A Recap of Weeks 30 and 31

We've known for some time that June was going to be crazy. I don't think either of us realized it was going to be quite this crazy.

The first weekend of June we had the opportunity to spend time with great friends at our friend Brandi's parent's lake house. We had a wonderful time on the boat (and floating!) and eating great meals with even better company. Here's a picture enjoying our time during week 30 (don't worry, we didn't go fast and we were very safe...and I put a life jacket on right after this was taken)!


The second weekend of June we continued a tradition we began last year and went to the CMA Musicfest with my Dad, MJ, brother and Molly. We had an amazing, albeit hot, time in Nashville, hearing more great music than should be legally allowed in such a short period of time. I think we were all a bit curious to see how I'd do at 31 weeks pregnant, but I did pretty well, thanks in part to everyone being so accomodating and finding cool bars where we could watch incredible live music (and even the drink the occasional O'Douls!). Here's me and Brother, who's sporting his "Uncle To Be" shirt that we made at Christmas to announce baby Akin to the family.



Right before going to Nashville I had a doctor's appointment for 31 weeks. Here's the stats:

Weight gained to date: 16 pounds
Baby's size: He is now 3 1/2 pounds and is just over 16 inches long.
Interesting baby fact: He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to accumulate fat underneath the skin.
Baby's heart rate: 128
Overall health: Still feeling fairly good, but discovering the joy of heartburn and the continued pressure on my organs right above my ribs. I can't wait for him to drop a bit to alleviate some of the pressure.
Best part of the two last weeks: Making incredible memories with family and friends before the baby's arrival. While tiring, we have had a wonderful time and are relishing our ability to take a few weekend getaways with (relative) ease.

The 29 Week Recap

Wow, as I'm reminded nearly daily now by my impending birthday, 29 is almost 30 and 30 weeks means I'm officially three-quarters of the way done with this pregnancy. I don't know how comfortable I am with the thought that I can now count my remaining weeks on two hands.

Memorial Day fell during the 29th week of the pregnancy and having a three-day weekend couldn't have come at a better time. It was wonderful to sleep in, walk each day, cook great food and just enjoy being at home. Which was a great way to prepare for June, when we're gone three out of the four weekends.

Also during Memorial Day weekend we set up the "travel system" (thanks to grandma!), which includes the car seat and stroller. Without the baby here yet to practice, we used the best substitute we could find: a stuffed bear. :)





Weight gained to date: ?? pounds
Baby's size: He is now 2 1/2 pounds and is just over 15 inches long.
Interesting baby fact: This week his head is continuing to grow as his brain develops.
Baby's heart rate: ??
Overall health: While I am still fortunate to not yet have swollen feet, my only complaint is a strange sensation above my ribs that feels like a sunburn on my skin. I can't see anything and I think it may just be my skin stretching, as I'm continuing to carry him high.
Best part of the last week: FLOATING! I discovered the wonderful, amazing pastime of just floating in a pool over Memorial Day weekend and I drug Taylor along with me for daily pool visits. Not having any weight on my body is such a nice break!

Nursery Updates

Probably one of the easiest decisions we made after learning we were having a boy was determining the nursery would have an airplane theme. We had already scouted out the Pottery Barn Kids airplane bedding and it was one of our first purchases for his nursery.

After getting the crib and dresser set up, we've started on the actual nursery decorations. The first thing we wanted to do was to create some shelves that we could display books and other decorations on for the baby. Taylor had been wanting to build something for the baby's room and we thought this was the perfect opportunity.

We loved the look of some shelves from Pottery Barn Kids, but didn't love the price tag. Taylor was able to build some that were nearly identical at a fraction of the price.



We have already received some books from friends and family, and the Green Eggs and Ham book on display was actually Taylor's book from his childhood, complete with his name written in his elementary-school age handwriting.

The second decorating idea that we knew we wanted to do was to hang airplanes from the ceiling. If we had known how difficult this easy-sounding project would be, we might have selected something else, oh like painting airplanes to scale on the wall while blindfolded with only our left hands.

Despite the very challenging task of hanging the planes at the perfect height, yaw, and pitch (thanks to the OCD pilot of the family), they turned out fantastic and we love the dimension they add to the room.



More nursery projects to come as we complete more of the decorations.