34.6 weeks-Nursery is on it's way towards being finished

This week has been pretty uneventful...well except for my crazy emotions...lol. This is one thing I can't wait to be normal again. It's rather embarassing. I went over to my SIL's house on Saturday night, and she and another good friend asked how I was doing....to which I simply replied "I've been emotional today."...and the next thing I know, I'm crying. It was so embarrassing, but I was so grateful that it was just in front of family. They were understanding and gave liberal hugs and in a few moments time, I was better.

I was so excited to get the nursery finished and painted. Thank you to the best husband in the world! It's like a load lifted off my plate. I ended up shampooing the carpets today as well, and last Friday, my Dad came and picked up the crib. Now I can finish decorating and setting it up once he is done painting it. Can't wait!!!

I also got to spend some time with my niece Mya. She is my little luv bug. I miss her so much when she is not around. Thanks Alex for letting her spend the week with me. We had lots of fun!

Special thanks to:

Monica H.-Thank you for the beautiful bedding. I always appreciate it when people think of me.
Jesse and Lynna- Those onsies are adorable, and Joel will be a proud papa when Baby Jehoshaphat sports them!


What's new this week?

How far along: 34.6 Weeks

Maternity clothes: Yes.

Total weight gain: 14 lbs. Have a Dr. Appointment next week, so we will see how much more I have gained.

Waist: This week my waist measures in at 44 1/2". That's a gain of 1 1/2" in one week!

Belly Button: Still an innie, thank the Lord!

Best moment this week: When Joel finished painting the nursery. Shampooing the carpets.

Food cravings: None this week

Food aversions: Everything....It gives me heartburn. I can drink water, and I get heartburn...That's okay, only 5 more weeks to endure this heartburn.

Gender: He's still a boy! Check out the picture from our previous post.

Crazy Dreams: Had a bunch of crazy dreams this week, but I forgot them...too bad!

What I miss: Energy- it's so bad I have to take naps still.

What I am looking forward to: The baby shower on August 7th. Finishing setting up the nursery.

Milestones: Baby still kicking up a storm, and gaining weight each day!



Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Until next post,

33.6 weeks- Making our way towards the finish line with a pineapple in tow

So excited!!!! Today was a busy day. We painted the nursery 3/4 of the way. It would have been finished, but we ran out of paint. Boo! I am so happy though with the outcome. We also toured the hospital and had a dr. appointment today.

At the doctor's appointment, Baby Willoughby's heartbeat was 150, and the fundus grew 3cm to a total of 33cm, and I gained three more pounds.




We will be delivering at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, and after tour of the hospital, I felt so much better. I left feeling like the nurses and staff would be considerate of my birth plan and take care of me, the baby, and Joel. It was so cute, the tour took us by the nursery and we got to see a newborn baby getting his first bath. Joel said he almost teared up when he saw the new dad touching his baby, and the baby grabbing his finger. Joel's going to be great dad!

Needless to say, we are getting excited as we only have 6 more weeks left.

What's new this week?

How far along: 33.6 Weeks

Maternity clothes: Yes.

Total weight gain: 14 lbs. Gained three more pounds (I better stop drinking all that soda)

Waist: This week my waist measures in at 43".

Belly Button: Still an innie, thank the Lord!

Best moment this week: Painting the nursery and touring the hospital.

Food cravings: None this week

Food aversions: Spicy...heartburn again.

Gender: He's still a boy! Check out the picture from our previous post.

Crazy Dreams: Had a dream that I delivered this monster toddler that was sooo ugly. It was fat and probably weighed 50 pounds.

What I miss: Energy and sleep...zapped of energy this last week. I was so cranky in church tonight. I just wanted to go to sleep because I woke up at 2:15am and couldn't go back to sleep for hours after.

What I am looking forward to: Finishing painting the nursery. Shampooing the carpets, and then being able to set up the nursery for good. :D

Milestones: Baby is getting bigger and moving around a lot. It's crazy that we are already 8 1/2 months along.

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Until next post,

Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and a wonderful Pastor's wife!!!

So today is Joel's and my Pastor's wife's birthday. Joel is officially in his last year of 20's...lol and he feels old.

We celebrated their birthdays at the Rushings house. We BBQ'd up some steaks (btw...those were sooo good) and chicken. Sides were awesome...macaroni and cheese, asparagus, zucchini and squash. I've never been a fan of zucchini, but I thought I would give it a try....and I am soooo glad I did. It was yummy!

I made a special cake for the occasion too! I saw this other blog that made a Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake (thats a layer of red velvet cake, cheesecake, and then another layer of red velvet cake topped with the traditional cream cheese frosting) and decided to make it. It came out really yummy. Here are the recipes I used:

For the Cheesecake
For the Red Velvet Cake
For the cream cheese frosting

My changes for the cheesecake are: Minus the 2 extra egg yolks; add 1tbsp of vanilla. It turned out really yummy. I was very happy with the texture and taste.

As far as the Red Velvet cake, you might want to consider using a simple syrup to keep it moistened. I have noticed when I bake and split the cake, every time the bottom piece is always drier than the top. Weird I know.

And the cream cheese frosting is to die for.

Here's to another year older. Love you Joel and Sis. Rushing. I hope you had a fantastic day!

32.6 weeks- STOP THE CLOCK, I'm not ready for the baby to come yet!!!

I can't believe another week has gone by!!! It needs to slow down; the nursery is still not ready!!!!! Please don't come early Baby W, I'm not ready yet....just a few more weeks please?

Okay, now that I have that out, I can go on about my day. So Monday Joel was supposed to paint the nursery, but since he has been working so hard the last two weeks with 6-7 day weeks, I told him not to worry about it. He is on vacation next week and so it will be done sometime next week.

I got bad news though. My camera is lost!!!! I donated to the thrift store for sure. BOO HOO! I got a call that said they couldn't find it. RIIIIGGGHHHT! Oh well. I guess we will have to borrow a camera once the baby comes or purchase another one.

On another note, I got the baby vintage lamp I bid on a week and a half ago. Decor is coming together. I still need to get bedding and a mattress. Maybe after the shower, I can purchase some bedding. Anyways, here is the picture of a similar lamp. The lamp I bought is a white base and a blue arm. The girl is in a white dress with blue polka dots and her rocking chair is painted pink; the little boy is sitting on a blue stool and his outfit is blue and white. Mine is much cuter than this one. But since I don't have a camera, this pic will have to do.



What's new this week?

How far along: 32.6 Weeks

Maternity clothes: Yes, but occasionally I will still wear regular clothes.

Total weight gain: 11 lbs.

Waist: This week my waist measures in at 42 1/2".

Belly Button: Still an innie, thank the Lord!

Best moment this week: Got my vintage baby lamp, see picture above.

Food cravings: None this week

Food aversions: Spicy...heartburn again.

Gender: He's still a boy! Check out the picture from our previous post.

Crazy Dreams: Had a dream a friend got pregnant out of wedlock. Not a good thing.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach. Sometimes it's hard to sleep JUST on your sides.

What I am looking forward to: Nursery being done. Dad, you need to come pick up this crib and paint it.....otherwise, I might just do it! :D

Milestones: We are nearing the end of the pregnancy with only 7 weeks left. Baby is getting bigger and moving around a lot.





By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Until next post,

31.6 weeks- Orange you glad I didn't say peanut

Knock knock?
Who's there?
Peanut.
Peanut who?
Knock knock?
Who's there?
Peanut.
Peanut who?
Knock knock?
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say peanut?


I just love those classic "knock knock" jokes. I thought it appropriate because last week Baby Willoughby was weighing in about as much as four oranges. This post is late because I had a virus on my computer that wouldn't allow me to get on the computer. I was so mad!!! We finally got it removed, thank you Jesus! So this post is really my 31.6 week post, and so all "what's new this week" stats will be from then.

Had a Dr. Appointment on Wednesday. I gained three pounds, but since I am going every two weeks now, it's fairly appropriate to the "a pound a week from this point on" rule. Baby W's heartbeat was at 150, but the fundus did not grow. She said that it could be that the baby just dropped down farther into the pelvis. I truly believe that because this last week....HE FOUND MY PELVIS BONES!!! It is now his prerogative to kick off those bones, and oh does that feel un-comfy.


What's new this week?

How far along: 31.6 Weeks

Maternity clothes: Yes.

Total weight gain: 11 lbs.

Waist: This week my waist measures in at 42". It's measuring smaller this week, but could be that he dropped a bit.

Belly Button: Still an innie, thank the Lord!

Best moment this week: Receiving the anticipated baby mobile in the mail, and getting a few extras that the seller threw in. Winning a lamp that will match the mobile, and prepping the nursery to be painted.

Food cravings: Watermelon, but isn't it always? I made fruit salad for the fourth, and devoured at least three full plates of it. It was good!

Food aversions: Spicy...heartburn again

Gender: It's a boy! Check out the picture from our previous post.

Crazy Dreams: Had some weird ones, but I can't remember them. Oh well, next time I will write them down.

What I miss: Energy once again. Naps are my friend. I have never been a nap person though, so it's not my norm.

What I am looking forward to: Painting the nursery, the baby shower on August 7th, and Baby W being here.

Milestones: Baby W found the pelvis bones, ribs, and any other area that he can stretch into. It's rather un-comfy, but I love it. I look forward to his movements and sharing them with Joel. Had two people FINALLY ask me if I was pregnant. I was excited, because I still don't always look prego, but I guess now I do look it enough for people to ask. Yay me!



This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Until next post,

Happy Birthday America!

Today is a day that people really forget what the Fourth of July is all about. It's not about the BBQ's, and the fireworks...It's about our freedom. So today as you celebrate our countries 234th birthday, remember our founding fathers, fellow countrymen, and soldiers and their sacrifice for our freedom!

Happy Birthday America!

In all the fun of BBQ'n and fellowshipping, don't forget to stay safe. Remember to keep that lighter away from "Uncle Ted" (the family pyro). You wouldn't want to miss the fireworks because you are in the hospital with a terrible burn.

Joel and I are planning on going over to a friends house and having a good ole time fellowshipping and doing what we do best...eating!

What are your plans? Leave a comment.

With lots of love,