28 weeks, 148 lbs. THIRD trimester!

The revenge of the "charleigh" horse! Seriously, I had never had a charlie horse before, those suckers are painful. I've actually been getting them for a few weeks now, just like everyone warned me I would. To be honest I remember thinking, "Yeah right, how does a baby growing in your belly cause your legs to cramp..." And now, I know.

Craving update: Everyone keeps asking me what I'm craving and to be honest, nothing. I craved a LOT more at the beginning of my pregnancy but lately, I'll just eat anything! (except vegetables of course, oh poor Charleigh, good thing I take my vitatmins religiously :) But, I will say that this week, I've definitely been craving chocolate! And I know it seems like EVERYONE craves chocolate (pregnant or not) but not me. I like chocolate, and I'll eat chocolate at any time but, I've never been sitting on my couch and had this strong, urgent desire to down some Reeses' or make myself some chocolate milk...Oh I am going to gain SOO much weight this trimester!

So, as you can see in our previous post, we had our 3D/4D ultrasound and got to see our pretty little girl. 3D ultrasounds are a bit creepy but you just can't help yourself...to be able to get a little glimpse of your precious offspring, you'll do anything! After just watching her in 3D moving, sucking, sticking out her tongue, smiling, kicking, etc. you are just amazed that this little perfect person is growing inside you. How can you not praise our Creator? Even though it's my body that is "making" her and constructing her at this moment, my body can't do THIS! My body can't tell her fingers where to form and her eyes how to blink. It can't instruct her little lungs how to breath even though they've never felt air...it's just all so amazing, and I really can't believe it's happening to us :)

My prayer for our daughter:

O Lord, search Charleigh and know her. Know when she sits and when she rises; percieve and direct her thoughts from afar. Discern her going out and her lying down; Be familiar with all Charleigh's ways. Before a word is on her tongue, know it completely, O Lord. Hem her in-behind and before; lay your hand upon her. Such knowledge is too wonderful for her, or me, too lofty for us to attain. Where can she go from your Spirit? Where can she flee from your presence? If she goes up to the heavens, you are there; If she makes her bed in the depths, you are there. If she rises on the wings of the dawn, if she settles on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide her, your right hand will hold her fast. If she says, "Surely, the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created Charleigh's inmost being; you knit her together in my womb. I praise you because she is fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are WONDERFUL, I know that full well. Her frame was not hidden from you when she was made in the secret place. When she was woven together, your eyes saw her unformed body. All the days ordained for her were written in your book before even one of them came to be. How precious to her are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were we to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When Charleigh awakes, she is still with you. Search her, O God, and know her heart; test her and know her anxious thougths. See if there is any offensive way in her, and lead her in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139)

Well, we also had another doctor's visit this week, with my regular OB. He is not optomistic about this placenta previa. He says he is 75% sure we will have a C-section. The good news is that instead of it having to be 2 or 3 weeks early, it will only have to be 1 week early (since my previa is marginal instead of complete). I know that we would LOVE to have her 2 or 3 weeks early but I want to make sure she has plently of time to grow and mature in there. Doc is estimating that she will be close to 8 pounds (but not over 8)...I was 7 lb 2 oz and Justin was 9 lbs!! Charleigh is measuring in the 66th percentile (means a little big for her age) but luckily I'm tall and she has lots of room in there, my belly is measuring small for this stage, Woo Hoo, let's stay away from those stretch marks! My mom never got any through ANY of her pregnancies so I am hoping I'll take after her :)

This week Big Mama and I plan to start construction on the bedding and window treatments! I am really hoping that all I have planned for Charleigh's room is going to turn out like it looks in my head...I'm scared it may be a bit busy but...we'll see! So, by this time next week, I should have more updated nursery pictures.

Exciting news, for those who want to know...SHOWERS are in the works! My love language is gifts, those who love me, know this...so when someone offers to throw me a shower, I cannot describe how loved I feel. It really means so much to me for people to take time, money and effort out of their lives just for me (oh and Charleigh). So, July 26th we'll be enjoying a shower up in Bama with all the fam and old friends. I am so glad I get to share this with my sisters and all my Aunts and cousins and friends from back home. My "old" church is throwing it for us, all those ladies are just so sweet and babies are their FAVORITE! I have to go by my mom's Sunday School class every time I am in town to model the growing belly...they just ooo and ahhh. I know that they were prayer warriers in our time of need. I am so thankful for that. And then all my girlfriends here (with their powers combined) are throwing a shower the very next week (Aug. 1st)...this is going to be the mother of all showers. I don't know how they are going to do it but they are amazing so I'm totally excited and honored. Instead of doing a couple smaller showers here in Pcola they decided to roll all of them into one (which I must say is a blessing to me!) and invite EVERYONE in our freakin' church...well of course not everyone but, a large number of folks. Thank you girls with all my heart for the hard work, cooking, decorating, invitation mailing, etc that I know you will do for this. You are my heroes! Since the guest list is continually growing please let me know if you don't get an invite and would like to come. Is that weird to say? I just don't want to forget anyone that I know and love and it turns out...that is A LOT of people!

*Update* I got a picture of our changing table in the construction process so far... it's perfect! Thanks Trey for all your hard work so far!

**Update Update** I just had a sobering realization. If you scroll down to the very bottom of our blog you will see a little baby ticker. It shows where we are in our pregancy and says some witty thing below it. I just scrolled down and saw that we are almost at the end! I remember through 4 pregnancies now, posting one of those tickers every time and just yearning for the day that we would make it to the 3rd one, you know, the one where the baby actually starts looking like a baby, and every time, we wouldn't, instead we would have to start all over again with a new ticker but....oh joy, God has given me great blessings and and overflowing heart today :)