We’re just coming off an amazing weekend filled with friends and family, reminding us once more just how blessed we are. 

Friday night Adam and I spent three hours at Babies R Us. Holy moly, ya’ll. Strollers and carseats and bottles, OH MY! We were pretty intimated by the whole registering process, but we’ve just about finalized our list. We’re also registering at Amazon, which has been fun since it lets us add from other cool sites like Etsy and our cloth diaper company.

Saturday morning (after Adam’s 10-mile run!) we had our first baby class at the hospital: Preparing to Parent, where we discussed sleep, swaddling, bonding, and self-care. We really enjoyed the hands-on learning, and look forward to future classes. Saturday afternoon we went home to Winston-Salem for a dear friend’s 30th birthday, and then came back to Cornelius in time to celebrate sweet Haley, who turned 23!

Sunday was Mother’s Day…and goodness, we have some pretty fantastic women in our lives! We started the day with church and brunch with Nana Beth, Erin, Haley, and Mari-Jo, then we loaded up and headed to Creedmoor where we were spoiled by a wonderful evening with Nana Kay, Michael, the Hissems, and the Russells. Baby was mighty active, and we really enjoyed letting everyone feel the kicks, twists, and turns. Just 10-ish weeks to go til we meet this sweet little acrobat!

Here’s how we’re doing at Week 29…

Baby’s size: According to The Bump, “Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, he or she weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but still has a ways to go — can you believe Baby will triple in weight before birth?”

What’s keeping Baby busy: Increased brain waves mean that Baby is starting to dream (wonder what about?) and control his or her body temperature. New fat deposits under the skin can also be blamed for Baby’s increased energy. No kidding!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: We’ve been mighty productive in the nursery! The sweet bookshelf is built (and decorated), the curtains are going up tomorrow, and we’re waiting for the dresser to arrive any day now. We’re still pondering art…a rug…and a side table and lamp for the glider — but it’s coming together beautifully and I can’t wait to post pictures very soon!

Cravings: Strawberries, avocados, hard-boiled eggs, milk, dark chocolate, and water. I’m insatiably thirsty all the time!

Struggles: So…sleep is getting a bit more complicated, as my sweet little bump grew to a sweet big bump that really weighs on my lower back. Since the docs advise pregnant gals to sleep on their left sides, my poor back has been mighty sore. Thankfully, Adam and I managed to devise a “fortress” of pillows. The good news: It’s working! I’ve been sleeping straight through the night. The bad news: Poor Adam.

The white pillow in the middle goes against my back, keeping me from rolling over…the gray pillow in the center supports my lower back and belly…then the Boppy gets cuddled tight all night. It’s pretty laughable, I realize. But hey — I’ll do anything it takes to get as much sleep as possible before little tot arrives! (And, thankfully, sweet Adam hasn’t complained once.)

Joys: We’re doing a maternity photo shoot with my sweet friend Shea on Thursday…and I can’t wait to share the results. Shea’s photography is incomparable, and I’m truly honored that she’s taking the time to bless us with her talent.

We also got to see a sneak peek of the nearly-finished letterpress baby announcements that Ashley and Bryan of Happy Penguin Press are designing for us. They’re simply gorgeous, and we cannot thank the Leaths enough for their generosity and patience. (Since Baby’s gender and name are a surprise, sweet Ashley doubled her workload and designed two equally fabulous announcements so we’re all ready for a baby girl or baby boy.)

Have a wonderful week!