26 Weeks

I can't believe we're approaching my final week of the second trimester and heading into the third trimester. It's all a downward slide from here! Other than feeling like I'm slowing turning into a humanized dragon that is boiling fire in her stomach and could potentially shoot flames out of my mouth at any minute, all is pretty much going well. =) I've been experiencing a good amount of Braxton Hicks contractions lately, but as long as they stay within a certain count per hour then the doctor says I'm okay. My most recent pregnancy symptom is sciatic pain when I stand for too long or do too much on my feet for long periods of time. I was happy to find out that I passed my glucose screening test so gestational diabetes is not something that I will have to worry about dealing with during this pregnancy. It was good news. The baby continues to move a lot and likes to wake me up in the middle of the night kicking because I'm hungry.

Jim and I did a little baby shopping this past weekend. We had a coupon and a gift card to Babies 'R' Us so we had to go get the deal. We also spent a whole afternoon at the Design Center choosing every little detail for our new house; right down to the type of faucet we'll have in the bathroom. It was quite a lengthy process, but it was exciting and fun at the same time. Once all of the numbers are tallied for costs and given to the loan officer, we should be getting really close to breaking ground.

We also got to experience receiving our first baby gifts in the mail this week. We got an adorable soft blanket from my co-worker friend from a past job and a huge package from Jim's parents in North Carolina. They sent us a lot of cute things for the baby: 4 Halo swaddle blankets, homemade hat, many Carter's onesies, a First Five Years Journal for baby, a homemade blanket, and lots of other nice things. They sent me two sets of maternity pajamas for now and the hospital (picture below), a "New Mom" homemade hat for the hospital, and a microwavable/freezable Teddy Bear for aches and pains. Jim got a a "New Dad" hat for the hospital and his mom sent us the baby hat he wore home from the hospital and his christening candle to pass onto our baby. They will also be delivering us a homemade cradle and bedding in another few weeks.

I made a homemade gluten free pizza the other night and asked my Mom if I could bring some over to her since she has to eat gluten free as well. When I arrived there, I caught her and my friend, Shannon, preparing the baby shower favors for our baby shower. They both were so sweet and excited about it all and all the things I saw were so cute. My mom has really put a lot of time, thought, planning, and detailed perfection into this baby shower. I would have been happy with plain, Dollar Store plates and no frills whatsoever, but she just couldn't do it that way. It's going to be such a nice day. She and my Dad are making every last bite of food from scratch so that it all can be gluten free; even the cake! It will be a wonderful heaven of food for me and the guests.

All of these different things this week just make Jim and I feel so special and loved; more importantly, it makes us realize just how wonderful the family and friends in our lives are to us and how loved our baby is already. With all of the time and energy our parents have been investing into our baby already, how could we not feel entirely loved and blessed? We love you, Dad & Mom!