Mississippi Girlfriend Baby Shower + 36 Week Update

On Valentine's Day the sweetest friends threw me a precious baby shower. These girls have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome here in Mississippi the past few years and I am so very thankful for them.  They showered me with the cutest and most useful gifts! I cannot wait to put them to use in just a few short weeks.  

  

Sweet Laura was so gracious to open her beautiful home for the shower! 

Love this arrangement! 

Little Mary Frances was so precious watching me open gifts. 

Her first swimsuit from her "boyfriends" Tripp and Gunner :) 

So glad that my bestie from college was in town visiting for the weekend and could come to my shower! I am so thankful for her friendship. She took care of me all weekend and it was so nice to have an extra hand around the house while Alan was working.

This Valentines day was a lot like last years.....spent without my hubby! Last year he was in NYC for a work conference. I was supposed to fly out and join him for Valentines but it came a snow/ice storm in Jackson and all flights were cancelled. This year he was stuck working night shift in the emergency room. Although we weren't able to have a romantic evening, he still took the time to get my flowers and treats! I am so grateful for all his hard work for our little family and I am blessed to have him as my forever Valentine.  I can't wait to make up for all these Valentines we aren't able to spend together in the years to come. 

Our last Valentines as a family of two! 

This week marks my 36th week of pregnancy! I have been feeling pretty good and am getting very anxious for the arrival of our sweet baby.  The braxton-hicks contractions are still fairly regular but still not painful.  Only complaints I have are lack of energy and heartburn so I'm considering myself lucky.  The nursery is almost complete and it has turned out exactly as I had dreamt of it!! I will post pictures as soon as it's complete.  I love going in there and rocking and daydreaming about her being in my arms. Since I will be considered "full term" in a few days, I plan on packing our hospital bags and installing the car seat this week just in case she comes before her due date. My favorite things right now are warm relaxing baths, long naps, coke icees, and sun chips. :) 

For the most part everything in her nursery is ready for action.  All her sweet little clothes are washed and ironed (thanks Mom) and the drawers are organized with all her sweet little necessities. 

We plan on her sleeping in this sweet bassinet in our room for the first few weeks.  This bassinet was used for me and my sister's when Granny, our great-grandmother kept us.  Mary Catherine had it refinished and had bedding made for Anna Scott when she was born.  I love that all of our babies will spend their first months of life in the same bassinet. So special! 

Work Baby Shower

To say that I have the best co-workers ever would be a huge understatement.  These woman, and Dr. Smith, have truly become my family here in Mississippi. I have grown to love them and respect them so much and it makes me very teary eyed to think about moving back home.  They have held my hand and walked daily with me through the heartaches of my last pregnancy and the daily worries of this pregnancy.  I honestly don't think I could have made it through the past year without them. God knows what we need before we realize it and I am 100% certain that He purposefully opened this job up for me so that I could be blessed by these wonderful people during the hardest and happiest times of my life thus far.  They threw me the most beautiful baby shower for Caroline Cate at Sharon's home Friday night. It was a night full of love and lasting memories. SO blessed. 

Beverly, Deb, me, Sharon, Carly and Leigh 

Rebecca, Marilyn, me, Leta and Anna (We missed you Kel!) 

Mrs. Smith (Dr. Smith's wife) Such a precious lady. 

Sweet DeeDee! So glad you were there to celebrate with me. 

My precious Mom and MIL. So sweet to make the trip to Jackson for the shower and to help with the finishing touches in the nursery! 

I received the most precious gifts! 

 

 

Sharon made this delicious strawberry cake and Deb made the yummy chocolate covered strawberry bouquet. Such talented women! 

35 weeks with my sweet Caroline Cate! (2.9.2015)

Baby Drama at 34 Weeks

We are in full baby mode here at the Cease house and things are starting to feel very real! This past week Caroline Cate gave us a little scare. I have been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions off and on since the middle of my 2nd trimester which is completely normal.  Last Monday the contractions, which are never painful just abdominal tightening for several seconds, became much more frequent and a little more intense. They kept on for two more days to where I was having anywhere from 4 to 10 contractions in an hour! Alan and I decided it may be best to visit my OB and see what was going on. I really thought that we were being extra cautious and overreacting and that they would probably laugh at us say "this is no big deal...welcome to your third trimester of pregnancy." However, when they hooked me up to the monitor to evaluate the situation they were not very pleased with what they saw. I was having contractions very frequently and they needed to be stopped. Good news was that I wasn't dilated.  They admitted me to labor and delivery and gave me a fluids to stop the contractions. An hour later they were not seeming to subside.  So plan B was a shot of a wonderful horrid drug called Trebuatline.  This medication makes you want to crawl out of your skin and gives you the shakes like you've never had before. But it did the trick and stopped those contractions very rapidly.  I was ordered to go home and rest, drink LOTS of water, and take it easy.  I am trying my best to obey the "take it easy and rest" part of my instructions but it is so hard as nesting has really kicked in and I am still trying to work.  The contractions have subsided some since I have been more aware of the need to limit my physical activity but they are still more frequent than I would like them to be. The doctor prescribed me a drug called Procardia to take as needed for the contractions but after I had a bad reaction to my first dose, I decided I wouldn't be taking that anymore.  I bought myself weekly visits to the OB for the remainder of my pregnancy and  am keeping my fingers crossed that I don't start to dilate for another 2 weeks. Caroline Cate, we are SO ready to meet you but would like for you to grow just a little bit more before you enter this big would. 

After I was discharged, I did treat myself to my most constant craving during this pregnancy....an ICEE!! I crave them all the time and my happy place for the last few week is sitting at the movies with a coke icee and a small buttered popcorn. Heaven! 

Like I said nesting has really started to set in. I have been pretty energy deficient this entire pregnancy but the last few weeks I haven't been able to sit still when I'm home. I have washed all Caroline Cate's clothes, folded them, folded them again, organized her closet and draws, and started writing in her baby book.  Alan's been busy putting all her swings, bouncers, and stroller together. We will be installing the car seat very soon, especially since I am already showing some signs of preterm labor.  It is such an overwhelming feeling to think that she will be in our arms in one short month. I daydream often about what her little face will look like, if she will have hair or be a sweet bald baby, how much she will weight, etc. Oh I just can't wait to meet her. I am so grateful that God chose me to be her momma. I find myself thanking Him several times a day for her little life. 

34 weeks 5 days 

My mother and mother-in-law will be coming to Madison this weekend to put the finishing touches on the nursery, iron baby clothes, and help me finish with baby chores.  I am so excited to see how everything comes together in her nursery! Stay tuned......