The latest 411

My OB appointment yesterday morning went well. Looks like Mini-Muffin continues to prep for his big debut! I am still just shy of 2cm dilated but am now 50% effaced. My MD also said that he has finally dropped, but still could drop a little more. Overall, though, the numbers could mean that we could go into labor anytime...tomorrow or even a week from now. Currently, I am scheduled for another appointment next Friday morning for a Non-Stress Test (which is standard procedure for anyone past their due date), but we will have to wait and see if we make it that long. Please continue to lift our little family up in prayers, namely for peace in this uncertain time. Mark is actually working his 12-hour shifts (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) all weekend, so I'm a little nervous to be home by myself for the majority of the weekend. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens! 'Til next time...

Still baking...

Well, we've made it to our 39th week of pregnancy and our Mini-Muffin (or should I say our Jumbo-Muffin)is still baking. As of last Friday's appointment I was just shy of 2cm dilated, with no effacement and he still had yet to drop. Our next OB appointment is tomorrow morning, so we will have to wait and see if anything has progressed. Stay tuned for updates!

Here "we" are at 39 Weeks 2 Days...

Upgrade

So, as Mini-Muffin's arrival gets nearer, Mark and I have finally bit-the-bullet and bought a "new" car. Sadly, my 1996 Saturn was just not going to cut-it for our expanding family...especially with a 90ish lb. dog that "needs" her space when traveling. (We tried to put a bunch of stuff in one of the back seats of Mark's Maxima during a recent trip home to VA, in an attempt to get Candy used to the space that would be taken-up by a carseat, but all she proceeded to do was sprawl-out all over everything in the back seat...not a very successful endeavor to say the least.) So, we said good-bye to my little Green car of 8 years and hello to The Banana Version 2.0 aka a 2006 Nissan X-terra. Needless to say, Mark is rather excited to have another yellow vehicle to drive, that is also a manual transmission (6-speed). I am now the primary driver of the Maxima, which in itself is quite an upgrade, and has a lot more room for our little man, than my old car would have provided. Overall, we feel very blessed with the outcome of the entire situation and look forward to driving our "new" Banana for many years to come!


My little green car was definitely no wimp! It hauled our Christmas tree home this past Christmas!







The Original Banana--Mark's 1981 Toyota Starlit--he drove it up until about 3 years ago!







The New Banana!

Getting Closer...

Yesterday, Mark and I had another doctor's appointment to check-up on Mini-Muffin...who is almost 38 weeks! Everything looks to be right on track and he's still VERY comfortable in his uterine home (which is getting more and more crowded each day), as he has yet to drop or make any progress towards labor. This news was perfectly fine with us, as there are still quite a few things to be done around here. The nursery is also coming together. Mark assembled our crib, glider-rocker/ottoman, and changer/dresser this week. Now it's up to me to organize all of the fun new things we've received from all of our extremely generous friends and family. I will be sure to post pics of the nursery once it's finished. Mark and I are trying to make the most of our last days/weeks as a family of 2. We are so very excited to meet our son and begin this new chapter in our lives...now in less than a month's time! Craziness!

Mark decided that it would be hilarious to take a picture of me with a basketball...as these days he's always saying it looks like I've swallowed one. So here's Mini-Muffin and I in all our glory at 37 weeks 4 days pregnant.

July has come and gone...

July was a busy month for us! To begin the month, we celebrated the 4th with Mark's family here in Durham followed by our 4-Year Wedding Anniversary a few days later on July 9th. I can't believe it's already been 4 years since we united as one, but I must say we are very much looking forward to the wonderful changes our 5th year of marriage will bring! Next, we spent a week at VA Beach with ALL of my family. It was such an awesome time to enjoy each other's company, as it's becoming more challenging to get everyone together at the same time. We even had to rent a 3rd condo unit to house our rapidly growing family! Lastly, the month finished with a beautiful shower for Mini-Muffin back in VA with friends and family. Mark and I feel so blessed to have so many friends and family that are so excited along with us to celebrate the arrival of this special little guy. The nursery set-up continues to progress and the baby continues to do well. He's definitely running out of room in my belly, but Mark and I are loving all of the jabs, squirms, and wiggles he's blessing us with on a daily basis. We're so excited to meet this precious baby in about a month!




Mark & I forgot to take a picture at our anniversary dinner, so here's one we took when we got home afterwards.





Mark loved his lobster dinner at the beach...





Here are a few pics from my VA baby shower...I am 34 weeks in these pics...craziness!

Our First Father's Day!

Yesterday, Mark and I celebrated his very first (of many) Father's Days! Even though the day began with our dog, Candy, escaping in the neighborhood for over 2 hours, it all turned-out awesome in the end. (FYI: Candy, we think, decided to go for a swim with the geese/ducks in a nearby pond...as she returned to us soaking wet and exhausted at our front door) We kept things pretty low-key for our celebration, but did have the pleasure of having the newlyweds stop by to join us for dinner on their way back to VA from their honeymoon in Hilton Head. After gorging ourselves on tacos, we dove into the first part of Mark's Father's Day presents...an oreo chocolate fudge ice-cream cake that I had made earlier in the day. This was the first ice-cream cake I've ever made, and according to my critics, it turned-out pretty yummy. :-) Matt and Brittney headed back on the road soon after dinner, so Mini-Muffin presented his Daddy with his card and remaining gifts...an Iphone onesie (Mark's gotta start early "Apple-fying" our son)and a new pair of Rainbow Flip-Flops, since Mark has literally worn a hole through the sole of his current pair! Overall, I think Mark's 1st Father's Day was a success. We can't wait until next year, when our little guy is more "physically" present to join in on the celebration! Gonna be awesome!


Here's a shot of the "run-away" dog...trying to look innocent...






The Father's Day Dessert...a total gut-bomb as my dad would say...





Mark was VERY excited to take his 1st bite...





Mini-muffin helped make Daddy's dessert, so we figured he should be in a picture too!




Gifts for Daddy...they are on their way...

Summer has officially begun!

Life is beginning to calm down a bit...but I'm sure this calm will not last very long. I'm officially DONE with school and Mark and I are gearing up for a summer full of weddings and various other events. Since the last post, we've already had a couple school baby showers (one thrown by my teammates and one given by my classroom parents), 2 more doctors appointments, and attended the wedding of my younger brother Matthew and his new wife Brittney. Our little guy is growing and moving a LOT and Mark and I are starting to plan-out the nursery, as the realization that I am now in my 3rd trimester has suddenly hit both of us! We are so excited to meet our little guy in September! I will be sure to keep things updated on here, now that I have a little more time. For now, enjoy some pictures from events of the past month!


Here are some pics from Matt and Brittney's wedding, 6/13/09











..and some pics from my School Baby Shower...thrown by my wonderful 5th grade teammates!