Happy Father’s Day!  Jake had his first Father’s Day this year J He is so excited and I can’t wait for him to hold his baby girl for the first time. He is going to be such an awesome dad! Gracelyn is one lucky little girl to have Jake as her daddy and I have a feeling he is going to be wrapped around her little finger.  Gracelyn bought her daddy a brand new Dewalt cordless drill for Father’s Day.  Attached was a “daddy to do list” from Gracelyn. The list included stuff like constructing a tree house, installing training wheels, building a doll house … and anything else Gracelyn wants. Below is a picture of Jake with his new drill.

Lindsay and Robert had their baby girl on June 7th. Her name is Lydia Marlynn Powell. She was 8lbs and 20 ½ in. What a cute little baby J She is so sweet! We can’t tell exactly who she looks like just yet, but she is looking more like Robert every day.  Holding Lydia makes me so excited about meeting my sweet baby girl.

Summer has arrived! We spent the day on the lake with Matt, Stacy, and Declan. We had so much fun on the “big water” as Declan calls it. Declan makes one cute picture!

With summer comes the heat and humidity. It’s been a HOT start to the summer! The high for our first baby shower on Saturday was 106! The temperature sure didn’t put a damper on Gracelyn’s party!! Laura and Christin hosted our shower on Saturday and the theme was an Ice Cream Party! What a perfect idea for a pregnant lady. They set up an ice cream bar with homemade ice cream and all kinds of toppings. Gracelyn is one loved little baby! She got so many clothes and toys! We had about 35-40 people show up to celebrate. A BIG Thank You to Mrs. Jenkins for opening her home up to all our friends and family and to Laura and Christin for all their hard work.  We also want to thank all of our friends and family for attending and all the beautiful gifts.  It was a perfect day! Below are some pictures of the fun!

Kim and Phillip also came in town this past week. It was a lot of fun seeing Kim with a baby belly and being able to feel my little nephew kick and move all around. Anthony and Gracelyn are due within 4 weeks of each other. It has been exciting being able to share this experience with my sister. I just wish they lived a little closer! Aunt Cindi hosted a joint baby shower for Kim and me on Sunday. The church was filled with all kinds of pink and blue! Anthony and Gracelyn are spoiled rotten already. I think my favorite part was eating cake! The cake was beautiful and some kind of yummy! Thanks to everyone for all the gifts and we can’t wait to share these sweet babies with you all!

We are now 32 weeks pregnant! It won’t be long now!! Gracelyn is as active as ever. She makes us laugh all the time as she stretches and morphs my belly into all kinds of shapes. Just a few weeks ago we had our 3D ultrasound! Gracelyn was awesome and was a little show off. We got some really good pictures and videos. She is so CUTE!

Pregnancy at 32 weeks:

What's up with your baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Something else to note: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.

Your Body in Week 32 of Pregnancy

This week, your body may start prepping for delivery day by flexing its muscles — literally. If you feel your uterus bunching or hardening periodically, those are practice contractions, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks. These rehearsals  feel like a tightening sensation that begins at the top of your uterus and then spreads downward, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds (though they can sometimes last two minutes or more). How do you know these contractions aren’t the real thing? They’ll stop if you change position (try getting up if you’re lying down or walking if you’ve been sitting).

Speaking of practice! I definitely felt a few Braxton Hicks contractions this morning at work. Nothing painful, just a little uncomfortable/tight... Gracelyn continued to kick and move all around so I didn’t let it worry me. I’m okay with my uterus getting all the practice it needs… I want it well trained and ready to pop out a baby in the next few weeks!

 Here are a few other recent pictures... Enjoy!