For those of you who didn’t already know we planned to spend my birthday weekend in Tennessee. It was our last appointment with our midwife out at The Farm until we come to stay and deliver Tater in early June.

We figured it would also be kind of nice to plan a mini vacation for that weekend since it will be basically the last time we travel for leisure as just the two of us before Tater arrives.

N did have a nice dinner planned for me at The Melting Pot in downtown Nashville on Saturday night. We saw Pamela for our prenatal appointment Saturday afternoon then we stayed at the very unique Hotel Preston that evening.

On Sunday we headed out to the Cheekwood Botanical Garden in Nashville, we also stopped by The Mall at Green Hills to buy me a nice maternity top since the one I brought wouldn’t button around my boobs anymore.

I found 2 at Macy’s for $16.00 that weren’t even maternity tops but fit great, they were my birthday splurge. We also went by the Whole Foods near the mall to pick up a few grocery items and some calcium supplements per Pamela’s suggestion.

Like I said we had a blast together and we captured so many great belly shots for the scrapbook and our baby announcements (that I am not allowed to share with you just yet because they are a surprise!).

The photos I am allowed to share are of The Farm and I figured I would tell you more about the appointment too. First here is a slide show of the photos:

We were late to our appointment again which was a bummer, being late is also a big anxiety trigger for me so that wasn’t pleasant for us. Plus poor Pamela was waiting for us. We got lost on the way there once again thanks to GPS and internet directions.

I think we’ve finally figured out the correct directions there so N will be able to navigate his way there confidently once my labor has begun. It would really suck for him to be lost while I am in labor!

Anyway, once we arrived at The Farm Clinic I got to pee (finally) while N and Pamela talked. N ratted me out about my anxiety and stress levels these days then the appointment got underway.

All checked out normal. I am still weighing in at about 123.5 and my blood pressure is good but I’ve been warned to start laying more and to stop feeling bad about it. Apparently, laying down (preferably on the left side) means better overall circulation which has a major impact on kidney function while pregnant.

Blood pressure and kidney function go hand in hand so if my blood pressure is to stay at a good level my kidneys need to have adequate blood flow which means I need to lay down more… Like I’ve got time to lay! I am making a big effort to lay my ass down more now so don’t worry.

I am also working to drink more water and I’ve added a calcium supplement because calcium and magnesium also go hand in hand with lowering blood pressure. Blood pressure is basically the only potential concern for us right now. We are trying to be proactive so that we don’t have problems later.

We heard Tater’s heartbeat again and she checked out fine, N was having a great time taking video and snapping photos the whole time. We all got to chat about what is going on with life. We told Pamela about the move and all the stuff that is going on for us right now.

My OBGYN said I could lift stuff and not worry about a weight limit on lifting as long as it didn’t hurt. Pamela advised me not to lift stuff during the move at all. She said major lifting could lead to premature labor and that it is better to be safe than sorry, which we totally agree with.

We also talked and have ultimately decided to hold off on getting the RhoGam shot until after Tater is born (if her blood type warrants it). Having the injection while pregnant is just something we are not comfortable doing. We are more concerned with safeguarding Tater now as opposed to safeguarding my future fertility.

Oh and we did talk about the game plan for possible early labor and when to call Pamela or head to The Farm. Right now I am having some of my first practice contractions, fun!

All in all we are feeling good about the pregnancy progress, confident and ready for the last leg of pregnancy! It was a great weekend for us and now we are looking ahead to next weekend with anticipation. We get the keys to our new place, yay!

The post Summertown & Nashville Tennessee weekend recap, fun times! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

I thought I would leave you with some fun 25 weeks pregnant belly shots in my absence. As you are reading this I am actually in my 26th week of pregnancy, these photos are from last week. The 27th week of pregnancy will be the last in the 2nd trimester according to my What to Expect When You’re Expecting book. Wow!

Anyway, here is the front view of my belly taken March 12th 2009, sorry about the dirty mirror. I didn’t think to clean it before snapping the photos.

Now the front view really doesn’t do the belly justice so I also shot it from the side so you can better see how much it sticks out there these days. This one was also taken March 12th 2009.

N shot this one the morning of St Patrick’s Day while I was having some juice and just waking up for the day. Tater was moving all around like she normally does when I wake up in the mornings. I was watching my belly bop all around. You can even see the hand print on my belly from sleeping with my hand on it. Ha, too funny.

This next one was shot as a suggestion made in one of N’s Daddy to be books called The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition. Now, don’t be put off, this one is kind of weird and funny (and check out how my hair makes it look like I have horns, lol!).

It is a view of my belly from on the floor, looking up between my legs. Nice huh? It does give some perspective to just how much the belly sticks out there. His book says that by the end of the pregnancy my face wont even be visible over the bump. That means my belly will double in size between now and then. Oh dear!

We still can’t quite believe how fast the pregnancy has gone. Shoot I’ll be in the third trimester in no time! It is super exciting that we’ll meet our little girl soon, I am not nervous about labor at all or about when Tater is here. I feel like all that is just going to come naturally and be instinct, plus I have The Farm Midwives to guide me.

I am a bit freaked out when I think of how much we still have to take care of before she comes. I mean theoretically she could come at any point between now and June/ July, not that we are hoping for a premature delivery or anything. The point is we should be prepared because it does happen right?

Well, we still haven’t finished putting the homebirth supply kit together that we’ll be taking with us to The Farm and we still need much of the new baby basics… Like some newborn clothes for Tater to wear once she arrives, the car seat, the bassinet/ crib, the cloth diapers and so on.

Basically I am feeling we aren’t totally prepared and I like to be ready for stuff way in advance, not waiting till the last moment. Problem is finances are NOT set for massive spending right now. I mean we have to get the hefty down payment made on the new place come April 1st plus we owe rent on the old place too- so that is double rent we are paying in April.

In May and June all our extra cash is going to pay for our delivery at The Farm. We’ve saved a few grand already but we still need 2 more before that is all paid for and done. Once the house down payment is done and the delivery is saved for we’ll have some money here and there to get what we need for Tater but that is way to last minute for me.

Not much we can do to change that though, so I am just working to focus on the exciting/ yay stuff so I don’t get all anxious and crazy about the rest. LOL. Hope you all are having a great weekend! It is the first weekend of spring, have a picnic and enjoy the outdoors or something.

The post Only 2 weeks until the third trimester, man time flies! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.