1 day...

According to my little ticker, we have 1 day until baby Addison arrives. According to baby Addison, we have ??? days until she arrives. Isn't this fun! It's 10:15 p.m., and Molly dog and I are hanging out wondering if this will be our last night together without baby Addison. Craig is at a Christmas party dinner in Bluffton tonight, and it's just me and "the girls". It is so quiet around here -- something that is sure to change in the very near future.

Those of you who know me well know that I cannot sit still -- EVER. Even the day before I am supposed to deliver a baby. So, what's a girl to do?

Shop! Of course! What else!

I spent the day Christmas shopping in Bluffton with my friend Michelle, who just happens to be 37 weeks pregnant. The 2 of us sure are a sight, and it is so funny to watch people do a double take when we walk by. Coincidentally, I was wearing a red shirt and she was wearing a bright green shirt. We looked like 2 walking (make that waddling) Christmas balls! I vowed to skip the Christmas shopping this year, but I just couldn't help myself. I just love the excitement of shopping for friends and family (and baby Addison this year). Besides, I figured it wouldn't hurt to do a little walking today. Turns out we did a LOT of walking. If I didn't shake baby Addison loose in there today, I am not sure I am going to be able to do so without the help of drugs.

After shopping, I met some more of my friends downtown for dinner. As tired as I was, all I kept thinking was that this might be my last chance to go out to dinner for a while. It's crazy how many of the "this might be my last chance to ______ for a while" thoughts I have had this week. I still can't believe the time is here. With each passing minute, Craig and I are getting more and more excited. I must say that I am nervous about the actual delivery part, but I am really looking forward to the moment I get to wrap my arms around little Addison. We have been waiting a LONG time to meet this little girl! What a WONDERFUL JOURNEY this pregnancy has been!

Keep us in your thoughts, and we will be sure to keep all of you posted! Happy Holidays!

No Baby Yet

I just left the doctor's office, and as I expected, little has changed since my last appointment a week and a half ago. Although my cervix is a little thinner than it was last time, I am only a teeny tiny bit dilated. So... the waiting game continues. My doctor said that all pregnancies are different, but that if she had to guess, she'd say the baby is going to hang out in utero a little longer, which is really okay with me. Don't get me wrong, I cannot WAIT to meet her, but as long as the baby isn't getting too big in there, I would just as soon let nature take her course. I still feel great and for the most part, I am not too uncomfortable yet.

My next appointment is next Tuesday, which is a few days past my original due date of December 9th. Since I will be past the 40 week mark, I will have another ultrasound to check my fluid levels and assess the baby's size. If everything looks okay with the ultrasound, the doctor will continue to monitor me closely and begin to talk about an induction sometime around the 16th, I think. I guess we'll just spend the next week waiting to see what happens!

Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year, and one of things I love most about Christmas is decorating the Christmas tree. At nine months pregnant, I must say it was a little more challenging than usual this year. I had to work in shifts. I would work for a little while, rest for a little while, work for a little while, rest for a little while and so on. It took me longer than I anticipated, but we now have a beautifully decorated tree. The tree is decorated and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. Now all we need is our little package to make things complete!

We are THANKFUL for...

Our families, friends, and THE NURSERY! Our furniture FINALLY arrived Wednesday night. I was beginning to think it was never going to come, but it came just in time for Thanksgiving. The delivery person set the crib up on Wednesday night, and my mom and I spent time organizing everything on Wednesday night and Thursday. Thanks mom for all of your help! As frustrating as it was to have to wait so long for the furniture, I must say I think it was worth the wait. Craig and I both just love the room. It's so sweet and comfortable. (Craig says he loves the room, but I think it might be the recliner that he loves the most)!



Because I bought everything at different times and from different places, I wasn't sure how (if at all) it would all come together, but it turned out to be even cuter than I had imagined.


Check out the curtain rod finials that my friend Amy made for me. Aren't they the neatest finials you've ever seen? They are definitely one of a kind! Thanks Aunt Amy and Uncle Paul for coming to install them for us last weekend!

And thanks to Craig for the closet upgrades. We now have lots of shelves for baby Addison's things and 2 hanging racks for her clothes (because she's definitely going to need them).


I feel much better knowing that the nursery is in order now. The lack of organization was making me crazy. Or maybe it's the hormones that are making me crazy...

38 Week Update

Well, we have made it to the 38 week mark, and it looks like baby Addison is going to stay put just a bit longer. At my doctor's appointment on Wednesday, my doctor said everything looks good so far. My cervix has thinned a little, but as of Wednesday, I was not dilated at all and the baby's head was still pretty high. My blood pressure was great, I had actually lost a few pounds (shocker), and so far, I have not had to deal with any swelling. I am starting to feel a little pressure when I stand or walk for a while, but I don't think the baby has officially "dropped" yet. My only real complaint at this point is that it is getting harder and harder to get a good night's sleep. Between the bathroom breaks and the waking up at 4 am, I am a little sleep deprived. (Probably not nearly as sleep deprived as I am going to be, though)!

If things continue to go well, my next appointment is Monday, December 3rd. If my due date comes and goes with no baby, my doctor will let me go 1 week past before inducing, which is fine with me. I am not completely uncomfortable (yet), and I would just as soon baby Addison come when she is ready rather than trying to rush things.

14 days and counting...

30 Days and Counting

Usually by this time of year, I am counting down the days until Christmas. This year, I haven't really given Christmas the first thought... Instead, I am counting the days until baby Addison arrives. Only 30 days left! The countdown is REALLY on now. Where has the time gone? It seems like the Easter bunny was just here delivering the BIG news to Craig. Ready or not, I think baby Addison is on her way for sure!

35 Weeks

AND STILL NO FURNITURE! This is about to make me completely crazy, but I am extremely hopeful that my furniture will be here this week or next. I guess it's a good thing I ordered everything in AUGUST. Evidently, baby Addison's crib is on a boat in the middle of the ocean somewhere. A lot of good that is going to do us if our little jelly bean decides to come early. Seems that it is coming from Romania, and it just so happens that the contact person from the warehouse in NJ is in Romania right now. So, until he returns to the states with an update for us, I guess we'll just keep hoping for some great news.

I have spent several nights this week doing what I can to prepare for baby Addison's arrival. I have washed, folded, put away and organized what I can without the furniture. The upstairs still looks like a bomb went off, but things are looking a little better. I have started packing my bag for the hospital (just need to get a few more things) and have packed Addison's sweet little bag. The handpainted letters for the nursery came in this week, and I just love them! I would go ahead and hang them except I am not sure exactly where to hang them without the furniture. The curtains also came in, and I think my friend Amy is bringing the curtain rods, finials and hardware next weekend so we can hang those. We are getting so close to having a nursery...

As for the baby, she continues to remind me that she is there. While she doesn't seem to move as frequently as she did a few weeks ago, when she does move, I definitely notice. The "taps" are now jabs and kicks. Last night, there was something big (must have been a knee or a leg) pushing the side of my stomach out. It was too funny. And too cool.

My next appointment is next Thursday. After that appointment, I'll be going weekly instead of every two weeks. Hard to believe the weekly visits are almost here.

Check back for updates. I'll definitely keep you posted as we continue to prepare for baby Addison to arrive.