Happy Eight Months, Miss Macy!!

A Beautiful Baby Shower in Virginia!

Matt and I spent the morning and early afternoon in Crozet, Virginia (one of our favorite places ever, considering it's where we 'tied the knot') on Saturday.  Matt, Joe and Andrew spent the day on the links while the wives and I enjoyed a beautiful baby shower at the Koshansky's home.  Lindsey and Brittany went out of their way planning and preparing a delicious brunch, complete with a homemade vegetarian breakfast casserole, a lush Caesar salad, two different kinds of chicken salad, fresh berries, hummus, crackers and cheese.  For dessert, Lindsey made a decadent tray of brownies and served a variety of homemade tarts from Whole Foods.  The ladies drank Mimosas as we sat around the table, complete with hydrangeas and pink tulips, catching up and talking about the baby.  Austin, Lindsey's almost four-year-old daughter, was my helper for the day, answering the door in her pretty white dress and passing me all of my baby shower presents.  She gave her approval on each of the gifts, announcing that she "had that," "loved that," or would "wear that" herself.  What a cutie!!

After the shower, Matt and I collected the rest of our gift cards and made a final purchase for baby Macy.  All of the final must-haves are ordered and we're as ready as we'll ever be for her arrival.  It's hard to believe that we just found out we were expecting in January and it's already almost August.  Time flies when you're preparing for a little one! 

With the nursery set-up and ready to go, Matt and I are spending some time completing different projects around the house.  We close on our home in mid-August and we're really excited to become home owners in the Valley!  My parents are coming down this weekend to help me wash all of Macy's clothes and blankets and to prepare my hospital bag before the big day.  I finish teaching summer school this week, which has been a wonderful way to pass time and make a little bit of extra money this summer.  When school starts back up, I'll be substitute teaching until Macy decides to make her big debut.  After maternity leave, I'll be returning to my position as a PALS Aide.  It's all coming together- this new life of ours!

Love you all and appreciate your kindness and support more than you know.  :)

XO,
Soon-to-Be Mama Stowell

Oh, baby!

This month has been so crazy preparing for baby Macy! Matt and I's centering classes have doubled, taking place every two weeks. At our last appointment, Macy's heart rate was in the 150s and she was visibly kicking as the midwife tried to measure my belly. :)

We are attending our sixth and final child birth preparation class at the hospital tomorrow. We've watched enough birthing videos to get the idea- labor isn't going to be a walk in the park! During the series of classes we've bathed, diapered, clothed and swaddled a handful of plastic babies and now we're ready for the real thing. At least Macy's arms will move in more than one direction when we try to put her in her onesies. :)

We've got Macy's bassinet set up and ready to go in our bedroom and our next mission is preparing a hospital bag and installing her car seat. This is a full time job already!

She's getting bigger by the minute and I'm counting down the seconds until she's here in our arms. <3

Macy's First Beach Week!

Matt, Macy and I spent the past week at Sandbridge Beach with Matt's parents, brother, sister-in-law and our 13 month old nephew, Tucker.  It was so nice to get away and spend some quality time with our family!

The beach was peaceful and quiet and our weather was INCREDIBLE! We spent the majority of our days on the beach swimming, reading, and soaking up the sun. In the evenings, we played corn hole, fished in the creek behind our house, played cards and spent time together on the screened-in porch. The town of Sandbridge had a sweet spot- the Sugar Shack- which we hit up for ice cream a few times this week. Yum!

On our rainy day, Matt and I headed into Virginia Beach and played indoor putt-putt. Like a couple of kids, we spent $20 in an arcade where I hit the jackpot winning 250 tickets! We gave our earnings to a deserving little girl and decided to celebrate with Kohrs Brothers custard. (As you can imagine, I'm having serious sugar withdrawals!)

Macy loved the time that we spent in the sun! She had the hiccups on and off throughout the week, which continues to make us laugh. I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions recently, which didn't disappear this week. My feet swelled up for the first time due to the combination of humidity and activity. I avoided sunburn at all costs with a 50 SPF sunscreen, but I walked away with lots of freckles. I wonder if Macy will have freckles...? Only time will tell!

Here are a few pictures from our trip!

Tomorrow we begin week 31! I can't believe how time is flying. I'm counting down the days until we meet our baby girl (64 to be exact!). I can't wait to see her and feel her in my arms. 

This weekend, Lindsey and Brittany are throwing me a shower in Crozet! I'm so excited to celebrate with my Virginia girlfriends!! 

9 more weeks!!

Lots of love,

Ashley

Baby, You're a Firework!

Macy celebrated her first Independence Day this weekend! We rang in the holiday with some friends at our house. At 28 weeks pregnant, I'm really starting to show. Here are a couple of photos of our growing family.

Gypsy Hill Park put on an incredible fireworks show just minutes from our house! We were so close that they we're hurting our eyes. Macy wasn't a huge fan of the fireworks. She's been pretty jumpy lately--just like her mama. 

We spent the majority of the weekend outside. I'm thinking Macy might be a sunbunny- she moves around like a wild woman in the sunlight.

We had another centering meeting this week. Macy's heart rate is slowing down, which is another sign that we're getting closer. She ranked in at a steady 139 beats/minute. We have our first child birth prep class tomorrow at the birthing suite at our hospital. Wish us luck!

Happy 4th!!

XOXO

Hello, Third Trimester!

It's official! We've made it to the third trimester; the last stop on the pregnancy train. Macy weighs roughly 2.5-3 pounds and is the size of an eggplant. Here's a photo from week 28... 7 months!

My fur baby is excited too! :)

This week was a particularly exciting week at the Stowell house! Matt and I put together all of Macy's Graco supplies including her stroller, car seat, high chair, pack n play and swing.

Hank is making sure the stroller is safe for baby Macy. What a sweet big fur brother!

I started a baby sitting position last week and I've been spending time with 14-month old Anthony 5 days a week. He's a sweet boy and he's definitely keeping me on my toes. It's great practice for a new mommy-to-be!

Matt and I put an offer in on the house we've been renting for the last year! It's great for our growing family and the owner is offering us a great deal. I'm so excited to put my feet down and stay in one place for a while. We love the Shenandoah Valley!

We have another centering meeting on Thursday. Now that we're in the third trimester, we meet every 2 weeks. Matt and I are going to begin child birth prep classes this week. It's a 6 class series of classes that will prepare us for the big day! 

My VA shower is coming up at the end of this month and I can't wait!! Lots of love to my girls Lindsey and Brittany who are busy preparing for the festivities. 

Beautiful invites!! 

Happy July!

Ashley (& Miss Macy!)