Welcome to the world Kinsley Grace

    I know i've shared this story with several of you already, but thought I'd post it on here as well. On the morning of Tuesday, July 16th I woke up just like any normal day. As I lay in bed looking at facebook (no surprise there), I sneezed. After sneezing I realized something strange had happened....I wondered could that have been my water breaking. Upon further investigation I found it was my mucus plug. Although I thought to myself don't panic labor could be days away, I decided to get in the shower. knowing that as soon as we go into labor we will have company, I also decided to clean the bathrooms and do some laundry. Sometime between noon and 12:45 I began feeling some contractions...eventhough I wasn't quite sure if they were the real thing or not. So, I called Nathan and my dr. I had an appt. later that day, but they told me to go ahead and come in sooner. After finishing getting myself ready and the laundry we headed to the dr. Oh, and we took our bags and dropped Maggie off at a friends just in case.
    At the dr. they checked for dialation and asked a few other questions. The dr. reported that I was between 4-5 cm dialated and decided it was time to head to the hospital. We immediately called our parents and said "You'd better start driving down"....we had been in contact with them throughout this entire process so they had bags loaded and were just waiting for us to say when.
    Neither Nathan nor I had eaten all day, so eventhough I was having somewhat painful contractions we stopped to grab a bite to eat at Zaxby's. Upon arriving at the hospital, they got me to a room, hooked me up to an ivy (which was very painful since the nurse couldn't find my vain), and called for the anesthesiologist. I was so scared about how bad the epidural would hurt. However, after the ivy incident and the fear of seeing how many males would be seeing parts of me I didn't want seen, the epidural wasn't bad at all. After getting the epidural I was feeling great. Nathan and I talked for a while and sent some texts out to inform friends and family of what was going on. We also took advantage of having cable and watched some HGTV. Then, at about 11:15 it was time to push. Oh, and I forgot to mention that my female dr. had a male student working along side her (I thought he looked a little like Justin Timberlake). I told Nathan later, I couldn't even look in his direction during the labor and delivery because of the embarrasement of him seeing that area of me. I wasn't feeling much at that point but tried to push hard. Towards the end of the pushing, I began feeling some pressure and knew exactly when a contraction was coming. Miss Kinsley Grace was born on Wednesday, July 17th at 12:37am. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz, and was 20 in. long. I will never forget our first reaction to seeing her. I couldn't believe we had created such a sweet miracle.
    I know that not all women can say this, but the entire process wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I did tear pretty bad, but again it was worth it for our sweet girl.
    Since Kinsley's birth, our parents have been here helping with cleaning, cooking, and laundry. It has been wonderful to have so much help. Nathan and I haven't cooked 1 meal or had to go to the grocery store...what a blessing great parents are.
  
                                                      Hanging out in the hospital

                                                             Our first family photo

                                                                   First bath

                                                          Kinsley and dad snoozing

   

Thank you Miss Carrie for our super cute outfit!

   

38 Weeks

*I hate this picture but I don't think a different picture could help at this point. I'm looking pretty bad!

How far along? 38 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain:  42lbs- ready for the weight gain to stop! I cried at my last appt. because I had gained 5 lbs. The dr. said she wasn't concerned and to go home and eat whatever I wanted.
Maternity clothes? I've gained so much in the past few weeks i've outgrown several of my maternity clothes but refuse to buy more at this point. So, i'm down to a few outfits that still fit.
Stretch marks? Thankfully, I haven't seen anymore new ones.  
Sleep: Very interupted by discomfort or using the restroom.
Best moment this week: Finishing the nursery! I have a few more finishing touches that I'd like to do but for the most part it's done. :) YAY! I will eventually get some pics up.
Miss Anything? my comfort and having more than a few articles of clothing that fit.
Movement: she's a moving and grooving in there 
Food cravings: sweets
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: I believe I had a couple contractions on Saturday and was so sure we were going to have her sometime early Sunday morning, but no such luck.
Symptoms: still have swelling and soreness
Belly Button in or out? flat
Wedding rings on or off? I wasn't able to fit my ring on for my dr. appt. Tuesday. I've started leaving it off most days.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy that the discomfort is almost over.
Looking forward to: Meeting baby B. and not being miserable!
*** I hate those pregnant women that don't do anything but complain, so I'm trying to not be completely negative.

37 Weeks

   This has been a very eventful week. This first big ordeal being that we had some major issues with the glider we ordered. On Monday I checked my school email only to see that I had gotten a strange email from someone I didn't know explaining to me that our glider had been delivered to their house. The email listed a number where I could reach the man's wife. Nathan and I immediately called her and left and message. When we hadn't heard anything by Tuesday morning we called FedEx to explain the situation. After speaking with the corporate office, the women said she would report the problem to the local hub and have them give us a call. About 2 hours after placing the call to the corporate office, I notice a FedEx truck in the driveway. I was very impressed that they had fixed the problem in such a short amount of time. However, after opening the door to retreive the package, we realized the driver was delivering a wrong package to us. Nathan spoke to him about our missing package and his response was that he didn't have any pick-ups on his route today and he knew nothing of the missing package. So, there really wasn't anything left to do but wait to hear from FedEx or the people who currently had our chair. Finally, on Wed. we get a call back from the people who have our chair. Because FedEx still had not fixed the problem (and we didn't really think they would) we arranged to go pick the chair up. Friday morning we drive about 2 minutes down the road and retrieved the chair. I'm proud to say that I put it together all by myself!
   Also, during this whole event my dr. appt. didn't go too well either. I first stepped on the scale to find out I'd gained 4lbs. AH! Then, they proceed to take my blood pressure...which turns out to be higher than normal. The dr. found the higher blood pressure, along with my swollen feet, and weight gain to be concerning.  She ordered some blood tests and a urine test to make sure I didn't have pre-eclampsia. If that was the case, they would induce me early. The idea first made me panic....I was not ready for this!!!! But after some time to digest the thought I got excited about the idea of no more weight gaining, no more swollen feet, no more discomfort, and the best part of all....getting to meet sweet baby girl. On Friday, the nurse called to say that all the tests came back fine and I would need to check in at my next dr. appt. like normal. Although i'm glad nothing is wrong, I'm a bit dissapointed to continue waiting for baby girl and God's perfect timing.

How far along? 37 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain: 37lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes!
Stretch marks? I'm really upset because i've gotten a few stretch marks on my lower stomach. I've went so long without getting them so I thought I would be lucky enough to not get any.
Sleep: Not great but being out of school allows me to be able to take a nap sometimes
Best moment this week: getting good test results from dr.
Miss Anything? my comfort
Movement: all the time and fun to watch
Food cravings:  sweets
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: I believe I may have had a contraction but I'm really not sure
Symptoms: swelling, soreness, and i've been having heartburn recently
Belly Button in or out? flat
Wedding rings on or off? On during daytime
Happy or Moody most of the time: still feeling very emotional lately
Looking forward to: being able to paint my toenails and put on my pants with ease. :)

36 Weeks

Week 36 also happen to inlcude my birthday. Nathan went out of his way to make the day super special. I had a free meal coupon at IHOP, so we began the day by going out for breakfast. He then went to work while I did some cleaning/relaxing around the house. Later that evening, Nathan arrived home with beautiful flowers, my gift, and a coconut cake. YUM! We went to dinner at Olive Garden and saw Man of Steel. Normally we don't spend money on going to see movies at the theatre, (it's so incredibly expensive!!!) but again I had a coupon for a free admission on your birthday. I also had a coupon for $2 off popcorn so we splurged and got a popcorn and drink. I know that sounds dorky but I think it's ridiculous to spend $6 on a small bag of popcorn. Along with all that Nathan did I enjoyed the cards and gifts I got in the mail.

 

p.s. I've eaten almost all of the cake by myself since Nathan hates coconut. It probably won't last past tomorrow.

How far along? 36 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain: 33lbs
Maternity clothes? believe it or not, this shirt is not maternity
Stretch marks? I've noticed a few stretch marks that i've had for years are starting to turn a darker color. BOO! I'm continuing to slather on the cocoa butter hoping that will help.
Sleep: Still not great but I keep reminding myself I only have a few more weeks of this...not that I will get much sleep after baby is born either. :)
Best moment this week: We got to see baby in an ultrasound. The tech said it looked as though she had lots of hair.  
Miss Anything? my comfort
Movement: all the time and fun to watch
Food cravings:  I requested Olive Garden as my birthday dinner. Nathan isn't a huge fan of O.G. but he took me.
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: swelling and sore back
Belly Button in or out? My belly button has been changing for several weeks. I guess the best way to describe it would be flat. It hasn't begun to stick out but it's not really an inny any more.
Wedding rings on or off? On during daytime
Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been more emotional recently. The simplest things will make me teary eyed.
Looking forward to: Meeting our sweet girl! Also, sitting comfortably and normal sized feet.

35 Weeks

  We are at the point of weekly dr. visits. During the apt. today the dr. said baby B. is head down and i'm 1 cm dialated. The baby is measuring a little big, so i'm scheduled to have an ultrasound next week. I hope that means that if she is larger they won't let me go past my due date. I'm secretly hoping that means baby B. will make her debut a little early.
   For some reason this week i've panicked that I could go into labor at any moment. I guess it's possible but only being 1 cm dialated helped calm my nerves some. Don't get me wrong, I would love to not go all the way to 40 weeks but I don't feel like i'm ready just yet. We do have the carseat installed, hospital bags packed, and the absolute necessitities. :)

How far along? 35 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain: 32 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes. This is a maternity shirt but I look like i'm about to bust out of it.
Stretch marks? nopeSleep: I rarely sleep more than a few hours before waking up and needing to toss and turn. I'm so glad it's summer and I don't have to get up and go to work after the crummy sleep I get.
Best moment this week: I suppose it would be getting more done in the nursery.
Miss Anything? my comfort
Movement: She moves throughout the day.  
Food cravings: I had a dream about no-bake cookies...does that count as a craving?
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: swelling, sore back, and lower belly pain
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? On during daytime
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm sure Nathan would agree I've been moody lately. Poor guy....it's only a few more weeks.
Looking forward to: Meeting our sweet girl! Also, sitting comfortably and normal sized feet.

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 Weeks 4days
Total weight gain:  31 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes! I caught a side glimpse of myself today and couldn't believe how big i've gotten. YIKES!
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: I've realized that taking my vitamin earlier in the evening helps with getting a full nights rest. The vitamin I take requires drinking 8 oz. of water with it. So the less I drink right before going to bed, the less I have to get up to go to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Getting baby B's car seat, getting needed furniture for the nursery, and seeing the bedding complete and on the crib. Yay! The bedding is very cute and Grandma Brooking did a fantastic job on it. Also, having our maternity pics taken. Amanda (the photographer) has posted a few preview pics on her website. Here is the link: http://creativetake.pass.us/babybrooking
Miss Anything? planning a summer visit home to see friends and family or a trip to the beach :(
Movement: Baby girl moves a lot. She is beginning to push into my ribs, but I know she will be worth every little pain. 
Food cravings: I think we all (Nathan, Grandma, Grandpa, and I) had a craving for McDonald's ice cream Wed. night. The chocolate dipped ice cream cone was delicious!
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: swelling
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? On during daytime
Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been a bit more moody this week...more tears than normal.
Looking forward to:  Meeting our baby girl. The pregnancy seems to have gone by really slow, but all  of the sudden I can't believe it's almost here.

33 Weeks

I didn't get around to talking a chalkboard photo, so here is one of Grandma and Mom-to-be.

How far along? 33 Weeks 6 days
Total weight gain: 29 lbs
Maternity clothes? This dressin this pic is not maternity, but most clothes I wear are.
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep:  is difficult....I know I keep saying that but it's just not as easy or enjoyable.
Best moment this week: Enjoying another shower for baby girl thrown by some sweet friends.
Miss Anything? sitting comfortably and my normal sized feet/ankles
Movement: frequent.
Food cravings: donuts...I brought them in as a reward for the students who met their MAP goals. I'm not going to admit how many I ate myself :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: HUGE feet/ankles/legs. I've noticed my fingers swelling a bit at night, so I've started sleeping with my wedding ring off. I can comfortably wear it all day though.
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? On during the day and off at night.
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY....anxious to meet baby girl.
Looking forward to: Getting the rest of the supplies needed before baby B. arrives and finishing the nursery.

This week has been long and busy. The last week of school is always crazy, but being pregnant and moving rooms hasn't helped. I felt rushed out of my room, so there were many long evenings spent at school. My poor feet ached so bad in the evenings. However, the good news is everything has been moved and somewhat organized. In other news, grandma and grandpa Brooking are here to visit. :) Grandma is finishing up the precious bedding...it's so cute! I will post pics of the nursery when it's finished. We only have 6 (or less)weeks left, so we'd better get moving on the nursery.