Get this child out...

STILL pregnant, in case anyone is wondering.....

I'm almost 39 weeks and ready to get this child out of me :) I am starting to more and more puffy...it looks like I'm wearing Mickey Mouse gloves on my hands....hahaha. Back pain, cramps and irregular contractions are now a constant occurrence and Liam continues to grow. They estimate that he is approximately 9 pounds now (give or take 2 pounds). To be honest-I've heard that the weight estimates aren't that accurate, but everytime I see a different Doctor or Nurse Practitioner, each one says, "Wow, you've got a large baby there," right after they feel my stomach....That terrifies me to my very core...hahaha. 

So I had a Non Stress Test last Friday, which was the best test EVERRR! I walked into a dim, quiet room....sat in the most comfortable, puffy recliner chair....with my feet up....for 20 minutes while I was offered snacks and juice. It was like being roayalty. hahaha. 

During this type of test, they test the baby's movements with it's heartrate. If the baby's heart rate goes up with movement (just like us), then the baby is reacting appropriately. If the heart rate goes does down with movement, then the test indicates fetal distress (which is bad). Everything looked great with Liam, I was having plenty of irregular contractions, and Liam was kicking up a storm (with an increased heartrate). 

When I went back to my appointment last Monday, I had yet another ultrasound in which my fluid levels have increased :) yay! And I'm dilated at almost 2 cm....gross, I know :)  The tech also was able to capture a 3D/4D picture of Liam's face! He has a big old head, a ton of hair, and fat squishy cheeks! haha. He also seemed to be blowing us a kiss in the picture! haha.

I will start my maternity leave on Monday at 39 weeks and I'm so thankful that I've been able to work this far into pregnancy....and I'm proud :) haha. I have also been offered a new job....with the clinic where I am temporarily working-and I couldn't be more happy about it. The job was actually accepted by another nurse who ended up rescinding the offer-and it will turned to me-which I happily accepted. I will be starting back the Monday after Thanksgiving. It's a part-time position with the option to pick up more hours. I will be the sole nurse working with 2 highly respected Oromaxillary Facial surgeons in a specialty clinic (I will work with each surgeon one-on-one every other week). I think it will be a little overwhelming at first, but I am excited to learn and I know they will be great teachers. Either way-it's an AMAZING job opportunity, and I know that several people who wanted this position. I am so honored that I was hired for the position.  I will be working with adults, kids and babies who have facial deformities from accidents, babies cleft palates and cleft lips and more. I will also round on patients with the surgeons and assist them in simple procedures in the office. AND the best part of all is that I get to stay with co-workers and management that I love :)

OK, enough of my job rambling. Zac is very excited to see Liam and can't wait to change some dirty diapers ;) haha. He's staying busy at work and helping me out around the house, ALOT! I'm so thankful for his help :) He's also taking advantage of the great golf weather while he can :) haha.

The girls are very excited for their baby brother! Peanut is still glued to my belly at all times and Emma remains my shadow! We have the toys and the bones all ready for when Liam comes home....just to make the transition a little easier for them :)

Hope all is well with everyone out there! Hopefully the next time I blog, I will have some baby pictures to show you! :)

Love-Beth, Zac, Liam, Peanut & Emma :)

Waiting.....

37 Weeks....the amount of time when a fetus is considered full term. 

37 Weeks...the amount of time I have spent being "uncomfortable" lol. 

37 Weeks...the amount of time it has been since I got pregnant. It's here!!

We've made it and now all we have to do is WAIT. 

As you can see below I am starting to resemble a small bus....a short bus, if you will. hahaha. But I keep on truckin hoping that each day will be the last that I am pregnant. I have no idea what it feels like anymore to breathe with ease, be free of heartburn and lower back pain, and not knock things over with my belly. 

My coworkers continue to tell me I'm dropping, so one day soon maybe he'll just fall right out! haha. At    least that is my hope :) 

I am know on weekly appointments and had an ultrasound last Tuesday. Everything is going pretty well. Liam is in the 94th percentile for size, currently weighs approximately 7 1/2 pounds (give or take),  has a big head and a big belly. He's cramped and folded up in my belly, his head is very far down and the Ultrasound Tech said that he's so far up into my rib cage that she doesn't even know how I can breathe! haha. Honestly, I don't know either. She also reported that my amniotic fluid is low, which makes birth more complicated. My doctor wants me to drink more fluids (it's possible that I was dehydrated-again) and they will measure it again next Wednesday with another ultrasound. 

Other than that, the cravings continue...just in smaller, more frequent portions. haha. My foods of choice have been anything Mexican, anything McDonalds and French Fries :) An occasional sweet here or there....but I CRAVE salty goodness!!!!

The doggies are doing very well. Peanut has already been bonding with Liam!! She LOVES to lay against my belly at night (which only started in my 3rd trimester). And put her head against my belly when we sit on the couch. 

Emma follows me EVERYWHERE. Our living room/kitchen/dining room are all one open area-she will follow me about 20 feet from the living room to the kitchen and lay on the kitchen rug when I cook dinner. Then follow me to the bathroom then to our bedroom, etc. She's my shadow :) They'll be great with Liam once they get used to him being here. 

Zac is doing great as well :) He's got a nice 4 day weekend for Labor Day, filled with golfing and helping me with the housework! The rain here has been constant for about 2 weeks and our yard is growing like crazy. It's like Russian Roulette trying to find a dry day to mow it!!! He's also been very busy, which he loves, with work and his platoon. 

So now we just wait...I figure LABOR DAY would be the most perfect time of the year to go into LABOR. Here's to hoping....

Until next time...

Love-Beth, Zac, Liam, Peanut & Emma 

P.S. A Happy Birthday shout out to my little Peanut who turned 2 last Friday :) She and Emma enjoyed(inhaled haha) some Peanut Butter Banana Cake to celebrate! She is the best doggie ever-couldn't ask for a better one :) 

I think I can...

I think I can...I think I can...I think I can............make it! :) 34 Weeks...still no baby. He has a few more weeks yet to bake! My giant turkey is not quite done but he will be full term in 3 weeks.

As far as pregnancy goes-my feet hurt, my back aches, heartburn, nausea...blah, blah, blah....andddd Gushers. I ate a box of Gushers yesterday-and I'm on box #2 today :) Not that this is a phenomena that wouldn't happen if I wasn't pregnant-but now I have a great excuse to eat all the Gushers I want :) As far as I'm concerned-as long as I'm not gaining anymore weight...I can eat as many as I want :) I'm getting bigger, but not gaining weight. Which I heard might happen in the last few weeks.....

My friend Dani thinks August 22....I think Sept 3 (Labor Day-so fitting!)....Zac seems to think October for some reason....silly-head...and modern medicine thinks Sept 14 because that's how large he's measuring.


Here are some updated pictures of the belly....

I've knocked my hours down from 40 hours a week to 32 hours a week. My Nurse Practitioner told me I was overdoing it, and needed to relax a little more. Mandated time off??? OK!!!! Fine by me :)

I have my next appointment next Tuesday-and I'm hoping that they will schedule my last ultrasound for the week after! So hopefully we will have a few more pictures to show you while he's still in the oven! I'm excited to see how much he weighs now! Excited/Terrified....lol

Ok, enough about baby stuff...
It's been storming here everyday for 7 days-and I love it! They say hurricane season is gonna be a big deal this year :) So excited. Except, I'm having a hard time getting my tan on when it's raining all the time!!! Downside : /

I've also accepted a job on a surgical floor at the hospital I work at and will start after my maternity leave. Unfortunately, it is a night position-which I like but will be difficult with a baby. It's only 3 nights a week, but could be very complicated. Zac will have to be on baby duty by himself for those 3 nights a week, but we can make it work. And I have a wonderful neighbor and great friends who have all offered to help us at night with Liam. Good thing we bought a pack n play :)

Zac is doing really well, but he's been very busy with work. And the poor guy has to work 23 days in a row...9 days down...and 14 to go. Of course an early delivery would get him out early too :) We will seeeee....

The doggies are great :) Excited for a little brother and for me to be home more! They love sniffing around him room. I can't wait to see how they react to him. I have a feeling they will be best friends :) Especially in a year when Liam starts eating solid foods lol

Love to all :)
Beth, Zac, Liam, Peanut & Emma!

31 weeks down...9 (ish) to go :)

Thirty-one weeks...ahhhh...We're in the last 10 weeks now, people!

You'll also be happy to know that the "Angry, Pregnant Lady" is back :) She was gone for awhile in which "Happy, Pregnant Lady" was here. But that has ended. I've found that people are becoming more and more annoying, I'm tired and swollen most of the time, I pee once an hour and I have constant heartburn. I swear I have visited every bathroom in the tri-state area! Oh and I'm vomitting again. haha. Apparently, Liam doesn't like Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwiches....It just keeps getting better. I figure it's all down hill from here :) But I look surprisingly happy in my picture....haha. That's ironic.

Zac and I are now within 25 pounds of each other! haha. I just keep praying I don't pass him!!! I've gained 32 pounds to date-and I'm hoping it's all in the belly/water weight. I went to see my Nurse Practitioner last Friday, and I will see her again next Friday. She could feel his head right away, which its still pretty early for that-so I think he's still a giant....or Ginormo as we like to call him :)

I woke up at 5 am this morning to a headache, a rumbling tummy, a full bladder and hiccups...not me-but him!!! He also likes to put his big ol' feet in my rib cage, AND he actually pushed his heel out of my stomach yesterday! I just pushed it back in and told him to stop mis-behaving! haha. He is definitely his father's child!

I've started a new job in the Outpatient Clinics at the Hospital, and have been running my butt off :) But I did get a few hours of overtime this week which is sooo nice on payday :) It's just temp until I deliver because they are shorthanded. We get a lot of crazy patients-so naturally...I really like it :) I've been exhausted lately, though and I'm starting to look forward to my "Baby Vacation"...not exactly what I call a vacation---but it'll be nice to get some time away from the hospital :)

Also, on another note-I am sooooo proud of my homegrown bell peppers and just HAD to brag about them :) We ate them all already and took a few to my neighbors. They were delicious!!! We got some red, yellow and green peppers! MMMMmmmmm.....

Zac is, of course, doing really well also :) He stays busy with work, working-out and golf :) We haven't seen each other much lately, which sucks-but that's what happens when we both are working like crazy. We're just thankful to both have jobs! 

And I can't forget my Little Peanut and Big Emma Bear :) My two favorite girls! They are doing very well...they love going to the beach and playing in this warm weather we're having! 

Hope all is going well with you out there :) We miss you all and look forward to seeing you sometime in the near future, hopefully!

Lots of Love,
Beth, Zac, Ginormo, Peanut & Emma :)

Hot Hot Hot...the weather, that is ;-)

Hey Y'all :)

It's a whopping 104 degrees right now, so I am INSIDE watching movies and cleaning! I would much rather be at the beach landing a great tan-but maybe later when it cools down a bit :)

Pregnancy/Baby Update: I had my Glucose Tolerance Test for Gestational Diabetes and it came back normal! 108!!! Wahoooo!!!! Despite what some of you may think-I am negative....I'm just plain big. haha. Wait....Liam is just plain big. My Hemoglobin and Hematocrit continue to drop-so they have suggested an Iron supplement. We eat red meat about 3-4 times per week, but apparently that isn't enough. I feel like I can't get enough steak!!! Mmmm....cow :)

My doctor also said that the top of my uterus (sorry for grossing all of you out...haha) is about 2 inches higher than it should be. Which also just means Liam is giant. And even though Ginormo (Liam) is being a pain in the butt to carry-I know Zac is super proud to have a giant baby. haha. And for the best part....I only gained 5 pounds in 6 weeks!!! I was very proud of myself!!! I have hit my pregnancy goal weight, and I'm trying hard to maintain and slow down.

One of the PAs that we work with at the hospital thinks I won't make it past Labor Day. haha. I'm open to starting a bet for his actual date of birth. Whoever is closest wins the pool of money...haha!!!

I am keeping busy at work and same with Zac. We are both very excited for the upcoming week :) I have two days off and he has 4 days off. I'm super jealous, but oh well...someone has to go to work! lol    Zac has picked up a new hobby...surfing!!! Today was his first day out, I think he really likes it.  I'm glad he's getting into the local stuff around here. We've been walking the girls a lot at the beach lately-they LOVE it. I really, really love it in Topsail too :) It's an amazing place to live-even if it's at least a half an hour from shopping! I can't wait to have some maternity time off so I can enjoy the area again (more than just on the weekends)!!

I hope all is going well with you, out there :) Hope to see you soon!

Love,
Beth, Zac, Liam and the Girls :)

Peepee or No Peepee...that was the question....

PEEPEE!!!!! It's a BOY (for those of you who don't know yet)!!!! And his name is Liam James Stanley :)

We are very excited. I know girls are more fun to shop for, but little boys are really funny. I think that Zac is especially excited about having a boy. He was smiling from ear to ear when the Ultrasound Tech told us the good news :)

Not only are we having a boy...but we're having a LARGE boy! You could have told that just from looking at me! haha. I often get asked if I'm having twins or if I'm due soon.....ha!!!! What is wrong with people?! You always ask OPEN ENDED questions!!! haha.

Anyways, he is in the 97th percentile for size....bigggg boy.....and he has very long legs....I don't know where the hell he got those from because they didn't come from me! He was measuring so large that they are going to have me do the glucose test next time I go in to make sure that I don't have gestational diabetes. For those of you who don't know, gestational diabetes can be dangerous for baby and mom. In a nutshell-it's diabetes that occurs during pregnancy and often is indicated by large babies. Mom and baby both have it, so it can be dangerous especially for baby after birth. But I'm pretty sure I don't have it. My blood sugar is often low-so we'll see :)

Also-my Nurse Practitioner alerted me that I have already hit my pregnancy weight gain goal of 25 pounds! haha! oh nooooo. BUT-I gained a lot in my first trimester and the beginning of my second trimester and have been slowly gaining/maintaining since. I think it's because the baby is pushing up on my stomach and making it smaller-so I eat less...and more often which is better.

Also-I don't know if people are lying to me but they say I'm all belly. I'm ok with the lying for now :) It's ok to be delusional during pregnancy! haha.

Zac and the puppies are doing really well. As always, Zac has been busy with work (as have I, which is getting really difficult because the weather is in the 80s now and I want to go to the beach!!!). And the girls are as sweet and cute as ever :) So spoiled...and excited for a little brother to lick :) And we are all excited to be going to Ohio this weekend to see everyone!!! Hope all is well with all of you :)

Lots of Love!

Until next time-
Beth, Zac, the Girls and Baby Liam/Fetus :)

I have entered "The Beast" Stage...

So, I have entered "The Beast" Stage....I feel like maybe I am jumping ahead of myself because my size will probably double when I get to the dreaded "End...." Then I'll be in the "Mammoth" Stage. lol People look surprised when I tell them I'm only 18 weeks-I get looks like "Wow....you're huge!" hahaha. I just tell myself it's because I such a short torso! BUT I am always eating...I guess that would contribute to the weight gain! lol 

I've also been retaining water...what is that about?! My fingers look like little sausage links and if you notice-I have taken off my wedding ring. It doesn't fit on my finger anymore :( I'm afraid if I leave it on, I won't be able to take it off sometime soon! haha. 

We will find out what we are having in a week or two....a boy....a girl....a puppy....We'd be happy with any of those! haha. I still like to pretend that the stork will bring my baby and that I won't have to go through the awful labor-because it's terrifying-and everything will be nice, clean and PAIN-FREE. 

I am excited for my next ultrasound also to see the size of this baby! I feel like it's huge! I haven't felt the flutter that people talk about(the first movements), but it should happen anyday now. I hear that it feels like something is crawling around in your stomach! hahaha. Weeeeiirrrdddd....I also probably wouldn't even know what I was feeling anyways-I'm clueless! haha. 

I've started exercising again (yyaaayyy) because the cellulite on my butt and legs is out of control!!! I HAD to do something about it. The baby doesn't like to exercise though, and it let me know yesterday when I almost puked my guts out....punishment!!! hahaha. On the plus side, it's starting to get warmer here (80s :) ) and I can FINALLY go to the beach and get my tan on!!! Belly and All!!!! 

Enough about the baby! Zac and the puppies are doing really well! Unfortunately, Zac and I haven't been able to see much of each other lately because of our work schedules. I've been teaching a lot of night classes-I work about 45 hours per week and drive two hours a day to get to and from work. It makes for quite a long day(and week)! But I give myself a lot of credit-because it's NOT easy! Sometimes, I know that I overdue it-but I love my job and my coworkers! AND my PAYCHECK!!!! HOLLLAAA :) 

Zac has been really busy with his new platoon and he seems to really be enjoying his new guys, which is great :) He has been so sweet and understanding-I'm a lucky girl! I actually think he might be a little afraid of me....I'm not a very nice pregnant lady! haha. Sometimes the hormones are OUT of CONTROL! I feel like a crazy person running around on crack....one minute I'm flying and angry....then the next minute, I'm crashing and crying my eyes out! NO WONDER ZAC IS AFRAID OF ME! hahaha!!! 

I'm pretty sure that the puppies know that there's sometime different about me. Peanut has been velcro-ed to me lately, and she loves to lay next to my tummy or rest her head on it. hahaha. Her own personal pillow!!! I think she can hear/feel the baby's heart beart or hear it moving around. I love that dog!!! She is the definition of man's (woman's) best friend :) Emma doesn't know what the hell is going on...she just runs around like the world is her playground....she's so happy-go-lucky....and special ;) hahaha. Love her. 

Ok, since I've talked your ear off and have breakfast plans with a friend-I gotta get goin! God knows it takes me forever to get ready! 

Soooo long :) 

Love-

Beth, Zachary, the puppies and Fetus Stanley :)