Weeks 23-27...Walker Mays Akin!!

Soooo....can we say busy and overwhelmed, but in a good way?? i just have not had a chance to even think about "blogging" for the past few weeks...obviously. But, we have however, gotten a lot accomplished over the past several weeks..yay! First things first, for those of you not on Facebook...we have finally named our little bundle of joy: Walker Mays Akin. At last!!! Richard was out of town for school and i was sitting there by myself, and the baby decided to debut his skills in kickboxing and it just came to me...what about Walker?? I have no idea where it came from, but we both really liked it and it just felt right. We are super excited that our son now has a name instead of "baby." May was my Memaw's middle name (my mom's mom) so i just added an "S" to make it suitable for a male name...i really wanted to do something in my Memaw's honor, she meant so much to us, and i just couldn't resist! So, that was a big "to do" off of our checklist. Then, while i was out of town at the beach for a bacherlorette party...

Richard rented a storage unit and began emptying our extra bedroom so that we can make room for Walker's things! We now have the crib in the room, we have just not had a chance to put it together yet...but my anxiety has already gotten better just from majority of the "crap" being removed from the room...i am excited to decorate his room however...so hopefully we finish with moving stuff out really soon..I doubt it will be this weekend since we have a wedding on our agenda! One of my best friends, Ashley, is getting married Saturday...this is the wedding i have to get my big butt and belly into a size 0 dress!
 thanks to my momma the seamstress...i think we have it covered! we just had to wait until the last minute cause i am growing every single day.

Richard went out of town this past weekend for a bachelor party trip and i feel like i got a lot accomplished at the apartment...cleaned, went thru my old clothes and bagged some things up to put away in storage..and also celebrated my nephews 3rd birthday on Saturday!! he is proof that they really do grow up so fast. makes me want to make my pregnancy slow down so i can enjoy it a little longer...yep, thats right, i said enjoy it. I feel like i have been blessed with a wonderful pregnancy..so far at least! no major problems or complaints...My feet and ankles were swelling a lot until i went to my last appointment and she just told me to cut out salt and as much sodium as possible from my diet, keep my feet elevated, and wear flip flops (i was not upset about the flip flops part)..and viola! my skinny ankles are back in action, YAY! and speaking of appointments...we are now going every 2 weeks...that means were are closing in on the end of this thing!! almost made it to the 3rd trimester now! Another exciting milestone...this Friday we have our 4D sonogram at 1:00...i am SO excited to see what Walker is looking like in there!! now, let me go ahead and do my updates in case i run out of time here..

Stats:

• Weeks pregnant: 27 weeks
• My weight: 143 this morning-i have lost about 4 lbs. since cutting out sodium..it was amazing how much fluid i had in my legs/ankles/feet already! So, i have gained a total of 33 lbs so far!!
• Size of baby boy: weighs about 2, 2 1/2 pounds, about the size of a head of cauliflower and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended
• Fun facts: Walker is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, my baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now
• How am i feeling?? I am feeling pretty good these days...i am tired of saying i am tired, so i wont say it. I am looking forward to all of our showers we have coming up :)
• Emotionally: I still just break down and cry sometimes...but i usually feel like i have a good reason..stressed at work, cant beleive its going by so fast, the apartment is too small, you know, the usual stressors.
• Physically: you guessed it!! TIRED all the time...already.
• Cravings: Lately i have been craving fried chicken salads...or just fried chicken, but been eating a lot of salads to make it feel like its healthier :) also, still craving fruit! and sweet tea...believe it or not, i have not been drinking that many cokes...but i am all about some sweet tea!!
• Fun Stuff: getting to see what he looks like this Friday!! also, getting closer to getting his room ready! We registered at Babies R' Us and Walmart and cant wait to get some of the cute things we asked for!!

Well, sorry to have kept you all waiting for the past 5 weeks or so for a new update...there is just no way i can keep up with doing this every week...call me lazy if you want, i dont mind :) but i have just had so much going on...i knew March would be a busy month...just did not realize how busy! And since i have failed to write in so long, i am sure i have left something out, but i will try to do better in the future! As always, thanks for listening and supporting me!

kristin & walker :)

Weeks 21 & 22

Well, we are more than halfway now!! so exciting :) ...except for the fact that i weigh more than i ever have in my entire life...hard for a girl like me to get used to not being able to zip your pants or a dress that you are trying to squeeze into, ha! speaking of dresses...this has probably been the highlight of the past two weeks: trying to somehow make a size 0, yes i said 0, bridesmaids dress work for me. it has come to seem impossible, even though they told me it would be fine if i ordered extra fabric..we just didnt think about having to pretty much remake the dress ourselves (i have spent way too much money on the dress to spend more money to have it altered) i dont know if i have mentioned this in any prior posts, so i will repeat myself: no, i did not know i was pregnant when they ordered me a size 0, i am not that dumb people. i called about two weeks after we ordered it ( pretty much before anyone else knew we were expecting) and asked to have the size changed...they said it was too late. of course its too late, even though i wont get the dress for another 5 months, its already being made...somehow, i dont believe this part. but anyways, we are passed that now and have to deal with reality...the reality that the dress does not fit. its actually not as bad as i thought it would be, but it does not zip haha. (i bet my mom thinks its real funny since she will be the one fixing it) i had to pay 50 bucks extra for 2 yards of fabric to try and alter the dress when it got here..needless to say we have had issues considering they forgot the most important part..the fabric that goes underneath the chiffon...we cant exactly expand a dress with fabric you can see through..they are shipping it soon....hopefully. The wedding is not until March 31st...and if it wasnt one of my best friends...ASHLEY....i may have given up by now, but there is no way im not walking down that aisle with her on her special day :) so, there is my (and my moms) stress for the week!! still not 100% sure on how it will work, but we asked my cousin who works for the Bridal Path (wish we would have gotten my dress there) if it was possible and she said yes, so thank you Bonnie!!! you have given us hope :) now onto other pregnancy updates!!

We have finally settled on our bedding and have gotten all of the fabric needed for the nursery (my mom is making all the bedding and curtains for us)--have i mentioned how awesome my mom is at sewing??? and just in general really..We are also getting an old chair recovered-courtesy of my sister. so, if you ever need any fabric for anything, go to the Cotton Patch in Brookhaven, their prices are totally worth the drive!!! we found everything we needed there, yay! Since we were in the neighborhood, we got to have lunch with some of my cousins and aunts, it was a nice saturday outing, even though it was freezing outside!!! always good to spend time with out-of-town family :)

Stats:

• Weeks pregnant: 22 weeks
• My weight: 134ish
• Size of baby boy: last week: weighed about three-quarters of a pound and was approximately 10 1/2 inches long, the length of a carrot. this week: 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound.
• Fun facts: His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. 

How am i feeling??

• Emotionally: just anxious about getting everything ready for baby to come, which has caused me to break down into a crying episode here and there, but nothing too serious. i have always been one with anxiety issues, this just increases it :) no biggie!
• Physically: honestly, i think i can just leave this part to say "tired"...i dont think its gonna change! been feeling him kick more lately, and thats nice :) its like a little reminder of why i am getting up and going to work everyday and why i am putting up with being uncomfortable...i know, it will only get worse. everytime i complain or whine about anything...the response i get is "o, you just wait! its gonna get so much worse" i get it people, but why cant you just let me complain and have my moment????
• Cravings: can i just say good food?? or just food in general?? i am tired of everyone wanting me to pick what we are eating or where to go eat cause i am pregnant..sometimes i dont have cravings folks, i just wanna eat. :)
• Fun Stuff: Well, my mom has ordered the crib, so thats our start to the nursery!! and we have a chair and a dresser. Richards mom is getting us our changing table i believe, so all of our pieces are coming together!! now, if we could just name this baby!!

I feel like i gave you all a pretty good update...nothing too new or exciting, besides growing a baby in my belly! and i have several weddings coming up, which means wedding showers, trips, presents, etc. to take care of. Just a busy busy time of year!! People have already started planning showers for us and baby boy and that is quite exciting :) just need to empty our extra bedroom so we have somewhere to put all the cute stuff we are getting!! (if anyone wants to volunteer themselves to help, ha, just let us know!!) school is so busy for richard right now, and im exhausted, so its a slow process, but we will get there!!! Overall, doing great and just ready to see what our little man looks like!! but i can wait 18 more weeks!!...let the wedding showers/trips begin!

Weeks 19 & 20--Halfway there people!!

We have officially crossed the halfway mark of the pregnancy, and no we have not named our little man yet :) i promise we are trying and i will let everyone know as soon as we can make up our creative minds ;) We had a doctors appointment last week and everything went great. I am starting to have some "uncomfortable" times with this baby boy in my belly. I am either having Braxton Hicks contractions or whatever they are called, or i am feeling him press up against me and making my stomach hard as a rock for about 30 seconds. the doctor did not seem too worried about us, so i will not worry either..we go back February 28th for our next appointment, then it's a visit every two weeks!! i can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going, its almost unreal!! Its time for us to start picking out bedding/crib/decorations, etc. for the nursery (this still sounds weird for me to say, but in a great way of course!) i am still leaning towards the "owl" theme along with other "treetop" friends...richard has always had a thing for birds so we are gonna go with that! blues, oranges, greens are what i am thinking, but who knows...my mind could change at any time, just ask my husband!!

Stats:

• Weeks pregnant: 20 weeks 3 days
• My Weight: 132 and counting. Size of baby boy: last week-a mango, this week-a cantaloupe!! Baby weighs about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana
• Fun Fact: baby has tastebuds now and has started to learn to swallow!! getting himself prepared i guess :)

How am I feeling?

• Emotionally: I think i am doing much better in this department. My attitude has grown, but only towards people that need it in order to get a point across :) in other words, if you need something to be done or taken care of...i could probably get someone on that right away. ( i am usually a very quiet person) not anymore!!
• Physically: tired and uncomfortable...i know, this is only going to get worse..i hear it from everyone.
• Cravings: just eating a lot of anything that is put in front of me...especially spicy foods. So mexican and japanese have been my big winners the past few weeks. i am also starting to become a fan of sweets again! uh-oh ;)
• Fun Stuff: deciding on room colors, fabrics, etc...this can also be stressful for me. i am not good at picturing things all together without seeing it all in person at the same time...this is where richard comes in with his "artsy" brain.

Well, i feel like i have not done much except sleep and pee since the last time i posted (he has to be sitting on my bladder these past few days) so i feel like i have updated yall on everything new! Overall, we are doing great and just can't wait to meet our little man!! We had a good time at our friends Hannah and Jeremy's Super Bowl party and even had our personal "baby bowl" instead of "puppy bowl" in their living room, haha. It was quite entertaining and a good preparation of what is to come for us in the near future! i can't believe how close we are getting!! yay :)

Week 17 & 18..it's a BOY!!

So, it's harder than i thought to write once a week! I feel like the weeks are flying by these days, which brings me to my point of us being almost half way there already!!! we can't believe it either...things started to become really real at our last doctors visit when we got to see our baby BOY!!!! he is healthy and growing at just the right pace :) just hard to believe how much he has changed in 12 weeks since the last ultrasound...we have gone from a peanut to a baby with a profile...amazing!!!

I may not be the one to judge...but i am pretty sure everything about him is perfect already! the pictures of pictures didnt turn out that well on the computer, but im posting them anyways :) in the next few you can see his hands and feet! so cute! i am such a proud momma already.

hands

feet :)

And thanks to my wonderful mother...we found out he was a boy in a pretty neat way. We went to the doctor and had her put the "results" in a sealed envelope. My parents, my sister and her husband, and Richard's parents and their significant others all came up for dinner at my moms house. Since we only had a few hours to get everything ready(my family was leaving for Disney World early the next morning)...my mom had baked two different cakes to "reveal" the sex the night before. One with blue food coloring and one with pink...chocolate icing of course :) We let momma peak in the envelope so she knew which cake to serve, and might i add she was quite afraid of messing this up, kept checking herself before finally serving the proper "blue" cake. Me and richard then cut into it, and as soon as i saw a blue crumb, my heart sank! i have always wanted a boy first so he can protect any little brothers or sisters that come along in the future. Richard is determined we will have all boys anyways :) everyone was very excited, but i think his mom was extremely pumped! she knows just how to deal with little boys since she had 3 herself!! so i know who to call when i need advice :) and dont worry, i didnt let the other "pink" cake go to waste...i took it and shared with my coworkers and they were not upset about it!

So, now for the next big news...i felt him move for the first time two nights ago...what everyone has told me is so true, its an amazing feeling that i cant even describe! i instantly started to cry because i didnt know how else to express myself!! richard actually got to feel a little movement too, it was an awesome experience and glad he was able to share that with me :)

We have already started receiving baby gifts from friends and family which makes me realize how much this baby is going to be loved! it also makes me want to start getting his room semi-ready so i have a place to put his things...sounds like a weekend project for us!! ok, that was a long intro...had to catch you people up on all the amazing things that have happened in the past few weeks!

Stats:

• Weeks preggo: 18 weeks 5 days
• size of baby: about the size/length of a bell pepper; 5 1/2" head to toe, around 7 oz.
• My weight: 129
• Fun Fact: my baby is busy flexing his arms and legs! no wonder i felt him move ;)

How am I feeling?

• Emotionally: overwhelmed with joy from this baby! still sensative, but honestly thats nothing new!
• Physically: tired, but not as tired as before...starting to get my energy back a little. started to exercise again...just walking and a little dancing on the Wii...nothing too strenuous :) i have started to get some bad headaches and backaches lately...im sure more of this to come in the future!
• Cravings: nothing new really...fruit, burgers, pickles...and i have been drinking a lot more water lately...i down a bottle every morning when i get out of the shower. i still need to drink more, but for those of you who know me well, getting 3 bottles of water in a day is pretty much a miracle. Still drinking my cokes, but dont worry, im keeping up with the caffeine intake!
• Fun Stuff: trying to name our little man...and i have learned from my friend Emily that it is best to keep your ideas of names to yourself or you will get discouraged:) just because some people may not like it, doesnt mean its not the right name. so, i will be keeping our ideas to myself until we settle on something. its our baby people, so dont be dissing my names! :) if you know me and richard at all, you know it will be something unique, with character and meaning, but nothing too crazy...we dont want our kid to get made fun of either ;)

Well, i think i have ranted and raved enough for the time being...the Akin family is doing great overall and cant wait to meet my little guy, but we have a long way to go! i thought i would add some pics from our new orleans trip since i have figured this thing out now! hope everyone has a great rest of the week...halfway mark, here we come!!!

Week 15 & 16

So, oops! im a little late on my blog, i know people, i know. I didnt realize that many of you actually look forward to my ranting and raving every week, haha :) so glad to know that now though! i just went thru a few weeks of being purely exhausted and never got around to doing it, work has been really busy and when i get home, i could barely force myself to cook dinner or exercise, much less write the blog..i did start on it the other night and told myself i wasnt posting again until i uploaded my pics to my new laptop...well, it took me (computer illiterate apparently) like an hour or so to figure out how to go back and drop pics into my old posts, but for some reason it kept putting them all at the bottom of all of my blogs and in no particular order..needless to say, i gave up that night. good news is, there are pics up, you just need to scroll to the bottom of the page, i did manage to rearrange them in some sort of "order" at least :) i think it will be easier next time when i just add them in as i type, but i personally gave up on making it look pretty for the past blogs, so i apologize. i dont know if pregnancy brain has kicked in or what, but i was getting frustrated and had been staring at a computer all day anyways...so there is my explanation for being late, ha. now for the exciting news....one week from today we find out if we are having a boy or girl!!!! i cant believe that its here already!! we are super pumped and cant wait for the big news! hopefully it will make the "naming process" a little easier, and its not that we cant think of anything, its that we have thought of too many options...like 3 pages of options...i think when we find the right name, we will just know, kinda like a wedding dress, right???
anyways, we had a great trip down to New Orleans for new years, the saints game was so much fun and a great one to be at, considering drew brees threw like 5 TD passes and i was a witness :) thanks again Alicia for the tickets! now, i have to admit, it was the earliest i have ever been to bed on new years...we did more of a "food crawl" rather than a "pub crawl" and i must say, i think my idea was brilliant! we ate some really delicious food while we were down there, and were back at our hotel by like 10:30 or so...richard had to wake me back up for the countdown, but o well, i slept really well in that fancy bed, so i didnt care! i am just thankful that my husband is not a big drinker or partier, so the night was perfect for all three of us with no complaining! it was the "back to reality" part the following Tuesday that really bummed me out. o well, it is what it is!
Stats:

• Weeks preggo: 16 weeks 6 days, so technically almost 17 weeks!
• size of baby: about the size of an avocado, 4 1/2" long, 3 1/2 oz.
• My weight: 126
• Fun Fact: my baby is growing nails right now, ha...weird to think about!

How am I feeling?

• Emotionally: still crying over the stupid stuff, like OnStar commercials where the kid calls in and saves the moms life cause she is going into a diabetic coma, or having a stroke..things like that. but i think i am a little more adjusted to the hormones overall...maybe.. :) also, just so overwhelmed and excited that we are having this baby and next week i can call it a he or she...which also makes me get emotional. momma...dont you start crying too! (us lofton ladies are criers)
• Physically: i am hoping i am starting to get some of my energy back these days, trying to incorporate my walking routine once again. i was finally starting to exercise regularly when we found out i was pregnant, then i lost all energy and was not feeling well...needless to say, exercising went out the window! im hoping soon enough i will feel like dancing to my micheal jackson on the wii again :) but for now, walking is good enough, at least its something!
• Cravings: still nothing too weird, in my opinion...granted i did eat some chicken casserole for breakfast today, haha. i was so tired of grits or oatmeal!! i have had to have a whopper with extra pickles at least once a week. and may or may not have drank out of the pickle jar the other night, but hey, i pretty much did that before i was pregnant..dont judge me :) other than that, i think i have stayed pretty normal..well at least i thought that before i started typing this section...hmmm.
• Fun Stuff: are you kidding...the only thing i can think about right now is finding out the sex!! and picking out a name :) i cant wait till next Thursday!!!
• O, and i forgot to mention that not only has my appetite increased dramatically, so has my road rage. i literally almost put my car in park and had a few words with a lady on Monday morning..i have never been so serious about getting out of my car to go off on someone as in that moment..just so you all know, i stayed in my car, and just had a "talking to" with her thru my rear view mirror..i may or may not have made certain hand gestures, but i dont care, i felt better after that :)

Well, since i decided to once again, write this post at work, im not even going to attempt to add any pictures in, but we should be caught up on all of my "weekly photos" at this point..hopefully i can keep up with this better once i get more time/energy, etc. to do it at home and add pics as i go..o, and obviously everything went great at our appointment last week! my appointment got delayed at first because my poor doctor had kidney stones :( but all was well when we finally got in. heartbeat was 148 this time, slower than last time...so my doctor said she wasnt guessing on the sex this time..at first she thought boy, then she said it sounded like a girl, now she refuses to guess, haha. guess i have thrown everyone off! so, if you have any guesses...please share! i love to hear everyones opinion!! hope everyone has a good rest of the week, its almost friday, woo hoo!!

kristin