And The Real Journey Begins...

So today officially marked the last day she had to come into this world on her own...we were hopeful...especially after my 2 1/2 hour walk the night before at the park that nearly tore my hips in two parts...I was hurting so bad after that walk! This late in pregnancy a 6 mile walk...is not like it would be for a normal person by any means! I am feeling blessed to feel so great this far along in pregnancy that's for sure, but I will say it was miiiiighty tough to get in and out of Jeff's big truck today! 

As our last day as just the two of us floated by...I was filled with so many emotions...Joy and excitement, and disbelief that our baby girl would be soon on her way! I felt at times a little unidentified emotion...I knew I was feeling something but couldn't pin point what exactly it was, and I would begin to tear up a little bit. Yes, I have had a couple quick soft tears drop today...but not because I am scared or worried...just more overwhelmed with emotion. It's truly a crazy experience to be pregnant for nearly a year of your life, then suddenly on some chosen day it will all end with the most amazing delivery of your life! It's truly a lot to take in and wrap my brain around...so I found myself in a quiet mood just really trying to take it all in and prepare myself for the coming day....the birth of our baby girl...something we have waited so long for, but something I cannot even begin to predict how it will all pan out!!! 

Of course making it nearly 42 weeks into a pregnancy, you never assume you will end up having to deliver via induction, but that is how it is looking for us. So, for the past 2 weeks, I have hoped and prayed she would make her way on her own...now coming to the sudden last minute realization...we are out of time! Her Aunt Katie said it best "Her song is "Waitin' on a Woman"" which is totally true of her already...but it is so worth it! She truly is just like her momma and waited the whole 42 weeks to make her appearance...and of course I expected that from the beginning...but then with all of the "she's measuring small" "we might induce early" talk...I guess I let that thought slip away for a while. So, in hindsight it comes at no surprise to any of us! I know and trust it is all part of God's great plan for her life and fully trust that everything will pan out in the way it is supposed to in the coming days! 

I do find some uncertainty in the events that are in my near future...especially the part about not being able to eat anything but ice chips, ice chips, and more ice chips after 6am tomorrow morning...Lord knows how long I will be in labor! However, I do trust that God will carry me through and protect me and my little Kinsley through it all, of that I am certain! We are truly blessed to be surrounded by sooo many loving and supportive family members and friends who care so much about us...for all of them we are so thankful! Their well wishes and words of encouragement have meant the world to us!

So, today was a day of lasts...

last time to walk around in public with Kinsley in my belly and not in my arms or a stroller...

last time to eat at a restaurant as a couple with their first baby on the way... 

 

last time to eat a pineapple snow cone...well, for a while...

 

and my last Braum's orange sherbet cone to eat for a couple of days! 

We are truly excited for what May 15th has in store for us! On Jeff's fortune it had 15 as a lucky number...so we shall see....we both had the number 17 as a lucky number on our fortunes...let's hope that signifies the day we will be able to bring her home...not when she is born! Lol

A neat little tidbit....Miss Kinsley will be born exactly 6 weeks after my birthday and 6 weeks before Jeff's! She is right in between March 31 and June 30! What fun...couldn't be more perfect!

And now it's off to bed...kinda like Christmas...the sooner you go to bed the sooner you will wake up and the time will be here that you have so long awaited! 

Morning of May 15th...

Off to a life changing moment...not to return without our sweet baby girl in our arms! 

Our last little moments as a family of 2! 

A Nursery Anxiously Awaiting It's Baby...

So, I thought I would post a nursery update of our sweet Kinsley's nursery as it anxiously awaits her arrival...it is mostly entirely ready, but still in need of maybe some shelving and knick knacks...but that will come in time...it is pretty much FINISIMO! We are in love...every time Jeff goes upstairs he gets the sweetest smile...it is really just the most perfect place for our perfect little lady who will be joining our world so very soon! 

Kinsley...your special room is anxiously awaiting your arrival...just like your Mommy and Daddy, and everyone around you who already LOVE you sooooo much!

The Little Bed where our Little One
will soon rest her Tiny Head! 

The window seat that doubles as a diaper changing station!

I will get a bright pic soon...the sun didn't want to cooperate!

Where we will spend MANY nights
gliding the night away together! 

Oh goodness...we just can't wait for this little lady to join our lives and fill it with even more SUNSHINE than we already have been blessed with! 

41 Weeks...And Takin' After Mommy!

 

Daddy did the board this week...he is dying to hold his little girl!! 

How far along? 41 weeks...over a week over due! 

Fruit/Veggie Comparison: Still a Jackfruit?!? (estimated 18.9-20.9 inches)
Total Weight Gain/ Loss? 40 pounds....still hanging at 40 pounds!

Maternity Clothes? Yes...and getting so excited to say goodbye to them soooo very soon, I can just taste it! 

Stretch Marks? Well, sadly enough they are alive and well on the under part of my tummy! :( 

Sleep: Sleeping well but averaging at LEAST waking up 4 times a night to go to the restroom...she is fighting for every last ounce of space in there! I also wake up quite a bit just thinking about when she will come! Jeff put it well..."It's like going to bed every night thinking that night or the next day is Christmas, only to be surprised that it is not that next day...and you don't know when it's coming!"

Best/ Most Let Down Moment THIS Week: Haha....well last Wednesday, I began having regular, consistent, and patterned contractions that went from 6-7 minutes apart, to 5-7 min, to later 3-5 min apart...We were sooooo excited because there were some changes and we thought SURLY she will be on her way soon! So, that night I had Jeff take me to Chuy's downtown...figuring we could squeeze in on last date night and walk around downtown to get these contractions going...at this point they were only about 5-6 min apart and super mild, so we went...Jeff was so funny! He was so worried I was going to deliver right in the car or in Chuy's. He proceeded to tell me "I am not comfortable with taking you to Fort Worth, during 5:00 traffic, 30 minutes from the hospital with 5 min contractions!" Then my sweet little brother thought he needed to cancel his gig to be there for the birth of his niece...he was not going to miss it for the world...but we assured him he would not miss it as she was not on her way quite yet! Oh man...they were making me laugh...but I knew we had nothing to worry about because they were so mild and we would have plenty of time, even if we had to head straight to the hospital after dinner. Well.....on the way to Chuy's the contractions began getting closer, 4 minutes apart, then at the restaurant, 3 minutes apart....then I started getting a little nervous...though they were still mild...I wasn't sure if just maybe I might be that person that they never HURT! He looked at me and said..."how far apart are they now?" He said as soon as he asked, he saw the hint of worry in my eyes...lol and knew they were under 5 minutes! Haha....He decided to text my mom and gave her a good laugh...and she was certain we would be just fine! We of course finished our dinner, and headed home. Once we got home they were back to 4-5 min apart, so I called the hospital just to see make sure I didn't need to come in...they said only come in if you can't walk and talk through them...so I decided...what a waste I am not monitoring these things anymore! So, we went for a walk where they picked up to about 3-4 min apart, then slowed later that evening...and in doing so...we cracked my iPhone (Jeff was carrying it so my clumsy self didn't drop it...I was swinging my arms and knocked it right out of his hand...CRACK...luckily it was just a hairline crack so they replaced it for FREE because it was still under warranty! Love APPLE!)

It has also been so super fun to experience my "first" Mother's Day with her...though I wish I could hold her...at least I can feel her little movements in my tummy and know she is fully grown and healthy and will be here any day now! My friends and family have been the sweetest in wishing me a Happy Mother's Day! How fun, such a new feeling!

Daddy drinking a Chuy's Margarita to fight
off the nerves of Mommy's contractions! Lol

Mild contractions 3-4 min apart but nothing
to worry about...Calm as a Cucumber!

Miss Anything? Still dying to be able to comfortably take a bath and shave my legs...and sadly enough....I just found out I can't take a bath or SWIM for 6 weeks after birth no matter what...so I am totally taking advantage of my bath times as often as possible right now! 

Movement: Less movement this week but she is still moving much more than just the average 10 movements in a 2 hour period. Last night I could feel her shifting deeper and deeper...near my hip bones...fingers crossed she is getting ready for her descent!
Food Cravings: Not too much this week...all I can think about is her coming into this world!
Recent, Unpleasant Developments: Same ol, same ol symptoms, that I am hoping I will SOOOOON be rid of...heartburn, indigestion, congestion....yuck! 

Have you started to show yet: Yep and hopefully soon, we will be able to SHOW her and not my belly! 

Gender: A LATE little lady too comfy to make her debut into the world! 

Labor Signs: After having those consistent contractions that continued to get closer and closer, I thought for sure we had had a little progress...buttt NO! According to the doctor last Thursday we were still about the same as far as progress. Sooooo, he went ahead and scheduled us for induction (I hate saying the word) on the 15th of May, if she doesn't decide to come any sooner! According to their records...our original due date is May 4th (estimated from my cycle) and the 1st ultrasound estimated May 7th...they kept the May 4th due date in the records...just so we can air on the side of caution and not pass 42 weeks...so according to that date he is letting us go until May 15th which is nearly 42 weeks, they like to not go past 42 weeks due to the decrease of fluid and possibility of baby experiencing their first bowel movement in the womb. Soooo, looks like no matter what...we will have a baby in our arms soon enough! 

Belly Button In or Out? Still half in and half out haha...but not all of the way popped! It's holding on for dear life, it's a funny little thing! 

Wedding Rings On or Off? Off...Jeff now calls my fingers 'little sausages' since they look so swollen...I can't wait to wear my rings again!!!! I miss them!  

Happy, Emotional, or Moody Most of the Time: Just FILLED with excitement, though I did nearly cry when my iPhone cracked...but I would have done that anyway haha!!! We can't wait for her to get here....we find ourselves running out of things to talk about besides how badly we really want her to get here!
Looking Forward to: Ummmmm HELLO.....the delivery of our BABY GIRL! I am praying she comes on her own time and picks out her own birthday before we have to induce on the 15th! But no matter how she comes...I know it will be such a magical moment when we finally meet her for the first time! I have been dreaming about it ALLLLLL week!

Our Last Ditch Efforts to Coax Her Out Naturally... Proved Unsuccessful :(

Daddy Telling Her It's Time to Come OUT

Walking 

(Lots of errand running but not walking for whole hours at a time)

Maybe the last time as an Expectant Mother
at Buy Buy Baby!

Manicure and Pedicure 

(I swear this little guy gave me the best pedicure of my life...he massaged everything forever, and worked so hard on my poor, tired, overworked, little, swollen feet! I even got PRETTY PINK for Miss Kinsley!)

Prenatal Chiropractic Adjustment and Accupressure Massage

(They adjusted my hips to ensure alignment of the birth canal, adjusted the round ligament, and put pressure on all of the known places to induce labor.)

Wishing on Our Wish BONE

Jeff carefully took our wish bone out of our chicken last night and set it out to dry so we could have a special wish! Of course we both wished for the same thing...Kinsley to come out on her own very soon so that we can hold her!

Action Shot=Blurry....Pulling the Bone!

Momma won the Wish Bone Contest on
Mother's Day...even though we both REALLY
won since our wishes were one in the same! 

Wearing My Shirt...

(I decided it today was a great day to wear my super cute shirt..."It started with a KISS and ended like this..." WE are hopeful I can wear it into the hospital and it end with her birth!!! ;)

First Mother's Day Celebration that My Momma, Me, and Miss Kinsley shared together! 

We went out for some yummy Babe's Chicken with Jeff and my Dad! 

The Angel of Mine Willow Tree...LOVE! 

The Grandmother Willow Tree...Great Minds
think alike! :) 

Relaxing after our walk to help Miss Kinsley make her appearance!

Relaxing after walking off Babe's Fried Chicken!

Kinsley's Estimated Birthday Celebration

What a day! Today officially marks the day when Kinsley was estimated to arrive in this amazing world, the same day that Jeff and I became an official couple way back in 1999! It was incredible to FINALLY reach this day knowing that she will be here any day now, and has had plenty of time to grow and develop just right in every way! 

In honor of the specialness of the day, I decided (mid way through my random errands of the day), that this should be a day for ME and Kinsley since it was estimated to be her birthday. SO, we had a pre-birthday celebration for her, or as I called it, a Kinsley and Mommy day, I can thank my mom for always making birthdays such a big deal for us! I will definitely carry on that tradition with our kiddos! 

Our day started at Hobby Lobby, where I found tiny, stretchable headbands in a rainbow of colors! I already have the wide ones, but needed the skinnies for her tiny newborn head!

I soon found more bows/flowers for her sweet little head to make her fancy (as if she doesn't have enough already)! I added a couple of touches to them, and a hot glued alligator hair clip to the back, and VIOLA, you have an interchangeable headband embellishment! 

 They finally had my little crochet flowers in stock, so I was able to buy them and hot glue them to her name above her crib like I have been wanting to do for weeks now! 

Theenn, I grabbed my gray and yellow scrapbook paper in chevron print, so that I could FINALLY make the closer separators that I have been DYING to make for her closet to separate all of the sizes! This has been on my list FOREVER....so I am so happy I was able to get the supplies and make them tonight on this very special day! I found this SUPER cute idea on one of my favorite mommy blogs, Mommy's Little Sunshine! :) 

After Hobby Lobby, we were off to the car wash to get the Explorer sparkly clean for her arrival. We soon found ourselves getting a LARGE pineapple snow cone at Tiki Hut! My oh my was that YUMMY! All by ourselves at the Snow Cone stand...but we didn't care! ( I will say, that was my first time to get a snow cone by myself...but then again...I wasn't really alone was I? Kinsley and I were having our FIRST Mommy/ Daughter day that was all about US! I apologize, I didn't take a picture of my snow cone ;)! haha After our snow cone bliss, we headed to Southlake to a baby boutique I had been wanting to check out but have just never had the time...so we popped by Ella Bella...it was FULL of amazingly cute things! I was in LOVE! I decided since I haven't really bought her any super special items, what better day to splurge than on her due date?!?! So, I bought her a super cute little dress...that I just couldn't take my eyes off of...I feel like every time I look at the little girl clothes in the stores, they are all the same...so I was excited to see some things with originality!!!!! When I was at the store the ladies were asking when I was due, and when I told them today, they looked at me in such great shock and a little disbelief! It's like they thought I was going to drop and deliver right there at that moment! Haha!

Kinsley is in my belly, but soon enough will
be wearing this sweet little outfit! 

And then, I found some pairs of leg warmers which are going to be a staple item around our house! From what I hear...they are great with onsies and make diaper changing a snap! Not to mention they are super trendy and cute...WIN WIN!

We then popped by Nothing Bundt Cakes, my favorite cake place of all time, to get her (and me) and Pre-Birthday cake to enjoy today on her estimated birthday! I went intending to get just the Cinnamon Swirl, but you will never believe it, they had the PUMPKIN SPICE too! They usually only have it in the Fall, but had it today! As Lesha said, it was meant to be! I am sooooo glad I stopped by! What a yummy Pre-Birthday treat for me and Kinsley! 

**All in a day's work and all on my due date being 40 weeks pregnant! I must say I am feeling pretty great and in my 5 hours out today, I must say I was SUPER productive. I managed to do all of the above, stop by 2 post offices (because one was closed) and Sprouts Farmers Market, call the Cord Blood Banking place to get that all underway, call and schedule my prenatal massage and Jeff's alignment and massage, pay our copay to our hospital (which I so proudly already pre-registered for), responded to the text messages of a million great friends who are so anxious for Kinsley's arrival (over the past couple of days my phone has been FLOODED with texts and sweet thoughts from ALL of our amazing friends and family who love and care so much for us...we are so blessed), and chat with Jeff's grandmother, my mom, and my best friend! I am definitley blessed to be feeling so great, so far along, and being able to enjoy some time off focusing on us and our sweet, little lady before her arrival! Maybe there is a little nesting going on here too, LOL! 

What an incredible day! 
I am truly feeling beyond BLESSED 
and can't wait until our little miracle arrives!! 

Earlier this week we had the sweetest delivery...my sister-in-law's sister, Jen, sent us a surprise package with headbands and CUTE flower clips for little Miss Kinsley that her and her husband picked out especially for us! I tell you...a girl...can never have enough headbands, bows, and flowers!! What a surprise...we just thought it was the sweetest ever of her to think of us with our due date nearing! :) It came in a super cute box too!