nothing new to report

We hope that everyone had a wonderful and Merry Christmas. We only went home for a couple of days, but it was so nice to see our families. We had a wonderful Christmas. It was a little scary how much stuff Will got this Christmas and he isn't even here yet. I know that his grandparents, aunts, and uncles are going to love spoiling him rotten.

We went to the doctor yesterday for our check-up. The doctor said that everything looked good, and we are right on schedule. He said that Will's head is in position for delivery; he thinks that I will have a smooth delivery. After our appointment, we took a tour of the hospital. I think that everyone knows that I will be delivering at Provience Northeast (where Jason works). So, Jason and I have been there before, but it was nice to have an official tour. We saw the rooms. The great thing about Providence is that I will be in one room the whole time that I am in the hospital. The nurse who gave us the tour told us which two rooms to request when we get there...they are the biggest rooms since we will have a big family there with us. She also showed us the nursery that we can send Will to if we choose; he can stay in the room with us if we want. We also saw the waiting room for our families to stay in while I deliver. It was nice, but I think they will be bored. There is no tv. It is a tiny hospital, so that was about everything there was to see. Jason, of course, knows and talks to everyone there, so I know they are going to take really good care of me. Now we just have to sit back and wait for the big day to come.

All is Well

Jason and I had our last doctor's appointment this past Tuesday. Everything is going well with both Will and me. The doctor did another ultrasound. It was great to be able to see Will again. He is growing big, but we got some exciting news. Will measured in the 48th percentile this go round. He is about 6 lbs. 4 oz. We were so happy to hear that his size is more on track and slowing down some. The even more exciting news for me was when the doctor said that Will's head was actually measuring a week behind schedule. I like the idea of delivering a baby with a (hopefully) smaller head. After the ultrasound the doctor examined me and said that I am 1 to 2 cm. dilated. He said not to worry; I could stay at this point for a month. So, we are hanging on for a few more days until our next update, but we are getting excited that the big day isn't too far away!!!!

Showered with Love

Wow! It is hard to believe that I am 35 weeks pregnant. The time has gone by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday we found out that we are going to have a baby. Words cannot express how much fun Jason and I have had over the past few months. We have loved hearing Will's heartbeat and seeing him through ultrasounds. Shopping, of course, has been great fun. There hasn't been a part of this pregnancy that I haven't enjoyed. I have truly been blessed to be so healthy and feel so good. We can't begin to thank all of our family and friends for all of their love and support throughout this time. We have definitely felt everyone's support; we knew that we were loved, but everyone has been so wonderful to us. We truly appreciate everything that everyone has done for us, and we love you all dearly!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Latest Doctor's Appointment and More Pictures

We had our latest doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. Everything was good with both Will and me. I told the doctor that I feel really good. I still haven't had any real problems. The only uncomfortable part I have had is bad indigestion, but no swelling and no major problems. I feel like I have been really lucky with my pregnancy. I think I have more energy and feel better pregnant than not.

The doctor did tell me that I am measuring 36 weeks (which is 2 weeks ahead of schedule). This was the first time that he actually measured my belly. Before now he measured Will's bones on the ultrasound to determine if he was measuring ahead of schedule. Although I was sad not to have another ultrasound, it was neat to be measured. I have another appointment in 2 weeks; after that I will be on my weekly appointments.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is almost time for Thanksgiving. I am out of school and really happy for the break. Jason and I will be traveling home to North Augusta for a few days. It will be nice to see family and eat some yummy food. We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!!!

National Boards

As many of you know, I spent the entire school year last year working on my National Board Certification. It was a very grulling process that literally took the entire school year to complete and frankly was not a lot of fun, but I stuck through it. I got my scores yesterday, and it looks like I will be working on it some more this school year. I missed getting it by 4 points. I am really proud of all of the effort that I made to obtain this certification, and I am proud that I got so close. It still stinks that I have to continue working on it, but I know I can do this. So, hopefully next November I will have better news.

Latest Doctor's Appointment

Jason and I had our regular doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. Everything went well. I feel fine, and Will is continuing to grow and develop as he should. We got to hear the heartbeat again. It was really exciting to be able to hear the heartbeat one more time. This was the first time that we have heard the heartbeat since about week 14 or so. Jason and I have been so lucky that we have been able to have an ultrasound at each of the other appointments...nothing has been wrong; I think they just spoil us since Jason works there. His heartbeat was strong and sounded wonderful. The doctor said that all was well, and I see him again in 2 weeks. After that we start our weekly appointments. Hard to believe, huh?

Updates

Lots has been going on since we have last updated the blog. My belly is continuing to get bigger by the day, Jason and I have finished all of our baby classes, and we are thinking that it is getting close to time to pack "the bag." We have also ordered the bedding for Will's room. It seems like everything is falling into place. Now I just hope that I can get my Christmas shopping done soon so I know that everything is ready.

Jason got to play with Will last night. While Will was rolling all around in my tummy, Jason would press on the side that he was on. When Jason would press, Will would roll to the other side. After a few minutes of doing this, Will finally started kicking at Jason's hand. We laughed, but I am sure Will was telling his daddy to quit bothering him.

We have also had 2 very nice showers. I am including some of the pictures from our first shower so that everyone can see an updated look at my belly. The shirt that I am wearing helps to camouflage the size of my belly so I hope you can get the full effect!!!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Hello everyone,

I hope that you had a great Halloween. I know that I did, and I am about to prove it. Well on Friday night, we had some really cute kids come by and get some candy. But by 8:00 P.M. we decided to cut-off the light and have a little fun ourselves. I'll let the pictures do the talking.......


















WOW.....Keep on looking......

Birthing Class

Our all day birthing class was this past Saturday. It went really well. Jason and I learned lots of new information. We learned what to expect during each stage of labor, when to head to the hospital, and how to breathe when I am in labor. Jason learned several relaxation techniques to help keep me calm during the labor. We had the most fun when we got to practice the different breathing and relaxation techniques. Of course, it all sounded good at the time, but I know when the time comes, I will forget everything and probably panic.

Our First Baby Class

Everything has been so busy around here lately. Last weekend Mama and I were in Simpsonville, SC to see Corri's band and colorguard compete at State. Her girls did an excellent job. Overall they placed second in the state, but the colorguard beat out the first place colorguard by 5 points. We are all so proud of her hard work with them.

Last night, my sweet daddy drove an hour to see Jason and I and then we had to rush out after like 20 minutes of seeing him to go to our first baby class. We had lots of fun at our class though. A pediatrician talked for about an hour about things we expect in the hospital and then immediately after we get home. She also talked about vaccines, feedings, etc. We were able to ask any questions that we may have. We also watched a video, changed a baby doll's diaper, and practiced swaddling the baby doll. Jason isn't sure if he has every changed a diaper before last night...I'm not sure that he has. He did a pretty good job with it.

We have another class on Saturday. This is an all day birthing class. I hope to learn lots of new information and not be freaked out. We'll see.

94th Percentile

Oh my gosh...I have a huge baby. We went to the doctor today. Will is measuring in the 94th percentile at 2 lbs. 14 oz. That is give or take 7 ounces. So he could weigh 2 lbs. 7 oz. or up to 3 lbs. 4 oz. The doctor said that if he continues to be this big throughout the pregnancy, he will induce me around 38 weeks. Wow!!! Other than that shocking news, everything is going well. I had my gestational diabetes test done today; I passed with flying colors. I also had my flu shot...no fun. We see the doctor again in 3 weeks.

Updates

Everything is going well with Will. He must be getting bigger because everyone says that my belly is getting even bigger. Jason and I have decided that Will is going to enjoy music. Last night we went over to some friends' house for dinner. After dinner Jason and the other guys were playing Guitar Hero. Will was dancing in my belly while they were playing. I have never felt him move that much. Again during church this morning he was moving while the congregation and choir were singing. I hope he gets Jason's singing ability...I love music, but I can't carry a tune.

We go to the doctor on Wednesday. I am sure we will have more updates then.

We promise to have pictures of the nursery furniture up soon. I have given up on putting pictures on this thing. I have had such a hard time with it, and Jason has been really busy at work (budget season). But, more pictures will be up soon.

Miscellaneous Pictures

Here is a picture of Chrissy's belly. As you can see Will is getting bigger and bigger.












The next few pictures are of our little family as you see it today.





These last few pictures are of me painting the nursery over the weekend. We will be getting the furniture this week, and we will add some pictures once we have the furniture.

Updates!

Wow! Time is going by so quickly. We are busy trying to get ready for Will to come. We ordered his baby furniture this past Thursday. It will be delivered on Thursday of this week. We are so excited about it. Jason painted the nursery over the weekend. We picked a light mint green color for the walls. The room decorations will be based off the book Guess How Much I Love You. This is one of my favorite children's books. I will put more pictures of the furniture and finished room up when the room is finished.

Will is so active...he moves all the time. Although I feel him some during the day, he loves to really move around in the early evening and during the middle of the night. He has been waking me up around 3 am dancing in my belly. I think this is preparing me for the sleepness months to come. Jason sleeps through it all. Will and I will make sure that changes come January. His kicks are getting so strong that we have been able to see my belly jump with his kicks. We both love to feel it when he really gets going in there!

Baby Boy Sanders Has A Name!!!

Well, it is finally official. Our baby finally has a name...his name is William Bryan Sanders. We will call him Will. These are both family names. William was my paternal grandfather's name and is my great uncle's name. Bryan is Jason's middle name. We are very excited to be able to call the baby Will now instead of Baby Sanders.

Georgia vs. Carolina!!!! Go DAWGS!!!!

Yesterday was a big day for the Sanders family. We took the baby to his first football game!!!! I think he started to enjoy it around the 4th quarter...that is when he finally started to kick. We started the day with our good friends Jeff and Christina. We tailgated with them and Jason's family. The baby enjoyed hamburgers, pasta salad, cookies, and other goodies. We had excellent seats; which is why I am sure that I made it through the game. I didn't have to climb many stairs and could actually follow the game since we were close to the field. We sat on the 20 yard line 18 rows up from the field. It was so much fun!!!! I hope the baby got a taste of football and will be ready to play soon.

Additional Photos and more

Hello Everyone,

I know that it has been awhile since I have made any posts. It is starting to be my busy season at work. I am currently working on both the Operating and Capital Budgets and our Month-End close. Anyone that has taken part in either of these events, can attest to it being a very busy time, but when I have all of these items hitting at one time, I'm being pulled in many different directions. Well enough about me. Here are some more photos of the baby that we received from the doctors visit two weeks ago. ENJOY!!!!

If you look for what appears to be a turtle's head, you will be able to see that the picture shows we are having a boy.

Here is a picture of our son looking at us during the sonogram.



Here is a picture of the baby laying on his back. You are able to see the baby's spine on the bottom half of the picture.

Here is a full body photo of the baby. You may need a little help making out the photo, but the head is in the middle of the photo. The body is just to the left of the head, and a portion of his legs are at the end of the body. You are able to see the gap between his legs.

Here is a 3D picture of the baby. You can see the baby's head, eyes, nose, body, legs and umbilical cord. This was a really cool picture to see at the doctor's office because this is the first life-like picture of our son.

The Baby is Moving!

Wow! I felt the baby move this weekend. It felt like bubbles popping in my belly. On Friday evening, I was sitting in the recliner relaxing and it kept happening over and over. I asked a few friends, and they confirmed that that is what the baby feels like when he is moving. Now that I know, I realized that I have been feeling this for a while now and just didn't know what it was. On Saturday, I thought that maybe Jason could feel something on my belly so he put his hand over where the baby was moving, and he could feel tiny movements. We are so excited about starting to feel him move.

It's a...!!!

Well, it's official the Sanders' family is growing, and I am outnumbered. It's a boy! I couldn't be more thrilled. Jason and I are so excited about football games, baseball gloves, and all the other fun stuff that comes along with having a boy. We are still looking for a name for this upcoming bundle of joy; hopefully, we will come up with one soon. For right now we are still referring to him as "the baby."

At my last appointment the doctor assured us that all is well with our son and me. The baby is in 89th percentile for his size...oh my gosh, he is already 11 ounces. He was measuring about a week and a half ahead of schedule. I'm blaming his daddy for that. The ultrasound was amazing. We counted 2 arms and legs, saw his heart, stomach, eyes, and witnessed our little boy with the hiccups. As Jason said, he gets that from me. It was unreal to see how much he has grown from the first ultrasound to now. That was my last scheduled ultrasound, but the doctor said that he would try to get us in for another one before the delivery day. I think he knows how anxious we are.

I have been reading lots of information on the baby, and apparently he can now hear me. Jason and I have been reading to him every night. I don't think the baby has a favorite book yet, but I am sure he will have one before long.

Weekend of Fun

Over the weekend Jason and I had a new experience. We went with 4 other couples to Hot Springs, NC for a weekend of camping and whitewater rafting...don't worry, I didn't raft. The water levels were VERY low so Jason and the other couples spent a great deal of time pushing themselves off the rocks. Although they worked hard and were all sore the next day, they seemed to have a great time.

While there we stayed in our good friends Derek and Rachel's camper. Although we had lots of fun I'm not sure camping is really for me. I enjoyed everything except the bath house (which made me feel like I was back in college) and the bugs. I saw enough spiders and other creepy crawlers to last for quite some time. It was really fun to roast marshmellows, grill hamburgers and hotdogs, and do a lot of relaxing. On the bright side, I can at least say that now I have really camped.

Week at the Beach

Boy, it has been awhile since we have posted. I have been very busy trying to squeeze in as much last minute fun as possible before school starts back. I went to the beach last week with my parents and sister. We had lots of fun. We stayed at the Dayton House in Myrtle Beach. It was a beautiful hotel with lots of pools and even a lazy river to relax in. We all enjoyed relaxing in the lazy river, but Corri and I spent lots of time there. Of course there was lots of eating out and some shopping too. The baby got some more cute new outfits. We are getting anxious to know if this baby is a boy or girl. We go for our next appointment on August 19th. We hope to be able to find out then. As far as the pregnancy, everything seems to be coming along nicely. The baby is doing fine. I still haven't felt any movements, but hopefully that will be soon. We are all doing well and staying busy preparing for this little one.

My belly at almost 15 weeks.

My Growing Belly

My belly at almost 13 weeks.

Hearing the Heartbeat

Today was lots of fun. We had another doctor's appointment this afternoon. It was just a routine checkup, but we got to finally hear the baby's heartbeat. Wow!!! The baby's heartbeat is really fast. The doctor said that the baby's heart was beating 160 beats a minute. The doctor said that even though I "popped" faster than he thought I would, I am doing fine. I am also right on schedule (15 weeks). He even gave us some encouraging news. He said that even though I am pretty big right now (bigger than most this early on), he doesn't think that I will be huge at the end. I am glad about that. I was getting worried that my feet were going to disappear before too many more days.

Click on the link below to hear the baby's heartbeat. Once the website is up, click on "Play."

Gabcast! Baby's Heartbeat #1

Vacation

Well, we were on vacation for the last week. We went to Myrtle Beach for a week, and we did a lot of sitting on the beach. We had a great time just sitting and enjoying the time by ourselves. We are really looking forward to the baby coming. We didn't take any pictures while we were at the beach, but you really should see Chrissy's belly. There's a pooch!

While we were at the beach I spent quite a bit of time at the outlet stores. Most of the time was spent looking for either clothes to fit my growing belly or adorable clothes for the baby. Jason was a good sport about it all. He went in all the stores and even started picking out a few outfits himself. He was pretty good at it, but best of all was that he carried all the bags for me. I ended up with several bags as everything for babies is just so darn cute. The most adorable is a frilly pink dress....I guess that one will have to go back if this baby is a boy.

Second Visit

Well we had our second doctor's visit today. We were able to see the baby moving all around. Although the baby can't be felt kicking, there was a lot of movement going on. We could see the baby's arms and legs just going all over the place. While the picture quality was very minimal, we were able to see the heart beating steadily.

With a little one on the way, we wanted to ensure that we had some furniture for our visitors in the guest bedroom. Along with some guest bedroom furniture, we purchased furniture for our room. This will be nice for when we need have a quiet place of our own.

First Ultrasound

Well today was our first doctor's appointment. We were able to see the baby's head, heart beat, arms and legs (nubbs). This was pretty cool.