Baby Pool Winner!!

The winner of our Baby Pool is............................





Jennifer Spencer!!!




Her guess/Eleanor's stats
Girl/Girl :-)
January 3, 2011/January 3, 2011
4:15 p.m./6:04 p.m.
8 lbs. 1 oz./7 lbs. 3 oz.
21 inches/20.5 inches

She won by having the lowest score (you earn points for wrong guesses, not right ones), which was 89.08. Congratulations to Jennifer! There is no prize awarded with this other than bragging rights, but since she was so close to the correct arrival time of Eleanor, I think she has earned the bragging rights!!

Second Place: Lauren Sullens
Third Place: Jeff Pittard

Mommy's place: 8 out of 28
Daddy's place: 19 out of 28

Thanks to all who played along, and who waited expectantly with us for Eleanor's arrival!

It's a Girl!!!

Eleanor Ruth Finn
Monday, January 3, 2011
6:04 p.m.
7 lbs. 3 oz.
20.5 inches long
We rejoice in God's great blessing to us!

False Alarm

I started having contractions around 6 a.m. today, and they were coming pretty regularly for a couple of hours. Nathan and I made arrangements for the kids to go to church with friends (they were so excited about that they didn't even tell their daddy good-bye when he dropped them off!), and hoped to make a trip to the hospital sometime this morning. My contractions seemed to come and go, but they were strong and coming more frequently when I was on my feet. So around lunchtime, we headed out--to eat lunch at Panera, walk around, and then head to the hospital. Walking around after lunch was painful and no fun, so we were hopeful on the way to the hospital. And then we got to the hospital and things died down. While in triage for 20-30 minutes, I had only one contraction. The doctor checked me, and I was not dilated enough to be admitted. They sent me home.

That has never happened to me before, in two previous pregnancies. Once my body starts having contractions, in the past at least, they continued to grow in strength and intensity and by the time I was at the hospital I was easily admitted. The process has been very different with this baby--I seem to have contractions a lot, especially if I am on my feet or walking around, but then they die down. I admit, I was greatly disappointed to be sent home, and spent some time second guessing myself.

I keep saying that God has perfect timing, and that I am trusting HIS timing, not mine. And yet, when pressed, I am discouraged, disappointed and doubtful. He crafted my body, and designed it to carry AND deliver a baby. He knit together this little baby in my body, and numbered its days from the very beginning. God has already laid out the plans for this baby to come, and it will happen at a time when He will be most glorified. I am going to do my best to rest and trust in that. I covet your prayers as we are now back at home, waiting for 'real' labor to begin.

Did you notice?

My ExpectNet baby poll says that I have -1 day until my due date.

My Babystrology counter (the little baby in the bubble) say 0 days until my due date.

The difference in the counting is my fault (I entered a different date for them--Saturday for the baby pool, tomorrow for the counter), but the fact remains that, according to medical doctors and charts and BabyCenter.com, my baby should be here any time. Any day, any minute, in fact!

I am not in labor. God has a plan that is bigger than what medical doctors and charts and baby polls and internet searches say. His timing is perfect. And yet I find it hard to remember that when I am tired of being pregnant, and more than ready to meet my little boy/girl. Please pray that I will go into labor soon, as each day gets a little harder and more tiring. It is hard to tell Georgia and Baxter every night that we don't know what tomorrow holds, because Mommy *might* be in labor :-) Pray also for us to use this time to teach them that God has a perfect plan and perfect timing for their lives. Pray for Finnling #3 to be healthy and strong.

I promise to keep you updated! Thank you for your prayers.

Baby Update--39+ weeks

It is really funny how 'little things', like a severe winter weather system, can change things quickly. At this time last week, I was eager for our little baby to arrive, and even hoped that the baby might come right around Christmas. Nathan's parents would be in town visiting, and what a wonderful opportunity for them to be here when the baby arrives! But then we learned the weather forecast--snow on Christmas Day, and possibly lots of it! Nathan's parents left earlier than planned so they could make it to South Georgia without getting trapped (praise the Lord they did, or they would have been snowed in here or on the road). And Nathan and I began to pray that the baby would wait until the roads cleared. No baby yet for us!

There is snow on the ground, the roads are clear, and I went to the doctor yesterday to see how things were going with the baby. The simple answer is, nothing is really going on. I have contractions on occasion, usually if I am on my feet for very long, but they go away. The doctor thinks I am 'on the way' (a little dilated and effaced, but not by much--sorry for using such words on the blog!), but I still have a long way to go. Now, the wonderful thing is that things can change quickly, and being a little bit on the way is better than nothing at all.

We discussed the option of induction at my appointment yesterday as well, and the doctor advised against it this week. It would be an elective induction if I tried to schedule it this week (since I am not yet past my due date), and this is possibly the worst week of the year to try to get into the hospital. Since it is not medically caused, I would be bumped for ladies who have medical reasons for their inductions. We decided to wait, and to talk again about the possibility of an induction next week if I make it that long.

How you can pray--
*Pray that the baby comes on his/her own, without needing to be induced. I am not opposed to being induced, and will probably choose that if I go past my due date, but I would rather go into labor on my own.
*Pray for the baby to come soon. We are ready to meet our next child, find out if the baby is a boy or girl, and start adjusting to life as a family of five.
*Pray for me to have rest before going into labor. I am not sleeping well at night, and am frequently tired during the day. Rest is needed :-)
*Pray for me and Nathan to get a few projects accomplished before the baby arrives, but also not to stress if our plans are altered by labor and delivery.

Thank you my friends! We hope to be updating about the baby very soon!

Self portrait-38 1/2 weeks

While I was taking pictures of my beautiful green bathroom earlier this week, I took a couple of pictures of myself in the mirror (I know, I have done this before :-). I have been fighting a cold, so don't look too closely at my red nose! Isn't it fun how my shirt matches my bathroom? :-)

37 weeks

The baby is now officially considered full-term, which means I could have the baby at any point and things *should* be okay...of course, I am not expecting to have the baby anytime soon, but it is nice to know we have reached another milestone. I am now going to the doctor's office once a week, which is just loads of fun during the Christmas season (HA!). Thankfully, my doctor's office allowed me to go ahead and book my appointments through the first of the year. I am praying that I don't make it to my last scheduled appointment, as that is after my due date.

I continue to have a wonderfully normal, boring pregnancy. At my previous visit, the doctor expressed some amazement that my chart was so small--most people (apparently) have some reason for additional notes, etc. Other than continuing to measure small, I have had no complications of any kind. [Well, sorry, I just learned today that I am positive for Group B Strep. That isn't a big deal; it just means I have to have antibiotics during labor. No worries!] If I had not had the extra ultrasound a few weeks ago, the doctors might be more concerned--I continue to measure small, and my weight gain is minimal (19 lbs according to their charts, but I think I have gained more). But I have the most recent ultrasound as proof that my baby is healthy and all is well!

We are all looking forward to the day when we meet our baby! Please be praying that these next couple of weeks are as uneventful as the holiday season can be :-) Below are a couple of pictures of me and the kids by the tree--it was a dreary day and it was hard to get the lighting right.





Date taken: December 12, 2010 (37+ weeks)

Pink or Blue

One of the items on my 'before baby arrives' checklist was to pick out coming home from the hospital outfits. Since we have not learned the gender of this little one, we got to pick a pink and a blue outfit! I must say, girl clothes are cuter overall, but I love the little layette set we picked for a little boy. Do the clothes make you have a guess about what we're having? :-)



*and just to clarify, we aren't having twins unless one baby is COMPLETELY hiding in there! And we don't know the gender, but will confess to leaning a particular way right now...no, I won't tell...*

Last chance to make a guess!

I am closing the game first thing tomorrow, so now is your chance to make a prediction--boy or girl? 2010 or 2011? Thanks for playing along with us!

36 weeks-Baby's first picture with Santa

Guess the baby's gender/arrival date and more!

Don't forget to enter your baby gender/arrival date/weight/length guesses in our baby pool! I will be locking the game on December 5 (I'll be 36+ weeks then), so get your guesses in soon.



Once Huck arrives, we'll announce who won! Thanks for playing along!

Dessert with the girls

A sweet friend of mine planned a girls dessert night out for me and Finnling #3 this past week. We met at the new Olive Garden here in Wake Forest for desserts and appetizers. It was a great time of fellowship with these kind ladies, and I can't thank them enough! As often the case, it is hard to get good lighting inside a restaurant, but here are some pictures.

Me and Bekah, the lovely hostess/organizer (she talks with her hands)

Most of the ladies (minus Jimma, who was taking the picture)

See, told you she talks with her hands! :-)

My wonderful gift from Emily--Wipes! They should last me a while :-)

Okay, so I talk with my hands too...

I received several gift cards, for which we are thankful!

Heather, Jimma, me, Bekah, Emily, Melissa

Two things to note about the above picture--one, we didn't plan to stand in descending order of height, but it happened that way and it cracks me up. Two, I don't like the way I look in this picture (curse those sloped shoulders of mine!) but everyone is smiling and looking at the camera, so I won't complain. Too much.

I am so thankful for my friends who took time out of their busy schedule to spend an evening with me, and for the generosity of their gifts as well. It was a fun time of chatting and catching up and spending time together and I loved it! Thanks also to my handsome hubby for staying at home with the kiddos so I could go.

Finnling #3 update

As the holidays approach, so does the imminent arrival of Finnling #3! We are very excited to get to meet our little guy/girl soon.

I had a doctor's appointment today for a regular checkup, with hopes that they would clear me for travel next week to see family at Thanksgiving. My normal and boring pregnancy continues for the most part. I have gained a decent amount of weight (approx. 20 pounds, I think), and my blood pressure continues to be wonderful (102/68). The baby's heart rate is strong and right on track, and Georgia and I both enjoyed hearing it today (she loves going to appointments with me).

The only 'kink' in our plans today was that I was measuring small again. This has happened with each of my pregnancies, causing me to need extra ultrasounds, all to determine that nothing was wrong. My doctor noted that I was measuring small again, and that I had done the same on my previous appointment. Though they were not greatly alarmed, my doctor felt it would be best to have an ultrasound to check on the baby before I went out of town. I went to the Maternal-Fetal clinic at the hospital for my ultrasound today, and everything looks great. The baby is actually above average in size (around 4 lbs or so right now), and the doctor expects Huck will be 7 1/2 lbs to 8 lbs at full term. Everything else is superb, and we learned that the baby is head down--yes!! In case you are wondering, we did not learn the baby's gender, so it is still a surprise :-)

All that to say, I am cleared for travel next week, and even had a special ultrasound to prove it. I will be going to the doctor more frequently after the Thanksgiving break, and before we know it, Baby #3 will be here!

I took these pictures this week at the Marbles Children's Museum in downtown Raleigh. They had facing mirrors that made for fun pictures--but I apologize if they aren't terribly clear!


Date taken: November 16, 2010 (33 1/2 weeks)


And please don't forget to vote for the gender, arrival date, weight and length of Finnling #3! I will be closing the poll in the next couple of weeks, so vote now!!

The great pumpkin

Date taken: October 31, 2010 (31 weeks pregnant)

25 weeks with Huck

According to the calculator on my sidebar, I have only 104 days left of this pregnancy! How time is flying by (I say that with every pregnancy, I know). I recently posted on Facebook how many weeks I had left until the baby's due date, Christmas, Thanksgiving, my & Georgia's birthdays, and Baxter's birthday--yeah, that was a little overwhelming. It is happening very quickly. BabyCenter sends me an email each week telling me the baby's approximate length and size, and this week Huck is the size of a rutabaga. Now, I have heard of a rutabaga, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you how big that is! Instead, here's a picture of how big I am:

Baby wish list

As you know, I like to make lists. I don't often finish everything on my lists, but I love to make them! I decided to create a baby registry for "Huck" at Diapers.com as a means for me to keep track of things I need before baby arrives. However, just *in case* any family or friends are interested, you can find a small list here. I told a friend on Facebook that most of these items are 1) things I am replacing from babies 1 & 2 (i.e. I want glass bottles); 2) things I can't find from babies 1 & 2 (pack and play sheets); or 3) things that are much nicer than what I had with babies 1 & 2 (a girl can dream, right?). I hope to find many of the bigger items used, but Diapers.com also has a great registry fulfillment program that gives a discount on items after the baby comes, so that is a nice option. I was AMAZED at the variety of items they had--if you have small children, you should definitely check it out!

On a related note, if you plan to purchase anything from Diapers.com or anywhere else online, be sure you have signed up for Ebates first. Ebates is a cash-back site that pays you a percentage of your online purchases. For instance, right now at Diapers.com you can get 1-4% of your purchase total back if you use Ebates. It is very easy--just sign up, search for the store or online site, browse the coupons Ebates has for that site, and then open a ticket. The 'ticket' will take you into the online store, and then you can shop until your heart is content. Oh, and once you sign up and make a qualifying purchase, you will receive a $5 credit. This is real money, too--they cut you a check once a quarter. So though I am not saying you have to buy something for me and the baby, you should definitely consider using Ebates before you shop online again!

Ultrasound photos of Finnling #3

Here are ultrasound photos of Finnling #3. I apologize for the quality, but I didn't have a way to scan them, so I photographed them instead. If I can get them scanned, I will repost the 'real pics' :-)

This is the first 3D picture of any of my babies, and I love it! I also think the baby looks like one of Bax's baby pictures, but that might just be me :-)

And, for fun, I have set up an online poll for you, my wonderful readers, to guess the gender, weight, length and arrival date of our third child! Please participate--I love reading everyone's guesses (and I might eventually make a guess myself, but no promises!).

Baby Update

At long last, a baby update!

I am 19 weeks pregnant with baby #3, and this has been the best pregnancy by far! I have been sick very little, and cannot complain at all about any strange pregnancy symptoms. My appetite was fairly normal until about the 17th week, and then--all of a sudden--I couldn't get enough to eat! I was hungry all the time (still am). And consequently, I went from gaining only 1-2 lbs in the first trimester to gaining 7 lbs in a month. I know, for many of you reading that isn't a big deal, but that is impressive for me--and it shows in my belly :-)

I had a doctor's appointment this week as well as my 18 week ultrasound. I am measuring on track, the baby's heartbeat is good, and there are no signs of any problems at all. The ultrasound was wonderful, the baby is healthy in every way possible, and another boring/healthy pregnancy marches along. The baby is measuring right on track for my due date, and weighs approximately 9 oz. right now. My little one is sitting breech, but we still have plenty of time before we have to worry about that.

You might be wondering about the baby's gender. For this pregnancy, and for the first time, we have opted NOT to discover the baby's gender. I am very excited about this, and really appreciate my husband catering to my whims in this matter. His personal preference is to discover the gender, but he does not mind not finding out this time. We have 'stuff' for both genders, and truthfully, this baby will not have a specially decorated nursery, so there isn't much to worry about with that! I have some great pictures from the ultrasound that I will try to post soon. Until then, enjoy a shot of me taken last Friday, 18 weeks!