Hand In Hand

Oh Sweet, Sweet Naptime.

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

I try to be upfront about how I feel because I appreciate it when others do the same. Motherhood is great, I love Emily to pieces, but last week I was having a rough time with things. I was taking care of Emily practically by myself since Michael was working so many hours and she would NOT let me put her down without screaming and she decided she was just too cool to sleep so I would spend hours at night trying everything to get my screaming baby girl to sleep. Even nursing wasn't working. That usually works like a charm. I felt like I was at my breaking point.

Then, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to go on a walk with her and her baby around our neighborhood. I jumped at the chance to get out and whine to a fellow new mom about what was going on. I was hoping for some support and maybe some advice. Of course, it frustrated me that her baby is the same age as Emily and already was sleeping through the night in his own crib. But still, by the time I got home from our long walk (2 hours later), I was feeling much more optimistic.

Then I randomly decided to try swaddling Emily even though she fights it and loves having her arms free. I swaddled her, nursed her, she fell asleep, I slooooowly put her down in her pack n' play. She slept. Granted, it was only a half hour. But it was a miracle! Every naptime since Saturday afternoon, I do the same thing and the naps seem to be going great! She sleeps for over an hour sometimes!! In fact, the only reason I am blogging right now is because I have BOTH HANDS FREE! She is napping. IN HER CRIB. I am so so so relieved!

Emily started taking a bottle better in the last few days too. She doesn't need to since I am with her all the time but now that she can, that means I am not tied down. Michael and I can actually go out on a real date or go somewhere without worrying about being home in a couple hours. Yesterday I went and got a pedicure and out to dinner with a friend to celebrate my newfound freedom. Of course, I missed her and was happy to get her in my arms again afterward, but my mental state is so much healthier right now than it was a week ago. I'm not the only one who is happier with these new developments, either :).

Anyway, I just had to share the good news! Now for some cute Emily pictures!

All dressed for church!

Trying so hard to roll over from back to tummy! She almost has it. She just needs to figure out how to get the arm from underneath her.

Playing in her new big girl toy! We have to stuff a blanket around her in there to support her until she is a little bigger :).

Why I Chose To Go Private

2012-01-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

First off, thank you so much to those who took the time to either text, comment, or email me letting me know you want to keep reading my little ol' blog when we go private next month. It made me feel really special that I had people reading my blog that I didn't even know were reading it and that you want to keep up with us! So..thank you!

Some of you asked why I made this decision or if something happened. Let me break down some of the reasons why I came to this decision:

Blog drama. Luckily I have been able to stay out of it but it is just so petty and I can't stand it.
People reading my blog that I don't want reading it.
Privacy is more important to me now that I have a daughter and I'm posting pictures and stuff.
The pressure for more followers, more comments, more giveaways, more, more more. I just don't care that much if I do or don't post every day and I don't care for the pressure to...well, care. I guess this is my way of backing away from all of that.

Those are pretty much the main reasons why I decided to go private. I feel like I have made a lot of friends and I've had fun participating in the "blog world" but I'm about done with it...for now. I think I need to at least take a break for a while? I dunno. So, private blog it is! But at least I will have some real, devoted readers now. I always felt like the number of followers didn't matter as much as how many people actually cared enough to read my blog. You could have a thousand followers and still only get a handful of people who read it. What the heck is the point of having followers if they don't ever actually read your blog? It's a tease! lol. Same thing with, why follow someone if you never read their blog? It's pointless.

Anyway, just thought I would throw my thoughts on this out there!

ATTENTION: Going Private Soon

2012-01-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

After battling this over and over in my head, I've finally made the decision to make my blog private. I simply don't feel the same love for blogging that I used to and the negative aspects of it have recently outweighed the positive.

I hope some of you do decide to send me your email in either a comment or in an email so I can add you to the list of those with access to my blog if you want to keep in touch. I will still be reading and commenting on many of yours. I've made some good friends from blogging and I hope to continue with those friendships. I will be waiting until some things are wrapped up on my end before making the move to private so I will still be around for a little while longer.

My email address for my blog is lifehandinhand(at)yahoo(dot)com and I still have Twitter @ShelleyBells07. This may not be for forever, but for now it's just what I feel is right for my family.

Everything Emily

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Emily is 4 months old today! She has grown so fast, I can't believe it!

Size: She weighs about 13.5 lbs. and 23" long. She wears number 2 diapers and mostly 6 month clothing!

Sleep: She loves to be held all the time still but she does let us put her down once in a while ;-). She doesn't sleep as well if we aren't at home for her bedtime, which is usually around 8:00 pm. She still wakes up every few hours to eat but then she goes right back to sleep so it isn't too bad. Then she wakes up anywhere between 7:00 am - 10:00 am. I appreciate the longer she sleeps because that means I get to sleep in!

Eating: Emily still loves to eat! I'm breastfeeding her and she hasn't really accepted taking bottles.

Playtime: Emily likes to shop and be outside! We carry her in a front pack in stores and in a stroller outside and she just loves looking around.

Learning: She rolls over from tummy to back and has now learned to grasp things, which makes her toys more fun for her. She gives us smiles more and more, but it's been hard to capture on camera! She laughs every once in a while but those are harder to get out of her.

She is such a doll, we just cherish our little girl so much! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her from this past month...

A Week of Visiting and Visitors!

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

This past week was really fun.
My grandma was visiting so Emily got to meet her great-grandma T for the first time! My mom, gma, Em and I went shopping for all kinds of cute girly things. Here's Emily modeling one of her new hats! My little lamb...

I also got to hang out with my cousin Jacob, brother Steven, and friend Kelli last week. I need to get the video my mom took of Steven making Emily laugh!

Later in the week my friend Kambree came to visit and met Emily!

Then on Saturday my MIL and SIL came over and spoiled us all rotten! They brought and made dinner, snacks, and tons of new things for Emily!

Here is one outfit her Nana spoiled her with!

I love it! Thanks again, Nana and Sarah for coming over! We love you!

Emily Really Laughed!!

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

I got to hear the best sound in the world in the beginning of this month...

I was playing around and having Emily "kick" my face and then throw my head away and this was my reward!!

Emily's First Time at the Beach

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

She cried the whole way there...

Then she calmed down...

Enjoyed a little sunshine in mommy's arms...

Then fell asleep as we walked along the beach.

She was there with my parents, sister, and me!

P.S- Walking in the sand in shoes is hard. Walking in sand in shoes with a sleeping baby is a workout!!

Family Photos

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

While my family was all together, we took that rare opportunity to get some updated family photos done by my awesome friend and photographer, Wendy! They turned out so great. We love them! Here are some of my favorites....

Lovin' On Their Niece

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

My brothers and sister were all able to be around in December so they loved getting to see Emily.

Steven holding her...I love his shirt.

Brian meeting her for the first time...she was flailing around...

Kristin!

Steven again...

I love this one of Brian playing with her.

I feel so blessed to have such a great family! I love you guys!

December Randomness

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

December is always really crazy for us. We have birthdays, anniversary, Christmas...so we have been busy! Emily turned 3 months old in Christmas day. My little girl is growing so fast!

My bestie Kaitlin came down for Disneyland and stopped by to visit and see Emily for the first time! I made chicken tacos because she loves them :). It was so good to see her! Last time I saw her was the week she stayed with us last January and we found out I was pregnant :).

Emmy started holding onto things...

Another friend of mine, Alyssa, came to visit too! I hadn't seen her in like 4 years! I didn't get a picture with her but she took this one, lol.

Bad quality pic but this was right before Michael and I went out to celebrate his birthday and our anniversary. while my parents babysat.

Emily's First Christmas

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's tradition for Michaels side of the family to get together on Christmas Eve for dinner and to exchange presents with extended family. My family and my SIL Sarahs family were invited too since they live close by.

My mom helping Emily open one of her first Christmas presents ever!

My sister being a good sport and loving on Jexi...

My niece Skylar having tummy time with Emily in their matching jammies...

We spent the night at M's parents house and then the next morning (Christmas) we all opened our presents and then went to church. Afterwards, we went to my parents house for lunch/dinner and games. They postponed their Christmas dinner a couple days for my brother who came to visit on the 27th. It was great to have my whole family together for the first time in years! Emily loves all her new clothes, books, toys, and blankets!! I can't wait to do the whole Santa thing with her!

Holiday Craziness

2011-12-26T14:39:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! We had a lot of fun spending time with family. There will be pictures to come when I get a chance to sit and upload them but for now we are still very busy enjoying family and friends who are in town. My brother and cousin are coming tomorrow for a delayed Christmas dinner and we will finally get to introduce Emily to her uncle Brian! On the 28th we are taking family photos and then we will be busy this weekend with New Years festivities. Yay! So, enjoy the rest of the holiday season and I will update more when things slow down. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Animal Friendly

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

For some reason I love putting animal prints on Emily.It's so cute to me!

We also love our Jexibelle!

It's Christmas Decor Time!

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

I finally ~~pretty much~~ finished decorating for Christmas! Everything takes a lot longer when you have a newborn ~~who won't let you put her down for longer than like five minutes at a time~~ but we are all set and ready for Christmas in our home! Usually we put red and silver ornaments on our tree but this year we were lazy and just put a few of our snowflakes with wedding pictures in the middle ornaments up and left it at that.

I love our stockings and the sleigh weights! One of my favorite traditions we do for Christmas is we fill up each others stockings. Michaels is always full way ahead of time and mine sits empty until like two days before...making me nervous as heck that he'll forget, lol. Poor guy, he works so much!

A pretty white house and nativity set on our china cabinet...

Another nativity set...

Our wreath...

Table runner with fall/winter scented candles!

There are other random things around the house but that's the majority of our Christmas decor!

A Christmas Party and Happy Birthday, Michael!!

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

We had our church Christmas party this past Saturday night so I dressed Emily up in a Christmas outfit. Adorable, right?!

I got to do my nails!

It was nice to get out and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Our SIL Sarah got to come with us too so that was fun. I feel so blessed this holiday season! I have such an amazing family and I love them all so much!

P.S- Happy 27th birthday to the best husband and daddy in the world! Emily, Jexi, and I love you, Michael!

Sugar and Spice

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

I try so hard to capture all of Emily's adorable facial expressions (especially her smiles) but most of the time she stops what she was doing once she sees the camera. Here are some of my favorites:

"Whaaa??"

"Why is that thing always looking at me?!"

"I'll get it! Put 'em up, put 'em up!!"

"Mommyyyy pick me uuup!!"

"Really? This again?"

"Whatcha doin' there?"

"Mommy, you're silly!"

Success!

Emily Rolls Over!

2011-12-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to catch her in action a couple weeks ago.

Here's a cute video of Emily rolling over!

Girls Rule

2011-12-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about having a girl is dressing them up. Whether we're goin caj (as in casual) like wearing these comfy sweats her great grandparents bought for her...

..or struttin' her stuff in a skirt with leg warmers...

It's a lot of fun!!

We've been so blessed to have family and friends who have just as much fun buying her these awesome clothes and accessories! Thanks so much! We love you!!

P.S- Congratulations to my BIL and SIL, Jason and Jocelyn! They had their first baby (girl!) on the 14th (also my dads bday!)! Welcome to the world, Ellie! Your Aunt Shelley, Uncle Mikey, and cousin Emily can't wait to meet you!!

{image stolen from their blog}

Target Tuesday: Wish List

2011-12-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I've linked up with Tara for Target Tuesday but today it just makes sense that I do! I've been making a "wish list" to make Christmas shopping for me easier for Michael and I've found a lot of great things from Target! A lot of my clothes don't fit right after having a baby. Even most of my shoes are too small now! So shopping is totally necessary. Here are some things I would like to get/buy:

Women's Merona® Malina Heeled Boots - Black

Women's Merona® Mieko Comfort Flats - Brown

Xhilaration® Moto Jacket - Assorted Colors

Merona® Collection Women's Bellona Cardigan Sweater

Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Multi-Striped Cardigan

Mossimo® Women's Cocoon Pointelle Cardigan Sweater

I Got An Award!

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've gotten or even seen any other blogs get a blog award but my friend Sara from A Mommy's Thoughts just gave me one!! If you don't know Sara you need to! She's so sweet and fun. She also is a great blog friend so show your support and follow her!

The rules:

- Thank the person who gave you the award.

- List seven things that people may not know about you.

- Pass the award to 15 other bloggers and notify them that they won.

Thank you, Sara! You're awesome :)

I'm 24 and 5'3". I've always been mistaken to be a lot younger than I am. You should have seen the looks I got when I was pregnant!
I had a rolling backpack in middle school because my backpack was too heavy for me. Kids would kick it so it would flip over. I can laugh about it now but man, I hated being bullied!
My sister and I shared a room until I was 12. We used to stay up late hiding in our closet with flashlights and cards.
In high school I spent many Friday nights watching Lifetime movies with friends and then we would go to church dances on Saturday nights to see the guys we had crushes on.
I'm terrified of spiders. And oompa loompas.
Part of me doesn't want to have more babies while another part of me wants another already.
I can't wait to get an SUV in the next few years. I like my car but I'm ready for an upgrade!!

Now to pick some winners...

This is the hard part. 15 winners is a bit excessive so I'm making my own rules and will pick six. Here are six blogs that I recently found and love:

Congrats to the winners and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Emily Loves Aunt Kristin

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

As you've read, my sister was able to come visit from school for the week of Thanksgiving. We took these precious pictures of her first meeting her one and only niece, Emily. I just had to share them!! It was love at first sight for them both :).

First Came Love...

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

First came love...

Then came marriage...

Then came a baby...

Happy Anniversary, Michael!! A lot has happened in four years and I feel so blessed to have you as my husband and the daddy to our beautiful baby girl. I love you so much!

xoxo,

Shelley

Emilys Baby Blessing

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday night after we got back from Oak Glen, my sister Kristin helped me give Emily a bath. Sunday at church the next day (Nov. 27th) she was getting her baby blessing and we needed to get her all cleaned up for her big day!

We were lucky enough to have a bunch of family in town for Thanksgiving so it was perfect timing to have her blessed at church. We missed the family members who weren't able to come but we know they would have if they could.

Here are some pictures we took right after her baby blessing...

It was a good day for all of us :)

Oak Glen Ranches and Farms

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

The weekend of Thanksgiving was relaxing and enjoyable for my family. (Although Michael had to work so not really for him...) We went to Oak Glen on Saturday, which is up in the mountains here in Southern California. There are a bunch of farms that each have little shops and stores for visitors. Their specialty is apples so there were a ton of caramel apples, apple cider, jams and jellies, pies. etc. The scenery was my favorite part. My sister took some beautiful photos.

In between stops, I would feed Emily in the car when it was needed. She seemed to be enjoying herself too...

This is right outside one of the many shops...

We all took turns holding Emily...

It was such a fun experience! I will need to take Emily again when she is a little bit older.

Everything Emily

2011-12-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Emily turned 10 weeks old today!
This past week she had her two month shots. It was so sad! After her appointment we went to lunch with my mom and grandparents while they were still here visiting. Luckily Emily was zonked out for most of the meal. It was her first time in a restaurant.

Once she woke up though...we couldn't stop her from crying. She's been fussy and only wants to be held all day long since then, poor girl. I had to give her infant tylenol for a couple of days because her poor little legs were sore from three different shots. I know it was for her own good but I still hate seeing her in pain.

Height: 24"
Weight: 11 lbs. 3 oz.

That means she grew almost exactly 4 inches and 4 pounds! Holy moly, she is growing fast! She was on the petite side but they said she is now in the 50th percentile for weight. She is somewhere in the 90th percentiles for height. She's tall! I didn't see that one coming, considering I am only about 5'3". But I guess there are tall people in the family too...I dunno I guess I just thought she would be small like me. Nope! I wonder how old she will be when she gets to be taller than her mommy. Weird.

Diapers: She can still fit in newborns pretty much but we already moved on to size 1.

Clothes: Same with diapers. Some newborns still fit...barely. But mostly she wears 0-3 months.

Sleeping: Emily loves snuggling with mommy to sleep. I can usually get her to nap in her swing (this week being the exception and I think it was because of the shots and how they made her feel) but at night she sleeps with me still. I will try and wean her off that habit eventually but I heard it's best to do that between 4-6 months. She hates sleeping in her crib. She won't do it. She had a couple of 6 hr. sleeping spurts but for the most part it's been about 4 hrs., then 2 hrs. at a time after that. I can usually get enough sleep if I sleep when she does.

Eating: She loves to eat just as much as she loves snuggling with me, if not more. It's her favorite thing to do, I think. If all else fails? Feed her. :) She eats all the time! At least every 2-3 hrs.

Playtime: Emily just received a playmat from her Nana in the mail! Her first time doing tummy time on it? She rolled over- twice!! She doesn't usually mind tummy time or laying on her back while she is on it but when she is done with it, she lets me know!

We love our little girl! It melts my heart when she smiles at me!

Mug

2011-12-03T10:21:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty sure it is safe to share this mug with you since Michael never checks here. I made this for him and I'm pretty sure he will love it. I can't wait to give it to him!

A Walk In A Park

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Since we were staying with family all of last week, there were a bunch of things we did to get out of the house. On Tuesday night I went to dinner with some girlfriends. On Wednesday we had Michaels family Thanksgiving and then I went to see Breaking Dawn with his mom, my SIL, and my sister. Then when we got back to the house my friend Kelli came over to see Emily and me for a bit. Thursday was Thanksgiving at my parents house, and Friday we went for a walk at a nearby park.

My moms fanny pack cracks me up. I think it was for the doggy doo-doo.

Jexi got tired....so we put her in the foot of the stroller.

Our Thanksgiving In Pictures

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Delicious food my mom prepared for us...

My grandma and grandpa were able to fly in from Ohio for the week!

My sister got to come home from school in Utah for the week too. It was the first time she got to see Emily!

Kristin holding Emily...love!

My brother Steven and my sister Kristin....

My mom and dad...

My dad with his one and only grandbaby, Emily!

Can't forget about the pups! My parents dog, Tyler, with Jexi. "Stay...." *snicker snicker*

Snuggles with my two girls :)

Post-Baby Body

2011-11-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

You know what is totally unrealistic? Women like this:

I was talking with my MIL a few weeks ago about how tired I am of seeing women in the media with their perfect post-baby bodies. It makes us 'normal' mommies feel unattractive when in reality they are the abnormal ones. I don't have a personal chef, personal trainer, a nanny, a housecleaner, or a surgeon to make me look 'perfect' again.

Shopping for jeans after having a baby was pretty depressing for me. For some reason I had all these ideas in my head that I would be back to my pre-baby body by the holidays. Boy, was I wrong! I blame the media for putting those ideas into my head. That the baby weight would "melt away" with breastfeeding. Yeah, right! Not for me. It's a slow, slow decline on the scale. But you know what? I grew a baby inside of me.

Now I am feeding her with my own body. I need to try to remember to love my body for what it is. Sure, I may carry some extra weight, but I love my body for being able to grow a perfect baby and now provide her with enough food to enable her to grow healthy and strong. So if a few extra pounds is the price I pay for my daughter? So be it. She is more than worth it.

Crib Time

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Emily has an adorable nursery but so far she only takes naps in it. She takes her naps mostly in her swing, right next to her crib but every once in a while we can put her down in her crib for a little while until she wants to be picked up again. The picture above is (I'm pretty sure) her first time in the crib the week we came home from the hospital with her. The video below is of her actually enjoying a little time in her crib as she watches the projection mobile my mom bought for her. She makes all sorts of cute noises!

Back To The Classics

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the only thing that stops Emily from fussing is turning on some music. I searched on YouTube for some Disney song because she likes watching too. Then, I came across these videos and just had to share them! They are both awesome in different ways. I hope you like them too!

Newborn Photos of Emily

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

Getting a descent newborn picture is hard work!! Luckily, my amazing and talented friend Wendy (who also took a bunch of our maternity photos for us) offered to take some for us! Emily didn't like getting put down to be posed, went to the bathroom several times on Michael and me, and needed to be fed mid-session. High maintenance, perhaps? :) I was surprised Wendy even managed to get some good ones despite all of that! Here's some pictures of our angel for your viewing pleasure!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Seriously...she gets cuter and cuter every day!

1. Emily started smiling more and she has more neck control.

(No, that's not a diaper...it's part of the bouncer.)

2. She has also been able to focus more on things. This makes her much happier!

3. She loves listening to music, staring at the ceiling fan and crib projector mobile, and shaking her wrist rattle toys.

4. She sticks her tongue out in response to us doing it. Nana discovered that she totally copies us!

5. We have now taken her to church, grocery shopping, and Target.

6. She likes to be held all the time but now that she fits in a backpack carrier I can get more things done with her happily enjoying the ride.

7. She only really sleeps with me. If we put her down alone, she rarely sleeps very long. It's bittersweet. We try to put her down but so far...no luck. I'm not a fan of letting her cry it out, either. Maybe when she is a little older.

8. She's getting heavy!! Her next appointment is on the 29th so I can't wait to see how much she weighs.

9. She eats a lot. Like...a lot, a lot. I'm glad I am able to breastfeed! We are going to try to get her to use a bottle once in a while so Michael can feed her sometimes during the night. I can't wait to get more sleep! Even if it's just 4 hours at a time once in a while.

10. We love her to pieces!

Our Growing Pea Pod and a Halloween Rant

2011-11-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

You know, I used to think that when people used their babies as a reason to not blog anymore that they were over exaggerating about how little time they had to spare. Now that I have my own baby, I totally get it. Emily is a complete doll but there are days when she will cry if I put her down at all and I can barely get a chance to eat, let alone blog and upload photos! It's nice when she does take naps during the day that last a couple of hours so that I can have a bit of a break and rest. Unfortunately, most of the time "rest" means doing things around the house that have been neglected. Sometimes I get to take a nap while she does.

With Michael being back at work it is up to me to take care of her pretty much 24/7 for anywhere between 3 to 6 days in a row. This past weekend I stayed at Michaels parents house for a couple of nights because I was a little overwhelmed by it all after having Michael home for a month to help.

I love being a mommy, of course!! It's the hardest but the best thing in the world. I don't know how you "mommy bloggers" have time, energy, or the motivation to blog every single day with pictures and funny stories. I'm not going to apologize for my lack of blogging though because even though I do enjoy writing and reading your blogs, it's simply not my top priority! I'm sure you can understand that!

My daughter > Blogging

Anyway, now for an update on the fun stuff!! Emily is 5 weeks old as of Sunday! She's growing really fast. She is probably about 9 lbs now (she was born 7 lbs 3 oz) and she's starting to chunk up- I love it!! She's also starting to make more facial expressions. Sometimes she smiles a little but I don't know if it's necessarily in reaction to something yet. I love her little noises she makes, too!

Halloween was really fun this year! We decorated the house with strobe lights, black lights, cobwebs, orange lights, and caution tape. It was awesome. The best house on our side of the street...in my opinion :). Too bad you can't really tell in this picture how it looked when it was dark!

My mom bought Emily her first Halloween costume. Hilarious! Her face in this picture looks like she is thinking, "Uh...mommy? A lil' help here, please?!" Hahaha! Our little pea.

We also had some family over for burgers, a movie, and to help pass out candy to all the MANY trick or treaters we get. By the way...when did it become socially acceptable to go trick or treating without even wearing a costume? I can look past those trick-or-treaters who are way too old. I can also look past the trick or treaters who look more like they belong on a street corner than at my door. I can even look past the trick-or-treaters who don't even bother to say "trick or treat" and just hold up their bags, buckets, and pillowcases. But to not even dress up? That's just plain lazy. At least put a mask or a wig on!! Okay, stepping off the soapbox now :).

Emily's Birth- According To Grandpa

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Every month, my dads side of the family (which is a large amount of people) write emails to update everyone on what's new that month. Last month for our family's big news was obviously the birth of my parents first grand-baby! I loved what my dad wrote about his version of Emily's birth so I got his permission to post it on my blog. Enjoy!!

BTW, Billie is my mom.

"As Billie already let you all know, our first grandbaby was born on September 25, 2011. A beautiful little girl born to our beautiful daughter, Shelley, and her fine husband, Michael. I figured I'd let you hear my view of her birth. (with a few corrections by Billie afterwards).

Shelley, with good reason, was ready to have the baby. She was already a few days late. Billie was also ready to be the grandmother. She decided that she had a mother's/grandmother's responsibility to help out even before the baby was born. She went to stay a few days with Michael and Shelley because Shelley was overdue and Michael was working nights and had a long commute. I was even talked into going over to their house on Friday night, September 23. What could I do to help except to cheer on the real workers? We spent a nice Saturday together doing odds and ends around the house.

Around 4:00 PM we had another talk about how long Shelley might have to wait. She was a bit discouraged that the schedule was being delayed. We had decided to go out to dinner together and Billie suggested Shelley go and take a very long shower (It may be her last for awhile) and relax. We encouraged Michael to go do his workout at the gym, Billie went to help out somewhere in the house, and I decided to be productive and pulled out a science fiction to read. By 5:00 PM Billie told me, with some deliberately held-in-check excitement, that things were starting to happen. Let the games begin!

Michael was called at the gym to come home. The women raced around getting ready. I read a few more pages of my science fiction. Michael lost a few points by being a little slower than Shelley wanted him to be in coming home. By 6:00 PM Michael and Shelley were off to the hospital. Michael made up some points by his speed to the hospital. We left a few minutes after Michael and Shelley but arrived well after they did.

Needless to say, we didn't get dinner. Better for Shelley, bad for the rest of us.

It has been over 19 years since I had any first hand observation of labor. I had forgotten how difficult it is for the women. Who invented that system? As a husband there is little you can do to assist your wife during labor. I went to all of the training classes, and did the routine that was in vogue at the time our children were born. You know, La Maze. "Breath, Sweetheart! Hee, hee, hee, bloooow. Hee, hee, hee, bloooow." I tried to be supportive of Billie during this time. "Yes, Dear. You are doing fine. I don't know where the doctor currently is. I am rubbing your back as hard as I can!" As a father there is almost nothing you can do to help, or appear to help, or pretend to help. For Shelley, my daughter, mostly I sat in the waiting room. I dropped by once into the delivery room and said hello. When I went back a second time I was told to wait in the hallway for a bit. I waited and waited. After awhile I could tell that I should come back later. I wandered around the halls of the hospital to keep myself awake.

Shelley was doing the work. Although everything was progressing well, it still takes time. Michael was doing what he could to be supportive. No La Maze, but he still had his chance to sympathize with his wife and help out in small ways as he could. Billie was there off and on as the night moved on. Shelley was a trooper. She did her job well.

At 1:14 AM, on Sunday morning, September 25, 2011, Emily Joanne was born. Shelley and baby were doing fine.

I was able to see Shelley and Emily about an hour later. Emily was beautiful. There is something sublime about holding a very newborn baby in your arms. To see all of the delicate features. To see and feel the softness. To feel her move in your arms. To think of where her spirit had been so recently. To think of her endless possibilities and the wonderful life that she will have. I was very happy to just sit there and look at her.

How do I feel as a first-time grandfather? I feel good. It isn't a "I won the game" type of feeling good. It isn't a "This is fantastic Rocky Road ice cream" type of feeling good. It is more like an "All's well in the world" feeling good. Satisfied. Complete. Content. Life is good.

Emily is a beautiful baby. Yes. I know I'm biased. That is OK. I'm also right. She is beautiful. Like her mother, she was born with a full head of hair. She has a beautiful face. I think Michael is already figuring out how to keep the boys in line that will be paying her attention in a few short years.

I went home after the delivery. I even got a few hours sleep before I headed to my church meetings. I was surprised that people at church already knew that Emily had been born. I believe that Shelley had already let many of her friends know via Facebook. Those that didn't read about it in Facebook heard about it as it was announced from the pulpit in both Shelley's and Michael's original home wards. I must have heard, "Congratulations, grandpa!" twenty times that morning. I just smiled my contented smile. Thank-you. You are so kind.

Shelley and Emily stayed in the hospital for a few days while Billie and Michael tag teamed. Michael spent most of his afternoons/evenings/nights/early mornings at the hospital. Billie did the reverse at the house with the dogs. They traded so Michael could get some sleep at home and dog time and Billie got to be a mom and grandma at the hospital. Before going home Emily developed jaundice, which is where the baby has a yellow tint as her liver hadn't kicked in completely, She was treated with UV light in the hospital and once home Emily was given a futuristic ultraviolet light blanket to wear. It wrapped around her torso, held with 2 tiny Velcro strips, had a heavy vacuum cleaner type hose that snapped into a little canister with a long plug to the outlet. Very neat device. We could still hold her. The ultraviolet light helps break down what the liver hadn't yet started to break down. Emily had that on for a few days. The doctors had to take a few blood samples from Emily to see how she was progressing. It was difficult for those involved to see her have to have these samples taken from her foot.

Billie stayed to help for a few more days. However, with Michael allowed off from work for a month to help with the baby, they decided that Billie could go home. Frankly, Billie was a little disappointed that she couldn't help more.

The following Friday night, Michael and Shelley did come to our house with Emily. They even let us babysit while they went out for dinner. It was our first chance to babysit Emily. What a blessing! Unfortunately, Michael and Shelley went fast, ate fast, and hurried home fast to get Emily. They were only gone for an hour. Emily was asleep the whole time. We want a redo. I'm sure we will get one or two. We are looking forward to it.

We were asked how we wanted to be called as grandparents. Should I be "grandfather" which I believe is what I called my grandfather? Grandpa? Opa? Or a multitude of other variations? I said Grandpa would be fine.

Grandpa has a nice ring to it. I like it.

Grandpa Ron"

Crackle Nails and Cheesiness

2011-10-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to the store by myself for the first time since having Emily. It was nice being able to walk around without people staring at my enormous baby bump and feeling like I was going to split in two from carrying her. I missed Emily like crazy even just being gone for like an hour and a half, but I enjoyed getting out of the house. I treated myself to some pretty new nail polish. Since I can now reach my toes, I wanted to give myself a mani/pedi. I got 'It's Possible!' in OPI, 'Trophy Wife' in Essie, and 'Fractured Foil' in Sally Hansen for the Crackle overcoat. I put 'Trophy Wife' on first and then 'Fractured Foil' on top so that it would look like this:

You can't really see it that well but I love it! It's something I've never tried before and it's fun. I'm probably really behind on the whole "crackle" look but oh well!

Life's been great lately! Michael is still home with Emily and me until the end of the month and we have pretty much mastered the newborn thing. The only issue right now is getting her to sleep when we want to sleep but even that is not that big of a deal. I also don't mind having her in bed with me to sleep. Eventually we will need to have her sleep in her crib or pack n' play but for now...I love the closeness. Everything is going really well! She is a complete and utter joy in my life and I can't believe I am so blessed to have her. I love her so much! It may sound totally cheesy but having her has made my life feel so much more complete and meaningful. I was made to be her mommy!

An Update With Pictures And Video!

2011-10-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

It's harder than I thought to get around to blogging after having Emily. I do have more time now that I'm not feeding every 2 to 3 hours and then pumping for a half hour after that but it seems there is only enough time to get some sleep in and try to keep the house from looking like a tornado hit.

Today we managed to go on our first walk with Emily around the block. It was nice to get out of the house and get some sun and exercise! Right now, all I am supposed to do as far as exercising goes is walk. My belly is almost gone now, which I am excited about but I still have about 20 lbs to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I've lost 20 lbs already in two weeks so I can't complain too much. I just can't wait to not feel like a pile of mush anymore! I still don't fit into most of my clothes yet either so most days I live in pj's.

Anyways, we are doing well! I gave up on following Dr.'s orders about not giving her any pacifier or bottle for the first 3 weeks. We haven't given her a bottle since breastfeeding is working just fine, but she had been using ME as a pacifier and I would stick her on all the time just to calm her down. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore during the middle of a long night up so I gave in and gave her a pacifier. So far I am not regretting it one bit. I'm not tethered down all the time to her and she is just as happy with it as she is with me.

I've been feeding her about every two hours during the day but at night I only feed her when she starts to wake up. It's hard to get her back to sleep most of the time but we are still getting more sleep than we were.

All in all, we love being parents! It's hard, but sooo worth it!

Emily's Birth Story

2011-10-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

**I'm not really going to filter what I say in this, so if you don't like the details which can be TMI, feel free not to read it.**

On Saturday, Sept. 24th, my parents were at our house visiting for a while. Michael had just left to go to the gym and I was (of course) whining to my parents about still being pregnant at 40 weeks and 4 days. I hated that I couldn't do anything but wait for my little girl to enter the world on her own time. I had to continue to try and be patient and in the meantime deal with the discomforts of being so far along. My mom recommended that I take a nice, long, hot shower to relax. I took her advice and got in the shower.

When I got out of the shower at about 4:45 pm and put my underwear on, I noticed...wetness. I was pretty sure my water broke. I had my mom come in my room and I showed her. She was pretty sure it was my water too. I called the Labor and Delivery line and asked them what I should do. They told me it sounded like my water broke and that I should come in to be safe. I called Michael to let him know he needed to come home because my water broke and we needed to go to the hospital. I went to the bathroom and lost my plug. Soon after that, my contractions started. I hurried and got dressed (in my moms dress- the only thing that fit me since my clothes were in the dryer) and my mom insisted on taking one last belly bump picture as well as a picture of how many inches around I was. As if I could ever forget. Ha! I grew a lot in the last 4 days of pregnancy.

I remember being sweaty from my nerves. This is pretty much what was going through my head. "I'm finally in labor! Why wasn't Michael home yet? Am I going to be able to do this? How long will my labor last? Am I really in labor or is this another false alarm? Why is Michael still not here?! Did I remember to pack everything? Poor Jexi. She is going to worry and I'm going to miss her while I'm gone. What is taking Michael so long?!"

Meanwhile, I was having consistent contractions at about 5 minutes apart. Finally, about an hour after I had first called him to come home, Michael walked in the door. He was surprised that it was the real deal, not another false alarm. He hurried and got in the shower, we packed the car, and headed to the hospital. The contractions were now 3-4 minutes apart as we were driving the 20 minutes to the hospital. I felt the pain in my lower belly and in my back. I wasn't expecting that. I thought it would be just in my belly. It hurt so bad to sit there in the car! Longest drive ever. Michael was driving like a maniac to try and get me there faster. Don't worry, he was being careful. Careful but fast and efficient.

When we got there, Michael wheeled me in in a wheelchair. I was so emberassed. I hated how people stared at us as Michael ran through the doors of the hospital. I was hoping and praying I could make it to L&D before I got another contraction so I wouldn't have to have one while people watched. I can't remember now if I did or not. I do remember how long it seemed to take to get situated in our room. Do you know how hard it is to try and pee in a cup for the nurse while having contractions? Ugh. Finally I was able to lay down and relax a bit in between contractions while answering their annoying questions like "Do you smoke? Drink? Have any allergies? Any complications?" The list of questions was endless. Another problem? I was already hungry and labor had just started. It was going to be a long night since they don't let you have anything but ice chips while you are in labor. I was able to convince Michael to let me have a bite of his granola bar though.

When they checked me to see how dilated and effaced I was, I was told I was practically at 5 cm and "paper thin", which I assume means fully effaced. I was already halfway done! Nice! The pain in my hand and arm from my IV with the penicillin hurt worse than the contractions, even though they tried to dilute it for me. It literally felt like my arm was on fire. I had to have it though because I tested positive for Strep B. They asked me if I wanted an epidural and I told them that so far the contractions were manageable but I might change my mind later on. I met the anesthesiologist when he came in the room to say "hi". I tried to be as pleasant as possible with him, just in case I needed him later. :)

The contractions at that point felt like the really bad cramps I get the first day or two of my periods. Do they hurt really bad? Oh, yes. But could I handle it? Yep. My nurse was awesome. She fully supported me the whole time. They were impressed with how tough I was and how well I handled labor. Thank you, thank you. It was awesome feeling like I could do it without the epidural. I might get some bragging rights after all! It's an empowering feeling.

When I reached the point in my labor (probably around 7 or 8 cm and about 4 hours into it) that the contractions were about 2 minutes apart and excruciatingly painful, I told Michael I might need the epidural after all. Then after each contraction I would say, "Maybe I don't need it, I don't know. I don't know what to do!" Then I would change my mind again. And again. And again. My nurse said she could put some pain meds in my IV to help me relax and be able to handle labor better. I was in so much pain I was starting to hyperventilate, which was bad because baby and I both needed more oxygen and when you get that worked up, it kind of stalls labor. She would make me look her in the eye and breath through it. When I would scream at her that I was trying, she stayed calm. Michael was also an amazing, supportive labor couch. He was right there next to me the entire time. When I wanted silence, he would be quiet. When I didn't want to be touched, he left me alone. Whatever I wanted, he did.

After I got some pain meds through my IV, they turned down the lights and put a wet paper towel over my eyes to help me calm down. I still felt the awfulness of the contractions, but I was able to kind of moan through the pain instead of scream, haha. I was able to handle it better, like she promised. The best part was the minute or two break in between contractions when I felt like I was high. I was so relaxed I could almost sleep. It felt good to have my mom, Michael, and the nurse, all talking gently and lightly stroking my legs and stuff to soothe me.

After a while, it was time to push. My mom left the room, my midwife (who was really great, too) came in, and we got started. It took a long time. I think maybe an hour and a half to two hours of pushing. I kept pushing my legs against them so they made me hold my own and pull them toward me so I wouldn't waste all my energy on the wrong thing. It was so hard to focus and do it right. I also had to keep trying to figure out how to not gasp for air after running out of it at the end of each contraction because when you gasp, the baby goes back in a bit. They kept telling me to breath slowly. It was near impossible to get it together enough to breath right, push right, and hold my own legs. I was thoroughly exhausted. They brought a mirror to show me Emily's head to help motivate me. They even put my hand on it once. I was too tired to fully grasp what was going on. All I could focus on was getting her out.

I don't really remember this, but my mom said that there were a lot of nurses in the room that were pretty much my own personal cheer squad. I do remember hearing about another girl in labor who had been there since midnight the night before and she was finally pushing too. The race was on. A little spark of competition was enough for me to give a few last pushes and out she came! Oh, the stinging pain! But who cares?! It's over and she was finally here!

While it did hurt to get stitched up and have to do all the other afterbirth things, I was able to overlook it because in my arms, I held my beautiful daughter for the first time. Michael cut the umbilical cord, which surprised me. He isn't normally one to even be able to talk about things like that without the blood draining from his face. But he was able to flip a switch and watch labor with ease and then cut the cord. He stepped up into his role of fatherhood immediately.

Emily was born on Sunday, September 25th at 1:14 am. She weighed 7lbs. 3 oz. and measured 19 3/4" long. She was the perfect size and had a beautiful round head and minimal bruising and swelling. It was amazing to see how beautiful she was from the start.

A Quick Update From Mommy

2011-09-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys!! It's official- I'm a mommy to a beautiful baby girl! We love her so incredibly much. I'll be sure to take the time (when I have it) to write a detailed birth story, but for now? I'll write a quick update. I know Michael has been hijacking my blog with some details, but here is some more info:

Emily was born on Sunday, September 25th at 1:14 am.
She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz and was 19 3/4" long.
We were in the hospital from Saturday evening (when I was in labor) until Tuesday evening. It was a little bit longer of a stay due to her jaundice. They were running tests on her and we needed extra help with breastfeeding from the lactation consultant.
Because of her jaundice and the fact that I was still only producing colostrum, I would nurse and then supplement the rest with formula through a tube that we would put on my breast. No bottles or anything. Right after that, I would pump so that my milk would come in faster and we wouldn't need to use formula once my supply was up to what she needed to flush out her system.
Along with the grueling feeding and pumping schedule that we have, she has to be wrapped up in the ultravioloet belly-reuben (sp?) blanket that is supposed to bring down her jaundice levels.
We are lucky to have my mom here to help us with the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and extra hands for the baby. She has been an AMAZING help. We are very grateful.

We love our baby more than we thought was possible. I can hold her and stare at her forever and be perfectly happy! She's such a sweet baby.

I think that's enough of an update for now! Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers!

Neon Baby!

2011-09-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

(Another Pirate post from Michael)
So due to some guys named Billy-Rueben and John-Dis our baby glows Ultra Violet neon blue, which is a nice complement to her already amazing super human pooping capabilities.

We loved the hospital sooo much that we decided to steal their stuff and make our baby glow at home too...(just so this can't be used against me in court, let the record show that was joke...stealing is bad.) But they did let us borrow this Billyrueben blanket baby burrito wrap thing to get rid of her tan.

(She likes it cuz it reminds her of Chipotle)

The Dogs are happy to see Me and Shelley... but mostly that Grandma is cooking.

...Oh no! Shelley is coming! Abandon ship. The End.

Pirate takeover

2011-09-26T20:12:00.001-07:00

Sooooo Shelley gave me access to her blog to make that post from my phone yesterday... or was that today? Time is all a blur, but anyways, I now have access to her blog from my phone so I am going to post whenever I feel like it like a post pirate. Until she gets wise to me and locks me out. Sorry honey ;) Anyways, here are some more pictures.
-Michael

Ps I don't know how to put subtitles under the pictures on my phone so one is cleverly titled "Michael and Emily" one is "jexi waits patiently for mom and dad to come home with baby" and one is just called "Emily".

Emily Joanne

2011-09-26T02:05:00.001-07:00

Emily Joanne was welcomed into this world by Shelley and Michael (me) on Sunday September 25th at 1:14 am. She weighs a perfect 7lbs 3ozs and is 19 &3/4 inches long. Baby and Mom are healthy and whole. She's has her mama's nose and all around good looks and her dad's smarts. We are learning the meaning of true happiness with her in our arms. (And true exhaustion). I'm sure Shelley will post more when we go home. (I'm posting from my phone in the recovery room).

Happy Due Date To Me! 40 Weeks!

2011-09-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is it! I'm officially 40 weeks, which means today is my due date! I know now that having a "due date" doesn't actually mean much as far as whether the baby will actually come on this day or not. It's just nice to hit yet another milestone!!

The doctors will not be letting me go further than 41 and a half weeks so if she doesn't come before then they will induce me. I don't really think that will be necessary though. I'm betting she will come sometime this week. It's hard to imagine actually having a daughter but we are so excited!

According to babycenter.com, most babies at 40 weeks gestation weigh about 7 1/2 lbs and are about 20 inches long. I have to admit that the longer she is in there, the more worried I become about how big she will be!

It was nice to get out with the family last night and enjoy dinner together. Olive Garden is so delicious! I got the eggplant, just like I had been planning on. Yum!

After dinner, we watched Thor with Michaels brother Tyler and his wife Sarah. I think it's pretty awesome how they have been making all these Marvel movies and connecting them so that they can combine the characters and their stories into the new movie Avengers. If you haven't been watching Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and the rest of those movies you really should!

My Memories Giveaway Winner!

2011-09-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who entered the My Memories Giveaway!

According to Random.org, the winner is Kim from Faith, Grace & Giggles!

Congratulations, Kim! Please email me at lifehandinhand (at) yahoo (dot) com and I will send you the information!

For those of you who are interested, the coupon code is still active to get a $10.00 discount off of any purchase of My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10.00 coupon for MyMemories.com store.

The coupon code is STMMMS30135. Be sure to copy and paste it, just to avoid any typos!

This, That, And Cupcake Cravings

2011-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Heeeey! It's Monday, and yep I am still pregnant!! I've been trying really hard to distract myself and just be *okay* with waiting it out. Some moments I am good and feel at peace with Baby Girl coming when she wants to come. Some moments I want to scream out of frustration at this seemingly never-ending journey! Right now? I'm alright! It really helps to have things to look forward to besides waiting for labor.

Michael and I decided yesterday that it would be fun to get the family together (both sets of parents and any available siblings) and go out to dinner as a sort of last 'Hurrah' so tonight we will be going to dinner at Olive Garden. It's been on my mind lately. The breadsticks with marinara sauce, the salad, and I think I will be ordering the eggplant. I've heard rumors that eggplant can start labor and so I will give it a chance, since I've tried just about everything else! I might as well, right? I'm not actually believing any of those wives tales anymore though. Nothing works on me! Oh well. Eggplant is yummy anyway :).

Tomorrow is my due date. I don't expect to go into labor just because it's my due date. But it is nice to know I will have reached 40 weeks! I feel like I have been pregnant for SO LONG. I think it will be strange at first to adjust to not being pregnant. I'll probably be feeling the baby move in me even after she isn't there anymore. Like when you get off of a boat after a long day of riding on it and you still feel the movements of the boat over the water. Except imagine riding that boat for 40 or so weeks! Ha. We'll see! Mostly I just can't wait to be able to MOVE without struggling. I'll be able to roll over in bed without it being a big ordeal.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great weekend!! Don't forget that today is the last day to enter my giveaway!!

And um, P.S? I want these. Like, badly. Who wants to order a pregnant momma cupcakes?! :) Kidding..~~.kind of.~~

"It's Ok" Thursday

2011-09-15T04:06:00.000-07:00

You know what today is, right? Today is Thursday, which means I get to ramble about what's "OK" with Neely and Amber! Feel free to link up too! It's fun!

It's Ok....

To whine about still being pregnant. Every day. I'm so glad my husband, family, and blog and twitter friends have let me vent and continue to encourage and support me!

That my in-laws have a bet going for who will be right about what date I will have the baby. But anyone who dares breath a word about how I will probably go past my due date because it's my first time better watch out. Michael made that mistake. Once. I don't need those kinds of negative thoughts!

That I go into the babies nursery and look at her things to feel closer to her.

To worry that nobody will want to enter my giveaway even though I think it's a great deal!

That I don't get what the big deal is about Targets' Missoni collection.

To have a sleeping schedule that isn't the norm.

That I love to smell candles but have to resist the urge to buy all of them!

To look forward to cooler weather so I can wear my new boots!

To love to read books over and over again. I'm in the middle of rereading the Hunger Games series and Breaking Dawn! I'm preparing for the movies coming out!

That I keep begging Michael to let us get a DVR so I don't have to worry about missing all the shows I love when I'm taking care of a baby I love even more.

To eat. A lot. And then worry about your weight. But still eat. A lot. I can lose this weight after the baby gets here, right?! Ugh. Sometimes I can't help but just have one more snack before bed...okay then another and another.

That I love obsessing over TV series that I can watch to my hearts content because there are tons of episodes on Netflix. Right now my current obsession is Desperate Housewives. I'm pleasantly surprised with it! I've watched five seasons so far!

My Memories Review and Giveaway!!

2011-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by My Memories to do a review of their digital scrapbook software called My Memories Suite. It is rated #1 by Amazon and TopTen Reviews so I agreed to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised that even I could figure out how to do it!

I used the software to make these adorable scrapbook pages.

Not only can you use it for scrapbooking, you can also easily make photo books, cards, videos, and more! Trust me, if I can figure it out and actually have fun doing it, then anyone can.

My Memories was generous enough to let me review this product for free, but also be able to give it away to one lucky winner!

You must be a GFC follower of my blog to enter.

Extra ways to enter:

Follow me on Twitter.

Tweet about my giveaway and send me the link.

Visit My Memories and tell me which layout you like best.

Blog about this giveaway and send me the link.

Please leave a comment for each entry!

I will be closing this giveaway on (my due date!) Tuesday, Sept. 20th so act fast!

*****

I also get to give all of you a special promotional code to get a $10.00 discount off of any purchase of My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10.00 coupon for MyMemories.com store.

Pretty sweet, right?! If you would like to go ahead and purchase something, the coupon code is STMMMS30135. Be sure to copy and paste it, just to avoid any typos!

Still Pregnant at 39 Weeks

2011-09-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

According to Babycenter.com, baby girl weighs a little over 7 lbs. and measures about 20 inches during week 39. Of course, just like every week, I'm hoping this is the last weekly pregnancy update. I'm still trying to stay positive because I am grateful to have her safe and healthy in me, but it's getting harder and harder to "hang in there". I know she will be coming soon. They won't let me go past 41.5 weeks, but even that seems so far away right now.

It seems like every week there is a new problem for me to handle with being pregnant. I take comfort in knowing that my moodiness about still being pregnant is totally normal. Nobody likes the last weeks of pregnancy because you feel so ready to just HAVE your baby already and be done with pregnancy.

I started having sciatic nerve pain down the back of my left side pretty consistently. Nothing I have tried has worked to put me into labor and it's hard to just helplessly wait for nature to take its course. I know it's in Gods hands when she will come into this world. I just pray that things go smoothly and that she will be healthy and adjust quickly to life outside of the womb.

Here is Babycenters picture for this week and it's pretty much right on point. That's about how big I am. I don't think I can get any bigger and baby girl is not really growing anymore either. Just taking her sweet time! ;-)

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

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I'll always remember the day our country was attacked. I was 14 and it changed my outlook on our country forever. I am grateful to those who have served to protect us and those who continue to fight for our freedom.

God bless America!

38 Weeks

2011-09-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Yucky feeling momma= Bad quality picture.

My 38th week of pregnancy has been...interesting?

1. For the last few days I have been nauseous. Especially for the first hour or two after I get out of bed. I've gotten some shooting pain down the back of my left leg once in a while. Might as well throw in some new hip pain too.

2. Pregnancy brain is worse than ever. The other night, I almost put deodorant on as chapstick. That would have been BAD.

3. I've been trying different things to try to get baby girl here faster. Raspberry leaf herbal tea made me have some contractions but nothing else happened so then I started trying other options. We've been walking around the block more often because that seems to work the best. I tried having Michael help me push on different pressure points on my feet, legs, hands, neck, and shoulders that are supposed to help induce labor and make contractions more intense. Michael wasn't into it, so we stopped. Then I turned to shaking it. Shaking it? Yes. I tried to dance my baby out of me. I was watching all these videos of pregnant girls dancing and it was hilarious. This is one of my favorite videos...

So, of course I had to try it. I got contractions, but it stopped at that. It was amusing to try to dance with a big belly and not having done it in months. Out of practice and out of shape? Yeah...probably not going to post a video of me doing that ;-).

Target Tuesday: What I Bought

2011-09-06T04:11:00.000-07:00

After getting some fashion tips from friends via Twitter, I decided it was time to buy some new shoes. I have been making some fashion no-no's and felt totally embarrassed at my lack of style.

Granted, right now it is not really possible for me to look like anything but a cow no matter what I wear, but that makes me even more excited to imagine outfits I will be able to wear and look cute in once I have my baby. Of course buying our daughter things is my priority but now that she is SET for at least 6 months with clothes, I thought mommy deserves to feel pretty too. Plus, I have birthday money I can spend!

This brings me to today's Target Tuesday! I really want to look good, while still being comfortable. I just bought these for fall/winter and I can't wait to wear them!

Women's Mossimo Supply Co. Kayanna Riding Boots - Brown

Women's Mossimo Supply Co. Omer Flannel Flats - Grey

I'm going to hold off on buying any clothes for now because who knows what size I will be after being pregnant? I did end up buying a couple other necessities though. I bought an extra crib sheet and this baby carrier...

Infantino Swift Baby Carrier

I can't wait to carry her! I have a moby wrap too but after opening it and unraveling it....I'm totally intimidated. It's unbelievably long and I need to learn how to wrap it around myself.

I'm Being Featured Today!

2011-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm being featured today over at A Girl in Pearls & A Boy with Toys as today's Mama-To-Be!

Go check it out! :)

If you found my blog today, welcome! Feel free to stay a while and take a look around. I love to meet new blog friends so don't be shy!

You can also find me on Twitter @ShelleyBells07

*********

In other news, congratulations to Wendy for having her second baby over the weekend! Poor girl had a 34 hour labor before she got to meet her baby boy! He is an adorable little chunker, weighing in at 9 lbs 1oz and measuring 21.5 inches. I'm so excited for her beautiful family of four!

My friend Brittany gave me some raspberry leaf tea that I've had two cups of every day for the last week or so. I've noticed tons of contractions every day, especially when I am standing/walking. I know our baby will come when she is good and ready though!

Have a great Labor Day!

Blog Makeover...I Even Have A Button!

2011-09-02T03:55:00.000-07:00

I've been really wanting a blog makeover but Michael encouraged me to try to figure out how to do it myself instead of paying someone to do it.

So, I did the best I could! Obviously it's not perfect but I am pretty proud of myself! I learned how to take a header, edit it, and then center it! Then I took it a step further and even made myself a blog button! Make sure you take one before you go! The link is on the sidebar. :)

Speaking of blog buttons, if you have a button you want me to post on my "Button Love" page, leave me a comment with your button link and I will add it!

Have a great weekend!!

"It's Ok" Thursday

2011-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up with Neely at A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber at Brunch with Amber for "It's Ok Thursdays"!

This was really fun last time I did it and I'm finally getting around to linking up again! Here we go!

It's Ok....

...if I love to browse random YouTube videos. This is one I found yesterday that made me smile.

...that I can not wait until the Hunger Games movie comes out! I think it's going to be just as crazy fan-wise as the Twilight movies. It might even be bigger than those because these are more guy friendly. After reading the books to Michael, even he wants to see it. It looks like it's going to be good!

...that sometimes the only thing that gets me out of bed is the thought of breakfast. I've been waking up STARVING lately and so we got a bunch of breakfast foods besides cereal to spice things up a bit. Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, English Muffins, and Blueberry bagels with strawberry cream cheese. Mmmm!

...if I am already creating a mental list of clothes/shoes I want to buy as soon as I lose the baby weight. I'm thinking of trying straight jeans with flats and some new boots.

....to want to be done with pregnancy. Of course I want Baby Girl to stay in as long as she needs to, but this mama is ready whenever she is! Just knowing that I am full term is reassuring.

...that I have gained more weight than I wanted to. My midwife says I've gained the perfect, healthy amount so I try to keep that in mind whenever I have to step onto a scale.

37 Weeks and Trying To Be Patient

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm now 37 weeks along and that means I am officially full term! Less than 3 weeks now until my due date!! Michael and I are anxiously waiting but are trying not to expect an early arrival...just hope for one :-). I've been getting a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions and so hopefully that is moving things along.

Okay, that's all I have to say for now. I pretty much said all I wanted to say in my last post. Have a great day!

Early Is On Time, On Time Is Late!

2011-08-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all the positive feedback on our baby name!! We love it too! :) It's been nice to not get any negative comments about it. Nobody likes having someone stomp all over something they are happy about, am I right? So, once again, thank you all for being so sweet and supportive!

At this point, I am literally either on the couch or in bed for the most part. It hurts to move. I can barely get up from a sitting/laying position and walking is pretty much impossible without feeling like my hoo-hoo is going to split in two. (TMI? Sorry! ~~But, not really because I'm the one who has to deal with it~~!) Therefore, sitting/laying is the most comfortable. Reclining my feet helps keep the swelling to a minimum. The last couple of days have been especially hard. Not only does my body feel just plain old done, but baby girl has apparently decided to let me know she is tired of being cramped up in there. She's been adamantly kicking and stretching, probably trying to get comfy. I told Michael he should shine a light in there to show her the way out. Kidding! ~~Kind of.~~

We had an appointment with my midwife on Friday and she said I'm still about 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Here's to hoping she "sees the light" sooner rather than later! 3 weeks until my due date and I don't think I will be able to keep my sanity if she waits until then! As my junior high choir instructor would always say, "Early is on time, on time is late!"

Baby Girls Name Revealed!

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

One night while I couldn't sleep, I began thinking about baby girl names, other than the one we had already picked. This new name came to mind but I didn't think Michael would like it so I let it go and fell asleep. The next day Michael and I were talking and he mentioned that he had been thinking about a new name too that happened to be the same one I thought of! He said he had forgotten to tell me about it until then!

It was decided.

Emily Joanne would be her name! Emily is the name we were inspired to give her and Joanne is my moms middle name.

36 Weeks and Anxiously Waiting

2011-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

At 36 weeks, the baby weighs almost 6 lbs. and is about 18 1/2 inches long. She' pretty much just plumping up now, getting ready to make her appearance. Mommy and Daddy can't wait to have her here! Since our adventure in the hospital on Saturday night, we have been anxiously waiting for the "real" labor pains to happen. Everything is prepped and ready for her! The car seat is in the car, the pack n' play up in our room, the hospital bags packed, laundry washed...basically we have done everything we can to prepare for her and now we are just waiting! (And waiting, waiting, waiting...)

I'm trying to remind myself I still have 4 whole weeks until her due date but it's hard to imagine it being that long before she comes. Especially since I have been having pretty much nonstop contractions since Saturday night. We will just have to wait and see what progress has been made by our appointment on Friday!

Come back tomorrow to find out what we are naming our baby girl! I decided it's probably not going to change at this point, and I can't wait to share the name any longer!

Late Night At The Hospital

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night I was having a ton of contractions that would each last a while and they were only about 5 to 10 minutes apart. They weren't painful, so I wasn't too worried about it being real labor. I called the Labor and Delivery nurse and told her about it and she said to rest and drink a lot of water. If it continued for any longer than that I needed to call again. I did as she said, but waited two hours instead of one just to be sure they weren't going away. When I called back (around 2:00 am), I told a different nurse about it and she said I should go in to be checked.

I hung up and then began to freak out. It was late, I had not packed anything yet, and Michael was at work. I called him to let him know I was going to the hospital, hung up, took a warm shower to calm down, and left for the hospital. Michael was able to get off work and meet me there.

Once we arrived, they set us up in a room and monitored our heart rates (mine and baby's), as well as the contractions. The nurse, who was really sweet, asked us some standard questions just in case it was go-time. Like what pain level I was, what level I think I would be able to handle before wanting meds, etc.

After about an hour (like 4:00 am by this time), a doctor came in and took a look at the record of what they had monitored. I have great blood pressure (the nurse said Lance Armstrong would be proud, lol), the baby is perfect, and the contractions were sporadic. Some were 2 minutes apart, some 5, some 7...just all over the place. She did a pelvic exam (um...not exactly pleaseant in the LEAST) and determined I was 1-2 cm dilated. I was happy to hear this. However, since my contractions were not hurting and they were not consistently a certain amount of time apart, they decided it was safe to send me home. She said it could be a matter of hours, days, or weeks for me to actually go into active labor.

We got home around 5:00 am. Totally exhausted. It was nice to hear that my body is working towards labor, kind of preparing for the big event :). I have an appointment scheduled on Friday and I'm hoping to hear a little more progress will have been made by then. I'm still having tons of contactions, I'm just grateful that they aren't the painful kind...yet!

35 Weeks, Nursery, Keeping Busy

2011-08-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

Michael and I have been busy doing things to prepare for the baby! It's really beginning to sink in that we could have Baby Girl any time now so we are doing everything and anything we can to get ready now.

Here I am at 35 weeks...

This is what we've been able to get done with the nursery so far....

I don't know if you can really tell what the colors are from these pictures. The walls are a mint green and my mom made the valance...

She also quilted this blanket! We are now waiting for her to finish the bumpers that match the two. I am soooo in love with the colors and patterns! Pink and green with flowers and polka dots.

I'm keeping my eye out for a good, inexpensive, comfortable chair for the nursery too. I also want to put up some maternity pictures and possibly have a friend paint something pretty on a wall.

We are almost completely ready! The rest of what I want to do is just extra stuff. We have everything we need to have. I just washed and organized all of her clothes and blankets with her special baby laundry detergent. I will be getting my hospital bag ready to go this week. Doing things like this get me so excited to have her. I'm ready! I'm hoping for an early September baby :).

Other than doing all that baby prep stuff, we have had some time to do other things on Michaels days off this week. I used that thing called an oven a little more.

Some examples...

This is a potato cheese casserole.

Chocolate cake with ice cream.

We went to see The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It was intense and we liked it!

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I finished reading Hunger Games to Michael and now we are well into the second book of the series. It's fun to read them to him.

Went to the chiropractor for another adjustment. Seriously? Best thing I've done to keep my sanity through the aches and pains of pregnancy.

We visited family in OC on Wednesday night and then Thursday night I hung out with my friend Kambree.

We've been so busy this week, I haven't had time to blog until now! I hope everyone had a great week and that you have an awesome weekend!

34 Weeks: Yes, It's Still a Girl!

2011-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

34 Weeks!

Why is it that when you are pregnant, people think that it's okay to touch you without asking and/or make comments that are totally inappropriate? Just because I have a pregnant belly, it does not mean I am public property! I haven't had to deal too much with people touching me, but the comments really get to me!

True story:

Yesterday as I was walking through the doctors office, a man stopped me to ask me if I am having a boy.

"Nope, it's a girl," I said.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I looked at him, wondering why he thinks I wouldn't be sure about the sex of my own baby.

With a hand over my belly, I replied, "Yes, I'm positive."

Then the man had the nerve to say, "Your belly looks too pointy to be a girl".

I'm pretty sure my jaw fell to the floor as I said, "Well, everyone is different!"

I then proceeded to walk away quickly before he had a chance to say anything else.

Really, dude? I'm pretty sure that the ULTRASOUNDS I've had and the TRAINED PROFESSIONALS know more than you, who are only going by the shape of my belly. Plus, my belly looks pretty round to me!

Anyway, the nurses and my midwife got a kick out of my story. They agreed that it was strange he would say that.

I'm measuring and weighing right where I should be at 34 weeks. And pointy or not, I'm pretty sure we are still having a girl! ;-)

"It's Ok" Thursday

2011-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is my first time linking up for this meme with Neely and Amber!

It's Ok....

If I love my pup more than a normal person does...and let her sleep in our bed. Under the covers.

That I never do my hair anymore. I'm pregnant, uncomfortable, impatient, and hot. No need to do my hair and make it harder!

"To have a friend who lives over 1000 miles away" :-)

That I waddle when I walk.

That I love to have PB&J pretty much on a daily basis.

To not constantly check Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter. Sometimes I like the distance from social media! Especially after long stretches of not seeing Michael. Then my attention is on him, not the computer or my phone!

That our "date night" this week was Michael BBQing steaks and corn on the cob and then eating at the table instead of on the couch, watching tv.

That I am gaining weight. I am pregnant and it's what should be happening. I tell myself this every time I see the number on the scale.

To let Michael pick things up when I can't bend over to get it myself.

That sometimes all I can talk and think about is being pregnant or having this baby!

To sleep with a million pillows to be comfortable.

That Michael and I have a strange sleeping schedule. Pretty much 2 or 3 am to late morning. It works for us.

That I'm going to a two year old girls birthday party tomorrow. Alone. I do what I can to support friends and I feel that that's how it should be! Unfortunately there are those "friends" who are only there when it's convenient for them. I try to always be a good friend. It's important to me and it really bums me out when it's a one way street.

That lately when Michael is playing his video games, I sit in the room with him and read The Hunger Games to him. He likes it.

Our Baby Shower

2011-08-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was our baby shower!! My sister pretty much rocks. She put it together for us and it was perfect! Things I requested: Co-ed, casual, outside, and no games. I'm not a huge fan of the typical shower. I really wanted our shower to be more of a get together with friends and family to celebrate. My sister respected my wishes and did a great job!! It was at a beautiful park, in the shade with a breeze. There was a playground close to where we were so the kids could go play.

She made this cake and these cupcakes, herself! There were also sandwiches, salads, and fruit.

My two mommies! Michael's mom and my mom.

My amazing sister and myself...

My mom wanted a picture of all the preggos that were there. Meagan (due in..November?), Rachel (due a few days before me), me, and Wendy (due about three weeks before me- she also is the talent behind Love Mae Photography).

Kristen and me! We finally got a picture together!! Whenever we see each other we forget to take one. Our babies will be just about exactly one year apart. She had her first, baby Sammy, last September.

Michael and me opening some presents...

Michael with Andrew and Lynelle.

A blinking Michael with Patrick and Ashley.

There are a lot more pictures, but you get the idea! It was such a great shower!! I'm so grateful to my sister for working so hard to throw it for us and for those who came to support us! We got a lot of great gifts for Baby Girl and we can't wait to use them!

Maternity Shoot: Love Mae Photography

2011-08-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, this is pretty much the last of the maternity pictures for now!! These ones were taken by Love Mae Photography and you saw her work first in the sneak peek. Here are some of the rest of my favorites!!

I love these photos sooo much!! Thank you, again, Wendy!! They are beautiful. I can't wait to get prints and put them up in the nursery!

Maternity Shoot: HSP- Part II

2011-08-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Time for more maternity photos!! This is part two of the photos Heather Sargeant Photography took. I already posted some of my favorites of hers here but now it's time to post the rest!

P.S- HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little sister, Kristin!! I love you sooo much and I am so blessed to have you for a sister. You did an AMAZING job on my baby shower Saturday (which I will be doing a separate post about soon) and I know that you will be a wonderful aunt to your niece!!

True Life: I'm a General Blogger!

2011-08-05T00:03:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! Welcome to my blog! I'm linking up to try to meet some new bloggers and hopefully make some more bloggy friends!

A little bit about me:

My name is Shelley and I've been married to my wonderful husband, Michael, for almost 4 years!

About a year and a half ago we adopted our Chihuahua mix, Jexibelle, and she is pretty much the sweetest pup in the world.

She is loved to pieces by us both (which was surprising since Michael never wanted a dog).

Then, we bought our first home last year.

Soon after that, we got pregnant! I'm due with our first baby (girl) in September!

We are very excited!

Click here for a list of blog highlights and get to know me better!

Leave a comment and I will be sure to visit your blog and return the favor!

Happy Friday!

Something's In The Oven (Besides the Bun)!

2011-08-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

After 7 nights in a row of Michael being at work (which means 14 hours a day or so) working his regular shift plus plenty of overtime last week, I've finally been able to spend some time with him!
Monday we spent the majority of the day cleaning the house and yard up. Then we decided to go out and do something fun together so we went to Chipotle and then saw the last Harry Potter movie. It was great! It's always nice to finally be able to enjoy each others company after a week like he had.

I'm 33 weeks along now. 33 is my favorite number! Baby girl is about 4 lbs. now and is still head down, which is great! My baby shower is Saturday. I'm so excited!

In other news, I've been trying to be better at cooking lately. I've been seriously slacking in that department and the other day I mentioned to Michael that maybe I would look at some of our cook books and make something. His reaction confirmed my suspicion that he wished I cooked more often. (As opposed to pretty much never...) I can't say I blame him! Technically, being a "housewife" is the only job I have!

It's gotten harder to clean the house (after cleaning for a long time on Monday, I got several Braxton Hicks contractions). I do try to keep up at least with the dishes and laundry...but I realized that cooking isn't exactly strenuous so I could at least do more of that! I went to work right away! I got out our cookbooks/recipes and made note of some things I would make soon. Then I made a list of groceries we would need.

This is what I have made so far....

Peanut Butter Cookies

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Enchiladas

Banana Bread

I'm so proud of myself after I cook! Plus, it's been nice to have food around the house. I don't know why I hadn't done this more often before! Cooking is actually pretty fun and the end result is delicious food! I'm pretty sure Michael is a happy camper as well.

Birchbox Giveaway Info!

2011-07-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

One of my bestest bloggy friends, Neely, is having a giveaway over at her blog- A Complete Waste of Makeup.

What is she giving away? A one year subscription to Birchbox! I didn't know what it was until I read about it in her post, but it looks like an amazing deal! Basically you get free samples of beauty products in the mail for 10 dollars a month, but if you win her giveaway it's free for a year!

Go check it out and enter if you want! Or, don't. That would make my chances of winning even better!

Seriously?!

2011-07-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Let's see...things that have made me go, "Seriously?!" lately....

1. You know how when you can finally catch a breath financially and then something breaks or comes up that ends up putting you two steps back? That happened.

2. I bought baby bedding online and even though it was not what I thought, I washed it and put it on the crib. Definitely not loving it. Then my mom offered to make me this adorable bedding. Seriously?! So awesome.

3. I have been able to hold a few babies lately and it's hard to believe that I am going to have my own to hold in just a couple short months. Seriously?! When did I become an adult?!

4. I seriously love the show Flashpoint. It's on Netflix and it's my go-to entertainment lately.

5. I have had the hardest time controlling my seriously sweet tooth lately. I have so many desserts in my house it's like someone could grocery shop here.

6. I seriously love our maternity pictures! As soon as I see them all I will be picking my favorite ones and getting prints of them to put in frames in the nursery.

7. My sister is so sweet to be planning my baby shower! I get frustrated that people (other than family- who are obvs going to be there- for the most part) don't RSVP when asked to. Seriously?! How hard is it?! The whole point of a RSVP is so there is enough food for YOU! I say, no RSVP, no food! :-p My sister is such a trooper! Thank you, Kristin!

8. Speaking of my baby shower, I am seriously so excited for it!

9. I can't stop thinking about that salad I had for my birthday. It was seriously delicious.

10. It's seriously so hot out where I live! I hide in my house most of the time because I just can't handle it!

Maternity Shoot: HSP

2011-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

We got some more maternity pictures, woo hoo! Thank you, Heather! You did a great job! Here are some of my faves....

Can I just say...my husband is so good looking! :-)

More pictures are to come. I can't wait!

32 Week Update and Belly Pic

2011-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is not the best picture considering my shirt is too long, my shorts are all wrinkled, the outlet needs to be painted, and the marks on the wall...but at least I managed to take a picture this week!

I'm 32 weeks along now. I go back and forth between wanting it to be TIME and then freaking out that I ONLY have eight weeks to go until my due date. I told Michael it would be nice if she came at the beginning of September, not the end. Does she really need 40 whole weeks? Come on out, sista! You can get good and chunky outside of my womb! I know, I know, the longer she is in there the better off she will be. But, but....okay fine. She is welcome to stay in there until her due date. But not a day more. Juuuust kidding. ~~Kind of.~~

Going to the chiropractor has been such a huge help in relieving the aches and pains. I hardly have any back pain if any now and my feet don't ache as bad either. We still have some work to do so that I don't constantly feel like I rode a horse all day but I don't have near as many complaints as I had before I started getting adjusted.

Since I am now 32 weeks, he will also be making sure the baby is positioned head down. It kind of hurt when he was pushing on me, but he said she is head down and most likely will stay that way. It's hard to believe she isn't all over the place since I FEEL her all over but he said that's just her turning around, scrunching up, stretching out, punching and kicking. Now that I know she is head down, I'm pretty sure that the lump I often feel pushing out against me is her little booty.

Have I mentioned how hard it is to bend over, get off the couch, or out of bed? Poor Michael might have to start sleeping in the guest bedroom because my wide load is getting wider and my pillow collection is getting larger as time goes on. There isn't enough room for all of this.

I know sometimes I sound totally whiney and ungrateful to be pregnant. I want to be clear that this is not the case. Pregnancy is harder than it seems and sometimes it just feels good to whine! But I wouldn't trade being pregnant for anything. I cherish her growing inside of me and I already love her so much! We are very blessed to be pregnant and I don't want anything I say to be taken too seriously because I honestly am so grateful for this experience.

Target Tuesday: Jeans, Shoes, and Adorableness

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last time on Target Tuesday I showed some things that I would want to buy if I wasn't pregnant. I found a few more things that I have had my eye on.

Usually I wear bootcut jeans but I want to try wearing straight jeans. I think they will look even better with flats and heels than bootcut.

Women's dENiZEN™ from Levi's® brand Jeans - Midrise Straight Jean - Starry Night

Women's Mossimo Supply Co. Ona Ballet Flats - Red Patent

Women's Merona® Mieko Comfort Flats - Brown

Women's Mossimo Supply Co. Odell Ballet Flats - Pewter

What do you guys think of these boots? I could get jeans like the ones I picked above and then wear boots like these over the pants. You know, with the jeans tucked inside? It's not something I was able to do with boot cut jeans since it's more material. Good idea? Yes or no?

Women's Xhilaration® Karima Leather Boots - Black

And now....since we all know I can't help but browse the baby girl stuff while I am there...

JUST ONE YOU ™ Made by Carter's ® Infant Girls' Floral Sunsuit - Pink/Light Green

I can't stand the adorableness!

My Week So Far and My Birthday!

2011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the sweet comments about the maternity shoot! We love how they turned out and we can't wait to see more!

This has been a really fun week. On Monday Michael and I went out to lunch and then to the chiropractor. He made TWENTY adjustments! I guess I needed it pretty badly. Then we went out to OC to look at carseats with my mom at Babies R US.

I had to take this picture! The close parking came in handy since we had to try out some carseats in our car.

On Tuesday, as you saw, we had our maternity shoot! I had won a free shoot with Heather and she let her sister Wendy, who also does photography, tag along and take some too. Basically we got two awesome photographers to take our photos! They also happen to be good friends of ours ;-)

On Wednesday we spent the majority of the day relaxing around the house and then we got dressed up to go to a late dinner for my birthday at The Cheesecake Factory! Here are some pictures of what we wore...

Let me tell ya...walking in these heels is difficult enough when I am not pregnant. You should have seen me waddling around with my belly and heels. Hey! I wanted to look good, okay?! I probably ended up making myself look even worse, especially when I realized how slippery the restaurant floors were. Oh well! My MIL bought me that dress and I've had the heels since high school.

Hubba, hubba!

You see the necklace I'm wearing? That is my birthday gift from Michael! He bought me a saphire and diamond necklace! I LOVE it. Saphire is the baby girls gemstone! :-)

I love to get the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad...and pick off the onion rings. I told Michael I would dive into it if I could. Or just stick my face in and go to town. Sometimes food is THAT good!

Michael got the lemon chicken with vegetables and mashes potatoes.

We got a slice of cheesecake to go and enjoyed it at home as we watched The Social Network. Neither of us had scene it before and it was pretty interesting!

Yesterday I had another chiro appointment, grocery shopping, and then we bought a couch for our front room finally! It looks so much more put together now. I will have to post a picture as soon as we get it cleaned up a bit. We found it on Craigslist for fifty bucks. Steal!

Maternity Shoot Sneak Peek

2011-07-20T00:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peek of some of the photos Heather and Wendy took! I will be posting more as I get them but these ones are just some of the ones that Wendy was able to edit real quick for me! We had so much fun and love how they turned out. We can't wait to see the rest!

This Weeks Shenanigans

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

This week is going to be crazy busy!!

Today I am going to the chiropractor, getting my nails done for my maternity shoot on Tuesday, and then we will be heading to OC to stay the night so we don't have to drive as far the next morning the for shoot. I hope it's not too hot outside! I also hope I'm not squinting in all the pictures!!

Wednesday Michael and I will be going to dinner for my birthday at the Cheesecake Factory. They have this really yummy salad there...I think it's BBQ chicken? But it has avocados and I jump at the chance to go there to eat that salad!

My birthday is actually Thursday but he has work that night. Friday is my friend Wendy's baby shower and I am so excited for her! She's due about 3 weeks before me but this is her second baby and it's a boy! It's fun to have her to talk to about pregnancy and labor and stuff. That girl cracks me up!

Anyway, if I'm a little MIA this week, now you know why!! Happy Monday!

Belly Bump Progression Pictures and Some Thoughts

2011-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

For my 30 week pregnancy post I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the belly pictures I've taken through the pregnancy so as to be able to compare better!

12 weeks- I remember thinking I had a baby bump here. Now I'm pretty sure it was just bloating. Even with bloat, I was skinny!!

17 weeks- The beginning of a real baby bump...

20 weeks- The week we found out we were having a girl!

25 weeks- Well on my way! Definitely wearing maternity bottoms at this point.

27 weeks- The beginning of my "screw blow drying- pony tail it is!" stage. Also only wearing maternity tops by this time.

30 weeks- My belly has dropped and rounded out some more by this week. It doesn't look too much bigger to me, just different.

I'm in the home stretch now. Only 10 weeks left to go!

I'm getting pretty dang uncomfortable. It hurts to get up out of bed, off the couch, or to walk and stand for too long. It also hurts to sit sometimes.

Basically my body just hurts a lot of the time. I have an appointment with a chiropractor next week who specializes in aligning pregnant women. They say it's a good idea to get aligned before labor even if you aren't in pain. I've never been to a chiropractor before, but if he can help me then I am willing to try it! I also might do a prenatal massage sometime soon. That sounds heavenly to me! The chiropractor works with someone who does massages as well so I think I might just sign myself up for that when I go in.

Other than aches and pains that any pregnant woman has, I am doing pretty well! The heat is miserable but I manage to stay cool enough inside. My birthday is coming up soon (the 21st) and so is my baby shower (Aug. 6th) so it's nice to have something to look forward to that's even sooner than having the baby!

One last thing I'd like to make note of is that I bought Jewel's Lullaby CD at Target and I'm in love. I always liked Jewel and listening to her sing lullaby songs is just so sweet and makes me even more excited to have this baby girl. I imagine holding my baby while singing along to this CD. This is my first baby CD and I think I will need to buy some more!

An Awesome Skylar Udate!

2011-07-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have some great news about Skylar!! She no longer needs to have a tube in her nose, which I hear she is quite happy about! Skylar is being monitored for weight gain and breathing in the neonatal progressive care unit but they are hoping to let her go home by this weekend! Woo hoo! Her sisters can't wait to see their little sister and have their mommy back!

Target Tuesday: Someday...Also I Need Fashion Tips

2011-07-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

You know, as much as I love growing to carry this baby girl...there are definitely times when I can't wait to have my own body back. I tell Michael that he better fully plan on me going shopping for some new clothes after I lose the baby weight. Shopping while pregnant is frustrating and not as fun. So...for Target Tuesday I decided to pick some things that I might like to have after I shrink back down.

Merona® Women's Artist V-Neck Cardigan Sweater - Coral Confetti

Merona® Women's Ultimate Scoop Neck Tee - Violet/White

Merona® Women's Scoop Neck Embellished Tee - Rose Mocha

I don't know if my jeans will ever fit the same so I will have to see about getting some new pants when the time comes. But I think I might want to try something besides boot cut. I don't like the skinny jean look unless the person is super tall and skinny and that's just not me. Any suggestions??

What kind of every day casual shoes do you guys wear with jeans? Do you wear white shoes? I've heard that that isn't "fashionable" but I will have a baby and won't be able to rock the heels look most days. Anyway, I'm just curious what you guys think looks good! Are flats still "in"?

It's Soap Box Time!

2011-07-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Michael and I sat down to watch Diane Sawyers interview with Jaycee Lee Dugard last night on ABC. We had heard the story after she was reunited with her family a couple of years ago but we learned so much more from watching the interview.

The thing that got to me the most was the fact that if the parole officers had done their jobs correctly, they would have been able to save Jaycee so much sooner. She was living in the backyard, which they never checked. One time she even talked to an officer in the house and he didn't do anything about it. HELLO, you are here at a sex offenders house and you see a young girl? Shouldn't that be obvious?

A neighbor called to complain that there were girls (Jaycee and her two daughters) living in the backyard. A Sheriff Deputy came out, had a conversation with her captors on the front porch, but never even entered the house or backyard to take a look around. What the heck?!

The incompetence is unbelievable. I'm so glad that eventually she was found and saved due to two UC Berkley officers who went with their gut instinct and looked into something they felt was off.

Hearing stories such as this one makes it impossible to not be paranoid. Or rather, overly aware and cautious. I guess it's better to be that way than to be completely naive and unaware. Michael and I talked about how it's so true that when you have a boy, you just have to worry about one weiner. When you have a girl you have to worry about a world of them.

I would rather be considered overprotective and have a safe daughter at home than not care about where she is or who she is with and have something awful happen to her. I remember getting mad at my parents growing up whenever they wouldn't let me go to a friends house for a sleepover if it was just the dad home, not the mom. Or when they wouldn't let me even go to a friends house unless they knew their parents. I don't think I ever walked to and from school by myself. I always had a friend or two to walk with and the school was close to our home. I am so grateful that I had parents to keep me safe and who looked out for my well being.

Stepping off my soap box now. ;-)

Belly Bumps and Skylar Update

2011-07-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

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No, this is not my belly.

I also don't think that it's a real, unedited photo.

BUT. Sometimes, this is exactly what I feel like is happening to me.

Baby Girl has been doing a lot of "stretching". At night, when I'm trying to sleep, she decides to wake up and push mommy's belly out in all directions.

Last night was particularly crazy. I thought she was going to bust out of my skin. She was pushing so hard to the right of my belly button and also by my left hip.

I can never tell what body part it is that's sticking out but it's usually large and round so I'm guessing it's the head most of the time. Or maybe the booty? Who knows?!

It's amazing to me how strong she is and how much my body can take.

Sometimes she rolls around so much it shakes my whole belly and I look around to make sure it's not an earthquake.

******

Oh! I also have some great news! Skylar (my niece who has been in the NICU since she was born on July 2nd) is finally off of her ventilator and breathing on her own! She has come so far and we are so grateful that our prayers are being heard. She is still in the hospital being monitored but things are definitely better off than they were last week. Thank you for your sweet words and prayers!

Boob Tube Babble

2011-07-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up today for Boob Tube Babble for the first time! Let's face it. I watch a lot of TV.

There was no Bachelorette this week, am I right? I wasn't home to see it and I haven't seen it online so I am guessing they skipped a week.

Teen Mom- I'm always embarrassed to admit I watch these stupid teenage shows but the drama really entertains me! Gary and Amber need to move onto other healthier relationships IMO. Farrah got a boob job...that's not a big deal to me. Caitlynn and Tyler are really good together but her moms reaction to them announcing that someone was breaking into her window was a little disturbing. Any normal mother would jump up into action to protect them and she was like "what do you want me to do? I don't want to go look." Some people, I swear...

Rookie Blue- Does anyone else watch this show? I love it!! This weeks episode was intense.

Casey Anthony trial/verdict- I'm still shocked and disgusted. She is a murderer who deserves to rot in jail, not be free to enter more "hot body" contests and potentially have another baby to kill when it's an inconvenience for her. Just because she was found not guilty does not make her innocent. If you disagree with me, fine. But I have a right to my own opinion on my blog so please don't go all crazy on me. I came across a blog that was spot on about my thoughts on this. Check it out if you would like to.

Skylar Update: Your prayers are working!

2011-07-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for the prayers you are saying for Skylar! They are working!

I just got an update from my MIL, Diana, who is in Texas with them. Basically Skylar is now on a regular ventilator instead of a high frequency one. She had her first feeding today through a tube. Her lung infection cleared up but she still has mucus in her lungs. She is getting nutrients through a tube that goes in through her umbilical cord. Her blood pressure is more stable and she is no longer on anything to keep her sedated. That means she is more aware of the tubes in her so she has been really irritated with those, poor thing! She is getting regular air in her ventilator with no added oxygen, and her blood oxygen level is in the high 90s. The duct to her pulmonary artery that is supposed to close at birth, is slowly shrinking. Yes!!

We are very relieved to hear that she is improving finally! She is still in the critical part of the NICU but we are hoping she will be well enough soon to be moved into a less intense area.

Please keep sending prayers her way!!

A Jam-Packed Holiday Weekend and a Prayer Request For My Niece

2011-07-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've been on a computer! We left to go stay at Michaels parents house out of town last Friday and just drove home last night. Instead of going through a play by play of the whole thing, I'll list some of the highlights of our weekend/week so far. I know pictures were taken by other people of most of these things so I will need to hunt those down!

Candace's baptism, luncheon, and then getting together that night to catch up with friends.
An early birthday dinner for Jason and me. Michaels mom wanted to make us dinner and a cake before she left to Texas this month.
Watched and cheered on Michael and his brothers as they ran a 5k race at the church. Pancake breakfast afterward.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Pool, BBQ, and fireworks at Michaels grandparents house.
Lunch, Coffee Bean, and games with our friends Josh and Jenna and their son Greyson while they were in town. Jenna also gave me the headbands I won from her giveaway on her blog, which are super cute! She also made me an adorable diaper/wipe carrier and filled it for me!

{Image was stolen from Jenna's Blog :-)}

The last few days haven't all been fun and games. My niece, Skylar, was born on July 2nd (only about a week early). Tiffany hadn't felt the baby move in a little while so she went in to make sure everything was okay. Skylars heartbeat wasn't right so they did an emergency C-Section. It turns out there was a blood clot in the umbilical cord. She has been in the NICU with an infection in her lungs among other things. At this point, Skylar is still fully dependent on her ventilator. We are obviously all very worried and praying for a quick recovery. She has her very own nurse to watch over her at all times. She's a beautiful little baby and we all love her so much already. Please keep her and her family in your prayers!

Our holiday weekend is off to a great start!

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday Michael and I went to see the third Tansformers movie. Aside from the annoyingly in-your-face-gorgeous girl who is Megan Fox's replacement in this movie, and the fact that she is way out of his league, I really liked it! We love all of the Transformers movies so I'm glad it wasn't a disappointment. It was especially exciting to see it in 3D! I also wasn't expecting to see Patrick Dempsey in it! I don't remember seeing him in the trailer I saw.

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Yesterday I layed out for a little bit in our backyard but I couldn't take the heat for very long! It's getting so hot here! While Michael was at the gym and then ~~finally~~ finishing the rest of the painting of the dresser for the nursery, I went to get a Pure Chocolate from The Coffee Bean and then enjoyed getting a spa pedicure! Oh my gosh, can you say HEAVEN?! I was one happy lady! The massage chair, a good food and leg rub (my feet have been killing me!), getting my toes (that I can no longer see nor reach) pretty-fied, and a delicious cold drink. Bliss!

This weekend we will be busy, busy, busy! I will be going to a friends baptism, seeing old friends who are in town for said baptism, having an early birthday dinner (both Jason- Michaels brother- and I have birthdays in July), church with family, July 4th run/walk in the morning, pool time and yummy food with fireworks at Michaels grandmas house with our families! Like I said, busy weekend! I'm so excited though because I love seeing family and friends! Plus, the weather in OC is so much cooler than where I live! I hope someone else takes pictures for me because our camera is officially broken!

I hope you all have a great holiday weekend too!

Naptime In My Pillowcase

2011-06-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

I found Jexi like this when I went to look for her on our bed. She loved to burrow and somehow she wiggled her way into the pillow case of one of the many pillows we have on our bed. She's so freaking cute!!

Weekend Recap and Jexi Cuddles

2011-06-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday a friend of mine from high school was in town so I got to show her our house for the first time and then we went out to dinner to catch up. We talked about our dogs like they were our children :-). I also found out she reads my blog! Haha! I love finding out that people read my blog when I had no idea they even knew about it! Sometimes it's a little weird though because I will be telling someone something and then they go, "oh yeah I remember reading that on your blog"...oh. But it's good! At least people seem to care enough about my life to actually want to read about it! That makes me feel special. :-)

One request: Leave me a comment sometime if you never have before so I can know who reads!! I'm just curious!

On Friday night I got to meet up with my friend Kristen and her 9 month old son, Sammy! They moved to Santa Barbara but she was visiting her family in OC so we took that opportunity to get together for dinner! Little did I know that she planned on treating me! So sweet! She also gave me a baby shower gift early just in case she can't make it down again in August. I looooved it! It was a pink and purple beach bucket and shovel and then inside of that she put a set of three adorable onesies with matching pants, her mom made a little hair clip that matches too, and the baby's first book!! Woo hoo! Thanks again for the great gift and dinner, Kristen!

Later on I went by my parents house to visit for a bit. My mom has been pulling out a ton of my old baby outfits and giving them to me (if they are still wearable) and it's so exciting to me that my daughter will be able to wear some things that I wore when I was her size! It's so crazy but so fun!

Saturday and Sunday were both pretty uneventful. Michael has been working a lot of overtime lately (good money-wise, not good time-with-me-wise) so I got to see him a little bit on Sunday but not much else the rest of the weekend. LAME.

Luckily I have Jexi to keep me company! She's been super duper EXTRA cuddly lately and I'm getting the feeling that she knows something is coming right around the corner that will change things forever. I don't plan on ignoring her after the baby comes, but I'm sure it will be hard to give her all the attention she would like. She's soaking it all up while she can! Here are a few Jexi pictures for fun. I haven't put a picture of her on here in a while!

I love this little cuddle bug!! She's my little buddy!

27 Week Update

2011-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm 27 weeks now and definitely feel like it! Baby girl is very active lately. Sometimes my stomach rolls like a wave from her moving around in there. Other times she pushes against two sides at once...I imagine that's her stretching out. I love feeling her move around in there! The hardest things right now are back pain and sometimes my feet hurt when I stand or walk a lot. Oh and I just started noticing my toes get swollen when I am on my feet a lot! That's kind of funny to me.

I had my blood taken to test for diabetes and anemia. Luckily I don't have gestational diabetes but I was told that I will have to take an extra iron supplement because I am slightly anemic. It's pretty common in pregnant women. I have been anemic before but after I started taking vitamins it went away. Now with the baby and me BOTH needing iron, I guess the prenatals weren't enough anymore. But that's okay! I would much rather have to take an extra supplement daily than have to eat a strict diet. I love my desserts!

We started setting up the crib in the nursery and it's exciting to see it slowly come together! If it were up to me it would quickly come together but...that's okay. ;-)

Target Tuesday: Some Registry Items

2011-06-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I have participated in Target Tuesday with Tara (who, by the way, just turned 25 yesterday! Happy Birthday, Tara!) but this week I thought it might be fun to show some things that I've had my eye on at Target lately.

This camera isn't on our baby registry, obviously, but we will probably need to get a new one before we have the baby. It won't break the bank and has pretty good reviews.

Canon A495 10.0MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom - Red

My parents just painted the nursery for us and it looks great! It's a pastel shade of green and I think this printed canvas would look really pretty in there! I would post a picture but they didn't have thumbnails to save :-/

Here is the bedding we picked out...

DwellStudio® for Target® Medallion 3pc Baby Bedding Set

This is one of the carseats I want. It's gender neutral and will fit newborn-toddler. Good reviews too, of course!

Graco My Ride 65 Car Seat - Prentis

It's been pretty crazy lately preparing for the baby! With the nursery painted, it's starting to feel more real to me. I just finished painting the crib and after we get it put together and moved into the nursery, I have a feeling things will start snowballing. I can't wait to have the room all ready for her arrival!

Happy Birthday, Diana! Happy Father's Day Weekend!

2011-06-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, loving, generous, smart, and awesome mother in law Diana!! I love you and I'm so blessed to have you in my life! Thank you for being you!

Let's not forget that this Sunday is Father's Day! I have a great dad who has always been a great example of the type of man I would want to marry. He's always worked so hard to provide for our family but he always made sure to make the time to spend with us too. Raising four kids couldn't have been easy, but I believe he did a wonderful job! I learned so much from him growing up!

Here's a few things that he taught me/us- off the top of my head:

He would ALWAYS correct our grammar! Even though we would roll our eyes at him and ignore it most of the time, I have to admit that I am glad he did it!

He taught me how to ride a bike.

By example, he showed what a true Christian is and how important it is to do what is right, even when it isn't the most popular or easy option.

I remember asking him to buy me things in the stores and he would say, "Money, money money!", which is hard to understand as a kid but now I am glad that I know how to save my money.

Thanks, dad!

I also happen to have a father in law who raised my husband right! He taught him to respect and cherish women (Michael STILL opens all doors for me). I know that Michael will be a great daddy because he had wonderful parents who showed him how to love unconditionally, among many other things!

I love both sets of my parents so much! Happy Birthday, Diana! Happy Fathers Day to my dad and James! Happy Fathers day to my Grandpa S and Grandpa R as well!! Love you!

I'm so glad that I have such a solid, loving family on both sides. My daughter will be very loved and well taken care of! :-)

26 Week Update

2011-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

At 26 weeks, baby girl weighs almost two pounds and is about 14 inches in length! I don't know how she can stand being cramped up in there. I feel sorry for her!

I guess it's a good thing we don't remember that time in our lives! Poor girl. She's now starting to get some more baby fat and can hear us! Her lungs are getting nice and strong by practicing the act of breathing through inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid. Gross? Sure. But also pretty amazing! I love learning about the new things she is doing and how she is developing every week!

Now...for the first time this pregnancy, I took a bare belly picture. I thought it would be weird to see (from a different angle) but I actually kind of love it. For those of you who think it's inappropriate, gross, etc.? Now is your chance to click that little "X" at the top right corner of your screen. Don't say I didn't warn you!!

3....

2...........

1.......

Belly Time!

Is it just me or does the belly look bigger with clothes on? Strange.

P.S- My belly button is pretty much non existent now. I thought that wasn't supposed to happen until later?!

Countdown is on! And I got my Savings on!

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

First off, thank you so much for all the great advice on my last post!! I made changes on my registry and I plan on making a list of the things you suggested to pack for the hospital when it comes closer to that time. I love feeling more prepared! Knowledge really is power. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when I think about it all at once, but when I make plans and take control, it's easier to deal with! Did that make sense??

I officially have less than 100 days left until my due date! I remember when I got to the "been pregnant for 100 days" point and now it's only that much LEFT! Ahh it's coming up so soon! I am excited to meet this little girl who seems to love sweets! (According to how hard she kicks when I eat them.) I also believe she will be a little night owl like her momma. I can't wait to really get to know her!

We have made some good progress on the "Big Things To Purchase For Baby" list. Yesterday we drove around and picked up different things from people on Craigslist. We got so many good deals, I can't even believe it. Some people suggested that we wait until after the baby shower to buy things but I don't really expect anyone to buy us the really expensive stuff we need and I would rather not wait until the last minute! Control freak, remember?

So far we have:

A baby monitor with audio and black and white video- $40.00 (Savings? About $100-$150)

A matching baby swing and bouncer- $100.00 for both (Savings? Probably about $200?)

A stroller- $35.00 (Savings? Around $100.00)

A crib mattress- $20.00 (Savings? $60)

A crib- Free! (Savings? About $150- $200)

That's a WHOLE lot of savings, ya'll! I love it! All the stuff we have is either brand new or barely used, too!

We took a bit of a break from painting but I'm hoping to have the crib and dresser finished this week and then we can paint the nursery!

25 Week Picture and Asking For Advice!

2011-06-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

25 Weeks

I don't think I look any bigger than I did last week, which is a bit of a relief! I love being pregnant, but the thought that I still have 15 weeks to grow bigger and bigger is a little bit overwhelming! My poor belly has to streeeetch and make room for the growing baby girl in me! So far no sign of any stretch marks, though! I think it's due to the fact that I've been growing at a pretty slow-and-steady pace.

I have to ask you guys for some advice!! I've been working on my registry and also finding things on Craigslist in the area and it's crazy how many things we need to get for the baby! I just wanted to ask you some things! (Whether you have a baby/babies already or just know from word of mouth.)

1. In your opinion, what are some of the must-haves?? I don't want to forget anything that I should get!

2. What should I plan on having with me in the hospital when I'm there to have the baby and recovering?

I think that's enough questions for now!! Any tips you have will be much appreciated!

Maternity Video / Pictures and A Mini Blog Makeover

2011-06-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was able to catch a video on my phone of the baby kicking. Like, you see my stomach moving from the inside. It's a little freaky but at the same time, totally amazing. Would you guys want to see that if I can figure out how to upload it?? I haven't taken any bare belly pictures yet of my pregnancy...I may or may not do that sometime. I never had a problem with them until it was my own belly...now it's a little awkward, lol.

I can't wait until I get to have my maternity pictures taken! The date is set for July 19th. I still don't know what we are going to wear but I'm sure we will figure something out. Heather Sargeant Photography is going to be doing the photos.

Thanks so much, Tara at Fabulous But Evil for making my new Header! Isn't it so cute? I just changed the rest of the colors to match it and I love how it turned out. My blog definitely needed this little makeover!!

A Movie, A Dinner Date, and 25 Weeks

2011-06-08T00:53:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days have been really fun for us! We don't usually go out that much anymore so it's a real treat whenever we do get to. On Monday we went to see X-Men: First Class and it was pretty good! We had been prepping for this movie by watching the previous X-Men movies the day or two before. We brought popcorn from home and stopped by a Circle K to get some candy and icee to share instead of paying a fortune for that stuff at the theater.

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Last night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings with Tyler (Michaels brother) and Sarah (Tylers wife). It was soooo loud and crowded in there because a game was going on so we decided to opt out of the hour long wait and take it to-go. It's so delicious! I always get Honey BBQ and Asian Zing wings with celery and ranch. Yum.

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I'm now 25 weeks along! That means only 15 weeks until my due date and I'm almost down to 100 days to go! I can't believe how fast it's going now! She's already about 13 1/2" and weighs about a 1 1/2 lbs. It's fun to see what foods make her kick like crazy. Yesterday I tried some key lime pie yogurt and she seemed to love it, haha. I think she has a sweet tooth like her mommy. I still can't believe I'm going to have a DAUGHTER soon. That's so crazy to me!! The date is set for my maternity pictures in July and then the baby shower will be in August. There's so much left to do before she gets here!

Weekend Linkup- Say Hi Sunday!

2011-06-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sure, why not? I was just saying how much I love my bloggy friends. There's always room for more! Found this little linkup at Carrie with Children. Go link up!

My weekend has been pretty low key. I've been working on laundry and painting the crib (which is a never ending process since I use two coats primer, two coats paint) and other than that just been taking it easy! Lots of snuggles with the puperoo, Jexi!

24 Weeks, Hormones, And Bloggy Friend Love

2011-06-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

24 weeks...

This picture was taken with Michaels phone because for some reason our camera has decided to be a pain in the you-know-what the last few months. Whenever we turn it on it says the memory is full, even though it isn't. It takes turning it on and off several times and sometimes pulling the battery or memory card out and replacing it for it to work. I didn't feel like dealing with that, as my patience these days has been really limited. Therefore, here we have a bad quality picture, but a picture nonetheless!

Other than my ever-growing belly, not a whole lot has been going on. My sister and friend are planning me a baby shower, which I am thankful for! I really don't understand people who think that it's greedy to have a shower. Yes, we could buy everything ourselves. It's not about asking for gifts! It's about celebrating our baby with family and friends! In fact, I don't even make a big deal out of my own birthday because I feel awkward getting attention. This, on the other hand, is our first baby. I feel that it is worth celebrating! I need to learn not to be so sensitive but I also wish that people would stop being dumb-dumbs.

Sheesh. My hormones have been on overdrive this week. Please excuse me!

A couple days this week were in particular difficult, but one thing that helped cheer me up was having a Skype conversation with my bloggy friend, Neely! I felt like I already knew her from reading her blog so much. Thanks again, Neely!

There are so many of you guys that I would love to meet in person! It's amazing the friendships you can make through the internet!

Oh, and Tara over at Fabulous But Evil is having a really awesome giveaway! I really want to win it so that after I get my maternity pictures done, I can take one of those pictures and turn it into a canvas print! I think that would look really good in the nursery!

The Bachelorette, A Meltdown, A Pick-Me-Up, And A Revelation!

2011-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I HAVE to blog about my day yesterday! It was such an up and down emotional roller coaster!

First, I slept in (which is always a perfect way to start any day, am I right?) and while Michael was away working a little overtime, I watched The Bachelorette. I don't think I have ever mentioned on here that I watch that show. I didn't used to...until about a year ago. I just get sucked into the drama of it all! So anyway, Bentley is one of the guys Ashley is choosing from and he is so clearly an outright JERK. He's not even trying to hide the fact that he is there for the wrong reasons. Everything he says to the cameras behind her back makes me so angry. For example, he said he would rather swim in a pool of pee than plan a wedding with Ashley because she isn't his type. That's just ONE example. Ugh. Luckily he will be leaving the show after next week.

I could go on and on about that show but I'll just leave it at that!

When Michael got home, we finally got motivated to go to the gym but when we got there I couldn't believe how completely and utterly incapable I was to even get a work out in. After just a half mile WALKING on the treadmill I was sore and had to go to the bathroom. I was walking at a 20 minute mile pace, people. With that in mind, and also seeing all these tiny, fit ladies running around, I just lost it. By the time we were driving away I was sobbing. Michael was really nice and comforting. I explained that yes, I know I am pregnant, but it is still SO hard to not be able to do things I used to. I'm the weakest I've ever been and I miss being in shape. I had a bit of a pity party for myself.

What did Michael do to cheer me up? We turned on some happy music and he drove straight to The Coffee Bean without even me asking him to. He knows me so well!! I love that man. We went in and after sitting and talking while sipping my Pure Chocolate I was already feeling so much better. There was still a hint of sunshine hitting my back and he helped me realize that I really am living a great life. I have my own challenges just like everyone does, but I am so lucky to have a husband who loves me and a healthy baby on the way.

Then, this is where my day got even better! He mentioned that Monday he had a moment when he thought of a name for the baby. He said it was a pretty strong impression and he just forgot until then to tell me. I couldn't believe it because I had just been thinking about that same name Monday night when I was in bed falling asleep!! We had both, separately, thought of the same name and discovered it the next day! It came as such a surprise because we had already pretty much had a different name picked out for a while and now all the sudden we both felt that this new name was a better fit for this particular baby. I still love our old name but for some reason this new name is feeling right for both of us! How cool is that?! It was such an amazing experience! We both felt that it was inspiration.

Anyway, I had to write that down! I'm 24 weeks now. The baby weighs about 1 1/4 lbs. and is about as big as an ear of corn! She looks pretty cramped in there!

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Our Memorial Day

2011-05-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Michael and I went over to my parents house and then we went to see Soul Surfer with them and my sister. It was such a sweet, inspirational movie! I don't know if it was my hormones or not, but I was choking back tears for a good portion of the movie. But I like movies that make me cry ;-).

I remember reading about this in a magazine when I was in high school and it truly is amazing what this girl has done with the hand she was dealt. Go watch it!!

After the movie, Michael and I went to his parents house for a BBQ. It's always a good time when there is delicious food and good company around. After we finished eating, we sat down to watch a Memorial Day-ish movie (Saints and Soldiers) that I had seen before but it's a good thing to be reminded on these holidays WHY it is a holiday. I'm grateful to those who have served our country and who have made sacrifices so that we we can enjoy our freedom.

No, I'm Not A Teacher. I'm Just a Smarty-Pants.

2011-05-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

I love Google. Today I was about to look up if it was possible to be lactose intolerant while pregnant (yuck) and I had to stop and read what the suggestions were after I typed in "Is it possible..."

Some of the options were:

Is it possible to lick your elbow?
Is it possible to blow bubbles on the moon?
Is it possible to cough up a lung?
Is it possible to sneeze with your eyes open?

Looks like I'm not the only one who relies on Google for random information! Gotta love the internet. Yesterday my midwife asked me if I was a teacher because I guess I knew more than what's usual for first time moms-to-be. She said teachers tend to research things more and therefore have certain ideas of what they want and don't want. No, I'm not a teacher. I just like to be well informed!

I can thank friends and family, fellow bloggers, documentaries on Netflix, Babycenter.com, my pregnancy books, and Google for the knowledge I have acquired thus far. I still have a lot to learn though, obviously. She suggested I stop doing my own research so much and wait until I take the classes through the doctors office on things I need to know. No, thank you! I will take those classes but those aren't until much later in my pregnancy. Why should I have to wait for them to inform me? Hmph.

23 Weeks And Lovin' It!

2011-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm loving where I am right now in my pregnancy!

I'm not too huge but big enough to enjoy looking pregnant, I feel her kicking more and more, and I'm not overly tired all the time. I've gotten the urge to clean and cook more often and I love to feel productive. Motivation comes and goes but it's coming to me lately! We're in the process of painting a dresser and crib for the nursery and then we will start painting the room! When I say "we" I mean "he"...Michael. He won't let me help because of the paint fumes. I want to help because I'm anxious for it to be done!

Yesterday was a great day! Michael had to work a few hours in the afternoon but it was okay because while he was gone, my mom and sister came out to spend time with me! We went shopping at the outlet stores, had some lunch, and then I introduced The Coffee Bean to them :-). Thank you, Mom and Kristin for coming for the afternoon! I had so much fun. Plus, I love what you bought for the baby!

After we got home, I was exhausted from all the walking and sunshine. Michael was home from work and tired too so we took a little afternoon family nap with Jexi and the baby between us. Happy moment, for sure. I love my little growing family! Then I put together a lasagne for dinner. I love days like that!