30 weeks

I forgot to mention the last time I posted about your dad's baby brain. So we woke up really early to fly to Houston, thinking we were leaving out of Orlando. Well as we are sitting on the tram in the park n fly lot your dad says, "Let's check what gate we are at. Hmm.. F79? They don't have an F79. OMG we're idiots, get off the tram!!!!"

Needless to say we ended up driving all the way to Tampa and paid $150 to change our departure time. It was horrible at the time, but Lord it was SO funny!

Well I just got home from my 30 week appointment and it's confirmed you are head down with you little feet, I mean kickers, tucked under my ribs. You sure are getting big, you move ALL the time. Sometimes is sweet, sometimes its annoying, but mostly I enjoy every second.

We got a new bed, no more queen size bed for us. It's so wonderful, I even think you like it, you seem to let me sleep more through the night. You've been getting the hiccups a lot lately. At first I thought it was a muscle spasm and even made your dad feel them. But low and behold, its the hiccups. Nowadays, when you hiccup it moves my whole belly. It's sweet, but I'm sure I'll get tired of it soon.

You are now causing me to have heartburn. It's no fun and I really think we need to move past this, but I hear its probably going to last until you're born. I've been crafting here and there, it's getting harder now that you are so big. I made my own hospital gown last night -- I need to be stylish for all those pictures everyone will be taking :)

A lot of my friends are starting to have their babies because they are further along.  It makes me super jealous, but I know you still have some more baking to do. We just can't wait for you to get here. Your nursery is almost done, your dad just has a few more things to hang. As far as you're bedding goes, you should be good for a while. I just can't wait to see it all done, because that will mean we are closer to meeting you.

I just feel very blessed that you and I are both very healthy. I took my glucose test the other day and the drink, despite it being orange flavored, was delish! We passed with flying colors. As of today the Dr doesn't want me to gain anymore weight. So if you would please stop requesting things like 3 Musketeers and ice cream, that would be GREAT!

Well I think that's all the updates I have for now. We've been living a pretty boring life these days. All we do is talk about you and your future. We looked into college funds and we really hope you get your dad's brains. A scholarship would be GREAT! Otherwise we are going to groom you to be some sort of athlete that makes enough money to support us. HA! Just kidding, but who ever you want to be -- just make a lot of money doing it. Again, KIDDING!

25-28 weeks

I am so behind on this and I may never be able to recap all the things that have happened!

Last weekend your dad and I got back from our babymoon/anniversary trip to Houston. It was so wonderful to get away and we even got the perk of learning a few things about raising a 1 year old from Bryson. We got to see a lot of family, which was nice and we visited the natural science museum, the aquarium, a holocaust museum and the mall. We did a lot of walking, which is becoming very hard for me.

This past weekend was mother's day and even though I am not officially a mother yet, your dad treated me very special. He got me some flowers and a very pretty necklace from his cousin's jewelry store in St. Armands.

Your uncle Logan got to feel you kick for the first time and he couldn't believe it was really you in there. Your aunt Lauren hasn't felt you in a few weeks, but your dad gets to feel you pretty regularly.

Last night you had the hiccups and they were so strong even your dad could feel them from the outside. It was the weirdest feeling ever. You really love crushing my organs, its getting so hard for me to get comfortable during the day because you love putting your legs under my ribs, which makes it hard for me to breathe!

A few weekends ago we registered for you and it was a blast! Seeing all the little things you need made it all the more real for us. We are pretty much done with your nursery I just have a few more things to make for the walls. I also need to stop slacking and make you more sheets, but sitting behind that sewing machine is becoming a challenge.

This weekend your dad's parents are coming to visit, which I am excited about because we haven't seen them in a few weeks.

As of late, you still don't have a middle name. Here are the options, for now:

Barrett Austin, Barrett Astin, Barrett Edward, Barrett Allen, Barrett Charles

At this rate, you won't have a middle name! We just can't decide and I want to mean something, but your dad doesn't really care about that. We get lots of opinions, but I'm sure as soon as we see you we will have a name.

I have my glucose test on Thursday (ew) and after that I go to the OB every two weeks, instead of every four weeks. It's crazy to me that you will be here in 12 weeks. We still have a lot to get done before then and there is a really possibility that you could come sooner -- EEEK!

24 Weeks

Crib Skirt

Don't mind fatty eating his bone in your room

Window treatment

Sheet and crib skirt

everything, including your super soft blanket 

Our artwork!

Wow I am totally behind, we've been so busy!

Well  your crib finally came and once it was put together mom and I got very motivated and decided to get to work on your bedding. Let me tell you, it was not an easy task to get started. Once we figured everything out, we were done in no time. It looks better than I imagined and I can't wait for you to get here.

So far we have made your crib skirt, one sheet and a blanket. We also made silhouettes of animals for your walls. Its been so much fun working on these projects with mom. I'm the brains, she's the executioner. I tried to make the diaper changing pad cover the other night without her and I failed miserably!

I finally feel you consistently throughout the day and let me tell you, you love when I sit on my left side.

Your dad got rid of his Cadillac, he wasn't happy about it but he did it for you. I'm sure later in life he'll show you pictures and tell you about the time he had that awesome car. The truck we got is beautiful and you were kicking up a storm when we were signing papers, so if you're just like your daddy, you'll love the truck too.

Mom and I still have quite a few projects left to tackle for your nursery, but they are easy things like more sheets and blankets.

Our two year wedding anniversary is coming up and we have nothing planned other than the trip to Houston in May. I guess we will see how much you like flying in my belly.

I have an OB appointment today, nothing big, just to weigh me, hear your HB and measure my belly.Your dad is in Dallas, he'll be back tonight. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that he gets the official promotion in a few months.

Like I said, we have been so busy we haven't really had time to do much of anything. I hope we can finish your room by the end of the month. That would be ideal. But I can't seem to get off Pinterest, so I just keep coming up with new crafts for us :)

21 Weeks

Well your crib finally came (yay!) and we spent the night putting it together, and by we I mean your dad assembled it and your Gams and I did what we could and pulled things out of boxes.

I made my first attempt at making your crib sheets and I failed horribly. They were too small. Luckily it was scrap fabric and not good fabric or else I would be really sad about it.

This weekend is a big weekend for me, it's my 25th birthday. You're probably thinking, man that's old. Wait until you turn 25, you'll realize how young it actually is. When I was little I always had a plan. I'll be married by 24 and be pregnant or have a baby by my 25th. So far so good.  I remember talking about this with you dad last year at my birthday at Bonefish. I told him my plans to get pregnant and my goals. I think he thought I was joking, obviously I wasn't.

We are going camping this weekend and by camping I mean in an air conditioned trailer with running water and a bathroom :) You'll come to enjoy those luxuries when your dad decides to take us tent camping! At least you can pee in the woods!

Everyone is going this weekend and a little piece inside me wishes I could have a delicious fruity drink by the pool, but not drinking is for a wonderful cause and from what I've discovered, virgin drinks are just as good!

You are starting to move around a lot more, I think you enjoy putting your arms and legs in awkward positions because you do it a lot and its pretty uncomfortable! I just wish your dad could feel you, I know he wants to so bad!

Until next week...love you oodles!

19/20 weeks

Wow I've been so busy lately I didn't even realize how behind I was on this thing!

Let's see...last Friday we went to our official gender scan and got to see your little self again. I think the u/s tech was a little disappointed that we already knew what you were, but there was no way we could have waited that long! I had a frapacchino before the appointment and you were pretty hyper. I think I need to take it easy on the caffeine :)

They said everything looked perfect and that you are around 12 oz. We can tell from your profile view that you have your daddy's button nose. Which makes me pretty excited! I'm sure you will be a little Cody junior and I know he would be really happy too. You were also very happy to reconfirm with us that you are in fact a boy.

I'm still down two lbs, which is great and weird because I am hungry all the time. Now that we are over the morning sickness, we are insomniacs. I've been experiencing round ligament pains and restless legs so I'm basically a zombie when I go to work.

I think your favorite food so far is pizza, you seem to move quite a bit when I eat it, which makes me happy. You still haven't kicked hard enough for you dad to feel, but I'm sure you will soon. We got your crib mattress and changing pad the other day, but it was no simple task. I found a website with the top rated baby mattresses and I wanted to buy one off that list. Your poor dad, I dragged him to six different stores before we ended up back at the store we started at.

We are still waiting on your nursery furniture to arrive, but I have been busy making your crib mobile, which you better cherish for the rest of your life. Those animals are hand stitched sir!

It still seems like everyone I know is pregnant. A friend of mine, who would have bet money that you were a girl, just found out she is having a girl. And here I thought everyone was having boys! As of right now, you still don't have a middle name. So as you read this when you are all grown up, know that your middle name was a tough decision!

I am definitely nesting and am so ready to get your nursery together and register for things! I almost can't take it anymore and even though time seems to be flying by, nobody can really tell I'm pregnant yet, which has given me a complex. I went to the doctor the other day to have a wart removed and the lady was like you're not pregnant are you? I'm like yeah I'm 21 weeks. She was shocked.

Thanks for that lady.

That's all I have for now.

Love you!

18 weeks

Hello little mango! I don't have much to update this week, we haven't done anything too exciting. We did go to a wedding and dance pretty hard. I've decided you will learn the electric slide at a very young age so I can have a dance partner!

I've been feeling you more and more, but not kicks, just like a fish is swimming around in there. We get to see you again next week and we are going to act surprised when the DR tells us you are  boy :)

Things are getting under way for the nursery. Your father and I still have a lot of cleaning out to do in the bedroom, but we've started looking a cribs and getting more ideas for your nursery. I really hope its something I can pull off, otherwise I'll owe the Strong grandparents for their wasteful investment. I hope we get a crib this weekend so we can start making things. That's all I want to do. I don't want to work or cook, I just want to make things and get ready for your arrival.

Should be a quiet weekend, hopefully we can catch some rays :)

We know what you are! (17 weeks)

You're a BOY!

We went to Meet the Baby in Brandon on Saturday and took the entire family! We got to see you yawn, touch your knees to your elbows (you have weirdly long arms in my opinion), suck your thumb and move all around. It was the most exciting day EVER!

So when it came down to it the u/s tech said, OK time for the gender, who wants to guess? Your Aunt Lauren said it's a boy and then we all cheered and clapped and hugged. You were very happy to show us you were a boy too, I have like 10 pictures of your thing.

After the appointment we went to the Cheesecake Factory and celebrated. Then we decided to go SHOPPING! Everyone picked out the cutest stuff.

Then off to Lakeland we went to get ready for the gender reveal party. Everyone was begging for us to spill the beans already, but I had a plan! As people walked in we had them cast a vote for whether they thought you were a girl or a boy and they had to wear corresponding name tags.

At about 5:30 we went outside and had a blue silly string fight! It was messier than I expected, but so much fun. Almost half the people at the party thought you were a girl so they were shocked when we said it was a boy. Then we went inside and watched the video of the u/s, which makes me very happy.

You got a lot of presents kid! You're already spoiled. I can't imagine it when you're here how rotten you will be :)

So now that we know what you are I decided to look for nursery bedding. I found nothing from the chain retailers so I went to a crafty website and found the perfect bedding, but it was very expensive. So I'm pulling out the ol' sewing machine and I'm hand making everything. Either it will be totally adorable or I'll end up at walmart :)

I'm so thrilled you are on your way little Barrett (haven't decided on a middle name yet) Strong. I know your dad was happy, but your grandpa Jay has been calling you his grandson since we found out I was pregnant. Everyone is so happy, your Gams even stood up and threw her arms up in excitement. It was an awesome weekend.

The silly string reveal

Our first official family photo after finding out what you are

Parts of your feet

Sucking your thumb

yawning!

your boy parts :)