I can't wait...

I can't wait for the obvious thing... Baby Neal.

But as much as I can't wait to meet my lil' baby face to face, there are some other things in life that will be welcomed with open arms into the Harris home.

• Cold lunch meat. (Pregnant women can't eat it because of the risk of listeria. I'll start with a Publix deli sandwich. YUM!)
• To be able to wear my wedding rings again. (My fingers have been a little swollen to the point where its hard to get the rings off at night, so to be on the safe side, I'm not wearing them. However, I've been wearing another ring so not to be confused with a baby momma with no baby daddy.)
• Non-monitored use of splenda, tea and seafood. (All in moderation, of course.)
• The use of hot tubs at my local YMCA or whenever we go on vacation again.
• An occasional glass of wine. (I didn't drink much at all before I got pregnant, but have you ever wanted something that you KNOW you can't have? That's been my issue. The smell is wine during my pregnancy has been divine!)
• My crystal clear skin. (Pregnancy has not been my friend when it comes to acne.)
• To be able to wear all my cute shoes again. 
• Prenatal vitamins (My hair and nails look amazing!)

Things I will not miss about pregnancy:

• Prenatal vitamins. (But Jenn, you just said that you'll miss them!? YES, hear me out.... My OB just advised me that I'll have to continue to take them as long as I'm breastfeeding. However, they give me the worst indigestion, after tastes and they're huge.)
• My increased migraines. (They were pretty bad in the 1st and 2nd trimester.)
• Cankles
• Comfortable sleeping positions. (Notice I didn't say "sleep" because I realize I won't get much of that when Baby Neal arrives. I just want to be able to sleep without tossing and turning due to this big belly.
• The ability to move without grunting or making noises. (BTW, I don't do this on purpose, its just really hard getting up and down these days.)
• My annoyance with incessant noises. (Clicks, rattles and roaring noises (like the AC) annoy me to no end.)
• Heat sensitivity. (I think this summer has been brutal for anyone, but being this pregnant in July is particularly cruel.)

Things I will miss about pregnancy:

• Baby Neal's kicks
• The excuse to not have to suck in.
• Comfy, flowy clothes
• Pulling "the pregnancy card"
• "Eating for two" excuse. (Although I've gained minimal weight during this pregnancy, it's easier to get away with having ice cream at odd hours due to my current condition.)
• Taking naps in the middle of the day because "I feel like it."
• Gifts randomly showing up at my front door (people love buying baby stuff it seems! And I'm grateful for them!)
• Buy One, Get One Free yogurt from Sweet CeCe's
• The excuse about being so tired that I don't have to work out.

I'll probably add to this list, but these are the major things that come to mind.
Oh! My next blog will include completed nursery pics. So stay tuned!

~Jenn

What a wonderful world

Thinking about the arrival of Baby Neal brings alot of different feelings. I feel overwhelmed with joy and excitment, but with that also comes some anxiety of how much our lives are about to change - in all ways. But even when I think about that, nothing compares to what the baby will go through.

Have you ever thought about what birth is like for the actual baby?

For the last 39 weeks, Baby Neal has been in a dark, warm space. He's fed when he wants, he sleeps at will, it's comfy in there, he can practice acrobatics all day. He has no idea that in a matter of days or weeks that he will be ripped from the only home he's known and brought into a bright world with massive versions of himself staring at him all day. The muffled voices he's heard since conception will now have a face. But he doesnt even know what a face is! And thats one thing I find really facinating about newborns.

Everything I've read says that for the first few weeks, the baby doesnt need rattles and colors and toys. They focus on faces and intently at that. It's just hard to imagine whats going through their little minds. So when I think about our first day with Baby Neal, it probably wont compare to his first experience with us. (Good thing my husband looks like a giant baby in the face, so he'll be in good and like company!)

UPDATE:  We had another appointment yesterday morning that included an ultrasound. The ultrasound shows that everything is normal and seemingly healthy. Baby Neal, once again, proved to be camera shy and kept his little hand balled up over his face, so we couldnt get a good profile picture. He's estimated to be about 8.1 pounds, give or take half a pound. He's still very active and seems to be comfortable in there. My doctor is still good with an induction date of August 8th but we're hoping he makes his own way out before then! The actual due date (7/30) is fast approaching, but I'm keeping faith that he'll come with the time is right. :)

~Jenn

I wonder....

One of the biggest things on my mind (aside from the fear of the unknown with my impending labor and delivery) is what this little baby boy will look like. Especially in the last few months it has consumed my mind on a daily basis.

Will he look just like his daddy, or his mom? Or will he be a perfect mix?
Will he have my brown eyes or will Neal's baby blues win out? (My vote is for big blue eyes!)
My husband was born a red head (on St. Patrick's Day no less.) Will Baby Neal be a ginger too?
Just some of many questions....

I know he'll be beautiful, no matter what, but I cant help but wonder what this little life we've created together will look like.
I've never "seen" him. I haven't heard his cries. I'm not even sure how big he is. But I love him already. It's a feeling I cant describe. I've already gotten to know this little baby over the last 38.5 weeks through his little jabs of love (I hope!) and all the fun and not so fun things he's put me through. Its so weird to think that in a matter of days or weeks that I'll finally be able to put a face with this little baby I've been sharing my body and life with for these last 9 months.

I'm anxiously and eagerly awaiting Baby Neal Michael's arrival. I think the three of us have no idea what to expect of each other, but I can tell you this... he is totally loved already and there's alot more where that came from!

~Jenn

Another Baby Neal update

For those I haven't talked to, we had another OB appointment on Monday. Unfortunately there was no change in a week's time - I'm still only 1 centimeter dilated. My doctor was hoping for a little more difference, and so she's scheduled an ultrasound for this upcoming Monday to make get a fetal weight estimate. My doctor said they can tell his weight within a few ounces. She wants to do it to find out his size and make sure he's not too big. I may have mentioned in my last blog that just in case, an induction date of August 8th has been set. However if the ultrasound shows that he's already big enough, they wont let me wait that long. I'm just excited to see Baby Neal again and to get some updated ultrasound pictures for his baby book. So you wont hear me complaining about see him again! :)

I can feel differences in my body already. He's dropped lower and so that's put a lot of added pressure in my lower back. And Sleep? Ooooh, sleep. I miss you. I think this is nature's way of preparing me for a newborn. Apparently babies don't let you sleep through the night either, so why not start now? Also, in the last few days, my adorable son has felt it necessary to revert back to 1st and 2nd trimester activities including nausea and vomiting. Yes, I know, fun stuff.

In the last few weeks, people have been asking me if I hate pregnancy yet. A week ago, that was a very odd question to me because I had grown perfectly content with my pregnant body. Now a week has passed and in that time we've had some awesome Tennessee heat advisories and that has radically changed my perspective on how agreeable pregnancy is with me.

Ask me that question now. Want to guess my answer?
Let's just say, I'm getting anxious to meet baby Neal....

~Jenn

Baby Neal Update

Okay, so I think it’s safe to say that I’ve failed my blog while transitioning to my new job as a “Stay at Home Mom.”  I thought I’d be updating on a daily basis, because I feel there’s so much to say at this point, but who knew this lil’ baby, who hasn’t even entered the world, would keep me so busy!

I had my last appointment on Wednesday and the doctor immediately noticed that I had “dropped.” I kind of laughed, because people have been asking me if I’ve dropped and I give them the same “WTF?” face that I give to people who ask about my mucus plug. Well, now I can say, yes, he has dropped.

For those of you who are not well versed in the world of pregnancy terms (myself included), dropping or “lightening” happens late in the pregnancy and describes when the baby is settling deeper in the pelvis, another sign that labor is on the way. This has been a welcome event for me, because Baby Neal has been sitting so high that it’s made me short of breath in even the slightest of activities and my heart burn was daily and in some cases pretty severe and uncomfortable. Now that he’s a little lower, I’ve noticed some good changes in those issues. Now I’m just dealing with extra pressure on my bladder.

Also, my doctor said that I have dilated 1 centimeter, so and for all intents and purposes, everything looks good. The due date is still July 30^th, but she’s comfortable if he comes anytime before then or even two weeks after that date. Just in case, we set an induction date of August 8^th. I can’t imagine waiting that long, but its there as an option.

I ask for your continued prayers and support as we enter this last phase of pregnancy. In particular, the heat has been really difficult to deal with. Yall know I hate summer under normal conditions, so with this horrible heat wave, it’s been really uncomfortable to deal with. But I swear it feels like yesterday that I was just announcing to the world that we were expecting. And now here I am in the final stages and in complete shock that in a matter of days (or weeks) we will have a lil’ baby in this home. Neal and I are so very thankful for all the support we’ve received – from the baby showers, to the sweet notes and everything in between.

I’ve said it before that Baby Neal is one lucky baby. Already. But really, I feel like Neal and I are truly the luckiest.

Here’s to new changes, new life and new experiences!

Love, Jenn