Feeling Really Pregnant...

So I'm on my way to 29 weeks and I'm feeling really pregnant. I went to the doctor yesterday for a quick checkup and my measurements and baby's heartbeat checked out good. I did my glucose tolerance test, which wasn't too bad at all, but then I had to get a ton of blood drawn for that test as well as an iron test and a clotting test. I was really tired yesterday after my visit from having so much blood taken...I slept so good and hard last night I told Tom I felt like I had taken a sleeping pill or something. Good sleep is hard to come by these days!

While I was at my appointment, I met with the ob nurse and she was talking to me about labor and how to tell if it is real or fake, as well as alot of other helpful information. After I left I was thinking..."Am I already to the point they feel the need to tell me about labor? Oh no, I am!" That made me a little nervous that the time will be here in a little over 11 weeks, or possibly sooner! I'm looking forward to our birthing class, which we will do at the beginning of May. Tom and I have also been talking about starting to come up with a birth plan, since there are certain things I really want and don't want (I really don't want to be induced unless it's a necessity, and Tom wants to be as involved as they will let him be). This appointment was my last monthly appointment and now I will now start going for checkups every 2 weeks, and then weekly starting at week 36.

I had my first Braxton Hicks contraction a few days ago, but haven't had one since. I am feeling Brayden twisting and turning in my belly rather than just kicking now which is a really neat feeling. I can sometimes even feel his arm sweep across my stomach. This week Brayden now weighs over 2.5 lbs. and is approx. 15 inches long!

Check out how big he is making my belly grow:

Nursery Furniture!!

We ordered the nursery furniture a few weeks ago, and I'm super excited about our choice.

The Crib:


The crib comes with the toddler bed conversion kit and it can also be turned into a full bed when he's a little older.

The dresser:


I plan to put a changing pad on top of the dresser to make it double as a changing table while he is a baby.

I will post more pics when his furniture comes in and we get started on the nursery!

Tom's new hobby..

So over the past few months, Tom has started to really enjoy running. So much, in fact, that him and a group of guys run 4-5 miles through the city on their lunch break a few days a week.

Tom decided he wants to run in the Peachtree Road Race this year on July 4, but he needed to first run in a qualifying race to be able to start in a decent position. There are 55,000 people that run the Peachtree so if you have to start in the back, you walk for the first mile and half or so. This past weekend he ran the Chattahochee Road Runners 10K, which was one of those qualifying races.

Tom and I bright and early before the race started:



About to cross the finish line:



I am so proud of him...He ran almost 6 and 1/2 miles in 47 minutes! It was such a beautiful day out so I was really happy to spend the morning outside!

3rd Trimester

So today I am 25 weeks, 4 days along. My 3rd trimester has definitely snuck up on me!! Overall, I have no major complaints. Some of the less than glamorous things I have noticed happening with me are:

-->I have noticed that I am starting to get tired more easily again like in the first trimester, and being able to sleep soundly is pretty much nonexistent. I constantly wake up to shift positions, use the bathroom, or because of the kicking alarm clock inside me. No other time do you love being kicked as much as this except when you're pregnant.

-->Heartburn has made its way into my life. My mother in law said that means Brayden is going to have a head full of hair!

-->I've also noticed I am becoming forgetful (my list-making skills are really coming in handy right now) and also just a little clumsy.

-->I notice so many more aches and pains in my body than ever before. After walking 45 minutes on the treadmill, my hips and legs begin to ache.

All of this is more than worth it for a healthy baby boy though, so bring it on!

I went in last week for a routine ob visit and the doctor said I'm measuring right on track and that Brayden's heartbeat sounds good. Tom was able to hear Brayden's heartbeat this week by putting his ear on my belly. So cool...I'm kinda jealous! I go back to the doctor in 3 weeks for the gestational diabetes test so I plan on bringing a good book with me since I have to sit for an hour and wait for the results.

Growing bigger every day:

What's in a Name?

Most of you probably already know by now that we are planning on naming our little boy Brayden Thomas, but I thought he still needed a proper introduction for those of you who didn't know. Picking a boy's name was really easy for us, and he was pretty much Brayden since the day we found out he was a boy. We actually didn't even crack a baby name book. (Thanks Tiff for letting us borrow it anyways!) So, Brayden it is...no turning back, especially after the first monogrammed gift arrived last week. :) Just kidding. I know this little boy is going to be blessed with so many wonderful people around him that love him. I went to the mail this week to find some adorable personalized towels from his Aunt Tiff. She is always so thoughtful and I can't put into words how good she is to me and she is always there to help make my life easier. From pretty much furnishing our whole first apartment, to always being there when I need her,to helping us shop and plan for Brayden, the list could keep going...So Tiff, if you read this, thank you for being you and having you as my big sister is such a blessing!

His hooded towel and washcloth set:


Every cool little baby boy needs a shark beach towel! I love this!


Since you've seen his beach towel, I thought you should also see his cute bathingsuit that I found at baby gap for when we go to the beach with Tom's family in September:


The name Brayden means "brave". When I looked up the meaning of his name, I thought it was really ironic that the name we chose for our little man meant brave. I have always struggled with a spirit of fear and I have talked to Tom about how I didn't want to pass that on to my children. Reading that translation of his name, I felt like God was telling me that this is not something I have to pass on to my son. My prayer for Brayden is that he is brave. Brave to try new things, brave to stand up for his beliefs and to witness to others, and to not allow a spirit of fear to keep him from responding to the life God has planned for him. I am reminded of the verse in 2 Timothy that says "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

I pray that God will bless him and that He will give Brayden a heart for Him and to serve His Kingdom. I can only imagine that there is no greater joy than when you know your child loves the Lord.