Week 32

How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 35+
Maternity clothes? Most definitely
Sleep: Still tossing and turning- I found I sleep better if the room is cold and if I take a warm bath before I go to bed.
Best moment this week: I got a few things organized in the nursery! It is starting to feel real that we are expecting someone to come live in that room now.
Miss Anything? I miss laying on my stomach.
Movement: Sometimes it feels like he's a kick boxer and other times he just likes to stretch out and stick his feet under my right rib.
Food cravings: It changes frequently- at this very moment I want orange juice.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: People think I am due any day now, so yes I'd say I am showing.
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Still in mostly.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: I cry a lot. It doesn't take much to trigger it either. I think it comes from stress and lack of sleep (which isn't about to change once the baby is here so I guess I better get use to it!)
Weekly Wisdom: "I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He knows that your giving birth to a child does not immediately propel you into the circle of the omniscient. If you and your husband will strive to love God and live the gospel yourselves; if you will plead for that guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit promised to the faithful; if you will go to the temple to both make and claim the promises of the most sacred covenants a woman or man can make in this world; if you will show others, including your children, the same caring, compassionate, forgiving heart you want heaven to show you; if you try your best to be the best parent you can be, you will have done all that a human being can do and all that God expects you to do."- Jeffrey R. Holland
Looking forward to: Knowing 100% for sure what we're going to name this little boy, and dressing him up in the cute clothes I've got!

Week 31- Baby shower, birthday, updates on job searching, and dr. appointments oh my!

Cake Malone got from work

Our new crib! I love it!

Last week my sister-in-law Natalie and my mom threw my baby shower at my parents house. The theme was "Baby under construction". I thought a construction theme would be a cute theme for baby Bullock's nursery too since his daddy is in construction. Natalie pulled it off with some really cute decorations and we also had colors that I wanted for his room too which was great. It was fun to see all my friends and family there. It was a good reminder that there are people in my life who care about me and support me. It's a really good feeling. My mom had us play this one game where everyone got a piece of clay and had to make a baby. I got to judge the best baby! It was so funny and I think we all had a good time. Baby Bullock got all sorts of good stuff- blankets, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, diapers, etc. It's all sitting in his room now, I need to go through and start putting things away and organizing his room and figuring out what else I need to get so that we are prepared for when baby comes. I don't have all the furniture I was hoping to get for him, but we'll have to do with what we have. When I got home from the shower, Malone had a big construction cake he helped design with a lady from the Rexburg Broulim's bakery. It was so cute! Then Malone walked me upstairs and surprised me with a beautiful crib that he went out and bought and put together himself. It was just the exact one that I wanted! He knows I've been wanting to start the nursery forever now, and finally I have something to start with! I really want to go out and buy some bedding for the crib now. So excited!

Thursday night Malone and I went to a BBQ at my coworker's house. We always have an annual bbq at his house every summer. It was fun to hang out with everyone from work! Afterwards, Malone had to get packed and get ready to leave to drive down to Salt Lake City Airport to catch an early morning flight at 6am to Texas for an interview. He decided to just drive through the night to get there at 4 to catch the plane. He was able to travel there safely, get his rental car, and have his interview. According to Malone the interview went well. He'll be hearing back from them this week hopefully.  Malone hung out in Dallas for a little while after his interview and caught his plane around 9 that night. We arranged for him to stay at my aunt's house when he landed in SLC so he could get some sleep. Long day for Malone!

Malone had mentioned to the people in Texas about how we are expecting a baby in October and how he'll be available after the baby comes. Today we found out that they think he's a good candidate, and want him to get in touch with them after the baby comes. So we'll see how that goes! In the mean time, Malone has also spoken with a guy who might be interested in hiring Malone for his company in Arkansas, which we'll have to also wait and see there too. I just pray that this job thing is timed just right for us and for when the baby comes. Malone really wants a good job to help provide for our baby, and it's getting closer and closer now. He's such a good provider, I have no doubt that things will work out for us financially. It's just a little scary not knowing what to expect right now.
Monday was my 27th birthday! I can't believe I am that old. We celebrated over a few days- Saturday my best friend Deidra and her hubby met up with me in IF. Her hubs went and wandered the mall while Deidra and I got pedicures. After pedicures, I got a hold of Malone and he met up with us (he was traveling home from SLC) at Olive Garden where all of us had lunch! We called it a birthday celebration for all of us August birthdays. Me, Deidra, and her husband Kacey are all August birthdays. Then Sunday we celebrated my birthday with my family at my parent's house. We had steak and funeral potatoes (yummy!) and I got a birthday apple pie, just what I wanted! We played a couple games and just hung out. Then Monday I worked all day at the Physical Therapy office. My coworkers got me a basket of goodies from the candy shop across the street. Then my boss bought lunch for everyone to celebrate all us August birthdays in the office. After work Malone and I went to Idaho Falls and got some dinner at Texas Roadhouse. I got a free dessert for my birthday of course. Then today, the corporate office at Broulim's bought me a cake for my birthday. It was a good birthday.

He's got his hand in front of his face

Tuesday I had a Dr. appointment at Madison Womens Clinic. We did an ultrasound to test to see how things are going with baby boy as far as measuring fluid, movement, if he is practicing breathing, etc. He passed with flying colors- so he's doing really good. I'm also doing good too, bp is still looking good and everything. Thank goodness for that! Even though baby has his back issue, he is still pretty much a regular healthy baby. We'll just have to take a couple extra steps after he is born and hope he stays that way. I had another appointment with Dr. Beauchamps today (our perinatoligist) and she said that baby's vents are a little bigger than last time, but everything else looks good. I will be seeing doctors once a week to twice a week over the next few weeks to monitor baby.

I am scheduled to go to University of Utah for a follow-up there on October 3rd. Malone and I both think it's a good idea that I stay there in Salt Lake City until the delivery sometime between Oct. 14-19 just in case I go into labor early. So we'll be making arrangements to find a place for me to stay at that point.

Salt Lake City mini trip

Wednesday afternoon Malone and I left to go to Salt Lake City. Thursday morning I was scheduled to see Dr. Byrne and to see a genetic counselor and get an ultrasound. We got to SLC a little late around 9 , to my aunt karla and uncle Steve's house. The next morning Malone and I left early to get to University of Utah Medical Center where I would be getting my ultrasound first thing. The radiologist made it sound like baby's ventricles in his brain are a little bigger. I knew it could happen, I had just hoped it wouldn't. After that we talked to a genetic counselor who basically told us nothing. Seemed to Malone and I a waste of time. She said I would have to take more folic acid next time. And after talking about any possible genetic issues within our families, it sounded to me like this was just a fluke thing. Which I already figured anyway since no one in either of our families has any defect issues. So, we learned nothing. The next appointment was with Dr. Byrne. We mainly talked about when we would have the baby, which turns out we will schedule during the 39th week. I am scheduled to go back and see this Dr. on Oct.3rd. I might stay in SLC from then till I deliver. We haven't decided what to do yet. And the Dr made it sound like I still have a choice in whether I want to deliver c section or not. They will support whatever I want to do. I am going to ask my other doctors here at home to see what they think I should do. After this appointment we were scheduled to meet with a nurse who would explain the surgery and what to expect. She was the most helpful person we talked to all day.

After all our appointments Malone and I grabbed some lunch at Tocanos and headed home. It was an extremely long and stressful day. We felt like the trip was not as helpful as we had hoped it would be and were disappointed. As we get closer to having this baby I am feeling a lot more stress and worry. I don't really know what to do.

On a positive note, Natalie and my mom are throwing my baby shower next Wednesday! Yay! And Malone got an interview in Texas next Friday and they are flying him down there. Pretty exciting!

Week 29

29 Weeks

Not much has changed since I wrote last, other than I am still getting bigger and I am starting to notice swelling in my ankles a little more often. No surprise there really. I went to see my OBGYN last week and everything checked out okay. I took the glucose test and that turned out okay too, other than I tested a little anemic. So no diabetes which is good! The last thing I need is to have something go wrong with me to make things more complicated for baby. And so far, knock on wood, things have been really quite good! I have been asked a couple times this week if I am having twins. I guess I look kind of big for how far along I am. People think I'm due like this month. I try not to take these comments personally, but when you hear it from a few different people you can't help but feel just  a little self conscious. The doctor I talked to didn't seem to extremely worried about my weight gain, which was kind of a big jump in the last couple months. I told her I was a little concerned since I still have a ways to go. And she was really understanding, saying that I have had a stressful couple months, which I agreed with. Still though, I feel like I can do better.

This Thursday Malone and I are going down to Salt Lake City for more dr. appointments. We'll be finding out what the plan is going to be as far as when the delivery will be and what to expect with surgery on the baby after he's delivered. So I will be giving an update later this week probably. I pray everyday that our baby will continue to grow healthy and strong for a miracle that he will come out of all this with a healthy body and no serious complications. This defect is so varied depending on the person, so there is no telling what to expect really. So why not hope for a miracle? It could happen, right? Whatever happens, I know that it will be God's will, and that Malone and I will be strengthened and capable to handle whatever comes. I recently read this talk by Elder Bednar. And it really made me think. Something he said was that we have faith that we can be healed, but we need to have faith that we may not be healed too. We just need to have faith in God's will, whatever it may be, and know that it'll be alright.

On a side note, Malone has been done with school for a week or so now and he's loving the free time! He's been diligently looking for a job and doing interviews often. Lately he's been talking to Kiewitt out of Vancouver, WA, and another company in Texas. Malone is a lot more interested in Kiewitt right now. He's hoping for a job in the northwest OR/WA area. So we'll just see where all that leads us. While I am excited about Malone finding a job, thinking about him finding a job and then trying to figure out moving with everything else going on with me and baby I admit, stresses me out more. I just hope Heavenly Father knows what timing will be best for us and things will work out.

The other day I captured a pic of Malone snuggling with Kayto on the couch. I couldn't help but share. Kayto LOVES it. He's such a snuggly dog. Kayto makes me laugh a lot, he's such a funny dog, even though he sometimes drives me nuts.

Malone's Graduation

 

Malone is finally done with school!! I couldn't be more proud of him. He has earned his bachelors in construction management. He has worked so incredibly hard and has sacrificed so much, he has certainly EARNED this degree! Last night we were able to have most of my family and Malone's sister Holly's family all come to his graduation. Afterwards we all went back to our house and had dessert. I had made a banner for Malone's graduation and had it hanging in the living room, just to make it even more special. He is so happy to be done!

 

 

I also thought I would include a few pictures of some of the projects Malone did over the semester. I think he did such a great job on them all. It's fun to have a hubby who is artistically inclined like I am haha.

 

Week 27

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +25
Maternity clothes? Wearing them all the time now. There are only a few of my normal tops I can still wear.
Sleep: Tossing and turning and cant seem to get comfortable. I wake up every time I have to roll over.
Best moment this week: Seeing baby boy's face on a 3D ultrasound!
Miss Anything? Being able to move around easier- it's getting harder and harder to maneuver with this big belly and sore back.
Movement: Definitely feeling some kicks from time to time!
Food cravings: Ice cream, bacon, Fritos (not together!)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: Very much so
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Still in! (not for much longer I'm afraid)
Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: Lately, easily irritable due to being hot! Otherwise, I'm good.
Weekly Wisdom: John 14:27  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Looking forward to: Doing some baby shopping and making crafts for his room



I am now 27 weeks along! Just about 3 months left to go!  Just in the last couple weeks baby boy has turned into quite the kicker! I just laugh about it sometimes because it can be kind of ridiculous. I just wish I had a window so I could see what he is doing in there! Even though it can be ridiculous, I love every second of it. It always brings a smile to my face and reminds me that he is there and that he is growing. And for me it's a personal thing that just me and baby have together because no one else can feel what I feel with him. It's such a special feeling I've never had before.  I can't wait to meet him! I have been dying to go shopping and get a crib and start his nursery, but I have to be patient for now. I also have been thinking I need to start a homemade project, something for baby boy; maybe put together a blanket or crochet something? I'm not super crafty, I don't know how to do that kind of stuff but I really want to learn. And I wish I knew for sure what I want to name him because I'd like to do something for his nursery with his name. I have a pretty good idea of what it is going to be, but I won't be 100% sure till I meet him. Guess that will have to wait! The other day Malone was laying next to me with his back against my belly and the baby started kicking him. I asked him, "Do you feel that?" He's like, "Yeah what is that?" I told him it was the baby kicking! And he was like, " Ohhh I thought you were just twitching!" So funny, I love it!

Today was our first ultrasound since we've been home from SF. They estimate he's a little over 2 lbs now! This is his first 3D ultrasound- look at that face! I'm already in love with him. Doctor says he is looking good. Doesn't look like anything has changed, other than he's getting bigger! Other than the expected stuff with SB, everything else is right on track. So we are thankful for that.

I get asked all the time how I'm feeling. Well, since it's my first I'm not sure how I'm "supposed" to be feeling but I can honestly say I feel pretty good! As I've said in past posts, I haven't been sick really at all.  A little cold here and there but nothing I can't handle. My belly is getting bigger, which is taking some getting use to. That has certainly changed in the last couple weeks. It's getting bigger every week! Bending down to pick up things is becoming a little trickier because I am trying to stay balanced on the way down and up. I get a little winded when I go for walks or upstairs, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm out of shape ( which I know is definitely a factor!) or if this baby is starting to crowd my lungs/diaphragm or something. Because the bump is getting bigger, I can feel a little more stress on my back. I feel like an old lady when I try to get up off the couch because it takes me a minute to get up, and then sometimes my back hurts a little from sitting or laying down. Of course after working all day, I have low energy by the time I get home and just want to lay down for a while. The last couple weeks I have noticed some swelling in my ankles and feet. I figure this all comes with the pregnancy package, so I'm not going to complain about it. It's just all stuff I am slowly getting use to dealing with. I also get asked if I am having any weird cravings... not if ice cream is weird! It ALWAYS sounds good, but I am pretty sure I was that way before I got pregnant.

The other day Malone and I scheduled to go down to visit with the doctors in Salt Lake City August 8th to talk about delivery/baby's surgery etc. I won't be delivering at Primary Children's, as I previously thought. I'll be delivering at University Hospital which is just down the way from Primary Children's. Baby boy will be getting his surgery done at Primary Children's. I've had people ask me why I have to deliver down in Salt Lake City. I don't HAVE to deliver there, I want to. If I were to have the baby here our baby would have to be transferred down there to have the surgery done. I want to deliver in Salt Lake so that we can be closer together. I don't really mind having to go down there though. We have lots of family down there. So I guess this is just the next step in our journey. I imagine this visit will be similar to the one in San Francisco, in that it will be a long day. Luckily it's only a day!

San Francisco- Days 4-7

After our decision was made with our nurse, Malone and I were done. We left UCSF and had the rest of the weekend to do what we wanted before we headed home. When we got back to the hotel, we went ahead and made arrangements for our flight home on Monday. After that we drove out to Oakland where we rented our car and got a new car rental. When we rented our first car, we only rented it till Friday so we needed to return it and re-rent (long story). Since we were in Oakland, we decided to go check out the Oakland Temple. It was only about 20 minutes from the car rental place so we figured why not? I can definitely tell you the second we stepped foot onto temple grounds it felt different. I felt so comfortable and peaceful like coming home. Even though I had never been there before, it felt familiar. We walked around the grounds and took pictures and we visited the visitors center. It's a beautiful place! I loved it! I am so glad I am part of a church that is the same no matter where you go.

 

After visiting the temple we went back to the hotel and relaxed the rest of the day. Saturday we slept in, got ready and went to the mall nearby. We walked around checking things out, looked for some shoes for Malone, with no luck. There was a movie theater connected to the mall so we went over and bought some tickets for that afternoon to "The Lone Ranger". We decided to go grab some lunch before heading to the movie, so we went to Hooters! Malone hadn't been there before and we were both craving wings. When we got there we were watching one of the TV's that showed the news. An airplane had crashed at the San Francisco airport just a couple miles from where we sat! The pilot was flying an airplane that was new to him and he came in too low hitting the back end of the plane on the runway tearing it off. Two people were killed many were injured, some in critical condition. It was just a fluke thing. I couldn't believe something like that was happening only a few minutes from where we were sitting. I admit I was grateful that wasn't the airport we were flying out of Monday.

After lunch we went to see our movie. We got there really early and got good seats. "The Lone Ranger" was really quite good! I liked it, but it's not a movie I'd run out to buy. Malone really liked it though. After the movie we went back to the hotel and hung out some more.

The view outside of Nick's restaurant

Sunday we decided to just take a drive and see where we ended up! And it turned out great! First we drove up towards Golden Gate Park, but a lot of the roads were closed off for the day so we connected to the Great Highway that runs all the way down the west coast. We stopped at the beach for a few minutes and walked around, collecting sand dollars. It was windy and kind of cold outside and of course the water was freezing, so no playing in the waves for us! We continued on down the coast and eventually stopped for lunch at a little café called Nick's. It had a beautiful view of the coast and apparently had some good seafood. I ordered some fish and chips and Malone got some fish tacos. All were so good! I'm not big into fish, but I enjoyed the fish I got a lot! That's saying something coming from someone who doesn't love fish. After lunch we continued down the coast, briefly passing a place called the Devil's Slide, which is basically a rock face that stretches into the water. I didn't get any pictures because we just drove past it. We made our way down to Half Moon Bay and decided it was time to get going home. Malone and I loved the trees and hills out there. There were lots of big vegetable gardens people sold local produce out of, and a little bit of farmland too. It felt good to be out of the city and into some countryside, and so close to the ocean too. It was a beautiful place! We crossed Crystal Springs Reservoir  and made our way to the bay side of the peninsula and back to the hotel. It was kind of fun to just go drive and explore not knowing where we were going to what we'd see out there. We had a really great time!

Monday finally rolled around and it was finally time to go home. I was actually really glad to go home. It had been the longest week ever and I missed being home. We packed up and headed to the airport around 9:30 to catch our 12:30 flight. It took us about half an hour to get to the rental place to drop off the car. We were able to catch a shuttle back to the airport and from there we had an hour and a half to get to our gate ( we had to be there at least an hour early ). We finally found where we were supposed to get our tickets and the line was LONG. We waited in line for about 30 to 45 minutes. By the time we got our tickets and went through security, we had 10 minutes to find our gate. Luckily our gate was right by security and we got there with 8 minutes to spare. How lucky! Of course we had to wait about 20 minutes before we could board, but I was glad we made it. We flew home and my mom picked us up from the airport. It's so nice to be home!!!