Baby: 101

There are 101 more days until my due date. To be honest with you, I'm starting to get a little nervous. I assume every first-time mother feels rushed to make sure everything is just right before the baby get here. I'm starting to feel it now. So many things left to do in the next few months. Still have to move and put up her bed, move her dresser into her room, recover the recliner (yes, the FL artsy-fartsy side of me if coming out), make curtains for her room (it's really coming out!), baby showers to attend and then stuff from them to put up, toys to clean and clothes to wash. I have to stop - my brain is about to boil. And this is some of the reason I don't seem to be getting much sleep these days. I have lists after lists running through my head of things to get done. And I know I'm the only person in the world this happens to! Am I really behind or do I just feel that way?
Oh, and the bedding that we had picked out...yep, no longer made. So here is what we are going with now. What do yall think?

Girly, right? I even surprised myself! I have already made up my mind that if we can't get this then it will just have to all be "mental institution" white.

Now here's where she is just 101 days before her arrival date. In week 25 she measured about 12.5 inches and weighed about a pound and a half (about like a rutabaga). She is starting to get some baby fat on those bones to smooth out her wrinkles. And if we could see her hair, which I am assuming she has lots of, we would be able to discern the color and texture. Week 26 means that her nerves in her ears are better developed and more sensitive so she probably is able to hear our voices. She is also inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid which is helping to develop her lungs. Getting bigger, she weighs about a pound and two-thirds and is about 14 inches long (about the size of an English cucumber). I don't feel much different except for the belly that's getting bigger by the day.

An update for Marie (and anyone else reading)

**note: Marie is one of the "Golden Girls" from my last job. She and Joyce (another GG) keep up with me through blog and emails. Last night Marie asked for an update-here's your update and make sure you print it and take it to Joyce too**

Well as most of you know I failed my glucose test yesterday. There wasn't any sugar in my urine so doc told me to just watch what I eat and how much of it I eat. He wants me to cut back my sugars and carbs. Yes, I did remind him that Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is next month! Other than that everything went well. Her heartbeat was strong and the rest of my tests were normal. My next appointment will be December 16th.

Tomorrow I will be 24 weeks. According to Babycenter.com JoAnna weighs just over a pound and is about a foot long. They compare her to an ear of corn. She should start to fill in and plump up soon. Her brain is growing quickly and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she is born. I know all too well the need for surfactant production since Alley Claire was born.

The moving process is still going on. We have just a few more things to get from the old house. Most of the stuff left is Brad's lure making materials and they will get to live with Adam until we can build a shed. Our bed from the old house will soon be moved to its new home at Mama's. I have run into a few small snags at our new place...the kitchen faucet leaks, there is a leak in the seam of the stand-up shower, and the shower head is so high I can't reach it to adjust the angle. Soooo, I ran by Lowe's yesterday and pulled out my Lowe's credit card (I could get into some serious trouble with that thing) and got a new faucet, some silicone, some racks for under my sink, a basket for my kitchen towels, and a sanding tool for a table project I want to do. I am hoping to start working on JoAnna's room soon. We have to get the crib from my sister and move the dresser into her room. Next will be decorating. I'm actually excited about getting to decorate. The plan is to register for her stuff this weekend. Here is the bedding we have picked out...

Weekend

We are almost completely moved. WOOHOO!

Thursday night we went to Prattville to Bedzzz Express and ordered new king size mattresses for our new bed that has yet to be picked out or ordered. That's how I roll these days...nothing in order at all. It was an awesome shopping experience and I found a set of mattresses I fell in love with. I've had the best two nights of sleep in a long time since they arrived Saturday.

Friday afternoon we moved our clothes and a few food items. I insisted that we spend the night. The satellite had already been disconnected at the old house and I don't do well with silence. I mean, come on, I even have to have the radio playing while I shower-how was I expected to sleep in silence!?! Plus I felt the need to stay with my new baby. It's been a long time since I've had one of these-

Saturday morning I woke up with a fire burning to get things done. By the end of the day my feet were on fire (and my ankles swollen). I did way too much but I got so much done.

JoAnna even got a present from her Great Mema and Papa. And then Sunday was the big finale...I got to meet Ivy!

Like she said it was as if we'd known each other for ever. Got in some grocery shopping and bought a few things for the new place then headed back home. It was a good but long weekend.

Apparently I'm losing my mind

I just realized that no one has commented on my week 22 blog post. Are people not reading it anymore? Do they just not care? Nope! I didn't post it Friday when I wrote it!! Yep, I’m already losing my mind. So here's week 22's update--

She's the length of a spaghetti squash and weighs about 1lb. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed but do not have color yet. Her pancreas is developing steadily. She has been kicking me to death here lately and my heart still races every time I feel her. None of my pre-baby pants fit anymore with the exception of my sweats - I think I'll just live in sweats until she's born. Brad and I have been looking at bedding and car seats and strollers. He's so funny to watch now, getting all excited. We have actually already bought a car seat for Brad's truck but now I have to make a camo cover for it. No, I will not go with pink camo since real southern girls can handle real camo. Her daddy (so odd to type that) bought her a onesie the other night...

I'm Alive

So damn easy to say that life's so hard Everybody's got their share of battle scars
As for me, I'd like to thank my lucky stars that I'm alive and well...
It'd be easy to add up all the pain
And all the dreams you sat and watched go up in flames
Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
But not me...I'm alive
And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathin' in and out's a blessing can't you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life and I'm alive
And well...I'm alive and well

It's a...

GIRL!            JoAnna Lane Chandler

I've got so much more to catch up on but not enough time right now. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up before the week's over.

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing...Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray. When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell. Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....Good friends are like that .... You may not always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

I JUST CAN'T WAIT

Gatlinburg has become one of my favoritestest places to go. This year we will be going back for our 5 year anniversary. Yes, I know it's hard to believe 5 years already!

I love to hear the . And enjoy taking pictures of the . Of course we will visit Cade's Cove to see the . I am hoping this year I can get a picture that looks like this.... is my favorite image at Cade's Cove and I take a picture of it every time we go...it's my obsession. I would love to wake up and see out the window. And click here to see where we are going to be staying. It's ok to be jealous.

Sneak Peak

I went to the hospital Monday to see if we could find out if it's a boy or girl. Apparently this child doesn't belong to me or Brad because it's bashful. Legs stayed crossed the entire time! But we did get a nice shot of him/her sucking his/her thumb.

Say it with me "awwwww"
My 16 week check-up was yesterday and everything was fine. Heart rate was 142 and doc said there's a lot of moving going on in there. I have been able to feel a few flutters here and there. Next appointment will be October 23rd and they will record the ultrasound.
Tomorrow marks 17 weeks. Turnip time - baby weighs about 5 ounces (about as much as a turnip) and is about 5 inches long. The baby's skeleton is changing from cartilage to bone and should be able to hear things.
That's all for now...I'm ready to go home and pack so I can head north tomorrow afternoon!

Well we've reached 16 weeks and I'm actually praying that my morning sickness is coming back for round 2. Please Lord don't let it be the flu! Other than the frequent trips to the bathroom everything is going just fine.
According to my pregnancy calendar there should be a growth spurt soon. Right now the baby is about 4.5 inches head to butt and weighs about 3.5 ounces. It's about the size of an avocado. Yes, now I want an avocado. I may have to make a call to FL's and see if she will make me a blt with avocado - yummy. Baby development should be moving right along. Its eyes and ears should be close to their final position and the patterning of the scalp has begun. Who just pictured Brad's head? Come on, don't be shy.