MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! December 25, 2010

                Merry Christmas to all!  I have been fortunate enough to spend the entire day with my family and couldn’t have asked for more! 

                We started the morning by going over to Jared and Lindsay’s at about 8 to watch Jace open his presents!  I took pictures while Jared videoed and Lindsay and Jon helped Jace with his toys!  He had a wonderful 1^st Christmas!

                Next, we headed to Mom and Dad’s to open gifts between the 5 of us.  Mom and Dad went overboard, as usual and ended up getting us way too much!  Several outfits for Baby Jameson, a monogram necklace (Jameson) for me, a Handy Cam Video Camera for Jon and I, clothes and gift cards, and more!  Jace got Jameson an adorable big stuffed teddy bear and Jared and Lindsay got him a camo outfit that Jon couldn’t get over!  He is already spoiled rotten and isn’t even here yet!  I love it!




#1 -Adorable outfit from Mom and Dad
       #2 - Our NEW Video Camera!  Bring on the priceless moments Jameson!



  



#1 - Camo outfit from Jared and Lindsay.  Jon LOVED it!             
#2 - I LOVE MOMMY onesie!  I love it!

  


#1 - "Jameson" necklace from Mom :)
#2 - UK onesie from Mom and Dad




#1 - Big, soft, cuddly teddy from Jace!  I think Jon wanted to sleep with it that night!           
#2 - Noah's ark and stuffed animals from Mom and Dad! 



  

#1 - My BEAUTIFUL watch from Jon!
  #2 - My awesome Chamilia bracelet from the Newton's!

                Obviously, Jon and I exchanged gifts at Mom and Dad's since that is our current home!  He got me a beautiful watch, a gift card to the mall, a few sweaters, earrings and bracelets and JAMESON'S CRIB!!!!  This was the ONLY gift I wanted from him, but of course he had to get more!  I got him a North Face sweatshirt, North Face Fleece, Nike zip up, and a new pair of tennis shoes!  We say every year that we won't buy each other anything and we will save our money, but as you can see, we failed to do so again this year!  Oh well, next year will be ALL about Jameson!

               At noon we had lunch at my Mamaw and Papaw Shelton’s with the rest of the family!  Lots of food and dirty santa, which is always entertaining!  It was great to see all of my aunts, uncles and cousins!

                After leaving Mamaw’s we headed to Jon’s parents to eat dinner and exchange gifts with his parents, Christy, Tim, Logan, Zane and Spencer.  They got me a really cute Chamilia bracelet with a baby carriage charm, a light blue charm, and a charm that says “family” on it.  So cute!  We also got clothes, money, gift cards, luggage, and more!  After gifts, we all played Phase 10 which I am proud to say I WON!!!  I told them at the beginning that there was only 1 rule, “JON NEWTON CANNOT WIN!”  We are so competitive!  HAHA!

                Jon and I headed home around 9 and headed to bed!  What a long and enjoyable day!

                Sunday afternoon we headed to my cousin Jill's for my Mom's side of the family!  We had a huge (and yummy) dinner and then exchanged gifts!  Mikayla and Rylea got the new pictionary game on the Wii so Me, Rylea and Jill took on Mom, Mikayla and Kelcie in a game.  Again, I am proud to say MY TEAM WON!  We had a great time and it was great to spend another day with family!

Favorite Moments this Week:

                When we were on our way to my grandparents Christmas day, Jon looked at me and said, "I wish Jameson was here.  This would be so much more fun if he was already here.  I can't wait!"  Then he looked at me and said, "Carly, you have the best Christmas gift of all, our Baby Boy is inside you!" It absolutely melted my heart because I felt the exact same way!  I'll be glad when he is here next year celebrating his 1st CHRISTMAS!!!               

                We ordered these landscaping stars for Mom for Christmas to put out by her fish pond.  The delivery promise date was Dec. 17th....needless to say, FedEx delivered them on December 27th!!!!  Either way, Mom's reaction when she opened it was priceless!  She loved it, and we thought they were pretty cute too!

One of Mom's Christmas gifts!  She loved it!

33 weeks:

                I was 33 weeks on Friday the 24th!  I have been feeling really well lately!  I don't know if it's the Christmas spirit and being off work or what, but it's been great!  Jon and I spent the 23rd and 24th in Evansville finishing some last minute shopping so the last few days have been VERY long!  I think we got up at 7:30 on the 24th and didn't stop until midnight!  I decided that night that I needed to slow down just a little, for baby Jameson's sake!

               According to my baby book, Jameson now weighs over 4 pounds and is over 17 inches long so he is about the size of a pineapple!!!  Also, he is rapidly losing his wrinkled skin! 

               Jameson has been SUPER active lately!  I honestly think he is doing actual somersaults in there!  It is never a challenge to get him to move anymore.  Mom came in my room the other night and asked if he was kicking and I told her to just put her hand on my belly.  He immediately kicked!  I think he likes to perform!  Any time Jon puts his hand on my belly he goes to town!  Jon likes playing games with him, like when he puts his hand on my belly he will say, "Jameson, if you love Daddy, kick!" and Jameson will kick and Jon thinks its awesome :)  Jon is always asking me what it feels like on the inside and asks me to describe it!  Which is somewhat hard to do other than saying it's amazing!

Symptoms:

               I have still been taking Benadryl every night and I have been sleeping pretty well!  I use a pillow between my legs as well as a pillow to put under my belly while I lay on my side!  It's getting pretty big these days and Jon is loving it!  Every night we lay in bed and he has his usual talk with Jameson, gives him kisses, and constantly rubs my belly!  I think every time he touches my belly he says "What's my Baby Boy doing in there?"  HAHA! 

                I am still having heartburn as well but it hasn't been as bad!  Still taking Tums smoothies as needed!  The biggest change I have noticed lately is the discomfort I feel when getting up out of bed, getting out of the bath tub, putting on socks and shoes, and getting up from the floor when I am playing with Jace.  I think when I lean over to get up I am squishing Jameson and he doesn't like it!  Jon frequently offers to put my socks and shoes on, which is a huge relief! 

32 Week Checkup!!!! December 16, 2010

Baby Checkup:

            NO SCHOOL TODAY!  We had a small amount of freezing rain/sleet to hit the area overnight so Jon and I were pleased to get phone calls at 5:30 am informing us that we would have the day off!  Yet another perk of having the same profession as your Husband!!!  So, we turned off our alarms and went back to sleep for a few hours.  We checked out the roads at about 9:30 and they didn’t seem too bad so we decided to go ahead and get ready for my checkup at 11:20.  We headed to Evansville (roads were mostly clear) to see Dr. Ott!  Jon had to help me in and out of his truck.  Two reasons for this:

1.       I am now having difficulty climbing up into his truck with this big belly!

2.      There were still lots of ice patches on the pavement and gravel, so he wanted to make sure I didn’t slip and fall!  I felt like a little old lady walking across the parking lot with him holding on to me!

As usual, our doctor’s visit started with the nurse taking my blood pressure, urine sample, and weight!  My blood pressure was very low this time, 90/70, and the nurse even commented when taking it “I was beginning to wonder if you were still breathing!”  I gained 2 lbs. since my last visit so my total pregnancy weight gain is now 12 lbs!!!!  We went straight from there to our exam room.  Dr. Ott came in shortly after.  I had lots of questions this time!  I pulled out my phone and read from a long list I had made the night before!  She laughed and said, “It’s funny, no one uses pencil and paper anymore, they use their phones!”  Some of my questions:

1.      Why was my blood pressure so low and do I need to be concerned?

- Dr. Ott said during pregnancy your blood pressure fluctuates and it is ok because a little low is better than high!  Plus, my blood pressure tends to run lower anyway.  NO WORRIES!

2.      I am still having the same symptoms I had 2 weeks ago when I had to come in to Triage.  I finished the medicine for my UTI, but I don’t think anything has changed.

- Dr. Ott said that my urine sample showed a high white blood cell count which indicates I still have an infection.  She said that the antibiotic may not have worked and prescribed me a different one.  Hopefully this will work!  The associated symptoms took up about half of my list!

3.      I’m having hip pain now, is that normal?

-Unfortunately, yes and it probably won’t get better :(  Dr. Ott said this was in part from the widening of my hips to prepare for labor!  Funny, I thought my hips were wide enough!!! HAHA!

4.      I’m having lower back pain as well and it’s pretty much constant.

-Dr. Ott says this too is normal.  As my belly gets bigger I get more of a curve in my back to help support myself when standing and that puts a lot of pressure on the lower back.  She says this will likely not get any better either :(

5.      I feel EXTREMELY different today than just a few days ago.  Between all the movement, aches, pains, and discomfort, I don’t even feel like the same person!  Is this normal?

-Again, unfortunately, yes!  I’m getting to the point that all of the discomfort, aches and pains start occurring more frequently, if not consistently. 

6.      Last, I’m a first time Mommy and I am constantly worried about every ache, pain and symptom I have.  I am constantly wondering if what I am feeling is normal or if I should call you.  Can you tell me what is normal and what I should be aware of?

-The back pain, some cramping, and discomfort are normal.  You need to call in if you experience contractions or tightening of the uterus (she showed me where my uterus begins and how to tell), bleeding, or my water breaks.  Otherwise, if I have any questions and I’m just not sure go ahead and call because she said she would rather I have to come in 50 times for false alarms than not come 1 time when I should have!

Baby at 32 Weeks: 

By now, baby should weigh 3.75 pounds and is apparently the size of a large jicama (this is some type of root that looks kind of like a very large potato) and is about 16.7 inches long!  Baby is supposed to gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Recent Moments that Made Me Smile:  

On the way home from the doctor Thursday Jon and I were just chatting along and I noticed he was starting to veer off the road and then I heard those bumps on the edge of the parkway (the ones that tell you to get back over on the road!) and I looked at him and said, “Jon, you are running off the road!”  He turned and looked at the road and said, “Sorry, I was just sitting here looking at you.  You are so beautiful.  You have beautiful hair and a beautiful face and you are going to be a great Mommy!  I just got distracted!”  Needless to say after that I wasn’t too upset about him running off the road!  What a comeback!

            Second, I was babysitting Jace on Tuesday because we had a snow day but Henderson did not so Lindsay had to work.  That afternoon he was taking his nap.  I laid him down in mine and Jon’s bed and decided to lay beside him and rest while watching TV.  After about an hour he sat up, opened his eyes and looked at me and started crying.  Then he crawled up beside me, grabbed my shirt and dug his head into my shoulder (like he was snuggling) and fell right back to sleep!  For another hour I laid there with his head on my shoulder and my shirt clinched in his fist!  I loved every second of it! He is so precious!

            Third, Jon and I were emailing each other at work the other day.  He was telling me that he had posted up shop in the teacher’s lounge eating buckeyes that someone had brought.  He kept sending funny emails so I emailed him back and asked, “Are you high on buckeyes?” He responded, “No, I’m high on life bc of the most beautiful wife and baby boy on the way!!!”  To which I responded, “You are too cute, but I’m not feeling too beautiful these days.”  He replied, “More beautiful than I have ever seen you!!!!  You’ve got a glow about you!  It’s true!”  How amazing is he?  I LOVE HIM!

WE are getting soooo close!  Next checkup is in 2 weeks on December 29th!  We go December 27th for our pre-admission appointment where we fill out all the paperwork for the BIG DAY!  The secretary said we will fill out the "parent portion" of Jameson's birth certificate and they will take some other information from our Social Security cards, birth certificates, driver's license, etc!  WOW!  All this BIG stuff makes everything MORE and MORE exciting!!!  Can't wait for my little man!

(Pictures to come!)

31 Weeks, a Brunch, and Basketball! December 11, 2010

                   We are 31 weeks and our due date is 2 months from today!  This week ended much better than last week!  No visits to Triage, no baby issues, a family brunch and a surprise baby shower!  Yay!  Plus, we are expecting some snow tomorrow and this week is our last week of school before Christmas break begins!  I am looking forward to spending 2 weeks doing last minute Christmas shopping, going to Jon’s basketball games, spending time with my family, and RESTING!  Then, it’s back to work for about 5 weeks before Jameson’s arrival!  We are on the downward slope now and I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by!  I’m so excited to meet my precious angel!

Nana Linda hung stockings for Jace and Baby Jameson at her house!



I wish you could have seen Jon when he saw the "I love Coach Newton" onesie!!!!



             31 Weeks:  According to my baby book, Jameson should weigh around 3.3 pounds and is over 16 inches long!  He can turn his head from side to side and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out!  The book also says Baby is moving a lot (yes, he is) and so you may have trouble sleeping (yes, I am) because your baby’s kicks and somersaults keep you up!  Take comfort in the movement as it is a sign that your baby is active and healthy!!  My symptoms still include heartburn, although TUMS smoothies are still helping!  I’m also still having trouble sleeping.  I FINALLY bought some Benadryl that my doctor recommended taking before bed to sleep better.  It helped the first 2 nights but last night wasn’t so great.  Hopefully, tonight will be better!  I have noticed DAILY changes in my belly!  I told Jon just last night that people have been telling me my whole pregnancy that I don't look very big and haven't gained much weight, but I think they are getting ready to see a BIG change!  I feel like it grows 6 more inches each day!  I've noticed that putting on socks, bending over, raising up out of bed and getting up off the floor have become quite challenging lately!  Other than being a little tired from not sleeping I am still feeling pretty good!  Next doctor's checkup is this Thursday (16th)!  We will see how much Baby Jameson has grown and how much Mommy has gained :) 

Holiday Brunch:   Every year the Shelton girls (My Mamaw, Mom, Aunts, and Girl Cousins) have a brunch at my Aunt Denise’s house a few weeks before Christmas!  We have a great time getting together, eating, laughing, and playing games!  This year I was surprised when they told me to go have a seat in the living room and then everyone brought in a BABY GIFT!  How awesome!!!  Instead of playing a game this year, they decided to have a “mini” baby shower for me and Baby Jameson!  We received several cute outfits, blankets, diapers, bibs, etc that I know Jameson will get much use out of!  It is so special to be part of an amazing family and know that your child is going to be a part of something special as well!  We have had several trials and tragedies in our family this last year and it’s so comforting to know that we are all there for each other with nothing but kind words, thoughts and prayers!  My family is AMAZING!!!!

Shelton Cousins! 
Me, Maggie, Brittney B., Brittney D., and Lindsay
Melissa, Kelseay, and Kelly
LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!!



One of my Baby gifts!  A monogrammed onesie for Jameson!  We still haven't decided if he will be Jameson Jon Newton or Jon Jameson Newton, but either way, it works!



Me, Mom and Lindsay

 

Me and My Cousin Brittney......I put her to shame! 
Me - 31 weeks
Brittney - 21 weeks
BOTH BOYS!!!!



Basketball:  It’s December, which means basketball is now in full swing!  Jon has been working really hard this year in order to prepare for (what we have been told) his big debut as HEAD COACH next year!  I LOVE nothing more than to see him at work on the basketball court!  He knows SOOOO much about the game and has such a passion for it too!  He has wonderful relationships with his players and is able to communicate with them like they are his own boys!  It really says a lot about a coach when you have players who trust you with their personal issues, who call when they need help, invite you to the movies with them, randomly show up at your front door to visit, and who sent text messages when I was in the hospital saying they were praying for us!!!!  It’s like we have a whole other family!  Yes, some weeks are BUSY, BUSY and I don’t get to see him much, but all I have to think about is what he is doing for Webster County and those boy’s and it melts my heart!  Some Husbands go to work and then go to bars, some Husbands are lazy and sit on the couch all day, and some Husbands work 70 hours a week, so what my Husband does almost seems like a blessing!  I know that he does what he does for the love of the game, out of the goodness of his heart and to teach players to be successful on and off the court.  Let’s face it, we all know it’s not for the money because High School Basketball coaches don’t get paid millions to do what they do!  It’s truly for the LOVE OF THE GAME! 

Coach Newton on the sidelines

Time Out!!!

Registering Baby Jameson! December 4, 2010

                 So I asked the nurse before being released yesterday if it would be ok for Jon and I to register for the baby today because it was about the only possible day for us to get it done.  She said, yes, that doesn’t require any lifting or a lot of activity.  She told me to be sure to rest Friday night when I got home from the hospital and I should be ok to register Saturday night.  So, Jon and I headed to Babie’s R Us this evening!  This was SOOO much fun!   We were there for every bit of 2 ½ hours looking at everything, testing it out and going crazy with the Registry Gun!  When Jon had it in his hands, we were in trouble!  He was a little trigger happy so I may need to get online and check the registry to see what is actually on there! 

                There were so many funny moments when Jon would look at something and say “What is that for?” And then there’s me, “Babe, they are nursing pads that you put in your bra in case you leak so they don’t get your blouse wet.”  And then Jon, “Wow”.  LOL, he’s hilarious!  We found out quickly that if Jon got to decide on which item to choose he would inevitably choose a sports theme or monkeys EVERYTIME!  I understand the sports infatuation, but the monkeys confused me!  Then we got to bedding, which we already have, and he found bedding with a MONKEY PLAYING SPORTS!  Uh Oh!  He immediately looked at me and said, “Where was this when we were picking out bedding!?!?!”  HAHA!  He kills me!

                Well, we finished registering and were actually quite tired and hungry so we headed to Olive Garden for dinner.  We were going to register at Wal-Mart too tonight but after dinner we decided we were too wiped out and that I should probably not overdo it so we headed home!  Very productive night though!  I hope Baby Jameson loves his Mommy and Daddy’s taste!

Ready to register!

He went a little crazy with the scanner and the Colts gear!

Our registry gift bag and book!

Took advantage of EXPECTANT MOTHERS parking!  It was soooo cold!

The BIG Scare! December 3, 2010

                Well, we had quite the scare this morning!  I had noticed a little fluid leaking last night and I woke up at 4 am with severe back and stomach cramps.  I took some Tylenol and tried to go back to bed.  I got up and got ready for work and headed in, thinking I would just call my Doctor when I got to work.  I called at 8:00 and the machine said phone hours didn’t begin until 8:15.  I went ahead to my downstairs classroom for Math and returned back to my office at 9:30 and called again.  I spoke with Dr. Ott’s nurse and told her my concerns about the leakage.  She asked if I had experienced any cramping and I told her about my middle of the night episode.  She consulted with Dr. Ott and she told me to come in to Triage immediately and have things checked out because I could potentially be leaking amniotic fluid.  She said she would notify them that I was coming.  I FREAKED OUT!!!!!  I was a disaster!  I decided to call my Mom first because I knew she was home and I was afraid if I called Jon at work crying, unable to breathe and talk he would have a stroke.  I called Mom and (kind of) got out that I had some problems and my doctor wanted me to come to Triage immediately and she needed to call Jon.  She said, “It’s ok, come home now and I’ll call Jon”.  I ran out the door and headed home.  About a minute later Jon called my cell phone in complete horror.  I was hysterical too so I can’t even remember what either of us said but he had jumped in his truck as soon as Mom called and headed home too.  We all met at the house, packed a quick “overnight” bag and ran out the door.

                When I got to the hospital they registered me and admitted me to a room.  First, I obviously had to put on a gown!  Next, the nurse came in and talked to me about my symptoms.  She put 2 bands around my belly, one to monitor the baby’s heart rate and the other to monitor my contractions (if I was having them).    She said she would give them a few minutes to monitor before checking them so she took my urine sample to run some tests.  She returned about 5 minutes later and looked at my monitor readings.  She said, “Ok, in the few minutes I was gone you had several mini contractions so I am going to go ahead and do a full battery of tests.”  Obviously, this freaked us out even more!  Jameson’s heart rate looked perfect though and he was very active (we could see him kicking the bands so I don’t think he liked them!), so that was somewhat comforting.  They decided to do a protein test that can detect whether I will go into labor within the next few weeks (how this works is beyond me, but it’s 99% accurate!).   They also checked my cervix to see if I was dilated, thankfully, I was not!  They ran another test to determine if the fluid I was leaking was amniotic fluid.  The nurse gave me a shot in the arm to stop my contractions, and boy was it painful!  She was great though, so nice and very informative!  They told us it would take about 2 hours to get the results so we sat in the room and played the waiting game.  I hadn’t eaten breakfast this morning because I was so upset and nervous and they informed me that I couldn’t eat again until they knew exactly what was going on.   Great, I was starving (and so was Baby Jameson)! Jon, Mom and I sat in the room and watched TV and said lots of prayers.  We got lots of texts and phone calls from people worried about Baby Jameson, and we are so thankful for everyone’s prayers! 

                At about 1:30 the nurse came back in and said that the fluid was not amniotic (YAY!) and the protein test showed that I would not go in to labor within the next 2 weeks (YAY again!).  So, all good news at this point!  We were so relieved and could actually hold in our tears long enough to smile for a picture!  Next, they wanted to do an ultrasound to make sure the baby was okay and to see if my cervix had began to thin out.  This was another sign of premature labor.  At about 2:15 they came and picked me up for the ultrasound.  First, we looked at my cervix and thankfully everything looked perfect!  The nurse actually said my cervix was “As long as the Mississippi” which meant I definitely hadn’t started thinning out yet.  Another positive!  Then we got to see baby Jameson!  He had both hands over his face but it was amazing how much different he looked since our last ultrasound in October!  You could see his fingers perfectly and he even moved a little so we could see his face for a second!  WOW!  Everything looked good with Jameson too, so we headed back to my room.  When we got there, Grandma Liz had arrived.  Mom called and told her what was going on and she insisted she come over although Mom told her not too!  I love my Grandma Liz!

                At about 3:45 they came in and said I could be released!  YIPPEE!  My doctor had determine from all my tests results, ultrasound and urine sample that I was getting a UTI which was causing my bladder and uterus to “quiver” causing the mini contractions and leaking.  She said it could also produce cramping so she gave me a prescription and told me to go home and rest.  I have to continue to monitor my symptoms and if things aren’t better by Monday then I need to call the nurse again.  WHEW!  Everything turned out to be okay and I just had a silly UTI!  I felt silly, but Jon reminded me that I called and told them my symptoms and if they weren’t concerned they wouldn’t have had me come in.  Plus, it’s better to be safe than sorry! 

                Thank you, God for answering all of our prayers!  We weren’t quite ready to meet Baby Jameson yet and hope that he can hang out in Mommy’s belly for the 10 more weeks he needs to!  Thank you, God for giving me an amazing Husband and Mother to be there for me no matter what!  I don’t know that I have ever seen either of them so upset and concerned for someone.  I couldn’t have done this without them!

The bands around my belly

Baby Jameson's heart monitor

Contraction monitor

Just received good news, now we can finally SMILE!

30 Weeks! December 2, 2010

        It's official, we are 3/4 of the way there!  Only 10 more weeks until we get to meet Baby Jameson!  I had my biweekly doctor's appointment today.  Things went very well!  First, Thanksgiving was a great way for Mommy and Baby to recover from the stomach virus because I gained 5 lbs since my last visit!  Yes, that means that my total pregnancy weight gain has now doubled and is 10 lbs!!!  My blood pressure was 110/70 which is perfectly normal for me!  Dr. Ott measured my belly today and said I am right on track with the 30 week mark.  When she felt my belly Jameson immediately kicked, which she thought was funny!  She said based on the location of his heartbeat and what she feels she thinks he has moved positions to head down, which is good.  He could still move back to breech position but this doesn't become a concern until I am 36 weeks.  She listened to his heartbeat and it was a solid 145, which is excellent!  We talked about my pediatrician, which will be Dr. Morgan at Henderson Pediatrics, my pre-registration appointment (which I have already scheduled, Go Me!), breast feeding (still undecided), and then fun stuff like the baby's full name (still undecided) and the nursery!  She also asked how "counting kicks" was going and I told her that Baby Jameson has no trouble meeting the 6 kicks/hour requirement!  Usually I can get him to count 10 times within the first 5 minutes of keeping track so he makes my job pretty easy! 
          Mom and I did some shopping after the appointment today!  We looked at Baby Depot for furniture and found some things I like, I'm just not sure when I will purchase furniture yet since Mom already has a crib at her house and we will be here for a while as the house is being built!  Anyway, it was fun to look at all the cute stuff!  I think Jon and I are going to try to register Saturday afternoon after his basketball games so that should be fun!  Mom and I also went to HHGregg where I purchased a 60" Plasma TV and a new Nikon Camera on Black Friday!  We didn't have a truck with us that day so we brought Jon's today to pick up the TV.  Let's just say the guy helping us had a VERY hard time fitting the TV in the bed of the truck.  Of course, he thought it was awesome and said he would love his wife forever if she brought home a TV that barely fit in the bed of his truck!  LOL, I think Jon feels the same way.  He said "I didn't realize how big 60" was" when we pulled in with it!  Plus, I'm sure Jameson will love watching cartoons on a big screen!

30 Weeks!  WOW, I'm getting big!

          Symptoms:  I haven't been sleeping well, still!  Last night was actually the first night in a few weeks that I can actually say I had a good night.  Between the discomfort, having to potty, Jameson moving, heartburn, rolling over, or getting hot I usually find myself awake several times a night and it usually takes me several hours to get back to sleep!  Therefore, I've been pretty exhausted lately!  Today was good though because I actually felt rested and could function at work!  My doctor suggested taking Benadryl before bedtime since it's safe during pregnancy and may help with my sleeping. My heartburn has still been consistent as well.  I eat Tums Smoothies regularly and they seem to work pretty well!  I haven't been as hot lately, but that could be because it actually turned to winter here!  I think the highs have been in the upper 30's and lower 40's for the last few days so I am loving that! 
           Next checkup is Dec. 16th!  I'll be 32 weeks!

29 weeks, WOOHOO! November 26, 2010

    Today I am 29 weeks!  Yay!  Only 11 weeks to go, not that I'm counting :)  Things have really started changing lately!  I have almost constant uncomfortableness in my left rib cage after eating, heartburn is terrible, I don't sleep well at all, and I CANNOT get cool!  I sweat about 95% of the day!  And since I LOVE turtlenecks, sweaters, and scarfs in the winter, it's really putting a damper on my wardrobe!  I go back to the doctor for my 2 week checkup on Thursday and I'm sure my weight gain will be impressive after all these Thanksgiving meals!  But, I've decided I'm pregnant and I'm going to enjoy it, who cares how much weight I gain, right?!?! 
     It's hard for me to get ready in the mornings because I usually can't get my hair blow dried for sweating so much!  At night time I start off in PJ's but by morning I am usually down to a t-shirt, if that!  I make Jon sleep with the fan going and sometimes I even open our bedroom window at night so I know he is about to freeze, but he just pulls the covers up to his nose!  I've had a sinus infection for about a month and I do nothing but cough all night long.  I know Jon is getting as little sleep as I am but when I offer to go to the couch he says no.  There was even one night that I had such a bad coughing fit that he woke up and rolled over and starting patting my back like I was a baby he was trying to burp!  I guess he thought I was choking!  Gotta love him! 
     I eat TUMS like they are going out of style!  My heartburn has been so bad that if the old wives tales are true, Baby Jameson will come out with hair down to his rear!  I've never experienced heartburn until pregnancy and I hope it goes away when the baby comes! 
     Baby Jameson is moving CONSTANTLY and it's so neat!  It's gotten to the point where I don't even have to raise my shirt or put my hand on my belly to feel it, you can just see him kicking on the outside of my belly!  He is most active after eating and when it's time for bed so that's usually when we get the best shows!  He also decides to play in the middle of the night too so sometimes he wakes Mommy up with all his moving! 
      I can't sleep!  This is huge for me because I have always been the best sleeper ever!  I wake up several times a night either to potty, to roll to my other side, because of discomfort, because I'm HOT, because of heartburn, or because Baby is moving.  And frequently, it takes me hours to get comfortable again and fall back asleep!  I've been pretty tired lately, but I know my precious Baby will be worth it!
     Finally, my belly feels soooo tight!  I can't imagine what it is going to feel like over the next 2 months!  I basically take a bath in lotion everyday in hopes to prevent stretchmarks and to get some relief!  With all that said, I'm ready for the next 11 weeks!  Let the  nursery painting and baby registering begin!

SOOO THANKFUL! November 25, 2010

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Today, I am so thankful for the many gifts God has given me!

       First and foremost I am thankful for you, Lord, for without you, I would have nothing!  My faith in you keeps me going daily and I know you will always be by my side!  I am thankful to have been raised Catholic in a tiny church where my entire family sat in one pew every single Sunday my entire life.  I am thankful that I was baptized, made my first communion, my first confirmation, and married my best friend in your sacred home!  I am thankful that my Husband willingly and anxiously joins me for church each Sunday even though he was not raised in a church.  His outlook on life and faith has changed drastically! For the first 3 years of our marriage, Jon and I attended Christ the King in Madisonville since it was closer to our home.  Now that we have moved back to Slaughters we have started going back to my childhood church with my entire family again and it has been a blessing!  I have missed my church!  
       Second, I am so thankful for my Husband!  I could write a story about this amazing man, but I'll keep it brief for all you readers!  When I was in just the 7th grade I fell in love with "The boy across the street" (literally) and haven't looked back since!  We dated for 10 years straight (through middle school, high school and college) before marrying!  We've been married for 3 years and I can now say (at the age of 25) that I have spent OVER HALF of my life with Jon Newton!  We have had so much fun together and every day just brings more joy!  It's funny how much more you notice when you are expecting!  I stop daily and think "Wow, he is really amazing".  I wake up everyday to him telling me that I look beautiful or pretty or amazing and that means SOOOO much at a time like now when I feel like a stuffed sausage!  He is there every day to send me sweet emails at work, even if it's just to say "Good morning sweetheart, I miss you" or "How's my Mommy and Baby?" and it's the little things like that which make me so thankful to have him!  I know that he couldn't be more excited about the arrival of our little Jameson and he says a hundred times a day that he can't wait!  He truly is the most amazing gift and I thank God for him daily!
         Third, I am so thankful for my parents!  I think about all the responsibilities that a baby brings and all of the things that my parents did for me growing up that I will, in turn, do for my children.  It almost seems impossible to think about all of the things they've done for me and my brother.  Everything has always been about us and I know that if I am half the parent they both were, Baby Jameson will be just fine!  My brother and I have been out of our parent's house for 3 years now and just when they were starting to get used to it being the 2 of them, Jon and I come and move back in!  But they wouldn't have had it any other way!  We were honestly going to get an apartment and Mom and Dad insisted that we move in with them and save our money!  We are so grateful for all that they have done and continue to do for us!  While I'm talking about my parents I would like to also say how thankful I am for my brother Jared, sister-in-law Lindsay and nephew Jace!  It means so much to have a brother I can talk to and see daily, a sister-in-law I can complain to, go shopping with, and hang out with, and a nephew I can steal ALL kinds of kisses from!  Jace has truly prepared me for motherhood and every time I look at him I think "How could I possibly love anything more?"  But Lindsay says "Just wait until you have your own and you'll know!"
          I am so thankful for my In-Laws!  Ronnie and Ann are ALL that I could ask for in a mother and father-in-law and more!  They, too, do so much for Jon and I and even suggested we move in with them, but I decided it would be a little easier for me to live with my Mom during pregnancy so that I don't hurt any one's feelings if I start getting a little moody! I would feel much better about snapping at my own Mom than Jon's!  It's great to spend time at basketball games with them and live so close to them again!  And they couldn't be more excited about the new addition to our family!  I am also so thankful for a wonderful sister-in-law, Christy, and 2 nephews, Logan and Zane!  Christy is so easy to talk to and get advice from!  Jon looks at Logan like he is his own and I know Logan looks up to Jon too.  And Zane makes me laugh every time I see him!  He is such a character!  They would do anything for us and we are so thankful for them! 
          I am so thankful for my extended family!  I have amazing grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in my life!  My family has always been my #1 priority and that will never change!  I love nothing more than family time, which is why Holidays are my favorite time! 
          I am so thankful for my amazing friends!  It is so great to have friends I can tell anything to and can trust with all my heart.  There are so many times in my life that I can remember a friend doing or saying something that completely brightened my day and I am so thankful for that!  Childhood friends, sorority sisters, coworkers, adulthood friends, etc, I am so blessed to have such amazing people to share my life with!
         I am so thankful for my job!  I have enjoyed every minute of being at Sebree Elementary this year and I thank God for finding a way to get me there!  I love my kids and being able to help them in so many different ways!  It's amazing to know that I have made a difference in their life!

God is GREAT!  Thank you, again, for my many gifts!

“Take My Breath Away” – Too bad this isn’t a sexy love scene from Top Gun! November 22, 2010

            I’m pretty sure Baby Jameson has been sitting on Mommy’s lungs for the last week!  I have noticed BIG changes in the last few days including shortness of breath and increased heartburn!  It feels like Jameson is sitting way up high (potentially in my rib cage) and even when I’m sitting it is uncomfortable to breathe!  I’ve had heartburn for quite some time now but I think it is present about 90% of the day now!  I’ve also been sooooo HOT!  The last 2 Sundays in church I thought I was going to suffocate!  I frequently drive to and from work with my windows down or the AC on and I am constantly opening the windows at work and running a fan!  Ah, gotta love pregnancy hormones! 

Other things I have noticed is that even though it feels like Jameson is up in my throat, every time I walk up the steps from my downstairs classrooms I feel like he is going to fall right out between my legs by the time I get to the top!  I can only assume this will get worse as I get closer to the due date!  Oh, and not surprising, I have to potty about 100 times a day! 

Meaning Behind the Name! November 20, 2010

     

            So, although choosing Baby Newton’s name has been quite the process I had to write a post dedicated to the meaning behind the name Jameson, which is what we currently call Baby.  Jon and I have both lost one of our grandfathers and coincidentally both of their names were James.  One day when I was putting in family names to get suggestions for baby names I received “Jameson” after typing in James.  I thought it was perfect that our baby boy be named after both of our grandfathers!

            First, if you know me, you know that the MOST difficult time in my life was when I lost my Papaw James.  He was, simply put, the most amazing man ever!  Everyone called him Papaw, whether he was their Papaw or not!  I grew up living about 100 yards behind my Papaw and Grandma Liz so needless to say I saw them almost every day.  I spent many days helping Papaw in the garden, painting around the farm, shooting pigeons off his Martin bird boxes (yes, I know), riding in the tracker, going to Lucy’s café for a burger, and much more!!!  As long as I can remember Papaw suffered from chronic bronchitis and emphysema due to smoking for 50 years and his time in the war.  While I was still young it was manageable, but around the time I was finishing high school he started having a very difficult time.  Papaw’s health continued to deteriorate and in the end he was suffering, not living.  We lost him on August 20, 2008.  He wasn’t suffering anymore though, so that was a blessing.  The months and year ahead was very difficult for me.  I had never lost someone close to me and I was 23 years old.  I thank God for giving me such an amazing Grandfather and so many wonderful years with him!  The day before Jon and I found out the gender of our baby I went and visited Papaw at the cemetery.  I talked to him about the baby and told him I was leaving everything in his hands.  I promised him that if we had a boy he would be his namesake.  So, the next day, we found out we were having a BOY and I knew it was meant to be!

  Second, Jon had an amazing Papaw named James as well!   Jon was only in the 3^rd grade when his Papaw passed so he has a hard time remembering a lot about him.  Some of the things he remembers are that he went to his Papaw’s house every Sunday for lunch with the entire family.  The grandkids would play softball, baseball, hide-and-seek, or tag in the back yard after lunch.  He also remembers going to Owensboro with his Papaw to a place that had live Oldies music and dancing.  His Papaw loved it there!  Jon drinks A LOT (emphasize A LOT) of milk and he said his Papaw always told him where milk came from every single time he saw Jon drinking milk (because he drank so much more than the other grandkids), even though he had told him a hundred times before!  Jon says he won’t tell you where his Papaw said Chocolate Milk comes from, HAHA!  Jon’s Papaw had lung cancer and fought a hard battle.  He passed when Jon was in the 3^rd grade and was just 9 years old.  Although his time with his Papaw was short, he absolutely adored him and still talks about him frequently.  We have both been so blessed to have wonderful grandfathers and hope that Baby Jameson realizes how special he is to be named after both of them!

WELCOME 3rd and FINAL TRIMESTER!!!!!! November 19, 2010

Yes, that’s right, it’s here!  Let the 3^rd trimester begin!  YAY!  We officially have 12 short weeks left until Baby Jameson is FINALLY here!!!!!  According to my pregnancy book the 3^rd trimester can be summed up as Tiring and Uncomfortable, YIPPEE!  I will likely experience the following:

-Backaches

-Shortness of breath

-Heartburn

-Spider veins, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids

-Continued breast growth (we all know I DON’T need this!)

-Frequent urination

-Braxton Hicks Contractions (warm-ups for the real thing)

-Weight gain

-Swelling

-Other “gross” stuff I refuse to put on the blog!

Let the fun times begin!  I know it doesn’t sound like much fun ahead but I know that Baby Jameson will be worth every minute of the misery!  I can’t wait to have him here and watch him grow!

Jameson Survived the Virus! November 17, 2010

       I left work early Tuesday because I had the stomach virus L I babysat Jace Monday and he had diarrhea. Jared and Lindsay both came home from work Monday with the virus and I guess it was my turn Tuesday L I started throwing up at work and it continued throughout the day. My doctor called in a prescription for Phenergan which helped me later that evening. I honestly felt like I was going to die! Completely lifeless! We became a little worried about baby because I was having stomach cramps and my doctor said that it could be contractions due to dehydration. If it was contractions then I COULD be in labor and would need to come in to the hospital to get fluids via IV to stop the contractions. This was VERY scary considering I am only 28 weeks pregnant!!!!!!! We watched my belly very closely all night and decided I was not having contractions that the cramps were from all of the vomiting and coughing. WHEW!
     I woke up this morning feeling better and not throwing up but now had diarrhea.  I stayed home from work again and laid in bed until about 1:00.  I had a doctor’s appointment already scheduled and I didn’t want to miss so Mom went ahead and took me.  Today was the yucky diabetes screening.  Since all I had eaten was a ½ a can of chicken noodle soup in the last 2 days I wasn’t excited about drinking a glass full of orange liquid, but I did it without hesitation within about 2 minutes! 

     After the glucola drink I headed to see my doctor.  I gained 1 whole pound since last month which brings my total pregnancy weight gain to 5 pounds!  The doctor didn’t seem too worried at this point.  She measured my belly and said it’s right on track.  We also talked about Pediatricians for the baby and discussed “counting kicks” which I now have to start recording twice a day.  At least 6 kicks in 1 hour is what I should expect, which I don’t think will be any trouble, because Baby Jameson usually kicks about 20 times in 20 minutes!  He’s quite the active little fella!  Dr. Ott asked several questions about my bout with the stomach virus and concluded that everything looked and sounded good.  As long as I stay hydrated I shouldn’t have to worry about the contractions.  Thank the Lord! 

      Since I am now 28 weeks pregnant my doctor visits are now biweekly until I get to 36 weeks, when they will be weekly until the baby arrives!  According to my pregnancy book baby now weighs 2 and a quarter pounds and is roughly 14.8 inches from head to heal!  Baby can now blink his eyes and has eye lashes!!! So amazing!  Next appointment is Dec. 2^nd! So excited that Baby is getting closer and closer to arrival!