Twenty Nine

It's that time of the year again... MY BIRTHDAY!

I think the main thing I've dreaded about 29 is that it's one of those ages that no one believes (unless they know you actually ARE 29 and not just claiming it). But I DO keep thinking about how old 29 seemed for SO LONG... I mean 29 was practically 30, which was practically "middle age" when I was younger... clearly I had a skewed perspective, but then again a WHOLE LOT can happen and change within (almost) 3 decades! I mean, a TON has happened in just the last decade of my life!

29 Things I've Done (or that have happened in my life) over the last decade:

1. Attended, transferred, and graduated from college
2. Had 3 different college majors
3. Traveled all across this country numerous time (by car and plane)
4. Traveled to Peru
5. Traveled to Africa
6. Met my husband
7. Been engaged
8. Got married
9. Learned how to be a wife
10. Been pregnant 3 times (obviously still in the midst of one)
11. My feet and my ring finger have grown 1 full size (since my 1st pregnancy)
12. Become a mommy
13. Become an aunt
14. 2 C-Sections, sinus surgery, spinal blocks, & ear tubes
15. Been hospitalized for kidney stones, pregnancy complications, births, pneumonia, and a stomach bug
16. Had a total of 5 cats (not all at once): Gus, Milo, Charley, Cali, and Tilly
17. Worked 3 "grownup" jobs: Cache (Assistant Manager), Wells Fargo (Interim Loan Processor), Alabama Power (Admin Assistant)
18. Grown from being a college KID to being an adult
19. Owned a total of 5 cars (and yet I still drive the car I got when I was in high school)
20. Moved 8 times (all within the same state)
21. Discovered the value of family
22. Learned to really seek God and His will for my life
23. Gained a true appreciation for my parents (and all parents)
24. Learned how to forgive (others as well as myself)
25. Grown from being a victim to helping victims
26. Actually ached for the pain, suffering, and salvation of others
27. Learned (and continuing to learn) that God ALWAYS provides and that His plan is PERFECT
28. Discovered that no matter how much I research/read/consult/etc there are some parts of parenting that are completely new territory which NO ONE is prepared for!
29. Kept an amaryllis plant alive for 2 years and counting (my 1st plant to NOT annihilate)!!

Keith's 1st time to make a cake

Joint Birthday for me and Janeen
Ok, so it's not really the best pic of any of us, but I love how excited Landen is!

Pregnancy Stuff: Week 30

• How far? 29 weeks, 4 days (That's right... I'm 29 years old and I'm 29 weeks - I couldn't have planned it better if I'd tried)
• Bump? Of course! See picture below

Our family of 4 (and a bump)

• Weight Gain? I've gained 1 pound (so I'm at ZERO from pre-pregnancy)... though from the looks of things you probably wouldn't believe it!
• Belly Button? Shallow, but IN 
• Blood Pressure? 126/83
• Fundal Height? 31
• Fetal size approximation? 33 to 34 weeks
• Maternity Clothes? Definitely
• Fetal Heart Rate? 133 bpm
• Movement? This kid has a TON of energy and with his tushy and feet up it's very apparent!
• Cravings? LEMONADE, key lime pie, lemon stuff... not sure what's going on with the sweet/sour thing
• Aversions? Strong smelling stuff, green grapes, red beans, sausage, onions, FISH
• Symptoms? Some swelling of my fingers and feet by the end of the day, Headaches, Exhaustion, Moody, Emotional, Back Pain, some rather unpleasant things...
• Sleep? Meh it's alright, once I get comfortable. 
• I had a VERY weird dream last night though... something about me being pregnant and then the baby being born and I was out of town so wasn't there for the birth so I didn't get to see the baby for a few days because I had to come back in town to see my baby... I dunno... I was crying in my dream though.
• Gender? Definitely a BOY!
• Name? Declen Miles
• Best Moment? Finding out that the oxygen levels in Declen's brain looked good!! AND seeing his hair on the ultrasound (crazy right!?)!
• Doctor's Report? So I had a good visit to all my doctors on Tuesday. My blood sugar doesn't seem to be related (much at all) to what I eat, which means it’s the placenta that’s causing the craziness – if my blood sugar continues upward, then I will be placed on some medicine, but right now I’m just having to track my meals and blood sugar closely. The oxygen/blood flow to Declen's brain looked really good on the ultrasound/doppler and he had only grown 1 week's worth over the course of 1 week (Good job buddy!). I also learned that my High Risk OB is NOT an advocate for bedrest unless it's absolutely the last resort AND that we are going to try to get this baby as close to 40 weeks as safely possible! :)