It's Baby Month!!!

So excited that October is FINALLY here (okay, well, in about an hour)! I feel like I have been waiting all year for this month to arrive and now I want to soak up every minute each 31 days has to offer.

Of course I am over-the-top excited because October is baby month for us and even though we will be busy learning how to be the best we can be as parents (with as little sleep as possible), we will also be spending quality time together as a family. I am really thankful that Aaron will get two weeks off of work and that we will be able to embrace this new blessing in our lives together as a family :)

Autumn is also my favorite season of the year. I just love everything the season brings--cool weather, changing and falling leaves, and the start of the holiday season. I love going on walks and smelling someone's fireplace burning into the crisp fall air, and being cozy on the couch drinking hot chai lattes.

I put together an October checklist for all the things I'm excited to do this season! Obviously this list is in no order of my priorities! ;)

Happy Fall ya'll!

The final weeks

I woke up today and was shocked to think that in about two weeks we will be a family of three (well, five if you count the pups ;) ). It's so crazy to think about how this year started out for us finding out we were expecting, and spending the last nine months gradually preparing for parenthood. I know it won't be easy but I can't wait to bring a little life into this world and just love her unconditionally.

These last couple of weeks are going to be about winding down yet also gearing up for childbirth and the arrival of Baby G. We decided to install our carseat today, which took all about 7 minutes, so I'm sure we did it wrong, but I know it will be checked out about a dozen times before we actually put her in it. 

The weather this weekend was absolutely perfect, and stayed in the mid 50s up here during the day which meant we wore long sleeves all day, and had a fire going all night. I flippin love fall so I have been thrilled that it has been getting so cool up here, and that it especially felt brisk this weekend, because it meant being cozy and sitting by the fireplace for the first time in months!

We spent our weekend getting up slow, cuddling on the couch with the pups, cooking dinner together, grabbing bites in town, doing a little shopping at the outlets (where of course I had to stop in Carters, but promise I DID NOT buy a thing!), being somewhat productive with errands, and going on a beautiful, long autumn walk with the schnauzers. 

This upcoming week is going to go by fast as I am finishing up with work and starting to go into hardcore cleaning/nesting. I want to make sure everything is sanitized and organized before baby girl's arrival, so the last couple of weeks I plan to have different cleaning and organizing projects for each couple of days.

Also, now that all my last minute baby necessities have arrived (nursing bras & tanks, swaddle blankets, burp cloths, bottles, diaper cream, baby cam, etc.), I am focusing on having my hospital bag packed by the end of this week. I have read so many articles, gotten first hand advice, and even watched youtube videos on what to bring to the hospital because I don't want to over-pack or forget anything, so I think I have a pretty good grasp on what to pack. I plan on writing everything down so I don't forget last minutes stuff that I know I'll need (chargers, camera, makeup, etc.).

My mom is coming up this Thursday to be here until I go into labor since we do live in the mountains and there's a good chance I will go into labor while Aaron is at work. Ideally I would go into labor on my due date which is a Sunday, when Aaron will be home and the hospital won't be as busy, but I've already accepted the fact that the whole situation may not be so idyllic.


It was so exciting to turn full term at the beginning of the week--another pregnancy milestone!

Week: 37

Weight gain: I conveniently forgot to weigh myself . . . all week.

Symptoms: Peeing non-stop and feeling more tired now than EVER.

Changes: My stomach feels so tight and so stretched, I swear she can’t get any bigger because there is literally no room left!

Clothes: Kind of running out of shirts that cover my whole belly! Definitely relying on maternity tanks for my last couple of weeks!

Sleep: Hate getting in and out of bed to pee or let the dogs out because our bed is so high and it takes a while to get situated and comfortable.

Missing:  Red wine, so I buy POM juice and put it in a wine glass to pretend ;)

Cravings: Veggie meat, soups, greens and sweets.

Best moment this week: Going on a long walk with Aaron and the dogs today, and just enjoying this crisp, beautiful weather!

Looking forward to: Having my mom come up on Thursday :)

 

Pregnancy Favorites

Since I am almost at the end of my time in Pregnancy Land, I decided to make a little "Pregnancy Favorites" collage. These are not really must haves, just items that I depended on throughout my pregnancy. I think every first time mama-to-be could use a little advice, so here's mine on how to make pregnancy a little easier and more comfortable :)

1. Cocoa butter--Whether or not ANY cream really works at preventing stretch marks (knock on wood, hopefully this does!) it honestly doesn't hurt to try. I lathered this Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula over my belly once I started to finally show, every night after taking a shower. Not to mention I love the smell of cocoa butter and found it nice to fall asleep to.
2. La Croix--Trust me, you are probably going to miss alcohol even if you weren't a big drinker before getting pregnant. Especially when you have people over and host get-togethers where everyone is enjoying a glass of wine, beer or cocktail, it's nice to have a (healthy!) non-alcoholic substitute in your hand. Not to mention, La Croix makes about a million (well, more like 14) different flavors, all sodium, caffeine, and sugar free!
3. Comfy shoes--I finally had to break down and buy new shoes a little after halfway through my pregnancy that were wider and placed more emphasis on comfort than style. I bought these Sketcher's shoes made with memory foam and it was honestly one of the best decisions I ever made. I didn't even have to break them in, and they are perfect for walking around all day. And come on, they are kind of cute, right?
4. Mama-To-Be tea--I was a huge tea drinker before I found out I was pregnant but after reading about all the teas pregnant women should stay away from, or shouldn't consume too much of, I started to avoid tea altogether. And then I found this tea by Earth Mama Angel Baby which is made just for pregnant women, and I couldn't resist! I bought several of the sample packs which included four different teas: Morning Wellness, Heartburn, Peaceful Mama, and Third Trimester. Even though I never experienced any morning sickness or heartburn, I enjoyed drinking each of the organic teas, and having a variety to choose from.
5. Planner/Calendar--Trust me when I say you will be making a TON of appointments--between visiting your doctor, constantly going to the lab for blood work, visiting hospitals and scheduling classes, you will be so thankful if you have a planner or organizing system to jot everything down. Pregnancy can be stressful, so why not try to be as organized as possible?
6. iPad--I know this sounds strange, but I am so thankful we have an iPad. Of course it's not a necessity, but when you constantly want need to looks things up--symptoms, reviews on products, doctors or hospitals, or simply have a million questions that come to mind in the middle of the night, it is so convenient to have an iPad (which is smaller than a laptop so you are not lugging it around the house, yet bigger than your phone so you are not straining your eyes or constantly having to zoom in on the font) by your side. I basically sleep with mine as I have constantly been using it to read reviews on products, create and edit our registry, Pinterest everything on pregnancy and newborns, read articles, and look up other mommy bloggers for advice.
7. Pregnancy book--Everyone will have their own favorite pregnancy book, and this is mine. I love how small it is (take it anywhere with you), and the fact that each page is dedicated to day in your pregnancy. I love that this book offers both humor and knowledge (advice from other moms and facts from doctors and statistics). I definitely recommend having at least one pregnancy book that will serve as your maternity bible to keep you sane and focused throughout these long nine ten months.
8. Ebay--During pregnancy, I discovered this addicting little website called Ebay. Haha, seriously though, I have become addicted, but totally recommend doing some shopping on here for maternity clothes. Maternity clothes are expensive, and when you already have to buy a bagillion things for baby, the last thing you probably want to do is spend a ton of money on a wardrobe you will only be wearing for a limited time. I have been so pleased with Ebay and have scored some amazing deals on great quality maternity clothes that have either been brand new with the tags still on, or like new, in excellent condition. 
9. Body/pregnancy pillow--I really did delay and debate this purchase for a while, but finally broke down and bought one towards the later half of my pregnancy. Great decision! Instead of a "pregnancy pillow" which can run upward of $100, I bought a $10 body pillow from Target (which is amazingly & surprisingly comfortable) and a $10 furry pillow cover to go with it. It has definitely allowed for me to get great sleep and has aided with my posture and given my hips and back some much needed support.
10. Journal/blog--If I could give just one piece of advice, it would be to document your pregnancy. It is such a unique and beautiful time in your life, and you really should try to take all the pictures you can and record every moment of it. Throughout my pregnancy I have been so grateful for other bloggers who took time to share their pregnancy progress through their blogs, and who knows, you may just be that comforting, helpful, insightful voice for another first time mama-to-be. Even if you do it just for you, write down your story, your progress, your pregnancy so that years from now you can look back at this beautiful time and remember every scary, surprising and amazing little detail you might have forgotten. And maybe, years from now, you'll share it with the one who made the whole story possible :)

The countdown has begun!

You know your pregnancy is coming to an end when you open up the fridge to grab milk for your cereal and the expiration date on the milk is a few day AFTER your due date! Yup, just experienced this realization this morning, and I seriously can't believe we have ONLY 20 days to go (well, you know, give or take). So I'm officially counting down the days with hopes that she is not super late and instead decides to make her debut on or around her due date :)

And I am sooo excited to announce that FALL IS HERE! It has already started cooling down up here, especially at night, dropping down to the 40s. I feel so blessed that we live somewhere where we experience seasons, and that you can actually feel the change in the air around you. Not to mention that this is the season when our sweet baby girl will arrive, which makes this year ten times more special :)

And we already have a newborn outfit picked out for her fall arrival:

And it's so suiting, considering I gave Aaron Hocus Pocus for his birthday and this was his first year EVER watching it (I loved that movie growing up!).

This weekend consisted of spending time with family, relaxing at home, going out to see The Maze Runner (pretty good!), going on a little hike with the pups, eating pizza, and getting our new couch from Pottery Barn! It is so comfortable and perfect for our living room! Not to mention it is our first brand new couch!

Update from last week:

Week: 36

Weight gain: 27.5 lbs

Symptoms: Feeling like a whale.

Changes: I didn’t think my stomach could get any bigger but my sister assured me it had since the last time she saw me. Still getting Charley horses in the morning, which sucks, but other than that, and of course feeling tired more often than ever, I guess I can’t complain.

Clothes: I try to look decent most of the times, but these days it is allllll about comfort.

Sleep: Had a few rough nights this week due to huge mosquito bites which made it so incredibly difficult to fall asleep instead of scratch my skin off.

Missing:  My normal sized feet.

Cravings: Gatorade, sweets, smoothies, cereal.

Best moment this week: Having a fun and relaxing weekend with Aaron, Elle, her boyfriend and Mamma & Russ. Love it when the pups get to play with their cousins, and was so very proud of them for making it through a 4 mile hike on the first day of Fall! Oh, and we received our brand new couch which I am completely in love with!!

Looking forward to: Getting closer and closer to due date ;)

Nursery Tour!

 Baby G's Nursery!

After months of picking out paint colors, reading furniture reviews, spending hours searching Amazon, Craigslist, Target, Pinterest and local shops, and anxiously awaiting the baby shower, we FINALLY have put together Baby Girl's nursery! I love the way it has turned out, and am so proud of our joint effort to get it done! Aaron wanted to be involved with just about everything which made the process a little more difficult, but so much more special. There are a few things we are still considering purchasing (rug, curtains, bed skirt), but for the most part this room is complete :)

 

 

 

 

I had to be verrry careful with not showing too much since her name is in rosegold wooden letters right above the changing table ;) 

xoxox

Homestretch & Hospital Bag

Mama & baby are getting bigger everyday and I'm sure noticing the difference! At this rate she is growing roughly an ounce a day, though we don't know exactly how big she is since we haven't had an ultrasound since week 20!

Since we have about 4 weeks left, we have been preparing for baby girl almost on a daily basis. As of now, all her gear (that she will use within the first 4 months or so) has been taken out of the boxes and assembled, batteries and all, bottles have been boiled and sanitized, all her clothes (bedding, bibs, etc.) have been washed, folded or hung up in the closet, last minute necessities have been ordered, and as of this weekend, the nursery is complete! I will definitely take pictures and share a post on her nursery this week ;)

Clean clothes put away!

Headbands all organized!

Another thing I have been looking into is the hospital bag! I emailed the hospital where we will most likely deliver (more on that later. . . ), asking for a list of what they provide so I won't have to worry about forgetting anything or bringing too much as well.

Thinking of packing everything in my new diaper bag . . . if it all fits!

Here is what the hospital will provide:
Peri pads (Kotex)
Disposable mesh underwear
Peri bottle to clean episiotomy
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Bar soap
Hospital gowns
Towels and wash clothes for showering
Sock type slippers
Diapers
Cleaning towels for baby
Bath soap for baby
Alcohol to clean baby's umbilical cord
Clothes and blankets for baby
Formula if not breastfeeding
Access to electric breast pump if needed

They also gave me a list of items I may want to bring with me:
Shampoo
Brush/comb
Deodorant
Clothes if you don't want to wear a hospital gown
Going home outfit for yourself and baby
Slippers if you want the real deal
Reading material
Computer/movies/games
Car seat (won't need until the day of discharge)

Baby G's take-home outfit!

So based on their lists and of course, recommendations I found on Pinterest, I am compiling my own little list of what to bring to the hospital. I already have everything for baby girl set aside since I really don't need much for her, and am just working on a master list for Aaron and I to get familiar with so we BOTH will be prepared.

Any recommendations from you mamas out there would be greatly appreciated! Are there things you wish you would have brought with you, or things you wish you would have left behind?
Would love any feedback :)

Weekly update:

Week: 35

Weight gain: 26 lbs

Symptoms: Peeing waay more often than I’d like.

Changes: It looks like she is trying to break out of my tummy—so cool to watch! However, it kind of makes some people gag (won’t name names) watching a little human twist, turn, kick and punch from inside of me.

Clothes: Still wearing them ;)

Sleep: Would be impossible without my body pillow!

Missing:  Would loooove a martini RIGHT NOW.

Cravings: An icy Gatorade

Best moment this week: Not having ANY weekend plans and just spending quality time with Aaron. We finished all the last touches (for the most part) in the nursery, and we absolutely LOVE it in there :))

Looking forward to: Getting our new Pottery Barn couch delivered on Friday!