Thursday, July 31, 2014

How my pups have prepared me for motherhood

Week 30 is coming up which is crazy exciting to think about--almost down to the single-digit-week countdown (and yes, the countdown has been going on since I found out I got knocked up).

The closer we get to due date, the more I have been thinking about how we prepare ourselves for having a baby. As silly as it sounds, I think Darcy and Bennet have done a pretty great job at preparing me for Baby G's arrival. 

Our little family (the day we got Bennet)

Here's why:
-I might not have a baby yet, but I am their (Darcy & Bennet's) mommy.
-I potty trained them. Both of them. Which required long sleepless nights, running up and down flights of stairs when we lived in different apartments, making sure they went out every two hours and were praised with treats and kisses. But hey it worked and they were both potty trained in about a week!
-Vet visit$, I imagine have somewhat prepared me for the countless visits to the pediatrician.
-I have had my fair share of sleepless nights due to tummy troubles & being afraid of the dark (or noises they hear outside- AKA racoons). 
-I'm pretty sure my pups are on a better diet than I am. Just like I'm pretty sure my baby will eat better than I do.
-I clean up their shit. Everyday.
-I have no idea what they are thinking/saying (even though Aaron and I speak for them, that's a whole different story).
-Somehow, even though I just put away their toys an hour ago, I see them scattered all through the house already. 
-If you look through my phone you'll find 120943274893472 pictures of my dogs. And I don't delete them. I am prepared to have no space left on my phone after constantly taking pictures of baby girl once she arrives.
-Plenty of valuables & goods have been destroyed thanks to teething and separation anxiety. Even though our pups are fine now and have grown out of it, I have a feeling Baby G will be next to own the title "(adorable) master of disaster"
-I am constantly being followed. I have learned that it is too much to ask for some privacy every once in a while.
-Most importantly, I know what it feels like to be unconditionally loved. I love my little schnauzers so incredibly much, I can't even imagine how my heart could feel any fuller, but I know in a few short months, it will :)

my little loves
Both squeezing into my lap despite the growing baby bump.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Surprise Baby Shower & Weekend Fun

Last Monday I woke up to being 28 weeks pregnant, a HUGE pregnancy milestone. The third trimester really started off with a bang (in the best way). I had a work meeting to go to Monday morning that we were told was important and we should all try to attend. So I showed up to the meeting only to find out that it was a surprise baby shower! My mind was blown. I was so shocked I almost cried!
I don't have the best pictures, but these ladies went all out. We had a baby shower brunch accompanied by hilarious games and sweetness overload. They truly made me feel so special and loved.
Sorry for shitty photos





Some of the adorable gifts I received: 











My friend's mom also MADE these gorgeous baby clothes:




Everything was so sweet and thoughtful, I was just so happy :)

My sister also came up here this week with her boyfriend, so naturally we had a blast.
drinks out on our deck Saturday night after dinner, before a movie :)
Parts of this weekend really felt like fall and totally put us all in the festive mood. We had a little bit of rain and one morning out at breakfast we were surrounded by falling leaves and grey skies. So we decided to watch The Family Stone (one of my FAVORITE movies of all time), and now I am totally ready for Autumn!
Aaron & I were also productive with furniture shopping this weekend! we bought this beautiful maple hutch for our dinning room and also ordered the baby crib which should be here by the end of this week.




And here is my week 28 recap!


Week: 28
Weight gain: 17 pounds
Symptoms: Feeling great!
Changes: Feet a little swollen
Clothes: Maternity pants and jeans, tank tops
Sleep: Sleeping long and hard
Missing: Do I really need to say it?
Cravings: Seafood (which I found out I am probably eating too much of), green date shakes (made fresh at our health food store up here), twizzlers
Best moment this week: Surprise baby shower!!! And spending an awesome weekend with Noelle & Aaron
Looking forward to: Getting the crib hopefully on Thursday!




Monday, July 21, 2014

1st & 2nd Trimester Recap

As I head into the 3rd trimester, I must admit, I'm kind of nervous. I've heard it's the hardest and longest for most people. Mostly I am just excited to be one week closer to due date. What I am not so excited about? Needing help to get my pregnant ass off the couch.
Right now really does feel like the perfect stage of pregnancy. My stomach is nice and round (you can finally tell I'm pregnant and didn't just shove my face with In-N-Out), I look pregnant but only feel it some of the time. I still enjoy hikes and long walks and strutting around the house with my shirt lifted over my belly. I'm obsessed with the constant movement I feel from baby girl which makes me always want to look down at my stomach and pay attention to the little gymnast growing inside me. 
I must say, looking back on the past two trimesters, I have definitely enjoyed my second trimester. Although I never had any morning sickness (thank you Jesus!), people don't really tell you how nerve-wrecking the first trimester is. I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks (on my birthday) and it constantly felt like a waiting game--waiting for the first doctor's appointment, waiting to hear the heartbeat, waiting for the first ultrasound, waiting to take a bunch of tests, waiting to hear test results, waiting to tell everyone our news, waiting, waiting, waiting. It was more of an anxious time for me, even though I was soooo excited, I felt like in the first trimester time was always on my mind and I just couldn't wait to get to part two.
The second trimester, on the other hand, was more exciting than anything. That's when we decided to share the news that we were expecting and it really was a great kickoff to part two of pregnancy land. That's also when I started to relax a little and actually let myself get excited and talk about our future baby. We found out that we are having a girl and I was so thrilled to finally know the sex of the baby after waiting what felt like a bagillion days. Once you find out the sex (if you choose to find out), I feel like it makes the whole pregnancy seem more real. I could imagine our little girl and what she would look like and what to expect. I started to picture our lives with her in it, not to mention I could finally start planning the nursery and picking out adorable things for her to wear. 
The best part besides finding out the sex, was being able to feel kicks and movement for the first time. Right now, it is what I enjoy most about being pregnant--being able to feel her tumble and practice her karate kicks in my tummy. It is such a reassuring and wonderful feeling, proof that there is a little life developing inside me :)

Officially in the 3rd trimester now :)


Recap from this week:



Week:27
Weight gain: 16 pounds?
Symptoms: Feeling great almost all the time.
Changes: Feeling more movement now than EVER which is super exciting!
Clothes: Anything that fits over the bump ;)
Sleep: Still sleeping great
Missing: A tropical martini on these summer nights
Cravings: Seafood (cajun catfish), lemonade, dark chocolate with sea salt.
Best moment this week: Finally seeing my mamma after being away from each other for two full months! So great that she is finally able to feel Baby G kick!
Looking forward to: Ordering and picking out furniture pieces for the nursery now that we have finally finished painting! Yahoo!


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Summer BBQs & Maternity Finds

Last week was another wonderful week in the life of a pregnant girl. Aaron told me the other day, "Wow, this pregnancy has been easy," haha. Let's knock on wood it continues on this path!
Baby girl is getting stronger every week day. Not only am I feeling every kick and jab, but it has been so crazy actually watching my stomach move! Sometimes I will be laying on the couch reading a book and I will catch my stomach move  out of the corner of my eye and simultaneously feel a little punch. This girl.
Since I have been noticeably pregnant these days (and consequently unable to fit into my old jeans and anything with a button), I have started to dip my feet into the world of maternity clothes. I read somewhere that Ebay was a great place to buy gently used maternity clothes, and have been somewhat addicted to it ever since. Not only do I love auctions (who knew?), but I also love great deals and getting things in the mail. A lot of the things I have bought have never been worn and still have tags on them. Everything else has been gently worn and is in great condition. So far it seems like sellers are honest and very descriptive about the items they are selling. I don't think I have spent more than $15 on one item (including shipping). Some things I get for around $5-$6!
Comfiest tank ever. Don't care how big these stripes make me look (and neither does Bennet)!

(all pictures from Ebay sellers)




At the last minute we had some of my family come up on Saturday which was a lot of fun. Aaron fired up the grill and made spare ribs for everyone, which were a huge hit. I had black bean veggie patties which were good but I'm sure no one is interested in that. It was nice seeing my grandparents and having my aunt, uncle and cousin visit. We all sat around the table and had a BBQ feast which was later followed by coffee, peach pie, and later on ice cream!
Saturday night sunset

Out on our deck with the pups :)
After the family, left Aaron and I went out to the wine bar in town where there was live music and we hung out with our neighbor and some friends. Aaron had wine and port. I had Perrier. But we both had a great time. It has been a while since we have gone out at night for drinks (being pregnant, it doesn't always sound like fun), but I'm totally glad we went. Pregnant gals can have fun too!

Sunday we finally started on the nursery. We were using the room as a second guest bedroom, which had two twin trundle beds, so we had to dismantle the beds and move them to our bonus room for now (still trying to find the perfect place for them, if one exists), and prep the room for painting! When we bought our house, the seller had the interior repainted an off-white yellowish color, which is a fine neutral color, but a little boring. Since having a baby is such a huge deal, we knew we wanted to personalize the nursery which meant repainting the room. Since the ceiling was also the same color as the wall, we had to paint the ceiling white (kind of a pain in the ass) and have started the process of painting the rest of the room this light, bright grey.

Our work in progress, but you can see a huge contrast in the before and after paint colors.
Since I am obsessed with pregnancy books, here is the best thing I've read all week:
Read the blue box
Last week's pregnancy update:
Can't believe only 3 short months until she's due!
Week:26
Weight gain: 15 pounds (confirmed at doctor’s appointment)
Symptoms: Feeling tired and sleeping in more
Changes: I think my feet are getting bigger!
Clothes: Rockin’ my new maternity shorts and tanks (it’s been hot these days!)
Sleep: Sleeping greaaaat
Missing: A glass of wine on the weekend with my love out on the deck
Cravings: Cajun catfish (new for me!) and really any kind of white fish
Best moment this week: Having family visit and spending time with my love bug, even if it meant painting the nursery in humid weather.
Looking forward to: Seeing mamma!