Merry Christmas! {2013}

round 2 // 30 week ultrasound

I had an OB appt on Monday and another growth ultrasound on Tuesday this week.  All is looking "spectacular", in the words of my docs!  :)  Natalie is measuring at exactly 30 weeks, right where she should be, and she weighs almost 3 lbs (2 lbs 14 oz).  They also told me that her head, though it looks huge on the ultrasound monitor when I look, is actually pretty small.

That's good news considering I'm going to try to push this one out.  (ooo, TMI -- sorry!)

The only reason I had a c-section with my boy is because the stubborn thing stayed breech, so they told me that in those cases, it is possible to attempt a VBAC as long as everything goes according to plan.  So that IS the plan.  It terrifies me but I really would like that experience, if possible.  We'll see what the Lord wills.  :)

We got a cute glimpse of Natalie's profile at the ultrasound...

[hi there!]

Thanksgiving 2013...

I'm late with this post, but what's new?  It's the season to be behind, right?

No?

Well, I am.

But I'm doing the best I can with this massive to-do list I stare at every day.

And here's another thing I can cross off -- a post on our Thanksgiving this year!

We were home this year which is very rare.  We normally go to my parents' house in Lexington for Thanksgiving, but this year, Jeff's older brother and his family planned to come visit over the Thanksgiving holiday.  So we were here, and it was great!  I cooked the meal with the exception of the turkey, which my husband TOTALLY nailed.  So guess what?  He has that job FOR.LIFE.  If we're here, he's doing the turkey.

Until Jesus comes back.

He soaked our 14 lb turkey in a brine the night before.  The next morning, he put it in the oven at 500 degrees (I didn't even know my oven would get that hot!) for 1/2 an hour, and then threw it in a oil-less fryer for a few hours.  The rest of the meal came together wonderfully.  I made (ahem) homemade mashed potatoes that were so creamy, green bean casserole (in the oven, cuz that's the way Jeff likes it :), sweet potato casserole (which Jeff's brother said was "phenomenal"), rolls and gravy.

Oh, yeah.

We rocked that Thanksgiving meal.

Everyone enjoyed the meal and just being together.  Scott and his family live in Illinois (like almost everyone else in Jeff's family :) so we don't see them often.  We're grateful that they made the trip down to NC to visit.

And I'm grateful to my sister-in-law, Jill, who took all these awesome photos!

round 2 // 28 weeks

Got another "bump" photo for y'all at 28 weeks.  I'm not digging how much my face is fattening up filling out and I never notice it until I look at photos of myself, but it is what it is.  I haven't seen a workout for your face.  So I'm just working out the rest of my body with this really great 30 min low-impact cardio workout video from Fitness Blender.  I try to get that in at least 3 times a week, and then get some walking in a couple times a week, too.  I'm definitely not in the shape I was with my first pregnancy (having been slightly obsessed with working out before getting pregnant), but I'm doing the best I can this time around with the variables differing as they are.

I had a regular OB appt on Monday, at which I took the 1 hour glucose test (drink some really sweet soda, wait an hour and let them take your blood).  They said they would call me only if the results were abnormal (i.e., I didn't pass).  5 days later, I'm still waiting on a call, so I guess that's a good sign. :)  Thank goodness I don't have to take the 3 hour glucose test (that's what happens if you don't pass the 1 hour test)!  I was a little concerned with Thanksgiving having been just last weekend.

I also got the DTaP (or TDap) vaccine for diptheria, tetanus and pertussis.  That was basically required of me since there's an outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) in NC.  And that's why I got it.  I only get vaccines if they're required of me.  This chic is NOT a fan of needles.  The vaccine was fine but my arm was fairly sore over the next 2 days.

Dr. Hall told me that we're going to doc appts every two weeks now, whaaat??!!  I can't believe we're at that point already.  So I have my next OB appt in 2 weeks, and my next ultrasound the same week.  Hopefully they won't want to adjust my ultrasound appts to every 2 weeks too, because that is a HIKE for me to get to that office.

round 2 // 26 week ultrasound

I'm a little late posting this but I did have an ultrasound appt a week ago on Tuesday and got a good report.  Natalie is growing and developing just as she should, and she weighs just about 2 lbs now.  :)

The ultrasound tech had to really work for my photos -- she got all the measurements she needed but she was trying to get a profile shot so she could see the nasal bone.  Well, that baby girl would not turn to the side for anything!  The tech had me rolling from side to side trying to get her to cooperate.

So both of my children are stubborn.

We finally got just a glimpse of that cute profile and that was all the tech needed to conclude that everything was A-ok with our girl.  And I got a profile photo out of it.  With a couple of other sweet glimpses...

 :: five fingers...at least on one hand :) ::

:: and that face ::

round 2 // 24 weeks

So I'm not a fan of this photo of me at 24 weeks (baby 2).  I think it's the maternity jeans I'm wearing.  I usually wear under-belly jeans, but these are actually over-the-belly and I think they are warping my shape.  Just sayin'.  It is what it is, but that's my theory.

I had a good doc appt this past Monday -- all looks well with baby girl and with me so that's good news.  We're just cruising right along!

fall fun at Hill Ridge Farms...

Deacon is old enough now that I wanted to take him to an area farm that boasted of kid-friendly, fun fall activities.  Things like a tractor ride and/or pumpkin patch, a corn maze, etc.  It just so happens there is such a place called Hill Ridge Farms and -- bonus! -- it's 10 minutes from where we have friends living in Wake Forest!  So we made plans to come visit them and they were able to go with us to the farm.

And while there wasn't a corn maze at this farm (there's always next year!), there were other fun things for little ones to do, including a "colorful maze".  And for the short amount of time we had before the little ones were [subconsciously] ready for a nap, we found plenty to keep them busy!

1) the "colorful" maze -- it was a little wet from rain the night before but we enjoyed it anyway
2) Deacon loves to slide!
3) "driving" the 'cool bus :)
4) a long tube stuck in a mound of hay bales

 [Scarlett, Emily & Deacon checking out the gigantic tee pee]

I think the adults liked this one just as much as the kids!  They had pig races (and duck races and goat races) around this small circle track.  It was the cutest thing and the kids were right there at the gate when the animals came around.  I think they really enjoyed that.

 [nothing like a big pile of hay bales to keep a boy busy...]

 [tractor ride!]

It was a picture perfect day -- seriously, we couldn't have ordered it better than it turned out -- and we enjoyed spending time with our friends out in the beauty of God's creation.  We love fall in this household!