The Final Countdown

I'm not sure where the time has gone since we first found out I was pregnant back in September. But here we are at the end of May...just about a week away from my due-date!

A few things I'll miss about being pregnant:
-Spontaneous naps...in the truck...in the staff room at work...on the couch. You name the place, I've probably crashed there.
-Not only being allowed to enjoy a little extra dinner or dessert, but being encouraged to do so! I might regret it on my waistline after Barrett's here, but I enjoyed the good life with bonus doughnuts and hot dogs.
-Funny questions or statements by kiddos at work. One girl wanted me to name my baby "Marshmellow Qualley". Another suggested "Michael Jackson". One little boy asked if my baby was getting wet while I was in the pool.
-Sharing the excitement with moms at work. Unless you took a look at Barrett's room and closet, you wouldn't be able to grasp how spoiled this kid already is. Working at Emler Swim School was like having a hundred family members who all wanted to shower Little Qualley with gifts and know everything as my pregnancy progressed.
-"Ash Wednesday". Grant deemed every Wednesday as my day where he suggested I just do nothing and let him take care of dinner and anything else on my to-do list. I hope this trend continues.
-Thumps and bumps from my belly. I love having such an intimate connection with my baby.
-Maternity shorts and dresses. I could do without maternity jeans and their saggy butts. But give me a pair of cute maternity shorts or a little sundress and I'm in pregger-heaven.
-Surprisingly enough, my OB visits. I was referred to THE best OBGYN. You can tell he loves his job and treats you like you're the only person on this earth having a baby. And his staff is no different. Doctor visits have been like going to visit friends over the past nine months.
-Grant's fascination with my belly. He refers to it as "the Barrett" and would routinely comment on how my Barrett looked bigger and would patiently wait to feel a kick or jab.

Things I won't miss about being pregnant:
-The tossing and turning at night as I struggle to find a comfortable position with my giant belly.
-Getting stuck as I sink into my couch and have to roll my way out.
-The question, "Are you ready?". How do you answer that? "Nope!"

I like that what I'll miss about being pregnant far outweighs the things I won't miss. This pregnancy has been incredibly easy and FUN. I've been blessed with good memories as I've carried Barrett. I know I'll miss the glowing-feeling of growing a tiny human, but I'm ready for the next chapter!

The 5th & Final Shower...BBQ at the Jacks

Our good friends, Joe & Danielle, threw us a BBQ & beer-type shower at their home in Georgetown a couple of weeks ago. One of our favorite things to do with the Jacks is cook dinner once or twice a month. We usually head out to their home on the outskirts of town, grill sausages and let the boys enjoy some beer while the girls talk about kids and being Stay at Home Moms together. We fondly refer to our nights as "Sausage Sundays" so I guess you could say this shower was one big version of our favorite way to spend an evening with friends.

Joe & Danielle made the party very laid-back with BBQ, beer, yard games, and an icecream bar (my personal favorite). The crowd consisted of friends and family our age, some with kids and some without. The Jacks were such gracious hosts and everyone raved about what a great job they did opening their home to the Qualley's loved ones.

Here are pictures of some of the people we love at the party.

My sister Erin & good friend from DFW, Anne.

Some of the boys playing washers outside. Ben, Don, my brother Ryan, Grant, and Anthony.
Jamie and Kacie playing washers.

Our lovely hostess Danielle on the left, Hanna Joe, and Sara...all from work.

My small group ladies-Lacey, Katie, and Kristin!

Mike and Veronica drove in from San Antonio! They were camping with us the week we found out we were pregnant with Barrett. :)

Danielle, Micah, and I.

Lots of boys! Joe, Ben, Don, Anthony, Grant, Russ, and Ryan.

The grilling buddies-Joe and Grant.

And a quick picture with my brother and sister before they headed back up to DFW (with Russ photo-bombing us in the background.)

The next time we see people from our five different showers, we will be official parents of Barrett Ryan Qualley! Thank you all for being so encouraging as we begin this new chapter of life. You've spoiled our growing family with not just baby gifts, but with love and support! Barrett has no idea what a great network of friends and family he is being born into.

Now let's get this show on the road!

Barrett's Easter Baseball Game

Easter weekend coincided with the last weekend that I could travel, per doctor's orders. Grant & I took the opportunity to drive up to DFW to spend Easter with my family. My brother, Ryan, had the idea to get the whole family together to go to a Texas Rangers game on Easter Sunday. Though slightly humid, we had an awesome time cheering on America's team and enjoyed our final holiday before Barrett arrives.

Shower #4- Women of Austin

Last weekend, two of my closest friends here in Austin threw me Barrett's fourth shower. I met Katie & Lacey in the church small-group that we joined several months after moving back to Texas. They have truly become family to Grant & I so I was very excited to let them "shower" us.

Katie & Lacey did a brunch-themed shower and the food was so good! I'm afraid these showers are helping put on some extra pounds because I can't stop eating the food. There is always some type of cake or sweet, which I will never pass up. Then up add in all the extra goodies like chicken salad, doughnut holes, etc. and I am one happy (and slightly heavier) girl. Sending me home with left-over shower food isn't the best idea, but I never seem to say no!


Here I am with my beautiful hostesses...Katie on the left and Lacey on the right. You'll notice in this picture I still have my little necklace for the "baby game". (You're not supposed to say the word baby and the person who hears you say it can call you on it and take your necklace.) I lost it less than 15 minutes after this picture was taken.
My little travelers! Susan came in from Dallas and Lindsey came in from Houston. My shower felt complete with representatives from my "Fam girls". We are always there, one way or another, for each other's big adventures in life! You can tell that we are go-to girls for each other. Susan and Linds were my little team as I opened presents and they organized the "system".

I also invited some of my favorite friends from work. Brittany, Carly, and Sara may not exactly be to the baby-stage of life, but they helped me celebrate and made us laugh a lot. Since they work around kids, they were able to relate a little bit...even though Sara is quite terrified of my belly. (I actually chased her with it and she looked slightly sick.)

I also had several moms from my work who were sweet enough to come party with us. (The shower food seemed to show in my face more heavily in the pictures I took with them. Yes, I'm that shallow.) They brought their little ones--one who kept asking when we were going to sing "Happy Birthday" around the cake.

Thank you to those women who came to celebrate with me and who make my life here in Austin SO wonderful and a place that makes raising a child something to look forward to.

Shower #3-It's all in the family

Grant's aunt Marcia lives in Georgetown and was gracious enough to host a family baby shower for Grant & I last weekend. Grant's entire family showed up for the party and my parents came into town. Marcia's daughter Besty & husband Bill came and Grant's aunt Brenda and cousin Claire arrived for the fun. The food was amazing, the games made us laugh a lot, and Barrett got a ton of goodies. Just when Grant & I feel like we couldn't possibly be any more blessed, there are more people waiting to shower our firstborn with all kinds of treasures and memories.

Puppy Love

This morning, I woke up to one very snuggly labrador in bed with me. Tex absolutely loves morning-time and the minute I open my eyes, his tail starts thumping. He tries to get as close to me as possible and will start "talking" to me. This morning was no different. However, before I opened my eyes, I put my hand on my belly to greet Barrett. The little guy must have been sleeping because he didn't move an inch. I tried a couple of times to jiggle him awake, but got no response. I looked over at Tex and quietly said "hey buddy". That's all it took for the lab-tail to begin thumping. At that moment, Barrett seemed to wake up and started kicking happily. I stopped talking to Tex, which meant his tail quieted down. At that moment, Barrett stopped kicking. I looked over at Tex and got his little booty wagging again. And again, Barrett started kicking. This could all be conincidence, of course. But I like to think that Barrett and Big Tex are already forming a relationship as boy & dog. It was definitely a cute moment!

The sweetest of showers...

My sister asked me a while back if she could throw me a baby shower and my answer was "definitely!". Erin knows me like a sister should and has always been quick to help me celebrate life's milestones. She threw me a bachelorette party and was my maid of honor back in 2006. Learning she would soon become an aunt was all she needed to throw her party-planning back into gear. And "boy", did she deliver! The morning of the shower, Erin sent me out to get a pedicure. When I returned, I walked in to the cutest-themed baby shower. Erin planned a candy-bar to celebrate my sweet boy. It was so elaborate and well-planned! It was both pretty and delicious! Baby Barrett had a friend at the shower! Cari, one of my best friends, is expecting any day now. I was so touched that she made the trip out to celebrate with me and it was fun to bump bellies with Barrett's soon-to-be best friend.

A big thank-you to my sister, Erin, for showing me how much she loves me and my growing family through this shower. She put in a lot of hard work and I will never forget Aunt Erin's shower for Barrett. Though we know each other like sisters do, she can still surprise me!