Week 37: Annelisa's Birth Story!

I think most of us have doubts from time to time that God's plan is best in our lives. I was at this point with my pregnancy wondering what God's plan was, when Annelisa was going to be born, and wondering if I'd be ready when the time came. By God's grace, when the time came, I was ready because of all the things God did to prepare me in every way!

It all began on Monday, March 19, 2012, Spring Break was complete and I returned to school with a plan; see I almost always have a plan! I operate best when I know the plan. The plan was to work ten more school days, and in that time prepare everything for my substitute, finish up grading for the fifth six weeks, and make sure all my school things and home things were ready for the birth. This Monday went as it should, I was uncomfortable, but thankfully my feet didn't really swell. I had been very productive over spring break in catching up on most of the grading I needed to do. I had one assignment left to grade and I devised yet another plan to accomplish it by Open House on Thursday. That evening we had my weekly appointment with Dr. Halderman (not my OB, but another in the practice) to check my progress and a Non-Stress Test (NST).  Everything went well. I measured 41 cm and was dilated to 1 cm with 90% effacement. No real progress from the previous week. Annelisa seemed to be on track for an April birth day and being a large baby girl! We went home relieved with some of our questions answered about the likelihood of a Cesarean, which we wanted to avoid, or even an induction, which we also wanted to avoid. We were encouraged by Dr. Halderman to keep up the good work and to be prepared.

Well, Tuesday came with plenty of swelling, particularly in my feet! It wasn't that painful, but it prompted me to try to sit and leave school as promptly as possible to put them up. Earlier in my third trimester, I had swollen feet and each evening I was able to drink enough and keep them up enough to have them resolve by the next morning. This time those tricks didn't work. So, Wednesday came with swollen feet in the morning only to increase as the day progressed. My plan for the week was working nicely, I was making progress on the assignment I needed to grade and progress on preparing things for my sub. I still had plenty to do, but progress was key (and encouraging)! Wednesday night was characterized by plain discomfort, my hips hurt, I was having tons of contractions off and on, but nothing regular, and my skin was achy from stretching over my baby bump. I got stretch marks the previous Friday...there was no more room in my skin for this baby!

Thursday, March 22, I woke up extra early to get to school early to finish grading my last assignment. This was totally a God thing....I finished grading at 7:35 AM....I prepped the items I needed for my lesson and for open house that evening, knowing that the day was going to fly by and I was going to have zero down time to do anything during the day. 7:50 the first bell rings, my students start to come in, the day begins and quite the day it would be. It turned out that this was going to be my teammate's last day before her maternity leave.  Knowing this, I had a conversation with my homeroom about how my days were coming to an end too, (little did I know!), that everyday there was the potential that the baby could come, or that my doctor could order me to stay home at one of my appointments. This was another God thing...my kids and I both needed to have this conversation...especially since this day turned out to be Annelisa's birth day! Another thing God did was He encouraged two teachers to approach my principal about covering my classroom for Open House that evening and my principal agreed. I had nothing to do with this, they offered it as a gift to me to rest and God knew that I wouldn't make it back and prepared a way for everything to be covered and prepared. This was a blessing to me before I knew what the day would hold and that evening as I was being prepped for the Operating Room, it took a whole new meaning! At the end of the school day, my teammate and I said our good byes and I wished her well with many prayers for a smooth transition home, then I rushed to leave for my weekly sonogram appointment. I was running late, I was stressed from the days activity, and focused on getting to the doctor's office.

Once I arrived for the sonogram, it dawned on me that I wasn't hungry and really hadn't been all day. This was not normal. Usually on my way to the doctor, I snacked on something in the car and drank lots of water to catch up from the day; this Thursday, I wasn't interested in food or drink, but I tried to drink water anyway. Shelley, the sonographer, took me back to the exam room and she started the exam. I had been having BPP sonogram's for almost six weeks at this point, so she asked how I was and I started talking not really paying attention to the measurements as closely as I usually did. This was another God thing...He protected me from seeing how things had changed. As the exam went on, Shelley was quieter than usual, she had me change positions for the heart rate, which she hadn't had me do before, still God protected me from detecting that things had changed. She finished up and told me that my fluid level had spiked...I had polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid)...I usually had around 31 cm of fluid and this Thursday I measured at 39 cm, which explained my increased discomfort during the previous couple of evenings. She wanted to consult with the OB who was still at the office, so I waited in the exam room. A couple of minutes passed and I still wasn't worried, Shelley and Dr. Fadahunsi came back into the room. Dr. Fadahunsi told me that she had called and talked to Dr. Kidd (my OB) and they wanted me to go to the hospital for monitoring instead of doing my NST at their office. At this point, I started to worry....she proceeded to ask me several questions: have I felt the baby moving normally today? I honestly hadn't thought about it much that day, I had been so busy and with the poly I usually only felt big movements anyway; she asked me how I was feeling? which wasn't great, I had felt sort of off for a couple of days digestively and with my appetite.  Then came the real worrisome comment, that Annelisa's heart rate was low and not regular, hence why I was going to the hospital.

At this point, I was told to not go home and have dinner then go, but to go straight away. I asked if I could go to the restroom before going to get my husband on the way and both the doctor and Shelley chuckled and said I had time for that. I left the office quickly and called Christopher who hadn't come with me, since I wasn't scheduled to see a doctor that day. I called his desk and he didn't answer, I called his cell and he didn't answer...I think to myself that he must be busy in a conversation or something. At this point, I begin balling and driving when he returns my call. He hadn't expected my phone call yet due to the type of appointment I was supposed to have. I try to talk, but can't, I was able to finally say that I was coming to his office and we were going to the hospital. In his wonderful way, he stopped asking questions about the details and told me he would be waiting downstairs for me. Thankfully, he only works ten minutes from the doctors office. I managed to drive there, through tears and prayers. I parked at the front and moved to the passenger seat, as I didn't need to drive! He hurried us to Centennial...we went up to Labor and Delivery and checked-in, still not knowing what the evening would hold. Praise God for the nurse who worked with us first, she was cheerful, funny, and lighthearted and yet was clearly very experienced. As the monitoring progressed and Annelisa's heart rate continued to set off the alarm on the monitor, she began to gently tell us that she thought it was going to be someone's birthday today...at which point, I asked her how this was going to happen since I wasn't in labor....she told me likely through a C-section...God had been working to open my heart and mind to this possibility for weeks, I wanted to have a vaginal birth in the delivery room and not an operation...but since my diagnosis with poly we had known this to be a possibility...and here we were with a gentle nod to begin to consider this a reality.

At 6:20 PM we'd been at the hospital for about an hour, and the nurse came in with IV supplies and told me that she was just being prepared, they weren't starting anything yet, and that my doctor would be by shortly. At this point, text messages were flying, we had been texting with so many family members, friends, and co-workers, things were starting to move. We hadn't packed our things for the hospital yet, Farley had been home all day by himself and would need to be let out much sooner than later, I wasn't ready with sub plans or even lesson plans for the next week yet...I was feeling very unprepared, yet God again encouraged my heart with the sounding of the alarm for our daughter's heart rate...me being unprepared didn't really matter, God had a plan, and it was time to trust Him and walk in it! At 6:50 my OB came in, and we discussed proceeding with a C-section that evening or beginning an induction...the decision was made to c-section due to the likelihood that I could labor all night and still end up in the OR the next day due to the polyhydramnios. The nurses' shift change happened during our conversation.  After the decision was made to c-section a flurry of activity ensued...I was prepped and ready for the OR in under 30 minutes.

At 7:30, I was on the operating table getting the epidural. Mentally, I was scattered and running on adrenaline! So much to process, I wasn't going back to work on Friday, we were going to be parents in a matter of minutes, on and on it went. I was so thankful that Centennial wasn't busy that night, the entire OR was waiting on the epidural to kick in and for certain things to time in rather than me waiting on them. The scene reminded me of TV shows with music playing, the doctors conversing and teasing each other, and even including me in their conversation. By 7:40, Christopher had come in to join me in the OR, everything was ready, it was time for us to meet our Annelisa. At 7:50, Annelisa Grace was born, screaming with strong lungs. NICU checked her out and she was perfect! Her heart and lungs were working beautifully! Soon after seeing her for the first time, she and her daddy went to the nursery for her first bath and vitals check while I was put back together in the OR.

Annelisa's Birth in Pictures! 

Christopher dressed and ready for surgery! (Forgive the blurriness, my glasses were off at this point!)

Annelisa's first exam in the OR. 

Looking back to see her with the NICU doctor and nurses. 

8 pounds, 0.3 ounces 

Nurse Emily giving Annelisa her first bath. 

All done and ready to see Mommy! 

Around 9:00 PM, Christopher had joined me back in my room during recovery. He told me all about his trip to the nursery and how Annelisa had been cared for, he also told me that when checking her vitals she had low blood sugar, which can happen to some babies born at a high weight for their gestational age.  Due to this, she had been given formula to help stabilize her blood sugar levels. He assured me that the nurses had assured him that she would still be able to breast feed, but that it would have to wait a few hours due to the formula.We both wanted me to breast feed as soon as possible, and a c-section already delays the process compared to a vaginal birth; however, it didn't matter that it would take longer for me to start the process as long as she was healthy.

By 10:00 PM, I was holding my baby girl for the first time!

Around 11:00 PM, we were moved to our postpartum room to continue the recovery process. Wow, what a day it had been. Amazingly, I wasn't feeling tired thanks to all the adrenaline! We began our first night as parents.

She's already a thinker, like her daddy! :) 

We stayed at Centennial until Sunday afternoon. The staff was phenomenal! The nurses were wonderful and great at helping me recover from surgery and the nursery nurses were wonderful in helping us adjust as parents, teaching us tricks and strategies to try with our daughter. Stacie was our lactation consultant and she proved her worth over and over! She was encouraging in the midst of her instruction and helped us start breast feeding on the right foot. My anesthesiologist, Dr. George, was excellent! He was easy to talk to, and even came by to check on me the next morning before his shift ended.   At Saturday lunch, we had our celebration meal! It was quite the spread. Again and again, I would choose this hospital for labor and delivery.

We have been so blessed and have felt loved by so many friends and family members throughout my pregnancy and Annelisa's birth. We couldn't have managed life without the flexibility, understanding, and help from both sets of parents, our bosses, our sisters (and their spouses), and countless others! Special kudos go to Annelisa's Aunt Jo and Uncle Stuart...they really blessed us on Annelisa's birth day, they went to our house and packed our hospital bag and brought it to us and they kept Farley for us until we came home from the hospital. It takes special people to be willing to search for the various items I had pulled out to pack, but hadn't actually put in a bag yet! 

Christopher and Annelisa on Saturday, March 24th. 

Going Home! Our first family picture! 

Maternity Pictures, 3-11-2012

We had the privilege of taking maternity pictures a mere 11 days before our precious Annelisa made her debut! I was 36 weeks pregnant at the time, but measuring about 3 weeks ahead of schedule. Our best friends, and Annelisa's godparents, the Wilkerson's, are our photographers. You can check out more of Laura's work on her photography blog, here.

Here are some of my favorites:

36 Weeks! Plus Nursery Update!

36 Weeks Complete! Only 4 weeks until D-Day...this is getting interesting! 

Today Christopher and I visited the doctor for the first of my five weekly doctor appointments scheduled through Monday, April 9. I will continue to go in for Non Stress Tests (NST) and BPP Sonograms, as well (Mondays and Thursdays). 

Two weeks ago, I saw the midwife in the practice since the doctor I was scheduled to see was tied up in surgery. During my NST that day, I started having contractions, irregular Braxton Hicks, that tend to come and go and go at weird times, like after I walk to the office or back to my classroom at school, sometimes while sleeping, or just moving/changing positions. Due to the contractions, the midwife checked my cervix and I showed zero progress, which was a good thing since it was too early to deliver with peace of mind. 

Today, we saw my OB, Dr. Kidd, for the first time in about 4 weeks, the appointment included the last round of blood work, the strep B test, fetal heart rate, measurement of my baby bump...really more like a hump these days, and checking of my cervix. As of today, I'm dilated about 1 cm and I have a very thin cervix, Annelisa is a very big girl, Dr. Kidd didn't make any verbal guesstimates as to how big today, but did discuss that if I make it to term she could be 10 pounds at which point she would want to C-section. On Thursday, during my sonogram, they are going to measure Annelisa's size in addition to monitoring her bio-metric signs. This will put more data into to my chart to help with the decision process to come. 

We asked Dr. Kidd how long she was going to let me go and she didn't want to give a specific answer, other than big is not a reason to induce in her mind. I am being closely watched and monitored and she is fine with me returning to work on Monday and continuing to work until baby Annelisa makes her debut, which even as tiring as school is, it gives me plenty to occupy my days and not sit around waiting for something to happen, which would drive me nuts at this point. 

Things to pray for:

1. That Annelisa will drop and engage in my pelvis, she hasn't really done this yet and it needs to happen! 

2. That the doctors I see over the next four weeks will keep my health and Annelisa's in mind with each decision made. We totally feel like this has happened to date, just would like it to continue. 

3. That Annelisa comes on her own before April 10, (and after March 30 so I can fulfill my obligations at school). I would rather NOT be induced or have to C-section unless absolutely necessary. 

4. That Christopher and I will continue to prepare for her birth as best we can and trust that God has a plan for us in this, even though I don't...which is driving me crazy today! 

34 week picture 

12 weeks, for fun comparison of how much I've grown! 

Yesterday, we had the fun privilege of taking maternity pictures with my best friend and photographer, Laura Wilkerson. I'll post a link to her photography blog when she has them uploaded! I'm looking forward to seeing the ones she picks...I know there will be lots to choose from! It was a really fun way to celebrate the precious baby girl that we'll be getting to meet in the very near future! 

Nursery Update!! 

The crib complete with skirt and one of the sheets my mom has made. I still need to order a wall decal to go above it and I also have hopes of eventually making some sort of mobile to go in the corner. I've seen some cute ideas on pinterst, just time to pull out my crafty, creative side! Just as a quick aside, the black and pink storage cube has a fire escape ladder in the bottom of it. My awesome husband has even tested it and descended down the side of the house to make sure we know how to use it, in case of an emergency.

Dresser with changing pad, our awesome chair, and the shelf that Christopher installed for her dolls and bears. I just need to unpack the various furry friends and this side will be looking much more complete! 

A view from the chair into the closet and towards the bookcase. All of her clothes have been washed and put away, I've stocked the dresser and put some clothes in the closet. We still need to hang some of her accessories, like the red Amelia Earhart plane that was my husband's growing up and the Aggie nursery rhyme that was mine. 

 

A bigger view of the darling fabric! 

An up close view of the crib, her bathtub is currently being stored under the crib...obviously not it's permanent home! 

Things still to come:

1. Window treatments: I met with two interior decorators today to discuss options for the eyebrow window and a treatment to compliment on the "normal" window. We definitely have some things to discuss and a couple of good options! 

2. Some accessories for her closet: a hamper and some organizational bins.

I've also completely come to terms with Annelisa being born and the nursery not being complete...she won't know the difference and I know it will get there in time! 

Until next time...

Blessings Abound!

Blessings Abound! Seems a simple title with huge implications from the last five weeks of our lives! In the last month and half, we have been blessed with two baby showers, numerous doctors appointments, and sonograms, and blessings from God that without reflection may have hidden themselves from view.

On Saturday, January 28, 2012, we had the privilege of having our first baby shower to celebrate the life God has been knitting together in my womb over the last thirty some odd weeks. Our best friends, Josh and Laura Wilkerson, hosted our couples shower at our home for our friends and family. The day was filled with fun trivia games based on old wives tales and baby factoids, delicious food, fun conversations, and lots of gifts for Annelisa! One of my favorite parts of the day was opening each of the gifts and seeing what book or books had been selected for Annelisa. Laura chose to have our guests give a book with their gift instead of a card, each book reflected the people who gifted it to us!  Laura also took some couple pictures of us, the one above and this one! She is a gifted photographer, who I choose to utilize whenever possible!

Our next baby shower took place on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. It was hosted by my dear friends at school: Laurie Martini, Cheryl Derrington, Tracey Thompson, and Tricia Wong. Northwood Hills Elementary has become a home away from home for the last six years and it was a strange feeling to become the center of attention during the shower. My NHE family blessed us greatly with kind words, sweet advice to our baby girl, and generous gifts! I was very blessed to have worked with so many people that care so much about me and my family.

On Thursday, February 16, 2012, we had our next doctors appointment for 32 weeks. We had a sonogram to check Annelisa's growth and my amniotic fluid levels. The appointment revealed that I have developed polyhydramnios, or the condition of having too much amniotic fluid. This prompted my OB to refer us to a high risk specialist to check to make sure that Annelisa was continuing to develop well. Polyhydramnios causes both she and I to measure ahead and it frequently can cause preterm labor. This diagnosis left both of us in shock and greatly changed my expectations of what the next 8 weeks would be like. Through many prayers, we began to process what this could mean for us and our precious Annelisa. Polyhdramnios can be caused by some birth defects, chromosomal issues, or just be an anomaly that is unspecified by screenings.  Our journey, into these new waters, continued on Tuesday, February 21, when we were able to see the high risk specialist, Dr. Hickman, at Children's Hospital in Plano. We had a level 2 sonogram that revealed our baby girl is growing and developing well! We were able to watch her for over an hour and got to see some really cool 4D images of her! Apparently, having too much amniotic fluid makes for better 4D pictures! Based on this appointment, we are very much expecting a March delivery, instead of early April. Of course, we don't know the day or the hour when she will make her debut, so our preparations have shifted into high gear at home!

Here are some 4D images from our appointment last Tuesday:

The weekend between our 32 week appointment and the high risk specialist was spent unpacking, putting together, and inventorying our baby supplies to determine which items we would need to purchase before being "ready" for her birth. We have been very blessed by generous family and friends, so thankfully we have a fairly short, specific list of what we have to have to bring her home. I'll hopefully post a nursery update next weekend. There are lots of changes to show you!

I now have two appointments weekly for various screenings to closely monitor Annelisa's growth and development. On Mondays, I'll have a Non-Stress Test, or NST, to monitor her heart rate and uterine movements and see one of the doctors in my OB's practice. On Thursdays, I'll have a BPP sonogram and another NST test. This past week Annelisa did great! Moved a ton to the point of being difficult to track! I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to hear her heart beat often and to have a doctor's office willing to track me so closely to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible from here to delivery! Here is a sonogram picture of her profile and one of her arms:

In the midst of all of these things, we have completed six of the eight childbirth preparation classes we signed up for. We took two weeks of baby care and four weeks of childbirth. Next weekend, we'll finish with car seat installation and breast feeding. We are very pleased with our choice of Centennial Medical Center in Frisco. They have a great parent education program and they are in the business of making us satisfied patients/customers.

My last two baby bump pictures:

Week 30

Week 32

Pregnancy statistics:

Weight gained: about 27 pounds total

Cravings: Sweet (mainly in the form of Chocolate Malts) and Tart (Cherry Limeades from Braum's!) 

Most frustrating symptoms: difficulty sleeping, going to the bathroom very frequently, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed

Belly bump: measured 35 cm at my last doctor's appointment two weeks ago 

Annelisa's measurements: about 2 and 1/2 weeks ahead, 87th percentile, about 5.8 pounds, oh and she has lots and lots of hair!! :)  

Third Trimester, Here we go!

Today I am 28 weeks, 4 days. We saw the doctor yesterday for my 28 week appointment, and it was a busy appointment! The appointment started with a sonogram to take measurements of Annelisa. She is growing into quite the healthy girl! She weighs approximately 3.3 pounds, she is in the 89th percentile for growth, and is measuring about 11 days ahead of her April 10th due date. All of these details place she and I on the high end of "normal." They also help to explain the huge growth I've experienced since my 20 week appointment! Here are a couple of pictures from the ultrasound! Check out her arm (the circle up to the left!), she was very active during the sonogram kicking and punching me! She is also head down, which made me very relieved!

Next, I began the glucose tolerance test. Drinking the glucose drink wasn't as terrible as some made it out to be. Basically, it tasted like flat orange soda...it just needed some fizz and it would have been much more enjoyable! Then it was time to see my OB! I received the Rhogam shot, since I'm Rh-. It was quite the shot in the hip. We were able to have a good discussion with my OB about Annelisa's growth and what this means for us moving forward. I will now be seeing my doctor every two weeks and have another sonogram in 4 weeks to begin to develop a growth pattern to better monitor both of us. Thankfully, my OB also prescribed me a Z-Pack to help the sinus infection I've developed thanks to the cold I've had since late last week. I should know the results of my glucose tolerance test early next week. I'm hoping for no gestational diabetes!

Here are a couple of recent weekly pictures:

Week 26

Week 28

FAQ's:
Have you had any recent cravings? Yes! Citrus in the form of ruby red grapefruits and clementines and dairy, primarily in the form of peppermint ice cream (and several healthier choices like skim chocolate milk and Greek yogurt)!

How are you sleeping? This past week has not been great, but I blame that mostly on the cold. Last weekend we purchased a body pillow for me, which is a huge help in getting comfortable and staying off my back.

How much weight have you gained? About 18 pounds total, right on track (despite the ice cream!)

How's the nursery coming? Since my last update, the biggest improvement is the arrival of the crib mattress. After our first baby shower in a week, there will be more updates to the nursery!

2012 Resolutions

2011 was a year of many accomplishments! 

1. Celebrate the blessing and gift of five years of marriage to my best friend! (July 15).
2. Conceive our first child, Annelisa Grace, due April 10, 2012.
3. Buy our first home!
4. Seek and find a new church home to be a part of in our new community!
5. Celebrate 5 years of teaching 5th grade English Language Arts, Reading, and Social Studies at Northwood Hills Elementary.

I've never been good at making resolutions and keeping up with them throughout a year; however, I have made goals throughout my life and then by the grace of God, made strides toward reaching them! 2012 will be a year of major transition in our family...and in so being a good time to lay out some of my goals, hopes, and a prayer for the year ahead.

Goals:

1. Read for encouragement and spiritual growth
2. Read for pleasure
3. Read in preparation of my new job: Motherhood

Hopes:

1. to be a true helpmate, partner, and friend to my husband
2. to learn to be content within our new budget in preparation of living on one income
3. to be creative in shopping for necessities and 'wants'
4. to bless others through and with the blessings God has given us
5. to discover balance in my daily life through seeking God above all else
6. to develop new friendships through our new church home and small group
7. to transition gracefully to working within our home instead of outside it

My prayer for 2012:

Comes from Colossians 1:9-14, this is my paraphrase:

I pray asking that I may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May I be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified me to share in in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom I have full redemption and the forgiveness of  my sins. 

After recording all of these goals, hopes, and my prayer, I have discovered my theme for 2012...Seek God, Strive to know Him more intimately and all of the other pieces of this life will fall into place according to His will for me and my family. 

May God bless you and your family with special memories of His love and blessings throughout the year ahead!  

Annelisa's Nursery: Update #2

It has been a very, very busy week around the Pailes' house! Needless to say, we just might need a vacation from this "week of vacation!" 

Since Monday there have been many changes to the nursery! Let's first review the completed items from the "to-do" list:

1. Paint the room...it will be a light green to coordinate with the fabrics we've selected. 
2. Find a book case. Ikea was a bust for the book case, but a win for the floating shelf...except the size we need was out of stock! Target proved the best, most cost effective choice for the book case! 
3. Install a dimmer switch on the overhead light to help for future middle of the night feedings and changings. 
4. Organize the closet...enough said! We started this process by first emptying it of all the items waiting to be donated! We donated it all today! 
5. Register!!! Amazon.com and Buy, Buy, Baby....there are still a few things for us (mainly me) to decide on...but it's mostly finished!! 

Some pictures of the nursery changes:

The book case; the door on the left is the closet, the door on the right goes to the hallway. 

The dresser, side table (for me!), and lamp! We absolutely love the paint, Sienna Laurel by Benjamin Moore!! 

The crib and side table! 

The dimmer switch!! I know that this feature will be sooooo helpful!! 

View from the doorway into the nursery! 

We still have some work to do...but it feels like the 'big' stuff is getting there!

Still to do:

1. Order/buy the  floating shelf from Ikea. The floating shelf will go above the dresser to display various items. 
2. Purchase the crib mattress from Amazon, it's currently on our registry...but needs to be bought sooner than later! 
3. I want to find some sort of wall art, perhaps a wall decal customized with her name from Etsy or something to go above her crib. Maybe frame some of my future maternity pictures to go above her book case...we'll have to wait and see what we come up with! :) 
4. Come up with window treatments!  Especially for the eye brow window. The eye brow window provides great natural light...however, it could bring in too much light...all of the photos above were taken with only natural light! So some sort of solution must be found! 
5. Finalize the registry with the last odds and ends....baby showers are coming soon!! :)
6. Put the glider/rocker into place once it arrives! (Only 5 to 6 weeks to wait!) 

Annelisa has received quite the collection of clothing, books, and stuffed animals thus far! Lots of people already love our little girl! I can't wait to introduce her to her family and many admirers! :)

Her stuffed animal collection! 

Her books! 

Some of her clothes! 

Her cute A&M rhinestone socks!

Three different A&M Onesies, they are also two different sizes. She's an Aggie already! :) 

A precious cardigan outfit she received for Christmas! 

Her first bows and a precious towel my mom gave me for Christmas! I can't wait to be a mom! 

Her first bibs!

Stay tuned for more updates in the future! Only 14 more weeks (give or take) until we get to meet our little girl! :)