Catching Up .. Officially UNDER 100 Days!

Yes – July has flown completely by! I knew at the start of the month that it was going to be a whirlwind. Now that we’re 24 days in … yeah, a whirlwind. The days have been filled with so much that once I get the chance to sit on the couch, I close my eyes and it’s night-night for me and Baby Cotten.

August will be welcomed with a clearer calendar, thankfully. I’m highly anticipating next month because we will get started on reorganizing and decorating the baby’s space. Since we don’t have a lot of travel planned, I’m hoping that by the end of the month, I can comment on progression!

We’re at 97 days from our due date, give or take a few depending on when our little one decides to arrive. Double-digits … Less than 100 … Already!! I’ve grown a nice chunk. At our most recent doctor’s visit, I clocked in another 10 pounds, so I was given a more detailed talk on controlling weight gain. In my defense, I typically only eat when I’m hungry. And, I eat pretty healthy – aside from a quick chicken sandwich when I’m in a bind on the go. At 6 months pregnant with a 1.5 pound growing baby, hunger comes more frequently and with a stronger vengeance, sometimes. I’ve made even more adjustments to try to slow down the poundage, like keeping better track of my calories each day, drinking tons more water, and walking more often. Our next appointment is in about 2 weeks where we get to have an ultrasound and the gestational diabetes test along with a vaccination for pertussis will be administered. The ultrasound will allow us to check the baby’s weight, making sure my weight gain is on track with her growth. I’m just grateful that the extra pounds have been tolerated well by my body so far – we’re rocking zero stretch marks, still able to wear some “regular” dresses, and the marriage hardware is still fitting (*fist pumps)!

Another big to-do this month has been attending child-birthing and newborn classes. Each Thursday, we have had or will have a class. The best word to describe reaching the reality of soon having to birth and care for a baby in our world is “Wow”. Our classes are mildly graphic and candid, which I actually appreciate. It’s a heap to take in, but I’m happy that we’re getting the exposure. We’re also able to meet the nurses who may be with us during L&D, as well as other couples who we may see again if our children decide to arrive around the same time.

In the midst of the month of July, we celebrated four birthdays! My Daddy kicked the month off, followed by Clifton who entered the last year of his 20s, my Mother-In-Law and finally Grandma Cotten. On my Mother-In-Law’s birthday, we shared with her what we will be naming her new granddaughter. Details on our baby girl’s name and how it came to be in the next post!

Prego Progression

As I promised, this post will be all about the progression of…. the Belly!!

As of today, we’re officially 23 weeks! Can you say “WOW?!” We’re officially scooting down the hill, closer and closer to welcoming our sweet bundle.

Taking a weekly progression photo was not high on my to-do list. I was comforted with this decision when I realized how much (I didn’t think) I grew between weeks 13 – 20. You’ll also notice that I break a pregnancy “rule” – I don’t wear the same outfit and stand in the same spot for each photo. Fortunately, I think the belly bump is distinctive enough despite the variations.

Case-in-point, Week 13 and Week 17:

Within three weeks, just in time for our gender sonogram at week 21, we had a growth spurt:

 

Since the last photo, on our sonogram day (did you notice the pink and blue in my dress? :)), we’ve rounded out even more. We were able to snap a photo while in Destin which I think is just THE cutest! I have to give outfit creds to two special people – thanks to Kara for the shorts (they’re LizLange Maternity, comfy, and I love them) and my cousin, Erica, for the shirt that she passed along!

One of my besties, April, has embarked upon allowing me to be one of her photography guinea pigs as she develops her skills and brand. I’m so very much looking forward to having some consistent, true progression photos over the last half of our journey to keep and share!!

Here’s to anticipating the day I’m no longer able to see my feet when I look straight down …