This update is SO long overdue but we have been super busy in the last few months. It's really hard to believe we will be 30 weeks in to our baby boy's pregnancy tomorrow! That's 3/4 of the way through! It has truly flown by. It still feels surreal that I can call my baby "he" or "Asher." It has taken much more getting used to than it did with Leighton. Maybe I am still in shock that I am going to have a son, I guess it still hasn't sunk in all the way!
Update on all things pregnancy related: We went to the Dr. for what was supposed to be our 18 week check up at just shy of 19 weeks because our Dr. had been out of town. It was the week before Thanksgiving. This was when we were technically supposed to find out what we were having, had we not had our wonderful friend tell us a week earlier. It was so much fun to see our sweet son on the ultrasound screen again so soon after the last time.
The u/s tech at our office is a sweet older lady that has been doing ultrasounds for over 30 years. We talked about Leighton and then I admitted to her that we had cheated and already knew the gender of this baby. She laughed and said not to tell her that she wanted to see for herself. She said her guess was a boy because of the way I was carrying. She confirmed that guess moments later with a "wow, he's definitely a boy!" I told her we could have saved my insurance a lot of money and just gone off her guess since she has been doing this for so long. Kidding, of course! I'd post the pics she took but they actually aren't nearly as good as the ones our friend took, different technology I guess. Jeremy and I joked that we were glad we went to our friend because the pictures we got at our Dr. wouldn't have convinced us or anyone else that Asher is, in fact, a he!
The rest of the appointment went smoothly. Blood pressure was up a teeny bit but nothing to cause alarm, no other alarming symptoms. My Dr. said I "looked perfect on paper" so no worries. She didn't even bring up the slightly elevated pressure.
Our boy was still measuring big, about 6 days ahead but, again, nothing to be alarmed about and not big enough to change my due date, it just means we have a big boy on our hands (and on my bladder, sheesh.) And, like our Dr. said, "It's not like his daddy is a small guy."
I feel Asher kick all the time these days, which I love. I love everything about being pregnant, even the not so pleasant parts like the raging heartburn I have constantly that I never had with Leighton until the last couple of months or so. Maybe this means our boy will have lots of hair and not be bald until 18 months like our girl. But, still, the kicking is my favorite part. Sometimes his kicks make me feel like he has moved from the breech position and other times I am not so sure. I think he just moves in circles. He doesn't kick as much as Leighton did, not even close, so I cherish those kicks so much. Jeremy actually got to feel Asher kick the morning after Thanksgiving while we were lying in bed!! It was such a sweet, special moment just like it was the first time he felt Leighton kick! He has seen and felt him many more times since then.
Jeremy's Entire Immediate Family. We Haven't all been together on Thanksgiving in several years!
Speaking of Thanksgiving, ours was the absolute BEST! Jeremy and I got to see nearly all of our close relatives during the weekend and spend a lot of time loving on each other (we even had a couple of date nights) and our girl! On top of that, we even got some Christmas shopping done and I got to spend a day with my best friend for her Birthday while Jeremy went fishing with his dad. All in all, we couldn't have planned a more perfect Thanksgiving!
Our Little Turkey Getting Toys for "Baby Hannah"
In the beginning of December Jeremy, myself, and one of my dearest friends and her boyfriend made a 10.5 hour road trip (21 hours total) to West Palm Beach for another dear friend, Cassandra's, wedding. Everything was beautiful, Cassandra was radiant, and we had a great time. I always cry during weddings and wedding speeches etc. but this time, I cried at a moment at which I have never cried before; during the Mother/Son dance. I was thinking, "I get to do that one day!" God is SO, SO good, ya'll!
Our 22 week appointment was in mid-December and was a perfect appointment. Asher's heart rate was great and my blood pressure was just fine.
LOVED Our Christmas Card (Sorry for the glare)
Leighton Was NOT A Fan OF Santa This Year
Santa Thought Leighton Was Very Good This Year
Asher Too!
Our Tree When Only The Presents For Jeremy and I Were Left
Her Kitchen Was/Is Her Favorite!
The Joy Of Christmas
It was also a sad day because the evening before, some dear friends lost their almost 3 year old daughter in a tragic, freak swing set accident. It felt so wrong to be happy when people we love were suffering in the worst kind of way. We continue pray for them pretty much hourly, especially since they just welcomed beautiful daughter number 2 a few weeks ago.
Then, Christmas night, around 11 pm I woke up with a terrible stomach virus that came out of no where. After 4 hours of hanging out with the toilet Jeremy and I decided I needed to go to the hospital for some fluids. The three of us marched in to Labor and Delivery at 3 am and got this momma and baby Asher some IV fluids ASAP. I felt a million times better after that. Asher looked perfect the whole time and my blood pressure was actually on the low side.
For New Years, Jeremy and I were treated to a trip (we will call it a babymoon) to NYC for 6 days! It was incredible. It was Jeremy's first time to NYC and my 3rd. This trip was our Christmas gift from my momma who was tired of just getting us stuff we didn't need. We were more than grateful to get away and enjoy ourselves, though we missed Leighton terribly. It started snowing as soon as we got in our cab at the airport and it was the most perfect and beautiful snow ever.We stayed in Times Square, which was perfect. Only place to stay in NYC if you ask me. Here is a brief synopsis of what we did/saw: Wicked on Broadway, Rockettes, MOMA, Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim, Dinner Cruise to Statue of Liberty (and other sites like Brooklyn Bridge etc), Hard Rock Cafe NYC, Serendipity 3 (restaurant from the movie Serendipity with the frozen hot chocolate. We actually got to sit at the table filmed in the movie in front of the fireplace!), Dylan's candy bar, Shopping on 5th Avenue (we went in Tiffanys and bought... nothing! ha!) F.A.O Schwartz, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center to see the tree, Times Square Ball Drop on New Years Eve, Ground Zero Memorial, 9/11 Museum, Chinatown, Little Italy, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Empire State Building, etc. I know we could have done a lot more but Jeremy insisted we take it easy with me being 6.5 month pregnant and all. We both really enjoyed our trip. My favorite part: watching my hubby take it all in. His favorite part: Wicked and Rockettes! I have turned my hubby in to a Broadway lover! YES!! Truly, it couldn't have been a better trip and we appreciate all the grandparents for keeping our girl for almost a whole week!
In Rockefeller Center (The Tree Was Dying...Oops)
Baby Goes to NYC (I have a pic almost just like this when I was pregnant with Leighton)
I had my 26 week apt (I was actually a day shy of being 27 weeks) a few weeks ago and had my lovely gestational diabetes test. I actually don't mind the drink so much or even the blood draw, its the not eating part beforehand! When my nurse took my blood pressure, it was low. She was amazed and said that most people's blood pressure spiked during the test. Just another way God was reassuring me, as He has done so many times during this pregnancy especially, that He is in control. It's funny, during my pregnancy with Leighton, I was most scared of needles and pain. This pregnancy, needles and pain bother me none, I am most afraid of that darn blood pressure cuff. But, so far so good.
Our 30 week/4D Ultrasound was yesterday. Can I just say that we couldn't have asked for a better appointment? Asher is beautiful (of course, look at his daddy) and seems to look A LOT like big sister. His umbilical cord was in the way of some of his face most of the time but we could tell he has momma's cheeks (like sister) and daddy's mouth (like sister). He is head down (YAY) still measuring a week ahead, with a heart rate of 148. I passed my Gestational Diabetes test with flying colors with an 84 (failing is over 140, I think. I have no idea how I have passed this test with both pregnancies since I think sugar is a food group. My mother says it's truly a miracle). My blood pressure was perfect, if not even a little on the low side. God just keeps on giving me peace that HE is in control of this pregnancy, no one else. Our next appointment will be in 2 weeks.
Sweet Asher Greyson McGhee
Oh.My.Heavens. Those Lips. I Cannot Wait To Kiss ALL OVER Them!
This weekend we are celebrating Leighton's 2nd Birthday with a party at our home. I cannot believe my baby is about to be 2. Where does the time go? We are having a Sesame Street Themed party on Sunday, as her obsession the last 4 months or so has been Elmo. Now, I'll be honest, I never thought I'd be hosting a Sesame Street Party, but it's what our girl loves. Don't worry, though, you won't see her prancing around in public in an Elmo T-shirt (shudder). I am ok with characters on, like, panties...maybe PJs...but in public we will stick to our smocked and appliquéd pretties. I guess everyone has something they are slightly snobby about and I grew up in about as deep south as it gets, folks. (Florida doesn't count, but that's another blog post for another day.) Babies in the south, that's just how we dress 'em.
Lastly, something HUGE is happening for us on Monday and I am dying to post about it and I will, I promise, as soon as I can!
