36 week update

I can not believe I am 9 months pregnant!! It is so crazy sometimes I feel like I am in a dream. This is everything I have ever wanted and it has been absolutely amazing. Of course we had a few bumps in the road but otherwise I have been blessed with a great pregnancy with no major problems. Thank you Lord! We are getting so excited for Cooper's birth. Knowing that he could literally come at any time is kind of scary but kind of amazing at the same time. I am such a planner that not knowing when it will happen freaks me out but I am letting that go and just enjoying the last few weeks of being pregnant. We spent last weekend getting everything ready for his arrival. We can now officially say he can come at any point and we are prepared!! eekk!!! Come on Cooper!!! We are totally fine with you coming a few weeks early!! 

How far along? 36 weeks

Size of baby gautreaux? Baby Gautreaux is the size of a coconut  
Total weight gain/loss: +24 (yes I gained 8 pounds in a month! I almost fell off the scale when she weighed me but the doctor says that it is okay since I was below what I should be before this month)
Maternity clothes? Still going back and forth but pretty much living in dresses and maxi skirts.
Stretch marks? ... 
Sleep: pretty much up every single day from 3:30-6:15 then back to sleep until 9ish. I hate it so much because I am normally an early bird but this 3 hours waking period in the middle of the night has me sleeping later. 
Best moment this week: finding out we are 1 cm dilated & little man is head down and low at our appointment!  He is getting ready to make his grand entrance and mommy and daddy can't wait!!
Have you told family and friends: Yes! 

Miss Anything? Still wanting ham sandwiches and a strawberry margarita!! 

Movement: ohh yess!! Karate Kid in training over here!
Food cravings: sweets!!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, heart burn, lots of back pain, growing belly, emotional wreck, pretty much all the normal pregnancy symptoms. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but sometimes I have these crazy spells when I am an emotional wreck! 

Have you started to show yet: large and in charge!

Gender: BOY!!!!! 
Labor Signs: dilated 1 cm and lots and lots of Braxton Hicks.

Belly Button in or out? Still in!! I can't believe it has lasted this long but it is still hanging in there!!

Wedding rings on or off? On but if I go outside for a long time it has to come off! Dang heat!!

Looking forward to: Officially being full term next week and little man making his grand entrance. 

and his name is......

Lately I have been a total slacker when it comes to the blog. It seems like this pregnancy is flying by and it kind of makes me sad that I didn't document more of those special moments on here. So today I am sharing his name and our reasons for choosing it.

We have chosen the name Cooper James Gautreaux. We have always been the couple to talk about baby names and have had our children's names picked out for like 5 years! I remember being in high school and telling James a girl name I liked and he loved it and it is still our number one girl name! Boy names were a little harder to agree on. I have always loved Cooper but it took a little convincing for the hubby. He had a teacher named Cooper and at first that's all he could think about but eventually he came to me and said "I love it, that will be ours son's name"

Picking a middle name was a no brainer. James was named after his grandfather and has always looked up to his grandfather and the man he was, so he wanted to keep the name going. Cooper will be the fourth generation to have the name James. We picked his name before we even knew what he was and told our families and now looking back we are so glad we did. Papa might not have been able to meet Cooper but he knew that his name would passed down to another generation. The day after we told Papa our son's name he texted James the absolute sweetest message ever and how much it meant to him that we chose to use his name. It meant so much to James because it was something we just knew from the beginning we wanted and didn't realize how much it would mean to Papa. Now that we have lost Papa it is even sweeter that our son will have his name.

Picking our a name for our son was so important to us. We wanted a strong name that he could be proud of when he was older and a name that had meaning. James and I were both named after our grandparents and it is something that means so much to us. They are huge influences on our lives and we want our children to have that same experience.

32 week update

***** Just realized I never posted my 32 week update.... oooppps preggo brain*****

{Actually 35 weeks 3 days}

How far along? 32 weeks

Size of baby gautreaux? Baby Gautreaux is the size of a jicama 
Total weight gain/loss: +16
Maternity clothes? Still going back and forth but pretty much living in dresses and maxi skirts.
Stretch marks? no comment ;)
Sleep: It is so up and down. Some nights it is amazing and some nights I am up constantly. 
Best moment this week: his bedding getting delivered!! It is exactly what I wanted!
Have you told family and friends: Yes! 

Miss Anything? Still wanting ham sandwiches and a strawberry margarita!! 

Movement: more than ever. It is nonstop! The doctor laughs when she tries to listen to his heart beat and he is going crazy!
Food cravings: sweets!!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, lots of back pain, growing belly, emotional wreck, pretty much all the normal pregnancy symptoms. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but sometimes I have these crazy spells when I am an emotional wreck! 

Have you started to show yet: I would say that is an understatement 

Gender: BOY!!!!! 
Labor Signs: No real labor signs just BH

Belly Button in or out? Still in!! I can't believe it has lasted this long but it is still hanging in there!!

Wedding rings on or off? On but if I go outside for a long time it has to come off! Dang heat!!

Looking forward to: my baby shower July 14, maternity pictures July 21, and little man's arrival!!!!

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graduate college: {check}

On May 18, 2013 I graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a degree in Elementary Education. It was such a special day for me that seemed like it would never come. Looking back these past four years have flown by but while it was happening it felt like I would never finish. I am so lucky to have such a great support system that has helped me through this journey. My main supporter is my husband and he has been absolutely amazing. He has been nothing but encouraging, especially those times when I thought I couldn't do it anymore and just wanted to give up or when I had project upon project he would help with whatever he could.
I am so glad to be finishing this chapter in my life and opening a new one (even though I am not sure what that might be). Being due to have this little guy in August doesn't help a teacher get a job, but I believe everything happens for a reason and if I was meant to get a teaching job this year it will happen. If not then I guess I will have to take advantage of having extra cuddle time with my little man;)

best/worst idea EVER!! It was cute but took so long and burned to crap out of my fingers!

 

my momma

these two are the best!!

my "little" brother

kuddos to these 3 that drove an hour and a half to be there at 8 am for me!!! 

fears of motherhood

Week 28 has brought out the emotional Malary. I have been pretty normal throughout the pregnancy hormone wise but this week it has hit me like a ton of bricks. Crying constantly for the silliest reasons... as in I couldn't figure out what I wanted for dinner, I lost the remote, James working late one day kind of silly. It is kind of embarrassing looking back but at the time I was devastated. I have also been really emotional for other reasons that seem a little more legit. One of them is being this little boy's momma. My entire life when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was a teacher and a mom. It is the one thing I knew I just had to be in life and now it is finally happening. I am carrying this little human being in my belly and in less than 12 weeks I will be completely responsible for him. I will need to keep him alive and lately I have started to get scared. What if I do something wrong, what if I am not a "natural", what if he cries all the time and I can't soothe him, what if he hates me. There are so many fears that have started to take over me. I know that I need to just continue to pray about it and trust God. He has a plan for me and wouldn't give me what I couldn't handle.

This morning I was reading something and came across a blog where this video was posted. It was crazy how this video kind of just fell into my lap the week I needed it (Thanks God). I cried the entire time watching this and realizing that I am not alone in feeling scared and incompetent put my heart as ease (a little).

28 week update

I seriously can not believe we have made it to the third trimester! These months are going by so fast and we are getting so close to meeting our little man. He already has a mind of his own and it kind of scares me for when he gets here!! Every time we go for an ultrasound he is either covering his face or turned around facing my back so we can't get a good face shot!! He is also moving like a crazy man in there. The ultrasound tech always comments on how active he is!! Silly boy is going to be such a handful once he gets here. It still seems so crazy to think about a little human being in my belly. I love him so much already and just cant wait to meet him (well we can wait a little longer, he needs to grow some more before making his grand entrance into the world)!!
How far along? 28 Weeks

Size of baby gautreaux? Baby Gautreaux is the size of a chinese cabbage 
Total weight gain/loss: +11
Maternity clothes? Still going back and forth but pretty much living in dresses and maxi skirts.
Stretch marks? Sadly I think the growth spurt ones on my sides might be growing. They are turning red! I have been lathering the belly butter on them but I think it might just be out of my control. UHHH
Sleep: It is so up and down. Some nights it is amazing and some nights I am up constantly. 
Best moment this week: Painting the nursery, starting the third trimester, and seeing his cute little self during our ultrasound!!! 
Have you told family and friends: Yes! 

Miss Anything? Still wanting ham sandwiches and a strawberry margarita!! 

Movement: Oh yes!! He is like the karate kid in there but I love it so much! I am going to miss this so much once he is here! 
Food cravings: Lately it has just been what sounds good that day. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Symptoms: Last week I had my first experience with Braxton Hicks. They didn't hurt but they were happening every 3 minutes so Hubby was freaking out!! He was ready to head to the hospital when I read that all is good unless they start to hurt so he calmed down after that!! All I could do was laugh. Otherwise I am starting to feel huge. I know it is only going to get worse but man my belly feels like it is about to bust!! It is crazy how your belly grows and grows while you are pregnant. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!! 

Have you started to show yet: Yep 

Gender: BOY!!!!! 
Labor Signs: No real labor signs just BH

Belly Button in or out? Still in!! I can't believe it has lasted this long but it is still hanging in there!!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Looking forward to: Redoing the garage sale dresser we found to make his changing table and decorating the nursery!!