35 weeks

a.k.a only 5 weeks left. Aghh!!! Yeah!!! Yikes!!! Woohoo!!! According to babycenter.com, I'm carrying a honeydew this week. No wonder I'm feeling out of breath.

Can you tell that I'm all sorts of mixed emotions right now? Realizing that I only have about 5 weeks left until our Little Man arrives, I don't think I'm going to experience the nesting stage, but rather the panic stage of trying to get everything done.

Answer to the infamous pregnant question:

I'm tired!

I don't think that's all due to just being pregnant. I think it's a combination of just starting back to school (and being on my feet the majority of the day, which has led me to wear some lovely white sandal Crocs everyday = CUTENESS!), chasing a 20-month-old around, and trying to find a place for everything in this house considering that storage is lacking here. But I know that everything will all get done (hopefully sooner than later) and in the words of Bob Marley..."everything is gonna be all right."

I started my bi-weekly appointments last week. I was mentally prepared for an exam, but much to my excitement, I don't start those until next week. Yeah! Little Peanut's heartbeat is in the 130s, and I actually lost about 1 ounce (I guess that's to make up for the 16 pound gain from earlier this summer). My belly moves 24/7! Sometimes I feel like I need to grab onto something (kind of like when you're on a plane and you feel like you need to grab the chair when the plane is being jerked around) because he's jerking me around so much.

As for a name...still no decision. Drew has his definite name as I have my definite name for our Little Man. I guess this will be the surprise for you all this time since we already found out we're having a boy. Gotta keep the suspense somewhere right?

I go back to the doctor next week. If it's anything like my last pregnancy, I'll probably come back to report that I haven't dilated and probably won't for a while, or even until I get to the hospital (actually, I know that I'm jinxing myself now as I'm typing this and it will be the opposite). I just pray that Little Peanut does not come early, even though I have a strong feeling that he is. I'll keep you posted, though.

29 weeks preggers

29 weeks

(I realize that my hair is plastered on my head in all of my recent pictures. I guess that's my "beautiful pregnancy hairstyle"!)

I'm actually 29 weeks and 1 day pregnant, which means that I'm carrying a butternut squash around with me. Just thinking that I only have about 11 weeks until Little Peanut arrives (yes, we STILL cannot agree on his name) is crazy! I guess I've got to get a move on moving ME to her big-girl room! For those of you that are still asking how I am feeling...I'm feeling pretty good. Physical therapy really does wonders! And as for my hunger factor, I'm actually starting to get full...at times. :) Anyway, I went for my monthly checkup last Thursday and everything was still a-okay. His heartbeat was in the 150s, which I think was a little faster than it should be because my Dr. commented on feeding Little Peanut a bowl full of sugar before my appointment. Other than that, my due date is still October 13th. We'll just have to wait and see!

I passed

I'm now 24 weeks pregnant and I went for my monthly checkup yesterday. Getting ready for this appointment was torture because I had to do my glucola test to see if I had gestational diabetes, which means that I couldn't eat carbs all day since my appointment wasn't until 3:00 and then get pricked with a needle (aren't the doctors nice?). I usually have crackers by 10 a.m., plus I worked at my church's VBS this week and the United Methodist Women provided yummo snacks. I, of course, tended to go toward the sweets all week. On the plus side, I passed my test and found out that I'm not anemic anymore! Sianora iron pills!!!!

As for a baby update...Little Peanut (thanks, Lauren, for texting that name to me a few weeks ago) is approximately the size of an ear of corn and his heartbeat yesterday was 148. Drew and I still can't agree on a name for him. And his mommy (that's me, in case you were wondering) has apparently gained 16.5 pounds since the last checkup a month ago. The Dr. and I honestly think that the wrong number was written down last time. I forgot to look at the scale since ME was there with me last time, too...lesson learned for future visits! If not, then that means that my Dr. only wants me to gain 8 more lbs from now until delievery. Can someone please explain that to my stomach?!?!

As for a niece-to-be update...Brant and Kari's little McKenzie heard the weather report and has decided that the heat is not for her. She was expected to arrive on Tuesday, but she didn't want to take the focus away from Drew's birthday. Isn't she sweet? So now if she's not here by next Wednesday, they'll induce Kari. Hey, Kari, at least you weren't preggers the summer of 80! Ha!

Tempus fugit

As Drew has always said, "Tempus Fugit" ("Time flies when you're having fun"). It's hard to believe that Mary Elizabeth is already 3 weeks old! These past 22 days have flown by. So with that said, I apologize for not being more up-to-date with posting pictures of our sweet angel. I really don't know where my time has gone each day, but I do know that my life has totally changed and I've enjoyed just about every second of it.

A lot of my friends have asked me how delivery went and I found out that there was misunderstanding of how I delivered, so I'm going to quickly tell you about our hospital visit.

Just before we headed to the hospital.

We checked into the hospital Wed., Dec. 19 at 9 pm. I got my 1st dose of Cytatec (sp?) at 10 pm to help me start to dilate. Then I got another dose at 4 am on Dec. 20th, hoping to break my water at 10:30 am. However, when Dr. Simmons checked on me, I still hadn't dilated (this is what I mean when I say that Mary Elizabeth is stubborn like her daddy -- she wants to do things on her own terms). So I got another dose of Cytatec and finally things started to progress a little. He finally broke my water around 6 pm on Dec. 20 then told us it was going to be a long night. Which it was! Not just for me, who was sitting in that uncomfortable bed and hadn't eaten since Wed. night at 7 pm, but also for Drew and our parents. Finally, Fri. morning at 3 am, Dr. Simmons checked on me and said that I would be ready to push in about 1 hour. And I did just that and out came Mary Elizabeth at 5:12 am. So we did get to avoid the c-section, thankfully!


I feel very fortunate to have had such a great delivery, even though the process prior to that was long. And I feel very fortunate to have such a great baby! God truly is a miracle worker!!!


Here are some more pictures of her. I hope that you enjoy them.

36 weeks...

I couldn't believe my eyes yesterday when I read my weekly newsletter saying that I was 36 weeks (or 9 months) pregnant and that I'm carrying a honeydew! I can't already be at this point, right? Well, I guess it is that time, and I guess I'm ready as I'll ever be. Here are some updates of what's been going on around the Dees Household...

• This is my growing belly. I don't think that there is anymore room for my tummy to grow, but my doctor assures me that it expand even more! Luckily, I still feel great for the most part; I'm just starting to have that out-of-breath feeling.

36 weeks

• The Razorback football season is finally over, and I made it to most of the games! Drew just couldn't end the season, though, without purchasing some things before Little Bit's arrival. I thought I'd share his purchases along with things that my parents have bought for Little Bit as well.

Things to get Little Bit into the Razorback spirit (from Drew): A Razorback t-shirt, a Razorback shelf figurine, and a D-Mac jersey.






Things to get Little Bit into the Christmas spirit (from my mom): Rubber Duckies (reindeer, Christmas tree, snowman, and Santa Claus).










Things to get Little Bit ready for my dad's sense of humor: "Tastes Like Chicken" bib, "Made in Texas" onesie, and "Dallas Baby" bib. All of these are inside jokes, but the frog bib will definitely prepare my baby for my dad's sometimes cruel humor. I apologize, Little Bit, and know that we will always love you!

• We've completed our childbirth class and now I'm totally freaked out about having this baby, no matter which process I go through (i.e.: sans drugs, epidural, c-section). None of the choices sounded good to me at all, so I told Drew that this baby wasn't coming out of me...ever! After he got me to take my death grip off of his thumb during the way-too-long epidural explanation, he told me that we would "make it through it together" (Leslie, does that ring a bell?), and I'll survive just like all of the other gazillion women that have gone through this process before me. And after I talked to my doctor this week, I feel a little better. I just wish there was an alternate way for the baby to magically pop out. Also, I forgot to tell you all that Drew still got to see "The Video" the week after Halloween. I think it was God's way of playing a funny trick on Drew. The week that we missed, there were technical difficulties with the video, so Drew was lucky enough to see some of the video the following week.


• I started going to my weekly doctor's visits last week. I told Drew that this is when we start finding out how far along I'm dilated. Of course, this freaked Drew out a little and he wondered if he should cancel his Thanksgiving trip to see his Dad in NY. So Drew went with me to the doctor this week only to find out that I haven't dilated to anything yet, which is good b/c I want the baby to "cook" a little bit longer. However, I found out that that the baby's heartbeat was a little higher than it has been (mainly due to the 2 sugar cookies I had for lunch that day) and my iron level is getting back to normal. Also, he measured the baby to be about 37 cm, which means that Little Bit is most likely going to be a long baby according to the doc.


• This past weekend, we celebrated Drew's grandmother's 80th birthday. This is one of the few times that the whole family is actually together. We had a great time and I know that she had even a better time hanging out with family and old friends.





Mama Sam and her cards.



The family all together.

• My best friend, Sarah, took my maternity pictures today. We had so much fun as it was probably weird for both of us -- considering how modest I have always been. But I think she got some great shots and I can't wait to see her work.

Well, I think that's pretty much everything that has been going on in our world. I'm enjoying my time off this week and just getting ready for the big day to get here. I hope you all had a great Turkey Day and that you didn't eat so much that your bellies are bigger than mine! :)

The latest on me and Little Bit

With school back in full swing, I know that I've kind of fallen behind on my blogging. So here's an update on what's been going on in the Dees' world...I am now 29 weeks, which makes me officially in my 3rd trimester, so I am definitely showing and feeling Little Bit move ALL of the time.

28 Weeks

I went to the doctor a few weeks ago for my glucose test to make sure that I didn't have gestational diabetes. The glucose test made Little Bit shake and groove inside of me all day long, because I had to drink a high sugar drink for the test. Maybe I'll have a dancer, or a sugar-addict! Anyway, the test showed that my glucose/blood level was a little too high and that I am anemic (low iron level), so I had to go back for a 2nd test. The preparation sounded good at first because for three days, I had to eat a bunch of carbs and sugar (ice cream, cake, regular cokes, etc.); but, by the third night, I was ready to give all of that up! Fortunately, after I did the second test, I found out that my blood level is fine and that I don't have gestational diabetes!

Little Bit has already experienced his/her first Razorback football game and tailgate in Fayetteville. The picture that I had taken to prove it, unfortunatetly, shows nothing but our heads and the black sky. Instead I have a cute picture of my neighbor Will tailgating. I'm proud to say that it was a great trip and that Little Bit behaved. Hopefully, that will be the case next football season when we go to the games as a real family!

OH MY! The Hogs actually won?!?!?!

Barefoot and pregnant

24 weeks

I am now in the last week of my 2nd trimester. I can't believe that it's already gone by so fast! I'm starting to show a lot more and people (including my previous students at school) are finally getting over the fact that I didn't just gain weight, or get implants. :) There really is a baby inside of there! I actually have proof of that, too...I finally felt Little Bit kick with my hand!!! I've been feeling it move on the inside plenty, but tonight he/she actually kicked my hand. That was an awesome feeling! Sadly, Drew is in Gulf Shores right now and he didn't get to feel it. Hopefully, Little Bit will put on a show for him when he gets back tomorrow.

I don't get nervous until I start thinking about my friend Ashley, who is due any day now. For some reason her delivery date makes me more anxious than my own due date. Somehow it gives me a reality check that my time is just around the corner. This is me and Ashley at a recent wedding shower.

Other updates with me and Little Bit: My ankles keep doing this magic trick of disappearing; but they reappear after I go swimming or do Water Aerobics. That has been my saving grace, especially now that I'm back at school teaching. The human body is such an interesting thing! Also, I'm close to getting my full appetite back!!! I still haven't been able to stomach steak (my favorite food ever) or a lot of chicken, but I do like chocolate again!

Belly shots

Here are some recent shots of my ever-expanding belly (and booty).

Week 19 and still growing...

Also, my friend Terri gave me some photos that she took of me earlier this year. Drew and I didn't know we were pregnant in the first shot (it was taken about 4 days into my preggie stage according to doctor calculations).

Do you think I've grown any???

4 days preggie...

12 weeks preggie...

We're in the 2nd trimester (14 weeks)!

I've finally come to an end of the 1st trimester! I have to say that I had a pretty good 1st trimester, too. I've heard horror stories of other girls' pregnancies, so I feel very fortunate. I guess the worst thing was getting sick after lifting weights last week and this week, but I've felt great other than that. So, darn, I can't really workout too much anymore (that's a sacrifice I'm willing to take!) . :)

Here is my first belly picture. It looks more like a spare tire right now, but I'm hoping that will change within the next few weeks. It's been funny to read about what changes I should be expecting each week and most readings compare the baby's size to a different type of food. Little Bit has been the size of anything from a sesame seed, to a kumquat (not sure how I feel about carrying that in my belly) to a jumbo shrimp, and many types of beans and fruit. This week I'm carrying a lemon. I pray that my child, though, won't really be a lemon. Just kidding!

HAPPY SUMMER!