35 weeks

Ryan's baby shower was this past Sunday. My good friends Samantha and Jayme put it on for me, with a little bit of help from my mom, Barbara, and Samantha's mom, Rita. They did such a great job! We had it at Briscoe Park in one of the little buildings you can rent. The decorations were really cute with lots of pretty balloons, pink and brown toile plates and napkins, daisies, and baby girl decor. We had some snacks first - Sam made some meatballs that were out of this world! And Jayme made some sort of veggie and bean dip that was so delicious. We also had lots of healthy fruits and veggies, punch (yum!), and chicken nuggets.

After everyone mingled for a little bit and had some snacks, we played some games. First, Jayme gave each of us a baby bottle full of fruit punch and the first person to drink it all was the winner. I think they may have been newborn bottles because the hole in the nipple was SO tiny, almost nothing would come out. It was looking like the game was going to last all day, but then my friend Ami had the idea to bite a bigger hole in the top of her nipple...she had the fruit juice down in no time and she won!

Next we played a word scrabble game. Jayme passed out sheets of paper that had baby related words on them that were jumbled and we had a minute and a half to get as many un-jumbled as we could. After that, the girls passed around a roll of toilet paper and everyone had to rip off a piece that they thought would fit around my belly, and whoever got the closest won. Holly and my friend Mandie both got it exactly right...most people were SEVERAL squares over....thanks guys :)

After the games, I opened Ryan's presents for her. She got so many gifts, it is overwhelming! So many people love her so much already. Samantha had to unwrap some of the bigger gifts for me, since I couldn't bend over all the way to get the paper off of the bottom. Ryan got some cute clothes, including a onsie that says "Wee-publican" on it with a little elephant on it. She got some big items too - a pack and play from Nana B, a Jeep walker from Aunt Cathy, and a bouncy activity chair from Nana. She also got 2 bath time goody baskets filled with soap, shampoo, baby powder, etc. Samantha knitted her a baby cocoon so that I can take some pictures of her in it - sometimes the best things are handmade! She also got some hand-me-downs from her friends Russ, Molly and Max. We had dinner at their house a few weekends ago and I commented on how much I loved Max's high chair, and since he is too big for it now, he gave it to Ryan! I love it!!

After the gifts, we had CAKE!! I have been looking forward to the cake for 2 months! Mom got a strawberry cake and 2 dozen petitfors from Rhodes bakery (they also made my wedding cake...they are the absolute best bakery around here.) Needless to say, the cake was over-the-top delicious.

Samantha and Jayme did such a wonderful job putting the shower on for Ryan and I. I am so thankful for their friendship. Everything was above and beyond what I had expected, and they were so organized! Hopefully I can repay them by throwing them each a shower some day :)

While we were having the shower, Dave had some of the husbands over to the house for some ribs on the grill and yard games. Samantha let us borrow a cornhole set, and Dave also got yard golf (so much fun!). There was supposed to be ping pong as well, but somebody forgot to get ping pong balls, so that kind of fell through!

Dave and I both had such a wonderful day (Grimm and Tonka did too...they are exhausted!). We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. It meant the world to us that our friends and family came out for the day to show love and support for us and our baby girl. Thank you everyone!!!

My cousins, Leah and Lane, flew down from Illinois Wednesday to spend the week with my mom. We went to pick them up at the airport that morning, and they were so tired that we let them sleep until the afternoon while mom and I worked on some things for the baby. Mom patched and mended the rug for the baby's room (it is an old quilt top that she made into a rug a long time ago) and worked on quilting the crib quilt, while I started on a vintage-looking felt lamb doll for Ryan.

Thursday afternoon the girls came with mom and I to my doctors appointment. Dave couldn't get away from work, so he wasn't able to go. We had to wait for a really long time because another patient had to get picked up by an ambulance. We are not sure what happened to her, but she was pregnant, so I hope everything turns out okay for her.

Our check up went well. Everything is still going as good as it possibly can. I have gained a few more pounds than I would like...I am very limited on what I will eat right now because I don't want another acid reflux episode, so I eat a lot of plain foods like bread, crackers, tuna, cheese and milk. Fruits are too acidy...I am even afraid to eat grapes. Sigh...I miss tomatoes. Anyhow, our next appointment is in 2 weeks, then after that we go to once a week. My doctor told me today that in two weeks, I can go ahead and have the baby any time...meaning that if I were to go into labor right now, they would probably want to give me drugs to stop it and then put me on bed rest, but in two weeks, they would just let me deliver. I am excited.

After the appointment, we went to Babies R Us to get some absolute essentials that we were still needing (mainly the carseat/stroller...so we can bring her home...kind of important!) We got a few big things we were needing, like a baby monitor and a humidifier, but they did not have the stroller/carseat that I wanted, so I came home and ordered it online. I also got some gifts for my friend, Ami, who is having her shower this Saturday. She is 2 weeks more pregnant than I am, which is a huge coincidence. She has been on partial bedrest for her 3rd trimester, but she came out to my shower last weekend anyway - she is a really great friend! (if you were at our wedding, she is the girl that caught the bouquet).

We have almost everything we could possibly need for the baby now. I need to go Target sometime and grab a few things with all of the gift cards people have given us. We still need a baby gate that has a "door" on it, so I am planning on using the cards to get that. The one we have now is the old-fashioned kind that you just have to step over...not a good idea with a baby in your arms!

I am going to start letting the dogs go into the nursery this week. Everything is almost completely set up, and I read that it is best to let the dogs go ahead and sniff around BEFORE the baby comes so that it is less of a shock when you bring her home.

Here we are at 35 weeks...

I will have to post pictures from the baby shower later. My friend, Jayme, gave me the day off as photographer and took care of the pictures for me. I need to drop by her house this weekend and pick them up...so stay tuned for that!

Have a great week!

~the Sullivans

34 weeks

So, I thought that I knew what acid reflux was. I have never really ever had it in my life until I was about 6 months pregnant, and I knew that what I had was pretty mild. Well, as it turns out, I had NO IDEA what it really is. Friday night I woke up around 1:30 and shot straight up in bed, from a dead sleep, gasping for air and coughing, unable to breath. It felt like my throat had been ripped out and filled with battery acid that had been lit on fire! I couldn't breath, swallow, or really even move without feeling like I was going to vomit everywhere. For a moment, I thought something was deathly wrong ("oh Lord, I'm dying!")...but it slowly dawned on me that THIS is what REAL acid reflux is. I knew I couldn't just stay where I was, so as quickly as I could, I grabbed my water bottle and my Tums off of my night stand and RAN to the bathroom sink. I gulped down the water to try to wash the acid down, and ate several Tums back-to-back, coughing and gasping the whole way. After 5 minutes or so, I felt in control enough to get back into bed. I was SO tired and just wanted to sleep, but of course, I couldn't lie down. I really did NOT want to sleep in the chair in the living room sitting up, so I just propped myself up with several pillows and prayed that I could go back to sleep as quickly as possible and sleep through this....which I eventually did.

Wednesday at the gym, one of the guys at the front desk stopped me as we came in and said ... "I don't want you to get offended or anything, but we all took a poll and we think that you are the most attractive pregnant lady we have ever seen." Talk about a pick-me-up!! All week I have been teasing the family about it, a la "ladies and gentlemen, make way for the most attractive pregnant lady ever..." hehehe.

It is really hard to get around these days. My hips feel like they are broken and my belly is huge. Also, with each step I take, it is painfully obvious that there is something VERY solid inside of my belly. I get out of breath pretty easily, like just walking to the car. I am glad that I have been working out, because I can't even imagine what it would be like if I were out of shape!

We finally got our butts in gear this week and made curtains for the nursery. It is amazing how much difference they make! Her room is so pretty - it is a very peaceful and calming place, which I suppose is what you would want in a nursery. Sometimes I like to just go in there and just sit in the rocking chair, relax, and take it all in. I love it.

We also got the quilt top pieced together and finished. I am still in total baby brain mode which makes me completely indecisive, so I had Barbara lay it out how she saw best. She is a total perfectionist, so I figured she would do a good job...and she did - I only changed the placement of 2 squares! Mom took it home to quilt it over the next week or so. I am excited to get it done. It has been neglected for several months.

I finally started packing my hospital bag this week. Dave has been bugging me to do it, and I just never have. Now, with just 6 weeks left, I am very aware that Ryan could technically come at any time, so I need to get everything in order.

Ryan's baby shower is this Sunday. My good friend Valerie can't make it, so she dropped off a gift for the baby Thursday night. It is this adorable bouncy seat - how sweet of her! Dave was in hog heaven when he was putting it together...he loves his daughter so much already and putting together baby stuff makes him really really happy. He will be such a good daddy :)

Cute little snail on the bouncy seat :)

Here we are at 34 weeks...within 6 weeks, we will get to meet our baby girl! That's only a month and a half!!

We have a doctors appointment this Thursday, and I am pretty sure that after that, I will have to go in once a week for the remainder of the pregnancy...that means we are getting close to departure!

Have a great week!

~the Sullivans

33 weeks

Saturday we rode out to Babies 'R' Us because they were having some sort of baby shower event. We stopped at Chick-fil-a to eat first, and it ended up taking FOREVER, and we got to Babies 'R' Us just as the event was closing up shop. Boo!

But we drove all of the way out there, so we browsed around the store for a while. Dave ended up looking at rocking chairs for the nursery and decided we should go ahead and get one. We looked at several and I told Dave to just choose one to get because I had Baby Brain really bad, and couldn't think to make a decision! We found a gliding ottoman that had been discontinued and was 75% off, and it matches the chair we liked pretty well. We had a 20% off coupon that we used on the chair, and the with the 75% off ottoman, we ended up saving a ton! We LOVE getting a good deal!!

I will smile as I rock the baby to sleep knowing how much money we saved on this puppy!

Saturday night we had dinner with some friends. They have a 3 year old son and they gave us some good advice to look for some of the bigger items baby needs on Craigslist and you can save a ton of money. So I have started doing that...I found the pack and play that I want for half the price and it had only been used twice, but someone had already bought it...I will keep looking!

We have been very "crafty" this week...mom, B and I made curtains for the side lights on our front door on Monday and it ended up being the BEST decision I have made in a LONG time...the dogs used to go CRAZY every time anyone walked by the house or stopped in the road. Now they barely bark at ALL!! It is so great! Those curtains were a MUST before Ryan gets here, because I didn't want the boys barking all of the time at nothing and waking the baby.

Curtains...the best idea EVER!!! Silence is golden!

Tuesday we made curtains for mom's sidelights, and Wednesday we made even MORE curtains for one of mom's guest rooms. Now we need to make curtains for Ryan's room and for me and Dave's room...we are some curtain making machines!! We also made a name banner to hang over Ryan's crib. SO CUTE!

We had a doctor appointment yesterday. Daddy was able to get off of work a little early and come with us. All of the ladies in the doctor's office just LOVE Dave. Every single person that works there said "long time, no see!" when they saw him. Everything is still looking wonderful. My BP, the baby's heart rate, size and position are all spot on...the doctor told me I make her job easy :)

Here we are at 33 weeks...and yes, this belly is getting out of hand!

Going to eat with some friends this evening. Gotta run!

Have a great week!!

~the Sullivans

31 and 32 weeks

31 weeks....

Well, I am a little behind on my blogging...sorry :( We have just been really busy lately. Dave has been trying all last week to get caught up in the yard, as well as help mom get the pool clean, and I have been laying out a wedding photo album. We are finally all caught up with everything and have NO PLANS, other than the baby shower, until Ryan is born! We are excited about some time off!!

Ryan and I had a check up at the doctor on last Thursday. It was easy-peasy, in-and-out. I was only there for about 10 minutes total. She measured my belly, listened to the heart beat, took my blood pressure, and felt the baby's position. All are pretty much perfect. Ryan's head is right on top of my bladder, which, to say the least, can be quite uncomfortable when I am walking! She is gaining weight, I can tell! She is starting to get pretty heavy to carry around!

Dave had a 4 day weekend for the 4th of July. We were able to clean the whole house last Saturday and we had some friends over for dinner. Dave grilled steaks on the Big Green Egg and I made some wedge salads and a HUGE pot of green beans and taters. Then we had peach cobbler and ice cream. It was SOOOOO good.

On the 4th, and we went to mom's house to swim and cook out. I swam several times last week. It doesn't really feel much different while I am in the pool, but when I get out, gravity hits and it feels like I have a bowling ball strapped to my stomach.

We got to sleep in Monday morning, which was so nice! I found a really comfortable position (which is rare) so Dave and I snuggled with the boys all morning, then daddy sang the ABCs to Ryan.

Here we are at 31 weeks!

32 weeks...

Dave had Monday and Tuesday off for the 4th of July holiday, and it was nice having him home for 4 straight days. Monday morning he had to take Grimm to the vet because he was acting funny and his tail wasn't working. We thought maybe he had a broken tail, or he had some kind of really painful poo and wouldn't lift his tail. Turns out he had Limber Tail, which is apparently quite common in Labs. Basically, he over worked his tail swimming ALL day on Sunday, and the muscles in his tail were worn out. He is all better now, but it was not a good day! Daddy took him to get ice cream...Bruster's gives a free scoop of vanilla with a dog treat on top to dogs. Needless to say, he LOVES it.

The boys can't come in Ryan's room :(

"Let us in!!" they say... (from left to right - Grimm, Tonka, J. Otis)

Wednesday I went to Party City with mom and B to pick out some things for the baby shower. We also stopped by Rhodes bakery and ordered the cake for the shower...they did my wedding cake and make the best cake around, hands down.

Thursday we went to an arts and crafts show at the Mall of Georgia. It was pretty sparse, but I did get a pink and brown tutu for photo shoots with Ryan. Mom bought Ryan 2 Coming Home outfits, and several other outfits. I am glad to have the Coming Home clothes taken care of. I was starting to get flustered and thought I would never find anything I liked well enough. The dress we got is really traditional - I wanted something plain and classic, not trendy, so that when we pull it out 20 years from now, there is no "what were we thinking" moment. We also got a little red romper with polka dots...a girl's gotta have options!!

Ryan's tutu!

The homecoming dress and bonnet!

Mom went through her Hope chest and pulled out some of my old baby stuff. We read through my baby book (apparently I was chowing down on baked potato at 2 weeks old) and found an old yellow baby dress that i wore.

Do you think it would still fit?

Ryan is moving a LOT. She has a spot on my right side that she kicks REALLY hard and it feels like she is about to bust through the skin. Plus she gets the hiccups almost every day.

Lately I have been feeling overly ready to not be pregnant anymore. When I see skinny girls out and about, I am very envious. I am ready to look like that again...I want to wear normal clothes, be able to bend over, or go for a run. I am not handling pregnancy negatively at ALL, but my belly is so big now, that I find myself guarding it so people won't run into it. Just today I was walking up behind mom to look at something she was looking at, and I had my arm out ready to block in case she spun around quickly. Sounds silly I guess. I don't want to rush anything, because I am sure I will miss these times at some point, but I am ready for her to get here.

We have a doctor appointment this week on Thursday. It should be pretty basic.

Here we are at 32 weeks

Have a great week

~the Sullivans