32 Weeks

Happy Mother's Day

How far along?  32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 28 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? A few on my hips.

Best moment this week: Seeing my beautiful family!

Miss Anything? Easy movement capabilities

Movement: All of the time!

Food cravings: Ice, sweet tea, fruit, yogurt, and all things edible.

Anything making you queasy or sick:Nope! Still just dealing with the heartburn. Tums is my best friend right now.

Have you started to show yet: Absolutely.

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Not yet!

Belly Button in or out? Out

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but I'm definitely a very weepy pregnant person. I cry over ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. Poor Joshua.

Looking forward to: First baby shower this Saturday!

(Left to right) Grandma, Aunt Tina, Me, Mom

 This Mother's Day was my pre-mother-mother's-day. lol I went to church with my Mom and visited all of my family I haven't seen in ages. They were all so wonderful and so amazed by my protruding baby bump! I don't think I have ever had more people ooh and ah over this little bun in my oven! Haha!

Me and Elijah with little Miss Kayla Gibson. Elijah takes up the whole picture almost!

The next day my cousins Kylie and Jenney came over to help us work on the yard at my Mom's house. Jenney brought her two little girls, Channa and Tiffany, who are just adorable! We had so much fun and worked really hard! Especially my little brother, Cody, who happened to be the only man around and so we used him for all of the hard labor. haha! Thanks little bro!

Tiffany

Channa

The sun was in our eyes! lol Kylie, Me, and Jenney

We were also able to visit my 92 year old, Great-Grand Mother, Helen Hill. She is so precious to me!

The girls loved feeling my belly and trying to get Elijah to move! They asked me what he was doing and I told them he was dancing! They said, "Does he have toys in there?!" Haha! Kids are just so precious. They also would not let me keep my shirt down. They wanted to get up close and personal with little mister Eli! 

31 Weeks

How far along?  31 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 25 lbs... no, it did not jump from 17 to 25 in a week. I just haven't been on a scale in 3 weeks! lol

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? A few on my hips.

Best moment this week: Bringing everything together to finish Elijah's room!

Miss Anything? Queso, sleep, sushi, sleep, and...did I mention sleep?

Movement:Yup!

Food cravings: Ice, sweet tea, fruit, yogurt, and all things edible.

Anything making you queasy or sick:Nope! Still just dealing with the lovely, pregnancy heartburn.

Have you started to show yet: A little ;-)

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Nope! I'm starting to have Braxton Hicks contractions on a daily basis though. Those are no fun. Isn't real labor going to be enough?!?

Belly Button in or out? It has officially popped!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Baby showers are starting soon!

This week I spent my time working (as always), crafting, and enjoying the beauty of this wonderful spring weather! Elijah has no choice but to love the outdoors because his father and I both thrive in it. Joshua, although most of his pleasure is in taking the lives of the innocent creatures that roam the woods, also enjoys the tranquility of the outdoors. I can't live without it. I was the most nervous about moving to Louisville because I was afraid I would never get to go hiking or play in the creek or just walk through the woods like I did almost daily back home. But, I have discovered what I have dubbed "The Brushy Fork of Louisville." It is a lake with hiking trails all around and creeks everywhere and it's absolutely beautiful! Finally, I have found a place of serenity for this hippie-girl in the big city of L'ville and I am so, incredibly thankful!

I brought Joshua out to the lake after I discovered it and he was shocked that I remembered exactly how to get there after only having been once (Normally, I'm TERRIBLE with directions). I attribute it to the fact that I immediately fell in love with this place and I never want to forget where it is! 

Update on Elijah's room: Some of you know we wanted to do a forest animal theme because Joshua and I are so in love with nature. I loved the idea of foxes and deer in the baby's room, but we were having a really difficult time finding the right bedspread. Well, my mother found the perfect one! I absolutely LOVE it! Although, at first, I was dead-set against anything that involved "cartoon-ish" characters, I then realized that I am giving birth to a baby...not a full-grown adult. So these are the colors we will be using in Elijah's room and this is the theme. I am so excited!!

I also amped up my crafting skills and made us this sweet, simple door wreath. As you can tell, I'm a big fan of robin's egg blue. lol It is all over my house.

30 Weeks

 How far along?  30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? Not on my belly, but a few here and there.

Best moment this week: My surprise from Joshua!

Miss Anything? Sleeping in a bed.

Movement: I swear, sometimes it feels like he's trying to come out of my belly button.

Food cravings: Still just ice...and ice cream.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just heartburn. This baby better have a head-full of hair...that's all I can say. lol

Have you started to show yet: Yup!

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? It's almost out...but still kinda in. lol

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! And very appreciative of the wonderful people in my life who are helping me to prepare for this miracle. I have so many baby showers planned and I am so humbled by the people who are willing to do all of this for us!  

Looking forward to: Finishing Elijah's room!

Yep! You heard right! I think we have FINALLY decided on a name!!! Elijah Case Ater. I cannot even begin to describe my excitement when Josh finally said, "You know, I think I really like Elijah Case." I love both names and although I had picked out Case to be spelled "Kase," Josh didn't like the way that looked and I don't care enough about small details like that to fight him on it. lol I'm just so happy with this name! We loved the idea of a strong name like Josiah and Elijah, but deciding between the two was crazy difficult. AND...picking a name that sounds decent with the last name Ater is no walk in the park! lol 

Not only that for big news this week, but I came home one day to a HUGE surprise!!! Josh's mom, Debbie, came over while I was working and she and Josh painted the baby's room and set up the crib and rocking chair! I was absolutely ecstatic! I love the color and I can't wait to get everything together and put all of the finishing touches on the room, but the biggest stuff is out of the way and I am so incredibly thankful for that! 

 I had started working on this crocheted blanket for him a while back and it is going to look great in his room! I can't wait to see him all wrapped up in something I worked so hard to make. It is going to be so precious!

Baby's first DVDs. Ok...maybe the last one is Mommy and Daddy's, but I guarantee Elijah will be a Duck Dynasty fan!

We definitely can't leave Daddy's big story out of this week's post. Joshua got a huge turkey this week and it had 4 beards (which...for those of you who don't know turkeys, that's a big deal)!!! He got some really cool shots of his prize in the sunrise so I thought I would share! This baby and I will never have to worry about going hungry with a huntsman like this on our hands! :-)

29 Weeks

How far along?  29 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? a few

Best moment this week: Enjoying this beautiful spring weather!

Miss Anything? Being able to bend over or roll over without feeling as though it is necessary to make Venus and Serena grunting noises.

Movement: He's a ninja, I tell you.

Food cravings: Ice...lots of ice. Does that count as a food? lol

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still just dealing with the heartburn.

Have you started to show yet: Heck yes! It's fun to mess with people when they ask me how far along I am. I just look at them with a serious face and say, "What? I'm not pregnant!" ...the look of terror on their faces is priceless. lol

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? Half/half. The top part is starting to stick out. Josh was teasing me about it last night.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been super nostalgic lately. I think about my past and the things that made me happy in life all of the time. It is seriously causing me to miss my hometown. 

Looking forward to: Putting together the baby's room!

We haven't really had much going on this week, aside from work. I'm still pulling overtime at the hospital and Josh being on night shift is really killing us both. It's no fun at all to sit at home on my days off with him here because he has to sleep all day in order to work that night. I have been trying to enjoy the weather, but it's still just not as fun without someone to enjoy it with. 

We did get to visit this cute little restaurant in Harrodsburg, KY called the Kentucky Fudge Company. We had been there once before, but we met my mom there and ate lunch the other day. This place is just absolutely adorable and the food is amazing! If you're ever in the area, you should really check it out. Harrodsburg is a beautiful town anyway so it makes for a great place for this little cafe!

The last time we came a guy sat at this piano and played jazz music the entire time we were there. It was amazing!

28 Weeks

How far along?  28 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? a few

Best moment this week: Spending time with our friend from Illinois!

Miss Anything? The ability to sleep through the night.

Movement: All of the time!

Food cravings: I am craving ice constantly. My Dr says it's because my iron levels are low so she recommended I add an iron supplement to my prenatal vitamins.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not queasy or sick necessarily, but I have developed MAJOR heart burn...which thoroughly sucks because I am a self-proclaimed spicy food connoisseur!

Have you started to show yet: It looks like someone shoved a dodge-ball under my skin so I think it's safe to say yes. lol

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? Half/half. The top part is starting to stick out. lol 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! ...but occasionally moody. I tend to cry really easily. lol

Looking forward to: Painting baby Ater's room!

This week our friends Tyler and Amanda Rector came in to visit from Illinois so I took the week off work to stay at Josh's dad's farm with them! While Josh and Tyler were off turkey hunting every morning, Amanda and I were able to enjoy the country and the beautiful weather while we spent some quality time together! She is absolutely the sweetest person I think I have ever met and I was so glad they were able to come down!

Amand and Tyler

  While they were in, we took them to Keeneland in Lexington where they got to experience horse races for the first time! It was so much fun! My lovely best friend, Ashley, and her boyfriend, Adam, joined us for the festivities and we just had a great time watching the horses and spending time together! I miss them so much!

Tyler was utilizing his multi-tasking skills!

I think Joshua and I cleaned up pretty nicely after our hike through the woods!

Josh wanted me to walk around the woods with him at the farm, but I had to wear camo because we might have seen a turkey! lol It was 80 degrees so I wore shorts but I had to wear boots as well. Needless to say, my outfit was pretty amazing. :-)

27 Weeks

HAPPY EASTER!

 
How far along?  27 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 15 lbs!

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? a few

Best moment this week: Getting to spend time with Josh's family and seeing some of mine as well!

Miss Anything? Sushi and queso

Movement: Definitely...I've decided our child is part Hercules, part David Beckham. He's strong and kicks A LOT.

Food cravings:Fruit and yogurt mostly...but all food is fair game.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Feeling great!

Have you started to show yet: Definitely.

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Nope...I did have a Braxton Hicks contracting the other day though. It freaked me out a little.

Belly Button in or out? It's flat right now and working it's way out!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Ecstatic!

Looking forward to: I am so ready to finish the baby's room...and pick out a name for Pete's sake!

Joshua and I had a wonderful Easter with friends and family! We went to our favorite church ever, Louisville First Church of the Nazarene, where we saw some wonderful, beautiful people and heard an amazing message from Pastor Harry Curry! My Mom came with us as well as my beautiful best friend, Janna, and her boyfriend Luis! I loved being surrounded by so many people I knew and loved on such a special day. After church, Mom came with us to Josh's aunt Jill's house where we ate dinner and all hung out. It was great! I love spending time with Josh's family and it was great to have my Mom there too! 

The baby was going crazy the whole time we were there and he just would not let me get comfortable. That is actually when I had the braxton hicks and I was really worried. It was only one contraction and I was fine, but it didn't keep from scaring me a little. After the day was over I told Joshua I had felt especially pregnant all day. I think it was a mixture of baby Ater's constant movement and all of the comments about how cute I was with my baby belly. lol

We had my Momma take some pictures of us in our Sunday best while she was there... It takes a bit for Joshua to get serious. lol

But, despite his incredible goofiness...I love him more than anyone in all the land.

Josh's cousin Lauren is so freaking beautiful and I love her to pieces!

Jill's dog, Shadow, was a little freaked out by everyone there, but he looks like he managed to get pretty comfortable.

Josh's brother, Timmy, wouldn't get in the picture with us...so we made him.

26 Weeks

How far along?  26 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 15 lbs!

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? a few

Best moment this week: Sitting and watching my belly move like a roller coaster!

Miss Anything? Sushi and queso

Movement: All of the time!

Food cravings:Fruit, yogurt, steak (which is totally weird for me), and cereal.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Feeling great!

Have you started to show yet: Definitely.

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Well, it has officially "went flat" but it hasn't popped out yet!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Ecstatic!

Looking forward to: Starting on the baby's room!

So...this post is WAAAAY late, but everything has been incredibly hectic over the past few weeks! I had my birthday (as well as everyone else's birthdays in my family) and I have also been working overtime at the hospital. I figured I should probably work as much as possible right now...before waddling becomes my primary mode of movement. But things here in the Blanton-Ater household have been great! Hectic, but great! 

After the move we had some issues with Fender reverting back to the days when she wasn't potty trained and thought we were going to have to let her live with my mom in Berea, which would have been absolutely heart-breaking for me. We just knew there would be no way we could keep her here with a baby if she continued to use the house as her own personal toilet. But, after about a week of living here, she finally just stopped and has been great ever since! I think she just had some anxiety issues with all of the stress of moving and really, who could blame her, I had anxiety issues with it too. lol

We've been living happily ever after here since then and, although we are still getting everything settled, I'm happy we have our own place. I just can't wait to get started on the baby's room! I was hanging up all of his little clothes in the closet the other day and I realized I was smiling from ear to ear. They are just so precious and I can't wait to see this little munchkin in them all!