39 Weeks

Today officially marks the end of 39 weeks! Tomorrow begins what should be the last week of this pregnancy! There's nothing really new to report from my doctors visit this week, except that the doctor said that "this baby could come at anytime!" So I guess that's good to hear. We are as ready as we will ever be. I'm thankful to have made it through, its been pretty uneventful and we're hoping and praying delivery will go just as smooth. I'm getting pretty nervous and anxious about what is to come, but I'm really ready to not be pregnant anymore. I can't remember what it feels like to not be pregnant. We pretty much have the bags packed for the hospital, at least with the necessities! There are a few other things I'd like to throw in if I can get them together in time... but other than that we're ready to go! I spent a good part of the day organizing our room and all the baby stuff to make things more functional when he arrives.

I'm excited to potentially only have 7 days left! I know we don't get to choose our baby's birthday, but we do have a few dates that we would be extra excited about... the first being this coming Monday, July 14th! This is my husbands grandpa's birthday, and I think it would be really special for Brody to share a birthday with his great-grandpa. If he doesn't come on Monday, then my next hope would be for his actual due date, the 19th! You see my birthday is on the 19th of August, and I arrived on my due date. So even though it's a different month it would still be kind of cool if he decided to take after his Mama and show up on time!

Speaking of when he will be making his arrival... I recently set up a little contest here on my blogger. It's mainly for my own entertainment, but to encourage participation there will also be a prize for the winner! I know we said that the game ends when we post that I am in labor, but don't wait too long to enter, I have a feeling it could be any day now... and you don't want to miss out. So to enter our little contest click here!

I did find out that we should be able to keep this blog updated pretty easily during labor! Turns out they do actually have free wi-fi in the labor & delivery ward of the hospital! So we'll be bringing our camera, and the laptop and we'll try to keep things updated as they happen.

Stay tuned... he'll be here any day now!

My Adorable Neice...

This is a video clip that my sister-in-law Marghee took of her daughter Eliann. It began when Marghee was asking Eliann questions about when her new baby cousin would be making his arrival. As it turns out, she's not so excited about a cousin and would rather have a sister instead! Isn't she adorable? We just love this little girl, and we're pretty sure she'll be a make a great cousin- once she gets over the fact that Brody isn't her new sister.

Guessing Game!

Just for my amusement... I thought it would be fun if we played a little game! My "official due date" is on July 19th, and the ultrasounds have all told us we are having a BOY! But, with about two weeks to go we are very curious as to how everything will play out... so we want your best guesses!

So here's the deal:

Leave me a message or comment here on blogger, or through myspace, facebook or my personal email. There will be a little prize... and it will be good, I promise! But I have to be able to contact you for you to get that prize. If you wish to leave your comment here, just make sure to leave me your name w/last initial (there may be other participants with the same first name as you!) as well as an email address so I can contact you if you win! Whoever has the most accurate answers is the winner! The contest ends when we post here that I am in labor. Thanks for playing, and happy guessing!

Your comment should include your best guesses of the following...

1. What date will our baby actually arrive?

2. How long will I be in labor? (in hours)

3. How much will our baby weigh at birth? (in both lbs. & oz.)

4. How long will our baby be? (in inches)

5. *Are we really having a boy... or do you think it's a girl?

*You may judge the ultrasound results for yourself by checking out these pictures from our 24 week scan.

Just Two More Weeks...

I can't believe its already here, today officially marks thirty-eight weeks! In just about two weeks time, God willing, I will be holding my baby boy! We had our last check-up on Wednesday... and there is really nothing new to report. The doctor says everything looks good still, and checked his positioning... confirming that he was still head down and ready to make his way into this world (as he has been for the last seven weeks). And for being this pregnant, I can't really complain too much. I still feel pretty good, the only thing really bothering me is the heat- and these hot flashes I'm having more frequently.

I wish I had pictures of his nursery to post, but right now we're staying with my parents for a while and he will be sharing a room with us for the first six or so months of his life- so he doesn't have a nursery yet. It's cool though, because all that furniture and bedding is expensive and would just be a waste of space at this point anyways. We did decorate his corner in our room! My very talented sister-in-law, Marghee painted him that beautiful sign with his name on it!
Because we are going with a jungle theme my little sister Chanel let us borrow one of her stuffed monkey's to put up on the little wooden shelf that would otherwise be empty! Although, I hear "Grammy" (the Grandma name my Mom has given herself) has picked Brody up his own adorable stuffed monkey on her trip to Hawaii, so when they return we'll put his up instead.
I have been on "maternity leave" now for about two weeks, it's been a welcome break for me and Sean's been working the closing shift during most of it, so its been nice to have most days at home with him! Other than getting his stroller and car seat set up as soon as it came, and setting up the bassinet in our room, I don't feel like I ever went through much of a "nesting" stage, and I still feel like there is SO much that needs to be done before we will be ready for his arrival. I've had his laundry on my to-do list for this entire past week. I think the procrastination bug is about to die though, since it's now hitting me that we are only two weeks away from the due-date that he could choose to make his arrival now at anytime! I'm only going to wash a few outfits... mostly onesies... his bed sheets and receiving blankets. Everything else stays in the closet with the tags on and the receipts attached just incase we are suprised with the birth of a baby girl!

Right now it seems like a lot of people I know are pregnant! It's almost as if we're having a little "2008 Baby Boom"! I'm a little worried there might not be any open beds at in the L&D unit at the hospital when its time... all joking aside, it's actually kind of fun to be going through this experience with a few friends. Having people around that actually understand pregnancy, comparing notes, and being thankful that I don't have it quite as bad as a few others who have been insanely miserable for the past nine months! A few weeks ago at my baby shower, I had two of my friends who are also pregnant, and due within the same week as me, it was fun having them there! The following Sunday I got to attend the shower of my dear friend Ariana who is giving birth to her second, a baby girl... due just three days before me. I was one of three other pregnant women at that shower as well! The first thing we did when we got their was to decorate onesies for her baby girl, and I'm not usually very creative or artistically talented so I was really quite happy and surprised at how well mine turned out! Although, I have had a little experience painting onesies this year... as that is how we told the parents our big news back in November! Isn't it cute?
We are planning to keep this post updated frequently as things progress over the next two weeks. He could arrive now at anytime! If Sean can't pick up a Wi-Fi connection at the hospital (...my wishful thinking) then we'll be finding a friend or family member that can post labor updates for us... so stay tuned, there is sure to be several new posts in the immediate future!

Happy 4th of July!

I guess I'll start with reporting that there is no big baby news today! I was kind of secretly hoping I'd go into labor this morning, so we could have a 4th of July baby. I know that might sound silly, but I'm now at thirty-seven weeks and six days so the baby is considered to be full term! It's safe now... and besides the fact that it would have been cool to deliver today, I'm quite ready to be done being pregnant. This little boy could arrive any day now, so I'm hoping the sooner the better. I am holding out hope for a few other significant dates, but I guess in the end he'll tell us which day is going to be his birthday! Today does happen to be my aunt's birthday.. Happy Birthday Aunt Sharon!
This year we didn't get to get out and do much celebrating. The pictures you are seeing are of Chanel (my little sister) from last year's 4th of July celebration down in Newport Beach. I found myself wishing I was there today, and was halfway tempted to take a little five hour drive this morning when I found myself wide awake at 6:30am. If my husband didn't have to work in the afternoon, I would have done my best to convince him it would be fun... although I don't think he would be buying it. Driving all that way just for one day, probably not worth it!
It seems like we've spent a good number of 4th of July's down in Newport Beach at my Aunt's house. The house used to belong to my Grandmother, and it is the same house my Dad grew up in. We've taken lots of family trips down there over the many years, and its one of my favorite places to visit... but I think I especially enjoy being there for the 4th of July.
There is always a parade that comes down the street in the morning! This is not your typical parade, as most people participate in it... rather than stand on the sidelines and watch. Everyone gets all dressed up in their best red, white, and blue. People decorate their bikes, wagons, pets, and children! And everyone marches down the street in true patriotic spirit. I enjoy being one of the few spectators who watch, and take pictures from the sidelines, but I fear those days are coming to an end as the next time we have the opportunity to be there I will have a child who is most likely walking and wanting to participate! Later in the afternoon, there is a potluck with the neighbors in back alley behind the house! This is a tradition that has gone on for as long as I can remember and it always seems to be a lot of fun. Some of the neighbors have been there so long that they were around to watch my Dad and his siblings grow up... their kids come out and celebrate too, so its kind of fun to see the reunion of old childhood friends all grown up and sharing the tradition with their own children! Once it gets dark, they break out the small time fireworks, and things like sparklers. Honestly those things scare me half to death, and I'm not sure how comfortable I'll feel watching all the action with a 1 year old next year (if we are fortunate enough to make it down for all the festivities)! We then usually walk down around the corner to the beach to catch the city's firework display, and by the time that's over with everyone is pretty tired and ready for bed!
This year was much different, I never even left the house! My other very pregnant friend Jen came over and we did BBQ up a little feast for lunch and hung out for a while! I also spent some time cooling off in our kiddie pool that's set up in the backyard. I would die without that thing in this heat! It's one of those easy set pools, with the inflatable ring around the top... the 10ft size, which is about 30in deep! It's small, and mainly built for children, but there's also enough room for about four adults to lounge comfortably around the sides. It's quite nice just sitting in there, the water comes up just enough to almost cover my shoulders! So its not TOO small and its something I'm quite thankful for, especially this late in pregnancy! I'll post a pregnancy update tomorrow (38 weeks), so stay tuned!

Baby Shower!

I've been meaning to get this post up for a little over a week now! Even though I'm now officially on maternity leave, and not working- I've somehow kept pretty busy and struggled to find time to write about this fun little get together we had the Sunday before last! It was our first baby shower, and we had a great time! The party was hosted by Judy and her daughter Jennifer at their beautiful home in Paso Robles, along with my Mom. Judy did an amazing job with the cake and the food, and was incredibly hospitable! She is actually the one who made my wedding cake, as well as my parents wedding cake. She seriously makes the worlds best cakes, I'm pretty sure anyone who has tried them will agree! I'm going to use this opportunity to plug her new website (click here), which you all should check out and keep in mind next time you need a cake for any occasion! Here are the cakes she made for the baby shower... the blue one is a Chocolate-Chocolate Chip with Chocolate filling, and the white one is Coconut with Lemon filling- both were a huge hit!
And here is the beautiful and talented Judy... responsible for the above masterpieces:

I was not exaggerating when I said the food was amazing as well. She served up Champagne, Mimosa's, Tea, and Ice Water along with an assortment of canned Sodas and this beautiful array of food!
There was a very delicious veggie lasagna, a beautiful fruit tray, a greek salad, and some really yummy wraps with an assortment of deli meats and fillings!

At first we all relaxed and had lunch, enjoying each others company! The first activity was a devotional my mom put together, along with a stack of gifts she presented me. I was to open one at a time, while she had each guest read a verse from the Bible and some helpful guidance in raising a child. This was first of the stack that I opened, a pack of receiving blankets. To go along with that 1 John 4:7 was read: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." Along with that came the advice: "Be sure to wrap your child up in the love of Jesus and keep him warm. Fill your home with love for each other. The more the love of Christ is shown in your home, the less there will be of bickering, fighting, and arguing, which is something no child needs to grow up with." I really appreciate all the time and trouble my Mom went to, to put together this special devotional. And of course the supply of baby necessities that came along with was very nice too!
Once that was over, it was time for games! It seems most baby showers I go to have the same games- so we tried to mix it up a bit and I actually spent some time online searching for some unique game ideas to help my mom with the planning. The first one was adapted from one that is sometimes played at co-ed showers- where the men will race to drink beer from the baby bottles! We thought it would be just as fun with the women, we also played the "non-alcoholic version" and used water. Each participant was handed a bottle filled with 3 oz of water, which had to be sucked out through a "slow flow" nipple! It was rather amusing to watch a bunch of grown women drink out of baby bottles... which is why for your viewing pleasure I can't resist posting these:




I forgot to mention that this was suppose to be an all gals event! No boys allowed... however, at the last minute we decided we should have my Dad and my Husband tag along! At first Sean really wasn't up for coming to a Baby Shower. But we lured the men there with promises of delicious food and cake. But he ended up being a great sport and even participated in the embarrassing baby bottle game!
After the bottle game, we got everyone in a circle and passed around two gift bags to this very cute story I found online about Mr. & Mrs. Wright, and their trip to the hospital to have their own baby. It was a cute story about them heading right to the hospital, and to get there they had to turn left out of the driveway. But quickly discovered that they had left something important at home. It went on and on filled with the words left and right and each time the bag would be passed to the person in the specific direction being called out in the story. In the end I believe Stephanie and Kyle took home the prizes!And finally that delicious cake was served, as I mentioned it was a huge hit and I was sooooo glad she let me choose two flavors because we had left overs and ate got to enjoy that cake for almost an entire week! Also pictured here is my very pregnant friend Ariana, due just three days before me. I was glad she could make it, along with my other friend Jen who is also pregnant and due two days after me! There were three of us there that were due the same week... there must be something in the water!

Once cake was served it was time for gifts!
Here are just some of the great gifts we received... I love the adorable onesies!

This had to be one of my favorites, and Grandpa's too! He's a huge Angels fan as I'm sure we will brainwash our son to be! I can't wait until he gets to wear this. It's just the right size to fit him in time for next season!

This was handmade just for Brody! Isn't it beautiful?
Another something we can't live without! The Boppy... this will come in very handy for feeding time!
Not only was this little stuffed puppy incredibly adorable, it's the quite soft and cuddly and sure to be Brody's little best buddy for a while!

See, I told you he was cute!
I'm so glad to have gotten some great books to read to him! This one was a touch and feel book about the ABC's!
I also really loved this very soft... super cuddly... baby blanket!
I've always wanted to get him some of these adorable shoes by Bobux!
And I think this one is more for my sanity then for the baby! It's a Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing!
For those of you who were there, THANK YOU so much for coming! It was such a special day for us, and I appreciate all the awesome baby gifts!

We do have one more shower planned down south for our friends and family that live in Orange County. This will be a co-ed gig, and more of a "Welcome Brody!" party, as it is planned after his arrival! Mainly because we don't get down there too often, and I know people are going to want to meet him! Also, now that I'm getting closer to thirty-eight weeks I don't feel much like traveling!

Oh and in case I haven't mentioned, we did finally decide on a name. We've had it picked out for a while now, but I just haven't found the right opportunity to post it on my Blog! His name will be: Brody Lawrence Griffin. This was the name we had chosen for our first boy even before we found out we were pregnant. The first name is just something I really liked, and the middle name is in honor of my Dad! We did some second guessing somewhere along the way, which is why there is a name poll still up. I'm going to leave it running until he's here I guess! But unless the ultrasound played tricks on our eyes, and this baby turns out to be a girl... something at which I would be completely shocked! Then we are excited to be welcoming our baby boy- Brody Lawrence- in just a few short weeks!

It's July!

July is finally here, and that means that THIS MONTH we will be welcoming our baby boy! I can't really say that time has flown by- but I can't believe we have less than three weeks to go! :) I'm going to try and keep this updated somehow during labor, and with a timely birth annoucment! Let's hope Twin Cities has WIFI, otherwise I'll have to find an outside connection to keep everyone up to date for me! Thanks for reading, there is sure to be more regular posts from here on out! Especially once we have a baby to posts pictures of! :)