NC Shower

On Sunday, January 24, Lily had her second shower, this time in NC. Laura & her mom Wanda threw it for us. (Not all gifts were photographed, so don't be upset if yours didn't make it.)

A picture of the spread- notice the cake, there will be close-ups...

The cake- homemade by Laura herself!

Another view

Me & the cake!

Michelle, Aunt Tara, Aunt Beth, & Nana Dee

Lauren, Amanda, & Tiffany Y

Raegan & Stacy (due on March 17!)

Me & Tiffany R (Remember, she's due at the same time I am? She looks so tiny compared to me!)

Kelly & Leslie

The diaper wreath Tiffany R made!

Lauren, Me, Andrea, & Tiffany Y

Aunt Tara, Aunt Beth, Amanda, & Nana Dee

Danielle, Kelly, Leslie, & Peggy

Me, Maddie, & Amanda (They surprised me & came up from FL with Beth!)

Maddie helps me with the gifts- her regular job!

She's such a good helper!

A growth chart from Andrea

A basket of goodies from Michelle

A "Lilly Pulitzer" outfit from Laura & Wanda

Lily's diaper bag from Laura & Wanda (excuse my face- I had no warning :)

A PB onesie with monogrammed "Lily" from Amanda & Maddie

Lavendar polka dot sheet from Maddie & Amanda (to add more lavendar into her room)

From Tiffany Y...

A basket of goodies!

A basket of goodies from Peggy & Raegan...

Including a giraffe stuffed animal...

... and a bear that plays soothing sounds

From Kelly- washcloths...

... and a rubber ducky that tells you if the water is too hot

Towels to match her bathroom from Leslie

Onesies from Danielle

A sweet dress from Lauren...

... along with her St. Patrick's Day onesie...

... and Boppy cover...

... and Boppy!

Rug from Tiffany R...

... and a Bug Pod- a scoop that collects bath toys, & drains them while it hangs in the bath for storage

A basket of goodies from Aunt Tara, including Desitin- she deemed it VERY necessary

Pack-N-Play from Stacy

A close-up of the diaper wreath

Belly bumps!

As you can see, once again Lily was spoiled beyond words! I was just so excited that I got to see so many friends in one place- it's been a while since I've seen some of them since I'm not much of a party animal these days!

We are blessed in so many ways, & cannot express enough gratitude to those who have gifted Lily with so many wonderful things. We love all of you!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

34 Weeks!

Week 34!

Now, I know that some of you won't be able to tell, but I had to go ahead & post my week 34 picture before getting the update from the doctor on Tuesday, because in the last week, I (or should I say Lily?) have started to drop!

I woke up one morning (Thursday, I think) & when I took a look in the mirror, she was noticeably sitting lower in my belly! I thought it was a wishful thinking thing on my part, but the girls at work & Jeff all said that it was noticeable to them as well.

So, I'll post an update after our doctor's appointment on Tuesday, but I just wanted to share the excitement we had for now!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

Addition from doctor's appointment on January 12:

Another good doctor's appointment! Except for the fact that their scale said that I had gained 5 POUNDS IN 2 WEEKS!!! I have never gained that much in all the appointments I've had, so imagine my surprise (& astonishment!). I hadn't changed my eating habits, I wasn't swollen... Hmm, another strange thing was that all 4 scales at my work indicated that I hadn't gained any weight since my last appointment. OK, I'll stop focusing on that, except to say that one of the books I read stated that during week 34, my blood supply will increase in preparation for labor, & I could gain between 2-4 pounds. So I'll chalk up 4 pounds to new blood, & one pound to Lily. :)

My blood pressure was 118/78, I was measuring right at 34 weeks, & Lily's heart rate was between 130s-140s. I'll have my Group B Strep test at my next appointment, which checks me to see if I'm a carrier for this organism. If so, all they do is administer Penicillin during the labor & delivery to protect Lily. If not, I'm off the hook! The doctor also said that they will probably do an internal exam because I am more on my feet than other women due to my job. The appointment is on January 28.

That's really all for now! Just pressing along, same old same old, trying to be patient. Such an exciting time!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

32 Weeks!

32 weeks!

(guest photographer: Laura Herbert, who told me to lift up my shirt so you could "really see how big my belly is" :)

On December 30, we had my 32 week checkup with the OB. Again, a pretty boring checkup, but I guess that's what we're looking for, right? My blood pressure was 114/66, I had gained another pound in the last two weeks (total so far: + 19 pounds), Lily's heartrate was in the 140s-low 150s, & I was measuring at 33 weeks!

The pregnancy has gone so well, I really couldn't ask for more. It hasn't been easy-breezy, but pretty close! I just relax knowing that I've been able to stay healthy & keep living life. So exciting to know that we'll be meeting her in the upcoming weeks!

The next doctor's appointment is on January 12- stay tuned!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

30 Weeks!

30 weeks!

On December 16 we went to the OB for my 30 week checkup. Blood pressure & weight gain are still good (18 pounds!). Lily's heart rate was in the 150s, & I was measuring at 29 weeks.

I asked the doctor what would happen in the next few appointments, as I assumed that because I would be going every 2 weeks something new & exciting would take place! I was wrong! She said that they just keep taking my blood pressure & weight, measuring me, & checking Lily's heart rate. I'll get tested for Group B Strep at 36 weeks, & then will start going weekly at that time until I deliver.

No news is good news as far as we're concerned! We're just as excited as ever for her big day to arrive, but we want her to take as long as she needs!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

28 Weeks!

28 Weeks!!!

Now, I know I look absolutely HUGE in this picture, but I'm proud to announce that I've only gained 14 pounds so far! If I go full-term (or a little longer) & continue to average a pound a week, I'll have only put on 30 pounds or less! Phew- sometimes it's hard to imagine with the sweet tooth I've got going!

On Monday, we went to the perinatologist for our 28 week ultrasound. This was our last scheduled check of Lily's heart. Everything looked great with her heart, & the doctor said that she'll be checked by the doctors at birth & at following appointments with her pediatrician, & she would only need to be followed if a murmur was detected. For more good news... The choroid plexus cyst was gone! The doctor acted like it was no big deal, & even said that they almost always disappear at this stage, but Jeff & I were relieved to hear it all the same.

The doctor measured Lily's head, long bone growths, abdominal circumference, etc. All of her measurements put her right on target in "age"; most of them had her measuring around 28 weeks & 4 days, although there were a couple that had her measuring around 27 weeks & 5 days. Either way, the average came out to be about 28 weeks- PERFECT! From those measurements, the exam estimated that she now weighs about 2 lbs, 9 oz.

Our next appointment is with the OB on December 15- I'll be 30 weeks then! After that, I'll go back 2 weeks later at 32 weeks, & go every 2 weeks until I'm 36 weeks, & then I go every week until I deliver. (I know I've said this before, but I can't believe that I'm nearing that stage- it seems so unreal!).

Everything is so exciting these days! Sometimes I feel so unprepared I just want to rush out & get everything that we need but haven't gotten so that my nerves will be calmed! But in the meantime I'm enjoying all of the kicks & movement she's doing, & thinking about all of the growth & development she's accomplished so far. It already makes me a little sad to think that I won't have that for much longer. But at the same time, I can't wait to meet this little girl growing inside me!!!

I really hope the 3rd trimester fatigue & aches stay away for a lot longer. I had a little trouble with my sciatic nerve pain a few weekends ago (it came on kind of randomly but really had me hurting for a few days!); I know that she's likely to cause that pain again, but for right now I'm loving how I'm feeling!

Thanks again for keeping us in your thoughts & prayers- we're so excited for you all to meet her!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

26 Weeks!

26 Weeks!!!

My 30th birthday (the only picture we took- losers!)

Week 25- since we missed week 24

Week 25

Today we went to the OB for our 26 week checkup. We had scheduled a 3D ultrasound session so that we could get a few pictures of our little girl & really get to see how she's doing in there! She has just started opening her eyelids in the past 2 weeks, & this picture catches her doing that! It's like she's saying "I see you looking at me!" The thing on the right side of her face is the umbilical cord.

Little smush face

This is how she was in most of the shots- blocking our view of her precious profile. She must be camera shy!

This is her profile shot in 2D.

Her heartrate was 145 beats per minute- still going strong & as beautiful sounding as ever!

She's putting her fist in her mouth but trying to hide it from us!

Fist in mouth- mmm, that tastes good!

A view of her back where she's reaching her left hand around to touch her neck. (There's not a hole in her head, that's just what happens when a part of the body goes out of focus)

Proof that she's a girl! (See the two lines between her little butt cheeks? Again, she's not missing the lower part of her leg, it's just out of focus.)

Sweet baby girl (the umbilical cord is under her chin)

Ohhh, grumpy face!

She's either saying that she's number one, or the Gators are! :)

Knocking on the uterine wall

Her left side, again with the arm by the face (I wonder if she'll sleep that way...)

Beautiful, healthy ribs & spine

So after the 3D ultrasound, I had my regular 26 week checkup. They did a glucose screening test, which is where they gave me something really sweet to drink & then checked my glucose blood level an hour later to make sure the insulin in my body is doing it's job to combat the sugar. They are looking for the glucose level to be 135 or less. If it's higher than 135, I have to go back for a glucose tolerance test, which is a 3 hour test in which they periodically check my glucose level to screen for gestational diabetes. I'll know in a few days what today's result was. They also checked my hemoglobin levels to test for anemia, which is common in women in their 2nd trimester.

We go back to the perinatologist on November 30, & he'll check her heart again, as well as the choroid plexus cyst & her feet. We had the ultrasound tech look at her feet today, which showed that they were still turned inward, so when we interview with pediatricians, we will start talking to them about our options for correcting that after she's born. We really feel lucky that this has been a healthy pregnancy for me so far, & that we haven't had any complications. We are confident that her cyst will be gone, & her sweet little crooked feet will just be a bump in the road that we'll fix for her as best we can!

Then I'll return to the OB on December 15 for my 30 week checkup. Then I'll start seeing the OB 2 weeks after that for a checkup every 2 weeks until I hit 36 weeks, which is when I'll start going every week until I deliver. The time is flying by, especially with all the holidays thrown in there!

If that doesn't hit home, an article Jeff & I were reading in the waiting room states that it's normal & OK for a woman to deliver between 37 & 42 weeks. Jeff said, "Wow- can you imagine delivering a little early at 37 weeks?" And I said, "No, that's only 10 weeks from next Saturday!!!" After my 28th week, I'll officially be in my third trimester & I'm sure the time will fly even faster then!

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts & prayers. Again, we are excited beyond words & just cannot wait to meet this precious little girl that God has blessed us with!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

A night in JoCo!

On Saturday night, we were invited to our friends Tiffany & Kirk's house for a little BBQ & fun. Tiffany is due with their little boy "KJ" one day after I'm due with Lily! There was a LOT of good food (2 kinds of mac & cheese!) & a lot of good people. We played a little cornhole too, on the best cornhole set I've ever seen! (Jeff & I were the undefeated champs!)

Stacy (due with a little girl 3/17), Tiffany (due with KJ 2/25), & Me (due with Lily 2/24)

Laura & Austin, Stacy & Travis- brothers & sisters-in-law!

Jeff & I (am I proud of that belly or WHAT?!?)

Tiffany, Me, & Laura

Tiffany, Stacy, Me, & Laura

We had a really good time & were glad to get to spend time with our friends & meet some new people. A great night in the JoCo indeed!