possible last survey as a preggy

How far along? 38 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: scale at home seems much nicer than the one at the doctors office...30-35 at home, but 35-40 at the doc 
Maternity clothes? everything still fits well but as we enter fall I am pretty sure that after baby arrives i will still have to get more maternity clothes...jeans especially. not buying "normal" clothes until later.
Stretch marks? no belly stretchies but my little boobies have a few which dont make me smile but its just a little so i feel blessed.
Sleep: waking up nightly to pee. my knees, hips and entire pelvic bone pop before i completely exit the bed. my left hand has been overly achy for the past 3 weeks and after sleeping through the night its aches, some times to the point of tears. the co-sleeper is next to the bed now and i cant help but imagine that sweet babe being there soon, but its still surreal. 
Best moment this week:  again, since my last post there has been many "best moments" that i just must talk about. Baby Shower #2 was put together by the best friends a girl could ever ask for! Julia, Angela, Truly, Heidi, Kendall, and Jess put in a lot of hard work to make my shower so personal and special. so grateful! My Keem and her husband came all the way from SC to celebrate and it meant so much to me and Josh that they came! Afterwards we had a party at our house and everyone who came enjoyed great food and beer. My mom and dad, and close friends from richmond came down (in the crazy traffic) to celebrate, and I felt so honored. Josh and I spent a Saturday getting the rest of our baby needs and wants and the nursery is coming together, after more than several rearranging moments. Josh and I also went for a walk at Sea Shore State Park and not only was the day perfect but spending time together was wonderful.  
Have you told family and friends: nope
Miss Anything? beer. been thinking about pumpkin ale a lot. 
Movement: lots and lots of feet, knees, elbows, and butts pushing on me and my ribs, hips, and more at all times of day and night. sometimes it can be a little overwhelming but when i dont feel movement i get a little scared but mostly sad that Baby isnt trying to "hang out" with me. haha.
Food cravings: sweeeeeets. i want to eat them all. silly GD makes me think twice before eating them though. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Have you started to show yet: my belly is 38.5 inches round. 
Gender prediction: none because i dont want to set my heart on one and it be the other...so i stopped trying to guess. 
Labor Signs: YES, FINALLY!!! 25% effaced which is not as cool as dilated but it means things are moving along. I have been having some contractions but they are not at all regular. excited for labor to actually begin! 
Belly Button in or out? still in but just barely.
Wedding rings on or off? still off and it makes me so sad, daily. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: moody, moody, teary, teary, happy, happy, overwhelmed..all over the place really. 
Weekly Wisdom: Trusting God in everything is my sanity.  
Looking forward to: BABY'S ARRIVAL! (as scary as that is i know that in my heart i am truly looking forward to the next stage in my life with my amazing husband and precious Baby!)

mini update

Week 38. 25% effaced. Random contractions. Baby is doing well and a little ahead of schedule, so Baby's debut may be sooner than later. Need to savor this weekend as much as possible...it could be our last as just the two of us.

I have been doing three photos at a time so I went ahead and added last week's "37 weeks" photo to my last post's Belly Bump update photo.

Me and this amazing man are about to become parents. Excited, scared, but mostly feeling so blessed that the child I have been carrying for the last 9 months will be so ridiculously loved. This photo was from our 2 mile walk at Sea Shore State Park. Week 37.5

At the beginning of week 38, Josh and I completed our Birthing Class. This class was wonderful  and we feel a lot more prepared. Bummed it is over, and still a little shocked that the last 6 weeks went by so quickly. The 7 other preggy ladies from class and I are now connected on the FB and will be keeping in touch during the next step of our baby journeys!

its been a while

So a few weeks, months even, have past since I last posted and I am feeling bad about it. I know I have a lot more time on my hands but some how that time gets filled up faster than you would think. I can only imagine how much faster time will up when the wee one is finally here.

A lot has been going on the past few months and now that I am at 35 weeks the end is near....some days more overwhelming than others. 

31 and 34 weeks

At the end of July I was apart of one of my closest friends, Erin Simon's Bachelorette Party in Dewey Beach, DE. I had a great time with the Bride-to-be, Bridesmaids, and other close friends of the bride. I think that the Bride-to-be also had a great time as well...lots of laughs, drinks (for the non-preggers), good eats, and a life time of memories. Erin and I LOVE the OLYMPICS so that was a great start to the weekend, even if the opening ceremony was so-so. 

Bachelorette Party, Dewey Beach

Matron of Honor and the Bride

Preggy at her Shower

The second weekend of August I had an AMAZING Baby Shower!!! My wonderful Mother and Grandmother-to-be,  my fantastic Sister and Aunt-to-be, and two of my mom's best friends put together the most creative and beautiful Underwater Themed Shower. Family members, family friends, long time friends, and neighbors came together to celebrate Baby Nowell and I enjoyed every second of it!! There were so many little details that made it so precious and personal, I couldn't have asked for anything better. So thankful and blessed to have such loving and caring woman in my life who are just as excited as Josh and I to welcome our little Bean into the world!! I cant believe I have another shower just around the corner...feeling so loved!

Baby Shower prezies!

Mama blowing out her candles.

After the shower the family and some close friends got together at the Highland's to surprise my beautiful mother for her 60th Birthday! I know she would probably not like people knowing her age but its an important milestone and she looks 40, so its okay! She was 100% surprised, so it was a great success!! This was great way to end a fabulous weekend full of love, family and friends. 

Mother of the Bride and the Bride at the Rehearsal Dinner

At the end of August Ms. Erin Simon married Mr. Coleman Bishop!!! The rehearsal dinner on Friday night, put on by the Groom's parents, was absolutely fabulous in every way! They transformed their backyard into a great party location with lots of tropical and cruise line details. The food was magnificent and the Bridal Party had a great time celebrating before the official celebration. The day of the wedding was a packed day of wedding fun! Breakfast at the Bride's, Hair and Make-up at Ulta, and in no time flat we were at the Highland's getting dressed for Erin's big day. One of my favorite parts of the day was taking pictures with the Bride and Bridesmaids. The photographer had great ideas and, with so much time to spare before the ceremony, we were able to get a plethora of great pictures. Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony to begin. The ceremony was beautiful and so personal with the Bride's Brother officiating. More photos with the Bridal Party was a fun time too and then we were on to the reception. The reception was so elegant and breath taking, a great time was surely had by all! The Bride was beautiful and the day was truly perfect. I was and will always be so honored to have been chosen to be Erin's Matron of Honor! 

The Beautiful Bride

Drag Brunch the morning after!

I was just glad that the sinus infection, pink eye, and almost uncontrollable cough (which had been plaguing me for a week..besides the pink eye, that sprung up on the ride to Chester) was under control Friday afternoon and throughout the day of the wedding. I had been in agony since the prior Friday and was over coughing all night and not being able to breath. When i got the pink eye the Thursday before the wedding I knew that Patient First and medication was more than needed. I had been trying to avoid taking meds but I hit my breaking point. I was prescribed cough medicine with codine and an antibiotic. After getting the meds I still considered not taking them until I spoke with the triage nurse who ensured me that me getting better with meds was the best way for me to keep the baby healthy too. This made me feel better, so i started taking the meds as directed. Even though the conversation gave me rest it also left me with the fact that I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. This fact came as no surprise because nothing surprises me anymore after the year I have had, but I was still bummed and trying not to let it overwhelm me. A few days later I received some pamphlets in the mail for the GB diet plan, but had to wait, yet again, for more information until this week. 

teehee!!

Now if thats not enough for an 8 month pregnant lady to do in her summer, I topped it off with another Bachelorette Party in Bethany Beach, DE with another close and amazing friend Ms. Taryn Barnes! I was able to drive up Thursday afternoon, and Taryn and I were able have a night alone together before the rest of the fabulous ladies arrived. We made a delightful mexican dinner and watched a movie. Friday we were able to go to the beach for a while before her Sister-in-law-to-be came to spend some time with the Bride. The ridiculously amazing house that we were staying in had a great view of the ocean and the three of us were able to watch a pod of dolphins jumping out of the water, Sea World style! AH-MA-ZING!! When the Maid of Honor and friend of the bride arrived the bride opened some presents and then we went to dinner at a fantastic restaurant downtown Bethany. I also walked away with a hand-painted wine glass, with an Anchor, which I love! Thanks Lauren!! Saturday was filled with some beach time, but by 4pm I was on the road home to spend the rest of Labor Day weekend with my betrothed.  I cannot wait for Taryn's wedding and continue to pray that Baby Nowell comes on time or maybe even a little early so that I am able to stand up with Taryn as she marries the man of her dreams! 

The Bride-to-be Stoked to be at the beach!

So this week, I had a doctors appointment and was able to get more information, as well as a Blood Sugar tester for my GD. I have started the diet plan and am tracking my BS until the baby arrives. Even though the GD was diagnosed super late in the game my ultrasound proved that Baby is doing well and all is normal. Baby is 6 lbs 2 oz and in the 67% for weight which is way better than the doctor expected due to the GD. The baby's abdomen is also in the 67% for size and way better than expected. This was all amazing news, and to top it off the baby's head is down and ready to roll!! All this information was such an amazing answered prayer and a great, great weight lifted off my shoulders. At my appointment, before the ultrasound, I felt so overwhelmed and a little besides myself. I know I cannot predict how my labor and birth will go, but I want to be as prepared as possible, and I didn't want the GD to make things complicated. I know finalizing our birth plan (preferred options) will also make me feel better about the upcoming events.

We started our Birthing Class three weeks ago, which has also eased my mind about the upcoming events. Out of the 8 couples, we are due first! Its a little intimidating because during the last class the teacher asked me if I had any updates or signs of labor...which I don't. I kind of feel like this might happen each week until Sept. 26th...our last class and two weeks before Bean is due to arrive. The class is so informational and I feel that it is preparing us as much as it can. It's exciting!

4 weeks and 5 days until the due date!