4 Days until D Day!

Well, several people had bet that we would have a baby by now, but not yet! We are four days from the due date, and we have no clue if our sweet little one will come before, after or on that fated day! I know that he or she will come when the time is right, so I am trying not to get too worked up about it. As you know, I have had Braxton Hicks contractions for quite some time. However, I think the contractions I have had the last few days are more "real." They are certainly more intense and slightly painful, but they are only coming every few hours. So, we are still waiting to take that ride to the hospital! If you want to place a bet, we are still taking them, and we will keep you posted when the big day comes! We cannot wait to have our baby in our arms and introduce him or her to the world!

38 Weeks and an Ultrasound

I wasn't sure I would ever make it to be able to say I am 38 weeks pregnant! But, tomorrow marks that occasion! I can't believe how close we are! We went to the doctor today, and they did an ultrasound. The doctor I saw last week was not sure the baby's head was down, and I have been measuring big, so they just wanted to check everything out. The baby's head is definitely down, and it looks like he or she is not a giant, so that is all good! The current estimate is 7 pounds, 5 ounces, but those ultrasounds are known for being inaccurate! They also said my fluid level is good, so everything is on track! Dr. C-R did not check my cervix, but they will check next week to see if I am progressing. This baby could come any day now, but will certainly be here in less than three weeks (they won't let me go more than a week past the due date!) So, if you want to get your wager in the pool, let me know! And, you can check out the calendar at the right to see what others are thinking!

Check out the pictures below. The first are from our Cafe and Then Some baby shower on May 3 (along with Happy Graduation for Sarah). Bill's brother Matt gave us the gift that keeps on giving... Tony the Dance Machine! There are no words to explain! If you have never seen him in action, check out the video of him with Betty Lay (Susan Smith's mother) and Pat. The last two pictures are from Memorial Day at Doug and Meg's house.

Sarah and Me

Me, Tony, and Bill

The baby belly

My Mom and Dad

When will this baby arrive? Do you dare to wager?

We are now within four weeks of our due date! It is hard to believe we are so close, but we are getting more excited by the day. With all of the Braxton Hicks contractions, I cannot help but wonder if our little baby might come a little early, but we have no real reason to think that might be the case...

That being said, we are finally getting around to following up on an idea that Bill's grandfather gave us months ago. We thought we would have a little fun with the baby's birthday, and we would like to invite you to join us! Several of our friends and family members have been putting up a lot of talk about when they think the baby will arrive, so we invite you to put your money where your mouth is! We are setting up a little wager: for $10 you can choose a day on which you think the baby will be born. You should also give a time, which will only be used if two people choose the correct birthday to choose the person who was closest! The winner will receive a $50 prize, and any extra money we raise will be put into Baby Smith's college fund. Also, you can place a side bet on whether the baby is a boy or a girl for an extra $5. If you are the winner of the birthday competition, and you also guessed the sex correctly, then you will win $100 instead of just $50! If you want to participate, place your bets by e-mailing me. We will accept entries up until we head to the hospital!

Less than 6 weeks now...

Time is really flying now! On Wednesday we hit the 6 week mark (34 weeks pregnant) and things are really starting to feel real. I think it is slowly dawning on Bill and me that we are actually going to have a baby to take care of really soon!

We had a third shower on April 18, given to us by all of our dear friends from JL Mann. Unfortunately, the camera that I brought to take pictures had dead batteries. Mom took lots of pictures, but I haven't had a chance to get them from her yet so I can post some. I will get back to you with that. We got some really great gifts, including a ton of gift cards to various places: Babies R Us, Baby Gap, Target, and Barnes and Noble (If I am leaving any out, I am sorry!) We also got some cute clothes, diapers, baskets to help organize the nursery, an awesome diaper bag monogrammed with an S, and some great childrens' books. It truly was one of the best parties I have been to with so many friends present! We have our final shower on Sunday, hosted by Susan Smith and the Cafe crowd. It will be a combination "Welcome baby Smidwell" and "Happy Graduation Sarah" party, and I cannot wait. Bill is cooking his famous spaghetti, and I know a fun time will be had by all!

Amid all the festivities, I did have a little scare last week. On Wednesday, the Braxton Hicks contractions that I have been having for 10 weeks or so started getting worse. I finally started writing down times, and I ended up having 6 in one hour and 7 in the next hour, despite sitting down, putting my feet up and drinking lots of water. I called the doctor and went in for an exam. They said my cervix was still tight, which is the most important thing. The contractions had slowed down a bit by the time the doctor examined me, and he said it could have been caused by dehydration and being tired. I am supposed to continue monitoring any contractions that I have, drink water until I float away, and stay off my feet as much as possible. Things have been more "normal" since then. I went back to the doctor Monday, and everything checked out fine. When I go back May 13, I will be going once a week until the baby arrives! We are getting so excited!

Another Shower - EHS

Bill and I really are the most blessed people on this earth! My friends from Eastside gave us a shower this afternoon after school at Rafferty's. There was a great turnout, and we got more wonderful gifts! We got the stroller frame for our carseat so we can take this little boy or little girl for walks around the block this summer while Mommy tries to lose her baby weight! Mom gave us the window valances for the nursery that match our bedding. Our rocker and ottoman came in yesterday, so hopefully we will pick them up tomorrow. Once we get that in, the nursery will be almost complete! I will try to get some nursery pictures up here soon! Here are some pictures from the shower!


Jane, Mary Ann, Mary Kay, Lisa Sheila, Jenny, Betty, Tory, Patty

My mom and me... Bella to be!

Look at the basket of goodies from the admin! Emily's daughter Kate... cute, huh?

We had a great time hanging out with friends from Eastside! Thanks girls!

Baby Shower

Saturday, April 11 was our first baby shower, and it was so much fun! It was hosted by my aunt Terry, my cousin Shelley, my mom's dear friend Linda, and my friends Candace and Mary Beth. It was at Earle Street Baptist Church, and there were so many wonderful people who made it to help us celebrate the coming birth of this precious baby! I didn't get very many pictures. My mom took a lot more of me with the grandmothers-to-be and lots more presents. You can check out those pictures on Facebook if you want!

All of the hostesses with me before the shower. Check out the gorgeous diaper cake Shelley made!

There were so many presents I couldn't believe my eyes! I just kept opening and opening! Thanks to everyone for being so generous and thoughtful! We got our car seat, a stroller, a pack 'n play, and lots of other wonderful things!

My friends Laura and Jennifer from high school!

My belly in all of its glory!

The Countdown is On!

Well, last week we officially made it under the 10 week mark! And, as of today, we are 31 weeks pregnant. I finally feel like it is OK to start counting down instead of counting up. It is so hard to believe we are more than 3/4 of the way through the pregnant stage of this new addition to our lives! We have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to!

I went to the doctor last week, and everything still looks good. My blood pressure is on track, the heartbeat was strong, and my belly measurement was good (I still don't really understand that one!) I will be going in for checkups every two weeks now until I reach 36 weeks, when I will start going every week. I feel like my belly is getting huge, but other than that, I am feeling great, so I am certainly not complaining!

Our big news is that we bought a new car today! Well, not really new, but new to us. Sadly, I had to trade in the Mini Cooper (sniff) but I am relieved to have a car that we can actually fit a car seat into. We bought a 2007 Mazda 5, which is kind of a combination of a station wagon and mini van. From the outside, it just looks like a big car, but the back doors slide like a mini-van, and it has third row seats, which fold down for the same amount of storage as a station wagon. I am really excited about it!

I have my first baby shower on Saturday, and I am so excited about that, too! I will post another update with pictures next week! Thanks for keeping us and this baby in your prayers!