Bed Rest...

Yesterday I went to the doctor for my last two week check-up (now I go every week!).  I should back up a bit though...

For those of you who do not know, Keith and I are in the middle of a BIG move for us.  We decided around this time last year that we would like to move back to Tehachapi to start a family and raise our family in the small mountain community that we grew up in.  The BIG move is this coming Saturday, June 4.  We then have one more week of work left before we officially leave.

In order to get ready for the move, I have been pushing myself probably a little harder than I should have.  But I was making an effort to not push so myself too hard, but with a house and a classroom to pack-up, maybe it was inevitable.  So on Saturday I had lunch with a friend and then Keith and I did our grocery shopping for the next two weeks which included a Costco trip. On Sunday Keith, Nick, and I worked at our friend's Vintage Clothing and Textile Show.  It was a full day (5:00-5:00!) and we went home exhausted.  Monday I did some shopping and then we worked on packing the WHOLE kitchen.

It was busy, but now insane.  However, Monday night we were watching a movie and I started having some back aches.  It was kinda like period cramps, but stronger.  I started to time them and found that they were about 6 minutes apart and lasting about a minute each.  I watched it for about an hour and decided I should let Keith know what was going on.  Poor guy. (haha) He said, "Wow, could we be any less prepared?"  And he is pretty right.  Everything we need for the baby is already in Tehachapi.  The cramps lasted a couple of hours and then I went to bed.  When I woke up to go potty at 12 they were gone.

(Warning: As many of you may already know, being pregnant has this unspoken rule of being able to talk about your nether-regions like an everyday topic.  Cervix talk is ahead...)

So skip forward through Tuesday (which I worked hard all day trying to teach and finish my classroom "just in case") I had my doctor's appointment.  I told him about my night and he was doing the Strep B test anyway, so he decided to check me.  He said that baby's head was really low, surprisingly low and my cervix has already started to thin out (probably the night before from the contractions).  So he said that to be safe and keep her in at least one more week, I need to be off work for the rest of my pregnancy and modified bed rest (more horizontal during the day than vertical).

So, that is where we are now...just pray that she stays put for at least a week more, but I REALLY don't mind if she wants to make an early appearance before July :)  I'm so close to being a mama!

Baby Showers

I am so blessed!  I have the most amazing friends and family.  I had not one, but two amazing showers and Evie definitely has LOTS of amazing women in her life that love her so much!

My first shower was hosted by Aunt Donna and my dear cousins Kelli and Cari. 

Nina worked hard with others making some delicious food and AMAZING desserts!

And Aunt Donna get's to take credit for the beautiful decorations!

Here is our first picture with FIVE generations of beautiful "Walker" women!

And one very excited grandmother...I wish I had gotten a picture of the other grandma too!

So, I have a TON of pictures from the first shower because Cari was nice enough to be photographer for me.  The second shower, hosted by my dear friend Deanna and her mother Adriana.  This one was in Santa Barbara with all of my dear friends I have made over the past two years.  It was so fun (and yes...I loved my new dress so much I wore it to both...)

There were yummy drinks, and delicious desserts, but best of all great friends!  (and silly games of course!)

Belly Kicks

As I have said before one of the best parts of being pregnant is feeling that precious little one move.  On our vacation, Keith and I were laying belly to belly.  I sometimes forget that he doesn’t get to feel Evie move every day, dozens of times.  So as we are laying there, she was dancing up a storm.  He was able to feel her on his belly.  It was really funny.  And very sweet when he said, “I guess this is kinda how you feel all the time.”

Our Babymoon

So for Spring Break this year, Keith and I opted to do what we truly love best...CAMPING!  This may seem a little crazy seeing as I was seven months pregnant (April 23-28).  However, if you know us, our camping get-up is not a two-man tent and sleeping bags on the ground.  We have a 12-person tent, an aerobed, and more camping gear than a Jetta can really hold.

30 Weeks!!

We left on Saturday for San Clemente.  We had been looking forward to this time away for some time and the weather was suppose to be AMAZING.  We were mostly just excited to have a trip, just the two of us.  The last time we went away so long was our honeymoon, so this seemed quite fitting.

The whole trip was so relaxing.  We spent most of the days at the beach.  I napped and tanned and read in a bikini!  It was a little scary feeling a little LARGE, but my Keith assured me that the only BIG part of me is my belly, which is clearly holding my baby.  So I strutted around, a big preggo mama, in a bikini.  (I wasn't the only one there either!)

Keith spent his days napping, reading, and swimming.  He was a little surprised at how warm the water was, I think it was around 62 degrees.  He really enjoyed it!

By Wednesday, while we wanted to go to the beach for our last day there, we were tired and burned.  It was no easy trek down to the beach from our campsite, and by Tuesday, the bottoms of my feet were a little swollen.  So we went for a drive down to Dana Point and had lunch.  It was a great way to end our week.  We also watched the sunset every evening.  It was just a great time of reflection and to just be together.

While we were ready to go home Thursday morning, we are so glad that we went.  It was a great time and our last trip before we take on parenthood!  Very exciting!  But it also reminded us how perfect we are for each other.  We were able to spend 6 days and 5 nights with just US and no distractions!  We made campfires, and played Trivial Pursuit, and just read our books enjoying the peacefulness and we weren't even sick of each other in the end (haha).  This trip made me so excited for our growing family.  It is going to be so much fun!

I love this guy!!

Third Trimester!!

I was really sad when I got on here to do an update post and realized that it had been a month since my last post.  Where does the time go?  I got an email today saying "Welcome to your 31 week of pregnancy!"  I know that I am in my 31st week, but just seeing that, WOW, it made me think what a small number 9 is!  Evie's due date is 9 weeks away and she could come before that (EVERY PERSON READING THIS BETTER BE PRAYING SHE DOES NOT COME LATE!!!).  I feel like there is so much to do before she comes.

As I reflect on the second trimester, I am realizing just how good I had it.  People say that the second trimester is bliss...THEY AREN'T KIDDING!!  Almost overnight, I went from sleeping almost soundly to getting up every two hours to go potty and switching sides every hour or so because something feels uncomfortable.  My belly feels huge (and I still have 2 months!) but the muscles that support it ache at times.  And then there are my feet.  Not swollen, but as I sit here I am icing the bottoms.  (It just sounded like it might help and it feels pretty good.)  Anyway...enough complaining :)

Despite all the ways I feel uncomfortable, my day to day is still full of bliss.  It is so amazing when you get to the point that you can just nudge your little one and she responds with a little nudge back.  It is almost like sweet gesture between the two of us, rather than just a reflexive response from her.  I had a dream last week that I was able to take her out of me and hold her and dress her and kiss her.  We all passed her around and fell completely in love with her (more than we already have!) but then I had to put her away, back into my womb, because it wasn't fair that I had not gone through labor to have her.  By the time labor comes around, I know I will be ready for anything just to see this precious little girl.