In preparation for baby, I was lucky enough to have not just one, but TWO amazing baby showers. Everyone has been so kind and generous, and we are so grateful for all of the wonderful gifts we have received. It has definitely removed a lot of the stress of getting ready for The Saucer's arrival.
The first shower was given at the end of May by the English and Math department at the high school where I teach. A math teacher is also expecting her first baby, and so they threw us a combined baby shower. She is having a little girl, and she is due just two months behind me at the start of October.
This is our cake. Aren't the angel babies precious? The lady at the store asked the teacher who picked up the cake if the shower was for twins. THANK HEAVENS it wasn't!
Some of the yummies at the festivities:
Opening one of the precious outfits I received:
Rebekah and me together; I am about 30 weeks in this photo (please remember I had spent the day with 90 teenagers before you judge my appearance):
My wonderful mother-in-law threw me a second shower at the start of June. It was beautiful, and of course with Joy in charge the food and atmosphere were fabulous. My mother-in-law knows how to throw a party unlike any other.
Some of the people at the shower:
Some of the yummies:
Opening one of our gifts: A travel system!!! We were so excited!!!
As you can tell, Baby Reese was very spoiled:
We also started getting the nursery together. The first step was choosing a wall color and painting the walls. The nursery started like this:
We bought our crib off Craigslist for $50.00 because we're cool like that.
We chose baby blue, and I love it. I don't care if it is generic and expected. I think it is precious.
Joy and Bruce offered to give us Cameron's old nursery furniture. It had been used by Chad's cousins when they were little girls, and since then stored in a shed. When it got dropped off at our carport, it looked like this:
Now, thanks to Chad painting the walls, and me refinishing the furniture, the nursery looks like this:
I bought the bedding on Ebay, because I fell in love with this Pottery Barn pattern. The quilt was a baby shower gift, and I think it makes the crib so cute!
Lauren and I found this cute toy organizer at a yard sale for $12.00:
And, as you can tell, Baby Reese will have nothing to wear when he joins us in August:
It is still a work in progress, but we're getting there.
I have been terrible about taking belly photos, mostly because I find them less than thrilling, but here are a few to appease my mom and grandma:
With some of my darling students the day of their final, at almost 32 weeks:
Me at 33 weeks, after North Lenoir's graduation:
Me at 34 weeks:
Pregnancy update: At my last appointment it looked like baby is still in the breech position. During our 4-D ultrasound at around 29 weeks The Saucer was definitely head up and the stubborn fella didn't really cooperate with the "photographer." I do have pictures to post, but I don't have them with me, so that will have to be another post for another time. We weren't too worried at that point, because there was still plenty of time for him to turn. At 34 weeks, it was a little more concerning. Both the doctor and the midwife sill aren't sure if he is head up or head down. I go in for my 36 week checkup when I get home for a scheduled ultrasound. If The Saucer hasn't turned, I will go into the hospital so they can attempt to force him to turn. If that doesn't work, I will be scheduled for a c-section, which I am less than thrilled about. I am really praying this kid will flip before then. If he doesn't though, I guess I will just be thankful that we can get him here safe and sound.
I am devastated that I don't have a 35 week picture to post (OK, not really). To tide you over, picture me 8 months pregnant, in a swimsuit, hiking through a river with my father-in-law and sister-in-law. That is how I spent my afternoon; I kid you not. Maybe tomorrow we will do it again and I'll capture the moment on film so you can all have a good chuckle.
We are spending the week in the mountains and having a wonderful time. The 85 degree weather certainly beats the 100 degree, humid days I've spent sweltering in my house back home (since our air conditioning has decided it no longer wants to function . . . during a record-breaking heat wave while I am pregnant and feel 10 degrees hotter than normal . . . but that is a post for another time). Good food and good company are sure to make our vacation fly by much too quickly!