The Good Life

Today is not only New Year's Eve, but also Colton's due date! Of course he has decided NOT to make his arrival just yet but it's so nice knowing that we will be meeting him very soon. On Thursday, December 27th, I had my last visit to the doctor's office. With Colton being due on a holiday, the hospital will not schedule to induce me until after the New Year so if he doesn't show up on his own, we are scheduled to check in at the hospital on Wednesday night. I'm still hoping that Colton starts things on his own, but it is nice having a "go to" date to keep me sane. My sister is going to be with us in the delivery room, so she has been here the past few days...waiting. I feel like everybody is just sitting around, waiting for something to happen. Every time I answer the phone I want to say "no, I haven't had the baby yet" then "hello". :-) Since there's nothing we can do (except wait), we've all been finding other thi

Christmas has come and gone faster than I thought it would. It feels like it has taken FOREVER to get from December 1st to today, but I know that I only feel that way because I'm 9 months pregnant and VERY ready to have this baby! Honestly, this year has flown by and I can't believe we're at the close of it already. 2012 was good to us and I'm so excited to see what God has in store for us in 2013. I'm so blessed to have all four of my grandparents in my life. Ever since I can remember, we have spent Christmas Eve with my Dad's family and Christmas Day with my Mom's family. The only difference this year was the uncertainty of when our little guy was going to decide to show up and because he decided to stay put (for the time being), we were able to carry on the 30 year old traditions I've always known. On Christmas Eve we were able to drive over the mountain to North Carolina and enjoy time with the Shelton clan. Good food (and way too much of it),

Yesterday was beautiful here in East Tennessee. Even though the temps didn't get much above 40 degrees, the sunshine felt amazing. I took advantage of the nice weather and took a ride on the 4-wheeler. The initial purpose of the ride was to see if I could make Colton uncomfortable and want to join us, but he doesn't seem too anxious to leave his comfy spot just yet. It was refreshing to have some wind in my face, so maybe the real purpose of the ride was for me to get some "me time" outside. Yesterday was also my Dad's birthday. He was really hoping that Colton would decide to be his birthday present, instead we settled for a nice dinner at  Gondolier Italian Restaurant and Pizza.   This morning, I started baking some of our annual Christmas goodies. I made Peanut Butter Balls (better known to most as  Buckeyes ) and Sausage Balls (my personal favorite). We also have Peanut Butter/Kiss Cookies, Pretzel Cookies and my Mom's famous Holiday Cheese Ball. There&#

Big things are happening today. Okay, big in my small little world. It’s Friday, my last day of work before maternity leave, it’s snowing and I have reached week 39. I am feeling very large and very uncomfortable at this point but I’m trying hard to stay as active as possible to keep my mind off of being, well, very large and very uncomfortable. Lately I’ve noticed that I want to spend a lot of time alone. It’s not that I feel depressed or upset, it’s just that I want to be alone and in complete silence. I read that a lot of women begin to “turn inward” at this time in the pregnancy, just thinking about the work ahead. Sometimes I just like to lay and watch the baby move and think about what my life is going to be like when he’s in this crazy world. I am not concerned about my need for alone time being linked to depression, I’m actually enjoying it. Colton has officially reached watermelon status. Average size baby, at week 39, is 19.9 to 20.9 inches and 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. Sin

Yesterday, Matt and I made the decision that tomorrow would be my last day of work until Colton arrives. It’s such a tough decision to make. On one hand, we will be giving up my income for 12 weeks but on the other hand, I’ll be able to relax and enjoy Christmas and maybe a few work-free days before our little guy is born. I’m beyond thankful for a flexible schedule at work and a great supervisor who is allowing me to even make this decision. God sure does continue to bless us. When thinking about 12 weeks away from work, it seems like a lot of time but I know how fast it’s going to fly by and I’m not sure I can even think about leaving our little man and going back to work. I plan on taking each day at a time and enjoying every moment. Honestly, at this moment, I’m most looking forward to staying in PJs or comfy pants all day if I want to. It really is the little things that make me so happy. I’m excited to do some Christmas baking with my Mom and celebrate my Dad’s birthday on

The Dictionary . com definition of patience is "the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune or pain without complaint, loss of temper, irritation or the like; an ability or willingness to suppress relentlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay". Over the past few days, this is the complete opposite of the definition you would find under Renée Neal in the dictionary. Over the past few days, I have felt beyond frustrated and have been SO impatient. I have been praying for the strength to overcome this roadblock. I have so much to be thankful for, and I’m trying to focus on those blessings to get me through the next couple of weeks. One of the blessings that I’m most thankful for is my family. After a long, emotional weekend and a visit to the doctor yesterday, I had much needed time with my family last night. My sister invited us (Mom, Dad, Matt and myself) to meet in Asheville for a dinner in honor of my dad’s birthday (a few

This past weekend didn’t turn out like I planned, but such is life. On Friday, my heart was heavy after hearing the news of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. So many innocent children’s lives were taken way too early. Even though I know in my heart that God has bigger plans than what we can see or understand, it still seems so unfair. Those precious little angels are in a far better place, I just pray that the family members will heal and find some comfort in these hard times ahead. Friday also led to me leaving work early and puking my guts out. At first, I thought that the stomach bug (that I have been running hard and fast from) had finally caught me, but I’m not totally convinced that’s what it was. I had major swelling in my ankles and some in my hands on Friday morning, I didn’t have an appetite (at all), I had back aches and cramping in my lower abdomen. After I drove myself home and threw up a few times, I actually started feeling better and the swel

So I realize that walking stairs while 9 months pregnant, may help induce my labor, but ultimately just makes me really sore. I think I was a little ambitious (or stupid) yesterday and I’m paying the price for it today. I made about 15 trips up and down the stairs, walked around our complex at work (approximately ½ mile) and exercised with the medicine ball last night. It seems so silly to think that this is much of a workout, but apparently it was a major workout for this big mama. Today, I hit the 38 week mark and I’m continuing on the path of positive thinking! I don’t have my mind totally focused on Colton’s arrival, now I have the soreness/pain in my butt and legs to think about. I’m planning on making a few more trips up and down the stairs at work today during down time, only because it’s a better alternative to just sitting around and waiting. At week 38, Colton is about the size of a pumpkin and he might already have an inch or so of hair. I’m honestly running out of t

Colton will be here when he is ready, and I keep trying to remind myself that his due date is still another 18 days away but it’s so hard not to feel anxious and hope that he arrives early. I have heard from several people that first time babies tend to be late, but when I Google the question, I find plenty of discussion on the topic. Some people claim that it’s true that first time babies are late, others say it’s a myth and some people say that it’s completely opposite, that first time babies are early. I found no actual “data” to support any of the claims, only person by person accounts. So basically, I just get to wait and see what happens. Did I mention that I hate waiting? Yesterday after work, I enjoyed some time for myself and had a – much needed – mani/pedi. I chose to get the shellac nail polish on my fingers, in hopes that my nails will be maintenance free for the next couple of weeks. The lady who worked on my poor swollen feet was so sweet and talked to me about the b

Swelling is something a lot of pregnant women experience at some point throughout pregnancy. It usually comes along later - commonly in the third trimester – and while some notice it more than others, some may not have any swelling at all (lucky them). I have been fortunate enough to have very minimal swelling in my hands and feet throughout my entire pregnancy, including the third trimester…until this week!   At my doctor’s appointment yesterday, we (my doctor and I) noticed some things that were abnormal for my particular pregnancy but not alarming by medical standards. My blood pressure was running a little higher than normal for me (still within “normal range”), I had gained a few extra pounds and there was noticeable swelling in my ankles. The extra retention of fluid is needed to soften the body and enable it to expand as the baby develops. Extra fluids also help prepare the pelvic joints and tissues to open to allow the baby to be born. However, there are times when s

Full term - I never thought I would be so happy to hear those words! Even though we have about 3 more weeks to go, as of Friday, December 7 th , I reached week 37 and Colton reached full term. Most babies at this point weigh about 7 pounds and are measuring around 20 inches long (of course this varies between babies, some weighing more or less).   He is most likely between the size of a wintermelon and a miniature watermelon and either way, I’m just happy that we reached this point with no complications. This week, I’m finding it harder to sleep due to the fact I can’t get comfortable for long periods of time. Leg cramps are an almost nightly routine now and my lower back has starting letting me know it’s tired of the extra weight. I read that the quality of sleep in the third trimester is worse than any time before, but I’m probably going to be thankful for the little sleep I am getting, once Colton is born. Today is my weekly doctor’s appointment and I’m excited to see if the

This past weekend, Matt and I drove (45 minutes) down to Gatlinburg to meet up with his family for a Christmas celebration. Since Colton could arrive any day, the doctor’s orders were to stay fairly close to home. We are thankful that the rest of the family was able and willing to travel to us this year and we had such a great time! We rented a cabin with Cobbly Nob Cabin Rentals and stayed in A Window to Paradise . The cabin was about 10 miles from downtown Gatlinburg, we checked in on Thursday afternoon and stayed through Sunday morning. The cabin had 3 king-size suites with bathrooms, 2 queen-size sofa beds, a full game room, wrap-around decks, a hot tub, fireplace and fully stocked kitchen. The view was amazing and it was also completely decorated for Christmas. Over the course of a few days, we exchanged Christmas gifts, enjoyed the view and weather on the deck, visited downtown Gatlinburg to check out several shops and stopped for lunch at Johnny Rockets . We to

I have learned that week 36 in pregnancy is just not a lot of fun. I’m so close, but still so far away. These past 5 days have taken longer than the first 250 days put together and I’m feeling so impatient. The only things getting me through this week are the fact that Colton will be considered full-term by the end of the week and celebrating Christmas with the Neal family this weekend! You wouldn’t think that putting on a pair of shoes would be such a difficult task, but these days, it’s one of the things I dread the most. Not only do I hate putting my shoes on in the morning, I dread taking them off my swollen feet every evening. Why can’t I just wear flip flops to work? I’m really looking forward to pampering myself with a pedicure this week. Oh the things I could complain about this week, but really, I’m so thankful for our healthy baby boy that he really is worth all the pain. Colton weighs about 6 pounds by now and, as confirmed by our Doctor appointment yesterday, is in

Nesting is an instinct during pregnancy that helps get a home ready for baby’s arrival. Hamsters, cats, dogs, birds and other animals all do it and like a lot of human moms-to-be, I’m doing it too. This weekend, I felt the urge to de-clutter, clean, organize and get stuff done. With the help of my handy, helpful and wonderful husband, we had a VERY productive weekend. First item on the agenda was to get Colton’s hospital bag packed. It seems like such a little task, but feels so important to me. I washed blankets, pacifiers, hats, mittens, socks and everything else that he is going to need (and most likely not need) for his - 15 minute - trip home. Not knowing what size he is going to be makes it really hard to pick an outfit for him to wear, but we are prepared with a few options and his bag is officially packed!   My bag is also packed and we are ready to go whenever Colton is. I’m trying very hard not to be overly anxious. We washed all the “stuff” that goes with his car s