Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family!  We spent Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas Day with Judd's mom and stepdad, and the day after Christmas with Judd's dad's family.  We are so blessed to have such an awesome family!  Bray is already spoiled, too!  Grandaddy Bray and Bebe got us the pack and play (which is already set up in our room thanks to Judd!), Grandbabs and Papa John got us the mattress for her crib and helped a lot with the bedding, and Grandaddy Nash and Ju-Ju got her her own pink Christmas tree filled with goodies and TONS of diapers!  She's already a loved little girl!  Here are a few pictures of our Christmas celebrations and our first White Christmas!

28 Weeks

So we're officially in the third trimester (as of last week)!!  It's really the homestretch now, and I can't believe how fast time has flown!  Overall, I'm feeling pretty good.  I'm definitely hitting the aches and pains part of pregnancy, but I will take it!  She is moving and kicking constantly now.  It's fun to watch the kicks from the outside and feel her head or bottom (I can't tell which it is). 

We went and interviewed a couple of day cares today, and we have one more to visit tomorrow.  Bray won't be starting until August (when she's about 6 months old), but waiting lists around here are insane!  We want to make sure she gets on a list somewhere we are happy and comfortable.  Now I have to start looking for pediatricians...so much to do!!

Here's what's happening with our little girl this week:


Are you dreaming about your baby? At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs.


By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to his or her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks.

A little update :)

We had a great Thanksgiving break!  It was so great to go home and see family!  Bray certainly enjoyed her first Thanksgiving meal! We also got the house decorated, tree up, and we painted the nursery.  Which leads to my newest decision...we're changing up the nursery a little!

Judd did such a great job painting the nursery pink, but it was so pink I just couldn't get used to it.  Here's proof:

Yikes, right??  But Judd did a great job with the trim!!

Anyway, here is what we're shooting for now.  It will be MUCH more toned down with this bedding set and drapes.  I'm so excited, I really think it looks more "baby" now!

I can't wait to order it!!  I'll post again tomorrow (hopefully) with a weekly update!

26 Weeks and Almost in the Third Trimester!

Ok, I've been really slacking about updating the blog!  So lots to update on!!

Week 24 - We bought the nursery furniture!  We went to A Room of Their Own in Kennesaw and got an AMAZING deal on the crib, dresser/changer, and an end table.  We were able to buy floor models so we saved a ton of money, but the best part is we were able to take it home that day!  We set it up in the nursery and I just love it!  That weekend I was attacked by a HORRIBLE stomach bug!  I literally could not eat or drink anything (or keep it down) for 3 days.  I seriously wanted to die!  I ended up living through it and lost a little weight, but all is well now!  Here are some pictures of the furniture (still SO much to do in the nursery!):


The crib - it's from the Caroline line by Young America



The dresser - you can't see the detail so well in this picture, but it is so pretty!

End table - it will go right beside the glider (pictre to follow)

Week 25 - Mom and Daddy came down to go to my monthly appointment with me.  At the appointment, I had my 1 hour glucose test.  I haven't heard anything, so I'm assuming all results were normal.  The nurse said I would hear from them if I failed it, so no news is good news!  I had an ultrasound to check Bray and see how my cervix is holding up.  Mom and Daddy got to see her wiggling around and kicking, they really enjoyed that.  In fact, the ultrasound tech told me she normally didn't feel kicks that hard from babies until they were around 30 weeks!  Maybe we'll have a little dancer on our hands! :)  Here is a picture from that ultrasound:

Isn't she sweet??  I thought was her little hand, but that's actually the umbilical cord right beside her face.

This week we also ordered the glider for the furniture.  We got it from the same store we found the rest of the furniture.  I seriously recommend that store to anyone who needs kids' furniture - they are amazing!  Here is the glider:

I found a gorgeous cream fabric that has a paisley print pressed into it.  It's very soft and comfy!

Week 26 - So far so good!!  This weekend Judd is planning to put the crown molding up in the nursery and hopefully begin the closet organization system.  Things are starting to come together, slowly but surely!  I also need to order the bedding in the next couple of weeks.  I'm starting to get more comments from strangers (or really former parents at school who didn't know I was pregnant) about my belly.  I guess it's more obvious.  I know I have a long way to go, but I am sure starting to get uncomfortable!  Her kicks are really getting strong!  We can see her moving from the outside now, it's so cool!  Here is a picture from last night:

Ok, as if this post couldn't get any longer, here is Bray's stats for week 26:

Look who's looking. Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) — are beginning to open at 26 weeks pregnant. What this means is that your baby is able to see what's going on now (unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting). But do try this at home for kicks (baby's that is): Shine a flashlight at your stomach. Your baby might kick in response (as in: "Get that light out of my eyes!").


The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until your baby is close to six months old.

Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity.

And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight (about nine inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate he or she is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for your baby to grow. It just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels, and other Olympic feats.

23 Weeks

I think I've finally hit that stage in pregnancy where everything starts to hurt.  I've had a constant backache since 21 weeks, and now my ribs have decided to join in!  I guess this baby girl is really growing, though!  I feel so guilty complaining, considering how long we've wanted this, but geez, it's been rough!  I know that this is just the beginning and many more aches and pains are in store!

Here is Bray's progress this week!

At eight inches and slightly over a pound, your baby is the size and shape of a small doll when you are 23 weeks pregnant. (But then, you already knew that you were carrying a living doll, didn't you?) This week marks the beginning of some serious weight gain. Your baby's weight in the next four weeks alone should double (and you may feel as though yours is too).


You have probably heard your developing baby's heartbeat through a Doppler a number of times already (though you never get tired of hearing it), but by now you can also hear it through a standard stethoscope. What a heart throb!

Your baby's skin is reddish in color now because of the developing blood vessels underneath (remember, the skin is very thin still). It also hangs loosely from his or her little body at this point. That's because the skin grows faster than the fat develops during fetal growth. But don't worry. By the time your baby is born, he or she will be pleasantly plump and filled out — from chubby cheeks to chubby toes.

22 Weeks

I've got a quick post for today!  Bray is growing and moving like crazy!  Last night Judd felt her kick for the first time, it was so cool!  Now it's not just a little thing between the two of us, others can feel her, too!  Last weekend, I even got a video of how hard she's kicking.  I put a remote on my stomach, and you can see it jump when she kicks.  You have to fast forward to about 1:00 in to see it:

Fast forward to about a minute in to see it jump!

I don't have a picture from this week yet, but we are going to visit Jessica and Josh in Birmingham and I'll be sure to get one then.  Here is a picture from going out last Friday night at 21 weeks 1 day - quite a growth spurt!

Bray's progress in Week 22:

Guess what? At 22 weeks pregnant, your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. How heavy is that? Hold a one-pound box of sugar in your hand the next time you're in the grocery story (and expect people to ask you why you're grinning from ear to ear). Is the box eight inches long? That's about the length your baby is too!

This week, your sweetie is making more sense of the world as he or she develops the sense of touch. In fact, your little one's grip is quite developed by now — and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, he or she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical cord (don't worry — it's tough enough to handle it). The sense of sight is also getting more developed. Your fetus can now perceive light and dark much better than before (even with those fused eyelids). But remember — unless you're shining a flashlight over your belly (which you can do, by the way), it'll be mostly dark for your baby inside that cozy womb of yours.

Moving up from the eyes, the eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. You'd be quite surprised, though, if you could see your little one up close and in color. Hair at this stage of fetal development has no pigment, so it's bright white.

20 Week Anatomy Scan

We went in today for our 20 week anatomy scan.  It was so cool to see Bray moving and kicking, and feeling her at the same time!  Everything was perfect and she's actually measuring a day ahead.  She weighs 13.5 ounces, which is just a little bigger than the average.  Here are the sweet pictures from the ultrasound!

We also got the picture of her gender, but she's a lady and I'm not posting that!  It's very clear she's a little girl, trust me! :)

Half Baked!



I think I've "popped" (whatever that really means!)

 We're halfway there!  In about 20 weeks Bray will be here!  What a fun milestone!  I have been feeling great, so it's definitely making up for the rough patch I had through the beginning of the 2nd trimester. 

I have found a much better (budget-wise and I just love it, too) bedding set for Bray.  Thanks, Sara, for recommending Polka Tots!  I ordered swatches, and as long as I love the fabric as much in person as I do from the picture, we're putting the order in!

Can't wait to put her monogram on it! 

Here are Bray's 20 week stats:

You've got a heavyweight in your belly at 20 weeks pregnant (well, in baby terms, anyway). Your little champ weighs about ten ounces and has a height, crown to rump, of about six and a half inches. Think small cantaloupe (and probably as sweet too).


Is it a boy cantaloupe or a girl cantaloupe? You'll be able to find out your baby's gender via the ultrasound by this point. If you're carrying a girl fetus, her uterus is fully formed this week and her vaginal canal is starting its development (which means that in about twenty-five or thirty-some-odd years, she could be just where you're at, Grandma!). She also has primitive eggs in her tiny little ovaries now, seven million of them — though by the time she's born, that number will be down to two million (still more than she could ever hope to use). And interestingly, your baby girl will be born with all the eggs she'll ever have.

19 Weeks and The Decorating Begins!!

Almost halfway there!  Bray is moving and kicking like crazy now!  I can't wait for Judd to be able to feel it from the outside.  Here's the belly this week:


19 weeks

In other exciting news, I've been researching and looking for the perfect furniture and bedding for Bray's nursery.  I couldn't find anything that I loved, until today!  I visited Koo Koo Bear Kids in Roswell, and I think I've found IT!  Here is the furniture I hope to get (still pending Judd's approval, haha):

The crib!



The changer/dresser

I love the bed skirt!

This is just to see the fabrics better.

It's starting to come together!!

As for Bray's progress this week, she's now a large mango!

Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango.


Your little action figure is able to choreograph Matrix-like moves at 19 weeks pregnant. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your baby more control over limb movements. Which explains all that kicking, stretching, and bodysurfing (or rather bellysurfing) you've possibly started feeling by now.

Something else going on this week: Your baby is getting a cheesy varnish. Say what? Yup — a protective substance called vernix caseosa (vernix is the Latin word for varnish; caseosa is cheese) now covers your baby's skin. It's greasy and white and is made up of lanugo (that downy hair), oil from your baby's glands, and dead skin cells. This waxy "cheese" may not sound too appetizing or attractive, but it's there for good reason: Vernix protects your baby's sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Without it, your baby would look very wrinkled at birth (sort of what you'd look like if you soaked in a bath for nine months). Some babies — especially those born early — will still be covered with vernix at the delivery, so you might get a look at your baby's first anti-wrinkle cream.

IT'S A GIRL!!

We had a blast at our Pink or Blue party!!  We are thrilled that Baby Nash is a girl!!  It's so exciting to be able to say she/her and call her Bray!  Here are more photos of the party!

The door decorations (photo courtesy of Emery!)
Thank you, Megan, for the monogrammed paintings!!

THE cake!  Thank you, Stephanie and Joey for the AWESOME cake from Gabriel's!!

Sweet Emery - She will be such a good friend to Bray!

Team BLUE!

Team PINK

Here we go!

It's PINK!

We're excited!!

The winning painting!

Bray's first little dress from her Bebe!

Auntie Jess and Granbabs (we're missing Uncle Josh and Papa John!)

Uncle Jon, Aunt Alicia, Bebe, and Granddaddy Bray

The Great-Grandparents - Mama, Granny, and Papa

The Great-Grandparents - Grandmommie and Granddaddy

The parents-to-be!

Some how we missed a picture with Judd's dad (Granddaddy Nash) and step-mom (Juju).

We had a WONDERFUL time, and we were completely overwhelmed with the love and support of our friends and family.  Now the FUN really begins!!