Holidays have passed and now..... baby in 1 week!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

We were told that after Christmas and New Years passed, it would be BABY time and here we are....ALREADY.  I had my last OB check-up today (38 weeks) and all is well.  The baby had a normal heart rate - it has been fluctuating between 145 - 132... that leads me to believe it is a boy (Olivia's had been in the upper 140s to mid 150s), but I've heard the other way around too!  50/50 chance, right??
I had an ultrasound 2 weeks ago and the baby continues with 50th percentile size, the growth continues to be spot on.  They had estimated about 6.5#s at that time and with an estimated growth of about 0.5# per week, we could be dealing with an 8 pound baby, which is FANTASTIC news!  Olivia was just over 8#s at birth, so that would not be out of the question.  When we told the surgeon that our family usually produces large babies, he said that he could just kiss us!

Baby Degan 36 weeks, Looking straight up, forehead and nose at top :)

Baby Degan continues to move ALOT, especially when we read stories before nap and bedtime with big sis Olivia.  As Olivia is sitting on my "side lap" beside my belly, the baby starts moving and kicking and Olivia feels it and giggles, it might be the sweetest thing I've witnessed so far, but I'm sure more amazing moments are about to arise!

We tried our best to enjoy friends and family over the holidays and really cherish these special moments as a family of 3 going on 4.  We were so blessed to have almost our ENTIRE family here over Christmas (unfortunately, Darrell, Dana's oldest brother and his family could not make the trip from WI this year).  The WI crew (Dana's family) pulled in the Thursday before Christmas and Mark's dad and his brother and fam, came in from Eastern NC.  All the guys (+ Jacqui) enjoyed a Friday night bball game, Charlotte Hornets against the Chicago Bulls.  There were a big group of 15 and the kids LOVED it!

   
On Christmas Eve, Mark smoked a whole hog for Christmas dinner, that was quite a feat.  He had been wanting to do this for a long, long time, so he built his own cooking area, got a whole organic hog from a local farmer and he enjoyed the nice weather with visitors through the day out at the pit in our backyard.

That evening we enjoyed a beautiful church service at Lake Forest, Cindy (Dana's sister's) church.  I just love singing Christmas songs!  The kids opened a few presents from their cousins that night, before the "Big Guy" came with the good stuff the next AM!

Olivia and Violet (cousin from WI) sorting babydoll clothes

Christmas Day was so exciting for Mark and I.  It started off with typical present opening, stockings first.  Olivia got her first big girl bike (balance bike) from her Grandpa Don this year.

But then the crowds came... it was out first time hosting an actual holiday in our house!  We had 22 people over for dinner, we served Mark's pork and all the others brought dishes to pass.  Since I'm not the cook, Cindy and Mark organized the meal.  I just made the table setting look pretty and transformed our foyer and sitting room into one big eating space!  It worked out pretty well! 

Everyone is looking!!!

Cindy was talking to the babe and feeling some kicks :)

The day after Christmas we celebrated Baby Degan while the family was in town!  A big thanks to Cindy for hosting, Mom (Rita), Barb (Mark's mom), Jess (Dans's sister-in-law) and Jacqui (Dana's sister-in-law from Mark's side) for helping with organizing the sprinkle the day after Christmas!  We had a great time with friends and family.  Everyone colored a piece of a mandala coloring page and Barb made a collage with everyone's picture for the nursery .... I LOVE it! 

All the guests coloring their mandala coloring square

Girl or Boy??? What do you think

 I LOVE my tree of life that Barb created with everyone's mandala pieces.  Such a special keepsake for the nursery!  After all the festivities were over, Barb molded my belly to make a belly bowl out of clay after the baby is born.  This is such a special piece of art that we have from Olivia (all of her birth stats were etched into the bowl), I cannot wait to see the bowl for Baby Degan!

Mark enjoyed the entire week after Christmas off work and we spent some quality time together.  We went on a trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville (a drive through animal park) featuring animals from 5 different continents, so much fun!  

 We had a pretty low key New Years Eve.  We celebrated at a friend's house with a few other couples and their kiddos.  We did not see the ball drop this year, but still made special memories!

I hope you have started off your 2017 with positivity and meaning!  I have been challenged to pick a word that will describe my 2017.  Below are our stocking hangers from the mantle this Christmas, I thought that FAITH would be an appropriate word for my 2017.  I have faith that Baby Degan and our family will be in the best of hands this year, MANY hands will be guiding and leading us through this journey.  Until we talk again, have Faith that ALL IS WELL!

Much Love, Dana