Week 29 - Month 8

Week: 29

Baby: Kason is the size of a butternut squash. He now weighs around 2.5 pounds and is a little over 15 inches long. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature. His body is soaking up more and more calcium (thus the cravings for milk and dairy).

Total weight gain: 16 pounds...

Sleep: I am still in love with my body pillow. I did not have it when I went home for the showers, and I didn't realize how attached to it I have become. It will definitely be traveling to the beach for that week...I won't be able to go that long without it!

Favorite moment of the week: Playing with all of Kason's new goodies. I spent majority of the week unpacking from the showers, sorting, washing, organizing and getting the nursery more ready. I know I haven't posted any pictures, but they are coming soon. We received tons of precious clothes and many other items that are going to come into great use.

Miss anything? I miss being able to do as much as I used to. Since I have a bad back because of a previous injury and I'm huge (haha), Kyle has been having to help out around the house some. He has started cleaning the shower for me since I can't get down like that and scrub. We also had to put a step stool in the laundry room because the detergent was out of reach with my stomach in the way. I now have to step up on the stool to reach the detergent since I can't lean over the washer anymore. It's the little things you never thought about before! Haha!

Movement: Kyle has been able to see him move from the outside and feel a lot of his bigger moves lately. It's super fun to think about what part of his body you feel moving around. I always tell Kyle that I feel like he is standing up and tapping on my bladder! I know that's not possible, but it's a pretty funny visual.

Cravings: I haven't really had any cravings this past week. The problem this week has been seeing a commercial on TV and then craving what it was. Kyle and I never eat at KFC, but the other day I saw a commercial for some of their chicken strips and I'm pretty sure I begged Kyle to go with me to get some. He just laughed at me, but he did take me. I told him I need to stop watching TV so I don't get any other crazy ideas.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Still just laying down with the reflux....the medicine has helped some but it's definitely not a fun part of pregnancy!

Gender: Boy!! Kason Dale Basham!

Labor signs: None this early!

Symptoms: This is the first week that it has gotten really hot here. So far, I have picked the perfect summer to get pregnant. The weather has been mild and cooler overall for July, but this past weekend...it go hot!! It was really difficult to not sweat to death walking in and out of church. Even that five minutes was more than enough. I am glad to see those few hot days go with some cooler ones on the way. 

Mood: Great...growing more anxious all the time about the upcoming weeks!!

Looking forward to: Beach Time!! We are down to a week until our trip and I could not be more excited about a vacay!! Kyle and I need this before our lives get completely flipped over!!

Thankful for: Time! This week, I am thankful for the time that I get to be at home preparing for Kason. It has been such a blessing to be able to be there getting his nursery ready without the pressures of work and school. 

Week 28...Third Trimester!!

Week: 28

Baby: Kason is the size of an eggplant. He weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures a little over 14 inches long. He can now blink his eyes and can see light the filters in the womb. His brain is developing more and more and he is adding body fat now in preparation for the life outside the womb.

Total weight gain: 16 pounds (that's a little tough to take in)...

Sleep: I am getting more and more adjusted to my new sleep schedule. I sleep about 2 hours at a time before needing to roll over with the body pillow and get up to use the restroom. My body is becoming pretty acclimated to this routine and I can almost guarantee when I will wake up each night. We go to bed around 11pm, so I generally wake up around 1am, 3am, 5am and 7am. When I am asleep, I sleep really well and I am happy to be figuring out a schedule. I suppose I am just getting ready for mommy hood with the small sleep increments. 

Favorite moment of the week: So, this weekend was AMAZING!!! We drove home to AR on Friday afternoon, had 2 showers on Saturday and drove back on Sunday! It was a crazy quick weekend, but we had the best time seeing friends and family and celebrating little man! We started off Saturday with a shower full of friends from back home! 

The sweet sign that greeted us when we arrived at the first shower!

The shower was themed with a mustache...which if you know my husband...is very fitting! =)

The wonderful gifts and game that we played..."Name that 'Stache!!"

Aunt SaySay, BeBe and my dear friend Cassie at the shower!

One of my dear college friends, work friends and life friends that I have not seen in almost 2 years! I won't lie...we cried our faces off when we saw each other! Thank you, Hanna, for driving over 10 hours to come up and celebrate Baby Kason with us! You have no idea how much this meant to us!

My amazing hostesses at the first shower...my three college roommates (Kendra, Emily and Emily) and one of my lifelong friends (Cassie). Thank you girls so much for an amazing shower and for taking time to celebrate with us!

Kason has the best Aunt ever! Aunt SaySay was at both showers showing her love for little man!

This was such an amazing, hilarious gift made by two of my mom's coworkers, Brenda and Laura. I know it is hard to see the monogram, but this is a set of scrubs for Kason that say "Dr. P P Jr." above the pocket. He is definitely the son of a Urologist!

So, played a game called "Name that 'Stache!" in honor of the daddy! There were 16 faces we had to guess based on mustaches alone! It was super fun and hilarious! I think my mom knew 90% of them...haha!

And look who was #16...so creepy!!!

After our first shower, Kyle and I headed to meet some dear friends at GENO's pizza that live in New Jersey! Brett and Cheska were actually in for baby showers as well. Their little girl is due a week before Kason and I am sure they will be best friends forever like Kyle and Cheska are.

**Did I mention what an amazing weekend this was? Living so far away can be really hard at times, and seeing old friends and family is so good for the soul!!**

For our second shower, we headed to Nanny Arnold's (Kyle's grandma) house to celebrate with his family.

We were blown away by the amount of love shown at this shower. His family went above and beyond  celebrating Kason and helping us prepare for his arrival. P.S. The quilts behind Kyle and me where quilts his great-grandmother made Kyle when he was a baby. I'm so honored to have these for Kason. Also, the clothes hanging on the line behind us were some of Kyle's when he was a baby.

I know the picture is hard to see, but that's my cute husband when he was a little kid. This is the outfit he was wearing in the picture and now we have it for Kason. Of course he was wearing suspenders and a bow tie! =)

The amazing hostesses for our second shower. Kyle's Nanny Arnold and his mom (Gigi). Thank you both for an amazing afternoon with family and for all the hard work you put into this shower. It was wonderful!

BeBe and Aunt SaySay at the second shower! They were champs following us around all day and helping with gifts and packing cars!!

Miss anything? After this weekend, I miss traveling with ease. Between the drive home, going all day Saturday and driving back the next day (that's 24 hours of 1-40), my back was in rough shape. I wouldn't change one thing about the weekend at all and I would do it again, but I do miss traveling without compression tights, stopping to use the restroom every 2 hours and back pain! Haha!

Movement: All the time!! He is dancing on my bladder, pushing his arms and legs around and waiting until bedtime to start dancing! I love every single movement!!

Cravings: Milk and Oreos! Haha...

Anything make you queasy or sick? Laying down right now due to the reflux. I've been put on a daily medicine to help with it, but it really bothers me when I lay down too soon after I eat.

Gender: Boy!! Kason Dale Basham!

Labor signs: None this early!

Symptoms: None this week other than just being so big I can't breathe...=)

Mood: Great!! 

Looking forward to: The countdown is on to the beach now!! Ready for some relaxation with Kyle, Josh and Sara!!

Thankful for: Amazing people in my life that are just as excited about Kason's arrival. Kyle and I have felt so loved and overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity over the past week! Kason is going to be so loved!!

Week 27

(Not my best picture thus far...I was having some pretty bad back pain this day)

Week: 27

Baby: Baby Kason is about 2 pounds now and roughly 14 1/2 inches long. His sleeping patterns are becoming more regular as he opens and closes his eyes and may be sucking on his fingers. The lungs are still immature, but would be capable of functioning (with a lot of medical help) if Kason were to be born now. I am feeling Kason's hiccups now, which is common.

Total weight gain: I will find out next week at my 4 week checkup.

Sleep: I have finally developed a working system with the body pillow and I am sleeping great...when I do sleep. I wake up about every 2 hours to go to the bathroom, but in between that I am sleeping great.

Favorite moment of the week: My favorite moment this week was getting to go to Cade's Cove with our neighbors for a bike trip. I did not get to bike the loop there this week since I am a little front heavy and having pretty severe tailbone pain. I didn't really want to ride 11 miles on just my tailbone. We made breakfast at one of the picnic sites and enjoyed the beautiful Tennessee weather. 

Miss anything? I miss being able to get on the floor or bend down like I used to do. I feel like a watermelon trying to get up and down from the floor. I have to roll over to stand up and breathe really heavy for awhile. Kyle thinks its pretty funny to watch me get up. He is, however, helpful when I ask for it.

Movement: If Kason's movement has anything to do with how he will act when he arrives, he will be quite the wiggle worm. He moves constantly when he is awake and you can see it from the outside now. I haven't figured out his routine yet, but my belly is either really still or moving a ton. There are definitely awake and sleep times happening now. 

Cravings: This week my cravings have consisted of Oreos and milk. Every evening, I want a big glass of milk with some Oreos. You know I've been loving the dairy, so the milk is no surprise. The Oreos are a new craving and I should probably not buy anymore. Haha!! =)

Anything make you queasy or sick? The reflux has really set in and I have had to start taking daily medicine to prevent it from happening. It can be a full dinner or a glass of water that triggers it. This is the only thing that has really been making me feel gross right now. 

Gender: Boy!! Kason Dale Basham!

Labor signs: None this early!

Symptoms: No symptoms this past week. Everything has been pretty normal for the stage I am in!

Mood: My mood has been great so far. The hard part right now is being home right now. I finished grad school last week and sent in my paperwork for my new degree. This was a very exciting milestone for me, but it has left me with not much to do for the next few weeks. It is kind of difficult to go from school and work full-time to being home. I know that as October gets closer, I will get busier and I'm looking forward to that.

Looking forward to: My appointment coming up. I'm excited to check on everything and to head home for my showers! I can't wait to see friends and family.

Freak-out moment of the week: So, Kyle and I started a four-week birthing class for July. It prepares parents for labor and delivery and what our options are. I was slightly overwhelmed when I left the first session. They go into depth about natural vs. c-section vs. epidural and so on. I think it's a great learning experience, but I left thinking, "Can I even do this?" Haha....

Thankful for: Wonderful neighbors that we can spend weekends with hanging out and take day trips with! I can't wait for Kason to be here and I know that he will be so loved by our awesome neighbors. They are absolutely wonderful!!

Week 26

Week: 26

Baby: Kason can hear both of our voices as Kyle and I talk. He is working on inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which helps his breathing movements for when he is born. Kason now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and is about 14 inches long. 

Total weight gain: 10 pounds!

Sleep: I am slowly, but surely, figuring out how to use the body pillow effectively. It took me several weeks to start appreciating it, but now that I have found a good placement for it...I like it a lot. It does however make sleeping very warm so I spend a lot of time uncovered. I am now sleeping through the night because it has helped my hips and the pressure so much. 

Favorite moment of the week: Kyle and I went to a baseball game with some friends on Thursday and we had a picnic on Friday for the 4th of July. Kyle was on call all weekend, so we had to hang out close to home. The weather was absolutely amazing and it was so great to get out and enjoy it. I really was thinking I was going to dread the summer (and I still may come August and September), but so far the weather has been great and I have had no complaints. 

Miss anything? I miss being able to sit down in a chair for a long amount of time. My tailbone pain is back with a vengeance right now, and I fidget really bad in all chairs. I have tried pillows, cushions, different seats....nothing really seems to help except getting up and walking around. 

Movement: Kason is still moving around quite a bit. He has now starting what I believe to be...flipping. I will feel little movements all day, but in the evening and early in the morning...he really starts wiggling. I'm convinced he is in there doing somersaults. 

Cravings: Nothing new right now...just ice cream or any dairy products.

Anything make you queasy or sick? The only thing making me queasy right now is eating...haha! Any time I eat, I feel so full. It can be a cup of yogurt and I feel extremely full. I know it has to due with my slow digestive system right now. I mean...it doesn't have any room right now!

Gender: Boy!! Kason Dale Basham!

Labor signs: None this early!

Symptoms: This isn't really a symptom, but I have a lot of trouble bending over and catching my breath when I do. If Kyle is home, he buckles my shoes for me because it is really hard for me to do on my own. I thought I was being a big baby about this since I still have about 14 weeks to go. We had an ultrasound done this week, and Kason is sitting so low. This explains why it is so hard for me to bend over. When they found him, he was sideways below my belly button. I didn't realize how low he was until then. It makes me feel better because I seriously felt like a big baby.

Mood: Great!!

Looking forward to: Kyle and I are starting birthing classes in July. We will go to one a week for 4 weeks. I am so excited about learning more about the birthing process and having Kyle there for support. It is slowly becoming more real each week. We also sent the crib off this week to have the top rails refinished and my baby rocking chair painted. My chair was white with a yellow cushion from when I was little. We are having it painted black and a razorback cushion added to it. It will go in our game room for Kason to use. I am so excited my mom kept my chair after all this time. We also have Kyle's chair from when he was little, but it's quite a bit bigger than mine. We will wait to use it until Kason is a little bigger. I love that Kason is getting some of our baby belongings. I will be posting nursery pictures once the crib comes back and we can start putting things together. 

Thankful for: This week, I am thankful for finishing grad school with a 4.0! I am so excited to be completely finished with my masters degree. I can spend the next few months focusing on Kason's nursery and reading more about having a little bundle of joy. 

Week 25 - Month 7

Week: 25

Baby: Kason is now about 13 1/2 inches long and weighs about 1.5 pounds. He is putting on baby fat now and his hair is coming in. 

Total weight gain: 10 pounds!

Sleep: Sleep is getting harder each week as my belly grows. I really like sleeping all the way over on my side...almost stomach. This doesn't work so well when you feel smushed, so I am using the body pillow more and more each night. It really helps to keep my hips from being sore the next day and I feel like I can breathe. It is getting really cramped in the bed, though, with Kyle, me and the body pillow. 

Favorite moment of the week: This past week was my first full week at home just working around the house and working on grad school homework. It was nice to have time to catch up on some things and get some more goodies for Kason's nursery (pics to come soon).

Miss anything? I miss being able to buckle my shoes this week. It seems like Kyle is having to do the buckling of my shoes for me more often. It is getting harder to reach down to my feet.

Movement: I'm pretty convinced that Kason has started gymnastics...I don't know that he is flipping of sure, but I will feel these sudden jolts across my stomach that are bigger than ever before.

Cravings: Ice cream...any way, any kind!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Still the same....eating too much in one sitting or not eating when I should.

Gender: Boy!! Kason Dale Basham!

Labor signs: None this early!

Symptoms: The newest symptom I have developed is the wonderful reflux that comes with being this far along. I cannot lay down for at least an hour (if not longer) after I eat. It is taking a lot longer for my food to digest down, which leaves me feeling pretty gross.

Mood: I am noticing that I cry a lot easier than I did before. Little things...like a commercial on TV or a video on Facebook. It is things that used to now bother me at all. Kyle thinks it's pretty funny when I get choked up on something that is really not that sad!

Looking forward to: I'm getting pretty excited about my shower coming up at home...July 19th. I am also looking forward to working on Kason's nursery more each day. It's becoming so real!!

Thankful for: I am thankful for sweet friends that are throwing our shower at home in a few weeks. Kyle and I are so lucky to have such amazing friends that are going to spoil Kason! =)