3D Ultrasound Adventure Day

Well, it's official. She's as stubborn as her mother! We had our 3D ultrasound yesterday, packed with about 14 people + the u/s tech. Everyone had driven at least over an hour to see her pretty little face. Judd and I had driven 3 hours! Wouldn't you know she would be balled up in a precious little wad and REFUSED to uncurl herself?! We tried everything! I drank a Sprite (gross!) and ate some chocolate, moved around, tried emptying my bladder, poking and prodding her, turning from one side to another...notta. She said she wasn't moving today!

I felt so terrible that people had driven to see her and all we were getting was her cute little butt in the air. The tech told me she had never had one "this bad" (curled up) and had only had one be this stubborn about moving before! "She gets it honest," I told her. One little tear went down my cheek...partly out of guilt to the people who had driven so far, and partly from disappointment. Everyone reassured me that they were fine and there was nothing to feel guilty about, but I just couldn't help it. All of a sudden, that little girl flung all the way around and gave us a little look at her cute face! I started crying! I really didn't think I would cry, but I definitely did! The tech had been so nice to look for so long! Our DVD was 55 minutes long and only the last 10 minutes are actually good 3D shots! Just to give you an idea of how balled up she was, her knees were practically hitting her chin...and her arms were in between. She wanted to make sure we didn't get a single shot of her face! Although, that worked out well to confirm, once again, that she is definitely a SHE. :) (Judd and I had made sure to agree on our boy name before we went in, just in case.) Caroline was desperate to get her hands back in front of her face, but we did get a few shots before she forced us to quit again!

Audra took this picture before we got started! Can you tell I was excited? Ha!

Her little feet touching each other.


This one is hard to see, but her nose is scrunched up and her mouth is open because she's yawning! I loved seeing this!



Yawning again! Look at that nose! I think she has her daddy's nose!

Sleeping...or trying to! Those chubby little cheeks and those lips! I just love her!

I just love this little girl.

The ultrasound made me want to hold her even more! It made me want her out here with me! All in all, we were glad we went! Even though we didn't get to see her for very long in 3D, we still got to see her in 2D for a LONG time! I love seeing her, regardless of the dimension! We also got to see my side of the family and Cassie and the boys yesterday - which is a treat! We don't see either of them enough! We missed you, Glenda!! Mrs. Candy was sad that she couldn't make it since Mr. Larry just got home from surgery, but we've got the DVD for her and took her pictures to look at today.

After the ultrasound we went out to eat with the family at O'Charley's. It was DELICIOUS! I was so hungry. Good company!! After we ate, everyone said their goodbyes and Judd took me to the mall. :) I was so excited. We walked around for a while just looking and decided it was time to head home. My flip flops were making indentions in my feet! So we hopped in the car and headed back. Now I see why people don't want to make car trips in their 3rd trimesters. I was so uncomfortable for those last 30 minutes. I had to pee thanks to the 1/2 liter of water I'd had, and Caroline was so lovingly kicking the mess out all my organs...(moving around a TON since we left the u/s place, of course!), and my back was on fire! I was so glad to get home. We fell asleep shortly after and I slept really hard!

We had a great day yesterday, and I got to spend it with lots of people that I don't see often enough, including Judd! Thanks to everyone for coming and seeing our sweet little girl. She'll be here before we know it! We love you all!

28 Weeks!

This last week seemed like it was NEVER going to end! I think it's because I'm looking forward to my 3D/4D ultrasound on Friday. It made every day pass by slower than the last. Finally, we're another week down! I absolutely cannot WAIT for Friday! Besides the fact that I get to have the coolest ultrasound ever, I get to see my family for the first time in several weeks! I'm so excited to see everyone.

I'm feeling rather huge these days, (and YES, I KNOW it is going to get worse...you don't have to tell me...seriously...don't say it!) but it's all for a good cause! She's the most active that she's ever been and her movements are so strong! She's rolling around in there right now, actually! Just today, I started feeling movements in different places and I can't help but wonder if maybe she's suddenly turned head down. I hope so. It'd be great news to hear! We'll see on Friday I guess.

28 Weeks

• She is mostly baking in there trying to up her weight. She still has several pounds to put on before birth and only 9-12 weeks to do it in! She weighs ALMOST 3lbs now...which is really exciting!
• Her eyes have color now, although it's possible that the color will change after birth sometime.
• She is 15 inches long from head to foot! Ah!
• Her eyes are officially opening and closing as she practices blinking! I bet she's so smart she could wink at you. :)
• She now has eyelashes! How sweet!

I'm definitely feeling H-O-T. The humidity is as bad as the actual heat! I fan myself in church while others are huddled under their jackets. Sadly, I know it's just me. I can't believe she'll be here so soon. There's so much that needs to be done before we get any closer! I think I'll make a list this week so I don't get sidetracked...like I just got sidetracked in the middle of my blog post...sorry.

Judd got a card for Father's Day and had several people at church tell him Happy Father's Day! It made him feel special.

Well, with Mr. Larry in Jackson we've been quite busy! I've been picking up and delivering lunches every day and running errands here and there for Judd. It's making getting a nap in difficult! Ha! I do think the fatigue is coming back...actually it's worse now than it was in 1st tri. It hits me hard, regardless of how much sleep I had the night before. I guess it's partly due to the fact that I wake up so often in the middle of the night - and sometimes it takes a while to fall back asleep. Let's not even mention the crazy dreams I'm having. I have nightmares at least twice a week. Sometimes, it's a nightmare that makes no sense at all - but it's just scary - almost like a Tim Burton film. Ha ha!

As an update on Mr. Larry - he's doing well. He had surgery today at 3pm and is already attempting to walk around. We're hoping he'll be home tomorrow - but he's in for a 4-6 week recovery and it's going to be hard to keep him down for so long during this time of year! Thank you for your prayers! Continue to pray for a speedy recovery! (And if you don't mind, pray for a little rain on the farm land...it's hot and dry and some rain would REAAAAAAAALLLY help!)

Well, I'm going to hit the hay. Oakley is being groomed in the morning and I've got to pick up and deliver lunches again...my beauty (ha!!) rest calls me. Here's a picture from Monday (27w5d..close enough to 28 weeks!) standing in one of our rice fields!

Prayer Request!!

My father-in-law has been struggling with some back and hip pain in the last week. It was bad enough that he went to the ER this morning and got an MRI. Turns out, he has "exploded" (as the doctor put it) a disc in his back which left a nerve fully exposed. They're transferring him to Jackson to the hospital where he'll have surgery this week. Please say a prayer for him and our family. It's a longer recovery than he'd like and he was really upset about that, but we know that God will take care of the farm and of him!

Your prayers are GREATLY appreciated!

27w1d Picture.

You really have to excuse the way I look in this picture. I'm tired!

Keep scrolling for more updates (with pictures)!

Hard Working Hubby!

Sometimes, I go riding with Judd when he checks his rice (and later, soybeans) around 5 or 6. It takes a little less than 2 hours and it's extra time for us to spend together. I took some pictures today since it's his first year on this new land! :) He's SUCH a hard worker and he truly loves what he does.

Isn't he handsome?

Look at all that rice!! This was just about 90 acres out of 2500. Ah!

The ducks that are out there every day. They're his pets...until it's duck season.

He has lovingly named them, Ralph & Edna. I have NO idea why he named them as if they were 80 year old humans.

Keep scrolling down for another update (with pictures)!

Swim Time!

Disclaimer: Please forgive my husband's farmer's tan as he is, indeed, a farmer. :)

Luckily, I was the photographer and didn't make it into any of these pictures except from Audra's camera.

Third Trimester! 27 Weeks!

Um, am I ready for the last third of my pregnancy? I'm not sure! Some moments I need time to stop so I can prepare myself...other times I just want her OUT and in my arms! Just a few more weeks! I'll be full term in 10 weeks. That is I-N-S-A-N-E. I'm so excited, though. I can't wait to see her sweet little face. I can't wait to see whose toes and fingers she'll have. I hope she sleeps like Judd. ;)

We have our 3D/4D ultrasound next Friday (6/26) and I'm starting to get really excited about it. It's at 3pm in Tupelo so Judd will get half the day off work! That's just as exciting during this time of year! He and I have really been enjoying our time together...even if it's not very much. He went grocery shopping with me last night and as we were riding home, I said, "I know this sounds crazy, but I love going grocery shopping with you. We actually get to see and talk to each other without worrying about one of us falling asleep or cutting the TV on." Expecting a laugh or a shrug from Judd I just assumed the conversation was over and he said, "I was JUST thinking that while we were in there." I felt so special. I know how crazy that sounds...but when your husband leaves for work at 5:30am and comes home at 8:30pm exhausted, you relish any and all time together! Needless to say, I'm still adjusting to farming life. It's hard but Judd loves what he does and I love that he's happy.

So - 27 weeks! Let's see what Caroline is up to this week!

• Caroline is now as big as a teddy bear! Remember that picture that said, "I'm as big as a gummi bear!" - That was 19 or 20 weeks ago...she's doubled her growth in the last 15 weeks. Cool!
• Her eyelids, which have been fused closed since 11 weeks, are now able to open and close. Not too much to look at, but hey! It's a start!
• She's a little over 2lbs and 14 1/2-15 inches long from head to foot. :)
• She could now take a breath outside (with medical assistance) so her survival rate if born right now would be 85%!!!! Yay!! Those are great odds, and they go up significantly every week!
• Her brain is now firing neurons like that of a newborn baby. She's so smart!

She'll continue to mature her lungs and other vital organs until full term. Until then, she'll be maturing and fattening up! It amazes me that in the next 10-13 weeks she'll gain 5-6 more pounds. I'm 2/3 of the way finished and she's only 2ish lbs!

I'm going to have Judd take my picture tonight because I got my hair cut and I want it in the picture. I'm very happy with it and SO glad that I finally forced myself to go! Have a great day, everyone!

3 Nephews and 1 Niece!

My BIL & SIL announced that they are having a GIRL today! Caroline will have a little girl within 1-2 months of her age! I'm really excited! I know Aaron (BIL) was really hoping for a little girl! CONGRATS!

I now have three nephews and one niece! I'm loadin' up!

The Nursery So Far...

We don't have the mattress yet, so here's the quilt and the bumper. (We're putting a breathable one on there for the first several months...this is just for decoration right now!)

It looks so pretty! I was a little bummed because the ribbons were too short to tie in bows. Oh well.

This was my grandmother's living room end table that I've had since college. We painted it pink and it will go beside my chair & ottoman. :) The chair is still being enjoyed in the living room currently.

Um, my daughter will never have to go naked...that's for sure. Please gaze upon my building skills. I built that little organizer from a billion pieces. Not really...but couldn't WalMart just sell it pre-assembled?

Her changer. The drawers are going to come in handy seeing how her closet is already stuffed. I feel like that mirror is just too small over that space. It doesn't look balanced...which I can't stand. What else can go above her changer? Her name is already going above her crib so that option is out! I thought about some art work, but it's really difficult to find matching artwork for a room with this many colors to match!

Her pretty crib. I absolutely love it. I smile every morning when I walk out of my bedroom and see it in her room. It truly makes things seem so much more real. :)

These are the curtains I'm bidding on on Ebay. They're Gingham Green Blackout Panels. I opted against floor length so we don't have the temptation of pulling on them constantly. They will come right below the window sill. (Even if I don't win them on ebay, they still have them at Pottery Barn.) Her bumper has gingham green on some of the patches, so it should match well.

Now, all I need is an area rug....

26 Weeks! With Pictures!

Um, I'm a little late. But only by 2 days! I've been a BUSY girl this week! We had vacation bible school at our church this week and I decorated a room and taught! I had a lot of fun but I have very much enjoyed my rest today. VBS was from Monday to Thursday and I took down my decorations Thursday after it ended. Today was my day of rest. Ha! Well, kind of. :) As you will see in a later post (probably tomorrow) my wonderful BIL & sister brought me my crib and changer!!! Judd put it all together for me while I put a closet organizer together to help calm the clutter in her closet! I'm so excited to have the stuff in her room! I'm working on lots of things to make her room look special, so get ready for nursery posts! Anyway, let me tell you what's going on with my sweet Caroline this week.

26 weeks

• Air sacs are developing in her lungs...which means (dun dun dun dun!) she could possibly be able to take a breath at the end of this week!! This is EXCELLENT!
• Her retina is fully developed. Even though her eyes are sealed shut, they are complete!
• Brainwaves are detectable this week. That's pretty cool! My little intelligent one...
• She can actually recognize my voice versus someone else's now. I feel special. :)
• She weighs about 2lbs!!!
• She is around 14 inches long from head to foot. She's getting so big!
• The end of this week marks my entrance into the 3rd trimester. Oh my goodness. Deep breath....

Caroline is definitely making it hard for me to get a good night's rest - and she can't even cry yet! My back hurts so badly some nights that I cry. It's a very odd place for it to hurt, too. Right under my shoulder blades on both sides. I have to sleep ON my back...if I sleep on either side, I'm in excrutiating pain. The only thing that helps the pain is heat. Add this pain to my lower back pain - and we've got a problem. If I lay on my back for too long, my lower back hurts. So I'm constantly waking up to pain in different parts of my back and having to move to help it. So sleep is getting hard to come by. Oh well...just preparing me for the long nights ahead, I guess.

Well, there you have it! Let me also point out that I am now into DOUBLE DIGITS on my number of days left. Um, holy cow. Counting today (which is technically already over!) I have 96 days left. CRAZY. SCARY. Am I ready for this?

Some days, my need to hold her is overwhelming. Other days, all I can think about is how badly I need her to stay put for a lot longer because I still have so much to do. My nesting has been kicked into overdrive. I've done 10 loads of laundry this week. Get this - I ran out of hangers because we've never had all of these clothes clean at one time before. Yeah. I've been trying really hard to keep our house clean because if I let it all pile up on me, I can never find the energy to get it clean again.

Judd is working really hard these days. He gets home pretty late and leaves really early. I definitely miss him this time of year. I've been going out there to see him a lot and it helps me feel like it hasn't been ages since we've talked. I rode in a SEMI for the first time ever the other day. He tried to make me drive it but I was terrified of killing us so I opted to stay in the passenger's seat. Lucky for all other drivers on the road! Your lives have been spared another day!

Well, I guess I've updated you on the last week. Sorry I didn't post in between but VBS kept me very busy! Cassie (my SIL) brought her two boys here this week so we hung out with them a lot. She's such a good mom...and the boys are definitely adorable. She finds out her 3rd baby's sex next week. For the record, I'm guessing girl. We'll see if I'm right. ;) Without further ado - here's my WHALE of a 26 week picture. Please excuse the hair...it's been a long week. Ha!



The belly...in all its glory.


Large and in charge.


I look tired. Ha ha!

25 Weeks

I feel like in the last few days, someone has taken a pump and ballooned my belly. Ha! The picture was perfect for how I feel! My stomach is HEAVY. I seem to be carrying all my extra weight out front (or at least on my front side, if you catch my drift) so it's making for some interesting back pain. For the most part, though, I'm doing fine. I'll be in my 3rd trimester in 2 weeks!! Is that unreal for anyone else?

Good news! Baby Time called and my crib is in! I can't believe it got here so quickly after the mixup. He said it would be about 5 weeks! I'm shocked! I'm either going to use Judd's truck one day and go get it, or Audra & Andrew are going to bring it to us sometime when they make this trip. I'm excited to be able to set up her room.

25 Weeks

• Her hands are fully developed now!
• Brain & nerve endings are fully developed so her sense of touch is complete!
• Her arms and legs are now grown to the proportion they will be at birth.
• Her nostrils (which have been plugged up until now) are cleared out so she can practice breathing through her nose!
• The structures of her spine are developed. It's made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and 1,000-some odd ligaments.
• The blood vessels in her lungs develop this week! Remember, we LOVE lung improvement!
• She's around 13 1/2 inches long from head to foot.
• She weighs about 1 1/2 lbs.

So that's what she's up to this week. My sweet girl will be here before we know it! I'll be full term 12 weeks from today! Yay! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

25 Weeks



25 weeks

Progression Pics of the Belly

4 weeks

8 weeks


9 weeks

10 weeks

11 weeks

12 weeks

14 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

20 weeks

21 weeks

22 weeks

23 weeks

24 weeks

Yeah, I missed some weeks...but holy moly! It is funny to see it shrink, then grow due to bloat. My bloat is gone now though, this is all belly!