STILL NO BABY!!!!

I'm almost half way through my 39th week of pregnancy & still no Baby Karis! I wasn't supposed to make it this far, but I guess the doc was wrong. :( My first due date was July 31st, which is only about 4 days away, so hopefully I'm on the home stretch! I've been praying, well more like begging, God everyday that today would be the day. I do want God's perfect timing and will for Karis, it's just so hard to be patient! You would think this is a test or something! :)

My doctor appt was on last Thursday. I was still dilated the same, but the doc said that the Karis' head was just right there and that my 'bag of waters' was bulging and would probably break on its own. I'm really excited about that one, seeing how I'm not very fond of the idea of using a crochet needle to break it for me! Ouch!!!

My mom has been staying with me for the last week or so. We have been having so much fun! It's helped a whole lot having her here! It makes me feel more secure knowing that I have someone with me in case my water breaks and Mike is at school. We've been doing lots of shopping, watching movies, cleaning house, and making jewelry for Karis. She's already a blessed baby! Tons-o-fun!!!

The rest of my family drove down again this weekend again just in case I went into labor. I feel so sorry for them having to travel 350 miles one way to get here and then another 350 miles back! But, I do feel extremely blessed that they are sacrificing money & time to try and be here when Karis comes. It means so much to Mike & I!

This outfit is what we're thinking of bringing Karis home from the hospital in. What do you think?

Well, if you think about it, keep us in your prayers. Pray that Karis would make her debut this week! Also, keep Mike in your prayers. With all the baby excitement, he still has school, tests, and finals start in a week and a half. He's been trying so hard to keep everything up, but it has been hard for him to really concentrate how he needs to. We need him to keep it up!

False Alarm! :(

Yesterday morning we had a false alarm!

I started having contractions every 3 - 5 minutes late Sunday night, and by the wee hours of Monday morning they had gotten closer together and longer in length. They were every 2 minutes for about 90 - 120 secs each. We went back and forth on what to do because I couldn't really feel them very well. Sometimes I knew I was having them, and other times I had to ask my husband or my mom to feel and make sure it was contraction. So, to be on the safe side, we headed up to the hospital to get checked.

We got there, got hooked up to the monitor, and sat for 2 hours! My contractions were the same and then a little stronger. I was 50% effaced, but my dilation had not changed since last time I was checked! My water is still in tact, but I did lose my plug. The nurse was a little puzzled, but said that everything looked fine so not to worry. My blood pressure was still about the same (106/68), the baby's heart rate was normal, and Karis was really active. Needless to say, I was sent home!

It's a bit disappointing! My whole family was here. It would have been the perfect time for Karis to make her entrance! We got all excited and then nada! Hopefully I'll start dilating more & fast! I guess God is still putting the finishing touches on Karis. We want her to come at God's timing for her, not our own time even though it would be nice to have her sooner than later!

No Baby Yet! :(

It's Monday & no baby Karis yet! This waiting around stuff is for the birds!!! It's so, so hard to be patient right now! Here in the metroplex my neighbor's thermometer says 107 degrees outside. They've been coming over to check on me, and to make sure that our air conditioner is working good. It is thank goodness!!

All I've done lately is stay in the house. I'm beginning to feel like a hermit. I don't think I've been out of the house except to go to church on Sunday, and to Wal-mart & Target today. It's just too hot to be out and about. Tonight I have a chiropractor appt., and Weds. is my next obgyn appt. Hopefully I won't have to go to the obgyn appt on Weds. :) I've been praying my guts out that things will start happening soon!

I think that I've gotten everything ready to go now. My bag is packed, Karis' bag is ready, I've already cleaned the house like 4 or 5 times, I've sprayed for spiders (with a mask), gotten all the laundry caught up, the baby book is up-to-date, finished making bows, the nursery is done, and we just finished our birth plan last night. What else is there to do?? I've been trying to busy my self by reading books, soaking in the bathtub, exercising, and wandering mindlessly through the Internet for recipes to make your own baby lotion, wipes, & powder, etc.

Well, I think that you could say I am officially bored!!

Doc. Update!

Yesterday I went to the doctor, & all is looking great! Karis is still head down and in postion, & heart rate and blood pressure are still good. I'm also already dialated to a good 3, almost 3 1/2! Hopefully it won't be too much longer!!! I'm praying for this weekend. It might be wishful thinking, but I'm ready! We have pretty much everything ready to go, so I've just been doing little things here and there to keep myself busy. It's so hard to be patient at this point!

My family is having fun trying to guess the date she'll arrive. So, I thought it would be fun for everyone to vote on it. Put your guesses on the poll to the right!

Beating the Heat

Yesterday we FINALLY had a break from the awful heat! We had a light, steady rain for most of the day. It was wonderful! The few days before we're a little steamy with temps reaching 105 on Saturday. Yuck! So, I had to keep myself busy inside. (Most of you know that in the summer I love to be outside, but being 9 months pregnant, I can't really handle it as well.)

Here's some projects that I finished:

1. Bow - o -rama

I probably went a little overboard, but didn't really realize it until I counted how many I made. I made 14 clippies, 21 bows, and 6 headbands. Ooops!



2. Finished up the beginning of Karis' baby/scrapbook.



3. Did an at-home-spa day! I loved this one the most! I made an avocado/egg hair mask, an all over body exfoliant, and did a mani & a pedicure. It was pure bliss!

4. Got my postpartum belly wraps in! I'm really excited about this one. It helps hold your separated stomach muscles together for a faster healing time. It is also supposed to help your uterus shrink back down to its pre-prego size quicker. The only catch is you have to wear them for 40 days/nights.

5. We started on the rocking chair project, but it was way harder than expected. It will have to get done little by little when it's cooler outside.

6. Almost packed for the hospital!

The Last Week or So. . .

This last week or so has been full of things!

1. My parents and aunt & uncle stopped by for a quick visit on their way to help my brother & sister-in-law move back to Amarillo. It was a lot of fun, but I wish that they had been able to stay more than just one night!

2. This last week, my friend, Katy, came for a visit while she was working market in Dallas. We had a great time just being able to catch up and talk. She gave me some great pointers for how to deal with the hospital when it's time for Karis to come, too! Girls nights are so fun!

3. I started, and mostly completed, many projects.

A. I decided not to do the traditional baby book. Instead, I'm doing a scrap baby book. I got some ideas out of baby books I'd seen in the stores and did only the pages that I really liked. Then I'm also going to do scrapbook pages of pics & stuff. I'm thinking that I'll probably only do it until Karis' 1st birthday. (I tend to get burned out on scrapbooking real easy.)

B.The nursery - well, it's pretty much completed. Here are some pics so far.

C. I'm going to give making headbands and hair bows a try. Well, see. . . I'll keep you updated.

D. The rocking chair - We found a great little rocking chair, but we're going to strip the varnish and paint it white to match the other furniture in the nursery. Don't worry. When I say "we", I really mean Mike. :)

E. Lastly, well for right now, all I need to do is get my hospital bag packed and pick out a coming home outfit for Karis. I can't believe it's getting so close! Oh - My doctor thinks that Karis will probably come a little sooner than the 31st. We're thinking maybe around the 15th or so. I'm so glad!

One more thing - Keep praying for rain here in the metroplex! It's been so ridiculously hot!!! We reached 104 on Saturday, and then on Sunday we had a "cool front" come in at 100. We did get a little bit of rain on Monday, but not enough to really cool things down. Pregnant or not, 104 is just too hot!!!

Prepping

With only a little over a month left until we get to meet Karis, I've been trying to "prep" Mike for all things girly. (i.e. dresses, matching hair bows, the color pink, mini skirts, accessories, etc.) I saw this video and it was just too cute! I showed it to Mike so that he might have an idea of what's possibly in store for him in the future. Enjoy!

"Are All Women Born This Way?"

7 1/2 Weeks Left!

I can't believe I only have 7 1/2 weeks left!! Mike & I are so pumped to meet Miss Karis! Last night we were talking about Mike's birthday coming up, and when she heard us say birthday, she started kicking and moving like crazy! I guess she's just about ready for her birthday! I've also been emailed and had messages left for some updated belly pics. So, here's the update!

The 1st one is me at 5 months, and the 2nd is me at 8 months.

Ist Trimester Down! 2 to go!

Hi everyone! Just an update: I am officially through my first trimester and working on the second! The first trimester couldn't have been any better! I did not have any morning sickness, and thanks to my chiropractor, my handsome husband, I have not had any backaches or pains! I'm not showing yet, so I don't have belly pics. Sorry!

Baby Vennell weighs about 1/2 an ounce now and is about the size of a plum!