Over the River and Through the Woods

To Grammy and Pop-Pops we go! It is a beautiful fall weekend in the Appalachian Mountains, and today we had a delicious lunch at Dunn's Deli and got some amazingly fresh and crisp apples at Johnson's Small Fruit. We're relaxing and enjoying some college football, and looking forward to the Florida game and fire pit  tonight. Go Gators!

T-Minus 3 Months

Today marks the official start of my 3rd trimester...my due date is exactly 3 months from today!  I can't believe time has gone by this fast, and I know the last trimester will fly by as well.  I really feel ready and prepared, and more excited than you can imagine.  Apparently, only like 5% of babies are actually born on their due date, so let's all keep our fingers crossed that this baby comes on time, or a little early!  I'm betting that being due on Christmas Day will mean that the best doctors (including my own) will make their greatest efforts to be home with their families for the holiday.  I'm teaching right up until winter break, and the last day of school is December 20th.  I'm sure I'd be ready to go a few days early at that point too :)  But as long as he gets here before the end of 2013 (the last thing we need is to have to pay another deductible for the next calendar year!), then I'll be a happy mama.  Hopefully, doc is on board.  And maybe Baby will have the same birthday as Daddy (and Aubrey) on the 27th!  Add on another BT - but this time it would be for "Birthday Triplets!" Guess time will tell...

Project: Playroom

This weekend's baby project focused on the playroom. Marshall did a fabulous job painting the walls a yummy color called limeaid. He got the job done in about half the time by using an edger...it's the best painting tool ever! I also found a photo of some bookshelves made from rain gutters on Pinterest, and talked Marshall into adding that to the project today. They look awesome! We also changed the light fixture in the fan to make it a bit brighter. It all came together nicely after 4, yes FOUR! trips to Lowes. Don't ask...it's done, and that's all that matters! We're pretty stoked! Here are some photos of the finished product.

Baby's first Gameday!

Sugar Highs in the Morning

Today's doctor appointment involved a glucose screening test for gestational diabetes...which meant that I had to down a very sugary fruit punch drink at 8:00 am, then go to the lab to get more blood taken.  My results should be in next week, and will let me know if I tested negative for gestational diabetes, or if I have to come back for a more extensive test.  So fingers crossed!  The rest of my appointment went well...we listened to baby's heartbeat and doc measured my torso to show that I'm about 27 weeks - right on track!  I won't have another ultrasound until 36 weeks though...guess I was a little spoiled at first.  I've also only gained 13 pounds, and doc says that is perfectly fine, so I'm very happy with that.  I'll now start to see my doctor biweekly.  Maybe we'll actually get to the Ballantyne office, which is basically walking distance from our house, rather than having to drive all the way to uptown for our visits.  Our doctor is only in Ballantyne once a week, so we haven't even stepped foot inside the door.  Oh, and we found out that Marshall's insurance will cover a breast pump 100%!  That will save about $400, if we can get a script for the double electric hands-free version...can't wait for Marshall to come home for lunch one afternoon to find me washing dishes with a baby strapped to my back and a double breast-pump strapped to my front.  That visual should keep you going for a while.  You're welcome.

Welcome to My Baby Blog!

A good friend of ours suggested that I start a blog to document my trials and tribulations throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and bringing home baby...so I thought I'd give it a shot.  So here goes nothing!  Welcome!  Just to be clear, my "adventures in baby making" refer not to tales of conception (that part happened quite some time ago), but to the actual progress of growing a person.  MAKING A HUMAN!!!  Every time I think about it, I'm amazed at what a miracle it really is.  Since I'm just now beginning this blog, here's a little recap of the past 6 months to catch you up on our progress so far.

Marshall and I discovered we were pregnant on April 16th, 2013.  We were overjoyed, especially after going through a difficult miscarriage in December.  So needless to say, I was also a little terrified.  We made it through the first trimester with relatively few complaints...I was very lucky to not have to suffer with any morning sickness, and only had to deal with fatigue and allergies.  My second trimester was also ideal.  I was out of school for the summer, and had enough energy to make it to the gym everyday, and did quite a bit of shopping for the house, nursery, and for my growing belly.  We found out on August 5th that we would be having a boy!  Again, we were thrilled!  Marshall can't wait to coach little league teams, and I'm already dreaming about being a football mom.  Tests have come back normal, I'm feeling great, and I can feel our little guy kicking, poking, and squirming all the time now.  We even listen to his heartbeat with a stethoscope from time to time.  Just this week, I began my third trimester!  I can't believe that we're now on the home-stretch.  We've painted the nursery, have furniture on order, picked out colors and fabrics, and registered at Buy Buy Baby for everything we'll need and more.  We even have a playroom all set up! 

Baby Boy Rothwell is scheduled to arrive on December 25th...Christmas Day!  That's in 97 days, or 3 months and 6 days, or 13 weeks and 6 days...according to Siri.  I hope you will continue to visit my blog for updates on everything baby.  I'll include some photos along the way as well.  Please feel free to comment back!  Thanks for being a part of this incredible journey with us.  Marshall and I love you all!