bummer

I really thought that with only 6 weeks to go I was going to be one of those lucky mommies to avoid the dreaded stretch marks. Unfortunely, in the last few days I've developed a small map right under my belly button, cocca butter lotion and all :(

Super bummer!

I'm still within a healthy weight gain though. Cross your fingers for me that it stays that way in the small amount of time I have left.

Baby and I are so Spoiled!

Tessa through me a surprise shower this weekend. I did know something was coming, but just didn't know when. I thought I was going over to her house to hang out, go get pedicures, and the boys could play cornhole. I immediately noticed that her culd-a-sac was full of cars. Thank goodness I put on makeup that day :)

It was a fabulous shower! Great friends and good neighbors. I feel very fortunate to have such loving caring people around me. Kristin planned the games. We played this hilarious game where there were different chocolate candy bars melted in diapers. We had to guess which candy it was by looking, smelling, and even tasting the candy. It was interesting :) Baby Schularick has almost gotten everything off of her registry! I think we will be more than set when she decides to make her arrival. Great big thanks to my bff Tessa!!!

Great News!

This is my favorite picture yet! You can see her whole face and her chubby little cheek.

My poor feet :(

I know it has been a while since my last post, but going back to school is exhausting me! I feel like I am getting bigger by the day, like I can never catch my breath, my lower back kills, and my acid reflux is coming back with avengance (even with the prescription meds). I'm just now beginning to feel like I'm ready for this baby to come. Some recent updates:

First things first...the greatest news ever! On Wednesday Dustin and I went to see Baby Schularick in an ultrasound to check on her overall growth. Her growth has taken off! Her overall body weight has increased from 33% to 38%. Also, the rest of her body is completely in proportion. All her areas measured somewhere in the 31 weeks and some days time frame. Even though I am 32 weeks pregnant, that is a very good measurement. Also, they estimate that she is 3lbs 15 oz right now. So, we have no more worries about growth :)

Second, Dustin and I attended birthing classes at our hospital. The classes were pretty good! I have read everything I could find, so I was worried that I wouldn't learn much. But, I learned a lot, and Dustin learned tons. We specifically liked how specific it was to what they do at that hospital. We saw a natural birthing video and one with the use of an epidural. We learned all about the stages of labor and what happens when. We learned what to do in case of emergencies and what the hospital will do incase of any issues arising. We learned about cesearen births. We took a tour of the maternity ward of the hospital. The absolute best part of birthing class was that Dustin learned all types of massage techniques to use depending on the type of labor I experience. We got to spend a lot of time practicing these massages! It was wonderful :)

Third, I went to breastfeeding class at the hospital. Dustin couldn't come with me because it was his school sneak-a-peek night. This class was also great! Breastfeeding does seem a bit intimidating to me, but I hear that the more you educate yourself, the more the chances are that you stick with it. I know it's whats best for baby girl, it's free, it will help me lose weight, and it's convenient. So, I'm beginning to get determined. I really hope that it's easy for me. I hear way too many horror stories about it. I'm definitely willing to give it my all!

We are getting down to the final stretch now. Just 7 more weeks to go. Last things I need to do to prepare are install the car seat bases in the cars and have them checked out, get 2 night lights (one for babies room and one for hallway), get a lamp for her chest, get a cover for the ugly night stand in her room, get some baskets for the changing table shelves, buy a new TV for our room so we can put ours in her room, find a pediatrician, finally decide on her name for certain, and get the rest of the stuff I'll need from my registry after my shower here in GA. I didn't think it sounded like too much until I started typing it out...ugh. Well, luckily I really do enjoy getting ready for her :)

One final note: My feet are completely swollen. I ordered shoes from Old Navy the other day. I never really thought twice about ordering my normal size, a 7 1/2. Problem is, when they came, I wasn't even close to squeezing them on my feet. So, I thought, maybe I needed an 8. Then I realized I have worn nothing but flip flops and sandals for the past few months. I went upstairs to my closet to try on all my shoes, and low and behold, nothing fit at all (except maybe my fake walmart crocs). I stopped at Old Navy this afternoon to exchange the shoes. I ended up buying a size 9. Size 9!!! Thats an entire size and a half bigger than normal. Craziness... That will be the last pair of actual shoes I buy and wear for the rest of my pregnancy (except for my trusty flip flops).

T-minus 7 weeks to go!

Love, Erin

I Love my Mommy Mobile!

I'm just plain exhausted! I started back to school this week, getting my classroom together and going to tons of meetings. The students start on Monday. I think my body got used to sitting around a majority of the summer, because it's having a hard time going back to work. The scary thing is that I don't even have the students to deal with yet. Anyway, because of this, my feet have really begun to swell up and my lower back is beginning to hurt a lot. It will be an interesting 2+ more months of school before my little one arrives :)

On a happier note, I got a new car! With our impending parenthood soon approaching, my little two door 2002 Mitsubishi Mirage just wasn't gonna cut it. I couldn't imagine getting my baby girl in and out of that back seat, and it didn't have many safety features that cars have today. So, Dustin and I did tons of research, looked at nearly 20 different sedans, crossovers, and SUV's, and decided to go with a Ford Edge. It's absolutely beautiful and has tons of space for our family! I'm looking forward to taking it on long trips back to PA. I got just a little emotional when they took away my Mirage, which was quite a surprise to me, because I was sick of that car. But, it was the very first car I ever bought myself after college. Silly pregnancy hormones.

Doctors appt check-up this coming Tuesday and another ultrasound the following week. I'll keep you updated.

T-minus 9 weeks to go!!!

Erin