Bekham's Baby Shower!

So much has happened this week, I feel like I'll never be able to post everything! The highlight, of course, being the long awaited baby shower thrown by 2 dear family friends. It was everything you would have dreamed your baby shower would be. The decorations were so intricate and coordinated with Bekham's nursery (monkeys with green and brown as the main colors). EVERY detail of the shower was so thoughtful and planned just for this baby. The people who were there, of course, made it even more special. Its always amazing to see such tangible blessings in your life in the form of friends. The best thing about this shower was that I had new friends, old friends, family friends, the whole range! And everyone just as happy to be there as the next. It was an incredible and special afternoon for me!

So, warning ahead of time, this post is photo heavy, but I never want to forget this day! Don't skip the rest of this blog, there is so much more to share! So, first, the eye catcher, the diaper cake:

Seriously... how adorable is this!? And here are some photos of the rest of the decorations while we are on topic!

The hydrangeas were gorgeous, and as you can see, there was monkey fabric in the center of this table!

Silverware wrapped and held together by green and brown monkey ribbons :)

Party favors filled with teddy grahams! These were ADORABLE! I'm stealing this idea for when I throw a baby shower for someone (to be determined)!

 I'm sorry, but aren't this gorgeous!?

These were dessert! Cupcakes made to look like baby rattles. I just thought these were adorable!

For lunch, we had delicious pumpkin soup with chicken salad sandwiches on croissants and fruit skewers. It was delightful. Anyone who knows me, knows I love pumpkin anything, and chicken salad anytime, so this lunch was very tailored to my taste buds! Again, just goes to show the thoughtfulness of the hosts! After eating lunch, it was game time. We played 2 games (both extremely challenging). One was a celebrity baby game where you had to guess which baby pictures went with which celebrity. I was AWFUL at this game. However, Nick and I both made the celebrity list! And I got those 2 right! The second game was right up my alley. For each letter of the alphabet you had to come up with something baby related and hope that no one else had your answer of it wouldn't count! It was harder than it sounds. I got 15 out of 26 unique answers, but still wasn't a winner! But that's okay! My sister-in-law won and got to open my first present which was a travel bag with travel sized items for my hospital stay. Oh, and my initials were monogrammed on the front. How thoughtful was that!? It's already packed in the labor duffel bag!

Well, of course, presents were next on the agenda. I'll try to spare you all 40 pictures of me opening presents, but I have to post some! There were so many meaningful gifts that showed up on Saturday!

Had to post this outfit from MiMi as it goes with the theme :) Monkey jammies for the boy!

So thrilled about this gift. Shirely would call it a "Bopper" but its a boppy billow for nursing and for baby to lay on!

This is the monkey mobile that goes with Bekham's nursery bedding.. and here is the hamper that completes the full set!

I still need to get a picture of the nursery fully completed, however, it is a mess up there at the moment from the mass intake of gifts (not complaining!) But you don't get that photo quite yet!

My friend Anita made nursery color themed towels for Bek :) Not sure how she had time to make these with 3 kids of her own, but she is an incredible woman!

Many of the women contributed to this group gift which was our pack and play. This is something I have wanted since the day I found out I was pregnant. It has a snap in changing table and bassinet so I can set this up in our room for the first few months and keep him near us while he sleeps (and while I don't!)

This one definitely ranks at the top of favorite gifts. My Mom made this quilt for Bekham. She always makes baby quilts for her friends and I always wondered what the one she made for my baby would look and feel like. Well- I finally know. Its minky and incredible soft. Its the colors of BOY and it is something I'll cherish the rest of my life. I already told her, but I think she truly outdid herself on this one! I feel bad for Sharp baby #2! I can't imagine something more beautiful than this.

Amy's mother, Esther, handmade this baby blanket for Bekham as well. Is there any way this baby knows how many people love him? So many friends have put time and love into these gifts for him! I will never let him forget that when he is old enough to understand!

WAR EAGLE! An embroidered Auburn bib for this little tiger! I LOVE IT!

The travel system!!! We can bring the boy home now! And take him shopping or walking or whatever we want with this brand new stroller :)

There were so many more great gifts we received. Bath time accessories, oodles of outfits, bottles, a diaper bag, a second base for the car seat to put in Nick's car, the list goes on FOREVER. I was amazed by the outpouring of gifts that we received! Time to share faces of friends that came:

My in-laws. So happy that momma in the middle could make it! She's due any day now!

These are the incredible girls in my small group I bragged about last week! They are amazing and it was so great to have them there on Saturday! Gosh I love them!

We are 2 days apart on due dates. We both have our fingers crossed that these boys make their grand entries into the world on 11/11/11. At the very least, we hope to be in the hospital at the same time whatever day it may be!

These are the 2 women that made it all happen. Lisa Wright and Amy Benson. So thankful and blessed by them!

This girl is a favorite. I couldn't have prayed for or asked for a better lifelong best friend. Can't wait for Bekham to meet Kelsie. I know she'll love him like he's family.

Another favorite person! My mom has done so much for me and this baby already and he's not even here yet. Most of you know this already from reading my blog, but, no one can know the full measure of what she does. I've received a card from her in the mail for every single doctors appointment since day 1 of finding out I was pregnant. What a way to mark this pregnancy with memories. She's bought every little desire I have for this baby from books, to outfits, to nursery accessories. Bekham, you're going to love your Grammy. I've never known someone with such selfless love for others- and you're going to be a recipient of it- just know you are blessed!

Okay, I need to start wrapping this up. I'm on a marathon blog post here! Before I move onto my last topic, here is the 36 week belly shot!

So, the other big event of this week has to do with doctors and switching practices. I ended up taking my birth plan into my doctor's office this past week. And let me start by saying that my birth plan is very tame. Nothing crazy on there. I personally think the craziest thing on there is the fact that I want to wear my own clothes, not the hospital gown, and she didn't seem to have a problem with that. However, she did have a problem with some other specifics I outlined in my plan. One of those being the fact that I wanted to refuse Cytotec no matter what the circumstances. Doctor wasn't a fan of this and asked me to remove it from my plan. That was the point when I turned the switch off. I quit engaging in the conversation and decided I was about to start scrambling for a more natural friendly provider. Luckily for me, I have 2 friends that know a lot about natural birth and knew where to refer me. Gifts From Grace will be my new provider and the practice that will deliver and welcome Bekham into this world. I am so thankful for this practice. 

We've finally decided what shots we will and will not give our boy. We've come to a peace about circumcision. We tried to find a doctor that would perform the operation on the 8th day, but this is just not common practice anymore unless you are truly Jewish and can find a Mohel that will offer the service. So, the only shot Bekham will have to receive at the hospital is the Vitamin K shot so ensure that his blood clots successfully after his little surgery. This breaks my heart, but there's just no other answers to be found out there to avoid this shot. We will follow up with Hepatitis A at the pediatrician's office but there is just no need to give him this shot in the first 24 hours of his life. The less the better. I don't want him stressed out and more scared than he already will be when he is outside of his little safety pocket, also known as my uterus. We are going to do everything in our power to give Bekham the most normal welcome into this world as possible. 

Well today I had my first appointment with the new doctor (Gifts of Grace OBGYN). This was like paradise compared to what I had been experiencing. Diane, who is technically a midwife, came right in and felt around to let me know that Bekham is indeed head down. (No one had done this at my previous practice). Then, just to confirm, she even let me get an ultrasound of the boy. She had asked when my last one was and I told her it was at our 20 week appointment. She hooked me right up and there he was. Head straight down. The US tech estimated that Bekham is approximately 6 pounds 7 ounces (only a prediction, of course!) Diane talked to me like I was her own daughter, and even talked to Bekham like she already knew him. This place has the spirit of Lord in it. I truly believe that. Not just because of the Bible verses that are hung around the office, but because of the joy within the people that work there. This place is a blessing and I am so thankful to have been referred here by friends. We listened to Bekham's heart for awhile and she pointed out the noise that was his valve opening and closing. AMAZING. She is incredible. I can't wait to go back next week! This is truly an answered prayer. I don't think I'll ever give birth anywhere else after this experience. Okay. This is entirely too long, but thanks for reading!!

Childbirth Education Complete! 5 Weeks to Go!

Well, Nick and I are "officially"child birthing experts. We passed our class with flying colors. Okay, actually, there was no test, but, I'm pretty sure we would have aced it :) Our final class was all about postpartum issues and breastfeeding. I am fully motivated and committed to breastfeeding this child. Our teacher, Nichole, outlined all of the benefits for Mom and Baby and there is just no reason not to do absolutely everything within my control to make this happen. After class, I went to Target and stocked up on all the items I will need during labor. Bath robe (to cover hideous gaping hole in the back of the hospital gown), and slippers. My mom purchased the essential oils I've been waning for so long. So thankful for that. Apparently essential oils are liquid gold if you go by their price! We have our birthing ball, we have a iphone plugin to play music. The duffel bag is mostly packed. Once we get a little closer, I will finalize the items in there. Birth plan is final. Baby's plan is final. We discussed what shots and treatments he will/will not get and printed it out to put on the bath station so the nurses are sure not to miss it!

Well, I certainly jumped ahead of myself! A lot happened before Saturday this week! My mom was able to finish up the curtains and shower curtain in Bekham's bathroom! It looks amazing!!

We also had a lovely surprise baby shower thrown for us by our small group on Wednesday night! They had made quite the spread of fall treats/snacks/desserts. They had punch and apple cider. It was such a sweet gift to us. We got plenty of bath items, bibs, burp cloths, DIAPERS!, clothes, and shoes! Everyone gave us such sweet cards that I have saved along with all other cards we've received for this boy! I plan to do something creative with them once the collection is complete :) We also made predictions on when we think Bekham Nicholas Sharp will be born! We will have to wait and see if we have any seers in our group! Doubting I will be the winner. I never predict anything right. Regardless, I included predictions at the bottom of this post!

Here are some pictures of the gifts we brought home!

I had to get a close up of a couple items:

Read the bib. No other commentary is necessary!

How precious are those little booties!? I could die!

Overall, a great week! We are on the countdown for sure. His due date is exactly one month from Tuesday! Here is the updated belly shot for 35 weeks. Sorry for the lack of scenery in all of these pictures!! We only have 2 mirrors in the house!

Name	Date/Time	Length/Weight
Justin Smith	11/22 at 12:21am	21” and 8lb3oz
Jennifer Smith	11/18 at 11:30pm	22” and 6lb4oz
Anna Davis	11/18 at 2:30am	24” and 6lb8oz
Jared Davis	11/11 at 1:35am	21” and 7lb3oz
Stephen Bradshaw	11/24 at 8:00pm	22” and 7lb12oz
Meghan Bradshaw	11/23 at 1:36pm	21.5” and 6lb6oz
Molly Bennett	11/21 at 4:00pm	22” and 7lb2oz
Laura Lonergan	11/27 at 12:00pm	21” and 7lb2oz
Amanda Lomax	11/26 at 9:32am	21.5” and 6lb11oz
Daniel Lomax	11/18 at 2:31am	22.5" and 8lb4oz
Aly Sharp	11/20 at 4:02pm	19.5” and 7lb7oz
Nick Sharp	11/28 at 7:00am	20” and 7lb0oz

34 Weeks and Slowing Down

Well, here we are at 34 weeks! Definitely closing in on full term and I am so ready. The past few weeks have been insane at work and I just need life to slow down. Many of you may be laughing internally thinking I don't know what I'm in for when this baby is born. Perhaps you are right. But I have to believe there will be a different pace to my life for the 6-8 weeks I get to spend at home and away from work. It may be sleepless. I may be exhausted. But I can't help but hope I won't feel like a chicken running around with my head cut off. I am confident motherhood has its own challenges and stressors just like any other major life change. I guess perhaps it will be my perspective that will make all the difference! I can attest however that third trimester fatigue has set in. Doesn't hold a flame to first trimester fatigue, but it is fatigue all the same. Ready for be earlier and earlier. Tired during the day. Achy. We are definitely at the end! Here is the large and in charge belly!

 

Other than the aches and pains and weariness that comes throughout the day, I really and truly feel pretty good. Not waddling around or holding my back as if I need the support. No swelling anywhere, no significant pain. I have been getting some great Braxton-Hicks contractions which is kind of exciting! We need to keep on practicing those contractions for show time here pretty soon!

Childbirth class number 3 was good. REALLY freaked me out when we went over intervention methods and C-Sections. I am praying hard that God's will for this child coming into the world does not include any of these methods. I just want Bekham to be born the way that I was created to do the job. No medicine. No surgery. Just plain old pain and then pleasure when I see that sweet boy. In my heart, I believe, and know, I can do this. I pray my body, and the nurses/doctors/midwives cooperate. Nick and I have been contemplating the idea of hiring a doula to be additional support. As much as I want one there for many, many reasons, most of me just wants to share the moment with Nick and no one else. Unfortunately the doctor will get to share the moment, I realize that, but the less people, the better. We will just have to wait and see though. I am very pro-doula after these birthing classes. If I had all the money in the world, well, then I would be a stay at home mom, but I would ALSO hire a doula for our birth. They are so knowledgeable about patient rights, about the stages of labor, and the actual birth. Maybe down the road. Who knows, Nick and I just may be able to pull this off on our own! He'll just need to be ready to give massages. And a lot of them. For an extended period of time.

Moving on.. this weekend, a group of my mom's friends and I went to see Motherhood the Musical. It was great. Very funny. Very entertaining. We went to the 14th Street Playhouse which was adorable. I loved it. I couldn't quite relate to all the jokes, as I am clearly not a mother yet, but the acting was still hilarious. I would highly recommend the musical to anyone! Well, on the way home, I told myself, when you get back you can take a nice walk (as the weather was ideal) and then crash for a nap before Nick gets home from golf. This was a pep talk and I was excited. Walk in the house. Notice a stain on our lamp shade that looks like someone spit chocolate on it. Strange. I go change clothes, come back downstairs and all of a sudden, some bird is flying like it's being chased by a vulture (or whatever eats birds?) I mean this thing was going nuts. I eventually opened some doors and chased him out myself by stomping around on the floors. Well, I guess you could call that successful. The unfortunate part was the bird droppings all over the floor, furniture (lamp shade!!), blinds, counters, you name it. I feel like this house will never be sterile again. I did wash all of the floors and scrubbed counters and tables, but surely this bird found a spot to drop a terd where I haven't looked yet, and that absolutely disgusts me. Needless to say, the walk and nap never happened.

To sum up the past week: Belly is larger than every. I am tired. Work is stressful. Baby is welcome any day now!

 

33 Weeks and a Belly to Show for It!

Here we are, about 7 weeks out! I feel enormous but little boy is supposed to put on a lot of weight the next couple weeks, so I attribute all weight gain to him! Although, my appetite cannot be left out of the picture/calculations! I need food right now. A lot of it. And often! Bekham is extremely active for how little space he has in this belly. I had read to expect less movement/jerks as baby starts to run out of room. I feel more movement than ever now and they are quite jerky and painful at times! But I love it. I can't wait to see those jerky movements when he is actually in our arms! I love this little boy more than I could have ever imagined!

This past week was crazy and busy. I never want to relive a week like that again. I got more work piled on me than I could truly handle 2 days in a row and it almost led to a complete breakdown. But... I held it together, shockingly enough. Hoping and praying this week is more of a walk in the park. I've learned never to count on that. As crazy as the week was, the weekend was quite the opposite. Full of fun activity and enjoyment! Friday night we went out to eat in downtown Roswell. We ran into some new friends of ours from our small group and that was great! Saturday morning started early again with Child Birth Class #2. Loved it. With the exception of the vividly graphic water birth. Never. Again. However, we learned some different techniques to use during contractions and during different phases of labor. Some of my takeaways were the use of essential oils (orange for energy, peppermint for nausea, and lavender for relaxation) and rice socks to use as heating pads for aches/pains. Nick was unable to go to class with me, so I have a lot to teach him about different labor techniques. I found a few favorites that I'll want to make sure he's aware of! We learned the phases/stages of labor and exactly what to expect and when. We learned about the benefits of delayed cord clamping which I had never heard of before, but am a huge proponent of now. We were also told to work more on our birth plans this week which I am excited about. I finally feel like I have my own ideas after the past 2 weeks of class!

Moving on .. Saturday night, about half of the girls in our small group got together and made dinner and yarn wreaths (my new obsession). Here is a picture of the one I made! I plan on making a couple more of these in my lifetime. They are quite addicting and way too affordable to ever buy a pre-made wreath again! It was great to spend time with these girls outside of small group. I am so excited to have this circle of girls for support and encouragement when I become a new mom!

Sunday I decided I would pamper my feet a bit as they have been neglected due to the Bekham belly. I can hardly reach them to paint them let alone pamper them with lotion/sugar scrub etc. So... I went to get a manicure and pedicure. Not just a normal pedicure. A pedicure with callous remover and sugar scrub. Oh it was glorious. I'll be going back as often as possible before baby comes. If nothing else, I need my feet to feel pretty during labor as I imagine nothing else will be as attractive.

Well, here is the belly at 33 weeks!

 This morning in my quiet time, I read Proverbs 10 (Felt it appropriate since today is 10/10). There were many verses comparing the wise to the foolish. The first verse specifically references a wise son. I felt a passion, almost a burden, to raise this boy to be the wise man, the wise son that Solomon talks about. Here are the blessings and rewards of the wise: The wise son brings joy to his father. Diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers grops in summer is a prudent son. Blessings crown the head of the righteous. The wise in heart accept commands. Whoever walks in integrity walks securely. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Love covers all wrongs. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning. The wise store up knowledge. The wages of the righteous is life. The prudent hold their tongues. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver. The lips of the righteous nourish many. The blessing of the Lord brings wealth. A person of understanding delights in wisdom. What the righteous desire will be granted. The righteous stand firm forever. The fear of the Lord adds length to life. The prospect of the righteous is joy. The way of the lord is a refuge for the blameless. The righteous will never be uprooted. From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom. The lips of the righteous know what finds favor.

I know, without a doubt, this is not something I can give to my son or force upon him. Only God can draw his heart near enough to conform him into the wise man Solomon references. But I do pray that God would give Nick and I the wisdom we need to nurture Bekham in his faith and encourage him in the will and ways of the Lord. You are almost here little boy and I cannot wait!

32 Weeks and First Class of ChildBirth Under Our Belts!

32 weeks! Only 8 more or so to go! Finally feels like we are in the final "stretch" if you will! This past week was quite eventful! We scheduled another 3D session which went well. Bekham never seems to cooperate when we peek at him, but that's okay. The ultrasound tech told us that he is snuggled up against the placenta. Because of this position, his face is constantly smashed up as he is face first up against the placenta. Can't imagine how that's comfortable, but its how he has been this whole time! I suppose its as close as he'll get to a pillow for now! We did see him make some facial expressions, and we saw him pull his foot all the way up to his eyeball practically. He is quite the flexible little man! I can see some fun diaper changes ahead with his acrobatics in there! He cracks me up! This picture is pretty blurry, but as you can see, foot is IN face!

Here is one more shot of that precious face!

So that was Wednesday. On Thursday me and the boy had our 32 week doctor appointment. We are measuring just fine. His heart beat is great. My weight and blood pressure is fine. Everything is right on schedule! This week we inherited a changing pad (originally my mom's anyways for my nephew!) as well as a bottle warmer and heart rate monitor if I want to listen to Bek. My mom also bought the boy some new books! Nick's mom brought back some treats from her trip to Europe! We got a fun monkey stuffed animal, a baby book, a Christmas outfit, and some goodies for us (fall decorations and a delicious pumpkin candle!) I love spontaneous gifts. They are the best. Here is a picture of the changing pad FINALLY on the changing table!

Saturday morning was an early one. We had to be at our child birth class by 9:00am. Personally, I LOVE IT! This week was mostly about pregnancy and leading up to the actual birth. I think the next three weeks will focus more on labor. Nick hung in there and even participated in class when he knew the answers :) I have decided, however, that I need an exercise ball. Our teacher, who is also a doula, showed us many ways to use the ball now, during labor, and ever after baby is born. She showed us optimal ways to sit to ensure that baby gets situated in the optimal fetal position. It's amazing how much I learned! We got a workbook to take home with 2 pages of homework. I am such a nerd.. I loved this! I already did all the homework and read the assigned reading. I just go nuts over that type of busy work. We did watch a video of an un-medicated birth. Most of it was encouraging and made me feel like it is something I can do/handle. There was one part (no details necessary) that freaked me out- but-I'm trying not to dwell on that! I am so ready for the next 3 weeks of classes!  I just want to know it all and know it right now! I do like that it's spaced out though. I'll retain more over time than if we were to have crammed this into one long day of class which most hospitals offer.

Our doula/teacher was very informative and helpful. She is very knowledgeable. I am pretty sure I'll be mentally prepared for this birth come November! She is passionate about a patient's rights and ensuring that you know what you want and how to be successful with your birth plan. She warned against some common tactics doctors may use to encourage modern medicine etc. I am ready to put up a fight if need be. Hopefully Nick can do that though and I can just concentrate on the labor.

The rest of the weekend was filled with food and football (WAR EAGLE! AND RISE UP!) Very successful wins for both my teams! 

Today was our 2 year anniversary which is why this post is so late! I wanted to have pictures from the event, which, unfortunately doesn't include any of myself or Nick. The one thing iPhone is missing is self timer! BUT- Nick brought home some flowers - pictured below. I also had to show the slice of wedding cake! We devoured it! You'd never know it had been frozen for 2 years! We also received some sweet cards from our family!

We decided to cook a few of our favorite things rather than go out to eat! That ended up being a nice cut of steak with some 5 star marinade I found online. If interested- let me know- I can email the recipe! We made our favorite fruit salad (can be found on mynewlywedchef.blogspot.com) and we made our most favorite side dish- spinach orzo!

This was one of the best dinners I've had in quite awhile! Like I said, cake was for dessert and there is no trace of it left (Except for the 2 pieces remaining in the freezer for year 3 and 4!) We enjoyed celebrating our anniversary yet again! October is such a wonderful month!

As always, here is the belly at 32 weeks!

Well, after eating so much food, I feel it necessary to go lay down and fall into a deep, deep sleep! That was a lot of butter cream frosting and after the day I had at work, I have no energy left at this point in the evening!