Thursday, September 29, 2011

24 weeks

Seems I just skipped right past the 23 week mark.  I've been really busy for the last week.  Last Wednesday I headed back to KC for the week.  Sad to leave Jason and the doggies, but it was really nice to be home for a bit!  I was able to see just about everyone it seemed!  Papaw and Marianna came into town on Thursday, so I got to spend a lot of time with them.  I know I said that I would get a bunch of pictures, but I forgot.  Oops.  I did get a few though.  Friday we had a birthday dinner for me and my dad out at the farm, then headed into the Plaza Art Fair later that night.  Saturday, I got to hang out with Patrick all morning!  He's getting so big!!!  Crazy how quickly they grow :(  Then we went to the Legends of the Phog game up at Allen.  SO FUN.  Brandy and I sat together in a couple of my uncle's seats.  I had goosebumps during the entire intro video--so many players came back.  The best part was definitely the introductions.  Sunday, we had a Gray family dinner with all my of dad's side of the family.  Worked out really well that I was back in town for this and got to see everyone!  We have lots of babies on the way on the Gray side.  I am due in January, my cousin Tommy's wife is due in Feb, and my cousin Beth is due in March.  Should be a busy Christmas next year!  The rest of the time I just hung out and enjoyed spending time with the family.  Here are a few pics from the trip:

Great Grandpa and Patrick



Patricks first time at Allen Fieldhouse!  (He had to have his own ticket)



Alright so new baby info:  I went to the doctor last Tuesday before I left for a checkup.  Grayson looks great.  His heartbeat sounded good, and he is positioned correctly.  I asked Dr. Read about flying, since I already have my flight booked for Thanksgiving.  He said that the latest you should fly is 32-34 weeks.  My flight back to KC, I will just be turning 31 weeks, and then will be almost 33 when I come back to TX.  Because of the placement of my placenta (discussed in an earlier blog) I have to get another sonogram at my next appointment to see if it has moved or not.  Basically, my placenta is too low and covering my cervix (which is also low).  I get my next sonogram on October 19, and I am REALLY keeping my fingers crossed that it has moved.  Chances are that is has.  As the uterus grows, the placenta should move.  If it doesn't however, I will not be able to fly back. :(  Not good.  This is when I was planning on having my baby shower, as well as celebrate Thanksgiving with everyone (since we definitely can't travel for Christmas!)  I won't know anything until the next appointment, so it's not really worth worrying about right now!  

Grayson facts:  Average weight at 24 weeks is about a pound and a half!  Apparently he is outgrowing the fruit references, because he has been a papaya for awhile now.  His face is almost fully formed, complete with a set of eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair on his head.  I guess the hair is white right now because there isn't any pigment yet.  I have been feeling pretty good lately!  One new thing:  my back started KILLING ME.  I have been told that at the middle to end of the pregnancy, Grayson starts to settle in the proper position for birth.  That's great, but apparently his head settles on the sciatic nerve in the lower part of my spine.  Ow.  It definitely hurts...and will hang around til he comes, so that's fun.  

Alright, that is all for now!  Here's a couple of belly pics:
Almost 23 weeks, going out for my birthday 

24 weeks


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Twenty Two!

Today is the 22nd week mark!  This is the last week in my fifth month...crazy!  It seems weird to me that next week I'll be 6 months pregnant.  Time has flown!  Info about Grayson this week:  He is the size of a papaya....once again, not sure if I've ever seen a papaya, so this reference is lost on me.  He's about a foot long and weighs about a pound.  Growing growing growing!  Apparently stretch marks might start showing up soon...really hoping that doesn't happen...but if it happens it happens I guess.  I got this really thick shea butter from L'occitane that I use everyday.  Maybe it'll keep them away?  We'll see :)  ALSO it says that since he's taking up so much space my belly button could pop out any day now as well.  Not excited about that one.  Never been a fan of the outie.  His eyes and lips are more developed, making him look more and more like a newborn.  He's also starting sleep cycles, about 12 to 14 hours per day.  I must say, it's getting more and more obvious when he is awake.  He decided to wake up around 5am this morning and "play" until around 9.  Fun for Angie-caught up on my DVR!  It also tells me I'll have trouble catching my breath as he starts crowding my lungs.

Here's the 22 week belly:

It has definitely popped out a lot more in the last week.  For the first time, this past weekend, I actually looked pregnant in clothes!  So that was exciting.  I think I'm going to start taking my weekly pictures with a shirt on...it's actually a little easier to see the bump that way.  (Although I think you can really finally see it here too!)  I'm still a little smaller than normal, but whatever.  I go to the doctor again next Tuesday, and I am sure he is healthy as can be.  He moves alllll the time.  You can see my stomach move when he kicks really hard, it's kinda creepy haha.  

I ordered the bedding, which I am SUPER excited about!  I ended up doing custom bedding so that I could pick out the fabric that I wanted and everything.  It won't get here until almost November, but she is sending me swatches of all the different fabrics so that I can start looking at paint colors and everything!  I love doing his room...really fun!  

As for non-baby news:  not a whole lot new going on!  Jason's been busy with work (always good) and the dogs and I are just waiting for fall to get here!  We've still had pretty hot weather (Bailey's over it, she can't breathe out there).  I go to KC next Wednesday though and they're projecting cooler weather, so I'm excited to break out the fall clothes.  I went through my closet yesterday to determine what will work and what won't with my new tummy.  I am going to try to stay away from maternity clothes as much as possible, and just wear my more flowy stuff.  I'm not into the maternity fashions-I'm hoping to find one pair of cute jeans and they can carry me through the next few months!  Alright, I'll be in Kansas next week, so doubt I update.  I'll take lots of pics with Papaw and the fam (it's birthday week for me and my dad!) so I'll add those too.  

Oh..since this is my scrapbook, I have to put this in so that I have it:
I have the sweetest husband ever.  He found sidewalk chalk and wrote this on our patio for me to find when I let the dogs out the other morning.  Little things like this are the best things ever. 


Sunday, September 11, 2011

We have a name!

Just thought I would give a quick update, since it's a big one!  We have finally decided on a name for our little guy.  I am very excited to announce he will be....Grayson Brett O'Bryan!  I am in love with it, and so excited that it's finally set in stone.  He'll end up going by Gray which is my maiden name (obviously) so I think it's really neat to be able to incorporate that into his name.  PLUS for those of you who don't know, my older brother's name is Brett.  It meant a lot to me to use family names as middle names for our kids.  My brother's and I all have middle names named after our aunts/uncles, so I thought it was a great tradition. 

So there it is!  Grayson will be gracing us with his presence January 19, 2012 (or sometime around then).  Let the monogramming begin! :)

Thursday, September 8, 2011

21 weeks

Happy 21st week to little baby boy!  As you can see, still no name.  Boo.  Hopefully that will be figured out soon!  I am wanting to get started on his bedding, and I'm going to have it made....and his name will be embroidered in the bumper.....sooo we need a name :)  It's between 2, and I like both so we will see!  We are lucky we are having a boy, because boy names are easy for me.  Girls names on the other hand were extremely difficult!  Good thing we don't have to worry about that right now.

Here's the belly at 21 weeks:

Not sure how much the belly is progressing.  I did however FINALLY go buy the bella bands, so that's exciting.  It finally got cool here for a few days (as in high of 90 instead of 108) so I wore jeans one day.  I was pretty excited about it since I am so completely over this hot weather.  Anyway, the jeans can still button, but by the end of the day I was very ready to change.  My stomach pops out more as the day goes on (probably because of food that is constantly going in it).  I have still been loving the fruit.  Along with the fruit I have also been eating a lot of Fruit Loops and Fruity Pebbles.  Coincidence?  

Baby news this week: his hands are moving constantly, reaching out to touch his face or clutch at the umbilical cord.  Every bone in his body now has bone marrow and is capable of producing blood cells.  He is the size of a large banana measuring in around 9.7 inches and 8.8 ounces.  His arms and legs are finally in proportion, so he no longer looks like a T-Rex..so that's a good thing.  He's still moving like crazy, and I actually saw my shirt move when he kicked really hard the other day.  So weird.  

Jason and I are slowly thinking about how we're going to do the nursery, and some changes around the house as well.  We are getting new carpet put in throughout the house on Saturday, which I am VERY excited about.  I have hated our carpet since we moved in (it's berber) and it's really rough.  Plus it is gross.  We had it cleaned about 6 months ago, but I still would rather just have new carpet for the baby to crawl around on when the time comes!  So that's fun.  Other than that, not a whole lot new with us O'Bryan's.  I have planned a couple of trips back to KC so that'll be good.  I'm heading home at the end of Sept. for about a week to see my grandpa when he's in town.  I'm also flying up the week before Thanksgiving with Jayme and the boys and plan to have my shower then!  Should be interesting with me and Jayme being super pregnant dealing with the boys on a plane haha.  I'm excited to head home for two long chunks of time, because after the baby's born it might be a bit! 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Ohhhh we're halfway there!!

Bon Jovi reference if you didn't catch that....but we're at the halfway point today!  So weird to already be halfway done.  I am really looking forward to this second half though because the first half was not so fun. Too much sick time for my liking.  I am SO MUCH BETTER now though!  I haven't gotten sick in like a week and a half, so I think that's a new record :)  The last couple of days have been a little rough for some reason.  I had literally zero energy.  I would clean the house for 20 min, then have to sit down.  Sad, I know.  Then, all the sudden today I'm better!  Apparently the little guy got mad at me for a couple days.  He is still moving around like crazy.  I always feel him right after lunch, then again around 3 or 4, then pretty much all evening off and on.  I think he's a night owl like his mommy because he likes to do somersaults and karate kicks around midnight.  

Here's the 20 week belly pic:

It's kind of blurry for some reason.  My phone wouldn't take a clear picture, and I didn't really care to fix it so that's what you get!  As you can see, my shorts still fit (round of applause for finally getting a picture without running shorts).  I say every week I'm going to go get a bella band, I just haven't done it yet.  As long as I can button up my pants I don't want to fool with it.  I have a feeling I don't have much longer until I have no choice though.  Everything is definitely snug and I've gained a few more lbs so I'm on my way. 

So what's going on with little man this week?  First of all, let's talk about how he is apparently the size of a cantaloupe.  What?!  That is HUGE!!  He is also bigger than his "projected due date" so does that mean he's an even bigger cantaloupe?  That's seems absolutely gigantic to me.  Moving on-his taste buds are working and I guess he can taste what I'm eating!  Hope he likes french fries.  His fingernails are growing..and he's the size of a cantaloupe.  Can't get over that.  

Some stuff I forgot to put in last week because I was too excited about the gender announcement:  the sonogram showed that my cyst is completely gone!  Yeah for that!  It also showed that I have a really low cervix.  The doctor said that we will do another sonogram around the 30-35 week mark to check on it.  He said that they are hoping to see that the placenta moves up as the uterus grows.  I have read a little more about it, and it can be kinda scary.  He told me if there is ANY bleeding at all to call the office immediately (which I would do anyway cause that would freak me out!)  Worst outcome would be that if it isn't any "higher" later in pregnancy I would be put on bed rest or admitted to the hospital for the last 5 or so weeks of the pregnancy.  Which would mean Christmas in the hospital, so let's hope it moves up!!  I guess it can just cause premature labor so it needs to be watched.  I have awhile 'til then though so keep your fingers crossed it works itself out like my cyst!

Alright that's all for this week.  We've been looking at nursery furniture/paint ideas/etc.  I know we're doing a sports room (already bought a few items for it).  Once we start getting stuff done I'll post pics of the work in progress!