37 Weeks

It's been a l.o.n.g. 37 weeks...

but the end is near!  

I now have less than 2 weeks before I KNOW he'll be here.  

That's both a relieving thought and a scary one though!

It's a good thing I have this goober to occupy my time and make me laugh!!

North 35 to Flower Mound

Back in August we made the trek up to Flower Mound to visit Zach's family.

(I'm just running a tad late with my posts, sorry!)

We spent Saturday in the pool with Aunt Megan... much to Tatum's liking!  The girl is a FISH and has really loved all the time she has spent in the water this summer.  I'm looking forward to swim lessons next summer!

 

Daddy and Pops joined us for a bit to cool off while they were doing some yardwork.  

This little girls LOVES, LOVES, LOVES her daddy!!

If there's a pool and Zach is anywhere near it, you can bet he'll be cannon-balling himself into it!  Pops got in on the action too.  Nothing like a little friendly competition.

 

But the absolute high light of her trip, which she still talks about today even, was Tatum's first time to ride a horse!!  Well, I say "ride" pretty loosely.  She sat on the horse and Pops walked her around for a few seconds.  She was so excited!

  

Meet Jewel.  Tatum's first horse to ride EVER.  And certainly not her last.  Aunt Jennifer is so proud!

 

Tatum also got to help feed Jewel and Zero with Pops and give them some fresh water. 

 

We also enjoyed good food (and POPSICLES)...

 

 

And time with Gran, Pops, and Aunt Megan!

36 weeks!

36 weeks and counting...

Our appointment this week yielded yet more dilation and effacement.  I'm at 2-3cm and I doubled to 80%!  Hang in there little buddy... let's make it this last week to October (and so Mommy and Daddy can go to the UT game this weekend!)

I'm feeling huge, sleeping badly, and contracting like crazy.  

(Just the Braxton Hicks kind, no worries!)

During the day I want more time before he's here, but in the middle of the night when I've been up to pee for the 4th time and can't get comfortable to sleep, I'm READY NOW!

On to week 37 I go.... and back to the Dr. on Thursday!

Hillbilly

Nothing says hillbilly like hanging out in the front yard in your diaper, crushing locust shells with your bare hands, making stinky faces, and being covered with dirt!!

Goof M'Doof

Big Belly

Last Sunday, the 12th, I was officially 35 weeks.  I know for sure that I am bigger now than I was when I had Tatum at roughly 38 weeks.  I just hope he doesn't come out a whopping 8 pounds or anything!

Tatum loves to talk to Raleigh, rub my belly, tickle him, and feel him move.  Here she's showing you where he is, like it's not obvious! :)  I was 34 weeks here.

Over Labor Day weekend, my pregnant girlies and I got a chance to document our lovely bellies again.  That's Shannon and Carmen who are 8 and 6 weeks behind me, respectively.  How come I'm the only Large Marge??  Come on girls, catch up!!

And here I am this past weekend at 35 weeks.  My sweet, sweet friends threw the most adorable shower for me on Sunday.  (I'll post more about it later!)  It was so fun to celebrate our little man with everyone!

I made Zach take the obligatory picture before bed that night.  Well, and also before I took off my "real" clothes for my jammies.  Don't I just look SO EXCITED to be even bigger and feel even more like a waddling klutz?

And lastly, here's my sweet girl loving on Baby Brother while we were reading the other night.  It's so sweet how she likes to pull up my shirt (not so sweet when we're in public) and hang on to him while we snuggle.  Makes my heart happy!

We've FINALLY Picked A Name...

Meet

Raleigh James

Profile

(His forehead is on the right)

Face

(He's looking straight at you, forehead on right.  You can see his right eye, nose, and mouth)

My 34 week appointment was today.  I'll be 35 weeks on Sunday.  We got a sneak peek of our little man so my doctor could check his growth.  She wasn't necessarily worried as I am measuring correctly and gaining weight appropriately, but since Tatum was born 10 days early and just an ounce over the NICU "preemie" status at 5lbs 9 oz, she figured it would be a good time to check him out.

Everything looked great!  He's measuring in the 35%ile at 5lbs 3 oz and taking up every last inch of real estate I've got for him.  He's head down, and by down I mean WAY down.  In fact, when she checked me, I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced.  Wow.  I don't think I'm going to make it to October 17th!  I've got my fingers crossed I can hold out until October at all.

There are no concerns necessarily.  She wouldn't stop labor if it started at this point, but she did say she would induce if I did, somehow miraculously, make it to 40 weeks.

All good news, except that I've got even less time than I thought to get the rest of his stuff in place and mentally prepare for adding another little human to this family.

I've got a shower this Sunday... I can't wait!

(I've also got some before and after pictures coming of Tatum Bug's BIG GIRL ROOM, our new bedroom upstairs, and Raleigh's room... as soon as I finish it!)

Budding Photographer

Our sweet Tatum Bug...

Loves to take self portraits