25 Weeks

My belly is so big now that people in public are starting to ask about the baby, and I'm not sure how much longer my non-maternity shirts (like this one) are going to be able to keep stretching with me!



Stephen and I went to a parenting and breastfeeding photography exhibit at a local art gallery that was also hosting an event with speakers from around the community today. It was nice to be around other like-minded parents. I'm beginning to get anxious about how this whole parenting thing is going to work, and it's good to know that there are supportive groups in Athens for the things I'm concerned about, especially since we live so far away from family and haven't made any friends with kids here yet who might be able to provide some support when we need it.

On a different note, UGA was recently chosen as one of the top 10 universities in the country to get "the best bang for your buck" based on the quality of education and price. It's still hard to believe that Stephen is actually teaching at such a well-respected university. We're hoping that he'll advance beyond the instructor position one day, but for now, this is the best opportunity he could have fresh out of grad school. We feel so blessed!

Preparing for Baby

24 weeks


For the longest time, it seemed like my due date was forever and ever away, but now May 6th seems like it's just around the corner, and I'm busily preparing for our little girl. I'm reading books about labor, signing up for childbirth and breastfeeding classes that will start next month, and we took our first hospital tour this weekend. I had another ultrasound today, and everything looks great for the baby. She weighs 1 lb. 9 oz., which is right on target for her age; her heartbeat is at 140, which is also good for her age; and the doctor said my amniotic fluid looks excellent. I love to get good reports about our baby!

We have not gotten much stuff for the baby yet, and I'm completely overwhelmed by all the things we are going to need! Wow! We were so excited to receive these great Christmas presents that were given to our little girl.



These are the first little outfits she received, given to us by Stephen's parents and aunts. They are adorable and it's comforting to know that we have something for her to wear now! She also got her first stuffed animal for Christmas, this adorable soft pink teddy bear, from Dad and Sonya. And she got her first toy, the monkey rattle, and a beautiful box for keepsakes from my mom.

I found a baby girl scrapbook that I absolutely love, also for Christmas via Aunt Jennifer, and I'm so excited to get it started for our baby!


(Btw, we're not naming our daughter Emily, it's just the default name that came in the scrapbook!)

I am in love with all the fun pieces that came with it. This is the first time I've used a scrapbook "kit," and I'm hoping that all the coordinating papers and embellishments are going to speed up the scrapbooking process!



Stephen and I are taking full advantage of our last months together before baby makes three. We are trying to go to the places that will be hard to go to once the baby gets here, like art museums and such. And there are so many great locally-owned restaurants we want to try out. This weekend we went to The Transmetropolitan, home of the delish "Hungry Sasquatch" pizza.



Speaking of food, I did not gain four pounds again last week, thank goodness! I cut back my ice cream consumption from a half-gallon per week to a pint per week, and got results! Lol. I cannot believe how hard it is getting to move around already-- I can really see how exercising regularly all along would have been helpful. Today Stephen and I walked around our hilly neighborhood and 15 minutes was all I could do-- I can't believe how out of shape I am! I'm trying to get back into exercising regularly; my goal is to do a little something each day alternating short walks with gentle prenatal yoga. I've done a little walking for three days in a row now, and feel so much better afterward. I keep hearing about how labor is the biggest marathon in life and I want to get better prepared for it!

Explosion Time

23 Weeks


I am seriously exploding! I feel like a stuffed sausage, like my belly cannot accommodate all the things inside of it. All of a sudden, my appetite has skyrocketed and I feel like I can just eat and eat and eat. It's insane! Last week I made the mistake of going to the grocery store while I was a little hungry, and I came back home loaded down with pecan spinwheels, cinnamon rolls from the bakery, and a carton of ice cream. Guess who ate it all?? I've gained four pounds in one week! Obviously, it's time to quit keeping junk food within my reach, or I'm going to turn into an elephant by the time this thing is over. Stephen is going to have to be the grocery police from now on!

The baby is so big now that I can actually see my stomach moving when she does her daily acrobatics! But the mind-boggling thing is that in last 23 weeks, she has only gained a pound; yet in the next 17 weeks, she will be packing on the weight to gain about six pounds! I, on the other hand, will be gaining much more than six pounds. I absolutely want her to be a healthy weight, but it's overwhelming to think about how much bigger I'm going to get. My belly is already getting in the way... I can't bend over all the way anymore, it's hard to get up from couches, it's difficult to roll over in bed, and it's already getting harder to snuggle up to Stephen (which just happens to be one of my very favorite things to do). Last week I actually got stuck when I was rearranging the computer wires underneath a desk! When I get down on the floor, how I'm going to get back up from the floor is now a legitimate concern... what is it going to be like by next month, or in three months?!

Back Home!

We had a really nice trip to Alabama, but I am so happy to be back home! Here's a couple more highlights from our trip...

I finally got to meet my friend Jenny's adorable son Isaac, who is already one month old. It was so much fun to hold him (especially since he was sleeping!) and while he was resting on my tummy our little girl started moving around in my tummy, which was really cute.


Saying goodbye to my dear friend Inna who's moving to Europe this week. We're looking forward to visiting her there one day!


Stephen has been playing a LOT of guitar lately... here he is turning my acoustic guitar into a slide guitar. (You can see why I fell in love with him!)


We got to visit my very favorite place in Alabama, Mt. Cheaha State Park, home to the highest point in the state.


This mountain has the most amazing view of the sunset. And there is just something really cool about knowing that you are at the highest elevation out of any other person in an entire state. Stephen surprised me for my birthday one year by renting a cabin at the top of this mountain for us. (He earned major points for that one!)


Now it's time to think about the new year and the things I want to accomplish. There's always something so exciting about the possibilities that come with a brand new year. I hope everyone has a happy and blessed 2010!