Oh baby! 51 Days to go!

Rick and I (and the little person) had a doctor's appointment this morning. All is apparently well! My measurements are right on the money which means the little guy is growing just like he is supposed to! Our doctor said that we are in a perfect position in terms of due dates because all of the ones we have been given fall within the same week. So that is great news! We just can't wait to meet the little guy! Here is our 32 week photo. We are now almost through our 33rd week so...stay tuned for another photo!

Sarah should be having her baby at any moment really. She was already 2 or 3 cm dilated at her last appointment. They told her it could be this weekend or early next week! YEA!! Another Ewing will be in the world soon! We so excited for you, Sarah, Matt and Tyler!!

On a sad note, our small Bible study group at church (that meets every Wednesday night at my boss's house of all places) lost a member last Friday afternoon. Our friend, Jim Lynch, was outside mowing the grass when he started having some chest pain. He had a heart attack and was in full cardiac arrest by the time the ambulance got to him. Jim left this world an hour or so later. He left behind his wife, Anne, their son, Vaughn and daughter-in-law, Lee. We miss you Jim! Our prayers are with Anne, Vaughn and Lee and they try to make sense out of this sudden loss. Jim was only 62 years old.

The countdown has begun...

We now have only 57 days until we meet our little person!! That's less than 2 months...8 weeks...holy cow.

Here is what he looks now...

It's so vein-y isn't it??

He's a big boy! And a very active one as well!! I often wonder how many people can see him moving around under my shirt when I am in a meeting at work, or sitting at my desk talking to people...He's a funny little guy!

My sweet second-cousin Meri has been released for UAB!! YEA!! I haven't heard much news about her recently, but we are trying to let them get settled in before we bombard them with phone calls. We love you Meri! We are so proud of all the work you have done to convince them that you are ready to go home!

My dear friends Whitney Hough-Troutman and Tara Shinholster are throwing me baby shower number 3 this weekend! It will be a small, intimate gathering and I am SUPER excited about it!!

Here is our 31 week photo (even though we start week 32 on Sunday!):

But I like this one much better! :)

Behind once again...

The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy...what's new.

My cousin Karie has had her baby girl, Merrick Lane Kilpatrick. Meri has had a rough start of it and was transfered from Flowers hospital in Dothan (South Alabama) to UAB's (University of Alabama at Birmingham) hospital. We are all praying for you sweet girl! Your whole family loves you very much!

Karie and Meri

Also, Rick's grandmother on his mom's side underwent hip replacement surgery a couple of weeks ago. Since then, she too has been having a tough time. She has gone back to the emergency room several times since her initial release. Our prayers and love are with you too Nana!

Alabama has won their first two football games this season! Woohoo!! The first one against Clemson was AMAZING!!! The second against Tulane....TULANE...wasn't as great. But hey...a win is a win!

We hit 29 weeks....which is dangerously close to bringing us to single digit weeks remaining...

Then, shortly after that (7 days to be exact) we hit 30 weeks...I'm getting pretty big eh?

We had a doctor's appointment on the 8th. It was the first of our "every two weeks" appointments. Other than the fact that I am taking on water (mostly in my legs and ankles) like the Titanic, everything looks good. Our doctor told me that he thinks the baby is already head down which means...he's getting ready!! Holy cow...there's no stopping him now!!

Also on the 8th, Heather threw me our second baby shower! This one was with my sweet colorguard girls at Brookwood! Here are a few snapshots!

I think that's about it for catching up.

Our second 3D/4D Ultrasound

Beebop was more cooperative today. He was still difficult...but it was better than last time! He really enjoys sucking on the back of his perfect hand so we had to contend with that being in the way today. But I think we were able to get some really beautiful shots of his little face! Here are a few of them!

Labeled for bearing purposes


His sweet profile


Playing with his hand


Sucking on his thumb

Roll Tide Roll!!

2 days and 9 hours and 16 minutes until ALABAMA FOOTBALL KICK-OFF!! We start the season out with Clemson at the Georgia Dome...and Gameday will be there...which is not usually a good thing of 'ole Alabama! But hopefully Saban and the boys will pull it out! Can't wait to see what our hunky coach does this season!! 'Rammer jammer, Yellow Hammer, Give 'em HELL ALABAMA!!!!

Roll Tide!!!!

Little "Who" Swatloski

We had another doctor's appointment today! This one was supposed to be fairly exciting...and in some cases it was...

So, I took the dreaded glucose test (a test where you have to drink this very, very, very sugary syrup and then get your finger pricked an hour later. This test is supposed to tell you if you are at risk for gestational diabetes. If you fail the one hour test, you have to come back and take the three hour version of the test...not fun I imagine!). You are supposed to get lower than a 140 to pass...I got a 121!!!! Yea!! I passed!! Rick asked our lovely nurse that we always see if she would give me a gold star. But...I guess she was out because I didn't get one. Oh well.

Our doctor was in unexpected surgery this morning so he didn't arrive until 10:00 for our 8:30 appointment. But not to worry. We had plenty of stuff to do while we were waiting including...

OUR 3D/4D ULTRASOUND!! Now...of course, this is Rick's child we are talking about here...stubborn as all get out! Just kidding honey! Our little guy was a bit camera shy this morning (I don't know how he is related to me!!) so we are going to try again on Friday to get a few better shots. But, I have included the ones we got today just so the suspense won't get too unbearable! :) You can see is right eye, his right cheek (which will of course appear on the left side of the picture :) ) and his forehead. His mouth is covered up by his umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is what got in our way the last time!! Stubborn little thing. His nose looks a little funny because it is squished up against me. To me...he looks a little like a Who. :) Isn't he a cutie!!

Here we are at 28 weeks! We are in the home stretch! We have been graduated to appointments every two weeks now instead of every 4 weeks!! Isn't that crazy?? We'll have a little person here soon!!

Say my name, say my name, say my name...

Baby Swatloski has a name!! But we're so not telling any of you what it is!!!! :)

Is it frightening to anyone that we will be in charge of another life in 12 weeks??

No? Just me? Ok...

Catch up

I am a bit behind in my blogging. I apologize. We've been pretty busy, i guess.

Last weekend was my Uncle Maxie's 70th birthday party in Tennessee. So, I, needing to get out of town to take a break from T-Town drama, drove to Atlanta so that my mom and I could drive to Tennessee. It was great fun. Most all of the cousins were there with their kids. It was great to see them.

We hit 26 weeks that weekend.

This past weekend, Rick and I went on a "Babymoon"...which was pretty much awesome!!! We drove down to The Grand Marriott, Point Clear resort in Fairhope, Alabama. Umm...it rocked! We took a five mile bike ride around the resort and neighboring areas. We visited a nearby confederate cemetery were soldiers were laid to rest having not survived their hospital stay (the resort was used as a hospital during the war). That was pretty interesting. We sat by the pool, in the shade :), we ate at the two fine restaurants in the resort, we swam, we relaxed...oh yeah...it was just what the doctor ordered. Here are a few shots for the baby book...

Then, we hit 27 weeks...

Next Monday we go back to the doctor. I have the one hour glucose test (please pray I pass it so that I don't have to go in for the three hour test), a visit with our doctor and....OUR 3D/4D ULTRASOUND!! That means we will get a glimpse at what Beebop Swatloski's face will look like!! We can't wait!!

I'm not starving...I'm so hungry, I'm tired....I mean...

So, Rick and I are absolutely exhausted. For the last three days, we have been helping out a friend of mine who is having marital problems by keeping her three small children. Yesterday, they were dropped off to us at work at 10:30 am. We were not able to take them home until 5:30 pm. That is 7 hours that these children were left in our care...at our place of business...after we were told it would take an hour...And this is after I took off on Monday to take the kids school shopping to distract them, and after they stayed at our house from 7:00 pm until 1:00 am on Sunday. We're exhausted. And very sad for them.

But, we are very happy for Baby Swatloski! We had a doctor's appointment Monday morning. Dr. Madden said that Beebop is growing just as he should. The scale wasn't very nice to me...but my doctor says that since I didn't gain any weight at last month's appointment so I'm in the clear. His words as we left were, "we're almost in the home stretch." ....ummm....oh my gosh. I am having a Jamie Buckman moment...."I'm the mommy...I'M THE MOMMY!!" Slightly daunting.

25 weeks...

Ugg...

It's hot...I can't remember why I ever thought being in the 7th (lunar) month of pregnancy, in Alabama, in August, would be a good idea. It's hot. I walked to the Farmer's Market yesterday at 3:00 and thought I was going to have to call Rick to come and pick me up. It's hot.

So, we are now 24 weeks pregnant. Actually, tomorrow is the last day of the 24th week. I have procrastinated a bit. So, we are nearly 25 weeks pregnant. Below you will find the latest photo. We have a doctor's appointment on Monday. Nothing major will be going on. But, on Monday we will schedule the dreaded glucose test and the much anticipated 3D/4D ultrasound!

Brookwood's band camp was this week and last. It is slightly more difficult to teach chasse en tournants and tour jetes when you are a big fat pregnant lady. Not impossible. But more difficult. We all survived and had a successful and productive camp. So, all is well.

'Til Monday...