Thirty Weeks

Well I have hit the big 3-0! Only 10 more weeks to go (we hope)! I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year although I was working both! Even Jaxson got a lot for Christmas this year and he isn't even here!!! I feel so blessed to have family and friends that already love him so much! He is going to be one spoiled fellow!!! I will post some Christmas pics soon but here is the latest!

How Far Along? 30 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss? Have gained 24lbs!
Maternity Clothes? Yes and they are so comfortable!
Stretch Marks? Nope, thanks to Mama Bee Belly Butter!
Sleep? Still stacking pillows!
Best Moment This Week? Loved seeing all my family.
Have You Told Family and Friends? YES!
Miss Anything? Breathing comfortably
Movement? Yep!
Food Cravings? Anything...I feel like I stay hungry!
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Nope!
Have You Started to Show Yet? Yes
Gender Prediction? It's a BOY!
Labor Signs? Nope
Belly Button In or Out? In! Let's hope it stays that way!
Wedding Rings On or Off? On!
Looking Forward To? Starting a new year!

Twenty Eight Weeks

Well it is hard to believe I am 28 weeks pregnant! The past two weeks have gone by super fast...probably because it's close to Christmas and I had a ton to do to get ready! I had my glucose tolerance test on Friday the 21st...for those who don't know, it is one of the most miserable things to do. Basically, they give you a small waterbottle full of sugar (50 grams total) that you drink over 5 minutes and then wait an hour to have your blood drawn to make sure your body is able to tolerate breaking down the glucose. If you fail, you do a longer one that last 3 hours and if you fail that one, then you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes! Luckily, I passed the first one. However, drinking that much sugar at once without eating a) made me extremely nauseated, b) made me vomit twice later that day after attempting to eat something and c) made me feel extremely hyper and then crash later that afternoon...not something I would want to repeat!

Had Christmas with my family on my dad's side in Asheboro, NC and had a great day on Sunday the 23rd. Started the day off by going to the Christmas Eve Eve service at St. Marks that morning then spent the remainder of the day with family. It is fun to think of how things are going to be different next year with Jaxson here!

Here is the updated pic for week 28! Baby Bump is steadily growing!!!

How Far Along? 28 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss? Have gained 22lbs!
Maternity Clothes? Yes and they are so comfortable!
Stretch Marks? Nope, thanks to Mama Bee Belly Butter!
Sleep? Still stacking pillows! Starting to wake up more in the middle of the night!
Best Moment This Week? Spending time with family and passing my glucose test!
Have You Told Family and Friends? YES!
Miss Anything? Bending over to pick things up off the floor comfortably!!! Sleeping on my stomach and laying on my back! Also putting on shoes and socks on is getting more difficult.
Movement? Yep!
Food Cravings? Anything...I feel like I stay hungry!
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Nope! Well...the sugar from the glucose test!
Have You Started to Show Yet? Yes
Gender Prediction? It's a BOY!
Labor Signs? Nope
Belly Button In or Out? In! Let's hope it stays that way!
Wedding Rings On or Off? On!
Looking Forward To? Seeing more friends and family for Christmas and New Years!

Twenty Six Weeks

December is FLYING by...I just felt like I was posting about 24 weeks but it is already mid-December and Christmas is right around the corner. Things are still going well. Work is busy but everyone seems to need to get their pre-Christmas check-ups in haha. I still have a lot of shopping and wrapping to do this year. Every year I tell myself I am going to finish earlier than the year before however, that never seems to happen. I think part of the excitement of Christmas is seeing how late you can wait to finish everything and still be functional throughout the Christmas celebrations you have to attend.

Anyway, not much has changed in the past 2 weeks but I did go to Michael's work Christmas dinner which was nice to see most of the people that he works with. We ate at Champps at Southpoint which is a very good restaurant. The baby really enjoyed the cheeseburger that I ordered there haha. 

I also had another OB appt. At this appt we discussed my glucose tolerance test which I am scheduled to take on Dec. 21st. I hope I pass the first time! Little man is looking good, he has a strong heart beat and my uterus is measuring appropriately at this time!


How Far Along? 26 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss? Have gained 22lbs!
Maternity Clothes? Yes, unfortunately most of my tops no longer cover my abdomen haha.
Stretch Marks? Nope, thanks to Mama Bee Belly Butter!
Sleep? Still stacking pillows! But not waking up nearly as much in the middle of the night.
Best Moment This Week? Michael's work Christmas get together.
Have You Told Family and Friends? YES!
Miss Anything? Bending over to pick things up off the floor comfortably!!! Sleeping on my stomach and laying on my back! Also putting on shoes and socks on is getting more difficult.
Movement? Yep!
Food Cravings? None really...just spur of the moment "wants."
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Nope!
Have You Started to Show Yet? Yes
Gender Prediction? It's a BOY!
Labor Signs? Nope
Belly Button In or Out? In! Let's hope it stays that way!
Wedding Rings On or Off? On!
Looking Forward To? Seeing friends and family for Christmas!

Twenty Four Weeks

Wow...twenty four weeks! Where has the time gone! I was looking at a little app I have on my phone (yes I'm a dork and have a pregnancy app on my phone) and it says I have been pregnant for 166 days and have 112 days do go...crazy to think about! Anyway over the past two weeks, several things have happened. We did end up going to a couple places to register and I will share my experience with that! Michael and I went to Babies R Us not really knowing what to expect! That place is HUGE and it has SO MANY different choices of everything. Michael couldn't wait to get his hands on the scanner they give you but I was actually trying to pay attention to the lady that was helping us out when we first got there. She was telling us what all was in our registry bag and gave us a checklist of suggestions of things we should register for. Michael enjoyed his time with the scanner and actually gave his opinion on a few things! Next we went to Target. We figured since we had a Target in Burlington that we would register at both places! Michael was in charge of the scanner there too which he had fun trying to see how far away he could stand and still scan the items. We registered for what felt like hours but really only took about 3 hours total at both stores. Most of that time was spent staring at the 5,000 choices that Babies R Us had to offer! If anyone would like to take a look at my registries I would love to have any input/suggestions on things I have missed or things that people may recommend!

After registering, we went to have dinner with a trooper that Michael works with and his wife. I always love eating with Justin and Katie because even though we don't all get together frequently, it's like we pick right up where we left off. They are awesome people and fun to be around!

Michael and I both worked nights up until Thanksgiving which was nice because we were actually on the same sleep schedule...the only bad thing was that I couldn't steal his pillow. I worked the night before Thanksgiving this year so I missed Thanksgiving lunch with Michael's family. I was pretty bummed about this but figured I would get a little more sleep since I really need to stay healthy! We had dinner at my grandparent's house in Randolph County. Here are a few pics...

How Far Along? 24 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss? Have gained 16lbs!
Maternity Clothes? Yes, maternity jeans...and several maternity long sleeve tops.
Stretch Marks? Nope, thanks to Mama Bee Belly Butter!
Sleep? Sleeping ok! Still stacking pillows! Not really well rested in this pic!
Best Moment This Week? Spending time with family and friends!
Have You Told Family and Friends? YES!
Miss Anything? Bending over to pick things up off the floor comfortably!!! Sleeping on my stomach and laying on my back! Also putting on shoes is getting a little more challenging!
Movement? Yep!
Food Cravings? None really...just spur of the moment "wants."
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Nope!
Have You Started to Show Yet? Yes
Gender Prediction? It's a BOY!
Labor Signs? Nope
Belly Button In or Out? In! Let's hope it stays that way!
Wedding Rings On or Off? On!
Looking Forward To? Working on the nursery!

Twenty-Two Weeks

At the beginning of my pregnancy, I felt like the weeks were dragging...probably because all of the excitement built up around ultrasounds and telling people that we were gonna have a little blessing arriving in March. Now I feel like the past 2 weeks have gone by incredibly fast. I have been trying to get a few things done each week, especially when I am blessed enough to have an increment of time off with Michael. We are both off for a 5 day period(this is the way his schedule works out about every 3 weeks and I try to schedule my working nights so I can be off with him). This period he has off has been a very relaxing and restful one but we have decided to start thinking about our registries...one problem...WE ARE CLUELESS. I have looked at all the recommended baby registry items, places to register, brands, ect...but still I feel like it is overwhelming and I find myself feeling like I am in a never ending tunnel of baby stuff. So to all my friends out there who are mothers or who know new mothers please please please offer up some advice about items that you couldn't have lived without, brands of different items you prefer...really anything that I can use to help this process. I thank you in advance for preventing my trip to the psych ward due to being overwhelmed and anxious!

On a brighter note, I have been getting a few gifts here and there from some friends and family! I get so excited when Baby Jaxson gets something...decided I would start sharing some of his gifts on this blog!

My sister(Jaxson's Aunt Edie) has been spoiling him since we found out he would be arriving! I have received numerous cards and items every few weeks from her! He is going to be one spoiled little boy if she has anything to do with it!

We have also received several Carolina Tar Heel items...my best friends Brooke and Brittany gave him a little UNC cap that we loved. Also got a Tarheel pillow pet from Michael's parents and a complete Tarheel outfit from my aunt Angela!!!

My mom and sister have been bargain shopping for Baby Jaxson as well...here are some of their clearance finds that they gave me tonight!

I have been really good and tried not to buy anything until seeing what we really need! I did however by one outfit to share the news with Meredith that she was going to be having a little nephew!!!

Ok here are the questions I have been answering every two weeks...I think for the most part they are the same as 20 weeks but I keep doing them to see when/how they actually do change...although there are some that I would like to remain the same like the belly button question!

How Far Along? 22 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss? Have gained 15lbs!
Maternity Clothes? Yes, maternity jeans...and several maternity long sleeve tops.
Stretch Marks? Nope but my abdomen really itches most of the time!
Sleep? Sleeping is a little difficult this week due to a never ending cold that I have had since I became pregnant...seems to be a little worse this week and is making it difficult to sleep.
Best Moment This Week? Michael feeling the baby kick...once! I was laying in bed watching TV after eating on Saturday and Michael was laying beside me...I kept feeling the baby move and then felt several stronger movements...one felt like it kicked be right in the belly button. I placed Michael's hand over my abd and told him to wait a minute. Sure enough after a few minutes I felt the baby kick hard again and he said "was that it." I knew he had felt it to! Very special moment!
Have You Told Family and Friends? YES!
Miss Anything? Bending over to pick things up off the floor comfortably!!! Sleeping on my stomach and laying on my back!
Movement? Yep or as they call it "quickening!"
Food Cravings? None really...just spur of the moment "wants."
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Nope!
Have You Started to Show Yet? Yes
Gender Prediction? It's a BOY!
Labor Signs? Nope
Belly Button In or Out? In! Let's hope it stays that way!
Wedding Rings On or Off? On!
Looking Forward To? Starting the nursery!

The Reveal

After finding out we were having a boy, I wanted to do something special to reveal the gender to our family. After searching Pinterest and the internet, I decided on the balloon reveal. This past Sunday (Nov. 4th) we traveled to Randolph County where most of my family is from. It was very special because Michael's parents, and my family were all there! We were also celebrating two of my cousin's birthdays so we had Sir Pizza, salad, cake and much more yummy food!!!

After eating and singing Happy Birthday, it was time for the reveal! Here are a few pics!

 Everyone was so excited about the news. We had taken a poll prior to revealing and it was pretty even! We also had decided on a name for Baby Mitchell. The baby's name will be Jaxson Frazier Mitchell. Michael and I have liked the name Jaxson for a boy prior to even thinking about kids. The middle name Frazier is my mother's maiden name and also most of the people from the pictures above last names. We are very excited about the name for the baby!

My sister got Michael a Wii game where it lets you practice taking care of a baby. The Wii controller goes in the back of the baby doll you see here!

My Aunt Angela gave us a Tarheel outfit that was my little cousin Nathan's when he was born! Of course my mother was not excited for us to get it!

As soon as the balloons were released, Michael started playing with the kids by sucking in the helium of the balloons and talking in a high pitched voice! Yes, this is the baby's father I am talking about haha.

Next were birthday gifts for Cade and Brecken! They loved everything they got!

It was such a wonderful evening and I am so excited for Baby Jaxson to grow up with such a wonderful, loving family! Here are a few more pictures from the evening!!!

Twenty Weeks

I did not realize how exciting 20 weeks would be during a pregnancy! First and foremost, I am officially halfway done with my 40 weeks(I am actually 21 weeks as I am writing this but for this blog, I am reflecting back on my 20th week!!!)

My 20th week happened to be the week of Halloween! Michael and I had our 20 week appt and anatomy ultrasound on Halloween Day! We were both super excited and a little nervous to see every little detail about our baby so far. Michael took me to eat at Cracker Barrel before the appt (I love their chicken and dumplings but haven't had them in forever!) We arrived at the appt and our ultrasound was first. The lady doing our ultrasound was the "head sonographer" from the first ultrasound we had when we found out their were 3 sacs and potentially triplets. She remembered us as soon as I mentioned the fear I had felt in the room when meeting her the last time. This time was a totally different experience. She informed us up front that she would let us know what she was looking at but was not going to discuss if anything was normal vs abnormal during the ultrasound. She looked at everything from the ventricles in the brain, to the kidneys, stomach, heart chambers, placenta, umbilical cord and yes, we were able to FULLY confirm the sex of the baby!

Michael was so proud and excited to be having a son! He will be an awesome father and have so many amazing things to teach this little boy! Of course I didn't care either way(neither did he) we both were hoping for a healthy baby! After the ultrasound, we were sent back into the lobby to wait for my actual appt. I saw Dr. Klett this time around and she was very nice and personable. She came into the room and told us that everything looked wonderful with the ultrasound. She also explained that I had 2 more 4 week appts, then I would be checked every 2 weeks up until 36 weeks and then I would be checked every week! It's crazy to think that I am that close. I also get to look forward to a glucose tolerance test at 28 weeks.

Here is the most recent pic that I have taken. Michael says my abdomen is definitely getting larger!

How Far Along? 20 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss? Have gained 14lbs!
Maternity Clothes? Yes, maternity jeans...and several maternity long sleeve tops.
Stretch Marks? No, thank goodness. Michael reminds me daily to apply my mama bee balm to my abdomen haha.
Sleep? I continue to steal Michael's pillow when he isn't there to prop myself up a little bit more! I say a boppy maternity pillow the other day that I'm thinking about. It looked super comfortable.
Best Moment This Week? 20 week anatomy scan!!! AND finding out the gender!
Have You Told Family and Friends? YES!
Miss Anything? Bending over to pick things up off the floor comfortably!!!
Movement? Yep or as they call it "quickening!"
Food Cravings? Can't think of a particular food I am craving, I will say I can see a huge spike in my appetite though!
Anything Make You Queasy or Sick? Nope!
Have You Started to Show Yet? Yes
Gender Prediction? It's a BOY!
Labor Signs? Nope
Belly Button In or Out? In!
Wedding Rings On or Off? On!
Looking Forward To? Michael being able to feel Baby Mitchell move!

Overall it has been an incredible week. I find myself in disbelief that I am really going to have a child! Michael and I are both so excited and sometimes we sit and talk for several minutes about how amazing it will be to hold him and see what God has created inside of us! Michael is predicting that the baby gets his nose and mouth from him based on the ultrasound pictures but we will have to see!!!