of the baby: Baby Huntley (according to my book) is almost 5 pounds and total length is about 19.5 inches. 
Weight gain/loss: I had a doctor's appointment today and had gained 5 pounds since my last appointment (3 weeks ago).  The nurse tried to make me feel better by saying that I had an afternoon appointment instead of a morning appointment this time.  HA!  That brings the total to...30 pounds.  Yikes, I have 6 weeks to go!  The doctor also said that my belly is measuring right on target, not too big— (definitely) not too small.
Maternity clothes:  Basically maternity everything.  And I'm quickly outgrowing a lot of my maternity clothes! 
Gender: We won't know until the baby makes his or her grand appearance!  Recently most people have been telling me they think it will be a boy. 
Movement: Still feeling lots of movement!  I just love it.  Ryan and I THINK we may have felt the baby having hiccups last night.  My friend, Madison, is due with twins the same week I am and she described to me what it felt like and that was exactly what we were feeling last night.  At night after dinner the baby is usually really active, so it's great for Ryan to be able to feel and see him/her move!
Sleep: No change.  I'm still sleeping good.  There are fewer positions where I'm comfortable and I get up about 3 or 4 times to go to the bathroom...but, I always go back to sleep very easily.  And I'm still sleeping on my back most of the time.  My doctor assured me today that if it was hurting me or the baby, then I would not be comfortable sleeping that way. 
What I miss:  Ok, this belly is reallllly starting to get in the way.  I really miss just being able to bend over and pick something up.  I have a collection of pens and post-it note pads under my desk that I have absolutely no intention of picking up any time soon.
Cravings: I am back to anything and everything with no nutritional value...blueberry cake donut from Dunkin Donuts, any combo meal from any fast food restaurant (especially hot ham n cheese from Hardees), laffy taffy, sour patch kids...cheesecake, etc.  
Symptoms: HEART BURN (still killing me!). Weight gain, crazy dreams, itchy belly, leg cramps...just general uncomfort. 
Best moment of the week: Definitely both of us getting to feel the baby move!

Someone has started nesting!!!!

And...we took care of our lead paint situation:

We had all of our windows replaced.  I'm sooo happy that we did.

I would be shocked if anyone has actually made it this far!  But I  hope you all have a great week and weekend.  Please keep us in your prayers!!

Less than 2 months left!!

Just a quick update, so I don't forget all this.  It's kinda boring (sorry!). 

31 weeks!!!

Due Date: October 4, 2011
Size of the baby: Baby Huntley (according to my book) is about 3.5 pounds and around 18 inches long, the size of 4 naval oranges.  I had a dr. appointment this week and she said the baby was probably around 2.5 pounds. 
Weight gain/loss: I gained 4 pounds since my last appointment.  That brings the total to...25 pounds.  The doctor also said that my belly is measuring right on target, not too big—not too small.
Maternity clothes:  Ryan and I had to take a little shopping trip to Old Navy to get ole Bethy some new maternity clothes.  And I am sooooo glad that I did!  I just didn't realize how much I was having to squeeze into some of the pants I was wearing.  I am so much more comfortable now!
Gender: We won't know until the baby makes his or her grand appearance!　Most people seem to think the baby will be a girl.  I did a few online gender predictors this week.  According to the Chinese calendar, we have a boy.  Some questionnaire thingy: 53% chance girl, 47% boy.  The baby's heart rate at the appointment was 150-160, I think that is supposed to mean girl.  Can't wait to find out for sure!!! 
Movement: I have been feeling the baby move A LOT in the last 2 weeks.  I love it!!!  Everyone keeps telling me that I will get tired of it.  But, I just don't think I will because I've been wanting to feel it so badly!  I came home from Iuka with a cold a couple of weeks ago and still have a cough.  The doctor said that may be part of the reason the baby has been moving so much...because I'm coughing so much.  I'm kinda thinking I don't want to take anything to get rid of the cough! :)
Sleep: I'm still sleeping good.  I really can't complain. There are fewer positions where I'm comfortable and I get up about 3 or 4 times to go to the bathroom...but, I always go back to sleep very easily.  Knock on wood.
What I miss:  My thighs not rubbing together (I am still missing that!!). 
Cravings: I haven't really been craving anything lately.
Symptoms: HEART BURN. Weight gain, crazy dreams, itchy belly, leg cramps...is having to move your seat  back to get out of the driver's seat a symptom of pregnancy??
Best moment of the week: Definitely both of us getting to feel the baby move! 

I was 30 weeks in this picture: 

This was Ryan at 15 weeks:

Here he is at 30.  Ha!!

Isn't he so much fun and such a good sport?! I'm so lucky! (and yes, we have been in this house for a year and I still need to hang something on the wall!)

Hope yall have a great weekend!  Please keep us in your prayers!

3rd Trimester...ALREADY??

I can’t even begin to believe that I am 29 weeks. Only 11-ish weeks left. I know everyone says that towards the end time seems to creep by…but, so far time has FLOWN! I am still feeling great. In the past week or so, I have had some back pain and a little pain under/below my stomach. But, all things considered I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I feel so fortunate and so blessed with my pregnancy so far and I pray that I continue to have a healthy pregnancy for the next 11 weeks. Ryan and I have a few things that we need to do over the next few weeks—like pre-registering at that hospital and signing up for childbirth classes. I’m curious about what people think about childbirth classes. We get VERY mixed reviews as to whether or not we should take them.

Over the last few weeks we have been touring childcare centers. Ugh. I hate the thought of it. “Hi, you are a stranger. I don’t know you at all. Will you take care of my baby for 40+ hours each week?” I will say that I have really liked all of the places we have seen, but that only makes me feel a little better about it. Sorry to be griping about this, but it’s just honestly how I’m feeling about it right now.

29 Weeks!

Due Date: October 4, 2011
Size of the baby: Baby Huntley is about 2.5 pounds and around 15 inches long, the size of a butternut squash. By the look of my belly, I’m thinking more along the lines of a large spaghetti squash.
Weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor last week and had gained 6 pounds. So far, I’ve gained a total of 21 pounds. The doctor also said that my belly is measuring right on target, not too big—not too small.
Maternity clothes: Well, I’m starting to outgrow some of my clothes that I’ve been wearing. Some of my dresses are too short now, unless I’m wearing leggings or something. A lot of my non-maternity tops don’t completely cover my stomach anymore, either. All pants are maternity—and even some of those are getting a little tight. I don’t own any shorts (that fit). I’m not big fan of shorts to begin with, but I have tried on a MILLION different styles and I just can’t do with this stomach.
Gender: We won't know until the baby makes his or her grand appearance!　Most people seem to think the baby will be a girl.
Movement: The baby has been moving around a lot more in the last couple of weeks. I still don’t think it qualifies as “a lot.” But, I am feeling something a few times everyday. I read in one of my pregnancy apps that starting at 29 weeks that I need to start counting kicks. If I don’t feel 10 kicks in 2 hours, then I probably need to call my doctor. Please. I don’t even feel 10 kicks in 1 day. I’m not going to call my doctor about it. She knows this baby doesn’t move a lot and she’s ok with it and not concerned at all. So, neither are we (me or Ryan J ). On a more positive note, Ryan got to feel the baby move a week and a half ago, 7/7/11. It was around 5am one morning and I woke him up so he could feel it. He was thrilled to say the least. So thrilled that we went to Orlando that weekend to buy furniture for the baby’s room—I think it made everything seem A LOT more “real”! Isn’t he going to be a great dad!!

Sleep: I'm still sleeping pretty good. I’m having crazy dreams. Crazy, crazy dreams. If I have seen you, talked to you, texted you, facebooked you, emailed you, if you are pregnant and recently had a baby and/or someone that I went to high school or college with—then it is VERY VERY likely that I have had a dream about you in the last month or so. I get up an average of 3 times per night to go to the bathroom, I get a little short of breath if I lay on my back and I’ve had a few cramps in my legs. I’m having a little, just a little, trouble finding a comfortable position when I try to go to sleep.
What I miss:  My thighs not rubbing together?
Cravings: Snow balls. Yum. I want one now.
Symptoms: HEART BURN. Weight gain, crazy dreams, itchy belly, leg cramps, etc.
Best moment of the week: Ryan getting to feel the baby move! 　Here is a picture from July 14^th. I was 28 weeks, 2 days:

　
What’s been going on since the last update:We went to Iuka for the 4^th of July. It was a great trip. We were only there for 3 days—but, it was such a relaxing weekend it felt longer. We did the Lomenick “Race up Heart Attack Hill” 5k while we were in town. We both had to walk it…me because I am gigantic and Ryan because he had a bum toe. He hasn’t played soccer in a while…think years…and started playing again. He came home from his first game bleeding and limping. Ha! Here is a picture of the safety patrol that followed us the whole way (yes, because we were last!). Beebs and Lunar—I’m not sure which of them has more stories to tell!!! They only asked me 25 times over the 3 miles if I needed water or a ride. Ha!

We were also surprised with a baby shower during our annual Bryant/Dexter Christmas in July party. They DEFINITELY surprised us—considering I didn’t even shower and wore my swim suit and cover up (for the record, the cover up NEVER comes off). It was so sweet of them to do that for us and we got LOTS of great stuff.

I know I’ve said it before, but I don’t feel like I can say it enough—Ryan and I are both blessed with incredible families…immediate and extended. Here is a picture of all the “kids” that were there (most of them can’t even be considered “kids”). Kaylee, Kelsey and Kyndal Shea, Jayden Jones and Devin and Collin Dexter aren’t in the picture (but surely Jayden, Devin and Collin wouldn’t have been forced to be in that picture…my cut off for the kid picture is graduating high school). I wonder who will be holding Baby Huntley in the picture next year!!

Like I mentioned earlier, we made the trip to Orlando for furniture for the baby’s room. Hello, IKEA!!
We loaded up with everything we needed.

I do LOVE Ikea, but I do not love the thousands of pieces that have to be put together. I guess that’s why I don’t put it together J. I just watch, take pictures and go buy snow balls for everyone. When we got home that night (I thought it was night--but it's clearly still very light outside in this pic), Ryan’s parents came by to help us put the night stands together.

Ryan’s brother, Brad, came by on Sunday to help with the dresser/changing table. Mr. and Mrs. Huntley came by, too. While they moved furniture from the baby’s room to the other guest room Mrs. Huntley and I went to Target for a bed skirt. Here is another picture of the furniture assembly.

　
The Huntleys ordered the crib for us and we put it together last weekend. All the furniture is set up and ready to go! Pictures are coming, but the bedding doesn’t come in until August L and I want to hang a few things on the walls first.

Hope you all have a great week! Please continue to pray for us!

Update on my previous prayer requests: Logan got a good report from his doctor.  Will and Lori Beth are having a baby!!!  They found out right before they found out he was leaving.  They are thrilled, to say the least!!  I seriously could not be more excited for them!!! Please continue to keep all of them and the Boyetts in your prayers.

"Are You Feeling Heavy?"

I love my co-workers.  Seriously, they are so much fun.  Juan, a guy I work with, asked me today if I was feeling heavy.  Yes, I am, thanks for asking!! Bless him.   He comes by my desk everyday to say good morning.  When I respond he says, "I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the baby." My boss, Dolly, told me today that she didn't think risk management would want me using the stairs anymore.  Uhhh, someone got stuck on the elevator yesterday during a power outage.  This home girl is using the stairs. 

We have had a pretty great few weeks.  I had a little stomach bug for a few days.  It wasn't too bad, I just thought I was dying.  To all you mothers out there that have had morning sickness--BLESS YOU.  And bless you again if you went on to have more children, knowing what morning sickness is like.  I told Ryan (after my little 24 hour bug) that if I had had morning sickness, we would be adopting the rest of our children.  Actually, I would like to adopt one day regardless.

We went to Iuka for Memorial Day.  We love going to Iuka.  I love how much I miss Iuka and how super super excited I/we (Ryan loves it as much as I do) get every time we go.  I love seeing our friends and family at the lake, I love running into people at the grocery store or Wal-Mart and I love seeing everyone at church.  When we go to Iuka we usually go to 2 church services on Sunday mornings--Mt. Evergreen UMC and Iuka UMC.  I love both of those churches so much and going is always a favorite part of my weekends in Iuka.  We went to a graduation party for my cousin, Jayden.  She just graduated from high school and she is so sweet, couldn't be prouder of her and all that she has accomplished.  I can't believe it will be Kinsley graduating next year.  Kinsley started kindergarten the same day I started my senior year of high school.  Kinsley told her class that year that Nikki and I were having babies.  We found out because someone called Mama to ask if it was true.  Ha!  Sorry, back to the weekend Iuka.  We got to visit with lots of friends--always so much fun and I miss them all so much!  We got to see a "few" things that Mama and Daddy have gotten for the baby...so "few" that we would have had to check luggage to bring it all back with us, so they are going to bring it when they come in a couple of weeks.  I wish I had a picture to post of the blankets Mama has made and the Jeep diaper bag Daddy asked Mama to go back and get for Ryan (after she told him it wasn't on sale).  LOVE THEM!  Kinsley and Nikki and Nate had a few things, too.  But they held out on us and wouldn't let us see.  Well, I should say didn't let us "touch"--they both sent pictures as soon as they bought/made the outfits!  It makes me so excited!  This is probably the most exciting time in mine and Ryan's life, other than getting married :), and I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to us that our family and friends are just as excited as we are! 

I don't have a recent belly shot or a new ultrasound picture, so I'll share a pic of the next best thing: Charlie, our dog!  We love him and he is going to be a great big brother!!

23 Weeks

Due Date:  October 4, 2011
Size of the baby: Baby Huntley is about 1 pound and 10-11 inches long, about the size of a large mango (? a mango is 11 inches??)  
Weight gain/loss:  My next doctor appointment isn't until June 16th and I don't weigh myself, so I'm not sure where I am in the gaining weight department.  Other than, I'M GAINING WEIGHT.  Also, I have a confession.  When I post pictures on here of my baby belly I make Ryan take like 15 pictures and I always post the one where I look the skinniest, even if my face looks weird or my hair looks bad.  It's all about the size of the belly.  Now that a lot of people reading this have actually seen me, I just felt like I needed to fess up.
Maternity clothes:  Still loving maternity clothes! All of the skirts and dresses I wear aren't maternity and some of my tops aren't maternity (just a bigger size).     
Gender:  We won't know until the baby makes his or her grand appearance!  Now that I'm obviously pregnant, random people make predictions.  Like yesterday, I dropped off Ryan's dry cleaning and the guy asked when "she" is due.  I said Oct. 4th. He said, "it's a girl." I thought he was asking and I said we don't know, we aren't going to find out.  He said, "no, I'm telling you.  It's a girl."  I went back that afternoon and a different guy asked if I was "carrying." I said yes, and he asked if it's a boy or girl.  I told him we weren't finding out.  He said, "I'm good at this.  It's a boy." I told him that's funny because the guy there that morning said it's a girl.  He said, "that old man is my dad and he doesn't know what he's talking about.  Trust me, it's a boy." HA! 
Movement:  WE HAVE MOVEMENT!!!  At least I think we do! I only feel it a couple of times a day, at the most.  But, I'm consistently feels the same way...so, it's enough to keep me from worrying about it.
Sleep:  I have actually been sleeping great lately--as long as the AC is low and Charlie and Ryan are giving me enough space, ha!  I have started needing to take off my rings and watch when I sleep because I wake up and feel like they are cutting my circulation off.  Is that normal?  When should I stop wearing my rings altogether? 
What I miss:  I really don't think I'm "missing" anything right now that I can't have/do since I'm pregnant! 
Cravings:  Still no "cravings."  Everything that I'm eating I would have eaten before I was pregnant, I guess I'm just eating more of it.   
Symptoms:  HEART BURN. Weight gain, crazy dreams, itchy belly, etc.  Ryan says I snore (I don't really believe him). 
Best moment of the week:  Feeling the movement.  Or at least thinking I'm feeling movement! 

If you made it through that lonnng post, thanks!!  Please continue to keep us in your prayers! 

And I have a couple of other prayer requests--
Logan, my 13-year-old cousin, broke his back.  He is usually VERRRY active, so he's having a hard time adjusting to just sitting on the couch.  He will be in back brace for 12 weeks.

Will, Lori Beth and Addison Rhodes--Will is in the Air Force and on very short notice was just sent to Saudi Arabia.  I can't imagine how hard it is to be so far away from the people you love.  Will, if you read this, we love you and appreciate the sacrifices that you make for our country!

Lindsay Boyett Broome's dad, Lemuel Boyett.  He has been fighting cancer for almost 2 years.  He is truly an amazing man and needs lots of prayers right now.  Lindsay is one of my best friends and roommates from college. 

Itching Belly = Stretch Marks?

If the answer to that question is yes, then please don't answer that question!

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend and is recovered/recovering from the storms.  It really breaks my heart to see all the damage from the tornadoes.  It all makes me really nervous for hurricane season--the winter snows were really bad, tornadoes have been really bad, I'm REALLLLY hoping we catch a break during hurricane season. 

On a happier note, we had a great Easter!  Ryan and I went to church at Southside UMC--we have been trying out churches in our area since we moved to Jacksonville.  We have been on a mission to find "our" church and have pretty much decided that Southside is it.  We know we love the Sunday church services and we will start the New Member classes in the next couple of weeks to learn more about their ministries and programs.  It will give us a better idea whether or not it really is "our" church.  Sorry...back to Easter--after church went to Ryan's parents house.  The Huntleys had just gotten back on Saturday night from being in Italy and Spain for about 3 weeks and I'm sure they were beyond exhausted.  We had a great time on Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Huntley, Brad, Lindsey, Lindsey's mom, Barbara, (she was in town from New Orleans), Jason, Stephanie and Libby.  I love when we all get together--we always laugh, wondering what we did before Libby!  She is definitely the center of all of our attention!  I missed everyone in Iuka!  I always miss everybody, but especially so during holidays.  From the looks of the pictures on facebook, it looked like they were have a great time, too. 

The pregnancy update: 

Due Date:  October 4, 2011, I am 17 weeks.
Size of the baby: approximately 5 inches and weighs about 5 ounces (I'm not sure what the fruit/veggie comparison is?)
Weight gain/loss:  At my last doctor appointment I had gained 5 pounds (so a total of 3).  I'm just going to leave it at that until I go back to the doctor because I FREAK every time I step on a scale.  I'm not exactly sure how much I weighed at my last appointment,  the nurse just told me I gained 5 pounds.  So, now when I step on the scale, the number is SHOCKING.    
Maternity clothes: Well, I did it.  I wore maternity pants to work one day this week--and.it.felt.great.  I'm still pretty in between regular pants and maternity pants.  And by "in between" I actually mean there is NO CHANCE IN HECK I'm fitting into my regular pants, even with the belly band.  So I'm wearing lots of dresses, which is my favorite thing to wear during the summer anyway.
Gender:  We aren't finding out!  We are still VERY excited about our ultrasound on Monday!  Danielle, one of my co-workers, is Haitian and she did her "Haitian Gender Predictor" on me this week.  She said she has never been wrong (10/10) and once she is wrong for the 1st time, she'll never do it again.  Danielle wrapped a spoon and knife in separate dish towels and set them out on her desk.  I had to walk in and choose one, "without thinking."  I choose the dish towel with a spoon.  Spoon = girl.  She announced to our office that I am having a girl--I don't think I'm ready to paint to room pink, though! Ha!
Movement:  Still no movement.  I keep telling myself that if I really focus I will feel something.  Still nothing.
Sleep:  The crazy dreams have started.  I have about 3 dreams every night.  Thankfully, no nightmares.  I'm guessing I have about 3 every night because that's how many times I get up to go to the bathroom.  Last night I chased tornadoes.  One night last week I dreamed that I was refusing to wake to go to the bathroom, so I started sleeping in Depends.  I woke up terrified that I had actually peed in the bed! (I didn't!!) Ha!
What I miss:  Ahi Tuna. 
Cravings:  Still no "cravings."  Everything that I'm eating I would have eaten before I was pregnant.   
Symptoms:  Weight gain, crazy dreams, itchy belly, etc.
Best moment of the week:  Everyone at work telling me they see a little bit of a belly! (I think they actually mean, DANG! Where did that belly come from?!)

Geez, this is a long post.  But one last thing, we tested our windows and walls for lead based paint.  The window tests were positive.  Dang it.

Red or pink means there are traces of lead (not sure if you can tell, but 3 were red or pink):

Hope you all have a great week!  Please keep us in your prayers!

16 Weeks

I missed week 15, because it was tax week.  I told my self that I couldn't get on the internet to do anything except taxes and I just kept putting off doing our taxes!

Due Date:  October 4, 2011, I am 16weeks
Size of the baby: approximately 4.5 inches and weighs almost 3 ounces (size of an avocado)
Weight gain/loss:  I had a doctor appointment last week and I had gained 5 pounds!  So far, I gained a total of 3 pounds.   
Maternity clothes: Still not wearing maternity clothes.  For about the past week, I've only worn dresses or pants/skirts with an elastic waist or drawstring.  Finding an Easter dress has been a challenge!
Gender:  We aren't finding out!  The "big" ultrasond appointment is May 2nd and we are thinking about going ahead and finding out...hahahaha just kidding, Lori Beth. 
Movement:  None yet.  Still DYING to feel some movement! 
Sleep:  I'm sleeping good, except getting up at least twice every night to go to the bathroom.  I'm not exhausted all the time anymore--I was actually able to watch the entire episode of Modern Family last night!
What I miss:  Clothes that fit--shopping is not very fun right now! 
Cravings:  Still no "cravings."  Everything that I'm eating I would have eaten before I was pregnant.   
Symptoms:  Gaining weight and I think my belly may be starting to look like a little bit of a "baby belly."
Best moment of the week:  Getting to hear the heart beat at my doctor appointment. It was really loud and strong compared to the last time.  

And I can't believe I am putting this up, but here is a picture.  This was actually taken on Saturday (4/16).  Sorry if it's blurry, Ryan took it with my iPhone.

Hope everyone is having a great week!  Please continue to pray for us!

Hello, 2nd Trimester!

2nd Trimester is supposed to be a Heavenly part of pregnancy.  So far, so good!  Ha--it's only been 2 days!  I was planning to post a picture this week, but I'm just not ready for my pregnancy photo debut.  Here are the highlights of the week:

Due Date:  October 4, 2011, I am 14 weeks
Size of the baby: approximately 3.5 to 4 inches and weighs about 1 ounce (one book says about the size of a fist, another says lemon)
Weight gain/loss:  At my last appointment I lost 2 pounds...I have definitely gained since then!  When I weigh myself at home it fluctuates quite a bit depending on how long it's been since the last time I ate.  Note to self, don't eat before the appointment. 
Maternity clothes: Still not wearing maternity clothes, yet.  When do women start wearing maternity clothes??  I'm wearing my belly band with all my pants (well, all that button and zip) and quite frankly I wonder why I haven't been wearing a belly band for years?! 
Gender:  We aren't finding out!  BUT, I did do a few gender prediction tests just for fun this week.  But, I'm keeping those results a secret, for now, too (not that I trust them at all!!). 
Movement:  None yet.  I am DYING to feel this baby move...but, I know it could be a while. 
Sleep:  I'm still sleeping great and on somewhat of a more normal sleep schedule. 
What I miss:  Clothes that fit. 
Cravings:  Nothing, really.  I don't know that I would consider it a "craving," but I have eaten a baked potato with broccoli and cheese almost every day for lunch.   
Symptoms:  Hmmmm...I guess just the gaining weight.  I still don't have a "baby belly," but I do have a belly!
Best moment of the week:  Looking at little Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas outfits and realizing that the baby will be here for the holidays!!
Hope everyone is having a great week!  Please continue to pray for us!

Welcome!

Hi Everyone!  Welcome to our blog! We are hoping this will be an easy way to keep everyone up to date on our growing family (and anything else we have going on).  Although I'm GREAT at reading blogs, I'm still trying to figure out how to actually do it myself.  I think if you click "follow" at the top of this page or add your email address to "follow by email", you will receive an email anytime either of us update it. 

As you probably already know, we are having a baby!  Here's where we are:

Due Date:  October 4, 2011, I am 13 weeks
Size of the baby: approximately 3 inches (about the size of a peach)
Weight gain/loss:  At my last appointment I lost 2 pounds
Maternity clothes: Not wearing any, yet.  I am wearing the heck out of my BeBands (belly bands?) and I got 2 huge bags of maternity clothes from my sister-in-law, Stephanie, last weekend.  So, I am ready!!
Gender:  We aren't going to find out, it will be a big surprise when the baby is born! 
Movement:  None yet
Sleep:  I SLEEP ALL THE TIME.  My bedtime has just moved up to 8:30.  For the past 6 weeks, I was asleep by 6:30 almost every night!  Except when my family was in town and they kept me up to midnight! :)
What I miss:  Sorry, Beebs, I miss martinis...blueberry (from Stonewood), espresso, dirty, grapefruit and basil...I could go on
Cravings:  Anything and everything that has no nutritional value. And fresh grapefruit juice that Ryan squeezes for me every morning. 
Symptoms:  Luckily, I haven't had any morning sickness or nausea.  My only symptoms so far have been being tired and hungry!
Best moment of the week:  Sharing the news with everyone!

Thanks for stopping by, please keep the 3 of us in your prayers!
And here is your first glimpse of Baby Huntley!