No Lake on July 4th This Year...

I went back to the doctor today and it looks like the Perry family will miss out spending July 4th on the lake this year. Dr. Umholtz has scheduled Kaelyn to arrive on Thursday, July 2nd before the holiday! I'm definitely still hoping she might surprise us all and come even earlier if she is ready to make her debut, but July 2nd will be great too! It will be interesting to look at the baby pool that Karlene is keeping to see who might win now that we have a tentative date. Everything checked out okay today: blood pressure, strong heart beat; weight gain, etc. I go back again next Friday for a follow-up and the doctor will schedule our next sonogram.

Early Arrival???

I went back to the doctor yesterday for my gestational diabetes test and a routine check-up. The sunkist-tasting juice wasn't near as bad as I expected it to be. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to finish it all and hold it in, but I was worried for nothing. We are now in our third trimester, and Dr. Umholtz measures our progress each time. She said we are 2 weeks further along, and she has scheduled to induce during the 38th week! She wanted us to be on her calendar just in case we need it. Given the size of Robbie when he was born (11 lbs. 1 oz.) and the fact that I wasn't small (8 lbs. 2 oz.), she wants to make sure that Kaelyn isn't going to be too big of a baby when she is born. My mom was in town and got to go to the appointment with me. The news that she might be a grandmother two weeks earlier definitely had her in a good mood. We will have a sonogram at 36 weeks to see for sure if labor will be induced during that week of June 21st. Robbie and I are excited to meet our little Kaelyn and have a lot to do to get ready for her. Everything else checked out great and I am now on a two-week rotation for check-ups.

My Growing Belly

We finally took pictures last weekend of my growing belly because Robbie was insistent on me publishing them on the blog. Not sure what I think of this considering I don't feel the cutest in my new chubby cheeks.

Kaelyn weighs 2 lbs. now and it's hard to believe that she isn't any bigger given the size of me. I definitely feel lots of kicks and punches now which is the greatest feeling on earth! There are times that don't feel so great like when she gets under my left rib cage. Robbie has been able to feel her move, and we are both amazed!

I go back to the doctor next Monday, April 13th for my 28 week visit. It's so hard to believe that we are just about in our last trimester. I've been in a good place lately since I feel so great. I know that it's starting to change now that I'm growing larger and struggle with finding my toes under my large belly. It's all so worth it though. When will I ever not have to watch what I'm eating like I do now?

Robbie's New Truck

Here is a picture of Robbie's new truck that we brought home today! He is super excited about it and so am I. You don't realize how much you need a truck until you no longer have one. We are very proud of it!

Spring Break in Branson, MO

Robbie and I took our last little trip just the two of us over spring break to Branson, Missouri. We were very excited about relaxing and enjoying some shows and shopping together. We stopped on the way through in Little Rock to see Robbie's Memaw and enjoyed a great visit and dinner with her. On Thursday night, we went to see "Broadway", which was a compilation of all the greatest broadway shows and their greatest hit songs. From Grease to Les Miserables, we saw many great performances and dances. We also got to spend some time with Betty's sisters from Kansas, Linda and Carolyn and their husbands Neil and John for lunch on Friday at one of the great buffets on the Branson strip. It was nice to get to visit with them since we rarely see them. On Friday night, we took the Branson Belle Showboat to Tablerock Lake. We set in the Paddlewheel room and enjoyed a nice dinner with a great view of the lake before the show. The rest of the weekend was filled with shopping, relaxing, and great food.

Painting the Nursery

We painted the nursery a few weekends ago when my family was in town. Since my brothers have become excellent worker-bees, we decided to put them to work to help Robbie. Of course, Mom and Dad helped out as well to ensure that we got the lines right since the ceiling slopes without a ninety degree angle. Robbie and I selected "saltwater taffy" as the color and felt that it matched the bedding we selected best. As we neared the end of the painting, I began to second-guess the color choice since it is a bit electrifying as you come up the stairs and round the corner! It has definitely grown on me and I think it will look amazing once the furniture is all set up and the room is decorated.

Selecting a Name is so Hard!

Robbie and I have chosen Kaelyn Elizabeth as a name for our baby girl! Picking out a name is so important and was a hard task given the nature of my job as an educator. There were many names that reminded me too much of a past student. It didn't matter whether I enjoyed having the student in class or whether I'd rather forget them, but I already had a face with many names we considered. Kaelyn comes partially from my mom's name, Kaye Lynn, and we liked it because we haven't heard it much. It means beautiful heir, pure, and modern. We felt like it sounded solid. Robbie and I did struggle more with the middle name (I had to talk him out of a few ridiculous ones such as Krimson for his Bama ties), but decided on Elizabeth, which means God's chosen one, and fit our little precious one so well. Elizabeth is also a family name since my Nana and great-grandmother, Gigi, both shared the middle name. Robbie's mom, Betty, is also a form of Elizabeth, and we wanted to keep the tradition going. We are pleased and hope she arrives looking like a Kaelyn Elizabeth!