Week 32

53 days to go!

This week was a good one for us - very productive. Steve was able to get the closets finished up and I was able to get everything put away & organized - whew! I feel SO much better now. Nice to have everything away & organized. He did an amazing job - as usual - and then we were able to enjoy some time relaxing - not much - but a little. :)

Besides finishing up the closet - the weekend consisted of dinner with friends Friday and our friend Lito's birthday party - it was a blast! Other than that - pretty low key.

This week Little Miller is weighing in around 3.75 pounds - about the size of a large jicama:
LM is measuring about 16.7 inches long(!) and taking up more & more space as he/she is also gaining about 1/2 lb a week! LM is supposed to gain a third to half of his/her weight during the next 7 weeks. LM has toenails, fingernails, & hair - which was evident in the pics at our last ultrasound and the little one's skin is smoothing out as the weight packs on. Good times!

As for me - my blood volume has increased 40-50% since I became pregnant - pretty wild! My uterus is now pushing up near my diaphragm and crowding my stomach which now brings on shortness of breath & heartburn on occassion - I love it! :) Sleeping is definitely becoming more complicated but it's all worth it. Here's this weeks' shot:

This week is a very exciting one for Steve & I both. Mom Spalton is headed up Thursday and we have our VA babyshower this Saturday! We are very excited to see everyone & really looking forward to a great time with friends & family. For those who we won't be seeing in person - we will be thinking of you and assuredly seeing you sometime in the near future...

Love to all! Have a great week!

Week 31

First of all - we must take time out to welcome Ms. Ava Mae Valabek!

Congrats to Rachel & Mike on the arrival of their daughter last Thursday! She is absolutely gorgeous as you can see & we cannot wait to meet her!

Looking forward to heading to Nole games with the little ones :)

Feels like it was just last week that Rachel shared her wonderful news that she was expecting and then very shortly thereafter sharing with her that we were! Crazy to me that Ava is already here & just a friendly (amazing, wonderful) reminder that LM's arrival is right around the corner!

59 days to go people!! Can you believe it!! :)

So on that note - what's going on with LM this week? Well, LM is measuring over 16 inches long and weighing about 3.3 lbs which is equivalent to about 4 naval oranges (Mmmm). He/she can turn his/her head from side to side and the arms, legs & body of our little one are beginning to fill out as LM accumulates fat under the skin. Needless to say there are no worries on my end as to whether this little guy/gal is moving around - holy my goodness! Read this week that sleeping may prove more difficult due to the little one's movements - DUH! Ha. Sleeping is no problem for me - being comfortable these days though while sleeping is definitely proving more difficult. Steve tells me that LM is really active when I first fall asleep - I'm calling that Daddy time. :) He enjoys that moment - just the two of them & I enjoy hearing about it in the morning...

Here's this week's pic - grow Little Miller grow!

Steve and I had a really great & relaxing weekend. Saturday we went to class & graduated all in the same day! We are now certified in both CPR&First Aid. Good times. After that we were able to enjoy our friends & neighbors at the annual Grapes on Greenhill event.

Thanks to Kristen & Vanessa for hosting - the food was incredible & the company even better. Already looking forward to next years! Here are a few pics from the party...

Sunday we went to the Redskins game! We had a great time cheering on the team & the win made it even better...even if it was achieved with 3 field goals! :)

Did I mention our Noles won Saturday too! Yes, it was a great weekend!

Looking forward to our next one already! haha. Love to all!

Week 30

10 weeks to go!! Steve & I are still on cloud 9 after our ultrasound last week...

The now nursery used to be the office and the closet that was in that room was the linen closet. I am super grateful that I have such a multi-talented hubby! He did a complete closet re-design and while we are still in the process of completion - he's off to an incredible start!

I now have new shelves & hanging space in the nursery and the guest room closet will soon be transformed into guest/linen closet. Did I mention he's building me a shoe rack - 4 complete rows of nothing but space for my shoe problem...I mean collection. :) As soon as it's completed I will share pictures of his accomplishment.

I am very excited for this.

Now onto what's going on with LM! This week LM should be measuring around 15.7 inches long & weighing almost 3 lbs! This is equivalent to a head of cabbage:

What I've read says that there should be a pint & a half of amniotic fluid surrounding LM, this amount will start to decrease as LM gets bigger & takes up more & more room. The eyesight is continuing to develop but has a long way to go. Even upon arrival LM will have 20/400 vision so if LM sees anything in the beginning it will only be the faces of those who get super close up - we're talking inches from his/her beautiful face. :)

Get ready for your close up! The exhaustion I felt in the beginning is beginning to creep back in...not too bad yet but I've definitely noticed I'm getting tired faster.

These dark mornings & early sunsets aren't helping either!

We had our visit with our doctor today & everything looks great! She was very pleased with my placenta moving - as were we - and has given me permission to resume most of the activities she had previously nixed. Back to yoga tomorrow - hurray!! She located LM's head while probing my tummy and had Steve feel it as well - crazy! And not so awesome when you have a full bladder - whew! Good thing is it's down where it's supposed to be and hopefully will stay there! :)

Here's this week's belly bustin photo...

Helloooooo Little Miller!

Other than closet re-design...the past week hasn't been too exciting which has been great!

This weekend will be a fairly busy one for the both of us. We have our CPR/First Aid class Saturday morning and then the 2nd Annual Grapes on Greenhill event! Looking forward to great food, wine & time with friends. :) Then we'll enjoy watching FSU beat out BY & wind out the weekend with the Redskins hopefully pulling one out in their game against the Rams...

C'mon guys - lets get it together!!

That's about it for us here - Love to all & have a wonderful week! GO NOLES!!

ps - Happy (early) Birthday to Ms. Ava Mae Valabek who will be making her appearance tomorrow!!

Congrats Rachel & Mike!!

Week 29

What a great week! Steve took me away to the beach...ahhh.
Originally it was supposed to be a weekend away but thanks to our fabulous neighbors Kristen & Vanessa we were able to extend the trip! It was wonderful. We started out in Ocean City, MD and then went for the first time to the OBX and enjoyed another couple of days in Rodanthe, NC. We had a really great & relaxing time away. Just what we both needed. It was nice to get away for a few days just the two of us.
Next beach trip we take there will be 3! :) Here are a few pics from our trip:

This is the house from Nights in Rodanthe

We made a pit-stop on the way home to get a few pictures for Stephen Michael of Grave Digger's Racing Shop.

They had a mini-farm on the property and this little baby goat was part of the crew there.
SO cute!
We had a really great time on our getaway and while leaving the beautiful beach and getting back to reality was the last thing we wanted to do - we had our ultrasound to look forward to!

So...onto the fun stuff. Week 29 has been a very exciting one for us. Not only have we really started to feel Little Miller movin & shakin but as I mentioned we had our ultrasound and my goodness what a difference a few weeks make! We were able to get a sneak peek inside at the beautiful face (and legs and arms and belly and...) of our little one. I have to say it pretty much took my breath away...completely incredible to literally see this little person's development take shape and we are now (if its possible) even MORE excited for November!

According to babycenter.com Little Miller should be weighing in at about 2 1/2 pounds, about the equivalent of a butternut squash.
We found out today that our little grasshopper weighs 2 pounds 15 ounces! All the measurements are right on target and everything looks perfect. We also found out today that my placenta did exactly what it should have and moved out of the way. :) This is great news as it most likely means that I should be able to labor normally as opposed to having to schedule a c-section. This doesn't eliminate the possibility of a c-section - any number of things could change between now and then but it does up our chances for a more normal labor process and Steve and I both were very happy to see & hear that. We haven't discussed the ultrasound results with the doctor yet - my appointment is next Wednesday - but based on what we saw today it's good news. LM should be measuring a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. As for what else this amazing little person is doing - well, the muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and the head is growing bigger to make room for LM's developing brain. About 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited into LM's hardening skeleton each day! No worries there though - cheese is my friend - as is milk & yogurt, etc... :) According to the ultrasound tech LM has lots of hair. We even saw what she says was a wisp of it - SO fun! We had such a great time looking at our LM today. I don't think Steve or I have stopped smiling since we left there this morning.
Such a great day!
After our visit with LM - I had the great pleasure of having my glucose screening test done. I have to admit though - I was prepared for this awful tasting concoction and I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't that bad at all! Tasted like a sweet, semi-flat Sunkist. :) Results for that test should be available tomorrow. The nurse didn't seem to think I would have any issues and it would be fine. I'll let you know next week how it turns out as well as what the doctor says about the ultrasound today. That's all for now - time to sit with Steve and do a bit more ooh-ing & ahh-ing over the amazing pictures of our beautiful baby. :) Does it get any better than this??
Love to all! Have a great week!

Week 28

Welcome to not only week 28 but the official start of yes, believe it or not people - the 3rd & FINAL trimester! I think I shock myself with each passing week at how quickly this whole thing is moving along. This week proved mostly uneventful. I did go to Virginia for a night to attend the Kenny Chesney concert with Mom, Dad & Jess:

We all had a great time at the show and it was just nice to see and spend a little time with them. Steve stayed home as he had his usual list of things he wanted to get accomplished around the house and he wanted to get some mountain biking in as well. We had a great weekend and can't believe we are already almost halfway through this one already! We are going to take some time come Thursday and get away just the two of us for a few days. Will be nice to have some time away...perhaps we can take some of that time & start a real discussion on names for this little one! Steve seems pretty convinced it is a girl & therefore offers only girl name suggestions. So...maybe we can chat about this and come up with some options. Little Miller will be here soon enough and pretty sure they won't let us leave without a name! :)

Now - what's going on with LM this week you ask? LM should be weighing in around 2 & 1/4 lbs - which is about the size of a Chinese cabbage:

and measuring 14.8 inches long from head to heels.

I think the increase in LM's size is definitely showing on me! :)

LM can blink his/her eyes now which by the way are sporting lashes! Along with the eyesight development he/she may be able to see the light that filters through the tummy. How cool is that! Shadow puppets anyone? :)

Billions of neurons are developing in the brain of our little one and LM is adding more & more body fat as each day goes on.

As for me - as I mentioned I have entered the 3rd trimester! It is estimated that I will gain about 11 pounds this trimester - which Steve thinks is pretty wild as I will probably be close to or possibly even surpass him in weight! Crazy but SO worth it! :) My ultrasound to evaluate the placenta previa was scheduled for today but had to be re-scheduled for the 10th. Steve and I will be returning from our getaway on the 9th so while next weeks blog will be a tad late we hope to have new pics of our little angel to share with everyone - so long as LM cooperates!

We shall see...

Love to all! Have a great week!

Week 27

87 days to go!

We have arrived at Week 27! Absolutely amazing how quickly this time is going but Steve and I both are getting more & more anxious about meeting our little one! With each passing day the anticipation grows - as does my tummy! :)

This week Little Miller weighs almost 2 lbs (or more...) which equates to about the size of a head of cauliflower.

LM is measuring around 14 & 1/2 inches long and wakes & sleeps at regular intervals now. Although I must say - this little angel at times feels like the acrobatics never stop! Makes me wonder just how much/how little he/she is actually sleeping! I was thinking I would keep a log for a day or two to track this so look out next week for that. LM is also opening and closing his/her eyes and possibly sucking on his/her fingers. I also read that along with opening & closing of the eyes he/she can see shadows which is pretty wild. Brain tissue is rapidly developing and active now! The lungs are still pretty immature but if born now they would be capable of functioning with lots of help...but this little one has a little ways to go - keep growing LM! I can now say I have experienced baby hiccups...little funny feeling but exciting too as it means that LM is doing exactly what he/she should be at this point in time. As for me - still feeling very good overall. The only new thing is some uncomfortable feelings in my lower back and I did have a little leg cramping the other night but that was probably attributable to not drinking enough water that day. :/

I am still walking most days and trying to stay as active as possible. We have our next doctor's appointment Wednesday, September 5th. At that point we should have a better idea of my placental location and possibly know if we'll be a scheduled c-section or will be able to labor normally. Either way - long as Little Miller gets here happy & healthy - that's all that matters to us. Plus - we'll get another chance to see our angel.

On that note - we hope you all have a wonderful week! Love to all!

Week 26

It's official - we have less than 100 days to go! 95 in fact...cannot believe how quickly the time seems to be progressing! And with each passing day the kicks this little one brings my way get stronger & stronger - such a great feeling! This week was pretty uneventful I must say. We had a very relaxing weekend at home. Steve did some things around the house - little projects he's been wanting to get done - painting exterior door trim, running new phone line for the new desk area - fun & very exciting things like that. :) I spent most of Saturday relaxing which was kind of nice. It's not often that we are home on a weekend and even less often that we don't have plans. I took full advantage of my free day. Sunday Steve went mountain biking and I headed up to Delaware to celebrate Ms. Hannah's 1st Birthday party.
She's grown so much since I last saw her and is sweet as can be.

So ... this week Little Miller is working on hearing...the nerves are becoming more sensitive and more developed enabling the little one to hear both mine & Steve's voices. Very cool. LM has also begun to practice breathing movements as he/she inhales & exhales small amounts of amniotic fluid. And of course - the babe is working on puttin on that baby fat. LM should be weighing in around a pound & two-thirds and measuring around 14 inches from head to heel.
This is about the size of an English Cucumber!
Grow Little Miller grow!

Steve and I are getting ready to sign up for our CPR/First Aid classes and making mental lists for things we both would like to get accomplished over the next 3 months -
3 months!! Wow! :) Well that's about it for us this week...we hope you all have a wonderful week! Love to all!

Week 25

Wow! Time is certainly flying by...cannot believe it but we have only 102 days to go!! Crazy!

This week went by quickly which was great since we had a very fun filled weekend we were anxious to enjoy. Saturday we saw Dave Matthews Band with our dear friends Greg & Melanie...

We had a blast! Little Miller was movin & shakin throughout - having as good a time as Mom & Dad I'm sure :) Did manage to remember to bring the camera along but definitely forgot to make sure the battery was charged! Got a couple pictures before the power died though.

Sunday we had a wonderful brunch with friends - lots of food & great conversation & company! Also got the opportunity to meet the newest addition to the group - Kara & John's daughter Kendall who is 4 weeks old. Precious little girl - so tiny!

It was fun to watch Steve with her and just gets me even more excited to see him with our own little one. :)

We headed home and then spent the rest of the day relaxing. All in all a fabulous weekend.

Now onto our little grasshopper...this week head to heel LM is measuring at around 13 & 1/2 inches long & weighing in at about a pound & a half or about the size of a rutabaga:The lean body of our babe will start taking on more baby fat soon & that wrinkled skin will start to smooth out. The color & texture of his/her hair is visible now - if we were able to see it - and just keeps growing. As for me - I've been reading about watching my balance and I have to admit I am a little more clumsy these days. Graceful movements are definitely not my specialty right now but overall I am feeling really good.

Steve's taking great care of me & we are enjoying counting down the days together until we meet our little one.

So exciting!!

Well - that's it for this week - have a great day! Love to all!

Week 24

Hello Baby Miller watchers! :)

This week was a relatively quick one since we didn't get back home from our FL weekend away until Monday evening. Gotta love a shortened work week! We had no set plans for the weekend which was nice. Steve of course had his usual lists of household chores he wanted to get done so we planned to do a few of those and otherwise just be home & relax. It was wonderful.

Saturday we did venture out for some errands and caught a movie with a friend. We saw Funny People which was actually better than we both expected...then spent the rest of the weekend doing random things around the house & just spending time with each other. Savoring those days since they are numbered. :)

Speaking of which...time for the weekly update on Little Miller (LM). LM is growing, growing, growing! He/she is weighing in at more than 1 lb and about 4 oz of that is just within the last week!

LM is about a foot long - like an ear of corn and starting to fill out proportionally. The brain is growing quickly and the taste buds are still developing as well. The lungs of our little babe are "branching" out and starting their development. And finally the skin is still translucent but will be changing soon enough.

As for me - the top of my uterus is now located above my belly button and is about the size of a soccer ball! (as you can see)

My next appointment is this Wednesday but it will just consist of them checking my weight & blood pressure. I have another 4 weeks before she will re-evaluate me for the placenta previa. She will do another ultrasound and see if the placenta has moved at all with the growth of my uterus. Let's hope so! If not - that's ok too - just need to know what we are dealing with. :)

On the plus side we'll get to see our little angel again & we couldn't be more excited for that!

We hope you all have a wonderful week! Love to all!

Week 23

What an incredible whirlwind of a weekend! Steve & I went to Ft. Lauderdale initially so that I could attend Rachel's baby shower...but then Steve's Mom decided since we were there it would be great to host a shower for Steve & I so that the Florida friends & family could attend.
I had a wonderful time at Rachel's shower and super happy I was able to celebrate such a wonderful day with her. She has the sweetest family and Ava will be loved by many - but that's not a big surprise! :)

It was so great to be able to see everyone and visit. We miss you all very much. The shower was incredible and truly left me speechless. I was blown away by the number of people that came out to share the day with me and even more so by the showering of gifts for this little one! This child will want for nothing that's for sure!

While the ladies enjoyed the shower, Steve was able to spend some quality time with his Dad & brothers which was also great! They spent their day golfing together. No pics unfortunately but according to Dad - everyone played surprisingly well. Few birdies, double bogie's & evidently a fair amount of eagles. :)

Here are a few pics from the shower:

The invite - so cute! ~ All the Mom's & Mom-to-be ~ Adorable favors

Beautiful balloons! ~ INCREDIBLE cake!! ~ Kimmie, me & Grammie :)

We played a few games and shared lots of laughs. I am,WE are extremely lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives and we're very much looking forward to Little Miller meeting you all!

Speaking of LM :) ... this week the sense of movement is developed and the babe can feel me dance & move. LOTS of movement with this little one!

He/she is now more than 11 inches long & weighs just over 1 lb which is about the size of a large mango!

The blood vessels in the lungs are developing in preparation for breathing and the babe's hearing is getting better by the day. Making lots of noise outside so LM will be prepared for all sorts of noises. :) As for me - we were able to make it down to the beach while we were in Ft. Lauderdale. This week's pic was taken underwater courtesy of Bella and her fabulous camera -

Thanks Bella!

Guess you could say it was technically LM's first dip in the ocean! First of many more to come!

Other than growing (seemingly by the day!) I still feel really good. I've started to see some swelling in my feet & hands since the increased temps have finally arrived but it's not too bad. Just trying to keep them elevated & stay hydrated. So far so good. :)

Anyway - we hope you all have a great week! We are home this weekend and have no set plans which is nice...will try to get some things done around the house & relax a bit.

We both need it after this last weekend! :) Love to all!