35 weeks!

Yesterday (Wednesday) marked 35 weeks!! I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. Before we know it... she'll be here! :) I am still feeling great AND wearing heels. I get comments all the time at work about that and I just have to laugh. I'm actually more comfortable in heels than I am in flats for some reason! Maybe it's because I've gotten so used to wearing them... who knows?!

She is still very active during the daytime - particularly from 11:00am until about 3:00pm. I'm pretty sure I have a gymnast in there! She has also begun to be more active around 8:00pm for about an hour and a half each night. Haven't had much movement in the middle of the night, though, which I'm very thankful for! I hope she likes that schedule and can stick to it after she's born. :)

Thanks to our YMCA family, we were able to purchase our travel system and swing last night at Babies 'R' Us without spending a dime of our own money! What a HUGE blessing. :) We still have a few small things we'll need to get before she's born, but all the big things have been taken care of. My mom bought the changing table for us and gave us a cradle, my in-laws bought us our Pack 'N Play as well as our crib bedding, and we have more clothes than we'll know what to do with! If you've been on my mom's Facebook page in recent months, you can see all the adorable clothes that Parker has awaiting her. As my dad so lovingly says, "You've unleashed a monster!" :) My in-laws gave us a bunch of clothes at the shower this weekend, and we also received TONS of cute outfits from the ladies at that same shower. Our family and friends have been so generous to us and we cannot begin to express our gratitude to each and every one of you! THANK YOU - it is a blessing to have you in our lives.

And here are the most recent belly pictures (from all angles) that Shane took last night. Typically he takes a picture of me from behind because he's still pretty convinced that you can't tell I'm pregnant from the back. Personally, I think it's getting harder and harder to "hide" from ANY viewpoint, but I'll let you be the judge of that. ;)

Catching Up

I haven't posted since we got back from Myrtle Beach. It seems as though our life has been a whirlwind ever since... but we're settling back into the groove of our routines now. :) Myrtle Beach was AMAZING! We started off on a rough note with the car breaking down about 50 miles away from Corey & Danielle's, but we were able to get it towed and the situation could have been MUCH worse. My parents saved the day again and rented a car for us so we could get the rest of the way to Myrtle Beach. Once we got there, we were just SO excited to see the family! It was sad that Tyler couldn't be with us, but we're looking forward to seeing him sometime soon (hopefully when Parker is born, if he's able to get out of class!). The week was full of relaxation, golf (for Shane), seeing "Avatar" in the 3D Imax (pictures shown below), good eating, even better shopping, and LOTS of laughter. Can't ask for a better vacation than that! Here are just a couple shots from our trip:

After we returned home from Myrtle Beach, we had 1 week of work before 2 baby showers! The first shower was given by my friends/co-workers at the YMCA on Friday during lunch. It was so much fun and people were SO generous to us! Thanks to our Y friends, we'll be able to get our travel system which includes the car seat, stroller, and additional base. I wish I could show you pictures from that, but unfortunately my camera was packed in the car already since we were leaving directly after that shower to drive up to NY for the NEXT shower! I think my boss, Gail, was able to capture a few shots on her camera phone, so I'll see if I can post those sometime soon. The food, the games, the gifts, the fellowship... all of it was sweet!

The shower in Jamestown was given by my mother-in-law (AKA "Nana", as she'll be called by Parker). When we first got to Jamestown there was some prep work left to be done, but Judy is SUPER organized, so it was easy to knock out those tasks. Mom & Dad DeHaven bought us our Pack 'N Play which we were able to set up at the shower to hold a lot of the presents! The shower was on Sunday afternoon and my sister was able to make the trip out! Unfortunately, my mom was in Portland, Oregon for Tessa's graduation and to meet her family. They hadn't met before this past weekend, and everyone thought it was probably a good idea for the families to meet before the wedding in August! ;) And although my mom wasn't there, her presence was VERY much felt! She sent along more gifts for Parker (and when I say "more", I mean that she has already bought so many amazing things for her - from outfits, to carriers, to her changing table - that I couldn't believe there was MORE). The shower was wonderful and all the ladies were so gracious - and again... EXTREMELY generous! Parker is such a blessed little girl already and we feel humbled to have these amazing friends and family surrounding us during this time. Here are a couple shots from the Jamestown shower (including the diaper cake Judy made!):

Thanks to EVERYONE who has made this time in our lives so special! We can't wait to introduce Parker to each of you! :)

Myrtle Beach... HERE WE COME!! :)

This Friday we are leaving to head down to Myrtle Beach for an entire WEEK of vacation with my family! I cannot tell you how excited the two of us are to have this time away - especially with those we love and miss dearly. :) My parents own a timeshare and take this trip once a year, but this is the first time we'll be joining them! It will be so much fun to see my family now that I actually look pregnant. The last time I saw them I had a very small bump that you wouldn't really notice as a "baby bump" - so it'll be a blast to have them finally get to feel Parker move and kick around in there! By the way... she is SUPER active in the middle of the day (especially as I type this posting), from around noon until 4:30 or so. She tends to calm down a bit for a few hours and then becomes more active again around 8:00pm. I'm glad to say that she's been very "quiet" when I lie down to sleep and I'm thankful for those uneventful nights. It used to be the other way around where she was SUPER active only at night, but now I think she's getting into more of a routine. Let's hope that continues to be the case after she's born!! ;)

This vacation will be our "last hurrah" before Parker's arrival. Not to say we won't be making any more trips... but we won't have any VACATIONS again until after she's here! I can't believe that in less than 2 months we will be holding our little girl! This pregnancy has gone by so quickly and I've really enjoyed every minute of it. I praise God for His guiding hand throughout these past 7 months and I look forward to seeing where He takes the three of us on this new journey! And here's the latest belly picture taken just a few days ago by my good friend, Kate. :)

29 weeks and still feeling great!

I know I probably shouldn't say it... but this has been such a smooth pregnancy thus far! :) I have been so blessed during these months and love every moment I feel our baby girl moving around inside my belly. I wish Shane could experience this phenomenon personally... but alas, it can never be. :)

We went in for our follow-up ultrasound and my glucose test yesterday. The outcome? All great news! The ultrasound showed NO sign of a cyst anywhere on her head (which they thought might be the case at my 21-week appointment). We PRAISE GOD for her health and His protection over her. The ultrasound tech was even nice enough to sneak in a couple 3D shots of our girl (which was not supposed to happen this time around), and it's AMAZING to see her little face... I can't believe what this technology can do!! According to measurements, Parker Joy is weighing in at exactly 3 pounds - right where she should be at this stage of the pregnancy. She is such a miracle... I can't begin to describe how in awe we are of God's grace and blessings.

The glucose test was a breeze, thanks to the fact that I was given permission to drink organic grape juice rather than the nasty orange Glucola they try to force down every pregnant woman's throat. My glucose level was 69 one hour after I drank my 13.3 ounces of juice - definitely FAR below the 130 mark they've set. :)

After the appointment was over, we were able to head across the street to take a tour of the BRAND NEW women's facility at Saint Joseph East Hospital (where I'll be delivering). They just opened their doors yesterday morning and our midwife said, "Hey! You should go check it out after you leave here if you have time! I've heard it's beautiful." And is it ever!! Now things are beginning to set in for me... after seeing the rooms and the actual BUILDING where our daughter will be born. I'm so happy that I'll have the chance to experience this new facility. The doctors and nurses were MORE than excited to show us around their new digs.

And here's the latest baby bump shot taken last night. Looking forward to the next 11 weeks!