Homemade Scandinavia

Scott and I have been a little depressed this weekend because we weren't able to travel for Memorial Day Weekend. School is out tomorrow, and neither of us have to work...stinks, right? Macey is so close to getting here though, that we couldn't travel!

Saddest part of this weekend? Missing the Scandinavian Festival! It's totally worth driving the 6 hours home and then the 6 hours back to Rexburg JUST for the food. My dad is Danish, so that makes me half Danish! We have been to this festival for the past 4 years.

I have the best husband. He is constantly finding new ways to make me happy. He surprised me with our own homemade Scandinavian Festival on Saturday! He researched recipes on the Food Network website, and he made sure we had all the ingredients. I helped a little with the execution, but Scott did the whole thing! I sure do love him.

We had swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, homemade bread, and raspberry lemonade (with fresh raspberries!). We topped off the night with homemade funnel cakes. Scott made this the perfect Scandinavian Festival :)

37 Weeks!

Remember Shel Silverstein? Remember this poem? :) If not, welcome to my current life story: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16480

The glamour of pregnancy is slowly fading. As I write this, the keyboard is banging up against my stomach, and my feet are so swollen they are spilling out of the uniform flip flops I wear daily. I wake up probably 5 times a night to use the bathroom. I have hot flashes constantly, restless legs at night time, and heart burn.

However, like the poem, when I realize today is Saturday--that Macey will be here before we know it--I can go out to play. I can handle all the pains (at least for a few more weeks, anyway!).

The highlight of my week is my weekly doctor's appointment. I love soaking in everything I can about our little girl!

She is still measuring a week and a half ahead. You go girl!

I spoke with the doctor this week about her size...because I am really concerned about having a big baby. (Watch one episode of TLC's "A Baby Story", where a woman looks like she is dying as she is delivering a 5 pound baby, and you'll be as concerned as I am!) He told me that generally, a baby gains half a pound a week from here on out. If that's true, then our baby has jumped from 7 lbs. 4 oz. to about 8 lbs. in a week! I have 3 weeks left...yep :) Bring on the 9 lb. baby!

I explained that my sisters and I were all over 9 lbs. He looks at me with wide eyes, and he said, "We need to know those kind of things..." and he started scribbling in my chart. He said, "Well, the good news is that your mom's body was able to deliver all of those babies naturally!" I looked at him and said, "She had all C-Sections." He goes back to scribbling in my chart. :)

So...the latest and greatest? We are doing another ultrasound at 39 weeks. If the baby is measuring about 9 lbs then, I'll be taken to the hospital to have her! He told me there is no way that they will allow this baby to go past 40 weeks--she is too big! He said that we'll attempt this naturally, and if we need to, we'll resort to a c-section.

Can you believe the time is already here to have her? I can't! Only 2 more weeks until our lives totally change for the better :)

The last of the pregnancy shots! I'm afraid if I take any more pictures from here on out, I'll break the camera :) Scott had to take some pictures for his Digital Imaging class. Poor Scott. He took some really cool pictures, but I am my harshest critic--these are the only two that survived my cut :)

36 Weeks

I'm so proud of our daughter. Is that strange? Yeah...Possibly :) I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. I had been excited for it all week because I got to have an ultrasound. Yeah, be jealous! I hadn't seen Macey in about 4 months--since 20 weeks.

I know I'm her mother, but she is absolutely beautiful! I have pictured her about a thousand different ways, with a thousand different combinations of Scott and I. She'll probably look completely different when she comes out, but she was a really, beautiful mix!

When I went to the doctor's they didn't have me scheduled for an ultrasound. I attend a practice that has 3 different doctors, and I saw a different doctor this week than the last week. I told him that they said I should have one. He looked in the notes, and he said that's what they wrote, but he wanted to measure me to see if I really needed it. Well, I was 36 weeks exactly on Wednesday. After measuring, he wrote something down and then went to go find the ultrasound tech to see if she could squeeze me in. I'm totally snoopy. While he was gone, I looked on the chart, and he wrote 37 + +.

I was brought back to ultrasound. I don't think I had him convinced she was a big baby! He said that we'll just see how she is measuring. Generally, they don't do these ultrasounds until 39 weeks. They do them to determine if the mom can deliver the baby naturally or if they need to do a c-section because of size. He told me if she was measuring in the 50% range for size or higher, that they would do it again at 39 weeks.

I couldn't get enough of the ultrasound! The tech gave me a free test, and Macey has great reflexes, muscle tone, and a good heart rate. She then went on to measure.

Femur: 36 weeks 0 days

Abdomen: 37 weeks 4 days

Head: 37 weeks 6 days

Average: 37 weeks 1 day

Weight Estimate: 7 pounds 4 ounces (yikes!)

She told me that she is in 82% range for size. After speaking with the doctor, I was assured that I NEEDED to have an ultrasound at 39 weeks. The ultrasound tech said that if I carried to full term, the smallest she could see her being is 8 lbs and high ounces. I told her the smallest baby my mom had was 9lbs. She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Good luck!" Being she is measuring ahead, at my 39 weeks, she will be on her way to 41 weeks. Scott and I are in for a chubby, cute little girl!

Oh, and my favorite part of the ultrasound? She has hair :) There is about 1/4-1/2 inch all around her head. The tech said she wasn't sure if it was peach fuzz or longer hair, but I'll take either :)

Scott wasn't able to be there, so I asked if I could get a picture! I know this is only a picture a mother/father could appreciate, but this is Macey! It's blurry because she is chubby. The tech said that they don't look as cute now because the chub blurs all the features this far along in the game :)

Don't worry, I looked at the ultrasound and couldn't tell what part was Macey :) After the tech explained it to me, I could totally see her! Macey is the white shadow. Starting at the right and working left--her forehead. The first bump is her nose and the second bump--right after the first--is her mouth (she is pursing her lips :) ). Moving to the left...her chest, belly, and her one hand is folded up. Haha...can you see it? :)

If not, I'm sure you'll see it better in 3 weeks or so!

Watermelon

Even writing that word makes my mouth water! I have only had a couple steady cravings through out this pregnancy: Milk and Watermelon.

Milk. I have never really been a huge milk fan, but since day one, I can now sit down and chug a big glass of milk! I probably drink a good 3-4 glasses a day :)

Watermelon. Yum. Want to know what stinks about finding out you are pregnant in October? Watermelon is out of season. Yep. Scott can atest that I have been craving a good piece of watermelon since then. The good news?

IT'S BACK!!!!

Last week in Rexburg it got up to 70 degrees (crazy, right?!). I think it was the heat (haha...heat...70 degrees?) that made me crave it like crazy! I think my craze drove Scott crazy because at 5:00 he drove me to Broulims! We got a nice big one.

We paid $9.09. I'm 9 months pregnant. I decided that $1.01 per month I was pregnant was MORE than worth it.

Excited after 9 LONG months!

You best believe that I devoured this entire bowl with a fork. :)

This is me 35.5 weeks pregnant! We are getting to D-day...slowly but surely :)

Busy Vacation!

Isn't that an oxymoron? Busy Vacation. Scott and I spent last weekend at home, and when we got back to Rexburg--Sunday night at 1:00 in the morning--we decided that we needed another vacation!

We spent a busy weekend at home and had a blast! First, we headed to Logan for Scott's oldest brother Kevin's graduation from Utah State University. He received his MBA. It was fun to be back on my old stomping grounds!

My camera was not made to take far away shots in this lighting, but that blur is Kevin. Congratulations, Kevin! It was fun to be at the graduation. (I also learned this day how pregnant I am! Contractions and swollen feet were not my friend that night :) )

The next day (Saturday) was my baby shower in Mona! It was put on by my mom and my mother-in-law. It was so fun. People were WAY too generous! After this shower I decided that Macey will always be clothed, and she will always smell good :)

 

Scott's brother Kevin, and sister-in-law Blair had a little boy the beginning of April! We were able to go to his baby blessing on Sunday! It was fun to get to hold and play with a tiny newborn baby! Great practice, right? I love this picture--one of my favorites!

Uncle Scott and Ben seeing who can open their eyes widest :)

It was an eventful weekend! We went back to normal life this week though :) I went to the doctor yesterday, and Macey is still measuring ahead of schedule. I am 35 weeks, and she is at least 36...if not bigger :)

 

Next week I have an ultrasound scheduled to see how big she really is and how everything looks in there! We are excited to have her here!! It's scary/exciting/strange/surreal/surprising (and much much more :) ) that she will be here in a month! Will we ever feel prepared enough for this new adventure? :)