33 Weeks & Room Update

The holiday madness is finally slowing down, our house is cleaned and Brooks' room is becoming organized and ready for him! We had our 33 week check-up yesterday and as Jeff said, everything is looking great. His heartbeat was 148 and he has been moving around like crazy the past few days.  I have become a lot bigger over the past few weeks and plan on taking an updated picture next week once I hit 34 weeks.

Here are a few updated pictures of Brooks' room. The walls are not quite as bare and things are beginning to find a home. Oh, and I am missing one curtain.

                                       

How far along? 33 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +23
Maternity clothes? Only have one pair of maternity pants. Being off for Christmas break, I have only been wearing yoga pants and tshirts. Guess I will find out once I go back to school if anything fits me. 
Sleep: Sleeping pretty good. I am beginning to get a bit uncomfortable. My sides get numb really quickly and I have to flip every hour or two. 
Best moment this week: Feeling Brooks move so much
Movement: Lots this week. Mom and Dad both got to feel him while in town
Food cravings: No
Gender: BOY :) 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Flat?
What I am looking forward to: Finding out how big they think Brooks is! We should find out in a few weeks... . Will he be a fatty like me...or a normal size baby like Jeff???

Last Christmas as non-parents!

So our last Christmas as non-parents is over which means this whole having a baby thing is getting closer and closer. We had a great break so far and the only complaint is that it's been too short. We had our families come to Savannah which was great. It was strange not being at our respective homes at all for the Christmas season but it was good to see everybody. The Templetons (Liz teaches their youngest boy Ben) were nice enough to let us use their beach house on Tybee for a week or so. It was very relaxing in between Tasha's loud and crazy parties...just kidding Sissy!

Liz is still doing great. We just went to the doctor for a check up today and came back with a good report. Dr. Toraya was out of town so we met with a nurse practitioner instead. It was good to get a good report from a new face. She said Liz's weight gain and belly size are exactly where they should be and that Brooks' heartbeat is exactly where it should be as well. Brooks must have heard her and celebrated with a kick/punch or two (maybe a high five??) in the doctors office. I keep waiting for Liz to "act" pregnant but I don't know if it will happen. She is her usual determined and independent self just with a really big belly. She has been better about letting me get stuff down for her if it's up high (it's easy when you are as tall as I am) and she has stopped trying to lift heavy things but other than that she really has not changed.

So these last 33 weeks have flown by. No, seriously, for real. It still feels like it's been about a month since we first found out. Feb. 17th will be here before we know it. I will admit that I have been more nervous than Liz has but really only about small things like do I know how to hold a baby. I'm sure I will learn as I go.

Ok I guess it's not the best idea to make your very pregnant wife clean the house by herself so I'll stop there.

4D Ultrasound

Mom, Tasha, Karen, Paul and Kevin all came with us today to check out little Brooks! We got a few good pictures but just like all of our other ultrasounds, Brooks had his hands (and feet) in front of his face most of the time. This is a lot of what we got to see:

He did move his hands a couple of times real quickly and we were able to catch a few good views. It was a lot of fun getting to see our little boy! Oh, and it looks like he has some hair :)

Brooks yawning

Such chubby hands! 

Baby Shower #2

What a great shower my Kindergarten team threw for us on Friday! We had a wonderful turn out of fellow teachers and parents of current/former students. Donna was nice enough to hold it at her house on Tybee and it seemed as though everyone had a great time socializing, as well as eating and drinking :) I know I had a wonderful time and was extremely exhausted once I arrived home. Of course I forgot my camera and we didn't take one picture! I did however take a few once I arrived home of all the gifts and cute cupcakes Donna made!

30 Weeks

Today I am officially 30 weeks- only 10 more to go and I have a feeling it is going to fly by with the holidays just around the corner! We have a busy weekend ahead of us: baby shower tomorrow night (thrown by my great Kindergarten team), child-birth class all day Saturday and then preparing for our family that will be coming and going for the next few weeks. Mom, Karen and Paul arrive on Wednesday- just in time for our 3D ultrasound and will be staying in Savannah for a while! Dad will then be traveling Christmas night to come hang out for a few days :) Luckily, one of my great families at school have given us their beach house for a week or so on Tybee which allows us all to be together under one roof doing nothing but eating, hanging out, celebrating Christmas, playing games and relaxing. We have been so lucky meeting such great people since we have moved to Savannah!

Oh, and my total weight gain is quickly approaching 20lbs..........

I'm back!

Well after a long time away from the old keyboard I'm back. I had a busy few months with finishing up my classes and coaching but now I'm ready to roll. Or blog. Or whatever sounds better. I think Liz covered our Thanksgiving trip pretty well but it was great to see everybody. Kentucky is cold. Enough chit chat.

Liz is still feeling great. She seems tired but that is pretty normal for a Kindergarten teacher in December anyway. I probably need to do more back rubs, foot rubs, etc but Liz is acting so normal I almost forget she is pregnant. And then I look at her belly... Speaking of - that thing is getting bigger and bigger. I felt Brooks move for the first time a couple weeks ago. Awesome feeling. It felt like a left foot so it could be a future Ryan Giggs in there. Brooks seems to enjoy lounging around and stretching out most of the time though. It seems like you can feel him on both sides of Liz's stomach when you feel him. Every now and then there is a big kick or punch and then he is back to lounging.

The baby preparations are coming along nicely. The room looks great and all that is missing (other than a baby) is the glider that my parents got us. It's in the mail and should arrive within a few days which will be great. After that we will organize the furniture and get some stuff on the wall. The good news is the US onesie and the kids Manchester United kit are in the closet and ready. I also forgot to mention that Auntie Tab got Brooks some baby Chucks. High top black ones. Rock. Slightly less cool - the team I coach got us a stroller which was very thoughtful. Brooks is ready to go.

Liz and I can't wait.

Innie or Outie?

Last night Tasha was over and was trying to see if she could feel Brooks move. Of course he didn't budge while she was here, but she did bring to my attention that I can no longer call my belly button an innie on my weekly updates. I think it is still kind of...barely...an innie, but she says there is no way. It isn't yet an outtie but simply flat. She took an up-close picture of my 'flat' belly button for the blog but I decided to post the one that is not so up-close and gross looking.

Oh, and Jeff has been saying for weeks that he is going to post a long entry since it has been forever. . . . .Be on the lookout. Surely it will happen before Brooks arrives.......

29 Weeks...11 more to go!

We have a check-up at the doctor tomorrow and after that, we will be going to the doctor every two weeks instead of four. It is crazy how quickly time has flown. I remember him saying at one of our first appointments how you begin coming every four and then once you get close it becomes every two weeks. I thought that seemed like forever away and here it is. I'm not sure if time is flying because I have a wonderful class this year (it always flies when you have a good class and drags when you have a not so good one) or if it is simply because I am pregnant (or maybe even the simple fact I am just getting old). I am still feeling well and actually told Jeff the other day that I think I 'might' miss being pregnant once we have Brooks. 


How far along? 29 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +15
Maternity clothes? Still wearing my old dresses and skirts with tights......throwing in a maternity dress and pair of pants from time to time
Sleep: Sleeping well. Apparently Brooks is a night owl- he moves the most when I get into bed and throughout the night. If I wake up during the night it is hard for me to go back to sleep because it is so neat to lie and watch/feel him move
Best moment this week: Besides spending my sister's birthday with her ;) it would have to be having Monday off to do laundry and settle back in from being away for Thanksgiving, as well as putting away all of our wonderful gifts from our KY shower. 
Movement: Yes! More finally!!.......in the afternoons, at night and while I am taking baths. 
Food cravings: No
Gender: BOY :) 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Innie for only a few more weeks I think............
What I am looking forward to: Our 3D ultrasound in a couple of weeks! It has been forever it seems since we have seen little Brooks

Thanksgiving Break/Baby Shower

Jeff and I had a wonderful, quick trip up to Rome and Kentucky for Thanksgiving. It was great seeing our families and friends. I even got to meet Cass' little baby boy, Grey, who was born about a month ago! He is so precious and made me even more excited for our little one to arrive!

Somehow, in the midst of the craziness, we were able to squeeze a baby shower in while in KY. Thank you Mom and Tabitha for getting it all together- it turned out wonderful. Not only did we get a lot of awesome things for Brooks, we were also able to see a lot of family and friends that we haven't seen in a long time. It was great catching up with everyone and it meant a lot to us to have everyone there. Here are a few pictures of the shower:

Thankful 'Fours'

At school we always make our Thankful 'Fours'. The children cut out large fours and then write what they are thankful for on them. There were a couple of really cute ones that concerned Brooks that I thought I would share.

27 Weeks

I received a phone call a few days ago from my Dr. saying that my Glucose Tolerance Test results came back however they were suppose to! Therefore, I do not have to go back for the longer test. Woohoo! But they did mention that my iron was low and I needed to take an iron supplement daily.

Here we are at 27 weeks. Only 13 more weeks to go..........Time flies!
How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +13
Maternity clothes? Not too much but my belly sure is bigger. I wear dresses and skirts that still fit! 
Sleep: Great...except for when Jeff wakes me up ten thousand times a night to tell me to roll over on my side! Apparently I am mean to him when he does it and I try to trick him by just turning my head to the side...........
Best moment this week: getting good news on my glucose test
Movement: More after school and in the mornings
Food cravings: No
Gender: BOY :) 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? my innie is hanging in there...
What I am looking forward to: going to KY/Rome for Thanksgiving, as well as our 3D/4D ultrasound date slowly approaching 

26 Weeks

We had an appointment yesterday and Brooks' heartbeat was going strong at 145 beats/min! The doctor said that everything looked great and our next appointment is the week after Thanksgiving. After that appointment we will be going to the doctor every 2 weeks instead of 4. It is insane we are already this far into the pregnancy!
Oh, and let's hope my Glucose Tolerance test results come back however they are suppose to. I really don't want to go back and do the same thing again except drink even more glucose stuff then sit and wait for 3 hours.........

Brooks' Crib

Yay! Brooks' crib came in today while we were at school. Of course Jeff had class right after work and since I am a nice wife I waited for him to get home to help put it together (although it killed me having to wait!) It didn't take too long and we didn't even argue! This may be the first time EVER that we didn't argue while putting something together. Baby Brooks' is bringing out the best in both of us :)

Our changing table should be here tomorrow and hopefully we can put it together before Jeff goes to practice. We also have an appointment tomorrow for my Glucose Tolerance test which basically means I get to drink a lot of sugar, sit and wait for an hour, then have my blood drawn. Should be a blast. And if don't respond the right way, we get to come back and drink even more sugar over a three-hour period!  Woohoo! My fingers are crossed things go well with the test and I don't have to do it again.

I Love Weekends

Yesterday I didn't have to go to school because I finished my report cards a week early!! (it was a work day) so I decided to use one of my massages I received for my birthday. I used Mama Karen & Paul's gift certificate and it was wonderful (thanks again!). The lady asked me if I had any areas I wanted her to focus on that were bothering me but I didn't. I feel extremely lucky to be having such an easy, enjoyable pregnancy thus far.  After my massage Jeff and I had date night which consisted of Indian & a movie. :)

Today Jeff and I washed and put away all of Brooks' clothes we have so far. It's crazy seeing tiny clothes hanging up in what used to be Jeff's closet. Every little thing we do just makes this whole pregnancy seem a little more real. Like last night- a preview came on before our movie and Jeff said, "We have to go see that". I said to him, "We will have to get a babysitter if we plan on seeing that in theatre". It's just crazy to think in a few months we will have a little baby :)

I also finished some artwork that I started a few weeks ago for Brooks' room. Knowing that our crib and changing table should be arriving at the end of next week motivated me to finish them so I could have them ready to hang up once we situated the furniture. My original plan was to create something to hang above the changing table that correlated with our bedding (who knows where it will end up). I chose to draw 3 different trees and back them on pieces of a sheet that matched our bedding. Here is the final product:

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +9.5
Maternity clothes? Not yet. Tasha and I did go buy some cute pants and a couple of shirts. I have worn the pants once, and am very close to having to wear maternity clothes all the time. I have had to steal some of Jeff's t-shirts to wear because mine are a bit snug!
Sleep: Still sleeping really well luckily
Best moment this week: ordering Brooks' crib and changing table (pictures below)
Movement: After school, once I slow down, I feel Brooks moving a bit
Food cravings: None
Gender: BOY :) 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? ehhh..still an innie, but it has changed quite a bit!
What I miss: being more independent at school (standing in chairs to hang things up, etc). my co-workers will not allow it and they keep a close eye on me
What I am looking forward to: a few weeks from now when our crib comes in :)
How big is our baby? Right now our baby is about 13.5 inches long, about 1.5 lbs 


The crib/changing table we chose....

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Friday at school we had our Halloween celebration and all the kiddos dressed up in their cute costumes. Although being a pig was a great suggestion, I decided to be a skeleton instead and it too was a hit with the kids :) They loved the baby skeleton on my shirt!

Friday night (after I took a nap) Jeff and I got dressed up as Juno and Bleeker (from the movie Juno) and went to dinner and out for a bit with Luigi (Kevin), Peg Bundy (Cassie), a sexy pirate (Tasha) and a construction worker (Sandra). It was a lot of fun! It's weird to think that this Halloween was our last one without a little one running around!! Picture to come.......

Brooks Allen Storey-Pitts

For those of you who have not heard we are naming our little one Brooks Allen. Jeff and I have had this name picked out for quite sometime (even before we were pregnant) and we still love it. A few people even had it on our wedding guest book for the name of our first child! You put both our dad's middle names together and ta-da! you get a great name for our first child :)

24 Weeks

Jeff and I had our 24 week appointment today and it happened to be our first appointment without an ultrasound. We have been spoiled! We met with Dr. Toraya and checked my weight, blood pressure (which is 'excellent', right Jeff?), uterus size and listened to the baby's heartbeat. It was beating 149 beats/minute! It is crazy we are only 16 weeks away from the arrival of our baby. We are getting really excited :) Jeff and I have been able to mark a few things off our list of things to do before the baby arrives, but there is still lots to do:

1. set-up beach house for Christmas
2. paint dining room ceiling
3. register for child-birthing & breastfeeding class
4. set-up maternity/baby photos
5. get room ready :)
     -clean out party room
     -paint room
     -set-up/organize room
6. register at Target/Babies R Us
7. sort out daycare
8. find a pediatrician
9. find a sub for my maternity leave
10. set-up 3D ultrasound

...more to be added.....

Baby Room

So the baby room is getting more and more ready. My parents came into town last weekend and loaded up their van with our futon to help clear out the room. This was a risky move by my mom because the futon took up most of the van forcing her to sit up front with my dad who was in charge of the radio for the 5 hour trip. It is very exciting walking into the room now. It is no longer just a storage space. Can't wait to add some baby furniture!

Liz is doing well apart from about 83 nose bleeds a day! She dominates bowls of cereal but seems to have a normal appetite. We think we figured out that pink lemonade of all things makes Liz feel a little sick. Every other food seems to be ok (including chocolate belated birthday cake luckily). We are playing the waiting game but loving it.

22 Weeks

Just a couple of days ago I think I felt Baby Storey-Pitts move! I have felt a few butterflies here and there, but this time it was different. It took me a few minutes to realize what the feeling was and once I figured it out, I called Jeff over. But of course Baby S-P stopped moving at that point. It was so neat knowing that our baby was in there moving around :) 

Yesterday at school I ate something that didn't settle well with me for the first time. From the time I arrived home I was in the bed. My stomach was not in the best of conditions and I was unable to eat anything all night (which is very RARE for me). Jeff tried to get me black bean soup from Panera but they didn't have it last night so he surprised me with yummy black beans and rice from a little Cuban place here. Sadly, I couldn't stomach it so I only had about 2 bites :( Needless to say, I slept horribly and woke up starving around 3. I didn't want to eat too much because I wasn't sure if it would stay in my system, so Allie and I shared a banana. Jeff tried to talk me into getting a sub (which I should have listened) but I didn't. I was exhausted all day today, but I did eventually begin to feel better around lunch. I am hoping I sleep well tonight!  

Dad's Visit :)

What a busy weekend! My dad came in for a visit and helped us with a few things around the house. Jeff was gone all weekend coaching in a tournament so it was just Dad and me. Friday night we scoped out Home Depot for a while getting paint swatches and looking at our options for fixing a window in the baby's room and then Saturday and Sunday we worked all day. If you haven't seen 'the' window, then you are in for a treat. Most people never noticed it because it was behind our old computer, but once we moved everything out (and Dad saw it) something had to be done. Check it out: 

This picture was taken after dad had removed some of the molding, as well as made a support frame to put up top so he could insert some wood to cover the entire window. Apparently when the old owners added our 2nd bathroom, they simply left the window instead of removing it. Therefore, you can see the pink insulation. We have always had blinds over it so it wasn't as noticeable. 

Dad covered the window with a piece of wood he cut and then I painted it. He then hung some shelves, as well as a cube shelf for the baby. The window is hardly even noticeable anymore thanks to my WONDERFUL Dad :)

We also did a few more small projects that I wanted to get finished before the baby comes: painted the dining room ceiling, put the baseboard back down in the kitchen and fix our fence in the backyard. It was so much fun hanging out with Dad this weekend and getting a few things marked off my list of "Things To Do Before the Baby Comes". I have the best Dad in the world :)

20 Week Ultrasound Picture

Here is one picture that was taken at our 20 week ultrasound. It was the only glimpse of Baby Storey-Pitts' face we got and it is kind of creepy/neat looking! You can clearly see one of his eyes!

Today Jeff decided to take down all of his music, beer and soccer posters from his room. We had forgotten that the room was white when we moved in because it had been covered with so many posters for so long. It looks like a hospital room and is pretty depressing to look at. We can't wait to get the green paint picked out and start painting! Here are some pictures of Jeff sadly disassembling his party room for now.......

20 Weeks

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound and were able to check on Baby Storey-Pitts. We were told everything looks great and he seems to be doing well. We saw his heart, bladder, brain, bones, etc. which was really neat. He currently weighs 12 ounces and will be growing a lot bigger in the next few weeks (as will I). I have gained about 5 pounds and the doctor seemed really happy with that. Still no symptoms for me besides being extremely tired at night and nosebleeds- I had two yesterday!

We got a few pictures from the ultrasound today, but none of them were all that great. I am sure I will try to post one or two later. Baby Storey-Pitts was covering his face up with his hands the whole time! I'm sure he is going to be stubborn based on myself and Jeff. :) We did get to check him out in 3d for about 15 seconds which was awesome but a tease! It made us really look forward to our 3d/4d ultrasound which is scheduled right before Christmas time.

Our next checkup will be right before Halloween with just a visit to the doctor to check on me and measure my belly.- no ultrasound :(

Here is my 20 week belly photo.

Bedding

So the bedding I originally wanted was sold out at every store I tried :( So I eventually gave up and chose another cute one which was the other one I had my eye on (minus the giraffe). Aren't the owls cute?? We should be receiving it within the next week or so, then we will decide on the paint color and go from there. Right now I am loving the green in the photo below.

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +4.0
Maternity clothes? I am getting close! All my skirts, shirts and dresses still fit- just getting a bit snug. I need to use my gift card from Tasha and Jan to go by a maternity outfit soon!
Sleep: I have been exhausted after work everyday. Luckily, I am sleeping wonderfully! Jeff says I am even snoring now....
Best moment this week: After saying I was hungry once I got in bed, Jeff brought me a brownie and big glass of milk :)
Movement: I have been feeling a little bit of tickling in my belly.....
Food cravings: None
Gender: BOY :) 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Still an innie
What I miss: Nothing.
What I am looking forward to: Next Thursday for our Anatomy ultrasound! :)

How big is our baby? Right now our baby is about 6 inches long and is about the size of a "large heirloom tomato"

Oink, Oink

Of course the topic of Halloween comes up in my classroom just about everyday and today was one of those days. After a long, exciting discussion on what everyone is going to dress up as one of my children asked me what I am going to be. I told them I was unsure and asked if they had any suggestions (bad idea). One of my sweet little girls eyes gets wide and I can tell she has come up with a brilliant idea. She excitedly jumps up and says, "a pig!" Then a few others proceeded to say, "Good idea! She is getting BIG!!" Oink, Oink here comes Ms. Piggy.......

That little girl is the same little girl who kisses my growing belly every day. I have a little boy who gives Baby Storey-Pitts a pat every time he walks by. I can only imagine what is in store for me as my belly continues to grow :) Such an exciting time for me and my little ones at school!

Boom babba boom babba here comes Big Mama!

Well it has been a while since I've been on here. I can't imagine life getting any busier for me...oh wait, add a baby. Liz and I have had a fun few weeks. We went to Orlando to see our good mates Paul and Heather (crashed their honeymoon in the process) and it was great to catch up and see them again. They brought two gifts from sunny old England and both are awesome. I have always told Liz I won't force any soccer on our little one so it's good to see that he will have a choice between Newcastle and Manchester United. Also, now I can push for the new United kit to match our baby boy.

We just got back from camping in Hunting Island, South Carolina. It was good to see everybody except for Kevin (got ya bro!) and Big Mama did really well camping. Not only did she put up with about 7 idiots (give or take) she slept as well as you can in a tent on the ground.

Liz is doing great and is as cute as ever and I promise to blog sooner.

18 Weeks

Baby Room: Step 1

The first step of preparing the baby room is done. We have sold our corner computer desk and bought another one for our guest room (which I love!).  Next steps: sale futon and tv, take down posters (so sorry Jeff) and dartboard. Then we have the luxury of filling all the holes in from someone trying to play darts and putting holes in the walls. Who is that terrible at darts...really?

I also think I have found the baby bedding that we want to design our room around. I am thinking of buying it this week, but of course I have to look around a little bit more to be certain this is it!

IT'S A BOY!

It was confirmed Thursday, September 2nd that we are having a boy! Since we know for sure we can really begin to plan (register, fix the room up, decide on a name, etc.). The fun is about to begin...for me at least. I love planning and organizing! Tasha and I are already brainstorming ideas for the room :) With a few gifts coming in the party room is slowly beginning to look like a mix of partying and babies. And although Jeff won't admit it he actually said he was ready to give up his room for the baby- who would have ever thought!!

I meant to post Thursday after our appointment but we were so excited and busy calling and texting people that we never got around to it. We just returned from visiting Heather and Paul in Orlando, which was a lot of fun. It was great to finally see the newlyweds again! They got us a gift that almost made Jeff have a heart attack- a baby Manchester full kit (as well as a Newcastle onesie). What great friends :)

I am going to post a few pictures from our ultrasound on Thursday. Auntie Tasha was able to go with us to find out the gender and although the visit was a short one, it was VERY exciting! Needless to say, our little boy cooperated very well. As soon as the nurse put it on my belly, up popped the baby's butt on the screen as well as the rest!