T MINUS HOURS AND 25 MINUTES

Just a quick note... I'm getting bigger by the hour (or at least that's how it feels). Porter has dropped a little... but not too much. I am extremely ready for my appointment on Friday morning. I can't wait to see what Dr. Motley says. I'm sure I'll get to hear again that Porter loves his momma and doesn't want to leave her. Well... I have news for him... come Sunday morning at 7am... we're going to start forcing him to come out... want to or not.

I promise to try and keep you guys as updated on everything as possible.

Oh... and I don't know why anyone else wants to see this... but here's a picture from today.

And again I say... blah!

He's not gonna be a little guy

We had our last sonogram yesterday and I was so happy to be able to see our little guy. I have been having dreams that we went in for sonogram and the tech said "you're little girl is gonna be pretty big." So the first thing I asked our sono tech to verify that we are in fact having a boy. Lucky for us, our guy isn't shy and was proud to show himself off for us. Other than that we got to see his cute little profile. He was blowing us kisses in the pictures of his face. And we're about 90% sure he has inherited my family's nose. We can't wait to be able to see him!

He is weighing in (and this can be off by about a half of a pound either way... per our doc) at a whopping 7.15 pounds. When we met with Dr. Motley I told her she should probably add that additional half pound. She told us that at the rate he's growing by the time we get to 40 weeks, Porter would be around 10 pounds. I figured that was about right... he already feels like he weighs about 15 pounds.

So... that being said, if I do not have him next week... I WILL BE INDUCED ON SUNDAY THE 19th!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! The countdown begins... T minus 9 days!!!!

In other news, we finally got our rocker! It may have taken 4 months to get recovered... but it looks awesome and is super comfortable. Oh.. and I love the green. I usually go for neutrals when it comes to furniture... but I think this is so cute in his room.

I also told y'all I'm really swollen... well I now get to wear carpal tunnel wristbands, because the swelling is so bad that my hands are numb. Motley was worried that I could end up with permanent nerve damage, so the wristbands are supposed to help. I can't say its a ton better, but it helps a little. And then there are my feet and ankles... or what used to be my feet and ankles. They have been replaced by cankles and what Jeff calls my "Shrek Feet". It's awful... most of the time I can feel the tops jiggle while I'm walking. Painful does not describe how bad they are... so I am showing you a picture, ***Please note my school spirit: GO FROGS***

And last but not least... me... blah... that is all.

Love... desperately ready to not be pregnant anymore!

PICTURES!!!!

So apparently I'm just not very good with my camera yet. I'm working on it, but Jeff came home and showed me what I needed to switch to make it work... so here are pictures.

First... THE SHOWER. They had the cutest decorations. I love how simple, yet fun and appropriate for the occasion everything was.

This is the chandelier in our sitting area as you walk into the house.

And these are all the little trinquets and goodies they had hanging from the ribbons.

Turtles...

Pacifiers...

Ducks and such...

And then there were diaper cakes (handmade with love by a few of our talented hostesses (with a little help from their husbands: thanks Jeremy and Lynton) and a diaper wreath.

Elisha (with a little help from Jeremy) made this one... the kiddos loved the green krinkle paper all over it.

This one... Ashley made with Lynton's help. I love the elephant on top. He plays a song when you pull the string on his back. Isn't he adorable!

And at some point in time this wreath showed up in the house... I would love for someone to claim it... I have no idea where it came from. And I want to know how it was made. I might have to copy the idea in the future.

And finally... this awesome sign. I've been trying to decide what I want to do over the changing table in the nursery. I have known all along I wanted to do something with Porter's name, but had not decided exactly what to do. Now I have this... I don't have to do anything. Yay! Thanks girls!

And then there were the gifts... again Jeff and I cannot thank everyone enough. Our kid is definitely never going to be in need... of anything. And I think we go enough diapers to last us a while.

He got so many cute clothes and we got quite a few books this time around. I love reading them to him now. I can only imagine how much he will enjoy them as well.

THE NURSERY... I finally got the paintings for his room finished and Marjory worked her magic on them and made them look fantastic. I went to Hobby Lobby to have wires put on the back, as fate would have it, they were having a 1/2 off sale on all open back frames that day. So... I decided to frame them... and I am so glad that I did. It just completed them. I am still waiting on our rocker from the reupholstry lady and once I get that... the nursery is finished. YAY.

This picture was taken from the doorway. *Note: the rocker on the right side will be replaced by the one we're waiting for.*

Crib area...

A better shot of the painting.

The changing table/dresser...

Bookshelf/toy bins... with the other 3 paintings.

And finally... his closet... this kid has more clothes than Jeff and I do.

AND ME!

Here is a picture of me at 35 weeks... wow... that is all I have to say.

Shower, Swelling, and 5 weeks left!

I'd like to apologize for the fact that there will be no pictures on this post. I am having some issues with my camera. I'll post some pictures later, once I get the camera working right.

We had a shower over the weekend and it was fantastic. 5 of our awesome friends threw us a Diaper Couple's Shower and we had a blast. There were s many people that came and brought gifts and spent time with us. To everyone that helped throw the shower, THANK YOU for an awesome shower/party. To everyone that took time out of your day to spend some time with us and to bring us gifts, THANK YOU! Jeff and I feel truly blessed to have so many people that care about us. I can only hope that we make you all feel as special to us as you have made us feel.

Okay... swelling... and I do mean SWELLING! My feet officially look like they have had about a gallon of water injected into them and my toes look like lil' smokie sausages. I can't complain too much about problems during pregnancy... but my goodness... this is horrible. I woke up on Friday and my feet had swelled up quite a bit. Saturday they were a little bit worse. Sunday they were so bad it hurt to walk and it has been a constant annoyance since. I can't fit into any of my shoes... except... wait for it... a pair of Crocs. Awesome! I'm running around FW in a pair of plastic shoes. I need to buy some new shoes that will fit, but I have zero motivation to go shopping. You know I'm really in pain when I don't want to shop.

So what do I keep telling myself... 5 WEEKS LEFT!!!! I only have to deal with it for 5 more weeks! I had a doctors appointment today. I didn't get to see Dr. Motley because she had a death in her family, but I saw her nurse/midwife. Everything looks good and they checked me out for any of the signs of preeclampsia and everything came back negative and my blood pressure was good. That was my biggest concern. Porter was definitely being little Mr. Honery today. He refused to let Lori listen to his heartbeat. Every time she tried he would either punch at her or move. So I was again reminded about how active our little man is going to be. I am now in the homestretch, I am down to weekly doctors visits and have a sonogram on the 8th. I can't believe that we're already this close. I'm so excited.

The nursery is almost finished... I am just waiting on our rocker. I am supposed to pick it up tomorrow morning. I'll take pictures of that once I get the camera working right again.

I hope you are all doing well... check back later for the pictures.

33 weeks... Really?

So I feel like I'm about 45 weeks pregnant so I shouldn't be surprised... but where did 33 weeks come from!?

We really haven't had many changes in the last 2 weeks. I started working part time... weird and amazing... all at the same time. I really like having an additional 2 days a week to take care of things in the house or running errands or just relaxing. But as most of you know I'm not a good relaxer. I can always find something to do. I have been working on getting all of Porter's clothes and sheets and blankets washed and put away. I almost have his big picture finished. I just have a little bit left to paint and then my mom's friend, who is an artist, will finish it off for me. She is so sweet to add some pro touches to it and I really appreciate it.

We went on our last little "trip" last weekend. We headed down to Houston to visit my friend Ashley and her husband Lynton. We had an absolute blast with them... and an added bonus... Katie A was with us too. I went to college with both of those amazing ladies and I can't imagine what college would have been like without them. And I definitely can't imagine my life without them now. I know y'all both read this... so thank you for a great 9 years and a lot of memories. Here is a couple of good picture of us. And yes... these are from a while back... so please bear with me... but they pretty much define my relationship with both. The picture of Ashley and I is at her rehearsal dinner... sweet and loving... and usually involving wine. The picture of Katie and I... and I truly feel like this picture shows you my relationship with Katie and why I feel so alive when I'm with her... was taken one night at the Horseman. Ha. I also added a bonus picture of the 3 of us at Jennifer's wedding. Love you both!

I have another appointment on Tuesday. We'll see if there are any big changes. If so I'll be sure and update for y'all after the appointment. If not, we'll wait until our appointment in another 2 weeks. Jeff and I are really excited about it because we get to see our adorable little man. I can't wait to see how much he has changed and how big he is. I'm pretty sure he is going to be big, but I could be wrong.

Here is another awesome picture for y'all. Scout decided he really wanted to be in the picture this week. But I think he's really just stiffing around for a treat or for some attention. I think he knows something is about to change and he and Bandit are not going to be the center of attention anymore, so they are begging for it now. Oh and please forgive my see through shirt... I didn't realize it until after we took the pictures and I really didn't feel like changing and retaking them.

Last but not least... I heard a quote this morning at church and I think quotes like this can change the world if people were more willing to spread them and live by them. I'll leave it with you guys for this week.

It's not about a religion... it's about a relationship. It's not about being in church... it's about being in Christ.

-Pastor Scott Crenshaw

9 Weeks left!!!!!

We have had a busy couple of weeks, but very exciting. Since the last post I've had a doctors appointment and a shower and we are definitely in nesting mode... BOTH of us.

First the doctors appointment. I am now seeing Motley every 2 weeks. When I went in to see her she was a little shocked by how much I had grown in 2 weeks. I was actually measuring about a week bigger than I have been, so Porter MAY be here a little earlier than we thought, but we will have to see how he's grown over the past couple of weeks and what he continues to do. I would be lying if I said I am not the tiniest bit hopeful that he comes a little early. I am ready to have him in my arms!

Our shower yesterday was AMAZING! I cannot thank the ladies that hosted it enough. I had an amazing time and really enjoyed spending time with everyone that came (and Porter loved all the yummy food). I would also like to thank everyone that traveled in from out of town for the shower. I hope you all had as good of a time as I did. Not to mention we got some great stuff. The clothes... oh the clothes... they are so adorable. Jeff and I are so incredibly blessed to have so many people that care for us and take an active part in our lives. God has and continues to bless us daily. I'll post pictures when I get some of them.

I thought for sure it would take us days to get everything organized, but we tackled it this morning and were able to get most of it done today. We went shopping and bought a few things to help us get organized. Now I just have to figure out how to reorganize some things in the kitchen to fit bottles and all the sippy cups and bowls and spoons. That should be interesting... we have a full kitchen already.

The good news is that I am about to have a lot more time to work on everything. I have worked out a deal with XTO to work 3 days a week starting the first week of August. So this is my last week of full time work. Scary and exciting and weird all at once. I have been very lucky to work with a wonderful group of people over the last 4 years and I will miss them a lot once Porter is born and I'm not working there any longer. Leaving will all be worth it once our 'little man' is here.

Finally... I leave you all with a picture from today. I would like to point out that it seems like every inch of my belly is filled with Porter... side to side and front to back.

I hope everyone has a great week.

Back to Reality

We're finally back from a very relaxing vacation. Who knew 9 days of traveling from Texas to Arkansas to Tennessee and back would be so much fun and exactly what we needed.

We went to Lake Greeson in Arkansas on July 2nd with a big group of our friends and spent the 4th of July on the lake and at the cabins we rented on the Little Missouri River. It was nice to spend the weekend catching up with everyone and hanging out.

From Lake Greeson we drove to Nashville, TN and spent the night. We went to a nice dinner and hung out in downtown Nashville. As we were walking through downtown we passed a boot shop that had a sign outside stating "Buy 1, Get 2 Free". Anyone that knows me knows what a shoe person I am... and Jeff is just as bad with boots. Of course we went in and were really suprised at how nice the boots were. So we bought 1 and got 2 free. Woohoo! The next day we went to the Country music hall of fame. We didn't do the tour but we did get some pretty cool pictures. I've decided that at some point (more than likely when we build a new house) I would like to do a collage like this on one of our walls. I think it would be awesome to do with family photos and names and such.

From Nashville we drove to Lynchburg, TN... Home of the Jack Daniels Distillery. And I must say, it was one of the most interesting things we did the whole week. Jeff and I went to a couple of distilleries in Europe, but none of them were like this. The JD Distillery in Lynchburg is the original distillery and is still the working distillery today. We took a tour and were able to see the grounds and walk through the different buildings. Jeff bought a bottle of single barrel whiskey that you can only get from the distillery, which is pretty cool. I told him he can't open it until I am able to drink again! This is Jeff and I with a bronze statue of Jack himself.

Next we headed to Chattanooga, TN. Again we went to a nice dinner and found a bar that I could go into and hung out until about 10:30 and then we headed back to our hotel, kicked our feet up in bed and watched a movie. Wednesday we slept until about 10am and had breakfast and did a little shopping, and let me tell you something, IT WAS HOT! We decided that it would be nice to do what we never do at home and go back to the hotel and lay in bed and do nothing. And that is exactly what we did. Laid in bed and watched the World Cup. Jeff's parents met up with us that afternoon and the 4 of us went to the Tennessee Aquarium. Jeff and I had never been to any aquariums before so it was really neat for us. From what Keith and JoEllen said it is one of the better aquariums they have been to. So I'm glad that we were able to experience. Jeff was facinated with the sharks. I'm pretty sure we have about 100 pictures just of the sharks in the tanks. Here is one of the many. Jeff did a great job of capturing the entire trip to the aquarium and I was glad to be on the other side of the camera for once.

Jeff did a great job of capturing the entire trip to the aquarium and I was glad to be on the other side of the camera for once. I can promise you there would be no joking for me if I were actually inside a cage underwater surrounded by sharks. YIKES! This is the closest you'll ever get me.

Thursday Jeff and Keith played golf and JoEllen and I had a spa morning. I got a prenatal massage and JoEllen got a facial. I would like to point out that a prenatal massage might be one of the most amazing things on the planet. I could not have been more relaxed if I had tried.

After our spa morning and the guys golf game we drove to Knoxville for the beginning of Brad and Katie's wedding festivities. We had dinner on Thursday night with some of Jeff's family and headed back to our hotel to... you guessed it... just relax. Friday Jeff and Keith played golf with Brad and all of his buddies. I had to go shopping because the dresses that I took with me didn't fit. I kept putting off trying them on and waited until the last minute. Fortunately for me there was an outlet mall about 30 minutes from Knoxville. I love outlets and I could have had a lot of fun at some of the stores in there if I were not pregnant. Banana Republic, Gap, J.Crew, etc. I refrained from going crazy and only bought 2 dresses (for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding) and a new purse since I only took one with me.

Friday night we enjoyed an awesome rehearsal dinner with Brad and Katie and family members and their friends. After dinner Jeff and I went with them to a local microbrewery and hung out for a couple of hours. We had a great time with them. Saturday we were able to go to Brad and Katie's house, which is too cute. It sits in the greatest neighborhood that looks like a forest. Then Brad took us to this great local BBQ joint. Jeff finally got the pulled pork sandwich he had been waiting for all week. Jeff and I walked around in the Knoxville square and then headed back to hotel and... you guessed it... relaxed until the wedding.

Their wedding was beautiful and everything was just perfect. Jeff and I are so happy for cousin Brad. He found himself an awesome woman and we wish them all the best in the future.

Sunday we woke up bright and early and hit the road at 6am (central time). Jeff drove me the entire way home and we made it back to our house and our doggies about 7:30 Sunday night. We were so happy to be home and thankful for the relaxing 9 day trip that we took.

For those of you who have not heard our little man's name is... Porter Kirk Anderson. He is getting big and I'm not sure what he does in there, but I can tell you one thing, he's a pusher and a mover. Not a puncher or kicker. He just rolls around and pushes my skin to it's limits. Jeff was finally able to really feel him moving. Anytime before, when Jeff put his hand on my belly, Porter would stop immediately and not move again until Jeff took his hand off. I have my next appointment on Friday and I'll update you guys again on Sunday. I'll leave you with my 29 week picture. I know I have a while to go, but there are some moments that I don't feel like I can get any bigger.

Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to fill everyone in on our trip. I hope you all have a great week.

Love ya!