Busy Weekend

Last weekend was a busy weekend for this pregnant girl. Friday night was rehearsal dinner for the wedding I was in on Saturday. The wedding on Saturday was closely followed by my final baby shower. Needless to say, by the time I got home around 10p on Saturday night, I was exhausted...but feeling SO blessed.

IN a wedding you ask? Yes, IN a wedding. One of my closest friends, Lora, got married on Saturday. I was one of six bridesmaids.

As you can see, it was a beautiful wedding! Can you spot the pregnant bridesmaid (third from the left)? Lawson fit nicely in my dress and my bouquet helped hide him just a little in some pictures.

I actually love this dress. And, if there is such a thing as flattering for someone who's 36 weeks pregnant, this was it. I loved being a part of such a special day in Lora's life! I will say I think I made several people nervous thinking I might go into labor. Or, that my water would break. The pastor told me several times that he has a strict no water breaking in the sanctuary policy. Lucky for everyone Lawson was a good boy and stayed put. :-)

After the wedding, I changed and headed to my final baby shower. My sweet friends Katie, Katy, Jill and Laura threw a fantastic shower! I got to see some old friends too!

Here I am with the lovely hostesses. What a special group of friends! I'm so blessed to have them in my life.

By the way, I stole these pictures from Katie's blog (because I can't seem to remember my camera). These cupcakes are just too stinking cute. Everything at the shower had a little tag: "C is for Chicken and Rice Soup" or "F is for Fruit". Too cute. They put so much work into all of it.

This wreath was on the front door. I LOVE it. It will likely make an encore appearance on the door at the hospital when Lawson is born.

Thank you to all four of the fabulous hostesses! I cherish my friendship with each of you!

Mandy

36 Weeks and an Awesome Shirt

Last Saturday I reached 36 weeks. I went to the doctor Monday to begin my weekly check up appointments. I gained another three pounds for a total so far of 35. Everyone assures me that this is okay and that I look great for which I should probably pay all of them :-). In all honesty, the doctor doesn't seem concerned at all about my weight. My blood pressure is still great and the swelling has really just started in the last two weeks. And, compared to some others I've seen, it's not as bad as it could be. At least not yet.

Lawson's heartbeat is strong and the doctor says he sounds nice and comfortable in there. He can stay comfortable for a few more weeks, but then he must speedily come out! She assures me we will not be having a Christmas baby as I was not dilated at all. We'll see where we stand next week I suppose.

A sweet lady at work brought me a super funny Christmas shirt this week, so I had to use it in my 36 week pictures. Sherry took a few extra pictures so you can fully appreciate the shirt :-).

 I think I could fill out a Santa suit quite nicely.

I love the belt!

  



And, my favorite part...it says, "Does this suit make me look fat?" Hahahaha! I laughed about this pretty much all day yesterday. The lady who bought it for me actually told me about it last week but said she didn't buy it because she didn't want to offend me. After I told her how funny I thought it was, it showed up at my desk. LOVE IT!!!

Merry Christmas!

Mandy

A little behind...35 Weeks

Ok folks. I know I'm a little behind on posts, but it's been a busy couple of weeks. These are the pictures from 35 weeks (last week).

As you can see, Lawson is growing...and so am I! I've reached a point in this pregnancy where I'm just plain tired. I've had a busy last month, so I'm sure that's part of it. And, there's also the fact that I'm going to give birth sometime in the next month. :-)

The day after the above pictures were taken was Fall Commencement at UA Fort Smith. Most of you know that commencement is huge for me...for the Records Office where I work. We have it once in fall and once in spring. Many people had there doubts about me actually working the fall ceremony this year, but I was bound and determined to push through.

As you can see, this time around I actually used up all of that extra room in my gown. To be honest, I think I was making people nervous all night long. One faculty member actually approached me a couple of days before the ceremony and instructed me that I should not wear heels for this year's ceremony (yes, I usually wear heels while I work...all the time). You'll notice I'm sporting my black glitter TOMS this time.

I made it through the program, but by the time I made my way home and to my couch, I was EXHAUSTED!!! My ankles and feet were swollen worse than ever. It was at this point I decided to stop trying to be hard core and accept that I'm nine months pregnant. I took the next day off and laid on the couch ALL DAY.

So, I'm making progress toward the due date, but I'm doing it moving at a much slower pace that normal. I guess that's part of the deal. I'll post more later about my crazy week last week and some fun pictures too.

Mandy

34 Weeks

This week we've reached the 34 week mark. I had a doctor's appointment on Monday, and everything seems to be going well. I've gained four more pounds, which I plan to blame on the fact that Thanksgiving happened since my last weigh in. :-) My doctor doesn't seem concerned about the weight gain at this point, so that's good.

Everyone wants to know how I'm feeling/doing, and the answer is pretty good. I feel like I've been blessed to feel pretty good overall through most of this pregnancy. Right now my biggest "issues" are carpal tunnel (yes, you can get this because of pregnancy), heartburn and the fact that Lawson thinks me standing up is his cue to pounce on my bladder. :-) The carpal tunnel leaves me with numbness in my thumb and two fingers on my right hand most of the day. And, of course, it's much worse when I wake up in the morning. The doctor assures me this should go away with the pregnancy. Heartburn = TUMS as a snack with every meal. And, well, I just make lots of trips to the bathroom. Breathing is also a bit of a chore, but again, I feel pretty good. My feet aren't the size of elephant legs yet, I have had some super busy weeks/weekends lately and still have plenty of energy for the most part.

As you can see, that belly just keeps getting bigger. At this point in the pregnancy, Lawson is putting on more weight than ever. Basically he's fattening up. I have another doctor's appointment in two weeks, and then we start going every week. CRAZY that were getting so close!!!

Mandy

33 Weeks

This week I'm at 33 weeks. We are getting so close!!! I actually went to my most recent doctor's appointment last week, but this is as good a place as any to give an update.

As you can see, I'm still growing. :-) At our appointment, we had what should be our final ultrasound at the doctor's office. Lawson looks well and healthy. He weighed 4.9 pounds. They can't really tell how long he is (because he won't fit in one screen shot), but at this point, on average, we're talking around 19 inches long (give or take). It's crazy to think he's getting so big...and that I'm still carrying him around :-). As of this appointment, I have gained 27 pounds. Yep, 27! My doctor seems to be happy with that, so I'm not going to worry about it I suppose. My feet and hands are starting to show signs of swelling of course. I'm feeling pretty good. Just tired...except when I get random bursts of energy and want to do things like clean carpets at midnight or do baby laundry ALL day. :-) Breathing has become a bit of a chore. I have to talk more slowly and less than usual, which as you can imagine is difficulty, but this too shall pass. :-)

I have one baby shower left in two weeks, which also happens to be the day one of my best friends is getting married. So, for the first  half of the day, I'll be a bridesmaid...you heard me...a bridesmaid. Then I'll be the guest of honor at a fabulous baby shower being planned by some of my very, very favorite people. I can't wait!!!

I'll try to do better with posting in a more timely manner. Just know that our days now are spent really preparing for Lawson to arrive. There's progress on the nursery (pics to come). Clothes are being washed, and so much other stuff too. We are so looking forward to meeting our boy!!!

Mandy

32 Weeks & Work Shower

Okay. I will admit up front that I'm a little behind on the posts. Sorry. Seems like there just are not enough hours in the day...

Almost two weeks ago, the folks in my office hosted a baby shower for me at work. It was FANTASTIC! If you know me at all, you know that UA Fort Smith has been my second home since I graduated from high school. I've grown up there (in a lot of ways). I joke sometimes that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had to work somewhere else. I'm blessed to have a job I enjoy and to get to work with some of the best people in the world.

I am certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that as soon as any of them see this, I'll be in trouble, but I couldn't help it. This is the team I work with...who hosted the shower. They are the best!!!

This is the table and set up for the event. I just LOVE it all! They did such a wonderful job. 

This was one of my favorite things. First, this punch is SUPER yummy!!! And, how stinking cute are those little duckies?!?! I just thought it was adorable.

I forgot to take a 32 week picture, so these will have to do. I think you'll notice that I'm just growing and growing. The shot on the left probably shows just how much bigger I've gotten, but I like the one on the right. I don't love the look on my face, but I love the title on my notebook being there. It IS a wonderful life!

Mandy



Just to Clarify...

I mentioned in a previous post that my sweet pal Carla put on a wonderful baby shower. I also clarified that she is not my oldest pal but the pal I've had the longest. Truth is: I'm older than she is. A more eloquent way to describe her is that she is my friend with whom I share a rich history of memories.

Carla and I have been friends since the first grade. Yes, the first grade. Her family is my family. My family is hers. There's a good chance she knows me better than anyone. And, there's a pretty good chance I know her better than anyone. I don't know if you've had the privilege of having a friend for almost 30 years, but there is truly nothing like it.

I could go on and on about our friendship and all I owe her for. There's a good chance many of you already know this, but she is truly one of the most talented, generous, loyal, kind, and humble people you'll ever meet. She would be upset with me if I elaborate much more, but suffice it to say, I am blessed to have her in my life.

For most of our friendship, people have assumed we're sisters. And, I guess I see it a little. We do think on the same wave length most of the time too. The picture on the left is posed and we look all presentable, but the picture on the left is more us. I have no idea what we were talking about, but clearly we were having a moment of some kind.

What a blessed girl I am!!
Mandy

Surprise Guest

The day of my first baby shower, my dear friend Heidi showed up on my doorstep. For those of you who don't know, Heidi and I met in college. We hit if off as though we had been friends our whole lives. She was actually only living here in Fort Smith for about a year and a half, but we developed a wonderful friendship in that short time. She now lives back home in Colorado (one of my FAVORITE places) with her sweet husband and two beautiful children.

The last time we saw one another was two years ago for our birthdays (both in November...just a couple of days apart). We were due a visit, but let's face it, sometimes life just doesn't allow such luxuries. HOWEVER, Heidi's sweet husband thought it a good idea to buy her tickets to come in for my baby shower. I will be forever grateful to him for this gift!!!

It was a quick trip and a short visit, but it was worth more than I can express. We spent two lovely hours together before the shower. Just visiting and catching up. She came to the shower, went to a family dinner and then flew back home the next day. I cannot express in words how special it was to have her there. Just hearing her voice amongst the visiting guests was music to my ears. She stepped in a event photographer too.

I'm not sure how, but this is the only picture I ended up with of us together that day. What a priceless memory. Thank you Heidi. Thank you Jeremy. Thank you LORD for the sweet, sweet blessing of this friendship!!

Mandy

31 Weeks and Baby Shower #1

Sorry for the delay on this post. For some reason there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day here lately. A little over a week ago I hit the 31 week mark. AND, I had my first baby shower. I thought I'd combine these two events in one post to save a little time. :-)

Here is my 31 week picture (taken at the shower). I feel like I look huge, but maybe that's because I'm 31 weeks pregnant....

As you can see there was quite a spread at the shower. This is thanks to my friend with whom I share a rich history of memories Carla (referred to in previous posts as my oldest pal, which apparently implies she old...which she's not), my mom, Carla's mom (like a second mom to me), and my sisters. Here's a shot of the whole gang.

In case you didn't know (or couldn't tell), from left to right this is my sister Tina, Nancy (Carla's mom), Carla, umm...me, Cindy (my mom), my sister Stephanie, and that's my sweet niece Addison hiding behind the food.

There is so much to say about the shower. It was AMAZING!!! It was held at an historic house in Greenwood, which I LOVE! The food was chosen according to what my friends and family know I love. They even had pumpkin spice candles burning throughout the house...If you know me, you know this is significant. Here are some pics of various things at the shower:

Left is the picture table with pictures of Jason and I as babies/kids and then some of our maternity pictures. On the right is the words of wisdom table. Everyone left notes for me about being a mom.

On the left is the diaper four-wheeler Carla made. Jason loves riding four-wheelers, so this was actually for him. LOVE IT!!! On the right is the diaper cake Carla made, which has fabric that matches the nursery.

As you can see we got TONS of great stuff! All of the blankets on the chair are home made. I have such talented friends and family!

It was a great day!!! I cried four times at the shower because I was just so overwhelmed with all of it (well, and I'm pregnant so I cry easily anyway :-)).

There was one more BIG surprise on this day, but it deserves a post all it's own. More on that later.

Mandy





30 Weeks

30 weeks people. 30!!! That means only 10 weeks left until my due date. CRAZY!!! I can't believe we're already at 30 weeks. I literally have something going on every Saturday between now and the due date, so I have a feeling the next 10 weeks will go rather quickly. I still have SO much to do!!

I had a doctor's appointment last week, and I can't remember if I've given you that update yet. So: I've gained 23 pounds. Dr. Rainwater tells me that I'm measuring exactly where I should be at this point in my pregnancy (not too big, not too small, just right). Everything is going well and is just as it should be. I think I've hit that point in my pregnancy where I'm just going to be uncomfortable a lot. Staying comfortable in a chair or on the couch or in bed is a chore. I'm sleeping okay. Up usually at least once a night to visit the bathroom. I'm so glad it's cooling off as I LOVE fall and winter. Makes for better sleepy, snuggly weather.

So that's where we are. Lawson is growing and getting stronger everyday. I know because his movements are crazy strong. He's gotten me in the side with a jab or a kick or something a couple of times recently and taken my breath away. Little stinker!

On a slightly different note, Jason has nicknamed Lawson Law Dog. So, it appears he has his first nickname. Oh my husband. :-)

Until next time,

Mandy

29 Weeks

I'm about to post something that is a little out of character for me. If you know me very well at all, you know that I'm pretty modest...pretty private. I would never dream of posting a picture with any part of me bare (except maybe my arms or legs from the knee down). It's just who I am. HOWEVER, I do plan to have a few maternity pictures with my bare belly, so I decided to take the first step in getting comfortable with showing a little skin.

So here's the back story on this little project. A couple of months ago, Jason realized that I would have a big pregnant belly for Halloween, so, naturally, he asked if I would let him paint my belly like a pumpkin. I said sure. So, here it is. He was so serious about the painting. I just love him so much! He's so excited about his little boy. And, apparently Lawson was either excited or unhappy with the painting because he was rolling around like crazy. Jason told him to be still because he was getting his face painted. I think I'm going to have my hands full with those two.

Mandy

28 Weeks

I feel like the further I get into this pregnancy the more of a slacker I become about taking these pictures. I just forget. I get home from work or church or whatever I'm doing that day, and it just slips my mind. So even though we're more than half way through this week, here is a the 28 week picture.

Jason took one with the 28 Weeks sign, but it ended up blurry and since I had already changed into my pj pants and t-shirt, I decided one picture would do for this week. :-)

I fee like Lawson was sitting really low today. Someone at work commented the same thing. Who knows. He's definitely getting bigger though. When he moves now, it's not just in one little spot. It's kind of all over my stomach. I do have to admit that he seems to be either shy or already a little ornery because the second I see him moving and try to get someone else to look or feel, he stops. If I had to guess, I'd go with ornery, but I guess we'll see.

We're still making progress on all other things baby. I have a feeling the weeks are about to start flying by. This weekend we are having maternity pictures taken, which is very exciting. Then, the baby showers begin and along comes Thanksgiving and Christmas and plenty of other exciting events. He'll be here before we know it!!!

Mandy

Crafty

A few months ago my good (and crafty) friend Katie sent me an invite to join Pintrest. If you're familiar with Pintrest, you'll understand how thankful I am to Katie. If you're not familiar with Pintrest, you need to be, so let me know and I'll send you and invite.

Pintrest has helped me with my quest to complete the alphabet wall for Lawson's room. I've found several fun ideas for decorating letters. I'll do my best to share them all as they are finished. The first one is a burlap and button K.

I love doing crafty stuff. Normally I make hand painted signs, ornaments, etc. for other people's kids. Now, I get to make them for MY kid!! So, this will be the K in the alphabet in Lawson's room. Yay for being crafty!

I'll keep you posted on the progress for the other letters/crafty projects.

Mandy

27 Weeks

Here are the 27 week pictures. I feel like this top I have on makes my belly look even bigger than usual. Oh well.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we have concrete for the shop now! I realize this may not sound very exciting, but I assure you it is. Now, on with the building. Yay!

P.S. I think I've said before that at this point in my pregnancy, knowing how much time I (supposedly) have left hits me more than knowing how far along I am. So, today, I'm 27 weeks and four days pregnant, which also means I have 12 weeks and three days to go. 12 weeks!!!! Holy cow!

Mandy

Concrete Day!!!!!

Well, folks. It's concrete day. Yep. We are finally getting the concrete for Jason's shop. My dad and Jason have worked tirelessly to get the ground ready and after last week's rain, we were a little behind. But, today is concrete day!!!

Here are some pics of the progress.

This was demo day about a month ago. They literally pulled the old shop down with Jason's Jeep. Wish I had gotten that on video.

This is the footing (I think that's what it's called) that my dad and Jason (in top picture) prepared for the concrete. This was a MUCH more detailed process than I ever anticipated. My dad is amazing and knows all about construction stuff, so he has been (as always) an invaluable resource and help.
So, the next pictures you see will be of a concrete slab in my back yard. YAY!!! I know I need to post this week's belly pics, but to be honest. I forgot to take them on Saturday. I'll try to have Jason take them tonight and post them tomorrow.

Mandy

26 Weeks

26 weeks! So exciting. Some days it seems like the past 26 weeks have flown by, and other days, it seems like January will NEVER get here.

This week my "What to Expect.com" (WTE) app says that Lawson is about the size of a cucumber: 15 inches and 2.2 pounds. I don't know how truly accurate that is, but what I can tell you is that he is getting bigger and stronger! His movements are more frequent (or perhaps I'm just feeling them more as he grows...) and they are much stronger with each passing day. Just last night he and Jason were playing a little game: Jason (with his head laying on my stomach) would push on one side of my stomach and within about 10 seconds, Lawson would push against the other side of my stomach nudging Jason's resting head. Silly boys!! Jason also says that Lawson was wide awake again Saturday night/Sunday morning when he came to bed. Once again, I slept right through this, but I'm sure that won't last much longer. :-)

As for me, I'm still getting bigger (of course). I'm feeling more pregnant these days too: tired mostly with spurts of energy here and there, not able to wear much of anything that's not maternity, and that darn belly button is just about ready to be an outie (which, by the way, Jason thinks is hilarious). I'm slowly making progress on nursery stuff, so hopefully in the next month or so, I'll have some pics to show (hopefully).

Another interesting note, my WTE app also has a countdown feature. It now reads 13 weeks 5 days. To me, knowing how many weeks I have left (supposedly) has more impact than knowing how many weeks along I am. Just thought I would share.

Mandy

2:30 AM

At 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning, I woke up to Jason saying, "Do you feel that? He's moving around like crazy!!!" He had just come to bed and had his hand resting on my stomach. And, as he said, Lawson was going crazy! I'm actually surprised it wasn't keeping me awake.

In the past week, Jason has finally been able to feel Lawson moving. And, he even SAW Lawson moving (by way of my bouncing belly). It's just crazy to see it...to feel it. I'm so glad Jason is finally getting to experience it with me. This time (in the wee hours of Sunday morning) was the first time he felt movement almost constantly. Quick little jabs, rolls, moving from one side of my stomach to the other...you name it. And, it was like Lawson was responding to Jason talking and pushing back. A little father son bonding I guess.

Jason was amazed! He was thrilled! So excited to be feeling his son's movements. Then, I realized what time it was: 2:30 a.m. I said, "Uh, Jason, we don't actually want him to be wide awake at 2:30 a.m. do we?" We both got a laugh from this. I guess for now we'll let him be awake anytime he wants (since we don't actually have control of that anyway :-)). But, sweet Lawson, once you're out in the world, there will be no 2:30 a.m. play sessions. 2:30 a.m. is for sleeping. :-)

Mandy

25 Weeks

We've made it to 25 weeks! We are well on our way to having sweet little Lawson at home with us. I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and everything seems to be on-track. Lawson's heartbeat is strong, and I'm measuring right where I should be. I've gained a total of 17 pounds since we started this journey! Crazy!!! Here's your latest visual of that 17 pounds:

I have to admit, I catch glimpses of myself in windows or mirrors sometimes and have to do a double take to see why the heck I look so big. Then I remember I'm pregnant...duh. It's not like I actually forget. It's just weird to see my reflection. Sort of like when you get your hair colored (something very different from your natural color) and you're a little shocked to see yourself when you look in the mirror.

I would like to take this opportunity to brag on my sweet husband. He tells me on a regular basis that I look beautiful. He tells me I'm one of those pregnant women who just looks more and more beautiful with the baby belly. This weekend I was hot and tired (I had been grocery shopping and had cooked dinner...tough stuff you know...:-)). Jason walked in, smiled, leaned over and kissed me and said, "you look so pretty." I. LOVE. HIM. I'm so blessed!

Mandy

LJK

Well, here it is. The post you've all been waiting for. We have chosen a name for Baby Boy Keyes! After much debate and searching, we finally resorted to reading through the boy names in the baby name book I have at home. Jason read through them, and I wrote down the ones we liked. We added these to our existing list, and then started narrowing it down. Jason marked his favorites and then I marked mine. We eliminated any we didn't both like. Then we started playing around with middle names. This all happened Thursday night September 22. We thought it over of a day or so and are now happy to announce that Baby Boy Keyes has a name....

Lawson Jace Keyes

Lawson is one we found in the book and it just fits. For me, I put it at the top of the list as soon as Jason read it out loud. Jason came up with Jace, and I think it works great with Lawson! So, another milestone in the crazy process of bringing a child into the world. One more step toward meeting out sweet baby boy.

Lawson Jace Keyes, we cannot wait to meet you!!

Mandy

24 Weeks

This week marks the 24th week of my pregnancy. Essentially, 6 months! There are days when it seems like it has gone by so fast, but there are also days when I wonder if January will ever get here. Either way, time is passing and progress is being made. I'm getting bigger and bigger and so is Baby Boy Keyes. At this point, he weighs over a pound (maybe even two) and is about as big as an eggplant or ear of corn (depending on which site you look at). I have my next doctor's appointment in a week, so I'll give a weight gain update, etc. then. For now, here are this week's pictures.

Yay for making it through 24 weeks! Stay tuned for more exciting updates.

Mandy