Week 36

24 Days to go! The beginning of the end is rapidly approaching! :)

As we draw nearer to the arrival date of our little one - the days are cooling & the level of activity for both baby & Mama are slowing down...well - for Mama anyway. Baby is still a mover & a shaker and as I mentioned last week, while the movements themselves might be a tad slower - the frequency hasn't really declined but the intensity grows by the day.

This kid is strong!

The room is done - the linens have been washed and the diapers have been stacked. This week was a relatively low key one for Steve and I which was nice. We didn't have any major social events and we were able to stick around the house & get some things done. We got the house cleaned and ran some errands and then Sunday we had our breastfeeding class - oh so very exciting! :) Following that we had a wonderful get together with our incredible neighbors for the 2nd Annual Greenhill Pumpkin Carving. We had some new additions and as always - great food & heavy competition! So fun!

What's LM up to this week? Still packin on the pounds! LM is now gaining about an ounce a day which puts his/her weight at right around 6 lbs. or equivalent to that of a crenshaw melon:

I will be honest - I have never heard of...though I will be looking for one at the grocery this week to get an idea. :) Length-wise LM should be around 18 & 1/2 inches long and by now most of the downy covering of hair that has been protecting the skin of our little one while he/she bakes has been shed. Come Friday - LM will be considered FULL TERM.

That's right - DING - the oven timer will sound. We are of course up to weekly visits with our doctor and as of last week LM was head down as he/she should be. All is looking well & right on track.

Guess we should get that hospital bag packed - LM will be here soon enough!
Have a great week - Love to all!

Oh - and for all you Florida people who don't get to enjoy the beauty that is FALL :)

Here are a couple pics of some trees on my street...ahhhh - I love fall!

Week 35

32 days to go! We are coming up on the 4 week countdown! Unbelievable...and so very exciting! This weekend we went down to VA to celebrate my brother StephenMichael's 8th birthday...it's hard to believe 8 years have already gone by since he got here. Just another friendly reminder of how quickly time passes and how much we should appreciate and savor every single day we get.
Anyway - here are a few shots from the fun time we all had at Pump It Up...very cool place for kids I might add. And adults too :)
Stephen & Jess
Jess being victorious & Steve still trying to take her out...

Not so fast!

Jenn & Steve coming out of the obstacle course...

I had my fun too! :)

We headed home Saturday evening after watching a great attempt by Arkansas to upset the Gators...while it didn't happen it was a fun game to watch...Sunday Steve and I headed to the movies - something we know we won't be doing for a little while after LM arrives. :) After the movie we enjoyed a nice lunch and then ran all over the place for errands. While there are still lots of things we feel we need to get done over the next 4 weeks, the list is definitely getting shorter. As for what LM has been up to this week....there's not much room left in there now that he/she has reached over 18 inches long and is weighing in around 5 & 1/4 lbs! That's about the size of a honeydew melon:
While I am no longer feeling the crazy swirls of somersaults I am definitely still feeling lots of movement - just a little slower and a lot stronger! The kidneys of our little guy/gal are fully developed and the liver is now capable of processing waste. The physical development is complete so now the next few weeks are all about putting on weight! As for me - my once tiny uterus is now reaching up under my ribcage and I am made aware of that fact everyday! :) There is now more baby than amniotic fluid and all of my fabulous organs have been pushed to the side to accommodate our little one. Fine by me. :)

I am pretty tired by the end of the day but I am overall feeling great. I just wish I didn't have such a hard time putting socks on! :) This sudden blast of cooler weather while very happily received has made getting dressed a fun event. I feel like I am getting bigger everyday - I'm not sure if you can see it as well in my pics but I feel it! :) Steve and I are enjoying these last few weeks...they will pass all too quickly and soon enough we'll be sharing pics of our beautiful LM!

Ahh - so much to look forward to! :)

That's all for now...have a fantastic week! Love to all!

Week 34

Sorry for the delay in the post Little Miller followers!

All is well here and moving right along. Had an appointment today with the doctor and we are still on track for November 20th. Everything is measuring appropriately. I have developed a fair amount of swelling/water retention and have been told to lay low as much as possible. She didn't say the "B" word yet - that's bedrest for those who didn't know - but I have a feeling if I don't look less puffy next week she might throw that word out there...lets hope not! :) And yes, I did say next week - we are now seeing her weekly! Next week marks the 1 month countdown! We have 37 days to go people! Literally right around the corner...though LM still has some cookin to do. So that being said - what's going on this week with the little one?

Well - LM is now weighing in at around 4 & 3/4 lbs! That is about the size of your average cantaloupe:

LM is measuring almost 18 inches long and the fat layers surrounding our little bundle of joy are now filling out. This added plumpness will help LM to regulate his/her body temp once he/she makes his/her appearance. :) The central nervous system is maturing and the lungs are still continuing to mature as well - though at this point should LM decide now is the time to make an appearance - he/she would do just fine.

As for me - I'm doing just fine. Definitely feeling more tired as the days progress but honestly other than that I'm doing great! I have an incredible hubby to thank for making this process a thoroughly enjoyable one. Thanks for taking such good care of me & our little one!

Here's this week's belly progress - getting bigger by the day it seems :)

LM is still VERY active and as the little guy/gal continues to grow the movements just get stronger - amazing. The little one is already taking my breath away and he/she is not even here yet! :) As anxious as I am to see who this person is - I will miss the moments that we are sharing now...I'm savoring these last few weeks and really trying to enjoy every possible second. The experience thus far has been an amazing one and one that has gone SO fast!

35 weeks Friday! 5 to go!! :)

Have a great week - Love to all!

Week 33

What a whirlwind of a week/weekend!!
The fun began Thursday - Mom Spalton arrived that afternoon and we started things off with a fabulous dinner at the Annabel Lee Tavern (http://www.annabelleetavern.com/) in Baltimore.
If you have not yet been - GO. It was wonderful.
Friday was work as usual and then it was time to head to VA for the 2nd Baby Shower for Little Miller! This child is spoiled already & not even here! :)
This is the lovely lady that made it all happen (along with amazing help from Melanie, Greg & Jenn!). Can I just say it was amazing & beautiful & I will just show a few pics of the day so you can try to grasp how wonderful it all was...
Chocolate bar favors...yum!
Steve & I diving into the goodies for Little Miller
Just one of the 3 incredible diaper cakes Mom Noone made!! I don't know if any of you have ever made one of these - holy my goodness I had no idea all of the work that went into these things! Lets just say she has WAY more patience than I do! And I am stocked with diapers - for at least a week I've been told ;)
Proud Daddy - & this is just a shirt...imagine how big the smile will get when the kid actually arrives!! :)
Chattin with some of the fabulous ladies that came out to share the day...and of course - last but certainly NOT least - the incredible cake! I'm still VERY upset that I forgot to snag some to bring home with me :( Although...Mom might be visiting this weekend so I may have to see if she can bring some up! If there's any left now! Dad!
Mmmm - SO GOOD! :) And how cute is that!
Now - for your viewing pleasure - ha. We feel like the nursery now has it's finished touches complete. The window treatments have been hung - the closet is finished and now all we need is Little Miller...Did I mention that my (our) :) chair arrived!! I am SO flippin excited about this chair and it is SO super comfy...Here are the pics of the bebe's room:

Thanks to Marishka - a fabulous artist & friend - we have Little Miller's first original piece of art! She made this for the room and it is absolutely perfect! The colors are amazing and we couldn't be happier with it!

Steve and I are still talking about the shower & the weekend and how incredibly blessed we are. We have some of the most amazing friends & family ever & truly are grateful for each & every one of you! We cannot wait to introduce our little one to you all!

Now - speaking of said little one...what's going on with Little Miller this week? Well, first off - we have 45 days to go! That's right people - we are in the 40's! LM is measuring around 17 inches long - and let me tell you those little feet are making their presence known...I've never been more aware of my rib cage than I have in the last week or so! :) LM is weighing in a little over the 4 lb mark(!) which is equivalent to the size of a pineapple
LM is still shedding the loose, wrinkly skin as the baby fat accumulates and the bones of our little guy/gal are rapidly hardening - making each and every one of his/her movements really felt! I myself have officially entered the waddling stage I believe...and definitely feeling front heavy these days :)
Swelling in the hands & feet has become more & more present as the days progress and sleep - well...not so much. I spend much of the night switching from my left to right side depending on how long it takes the arms to go numb. Just another lovely reminder of the growth...I love it. :) I have my doctor's visit next week and Steve and I have begun the process of pediatrician interviews. So far so good. I think we will be able to make an informed decision by next week which will make my doctor happy since she's been asking about that. :)
Thank you all for your continued support & love - have a great week! Love to all!