24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks

Weight gain? 21lbs last week but I haven't stepped on the scale this week

Baby is the size of - a cantaloupe

Stretch marks? I'm really liking how the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion makes my skin feel!  Still in the clear when it comes to stretch marks

Sleep? At 4:10am this morning Jaxon decided that he was going to party till the sun came up and boy did he ever!  I'm pretty certain he wanted me to know just how much he was growing and how far he could stretch out!  No sleep for me and this has been the story every night this week.

Miss anything? Sleep!  Everyone says, "sleep as much as you can before the baby arrives."  Have those people actually carried a night owl in their womb that say this?!

Cravings? My appetite was off and on this week.  A lot of times I knew I needed to eat but I just wasn't hungry.  When I do crave anything it's typically fruit of some sort .  The cravings for Dr Pepper have kicked up this week and I've tried to control those cravings but same days, it's impossible!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Still the thought of the glucose test, have I mentioned I'm really dreading that?!  I've considering myself really lucky because nothing has made me sick at all so far!

Symptoms?  Just my broken crotch….I think that's symptom enough right there!

Belly button - in or out? It's flat now

Wedding rings - on or off? Still keeping my sparklers on although I may have to part with them for a bit so they can get some TLC in the sonic cleaner.  All this lotion is starting to take their shine.

Any movement? TONS.  He's such a night owl though (guess he takes after his mama).  He doesn't liked anything to be close to me in "his" area.  He really gets to kicking if he feels anything up against me.  Sorry Jaxon, mama wasn't taking the support band off yesterday while we were at Biltmore regardless of how much you protested!  Haha!

Happy or moody? Happy for the most part.  I just cannot tell you enough how much I just LOVE unsolicited advice though, always gets my blood flowing.  I'm learning to ignore some people's comments and "advice."

What emotions have you been experiencing this week?  This week I've not been as hard on myself as I was last week.  I'm getting more and more into a panic over us having to buy last minute purchases because I've been told so many times that "no one shops from your registry."  It's really causing me to panic because if you know me, you know that I like to have a plan and I like to be prepared.  I may start buying some of the "have to have" items off of the list. 

Looking forward to -  Getting Jaxon's room going and flowing.  We started it weeks ago but it seems like things have been so busy or we've been so tired by the end of our days that we haven't kept up the momentum.  After lots of thought last night and all day today, we are making some changes to bedding we picked previously.  It's still going with a sports themed room but this mama-to-be needs to knock the dust off the sewing machine and get busy!

Interesting week 24 fact - The fetus develops waking and sleeping patterns (oh no…our babysitter will be happy and we will be zombie-like parents; I pray this pattern doesn't keep up).  Jaxon's hand and footprints are forming.  

We had lots of snow this past week so we got out and enjoyed it for a bit.  John and I set up the camera and took some of us together since we hardly have any bump pictures with the both of us.  Here's a few of our fun in the snow pictures.

23 Weeks… A House Hermit with a Broken Crotch

How far along? 23 weeks

Weight gain? 21lbs

Baby is the size of - a grapefruit

Stretch marks? None showing up but I have ordered some Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion  Maybe I'll get lucky and get a massage from the hubs once it gets here!  ;)

Sleep? I.CAN'T.GET.ENOUGH

Miss anything? Getting out!  With me working from home every week now (until the flu clears from the office) I feel like a hermit.  It's amazing how much better I feel when I get out and do something.  John and I have both notice how being closed up is taking a toll on me so we are going to start making more of an effort at getting me out of the house, even during the work week.

Cravings? Anything fruity and sweet

Anything make you queasy or sick? Just the thought of my upcoming glucose tolerance test at the end of this month.  Have I told you how much I hate needles?!  Yes, I know, please don't state that I will have to get over that before delivery day or I will quickly tell you that NO I won't but it's not like I have a choice other than to deal with it and try not to pass out!

Symptoms?  So after several questions last .  
week I'll go ahead and state what might've been the obvious to some, I feel like I've been sucker punched in the crotch.  Seriously and not over exaggerating.  It's uncomfortable to sit or stand for long periods of time and rolling over in bed at night even hurts!  Thanks to trusty ole Google (and professional advice from my OB) there is not a ninja sucker punching in the vagina it is simply stretching…"simply"…bahahaha.  This is called Broken Crotch Syndrome, aka SPD.  It is pain that occurs because our pelvis is separating to accommodate the baby and assisting with labour.  Your pelvis is made of 2 halves and as your pregnancy progresses, your body produces more relaxin which allows your ligaments and joints to shift and open and stretch.  It can cause inflammation and pain

Belly button - in or out? It's flattening more and more out by the day!

Wedding rings - on or off? On, although they are starting to get snug at times.

Any movement? This has been the first week that I've had a mini panic over not feeling Jaxon.  He's been so active the past few weeks I expect to feel him all the time now so when he decided to be a little bear and hibernate, I flipped out a little.  No worries though, he's back to beating up my innards.  

Happy or moody? I've had my moody moments this past week.  I think it's mostly due to the fact that this is the third straight week working strictly from home and I'm starting to feel like a house hermit.  For days on end, I don't even leave the house.  So ready for warmer weather so I could at least get out and enjoy some fresh air and even a walk.

What emotions have you been experiencing this week?  This week was one of those weeks were the reality of it all hit me.  Knowing that in less than 4 months, we will be parents.  I'm excited but absolutely terrified all at the same time!  The past two years have brought so much change in our lives, all happy of course!  Blame it on hormones or just fear, I beat myself up with thoughts this past week.

Looking forward to -  Warmer weather… I long for either a warm weather vacation or warmer weather here.

Interesting week 23 fact - The testicles begin to descend from the abdomen into the groin.  His eyes are formed but there is no pigmentation. This week Jaxon will begin to pack on the pounds (so will I).  By the months end, he will have doubled in weight (thank God I won't be doubling in weight)!



On the move…  my placenta that is!  We had our checkup visit with the OB on Wednesday.  I wasn't worried about it until the day of the appointment, then I started thinking of all the "what ifs'."  The thought of bed rest was weighing heavy on my mind.  While some days I wouldn't mind at all to lay in bed all day long, it's different to be told you have no choice.  Although the ultrasound tech couldn't tell us anything we both knew before the doctor came in to confirm that the placenta had moved.  We were praying for a minimum of 1/2cm but the actual movement was 4cm!  The doctor told us we are completely in the clear where that is concerned and it will no longer have to be monitored.  Thank God!

The appointment really got me to thinking about what I wanted in terms of a birth plan.  I'd never even thought about how I wanted the day to flow. My only plan was the safest way possible for Jaxon to make his appearance, that was my plan and it still is.  But, I wanted to know my options, I wanted to know why some women seems to have such a lengthy birth plan.  After all, you are just going to the hospital and pushing a baby out or delivery via c-section, right?!  Wrong!  Boy was I ever wrong.  I started looking up different birth plan templates and let me tell you, there's A LOT to think about!  A LOT!  I'll keep you updated on some of the decisions we make when it comes to some of the things that were pointed on by looking up these plans.  One decision I can tell you that is already made is yes, I want drugs!  I can also tell you that I am not hellbent on having a vaginal birth.  I don't understand why some mothers beat themselves up because "they couldn't do it" and they had to have a c-section and they label themselves as a failure.  In my opinion (keep the claws back, it's MY opinion), you are more of a failure for being so hellbent on delivering your child that you put yourself and your child at risk.  As I said before, I will keep you updated on our birth plan.  I do say "ours" because although I may be birthing the baby, John has a say in this as well!

22 Weeks

How far along? 22 weeks

Weight gain? 19lbs. I'm now pushing 160lbs on the scale, made my heart quiver to see that BUT it's for a good cause!  I won't complain about weight gain for this reason!

Baby is the size of - a spaghetti squash and weighing in at just under a pound

Maternity clothes? I'm starting to think that this is no longer a valid question….have you seen the size of my bump?!

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it comes to stretch marks…now if only the noticeable cellulite would pump the breaks.  Not very appealing at all!

Sleep? I've been waking up a lot this week with some pain.  I won't go into details but I've been told by a friend that she had the same issue and was told that it was due to stretching.  All I can say is with the pain I feel some nights, a red carpet should be rolled out!  (No pun intended….LOL)  Seriously, though it's unpleasant!  

Miss anything? Breathing effortlessly at all times.  I'm seriously missing having a clothing selection also.

Cravings? The Super Bowl was last night and I'm not sure if it was tradition of junk eating during the game or cravings but tater-tot nachos were involved in the festivities!  YUM!!!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Negative

Symptoms?  Still getting winded quite frequently.  Hopefully after Wednesday's appointment, everything will check out great and I'll feel comfortable with trying to get into a workout routine.  Nothing crazy, just something to help keep my body flexible and help with my lung/heart endurance.

Belly button - in or out? It's flattening more and more out by the day!

Wedding rings - on or off? On, although they are starting to get snug at times.

Any movement? Lots of movement, especially last night once we laid down for bed.  I guess he was still in the Super Bowl party spirit and he was kicking rather hard and often!

Happy or moody? Happy, I've been a little more relaxed this week than I have in the past few weeks.

Looking forward to -  Getting to see Jaxon again during our checkup/ultrasound on Wednesday!  We both love getting to see him moving around and seeing his progression.

Interesting week 22 fact -  Jaxon is entering his fifth month of existence.  His fingernails are almost fully grown and his organ systems are becoming more functional and specialized.  His first canines and molars are developing below his gum line.  Jaxon is looking like a miniature newborn.  Blood is traveling through the umbilical cord at 4 miles and hour!

This past week has been a good one, other than the pains of course!  Saturday the ladies in the family met up at Canvas Paint & Mingle in Asheville for a little fun in honor of Mamaw Collins and Leslie's birthday.  This was the first time any of us did anything like this and it was a lot of fun.  Our instructor, Robin, was great and helped make the class more relaxed.  I think some of the ones went in thinking they had to create an absolute masterpiece, but they were all masterpieces even if they didn't look exactly like the one that Robin created!  Lots of smiles and something out of our bubble, which if you know my side of the family, not many like to step out of that bubble very often!

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 weeks

Weight gain? Haven't stepped on a scale in two weeks

Baby is the size of - a pomegranate in size and a large banana in length

Maternity clothes? two words = LOVE THEM.  I find it to be pretty amusing to put on my pre pregnancy t-shirts now, they definitely show off the bump!

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it comes to stretch marks…now if only the noticeable cellulite would pump the breaks.  Not very appealing at all!

Sleep?  Sleep was harder this past week.  I've been waking up nightly between 4 & 5am to get up to go to the bathroom.  Rolling over is also quite the task, even more so when you are between a sleeping husband and dog!  I try not to disrupt John's sleep; but there's no hope with Okie, I'll just say he's not a fan of the restless nights and leave it at that!

Miss anything? Being able to move around a lot without getting light headed or winded!

Cravings? We were on our way to Asheville yesterday and on the way I had a huge craving for Chili's Spicy Shrimp Tacos.  Yummy!!!  And berries are high on the desired list as well.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Negative

Symptoms?  It's getting harder to breath daily.  I knew this would probably hit sooner than later with my past problems but shesh, I would love to walk upstairs without feeling like I've just finished a gym workout!

Belly button - in or out? It's flattening more and more out by the day!

Wedding rings - on or off? ON!

Any movement? Oh yes, this week Jaxon has decided he's going to start training to be a ninja fighter and he was nonstop working on his kicks!  (I'm seriously going to miss this feeling once he's here)

Happy or moody? Happy with a side of moodiness…. Hey, everyone is entitled to those moments, pregnant or not!

Looking forward to -  Our appointment next week.  We find out if my placenta has moved up to where it should be.  Praying that it has but not wasting time with worrying over it.  If it does, wonderful; if it doesn't, there's nothing that can be done to change the fact!

Interesting week 21 fact -  Jaxon now swallows several ounces of amniotic fluid each day (sounds delightful doesn't it?) -not only for hydration and nutrition, but also to practicing swallowing and digesting.  His taste buds are well developed by now and he's actually able to get a taste of the foods I've been eating.  I hope he enjoyed those spicy shrimp tacos and chocolate lava cake!  


This week has been pretty laid back, thank goodness.  The headaches have eased off drastically, although I have pains from time to time but nothing like the ones in the past.  On Saturday we took a little road trip to Knoxville.  I was admittedly a nervous wreck leaving out of here because the snow was coming down but I'm glad we went.  We saw some absolutely breathtaking walls of icicles on the way.  We ate at my favorite, Calhoun's, and then we went to the mall.  All I can say is Lord help us, our boy is going to be S-P-O-I-L-E-D!  I don't think I've ever spent as much on myself in one mall trip as I did on him.  Can't wait to dress him up in all his adorable duds!  

Just a few of the things we couldn't resist buying 

We started filling the holes and sanding and repairing the walls in Jaxon's room in preparation for new paint on Sunday.  We made a trip to Babies R Us as well to make a final decision on the crib bedding.  There's so many choices, but since we had a theme it was pretty much narrowed down to a slim few.  I'm so excited to see how his room will look once we have it complete!  

The date for the baby shower has been set for April 19th.  It's so much fun to see how excited my family and lifelong bestfriend are getting over the planning!  They have so many great ideas and it's going to be an absolute blast!  

What a snowing week we had!  It really did look like a winter wonderland around here!

Okie liked the snow until the ground was completely covered

20 Weeks

How far along? 20 weeks

Weight gain? 15 lbs as of last week, but I haven't stepped on the scales this week

Baby is the size of - a banana

Maternity clothes? two words = LOVE THEM

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it comes to stretch marks…now if only the noticeable cellulite would pump the breaks.  Not very appealing at all!

Sleep?  I've still been sleeping pretty well this week.  Even though, Okie has decided his spot in bed in under the covers is wedged between me and my pregnancy pillow!

Miss anything? Being able to move around a lot without getting light headed or winded!

Cravings? No new cravings this week

Anything make you queasy or sick? Negative

Symptoms?  Headaches, I'm accepting the fact that this will be a nonstop part of pregnancy.

Belly button - in or out? In and wonky

Wedding rings - on or off? ON!

Any movement? Yes!! I feel him quite often and for the first time, John got to feel him kick this week! So exciting and fun to be able to feel out little mister!

Happy or moody? Happy with a side of moodiness…. Hey everyone is entitled to those moments, pregnant or not!

Looking forward to -  Getting started on the nursery, we are going with an all sports theme!  Also, I'm looking forward to the next doctor's appointment so I can stop worrying.  At the last ultrasound, I was told that my placenta hadn't moved up like it was supposed to.  Although, I was told that it is somewhat common, it's still a worry in the back of my mind.

Interesting week 20 fact -  Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now.  Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already.  Taste buds have also formed.

We've been working on the baby registry a lot the past few days.  I've really enjoyed picking out things that we'd love to have for Jaxon!  As first time parents it's hard not to get all wrapped up in the "newborn" aspect of it all but I've tried to be smart about our registry and pick some things through the stages beyond newborn.  We are registered at Amazon (click to see our registry) and also Babies-R-Us (click to see registry) if anyone would like to check it out!  If you have any suggestions for things we should add, please let us know!  We are hoping that people actually buy from our registry as we've put a lot of time into creating it!

It's been another week of unpacking and organizing at the house.  We finally have more empty boxes in the garage than we have full boxes.  Getting things settled in and organized feels so good!  I still find it hard to believe that we have a house and a yard and real back porch!  For those that know what we just moved from, you understand why we are so thrilled about a porch and yard!  Heck, we are excited about the fact we have a driveway as well!  The past two weekends we've had an electrician out and we've made some big changes to the house.  We now have lighting in all the bedrooms as well as lighting on both sides of the garage, working motion lights and an above range microwave.  We updated the outdoor fixtures and we updated the two ceiling fans that were in the house when we bought it.  We have some other big changes we plan on soon, such as getting rid of the carpet on the stairs and in the hallway, but we are happy that the major electrical work is behind us now!  Also this week we were able to get satellite and internet setup!

19 Weeks

IT'S A BOY!!!!

We had an appointment on Wednesday, January 8th and found out that we are having a little mister!  We are absolutely thrilled.  John must've prayed harder than anyone else in the family (most were praying for pink), he was over the moon to know that he has a son on the way.  As for me, I wasn't leaning towards either gender as long as our baby was growing and healthy.  Everything looked great on the ultrasound for the baby and the heartbeat was steady at 153bpm.  The only time I ever dreamed about our baby, it was a boy so I should've took that as a sign! 

Weeks ago, we had names already picked out for a boy or a girl.  We chose Jaxon because John has always wanted a son named Jaxon, but he never thought of the spelling other than Jackson.  I'm not a huge fan of "Jack" so we compromised and he will be called Jaxon, "Jax" for short.  Many outside of the family has asked if Miles is a family name and the answer to that is no.  We chose Miles because the word itself has so much meaning for John and I.  We had always known of each other growing up, he moved to NC and right down the road from me when he was in the eighth grade.  If there were anymore opposite of people, it was the two of us! A few years after high school, he found me online and we would occasionally catch up with each other's lives.  He made several attempts to take me out, but I declined them all.  I had a change of heart though, to make a very long story somewhat short, he was on the other side of the earth literally when I had my change of heart.  There were several miles that separated us for years while he was in Afghanistan, but it drew us to one another.  We learned who each other was in ways that most spouses never get to.  We are thankful in that sense for the miles.  They drew us so close to each other and we proved that distance means nothing when someone means so much.  One day, we hope that our Jaxon Miles will keep in mind just what the Miles means and know that there was a lot of love behind the meaning of his name, it wasn't just a name we saw and liked.

How far along? 19 weeks

Weight gain? 15 lbs

Baby is the size of - a mango

Maternity clothes? I'm beginning to wonder why so many women are opposed to maternity clothes, they are so comfy. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy wearing them!

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it come to stretch marks!

Sleep?  This week I was able to get a lot more sleep.  My stress level is starting to decrease now that we've closed on the house and have most everything organized.  I'm definitely not keeping myself up at night anymore making "Things to Do" lists in my mind like I was before.

Miss anything? Only the previous mentioned misses

Cravings? No new cravings this week

Anything make you queasy or sick? Negative

Symptoms?  My belly has surpassed my chest now...hehe.  During our last visit at the doctor I mentioned the headaches once again.  This time, she said it sounded like migraines that I've been having.  I left the office with a prescription for phenergran and a referral to a headache specialist.  From what I've read, Tylenol and phenergran are the only things I can take so I'm not so sure how I feel about paying extra money to tell me that yes, the headaches I'm having are really bad.

Belly button - in or out? In and wonky

Wedding rings - on or off? ON!

Any movement? Yes!!!  Finally I can feel Jaxon kicking!  Some days he's VERY active!

Happy or moody? Happy :)   How could I not be though?!  I have a healthy growing baby boy in me, I have a wonderful and supportive husband and we have a new house that we are looking forward to starting our family in.

Looking forward to -  Decorating the nursery!!! 

Interesting week 19 fact -  Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells, now coats the baby's skin, shielding him from the amniotic fluid.  Nerve cells for his sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in the brain.

18 Weeks

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

How far along? 18 weeks

Weight gain? 14 lbs

Baby is the size of - a sweet potato

Maternity clothes? I'm beginning to wonder why so many women are opposed to maternity clothes, they are so comfy.  I'm going to throughly enjoy wearing them!

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it come to stretch marks!

Sleep?  Sleep?  What is that?

Miss anything? Only the previous mentioned misses

Cravings? Last night, I think I could've cleared out all the food in our kitchen!  I wanted everything I looked at!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Negative

Symptoms?  With moving and being on my feet and up and down stairs over the past two weekends with the move I've noticed some swelling in my legs and feet. And headaches, lets not forget those headaches.

Belly button - in or out? In and wonky

Wedding rings - on or off? ON!

Any movement? I've felt a lot more movement this past week!  The baby definitely kicked in the New Year!  :-)

Happy or moody? Happy :) and absolutely exhausted

Looking forward to - Wednesday, Wednesday, WEDNESDAY…  We are so excited to be able to answer the question of "what are you having" with something other than the response of "a baby"

Interesting week 18 fact  - A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around the baby's nerves, a process that will continue for a year after birth.  If you're having a girl, the uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place.  If you are having a boy, the genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during the ultrasound.

The past two weeks have been so eventful it's nice to finally take a breath and realize that it is finally beginning to slow down a bit.  We closed on the townhouse Thursday and signed for our new house on Friday.  It was a nice few hours to be mortgage free…haha!  We are slowly but surely getting our things settled in.  We have already started a list of changes that will be making to make  it more "our home."  Our first night there was so different than what we were used to.  We turned out the light laid down and SILENCE.  It was so quite we could hear each other breathing.  I know most wouldn't think nothing of that but when you come a place that there is no silence, whether it be the neighbors or the traffic on the road, it was very different for us!  So different that last night we ended up hooking up the tv and digging out a movie to turn on in the bedroom.  

Okie, our fur baby, is adjusting to the house fairly well.  He's still not so sure about venturing far away from us in the house, but I'm sure that will be changing soon.  I'm still not so sure about leaving him alone in the house just yet but come Wednesday we will have no choice, we find out the sex of the baby and obviously, he can't go with us to that appointment! Hopefully he'll settle in at the window and just watch the donkey and cows while we are gone (hey, one can hope)! 

 Tabitha enjoyed meeting our ass of a neighbor…hehe.  He's a very friendly donkey and loves to be petted.  He's so friendly that when you walk away he motions with his head for you to come back.  I have a feeling everyone that visits is going to fall in love with our new neighbor.  We will have to start keeping some apples and carrots handy to feed him!