So we are down to the wire, I really can't believe how fast this experience has gown. We are definitely ready to meet our little one. The midwife said it could be any day so we are just trying to go on with life as normal.
However it is a little difficult to be normal when you are 9 months pregnant. I have been have some minor contractions and having a lot of trouble sleeping. I actually think the not sleeping is natures way of getting you ready for all the late night feedings. I have been trying to keep as active as possible but I am moving a lot slower then I usually do.
To prepare for our labor and delivery Justin and I watched the "Business of Being Born", we recommend anyone who is about to have a baby or thinking of having a baby to watch it. It was amazing and very eye opening. http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/
We love you all and will keep you posted on our new arrival.
Love and hugs, Mandy and Justin
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Belly moments!
Photography by Jessi Hunnicutt AVA Photo
My friend Jessi Hunnicutt is an amazing photographer and captured beautiful images of my ever growing belly. I had such a fun time posing for these photos. Here are just a few that she took.
Baby Shower
I know it has been a very long time since our last post. We have been extremely busy getting ready for this little one as well as day to day life. In the beginning of June my sweet friends and mom through a fantastic baby shower for me and Justin.
It was wonderful to see our friends in Jacksonville and to celebrate a wonderful milestone in our life. Here are a few pictures of the shower.
It was wonderful to see our friends in Jacksonville and to celebrate a wonderful milestone in our life. Here are a few pictures of the shower.
Thanks Jessi for taking the pictures!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Busy Little Baby
I know it has been along time since we have last posted! We have had a lot going on. Here is a quick recap...We rented our house out, YAY, thank you Jessi for helping! So we had to go and get it rental ready! My sweet friend Leslie came down that weekend to help us out, as well as Mom and Kane. Thanks to ALL!
The next week I had to get ready to visit my grandparents up in Pittsburgh, I traveled with my Aunt Chris and Mom. We had a wonderful time but very busy, lots of loud talking and repeated conversation and not to mention some amazing homecooked food!
We came home after 4 days and the next morning baby and I had a check up! I have been feeling a little winded at times and a little nauseated. My midwife said that is normal especially if I over exhurt myself, and she recommended I keep drink plenty of fluids as well as eat more small meals during the day. But Baby Boo is doing great, growing fast and moving all around!
Justin and I are getting very excited to meet the little one! We still have a lot to do but it is going to be an amazing summer!
Lots of Love,
Mandy and Justin
Friday, May 7, 2010
The tolerance test
Yesterday I met with my midwife and had my glucose tolerance test (GTT). First off I would like to warn you all that this post maybe a little TMI for some of you. But I will reward you with good updates at the end about the baby.
So it all started last week when I went to take my GTT, I ingested the lovely sugary fruit punch beverage they make you drink and headed to the office so they can take my blood. When I was about to leave I felt a little funny, like I was about to get sick, I thought it was nothing so I got in my car and started driving. Well it wasn’t nothing and I did get sick. Luckily I was able to pull over and yak in an empty grocery bag I had in my car. Needless to say I was unable to take the test since it becomes invalid once you throw it up. And to top it off, I was sick the rest of the day.
So we had to reschedule the test for this week, I was working with the nurse to come up with an alternative to taking the nasty drink that made me so sick, because I knew it would happen again. She said when I come in for my next appointment she will have something for me. I signed in for my appointment and the nurse I was working with was not there, and they said I would need to take the drink again. I almost broke down and cried. However they gave me a new flavor, lemon-lime, and said I could drink as much water as I wanted. I was trying to think positive and will myself not to throw this up because I need to get this test over with. I had to hold back for 45 minutes, I had some close calls in the waiting room but I stayed strong, they got my blood sample and I was able to leave. I left less talkative and a little green, I knew what was coming next as it was just a matter of time. Thank God I had another bag in my car because even though I was praying and hoping I could make it home before my sickness took over, that did not happen. On the brightside I now know I can drive and yak in a bag several times. I was just glad I made it home in one piece and I had Justin to help me get cleaned up and take care of me.
Ok, since you made it through my TMI moment you all deserve a great update about the baby. While I was waiting for them to take my blood I had my check up with my midwife Gwen. She was very pleased with my belly growth, my weight and baby Hancock’s heart beat. We also talked more about our birth plan and she made me feel very at ease about all the questions I had. Besides my negative experience with the GTT, this has been a wonderful journey and we can’t wait to meet our little baby. Baby bump picture will come next week.
Love to all,
Justin and Mandy
So it all started last week when I went to take my GTT, I ingested the lovely sugary fruit punch beverage they make you drink and headed to the office so they can take my blood. When I was about to leave I felt a little funny, like I was about to get sick, I thought it was nothing so I got in my car and started driving. Well it wasn’t nothing and I did get sick. Luckily I was able to pull over and yak in an empty grocery bag I had in my car. Needless to say I was unable to take the test since it becomes invalid once you throw it up. And to top it off, I was sick the rest of the day.
So we had to reschedule the test for this week, I was working with the nurse to come up with an alternative to taking the nasty drink that made me so sick, because I knew it would happen again. She said when I come in for my next appointment she will have something for me. I signed in for my appointment and the nurse I was working with was not there, and they said I would need to take the drink again. I almost broke down and cried. However they gave me a new flavor, lemon-lime, and said I could drink as much water as I wanted. I was trying to think positive and will myself not to throw this up because I need to get this test over with. I had to hold back for 45 minutes, I had some close calls in the waiting room but I stayed strong, they got my blood sample and I was able to leave. I left less talkative and a little green, I knew what was coming next as it was just a matter of time. Thank God I had another bag in my car because even though I was praying and hoping I could make it home before my sickness took over, that did not happen. On the brightside I now know I can drive and yak in a bag several times. I was just glad I made it home in one piece and I had Justin to help me get cleaned up and take care of me.
Ok, since you made it through my TMI moment you all deserve a great update about the baby. While I was waiting for them to take my blood I had my check up with my midwife Gwen. She was very pleased with my belly growth, my weight and baby Hancock’s heart beat. We also talked more about our birth plan and she made me feel very at ease about all the questions I had. Besides my negative experience with the GTT, this has been a wonderful journey and we can’t wait to meet our little baby. Baby bump picture will come next week.
Love to all,
Justin and Mandy
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Time is flying
I can’t believe we have less then 80 days left till we meet our little angel! We still have so much to do before the new addition arrives in July, and the “before baby arrives” list seems to keep growing and growing. It doesn’t help that my energy level is not running at maximum capacity but Justin has been helping me out a lot and I am so very thankful! The baby is getting so big and so is my growing mid-section, he or she is also very active and is responding to talk and touch, a very cool experience to see and feel!
Justin’s parents came to visit for a few weeks, it was nice to see them and show them our new area we live in. Grandma and Grandpa Hancock are very excited to meet there grandbaby!
I have my next appointment with the midwife tomorrow so I will write an update after!
Love and Hugs,
Justin and Mandy
Justin’s parents came to visit for a few weeks, it was nice to see them and show them our new area we live in. Grandma and Grandpa Hancock are very excited to meet there grandbaby!
I have my next appointment with the midwife tomorrow so I will write an update after!
Love and Hugs,
Justin and Mandy
Friday, April 16, 2010
Crib
We finally found a crib we loved and ordered it as soon as it was back in stock.
Justin put it together this past weekend!
The Finished product!
Baby Bump Update: 25 weeks
Thursday, April 8, 2010
I can't believe I am 30
A few weeks ago I celebrated my 30th birthday and had a fantastic time with family and friends. To kick off the birthday weekend I headed down to New Smyrna to visit mom and Kane. On my way there my “pregnancy brain” kicked in and I got lost. Now the trip from Tampa to New Smyrna is very easy and I have made this trip several times before. However that still did not stop me from getting lost…oh well it was I nice impromptu road trip, and I finally made it!On my birthday we had a nice spa day at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, the day was perfect. I had my Mom, Aunt Chris, Shannon, Lisa, Pam and Justin (last minute sub) join me. The baby and I enjoyed a prenatal massage and a pedicure with a yummy veggie burger for lunch. After our treatments we went up to the room and watched a beautiful wedding outside our balcony and played a round of taboo (one of my presents from Justin). For dinner, Justin and I went down to the restaurant at the hotel, sat outside and listened to Jazz music and had an amazing meal. Mom joined Justin and I later for a glass of vino, I looked on extremely envious as they enjoyed their bottle of La Crema.
The next day my dad hosted a birthday brunch for me. There was so much delicious food as well as some virgin bloody mary’s and mimosas for the birthday girl! I was surrounded by amazing family and some dear friends I have not seen in a while. The food was amazing and so was the company. (Photo Caption: I was a little nervous with my makeshift candle)
It is crazy to think that on my next birthday celebration we will have a new addition hanging out with us to enjoy the festivities. Can’t Wait!
Love and Hugs, Mandy and Justin
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
"Sweet springtime..."
The past few weeks have been amazing! Spring is finally in the air, which means flip-flops and sundresses have arrived! I am pretty happy we are expecting in the summer so I can enjoy all the advantages of wearing the long and short flowing dressing that are in season. I have only needed to purchase one article of maternity clothing, jeans! Everything else I just get in a size up.
Baby Boo has been super active and growing these past few weeks. He or She has past the one pound mark and is healthy and strong with a heart beat around 154. We are 24 weeks today and only have 16 weeks left; I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. We have been keeping very active with our yoga classes and lots of walking.
Some of my sweet Jacksonville friends made the drive down to visit us last week
end, Kellie and Lisa came down for a fun girls weekend. The weather was perfect on Saturday when they arrived so after lunch we headed to the pool for the first time this spring. Then went out for a late dinner on the causeway, Lisa and I sipped our virgin cocktails and I was a little envious of Kellie’s spicy tune roll. The visit was great and much appreciated as I was getting a little home sick.
"Sweet springtime is my time is your time is our time for springtime is love time and viva sweet love. " -- e.e. cummings
Baby Boo has been super active and growing these past few weeks. He or She has past the one pound mark and is healthy and strong with a heart beat around 154. We are 24 weeks today and only have 16 weeks left; I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. We have been keeping very active with our yoga classes and lots of walking.
Some of my sweet Jacksonville friends made the drive down to visit us last week
end, Kellie and Lisa came down for a fun girls weekend. The weather was perfect on Saturday when they arrived so after lunch we headed to the pool for the first time this spring. Then went out for a late dinner on the causeway, Lisa and I sipped our virgin cocktails and I was a little envious of Kellie’s spicy tune roll. The visit was great and much appreciated as I was getting a little home sick."Sweet springtime is my time is your time is our time for springtime is love time and viva sweet love. " -- e.e. cummings
Love and Hugs, Justin and Mandy
Friday, March 19, 2010
Roller Stroller
A few weeks ago Justin and I ventured out on a lovely Saturday to the land of babies "R" us to start registering. I was so excited to start registering for this little one, after all how hard could it be… I mean when we were getting married that was one of my favorite parts of planning the wedding. So we get to babies’ r us and we are ready, ha, well we thought we were ready.
First off registering for someone you don’t know is hard, we are picking stuff out for somebody we know nothing about. And second, Justin and I realized we had no clue what we were doing. We stood in front of the feeding section of bottles, pumps, cleaning supplies, pacifiers and so much more for 10 minutes and then we both looked at each other and said lets come back to this section. Then we wandered over to the stroller section, we had this section down (we thought), we did our research, we knew what colors we wanted. So we found the stroller/car seat we both loved. We strolled around with it, played with it, looked at all the compartments and pockets, then we closed it up to see how heavy it was. Well when we tried to open it back up, we couldn’t figure it out. We are sm
art people, surely we can work a stroller…come on! Well that task took us 30 minutes, a lot of laughter and help from a sales person to finally figure it out. And once she helped us it was a breeze! So we continued for about another 30 minutes of registering and then called it a day, as you can imagine it was a little overwhelming for me.
First off registering for someone you don’t know is hard, we are picking stuff out for somebody we know nothing about. And second, Justin and I realized we had no clue what we were doing. We stood in front of the feeding section of bottles, pumps, cleaning supplies, pacifiers and so much more for 10 minutes and then we both looked at each other and said lets come back to this section. Then we wandered over to the stroller section, we had this section down (we thought), we did our research, we knew what colors we wanted. So we found the stroller/car seat we both loved. We strolled around with it, played with it, looked at all the compartments and pockets, then we closed it up to see how heavy it was. Well when we tried to open it back up, we couldn’t figure it out. We are sm
art people, surely we can work a stroller…come on! Well that task took us 30 minutes, a lot of laughter and help from a sales person to finally figure it out. And once she helped us it was a breeze! So we continued for about another 30 minutes of registering and then called it a day, as you can imagine it was a little overwhelming for me. Photo Caption: Justin putting together our stroller
Since I was not successful on the first round of registering, my mom came with me 
this week and helped me continue. And she so graciously bought us our travel stroller, so we can practice and also get the dogs accustomed to the change that is about to occur. After Justin put the stroller together, Lily was not very happy with this stranger object in her house; Max sniffed it then moved on. So we stroll around the house with it every day to get the dogs ready. Next week we will take the stroller and the dogs for a walk to see how they do. That should be interesting. Photo Caption: Lily checking out the car seat
Lots of love,
Mandy and Justin
this week and helped me continue. And she so graciously bought us our travel stroller, so we can practice and also get the dogs accustomed to the change that is about to occur. After Justin put the stroller together, Lily was not very happy with this stranger object in her house; Max sniffed it then moved on. So we stroll around the house with it every day to get the dogs ready. Next week we will take the stroller and the dogs for a walk to see how they do. That should be interesting. Photo Caption: Lily checking out the car seatLots of love,
Mandy and Justin
Friday, March 12, 2010
Tap-Tap-Tap
This has been a very busy week for the little one! He or She has been very active inside. Justin was able to feel the baby kick for the first time this week, which was very exciting for both of us, I loved seeing his expression when he first felt the little kick. Now it has turned into play time with the baby every morning and in the evening. Photo Caption: Justin and I at our sonogramWe also had our second sonogram on Wednesday, this was the first time Justin saw our baby. The experience
was amazing! I am still surprised that I haven't been very emotional when I see the little one on the screen, I just think it is so cool and I feel like I am watching someone on TV and this really isn't me experiencing this. Anyways, our tech Rhonda was wonderful, we spent almost an hour with her and baby boo, and got tons of pictures. Rhonda even did a 3D session for us, which was a wonderful surprise. I do have to say the 3D is a little weird, because they look a little funny.
was amazing! I am still surprised that I haven't been very emotional when I see the little one on the screen, I just think it is so cool and I feel like I am watching someone on TV and this really isn't me experiencing this. Anyways, our tech Rhonda was wonderful, we spent almost an hour with her and baby boo, and got tons of pictures. Rhonda even did a 3D session for us, which was a wonderful surprise. I do have to say the 3D is a little weird, because they look a little funny. 
Photo Caption: This is the 3D shot, it was one of the last pictures of the day, so I think the baby was tired of the photo shoot.
We are happy to report, we did not cave and find out the sex, and I am so happy about that! I honestly thought we might but when we got in there we both really did not have a desire to know. But that did not stop Justin from looking very carefully to see if he saw anything. They baby is very healthy and has a strong heart beat. All ten fingers and toes are accounted for, and apparently the little one has Justin's toes...the second toe is longer then the rest of them, which Justin has. Photo Caption: It looks like the baby is blowing bubbles which is appropriate since I love to blow bubbles, however it is part of the umbilical cord. We are very excited about our new adventure and enjoying this new journey we are taking, and we are glad you all are taking it with us.
Love and hugs,
Mandy and Justin
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
"Momaste"
"Momaste" was the name of the prenatal yoga workshop I went to in January with my bump buddy Lisa. We learned so much that day, it really opened my eyes to the fact I had no clue what I was doing and I had some homework to do before the big day.
I knew when I moved down to my new city I wanted to find a prenatal yoga class Baby Boo and I could join. We went to our first class yesterday and had a wonderful time. It was nice to meet other expecting mom's, and it was great to hear all the positive energy about their different birth plans they had in store for their little one.
We are 20 weeks this week and growing strong. According to the baby books, the little one is the size of a small cantaloupe. And for all you baby bump fans and the loving friends who keep asking me to post pictures of the bump here is our 19 week picture for your viewing pleasure.
We miss you all!
Love and Hugs,
Mandy and Justin
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Oh Baby...Here We Go!
So the wonderful news is out, Justin and I are having a baby! Our little one is scheduled to premier July 23, 2010. We found out before thanksgiving and couldn't be more thrilled!
Yes the timing maybe a little off, considering we relocated to Tampa and we are trying to sell our house in Jacksonville. But what the heck, we are up for the challenge and hey, "life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans".
We are so thankful for our wonderful family and friends that support and love us during all the changes that have come our way. And we can't wait to share this experience with everyone and of course meet our new family member in July.
Also, since I mentioned we are trying to sell our house, if you or anyone you know is interested in purchasing a house in beautiful Jacksonville, FL check out this link http://www.postlets.com/res/3085173.
Hope you all enjoy this adventure with us, it should be fun!
Love and Hugs,
Mandy and Justin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)