The Countdown. . .

Only three more days!

The pantry and refrigerator are full, the house is (mostly) clean, and the laundry is almost finished. The only thing we really have left to do is pack for the hospital! We couldn't be more ready for this baby. If Samuel only knew how much his birth has been anticipated...if he only knew how much he is already loved and by so many people...maybe he'd surprise us with an early arrival. A girl can dream, can't she?

There are so many things that I am looking forward to besides finally holding our precious baby in my arms. For one, I am SO over these maternity jeans...and this gigantic belly I have been toting around for several months now. Yes, I am afraid that the novelty of the big, 'cute' pregnant belly has worn out its welcome. Even though I am the laziest person when it comes to working out, I am eager to get into shape. My goal is to be in better shape than I was before I was pregnant. (And for those of you rolling your eyes right now, let me say this: Yeah, I might have been thin, but I couldn't've run even a half of a mile if my life had depended on it. And quite frankly, for my age, that's just pathetic and not to mention-unhealthy.) The other thing that I've been looking forward to is enjoying a glass of Pinot Grigio. Mmm... Although that will have to wait awhile because I am going to try with all of my might to breastfeed this time around.

At the beginning of this month, we hired Sarah at Fish Lips Photography to take some maternity pictures for us. I don't have all of them yet, but these are the ones that she posted on her blog as a "sneak-peek" for what's coming! I can't wait to see the rest. (Thank you SO much Janet, for doing such an amazing job on my makeup. You always do! The photographer even complimented me on it!)

Here's my belly at 39 weeks. (Picture taken just a few minutes ago!)

And that my friends, will without a doubt be the last picture that I publish of my belly for a very VERY long time! :)

Samuel's Nursery

I am finally done decorating the nursery! Now all we need is Sam...

I finally got confirmation for the official date of Sam's arrival (unless of course he comes earlier)! It's going to be May 26 - which is also the day before Caden's sixth birthday. Yep. We have to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. but I am pretty sure we won't have any trouble getting up and at em on this particular day. It feels like we've been waiting years to meet him... Sometimes I'll pass the time by sitting in the glider in his nursery and day-dreaming of finally getting to hold him in my arms.

Brandon made a funny comment to me the other day. He thinks that I might to have to fight him for time with Samuel. I assured him that I don't think that's going to be a problem. I'd bet that before the first full week of being home all day with a newborn, Brandon will approach me with bags under his eyes, holding Samuel out to me pleading, "Take him!" LOL Ohhh he just has no idea! All joking aside, I know Brandon is going to be an exceptional daddy. He will more than likely surpass all of the expectations I have of him dealing with all things newborn.

One more thing before I go, check out what I came across while walking around Hobby Lobby last week.

Did you notice where that verse is found? I think it is so cool that even though we decided to name our baby boy after Brandon's grandfather, Sam, this particular verse found in the book of 1 Samuel was an amazing reminder of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness. How so? I cannot even begin to guess the number of countless nights I prayed asking God to bless Brandon and I with a child of our own. What a wonderful way to be reminded that God heard my prayers! The more I sit and think about it, all I can say is WOW, because Samuel will be living proof that God answers prayers.

I praise you Lord, because I know that this child you have blessed us with was fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14) 

P.S. In case you were wondering why I was at Hobby Lobby since I was put on "house arrest" and all, my doc told me last week that I'm allowed to do some light shopping now...still no heavy lifting or going back to work though.

Just Sayin'

My doctor doesn't think that we will make it all the way to May 24, which is when the cesarean is tentatively scheduled for. And ever since he told us that, anytime I make a strange face and/or noise, Brandon's immediate response is, "Are you okay? Are you having contractions?" 
He is going a little crazy playing the waiting game. I think it is safe to say that Brandon is more anxious for Samuel's arrival than anyone. 
I on the other hand, am on the fence. One side of me can't wait to finally meet our precious little gift from God while the other side of me doesn't think I'll ever be "ready" to receive such a gift. Why? Probably because I am admittedly terrified of what kind of effect this baby is going to have on my life our lives. Or maybe it's because I am scared of the long, painful road to recovery that I must endure after having the major abdominal surgery that is necessary to deliver our little man, as well as deal with the listless unpleasantries that follow childbirth. 
Arrrrrrgh! I know that I need to stop thinking about those kinds of things, but sitting around the house all day, completely unoccupied sure makes it difficult not to...

Lord, help me focus on you instead. Please remove this fear in me that is consuming what was meant to be a blessing.

A Night at the Hospital

As several people have asked for details on what happened, there is really no way to avoid being a little graphic, so if you are (a) a guy or (b) easily grossed out, you might not want to read this.

I called my doctor Sunday morning after noticing about 2 tablespoons of reddish-brown discharge in the toilet after I had my morning tinkle. Luckily they had an answering service setup up for the weekends and an on-call doctor called me back within minutes. She informed me that my cervix might've started dilating and to go to the hospital's birthing center so that that they could monitor the baby's heartbeat as well as examine me to find out what was going on.

Without going into the play-by-play of the entire fiasco, I will say this: We arrived at the hospital around 10:30 a.m. and it wasn't until around 6:00 p.m. that we were told that I would be staying overnight. During this time frame, I was examined four different times. Twice by the nurse and twice by the on-call doctor I had spoken with over the phone. Both informed me that I had dilated one centimeter. Then, the on-call doctor explained to us that since I have had a cesarean in the past, they like to err on the side of caution since I was both bleeding and having cramps because those can be symptoms of something that they would need to act upon immediately. Apparently, sometimes the uterus can begin to separate from the placenta and in cases like that, one out of five babies die and mom loses a lot of blood. After finding that out, we weren't bothered anymore that I had to stay overnight. They ordered an Ultrasound to see what was going on with my uterus and placenta, hooked me up to an IV and gave me three rounds of antibiotics to "calm down the uterus" to prevent anymore cramping.  The nurses were telling us that if the bleeding and the cramping continued, my doctor would probably be delivering our baby the next morning.

I was so thrilled to see my doctor first thing the next morning, especially when he said that I could go home! He said that the baby is doing great and that he didn't have any cause for concern to keep me there any longer since the cramping and bleeding had stopped. I was bummed that I wasn't allowed to go back to work though. He said he wanted me to take it easy so that this baby doesn't come any sooner than he needs to. I am not allowed to drive, run errands, lift anything heavy or even keep myself busy around the house preparing the nursery. He suggested that I read a few good books or catch up on some movies while laying on the couch. UGH! It's going to be so hard for me.

While I was happy to be going home, Brandon was bummed. He was hoping that he'd finally get to meet Samuel. Dr. Johns explained that every day we get closer to my 39th week (May 24), it gives us back two days that Samuel would've have to spend in the ICU for being delivered too early. I think finding that out eased some of Brandon's disappointment because I honestly don't think he would've been able to leave Samuel in the hospital ICU while we went home and waited... So, stay in there Sam! You're not done cooking just yet!

*** A HUGE thanks goes out to Alan Pollard and my MIL who took Caden off of our hands while we sat around in the hospital all day - and to my step-mother, Cyndy, who kept him overnight for us. 

Here's (quite possibly) the last belly picture! Brandon took it May 1.

Whiskers on kittens

Call me sentimental, but my most treasured possessions (other than my wedding ring and the jewelry that was passed down to me by my mother and late grandma Kathryn) are the knitted and crocheted blankets made by my mamaw or grandma along with all of my cross-stiched Christmas stockings made by mom. What makes them special to me is not only the fact that they were made by the hands of women that I admire and adore, but that they took the time and effort to complete them. I also love the 'one-of-a-kindness' of all things handmade.

Here are a few of my favorite things that were given to us and to Samuel as baby-shower gifts:

When I first saw this I thought it came from Pottery Barn Kids, but after finding out that my friend Lauren's mother had made this for Samuel, it became even more precious. I even love the little tag she attached. It has washing instructions written on the back. I can't wait to see it on his little punkin' head! 

Brandon's step-sister, Laura, (lovingly a.k.a. "Fox") is ridiculously talented at sewing. She sews clothes for her dogs kids as a hobby. You wouldn't believe some of the things this woman is capable of on a sewing machine! Anyhow, I absolutely LOVE this diaper bag! 

It's all about the details. Look at the cute little tag she sewed onto the inside of the bag. Love it! Love it! Love it!

This one had me in tears. My mother handed this blanket down to me. My grandma Kathryn made it for my mom when she was pregnant with me! (For those of you that aren't aware, my grandma was the most amazing woman and I miss her so very much.) Thanks momma, for including something from grandma at our baby shower. You know me all too well.

My Great-Aunt Laurel sent us this blanket that she made about a week or two ago. What a lovely surprise!

I consider myself blessed to have people in my life that are so talented. If any of you are reading this, thank you! You are amazing in my eyes...

Progress

Between baby showers, weekly doctor’s appointments, and grueling weekends of hard work, I have a lot to share! Let’s start from the most recent of events and I’ll work my way backwards.

So we somehow managed to get all of the rooms moved around last weekend! Brandon and I were exhausted after all was said and done, but now I can finally let the nesting begin! I created this endless list on my iPhone just to make sure I don't forget anything. The challenge is going to be whether or not I let myself obsess over it like I did while anticipating the re-arrangement of Brandon and Caden's rooms. I wish that my default was set on focusing on the truth of Scripture instead of worrying and obsessing over the details. Because "who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27)

A few sweet co-workers of mine put together a luncheon/baby shower for me. I was delighted that so many ladies showed up and that Samuel got most of the items that I was hoping for (which enabled me to use the gift cards we'd already received on one particular 'big' item!) One of my favorite gifts was from my boss. She got Samuel this little white t-shirt that had “iPood” written across the chest. Too funny! 

Here are some pictures that were taken during the party...

Baby bath tub filled with goodies!

Awww a duck hooded towel!

Yay! One of those cute seat covers for grocery carts or highchairs!

Yesssss, the bedding set!

Last but not least, here's the belly at 34 weeks! (and the crib mattress!)

After the baby shower ended, I made my way to my (now weekly) doctor’s appointment. I was expecting the blood work, but the “strep test” that they had mentioned that I would be undergoing was not the one where they swab the back of your throat. Oh, they swabbed me alright, but it wasn’t my throat. Just sayin'... Quite honestly though, can I just say that I don’t even know what the word ‘modesty’ means anymore? The appointment ended on a high note when my doctor informed me that he was putting in a request of May 24 for the cesarean! That is exactly one week earlier than his estimated due date! Once it is cleared by the hospital, we will finally have an exact date to look forward to. YAY! There’s a light at the end of this tunnel…

Last but not least, here are some pictures from the baby shower that my friend Janet hosted for us at our house a few weekends ago.

Here's the belly at 33 weeks!

The card Caden picked out for Samuel was so sweet. It was one of those cards that plays music when you open it. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" was the tune and he looked in my eyes with a big smile on his face as he sang every word. I was a goner. I don't know what exactly triggered the tears though; it was either pregnancy hormones, or the "I love you Sam" that he wrote on the inside of the card. Probably both now that I think about it...

Here are some of the guests who gathered around to watch me open Sam's presents!

The guys got a real kick out of this diaper rash cream!

Game one: Guess how big around Katie's belly is using streamer. The winner? One of the guys! I wish I had a picture of how long the streamer was that my mom did. That thing wrapped around me almost twice!

Game two: While holding a napkin behind you back, tear it into the shape of a baby's t-shirt. My stepmother won this one, but my MIL came in at a close second. As you can see, she was very proud of hers!

And then of course here are some pictures of me and some of my favorite people in the entire world:

My beautiful mother!

Janet! (Schmee-haw)

Nicole! (mommas mommaaas!)

Here's Kristen, Janet, and I being are regular, normal selves. (For the record, I think Janet was trying to eat my baby.)

My handsome man.

My darling trouble-maker, Caden Lee.

Oh, and I can't forget this one... This is classic B and Caden right here:

Sorry it took me so long to update all of this! It's been crazy at the Wilkerson house lately. 

Stay tuned for May's belly picture and more...

Unprepared

The most popular question that I was asked at our baby shower was, "So where is the nursery?" It always made me laugh because we are far from having the nursery ready. We don't even have a room available yet! At least, not until we play musical chairs rooms. First, Brandon will have to move his office into the dining room. Second, we will need to move Caden into the room that Brandon's office used to occupy. Then we can start to set up the nursery in Caden's old room. Although it may seem easier to just put the nursery into the room we move Brandon's office out of, I think Caden would benefit more out of that room since it has a built-in desk and double the closet space. Hopefully this weekend our plans will finally be put into motion. Brandon is planing on getting his new desk assembled so he can start the transition from his old office into the dining room.

I may not have a room for the nursery yet, but I do have pictures of some of the things that will fill it! Here is the changing table/dresser that I found on Craigslist for only $140!

I found the cute baskets at Pottery Barn Kids. That place has the potential to get my pocketbook into some serious trouble. I saw a bunk bed there that I absolutely fell in love with. Then I noticed the price tag and walked away, super disappointed.

I also found this glider rocker on Craigslist. (Thank you Joann, for buying it for us!)

We got it for less than half the price of some of the ones we saw while registering at Babie's "R" Us. I couldn't believe how expensive these things were normally priced!

I found these cute letters somewhere online. I can't wait to see them on the wall above Sam's crib.

The layette we chose for his nursey inlcudes a whale, so I couldn't stop myself from picking this little piggy bank up at Target. Isn't it cute?

It was only two bucks! I love the discounted section they have set up at Target when you first walk into the store. I find some of the neatest stuff there.

I am so eager to start decorating and preparing Samuel's room. The fact that I can't yet is making me feel a little crazy. I need to nest! I must nest! I shared my frustration with Brandon tonight and he told me to stop fretting. Oh, I wish it were that easy. I can't help but think, "What if Sam comes earlier than expected and we aren't finished moving all the rooms around?" I know it's a ridiculous thing to be concerned about since for centuries, babies have survived just fine without a proper nursery. Geez Katie...

Lord, help me just be still and know that you are God. (Psalm 46:10)