Week 36

4 weeks left.... yikes!
So much to do, and only 4 weeks left.
And that's not even a promise.
I could go before that... or... I could go after that.
But just knowing I could go in 3 weeks or 2 weeks really freaks me out.
I'm counting on that 4 weeks so that I can have some time to get things before Abby joins us.

     Grant and I have all these things we'd like to do that we are hoping will fit nice and neatly into baby Abby's arrival. Therefore, we pray to God that it all works out nicely and we can accomplish all that we want to.
     And then.... God laughs!
     And yet... I still pray!

What the Nurse had to say:
     Baby Abby is still the size of a Honeydew. TheBump says that her liver and kidneys are complete, and we're just waiting for her lungs to fully develop now. Baby is beginning to move down now, which was confirmed  at my Nurse's appt. on Friday morning before I left for the Ministers' Wives Retreat. She checked me and I was shocked to find out just how low Abby actually was. However, she couldn't find my cervix no matter how hard she tried, and said that nothing's happening yet (this was encouraging considering I was about to leave home for the weekend). I measured at 37 this time (33 at my last appt.), and didn't gain any weight! wahoo! (I cannot, however, say that the weight gain is still a zero after this weekend... they spoiled us rotten with food, and I loved every minute of it!).

     What was amazing was that I got to see Abby again during the Ultrasound to check for positioning. Her head is definitely down, and very low. When I saw her head, it looked so huge! What was once a tiny little bean of a body, is now a giant head filling the screen! It's incredible that these beings grow inside of us! Her head was wriggling all around. I got to see her heart beating again, and the nurse was very pleased with her heart rate.

     Fit Pregnancy tells me that the change in pressure of Abby moving lower can cause shooting pains in the groin and leg. This made me feel so much better when I read this, b/c of course halfway to Jenness this weekend, I get a cramp like pain in my thigh and I freak just a bit b/c I have no clue what it is. I got it a few more times this weekend, as I was walking the stairs, or just walking around, and again on the way home. It only lasted 2 or 3 seconds and wasn't agonizing pain, just foreign and confusing. Reading this bit of information from Fit Pregnancy really helped me quiet those concerns.

Ministers' Wives Retreat
     The Ministers' Wives Retreat was such a blessing this weekend. I am super thrilled that I went. I met so many new women that I am excited to continue friendships with. I met young women that are beginning their journey just like me, and I met older women that have been through this experience for the past 30 or more years that have so much knowledge I can glean. While the schedule was packed, I still felt like I had time to relax b/c it was such a calm and lovely time. They fed us like nobody's business! Holy cow! I can't even begin to describe the wonderfulness that I ate, I did not hold back!

     One thing that was very beneficial to me this weekend was going to a seminar about parenting in the pastor's home. It was exactly what I was looking for, and needed. I frantically wrote down as many notes as I could and probably didn't get it all. The leader spoke about being a mother and wife of a pastor and how to raise your children in such a way as to lead them into a true and honest relationship with the Lord. I cannot wait to begin implementing some of the wonderful ideas and suggestions she had.

     Here are some pictures of the weekend:

The very odd out-house I desperately used on the way up.
You can't even get the full effect from this pic. 

Me, Yvonne, Karen, MIL Carol, SIL Carolyn
Yvonne and Karen are friends of Carol's from when they all started going to the retreat 30 yrs ago.

Super cute Future Camper shirt

Me, Noemy, and Carolyn
Noemy is Jake Wheeler's wife, she was in the worship band
she can play the violin like nobody's business!

Me and the Family

Carmen Whittaker (Fermin's wife), and Chaundel Holladay
Chaundel was our wonderful speaker for the weekend,
and also happens to be Rick Warren's sister

Yvonne and Carol

Me, Janine, and Carolyn
New best friend! 

The other Preggo's this weekend:
Hannah (16 wks), Hayley (18 wks), Karla (19 wks), Me (36 wks)
I told them all they are my new best friends, whether they like it or not! 

     Because I was at the retreat this weekend, I completely forgot to take my traditional weekly photos. Instead, I just cropped some pictures that I was in and mashed them together for a collage this week. You get the idea though. The pictures aren't superb b/c my camera died and I didn't have time to charge it before I left, so everything was taken on my phone, and everyone was finding it difficult to get the stupid thing to cooperate correctly. Sad day.

     And for your viewing pleasure... the skit that Carol, Carolyn, and I did for Improv night. Hope it turns out alright. Again, it was filmed through my camera. Also, please excuse the gum chewing from the filmer... poor girl.

Name Reveal

     We sent out baby shower invitations several weeks ago (if you did not receive an invitation, but would like to come, please let me or my mother know; I did not have enough invitations to send to everyone, I apologize in advance). Anywho, my friend S pointed out that it was really neat that I chose to announce baby girl's name through sending out the invitations. I had no clue, but that's what I did.

     I figured that since it was officially announced through the invitations, I should officially announce it to the online world as well...

     Baby Girl Bennett's name will be: Abigail Rose Bennett.

     Now, G and I had a few guidelines for ourselves in choosing a name.
          1. G is adamant that the name must past the Name Game test (meghan meghan bo beghan, etc)
          2. G does not want any name that crosses genders. If it's popular for both sexes, then it's out.
          3. I do not want a name that is super popular/current. While I enjoy many popular names, I hated being labeled by my middle name in school, and didn't want that for my child. And yes, I realize it could still happen, but the likelihood decreases when we choose a more rare name.
          4. I really like older names; being a history major, and reading all of these history books and stories about the past, I have come to love old fashioned names. There is something so elegant and strong about them.
          5. G and I, but mostly G, feel that the meaning of the name is super important. (Abigail means: Joy of the Father, Source of Joy, how pretty!)

     Immediately after our ultrasound appointment in which we found out the gender, we went to dinner with our parents. Of course, we were all excited to finally start talking names since we actually had a purpose this time; rather than our parents suggesting names with hope that one day one of us girls would get the hint and get knocked up already!

     One suggested name was Abigail, which I had already written down as a possible name in my journal. On the way to the car after dinner, G mentioned that he liked the name Abigail. We didn't really talk about it too much more after that, I figured that we would sit down and spend some more time looking and searching through names until we decided on the perfect name for our little bundle. However, any time I mentioned another name, G would always come back to Abigail, which I liked, I just thought we wanted to check out other names in case we found something else we also liked.

     Finally, G just suggested we go with Abigail b/c it was a name that we both liked (we have never agreed on names easily when previously discussed), and there was nothing else suggested that he liked more. Rather than continue searching and wondering what we would choose, we should just go with what we already really like; so we did. One of the things I really like about the name Abigail, is that she will have options in the future. She can go by Abby, Abigail, or Gail. I never had that option, and thought it would be neat that our baby girl would get that.

     Then it was onto the middle name. G felt that middle names were unnecessary, I passionately disagreed. I mean, what on earth would you call your child when they've done something wrong in order to alert them that they're in trouble?! No, one NEEDS a middle name!

     Now, G and I decided early on that we did not want to name our children using family names, to the disappointment of our parents. But I thought that middle names would be a great way to incorporate our families into our children's lives. Rose was one of the family names that I thought sounded wonderful with Abigail. I really liked that it was one syllable (I know, I know, the rule is: Whatever the first name, the middle name should have the opposite amount of syllables; but I broke it, b/c I'm rebellious!). I searched for many one syllable names for the middle name, but found nothing that fit as well as Rose. G, however, didn't like it much, I'm sure it had to do with his thoughts on middle names to begin with.

     RoseAnne is my mother's middle name, she was named after her grandma. And G's sister S's middle name is also Rose. Come to find out, that she was also named after a grandma somewhere down the family tree. Once I found that out, it just really began to cement itself in my mind, and I couldn't think of anything else. It was perfect to me. Now, just to convince G.

     Several weeks ago, G came up to me and relented, saying that he approved of Rose. Happy day!

     So, the hunt was over! We were able to painlessly, for the most part, pick out our little bundle's name.

     Little Abigail Rose, we can't wait to see you and say 'Hi' in person!

Week 24

     Still a Papaya! Baby's skin is taking on a pink glow now says TheBump!

     Enjoy some Ultrasound Pictures!

Week 7

Week 18: Look at that spine!

Week 18: Look at those feet all curled up!

Week 18: Look at that nose!

Week 18: Profile

Week 18: Foot

Week 18: Booty Shot #1

Week 18: Booty Shot #2

     For those of you having a hard time seeing the last two pictures, her booty is on the right side, and her legs are the two limbs coming out from the booty, with her little feet at the end. This is the money shot people! This is the moment, at 3:44pm on Jan 17th, that we found out we were having a precious baby girl!


Progress:

Week 24: At this point, I've had enough of the Picture-Taker!