38 Weeks

The past nine months seem to have flown by and we get to meet our precious baby boy in 7 days! It's officially our last week as Ricks Family party of 3. To say we are ready to meet Shepherd is an understatement. I know with Christmas festivities this week things will pass quickly and before we know it we will be hospital bound.

Sleeping for me has gotten pretty tough because I am flooded with thoughts and emotions. The past 2 years with Hatcher have been the greatest of my life and the memories we have made I will treasure forever. We have such a special bond and I love him more than he will ever know. Johny and I knew very early on after Hatcher's arrival that we wanted more children and that journey began for us just before Hatcher was turning one. It took us 8 months to get pregnant with Shep and although that journey was tough emotionally, God's timing was perfect. My dream of having a house full of children is finally coming true and I am so thankful God is giving us a son and Hatcher a little brother. It's perfect for our family. I know many if not every mother struggles with how or if their relationship with their first born will change once the new baby arrives and I cannot stop worrying about this. I just want him to know that Mommy and Daddy have more than enough love for both boys. I know Hatcher will need time to adjust and I am so thankful we have lots of family who will be with us over the first month to give him lots of love and attention. My prayer is that his transition will be a quick one and that we will settle into our new "normal" routine in no time. He's going to be the best big brother!!

We are beyond excited for Christmas this week! We have finally finished all of the last minute details of Shep's nursery so now I can get my gifts wrapped and under the tree. I can also focus on final things that need to be cleaned or organized before he gets here. Nesting is serious business, people!! We have a fun, busy week of things planned and just can't wait to see Hatcher's face on Christmas morning. He is so excited about Santa coming and entering through his chimney. He keeps going over to the fireplace and looking inside...it's so cute! :) We will celebrate Christmas Day with Johny's parents and then my mom arrives Friday to help me do some last minute things and have some mommy/daughter time. Then we will have my Dad, sister and grandparents here on Sunday for Christmas. And the best gift of all is the next day when we welcome Shepherd!!

We are scheduled for our c section on Monday, December 29 at 7:45 a.m. We check-in at 5:15 to get prepped and then it'll  be showtime. We will deliver Shep at a different hospital with a different doctor than we did with Hatcher. I am very anxious about surgery since my c section with Hatcher was not a good experience at all. Please pray with us that all will go well and that this experience will be much better and smoother for everyone.

Shepherd Morgan Ricks we are anticipating your arrival more and more every single day! We cannot wait to hold you in our arms, love on you and give you tons of kisses. We look forward to dressing you in your first precious outfit and debating who you look more like. We are ready for sleepless nights and learning all about who you are and what you like. You are the addition we have been waiting for and I know our hearts will explode with love we didn't know we had in us as soon as we lay our eyes on you! We love you so much already sweet baby and pray for your healthy and safe arrival.

Here's my "38 week bump" shot!

How far along? 38 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: +35 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? Nope! 

Sleep: Lots of potty breaks during the night & can't turn my mind off because I am so excited!

Best moment this week: Having our friends Christmas with the Parker's & VanDusen's and celebrating Christmas with Hatcher's MMO class.

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Can't think of anything new. Just uncomfortable a lot these days and it's harder to bend over or down without discomfort. 

Movement: Yes and lots of it! Shep is very active and most active late at night. 

Food cravings: If it's sweet, give it to me!!!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not lately...thank goodness.

Belly Button in or out? Depending on his position, sometimes it's in & sometimes it's out. 

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: No

Wedding rings on or off? Can only wear the engagement ring now!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward this week: Christmas Eve celebrations, Christmas and seeing the magic in Hatcher's eyes when he see his gifts from Santa, quality time with my mom as we make last minute preparations for Shep. And most importantly...meeting sweet Shep in just 7 days!!!!!!

37 Weeks

We are officially considered FULL TERM! This pregnancy has flown by and it's hard to believe we are only 13 days away from meeting Shepherd. I'm about to be a mother of 2!! Wow! :) This is something I have dreamed about my entire life and it's even better than I imagined it would be.

The nesting began a few weeks back but really kicked into high gear over the last week. I have a "to-do" list a mile long and I try desperately to mark a few things off every day. I have to brag on my husband too. I really put him to work over the weekend and he was such a trooper. Anyone who has experienced nesting knows there are things you want done that you really aren't capable of doing or shouldn't do. I am so thankful that he stepped in and helped me accomplish some things to mark off the list. We have a few more things to do this weekend and I think I'll finally feel "ready" for Shep to make his debut and welcome him into our home. Although, if he decides to come early then I guess he'll just experience home in it's normal everyday state which is clutter & chaos. But hey...I love that clutter & chaos because it means we have a happy home with a wild toddler running around and we wouldn't have it any other way!

My 37 week check-up was this morning and all is well. I'm not making any progress at this point and I wasn't surprised because I didn't make any with Hatcher either. At my 36 week c/u, the doctor was a little concerned about Shep's position but today he was definitely head down which is great news. My next appointment is for pre-op the day after Christmas...yay!!!

We have kept our days pretty busy so far this month and it's definitely making the time pass by so quickly. I am really enjoying my final days with Hatcher as an only child and trying to do some fun things over the next 13 days since I know I'll be out of commission for the first few weeks I am back at home after surgery. There are days when I just lay down & nap with him & try to enjoy those quiet moments just me & him. He has started waking up in the wee hours of the morning again and he comes to snuggle with us in our bed. I love waking up next to him and getting some early morning snuggles. I keep telling Johny we need to move to a king bed because that queen is about to be packed!! I know he is going to be a wonderful big brother and my anxiety over him not being the only child anymore is slowly starting to fade. Now, the excitement is kicking in & I just can't wait to introduce them and hear Hatcher say "aww wee" in his cute little baby voice!

Here's my 37 week "bump" shot and update! :)

How far along? 37 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +35 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? Nope! 

Sleep: Lots of potty breaks during the night & crazy dreams.

Best moment this week: Hearing Shep's heartbeat this morning...that just never gets old!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Can't think of anything new. Just uncomfortable a lot these days and it's harder to bend over or down without discomfort. 

Movement: Yes and lots of it! Shep is very active and most active late at night. 

Food cravings: Still spicy food, sweets & sweet tea.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Over the past few weeks, I keep waking up nauseous during the night but can't figure out what's causing it. It's definitely not helping on the sleep end of this deal either.

Belly Button in or out? Depending on his position, sometimes it's in & sometimes it's out. 

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: No

Wedding rings on or off? Can only wear the engagement ring now!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward this week: Marking more things off my to-do list, framily Christmas with the Parker's & VanDusen's and getting my presents wrapped & under the tree! It's almost Christmas!!! :)

34 Weeks

It has been far too long since my last post. Life happened & we have been very busy over the past few months. Fall is always like that for us it seems. This pregnancy is flying by & I cannot believe we will be meeting our little guy in just 5 weeks!!

We are scheduled for a c section on Monday, December 29th. He'll be the perfect Christmas present & we just can't wait to meet him! His nursery is nearly complete with just a few final touches to be done. It has turned out better than I expected when I chose a nautical theme.

I had a beautiful baby shower several weeks back & am so thankful for everyone who came to shower our Shep with love! He got so many beautiful things & we had such a great time celebrating him. I'll post about that with lots of pictures soon.

Since my last post, Hatcher turned 2 & we had a big celebration for him! He is getting more & more excited about becoming a big brother. We talk about Shep all the time and he loves to play in his room while Mommy organizes baby essentials. He also loves to give him kisses & point to his ultrasound pictures on the fridge. I just know these two boys will be the best of friends! :)

We got to have another 3D ultrasound on 11/3 and it was so much fun. Shep gave us lots of great pictures & was very active. He has the cutest little nose & chubby cheeks! They had him measuring about 2 weeks ahead of schedule but the doctor isn't concerned at this point because I am measuring right on schedule. We shall see if he decides to make his appearance early but we sure hope he stays in there & is born healthy!

I had my 34 week check-up today & all is well. Below is my "bump" shot & some updates.

How far along? 34 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +33 lbs

Maternity clothes? Oh yes!! And lots of Johny's t-shirts for sleeping! :)

Stretch marks? Nope! 

Sleep: Getting more uncomfortable and having a harder time falling asleep. My wedge pillow is helping a lot though and once I'm asleep I'm usually good minus a potty break or two! 

Best moment this week: Enjoying some quality time in Charleston with sweet friends & hearing Baby Shep's heartbeat today at the doctor.

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Being able to bend over comfortably to put my shoes on. Boots are no joke! Thankful my sweet husband is willing to assist! 

Movement: Yes and lots of it! Shep is very active and most active late at night. 

Food cravings: Still spicy food, sweets & sweet tea.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No

Belly Button in or out? Depends on how he's laying but the past few days it's officially been OUT! That never happened with Hatcher so it's funny to us.

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: No

Wedding rings on or off? Engagement ring...on...wedding band....off & on...depends on the day!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward this week: Thanksgiving in LaGrange with all of my family! Can't wait for yummy food & good quality family time! :)

24 weeks

These weeks are flying by! I cannot believe we have already reached the 24 week mark. We are making lots of progress & starting to get prepared on the home front for Shep's arrival! 

We recently moved our guest room furniture into our bonus room, turning it into a office/man cave/guest room. It turned out nicely and we are pleased with it. So now we can really focus on the nursery. We paint this weekend thanks to the help of my parents and now I just need to narrow my five grey paint choices down to one! Who knew grey paint could be so hard to choose?

Hatcher is really starting to notice the baby bump now. He waves to the baby and kisses my tummy all the time. It is so sweet! Let's just pray he's that sweet to baby Shep once he's here! :)

I had my 24 week check-up this afternoon so below are the details on that and of course my most recent "bump" shot!

How far along? 24 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: +16 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes. Recently bought some fall/winter items and can't wait for my favorite Old Navy skinny jeans to arrive this week! Being able to order my favorite jeans in maternity is super exciting!

Stretch marks? Nope! :)

Sleep: Having difficulty going to sleep some nights because I can't turn my brain off. Lots to think about & do. Hatcher is still struggling with sleeping all night in his big boy bed so snuggling with him in a twin isn't all that comfy either. But I do enjoy his sweet cuddles!

Best moment this week: Having some quality family time with my boys this weekend & getting to hear Shep's heart beat today!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Sounds funny but the bigger Shep gets the harder it is to get a good deep breath some moments. Activities that used to be simple & easy leave me huffing & puffing lately. Glad that sweet boy is growing big & strong!

Movement: Yes and lots of it! Shep is very active and most active late at night. 

Food cravings: Boy do I have a sweet tooth! I made peanut butter cookies with Reese's cups in them the other week and this past weekend chocolate chip cookies. I can't help myself!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No!

Belly Button in or out? In

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: No

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but I've had my moody moments over the last few weeks.

Looking forward this week: Painting the nursery & seeing my parents!! 

22 Weeks

I am 22 weeks pregnant today with our sweet Shepherd! This pregnancy seems to be flying by. I am feeling great and things are going well. 

We had our 20 week ultrasound and check-up on August 22. Baby Shep looked great and is growing and healthy! We loved watching him move all around and boy is he active! He weighed in at 13 ounces which is 40th percentile. I measured right on track and we go back in 2 weeks for the 24 week appointment. 

Shep's nursery planning is underway! We are doing a nautical theme and have picked out the most beautiful bedding from Polka Tot Designs. If you're pregnant and needing gorgeous custom made bedding, check out their site. You won't be disappointed! Our color scheme is grey and white with a mustardy yellow as the pop of color. We have all of the wall decorations purchased thanks to Hobby Lobby, Kirklands and a few fun shops from Seaside during our beach trip. I can't wait to see it all come together!

We are moving Hatcher into his big boy bed tonight and starting to put the nursery together. Stay tuned for a post on Hatch's big boy room! Pray for us that this transition will go smoothly!

Below is my 22 week bump shot and update. 

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +9 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes! No more Bella band...it's all maternity clothes. It's time to start buying fall maternity clothes since I didn't need those with Hatcher. I have a feeling leggings will be my best friend!

Stretch marks? Nope! :)

Sleep: Sleep is good although usually interrupted by a sweet almost 2 year old who has stopped sleeping through the night lately. 

Best moment this week: The cooler weather which Hatch & I enjoyed very much in the mornings! This preggo mama is ready for fall because playing outside & chasing Hatcher preggo is not easy! Lots of movement from Shep too!!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Can't think of anything at the moment!

Movement: Yes and lots of it! Shep is very active and most active late at night. 

Food cravings: Sweet tea. I always love it but lately it's been a must. I try to stick to decaf tea at home but I usually have one or two caffeinated ones a day thanks to Chick-Fil-A. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? This has gotten better and lately my stomach hasn't been as weak.

Belly Button in or out? In

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: No

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but I've had my moody moments over the last few weeks.

Looking forward to: Putting Hatcher's big boy room together today and seeing how excited he is about it! This also means we can start on the nursery! 

Expecting Another Little BOY!

We are thrilled to be expecting our second little boy! Baby Shepherd Morgan Ricks is due January 4, 2015. He will also be born via c-section like his big brother so we expect an arrival during the last week of December. What a perfect Christmas present!! 

We have prayed for this sweet baby boy for a very long time. We tried to conceive for 8 months before that pregnancy test came back positive! To say we were excited would be an understatement! We found out very early and waiting for that first doctor's appointment seemed like an eternity but it was so worth it when we saw his sweet little self on that ultrasound screen! Totally worth the wait! 

Shepherd is a name we have liked for awhile and we love the idea of calling him Shep for short. Morgan is a family name on both sides of our families. My maternal grandfather's name was William Morgan Wilks and being able to carry on his name with my son is so special to me. Johny's maternal grandfather's name is John Morgan Outlaw and since Johny is name after him we thought it was perfect. We love a name for our children that represents our families and being able to do that twice now is very exciting! 

Hatcher still isn't sure what all the "I'm gonna be a big brother" talk is all about but he does notice that mommy's belly is growing. We tell him often that his baby brother is in mommy's belly and he will pull my shirt up and wave to him! So sweet & super cute! He will be a great big brother & I'm so excited to have two little boys to watch grow up together!

Nursery planning is well underway and my ideas are slowly coming together. Since I haven't chosen all the bedding yet, I'll save that info for another post. We won't have to buy too much in the way of clothes since the boys will be similar seasons but I'm sure I'll find some things to monogram for Shep along the way! He is a southern boy after all! 

Below is my update although very late but I've enjoyed going back to compare things with this pregnancy to the last one so I want to start updating the blog at least monthly. I am so thankful God is blessing us with another child & cannot wait to hold him in my arms!!

How far along? 16 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: +6 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes! I've grown much faster this go round and maternity clothes are definitely being worn. I can still do a few pairs of pants/shorts with the Bella band and a good many of my normal tops. 

Stretch marks? Nope! :)

Sleep: Pretty good on the sleep part. Bathroom break at least once a night and I'm starting to get somewhat uncomfortable in my hips so the wedge will probably make an appearance soon.

Best moment this week: Hearing Shep's heart beat at my 16 week appointment!! 

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? My morning cup of coffee! It's needed on those mornings when Hatcher decides 6:00 a.m. is the perfect time to start the day! 

Movement: Not yet but I'm so looking forward to it!

Food cravings: Spicy food! Anyone who knows me knows this is nuts but it's all I want! And brownies have been a favorite this week. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Brushing my teeth and coughing make me gag to the point of possibly getting sick. So weird!

Belly Button in or out? In

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: No

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Heading to the beach today for some fun in the sun with our families! Can't wait to relax & watch HT enjoy the beach & ocean!