Full Term!!!

Hey Everyone!

So it's been about a month since my last post, and again, a lot has happened in a month!!!

First off, I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of the family... Reese! He is a beagle lab mix and is about 4-5 years old :) He is a great dog and we are very happy to have him.


So in the midst of our apartment becoming the worst nightmare we could ever imagine and being a month away from my due date, Kyle calls me and asks if we can have a dog. He starts explaining that his brother, Matt, knows a couple who is moving to California and they can't find a home for their dog and don't want to give him back to the pound... All Kyle hears is a sniffle and then I burst out into tears. Kyle says, "so is that a yes?" to which I reply "I am so overwhelmed right now between the apartment, all the projects around our house, and having a baby in a month, I can't even comprehend taking in a dog right now that I don't even know..." Kyle, realizing that I was in no state to make a decision said, "I'll be home in an hour so why don't you take some time to think and pray about it." By the time he got home, I told him I was still so overwhelmed by everything else that I would trust his decision because I can't even think about the dog... so we got a dog, lol. (I will say that Kyle and I have wanted a dog for some time now and this dog has all its vaccinations, is fixed, grew up with a baby who is now a toddler, and is trained well so it really is a great fit for us - minus the shedding).

We've had Reese a little over a week now and he's been great!!! I have had so much fun walking him around the neighborhood, getting to know the other dog owners, and taking him to Piedmont Park to hang out. He really is a great addition to the family and it's been fun learning his weird habits - like pretending to bite his leg when he wants to play and howling at the sirens as they go by :)

In addition to adding a member to the family and getting settled into our home, we've been busy meeting neighbors and finishing up projects around the house to prepare for the other new member of the family that is coming soon. Since I have been walking Reese quite a bit in the past week, I have definitely had stronger contractions that wake me up randomly in the middle of the night... Baby Jones is anxious to come out! Not only has the little one grown quite a bit in the past week or two (I now am only 10 lbs shy of being the same weight as my husband) but the baby has dropped into my pelvis and the movement has kicked up a notch as well... Here's a picture of me that I attempted to take myself tonight so you could see my current size, so I apologize for it not being the greatest.

My tank top is slightly stretched out now, hahaha. Anyway, I am now considered full term and can deliver the baby at any time even though I still have 2.5 weeks or so left until my official due date. You can bet that if November 14th rolls around and I haven't started labor by that evening, I will be walking all hours of the night to get things going because I do NOT want to go late (especially with Thanksgiving around the corner)!

I am okay with things progressing slowly right now though because as you can see, there are no pictures of the nursery on here yet... You may think I forgot, but oh no - there is a reason! The walls are painted, the crib and changing table are in place, but we still have yet to get a rocking chair of some sort and there are still things that need to be unpacked and put away. The unpacking isn't the hard part, but finding a place for everything has proven to be quite challenging without shelves and storage space. We're working on it and should have something to show you soon. My next post will probably be the last one before the baby arrives and will hopefully include pictures of our new home and nursery unpacked and set up nicely.

We have been so blessed thus far - even with the unfortunate events at the apartment, we have felt peace and a sense that we are where we're supposed to be right now. Kyle and I both have been able to stay healthy throughout this time. We have been able to learn a lot in different areas of life, while still having patience with one another. We are so grateful for all of our friends and family who have stepped up to help us out (whether that be through encouragement, prayer, gifts, physical help with projects around the house, fellowship, etc.). We look forward to sharing the news with you once the little one arrives.

We know that it's not going to be easy. Kyle and I both get grumpy when we don't get sleep and everyone knows that you don't get sleep with a newborn. Hopefully my recovery will go smoothly and we'll all stay healthy. If you want to pray for us, we could probably use it as far as adjusting to the new lifestyle, becoming parents, and continuing to love and grow closer to God and one another in addition to the new little one that we will be completely responsible for. Don't get me wrong, we're excited, but we just know that it's not going to be smooth sailing ahead and welcome your prayers, advice, friendship, or anything else you think might help us :)

Okay, this is getting long and I tend to ramble on when it's late so I'm calling it a night. Thanks for reading - stay tuned for any labor updates :)

40 Days And Counting!!!

I thought I would post another update since a lot has happened in the past 4 weeks!

First, Kyle and I have moved into our new home in midtown and we absolutely love it! Not just because it's a million times better than our apartment, but because it's a cute little bungalow in a great little neighborhood and the perfect amount of space for us right now with baby Jones coming soon. There are several families from our church who live within a few blocks from us and we look forward to meeting our neighbors (besides our landlord who lives next door). I think my favorite thing about our new home is the front porch and swinging bench - especially with the awesome fall weather we've been having.

My mom and I, being the germ freaks that we are, were able to get a lot of cleaning done the week before we moved... Thanks mom! I also want to thank all of the friends and family that helped us paint our walls and move our furniture as well - what a huge help and a blessing to be able to get so much done in one weekend!!! The nursery is completely painted and as soon as we get the furniture set up and things put away, I'll add some pictures of the baby room and my growing belly...

I have had two baby showers with just the girls since my last post - one with friends from church and one with a few long time friends from the past. Both were so much fun! The festivities included decorating white onesies with fabric markers, guessing the size of my belly, smelling jars of baby food and trying to guess the fruits and veggies that were mushed inside (without gagging), playing baby gift bingo, and of course, good food and great conversation... I have felt so blessed by friends and family during this time and am so grateful.

Last weekend, Kyle and I attended a breast feeding class as well as a child birthing session and both were extremely helpful! We both learned a lot and I definitely feel more prepared for what is to come (I am pretty sure Kyle does as well) even though I wouldn't say we're ready just yet. Baby Jones is getting ready though because my belly is super tight and that little booger is moving around like crazy!

Today I had a visit with the OBGYN to get another ultrasound because I have been consistently measuring small for my due date and they wanted to check the weight of the baby. Who knew that they could do that! It was fun to get to see the little one again :) While the technician was moving the wand around on my belly, the baby decided that it did not want to be disturbed and I swear it tried to kick the wand across the room! The technician pulled back startled and said, "I have been doing this for 15 years and that was intense!" I just laughed because I have been experiencing movement like that for weeks now and was comforted that she thought the movements were extreme... At one of the showers the baby decided to show off and everyone could see it from across the room! I think it's going to be a soccer player or a cyclist because the hands don't move all that much - it's all legs and feet! It doesn't help that the placenta is on the backside of the uterus because there is no padding between the baby's movements and the front of my belly...

Anyway, the baby is about 5lbs which is pretty much on track - a little small - but I am okay with that! Below is a close up of the face (sorry no body shots because we still want to be surprised if it's a boy or a girl) so that's all we got. The first one is a side profile image of the head and you can see a little fist that is labeled, while the second one is a picture straight on looking at the face... a little hard to distinguish, but I thought I would put them online anyway :)
I can't tell if our baby has a Jones nose or a Stumpff nose... lol.