Catching Up … Counting Down

Click “Like” if the last several weeks have flown by? *clicks Like .. Hehe.

We are approaching Week 38. Yes, 3-8 .. That’s just fourteen days from 40 weeks and it’s still not fully believable! Let me catch y’all up on what the last almost seven weeks (yeah, I know .. didn’t I say it flew by?) have consisted of.

Week 32 – Clifton’s football season has been in full effect since the last post. I’m officially at the end of attending his games after rolling strong through the end of September. I can’t fathom laboring in the small Delta towns, so we decided I’d sit the rest of the season out. The weekend rounding out Week 32 was Labor Day Weekend and one of my last two visits home. Kara and two of my awesome cousins, Joyce and Erica, hosted Ava the cutest baby shower while we were there! The theme was “She’s About to Pop!” and included all goodies that tied into the theme – popcorn chicken, pop tarts (homemade pies), pop fizz soda, cake pops, and other things! One of my (many) favorite moments that the hostesses included was a headband-making session.  Ava literally has an entire stand filled with creative headbands that I get to dress her up in! I can’t forget the decor – they transformed the space the shower was held in – from the chandelier to the backdrop to the centerpieces to the fellowship .. it was a blessed day!

Weeks 33 – 36 – September was also spent getting prepared for October. We finished the nursery additions and worked to get our house in order for our highly anticipated VIP. My desire for not wanting to worry with cleaning and straightening when she gets her got the best of me at times – I’ve had to remind myself that Ava will not know about or care how our home welcomes her as long as it’s comfortable. Nevertheless,  thanks to to-do lists, my Husband,  Twin, and amazing In-Laws, if she came right now, we’d be perfectly fine.

I took my last road trip in September. It landed me in Birmingham (insert big grin). I didn’t want to pull my Husband away from weekend plans he’d made and my friend could not make the ride any longer, so my Poppa came along with me! I was so grateful – true, at 8 months prego, it was not a necessity, but it all worked out and we had an awesome time on what was our last Daddy/Daughter trip before I become a Mommy.

We ended this month with a baby shower given by my Sister-in-Law and Mother-in-Law. They went with a tutu theme incorporating tulle and ruffles EVERYwhere! The foods were some dishes that I’d been wanting such as buffalo chicken dip, cheese balls, and corn dip, along with cupcakes. Camesha had the cutest idea to ask for books instead of cards for Ava. We officially have plenty to do in our “downtime” when she gets here. I was able to see a lot of my MIL’s colleagues who we don’t see that often, but have supported Clifton and I so very much. We’re so excited that so many of our cousins, aunts and friends showed up to both gatherings to support and shower us with love and blessings! The shower was held in the gorgeous home of a family friend and I’m still smitten that she was so willing to host us.

Week 37 – October started our weekly visits to the doctor! This week started with a cervix check and we got the results from the Group B Strep Test. I had no change during the first check, but was glad to hear that something was progressing at this week’s visit. I should have started wondering what dilation may entail because just four days later, we had an interesting Braxton Hicks episode. I’ve been having them off and on since Week 33. For me, they’ve been more of a discomfort than anything. I started incorporating drinking red raspberry leaf tea* into my prego routine around that time which, I believe, offered relief during the contractions. Sunday, we were doing our normal routine of tv watching, napping, and winding down when I started to feel similar discomfort, with a wee bit more aggression. After several minutes, I realized that the pains were going and coming …. these were contractions, people! 8|I downloaded an app that captures the time of contractions (duration and frequency), so I used that to clock the timing. We also looked to our pregnancy handbook to gauge how alarmed we should be. Two major differences in false contractions and true contractions is the growing of intensity and what alleviates it. I got up to walk around and the pain went away, so I knew these were false. This went on for about 45 minutes and finally my body settled down. {Whew!} Talk about a practice run …

So, we’re knocking at Week 38’s door (Wednesday makes it official). I’ve proclaimed that this week at work, I will be ubberly productive in case it’s my last week. 😉 I’ll leave y’all with a variety of photos that were snapped over the last several weeks, beginning with Week 37 and 36 bumps (sorry for the incorrect positioning).

Pregnancy Favorites

Throughout our pregnancy, I have enjoyed reading blogs of mamas who share their favorite things that helped them go through pregnancy. In following some of the mold, I wanted to share what I consider my pregnancy favorites. For this pregnancy, these items have been my go-to, life savers, or simple pleasures along the way! Now, there are tons of items out there that aid in pregnancy – some that are created especially for this journey  and others that soon-to-be mamas make a part of this journey. Everyone’s experience will be different – it really boils down to what makes y.o.u. comfortable and happy. 🙂

1. Pillows – Pillows have been one of my main sources of comfort. Our bed turned into grounds for a soft fork early on, but it’s been worth it! I’ve kept 5-6 pillows near me over the past 8 months – two body pillows, two or three standard pillows, and a wedge pillow. As I started to grow,  the body and standard pillows provided support in my mid-section as I slept. In addition to pillows underneath my head, of course, I’ve kept the remainder underneath my feet. The wedge was a gift that I didn’t really know I’d use so much but it’s come in handy during our travels and at football games.

2. Water – The fact that this was not listed first does not weaken its importance – water is and has been imperative. For me, it’s truly a medicine. When I’m feeling a little blah or when I’m kinda hungry but I don’t really need to eat anything or when I’m just feeling like I need something, a cold glass of water is hard to beat. I’ve read and heard that just when you think you’ve drank enough water while carrying your baby, drink some more, so I try to revert to water as much as possible. We could seriously buy stock in a bottled water company because I’ve gone through so many in this year.

3. Comfy, Size-Appropriate Bras – I listed these descriptions because they are important. If your chest blooms, you will have to up your bra size. I had a stash of nursing bras that were passed along to me to start with. Well, by the time I thought I needed to retire my pre-prego bras, I had already grown out of the stash with the exception of one. I’ve since purchased another non-padded bra (again for comfort) and sport bras. I have not grown again in months, but I’m assuming that I will have a spurt in the coming weeks when milk arrives and all, so I’m anticipating purchasing a new nursing bra soon.

4. Prenatal Vitamins – As with H2O, the fact that these are listed at number four does not make them less important. I’ve been religious with taking my vitamin.  My OB was firm about taking a prenatal with DHA, which guided my search.  I settled on the vitamins pictured after snagging them at Kroger for under $14 for 90 pills (cha-ching!).

5. Maxi Dresses – If you’re not a dress wearer and don’t mind investing in maternity bottoms, then feel free to proceed to number 6. Maxi dresses have been in FULL wardrobe rotation for me, especially since I’ve popped. I am getting weary of wearing them and have considered buying a pair of maternity dress pants, but I just can’t justify the purchase this far along. So, I get creative with the dresses – one day I may add a scarf, another day I may add a statement necklace, another day maybe a blazer, with flats or heels, or maybe a cardigan .. See? That’s a week of outfits right there. I had a decent selection of maxis prior to pregnancy, so they’ve definitely saved some money on the wardrobe. I also have been able to wear a few shorter dresses that are “expandable”. If you’re on a budget, or just not interested in starting a large maternity wardrobe, before going out to purchase new clothes I’d test out as many of your current closet goodies as possible. Believe me, you’ll be surprised at how many non-maternity items you can fit in over the next several weeks! Since we’re on the clothes tip a little, and in case some of you are interested, I’ve landed a handful of deals at local consignment shops (the nicer ones tend to have name brands at good, cheap prices) and Target on their clearance racks (with the awesome aid of their Cartwheel app).

6. Sonic Slushes – Mmmm … Lemonberry goodness. These got the best of me during months 4 and 5. So much so, that I’ve cut back significantly on drinking them. I gained 10 pounds each of those month thanks to indulging in these at least once, maybe two or three times, a week. I’ve also not turned down any gummy candies – these were the perfect pacifiers while on the road and at my desk. I know, I know .. eating sugar and being stationary are not a great combination at all, but it happened ;).

7. To-Do Lists – So, there’s this “symptom” called “pregnancy brain” that tends to come along with pregnancy. People, it’s real. I was afraid of it – who wants to not be able to completely form thoughts and forget more things than normal? Before pregnancy, I was a to-do lister but it’s been maximized since our second trimester. I bought a good ol’ tangible planner earlier this year which was in great timing. I’ve also pulled out notepads that I never get to use and even dedicated a note in my phone to things I don’t need to forget. I commend any mamas (new and old) who are able to do without lists, but for me, these things have been mind and life savers.

8. Undergarments – I have adored my trusty black slip over the last few months. Yep, a simple, black, half slip. I can remember when this slip was too large for my waist; in fact, I still have the safety pin in it that I used to double over the band so it would stay up on me. Since I wear a lot of dresses, the slip adds a layer of smoothness and coverage over whatever may be going on underneath. Camis have added a great layer of coverage, too. It may be my Momo in me, but I just think women should have a certain outward appearance regardless of what changes your body may be going through. Despite the Mississippi summer heat, yes, I wore “layers” to be presentable.

9. Veggies – In my opinion, these are too easy to purchase and cook for pregnant women not to indulge in. From frozen to fresh, my favorites have been broccoli, edamame, corn, beans, greens, cabbage, and sweet potatoes. Your body and baby will tell you when they’re not a fan of an item, so I would go for the gusto until you’re shown otherwise. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my share of sweet potato and regular fries, fried okra, and creamed corn. But I keep an eye on how much of those things I’m eating. As my doctor reminds me, it’s a lot easier to gain weight during pregnancy than lose it afterwards.

10. Cocoa Butter Lotion for Stretch Marks – This lotion has worked for me just fine. I have no stretch marks and my skin is clear, aside from expected pregnancy markings. I moisturize after each shower and sometimes throughout the day. I hear, and believe, that 1) how your skin reacts to the massive stretching is genetic and 2)  you can get stretch marks after you’ve given birth as your skin bounces back to shape. Knowing this, I plan to just keep moisturizing and wait to claim zero stretch marks until I’ve made it down to my pre-prego size . 😉

11. Maternity Fashion – One thing I did not want during my pregnancy was to look matronly with the bows across my tummy and tent-like maternity tops. True, options are limited, but with a little bit of shopping and trying on, I have managed to accomplish this goal for the most part. I mentioned earlier that consignment stores and Target have been my popular stops. Cartwheel will inform you of any sales on clothes in Target and/or give you an additional percent off certain items. From what I can remember, I purchased my one and only pair of maternity skinny jeans from Kohls.com (with a Retailmenot.com and Ebates discount). I work in an office and had to have some essentials, so I was able to rack up on a couple maternity work items from a local consignment store during one of their sale weekends. I also bought two casual maternity tees from Destination Maternity that were two in a pack for maybe 13 bucks. They’ve worked well with jeans, dress pants, and to lounge in. As I said earlier, I’ve been able to incorporate a lot of my non-maternity clothes into my wardrobe. Since I’ve been growing, I have purchased a couple more non-maternity pieces that I will be able to grow in. For example, I got a shirt dress from Target and some wide-band tights (<–LOVE these things by the way). I also found a Piko top at a boutique that is everything (flowy, light, colorful, and loose) and will be worn religiously for the next several weeks.  If you want to try to use non-maternity clothes post-partum, I read a style blog that strongly discouraged purchasing non-maternity items that go two sizes beyond your normal size.  So unless it was just necessary and I knew that I could still wear it regardless of my increased weight, I only purchased larges, as pre-prego I wore mediums.

12. Chapstick – With hormone increases and a lot of nutrients, etc. going to the new life that’s growing, some type of moisturizing lip balm is necessary. And not-to-mention, it makes you feel pretty on days when you’re just plain and pregnant. Lol.  

13. Teva Sandals – These.have.been.amazing. My twin got a pair randomly on a trip to Nashville. I tried hers on one day and thought  “I need these”. So, I found them and got a pair! They form to your foot which makes walking more comfortable. Of course, you don’t know how large your feet will grow, but fortunately, these are still hanging on despite the plumpness. These come in a variety of styles, so if you want a wedge heel or a flat heel, flip flop or thong, you can take your pick.

In addition to tangibles, I subscribed to a couple of apps that explain the growth of your baby week-by-week. My favorite has been “What to Expect”. It’s provided just enough information each week to keep me aware of what’s developing with our baby. Subscribers are also able to join various communities where you can interact with expectant mothers expecting during the same time. I’m sure other sites, such as thebump.com, have pretty similar characteristics.

Here’s to riding these things out for another 5 weeks and to all the must-haves my prego friends would add to the list! 😉

“What’s In a Name?”

Almost a month ago, Clifton and I finally decided on our daughter’s name. We’ll be naming her Ava Gail Cotten!

The weekend we told my parents, my Mom started tossing names around. She played a big role in naming all three of her grandkids, so I was interested in what her thoughts were for the fourth. After maybe ten minutes or so of names that were just not interesting to us, she says “What about Ava?”. Hmmm …. Ava?  It definitely tickled my eardrums in a nice way – it wasn’t too long, too hard to pronounce or spell, and when I tried to imagine someone named Ava, I envisioned a lady who had just enough girly-ness, yet polished and poised …. Add this name to the top of the list!

I researched other names for girls, assuming that we’d go the route of making a list and narrowing the names down.  Well, no other girl name stood out to me as clear as Ava, and Clifton agreed.

I really wanted a family name to be incorporated and fortunately we only had two options to choose from. Knowing how close my husband is to his mother, how supportive she is of him and us, and not to mention how much she will love on our little one, we decided to give Ava her middle name, Gail. 😀 My  Mother-in-Law’s birthday was approaching around the time we decided on the name, so we waited to share the news with her on that day.

It’s a great relief to have this major to-do taken care of so the monogramming can officially begin! Even more importantly, we’re so grateful that our baby girl will forever carry pieces of our mothers with her every day.