HAPPY DUE DATE TO ME

40 Weeks

Me: "Knock, Knock."
You: "Who's there?"
Me: "Gwen."
You: "Gwen wh....wait a minute!"
Me: "JUST KIDDING."

Yup, that's right folks...still pregnant. It's funny because everyone seems to think (including myself) that a pregnant woman's due date is when baby will magically make their way into the world. If only that were true! Truth is only about 5% of babies are born on their ESTIMATED due date which makes for some very unhappy and very anxious pregnant women!

I think, on average, a first time mom can go as long as 41.5 weeks which would mean I have another good 10 days before Gwen decides it's time to pack up and leave her cozy uterus home and upgrade to the great big world! While 10 days may seem like nothing in the grand scheme of things, I do believe that these next 10 days (if Gwen really makes Mommy and Daddy wait THAT long) are going to feel like an eternity! I have definitely arrived at the point that after nine months of waiting I am READY to meet my daughter and transition to permanent "Mommy" status.

Thank you to everyone for following my journey and hopefully this will be one of my last pregnant posts! I most likely plan on creating a new blog chronicling the journey of parenthood, but I am making no promises (especially to myself) because I have a feeling that once Gwen is here any spare time will be spent SLEEPING!

Me @ 40 weeks
Love to all, Jennifer

THE WAITING GAME

38 weeks, 5 days

So here I am - almost 39 weeks; 9 days away from my due date, and while I am sure the odds are stacked against me a part of me wishes she would come early! I've spoken with just as many people who have said their babies came early as those who have said theirs came late. It really is a gamble and totally up to baby!

The majority of my friends with children have ended up being induced. I would love to go into labor naturally and spend some of those first few hours distracting myself at home. Let's hope Gwen agrees that this idea sounds best! Either way I am now playing the waiting game. I am sure it will become increasingly more difficult the closer I get to 40 weeks.

ALL HALLOW'S EVE

37 weeks, 1 day

Gwen is officially full-term! While that doesn't mean she's ready to greet the world just yet it would be a nice surprise if she made her appearance sooner than later. I'm thinking a Halloween Baby would be fantastic! After all, it is her mommy's favorite holiday!

This year for Halloween, assuming I'm not in labor, I found the cutest shirt to wear as a costume!



I wish I had bought it sooner because now it's far too late to order so I am going to attempt to replicate it. I've bought a black t-shirt and puffy paint but I'm running out of time. I don't think it will take too long to complete I just need to get started on it. So cute ♥

FOUR SHORT WEEKS

36 Weeks

I am in the home stretch with *hopefully* four short weeks to go until we officially become a Mommy and a Daddy! I really don't know where the last thirty-six weeks have gone! Amazing how quickly time has passed. I'm hoping it continues this trend right up until birth. I want to make a point of treasuring every single moment I am home with my daughter on maternity leave because I have a sneaky suspicion that those eight weeks will also seem very short.

Now that I am down to the last month of pregnancy I will have weekly visits with my obstetrician. How exciting! It used to feel like such a long time between visits when they were on a monthly basis.

In just one week Gwen will be considered full-term! Which, while unlikely, means she could arrive at any time! My guess, however, is not before her estimated due date and I have a feeling (call it a mother's intuition?) that this little girl is going to be fashionably late (she'll get that from me). So place your bets now - closest guess to her actual birthdate wins!

EXCITED AND NERVOUS

34 weeks, 6 days

Today leaves 35 days until my due date. We finally got the car seat installed yesterday and things are slowly falling into place. I am starting to feel "ready" to meet our daughter...well, at least as "ready" as I'll ever be!

One thing for sure, I am starting to feel both excited and nervous!

I have my moments where I'll feel her move, glance down at my belly dancing, and get SO excited knowing that it won't be much longer until she's dancing in my arms. That feeling of excitement creates a sense of confidence. I can visualize myself in labor from start to finish and I already feel so accomplished. There were times in my life where I wasn't sure if I wanted to have children, however, I can honestly say I have never been more sure than I am now that this will be my greatest accomplishment and that I was meant to be a mommy.

I also have my moments where I'll feel her move, glance down at my belly dancing, and get SO nervous knowing that it won't be much longer until she's dancing in my arms. That feeling of nervousness creates a sense of overwhelming responsibility. This new little life we are bringing into the world will be dependent on us for everything. We will need to provide her with not only clothes, food, and shelter, but love, stability, and structure. It's a big undertaking, but one I am truly looking forward to.

Years from now I am sure I will reflect back on how I felt in the few final weeks before Gwen's arrival. I can't wait to see the person she grows to be. I am sure she will make both myself and her daddy very proud, but more importantly, I wish for her to be proud of herself.

SIX MORE WEEKS

34 weeks, 1 day

I find it hard to believe that in just 6 weeks, give or take, I will finally be meeting this little person I've had growing inside me. I am trying to make it a point to treasure every day of my last weeks of pregnancy. Who knows if we will ever do this again so it could be a first and a last. That's not to say we absolutely won't have more children, but I am certainly of the mentality of taking one day at a time, and for now, Gwen will be our main focus.

With that being said, I am truly enjoying every kick to my ribs and head butt to my bladder. There have been so many times when this little one has made me randomly laugh out loud while sitting at my desk. I'll admit that I am starting to physically become quite uncomfortable, but with so little time left, I'm trying to focus on the positive and not the negative. I feel like I know her already. She has her little routines - certain times of the day she is more active than not - and I swear she loves hearing my voice and dances along when I sing out loud. I can't wait to meet her face to face. It won't be long.

READY, SET...

32 weeks, 1 day

While I still have roughly eight more weeks to go, I am starting to feel the crunch of getting everything ready for Gwen's big arrival. Technically, I have about four more weeks to get the nursery completed and hospital bags packed because I have told myself that I want the last month of my pregnancy to be as relatively stress-free as possible. Besides, IF Gwen decided that she wasn't waiting for November to make her appearance, that would mean even LESS time to finish preparing. Nesting already? Maybe a little. But I am determined to NOT procrastinate on this matter like most other things in my life in which I do. If you'll remember from my first blog entry I consider myself to be a World Class procrastinator.

I have a very good start to my list and a few things are almost complete. I have already received many clothes in the form of hand-me-downs and shower gifts. The majority of newborn and 0-3 months outfits have been washed and put away, although I still have several "piles" left.

Some of Gwen's laundry

Most of the nursery decor is in place except for a few artistic finishing touches. I would really like to paint a small mural above her crib.

Owl-themed nursery progress

The sun room off our bedroom needs to be turned into a temporary nursery for the first few weeks of Gwen's life when she will be sleeping in her bassinet. In addition, there are a few "projects" around the house I would like to accomplish such as cleaning out the garage and a few storage closests. I will save packing my hospital bags until around week 36 so that will be the last task on my list to be completed.

I know two months is still plenty of time, but like I said, I really want to accomplish everything in a matter of weeks so the last month I can hopefully just be "Zen". How exciting and crazy to think I am in the home stretch!

MAY YOU ALWAYS THRIVE

31 Weeks

At my baby shower we tried something new - a Baby Bead & Blessing Ceremony. I wish I could take credit for this but I came across the idea from a poster on Babycenter.com who in turn found the ceremony on a maternity blog. The idea is that everyone who attends your shower brings a handpicked bead and a blessing to bestow upon the mother and baby-to-be. The beads are then made into a necklace or bracelet and can be used as a focal point during labor and as a reminder of all the love and good wishes for motherhood.

A friend who attended my baby shower gave me a string of beads during the BB&B Ceremony that spells out our chosen name for Gwen - "Gwenyth River Gordon" and pointed out that the word THRIVE can be found in the center of her name. I was absolutely thrilled with the discovery.

Thrive
-verb (used without object)
1. to prosper; be fortunate or successful.
2. to grow or develop vigorously; flourish.

I cannot think of a better word when it comes to the hopes and dreams I have for my future daughter.

In just about 9 weeks I will meet my baby girl for the first time. There are no words to express the joy and love I am feeling for this little person growing inside me. With each passing day I grow more and more excited, and when I am surrounded by negativity I simply think of the journey I am about to embark on and everything else seems insignificant.

If I could send a message to the baby in my belly it would be simply this: To my daughter Gwen - May you always thrive. Love, Mommy

SHOWERING GWEN WITH LOVE

29 Weeks, 5 days

I had my baby shower with family and friends this past weekend. It was such a wonderful day! Bryan, Gwen, and I are certainly loved by all. We received so many nice gifts that will come in handy and lots and lots of clothes! This little girl certainly won't be going naked! Gwen also received her very 1st teddy bear thanks to her Nanna and Grandaddy! I hope it's something she keeps all her life.

The food was delicious and we played some cute games, but my favorite part was the Baby and Bead Blessing Ceremony. Everyone brought me a bead that had meaning to them and shared their blessings and wishes for Gwen and I. It was so touching and special! I plan on making a necklace or bracelet with the beads and keeping it with me during labor for encouragement and support.

It's hard to believe that in a couple of months Gwen will be here! Having my baby shower made it all that more real! Now the fun part of washing, and sorting, and organizing all the wonderful things we received can begin! The sooner everything is ready to go the better! Usually, everything I do is last minute so I am going to try really hard to have most everything complete with time to spare and relax!

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped make my baby shower so special!

GOODBYE 27, HELLO 28

28 weeks, 5 days

Today is the last day of being 27 years old. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I am thankful that I will only be 28. I don't dread approaching 30. I just dread approaching 30 with a newborn. So luckily, by the time my 30th birthday rolls around I will have a rambunctious 2 year old running around. Well, an almost 2 year old. Good enough! It's hard to believe I am celebrating my last birthday before becoming a mother. Well, I guess technically, some might already consider me a mom with her child still growing in her belly.

Wow. It's super crazy.

I pre-registered at the hospital about a month ago. It was the craziest thing to be filling out paperwork and where it concerned Gwen to write relationship to patient? Mom. That's the first time I had ever written those words while referring to myself and it seriously blew. my. mind.

So goodbye 27, hello 28! What a year it will be!

THIRD TRIMESTER HERE I COME!

27 weeks, 5 days

This coming Tuesday I will hit 28 weeks. That means I am officially in my third trimester! Two down and one to go - amazing. Second trimester, much like first trimester, was good to me. While first trimester did bring some fatigue, some soreness, etc., second trimester was decently "golden". I had a few issues with infections but nothing that was too extreme. Sleep still is decent. I did experience a few nights of insomnia - but I am not quite big enough to be completely uncomfortable. I also seem to be waking up a little less to use the bathroom in the middle of the night; the calm before the storm as I am sure once Gwen starts putting on the baby fat she'll find my bladder to be quite the pillow.

I have my next doctor's appointment this coming Wednesday and from here on out I will have an appointment every two weeks. That is really going to help speed time up. Waiting a whole month between visits seemed like an eternity, but every two weeks will seem incredibly short. Just another two months of that and then it's on to weekly appointments!

100 DAYS TO GO!

25 weeks, 5 days

It's official! I have a 100 more days of pregnancy (assuming the average pregnancy lasts 280 days). I am thrilled and amazed at just how fast the past 180 days have flown by. Tomorrow I will have 99 more days and finally be in the "double digits". Hard to believe a whole season has come and gone as we found out we were pregnant in March and now it is August!

I have a feeling that time will continue to whiz by thanks to a lot of things to look forward to in the coming months! This month we have two childbirthing classes to attend followed by my brithday. Next month is my baby shower. In October I hope to have a maternity photoshoot thanks to an awesome co-worker with an equally amazing camera and talent for taking pictures! Halloween will sneak up on us and by then I am literally 2 WEEKS away from the big day (hopefully!)

So in celebration of 100 days to go here is a picture my husband took of me and made into a beautiful keepsake. Isn't the shirt adorable? And the poem reads:

A year is a circle, twelve months in a row,

filled with so much to see and to know.

A year is a garland, four seasons in all,

a Spring, a Winter, a Summer, a Fall.

A year is a ring of new days and nights,

each of them bringing a thousand delights.

A year is a gift of Time all brand new,

and THIS year is waiting especially for YOU!

BUTTERFLIES FLUTTERING BY

22 weeks, 2 days

Hooray! I can honestly say that lately I have been feeling Gwen move. Around week 20 I THOUGHT I was feeling movement, but as a first time mom I was questioning myself as to whether what I felt was baby or just gas. Ha! Over the past 2 weeks I have progressively become more and more sure that baby is making herself known.

At first it felt like butterflies fluttering by; a rumble in my tummy so faint that it was hardly noticeable. The last few days I have felt that fluttering become much stronger. She seems to like to say hi in the late evenings as I am lying down trying to fall asleep. In fact, she was so active the other night I SAW my stomach moving as she practiced her judo moves. It was very brief and very fleeting, but absolutely hysterical. My husband has even been able to feel her moving on occasion. The great thing is that she is only going to get more and more wiggly as the days go by!!! November where are you?! I'm already ready to meet my daughter, hehehe

20 WEEKS!

20 weeks, 1 day

I am officially halfway there! I can't believe how fast the first half of my pregnancy went. It feels like just yesterday I was announcing my pregnancy. Now I am well into my second trimester, know the gender and am SO excited for November.

We had our 20 week ultrasound today. Gwen is growing like a weed! She is healthy and happy! She was moving around and making kissy faces at us. I just wish I could feel her moving!!!! I have an anterior placenta which means the placenta is growing on top of the baby between my belly and her. It basically acts like a pillow so until she gets a little bigger, I won't be feeling her much. Every now and then I think I feel something but I am not sure what I am waiting for! Regardless, seeing her move and hearing her heartbeat gave me the reassurance I was looking for.

FAVORITE THINGS

17 weeks, 1 day

I was grabbing some lunch yesterday at the Kroger across from my work and as I pulled into the Expectant Mother's parking spot I couldn't help but smile. I love this little "perk". Up-close parking that feels like it's reserved just for me (oh, and the million other pregnant women). That made me start thinking about all of my other favorite things about being pregnant. My top ten list so far is as follows:

10. Up-Close Parking

9. Having an excuse to slack a bit on the housework

8. Afternoon naps that never felt better!

7. Using my craftiness to decorate the nursery!

6. Being able to call a room in my house "the nursery"

5. Anticipating the feeling of my baby moving

4. Knowing that wherever I go, I've got a little someone in/with me along for the ride

3. Enjoying the quiet moments with my husband before our lives are changed forever

2. Feeling like I am in the process of my life's greatest accomplishment

1. Watching my teary-eyed husband lean over to softly kiss my belly in the ultrasound room as we found out we were having a girl

BABY E?

16 weeks, 1 day

So I know a few of my friends and relatives were wondering why we were calling our unborn child "Baby E". Since becoming pregnant, we have gone back and forth on baby names. What a tough decision to come up with a name that 1.) You both can agree on and 2.) A name your child won't hate for the rest of their lives. We decided if it were to be a boy we would name him Ethan and if it were to be a girl we would name her Emma. Hence the reference of "Baby E".

With that being said, those decisions were made BEFORE I started researching name popularity. I had no clue that both Emma and Ethan are two of the most popular baby names of the last decade. In fact, in 2009, Emma ranked #1 for girls and Ethan ranked #2 for boys. I have since read that Emma has fallen in popularity to the #2 ranking, and I believe Ethan has dropped to #3 or #4. We racked our brains for different names, because even though we LOVE those names, I remember what it was like to be 1 out of 10 Jennifer's in each of my classes. We decided if it were a boy Ethan would just have to do - as it is at least falling in popularity. Emma, on the other hand, is just still far too popular and that leads us to our new chosen name for a girl: Gwen.

With all that in mind - we had a pleasant surprise today by learning at my 16 week ultrasound that we are having.........A GIRL! We are so lucky to have found out without having to wait until our 20th week scan! So Good-bye "Baby E", Hello "Gwen River Gordon". Mommy and Daddy love you, sweet baby girl!

JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE

15 weeks, 6 days

It feels awesome to be beginning my second trimester. I still don't know where the first one went?! And while I am incredibly pleased my pregnancy seems to be flying by I have this sneaky suspicion that time is about to slow down BIG time.

I have been feeling really good up until recently when it seems that just like everyone else I have succumbed to being sick while pregnant. I was doing so well too! I know our immune systems weaken but I had successfully avoided getting sick my entire first trimester! Aside from the occassional allergy attack I was golden! I washed my hands almost every five minutes and avoided sick people like the plague all in an effort to remain well and healthy. Then, without fail, just as I am about to enjoy a few well deserved days off with my hubby in the form of a staycation ( I discovered I had a few extra vacation days rolled over from last year and thought now would be the perfect time to use them!) - POW - sick as can be. Nothing too dramatic - just your average head cold, but SHEESH, I had worked so hard at staying germ-free only to be riddled with them while trying to enjoy some time off. I think the worst is over but I know it's still going to linger a few more days (just in time to be heading back to work).

It's not that I was upset I couldn't really take anything for it - I don't normally use cold medication even when I am not pregnant. It just stunk to be pregnant, on vacation, AND sick - come on! Not fair at all. Oh well, I consider myself lucky and grateful to be doing so well thus far. I am just going to keep my fingers crossed and my hand sanitizer close by for the remainder of my journey!

GROWING LIKE A WEED

13 weeks, 6 days

Amazing. My second ultrasound for Baby "E" measured in at 11 weeks, 6 days on May 5th. It's amazing how in a little over 3 weeks my sweet little one has grown so much! This time he/she looked MUCH more baby-like! Hooray! It was amazing to see our "little peanut" (who is not so little or so peanut-like anymore) moving around - legs and arms kicking up and down. It reminded me of riding a roller coaster - how I love to raise my arms at the top of the track and then squeal all the way down arms flailing. I bet when Baby "E" gets big enough for me to feel those kicks I will miss the early days of just being able to see them! Ouch!

This ultrasound was to test for down syndrome by measuring the length of the Nuchal Fold. I believe anything over a measurement of 3 mm puts you at an increased risk. Baby "E" measured in at around 1.5 mm, which the ultrasound tech said was perfect! He/she was profile the whole time and so we got some adorable pictures where you could see the little forehead, nose, and mouth. So cute!

Another awesome experience was to hear the heartbeat! At the first ultrasound we could see it beating, but it was still too early to hear. This time it was loud and clear and sounded like a muffled washing machine - swish, swish, swish. How many beats per minute? 156! But I think that was in part because of how much he/she was moving around.

All in all, a wonderful experience!

MORNING SICKNESS? WHAT'S THAT?

11 weeks, 5 days

I have to admit, compared to some of my pregnant friends, I "seem" to have escaped the dreaded morning sickness curse. That being said watch it strike at any given moment with a great big "Oh No You Didn't!" Seriously though, except for a few queasy moments, which happened most often in the early evening, I am able and willing to digest whatever strikes my fancy. I read somewhere that women who experience severe morning sickness are 50% more likely to be having a girl - so naturally, I'm thinking "Huh, I must be having a boy". Alas, I won't be finding out the answer to that mystery for another 8 weeks.

NURSERY THEME

11 weeks

I have a profound love of Owls. They are amazing creatures, and what cuter theme for a nursery then (baby) owls?! Hence, the lovely blog make-over!

I've been keeping my eye out for owl themed nursery decorations, and I must say Target has some adorable baby items - if only I knew if I was having a Boy or Girl! Some items I found are perfectly gender neutral, others, not so much. I'm sure my son would not be thrilled if I bought him a pink owl pillow! My daughter on the other hand might be!

OUR PEANUT

10 weeks, 2 days

May I present to you: Our Peanut. What a beautiful sight. The perfect specimen of a growing embryo. I love him/her and the fact that he/she doesn't have a sibling tagging along in there. One at a time, please and thank you! So baby-like, so peanut-like. But that's my little peanut and I am smitten! It was almost surreal before the first ultrasound. I'm pregnant? Really? Oh yeah, really! The best part? The heart-beat. Too early to hear it, but not to see it. So cool. So miraculous. So breath-taking. Truly, undeniably, love at first sight. April 13, 2010 is now one of the most favorite, memorable days of my life. Hello, sweet baby-to-be, mommy can't wait to see you again. Until then take care and keep up the good work!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

10 weeks, 2 days

I suppose I am a little late in starting my blog, but as they say, better late than never. I am probably one of the world's best procrastinator's and stall tatics are my thing. I would have liked to begun the chronicle of my journey into Motherhood a little sooner, but ____________ (fill in the blank with your favorite excuse).

That being said, I am excited to finally be making the commitment to keeping you updated on my trials and tribulations of pregnancy and beyond.

Enjoy.