Georgia Day #1

I will do a post of her birth story when I have time but I wanted to share some pics of the wonderful day.

Ready to meet my girl! Thanks to Becky and Sasha for the posh pusher-I loved wearing it and I got so many compliments. She actually pooped on my gown when she first arrived and then pooped on her gown later in the day ha! She is having healthy bowels to say the least.

Our first family picture! She is absolutely perfect. I can not get enough of her! We put that bow in as soon as we could, she is a southern belle after all!

Daddy with his daughter. This may be my favorite picture of all time.

My precious baby girl! Praise God for this blessing!

Georgia Grace Harrison

She is here!!!

Georgia Grace Harrison

October 30th, 2012

9:35am

8 lbs 2 oz

19 in long

Baby and mommy are doing great, she is absolutely perfect! Will post more pictures soon. Thank you for all the prayers, we felt each and every one!

Here She Comes!

We are so excited!!! Georgia Grace will be making her arrival tomorrow! Our doctor, Marcus, and I thought this was the best decision for us! I have known since our appointment on Friday but we kept thinking I might go into labor on my own but nope--she may be a little stubborn, wonder who she gets that from? ;)

We are so thankful that I have had such an easy pregnancy and we pray that it continues to be smooth throughout labor and delivery. Whenever Marcus or I start to feel anxious about the whole event, we remember that God is in control, everything will be fine, and He will provide strength for the both of us that we never knew we had. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us throughout this journey, please keep them coming!

Today I have done 4 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and got the nursery 100% ready to go--I thought I might go into labor on my own after all of that :). I guess it's the "nesting" kicking in. I spent the rest of my afternoon snuggled up on the couch watching Hocus Pocus and tivo'ed Roseanne Halloween shows (I am not a big Roseanne fan but you can not beat her Halloween episodes-the BEST!).

I am going to try to get my sister to do an update once she is here! I am taking my laptop and will blog depending on how I feel.

We also found out today that Uncle Jake has been called out to Superstorm Sandy and leaves out in the morning. Of course we want him to be here for her birth but we know he is needed on the East Coast. We are sending prayers up for him and everyone else effected by Sandy.

Georgia On My Mind

The bags are packed and sitting by the door! I put new batteries in the Flip, charged the camera, and made a list of last minute things to grab as we went out the door. My hospital is 30 minutes away so I really hope we don't forget anything!

I have been having some contractions on and off throughout the week and I am now 70% effaced and 2 cm dilated. I could really go into labor anytime! I am praying for God to send me peace and patience as we wait for our little girl to come into this world.

And here's a little sneak peak at her coming home dress! I just love the embroidery and lace detail. I am using different bloomers that my cousin Michelle got her that have her name on the butt-they are adorable! I hope this dress turns into a family heirloom, one that I can bring other daughters (if I have more) and my daughters can bring their daughters home in. I am going to have the dress framed and mount it in her nursery once she wears it. It is such a special piece to me!

 

In the meantime, I am going to relax and enjoy the weekend. I have been craving these lately so I picked some up yesterday and they have definitely hit the spot!

There is some good football games on this weekend and it is supposed to be cooler so it sounds like the perfect time to veg out and enjoy these last however many days of my pregnancy. Marcus is making meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, and greens for supper tonight-yum! Stayed tuned for more baby news :)

39 Weeks and Still Waiting!

[I think I am starting to look different. Several people have told me my lips have gotten bigger and Marcus thought my nose looked more spread out yesterday. We have always heard when your nose spreads that means delivery is near?!? Oh and yes I am in houseshoes- I want this blog to be REAL and that is the first thing I put on when I walk in the door! Comfort is of the utmost importance these days :)]

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 39 Weeks

Size of baby: Georgia is around 7.25 lbs and about 20 in long! The size of a mini-watermelon

Total Weight Gain: Gained 28 lbs (my weight stayed the same this week)

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular. I'm down to just a few things I can still fit into-seriously!

Gender: It's a girl!!! Georgia Grace Harrison

Movement: She is still moving plenty but it's not as prominent as it once was. I'm sure sweet girl is running out of room!

Sleep: Could be better. I view it as preparing me for the months to come ha!

Cravings: Pizza, Fruit Gushers and I want a Diet Mountain Dew SO bad. I will probably request one first thing after delivery :)

Symptoms: back pain, heartburn, peeing all day everyday!  

Best Moment this week: our doctor telling us that I am progressing, that she is healthy and we are close to meeting our daughter!

So I went to the doctor yesterday and I am 50% effaced and 1 cm! I am excited that I am progressing and that my body is preparing for labor. This may be TMI for some of you but the doctor was actually able to feel her head when he checked me! My next appointment is Tuesday October 30th IF I make it until then. There is a full moon Monday October 29th, maybe Georgia Grace will decide to surprise us a little early!!

 I still feel good and I am just happy to be able to carry her to full-term. I have felt mild contractions on and off this week but nothing major. I plan on working up until I have her unless my doctor recommends otherwise. He thinks it is best to stay busy and moving to promote an easier delivery and recovery. If she makes her arrival next week, I plan on taking 10 weeks for maternity leave and returning back to work on January 7th. Ten weeks at home with my baby will be so amazing! Plus I will be home for the holidays which is a time when I always envy SAHMs because they have more time to bake, decorate, wrap, etc. so I will get to thoroughly enjoy all of that this year! Can you tell I am a little bit excited? :)

 Uncle Jake and Aunt Shanna are back from their beach honeymoon and I had to share the souveneir they brought home for Georgia! Isn't that darling? I love anything with a ruffle. I can't wait to see her in this frock!

It won't be long now. The curiosity of when she will arrive is getting the best of me. I have to admit I am such the planner that it is hard to just sit back and wait and not be in control ha! But I'm learning and enjoying these last few/several days. I know God is in control and He will see us through and she will arrive at the perfect time!

Thanksgiving Dress

I am pretty limited on the things I can do physically so I have been able to devote more time to my sewing machine. I found a Thanksgiving dress I wanted to make Georgia a few months back so I thought now would be a good time to do it.

It is a simple pillowcase dress and it wasn't hard to make. I plan on making more in the future because they are so easy and adorable! 

Of course there are always a few things I would change once I am finished with a project.

 I should have made it a little longer because I wanted her to have it as a dress this year and then she could wear it as a shirt this year. Well, depending on how big she is it might be a shirt this year ha! Which would be cute too with matching bloomers!

I really like the ribbon! I think it added a nice touch and is perfect for fall.

Here's the finished dress! I used scrap fabric to make the turkey. I think he turned out pretty cute! I will probably pair it with a matching turtleneck/onesie and cute tights. I can't wait to see her in it!

We had a big weekend knocking out some final projects. My dad, papaw, and friend Chris put crown molding in the nursery Saturday morning. It looks great and makes the room look finished. My FIL repaired our tub-YAY! Marcus is currently giving Owen a haircut, bath, and flea treatment. He will be ready to meet Georgia Grace after tonight!

We are just 9 days from our due date---9 days. Unbelievable. This pregnancy has flown by! I am starting to get anxious about the days ahead and how everything will happen. I have been praying for God to relieve my anxiety and allow us a healthy and safe delivery of a healthy baby girl. I pray that He gives me strength to withstand all the challenges of labor and that Marcus is the "coach" that I need during those hours. I pray that my doctor and nurses will provide the care that myself and baby girl need. Our whole world is about to change in the blink of an eye. This miracle we have created is almost here and it is all because of Him!

"Everytime I think of you, I thank my God". Phillipians 1:3

Maternity Shoot

In my daughter's eyes,
I am a hero,
I am strong and wise,
And I know no fear,

But the truth is plain to see,
She was sent to rescue me,
I see who I want to be,
In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes,
Everyone is equal,
Darkness turns to light,
And the world is at peace,

This miracle God gave to me,
Gives me strength when I am weak,
I find reason to believe,
In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand around my finger,
How it puts a smile in my heart,
Everything becomes a little clearer,
I realize what life is all about,

It's hanging on when your heart has had enough,
It's giving more when you feel like giving up,
I've seen the light,
It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes,
I can see the future,
A reflection of who I am and what will be,
And though she'll grow and someday leave,When I'm gone I hope you see,
How happy she made me,
For I'll be there,
In my daughter's eyes

Ok. I know I am biased but I think Julia Christopher Photography is the best in the business! She has taken both mine and Marcus' photos starting with our high school senior portraits! She has such a talent for capturing her subject's personality in her pictures. She is such a special friend to me and I can't thank her enough for photographing all our life events for the past several years. She is also a prayer warrior so any time I have ever had something I needed prayers for I ask her. She was praying for Georgia Grace before she was even created! What a blessing she is to us.

The four generations pictures is so special to me. All of papaw's girls (minus Paige) in one picture. That one is for him!

38 Weeks

I'm 38 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 38 Weeks

Size of baby: Georgia is around 6.8 lbs and about 19.75 in long!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 28 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular. I'm down to just a few things I can still fit into. ha!

Gender: It's a girl!!! Georgia Grace Harrison

Movement: She is still very active with less kicking and more rolling ha! She feels very big in there.

Sleep: Not good, I just can't seem to get comfortable :/

Cravings: Juice & pizza

Symptoms: I am carrying a full term baby- I'm huge, I waddle and I can barely move ha!  I can't bend over or get comfortable in any position. And my heartburn is brutal.  BUT I'm SO thankful for this pregnancy and I'm trying to enjoy it to the very end. It will all be worth it! 

Best Moment this week: Uncle Jake and Aunt Shanna's wedding! I was so glad Georgia didn't decide to make her arrival in the middle of it.

I wish I could post pictures of the completed nursery but it is not 100% ready. We are still waiting on the changing table. But I know if she comes tomorrow we have everything we NEED! That makes this momma happy. 

I had to post this picture! This is the gift to Georgia Grace from my cross-country team. How sweet is that?!? They are the most precious group of kiddos. I turned the program over to my assistants today due to the recommendation from my doctor. It was sad for me but I know it was the best decision. They are in great hands and I know they will continue with their success! I love them all.

Hall Wedding

Saturday we celebrated the union of my sister-in-law Shanna and brother-in-law Jake!

 This was one of the most stress-free and perfect weddings I have been a part of. Everything went so smooth. Shanna was such a beautiful, precious bride and Jake was so handsome. I started coming around when Shanna was just thirteen so it is hard to believe she is old enough to be a married woman! She has matured into such a sweet person and I am honored to call her sister-in-law. And Jake fits into our family perfectly. They definitely complete each other.<3

I felt so blessed to be a part of their special day. Myself and Georgia Grace were the Matron of Honors :)

Brother and sister dance :). This was his idea and it melted his momma's heart!

Me, Georgia Grace, and Shanna :) I am 38 weeks pregnant-I don't think anyone would argue that ha!

Mr. and Mrs. Hall are now enjoying a relaxing week in Ft. Lauderdale! Shanna said it was 85 degrees there. Wishing them a wonderful week of honeymoon bliss! ;)

A Fabulous Friday

So....I officially found out today that I will be going to a four day work week when I return after maternity leave in January!!! This is definitely an answered prayer. I have been burdened with the thought of leaving her since we found out I was pregnant back in February. We have the best possible situation you could ask for because Marcus' grandmomma will be keeping her while we are at work but I still felt guilty and sad that I wouldn't be there with her throughout the day. Having Thursdays to be home with her is going to be such a blessing. I still will get my "mommy time" while continuing my career (that I absolutely love) and she will still get the benefits of staying with grandmomma and interacting with the older children at AKK. I definitely wouldn't want to deprive her of that wonderful experience. I feel like we really have the best of both worlds with this arrangement.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 I turned this burden over to Him and He provided just like always. What a gracious and merciful God we serve!

Tonight we attended the rehearsal dinner for Uncle Jake and Aunt Shanna! It was held at their farm where the wedding will be tomorrow. It is going to be the perfect day for a wedding- the weather is forecasted to be a nice, seasonable day and the fall foliage is in full effect. I pray that everything goes off without a hitch!

And tonight was Blue Blue Madness! Although we couldn't attend this year I still had to show my support and SQUEEZE in a UK tank! It looks like it could be another banner hanging year in the bluegrass! Oh yeah, I think I have mentioned this before but everytime Marcus tries to take a picture of me Owen feels it is necessary to enter the scene. It's hilarious! He has always loved having his picture made.

37 Weeks

I'm 37 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 37 Weeks

Size of baby: Georgia is around 6.3 lbs - about the size of a watermelon

Total Weight Gain: Gained 27 lbs (Whoa! I just might reach the goal weight gain of 35 lbs!)

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular. I'm down to just a few things I can still fit into. ha!

Gender: It's a girl!!! Georgia Grace Harrison

Movement: She is still very active despite being so big and having very little room to move. I am thankful for this!

Sleep: I'm sleeping fair, I have a hard time getting comfortable but once I do I sleep soundly. Pillows help.

Cravings: None to speak of, I get full fast these days. I'm trying to drink a lot of my calories-chocolate milk, cranberry juice, lemonade.

Symptoms: I'm starting to feel some pressure which is probably due to her starting to drop, some abdominal pain (I'll explain that below), reflux 

Best Moment this week: thankful to be full term!! That is a HUGE praise! 

So we had a little scare this week that I thought I would mention to remind myself of the lesson learned. Monday afternoon my mom, mamaw, and myself did some deep cleaning of the house. I was careful to not overdo it but before I went to bed I hung some blinds and cleaned some walls and baseboards which I shouldn't have done. I woke up at 4:30 to a persistent, intense pain in my right side. When I later woke up to my alarm, the pain had moved to my belly button area. I was pretty concerned at this point. I knew I wasn't having contractions but I thought it could be appendicitis or who knows what. I called my doctor and he had me to come in and I was hooked up to the monitor. Everything was perfectly fine! Her heartbeat was great, she was moving good, no contractions--I can't tell you the relief I felt! They told me I probably tore a ligament when I was cleaning which caused the pain. I took some tylenol and the pain went away and I feel so much better today. I assure you I will be taking it easy from here on out. Praise God for protecting me and my baby!

I went to my weekly doctor's appointment Monday and I am 1/2 cm dilated and my cervix is soft! I know this really doesn't mean anything because some women walk around 2-3 cm dilated for weeks but it is exciting to know my body is preparing for delivery!

The nursery is very close to being complete and I hope I can post pics by this time next week (that is my goal)! I am finishing up packing mine and her bags tonight! I can't believe I only have a few weeks left!!!

Pumpkin Pancakes, Homecoming & Mortgage-Free

(Pretend like I posted this yesterday. I left my camera at church so that delayed me!)

To celebrate such a monumental day, I got up early and made us some pumpkin pancakes! Marcus bought a mix last week while he was on fall break so we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make some. They were good but not as pumpkin-y as we had hoped. I drowned mine in butter and syrup so I had no complaints :)

Not the best picture in the world (we were on the very back pew) but here is Marcus being baptized on October 7th, 2012. I am so so so proud of him! Several family and friends came to support him and we are so thankful for them. We had a full house at homecoming today! God is good!

Today is also monumental for another reason-we are now mortgage-free! [Can we talk about this picture for a second? We were just babies! I was 22 and Marcus had just turned 21. And I'm not sure why Owen's hair is slicked back like that lol! Two blessed days!] Our last mortgage payment was due today. We bought our house in August 2009 shortly after we got engaged and we have worked hard to get it paid off. It wasn't always easy but it is worth it knowing we are debt-free entering the world of parenthood! We are looking forward to a few years of no mortgage and saving before we look for something bigger. Hopefully the walls of this 900 square foot starter home don't cave in on us ha!

Tonight we are back to deep-cleaning the house. Marcus cleaned out the whole fridge this afternoon-that was a HUGE project that I am glad he took off my hands (we found some rotten, molded tomato sauce from May and other gag-worthy treats. We must clean that thing out more often!). One step closer to being ready for Georgia Grace's arrival. Overall, this day ranks up there with one of the best I can remember!

Baby Pool

Here is Georgia Grace's baby pool! The span from the earliest prediction to the latest is 16 days. And the lowest and highest weight vary by 1 pound and 15 ounces. We told everyone that the winner got to change the first poopie diaper ;). I am really surprised we had so many participants ha! Note the full moon on the 29th-those two may be on to something!

I have been busy on the sewing machine this week. I added a "G" to one of her white hairbows tonight-I love the way it turned out! This bow was already premade so the stitches went through both sides of the bow loop but you can't tell. Marcus asked me the other night, "Are you putting a G on everything?"...men just don't understand. :)

We have an exciting weekend ahead of us. Sunday is our church homecoming and Marcus' baptism! I love homecoming Sunday and the fact that Marcus is making a public acknowledgment of his salvation on the same day makes me even more eager for Sunday. I bought Marcus a new bible in honor of his upcoming baptism. He really liked my bible so I got the same one for him. I love seeing him read from The Word each night before bed. He has completely accepted his role as the christian leader of the household! I thank God for that! I am praying for homecoming Sunday to be an opportunity for souls to be won for Christ!

 It has cooled off drastically here with the high this weekend only in the 50's! I hope this is just temporary and we return to the 60's and 70's for a while. It's not fair to skip over fall and go straight to winter ha!

36 Weeks

I'm 36 weeks!
*For some reason my hair looks red in this picture?!? It must be the sunlight.

 Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of baby: Georgia is around 6 lbs - about the size of a crenshaw melon

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 22 lbs; no weight gain at my last appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular. I'm down to just a few things I can still fit into. ha!

Gender: It's a girl!!! Georgia Grace Harrison

Movement: She is VERY active, the ultrasound Friday revealed that tickling I have been feeling in my side/rib is indeed her left arm :)

Sleep: I'm sleeping better than I have been

Cravings: I desperately needed pizza one night this week. I am also enjoying my afternoon DQ Blizzards!

Symptoms: "pregnancy brain", some back pain 

Best Moment this week: taking our babymoon and the ultrasound Friday revealing she is a healthy and growing baby girl!

We had our final ultrasound on Friday and Georgia weighed approximately 5 lbs and 9 ounces! She is supposed to gain 1/2 lb per week so if she makes it to her due date she will weigh around 8 lbs and 1 oz. I weighed 8 lbs 13 ounces and Marcus weighed 8 lbs 10 ounces so it wouldn't surprise me if she doesn't exceed the 1/2 lb/week estimate :). She is still positioned head down and everything looked absolutely perfect. Her head was measuring bigger for her due date and her leg measured smaller than the due date-oh boy!

I posted a "Before Baby To-Do List" a few weeks ago and we have made some progress on it so I thought I would update:

-Get Owen trimmed [hopefully will get done this week while hubby in on fall break]

-Get my iPhone screen fixed :/ [DONE!]

-Finish thank you cards [DONE! It is in the mail if you haven't got yours yet!]

-Deep clean the whole house [In progress]

-Figure out best insurance option for Georgia [Still need to do]

-Get both vehicles detailed [Waiting until closer to the due date]

-Make and freeze meals [Waiting until closer to the due date]

-Learn how to use the new camera better. We've mastered the basic concepts but I know there is so much more it can do! [Still need to do]

-Finish all my sewing projects for Georgia [Almost done]

-And last but definitely not least, finish the nursery! [In progress]

We are doing a baby pool, I am gathering the information from family and friends right now. I will post everyones guesses soon!

Babymoon Part 2

Sunday night we stayed at the Beaumont Inn. This was also located in Harrodsburg. I am glad that we decided to do a staycation for our babymoon. I am to the point that traveling isn't very comfortable and bathroom breaks are very frequent ha!

We stayed in the Greystone Inn in the Gold Room. It was like a trip back in time. I honestly felt like I was playing the game Clue! So much neat architectural design and attention to detail.

The house was originally built for the niece of Eli Lilly! All of you diabetics (or dietitians) out there know exactly who I am talking about.

The lobby of the Beaumont-wow!

We loved all the references to the Derby. You definitely knew you were in horse country.

We had a great trip and enjoyed it just being the two of us. We are trying to not take this time for granted and enjoy each and every day. We both love to travel and can't wait to take Georgia everywhere with us. I hope she rides/flys well! 

When we got home Monday, I entered in official nesting mode. October is here and we best be getting everything in order for Georgia's arrival! My goal is to deep clean each room before she gets here. Washing walls and baseboards, taking down and cleaning blinds, cleaning out from under beds--all the cleaning that I typically don't do in my weekly run-throughs. I initially wanted to tackle two rooms but I quickly realized one was going to be all I could do at one time. Mom came over and was a big help! I am so thankful for her willingness to help me with all the baby preparations.

I had to share this picture. This was yesterday afternoon after we got home. You think he missed his momma?!? I hope he will share me with Georgia Grace ha! We miss him so much when we are gone and I think he feels the same way.