Stolen Moments

I never really appreciated how much freedom and flexibility I had before having a baby.  Now I hold my breath as my darling daughter sighs and rolls around in her crib, hoping for a few more minutes of silence to accomplish a task or simply to sit still with my thoughts.  Once she awakes it's go, go, go.

To-do's pile up and my brain can't keep track of everything I wish I had time to do.  I'm thankful to be a stay at home mom so at least I do have some free time during her naps and in the evenings instead of having to cram in all of the chores and cooking and prep for the next day.  The paradox is that by staying home I'm physically exhausted every night and all I can do on most nights is run through everything in my mind while I melt into the couch or my bed and watch TV or mindlessly browse Facebook and Pinterest.

I know that life won't be like this forever.  In some ways it's good to be forced to slow down and appreciate the little things more.  Like last night, when Leah saw her daddy and I kiss (a peck on the lips) and she immediately went up to Daddy with her lips puckered, wanting her own kiss!  It was adorable.  Then she came and got one from me too.

Life is so, so good.

-Erin

For All the Moms Who Are Struggling

Today just isn't your day.  You're beat up, run down, exhausted - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.  Every mom has felt this way at one point or another (ok, let's face it, probably many times, depending on how long you've been a mom).

First of all, I want to let you know that it is okay to feel this way.  Nobody said that motherhood was going to be all good and that you were expected to have endless patience.  Nobody is perfect and nobody can handle all that life and motherhood throws at us every single day without breaking down once in a while.

Having a bad day doesn't make you a bad mom.  Crying, venting, screaming doesn't make you a bad mom.  We all have our limits and some days those limits get pushed and tested and plain old tossed out the window by life and our kids and everything else we have to deal with.

What can you do when you are having a bad day?  Here are my top five tips:

1. Call a friend or family
When you feel like nothing is going right sometimes one of the most cathartic things to do is just to call your best friend or your mom or someone else that you love and get it all out.  Vent away all your frustration and every little thing that bothered you that day.  Get it out of your head and out of yourself and release it.  Then let that person that loves you back tell you that it's going to be okay, that you are a great mom and that your child isn't going to end up needing therapy!

2. Go outside
I don't know why this works but when Leah was a baby her pediatrician would tell us that if she was upset to take her outside.  There is something calming about being in nature: all the sights, sounds, smells I guess.  It works on your kids and it will work on you too.  Until your kids start eating bugs and grass and dirt...ugh!  But you just might be having a bad enough day that it won't bother you and you will let them do it anyway.

3. Go anywhere!
It seems like getting out of the house in general always does wonders for my mood and Leah's too.  Plus when we go to the store and a stranger tells me how cute she looks it makes me feel a little bit better if I'm having a bad day.  Oh and Starbucks drive-through doesn't hurt either!  Which leads me to #4...

4. Indulge
Indulge yourself in any way you can.  Take a nap.  Eat chocolate.  Have a Starbucks latte.  Anything that will make you feel a little bit better.  And if that doesn't work, when all else fails, go directly to #5:

5.  Call in reinforcements
Leave the kids with daddy or a babysitter or family member for a few hours and escape.  We all need our mental health days from work and taking care of kids is a LOT of work!  You deserve a break sometimes to re-center yourself and break out of the situation that's making you feel crazy.  Besides, its good for kids to get time with Daddy and other loving, caring family and friends.  It will give them a chance to miss you and you a chance to miss them.

Most of all, know that you are a great mother and that this too shall pass.  Tomorrow may be another crummy day, especially if you are dealing with teething or illness or something else that is no fun like that.  But it will get better eventually.  The good day that is waiting around the corner will be make up for the bad.  It will make it all worth it.  Even in bad days you can find moments that make you smile.  Motherhood is the best and hardest job in all the world.  So for all the moms who are struggling, hang on.  You are strong enough to make it through this and when you look back from the other side, it will all have been worth it.

-Erin

I'm finally back!

Hi friends!  I'm finally back to blogging and here to finally share my pride and joy, Leah Nicole, who was born at 11:09pm on July 18, 2013.

She was born weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 22 inches long.  I'd love to share my birth story with you all if anyone is interested but I'll save that for another post.  She is a wonderful, beautiful baby and I'm looking forward to sharing pictures and stories of our lives here.

I'm so, so sorry to have gone MIA and left you all hanging for so long.  Unfortunately my transition to motherhood has been anything but smooth.  I had a serious case of post-partum depression that hit me like a ton of bricks.  I thought that since we had planned and hoped and dreamed for our baby for so long that everything would be happy and light once she arrived.  I thought that since I had read parenting books, taken classes and babysat for kids since age 11 that I was prepared.  I thought that since I was staying home with her and had dropped most of my commitments that things would not be too stressful.  Of course I knew that there would be a learning curve, I just had no idea how much of a curve there was and how impossible and overwhelming it would all feel.

I'm doing much better now, although I still have my ups and downs!  But I finally feel like I'm in a place where I can start sharing how I feel again and my hope is that I will encourage someone, or make someone laugh, or make someone smile with one of my posts.

The baby's crying now, be back again soon!  I promise :)

-Erin

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If you or someone you know is going through "baby blues" or post-partum depression, please know you are not alone!  Feel free to comment or message me privately, I think that the more we talk about these issues the less taboo they become.

We have an eviction date!

Today was my last official doctor's visit of this pregnancy!  I picked up Art for lunch and we went to a burger place and then in to the OB's office to set up a game plan.

The OB checked me and I'm 3 cm, 50 percent effaced and baby is still at negative 3 station.  We picked our little Leah's official eviction date: this Sunday, July 21st.  The doctor doesn't think I will make it that long, but I guess we will just wait and see what happens.  He did an ultrasound to check on my fluid levels and they are at a 7, which he said is fine.  I also had a non-stress test done and her heart rate is just fine, so there is no concern there.  It's a relief to know that we are both still perfectly healthy because I was getting irrationally anxious before the appointment, just worrying that something might be wrong with her.

I asked the doctor if he could sweep my membranes because I heard that it helps get things started.  I originally didn't want to have it done but I decided I would take it over having to be induced. Oh my goodness, it hurt so bad!  I was breathing really hard trying to control the pain and squeezing Art's hand really tight.  Right now I would do just about anything to get her here though.

The doctor thinks I will be in labor by tonight, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up.  I've had other predictions that obviously didn't come true either!  I did start having contractions on the way home, they were really painful.  I called my doula Cynthia and she suggested taking a bath because my cervix was probably very irritated from the exam and membrane sweep.  So I did that and now I'm feeling better.  I'm planning to take a walk later and hopefully things will pick up tonight but if they don't I won't be too surprised or disappointed.  This kid just seems to be very cozy in there!

God Has a Sense of Humor!

Hi everyone!  I apologize for being MIA for the past week...you might have thought that it was because I was off having a baby.  Hahaha...nope!  It turns out that God has a sense of humor ;)  Art and I have prayed so hard for so long for me to be pregnant that God is just giving us a little extra time.

I'm officially 41 weeks pregnant today.  Over the past week it's been an emotional roller coaster.  Being a first time mom, I wasn't sure what to expect and we had a few times when different people predicted that I was going to go into labor.  Of course this got me excited and Art and I both have gotten our hopes up.   Well, here we still are.  I've definitely had some times of anxiety and frustration lately.    

My church young adult group has been doing a bible study and this week's topic was thankfulness.  So appropriate for my situation!  I loved these verses, God just spoke directly to me through them:

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  -Colossians 3:15-17

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. -Thessalonians 5:16-18

Isn't it so easy to be frustrated or anxious about something that seems to be going wrong in our lives,when really God is calling us to trust in him and giving us another opportunity to rest in his peace and his plan?

After doing the bible study, I put up this post-it on my mirror, just as a reminder:

It has really helped me to feel at peace about however long my pregnancy is going to go.  Plus, we know that the end is definitely in sight because my OB's office won't let me go past 42 weeks.  So, our little girl will be here soon, one way or the other!  I'm still praying for a natural, med-free labor and delivery but if that doesn't happen it won't matter, as long as she is healthy.

And now, hopefully for the last time, here's my weekly update:

How far along?: 41 weeks

How big is baby?:  A bit over 20 inches long, your baby has continued to grow and may now weigh almost 8 pounds. As cozy as he is, your baby can't stay inside you forever. For your baby's safety, your practitioner will talk with you about inducing labor if your baby isn't born in the next week — earlier if there are any problems. Most practitioners won't let you wait more than two weeks past your due date to give birth because it puts you and your baby at increased risk for complications. About 5 to 6 percent of women have prolonged pregnancies that extend three or more weeks beyond their estimated due dates. Babies born at 42 weeks and beyond can have dry parchment-like skin and are often overweight. Waiting that long to deliver also increases your chance of developing an infection in your uterus that could be dangerous for your baby or of having a stillbirth. What's more, your labor is more likely to be prolonged or stalled, both you and your baby have an increased risk of injury during a vaginal delivery, and you double your chances of needing a c-section.

Any appointments or updates this week?:  My best friend from high school is a medical resident and yesterday she got me in to see a doctor who does a technique called cranial OMT (osteopathic manipulation therapy) which is supposed to induce labor.  It felt very relaxing, the doctor just pressed on different areas of my body, especially the base of my head/top of my neck.  We'll see if it works or not.  I also have my 41 weeks appointment tomorrow to talk to the doctor about a plan and I will be getting an NST (non-stress test) to check on the baby.  

Body changes?: I lost my mucus plug at the end of last week so hopefully my body is making progress with dilation/effacement.  We will find out tomorrow. 

Maternity clothes?: Barely anything fits at this point.  I can't wait to be able to go shopping for clothes again after I have the baby.  I'm pretty much living in 2 pairs of shorts and a few tank tops and tees. 

Best moment last week?:  I have had some great times hanging out with my family lately, especially on the 4th of July (we went to my aunt's house for a party).  It's been nice to have this time to spend relaxing and spending quality time with them now that life isn't so hectic for me.

Food cravings?: Sugar, sugar, sugar!!!  I may or may not have eaten an entire box of Double Stuf Oreos...oh and ice cream ;)

Symptoms?:  The swelling as gone down in my ankles and feet but it's been happening in my hands a little bit.  Nothing to terrible though.  

Exercise?: Yoga, walking every day and swimming whenever I get the chance. 

What I miss?: Being able to go shopping for clothes.  There are so many cute things on sale right now!

What I'm looking forward to?: Meeting our baby girl! 

40 Weeks!!!

Wow, I can't believe it!  We made it, today is my due date!

I keep flipping between feeling happy and excited that our little Leah will be here soon, and then getting anxious for her arrival.  I know that labor is going to be a big challenge and I just really want to get it over with and have her here with us!

I've been trying to stay busy now that I'm off work, hence the lack of posts.  I have accomplished some things but there's still more on my to do list.  The main thing is that I'm trying to do some fun and relaxing things too, like spending extra time with family and friends.

I hope to have a full update tomorrow...unless Leah decides to show up!  (but I'm not holding my breath).

39 Weeks - The Home Stretch!

Wow, look at that, I'm down to single digits in the countdown!  That is, if Leah decides to come on time.  I'm trying not to get my hopes up, I'd rather be pleasantly surprised if she does choose to arrive on or near her due date.

I'm officially on maternity leave as of this past Monday!!!  It feels really nice not to have to dress up for work or wake up at a specific time.  I'm trying my best to get lots of things crossed off my to-do list, but of course in typical Type A fashion I have loaded way too much on my plate.  I'm finally realizing that trying to do too much will just make me grumpy, so today I just put 3 things on my list: go to the grocery store, make a crock pot meal for dinner, and make a few freezer meals.  Plus go to the chiropractor and yoga class.  So far I've gotten everything done except yoga (that's at 6).  It feels great!

Since it's Hump Day Bump Day I figured I would share my 38 week picture from over the weekend plus a little comparison...looking at it made me realize how huge this baby has gotten!

Pretty crazy, isn't it?

Also, my 39 week update since I forgot to do it yesterday:

How far along?: 39 weeks and 1 day, only 6 days to go!

How big is baby?: Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, about the size of a watermelon.  The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Any appointments or updates this week?:  I went to the chiropractor on Monday and again today, she has adjusted me to help get my pelvis and pubic pones aligned just right for labor.  I think it's helping! On Tuesday I had my OB appointment, I can't believe I'm almost done.  The doctor did an internal exam and I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced but Leah is all the way up at a -3 station, so we have a ways to go.  The good news is that he said he could definitely feel her head and she is head down.  I plan to keep doing the yoga and other exercises to try to keep encouraging her into a good position though. 

Body changes?: Yep, my cervix is softening and slowly thinning out.  We're making progress!

Maternity clothes?: Now that I'm on maternity leave it's shorts and tank tops every day!  I feel frumpy most of the time but I know it's only for a little bit longer and I'd rather be comfortable than look good right now.  

Best moment last week?: Last Friday - it was my last day of work and my coworkers threw me a baby shower!  More details coming in a separate post :)

Food cravings?: I made these really yummy cookies (they are somewhat healthy, they have oatmeal, chocolate and peanut butter in them) and they are extremely addictive! 

Symptoms?:  Luckily my swelling has gone down but my hips are sore.  I can't complain too much though! 

Exercise?: Yoga and walking as much as possible.

What I miss?: Having clothes that fit.  Almost everything is too small! 

What I'm looking forward to?: Meeting our baby girl! -- yep, still this!

Nursery (and name) reveal!

Happy Friday!  Today is my last day of work until I go on maternity leave, and to celebrate I decided it would be a perfect time to share photos of the nursery!  It's finally finished and I'm in love with the end result!

Last time I posted (over 3 months ago) I just teased you all with  our color scheme and a fabric swatch.  Now it's time to share how it all turned out!  But first, I will have to reveal something important that I've been keeping a blog secret: her name.  Since it's all over her nursery I can't really keep it a secret any longer.  Our little girl will be named... Leah Nicole!  

Okay, on to the fun stuff :) 

Pretty in pink (and green)!  

All the bedding was handmade by me

A close up of the window treatment, also made by me

More of the room, you can see the beautiful painting that was made especially for Leah

This painting was made especially for Leah with lots of love by my incredibly talented Aunt Karen.  It's the focal point of the nursery and I am so honored that she painted it for us.  You can see more of her beautiful paintings on her blog: http://karenfieldsgallery.blogspot.com/

The colors match the room perfectly, they are vibrant yet so sweet.  Perfect for our little girl.

The practical stuff!  Lots of room for clothes and a changing station.  I can't bear to take apart the diaper cake yet!

Displaying the adorable block toys and bibs made by my best friend Nichole, plus pictures of the baby.

So, what do you think?  I'm pretty in love with how it turned out!

Doctor's Appointment and Doula Update

On Tuesday I had my weekly doctor's appointment and we also had our second prenatal appointment scheduled with our doula, Cynthia, that evening.

The doctor's appointment was the standard routine: pee in a cup, get weighed, blood pressure taken, then wait for the doctor.  Doctor found the baby's heart beat with the doppler machine and then started checking baby's position and declared that our little stinker is oblique!  Oblique means that the baby is lying at an angle, with her head near my pelvis but not actually in it, and not straight up and down (which is head down, the preferred position).

I was a little upset about this new development, because for the past 2 weeks the doctors have been saying that she was head down.  I don't know if they had it wrong because I don't think she has moved that much or if she changed positions but 38 weeks is pretty late to try to get a baby to move so that didn't make me too happy.

I asked what I could do to help her get into head down position and the doctor said that there wasn't really much and that my contractions would probably push her head down.  That wasn't very comforting to me because all along Cynthia has been emphasizing the importance of the baby being in the right position and how much that helps moms have an easier time in labor.

So, at the appointment with Cynthia I told her all about this new development and she gave us a game plan.  I'm going to see a chiropractor to try to help adjust any tight muscles or ligaments (she thinks my psoaz muscle might be really tight on one side).  I'm also going to do a few different exercises every day like pelvic tilts, inversions, and lunges.  She also suggested taking a bath every night and trying to move the baby with my hands into the right position.

I'm going to try everything I can to get her lined up better because I really want to have a natural birth and especially avoid a c-section.  Let's hope that something works.

Hump Day Bump Day

Good news and bad news:  the good news is that I have my picture to share from last week.  The bad news is that I didn't get a picture from 37 weeks.  I really wish I would have but I completely forgot with our busy weekend until I was already in my pj's on Sunday night (and there's no way that I was changing back!)  and then on Monday night Art wasn't feeling well and I was tired from going to our last childbirth class.  *sigh*  But anyway, here's the one from 36 weeks:

The dress was loaned to me by my aunt!  She just had her baby, an adorable little boy, a few weeks ago and so she graciously let me borrow a bunch of her maternity stuff.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Only 2 more days of work for me...woohoo!!!

38 Weeks

How far along?: 38 weeks, only 14 days to go!

How big is baby?: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she is over 19 1/2 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb (and our little girl is hiccuping like crazy!).

Any appointments or updates this week?: I have my weekly doctor's appointment this afternoon and tonight we have our second prenatal appointment with the doula.  I'm looking forward to it because Art will be able to make it this time so I'm hoping that he will learn a lot from it and get a better understanding of how he can help me through labor.  

Body changes?: It seems like the baby may have dropped some.  My pubic bone is more sore and I'm feeling mild pressure now, which is something new.  Hopefully this is a sign that she is coming soon!

Maternity clothes?: Yep.

Best moment last week?: Getting lots of things accomplished over the weekend like all the baby laundry done and going to Mass.  It was just really special and meaningful for me, maybe because it was one of the last times we will go as just a couple. 

Food cravings?: Ice cream - I stopped for a turtle sundae the other day!  Shh don't tell the doula ;)

Symptoms?:  Lots of swelling in my feet, ankles and hands, having to go to the bathroom all the time, and now this soreness and pressure and sometimes crampy feeling.

Exercise?: Yoga and trying to walk when it's not too hot outside.

What I miss?: Being able to be outside, I really can't tolerate the heat at all right now.

What I'm looking forward to?: Meeting our baby girl!

Time is Flying!

Wow, time is getting really short!  I can't believe I only have 15 days until my due date and 5 days left of work!!!!  I'm very excited about being done with work, it's going to be great to have a little bit of time off before the baby gets here to do all the last minute cleaning and stuff and just to be able to relax too.

I made myself a giant to do list this weekend and I'm proud to say that I got a lot of it accomplished.  Not everything, but then again it was probably not attainable from the beginning.

On Saturday I did a bunch of cleaning and then went to a bunch of different stores looking for a few more nursery decorations.  I found a shelf at Home Goods and picked up a few plastic Command hooks for some other things that I wanted to hang up on the wall.  I also found a cute picture frame for Art at Kohl's that says Daddy's Girl.  I searched for some more things to decorate the nursery with but ended up empty handed, so I came home and worked on hanging the shelf.  Unfortunately my shelf hanging abilities aren't the best and I got the screws just a little bit too close together.  It was so frustrating!  Luckily Art came home and saved the day and managed to fix it somehow. 

We had planned to have a date night on Saturday night but Art wasn't feeling well and I was exhausted anyway from all the cleaning and shopping and decorating so we just stayed in and watched tv while I worked on a laundry marathon (the other thing I was doing all day long).  Here's a picture of our first load of baby laundry!  So cute!

The first of many, many loads!

On Sunday I was totally worn out from Saturday and Art still felt sick so we mostly stayed at home.  The laundry marathon continued, I washed more baby clothes as well as the swing and bouncy seat inserts and a bunch of baby blankets. 

Our sweet friends heard about Art not feeling well and offered to bring us dinner.  It was so nice not to have to cook and the food was delicious!  Yummy burgers, sweet potato fries and salad.  Thank you Sarah and Corey! 

On Sunday night we went to church and took part in a film project about life from conception to natural death.  We were video taped at Mass and then afterwards we were taped walking around our church grounds.  Luckily it wasn't too awkward and it felt like an honor to get to help with the project. 

Later on after I got back from a grocery trip, we watched tv and I did more laundry.  I suddenly noticed my belly getting really rock hard.  Not just in one or two spots like usual, but the whole thing.  I told Art and he marked it down in a contraction app on his phone.  It happened 3 more times but it wasn't painful and after those few times it just went away so we chalked it up to Braxton-Hicks contractions.  But, I think it made Art think about his to-do's that still weren't done!  Reality is setting in that she could choose to come any day now.  It's so exciting! 

Overall it was a very productive weekend.  I'm happy to be getting everything finished on my list!

Full Term!!! + Father's Day Recap

I'm 37 weeks pregnant today, which is officially full term!  Our little girl is free to come whenever she wants now!  Art and I celebrated it this morning and joked that in a few weeks we are going to give her an eviction notice.  We just can't wait to meet her.  It's crazy that the time left is getting so short!

We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday by going to church and then I gave Art his presents:  a Skip Hop Duo diaper bag (a lot more manly looking than my Vera Bradley bag, and it's smaller and will fit on the stroller) and three kids books to read to the baby.  One was Guess How Much I Love You, a Curious George touch and feel board book, and the last one was a book called Because I'm Your Dad.  He really liked everything and I think he's excited to use it all.

 

Daddy diaper bag

 

Later we went over to Ormond Beach to meet up with some family including my parents and grandparents.  I gave my dad a card and a picture frame that says Grandpa.  He just bought himself a new camera so I'm sure that he will have lots of pictures to fill the frame with pretty soon!  

All in all it was a really nice weekend.  Art and I worked on some more baby to-do's: we got his car seat base installed, packed our hospital bag (minus a few things), and he rearranged the nursery furniture and hung a painting (I'm hoping to share pictures of the nursery soon).  We also got a chance to spend some time with friends on Saturday night.  One of my friends hosted a girls night at her apartment and so Art hosted all the guys at our place and they watched Avengers.  Of course us girls had a bunch of stuff planned and then just ended up talking the whole time!  But it was fun to hang out with friends, it might be the last time we do anything like that for a while. 

How far along?: 37 weeks, only 21 days to go!

How big is baby?: Baby is officially considered full-term, even with three weeks to go. That doesn't mean she's finished growing — in fact, she's still packing on about a half pound a week (at this age, the average baby weighs about 6.5 pounds). That makes it a little crowded in your uterus, so she’s probably not kicking as much, though she’s probably stretching, rolling a bit, and wiggling. Right now, your little superstar is busy rehearsing for her big debut, inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (to get the lungs ready for that first breath), sucking her thumb (to prepare for that first suckle of milk), blinking, and turning from side to side.

Any appointments or updates this week?: Yesterday was our second childbirth class.  We practiced different breathing exercises and learned about different forms of labor induction, augmentation and such.  Then we went for the tour of the hospital - Art and I hadn't done one yet and I was so disappointed because we did not get to go into the Labor and Delivery unit because all of the rooms were full and we were in a large group.  We did get to go into one of the recovery rooms and it was tiny and not as nice as the other hospital that a lot of moms deliver at.  I tried to remind myself that the important thing is the doctors and staff and the care that I receive, but it was still disappointing.  We might try to book another tour because I would really like to see Labor and Delivery before the big day.

Body changes?: My feet and ankles are still really swollen and my hands get swollen sometimes too.  My whole body feels very heavy and it's getting uncomfortable to move around.

Maternity clothes?: I'm still living in dresses and skirts when I have to dress up, otherwise it's tank tops and shorts.  It's getting so hot that I don't really care that much if I don't look very well dressed.

Best moment last week?: Giving Art his gifts on Father's Day.

Food cravings?: Still sweets and sometimes fresh fruit or yogurt - cold stuff is good!

Symptoms?:  Swelling, waking up at night to pee, feeling heavy and tired

Exercise?: Walking and yoga.  Last week's class was awesome and I'm going back this week.

What I miss?: Not feeling so huge

What I'm looking forward to?: Meeting our baby girl!

Belated HDBD!

Whoops, I guess I am a day late getting this post up, I didn't even realize it!  Time is moving faster and I can't keep up too well these days. 

Oh baby (quite literally!),  I am getting big!  This was from last Friday night after we went out to dinner at a yummy Eastern European restaurant called Chef Henry's.  Yum yum!  I could barely walk in those heels but I just felt like dressing up for our date night ;)  

36 Weeks!

  Another week down, and now there's only one week left until I'm officially full-term!  Woohoo!  I also started weekly OB appointments this week.  It's insane that we are going to have our little girl here within the next month or so!

How far along?: 36 weeks, 28 days to go!

How big is baby?: Baby is about 20 inches and about 6 lbs.  She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. 

Any appointments or updates this week?: Monday night was our first childbirth class and it turns out that a friend from college and her husband are also in our class.  She and I chatted and caught up and we are going to a prenatal yoga class together tomorrow!  So fun to be going through this together, she is due with a girl in September.  The class was pretty good, it walked us through the stages of labor and we did some breathing exercises and we ladies all got massages from our hubbies!  I'm looking forward to the next one next week.  I also had my 36 week appointment today and the OB said everything is looking great and she is definitely head down and in a posterior position, which I am so happy about.  They also tested me for Group B strep and I asked about getting the pertussis vaccine (they recommend it but I have to go to the regular doctor's office to get it done).

Body changes?: My feet and ankles have blown up the past few days, they are HUGE.  The doctor says they are within normal range though so nothing to worry about.

Maternity clothes?: I wish I had more dresses because dress pants are so uncomfortable (plus I only have one pair that fit me now) but I refuse to buy any more maternity clothes at this point.

Best moment last week?: Going on a date night with Art to a really yummy restaurant and going to the childbirth class.

Food cravings?:  Sweets...I have kind of fallen off the bandwagon on that one.  I need to get myself motivated again to avoid them for the next few weeks.  Some of it is stress-related eating though, which is really tough to curb.

Symptoms?:  Cankles, swollen feet, back aches from sitting too long, not sleeping too well

Exercise?: Walking, stretching and yoga tomorrow!

What I miss?:  Nothing

What I'm looking forward to?: Getting to full term next week and then holding our little girl pretty soon!

Maternity Pictures!

Our maternity pictures are finally up on our photographer's blog!  You can see them all here.

Here are some of my favorites:

Hump Day Bump Day

Here is my picture from last Sunday, at 34 weeks!  I was dressed up for church, where our friends' little girl Bridget was baptized!  Such a sweet occasion.

I guess there are only about 6 more of these left, huh?  So crazy! 

Another Milestone: 35/35!

I can't believe it...time keeps marching on and I blink my eyes and I'm 35 weeks pregnant with only 35 days to go!  Or 35/35 as we like to abbreviate on The Bump :)  Annnd, I only have 18 work days left!  Wow!  My boss and the person who will be taking over for me while I'm gone are coming tomorrow - it's really getting real now.  Craziness!  Oh, and did I mention that there is also a carseat in my car?  Yep!  Things are totally getting real over here.  I can hardly believe it.

Here's my update (or bumpdate as some of my fellow bloggers call it):

How far along?: 35 weeks, 35 days to go!

How big is baby?: Baby is about 20 inches and continues her steady weight gain (she’s about 5.5 pounds). While she won't get much longer, she will continue to pack on the pounds — including large amounts of baby fat — right up 'til delivery day. Something else that's moving at a mind-boggling pace these day: fetal brain development! There’s a lot going on inside that tiny head, which is, by the way, still soft to allow an easier exit through the birth canal.

Any appointments or updates this week?: No doctors appointments this week, but we did have an appointment to view our maternity pictures!  They turned out amazing, I was in tears looking at them all.  I can't wait to share them once we get them from the photographer!  Tonight we have a breastfeeding class at the hospital and next week we start the child birth classes. 

Body changes?: Nothing really new, everyone is commenting on the bump though and how I don't have much time left!

Maternity clothes?:  Oh yeah.  I've been sticking to dresses mostly because pants are just too uncomfortable with my size plus the heat.

Best moment last week?:  Getting to view our maternity photos.  I didn't expect to get so emotional...everything just hit me that this is really happening (silly, I know!).  We are so blessed.

Food cravings?:  I've been majorly craving sweets like ice cream, chocolate and candy but I'm trying my best to avoid them from now until delivery day.  I find that I can do it if I stick to eating fruit so that I can still have some sweet tasting food and avoid ALL desserts.  The other day I had some bad stuff (flan and cake) and then it made the cravings get a lot worse. 

Symptoms?:  Still swelling, some back aches from sitting at my desk all day.

Exercise?: Walking and doing some stretches

What I miss?:  Totally vain moment here: getting to wear my cute summer clothes.  All my maternity stuff just makes me feel so frumpy!

What I'm looking forward to?: Getting to hold my baby in my arms, I just can't wait. - Yep, still this!

Memorial Weekend Babymoon

When I was in the first trimester, going on a babymoon seemed like a really dumb thing to do.  Why would I want to be away from the comforts of home while I was pregnant?  I was afraid that my nauseousness and constantly feeling bad would last for the whole time I was pregnant.

Then I hit second tri and I felt like myself again!  A trip sounded like an awesome idea but Art had not asked for any time off because of my previous adamant feelings not to go anywhere.  So we couldn't pull anything together until this past weekend, and we weren't even sure if that would happen.  It was all very last minute.

Our babymoon was just two days, one night but it was very luxurious - Art booked us a room at one of the nicest hotels in town!  It was a stay-cation since we didn't have much time.  We arrived in the afternoon with plans to enjoy the pool and amenities and go to dinner.  We had a dinner reservation at 8:30pm, the only time we could get on such short notice.  Once we arrived we found out why - they were having fireworks at 9pm.  We briefly considered changing our dinner plans but decided that having a nice romantic dinner trumped watching fireworks. 

We got settled into our room, which was beautiful, with a balcony and a nice view of a lake.  Then we made our way down to the pool and ordered some drinks (virgin mojito for me, pina colada for Art) and relaxed.  The weather was great and the pool felt so nice.  We stuck around there for a few hours before making our way back to our room to get ready for dinner.  I thought that 8:30pm would be too late to eat but it ended up working out pretty well because we had plenty of pool time and didn't have to rush getting ready.

For dinner, we ate at Norman's, their nicest restaurant on property.  Art and I love eating at nice places when we can get away with it, especially somewhere that we have never been before.  The dinner was so delicious, we were served this amazing bread (yeah, it's just bread but I swear it was sooo good, we both couldn't stop eating it).  Next course was a salad, followed by an empanadas appetizer.  Our main courses of course were so yummy.  I got the yellow tail snapper, which was very fresh and cooked perfectly.  Art got a pork dish that he loved.  For dessert, I chose one that had a chocolate truffle, chocolate cake and ice cream.  Yummm!!!

Here is us from after dinner:

The next day we went back to the pool and relaxed again for a few hours before it was time to leave.  Even though it was a very short babymoon it was much needed for both of us.  We came home feeling happy and reconnected again.  It's hard to believe that it was probably our last trip as just the two of us!  Reality is starting to sink in that our little girl will be here soon!

Hump Day Bump Day x3!

Since I've been slacking on my bump pictures lately, I decided to get all caught up and share them all with you today!  Here we go...this is me at 31 weeks, back on May 12th (I think this was an after church picture):

Next up, my favorite, a hot mama picture!  My friend loaned me this sexy little black dress, you can really see my belly in it!  This was from a night out to dinner at our favorite Italian place at 32 weeks:

And finally, the most recent "Oh-crap-we-forgot-to-take-my-picture" picture, from Monday night.  Please don't judge me for the lack of makeup and messy hair.  I guess this one is capturing that tired third tri look, lol:

So there you go!  Happy Hump Day Bump Day!