7 months down...2 to go!

Yesterday I had my 32 week check-up, but I'm actually closer to the 33 week mark now! I guess this is the official start to the 8th month of pregnancy! Woo Hoo :) The last few doctors appointments have been pretty uneventful. They check my weight, blood pressure, listen to Carson's heartbeat, measure the belly, and answer my random two weeks worth of questions. In and out in about 15 or 20 min.... But, yesterday was a little more eventful. Not in a bad way, but a good one :) Everything was perfectly normal, blood pressure, weight, and Carson little heartbeat! The doctor said I was measuring 33 weeks which is said is about right considering I was 32 weeks and 4 days yesterday. Before he listened to Carson's heartbeat he felt around on my belly to try to determine just how that little guy was positioned in there. Good news... He's head down for now :) Let's just hope he stays that way!

That brings me to a totally random thought that my Mom and I have been pondering:

Why is it that a baby can be upside down for weeks in utero but can't be held that way once they are born? Another one of life's little mysteries?

So, back to the appointment....Once the doctor located Carson's little head and bum he helped me feel it too. The head was kind of hard to feel considering it was down below my belly, I had a hard time reaching! haha But Carson's cute little bum was right at the top of my belly! I have to admit I spent a lot of my afternoon yesterday rubbing and patting that little thing! It's amazing that I'm stretching out SO much that we can start feeling these things! James of course got to feel his little bum when he got home too :) He couldn't seem to find his head so next time James attends the appointment (36 week check-up) I'm going to have the doc help him, I know he'll be amazed!

Carson is still growing every day! Thebump.com says he's about the size of a honeydew melon. I don't however feel like this is a very good comparison considering Carson is not a round ball shape. I guess they are saying that while in the fetal position he's about the size of a honeydew. If he were all stretched out he'd be somewhere between 17-18 inches long! This week Carson should weigh in around 4-5 lbs, about the weight of a pineapple :) Thebump also tells me that he can recognize and react to simple songs and lullabies...Carson, Mommy apologizes for her singing abilities in advance. I'm aware that I do not have a pretty singing voice, and neither does Daddy for that matter. I guess it's officially time to start teaching James some baby/kid songs... he claims he doesn't know any. Thebump says that growth inside the womb will start to slow up some this month, but I'm guessing on the outside growth will be speeding up! My belly feels as though it is growing at a rapid rate! By the end of the month Carson should begin his descent into my pelvis, safe travels little man :)

Will Carson be a lefty?

For the past few weeks I have noticed Carson moving around constantly... My guess is that he's going to be one that can't sit still for very long, just like his momma :) He has been spending alot of his time on the left side of my belly lately which makes me wonder.... Is Carson going to be a lefty? What makes someone left handed or right handed anyways? Does your brain just tell you which hand to pick up the crayon with when you're 3 or what? The more and more I think about this the more curious I become. I am one that likes to understand how and why things work the way they do, I get this from my dad :) So, I turned to the good old Internet for some answers.

According to Familydoctor.org scientist aren't really sure why some people are right handed and others left. About 90% of the world's population is right handed which has to make a person think... Why are only 10% of us left handed? Scientist have found that being left handed does run in the family, which means that your DNA and genes do have some influence. James' dad, "Poppy" and my brother, Andy are both left handed so Carson could definitely come out that way :) But, there are cases of course where there could only be one person in the whole family that is left handed. I guess the whole left or right handed thing is one of life's little mysteries! I do know this however...When Carson is on the left side of my belly it looks quite lopsided.

The luckiest little guy on Earth...

Oh little Carson, you have NO idea just how lucky you are! You're family never ceases to amaze me! Yesterday we had our last baby shower in Benton, Ky hosted by Mimi, Connie (Mimi's friend), Nan (Carson's great aunt), and Ashlie (Carson's second cousin)! It was of course over the top! All of the decorations were absolutely ADORABLE, we had food, food, and more food, and Carson was showered, once again, with TONS of nice things :) I'm not quite sure if he understands just HOW much everyone loves him already! James and I really enjoyed getting to spend the day with family and friends :) And of course it is very comforting to know how much love and support we have as we are about to jump right into this next stage of our lives...a party of three! Woo Hoo!

A belly milestone...

Last night James and I were sitting on the couch each enjoying a little bowl of vanilla ice cream with strawberries when I discovered a new trick. I can now rest an item safely on top of this belly, that item would be my bowl of ice cream! haha I wondered when the day would come that I'd find myself resting my hands, or bowls of ice cream for that matter, on top of my belly. Well folks, the day is here! Carson wasn't so sure about the ice cream on the belly thing. Once it had been sitting there for a while I felt him kick right under the bowl... Must have been too cold for his liking! haha Good thing I had a hold of it or we could have had a big mess on our hands :)

Carson is getting bigger, and bigger everyday! James and I think that the ol' belly has grown in the last week or so. I'm still feeling pretty comfortable though which is amazing! We'll see if I feel the same way after our 12 hour trip to Kentucky... We leave this afternoon and plan on driving a little over half way and spending the night somewhere in Missouri. So, that means we should get into Benton tomorrow around lunch time! Yay!!! We just can't wait :) On Saturday we have our last baby shower! We are both really looking forward to seeing family and friends and I just can't wait to see what kind of goodies Carson gets :)

Happy Easter!!!

An optimistic view...

After a weekend full of all things birth and parenting I can officially say I have a positive attitude about the delivery of Carson! James and I completed our birth/parenting class this past weekend! We were actually looking forward to the class because we both felt like we had a lot to learn, and learn a lot we did! On Saturday we learned ALL about the process of delivery, which was very “interesting” to say the least. I was a little anxious about labor and delivery but I can honestly say that after learning all about it I’m really not too worried. I understand that it will hurt, and that it will take a while, but every other mom out there has made it through just fine and I know I can too. We learned a lot about breathing and relaxation that was pretty amazing. I never really understood the importance of the whole “breathing” emphasis people put on labor but after a really cool experiment not only do I get it, but I believe it in. Our instructor gave everyone a piece of ice to squeeze tight in our hand for 30 seconds, without anything to distract us from the coldness. It was FREEZING, almost to the point where it hurt…the 30 seconds felt like two minutes. Then, she had us use a new breathing technique (breathing in, 1-2-3-4; breathing out 1-2-3-4) while squeezing the same piece of ice in our hand for 30 seconds again. The results were amazing. The ice didn’t seem as cold, and the time seemed much shorter. When I was able to focus on the counting and rhythm of my breathing the length of amount of pain was reduced. Now, if I can just carry that over into labor I think I can make it! Haha I am just going to keep asking myself these four questions: Will it hurt? Yes. Will it last forever? No. Will I be tired? Yes. Will it bring us the most amazing little boy ever? Yes.

I am a little confused as to why I feel so prepared for the labor/delivery process. I am usually one to get really worked up and worried about things like this. Maybe it’s because I am just THAT excited to meet Carson! I think James also has a big part to do with how I feel about the whole thing. He has such a laid back, no stress personality that I feel confident he will help me stay calm and positive through the whole thing. This brings me SO much relief that I don’t have to worry about how he will handle the whole process. Will he be stressed and nervous? Yes of course, but will he dump it on me? No, he’ll somehow manage to deal with his stress and mine. Yes, the guy is amazing!

We of course also got to see the much anticipated video of childbirth. We were warned that most of the time you see a natural childbirth video at these classes so not to get too stressed by how much pain the woman is in….. Well, luckily our teacher showed us, not one, not two, but three videos of actual childbirth! Two were delivered naturally and one of the women used a narcotic and then had an epidural. The difference in the two deliveries was incredible. Needless to say I’m not one for unnecessary pain so I will be choosing the “give me whatever you can to make this hurt less” method of delivery. The videos were graphic of course but not as bad as I had anticipated… James wasn’t a big fan of course and the videos confirmed his decision to stay up close to my head during delivery. He wants to see what I can see, nothing more. I can’t say I blame him! Haha

My least favorite thing about the class was one of the couples in it... They were a little older than us, and looked a bit like a couple from somewhere in Kentucky the national news would choose to interview (you know the type right? Rough, crazy teeth, big rolled bangs, crazy make-up....). Well, every time our instructor gave us a break, which was quite often considering the room was full of pregnant ladies, they BOTH went outside for a smoke break. Surely you're thinking that Dad was smoking and Mom was just keeping him company. Oh no...Mom was smoking too. Every hour or so she was outside burning a cigarette. Makes me sick.

My favorite thing about the class was that the instructor referred to us as Mom and Dad all weekend!! James and I sometimes will call each other Mommy and Daddy when we are talking to Carson, or even Chloe but to hear someone else refer to me as “Mom” all weekend was just plain cool!

So Carson, it's official we're ready when you are!

All things baby...

What is it about cute baby stuff that just makes your heart melt? Even the smell of the lotion makes me smile! After a weekend full of showers Carson's room is getting closer to being stocked with all of the things he'll need. I just love to go in there and "play" with all of his stuff... His little wash clothes, clothes, shoes, and I even love his shampoo and lotion! I never thought I would be so excited to receive or buy things like diaper rash cream, wipes, pacifiers, and diapers. We have one shower left, Easter weekend in Benton, and I just can't wait! More cute baby things!!! I told James the other day when we were taking Chloe for a walk that I just couldn't wait until I got to start washing all of Carson's laundry!! All of his clothes are so tiny I swear I think they could fit into one load! It seems like every afternoon I find myself wandering into Carson's room just looking for something to do, put away, or organize. I just love being in there! I guess I enjoy organizing, and reorganizing all of his things because it allows me to imagine for a minute what it will REALLY be like when it comes time to use all of these things! Sometimes I feel like I have somewhat of an idea of how my day will go like when he's actually here and it's actually my responsibility to change diapers, nurse, bathe, clothe, and play with the little guy... but it's actually a hard thing to imagine! One of the things I think I am most looking forward to, other than just holding our sweet boy, is seeing James as a Daddy! He is going to be the best daddy a little boy could ask for!

Yesterday I had my 30 week check-up :) The doctor described my pregnancy thus far as picture perfect! Yay! He said my weight, blood pressure, and measurements were all right on track, and that our little man's heart rate was 143bpm and that he was doing great! Good job bud....keep on growing! He did tell me too that Carson will start growing very quickly from this point on. I should be expecting ligament pain and stretching to be making a comeback shortly, lovely. I have still been feeling really well. My heartburn has gotten worse and more frequent but if I could just figure out what's causing it I might be able to get a bit of a handle on it. I discovered today that chocolate is definitely giving it to me :( This makes me very sad...I love chocolate. The good thing is that ice cream is like an instant fix....or maybe that's a bad thing? Eh, I'm pregnant...I'm supposed to eat ice cream right?

We go back to the doctor on April 8th for a 32 week check-up and then again two weeks later at 34 weeks. After that we'll have our 36 week appointment which will consist of the much anticipated vaginal exam...Fun, fun! Then they'll be checking to make sure Carson is head first and ready for departure! Woo Hoo.... I see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Double the fun!

Last Sunday I had my second baby shower of the weekend! It was actually a double baby shower :) My cousin Lauren is expecting her first baby, Miles Thomas, on June 4th so my aunt Susie and cousin Jenny put together a lovely little party to help us celebrate! We played games (My favorite being the baby drawing, everyone had to draw a picture of a baby on a paper plate that was sitting on their head. Then Lauren and I had to decide which one we wanted our baby to look most like... hilarious!), ate cake, and of course opened gifts! It was actually very ironic that Lauren and I registered a lot of the same things so we in turn got almost all of the same gifts! Carson and Miles recieved SO many great things, both practical and fun! They are definitely getting a warm welcome into the Fiorella family :)

Prego cousins! And no, we didn't plan the matching outfits! haha

Our adorbale cakes!

Let the money saving begin...

Jonny Jump-Up's all around!

Matching strollers & the cutest burp clothes ever!!

Diaper cakes from the hostesses! They were FULL of goodies :)

Mommies-to-be and Mommy-of-three!

Me, Granny & Pops!

The fam. minus Parker & James!

My first stroller! I just love this one, and I can't wait until Carson's big enough to cruise around in it :)

Carson's loot from the weekend of showers! You think he'll be spoiled?

Thanks again to everyone for such wonderful gifts! I can't wait for Carson to meet his HUGE family! He has NO idea what's in store...