Louisville, KY

Oh my...I am so late getting this post up!  I've been so focused on doing a weekly update on my pregnancy and Seiden that this post has been sitting in my "draft" folder since June!  Oopsie!!!  Can I blame it on the pregnancy brain?!?!?  Anywho...back in June, my dad, mom, Mimi, and I went on a road trip to Louisville, Kentucky.  Did you know that's a 16 hour drive?!?!?  Well...it sure is...and for a girl that was 21 weeks pregnant at the time...that's a LONG way in the car!  Thankfully, on the way up there, we broke the drive into 2 days.  We stopped in Memphis, Tennessee as our midpoint destination.  Mainly because my parents and Mimi wanted to tour Graceland.  We got to Memphis about 9:00 on Monday night and were up and out of the hotel early on Tuesday morning to get to Graceland by 10:00.  I have to be honest, I was not the least bit thrilled or excited to go and tour Graceland.  I mean...I know Elvis is a legend and all...but I have not once ever listened to his music.  Unless I was with my dad or someone else who was randomly playing something of his.  I was also not thrilled or excited because the fees to get into Graceland were about $40.  Now, that's not really that expensive.  But, when you could really care less (sorry if that offends anyone!) about something, that's a lot of money to spend!  Now, if there was a clothing item that I wanted or some other tour like that that I wanted to do, I wouldn't blink an eye at spending that...or more.  However, I was obviously outnumbered in the decision to go.  And...looking back...I'm really glad that I went because his home is absolutely beautiful.  It was actually really neat going and touring where he lived and all the grounds of his property.  After we toured Graceland, we stopped at a really good BBQ place (I typically DO NOT like BBQ...but we were in Memphis and had to!) that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and after we gobbled up our lunch, we headed out to Louisville!

We got to Louisville on Tuesday night around 8:30...but it's an hour ahead..so it was really 9:30 and were there through early, early Sunday morning (the dreaded drive home!).  The whole reason we went was for mom and Mimi to go to the Madam Alexander Annual Doll Convention.  You may remember last year when I blogged about us going to Albuquerque, NM.  Well, that trip was for the same convention, but this year's convention was in Louisville.  There in a different city and state every year.  Next year's is in Philadelphia, PA...but I won't be making that trip...not with an 8 month old!  Anyways, I always tag along because we drive instead of fly because it's so much cheaper.  Neither mom or Mimi feel comfortable driving that far, so dad is the chauffeur and I tag along to keep him company.  And we get to spend a lot of time together as a family along the way.  It's a win-win for all of us!  The whole week, mom and Mimi did their doll thing while dad and I did a lot of sightseeing, touring the city, going to movies, and eating at really yummy places!  There were a few times when mom and Mimi had breaks in their day from all their doll stuff, so we did a couple of things together...and that was super fun too!  I'll give a recap of everything we did...Louisville is a really fun place to visit!

On Tuesday, we did absolutely nothing because we had been pretty much been driving solid for the past two days.  Plus, we got there so late...we all got ready for bed, watched TV for a little bit, then completely crashed!  The good news...we stayed at the Marriott and they had a Starbucks in the lobby.  Guess where we went every single morning?!?!  I love Starbucks...heaven in a cup!!!  On Wednesday, mom and Mimi had some free time, so we spent the morning going out to one of the many distilleries that are right in Kentucky.  The one we decided to go to was called Heaven Hill.  Heaven Hill is located in Bardstown, KY...and this town is absolutely precious!  They produce several different kinds of bourbon and other liquors.  But, what they are known for producing is Elijah Craig and Evan Williams Kentucky Bourbon.  Visiting the distillery was really, really neat.  I had no idea that so much went into one little bottle of bourbon.  But I'm not much of a drinker period, and bourbon or whiskey would be the last thing on my list, so every piece of information that I received that day was very new to me!  At the very end of touring the grounds, we went back inside the main building for a taste test...obviously...I did not participate!  But, my dad got to enjoy an extra tasty taste!  The grounds of the distillery were so beautiful and getting to tour everything was really fun and definitely very interesting.  After the tour, it was lunch time.  So, we stopped at one of the precious little restaurants in Bardstown and had a yummy lunch before making the 45 minute drive back to Louisville.  After we got back into town, mom and Mimi needed to stop and get some craft supplies for a workshop they were going to be doing on decorating a doll stand for one of the many dolls they got at the convention.  So, before we headed back to the hotel, we did a little bit of shopping at one of the shopping centers in Louisville.  And...you would be so proud of me.  That was the only shopping we did the whole trip!

On Thursday, mom and Mimi had another break in the day after lunch and before dinner.  So, we decided to go out to the horse races and visit Churchill Downs.  Oh my goodness...that place is absolutely amazing and it was so fun to watch those beautiful thoroughbred horses race.  They are absolutely magnificent animals.  I've seen plenty of horses in my life, but none that are so well bred and taken care of as these.  They are just simply amazing.  We only stayed and watched a few races.  It was so hot and humid that day and mom and Mimi had to be back early to get ready for dinner and all that jazz.  But, I'm so glad that we were able to take time out of the day and go see such a beautiful landmark where such amazing animals race.  Too bad we couldn't be there for the Kentucky Derby!

Friday, mom and Mimi were pretty much busy all day long, so dad and I spent the whole day piddling around the city.  First thing that day, I had on my agenda to find a CrossFit box and go and do a WOD at another box in another state.  I've been to several other CrossFit boxes around Texas...but none in another state.  So, I absolutely had to do that!  The hotel had an amazing workout facility, which dad and I went to every day.  He would walk on the treadmill for two or three miles while I would run a mile and a half, then do a WOD.  So, on Friday, we went down to the hotel facility and he walked while I ran.  Then, we went back to the room so I could grab my CrossFit gear and headed out to the box that I had found.  There are four CrossFit boxes in Louisville, but there was one that only 2 miles away from the hotel.  So, that's obviously the one we went to!  It is called CrossFit the Ville.  It was a super nice box and the coaches there were also amazing.  I didn't WOD with anyone else.  In fact, I went during a time when they just had an open gym because I knew I shouldn't workout with anyone else...especially people I've never met before.  I am SO competitive and I want to be the best if I'm working out with others, and being 21 weeks pregnant, that's not a good idea!  So, I just did the WOD they had posted on the board that day by myself, got a t-shirt, then headed back to the hotel.  I'm so glad that I was able to go...it's always fun visiting another box!  CrossFitters are like a family...so I really did feel at home there.  After we got back, we got ready for the day, headed out to breakfast, then spent the rest of the day doing whatever we wanted.  We had lunch, then decided to go see Man of Steel, then found a place for FroYo (yummy!), then headed back to the hotel for a bit.  That night, we had made reservations to go on a steamboat ride on The Belle of Louisville.  We did the dinner cruise option where a delicious buffet style dinner was served.  They had lots of options to choose from...which is nice since I'm so picky!  There were 4 different kinds of meats, fresh veggies, a salad, mac and cheese, rolls, and 3 different desserts to choose from.  It was yummy!  As dinner was being served, the boat started to take off for the cruise.  It was about a 2 hour river cruise down the Ohio River and it was absolutely beautiful.  We had so much fun and the weather was absolutely beautiful...perfect!  Here's some information I pulled from the website about the Belle of Louisville:

The Belle of Louisville is the oldest operating Mississippi River-style steamboat in the world. Though we know her today as the Belle of Louisville, she was originally named the Idlewild when she was built in 1914 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was designed to be a ferry and day packet vessel (for freight work), and was also outfitted for her later career as an excursion boat. Completely paddlewheel-driven with a steel hull that draws only 5' of water, she was able to travel on virtually every navigable inland waterway, earning her the distinction of being the most widely traveled river steamboat in the nation. The Belle was named a National Historic Landmark on June 30, 1989. http://www.belleoflouisville.org/about-the-belle-of-louisville.html

Saturday was the last official day we were going to be in Louisville and there was still one thing that was left on our to-see list.  And that was...The Louisville Slugger factory and museum.  Mom and Mimi had some spare time that day after they had attended a breakfast that morning, so we picked Saturday to go and do that.  Mimi decided not to go...we were going to be walking and that was just too far for her.  The hotel was downtown in walking distance to pretty much everything, so we walked everywhere we went the entire time.  I think the only time we got the car out was to drive to the CrossFit box, the movie theater, and the place where we boarded the riverboat cruise.  Anyways, the Louisville Slugger factory and museum was awesome!  We couldn't take any pictures inside the factory...so that was a bummer.  But, the reason was because any pictures taken would probably be shared and posted on social media sites and their secrets could get out.  Totally understandable as to why they would want no pictures taken!  I'm just so glad we decided to go and tour the factory.  We learned all about how they make their bats from start to finish.  But, the coolest part was seeing the bats they were making for the pros.  In fact, when we were there, they had Derek Jeter's bats in the process being made!  Every single MLB player that has a contract with Louisville Slugger has their own specific dimensions on how their bat is made.  I can't remember what they told us now since it's been so long since we were there.  But, there were thousands of combinations that players could pick from to make their bat custom to them and their tendencies while they're playing.  It's pretty amazing.  And...you could have your own bat made!  When my dad was little and playing baseball, he only played with Louisville Sluggers.  So, he had a bat made and personalized with "Seidensticker" carved on the bat.  It was so much fun and that bat is an amazing keepsake!

Sunday was the day every single one of us had been dreading since we left for Louisville on Monday.  We decided on the way there that we would just drive all the way home on Sunday.  That way, we could just get the driving out of the way and be home on Sunday night instead of dragging it out through Monday.  We got up at 4:30 a.m. and were on the highway by 6:00 a.m.  It was a really, really long drive home.  But, we made lots of pit stops for potty breaks and breakfast, lunch, and dinner breaks.  The only bummer was that Starbucks wasn't opened in the hotel lobby when we left, so we stopped at a Pilot gas station once we had gotten down the highway a bit.  Pilot has great coffee...but it's definitely not Starbucks!  I think we stopped every hour and a half to two hours for pit stops and food breaks.  But, by the time we got to Weatherford, we were all stir crazy!  The only thing that bothered me the entire drive was my back.  Well...and my legs a little bit.  I was just so tired of sitting for that long...I'm used to being up and moving and active.  So, 16 hours of sitting was hard on my body...my pregnant body!  Even though the drive was long and we were so ready to be home, we were all so glad that we just decided to get up early and tackle the 16 hour drive in one day.  We were home by 9:30 with the time change and I think we were probably all in bed by 11:00 or midnight...not too bad!  I had so much fun on the trip and I'm so glad that I was able to go.  The family time was fun and it was nice to go on vacation, get out of Texas, and go and do things in another state.  My favorite things from the whole trip (other than spending time with my family of course) was going to the Churchill Downs, going on the Belle of Louisville riverboat cruise, and going to the Louisville Slugger factory and museum.  Every single one of us had so much fun, ate at so many yummy places, and got to go and do and see so much!  And...what's so much fun to think about is that miss Seiden Grace is already quite the little traveler!  She's been in 5 states already!  Obviously Texas, then we went through Arkansas, Tennessee, drove over the Ohio River once in Louisville and were in Indiana for a brief moment, and then stayed for a week in Louisville, KY.  Hopefully, we'll get to continue to travel to cool places with her...and she will actually be sitting our car with us next time!  Pics to come in another post!!!

A Lovely Little Melon...A Large Cantaloupe Melon!!! (Week 34)

I love, LoVe, LOVE fall!!!  There is just something about this time of year that makes my heart so happy.  The weather is changing, the way it looks outside is just beautiful...ALL THE TIME, it's football season, the smells of fall are so yummy, Starbucks has PSL (heaven in a cup), pumpkin everything is exploding all over the place, fall baking is the BEST, it's finally time to bust out leggings and comfy sweaters and cute long sleeve t-shirts, all those wonderful holidays are coming up, I could go on and on and on!!!  But this year, and every year after, fall will always, without a doubt, be my absolute favorite time of year because our sweet Seiden Grace's birthday will be on October 22nd!!!  Selfishly...I am so glad that she is going to be born during this time of year...since it's my favorite and all!  I have already been thinking of all the fun birthday parties we'll have and all the fun birthday traditions that we will start, not just because of fall, but because I'm already so obsessed with our precious daughter!  And no thanks to Pinterest.  Gosh...I could plan every birthday party from one year old until she tells me to stop planning her birthdays...which will hopefully be never!  Hehe!!!

One thing that I started during the summer and finally finished up about a week ago was preparing freezer meals.  Thanks to Pinterest, and a few family recipes, I have been preparing numerous meals to put in the freezer once Seiden comes.  I LOVE to cook, I cook at least 3-4 nights a week.  Well...I did when Cody wasn't working in Amarillo.  Now, it's once...maybe twice a week.  And, I simply knew that after she was here, I wouldn't have time to cook like I always have and am used to.  But, I still wanted to have healthy, home cooked meals on hand for when she's here and we have no time and are just absolutely exhausted.  So, I had been pinning freezer meals and other casserole dishes that I knew would freeze well all summer long.  Well...the end of summer really crept up on me and it was August before it dawned on me that I had not cooked a single meal for the freezer!  So...I've been in cooking over drive pretty much the last few weeks of summer and every weekend since school has started.  Well...all my hard work has paid off!  We know have about 100 meals (that's including the leftovers that all the casseroles, soups, and crock pot chicken dishes that I made) that will be wonderful to have when Seiden is here.  I also cooked a bunch of stuff for breakfast that freezes well.  Mainly things like breads, oatmeal muffins, and egg casserole bakes.  Anyways, both our outside freezer and our inside freezer are packed to the absolute max full of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that will feed our family once our little miss is here!  Phew...it kinda makes me tired thinking about it.  All the shopping, chopping, measuring, and cooking...it was WORK.  But, I would do it again in a heartbeat.  And, I kinda have a feeling that once all that food is gone I'm going to be sad that I didn't do more because of how easy meal planning will be over the next few months!  I'll post pics of our freezers so you can see the fruits of my labor :-)

I just can't believe that we are really on the down hill slope of this pregnancy.  This week marked exactly 30 days...4 weeks...from when Seiden will be in our arms.  And next Friday is my last day of work before I officially start maternity leave.  Since the doctor wants me in Ft. Worth 2 weeks before October 22nd, we will be heading up to Ft. Worth next weekend.  CRAZY!!!  Cody and I have been talking about some fun things to do for those 2 weeks while we are there.  The Ft. Worth Zoo and The Botanical Gardens are on our agenda at the moment.  Of course, I'm sure we'll go to Cabela's and possibly a mall here and there.  But, we really just want to do some fun things and be outside and enjoy this gorgeous fall weather.  Plus...I am a shopaholic...malls and I go WAY back and I have been known to tear through one and do some serious damage!  And the same goes for Cody in Cabela's!  We just can't help ourselves!  Although...now we are absolutely loving Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby, and Super Target.  But we can do serious damage in those stores too...baby stuff is SO cute and when it comes to getting stuff for Seiden...both of us are suckers to the max!  She's not even here yet and her closet is already pretty full!!!  Anyways, I also think it would be fun to go down to the stockyards.  I've only been once, and it would just be fun to go again...day or night!  There are so many things that we can go and do and so many amazing places to eat...I'm sure we'll have plenty to keep us occupied and our tummies full!  We also want to do some serious resting.  Cause let's be real...once this precious girl is here...rest is going to be a foreign word!  So anyways...if anyone has any suggestions of other things to do and places to eat...we welcome the recommendations!!!

We are staying with some of our very best friend's parents.  They have completely opened up their home to us as well as to our family once Seiden is here and we are in the hospital.  We are so blessed by them and so thankful to them for allowing us to live there through all of this.  They are serious like a second set of parents to both of us...and we absolutely LOVE them!  It will be like being at home when we can't be at our home.  Even though we won't be at home...and will miss our dogs TERRIBLY (like I can't even think about leaving them because it hurts my heart in the worst way)...we are SO excited to be in Ft. Worth.  Mainly because that will mark 2 weeks until Seiden is here.  And let's be real...we are so ready to meet her!!!  We are just getting so close that it's absolutely surreal.  For the past 8 months, we have been talking about, planning for, praying over, and dreaming about how it will be to have Seiden at home with us and with our lovies.  And in just 4 short weeks, we will be holding her.  We will no longer wonder what parenthood is like, but we will be living it and figuring out something new each and everyday.  I'm sure that many of those days will be exhausting and challenging, but I can't think of a better reason to be exhausted and challenged than by being a mom to this precious girl that God has given to us.

There are some things that I'm starting to get nervous about.  Mainly just nervous that I'll be a good mom and be everything that she needs me to be.  And, also nervous about nursing.  I'm just concerned that I won't have enough milk or she won't want to feed, etc.  I've been doing lots of praying over all of those things.  And I'm sure when it comes right down to it, it will all come so naturally and God will absolutely provide me with everything I need to be everything she needs me to be.  It's just so much responsibility and I know she is going to need so much on a consistent basis.  I want to be the best mom to her that I possibly can be and provide her with whatever she needs.  I know it's probably totally normal to have these feelings this close to having a baby.  For 9 months we've been able to completely take care of these precious babies from our wombs where they are fed, nurtured, cared for, loved on, and completely 100% been provided for.  Then, in a split second, they are here and everything they need still comes from you, but it's all from the outside world where you may or may not know what they are crying for.  At least at first anyways.  All that to say, even though I'm starting to get nervous, I'm still SO much more excited that it all outweighs my nerves and my fears.  We are just so excited and so ready to meet our precious baby girl...and we are definitely counting down the days!  Seiden Grace...you are going to be here in such a short amount of time and we absolutely cannot wait to see your beautiful, perfect, sweet face.  We love you unconditionally already and I can't even imagine how much that love will grow when we are holding you in our arms.  We thank God for you each and everyday and we just pray His greatest blessings over your life!

Seiden Grace at 34 Weeks:

• You are the size of a large cantaloupe!!!
• You weigh 4.11 pounds and are 18.5 inches long!!!
• You continue to pack on those pounds and gain that adorable baby fat that we can't wait to love on!
• Your smart little brain also continues to develop...and at a mind-boggling pace!  You are going to be quite a little genius when you are born :-)
• Your central nervous system is maturing and your baby's lungs are continuing to mature as well.
• Your beautiful skin is oh-so-smooth and you will be simply glowing!
• You are starting to make mommy's tummy feel really heavy...which just means you are perfect and growing.  But man...you are heavy!
• You continue to be quite the little wiggle worm.  In fact...I'm not sure when you really sleep these days!  Except for at night...you pretty much conk out when mommy does now!  Hopefully that trend continues when you arrive :-)
• You are so loved precious girl.  There are so many people praying for you and over you and I hope that you can feel that love and the power of the Holy Spirit being washed over you constantly.
• Your brother and sisters are so excited to have you here.  They are very curious about mommy's tummy.  They are always sniffing at it (especially Faith) and when you are wiggling and moving around, they cock their little heads and wonder what's going on in there!  Trigger and Faith have been victims of some of your random kicks, punches, and wiggles!  It's pretty cute to see them look back at my stomach with a look on their face like, "what in the world was that?!?"  They love you so much and I know you will love them...they will love and protect you always!
• We absolutely can't wait to meet you sweet girl.  We love you so, so much and you have blessed our lives in more ways than we will ever know!

Only 6 Weeks To Go!!!

 Freezer Meals!!!  And these are just pics of the front and tops of the freezers...our freezers are DEEP!!!  We are gonna be eatin' GOOD!!!

Well...hello there Seiden!  You just really decided to POP right out this week!  You are getting big sweet girl!!!

A crazy new fruit...a DURIAN FRUIT!!! (Week 33)

Well...here we are at week 33!  I can't believe how fast time is flying.  This past Tuesday was exactly 5 weeks away from us having our precious Seiden Grace...and we can't wait!  Although we say that, we want her to stay nice and cozy and warm and in my tummy until October 22nd.  No surprises missy!!!  Even if we were going to just wait for her to come on her own...we're only 7 weeks away from being 40 weeks.  It's just gone by and continues to go by so very fast!  But I do have to say, we are so very ready.  Both of us just keep imagining what it will be like to see her and hold her for the first time.  It's so very overwhelming and such an amazing feeling.  I can't imagine how much better it will be when that day is actually here and she is in our arms!!!

Speaking of miss Seiden Grace...we had a doctor's appointment with Dr. Tabor this week.  It went really well and there were no issues or surprises...Praise The Lord for that!  I compare every single appointment back to the one we had in August when he was really concerned with the cyst and where it was on her neck because of it blocking her breathing and swallowing.  I call that appointment "the terrible awful."  If you've read The Help or seen the movie...you catch my drift!  Anyways, every appointment after that has been great.  Dr. Tabor has been extremely optimistic, encouraging, and happy with her growth, the amount of amniotic fluid levels, and the slight growth or lack there of growth of the cyst.  At the last appointment, she was positioned in a way that he couldn't really measure the cyst, but from what he could see it hadn't gotten much bigger if it even gotten bigger at all.  And, my amniotic fluid was perfect.  This time, she was positioned in a much better way for him to get a clear look at the cyst and get a really good measurement of it.  The sonogram technician didn't even come in this time, so we really didn't get to see much of her...such a bummer!  Dr. Tabor just came right in, sat down, checked the amniotic fluid levels, looked at her tummy, then went straight to her neck, found the cyst, and measured it.  The man was on a mission!  He said that her tummy looked absolutely perfect...all meaning that she's swallowing and everything on her insides are working as they should.  My amniotic fluid levels were perfect!  He was more than pleased with those 2 things and was super optimistic about her continued growth and development.  All that stuff means that cyst is not affecting her one single bit...it's just "there!"

As for the cyst, he measured it and said that it's gotten a little bit bigger.  So, of course, I asked him how much bigger and is it significantly bigger or just a little bit bigger.  He said that it's just a little bit bigger, nothing to be overly concerned with.  Especially because she has gotten so much bigger and continues to grow.  The measurement of the cyst was 4 X 7 centimeters...about the size of your pointer finger.  It's going long ways across her neck and it is growing out, not in.  Which is such an answered prayer!  Obviously, we want to see it getting smaller or go completely away.  But, we know that God is healing her and He is answering our prayers each and everyday.  I constantly pray for my amniotic fluid levels to be completely normal and where they should be for how far along I am and for the cyst to never, ever affect her in any way.  Especially when it comes to her breathing and swallowing.  And, God is doing just that.  He is protecting her from this cyst and He continues to keep her healthy, growing, and developing absolutely normally and perfectly.  As far as everything else goes, I really don't have much to report!  Dr. Tabor did say that we could be in the hospital for awhile...months possibly.  But, he also said he's just gotta give us the worst case scenario so that we are prepared and there as few surprises as possible.  He also said that they will either just monitor it, especially if it isn't affecting her breathing and swallowing once she's born.  Or, they will inject that fluid that causes the cyst to scar up and dissolve back into her body.  It all depends on how big it is when she's born and if it's affecting her at all, which we know it won't be.  We are standing firm in knowing that God wants her well and His intentions for her are to not be in the hospital.  He wants this cyst gone from her body, more than we do, and He wants her in the comfort of her own home with us and her puppy sisters and brother.  So, we are declaring in Jesus' name that she will be healed and we are commanding this cyst to be gone!

A little side note...Cody just sent me a text that our pastor, David McQueen, at Beltway sent him a text telling him that Seiden was on his mind.  He wanted to reach out and pray a prayer of healing over her and declared that he is standing with us in the complete healing of Seiden!  Man...I can't even put into words how amazing it is to know that our pastor is standing with us and declaring in Jesus' name for her to be healed.  The Bible says when two or more come together in my name, there I (God) will be and amazing things will happen.  Each and everyday we are more and more overwhelmed with the constant prayer and people reaching out to us telling us that they are praying for us and for Seiden.  We know that God is doing these amazing things for her because of all these people (most we don't even know) coming together in prayer for healing over her.  We are just so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful church congregation that believes in the healing powers of the Holy Spirit.  There is no greater physician than God and He has given us authority in Jesus' name to speak words of healing.  It gives me chills to know that the pastor of such a huge congregation always steps out in faith and reaches out to the members of his flock.  More than that, it gives me chills to see God working at this very second and doing His great works of miraculous healing.

And just for fun...I haven't really talked much lately about how I've been feeling or doing in these last final weeks of pregnancy.  Well...I couldn't feel more amazing!  Honestly, I feel absolutely and completely like myself, just with this ever-growing, sweet belly!  And, this sweet belly is constantly on the move!  Now that Seiden is bigger, and really doesn't have much room to shake, rattle, and roll, my stomach is constantly doing "the wave" or doing random bumps and jerks all throughout the day!  She also still likes to really stretch and push up and out on my belly...I think pretty soon we'll start to really be able to decipher body parts!  I've already got her booty down...it's right in the middle of my stomach!  And, when she pushes it out, it is front and center...and oh so cute!  Let's see...I am still running and CrossFitting everyday.  Which is so wonderful and makes me feel so good.  I am able to move around just as I always have...no waddling for this girl!  And most days, I go 90 to nothing...just like always!  I do rest at night and some on the weekends, but I just get so bored when I sit still for really long...I just like to be moving!  I've gained 12 pounds and am still wearing my normal clothes when I can.  Obviously, I can't wear any of my bottoms without a belly band or rubber banding the button hole.  But, they all still fit!  It's saved me a ton on not having to buy maternity clothes.  I do have a bunch of maternity tops.  Mainly because if I was still wearing my other ones, they'd be too short at this point and they would stretch out.  No need for that!  But, I give all the credit to a clean diet and running and CrossFitting.  A dear friend of mine actually sent me an article about women who CrossFit all through pregnancy.  I have to say...it's absolutely me to a "T" and has been all throughout this pregnancy.  I'm still lifting mildly heavy weights, doing burpees, pull-ups, push-ups, squats (in all forms), snatches, cleans, box jumps, etc.  I'll post the article at the end of this paragraph...it's a good read!  God has truly blessed me to have felt so amazing, be able to still work out, eat clean, and be absolutely comfortable all throughout this pregnancy.  I haven't had any cravings...unless you consider dying for a salad every time it's lunch or dinner a craving!  A big salad...one with meat, avocado, fruit, and nuts...oh yummy!!!  I was never ever sick a single day and my only true complaint was being absolutely exhausted during the first trimester.  But, that went away and hasn't come back!  I'm even still sleeping amazingly...and I haven't even had to buy one of those body pillows!  I have absolutely enjoyed being pregnant each and everyday and I hope for the next 5 weeks I just continue to savor every moment and relish in these last few weeks of carrying our sweet Seiden Grace! Oh...precious Seiden...we are so close to meeting you and holding you and loving you unconditionally for the rest of our lives.  We couldn't be more excited to be getting ready for you and the love we already have for you couldn't even be put into words.  We love you so, so much and can't wait to see your beautiful face!!!

Here's that article :-)
http://www.boxlifemagazine.com/training/crossfit-training-during-pregnancy

Seiden Grace at 33 Weeks:

• You are the size of a durian fruit!!!  We have no idea what kind of a fruit that is...but if it's comparable to your size...we LOVE it!
• You weigh 4.7 pounds and are 18.5 inches long!!!
• You continue to put on that precious baby fat and plump up...so precious!
• Your skeleton is hardening, but the bones aren't completely fused together yet.  The rest of your bones continue to harden as well.
• You are keeping your beautiful eyes open when you are awake.
• You are also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.
• Your fingernails and toenails are also reaching the tips of your fingers and toes!  Oh the fun we'll have going to get manicures and pedicures...I can hardly wait!!!
• Your sweet, sweet Uncle Michael absolutely adores you!  He loves to give you love and every time I see him, he just rubs all over my belly.  You are so blessed to have such a precious uncle...and mommy is so bless to have such a precious brother!
• Your Opa and Bella also just continue to pour out their love over you...and spoil you completely!  They have done so much for you and helped mommy and daddy out more than we could ever thank them for.  By the way...you are going to be one well dressed little newborn in all the precious onesies they've bought for you!
• We are so in love with you sweet Seiden.  We just love feeling and seeing you move and we love getting more and more ready for your arrival.  I can't believe that after all this time we will be holding you in our arms and gazing into your beautiful eyes.  You have forever changed us in every way possible and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our little family!

Only 7 Weeks To Go!!!

Maternity Photos!!!

On Saturday, September 7th, Cody and I had maternity photos taken by the amazing Tammy Marcelain.  This is the third time this precious lady has taken pictures of our little family.  And...I have to say...she is absolutely the sweetest person to be around and she takes the most amazing photos!  We couldn't be more pleased with how these gorgeous photos turned out.  They are absolutely perfect in every way and captured such a sweet moment in our lives that we will have to cherish forever!!!  Enjoy these beautiful photos!