The Countdown is Ending...38 Weeks!

Hello All!

I am getting to Week 38 a little early because Week 38 will be my last week in the countdown and Finch will be coming a little earlier than planned.

I have been dealing with swelling in my feet and have been having issues with my blood pressure increasing gradually for about a month to a month and a half and it has been something our doctor has been keeping an eye on because they are precursors to a condition called Preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition that develops usually within the last few weeks to month of pregnancy and can develop earlier even as early as the second trimester in mothers. It is caused when the placenta begins to become toxic to the mother's body causing such symptoms as high blood pressure, headaches, excessive and sudden swelling, vision problems, and proteinuria (proteins in the urine, which indicate liver and kidney damage). It is not good and can lead to further complications of seizures and coma if not treated immediately once it starts to develop. The only way to cure it is to deliver the baby and ultimately the placenta which is causing the problems to start with. For more info see: www.preeclampsia.org.

I have had a couple of red flags for a while, but the past couple of weeks it's become far more concerning leading up to a hospital visit on Saturday because I was starting to swell in my face and hands and legs, and was having headaches. When we got to the hospital my blood pressure which is normally 106/60-110/70 was in the 140/90-150/100 range. Not good at all, especially when my baseline is so much lower. When I was sitting up and standing up it was high and when I was laying down it went back down immediately to a much healthier and safer level. They did a urine sample and I wasn't spilling proteins in my urine so they felt like I was safe to go home, however on bedrest to keep my blood pressure down.

Today, was my normal weekly checkup, and after 5 checks and re-checks on my blood pressure it remained consistently high, and my urine sample today showed that I am starting to spill proteins. Not good. Luckily, we have a doctor who is a champion, who has listened to my concerns, and who isn't willing to try our luck on it going down at this point.

He talked it over with us and said that since we are 38 weeks, and Finch is looking really really good, he feels that Finch will be fine to deliver earlier, but that he is worried for me and that he wanted to induce me this week to make sure we took care of this before it became a problem. We are inducing Finch later this week on Thursday, and we appreciate any prayers or well wishes that you can send our way.

We feel so blessed, and I feel completely at peace with everything that has been happening. Around 22 weeks I began to really look for signs of Preeclampsia and worried that I may develop it, and now that I have, I feel like the Lord has been preparing me and guiding me so I would know when to speak up to the doctor and when things were just fine. I look back now and can see that I have been prompted for a while and now that this is happening I am not afraid. We have a wonderful doctor who has been taking such wonderful care of us, and we have been able to carry Finch to term and he is strong and healthy and this is all happening on a week when Ben can be home with me to make sure I don't have to be on my feet so I can rest as much as possible. The Lord has been so merciful and I am in awe of the blessings that have and are ours now as we prepare to welcome our little son into the world.

My advice to all of my friends who are pregnant or who will become pregnant is to not ignore any signs that don't seem right to them. If I hadn't watched for and felt concerned, I may have never realized something wasn't right until it was too late, and I have been able to work with my doctor for a little bit so that now I am prepared and ready instead of feeling completely confused and scared. And it doesn't even have to be about preeclampsia. There are so many times when you are pregnant that you will worry and it is nothing, but if you keep feeling a nudging feeling or prompting that this symptom is more or that you should keep an eye on it please please do. I would rather be known as the mother who worries a little more but was right about something not being right, than someone who was too afraid to be annoying or to ask questions or voice concerns and have something happen that I regretted. It took me a while to feel comfortable voicing my concerns but I am and have always been glad that I did voice them when I did because most times I have found something wasn't quite right and that my intuition and the promptings of the Holy Ghost were indeed real and sound.

Again, if you can keep us in your prayers and thoughts we sure appreciate them. We can't wait to welcome our little boy and I am so thrilled to finally be the mama I have dreamed about being since I was a little girl :)

We will keep you posted, and there will be a HUGE blog for when he comes, no worries :)

The final belly shot :) 

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola :)

The 37th Week!

Good morning folks! (or whichever time you are reading this ;) )

I am enjoying my 37th week so far. Ben and I were able to move in to our new apartment on Saturday (no worries, I didn't lift anything, I had people watching just to make sure too because Ben knows I can't help myself) and are loving our new place. It is beautiful, and spacious and feels like home to us already. It's hard to believe that this is going the be the place we bring Finch home to when he is born. In each of the apartments I have lived in since Ben and I got married, I have imagined bringing home my babies and what it would be like to have them there. It's strange to think that this is actually the place where this will happen but I am so thrilled. Ben and I are so excited to think that our little bird will be coming to us soon :)

My doctor appointment went on Monday. Last week I was still dealing with my UTI and found out that nothing special was going on with my cervix. This week, my UTI is gone and I am just finishing my antibiotics to make sure it doesn't come back. After my exam last week I started to have spotting and definitely started to keep an eye on things in case more contractions came.
 On Sunday I started to have some really strong and really painful contractions that were very close together and not letting up. It was scary and I wasn't feeling good about it because they came on so suddenly and I worried that Finch could be hurt because there wasn't enough time inbetween for him to rest (when contractions get too close together and too powerful it can put a baby in distress because it lowers their oxygen levels). I asked Ben for a blessing immediately because it didn't feel right and within a few minutes of getting the priesthood blessing, the contractions subsided and I began to feel Finch kicking again. I was exhausted but grateful that Finch seemed to be better. We told our doctor about Sunday at our appointment and I mentioned that I have a high pain threshold and that I don't usually feel pain until it is pretty severe or far along. He did a cervical check saying, "Let's just make sure you're not walking around dilated to 7 cm." and it revealed that in a week I went from nothing special to being dilated to 1 cm, and effaced between 80-90%, and that my mucus plug was completely gone! Wahoo!!! We set an appointment for next week, but I kind of had the feeling he wasn't really expecting to see me for another OB visit if I keep up the pace I did last week. We'll see what happens, I would love for Finch to come soon, but I can't guarantee that he will until it is his time and whenever that is is unknown to me (obviously lol). I try not to get too invested because I don't want to be disappointed if he takes longer. (Although, I am pretty thrilled my body is working so well for Finch to come.)

37 weeks :)

Ben is in the midst of his finals right now and has one left. I know that he is so excited to be done for a week and a half. It will be wonderful to have him around for a week and a half without having to see him leave early in the morning and not come back until the evening. I know that that is life and I deal with it very well, but I love having him around me and especially now that I am so close to delivery it is very comforting to have him close by if anything exciting happens.

*Update: Most of this blog entry was written earlier this week. Still having contractions and still no baby, but they are getting stronger and a few days ago they were becoming more regular. We are hoping that if he doesn't come this weekend that Monday's appointment will let us know if I am making progress. I think I am and I feel like he is almost here, but I am DYING waiting for him to come to me. Yesterday I watched "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and I started sobbing at the scene when they were all having their babies and getting them handed to them. I was so jealous and so excited, and hormones just took over for me for a few minutes.

Ben finished his finals and did really well with them and we are just enjoying the time we have before Finch arrives. It's so weird to think that he will be here so soon and now I am just trying to learn patience. (My least favorite virtue of all lol)

We will keep you informed for what Week 38 will present and hopefully this countdown will finish soon!

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola

Oh! For those of you who are friends with my husband, he started a blog for his communications class final and it is called, "What to Expect When She's Expecting" It is really fun to read and cute and he addresses some of the common issues that baffle men as they are dealing with pregnancy with their significant others. It is worth a read so check it out! :D

daddiessurvivalguide.blogspot.com

36 (and a half) Weeks!

Boy these past 8 months have flown by and now as I enter my ninth month as a gestating mommy I can't believe how time flies!

I am now in my 36th week and by Friday I will be 37 weeks along and considered "term" with my pregnancy. Finch is the size of a coconut, and the length of romaine lettuce and is getting very cramped inside my tummy. While I have some great indicators that my body is rearing and ready for this little boy to come out and join the Davies Family, I also found out today that it is not in a rush to let him go just yet, which is really very good. With the history of preterm labor in my family I was concerned as were my doctors, but so far, he is snug in my body and still prepping for his big debut.

Finch dropped this week as well. I probably dropped about threeish to four inches in my waist and can definitely feel Finch's head on my poor bladder. I am still dealing with my UTI, and was given a new antibiotic to get rid of the infection so having his head WAY down (as the doctor said) and constantly bumping my poor bladder has made me very uncomfortable. Also, sitting isn't very much fun because I feel like my tailbone is crunching all of the time and that my pelvis is not as solid as it once was. It's good to know my pelvis is doing its job in getting ready to be flexible, but like I said, I am definitely feeling ready for getting my little guy out and into my arms! Braxton hicks contractions are ever present, and I sleep so much now. I can't tell if that is partly from my UTI draining me of my energy along with just being tired from creating life, but I have had about three days this last week where I have taken two naps a day, so I know something apart from making a little human is up. Our doctor felt that it was probably a mix of the UTI and third trimester preparations so now I feel much better knowing I am not just some wimp who can't handle getting ready for a baby. I've been in a lot of pain this week and knowing that my UTI isn't completely gone but is still persisting has helped to clear up some of the mystery and worry I have had and now I can just hope that the new meds kick this infection's butt so I can get back to baby prep.

Also, we found out that we can move into our new apartment sooner than expected! We are thrilled! I was having anxiety attacks wondering if we would get into our apartment in time before Finch arrives and now this pretty much guarantees that we will, if my exam today stays true throughout the rest of the week as to how dilated and effaced I am. (Since I was practically zero on both). Moving in this weekend will give us a chance to get everything squared away before Ben's finals, and then after his finals the following week we have a week off from school and then it will be the week Finch is due. Blessings upon blessings for us, seriously. I couldn't have planned it better, and I am so grateful that the Lord's timetable is so much wiser than mine ever will be.

Hospital bags are packed, and we are just biding our time and enjoying our last few weeks as just a married couple before we are forever parents. We are officially out of our old apartment and just counting down the last few days before we are in our new place. I look back on the timeline of the past month with deciding to move and finding a place and selling our contract and I can't get over how well everything has worked out for us to be able to be in the best place for us at this time. Also, I found out that Ben's new school and work schedule for next semester will allow for him to be home with me Mondays and Fridays along with the weekend and I am so grateful that he will be able to have more time with Finch and I as we adjust to being new parents and as we bond with our little son.

So that is pretty much what is going on for us at this point. Next blog will probably detail the last stretch of our move and how we are handling baby prep and finals. We feel pretty blessed and very loved right now. Thank you for reading and may your week go well too!

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola.

35 Weeks!!

Okay so so far Week 35 has been good. Busy busy, but very good and bittersweet.

Ben and I are almost done with emptying our apartment of any signs of life and it is sad. We've come to love this little place we've called home. While we are definitely so blessed to have a new place to go to soon, and to have sold our contract earlier than we expected, we will definitely miss the memories we have made while being here.

We have three more days until we have to be out and most of those will be spent cleaning and cleaning, and cleaning to get it ready for the new tenants. Saying goodbye to our friends at church and knowing that it was our last Sunday with them was hard too. We weren't there super long, but we felt a lot of love and enjoyed the spirit that was there.

As for my pregnancy: I am still doing well. Still getting bigger, and I am tired a lot, but I couldn't feel more fortunate even with all of the weird things that have been going on since getting up to school. I have been having some strange intense contractions that only happen once a day but definitely are a lot more heavy duty than a normal braxton hicks, and I have had a lot of pain whenever my bladder even gets a couple of drops of fluid in it. After checking my blood pressure today before my doctors appointment I was concerned because it was higher again like last week. When we got there they took it a few times and it finally went down a little. Not down as far as it is normally for me, but a lot better so I don't know if their machine was off, or if my heart is enjoying making everyone's blood pressure rise. After checking my urine though we found that there weren't any traces of proteins (yay!) and my feet are hardly swelling at all again (knock on wood). We did find that the pain I have been having and possibly some of my strange intense cramps may have been caused by another UTI. Yes, I seem to be the UTI queen, and since the last time I got one it started early contractions, my doctor put me on antibiotics right away. So, I am doing what I do best: taking it easy, and hating not being able to as active as I want.

I just have to say also, we have the best doctor for us. I wrote a birth plan yesterday and brought a copy of it with me to our appointment so he could go over it and let me know if there were any changes I should make or if there were things that were unrealistic. It was two pages single spaced and very long winded, and he read the entire thing and made sure everything was great. He thought it was very good, and said that it sounded like I worked in a hospital the way it was written. (yay for the medical assistant in me!). I was impressed that he read through it all, and answered all of my questions. He did an exam on my tummy (I am on track) and checked Finch's heart beat and everything was fine. Finch is still head down, and doing so well. I was told to behave myself for the week and he'd see me next week. He really has been an answer to prayer and I couldn't feel more blessed in knowing that the Lord knew who would be the right doctor for us. When the Lord knows it is important to you, He definitely helps you to figure out how to make it work out. So, we just keep counting our blessings that we have a doctor who listens to us, takes the time to help and get to know us, and trusts us when something isn't right.

Finch is the size of a honeydew melon this week and should be weighing in around 5.25 pounds. I definitely feel him sitting in my pelvis all of the time and I am definitely getting ready for when he can be in my arms instead of in my belly. He kicks me often, and always lets me know that he is there which I love. I know I'll miss feeling him move inside of me when he is out. It's hard to describe that feeling unless you have experienced it, but it makes all loneliness go away.

35.5 Weeks!

My foot swelling has gone away, and besides feeling very full of baby, and the UTI, I am doing really really well. Once we get through this week with moving, I can just settle in for a few weeks and relax as we count down the final weeks until Finch's arrival. I have his hospital bag packed, and am finishing up the final touches to my bag and Ben's bag so we can leave at a moment's notice. We also just got our newborn cloth diapers in! I am so excited. We have felt it would fit our lifestyle a little better and would be better for our check book and the environment (yes, in that order), and we will just use disposables at night most likely, and when we travel. We definitely have enough of the disposables from the baby shower to last us many nights and many trips :)

We just feel very blessed. I keep looking back on my days and weeks and see miracle after miracle and blessing after blessing. Life is certainly not easy right now and it is so hectic, but I really feel like we have so many people that we can't see on our side, as well as many who we can who are there to help us all of the time, and we definitely can testify that God hears and answers prayers :)

Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic rest of your week!

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola

Week 34!

Week 34 has been a very busy but good week so far. I am winding down with it and figured I'd give the "DL" on how it has been so far!

Well first off, I got to enjoy seeing so many loved ones this past week while I was in Reno. We had the baby shower on the 15th and I was so touched by how many people showed up to celebrate the coming of my little Finch. I can't even begin to count how many gifts or hugs or laughs I had with all who came, but it meant so much to each of you who made it and said hello. Thank you so much. It really was such a wonderful party for us and I definitely made out like a bandit with all of the gifts. I don't think I need to shop for baby clothes until Finch is at least 9 months lol. So again, thank you all for your love and thoughts and gifts in our behalf :)

My friend, Sarah, and I! It was a mustache themed party and she was a great sport about it all!

It all seemed like it went by so fast. Too fast. My mom went out of her way and beyond to make it a beautiful affair with mustaches, balloons, red, black, white, and silver everywhere. All of my favorite foods and treats were there, and we had so many fun games. I have been so very blessed. Plus, it was just so much fun to be able to spend time with my parents. They are definitely loving being empty nesters these days, and it was so nice to just get a chance to relax with them and get a little mommy/daddy/daughter time with them before Finch comes along. Because let's face it, as soon as my baby bird is here, he will be the king of the roost. I was blown away by all of the beautiful blankets that my mom has already started making for him, and how funny it was for her to be trying to talk to him to make sure he would know her voice and move for her. He was a little shy at first, but then he started to move after a day or two and then he would move when she would talk around me. I guess he already loves his Grandma Mary :)

34.5 weeks along, Finch is the size of a canteloupe :)

Funny and wonderful stories for the week: We went to Costco to get some last minute stuff for the shower and the birthday party for my niece, and there was a lady giving out samples for Corned Beef. I am very Irish and I LOVEEEE corned beef and cabbage. But I had just eaten, and it didn't sound good so I was trying to stand back far enough from the sample booth so other people could get some samples while I waited  for my mom to pick out the best sized corned beef she could find. The sample lady looked over at me and said, "Come here honey, your baby wants some yummy corned beef! Come feed that little baby some corned beef". Needless to say, I didn't walk over, but it was rather cute/creepy/awkward/funny for her to say that. I have never had someone use my baby bump to sell stuff, but I have to admire her for at least trying. Then when I was at the airport to leave, I was walking around an airport bookstore, looking for a book to read on the plane. When I got to the cashier, she and her mother who both work there told me how beautiful I looked, that I was simply glowing, and how much they loved my hair. I know it wasn't a big deal to them, but it meant a lot that they said it, I felt so much prettier after and it was just a nice little uplifting moment on a stressful day of traveling. Pregnant women love compliments, we need them, we keep getting bigger and it makes a huge difference to us (pun not intended).

This last week we also were able to sell our contract to our current apartment!!!!!!! The manager at our place saw how many ads I had been posting for our apartment and let us know about a couple needing an apartment before or around the 1st of April and she wanted to know if we would be interested in moving out a little earlier and if it were possible. We definitely could, and we have been able to get everything squared away and are staying with friends while we wait for our new apartment to open up in April. It will be fast, and it won't be easy, but I have learned that when it is the Lord's will, things work out so much better than when we plan for ourselves. We not only get out of our contract earlier than we expected, we will get our rent prorated back to us for the days we are out of the apartment before April. I never could have imagined such a blessing, and I honestly could never have planned a better way for this to work out before Finch arrives. 

Sunday, we celebrated my youngest niece's first birthday. Technically today is her real birthday, but we had so much fun watching her blow out candles and smile and be oh so sweet. I can't believe she is already a year old now. We did a Shrek Theme for her party because she is named Fiona, and it was just darling!

Happy Birthday Fiona!

After the party on Saturday, and the party on Sunday, I was absolutely worn out and needed lots of rest. I have been traveling home to Rexburg since Monday. I got to the aiport to fly to Denver and then to Salt Lake (Don't ask, that was the ticket, it makes no sense to me, I'm just the passenger) and found out AFTER getting past security that the flight was delayed two hours. After waiting for a while we finally got on the plane and then we flew to Denver. Getting to Denver we only had about 20 minutes to get to the gate, and then we were off to Salt Lake. My wonderful in-laws were so fantastic and came to pick me up and then even drove me back up to Idaho yesterday and stayed the night to help us pack. I have been so blessed to have such supportive and loving family. 

Pregnancy wise it has been a harder week. My braxton hicks are more regularized now and if I get some rest they aren't too hard to handle. I have started having some major foot and leg swelling and some abdominal pain that was a little scary. The Lord truly has been so good to us and I feel very blessed though because He has led us to the right people to help us and has been so merciful and making sure things are okay. I got to Salt Lake on Monday night and woke up in the middle of the night woke up to a searing pain in my sides from my pelvis up to my ribs on both sides. After the travels I didn't know if it was a really intense braxton hicks or a muscle spasm or not, but it lasted for about 20 minutes with non stop pain. After a prayer and some rest I was able to go back to sleep and when I woke up the next morning called to make an appointment with my doctor as soon as I got back. When we got to the doctor my blood pressure was 138/96 (which is high for anyone who doesn't know) and mine is usually 110/70 kind of range which is pretty low. I had gained 6 pounds of water weight with my swelling, and they were definitely concerned because those are signs of Preecclampsia which is a condition that occurs when the placenta begins to become toxic to the body of the mother, causing the liver to break down proteins, raising blood pressure, causing bad headaches, and extreme swelling in the legs, arms, and face. It can develop really quickly and can be life threatening to the mother and to the baby if left untreated because it can progress to Ecclampsia which causes seizures, coma, and death if left untreated.  Kind of really scary. I had a couple of the red flags so my doc checked on Finch who was doing fine, redid my blood pressure and had me to a urine sample to see if I was excreting proteins (which is a way they can check to see if the liver is breaking down proteins and the kidneys are unable to filter them out of the urine). With divine intervention, my blood pressure had gone down to 119/90 which was much better. Still a wee bit high, but so much better, and my urine sample showed very small amounts of protein but nothing to be concerned about. Our doctor said to keep an eye on things and to look for the other markers that indicate possible preecclampsia developments and to keep resting and keep my feet up and to be careful. 

We felt so blessed as we left the office, and I was so glad that Finch was just as active as the little monkey he is proving to be and that everything was okay with us both. I have to be really careful because we are moving in the next week or two and not push myself, but the blessings I have been given have definitely been a relief. We seriously love our doctor, and he was so good to check everything. He said the pain in my sides was probably from straining my back and abdominal muscles and possibly having a Braxton Hicks during the spasms in my back and sides but nothing to be concerned about and he told me he was glad I came in and did the right thing. I have had so many strange things happen the past two months and I feel like they are so sick of seeing me in the office so often, so it meant a lot that he reassured me and told me I wasn't just a paranoid mommy-to-be who was hearing hoof beats and thinking they were zebras . We love him, and I feel so grateful that the Lord led us to a doctor so perfect for our little family.

I had to travel from Reno to Salt Lake with just socks on because my feet were so swollen my shoes wouldn't fit. I know I looked weird, but oh it was so worth it to not hurt as much. A prego girl has got to do what a prego girl has got to do :)

Coming home has been wonderful. My husband has missed me and I have missed him, and my little cat has been my little shadow in everything. When I held her earlier today, she was purring and Finch began to kick and move around again like he does whenever he hears her nearby and all just felt right with the world once again. Despite the scares and the fatigue and the fact that we have a week to move out of our apartment for the next tenants, we have been incredibly incredibly blessed and I know that we are always being watched out for by holy ones. It's been a busy, wonderful, stressful, and scary week 34, but I am glad to be at the end of it seeing how many things have come together for us and how protected and loved I have been. I truly know that Heavenly Father is so aware of our needs and that He is always watching out for us. I am so grateful because there have been many times when things could have gone very badly and instead have gone so wonderfully. 

Thank you for your prayers, your love, and your encouragement. I am so very lucky to have you all in my life. Until next week :)

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola

Week 33

Well folks I am on the last day of Week 33 (as of Thursday) technically I am in week 34 now, but that's okay. For the purposes of the this blog entry, it is Week 33. It has been an interesting and stressful week.

Baby Finch is big now. Last week at our appointment he was 4.5 pounds, and from all of the random spurts of hunger I have been having lately, I am sure he is bigger now. I can feel it, my legs can feel it, and my belly is definitely making a new debut it hadn't done before.

33 weeks!

The newest pregnancy symptoms apart from heartburn and fatigue are: Swollen feet! After driving down to Provo from Rexburg last Friday, my feet have been swelling a lot and I have had to repeatedly elevate my feet with a little improvement but not much. I feel like I am constantly in the "I have walked around Disneyland all day and my feet are dead" feeling, except I haven't been to Disneyland in about 4 years and can't boast the joyful part of that sentence lol. Also, I can't spell to save my life, and my memory is very bad these days. The fog of pregnancy or "Momnesia" as I have heard lately is real. Husbands, it's not an excuse it is fo' real the real thing.

The funniest experience I have had thus far in my pregnancy happened last week when I got so excited after the ultrasound we had that I didn't give a proper urine sample and peed into the toilet completely. Not wanting to stay around forever, I just scooped some up from the toilet (sorry, MA friends, I know it was wrong, but it was worth it) and I probably had the most diluted urine I have ever had. I am sure the girls in the lab knew it wasn't the real deal. Pretty funny though.

I am currently in Reno getting ready for my baby shower, and am loving being with my family. Ben and I spent the weekend last week with his parents and grandma which was so wonderful, and then I flew out of the airport to Reno. Traveling by plane was interesting as a prego lady, but luckily I am still in the time frame (barely) for plane travel being safe and I am glad I don't do it often because I was so tired.

Also, Ben and I found our new place that we can move in to in April, and we are hopeful to find someone to move into our current place soon. Life is moving really fast, but we have always had the Lord on our side and feel Him with us now. We are very blessed, and so grateful for His goodness to us.

Besides that, life is just going as it needs to. Ben and I miss each other like crazy, and my cat reacts very acutely when she hears my voice on the phone or skype, and we have a few more days of separation while I am away, but I am surrounded by family and doing well. Week 34 will be very exciting and I will post a lot of pictures next time for the shower.

Hope you are all doing well!

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola

Week 32, 8 weeks (maybe) left to go!!

This week has been a challenging, but a very good week for Ben and I.

We decided that we are in need of moving to a less expensive apartment as Ben's job has limited hours and I am unable to work outside of the home and it has been an inspiring and challenging search. We found a place that we love, it is bigger, and less expensive, and we feel a lot of peace about it. Now, we are just trying to sell the contract to our current apartment! (GAHHHH!!!!) As if preparing for a baby coming wasn't enough, but it is good. When you know that you are doing what the Lord has inspired you to do, you know that you may not know how, but somehow things will work out. We know things will work out, but boy, I get a little stressed when I worry (okay not just a little stressed, a lot). We love the new apartment though, and we get to move in in April. We are thrilled and excited for the new adventure ahead of us :)

Pregnancy update: While I am still resting, I am starting to feel a little better and the braxton hicks are back to being super random and annoying rather than concerning. I am going to be traveling to Reno in a few days so I know I will have to keep being careful, but so far things are doing better :) Also, we got to go to the doctor yesterday and got to do an ultrasound for my birthday! We got to see our little Finchbird and he is doing so so well! 4.5 lbs, a big head, head down in position, with no abnormalities. He looks exactly like his daddy with my nose, and has huge lips, and he sleeps like I do, with his hand by his face. He has done that throughout the pregnancy, and seems to be somewhat like his mama, even if he doesn't look like me at all :) He is so wiggly now, and the doctor has changed his due date up a few days to 4/25/14 making me 33 weeks now instead of 32. Yay, me :)

32 almost 33 weeks :)

Pregnancy symptoms that I am dealing with now are: Heartburn. So much heartburn that I feel like I can breathe fire. I keep hoping this means that that old wive's tale is true that it means that Finch will have some hair on his head. Also, shortness of breath (no worries, not the dying kind, the "I ate an almost normal meal and I have no room for my lungs to expand" kind) after eating that makes it hard for me to move.

Sleeping away, with those big lips and beautiful face :)

This one is my favorite ^^

The last one was a little blurry, but if you look closely you can see his arm and hands covering his right eye in the picture. There is his nose, and those lovely lips that run in the Davies side of the gene pool :)

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was wonderful. I felt so much love from my friends and family, and the well wishes and encouragement were very much appreciated. I started off the day with a red waffle (red is my favorite color) for breakfast, and then a fun outing with a friend, and spending the day with my hubby. Then we got to see our sweet little boy, and sign on the lease of our new home, and then we went to dinner with friends and loved ones. I got to end my night with a bath, and getting to fall asleep next to my best friend and sweetheart. 23 years old has started off very well :).

Today, we are embarking on a trip to Provo, and then I will fly out to Reno for my baby shower. I am so very excited to see friends and family in Reno, and to be able to celebrate the coming of my little boy.  We feel very blessed, and honestly, we couldn't ask for more in our lives. There are challenges before us, but there are always challenges, and we have blessings and tender mercies on every side of us each day.

I am very excited to report how week 33 goes since it starts today, and I am excited to show off pictures of the great gifts and fun I will be having with family in Provo and in Reno. Keep my sweet hubby in your prayers since he can't travel with me and will be on his own as a bachelor once again for a week. He needs them, and I appreciate the comfort of knowing that he is taken care of when I can't be there to take care of him.

Until next week!

God Bless :)

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola