Weeks 24 and 25!

Me at 25w1d pregnant!

Today I am 25w3d pregnant! 

Week 24 marks a huge milestone- Cameron is a viable baby, meaning that if he was born anytime after 24 weeks he could survive (although this early would likely mean lots of complications and time in NICU so we are hoping and praying that he stays put for many more weeks).

The last couple of weeks have been very busy.  We had a 1st birthday party for my friend's daughter, Carolyn Joy.  Carolyn has been such a blessing to me!  She was born about 7 weeks before Joy was due.  Ever since she was one week old I have been able to spend time with her each week and watch her grow this past year.  Every minute with her is a blessing and there were many times where she kept me going after our second loss.  Today, hanging out with her is a reminder of all that we have to look forward to with Cameron!  Lloyd finally met her at the party and she immediately captured his heart- watching the two of them together melted my heart too!

Last Thursday I had my most recent doctor's appointment.  After waiting 2 hours, I finally got in to see my doctor (thankfully she is well worth the wait!).  She asked how everything was going and I gave her the update.  I asked my questions about road trips, camping at 29 weeks pregnant (and 7300 ft elevation), told her about my Braxton Hicks contractions, talked about birth control and how breastfeeding might be affected if we try for #2 when Cameron is 6 months old, and we talked about the infamous glucose tolerance test (which tests for gestational diabetes and should be done around 26-28 weeks).  She measured my bump and we listened to Cameron's heartbeat on the Doppler, both were great indicators that he's continuing to be our little champ (heartbeat was around 150)!!  Oh, and she sent me home withe the 3rd trimester packet filled with lots of information (talk about overwhelming)- breastfeeding for success, birth plan preference, birth control, classes, maternity leave, breast pumps, newborn screening tests, etc.

Friday morning I went with Lloyd to work and visited with my friend Whitney, Jan, JD, and little Jackson (Whitney's mom, husband, and 4 month old son, respectively).  It was so wonderful to spend the day with them and see little Jackson!  I cannot believe how fast he is growing- seems like he was just born yesterday!

Dad, Linda, Lloyd, and I at the ranch!

Lloyd got off around 1:30 p.m. and we tried our best to beat traffic on our way to my uncle's ranch in Santa Ynez (we did not succeed- traffic was horrendous).  On the way, we made a fast stop at Costco to pick up some wine, chips, salsa, and hummus for the weekend.  While there we saw that the dresser that matches our crib was reduced to 1/2 price ($200 vs $400).  I asked about the warehouse inventory and price near our home and found that we could get it in Moreno Valley for the same price (other warehouses had it for $300).  Anyways, we finally made it to Santa Ynez and enjoyed a nice dinner out with my uncle, his fiance, and my dad and step mom! 

Uncle John, Ariane, Lloyd, and I

Saturday morning we woke up and went to the horse training track (my uncle breed's thoroughbred race horses) to watch two of his horses learn to ride with a jockey on their back.  It was very interesting to see them do this!  Afterwards we went to a golf country club to have blueberry pancakes for breakfast but unfortunately could not stay as power was off and they were unable to cook anything.  Little did we know that this was going to be quite the problem and adventure in search for food!  Around 11:00 am we ended up at a little grocery store that serves breakfast and lunch and enjoyed some sandwiches and coffee.  Afterwards we enjoyed some shopping in downtown Solvang and the Figueroa Brewery before heading back to the ranch, where we rested for a couple of hours before heading out to dinner.

Sunday morning we woke up, packed up our stuff, took some pictures, and headed back to the country club for the blueberry pancakes.  They were all they were cracked up to be- very delicious with lots of blueberries!  Once breakfast was over we all went our separate ways and Lloyd and I made our way back home (this time traffic was much better!). 

Lloyd and I <3

On the drive home we decided that we should get the dresser today instead of Wednesday (I was going to stop on my way home from work on Weds).  I was worried that it might not be available by then and/or fit in my car.  My step dad had called and asked about our registry and what I wanted while we were deciding all this.  I let him know that I might need his help (he has a truck) and gave him the options (after he gave me his budget) of the baby monitor, crib bedding, or dresser and he generously decided to give us a check for the dresser.  He came over, picked me up, and we ventured to Costco to pick up the dresser- thankfully we did because there is no way I could have done that by myself without having to ask for lots of help (it's pretty big, super heavy, and might not have fit in my car).

So, today we have about 15 more weeks until our little guy is here!  Life is so good and we are incredibly blessed!  I am loving every minute of being pregnant and am already so in love with little Cameron!  He's kicking quite a bit these days and those are the moments that I just love...the rest of life just seems to fade in those moments and he has my full attention!  It's amazing to be where we are today- it's a feeling that has me completely humbled and thankful!  God is so good and I cannot thank Him enough for all the ways He continues to bless our life!