33 wks

So as you can see my bellybutton is starting to poke out and I'm not lovin' that! I'm at 31 lbs weight gain, and not lovin' that either but it's for my sweet baby and I AM lovin' that!!! She is so active that it kind of scares me because she'll probably be that way after she comes out. I've started swelling the past few days so I put myself on a low sodium diet. It's REALLY hard to do a low sodium diet because it's in everything!!! I plan to work up until the due date so I really, really need this swelling to go away!!! I've scheduled in time to sit and put my feet up but I always seem to find something that needs to be done and don't really get to rest as much as I want. I guess the swelling is going to make me sit because it hurts to swell and continue to stand on your feet. It's been weird because I can notice a difference almost everyday with how big my belly is getting. She's really putting on the weight just like her mommy! We got her dresser in recently and I thought it was coming in put together and it wasn't. It didn't hurt my feelings but I did tell Nick he was going to be happy because he didn't have to put it together and well, now he does. LOL Oh well, just another occasion I get to take pictures of him slaving for his baby. Her bedding should be in soon and I'll post pictures of that. I also had a work shower this past weekend and got money and gift cards to buy her monitor with as well as some really cute clothes and vintage burp cloths. It was so much fun, we went to Log Cabin and ate and had cake...lots and lots of cake. Angela picked out the cake and it was white with a pink M and roses around it for Madalyn Rose! I thought that was so sweet! White cake with white icing is my fav!!! We were there for like 3 hours just laughing and eating, and eating, and eating! I am looking forward to the rest of the showers!!!

Madalyn's Bed!!!

First I want to thank my wonderful mother-in-law, Debbie Williams and her best friend, Debbie Long for this beautiful bed! I absolutely LOVE it! The pictures just don't do it justice. It's espresso in color and will convert to a toddler day bed and then to a full size bed. Nick and my dad had fun putting it together. I was cooking dinner, since the room wasn't big enough for all of us and all of the parts laid out, so every few minutes I'd come and check on them and snap a picture. This one is my wonderful husband actually reading the instructions. I threatened him if he messed up her bed because she can get hurt if it's not put together properly. Oh, and that's dad laying on the floor fixing to screw the sides in.

Looks like dad might be reading the instructions now but I think Nick's got it figured out, maybe. The only thing I had to make them redo was how high the bottom spring thing goes. When I came in Nick was putting it on the lowest setting, where it goes when they learn to stand. Now, to defend him that is the way they showed it in the picture so he was using the directions. I had to explain it went higher because I was too short to reach all the way down to put Madalyn down. He was skeptical at first because the directions showed it all the way down but after I explained he agreed.

And........this is her bed all put together. Thanks Nick and Daddy for doing such a great job! Next step, get her mattress and bedding put in! I really think Nick's excited because the next day I couldn't find him and I went in her room and he was just standing there looking at her bed smiling!

30 week belly

Just when I think I can't possibly get any bigger, I DO! It's been pretty hectic around here so that's why I haven't posted any sooner. I was sick with a cold, which I have now given to Nick, this week and that's rough when you're pregnant. I never knew how hard it was to cough with a big belly. I'd try to take a big breath in to cough and couldn't because my lungs can't seem to expand like they used to. I don't think Madalyn liked me being sick either! I actually missed my doctor's appointment because I couldn't get out of the bed. Anyway, enough of my pity party. I do go back to the doc on Thursday and then I start my every two weeks appointments. This is all going by so fast!

26 week belly

As you can see we're steady growing! She's started kicking so hard I think her foot might come through my stomach. I have a doctor's appointment this Thursday and will have my glucose test that morning before my appt with Dr. Harper. We all know what happened last time I had to have blood drawn, so hopefully I can be a big girl and not faint!!! It's my sister's 30th birthday that day so my present to her is making her go with me and NOT take any pictures this time! Speaking of birthday's, Nick's is Friday and he'll be 30 too! My baby's growing up! I started getting that dark line down my belly a week or so ago and it's not too pretty. No stretch marks yet but i've still got 13 more weeks to go! My wonderful mother-in-law and her good friend Debbie Long bought Madalyn's bed and it'll be in tomorrow. I can't wait!!! As soon as we get it put together I'm going to post pictures of it.

She has a name!!!

MADALYN ROSE HOWARD

Nick and I finally found a name we love!!! We've been looking ever since we found out we were having a girl. After compiling a list of maybe names we narrowed it down to one. We decided to use Rose for her middle name after my great-grandmother, and Madalyn was just a name we both liked. I feel better now that I can call her by name and not "her or she"!

23 wk belly

We're steadily growing! I'm around 15 pounds weight gain now but still getting my 2 or more miles in everyday on the treadmill and watching (for the most part) what I'm eating. Nick and I still can't decide on a name but as soon as we do I'll let everyone know! We're going to his mom's this weekend because he has a continuing education class near by and She and I are going shopping for a crib! I'm so excited!!! She's still on my bladder and doesn't seem to be getting off of it any time soon. She was kicking so much the other day that I thought I was going to be sick! It's still hard to feel her from the outside but I have a few times. She's so low that her kicks are kicking straight down and not out so it's making it hard for anyone else to feel her move.

Her going home outfit my mom bought

My mom was in New Orleans and found a shop that had these little dresses. The lace is from 1972 and was hand made by a lady who is no longer living. The store my mom bought this from was able to purchase some of this hand stitched lace and paired it with linen from Italy. These pictures don't do the dress justice, it's absolutely beautiful. Nick and I will bring her home in it and she'll have some pictures made in it and then I'm going to have it framed and hang it in her room so she can have it when she gets older.

This is the front view of the dress.

Close up of the lace around the neck area on the front.

Front bottom of dress

Full back view of dress


Back of dress, it splits open with a button or two holding it shut at the top


Sorry this one is sideways! I wanted to show the detail of the lace going down the back of the dress.

Matching bloomers (back view)