Week 32 ~Merry Christmas~

I could get used to this whole non-working, vacation time! I enjoyed a whole work-free week that began with Mommom and PopPop, moved on to Amelia Island, and ended back in our cozy Orlando bed. Flat Rock was fun (and snowy!) I was able to spend some much needed, pre-holiday time with MomMom and PopPop. My mom and I literally shopped until we dropped each day, even icey roads can't stop shopinldy and shopinldy jr! I flew home on Wednesday, just barely avoiding airport craziness caused by the underwear bomber. Seriously people, a bomb in your whitey tighties? Christmas day was fantastic as well! We spent the day with Grandpa and JoJo lounging, napping, skyping, and eating a DeLiCiOuS turkey dinner. The Astor's are officially up and running on Skype, all ready for little man's arrival. You can find us by email: meganastor@live.com or Skype name: Nolen.Astor. We'll be broadcasting the entire delivery (kidding, kidding, or are we? :)

My latest sonogram today revealed some surprises. Our little man is already pushing 5 pounds! The books all say that he should gain 1/2 pound each week from here on out. (5 pounds + 1/2 pound x 8 weeks= one big baby!) I'm guessing

A. we're either going to have one hefty baby or

B. Little man is going to make his debut before February 17th.

While little man is busy gaining weight supposedly I've been busy losing it? At my appointment today they said I was down 4 pounds. The nurse asked if I had been dieting. Well if you call skipping the gym, drinking Starbucks caramel brulle lattes daily, and putting extra gravy on my Christmas dinner dieting, then yes, I have been dieting! Who knows whats going on, at least our stinker is a growing machine. She didn't seem concerned with the weight lose, so I suppose I shouldn't be either.

The sonogram technicians aren't allowed to say a whole lot, they leave all the talking to your doctor. I was however noticing whenever she took a measurement the machine said he was 34 or 35 weeks along, that's 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Humm... grandparents, you might want to start packing a bag for when you get that special phone call :)

Week 31

Dear Nolen,
Hi stinker, it's me mommy! Lets talk about those tootsies of yours. They are awful cute, and I love feeling them kick. I was just wondering if you could find a new place for them. Or maybe you could just move them from my right ribs to my left ribs. This might also help with that soccer game you've been practicing for. Also, I wanted to let you know that we are on VaCaTiOn!!! That means you can sleep in! No need to wake mommy up at 6am for the next 2 weeks! So go ahead and relax, you can practice your break dancing later.
Love you,
Mommy

P.S. Sorry for having that 2nd caramel brullee latte today.

My breakdancing Ninja in action!

I was able to catch our little breakdancer in action, enjoy! (*Tip* turn your head to the right to enjoy my view) He gives us 4 good kicks in the first minute...

Week 30

Week 30, 10 more weeks (or less) until little Nolen is here to party! This week he decided to go ahead and flip head down. I think our little man might be getting a little impatient in there, but I don't know where he'd get that impatience from (eh-hum Tim??) With his head down that means his feet have a new home in my ribs. Very cozy (not!) It is fun always knowing where those little tootsies are though. Nolen and I have started playing a little game of tag. Anytime I give those little tootsies a push they kick right back, so cute! However if Nolen comes out with flat feet I had nothing to do with it :) He's still sticking to his waking and playing schedule. He wakes up at 6:30am (weekends included), practices his dance moves around 3-5 each day, rests, then it's back up around 10-12am. That's a lot of awake time for a little guy! Hopefully it doesn't have anything to do with my current craving, Starbucks caramel brulee lattes. (Starbucks why must you come out with all this holiday deliciousness while I'm trying to stay away from caffeine?)

Nolen Reed @ 30 weeks

I was able to get a 3-D sonogram done this morning to see our little man. Can't believe how much he's changed in just 10 weeks. His little cheeks are getting chubby and he's so big! I assure you that he has 2 hands and 10 fingers, although these pictures don't make it appear so. His hands were up really close to the front, while the pictures focused on his cute little face. Enjoy!

Here is the link the Nolen's first video, he's a bit swirmy, can't seem to get comfy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoenWdLoWrM

week 29

Saturday, oh Saturday. We spent the entire day (9-5) at the hospital in childbirth class. Mucus plugs, episiotomys, bloody shows, bowel movements during labor...they covered it ALL, pictures and videos included! Now for those of you who know Tim well, know that he has an extremely weak stomach. I was a little (OK terribly) concerned how he was going to fare with all of these things. It was just as I had expected, his eyes grew wide, his legs began to shake, and he managed to bite all ten fingernails at once. It was a good thing we were learning about labor that day. I was able to make him more comfortable with my Lamaze pillows, teach him some deep breathing relaxing techniques, and offer him supporting words during the extremely difficult times. Folks, I'm more worried about my labor coach then I am labor. Especially since I now think that I want to give natural childbirth a whirl! I don't know that he'll be able to handle all the extra pain. Can the hospital give Tim my epidural?

Natural child birth...yes you heard me right. I absolutely hate the feeling of being numb, even when it's just my mouth at the dentist. I would much rather have the pain. I've heard that your body has it's own "numbing" agents once things really get rolling too! I also like the idea of being mobile during the labor process. I want to be able to move from bed to ball, from ball to chair, and even take a stroll down the hallway if possible. An epidural would stick me in bed the ENTIRE time. But as we learned in class today you always need a plan B. So my plan A is to attempt this all natural. If I get there it hurts like hell, and I realize this was all just crazy talk then bring on the drugs (plan B!)

Nolen news... How do you make a baby dance? You take him to a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. He liked it so much that he was still dancing 3 hours later at 3am! Poor little guy probably didn't know what was going on out there.

We received both of our January baby shower invites this week!!! I can't believe they're only a month away. I hope our little man knows how much love there already is for him, he's going to be one lucky boy!

love, love, love

Maternity photos sneak peak...

Here's a little sneak peak of our maternity session we had on Monday!!! Can't wait to see the rest!

Week 28

7 month mark! What a fabulous Thanksgiving week to ring in the 7th month! My family was in town all week for Thanksgiving and what fun we had. We ate, they drank, we laughed, ate some more, shopped till we dropped, putt putted for hours, told inappropriate stories, laughed some more and celebrated Shannon and Johns engagement (wooohooo!!!) Earlier in the week I was feeling under the weather, I think Nolen was too. The first few days that my parents were here he was as quiet as a mouse. I think my family was beginning to think I had made up my breakdancing baby. Well by Wednesday he was making up for lost time. Our little breakdancer was back in action. In fact, on Saturday, he stayed awake from 9am until midnight. Oh Nolen :) He is truly a growing machine these days. My stomach is not only getting bigger by the minute, but is also feeling heavier each day. I guess this is what the third trimester is all about.

Tomorrow morning we have our maternity photos!!! Weather looks great, keep those fingers crossed and those eyes posted for our pictures!

Week 27

Hello third trimester! We have arrived, the final stretch..woohoo...now let the waiting games begin! I have a feeling this trimester is going to fly, we have Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, baby showers, then baby Nolen!!!

Have I told you lately how much I love being pregnant. I mean aside from the flippin' miracle that it is (come on people, sperm + egg= Nolen...crazy!!!) I've also learned to start voicing Nolen's "needs." "No, Nolen doesn't want spaghetti for dinner, he wants pizza," "Nolen thinks that basketball game is too loud lets watch Greys instead." "Nolen doesn't want to see that scary movie, he'd much rather see that sappy chic flick." and my personal favorite "Nolen and me could really use a back rub!" Oh poor Tim. He's been such a trooper though all of this. He listens to me complain, tells me what to take for heartburn (heartburn blows by the way), and occasionally lets me take a sip of his wine :) He's also been getting to feel Nolen break dancing more and more. We'll lay there around break dancing time (10:30-11:30pm) with Tim's hand on my belly as Nolen shakes, rattles, and rolls. If Nolen stops for a water break Tim will shake my belly, trying to get him moving again. Ah, father son bonding :) Tim is convinced that since Nolen's punches are already so strong that we're going to have some kind of athlete on our hands. I think this is every father-to-be's vision for their boys. We'll just have to wait and see.

Another early shower present arrived this week, our stroller!!! We've been pushing it around the house (daily) and a little around the block as well (I hope the neighbors aren't watching!) We got the Baby Jogger City classic in black and tan...loves it! (Thanks so much Jo-Jo and Pops or is it No-Paw?!)We also received our finished bedding (thanks mom mom) we LOVE it!! Now all we need is a baby Nolen (oh yes, and a mattress would help too!)

Week 26

We've hit double digits! The countdown is under 100 days, Woo hoo!!! We'll have our little man in our arms in 3 short months (where has the time gone?) Some people may beg to differ about how much time I have left, and by some people I mean crazy strangers. There have been several occasions recently where someone will ask the normal, "Oh when are you due, how far along are you?" I respond with "I'm 6 1/2 months, due in February." These people then go on to tell me that that's not possible, I'm much to small to be that far along. They then share a story about their 'cousin, neighbor, granddaughter, etc..' and how they were much larger at 6 months. I insist that my doctor knows my correct due date, and that the baby is measuring right on track. I really had no idea there were so many baby experts out there! It amazing the people that find you when your pregnant, this belly is like a crazy magnet :)

The following may be TMI, however I felt the need to share. I never knew it was humanly possible to pee as much as I do. I easily go 15+ times a day. There are days where I pee, stand up from peeing, and have to pee again. Sigh. It could have something to do with the gallons of water I'm drinking or maybe the cupfuls of ice that I'm loving these days (my newest craving.) Whatever the cause, it's crazy, and I have a feeling it's only going to get worse!

Christmas came a bit early this year, in the form of a big brown box delivered to our front door. Inside I found millions of baby boy clothes passed down from the all-so-stylish Nicholas! Combined with my recent mini shopping spree at baby gap (hey, it was friends & family weekend) Nolen will never have a shortage on clothing. We're all stocked up from newborn sizes all the way up to 18 months! (Thanks Nordloh's!!!) Also delivered this week was Nolen's crib! MomMom is just about finished with the bedding, so I'll wait and take a picture of the final product! It's all coming together folks...get excited!

Nolen is still quite the dancing machine these days. His favorite time to dance is between 10-11:30 at night and 6-7:00 in the morning. Instead of feeling him move with my hands, I've started lifting up my shirt to watch as my belly punches and rolls. I really can't imagine what he's doing in there, but it gets pretty intense at times. He's our little break dancing ninja :)

(Maternity photos were cancelled due to bad weather, they've been rescheduled for November 30th- stay tuned!)

How cute are these...

Since Nolen can't talk yet, I'm forced to be his voice of reason :) I've (I mean Nolen) has decided to start collecting the cutest stuffed animals. They're by a brand called Jellycat and I could just eat them up, literally! There's zebras, and monkeys, and tigers, and bears (oh my!) They make big ones and small ones, and gi-normous ones. Oh, I don't even know where to begin! Help me decide, which one should be the first member of Nolen's collection?

Week 25

So how do you like my pictures this week? I took them myself, can you tell?? We should have some better ones for you soon because on Wednesday we're having our maternity photo session! Keep your fingers crossed that Hurricane Ida stays away so that we can get some good shots outside! (What is it with us, bad weather, and professional photographers, jeez!)

I just got back from my monthly doctors appointment and boy does Nolen know how to put on a show. As soon as Dr. Balint lifted my shirt to measure and listen to his heartbeat he started dancing. And by dancing I mean punching me in the the tummy, totally visible from the outside, over and over again! Even Dr. Balint had to laugh, and comment, "My that is a very active little boy!" I seem to be hearing (and feeling) that a lot this pregnancy. Don't worry, we're getting our sleep now in preparation for whats to come! Also at the doctors today... I'm up 15 pounds from the beginning of this pregnancy, yikes! The yikes part is because 5 of those pounds were gained last month, double yikes! Dr. Balint said I'm right on track, I should have gained 25-30 pounds by the end of all of this. 15 weeks to go, 10 pounds left to gain...oh my! Stay tuned for our maternity photos, our photographer does a great little blog that updates her weekly projects.

Also this week... we recieved Nolen's furniture!! The crib had a wrong part so they'll have to deliver that next week. For now we have his dresser/ changing table, his dream glider, and his bassinet. Let's not talk about the house guest who set his drink, sans coaster, on my NEW DRESSER...rrrrrrr. We also got an early shower gift in the mail this week, his car seat and extra base (Thanks Mom-mom & Pop-Pop!!!)

Week 24

Week 24 is just full of pictures! #1 is Nolen's first football game (45- 42 Woot woot!) #2 is from Halloween, I was a knocked up county bumpkin and Tim was my cowboy!

6 months along already, hard to believe! Up until this point in life I've felt pretty confident that I could walk into a college bar and still "fit in." You know what I mean, I felt like I didn't yet look like one of those "old people" who's still trying to relive the good years! Well, not so much the case anymore. We spent the past weekend in Tallahassee visiting with friends and watching the Noles play NC State. Friday night we decided to head to one of our old favorite bars, AJ's. Yes, thats right, a pregnant girl headed to a bar. So it's evident from the second I walk in the door that I no longer can pass for a college student. The door man starts laughing, out loud, asking if he's on a hidden camera show. He said he feels like the door guy on Knocked Up, banding a pregnant lady. Well we decide a nice game of darts would be fun for all. Mid dart I hear some snickers coming from a few tables down. I then hear the word "pregnant" so my ears toon in. "That will be you," a college boy snickers to his female friend..."You'll be the pregnant lady in a bar, ahahaha." :( Jeez people, just let me play some darts. A little while later a nice waitress comes over, "Can I get you something to drink, (her eyes drift to my belly) Oh my god, I'm soo sorry, Oh my god, I ugh, oh my..." Alright, well AJ's was fun, I'm ready for bed!

My belly... throughout this pregnancy I've been getting what I call "tight belly." It's this feeling like your stomach is being pushed out as much as it possible could be pressed. A feeling like if your stomach stretches one more inch it will literally explode. I put in a call to the expert (Heather) who reassured me that "tight belly" was completely normal. I've also noticed that on nights where "tight belly" is especially bad, I am also extremely thirsty. So I sit and chug water for hours on end. When I wake up from a "tight belly-thirsty night" my belly is usually noticeably bigger. I guess this is all just a part of the growing game! I literally feel like my stomach can not stretch another inch, but with 4 more months it will be sure to grow! Time to buy stock in belly lotion's and potions!

Below are some of Nolen's first pieces of Florida State gear including his first pair of Flip-Flops!!!

Week 23

It's official, I really am pregnant, not just a little pudgy in the mid-section. Well at least this is news to all the strangers out there. That's right, I've started getting stranger comments. You have no idea what a great thing this is until you experience it. You simply want to hug all of these strangers for realizing that your pregnant and not just fat! It's not just one or two comments either, I get them everyday, everywhere I go. People want to touch the belly, ask if it's a boy or a girl, and then tell you all about their horrible labor stories. Thanks people! Now where is my hand sanitizer so I don't catch the swine from your grubby hands on my belly (I mean that in the nicest way possible.)

6 months ago my weekends were filled with nights out on the town, wine, and laughing with friends. Fast forward to today and things are looking a bit different. We still have the occasional night out on the town, laughing with friends part, only minus the wine :( Once pregnant one must find "new" activities to fill the weekend. The tavern (or any other bar) just doesn't seem as much fun minus the "drink in hand." So I've been busy, busy keeping myself busy...
My first new activity is painting picture frames. I've made baby boy frames, Christmas frames, fall frames, baby girl frames, FSU frames...you get the point. If you need a frame, I'm your women! Tim came home to my new hobby and asked, "are you going to sell all of these?" No silly, these are all ours, and this is just the beginning, I have 4 more months :)

My next new activity might be a slight case of nesting. Saturday morning I decided that we simply HAD to clear out the guest room and closet. Tim supervised (margarita in hand) as I moved, donated and threw out a closet full of items. The closet that once looked so small now looks so large with only Nolen's tiny clothes hanging. Nolen's room is looking good, the garage on the other hand...we'll be keeping that door closed for awhile.

I'll leave you with a funny story... I was having a conversation with my 4 year old buddy Justin the other day. I asked him if he knew that there was a baby in my belly. Oh the look of terror!! His little jaw dropped and he stared at me in disgust. "You ate the baby????!!!!???" Ha, he then proceeded to tell me that in order to get that baby back out I was going to have to sneeze really hard. I'm trusting you on this one Justin! Come February 17th I'll be ready for the sneeze of a lifetime!

(As I typed todays blog Nolen was busy breakdancing in my belly, the WHOLE time, loves it!! )

Week 22

My dream... I was floating down a lazy river chugging beers. Not sipping, but chugging one after the other, tossing my empty cans in the river behind me. The lifeguards on duty just stared at me in amazement of the amount of beer I was consuming. (*side note; it was El Sol beer, how random.*) So anyway, I just keep drinking my way around the river until I start to feel some thumps and kicks in my stomach. OH NO...I'm pregnant, I FORGOT, I'm not suppose to be drinking beer, much less 20 of them! So it's at this point in my dream that I wake up to a real dancing baby in my belly. I guess it was Nolen's way of telling me "wake up you crazy lady, and no you can't have any beer." O'Douls it is for the next 5 months, sigh. Nolen's also been making it a habit of practicing his dance moves early in the morning, and late at night. He seems to really be shaking his stuff around midnight, and 6am. We might have to work on that dancing schedule a little once he makes an appearance.
(Truth be told, he could wake me up anytime, I LOVE feeling him dance!)
On a more fashionable note, do you know how much fun it is buying teeny, tiny little man clothes?!? It rocks, and as a result my wardrobe will be taking the backseat for a few months while I build Nolen's up! Tim has requested that I look for baby clothes that resemble his wardrobe. That would mean the Nolen will be a polo shirt, khaki shorts and rainbow flip flops wearing kind of baby. Cute! The picture above is one of my cute finds of the weekend, his first spider-man shirt. Loves it! Now if we could just find the miniature seven jeans, the look would be complete.

Nursery updates...

So we have the furniture ordered!!! It should be arriving sometime in November. We're super stoked and ready to start setting up Nolen's room. Guests: what this means for you... you will no longer have a guest room to stay in. Instead we will have a nice, cozy air mattress set up on the floor :)

Ok, back to the furniture. We went back and forth between colors and models but finally decided on our favorites. The crib is the Maddison, in the espresso finish. The dresser/ changing table is the Catalina, also in espresso. My mom is working on making my DREAM baby bedding from the cutest Amy Butler fabrics. Think Anthropologie meets baby boys room (see fabric swatches below.) We ordered our rug at Restoration Hardware kids, it's almost the same as one of of bedding fabrics! Woohoo, it's all coming together!