Oh my, oh my, what a year!!

As my facebook status says this morning, "It's hard to believe this time last year it was a rainy day to start our wedding weekend and I had just finished the hardest semester of nursing school yet.. who would've thought in a year's time we'd be preparing for our BIGGEST blessing and excitement to date, the same weekend a year later! We can't wait to hold you and just stare at you sweet Karris :) :) You will be the best anniversary gift in this world!" - that about sums it up! Looking over this past year, I have gone from engaged to married to now expecting this sweet baby girl. Add that on top of finishing nursing school, clinicals and working full time - you can ONLY imagine why these past 4 days without working have seemingly driven me to the brink of insanity MAJOR boredom. :) Just kidding. I seem to always find something to clean or organize. I know I can drive poor Daniel nuts sometimes with this. But, can't be too prepared! On that note, since I started ths blog in December - I am going to add a few wedding pictures from August 7, 2010 :) Can't believe it's been a year. I am so blessed with an amazing husband who is the hardest worker I know and who is so sweet and loving. I know that I can be hard to live with sometimes with my OCD and criticism - but Daniel is so laid back it really balances out my highstrung energy!

First picture after saying I do!

Wedding Shower in July 2010

On to Karris - MAYBE this will be my last post before she gets here :) :) I hope so! her official due date, as I have mentioned before is August 14. But since she has always measured 2 days earlier, I usually catch myself saying August 12. (Which is a WEEK away!!!!) She DID flip back we confirmed at the 37 weeks appointment. Which was a week and a half ago. This past Tuesday, at the 38 week, my doctor was out delivering (wish it was me!) so I saw his partner for the first time. She confirmed Karris is still head down, so that is wonderful news. I doubt she will flip within the next week or so. It is probably a little too tight in there now! BUT, the ultrasound tech said the fact she has flipped 3x since 32 weeks is HIGHLY unusual too, so she laughed when I asked if she was there to stay. I have faith that she is though. I wasn't dilated or anything this week at the doctor, so Karris is holding on. I have started to have some mild contractions in the past few days - but nothing too exciting to call the doctor just yet.

Updated pic of the nursery - from my phone, so not very clear!

This was me way back 3 weeks ago at 36 weeks haha. As you can see I am way bigger!

Other than all of this, we are so ready. I got to meet my friend Ava's sweet baby boy, Seven Reed Doutt last week and also got to see him at lunch yesterday. He is precious and SO tiny. I am so glad to have gotten to hold and spend time with him, because honestly it had been awhile since those labor & delivery clinicals last fall. It is amazing how fast they grow in such a short time. Aside from Seven, I have had 5 other friends have babies in the past month! 4 boys and 2 girls and all the babies are healthy and the mommies are too. I am ready to jump on the mommy wagon. (As if you can't tell!) I have to also post a picture of something that Daniel's sweet aunt made for us - she made Karris a blanket out of different fabrics and used Daniel's grandmother, Elyse's. old thread to sew her blanket! Grandma Elyse passed away 10 years ago and her husband, Daniel's grandfather, passed away this past Tuesday. This is the first grand & greatgrandchild for both of our families, so we have looked at it as with death comes new life, and his granddad probably wanted to be with his grandmother to see the arrival of their first great-grandchild together. :)

This is baby Seven! He is smiling :) He was a week and a half old here - precious!

Blanket made by Aunt Barbara with Grandma Elyse's thread - means so much to us!

3 weeks to go!

Officially 3 weeks to go! Unbelievable! I have Karris' bag packed and I am working on mine. I ordered a cute gown for the hospital, it is pink with white polka dots - it came in yesterday! My mom got me a pretty gown to wear for the hospital stay yesterday as well when we met in Charleston. I haven't gotten anything for myself in so long, it was nice to have a few surprises. Then afterwards I, of course went shopping for Karris in Mt. Pleasant. I got her a really cute dress - it is for 9 months, so she will get to wear it next summer. I know I have her tons of clothes, but I store in Mt. P had everything half off because they are about to get in a whole new shipment - and it was one of my FAVORITE baby brands Le' Za Me! So, I couldn't help myself. I think the whole idea of a "cute" hospital gown was a fun idea. Believe me, from being in and out of hospitals the past few years with nursing - the gowns are not cute haha. Maybe that's why I am concerned lol. Most people probably don't care! But, it's one of those feel good things! Etsy has a lot to pick from. I ordered mine from Baby Be Mine - I tried it on this morning haha.

Daniel is getting so excited. He is ready to pack his bag too for the hospital. We will get to that this weekend. I have a checklist that my friend Jamie posted on her blog that was a big help! I go to the doctor on Tuesday for the 37 week appt. We will have an ultrasound then and see the doctor's "guess" of how much she weighs! And we will see if she has flipped. This morning when I woke up it felt like 2 feet up top instead of her head. So MAYBE she has flipped back?? We will see! I hope so :)

Baby it's HOT outside! Less than a month to go!

We have a month to go! So exciting! I hope she comes EARLY! :) Maybe another 2 weeks or so. Daniel and I visited our favorite place (Vegas) 2 weeks ago and we had a wonderful time! We figured we should get one last "Holly & Daniel" trip in before our sweet little girl arrives! We have been so busy with family in town. Daniel's parents came down 4th of July weekend, then my mom was here for a few days for my brother's wedding, and then Debbie was down from Monday until today! We have had a house full! Daniel's cousin Jordyn had us a baby shower on July 3 with some of his family. It was so much fun and we got so many sweet goodies! Jordyn is making me a little scrapbook of the journey of the baby blog - it made me cry of course at the shower. It was SO SWEET. :)

Preggo in VEGAS!

So pretty in Bellagio!

Cute candles Jordyn did for us :)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gain of 26 pounds total - holy moly! Def still average, however I hope that if anything I will only gain another pound a week! :)

Movement: Karris is one busy little girl... she moves SO much! Unfortunately at my appointment before last, at 33 weeks the doctor told me that Karris is now breech and was lying basically side to side. At my appointment this past Monday (35 weeks) - he said that she has moved, unfortunately still not the right way (head down) - but she has  moved more head up. Luckily the doctor thinks that she still could move the "right" way. He said there are definitely babies that he does not think are going to move the right way - but that he thinks Karris still is capable of getting the "right" way. So we shall see! I really hope she does because I do not want to have a C- section. However, if I have to, I have to and we will take it as it goes.

Sleep: I slept GREAT in Vegas ironically! I have good and bad nights now. I don't really even use an extra pillow these days. Mainly I just get HOT at night!

What I miss: my back not hurting :( I have been having major back issues lately. I think it is from being off work for a week and then starting back last Sunday.

Cravings: I have been eating a cheese quesadilla EVERY time I work. Other than that just my usual pizza and pimento cheeseburgers. Haha bad things :)

Best Moment this week: Hearing sweet Karris' heartbeat at the doctor Monday and feeling her moving around - even though it is ALL the time! :) Can't wait to meet this princess! Less than a month officially! EEK!

Pregnancy Updates

I have seen this on a few blogs of other preggos and wish I had done it all along! But I didn't - but maybe now it will motivate me to update weekly now that we are on the homestretch! :)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: GAIN of course - however, I did lose 2 pounds over the past 3 weeks. I have gained 19 pounds total. :) And I am not ashamed! So far, it is all in my belly - maybe a *little* added to my "knocking me out with those American thighs.." hahaha.

Movement: Karris is pretty consistent with her movement, always at night when I get in the bed around 11ish, when I wake up to go to the bathroom around 3AM and then when I usually wake up at 10. She is pretty calm during the day, I usually feel her again around lunch and again in the evening.

Sleep: This past week was actually one of my most comfortable until last night. I have the big Boppy pillow but it seems to sometimes get in the way more than anything... It is funny because Daniel bought me this really soft blanket about 2 months ago and that is ALL I sleep with. No sheets, no comforter, just my blanket, pillow or 2 and Cinammon. (My teddy bear I have had for 17 years now lol.)
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach

Cravings: I'm surprised I really haven't had any real cravings throughout this whole pregnancy. Or maybe that's because I have always had cravings? Not sure but nothing has changed much. OJ was my go to at the beginning but since I have been trying to only drink water I have cut it out. I still need my pizza here and there - but usually I only have a "craving" when someone mentions a certain food that sounds yummy!

Best Moment this week: Hearing Karris' heartbeat on Monday - 149 :) And putting away all of these A-MAZ-ING shower goodies! And even more, seeing sweet friends from home - I miss you all!

58 days to go!

Karris and I have been showered to no end the past 2 weeks! My nursing friends had us a shower and then I had a shower back home last weekend. They both were wonderful and we are so blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives. Karris has gotten so many cute things with her monogrammed name and initials on them. I laughed and said she will never forget her name!

Sweet Hostesses!

Gorgeous Christening gown from my Nanny & Poppy!

Cute favors!

 We had our 31 week appointment on Monday - things were great, I measured right between 31 & 32 weeks so a little ahead of schedule which is just fine with me! My doctor was very pleased with my weight gain, I had only gained 2 pounds since the last time. We start 2 week appointments now! We go for 2, 2 week in a row and then after that we are on weekly visits. The nursery is all done except I am waiting on her rug to come in! We ordered it online and of course the size we wanted they were out of, so now we have to wait on it to come in another 2 weeks. That's ok though - we can wait on one last thing!
Daniel put together Karris' stroller Saturday night when I got back from the upstate. We are using my old highchair from when I was little and also a rocking chair that has been in the family since my dad was little! (A little rocking chair, Karris size.) It is funny, because I came home with 3 rocking chairs. One that a sweet family friend Cindy made that matches our outdoor furniture and then another that  a man that used to work with my dad made for us when we were little. Karris is going to feel very special with all of her own little chairs. :)
I got to see our friends Kelly & Parker on Friday on our way through Columbia - Kelly is due June 25, she has a week and a half to go! Best wishes Kelly with baby Hampton! Daniel and I can't wait to meet him! I also went to a baby shower for my friend Ava on Sunday - she is having a little boy as well. Seven will be here in mid July! I can't wait to meet all of these precious litle boys!
We are very excited that this weekend we have showers with our friends here in the inlet and some from out of town. Saturday morning my girlfriends are having a brunch and then Saturday night we have a "baby party" that Daniel and all of his guy friends get to be a part of! I am so excited and remember when the idea of a baby shower back in January seemed like eternity away! 58 days to go as my "baby ticker" said. Wow it is truly flying by!

Nursery & 28 week appt!

My sweet Aunt Tammy had a graduation/celebration of Karris get together for us back on May 14 in Columbia. Or so I thought... we didn't even send out in invitations because I didn't want to invite people to a million events. Well, we got there and it was decorated to a T! She had pink table cloths with goodie baskets for Karris as centerpieces, a whole spread from Palmetto Pig, and the cutest cake! That wasn't the only surprise. Daniel and I had been so lucky because my aunt's good friend Theresa (who happens to also be a friend of our's aunt's as well - small world) had offered to GIVE US her children's baby furniture. It was of course beautiful cherry, mahoghany wood and since we are having a girl - even came with a canopy. Well, long story short, the crib was older than the new models and Theresa was worried with all of the new safety issues with cribs, that it wouldn't be safe enough. So, she was going to get a crib to match the rest of the furniture but couldn't find the exact match she wanted. So... get this - she BOUGHT US our ENTIRE set of baby furniture. We didn't know until we got to Columbia. We, of course would have never let her do such a big blessing for us - but there was no way that she would say no, so that is what it has been. Exactly that, a BLESSING. And not only is it gorgeous, it's truly the nicest baby furniture you can imagine. It is made by Baby's Dream, it's a white (called vanilla) set, and a sleigh crib. So gorgeous. The nursery is still a work in progress - but here is a sneak peak :) Daniel and I love going into Karris' room. We both laugh because it is so funny that we each go in a few times a day because it is so exciting to know she will be there shortly. It smells like a baby, too with all of the diapers and baby wipes we have accumulated!

I had my 28 week appointment today and everything was GREAT! Daniel didn't get to go because the man coming to install our blinds said he was coming at 9 (of course the same time as my appt) and that if we weren't here we would get charged extra. So, he was bummed. But we are also happy to finally have blinds! My friend Nicole came with me though, she had been wanting to come to an appointment so it worked out perfect! She goes to my same Dr. regularly, I think she really just wanted to see him because he is kind of cute. Haha just kidding Nicole. :) I was so excited to hopefully get to really "see" Karris' face but she, like usual had both of her little hands near her mouth and didn't turn her head. Daniel says "stubborn like her mommy" - I beg to differ. :) She measured at 28 weeks 2 days. Except her long legs were 30.5 weeks! Maybe she is going to be a tall little girl :) Or maybe she is just going to be like me and have long legs and a short torso lol. My legs are the same length as my sister's and I am 5'4" and my sister is almost 5'9"! She is such a wiggle worm these days. She moves around all day long - especially when I am eating or when I am laying down. My belly button is slowly becoming an outie and I really can't stand it haha. But the bigger she gets the more it happens. No worries - I am not a 2 piece bathing suit wearing preggo. Hahaha. Her is kind of her profile below - you can see her cute little nose and the ball near it is her hand. She was probably about to punch me as they got the shot.

That's all I have for now! Other than that, I have just been busy preparing for her arrival and still working at the restaurant. I haven't gotten the dates for my boards yet - so I am hoping I get those this week or next week. No one from school has gotten the information yet, so we are just waiting and waiting. I am so ready to take them and get it over with and hopefully find a nursing job sooner than later! I need to atleast have one secure so I have a "start" date, or else miss Karris may need her mommy to stay home with her until next year. Lol. :)

Told you when I had more free time...

that I would update more! :)

We have had a great week - my dad and Debbie came to stay Tuesday, then mom & Michael stayed Wednesday. I had my nurses pinning on Wednesday! So that is done! Now to the job hunt... debating whether I will try to start before Karris is here or after! Time will tell! My pregnancy ticker says I have 98 days to go. Flying by!

Daniel and Brian are at a golf tournament in Charlotte, they went up for the night last night and are coming back today. I am just working all weekend - nothing too exciting! I have a class next week to prepare for the NCLEX then I will schedule my date to take it ASAP. (NCLEX is my boards, I forget sometimes that I am a little too familiar with all that good stuff now.)

Daniel got me an iPad for graduation! I am slightly obsessing over it already!

Here are a few pics from pinning! And I am 26 weeks today! YAY!!!!!