38 weeks

how far along?  38 weeks 1 day

how are you measuring?  40 weeks (My doctor said that my cervix is feeling very soft and is starting to open, but I'm not dialated yet.  She says his head has dropped even more from last week and she thinks I've thinned but can't completely tell because I'm not dialated.)

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 19 1/2 inches long, about 6.8 pounds, and the length of a leek. My doctor thinks he's about high 6 pounds/low 7 pounds right now, which is great news!! I've been thinking he was going to be huge, but that would put him at about 7 1/2-8 pounds at birth!! Perfect size baby!

heartbeat?   130-140's bpm (at our 38 week appointment) His heart rate started in the 130's but then he kept wiggling around while she was listening.  Every time he wiggled, his heart rate would go into the 140's.  She said that is a very good and reassuring thing!  

total weight gain/loss? + 36lbs  (I lost 4 pounds this week, which is great because I gained 5 last week.  I knew that I was just hanging on to the awesome BBQ that my brother in law made for Memorial Day. My doctor said I am doing perfect with my weight gain.  She said I'm right where I should be!)

maternity clothes? Maternity clothes all the time.  

stretch marks? It's official I have 5 little stretch marks on one side of my waist and 3 on the other.  They aren't big, but I'm still bummed they had to show up.  I went 37 weeks without stretch marks and now they decide to show up.  I also keep forgetting to mention that I have that big dark line below and above my belly button.  I'm told it will go away, and it better.  It is not pretty!!
sleep? I'm back down to 3-4 potty breaks a night.  Not to bad.  Other than potty breaks I'm sleeping pretty good!!

best moment this week?  School is out for the summer!!!  And I'm done!!!! I couldn't be more excited about starting my new job......being Pearson's Mommy!!!  

movement? He seriously moves all day long.  I don't think he ever sleeps.  There is no down time in my belly, it's always a party!!

food cravings? Anything cold.  Ice water, Snickers Ice Cream bars, & popsicles.  I've been CRAVING a snow cone but haven't taken the time to go get one.  I MUST go get one this week!

gender predictions? It's STILL a BOY!!!  Pearson Davis Link!!! 

what i miss: I miss all my summer dresses.  Dresses start to make you look like a whale at the end of pregnancy, so I'm not even wearing my maternity dresses.  I'm kind of sad though because once I have Pearson and I can fit back into my dresses, they won't be very practical to wear since I'll hopefully be nursing him.  Looks like I'll have to wait until next summer to wear all my cute dresses.  

what i'm looking forward to:  June 21st. I scheduled my 40 week appointment on my due date June 20th, and then we scheduled an induction for the next day.  So if Pearson doesn't decide to come on his own, he will definitely be here on the 21st!!  It's so crazy to have a true end in sight!!!  We are having a baby in 14 days or less!!

how are you feeling? Honestly, I'm feeling pretty good this week.  I take that back.  I was pretty miserable Monday through Thursday.  Working the last week of school was a beating, but as soon as school was out it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I have had lots of bursts of energy to get things done.  Now that school is out, I am totally okay with going to my due date.  I actually kind of want to make it to my due date so I can enjoy my last 2 weeks of summer before our lives are changed forever!! 

hello summer!!

One of the perks of being a teacher is having the summer off!!

I realize that with my new job of being a Stay at Home Mom that there are lots of perks, one being that I don't have to get up and GO to work.  Although I will not have to GO to work everyday, I will never have a summer break all to myself like I have for the past 3 years.  I'll be on Mommy duty every summer from here on out.  So I'm enjoying my last two weeks of summer as much as I can {as much as I can at 9 months pregnant that is}.  

Today I......

.....slept in.

.....ate a leisurely breakfast while watching Good Morning America.

.....relaxed on the couch and planned out my Target shopping trip.

......got  $135 worth of groceries for $35 at Target!!  

Here's a picture of it all!!

.....laid out at the pool with Michelle.

.....went to Sonic Happy Hour.

.....took a cat nap on the couch.

......picked up a few more good deals at Albertson's.

......caught up on some blog reading.

......made a quick and easy, but yummy dinner for me and the hubby.

.....relaxed on the couch and watched the Rangers with the hubby.

What did you do on your first day of summer?  

meal planning monday

Monday: Grilled Chicken, Veggies, & Rolls

Tuesday: Meatball Subs & Chips

Wednesday: Katy: Chuy's w/ ABF girls Matt: Leftovers

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Tyson Chicken & Cheese Sandwiches & Chips

Saturday Breakfast: Sausage Balls

Saturday Lunch: Fish & Chips

Saturday Dinner: Out with Friends

Sunday Lunch: Pizza

Sunday Dinner: Fast Food before The MAVS!!

hostess gifts

A while back I asked for some good ideas for hostess gifts.  I got some great ideas, but I had to buy 15 hostess gifts (divided between 3 showers) so I felt like I couldn't use some of the great ideas because I would be spending way too much since I had to buy so many.  I know that my friends didn't give us a shower just to get a hostess gift, so  I just wanted to give a small token of appreciation.  I also wanted it to be something they could use up or eat.  I didn't want to give them something that would sit around and end up being trashed because it was junk or something they didn't need.  

I decided on Gourmet Caramel Apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  The apples were $5.95 a piece, the 2 rolls of cellophane cost about $5 and I used ribbon, scrapbook paper and labels that I already had.  

On one side of the label it said "Thanks Matey!"

 And on the other side it said "Pearson says "Thanks for all the LOOT!"" -Katy

 For the last shower, I also gave all the girls a our family cookbook since none of them had it.  

I loved the way my hostess gifts turned out, and I'm pretty sure they all enjoyed them too!! I kind of bought one for myself each time I picked them up for the hostesses.  HA!  And I know I sure enjoyed the sweet treat!!

calling all mommies: the hospital stay

This weeks topic is....

THE HOSPITAL STAY

Baby Pearson's due date is getting closer and closer.  19 days to be exact!! I'm not going to lie, I'm starting to get a little anxious about the labor and delivery.  I have really tried not to think about it throughout the pregnancy because there is no sense stressing out over it, because it's going to happen.   But now that it's almost here, it's all I can think {and dream} about.  I have my hospital bag, Matt's bag, and Pearson's diaper bag just about packed.  The only thing left to pack are things that we use day to day and we'll just have to pack as we are walking out the door.  I have quite a few questions this week for all you Mommies this week so here goes.....

Basically if you have any advice for the hospital stay, I would love it!!

Did you allow vistors during your labor? If so, before and after the epidural?

How did you ask people to leave if you had vistors but just needed some rest?

Did you call family the moment you went into labor (if you weren't induced)?

When did you have family come?

Did they stick around the whole time?
Did you have anyone else (other than your husband) in the room when you were pushing?
I want pictures of the baby right after he's born and would love a picture of Matt cutting the umbilical cord, but I don't know how I feel about having anybody else in the room.  If you had someone taking pictures, who was it?

How long after the baby was born did you take for just time for you, baby, and hubby?
Did you have family and friends visit you in your postpartum room?
How soon after the birth did you get to nurse?
How did you ask people to leave if you needed to rest or nurse?
If you had a boy, did your husband stay with the baby during the circumcision?
How long did you stay in the hospital?
What did you bring your baby home in?
What did you wear home?

Okay....I think that's all for now!!

june desktop

We're having a baby this month!!!

This is probably the last time you'll see mine and Matt's face in my desktop pictures.  Sweet Pearson will be the star of my desktop pictures starting in July!!

37 weeks

*I totally sported a maternity bathing suit yesterday at our family's Memorial Day BBQ!!

**I'll be posting on Tuesdays from now on, since the rest of my appointment are on Tuesdays.

how far along?  37 weeks 1 day

how are you measuring? 39  weeks (Dr. said his head is low, but not super low.  My cervix is STILL closed, but it is soft.  Again, she couldn't tell how thinned I was because I wasn't dialated at all. I'm not going to lie, I was a little sad hearing that there was no change.)  

size of baby? According to Baby Center our baby is 19 inches long, about 6 1/3 pounds, and the length of a a stalk of Swiss chard. Dr. thinks he's about 7 pounds right now. 

heartbeat?  150's bpm (at our 37 week appointment) He's an active little dude.

total weight gain/loss? +40 lbs  (I think I  might have been hanging on to a little Memorial Day BBQ, but still, I'm SOOOOOOO tired of gaining weight.  Go ahead and tell me he'll be worth it and it will all fall off....I know, I know!!  But I'm still tired of gaining weight.)

maternity clothes? Maternity clothes all the time. 

stretch marks? I think 3 little stretch marks might have made their ugly appearance on my side, but I can't tell for sure because I can't see them  up close. Matt can't really tell either, so I need to show my Mom to see what she thinks.  
sleep? I'm going to the bathroom a ridiculous amount of times at night.  Some night 6-8 times.  Ridiculous, huh?  And every time I get up and down I have to re-position myself and that just wears me out.  I fall back asleep each time pretty easily, but I'm just sleeping about an hour at a time, so it's never too restful.   

best moment this week?  I got to meet one of my college roommates new little baby.  Baby Thomas was the sweetest, cutest little guy and made me SUPER excited to meet Pearson very soon.  Kristen and I had such a good time catching up too.  I love it when you can not see a friend for a long time and just pick right back up where you left off!! 

movement? I keep thinking his movement is going to slow down, but I swear he is moving more and more lately.  And it's starting to hurt.  He pushes SO hard.  

food cravings? I can't stop drinking ice cold water in the middle of the night.  I know it would help with my bathroom breaks, but I HAVE to have my ice cold water.  I'm so thirsty even in the middle of the night

gender predictions? It's STILL a BOY!!!  Pearson Davis Link!!! 

what i miss:  Feeling normal. 

what i'm looking forward to: The last day of school.  Oh my goodness I am soooooo done with school.  Matt packed up my classroom and it is completely empty. (well, almost.....we've got the bare minimum to get us through the week) It's really starting to hit me that I'm not coming back next year.  I can't wait to stay at home with my little guy!!

how are you feeling? I've definitely hit that "uncomfortable/miserable stage" that everyone tells you about.  I'm so done being pregnant.  I just want my baby boy to be here.  I'm hot all the time, I feel huge, I'm tired, I can't bend over, I feel helpless sometimes, I can't sleep, I go to the bathroom all the time, I've got hemorrhoids,  I can't get comfortable, and my feet hurt at the end of the day.

**Okay, so maybe I'm not that miserable.  I'm just a little depressed that there was no change in my cervix at my doctor's appointment today.  I've been thinking he was going to come early all along, but today I really feel like I'm going to go all the way to my due date, and 20 days seems SO far away.  I'm just having a little pity party for myself.  And my little pity party did include some tears this afternoon.  I'm just a little bit emotional these days.

a little taste of summer

I'm a dork and left my memory card at home,  so I have no pictures to show for our Memorial Day fun. 

Memorial Day always feels like "a little taste of summer" to me.  We get a nice long weekend, then we have to go back to school for 3 days.  This year because of all the snow we had in February, we had to go to school yesterday.  I was SO not happy about this, but it ended up being a great day.  

Matt had the day off so he came to school and helped me pack up my classroom.  We got everything off the walls and got all but the bare essentials taken home and put in the attic.  I say we, but he did everything.  I seriously have the best husband ever. 

Because it was a holiday, I only had 11 kids.  It was fabulous!!  We just played all day.  (Ha, who am I kidding, we didn't just play because today was a holiday. We are going to be playing all week!!  Grades were due on Friday, so we are just babysitting this week.) We had our Kindergarten Awards Ceremony at 1pm also, and afterwards 6 of my parents took their kids home.  For the last hour of school I only had 5 kids.  It was amazing!!

After school, Matt and I scooted out and went to his sister's house for a little Memorial Day BBQ and birthday celebration for our niece.  My brother in law made THE BEST brisket, sausage, & ribs, gourmet mac n cheese, baked beans, & cole slaw.  We also had homemade peach cobbler and ice cream.  I seriously think I might have gained 5 lbs from all the good food.  Oh wait....I did gain 5 lbs this week!!  Ha!! It was perfect weather for hanging out by the pool.  I even sported my maternity swimsuit and got in the pool to play with my little 19 month old nephew.   

I hope you had a fun day with family and I hope you took time to remember those who serve our country.

meal planning monday

Monday: Ellie's Birthday Party

Tuesday: Crispy Chicken Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Spaghetti, Rolls, Salad, & Veggies
(doubling to freeze some)

Thursday: Out to Eat....Celebrating the Last Day of School!!

Friday: Quesadillas 

Saturday Breakfast: Sausage & Cream Cheese Twirls/Ashley's Shower

Saturday Lunch: Southwest Eggrolls

Saturday Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie (doubling to freeze some)

Sunday Lunch: BBQ Chicken Pizza

Sunday Dinner: Ravioli with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, Garlic Toast & Veggies

rangers game

Matt and I braved the heat at the Rangers game this afternoon.  It was hot (thankfully there was a nice breeze), but I'm so glad we went.  We, mainly I, might not have a chance to go to another game this season since we will have a little one any day now!!

 We got to the game about an hour and a half early, so we ate lunch in the breezeway then went to the Cuervo Club and hung out in the air condition for a while.  I'm so thankful that they guy we bought the tickets from let us know he had access to the Cuervo Club.  It was nice to sit in and air conditioned room instead of the heat for the hour before the game. 

 Our seats were great!! We had a great view of the brand new big screen!!

Matt brought his glove to protect me if any foul balls came our way!

I had to take a picture to show Pearson someday that this was his "first" Rangers game!!

 Before the game, they announce a little boy for each position.  They got to run out and stand in their position and then the Rangers player that played that position came and signed a baseball for them before the game started.  It was so cute!!  It made me super excited to be having a boy.  I can't wait to see Matt teach Pearson all about sports!!

 The game was pretty crazy.  We were losing for a while, tied it up in the 8th inning, gave up a run in the top of the 9th and then won the game in the very last play of the game!!  

 I'm so glad we braved the heat the entire game and didn't give up on our Rangers.  We really had a good time.  

fan on board

Pearson is due to arrive smack dab in the middle of the Rangers season.  

Matt and I are big fans, but we haven't had a chance to go to any games this season.  

When a friend posted on facebook that he was selling his season ticket seats to a game, I totally took him up on the offer.  I knew Matt would enjoy going to game!!  When I bought the tickets, the weather was still nice and in the upper 70's/low 80's.  

Now I'm starting to think I'm crazy for buying tickets to a Sunday afternoon game because it's supposed to be 94 degrees tomorrow.  I'm going to be one hot 9 1/2 month pregnant girl.

Oh well, we'll have fun!! Our seats are great.....15th row in fact.  I'm just going to enjoy taking my little fan on board to his "first game" and enjoy spending the day with my hubby.  

Who knows, this could be one of our last dates before the little guy arrives!!

**Photos by Rachel Ledbetter Photography

i can totally relate.....

24 days to go......

ham {turkey} rolls

As I am nearing the end of my pregnancy, I'm spending less and less time in the kitchen.  I'm just totally exhausted when I get home from school, so I'm loving easy recipes like this one!! My Mom and Grandma make this for big crowds and parties all the time.  

Here's what you'll need.....

(I halfed this recipe twice for Matt and I because that's all the bread I had.  But a  half recipe would perfect for dinner and a couple of lunches.  These sandwiches warm up great.)

2 trays of Hawaiin Rolls

2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 T. dried onion

1 lb of shaved ham or turkey

{the original recipe calls for ham, but we prefer turkey}

1 stick of butter melted

1 1/2 tsp. dried mustard

1 1/2 tsp. sesame seed

Keep the package of rolls together and slice the rolls right down the middle.  Put the bottom layer of rolls in a pan.  Cover with turkey an cheese.

Make the sauce by mixing Worcestershire sauce, onion, melted butter, and dried mustard.

Place the top layer of rolls back on and drizzle the sauce over the rolls.  Sprinkle with sesame seed.

Cover with foil and place in refrigerator overnight.  You don't have to do this, but they taste so much better when they have the night to soak up all the juices.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!

calling all mommies:babywearing

This week's topic is.....

BABY WEARING

There are a ton of different ways to "wear" your baby these days.  

So my question this week is......

Do you have a sling, a carrier, a moby wrap, or something else?

Do you like it?

When do you use it?

Have you ever heard of Seven Slings?

I don't know anything about this sling, but I got a coupon in the mail for a free one (a $39 value)!!  I just had to pay shipping ($11.95). My coupon said "**While supplies last.  Share this promo code with a friend.  So if they still have them, go to Seven Slings and enter the promo code "TX2" to get your own Seven Sling!!

i keep trying to picture.....

I haven't been able to sleep lately. 

I keep waking up thinking about my sweet baby. I can't get him off of my mind.

I keep trying to picture what he will look like.  

I keep trying to picture what being a Mom will be like.

And I keep trying to picture what life will be like with a little one.

I won't know the answer to these questions until he's in my arms.

But I do know that God has painted a beautiful picture for our life as a family of three and I can't wait for it to all unfold.

**Photos by Rachel Ledbetter Photography