If only pregnancy was 32 weeks long...

Well, I am a few days late on this one... technically I am past the 32 week point and on my way to 33 weeks, but I just couldn't get motivated to actually take the picture and write on my chalkboard this past weekend. Oh well!

Updates? I had my 32 week doctors appointment yesterday which went really well. I was kind of nervous that my iron had not gone up... but it did! A whole 2 points! It's only a point away from the normal range now! Praise the Lord!  I guess eating all that red meat (eww!) and taking those iron supplements really helped! Finally! My midwife said that Ellison is head down which is great! She doesn't have to be until around 36 weeks, so she could still move around but it was still nice to hear!

Overall, I am feeling pretty good. I just hate that I don't have a ton of energy to go walk around a store like I used to. It starts feeling like she might just come on out - she MUST be a big baby! HA! SO heavy. Oh well - it will be all worth it once she is here.

I was planning on taking a chalkboard pic, which I still might.. but for now here is a pic from about a week ago... might change it later so I have the signature chalkboard pic for my collection! :) 

How far along? 32 Weeks
Maternity clothes? Same - maternity pants and mostly maternity shirts or regular flowy shirts I have had.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Now I just have to get up and pee 2-3 times a night which gets kind of annoying haha!

Best moment this week: Finding out my iron went up! Hearing Ella's heartbeat too... never gets old! :)

Have you told family and friends: Yes! Feels like forever ago...
Miss Anything? Being able to walk around Target without feeling the need to sit down and rest... soon enough I will have her in a stroller walking around Target with me! EEK!

Movement: Yes! She mostly rolls around and pokes her booty out. Some days she will kick me in the ribs which is just lovely... but I mostly feel her just moving around big movements. I found out my placenta is located on the anterior so that means it's like on the outside, not the left or the right... so that is why I don't feel her as much as some people who don't have the placenta blocking some of her movements... so interesting!

Food cravings: Hungry for anything! I feel like I am hungry all the time!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really!
Have you started to show yet: Um, is this even a legit question at this stage in the game? :)
Gender:  Girly girl!
Labor Signs: No way - Praise the Lord!
Belly Button in or out? Out... Even shows in pictures now! Ahh!

Wedding rings on or off? Having to wear a fake ring I have because it is a thinner band and doesn't cause my skin to break out like my actual wedding ring... so sad!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy most of the time!
Weekly Wisdom: Eat lots of red meat so you don't have low iron! :)
Looking forward to: Mine and Jolynn's joint baby shower this Saturday thrown by our small group... It will be super sweet! Love our church family!

My first BABY SHOWER! :)

On Saturday October 12, 2013 I had my first baby shower for Ellison! My friends Lauren, Jolynn, Bethany, and Allison threw it for me and it was at Jolynn's beautiful home. It could not have been more perfect and I was SO thankful to everyone who came and showered us with love. I am still just over the moon about the whole thing. God is WAY too good!!! Here are some pictures of the gorgeous shower...

The food table... so pretty!

Ellison's sweet sonogram with some cute decor!

I think half of these were from my mom... HA! This is before everyone arrived! So blessed!

Adorable chalkboard banner!

The famous "shower" blocks... love them.

Love it... Bethany's pics were so "artsy" ;)

Cute bucket my mom gave some gifts to me in... thankful!

I love this - not only was the cake made by Lauren which was amazing but also the burp clothes under the invitation made by Jolynn. So talented!!!

Posing when I walked in ;)

My friend Lisa had a brilliant idea for the cake topper so this picture is for her creative idea! :)

Some of the us enjoying the yummy shower food!

Gifts galore - so thankful!

Everyone cutting ribbon the size they think my belly was... AH!

Preggo friends... she might have cheated a little... and we might be almost the same size even though she is almost 5 weeks ahead of me... waaah!!!

My sweet mama, who tied for the win with Courtney! She must see my belly a lot! :)

Sweet Courtney tying with mom! I think they cheated ;) kidding!

Mama Baer having her turn... hers was a little big! :)

My other preggo friend... who usually wins this game... but was off a little :) Blame it on being pregnant! ;)

My beautiful friend Allison blending in with all the gifts - we had to get a picture... she was so sweet to help pass the gifts to me while I was opening! Love! :)

OH MIA... my friend Jenny's little girl... she is SO precious!

I can always expect something cute and frilly from Lauren ;) Looove it! Ella is going to be styling next summer! :)

Cutest outfit ever from Ma! (my grandma) :)

The softest little bear outfit from Aunt Donna! Loove!!

My sweet friend Lily made this precious cross for Ella's nursery, I love it! She is so creative!

My Sanctuary friends went in together and bought us our car seat along with some other things... how awesome is that? EEK!

My hostess' gave me this most precious blanket with matching fabric from Ella's bedding. LOVE! (Jolynn sewed it!)

Here's where I lost it when opening up Ella's bedding that Jolynn made.... I am so beyond thankful and I feel so loved. Can't say it enough.

Just crying hahaha!

My sweet creative friends, Courtney and Lily, painting Ella's blocks! :)

After some girls had left, we remembered to take a group picture. Love this.

The grandma's stepped out and Bethany joined! :)

My sweet, amazing hostess'.... Not to mention the three preggos in the middle.. haha! SO fun! Love you all so much!

haha... showing off the amazing bedding that Jolynn made!! She is going to sell bedding probably... so get excited!

I never thought we would be preggo together!! Love it! 31 weeks and 13 weeks! My belly might swallow Laurens.. HA!

31 weeks and 36 weeks... preggo friends! Not too much longer until we find out boy or girl!!! Eek!!

I love this.... picture with my moms!!! SO thankful for both of them!

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  
Proverbs 17:17

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Psalm 127:3

30 weeks with our little girl!

Well, I can't believe I am at the 30 week mark - actually 31 weeks since I forgot to post this blog a week ago! Ooops!  Time has flown by! So thankful that my pregnancy has gone pretty smooth! This belly is getting huge and I am ready for Ella to just be in my arms and have my body back! HA! Trying so hard to cherish these last 8-9 weeks... I am just too excited to have her here with us!

I had my first shower this past Saturday. To say that I felt so loved and blessed would be an understatement. My friends Lauren, Jolynn, Bethany, and Allison threw me and Ellison an AMAZING shower! It was seriously the best and I might have had a few breakdowns... starting with opening the bedding Jolynn made for Ella. It is SO beautiful! She did such an amazing job... I couldn't have imagined something better. I am so blessed to have such talented friends. I was so overwhelmed with everyone's generosity... I also cried when I was trying to give my little speech about how thankful I was for everyone... didn't get to finish that. But I seriously just feel so blessed to have such great friends who were not only there on Saturday showering me with love, but also have been praying for me and Ella through our entire journey. Infertility is not something that I would wish on anyone, but I know that the Lord has been SO good to show his FAITHFULNESS and also really teach me the power of prayer through it all. There are so many other things that He showed me, but I am just so thankful for the prayers and encouragement my friends and family gave me over those 2 years and also throughout my pregnancy. I couldn't believe that the shower was ACTUALLY for ME! It is still all so surreal and I am just trying to soak it all up and not wish the time away! Anyways, sorry for all that sappy stuff, I will leave you with my 30 week chalkboard pic....

 

How far along? 30 Weeks
Maternity clothes? Same - maternity pants and mostly maternity shirts or regular flowy shirts I have had.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not bad actually - just hard turning over during the night, ha!

Best moment this week: My shower on Saturday for sure!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Just not having to worry about having a big belly even though I know I will miss it!

Movement: OH yea! Of course she loves to move during the night, or have hiccups when I am trying to go to sleep. That is one thing I could do without - the hiccups just feel so weird, almost like a heartbeat in my belly, which is just strange to me! - but sweet at the same time! :)

Food cravings: Not really - just always hungry these days, she must be growing!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really!
Have you started to show yet: Um, is this even a legit question at this stage in the game? :)
Gender:  Girly girl!
Labor Signs: No way - Praise the Lord!
Belly Button in or out? Out... Even shows in pictures now! Ahh!

Wedding rings on or off? Having to wear a fake ring I have because it is a thinner band and doesn't cause my skin to break out like my actual wedding ring... so sad!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy most of the time!
Weekly Wisdom: I got nothing. ;)
Looking forward to: My next shower... at the end of the month! And of course just holding our sweet Ellison!

I will post pictures of the shower on another post! :)