Healthy whopper girl

Well today was a check-up I have been looking forward to. We were able to have our last ultrasound and this girl is growing and doing well.
Ok, brack yourself....she's her daddy's child.....(drum roll please) Analie already weighs 7 lbs 6 oz! With 3 weeks still to go, she will make her debut into the world at approximately 8 lbs 14 oz!
I was so satisfied to find out that she's exactly in the position I thought - body on the right and legs and arms extending to my left side. She is still really far down (they've been saying this since the beginning, probably the source of my back pain) and has chubby cheeks. We see some resemblence to Marshall, but we'll just wait until she comes out to know for sure.
I would post the ultrasound pics, but the ones we received today aren't that great. I could barely make them out and I'm the mother for cryin' out loud - so, I doubt anyone else will know what they are looking at.

T minus 4 weeks!

Squirmy worm in my belly - she's getting big! It cracks me up every time I arise from my desk chair; that for a moment or two I am caught off guard by the extra baggage I am carrying. I steady myself for a second, look around to see if anyone is watching, then "gracefully" start to take my wobbly steps. Swaying back and forth like the friggin' titanic, I reach my destination, then "ahh" some relief to sit again! The hallway at my office has never seemed so daunting, and I am sure everyone of my co-workers is getting annoyed by the sliding gritty sound of my shoes waltzing through the office. But this is great!
I think I am going to stop reading all of the articles in the baby magazines. Considering my heightened level of paranoia, I don't think it's wise for me to be diving into articles that are meant to educate but leave a sense of fear in you. From diapering to vaccinations, every article has posted the "highly unlikely, but possible" scenarios leaving me gripping my seat at the turn of every page. What if I don't do the umbilical cord right (never had to with Marshall, the hospital took care of it), what if I don't attach the car seat correctly with the LATCH system, and then there's the "encouraging" articles about breastfeeding and every experts opinion about what's best for MY child.....ugh, I am gonna do just fine. Sometimes I even wonder if these "experts" even have children of their own. Once I received a book from a friend dealing with grief and the loss of a child, only come to find out the author had NEVER experienced it, and didn't even have children - I didn't read the book. No thanks, I don't need any unsolicited advice from these so-called "experts".
In the mean time, I will commit to finishing "projects" around the house before this little princess arrives. Painting the front door (Phil), installing the peep hole (Phil), cleaning the baseboards (umm...Phil?) lol

feeling the heat.

well maybe it's the heat and maybe it's just this time in the pregnancy, but i have been so exhausted lately. last week, i guess i did too much. i was down with allergies/cold and my body just hurt everywhere. after arriving at work on Friday - i made the decision that i just really needed to go home and rest. It killed me to do that - not only am I trying to save my personal days for my maternity leave, but also, I had already driven the 35 minutes to Houston. Popping claritin didn't seem to give much relief, so all day Friday i rested and did not move off the couch - it was what i needed. my back didn't hurt, no round ligament pain, and my nose seemed to dry up by Saturday morning. i have a really hard time sitting still - so after feeling like i wasted the day away on Friday, i thought to myself on Saturday "hmm, i think i am ready to do more today!". Wrong answer - after the day of going to do a DNow in Magnolia in the morning (I had previously committed to the whole weekend, but crashed and burned on Friday), then driving back to Crosby, then sorting through the plethora of gifts for Analie - I was exhausted and the back pain returned. Not to mention - I was lonely - I missed Phil. So Winnie and I retired to the couch again late Saturday evening and ALL day long on Sunday. When Phil got home, he joined us - guess everybody deserves a lazy weekend sometimes!

It's raining, it's pouring

This past weekend our friends and family held a baby shower for analie. it was so special - you can not even begin to imagine the sea of clothing this girl received. i left the shower that day feeling so overwhelmed with thanksgiving for the people who make us feel special. not just for brining gifts, but for showing up, for giving us a smile, a hug, and showing us they love us. truely, truely, we are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! i sound like a sappy pregnant lady, but really, my heart melts when i think about the graditute i have for all of these special people in our lives - i hope you all know who you are. enjoy the photos!