It's the most wonderful time of the year!

This holiday season is particularly special to me this year.  Why you ask? Well, because of sweet baby Emma growing inside me.  To experience the holidays through all of this is definitely a different experience, but a good one.  We traveled six hours to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with Dustin's family.  It was not the easiest drive being over eight months pregnant.  I was very thankful to arrive Wednesday night safely and with very little swelling in my feet.  We had such an amazing time with his family.  I was so thankful we were able to spend some time with them before Emma arrives.  Dinner was wonderfully delicious on Thursday.  I look forward every year to his family's Thanksgiving dinner.  It is literally a feast.  I feel like I did well with food.  I had a huge plate of food but didn't go back for seconds! I could have but didn't.  The day after Thanksgiving we skipped Black Friday (because getting in that madness is plain MADNESS!) and his mother threw me an amazing baby shower.  We are so blessed to have received so many wonderful gifts from his mother and other family members.  They were all so generous and we are so thankful.  We got so many of the big items we still needed including the stroller, jumperoo, boppy, shopping cart cover, moby wrap, avent bottles and so much more! We are pretty much set on everything she needs.  There are still some last minute items we need to purchase but she can come whenever she is healthy and ready!

After returning home we got busy with decorating the house for Christmas.  I have been waiting months to put up the tree! I've had all these milestones in my head since I got pregnant to count down until Emma's arrival.  All these holidays keep passing and it's only making labor day closer! She could be here anytime after the Christmas and New Year holidays and I couldn't be more ready and excited.  This house is looking like Christmas around here and I love it.  We even have half of our shopping done and presents wrapped under the tree.  I'm determined to get it done as soon as possible just in case Emma decided she wanted to join us for Christmas :)

Yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment.  It went great.  Still no issues in my health or babies health.  We have been really blessed with a healthy pregnancy.  Her heartbeat was 144 bpm.  My blood pressure was perfect and I'm measuring about a week ahead at 34 weeks.  Wonder if that means she could possible come early? My next appointment is in two weeks and they will start checking my cervix for dilation.  I really can't believe we are already at this point.  I start going every week after that! We are really in the home stretch now.  I think I should probably start preparing a hospital bag...I already have her diaper bag in the works but I should probably work on one for myself! Being in the third trimester is awesome just knowing she will be here soon but it's a pretty rough trimester.  I'm really tired and don't sleep well.  Everything is much harder these days, tying my shoes, shaving, getting off the couch, getting out of bed...I could go on and on.  I just keep reminding myself that it's only for around 6 more weeks! We'll meet you soon baby girl!

Baby Shower Christmas Tree :)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cake was yummy! Only one piece for me though.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me at 33 weeks with my sister-in-law and sweet Parker.



Dustin practicing on Thanksgiving day with  two week old Hudson.  He looks like a pro!



Christmas Time!

Baby, we are in the home stretch!

Today I have a really bad cold and can't seem to shake it, so be glad you are getting a post.  I've been procrastinating because my head feels like it weighs as much as my pregnant body.  I am thankful however that this cold did not set in until after my baby shower on Saturday.  It was such a beautiful day.  I was so overwhelmed with the love of family and friends.  I had people traveling in from even several hours away just to attend.  I was able to visit with friends I haven't seen in awhile and it really made me realize how much I miss them.  We received presents galore, ate some yummy food until we could no longer eat, played lots of fun games and then ate cake (and I only had ONE piece! oh yeah until later that night I may have snuck in another piece, shhhh don't tell anybody).  Thanks goes out to my sisters Jennifer, Leeha and Rachel and my best friend Erin for making the shower such an amazing and special day.  I will post some pictures at the bottom for your viewing pleasure.

As for life currently in the Salyer house things couldn't be better really.  I complain A LOT and sometimes forget that I should be very grateful for what I have.  Dustin has been working a lot more than usual lately which makes me a little bummed but I know it's needed right now.  With a new baby arriving in TEN WEEKS, Thanksgiving travels, Christmas shopping and last minute purchases for the nursery money is definitely tight, so I just need to be thankful that he has such a great job that allows him to work overtime.  I just get lonely sometimes sitting in this house all day.  I visit my mom several times a week and we spend hours talking, drinking coffee and playing yahtzee and scrabble which definitely helps me with my walls closing in on me, boredom.  I don't know what I would do if she didn't live ten minutes away!

As for how baby and I are doing.  Great.  I had a rough day yesterday with this cold.  I think it was causing her to feel bad as well.  She was tense all day and had her little elbows dug into my bladder and lower abdomen all day and would not relieve me for even a minute.  It was pretty painful and didn't help that I was already feeling terrible anyway.  I am also starting to hit that third trimester fatigue and not sleeping well at night.  I slept great during the second trimester besides getting up to use the bathroom.  Now, every hour I am having to rotate sides because I'm going numb on the side I'm laying on.  My feet and hands are starting to swell at night and I'm having night sweats.  Oh and we can't forget the lovely potty breaks.  I guess it's all just to prepare me for a future of no sleep anyway.  You're all saying "Amanda, get over it.  You will never sleep again when Emma comes!" Honestly, that's totally ok with me.  At least I will be waking up with purpose and for a good cause.  Right now I'm waking up because my body has been taken over by an alien!

Thursday I have my 30 week check up and I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous.  My last appointment I was determined that my weight gain would be perfect and right on track and for the last two weeks I just haven't cared.  Maybe it's because I am in that third trimester funk.  I didn't eat like I should have and haven't been on the elliptical as much as I should have.  I didn't get on there all weekend because of the baby shower and didn't yesterday or today because I feel like poop.  I just don't want to get on that scale and be totally bummed.  For two weeks I really shouldn't have gained anymore than two pounds but I feel heavy.  We will just have to see what happens I guess.  On a happy note, we are getting our 3D 4D ultrasound done that day (FOR FREE!).  I can't wait to see this precious angel up close and personal.  To be able to see all her features makes me smile like a kid waking up at Christmas morning.  I will update with a 30 week post and pictures on Thursday or Friday, so be looking out for that one.

Now for some shower photos!















 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and my husband crashed the shower at the end but it was totally ok because he brought me a Salon gift card for two prenatal massages...he's the sweetest :)