Week 37

Well, I'm officially full term, and I've been hoping he would come early. A couple of weeks ago our doctor told us that I was 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced, she also said I wouldn't reach my due date. 

She shouldn't have told me this because now I'm eagerly waiting to have him, and I could have three more weeks of waiting...or longer. 

They say you sometimes take after your mother, in how long she carries. I came 10 days late! So we will see.

My heartburn is getting ridiculous and they prescribed Zantac for me to take, but it isn't working very well. I was up all night! 

Our doctor told us that his movements would change and instead of kicks I'd feel squirms. Well I don't know about all that, but he's definitely still in there.

I've been much more sleepy lately, and maybe it is because I am up more often at night. 

The third and final baby shower was last weekend! I sure have great friends and family! It was a lot of fun. My mom stayed  a couple of days after to help me get the rest of what we needed! Now everything is ready to go! Our bags are packed, we have all the necessities, and I'm mentally ready... 

My cousin had her precious baby boy a week ago!!

Meet Cade Victor! He's so precious. 

I can't wait to meet him one day. 

We will see how it all goes!! Wish me luck.

Week 34!

It has been quite a while since I last posted. A MONTH! I don't know what is wrong with me; I hope you can forgive me. I have driven to Tucson and flown to Denver, since the last time I wrote. I have attended my sister-in-law's baby shower in Santa Fe, and have driven up to the Pecos Wilderness while my husband went elk hunting. I guess I have a few excuses as to why I haven't updated my blog. 
So, although the last month has been hectic, I have still been finding ways to exercise for myself, and for baby M. I feel so huge! I still have six weeks to go, but those weeks are flying by right before my eyes. 
I have really wanted to stay in my black workout pants that stretch and stretch and stretch. However, there have been many different occasions in which I have had to dress up. First, we went to Tucson to attend my cousin, Jed's wedding. The bride and groom looked absolutely fantastic on their big day, and their decorations were beautiful! I enjoyed seeing my family, and my cousin, who is also pregnant with a little boy named Cade :) She is only a couple of weeks ahead of me. I said we would get a picture together, but we never did! The picture below is of me and my AMAZING husband at their wedding.

The week after that, one of best friends came to Albuquerque with her little one, Aiden, and boyfriend, Adrian. Christy wanted to come to the balloon fiesta, and she wanted to take her boys for their first time. Stephanie also joined us, and we had a lot of fun looking at the amazing balloons against a New Mexican sky. The one of us not ready is one of my favorite pictures!

That weekend, Conrad headed up to the Pecos Wilderness to shoot a nice bull elk. He was gone from Friday-Tuesday. While he was up there, I was able to spend quality time with his family. Virtie, Conrad's grandmother, came up for Brandy's (my sister-in-law) baby shower, and she stayed with me in Albuquerque on Friday night. Saturday morning we headed up to Santa Fe to help with the shower, which turned out beautifully. As I have said in a previous blog, she is due in February, but we are expecting them (twins) a little sooner. Our children will be very close in age. Saturday evening we headed up to Pecos, and that is where we pretty much stayed until Conrad came out of the wilderness on Tuesday.  We did go on a couple of nice drives to see the fall leaves.

Conrad packing out his big elk.

My sister-in-law and I, looking at the fall colors.

The very next weekend, I was able to fly up to Denver to help one of my other best friends plan her wedding. She is getting married in July, and has selected me to be her Matron of Honor, so I told her that we should get as much done before Micah comes because once he is here I am not sure how much I can really do! We really did get a lot done, which made me feel good! Her wedding will be beautiful, and I cannot wait!

I have decided to call it quits with Body Pump because I just don't feel right about doing it anymore. I know women do this or that throughout their pregnancy, but I think, for me, I just need to listen to my body. Of course, I always want to do more because that is what I am used to, but I am headed towards the end of my pregnancy, and I want to make sure Micah has a great environment to grow in. I am still swimming, walking, doing the elliptical, and trying to get some hikes in, but those are also getting to be few and far between. 

Conrad and I have been attending birthing classes for five weeks. They are very informative, and have helped me to relax a little bit. I don't think I will ever be prepared for the pain of childbirth, but the classes help me mentally prepare, so I am gaining more confidence. Conrad will be a great coach! 

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 25 lbs so far…it seems like I may reach the max of weight I am supposed to gain…maybe! Oh well! 
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? Not yet! Should I keep praying, or am I safe? 
Sleep? Not the best. It’s hard to get comfortable . Also having to wake up and pee 3-4 times a night is a drag. And the heartburn. Oh the heartburn!
Best moment this week? I don't know if I have had a best moment, but I have had lots of great moments when my friends and husband are able to see/feel Micah moving! I am trying to really enjoy his kicks in there, because I know that I will miss it!
Miss Anything? Running and wine. Movement? Yes. Very active child we got up in here.Food cravings? Pancakes!Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, but we did go on a tour of our hospital, and I got nauseated when she was talking about all that we would deal with. Haha…great!Have you started to show yet? Yes, duh.Gender? Boy!Labor Signs? NopeBelly Button in or out? Out!Wedding rings on or off? OnHappy or Moody most of the time? I feel like I am not as moody as I was. Yay!Looking forward to? Week 37, when I am in the "safe zone"

Week 30!

Hello everyone! I just woke up and thought, "Holy cow! I am 30 weeks pregnant! Only 10 weeks to go…hopefully!" It seems like just yesterday that I was nine weeks pregnant thinking I was big, now I know that I am big! I am growing more and more every day. It is pretty amazing, really.
This morning I woke up, not to my alarm clock that usually goes off, but to the light creeping through the blinds. I said to myself, "OH MAN I FORGOT TO SET MY ALARM CLOCK!" I woke up with just enough time to make it to the pool for thirty minutes of good swimming. I know I have said this before, but swimming is the best! I feel so great when I start my day off like that.

Anyway, we went to a wedding last weekend, and it was so fun! Conrad was in the wedding, and I just got to sit back and relax. We danced, a lot! Our friends threw a heck of a party!

Our friend Courtney just had her baby! She is the cutest thing I have ever seen, and I haven't even seen her in person yet. We made an appointment to meet her on Thursday, and we wanted to also bring them dinner! It will be fun :)

It was the NM state fair last week, and we were able to enjoy the rodeo and a country concert. It was so much fun. Oh, did I mention that we got to eat lots of good fair food? Yum! I probably gained five pounds in one day :)
I am learning to be okay with my growing body. I was so stressed out when the scale kept moving upward, and now I think that it is all part of it. I know that I am driven enough to work off the weight that I have gained, and I know that I want to be a good example for Micah, so I want him to see both of his parents living an active and healthy lifestyle.
I have been feeling pretty well lately. I have noticed that I am getting tired a lot easier when exercising, and just when doing things all day long. I need more breaks :) However, I would LOVE to try to keep exercising throughout my whole pregnancy. I walk every day, I'm still doing Body Pump, hiking, elliptical, and swimming.
Anyway, I have been continuing to help Alden and I had to skip on Ashley this week because I was sick and was afraid that with her babies being so little, that I would give them a cold. Anyway, I am going to help her again next week. Those are two sets of adorable twins that I am lucky to be around.
I WAS SO AFRAID TO TAKE MEDICINE. I had to though so that I would enjoy the wedding, and boy did it help! After that day, I did not want to take anymore, so I just dealt with it. It was just Tylenol cold and flu, but still. I am a paranoid first timer!
It has been a happy week, and I am so thankful to have a supporting husband who is willing to help out, and who works hard every day for us!

How far along: 30 weeks today!

Total weight gain: a little over 20

Maternity clothes: I love to wear my stretchy black workout pants all of the time. However, when I have to get ready and look nice, I am definitely wearing maternity clothes, but also shirts I have had, that are long!

Stretch marks: Just a couple on my boob, not too bad though. I know this is when I can really get them!

Sleep: Still getting up every night to go pee and/or from heartburn.

Best moment of this week: Going to our first birthing class, and learning about everything! I am liking the relaxation and breathing techniques.

Miss anything: Running and red wine. 

Movement: SO much movement. My belly looks like something is literally trying to come out of it at times…

Food cravings: Oddly enough, haven’t felt as hungry as usual this past week..I will still eat a lot in one sitting :( but I don't feel so hungry though out the day.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope!

Have you started to show yet: Duh

Gender: Boy!!

Labor signs: I haven't felt the Braxton Hicks yet. I am waiting for that to happen. I want to start Hypnobabies soon, so I can get a little more relaxed about labor. 

Belly button in or out: The top half of my belly button is out, bottom half is now starting to finally creep on out!

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Happy or moody most of the time: I have been a little of both lately.

Looking forward to: Going on a long hike this weekend, and celebrating my mother-in-laws retirement! 

End of Week 27 and the 2nd Trimester

Good afternoon:

I have finally reached the end of the second trimester. Tomorrow I will be 28 weeks pregnant! I already feel the tiredness creeping up on me. When I workout now, I really feel as though my lungs are getting cramped as everything is pushing upwards. On Tuesday I went to a Body Pump class and I really felt winded, then I did the Elliptical on Wednesday, and felt like a different person from last week! Today when Cristina and I were hiking I was huffing and puffing! I cannot be out of shape, because I have been working out consistently, it is just that everything is changing so quickly. Anyway, it is interesting. Although I haven't been able to keep up running, I still feel that averaging five days a week throughout the first and second trimesters is a huge feat. Now if I can only keep it up until the very end, then I will be set.

Steph and I at Body Pump…I'm def. prego!

The crazy dogs on our hike…George and Tucker

Starting last week I have been going over to my friend, Ashley's, to keep her company while she "trains" her twins to be on a schedule. We decided that train is the correct word because if you are consistent, no matter your child, you can accomplish a lot when it comes to scheduling. Okay, at least when it comes to her children. They have started to catch on, and are sleeping pretty well at night, and they are only six weeks old. I am learning a lot from Ashley and Alden. I think they do things differently, and it is such a great thing for me to see because I can decide how I want to do things when Micah arrives.

Alden's twins (Neala and Rylan) & I

Conrad bought me a new camera! I am so excited, and have already taken it out on a hike to try it out. I am glad that I have a nice camera so that way I can take a million pictures! Alden has been making monthly books of her twins, which I think is a great idea. I think the weekly pictures that Conrad has been taking of me will turn out better with a nicer camera.
I was just telling Conrad that I have been doing pretty well when it comes to cooking these days. A lot of my recipes are coming out really tasty…and I spoke too soon! I tried to make cookies on wax paper the other day (NEVER SUBSTITUTE WAX PAPER FOR PARCHMENT PAPER), and then I tried to make a double layer cake, and each layer stuck to the bottom of the pan! I was so sad! It was the cause of a nervous hormonal breakdown.

Anyway, the nursery is looking great! Conrad and I make a great team. :) All we need is the crib and changing table, and we will be set! Well…and maybe a few more decorations.

Hope everyone is having a great fall. I am so happy that it is starting to cool off. :) 

Week 26

From last week :)

Being silly, as usual.

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing wonderfully this Labor Day weekend. Things here have been remarkably well. However, last weekend I panicked because my one-hour glucose tolerance test came back a little high. It was recommended that I do the three-hour test to ensure that I didn't have gestational diabetes. Boy, was I scared...and this nervousness wasn't just for me anymore, I worried about Micah!The morning of the three-hour test I went swimming at 6 a.m. I know it wasn't the best idea because avoiding (drinking) water while exercising is a no-no for a prego (sorry kinda corny, but I guess that is my mood right now). I then went to the lab to do the three hour test (fasting). I was already nervous because I am used to eating when I am hungry and drinking water constantly. The first three tests were fine. I read 50% of a book while I waited, and I just relaxed. However, the last test didn't go over so well. The nurse stuck me, and no blood came out. She told me she was going to have to move the needle around to reposition it, and I knew right then that that wasn't a good idea. She couldn't get any blood out of that vein for the life of her. I asked her to go back to one of the other veins, and she did. I felt fine until afterwards. The room started to spin and I knew I was going to pass out. Well, I didn't pass out thankfully because I stayed right where I was. Another nurse brought over a recliner and they helped me into it. I felt better immediately. Ugh, why am I such a wimp when it comes to needles!?Anyway, the results came back perfectly normal, so no gestational diabetes. But being the person that I am, I always worry and panic...and it usually turns out to be nothing. I admit it!Anyway, last weekend my parents held a baby shower for me and it was so great. They rented a room, and it was the perfect size and setup for the group of people that we invited. Of course, it was a Dr. Seuss theme, and the cake was fantastic! Everything at the shower was perfect, and it was so nice to be able to chat with people I hadn't seen in a while. Boy do my parents take great care of us!                              

My husband and I :)

My grandparents and I :)

My aunt & I :)

We also shot my rifle for the first time since I got it for my birthday. After six shots, we decided that it was sighted in correctly. It was fun to go out there and shoot, but I was a little afraid it would scare Micah :) It didn't, of course. He is already a natural hunter. :)

I shot pretty well! 

Last week was nice. I was able to swim a great deal, lift weights, and go on long walks. I am so glad Stephanie is back because she introduced me to the world of Lush Cosmetics. We decided that it was important to enjoy life and relax a little, so we each bought a bath bomb! Then I discovered a bar that helps reduce/prevent stretch marks. This massage bar is called: Therapy, and I love it! The smell itself is very relaxing.I also had an appointment this week, finishing the last of my appointments every month, and changing it to every two weeks! I guess I am at the end of my second trimester, wow! Time has truly flown by!Conrad and I started the nursery this weekend, and I am so excited! It is coming along great. We haven't got the really big things, except for the glider, but we are trying to do all of the little things that take a lot of time. We painted all 26 letters of the alphabet in white, Micah's name in red, and Conrad painted a nightstand to fit the theme of the room: Dr. Seuss! Tomorrow we will do the bookshelves. 

What do you think so far?

How far along? 26 weeks & 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: 19 pounds!
Maternity clothes? All of my bottoms, while I am still trying to fit in a lot of my tops still :)
Stretch marks? Nope, I am hoping, praying, crossing my fingers and toes, that they won't be too bad!
Sleep: Still crappy.
Best moment this week: Hearing our little kicker's heartbeat, and last week's baby shower!
Movement: He's very active.
Food cravings: Everything. Too bad. I hope soon that I won't want to eat SO MUCH!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing.
Have you started to show yet: Boy have I!
Leakage: Noooo.
Gender: Micah Avery!!!

 Labor Signs: Noooo. I hope not anytime soon. 

Belly Button in or out? Out. 
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: MOODY!
Weekly Wisdom: Every pregnancy is different, and nothing is really by the book!
Milestones: Approaching the third trimester! 

Week 25

Trying on dresses was never so difficult before!

I am three weeks away from the third trimester, can you believe it? In one sense it seems like it took forever to get here, in another it seems like time has flown by quickly. My first shower is tomorrow, and my mom is throwing it. It will be so much fun to catch up with old friends.
I have started something new this week in my pregnancy: swimming! I feel like a whole new person in the pool. I have been swimming since I was a baby, and once I became a teenager I worked as a lifeguard for a few years, but I haven't swam in about three years. Being pregnant, it seems like just walking around is tough with this extra weight that I am carrying, but in the pool I feel so weightless.
Micah has been kicking around in there a lot lately. The kicks don't hurt yet, which I am grateful for because I have heard it could get quite brutal. I am prepared for what is to come though.
I have been reading a variety of articles, like having an episiotomy, and all I can say is OUCH! And NO THANK YOU! And WHAT THE HECK DID I GET MYSELF INTO!? Haha...I guess it is all part of the process, but YIKES! There are just some things that I didn't want to know! My mom says that no one told her things, and she went into the delivery room unaware of everything that would occur, and she would have rather known what was coming. Not me, I would rather NOT know. I think these days the Internet makes it too easy to learn everything there is to know. On the other hand, you can also find a bunch of garbage so you have to decipher fact from fiction. That is why asking your doctor is always the best way to go when you are unsure of something.
I took Georgie on a hike a couple of days ago. It was a rather short hike, but it had a decent climb. I am always surprised at how "athletic" Georgie is. Conrad calls Georgie athletic. Well he climbs up rocks that are larger than he is with ease! He is something else, and he will probably be neglected a little bit once Micah is born. I will try to still get him to go on his two walks a day. If anyone wants to do any favors for me, that would be it: walk George!

Conrad and I have been getting together once a month with his friends from college (my friends now too, of course). We weren't really getting to see them very often because of our schedules, but now we have decided to make time to see each other. One of the couples are expecting any day now! I am so excited for the two of them. It will be fun to continue meeting throughout, and have play dates! There are so many people that I know who have little ones, or who are expecting!

• My sister-in-law- 16 weeks pregnant, with twins!!! She will be having a boy and a girl: Jasmine and Liam.
• Our friend, Alden, who had twins 8 months ago (Rylan and Neala)! 
• My friend, Christy, who just had Aiden early this year!
• Our friend, Ashley, who just had twins a few weeks ago (identical girls, Adalynn and Aliza).
• My cousin, Megan, will be having a baby boy, Cade Victor, in November! 
• My friend, Tory, who will be having a girl, Scarlett, in November!
• Our friend, Courtney, who is expecting baby Madison any day now!

Now that is a lot of friends with babies!

Last week's picture! Getting bigger :)

My new Vera Bradley diaper bag!

I guess I have "popped"
Please ignore the mess!

Also, I wanted to give a shout out to my wonderful parents. It is their 33rd Anniversary today! I can only hope Conrad and I do half as well as they did in life. :)

An easy-going pregnancy...

Good afternoon everyone!

I hope everyone has had a good week. I'm ready for the weekend to come! I always enjoy seeing Conrad more often.

So now that I am home, I have realized that people expect more of me. I am just now getting a taste of what it feels like to be a stay-at-home mom. Although I do like to help out, I just feel like people think I need things to do. Haha, that isn't to say that YOU shouldn't ask for help if you need it, and I know that I volunteer my help (which you should take me up on it if I do). I'm just saying that Conrad and I made the decision for me to stay home to take care of our new family. Being a stay-at-home mom means that I will take care of our baby, the house, and any errands that we need to do before the baby comes. I now received a glimpse of what some people think about stay-at-home-moms.

What have I done during summer break? I have prepared our registry, I have cleaned every week, grocery shopped, cooked dinner, baked, exercised, went on lunch dates, went on Starbucks dates, went on walks with friends, assisted in caring for some adorable twins, blogged, complained, had mood swings, watched Netflix and Hulu Plus, planned and threw our gender reveal party, and I am READY to start on our nursery (which will be quite the project). So there is plenty that I can do to keep myself busy, thank you very much!

Anyway, enough complaining, but I just wanted you all to know that I do well to keep myself plenty busy...and very soon I will not have any time for doing anything except caring for Micah, so I am enjoying my time of relaxation. I hear it is the only time I will be able to truly relax for a long long time.

My grandfather and I went up to the Pecos Wilderness to spend some quality time with Conrad's parents, and to go fishing. I wanted him to get away from home for a little while and he agreed to take a little mini-vacation. It was a fun trip and we made some memories.

I am excited to be starting a bible study pretty soon with a few moms from Annunciation (the school where I last worked). That will be a fun time for us to get together to talk about motherhood and God.

I am so glad that my beautiful BFF, Steph, is back in town. She and I have established a workout routine that has been going pretty well. This is what we have decided:
Mondays- Swimming
Tuesdays- Body Pump
Wednesdays- Hiking
Thursdays- Gym
Fridays- Body Pump
Weekends- What ever we want!
I am excited with the schedule and think that it will be good for us. She will also incorporate running into her routine, but I cannot keep up with that anymore.
We have also said that we should start volunteering once a week. I have been meaning to volunteer for a few years now!

The past two weeks I have been hiking with my friend, Cristina, and we have been taking our crazy pups! I bet you can't spot the baby bump!

How far along? 23.6 weeks!

Total weight gain: I've gained a total of 14 pounds at my last appointment, probably more now.

Maternity clothes?! Of course! They are my favorite (who would have thought!?) !

Stretch marks? No fresh ones to report. Just the same couple on my boobs!

Sleep: Not too great. They say good sleep is a thing of the past at this point. :/

Miss anything? I miss red wine and running.

Movement: OMG! He is going to be an Olympian! He does a lot of somersaults. When he hears Conrad's voice he gets very worked up (it is adorable)!

Food cravings: Not really.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No, thank goodness!

Gender: A little boy: Micah Avery!

Labor signs: Thankfully not!

Symptoms: EMOTIONAL!

Belly button in or out? Oh boy is it coming out...every day it seems like it is pushing further and further out.

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody moody, but like my mom said, I have always been moody so I can't expect that to change when I am pregnant!

Looking forward to: Meeting the little guy...I still have a long way to go.

We found out what baby Ley will be!

What a lovely couple of weeks it has been. We went on a family trip to Nebraska, which is always so special because we have a hell of a good family there! They feel more like my first cousins than my second and third cousins. 

We were able to walk around a beautiful lake every day that we were there. It was a great way to exercise, and talk with our family :) I never thought that I would have said that walking is exercise for me, but it really is!

I think last week was a great workout week, but not so great eating week (as usual). I have been feeling better about everything, especially after figuring out the sex of our little one. My parents, Conrad, and I, put on a gender reveal party that was a lot of work, but a lot of fun!

It was so much fun to get together with many of our family and friends. It was also a great way to share this special moment with them.

And then we found out...

It is a boy! We are welcoming Micah Avery Ley into our family! I am so excited because back before I was pregnant, we painted our nursery blue for a  Dr. Seuss theme. I thought that it could have been unisex, but the more I thought about it the more I knew it was a boy room. Well...it worked out perfectly! I always wanted an older brother, and look...I get to give my next child one!

And none of this would have been possible without the kindness and generosity of my wonderful parents. I know I've said it before, but God has blessed me with them! 

Anyway it was a perfect couple of weeks! And I wanted to share the news with you!!!