36 Weeks Wednesday - Belly Shots!

You may have gotten your fill of belly shots from Jenny's 35 week photo shoot, but it's tradition that I reveal the belly growth every 4 weeks, so it was time for an update.

Here's the belly at 32 weeks:

And here's me at 36 weeks:
(Note: this is night shot, post dinner and my weekly Lamaze chocolate milkshake)

I've certainly noticed a big difference over the last of weeks - both in how I feel and the size of the belly. Still feeling really good, just more tired and less agile. The belly definitely seems to have really "popped".  My Lamaze instructor and classmates all made comments tonight about my "basketball belly" and how I've grown a lot since last week. Speaking of Lamaze, tonight was our last class. Below is a bad shot of me with my make-shift diploma. Here goes nothing!

Maternity Pics

Lucky for me, my good friend Jenny Ryder is an amazing, budding photographer who wanted to use my 35 week belly as her most recent subject! So last Thursday, while Jimmy was at class, Jenny and I replicated some of our favorites pinned on Pinterest over the last couple months. Check out the whole album and more of Jenny's work here. Below are just a few of my favorites. Thank you so much Jenny - I  think they turned out absolutely amazing! I will cherish them forever.

Maiden Voyage

Today Jimmy took me, my mom and our little guy (still in womb, of course) on our maiden voyage on Baby Jones. It was a beautiful mid-70s and sunny day. Jimmy and my mom did a little fishing and then we cruised up to Wrightsville Beach for lunch at Dockside - my favorite part. Something about the sun, wind and being 35 weeks pregnant really takes it out of you though, so when we got home I took a 2.5 hour nap and it was glorious. All around great day!!

Lunch at Dockside

35 Weeks Wednesday

Happy 35 weeks to me!! Now I'm off to make all the other Lamaze mamas jealous with my delicious treat.

Baby Shower Part 2: Guests

Guests came from Virginia, Maryland, Charlotte, Durham and, of course, all corners of Wilmington to celebrate with us. It was so wonderful to see everyone. I feel so blessed! I didn't get a picture with every single guest, but I came pretty close...

Bumping baby bellies with Catherine

Last, but certainly not least, the mom-to-be with her most excellent hostesses, aka Nana and Auntie Ali. 

Thank you everyone for your love and support! 

Baby Shower Part 1: The Decorations & Details

This past Saturday Ali and my mom hosted my baby shower. Everything was so beautiful and sweet that I had to do a whole post just to feature the decorations and details. I seriously can't thank them enough for the love that went into planning and executing this day for me.  Special thanks to everyone who helped the day and week of as well. I even heard that Kevin, with Stefanie's direction, helped pitched in with a few of the pom poms. A true family affair...

The theme was "You are my Sunshine", but they played up "He makes me happy when skies are gray" on the porch and then made the inside extra sunny. Too cute :)

Diaper Motorcycle :)

34 Weeks Wednesday

Hello all! I'm only checking in because it's what I do on Wednesdays! Just got home from Lamaze and I have 7% of Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series, left to go, so I must not delay. I'm exhausted from staying up late Monday night with Stefanie to complete a piece of artwork for the nursery (pics to come) and last night I just couldn't sleep. My heart seems to be racing a lot faster these days and I'm short of breath when I lie down. Must be something about the upside down tap dancing on my diaphragm and lungs :)

So excited to see some friends and family this weekend at my baby shower. I know there are a lot of loved ones who wish they could snap their fingers and be here for the day - I'll definitely be thinking about you all.

33 Weeks Wednesday

Queue 33 weeks - enter some not-so-positive late(ish) pregnancy symptoms...

• By evenings now I get little rolls around my ankles. Cute on babies, not so much on full grown women. I refuse to call this phenomena the c-word. 
• I have a hard time standing in one place for long, like when I'm blow drying my hair. I end up feeling kind of faint. 
• I'm back to early pregnancy sleepiness. 
• I'm starting to scar where my belly button ring once resided from all the stretching. My mom told me that would happen, but at 16 (or was it 15?) accommodating for a baby bump was the last thing on my mind. 
• Just this last week I lost the curvature of my hips, which doesn't bother me appearance-wise, but I do miss the utility. I'm infamous for trying to carry more things than I have hands for - coffee, water, laptop, notebook, pencil, purse, etc, so the shelves my hips created were helpful.   
• Lastly, I'm no longer able to jog at all. Last night I set out to do my little speed walk/jog routine and by the end of it I knew it would be my last for quite a while. I now have a pulled right hip flexor and right oblique muscle and a sore lower back. I've finally thrown in the towel. Though I never loved running, it was such a a release for me. I guess The Hunger Games will just have to fill that void...

In more light-hearted news, I've grown out of my t-shirts. I guess it's time for me and Jimmy to start sharing. Also, Baby O continues to try and "break out" via my belly button most hours of the day. He's such a nut, just like his daddy. Next weekend is my baby shower, which is very, very exciting! Can't wait to see everyone and celebrate our little guy!

Peek-a-boo

Baby Jones

We have a new addition to the family and I didn't even have to give birth to her/him. It's been a long time coming, but we finally got our first boat. Meet our Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman affectionately named Baby Jones.

As you can see, it's a v-hull center console. So proud of Jimmy - it was a little rough around the edges when he first got it (I wasn't allowed to see before pics), but he and Kevin have put so much work into it. It was a former NC marine fisheries boat, so it was far from clean, but they scrubbed, waxed and shined the heck out of it, added a fresh coat of non-skid paint on the deck, installed a great stereo system and rod holders for fishing, you name it! Hoping to take it out on it's maiden voyage on Friday. Can't wait for the memories it will make for our family - adventures in island hopping during the day, evening trips to downtown and Wrightsville for dinner and drinks and more.

P.S. This boat holds a special place in my heart because it was actually a conversation about how it will never be a 100% perfect time to buy a boat - "same could be said for having a baby," I said -  that tipped Jimmy and I in favor of giving conception a-go.  Nine months later and we have both a boat and a baby on the way!

Frumpy me & Funny Jimmy