27 Weeks….Hello Third Trimester

How far along? 27 weeks

Weight gain? Haven't stepped on the scales this week.

Baby is the size of - a cauliflower  

Stretch marks? No stretch marks but the cellulite on my thighs and rear is seriously getting beyond ridiculous

Sleep? Sleep was pretty good at the start of week 27 but the past two nights I've been stiffening up pretty bad and it's painful to move which in turn, wakes me at the slightest movement during the night.

Miss anything? A selection of bras.  Yes, you read that right, I miss having a bra selection!  I've outgrew all my pre pregnancy bras and it's now slim pickings in the undergarment selection.  Nothing makes you feel more attractive than a nude bra worn almost daily *sigh*

Cravings? I haven't really craved anything this week.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope!

Symptoms?  The beyond painful broken crotch.  Ouch!  And major heartburn this week.

Belly button - in or out? It's been more flat this week than in

Wedding rings - on or off? They are still on!

Any movement? He's still kicking hard and strong!  Lots of kicks and it cracks me up that he's got such a personality already.  The slightest touch in "his" area and he starts kicking you away!  He's woke me up a few times when I've been sleeping on my side with my arm laid against my belly because he's been trying to get me to move it!

Happy or moody? I've had yet another happy week!  I found out I passed my glucose test and John got an offer for a great job opportunity this past week so it's definitely been happy!

What emotions have you been experiencing this week?  The whole reality of it all is setting in as we entered the third and final trimester, next phase is us being parents to a newborn… ekkkkk!  I'm excited and terrified all at the same time.  We are looking forward to it though and cannot wait to meet our little mister! This past week John read him his first book before we went to bed.  Yes, my heart melted like butter!  He's going to be the best daddy ever!

Looking forward to -  Our 3D/4D ultrasound that is scheduled for this coming Friday!  We are so excited to get a detailed peek at our little man!  Also, the room is coming along wonderfully!  I'm so in love with it and there's still a lot of work to be done!  The colors are on the wall, next up is carpet!

Week 27 Fun Fact - Sweet dreams little Jaxon!  Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by week 27.  What do they dream about?  No one knows for sure but his brain is certainly active now.  The characteristic grooves on his brain's surface is starting to appear and more brain tissue is developing.


This past week was a hard one for our family.  My cousin Michelle would have turned 32 on Saturday, March 8th.  Her life was tragically taken from us on September 13, 2012.  It's a night that I will never be able to erase from my mind.  On Saturday, our family and friends met at the location of the wreck to celebrate her birthday.  There was a dove release as well as a balloon release followed up with birthday cake.  Below I've added some imaged from Saturday as well as a link to a video I created from a lantern ceremony we previously had marking 1 year since her death.
Lantern Ceremony Video
Here are a few photos from Saturday…..

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks

Weight gain? My belly is still measuring in at 41" and the scales at my appointment showed a weight gain of 27lbs

Baby is the size of - a head of lettuce

Stretch marks? No signs of any as of yet *insert sigh of relief*

Sleep? Sleep was just okay this week and getting up was beyond rough.  I worked in the office this week so stiffness and soreness from sitting upright in a desk chair for 9 hours really took a toll on me by the end of the week making everything uncomfortable.

Miss anything? Adderall, yes I said it, I miss my Adderall.  I've been beyond distracted this week and I'm sure that's it's only going to continue to go downhill as it gets closer to due date!

Cravings? Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.  The fact that Easter candy is now out in full force on the shelves in the stores might have a lot to do with this though.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope!

Symptoms?  Just the painful broken crotch.  Ouch!

Belly button - in or out? My belly button is still confused this week.  Sometimes it's in sometimes it's flat.

Wedding rings - on or off? They are still on!

Any movement? After this past week I'm certain that I'm having an acrobatic circus monkey instead of a human baby!  Nonstop, day & night!

Happy or moody? I've had yet another happy week!

What emotions have you been experiencing this week?  I psyched myself out all week over that dang ole glucose test that I had to take on Friday.  I was a wreck I had myself so worked up over it.

Looking forward to -  Finishing up the paint and laying the carpet in Jaxon's room!  It's looking so good and it only has one coat of the first color on the walls and we are already thrilled about it!

Week 26 Fun Fact - Jaxon's hearing system is now developed and completely formed.  Guess we can start reading him books now and letting him listen to some music! His eyes are almost fully formed.  Did you know that all babies have blue eyes in the womb, no matter what their genetic inheritance?  A baby's eyes don't get their final color until a few months after they are born.  Personally, I wouldn't mind if Jaxon kept his blue eyes, his daddy sure does have some pretty blue eyes!  The air sacs of the lungs will also be developed by the end of this week!

*I do not own this photo*
Credit http://azizanurmatova.blogspot.com/2012/01/bodies-exhibition.html

Just reading all of the fun facts for this week gets me excited!  Our little boy is making leaps and bounds in terms of development!  It's absolutely amazing how quickly babies develop in the womb.  It makes me think back to our first trip to Vegas.  We went to The Bodies Exhibition they have a special "in the womb" section that you can go through if you chose to.  I won't lie, it wasn't a "well duh" decision for me.  I was unsure how I felt about seeing these unborn babies but we decided to go in knowing that we could bolt the second either of us became uncomfortable.  Knowing that none of the babies were taken via abortion took the unsettling and heavy feeling away.  All the fetal specimens in the exhibit perished in utero due to complications in the pregnancy.  We were absolutely fascinated seeing the changes from week to week that a baby goes through while developing in the womb.   Some weeks I get a little down on myself because I feel "lazy" and I don't have the energy to do much but if you look at what my body is really going through and doing, I'm simply amazed!  Hey, this weeks my body has finished developing a complex hearing system and well as developed air sacs in my baby's lungs!  What has your body done this week?


Even though John was gone Monday through Thursday night, it's been a busy week in our household.  I worked in the office this week.  It was the first time in weeks that I had been into the office to work.  It was shocking to several just how much my bump had grown!  I was supposed to work 4 days in the office but ended up having to work the final day from home.  Three days sitting in a desk chair and not being able to stretch out was too much for my broken crotch for 9 hours so luckily they were understanding enough to let me finish my week via teleworking.  Friday was the dreaded day, the glucose test…needles…ICK!  I hate, hate, hate needles and I was beyond dreading this appointment.  Everyone always talks about how bad the drink it but I was sweating bullets over the blood work!  I really don't see why everyone has such a hangup over the drink anyways, it wasn't bad.  To me it tasted like the orange flavored Dasani water drops.  Call me crazy but I didn't even think it was sweet.  But this comes from the girl that craves sugar and Dr. Pepper…..

Jaxon's walls have some color after this weekend, we have our two coats of grey on the walls and they look fantastic!  It's such a sporty grey, if there really such a thing as sporty grey?  If not, I'm declaring that yes, there is and it's painted on Jaxon's walls! So excited to get the red wall complete and to get the carpet laid, it's going to look awesome I have no doubt! 









We also worked on the china cabinet this weekend as well.  This is a family heirloom that needs some TLC and restoration but we decided to hold on off on the restoration part until after Jaxon is a couple years old.  As I've said before, I'm a realist, we know that having a baby/toddler that will be in a walker and hammering on things in no time that the cabinet is just going to get banged up and require restoration once again.  So with that in mind, we are just going to get it cleaned up and looking as sharp as possible for now and we will have it completely restored in a couple years.

25 Weeks…. My Belly is how BIG?!?!

How far along? 25 weeks

Weight gain? ??? Good question, I don't know!  It's been two weeks since I've looked at a scale! (Note to self: buy scales for home) But I do have a tape measure and I can tell you that my belly is 41"

Baby is the size of - a cauliflower

Stretch marks? No signs of any as of yet *insert sigh of relief*

Sleep? This week has been better as far as sleep.  This might be due to the fact that the past few nights we've went to bed after I'm beyond the point of exhaustion so I've slept through the night.

Miss anything? Nothing new on the miss list this week

Cravings? Frozen chocolate covered bananas and spicy shrimp tacos

Anything make you queasy or sick? The glucose test is on Friday.  I'm ready to get this behind me, I had needles and blood work.  Crazy that the only thing that makes this pregnant gal sick or queasy is the thought of having blood drawn!

Symptoms?  This week I had my first nose bleed.  I've been told these are pretty common with pregnancy so I wasn't worried; even more so since my sinuses have been on drip since the day I got pregnant I'm pretty certain.  Also "the line" started making it's subtle appearance on my belly.

Belly button - in or out? This week my belly button can't figure out if it wants to be an "innie" or flat.  In the mornings when I wake up it's a big on the innie side but by the end of the day, it's flat again.

Wedding rings - on or off? They are on.  They leave an imprint on my finger if I take them off but they aren't uncomfortable or hard to take off.  Hope it stays this way.

Any movement? He's still in full ninja mode and kicking lots.

Happy or moody? It's been a happy week this week!

What emotions have you been experiencing this week?  This week I've had the whole "time is flying" feeling and the need to get everything rolling is kicking in!

Looking forward to -  We've started the painting in Jaxon's room finally so I'm really looking forward to getting that complete and getting the carpet installed so we can get the crib put together and the furniture in place.

Week 25 Fun Fact - Jaxon can now touch and hold his feet as well as make a fist!  Also, I just read that John may be able to hear his heartbeat by pressing his ear against my belly!  HOW COOL!  We will have to try this!  This is definitely something that he can experience that I can't during this pregnancy!

He HATES the vacuum cleaner!  He attacks it every time!

Okie making sure that John had the windows taped good before primer!

The weather has been so nice this week, I feel as though it was just a complete tease of spring though.  But, I'll take whatever nice weather we can get at this point.  It's been great to get outside and to open the windows and feel the fresh air flowing in!  It's been much needed in so many ways!

I officially got us signed up for a birthing class.  Hopefully we'll learn a few things aside from the obvious that will benefit us.  It includes the hospital tour, which I definitely wanted to do.  Obviously, after working there for 4 years, I know what all the units look like but it can be alarming to walk into a NICU for the first time.  I'm not the type of girl that ever lives in the "sunshine and rainbows" state of mind, I'm more of a realist and know that things can happen and in case they do, I didn't want John's first step inside a NICU to be with our child.

Next on the list to get signed up for is an infant CPR course as well scheduling a 3D ultrasound

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