Johnny's "New" Hobby

Johnny has recently had a renewed interest in guns and shooting ranges and I couldn't be more ecstatic for him! He hasn't shot in years (actually I don't think since he was in high school) and I absolutely love that he "rekindled" this interest once again. Shooting is something that he loves to do for himself and it is nice because it is something completely different from work, our "to-do" list, etc. (this also makes Christmas and Birthday gifts SOOOO much easier!). Part of this hobby was of course a new gun that he bought with his work incentive (thanks to a little help from his friend DJ I think). It is kind of a funny story, because we initially went into Cabela's looking for a handgun and this is what we came out with:

Johnny's Bushmaster AR-15

He has been able to go to the range and shoot not only this gun, but his pistol and shotgun as well and he has loved every minute of it. Once baby Mellany is born, I hope to join him every now and then and eventually get my own handgun with a carry and conceal license; just something on my bucket list!

I think what Johnny is most excited about is the intimidation of Mellany's future boyfriends!

32 Weeks, Dr. Appt, Glider & TV!

Although I'm closer to 33 weeks than 32 at this point, I still wanted to write out what I've been experiencing over the past few weeks. I'm still feeling great, though tired at times, and my appetite has definitely increased. I am hungry a lot but can't always eat as much as I normally would; I blame it on Mellany squishing my stomach. But, they say that smaller, more frequent meals are better for you anyway. Some days I just feel like I eat all day! Mellany's movements have become more like actual movements than just reflexes and it is amazing to feel the difference. She is becoming stronger and stronger and at times takes my breath away. But I just love every roll, kick and punch. One of the best experiences over the past 2 weeks was Johnny feeling Mellany's hiccups. Her hiccups have gotten quite a bit stronger (poor thing) so I thought for sure that he would be able to feel them and I was right.....one morning before he even got out of bed, I grabbed his hand and put it where the hiccups were the strongest-he was amazed (it also made for getting out of bed even harder for him). Swelling has become a huge issue and while I knew it might be (I swell even when I'm not pregnant), I really hoped it wouldn't. On my drive to KC my legs swelled up just from sitting for an extended length of time since my legs were sort of hanging. For the rest of the trip, they just seemed to get bigger. I also noticed my fingers getting bigger and I sadly had to remove my wedding rings. Since the trip to KC, the problem has continued. While I did get the swelling to go all the way down in my legs, my fingers still stay larger than normal (which means still no wedding rings). If I happen to be up and about for any length of time, the swelling returns and sometimes will make my feet/fingers itch or even hurt/ache. After a few hours on the couch, my legs are as good as new. I guess this is just Mellany and God's way of ensuring that I rest! And since I can, I will take full advantage!!

At this week's doctor appointment there wasn't anything unusual which is always a blessing. My mom was able to go with me since she was visiting us for the weekend and she was a glowing grandma when Dr. Jorgensen put the doppler on my belly to hear the heartbeat. Dr. J said that I still wasn't "looking" like I was 32 weeks but I measured right at 32 which is great. Johnny was once again right about my weight gain in his estimate of 3 pounds. While I actually only gained 2.6, I gave it to him anyway. (He hasn't guessed wrong at a single appointment!) So, I'm at a total weight gain of 22.6 and I'm very happy with that. The doctor took a look at my swelling but didn't seem to concerned and said that everything overall seemed to be fantastic (urine samples, blood pressure, etc.). I go back in 2 weeks and will see a different doctor at every visit up to delivery because Dr. J is due September 30 with her own baby girl!

32 Weeks

Project Glider! Our glider came in this past week (thank you Uncle Brad and Aunt Amiee!) and we put it together the day we got it! We absolutely love it and can't wait to rock our sweet baby in it! 

I was a little behind with this picture, but he was reading the directions! 

Finished! All it needs is a cup holder and baby! 

Bo and Mr. Duck watching us put it together

I don't think Bo was too sure what to think about the glider... 

Project TV! We decided to put a TV in Mellany's room on the wall for the late night feedings. The TV also has a DVD player which will come in handy for Disney movies and CD's

Bo always looking out for us! 

All finished! (Except for the plug in....Grandpa Jones will have to help with that part!)

The nursery is almost complete! 

Lastly, I had to post a picture of one of the recent baby gifts we got. One of Johnny's coworkers from Indiana, Sally Vaught, made this blanket for Mellany and sent it to us; and when we opened the package, it took our breath away. It is such an amazing blanket and we cannot wait to put Mellany in it! It takes some serious time and talent to make a blanket like this and we are so appreciative that she would do this for us! Thank you Sally! 

Deck Staining

This past Sunday, Johnny and our friend DJ finished our last outside project (that we are doing on our own); staining the deck. I had planned to help Johnny but soon came to realize, after some research, that due to being pregnant I couldn't because of the oil-base in the stain. So, we are very thankful that DJ could help Johnny; and they couldn't have picked a better day to stain "weather-wise" as it was cloudy and not hot or humid. Shantel and Noah came over later Sunday evening to have dinner and it was a really great Sunday! Overall, we think the deck turned out fantastic and are ready to enjoy evenings outside on it.

The last outside project to be completed is to have our concrete poured to extend our patio. We thought this would have been done weeks ago, but what can you do when you are at the mercy of others... :-) 

KC Visit

While Johnny had to attend a training in Minneapolis, MN I thought I would head to KC and visit with a few friends and family versus sitting around the house in NE. It was a busy busy few days but it was really great and I'm glad I went!

I arrived in Lathrop late monday night and visited with Virginia until the even later hours of the night. Tuesday morning I got up and hung around the house until it was time to leave and meet up with my former coworkers from Liberty HS for lunch. It was their last day of in-service and it was SO NICE to catch up with all of them. The lunch was long overdue and hopefully we'll be able to all get together again soon. After lunch I did some shopping at a few stores that aren't in Kearney (Bed, Bath & Beyond and Babies R Us--I even ran into Aunt Nina and Annie S) then met my mom and Amiee for pedicures at XO Nails in Liberty (great place by the way!). By this point my legs have swollen to the size of elephant feet (mostly due to the drive on Tues) and the pedicure felt so good but I was so embarrassed to even show my feet in public; I have never seen my feet so big before. I think my mom was getting pretty worried but what can ya do? Once we finished getting our toes done, we went to dinner at El Maguey with Brad and Bernie then headed back to my mom's so I could put my feet up...ugh!

Wednesday morning I went to Virginia's and got a chance to visit with even more family (Uncle Raymond and Aunt Nina, Tracy & Kaylee and Virginia, Amy and Daxton) before I met my dad for lunch. I had a hair appointment that afternoon and then drove to Zona Rosa to have dinner at Houlihans with Audrey. I don't get to see Audrey enough and it was quite evident with our 2 hour dinner! After leaving Houlihans I drove to my brother and Amiee's to spend some time with them in their new home then went back to my mom's to continue putting my feet up.

Thursday morning was my last day in KC/Lathrop and it started off meeting up with my dad and Teresa at 7am to get some fresh cucumbers and zucchini. When he had to leave for work I thought I would go ahead and get some gas and of course a Casey's donut. I'm so glad I did because I ran into my Uncle Brian and got to visit with him for a while! He eventually had to head to work and I stopped by my grandma and grandpa Jones' to visit before heading toVirginia's to spend the final part of my trip with her, Amy and my favorite little man! It's amazing how much Daxton is growing in the short time its been since we have seen him. I really wish we could see him more often but I definitely took advantage of the time I had and sent pictures to Uncle Johnny who was pretty jealous. Around lunch time, Bo and I began the 6 hour drive back to NE to wait for Johnny's flight to land. You gotta love the airlines because his flight was delayed 2 hours due to maintenance; which made for an early Friday morning for him and I'm sure an even longer day.

I didn't take hardly any pictures of my visit (which I'm disappointed in myself for) but I did get some cute  shots of Daxton (I also stole a few cute ones from Virginia).

I'm so glad that I made the trip back and while I didn't get to see everyone that I would have loved to, I did get to catch up with quite a few friends and family. While it's awesome to catch up, it's also awesome to be home and my legs are very appreciative of the rest and elevation! (I'm happy to report that they have gone down to normal size!) Bo and I were both ecstatic to see Johnny and are ready for a full weekend together without a list of things to accomplish. This weekend we do have our birthing class so I'm sure there will be a ton of stories from the all day event! 

Laundry Room Project

Last week I decided that I needed to go ahead and paint the laundry room because I was tired of looking at it on my "to do" list as well as seeing the paint cans sitting there waiting to be used. Johnny was quite surprised when he came home that day, but after 3 days of work, we are both in agreement that it looks pretty good. It is nice to have a color other than tan in our home. (Don't worry, I only stood on a step stool, took many breaks and never let the fumes bother me.)

Here is a before picture:

Here are the after:

Curb-It

We finally have our curb-it installed! It was put in last week and we think it looks great. We are really happy that we chose to go this route with the edging for our landscaping. The outside of the house is almost complete and that is such a great feeling for us-especially with Baby Mellany on the way!!

If you want to check into curb-it they have a really great website that gives tons of information about their product.

30 Week Dr. Appt

It was a pretty normal appointment (on Monday the 15) which I am always thankful for. I am up 6 pounds for a total of 20 and like I've said before, it is hard to see the numbers on the scale rising; but weight gain means healthy baby so I'm all for it! My blood pressure registered normal which is good. The doctor did say that I didn't seem to be "looking" like I was 30 weeks along, but did measure right where I should be. Mellany's heartbeat was fantastic and as my friend Sam says, it was music to my ears!

I let the doctor know that my arms have been "falling asleep" at night and that even when I was straightening my hair before the appointment, my right hand fell asleep. I asked her if it was something to do with my circulation and if there was anything I can do to make it better and she responded with the diagnosis of carpel tunnel syndrome. She said that it is completely normal and should go away after delivery; that because there is just so much extra fluid going through the nerves and veins that it puts extra pressure on them and can be painful. Here's to hoping it really does go away after delivery!

I am now on the every 2 week doctor visits, which is crazy to me, so I head back on August 29. My mom is visiting us that weekend and she will get to go with me which will be fun. She's so excited to hear that little heartbeat!

30 Weeks

The countdown is officially on and the extreme nesting has begun! Neither Johnny or I can believe how little time we have left before Mellany joins our family; it seems like just yesterday that I was telling Johnny that I had taken a pregnancy test and it was positive. And now, I'm getting emails about what to pack for the hospital and gearing up for our birthing and breastfeeding classes!

As far as what I've been feeling lately, I still cannot complain. Round ligament pain has made a huge presence lately. At least on a daily basis I get the sharp, persistent pain that doubles me over. One night it was so bad that it put me in tears and had Johnny asking if we should go to the hospital. I declined the trip to the hospital and luckily the pain was over shortly after. The pains tend to come at random times but mostly when I am repositioning myself in bed or getting out of bed to stand up. While it is pretty painful, I am also thankful for the pains which mean that Mellany is growing!

Since I'm now in the 3rd trimester, I've hit the exhaustion stage again. It's not quite as bad as the 1st trimester, but still existent. If I'm up and moving around, then I don't really notice it, but if I'm reading or watching TV, I can hardly keep my eyes open and usually end up taking a 2-3 hour nap. I just take it as a hint from my body to get some rest while I can.

I am feeling Mellany move consistently throughout the day now and her favorite spot to "play" is near my right ribs. Sometimes she is kicking so hard that I have to reposition her by moving around or just putting my hand on my belly to "calm" her. Even though sometimes it is a little bit of an awkward feeling, I love this part of pregnancy!

My next doctor appointment is Monday August 15 and I am actually looking forward to it. I'm still somewhat concerned about my weight gain/lack of and am looking forward to a little more reassurance from the dr that Mellany is growing as she should. (Though I am sure she is.....I've just already gotten the paranoid momma gene.)

The nursery is still coming along. We've got a few things left to put up and I'm so excited/anxious to get it finished; just part of the nesting I guess. Also part of the nesting has been painting the laundry room and finishing up the landscaping projects. Since we will be in NE this coming weekend, we have plans to get as much of it finished as possible, while still allowing some time for relaxation.

Johnny will be in MN next Monday through Thursday for a business trip so I decided to make a trip to KC while he's gone. I decided that I didn't want to be in Kearney that long without him here, so I would just take a little trip myself. It should be a really nice time visiting with family and even a few friends.

30 Weeks

A Kid at Heart

While we were in Kansas City a few weekends ago, Johnny and his mom started going through a few of Johnny's childhood toys. We ended up bringing a few of his favorites back home to fix up and this pedal tractor is one of them. I couldn't resist "daring" him to get on it and of course when he decided that he could still ride around on it like he used to, I thought we needed a picture to record the moment. Needless to say, he's ready for Mellany to make her appearance so she and daddy can play!

Uncle Kracker, Billy, Zach & Kenny @ Arrowhead!

It was hot and we were drenched in sweat, but it was a great time with good friends! It was quite a surreal experience as we realized this will probably be the last concert for us, for a while. We will most likely be spending our time (& money) watching things like Sesame Street and Disney on Ice.....we think it's a great trade!

Uncle Kracker

Billy Currington

Sam & I.....Hot (literally) Prego Besties....Sam @ 22 Weeks, Me at 28 Weeks.....Anderson & Mellany definitely danced to the music!

Zac Brown Band

Chris & Johnny

Kenny Chesney!

Kenny & Zac Brown Band