maternity pics

i wrote this a while ago and then saved it as a draft. oops!

our friend wayne did a great job with our maternity pictures, despite my pastiness and josh's tiredness. and the horrible weather - freezing cold drizzle! ugh. you can check out his website here! here's a "few" of my faves. :)

olivia's due date (march 18th)

warning: this is a big paragraph probably full of run-on sentences. read at your own risk.

well, olivia's due date came and i did not wake up in labor as i had hoped. off to the doctor we went for our 9:50 appointment. i had hoped that between all the walking and bouncing i would be dilated at least a couple centimeters, but when they checked they said that nothing had changed from the previous week, meaning that my cervix was soft but that. was. it. ugh. are you serious?! so since it was my due date they did a non-stress test and ultrasound just to check and see how everything was going in there. the ultrasound was first, and after waiting for quite a while we went back for the whole goop on the belly shebang. i was excited to see olivia but didn't really expect much since i've heard at this point babies look pretty blobby anyway. sure enough, she looked pretty blobby. we did get to see her profile and her big foot again, and we were told that she was laying on her left side with her arms and legs to my right (hence the feet i keep feeling in my ribs!). we were also told that olivia seemed to have plenty of amniotic fluid so that what good to hear. after lots of measurements the ultrasound tech told us that she was estimated to be 8 pounds and 15 ounces! WHAT!? are you kidding me? what happened to the right on track - average of 7.5 pounds - baby that we've been expecting all this time!? there had seriously been no mention of a big baby until my due date. josh and i were both shocked. then we got to wait some more before they started the NST - which was pretty boring and went fine. olivia wasn't too active and was certainly nowhere near the breakdancing baby she was a couple weeks prior after my sinus meds hyped her up. more waiting and then it was time to talk to the doctor. he basically said that we had 2 options - wait a week or so and see if my cervix was being more cooperative and risk having a baby close to 10 pounds, or go ahead and induce earlier while she was less large and try to force my forgetful cervix into doing what it is supposed to do. he warned that the process may not work since i'm not dilated at all and the whole two-phase induction might have to be repeated. yikes. i sat there totally overwhelmed having no idea what to say, and our doctor shared that there was really no right answer. he decided to check the on-call schedule at the hospital and said that my doctor (not this guy) was on call wednesday so we could set something up for tuesday night and hopefully my doctor would be the one to deliver her on wednesday. i still felt totally overwhelmed and tears were filling up my eyes. again. we didn't really know what to do, and like the doctor said, there was no right answer. so we just went along with what he said and set up our induction to start tonight. i bawled as soon as we got to the car, feeling so overwhelmed at the thought of being induced the following day (today!). i was irritated that there was no mention of a big baby until my due date, and i was irritated that my cervix was not doing it's job. and i was nervous that the induction wouldn't work and they would have to do it again. or that i'd end up with a c-section. fortunately josh was very supportive, and once he had a bit of time to process what was happening, he became extremely positive (as usual) and excited about meeting our daughter in no time. briana also came over in the afternoon to share her experience with the two-phase induction just a few months prior. she was excited and very reassuring! josh and i celebrated our "last supper" last night at logan's, and i even found olivia a couple of black and white board books that i had been looking for at lifeway where we went to walk around afterwards. i laid awake last night thinking endlessly about everything, but i was able to get some sleep. so that's where we're at. i'm still nervous, but i've spent my day cleaning (more!) and finishing up some last minute items. it is nice to know that i'm leaving my house neat and i have all of the laundry caught up. and i have more than enough time to agonize over exactly what i'm taking to the hospital, even though our bags have pretty much been packed for weeks! my mom is on her way here and will be here shortly, and josh is finishing up work for the remainder of the week. i'm still pretty terrified but there's no turning back now! and i know that ultimately God is in control and we will get to meet our daughter soon! let's do this, olivia!

the last bump pic! 

39 weeks!

happy st. patrick's day! 

what’s new with baby: according to my app, little olivia is just over 7 pounds and about 20 inches long! she's continuing to put on fat and is ready to meet the world! come on baby!!! 

what’s new with mom: mom is feeling quite ginormous these days. i've gone into "let's get this baby out!" mode this week - meaning i've tried eating spicy foods, gone on several walks, and bounced on my exercise ball a lot. so far nothing has worked and i'm getting quite inpatient. don't get me wrong, i'm glad olivia likes it in there, but come on. everything went great at the doctor's on monday - my blood pressure was fine and her heart beat was normal. and my ankles have even returned to their normal size this week! i've continued to nest like crazy - meaning i've re-cleaned stuff i cleaned earlier in my nesting phase and gotten even a little more psycho about what is dirty. at least my house is clean! 

wardrobe:

cravings: hmm... i can't think of anything particular. despite filling up faster i have continued to be quite hungry! 

anything hard? definitely the waiting game at this point. i'm quite the planner by nature and i love to know what's coming up next and have my schedule figured out. you can't really do that with a baby! i had really hoped that i would have gone into labor naturally by this point, even though i know that it's not uncommon to go late, especially when it's your first baby. all day i kept telling olivia that st. patrick's day would be a fun birthday, but she hasn't listened. so that's where i'm at. we'll see what the doctor says in the morning! 

best moment(s) of the week: hmm... this week really hasn't been too eventful. lots of cleaning and organizing and a couple good naps. i was definitely excited to get the nursery all finished up at the beginning of this week! and a had a great time hanging out with friends on saturday and josh and i had a fun little date on friday (which ended with UK losing in the SEC tournament - don't they know olivia has a tiny little UK hat to wear!?). and i got an awesome package in the mail from mindy, who crocheted olivia the most precious blanket and little booties. how talented is she!? i can't wait to see those little booties on olivia! 

the nursery reveal

i have to say i'm quite happy with the way olivia's nursery came out. i'm super happy with the color scheme, which was chosen back in november when my mom and i picked out fabric for the quilt i'm working on for olivia. (no, i haven't finished it, but it will be tackled this week if she doesn't come! the top and back are done, i'm just not looking forward to pinning together the "sandwich.")

i think the nursery is definitely for a girl without being GIRLY. there's touches of pink of course, but they are balanced by the neutrals and sage green. and i like that everything came together from a pretty eclectic background - mixes of new (the crib, the curtains, and the chair we got as a GREAT store closing deal), consignment store (the dresser which our friend zach refinished, the lamp, the book shelf, and the small table by the chair), homemade (the bedskirt and pillow made by my mom, the birds painted on the wall by me, the bird painting by me, and the paper mobile made by me), and vintage (the quilt squares above the crib which were originally in a quilt top that was started but never finished by my grandma's neighbor back in the day).

i really should have taken some before and after pics because the nursery was a hot mess back around christmas. oh well. without further ado...

of course there's stuff that will change or be added (i have other ideas that have yet to come to fruition), but as of right now i like that it has enough without being too crazy. if olivia is anything like me she'll have 8 bazillion collections in a few years anyway. i hope she likes her room! 

37 & 38 weeks!

what’s new with baby: baby girl is cooked. she needs to get out. okay, in reality she's about 6.8 pounds and 19 and 1/2 inches long. but seriously, she's ready. or i'm ready and she's nice and cozy in there. 

what’s new with mom: mom is pooped. i've been nesting endlessly, finishing up training for my job, and fighting a sinus infection for over a week. i started feeling crappy half way through my 37th week, and it seriously has continued for a week and a half. it is better, but i'm still blowing my nose. last weekend (my birthday weekend!) i barely left the couch. it was awful. ugh. so that was fun. and 2 days this past week were spent in training all. day. long. all day long and an hour and a half away. all day long and an hour and a half away and blowing my nose. okay i'm done. my ankles have been swelling on and off the past couple weeks which has been bothering me, but the doctor says everything is okay. at my 37 week appointment my blood pressure was a little high so i was nervous about that, but the doctor assured me it was fine, and then at my 38 week appointment (on my birthday - i made josh go to this one!) olivia's heart rate was super fast, but after sitting on a monitor for 20 minutes the doctor assured me that that too, was fine. she was just really active and i had taken some sinus medicine so that could have hyped her up. so really everything is going pretty well, even if i am uncomfortable and whiny and so ready for olivia to come out! 

wardrobe: 

cravings: nothing in particular or out of the ordinary. probably more sweets and stuff i shouldn't really eat. i finally spotted some girl scouts yesterday and ended up getting 3 boxes of cookies. yum. sadly you don't get very many in a $4 box! 

anything hard? definitely not feeling well has made these couple weeks rough. and i am uncomfortable and worn out. it is very difficult to rest with this nesting instinct! it's amazing what's dirty when you're nesting! after 2 exhausting days of training i thought i would rest but i ended up dusting and vacuuming the whole apartment and organizing a bunch of stuff. and a couple days ago i found myself randomly cleaning the inside and outside of my garbage can. and i've been finding uses for all of the attachments on my vacuum all over the house! ugh. i guess i am getting a lot accomplished though! in all seriousness, it seems that things are going well and olivia is quite happy in there. 

best moment(s) of the week: hmm... despite not feeling well, i did enjoy a yummy thai dinner with friends for my birthday, and a prenatal massage and a yummy pizza date with josh on my actual birthday! that massage was quite wonderful. i had been holding onto a massage envy gift card for over a year, and while i'm not quite sure why it took me so long to use it, i'm glad i had it when i've been quite uncomfortable. (i didn't mention it - but i can barely sleep past 5 without having to get up and move to the couch so i can sit with the heating pad on my back!) 

time to come out and meet the world, olivia! :) 

35 & 36 weeks!

35 weeks! 

and 36!

what’s new with baby: olivia is now about 6 pounds and 18 and 1/2 inches long. she's shedding her downy hair coating and the waxy substance that's been protecting her in the amniotic fluid all this time! sounds to me like she's about ready to come out! she was head down at my 36 week check-up but there were no other indications that she's ready to meet the world. 

what’s new with mom: mom is exhausted and emotional. this week has been stressful and i'm getting more uncomfortable and my ankles have started to swell this week. boo. in addition to being super pregnant, i started a new job this week! i hadn't mentioned it before, but yes, i've started training for a new PRN therapist job. the timing of all of this has been very stressful for me, but i felt like god was telling me to take a leap of faith and move forward with this opportunity. and the fact that it's PRN means i'll be able to be home a lot and work a little once olivia is here, until i feel ready to try to get promoted to full time (3 days a week at this job!) or look for something else. so yeah, with a new job comes lots of training... and i've just been pooped. 

wardrobe: i should just delete this. 

cravings: all things indian and international. super excited about my upcoming bday dinner - thai! yummy! 

anything hard? just being exhausted with this whole job thing. and the fat ankles are stressing me. and being in crazy nesting mode so i can hardly relax. (at least i'm productive though!) and sleeping horribly because my back hurts so bad. and the resulting headaches from the back aches. i guess that's all. 

best moment(s) of the week: hmm... well on the 16th we had maternity pictures done by our friend wayne. unfortunately the weather was quite terrible and josh was super tired, but we definitely got some good pictures! i'll do a separate post of my favorites once i get the CD. and this past saturday i hosted a "pinterest project party" for some friends here. i worked on pillow cases for a friend, made the back of olivia's quilt (anyone want to come crawl around on the floor with me to pin it together!?), and worked on a painting for olivia's room. briana made olivia an adorable headband (and a couple for fiona, of course!) and other friends made scarves, coasters, and magnets. it was definitely a fun girl day! i know days like that will be more difficult with a little one so it was nice to do it with just a few weeks to go! but i'm definitely getting super excited and super ready to meet olivia! just a few things to finish in the nursery and then i'll have to do a "nursery tour" post! 

34 weeks!

what’s new with baby: olivia now weighs about 4 and 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long! she is continuing to put on fat and her central nervous system and lungs are developing. fortunately, if olivia was born now, she's likely be just as healthy as any other baby in the long run. this week was also special for olivia because she now has a cousin!!! lily preeti-kay borggren was born on february 10th at 6:23pm (local time) to my sister! she's a little early, and she's currently in the nicu, but her and mom will be just fine! 

what’s new with mom: mom is getting more uncomfortable and more tired unfortunately. my back is hurting a lot and this week has brought the return of an old pal, acid reflux. good times. but overall i'm doing pretty good. i haven't had any swelling, and my weight gain has been pretty much on track. at my check up at the beginning of the week the doctor said everything looked great and i measured 34 cm exactly. and olivia's heartbeat was in the upper 140s. despite no signs of an early delivery, i'm still freaking out about getting everything done asap. within the past couple weeks 3 girls i know have had their babies pretty significantly early, one being my sister! i've been doing lots of baby laundry and organizing, but i still feel overwhelmed with everything i need to get done. ugh. but it will happen. and if for some reason i go into labor and the nursery isn't perfectly organized oh well. as long as olivia is healthy, that's what matters. 

wardrobe: no changes here. 

cravings: i've still been wanting asian food. i think thai or indian is in order for my birthday. 

anything hard? definitely being tired and uncomfortable. i'm not ready for olivia to come yet because the perfectionist in me wants to have everything done before she does. so i'm thankful for the time i still have. but i do feel myself nearing that just-get-out-of-me point. and i'm fighting the urge to just be more irritable in general. poor josh. i'm trying. 

best moment(s) of the week: definitely becoming an aunt is at the top of the list! i'm so excited for my sister and brother-in-law. i know their labor didn't go as planned, but God was definitely working and little lily is going to be as healthy as can be soon. it sucks not being there for sure, but that's just where our lives are right now. they've definitely been in my thoughts and prayers, and hopefully soon we'll all be able to skype! 

i actually found out about lily while josh and i were on our mini babymoon in raleigh, which was another highlight! i had hoped for a long weekend in the snowy mountains, but we just seemed to run out of time. one day... but raleigh was great because i wasn't in the car too long, and we stayed at a nice hotel (for free with points!) and ate a yummy dinner. we also ordered room service and saw a movie sunday afternoon. it was great to get away and relax together before olivia comes! 

baby shower number 3!

my friend briana did an awesome job throwing my 3rd baby shower for our friends here in greensboro! (she's does wedding planning on the side so i'm totally not surprised!) i did a pretty crappy job of documenting who was there, but i did do a good job of taking pics of all the cute decor! that's something, right? 

pink nail polish favors 

presh :) 

doily bunting

yum! 

onesies hung above the gift table

these onesies were used for a very challenging game! each person snuck one in and then they were all hung up when i wasn't paying attention. i had to guess who brought what onesie! it was fun but definitely challenging! 

close-up of the cute vintage-y fabric backdrop

thanks bri! it was awesome! :) 

32nd & 33rd weeks!

wrapping up the 32nd week! (january 27th)

and the 33rd! (february 3rd) 

what’s new with baby: well, by the end of this week olivia was over 4 pounds and past the 17-inch mark! she's losing her alien/wrinkled look and continuing to grow like a weed! 

what’s new with mom: mom is definitely hitting that tired and uncomfortable phase of pregnancy! i've been requiring more naps and i'm lacking motivation. i have been doing a lot in the nursery, but i feel like my bursts of energy are very short lived and then i'm just forcing myself to do baby laundry, or put the bumper on the crib, or whatever. when i do sleep at night i inevitably have to get up to pee, and then i lie in bed thinking about what i need to be doing and/or toss and turn because i can't get comfortable. good times! 

wardrobe: pretty much all maternity clothes these days. i'm still stretching my jacket over my belly (which miraculously still zips!) and wearing some random big t-shirts and pajama pants. 

cravings: i can't think of anything too crazy here. my milk and cookies craving is starting to subside it seems, and i pretty much just eat whatever sounds good. after sharing my love for amy's wraps in my 31st week post my walmart immediately stopped carrying them. grrr. 

anything hard? just the sleeping and feeling exhausted thing. overall i'm still enjoying being pregnant, i'm so so so so excited about little olivia and i just love thinking about her and praying for her. i'm getting super excited to meet her, but i'm also praying she'll cook until she's fully done of course! 

best moment(s) of the week: lots of fun things happened these couple of weeks, especially my third and final shower in north carolina on the 27th, and then our birth and baby class on the 1st and 2nd. (i'll be documenting the shower in a separate post!) that class was very helpful but man i overwhelmed with everything i need to be doing and learning! yikes! but i can doing this, right? lots of women have had and raised babies, so if they can do it i can do it, right?! sigh.... just 5 and 1/2 weeks to go! (at the point that i'm finally writing this!) 

nursery projects

-nursing cover - check!

(tutorial)

-car seat canopy - check!

(tutorial)

 -closet dividers - check!

(inspiration) 

-painting for nursery (back in the day i used to paint - i think i still can!)

-make mobile - in progress 

-finish quilt (yikes)

-hang pictures

-wash and sort clothes

-organize white plastic drawers that will hold diapering stuff

-mount monitor 

-lots of other things that i'm sure i'll come up with 

31 weeks!

again, a few days late! i have no excuse! 

what’s new with baby: our sweet baby girl is now over 16 inches long and weighs about 3.3 pounds! she can turn her head from side to side and her arms, legs, and body are plumping up with needed fat! 

what’s new with mom: i've been doing pretty good! still tired and achey a lot, but i did have a couple much needed bursts of energy this week! on tuesday i woke up and went to work organizing the nursery closet and the office/guest bedroom. the office went from anxiety-attack-i-can-barely-walk-in-here to oh-look-someone-could-actually-stay-in-here within hours! i love organization! i even listed a few things on amazon and made over $120 this week! the baby stuff is now centrally located in the baby's room (crazy, i know! but it had been first in the dining room and then in the office when we painted) and pretty organized, pending another shower before final preparations and decisions are made. this week i also made a nursing cover for myself! 

wardrobe: no change here! 

cravings: hmm... a little bit of everything? my newest interest is definitely amy's indian samosa wrap. YUM. i've been wanting indian food for a while but we haven't been eating out much, so this fits the bill perfectly! seriously, if anyone knows how i can get these for less than a a couple bucks a piece, please let me know! 

anything hard? nothing new here - restful sleep! i'm also getting to the point of feeling like i really don't want to bend over and i'd prefer help getting up off the couch! (i'm fine to do it myself, but if josh is near by i might ask just for fun!) and i've been bumping my stomach into things more and more. since when did the kitchen counter stick out that far!? :)

best moment(s) of the week: josh and i had a much needed date night saturday night which was definitely fun! of course over dinner i told him how i'm on mental overdrive with all this baby stuff - constantly reading and trying to consume information and makings lists and even dreaming about stuff like changing pad covers - i'm so romantic! but it was fun and we ended the night with dessert and shopping for board books for olivia at a local used book store, and then we went back home and read them to each other for practice! (you should seriously ask josh to hear his rendition of Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear! it's quite the performance!) 

30 weeks!

just 9 weeks to go! woah!

what’s new with baby: well our active baby girl is now over 15 and 1/2 inches long and weighs almost 3 pounds! at the doctor on monday everything was right on track and she had a heartbeat of 140 bpm! olivia is getting really good at expressing her opinions already - she is quick to let me know if i'm hungry or sitting in a way that doesn't suit her. 

what’s new with mom: i've continued to be tired and achy, to the point that i want a nap every day! i have so much i want to do so i'm just trying to get a little accomplished each day and not push myself too hard. i've also continued to be extremely hungry, even though i fill up much faster! lastly, i feel like the pregnancy brain has really set in. i'm so thankful for the calendar and notes on my iphone to help me keep track of everything - and i'm not even working! this week i even called my mom to help me think of a word! (the joy of writing thank you notes while pregnant!) 

wardrobe: not much change here! i'm hoping to not spend too much more on clothes at this point and just work with what i've got! luckily i've been getting some of briana's maternity clothes now. :) bra purchasing is definitely in my future though!

cravings: i've gotten to the point of getting a little tired of being so hungry! our budget is tight so i'm not going out, and i'm so tired of the same food at the house every day! i still want more milk and bananas lately (which is great since i got a killer charlie horse a couple weeks ago!) but i'm still bored with my food selection. i've been wanting thai and indian food - the things i don't feel as confident cooking! 

anything hard? definitely the tiredness and back aches are my biggest complaints here. i hate having the desire to do a ton of things but none of the motivation and energy needed. but alas, that's okay! 

best moment(s) of the week: this week was busy but good! it was great to know that everything is going well at the doctor's on monday. josh and i started a new book on marriage with our small group on tuesday, and dave ramsey's financial peace university class on wednesday. both of these require a descent amount of homework, but i'm loving how close me and josh are these days! we're so excited for olivia to come and i feel like we are really on the same page about so many things. i'm so thankful to have such a great husband and i know he's going to be an amazing dad! during the 30th week we also made some progress on the nursery - getting the furniture back in, hanging the curtain rod and black out curtains, and decorating the book shelf (because i just like to do that!). now that the paint smell is pretty much cleared out i'm excited to get more stuff in there and start organizing and decorating! 

pregnancy through the ages

just for fun, i started asking my grandma about what her pregnancies were like back when i was first expecting. she was so excited to share and tell me how the best feeling in the world is when you first feel a kick (back before i felt any of olivia's jabs!). she also talked about how prenatal care was totally different, no one knew what they were having, and you didn't breastfeed because that wasn't "in" then. these conversations lead to her sending me some pics from when her and my mom were pregnant!

my grandma 8 months and 2 weeks pregnant with my mom in November, 1958...

and here she is pregnant with my uncle dave, with my papa holding my mom all dressed up and precious! 

 and again pregnant with my uncle brian! such a foxy lady! 

 fast forward... here's my mom pregnant with me! she was tiny and i was ginormous (9 pounds, 1 ounce) so i'm sure she was quite miserable! 

with my precious sister! 

check out that hairstyle! gotta love the 80s! 

this is the day before i was born - march 3rd, 1985! i would be sitting too! 

it's amazing how pregnancy care and trends change over the years! regardless of what was "in" then or now, i'm proud to be part of an awesome line of women blessed with this amazing adventure of growing a baby! it really is like having a front-row seat as god performs this amazing miracle in front of your face inside of you! i wouldn't trade it for the world! 

29 weeks!

it's so hard to believe that i'm writing this 30 weeks pregnant! where has time gone!? 10 more weeks!!! but i guess i'm getting ahead of myself here...

what’s new with baby: well olivia is now about 2 and 1/2 pounds and over 15 inches long! her muscles and lungs are continuing to develop, and her head is growing to make room for her developing brain! 

what’s new with mom: mom is doing good but definitely feeling bigger and more tired! i may have even fallen asleep pretty close to midnight on the 31st. luckily my friends woke me up in time for a sparkling cider toast! my back is continuing to ache quite a bit, but that is unfortunately quite normal these days. 

wardrobe: nothing new here. maternity clothes whenever i need to look descent for sure. i did wear josh's pajama pants for our new years eve pajama party! (we're so wild. and i fell asleep. awesome.) 

cravings: not really. usually if i want something i'll just get it. like the other day i wanted biscuitville so josh and i went there. it was yummy. that may not be a good thing. :) 

anything hard? i feel like lots of little things are getting more difficult. little things that you don't think about unless you're pregnant. like bending over. or getting up. good times. 

best moment(s) of the week: this week i feel like olivia has started doing somersaults in my uterus! it is so neat to see my stomach dancing and bouncing around! i love it that she is so active, even when she jabs me because she doesn't like the way i'm sitting. other than that this week involved a lot of organizing and work on the nursery. we still have a long way to go, but we wrapped up the 29th week with getting the nursery painted! and we were able to get some great finds at a consignment store. i'm so excited to see everything come together. 

the aftermath from the showers...

check out all those clothes! milo had to check everything out! 

lots of goodies! 

she already has more shoes than i do! 

more goodies!

 and some progress... 

an assembled crib and paint going up!

finished paint :)

cute bookshelf for toys and books 

end table and lamp for next to the rocking chair! 

i can't wait to get back in there once the paint smell clears out! 

welcome to 2013, olivia! we can't wait to meet you!