We're Getting Close!

Despite the fact that I've probably done more lounging around the house these past two weeks than I have during my entire pregnancy (that may be a slight exaggeration...), I'm overdue for an update!

First of all, I'm absolutely loving this weather! Fall is officially here! Because of my self imposed caffeine/coffee restraint, I haven't flocked to Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte like the rest of America (I drink it black anyway!), but I have managed to consume (pretty much on my own) three lovely loaves of homemade pumpkin bread. If I'm feeling particularly domestic at some point soon, I'll bake another batch and perhaps even share the delicious recipe with you lovely people!

Even though I've admitted to being lazy the past couple of weeks, there have been some definite highlights and fun things happening!

Two weekends ago (September 13), I hosted, along with my friend Candra, a baby shower at our house for my dear friend, Jessie! Jessie and Dustin are about 3 weeks behind us and their little one is supposed to arrive around November 1st! We're so excited for them and can't wait to see if they are having a little boy or a little girl, as they have decided not to find out.

The "theme" was yellow and gray- the colors in Baby Mayfield's nursery! 

Jessie looked beautiful, as always! 

The past three Tuesday evenings, we've been taking (along with Dustin and Jessie) childbirth classes through West Tennessee Healthcare. I'm really thankful that there are classes available, but sometimes too much information freaks me out! I've never had any major medical procedures/issues, so I'm still getting used to the fact that I'll be the one in the hospital bed overnight when that time comes, nevermind the fact that I'll also be pushing a human out of my body! Walking into the classroom and seeing an array of medical instruments (including forceps!) laid out on the table was a little disconcerting. I also couldn't watch the parts of the video where the baby was actually coming out of the mother. I can't be around Austin when he gets a nosebleed, so forget watching that! Thankfully, I'll be on the other end of that action with Claudia!

The class made the reality of what's going to happen soon really sink in, which is ultimately a good thing, but scared me after the first class. I feel so much more informed about the stages of labor, what to expect during each stage, when I should actually go to the hospital, what to expect when I'm there, breathing techniques and pain management. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable and answered our questions well. I would definitely recommend it! Highlights from the class were: 

• Watching Austin put on the pregnancy belly and having him get on and off the floor! I do wish he could wear it around for an entire day and see how he feels after that :-) 

• Getting to meet other expectant couples and hearing their stories. 
• Taking a tour of the Labor and Delivery wing of the hospital! I feel so much more comfortable being able to visualize where I'm going to be when Claudia makes her grand entrance! Everything is so cute and smells so nice and clean (I hate how hospitals smell! Can you tell the Lord didn't make me for the medical profession?)
• Being there with Jessie and Dustin!
• Getting Chick-fil-A milkshakes after class

The last night, we were presented with a certificate of completion which is going directly into Claudia's baby book! 

This past Saturday, we went to Austin's grandparent's home in Greenfield to take some maternity photos! Mary was our enthusiastic and capable photographer. It was very special take photos there, as it is so near and dear to both of our hearts. I'm so thankful that Claudia gets to become a member of the Ward family! The entire album is on facebook, but here are my favorites: 

Hmm...I think I'm a fan of the back to back pose! Anyway, we had fun and enjoyed a restful weekend after that. 

Now that I'm in the final weeks, I've been going to the doctor every week. As long as you don't have a high-risk pregnancy and everything is normal, you start out going every month until you reach Week 28, then its every two weeks until Week 35 and from that point it is every week. The Week 36 appointment was pretty normal- my blood pressure was good, Claudia's heart rate was great (she's an acrobat like her daddy!) and my weight gain was on point. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that I didn't have any belly measurement increase, which was apparently a good enough reason for the doctor to order an ultrasound for the following week. 

Being the "are you sure everything is okay?" first time mom that I am, I admit that I worried about this way more than I should have. When we did get to see Claudia on the screen and see that everything looked perfect, I was so relieved! The last time we had an ultrasound was at 19 weeks when we found out she was a little girl! It was so amazing to see her and to see how much she has grown! I think she was trying to sleep when we were trying to get a good picture of her, because she had her right arm across her face! The ultrasound tech was able to somehow delete that part of the photo and we got to see her precious face for the first time: 

She is so beautiful- I can't believe it!!! Both Austin and I are totally in love with her. I can't wait to kiss her little face in person! It turned out that the reason I was measuring smaller is because she's a smaller baby. Her development is exactly on point, she's just smaller. She weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. according to the ultrasound. I was only 6 lbs. 8 oz. when I was born at 41 weeks! Maybe that means she'll be petite like her mama! She's in the head down position and we were able to see some hair! Sadly, what appears to be beautiful eyelashes in this picture are actually just shadows. Hopefully those will come later, though! 

Claudia continues to be active, especially in the early morning and in the evening. She's so big that her movements are very obvious- they look like ripples across my belly! Austin and I enjoy talking to her and I'm trying to be intentional about reading to her. She already has quite a collection of books! 

This is the point in pregnancy when everyone has started asking me how I'm doing. I must look huge and miserable or something ;-) The pregnancy waddle probably gives me away too. The fact that I am just 2 and half weeks away from my due date is a bit unreal to be honest, but I've definitely experienced the shift from wanting Claudia to stay in me to develop more to wanting her to come out! 

I've really been trying to take it easy and will continue to do so. I try to get at least one household chore done a day and have been really trying to cook dinner each night. To be honest, cooking dinner isn't some selfless act on my part- I'm simply sick of take out. We've eaten out so much during the past several months, I just want to cook my own food. Ha! I have been able to find some new recipes that we enjoy, though! 

Any time I leave the house during the day, I try to combine errands so I only have to get out once. If I come home and get on the couch between activities, its over! "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Cake Boss" are my current Netflix binges. Other shows just get on my nerves right now for various reasons. I've been trying to convince Austin that I need to order some lobster shell pastries from Carlo's, but the $54 price tag (they overnight it!!) is a bit much for him. Ha ha! 

I'm pretty restless. I think this is mainly due to three things: 1) I don't sleep for long periods of time at night, so my sleep schedule is messed up, 2) My body is generally uncomfortable (sore tummy, swollen feet, aching hips and difficulty moving around) and 3) I'm really really ready for Claudia to be here! Poor Austin has experienced more grouchiness from me at this stage and has had to calm me down when I'm being irrational (thanks, hormones!). I know I've not been the easiest person to be around recently. I'm thankful for a husband who loves me unconditionally and laughs at me when I make sarcastic comments and say that he's the only person I feel like talking to. Seriously.

Claudia is considered a term baby now (37 weeks gestation) so she could come at any time! This is so wonderful and yet so terrifying! For so long my fear was that she would come too early. Now, she can come whenever the Lord wants her to, but that means I have to be ready! Being the planner that I am, not knowing when those labor pains will start is a bit challenging for me. As always, the Lord is teaching me to take everything a day at a time and to simply enjoy this time I have with Claudia before she's no longer in my womb. Knowing that He's been actively involved in forming our precious one and has carried both of us this far brings me such peace and joy. I continue to pray for our daughter and for the delivery to go as smoothly as possible. No matter what, He is good! 

There are a few finishing touches I have to do in Claudia's nursery, but I'm really hoping to do a post about that in the next few days! Stay tuned! 

Week 35: Floors, Family and a Party!

This past week was super busy and so great! Super long post alert! :-) The first half of the week was pretty low-key, but bright and early on Thursday morning, things got crazy!

A home project we've wanted do for a VERY long time is replace our flooring in our living areas and bathrooms. The floor that we've been living with for nearly 4 years was there when Austin bought the house and it was pretty awful. The dark brown carpet showed everything and the gray/brown marble-ish looking vinyl in the kitchen and bathrooms just looked dirty all the time.

Since we will have a little girl crawling around before too long, now seemed like the perfect time to do something about it! After much deliberation and learning tons of information about flooring in general, we decided on a wooden laminate for the living room/kitchen and a special order tile looking vinyl for the bathrooms. We are so pleased and it makes SUCH a difference! I will post before and after pictures sometime soon.

We bought the floors through Lowe's and paid to have them installed. DIY home improvement projects are not our forte! The stressful part was having to vacate the house for a day and a half before tons of family came in for our last baby shower in Jackson. My sister graciously opened up her home to me and I used some of my nesting urges to help her clean up her apartment :-) I'm so thankful so have our new floors, but I don't recommend undertaking such a large home project when 8 months pregnant!

Thursday night, I went to a breastfeeding class and it was so helpful! I won't go into detail, but I feel so much more informed about everything. Its also so comforting to know that the nurses and lactation consultants will be there to help while we're at the hospital.

Friday afternoon, our floors were finished and we had just enough time to clean up (Austin really did the majority of the work) and then we went out to dinner with Dad and Aunt Meg! Aunt Meg flew all the way from Chicago to attend my baby shower! It was so great to spend some quality time together and it meant so much that she came!

After a fun Friday night out, we slept in Saturday morning and got ready for other family to arrive for the shower! It was such a blessing to have so many family members and friends celebrate Claudia Grace with us. 

Mary, Jessie, Amy and Kayla hosted a lovely shower for Claudia Grace at H.R.H. Dumplins in Jackson! Nearly 40 other friends and family joined us to celebrate and it was so fun! Of course, I must share photos!

The food table! There was Fruit Salad, Baked Brie with Crackers, Spinach Dip, Chocolate Cake and Strawberry Cake

The present display! This is the basinet that Mary and I used as babies and what Claudia will sleep in too :-) 

The sign in for the guests! I'm looking forward to putting this in Claudia's baby book! 

The drink station. Dumplin's has the most delicious iced fruit tea! 

The pretty little centerpieces for each table! I adore pink roses! 

The food table centerpiece. Austin gave me the Willow Tree piece shortly after we knew Claudia was on the way :-) 

The lovely Garden Room filled with wonderful friends and family! This makes my heart so happy! 

The cute candy on each table :-) 

Opening gifts! I was truly overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. Claudia has sooo many beautiful things! 

This lady. I'm so blessed that she is my sister. She did such an amazing job putting everything together! 

With some of the hostesses! Jessie, Mary and Amy! Love them! 

Mom and me!

Grandmommy and me! Words can't express how wonderful it is that she is here to walk through this season of life with me and meet her Great-Granddaughter! She has influenced my life in so many ways and I love her so much! 

This is classic :-) 

4 generations of women! Yes, the color coordination was intentional :-) 

I adore this photo! Claudia with her Grandmothers! I'm SO glad they were both there.

My aunts! These women are so incredible and have been huge role models for me! I'm so blessed and so happy they came for the shower! Aunt Joan drove from Lexington, KY, Aunt Sherry came from Paducah and Aunt Meg came from Chicago 

The adorable party favors containing Hershey's Kisses and Hugs. I probably ate 5 bags of these ! :-) 

Most of the relatives who were at the shower! Aunt Meg, Aunt Joan, Aunt Sherry, Grandmommy, Mom, Carol and Mary! We were just missing Granny and Kayla in the photo- I was so happy they came! 

While the ladies were having fun at the shower, the men hung out at our house. They kind of had their own party! Austin, Dad, Larry, Uncle Richard and my cousin Michael were there. Here is the photographic evidence :-) 

Following the shower, all of the family went back to our house (braving the pouring down rain) and hung out. I loved having a full house of people I love so dearly! 

Then we all headed to a yummy dinner at Red Robin! Despite the fact that it was freezing (it didn't help that we were all a little damp from the rain), we had a great time! 

Following dinner, everyone parted ways. Aunt Joan and Michael stayed in Jackson at Mary's apartment and we were able to spend some good time with them on Sunday! We went to church together, had lunch at Wall Street Grille and took Michael on a tour of Union. Just because of the distance, we really only get to see them in Paducah, mainly at Christmas. It was such a treat to have them in Jackson- we just missed having Uncle Wesley and Matthew there too! 

Austin and I ended the week feeling so special and loved by our family and friends. Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed sorting all of Claudia's new things and assembling the larger items! This coming week, we're anticipating our first childbirth class and getting packed for the hospital! Hopefully I can get nursery pictures done so the anticipated "nursery post" can happen soon! 

Week 34: "Up" Shower and Babymoon

This week absolutely flew by, which was a blessing because Austin and I spent most of it in eager anticipation for our trip to Nashville this past weekend! Why is it that when you have something you're looking forward to, time typically drags by?

Austin, of course, worked this week while I was at home nesting. Before this week, I didn't understand what nesting really is. I'm sure it manifests itself in different ways for different people, but for me, I have had the overwhelming desire to deep clean EVERYTHING!!! It totally came out of nowhere. One second I was in the kitchen refilling my water bottle and the next I was scrubbing the drip pans from the stove with a baking soda/dish soap concoction I found on Pinterest. I also took everything off the refrigerator so we could decide what to throw away and keep, but I just wanted a clear refrigerator more than antyhing! It makes the kitchen seem so much more organized and clean! Another moment was the silverware drawer. I washed every piece of silverware (and the drawer divider) and stacked them neatly in each compartment. I think that urge struck when I was putting away clean forks from the dishwasher. Earlier in the week, I dusted every wooden piece on the first floor with Pledge. Craziness.

The great challenge in this nesting business is my physical stamina keeping up with these crazy cleaning sprees. There were definitely some days that I overdid it. I don't think I'll be crawling around on the floor dusting low parts of cabinets again anytime during the next 6 weeks....

The nesting helped the week go by and then it was time for us to go to Nashville for a baby shower!

My lovely sisters-in-law, Leslie and Arica, worked so hard to make the shower special and they definitely succeeded. It was "Up" themed and all the details were perfect!

Arica made this adorable little "Up" house! 

Leslie made this jar look just like the one from the movie- she even traced the writing so it looks exactly like the "Paradise Falls" sign. So cool! The money in it is designated for diapers :-) 

I loved all the food and details! The balloons attached to the basket with the baby doll (for Claudia) was so cute! There was delicious fresh fruit, strawberry cupcakes, mini crustless quiche and cookies. Pink! 

This just looks like it should be in a magazine! Such a beautiful spread and I loved the pink roses in the middle! 

Arica made the awesome "Adventure is Out There" canvas that was prominently displayed over the fireplace! Leslie made the bunting out of beautiful fabric. She even made one (that I'm blocking) that has Claudia's name on it! 

They set up a comfy recliner with these cute balloons where we opened our presents! They also had "Up" playing in the background throughout the party. 

With Gran Gran :-) 

With Grandmomma and Grandaddy

With Arica and Dylan! Don't we look bright and cheerful? :-) 

With Adam, Leslie, Ailidh and Ewan :-) We can't wait for Claudia to meet her cousins! 

With sweet friends, Morgan and Victoria! Glad they could be there to help us celebrate! 

We enjoyed getting to spend time with everyone and felt so blessed by the lovely gifts we received for Claudia.

The second half of the weekend was our "Babymoon"! We wanted to go somewhere not too far away from Jackson but where we would still feel far away from normal. So, Nashville seemed the obvious choice!

Austin took me out on our second date in Nashville, which also happened to be my 23rd Birthday. That date was so perfect and a part of it was walking around 2nd Avenue downtown. On that date, we talked about going to the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant and The Melting Pot together, but we never made it. Before this weekend, anyway :-) 

After sleeping in (which is increasingly necessary these days), we had a delicious lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I had never been and Austin requested for us to sit in the trolley :-) I loved the food and the atmosphere!

Following lunch, we walked around 2nd Avenue until our reservation at the Melting Pot. We rested in the alleyway connecting 2nd Avenue and the riverfront. :-) 

35 Weeks and ready to pop! 

The Melting Pot was so romantic and fun! This picture was taken by the hostess and was posted on their facebook page :-) 

Our delicious dessert! We ordered the milk chocolate to dip everything in. SO GOOD!!! 

Following our amazing dessert, we did something else we've wanted to do since we got married. We checked in as guests at the Opryland Hotel! :-) We went there 2 years ago to look at the Christmas lights and were so excited that got to stay there! 

For the rest of our Babymoon, we enjoyed the pool, relaxing in the room, walking around/exploring the hotel and ordering room service! It was a much needed getaway and we returned to Jackson feeling refreshed and even more excited about Claudia's arrival!