36 WEEKS!!

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I've been slacking at updating this blog on Fridays. Things are starting to get more hectic the closer it gets to Jaxon's due date. We now officially have less than 4 weeks until little man's arrival!! I can't believe it! As each week passes I feel him get hiccups more often which is a good sign that he's practicing his breathing just like he should be. I feel so bad because his hiccups last at least 5 minutes! Poor thing, I'm sure they shake his entire body too.

I go to my doctor's appointments on a weekly basis now. They put in a request to have me do my 38 week ultrasound, so hopefully insurance approves it. If so then I will try to have it done on Thursday, December 8 because I also have an OB appointment that day. Then we can discuss whether or not I will need to be induced early. I have a feeling he'll come early on his own though.

Jake and I had some friends over for Thanksgiving and we had a great time. Jake roasted a turkey in the oven and also smoked one. They both turned out fantastic!!! I begged him to let me put up Christmas decorations this weekend so yesterday he got out our tree and helped me put it together. I ordered Jaxon a stocking that matches Jake's and I also ordered Lucy one that matches Leila's. I have the odd-ball stocking now, but that's okay.

Our friends all guessed when they think I'll have baby Jaxon and we wrote it on the calendar.My guess is December 9 because it's a full moon and I was born on a full moon night! Jake guessed December 13. When do you all think I will have baby Jaxon??

I had been waiting to put up the pictures from the Marine Corps Ball since mine were all very dark.  The photographer that was at the event finally added his pictures onto the website so I'll upload some at the end of my update.

Jake put together Jaxon's pack-n-play this weekend also. It is the most high tech thing I've ever seen!!! It plays music and different sounds (such as nature sounds, sleep sounds or a few classical songs). You can record a 10 second message and play it back, so when Jake is out in training he can still say goodnight to baby. It also has a place to plug in an mp3 player or ipod so you can play your own music. And finally, it has a sensor that when it hears Jaxon crying it'll start playing some of the sleep music to help soothe him and put him back to sleep. Technology these days is amazing!!!!

I really should pack my hospital bag just in case anything happens soon. I've had a couple mild contractions while typing up this blog post actually. Usually I just get the tightness in my belly from the Braxton Hicks but these were a little painful. It's kind of scary knowing I'll be going into labor within the next month. I know this is what my body was made to do, but it's still intimidating and nerve-racking. I just have to think of the positive and that is that we will all have a beautiful blessing added to our lives at the end of it all. I can't express enough how lucky Jake, Jaxon and I are that we have such supportive family and friends. We love you all so much and wish we lived closer so we could physically be there with you guys.

Without anymore waiting, here is my belly picture for this week and also some pictures from the Marine Corps Ball.

Big ol' belly

birthday cake at the ball

our table and Jake's cover (hat)

Jake is the furthest away from us on the right

Jake the furthest one away

walking in as part of the ceremony (Jake is on the right)

Jake and I  :)

Some of the people in Jake's shop. Jake is almost dead center in the pic (a little to the left and down a row)

Jake and I dancing. I think he was trying to tell me that he's an amazing dancer, even though he is terrible! LOL

Where our ball was held at. 

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and ate lots and lots of yummy food! We missed you all! Christmas is only a short time away!!  :)

Mommy, Daddy, and Jaxon

35 weeks!!

Eeeeeeekkkkk!!! I can't believe I've already been pregnant for 35 weeks and that there's only 5 weeks left until we can meet Jaxon!!!

As you all know, he's weighing more than the average 35 weeker. I wish I asked how long he was but they say the average 35 week baby is over 19 inches long, so I'm assuming he's a little taller than that. Jaxon's kidneys are fully developed and his liver can process some waste products. His blood circulation is perfected and his immune system has matured enough to protect him from infections outside of the womb. Our little man's main job is to put on about 1 oz per day until he decides he's ready to come out!

Since I already updated you all on the doctor appointment there isn't much else to say about this week other than we're that much closer to seeing my linebacker.  ;)

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving. We sure do wish we could be home with you all on this holiday. Jake and I are hosting Thanksgiving for two different couples. It should be a great time, but we'll be thinking of you all. We are so blessed to have all the wonderful and supportive family and friends in our lives that we do! Thank you all for making a positive impact in our lives and for wanting to be such a big part of Jaxon's. So eat lots of turkey, take a nap and enjoy some football!!!



Here are the belly pictures I took:

And of course one with my baby, Leila

Love you all!

Mommy, Daddy and Jaxon

Our BIG boy

I thought I'd update everyone really quickly in between me taking some tests for my online school.

Jake and I had an ultrasound appointment and an OB appointment yesterday. First was the ultrasound. Baby Jax is so far along that it's hard to see anything on the screen anymore. He's just smushed in there with no where to go, poor thing. Yesterday at the ultrasound I was 34 weeks and 5 days along. The lady started taking measurements on Jaxon and in the first few minutes Jake asked what the numbers on the screen meant, if they corresponded to how many weeks along Jaxon was measuring. The tech said yes and said "this body part is 34-35 weeks" so I was thinking the entire time that Jax would be measuring right where he should be. At the end of the ultrasound she turned the screen so I could see him and she tried to show me his feet, and hands and face, etc... Then I asked how big he was and she said that according to all the calculations the machine makes based on measurements of his body parts that he weighs 6 lbs 9 oz!!!!! She said he was measuring at about 36 weeks and 3 days which is almost two full weeks further along than what I am! So he's the average weight for a baby that's 36-37 weeks along, but since he's less than 35 he's a big boy! She did say that the calculations can be off by plus or minus half a pound, so he's a least 6 pounds and could be as much as 7 right now! She then said that she was going to fax over the information to my doctor by Thursday.

So then I had my OB appointment and since she hadn't gotten the fax yet she asked how the ultrasound went. Jake and I told her Jaxon's measurements and she agreed that he was a big baby. My fundal height was also measuring at 37 weeks, which is has always been measuring big (aka the reason she wanted me to get a growth ultrasound). My doctor then said she's going to try to get me another ultrasound at 38 weeks to measure his growth and give me a good estimate as to what he'll weigh at birth. She made it sound like no matter what that I'll be having Jaxon at 39 weeks. She said if the 38 week ultrasound has him measuring 9+ pounds then she wants me to get a c-section because she's afraid of shoulder dysplasia. If he's less than 9 pounds but still big then I'll be induced. I let my doctor know that I only want a c-section if it's medically necessary and that I want to try to have Jaxon naturally first, even if he is over 9 pounds. I also start going to see her every week now so she can continue to check on me. But right now it seems like Jax will be born on December 16 instead of the 23rd; although it's not set in stone yet.

I'll of course continue to keep you all updated every week as I hear more information.

Ok, back to tests.  :)

Love you all!

Jaxon's Finished Nursery

We are finally done with Jaxon's nursery!! The walls are painted, the furniture is set up, clothes and bedding are washed and shelves are hung. The only thing missing is our son.



Here are pictures I took this morning of little man's room.

His nursery theme is airplanes. Daddy added corner shelves along the back walls.

Here's a close up of what his name looks like on the wall.

Jaxon's crib with his name above it. 

The amazing glider we got and pictures of airplanes

His dresser/changing table. Daddy also put up these floating shelves on the walls. Those teddy bears were Jake's from when he was 2 and got burned and was in the hospital for a while. In his dresser is 90% of his 0-3 month clothes, socks, hats, swaddlers and blankets. 

His swing. I don't think it'll stay in his room, we'll probably move it downstairs and put his bouncy seat in his room instead.

His toy bag. I think I want to add some kind of small shelves or bookcase under this for more storage.

Left side of his closet. It's almost completely organized. That's all diapers and wipes on the bottom and bins of sheets and bigger sized clothes on the shelves. 

Right side of his closet. Some of his 0-3 month clothes hanging, his hospital bag ready to go and a bunch of other things that I need to find a better place for. 

I hope you guys like his nursery as much as we do. We're really proud of it! 

Love you all,

Mommy Daddy and baby J

Quick Update, 34 weeks!

Sorry I forgot to update yesterday.
Today is a cold, rainy day making it hard to get up off the couch and do anything productive.

Yesterday was our 34 week mark! Baby Jaxon now weighs a little over 5 pounds!! Holy cow that sounds like such a big boy! Nothing new is developing with him, besides his lungs mature a little more every day getting ready for his first breath of fresh air.  :) As my due date approaches I'm getting more and more anxious for him to get here. I almost want to sleep the next 6 weeks away (except wake up for Thanksgiving) until little man is here. I finally took pictures of the nursery, so now I just have to upload them to the computer then add them to the blog.

I've got a doctor's appointment and ultrasound on Wednesday. I can't wait to see little Jax again.

The Marine Corps Ball was on Thursday night. It was fun getting all dressed up and celebrating the birthday of the Corps. Jake was in the ceremony and swung around swords as they walk the cake up and down the aisle. I'm laughing now at what you guys must be visualizing with the description I just gave. It's really hard to explain, but maybe I'll try to do a better job. In the beginning of the ceremony we celebrate the Marine Corps' birthday. They have guys walk in with swords and they stand at the sides of the aisle and then they walk the flags down the aisle then the cake. After the ceremony we eat dinner and they open the floor for dancing. This is the first year Jake was a dancing machine... only because he had a few too many drinks in him. Add this on my tab of pictures I still need to upload to the blog.

Lucy has her second day of doggy training classes today. She has been a little extra obnoxious this past week.


The picture this week is featuring Jake! He is trying to stick his belly out as far as mine is, he definitely did not succeed.

But I hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, and J

A Few Maternity Pictures and Labor and Delivery

I'll start off with Labor and Delivery since I'm sure you're all wondering why I put that. On Saturday I was having period-like cramps that were extremely painful but they went away. On Sunday morning, for the first time in my pregnancy, had a little bit of lower back pain. Those things, along with some indigestion problems for a few days, worried me a tiny bit. Okay, so now its a couple hours later on Sunday, Jake and I were going to the hospital to pre-register so that way when I do go into active labor I won't have to fill out a bunch of paperwork while I'm in pain. I fill out the paperwork and I tell the lady about the problems I had on Saturday and earlier that morning, well she calls the nurses and tells them my symptoms and they admit me into Labor and Delivery to be monitored. I was there for a total of 3 hours. Everything turned out fine. I don't have any infections, I'm not dilated or effaced any and my blood pressure was still great...and of course baby Jaxon was kicking up a storm! When they first hooked me up to the monitors I was having contractions (not the painful ones) pretty consistently at every 5 minutes. They gave me two shots which relaxed my uterine muscles and when that calmed my body down I got to go home. So that was my first experience at labor and delivery. The nurses were all very nice and the hospital was amazing, so that's a plus. But I'm definitely never going to mention anything again unless I know I'm in real labor or not because that just seemed like a waste of a Sunday! haha




Moving on,


I had my maternity pictures done on Saturday. My photographer already edited a couple of them and sent them to me. Jake and I had a ton of pictures taken and a lot of different poses. I can't wait to see all of them finished. For now, here is a sneak peek.

Yep, my belly is HUGE! I really don't know how much more I can grow in 7 weeks! I'm sure Jaxon is laughing right now and thinking, "just you wait, Mom!"

Hope you all enjoyed the pictures! I'll post more as he sends more to me. 

Love you all,

Mommy, Daddy and Jaxon

33 weeks!!!

Jaxon is hanging out in my ribs right now as I type this. Halfway laying down/slouching on the couch probably isn't the most comfortable for him so I bet he's trying to get me to change positions.

Well another week has gone by! Today I am 33 weeks pregnant with our son. It's crazy to think that he could be here as early as 4 weeks from now. They say that he weighs anywhere between 4 and a half to 5 pounds right now!! He's also over 17" long! His bones are beginning to harden in his body, except for his skull since those will slide and overlap each other during birth to make it easier for his noggin to come out. Also this week he's starting to keep his eyes open more when he's awake and he's coordinating his breathing with sucking. Over the next month Jaxon will still be putting on about half a pound per week and then his growth will slow after that.

Mommy has been feeling much better lately! I think I really lucked out because I thought for a while I had symphysis pubic dysfunction, which only gets worse throughout pregnancy until delivery but I think I had just somehow really super strained my ligaments and such because it doesn't hurt near as badly anymore to move. Although it still isn't the best feeling rolling over in bed or getting dressed, I'm not almost in tears when doing it like I was before. I've gained plenty of weight this pregnancy... I'm pretty sure I'm going to surpass the recommended 25-35 pounds since I've already gained 29.... geez that sounds like so much!! As long as Jax is healthy then I'm okay with that weight gain.

I had a doctor appointment with my new OB on Wednesday! It was wonderful! The clinic was very nice and the staff and doctor was very nice as well. I asked her about inductions since I'm afraid Jaxon is going to be a big baby. She said that since I've consistently measured big throughout the pregnancy that she'll order me an ultrasound to estimate his weight and if he is big that they'll induce me at 39 weeks or that I might have to have an elective C-section to reduce the risk of shoulder dysplasia. I really really really do not want to have a C-section if I can help it! But if he is measuring normal then she said she won't let me go past 41 weeks, so that means he'll definitely be born in December!! But I am very excited we get to see Jax one more time before he's born! Jake and I are also looking into pediatricians for him and we're doing our research and making sure we pick the right one for our baby.

The Marine Corps Ball is Nov 10 for us! I had a hard time finding a dress that fit my belly and was comfortable. I finally found one, the only bad thing is that it is purple. It won't match Jake's dress blues very well, but I didn't have a choice since it was the only dress in California in the size I needed in that particular style.... so purple it is. The belly picture I'll post this week is me in my dress, I actually took the picture yesterday, but that's close enough to 33 weeks. :)

Jake and I have our maternity pictures tomorrow! I'm so excited!! I couldn't find those vintage looking wooden blocks with letters on them to use as a prop, so I'm a little disappointed with that. I wanted to spell out Jaxon's name and hold the blocks and put them on my belly. Oh well, I know the pictures will turn out great either way!! Also tomorrow Lucy starts dog training/obedience classes! The class is 6 weeks long, so hopefully by mid December she is 130984 times better than she is right now or we'll have to find her a new home. She is still just too rough and hyper to have around a newborn.

Once again I rambled on for a long time. Here are my pictures of me in my ball dress that I took yesterday.

Don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour on Saturday night before you go to bed!!

Love and miss you all,

Mommy, Daddy and Jax