Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da: April to October Updates 2015

So, I really can't believe that i didn't update again after April....but I didn't. So, my plan is to do a couple more posts then be back to real time again. I will give a really brief summarized update from April to birth, and then post my weekly pregnancy pics, then I wanted to dedicate a blog post to Labor and Delivery....because that was not status quo exactly, and I wanted to remember it in detail for any future pregnancies:)

Spoiler Alert: It's October 20th, and I just got finished feeding our baby, Louise Amelia Cox. She's absolutely perfect. I'm thankful for every. single. moment. God is SO very good, and I feel unworthy of such a perfect blessing.

April - October updates.

Social and personal lives:
I don't even know where to begin. Matt and I took some trips because we acted like we'd never get to travel again:) We went to Seattle/Portland in May, then a big trip to Boston up the East Coast ending in Bar Harbor Maine in July. We also went to Rosemary Beach with Matt's family in July. I traveled for work: Atlanta, Chicago, then Dallas.

We had some amazing showers. Erin and David hosted a couples shower, Carrie, Maribeth, Blair, Ginnie, and Mauri hosted an all girls shower, my mom's friend hosted a nice ladies shower, and my co-workers had a shower for me a couple of weeks before her arrival.

Pregnancy news:
I failed my gestational diabetes test the first time, but then did the 3 hour and passed. My main symptoms throughout pregnancy were digestive issues (you name it), and normal growing pains, swelling of the feet, getting up about 2-3 times per night to pee, not sleeping well toward the end, and also toward the end I got PSD which was some pretty crazy pelvic pain, but not too too bad. It was a pretty breezy pregnancy. I gained about 30-35 pounds by the end, but I felt really good overall. I felt like I had a very good and easy pregnancy (but let me skip ahead and say I was NOT made for labor/delivery...wowza, it wasn't fun, and I don't like to complain...but I will complain in that post).

Louise in the womb:
She was a rockstar. She loved to be active at night, and was pretty quiet throughout the day. So quiet that by week 33 I decided she hadn't moved enough and went in to the hospital twice for monitoring. She was fine. Just a day sleeper and night time partier. She also is measuring big; estimated to be around 8 lbs at birth (boy was this wrong...to be discussed during Labor/Delivery post). She also has the hiccups a lot. I have a doppler and still listen to her heart beat. I love it and it makes me feel happy and safe. Hers is usually around 140-150, but can vary from 120's up to 170's at time if she's moving a lot. The doctor says she looks GREAT. Can't wait to meet her.

The rest of the updates I will give in pictures. Warning...there may be a lot. I'm going to try and give a picture of the 6 months that I failed to update my blog:)

This is REALLY annoying, but the pictures completely in no order what so ever. I didn't do it! That's how the loaded; and there are so many I just don't have the patience to move them into the right chronological order....

So below represents a compilation of pictures from the six months of April to October.

Last meal with co-workers before going out on leave. Huey's cheese fries, my fave!

Pretty much 40 weeks pregnant here

I'm ready to pop!

Took the cute balloons home for a nursery pic before they deflated.

I love sweets; this was a good dessert to have

Work

Not sure why this picture inserted here; this was during our Seattle/Portland trip. This is in Astoria, Oregon. It's the Haystack Rock from The Goonies!

From our maternity session. 33 weeks

Our last 'date night.' We went to Pasta Italia. I remember I was in sooo much pain (the pelvic pain I referenced earlier). It hurt to walk! I went to Target earlier that day and almost got in a motorized cart. 39 weeks

Nursery picture. Those are Beatle lyrics framed. All applicable to babies of course.

Last girls night; Mexican food! Love these girls. My high school homies:) 37 weeks

I decided to make almost ten meals to freeze. This was some of the results.

Matt and I went to Bass Pro and stayed the night when I was 37 weeks pregnant.

Putting my feet up at work.

Back to the work shower

Tom has been super nice and supportive of all my pregnancy woes. I have the best leadership; they were so understanding of me as I went through the IVF process and then pregnancy. Thankful to work for AutoZone.

The awesome hostesses. These girls are awesome!

Nursery Pic

One of our two visits to the hospital around 33 weeks when I was cramping (turned out I was dehydrated), and then when I thought i felt less movements. All was well!

More hospital pictures

Couples Shower. 3 bosses, past and present, in this picture.

Maternity session (so out of order)

Picture from my all girls shower. Loved it!

Matt being the best Uncle. "Muncle Matt"

Matt hanging the beautiful curtains my mom made! Larry is supporting

My all time favorite pregnancy craving. Sonic ice cream cone. Almost a daily event.

Larry's tenth birthday!

One of our first gifts. Louise's Aunt Joy gave this to us...I saw Louise's name on the day gown and it brought tears. So special seeing her name on things.

Rosemary Beach with Matt's family

Our trip to Boston. Loving the canoli's

Suuper happy and content, resting from a day of touring

About to enjoy an amazing meal at Neptune Oyster in Boston

Driving up the East Coast

Matt shucked oysters from Glidden Point Farm in Maine

In Rockland, Maine before dinner at Primos

Bar Harbor...at hotel West St Hotel

From the roof of hotel

Beautiful!

Rosemary Beach

Maternity Sessions

Couples Shower; so much fun!

Couples Shower

Ladies Shower; it was beautiful!! So nice and fun.

My mom, sister in law, and mother in law

Girls shower

LOVE all these girls

Hanging out!

More nursery pictures

Right before leaving for hospital to go have a baby!

about 6 months pregnant; i loved fruit...which was weird!

Best husband ever!

Matt and I had dinner at Portofino's. Very good!

Case of the swollen feet. So sad...This was probably about 36-37 weeks.

Work shower..probably talking about my cankles

Week 39. National Sales Meeting week!

Bar Harbor, Maine

Bar Harbor, Maine; enjoying whole lobsters

sunset at Bar Harbor

Rosemary Beach

Chicago work trip probably about 20 weeks pregnant

On top of Seattle space needle. About 19 weeks

Alki Beach near Seattle

Haystack Rock -- Canon Beach; scene from Goonies

Boston

Brewery in Boston...can't remember which one at the moment..Matt would

Rockland Maine before dinner at Primos

Atlanta for work; probably 16 weeks or so

Mine and Matt's 7 year anniversary; Matt took me to pick out pottery, then we went to Collierville and ended up at Fair on the Sqaure; that's where I got the big lemonade. Always thirsty.