Almost Time

I feel like this pregnancy has flown by and we're totally not prepared for this little girl to arrive very shortly. I'm now 38 weeks and 2cm dilated. I asked our doc if we can schedule an induction since we're so far from the hospital and I'm concerned about making it there in time or her coming on a day when B is in OC working and me being here by myself etc, etc. Doc says we can schedule it at 39 weeks which is next Tuesday. SO, she could potentially come as early as next week unless she decides to come on her own before then! Crazy! Her nursery hasn't been worked on other than being painted, a rug, and the furniture from A's room. I just washed her clothes but not her bedding, heck, I don't even have bedding, and I just packed her bag and A's bag. Bri and I haven't even packed our hospital bags yet and her carseat is still sitting in the living room rather than in the actual car. Hmm, I really need to get on it huh?!

At this point in my pregnancy, I've gained about 35lbs (which seems absolutely mortifying in comparison) but I feel good. I didn't have any of the "issues" I had the first time around (gestational diabetes, low amniotic fluid) which has been a relief and a blessing! I most definitely feel baby girl kicking and moving since my placenta isn't in the front this time...even B has been able to feel her all the time which has been fun since he only felt A move like once or twice. Anayah seems to grasp the idea that she's getting a baby sister and seems excited about it more now that my belly is totally obvious but I don't know how much she truly understands what having a baby sister really entails! I suppose we'll find out very shortly! I just keep praying that they will really bond and get along and be the best of friends. 

I think I'm ready. I've been anxious and worried that I won't know how to be the same type of mom to a second child now that my time will need to be shared or my attention won't always be focused only on her. I've struggled with trying to figure out how I'll be able to love another person as much as I love now, but I know it will just happen. I know that people do it all the time, I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. I think I'm just being paranoid. Arrive soon, little girl, we can't wait to meet you!

The pictures posted our from our recent maternity session. I'll post a few more soon but you can also check out the album here. A big thank you to Jessica for taking them and doing a fabulous job!

A Baby Sprinkle

Last weekend one of my bestest friends threw us a baby sprinkle to celebrate this new little girl that will be joining us very soon. With it being our second daughter, a traditional baby "shower" wasn't necessary as we will be using a lot of the same gear, clothing, furniture, etc. so it was just a small "sprinkle" instead. That didn't mean it was any less fancy though! For those that know Erika, you know she loves throwing parties and she's really good at it! Everything was beautiful and matched baby's nursery so well. I didn't bring my camera so here are some shots of the day that I stole borrowed from Carrie.

 Every center piece was a different cute outfit for baby girl:

Games & favors

Of course we had "sprinkles" cupcakes!

 

 My lovely guests:

It was so special to have so many friends and family members all together to celebrate this memorable time in our lives. Thank you Erika for such a wonderful sprinkle and thank you to Mindy and Carrie who also helped out a ton in order to make this day so special for us. We are beyond blessed to have you all in our lives and I can't wait for our newest little blessing to meet you!!
xoxo

Peeking In On You

On Sunday we took a family outing to get a 3D/4D ultrasound done of baby girl. Brian has been itching to get one done since we did one last time with A. I think he secretly wanted to confirm (again) that it really is a girl in there hehe. Yes it's still a girl, by the way!

Anyway, baby girl was taking a nap or just being shy because at first all we got was her profile. If she did turn toward us it was with her hand in front of her face or in her mouth and we couldn't get a good look. I turned and poked at her, I drank cold water, I walked around in order to get her to move. Oh and move she did but with her hand in front of her face the whole time. Apparently she really didn't want her picture taken. Ummm do I really have another diva on my hands?! After 15 -20 minutes the ultrasound tech was about to call it a day and just have us come back another time, she even said, "guess you'll just have to come back another day and we can try again." Wouldn't you know the second she said that, baby girl decided to move her hand away and look at the camera?! I swear she is laughing at us in this picture

Here she is about to move her arm back in front of her face. She gave us a small window of opportunity to capture as many pictures as we could then she was back to snuggling with her cord and the wall of my uterus. Good times.

Anayah was so funny. She was NOT thrilled about a stranger touching my belly and kept telling the ultrasound tech she couldn't touch baby sishter. She was even less thrilled when she used the wand on my belly. A kept telling her "no scratching baby sishter." It was so sweet and funny at the same time.

It's so crazy to me how much these pictures look just like A's pictures! I can't wait to meet you sweet girl and kiss those cheeks! We love you and are excited for your arrival!!

Family Pictures

I posted a few weeks ago on the photography blog about Jessica doing our family photos this year as part of a photo swap and I promised to show you our pictures once I got them back and ordered Christmas cards. Well finally I get to share them here! You may have already seen them on facebook but it's ok, you can look at them again :)

We had a really fun time even though this momma was stressed that A's pants were dirty after about 5 minutes...oh well, thank goodness for Photoshop! Jess did a fabulous job keeping up with a toddler who doesn't keep still while managing to capture her actually smiling at the camera instead of ignoring it like she does to me most days.

I love the spirit of these pictures, the playfulness and character in each and every one. Thank you Jess for taking the time to create memories that I will always cherish. I love them all and can't wait to have you shoot us again! Here are the favorites from the day that aren't on our Christmas cards or being given as gifts HAHA!!

Love them.

New Nursery Ideas

I've been browsing Pinterest in search of ideas for baby girl #2's nursery and I keep coming back to the same picture. I think it's a sign that I should just go with it. I'd show it to you but I like keeping it a secret...just in case I change my mind. Which is bound to happen. I wonder, though, if I could pull it off before she gets here? We'll see. I'm also re-doing A's bedroom, converting the office to the nursery, and converting the guest room to the office. Did I mention I'm trying to do it all on a $500 budget?! Did I also mention I'm almost into my 3rd trimester? Yep, time is flying by!! Here's a pic of me at the end of 26 weeks, and a few stats:

 

At 26 weeks,

- My weight gain is about 25lbs (yikes!!) BUT I can still wear my non-maternity clothes. It's so odd
- I can definitely feel baby girl moving and kicking a TON more these days
- Food is not really appealing (obviously I'm eating hence the 25lbs) and nothing sounds good. Ever.
- I'm very impatient these days. Sorry B!
- Sleep is hit or miss...some days are better than others.
- Anayah now refers to my belly as "baby sishter"

Everything else is going well and I'll be in the home stretch in no time at all! February will be here before we know it. 

The Second Time Around

I'm feeling a bit guilty that I haven't blogged about this pregnancy as much as I did with the first. Granted, I now have much less time on my hands but still. I can at least make an effort right?! I mean, we haven't even taken ONE preggo picture yet!! (Other than this not so flattering cell phone pic)

On the brighter side, I'm definitely not as paranoid this time around! Most of my time during the first pregnancy was spent online researching every.little.thing, or scouring the thousands of baby books for more information about what was going on in that very second of my pregnancy. I know I drove B crazy!! This time around however, I'm much less crazy stressed. Everyone told me it would happen that way but it really is quite a shocker as to how much that is true. I guess I should keep up with this blog for our second little one so he or she doesn't feel jipped! Haha!

I'm 19 weeks...almost halfway!

I've gained approximately 15lbs (umm more than my entire first pregnancy!! Ugh.)

Other than the bacon cravings early on, I haven't really had any unusual cravings again.

No sickness (thank God), similar to last time around.

I've had way more headaches this time around...maybe being preggo in different seasons? Not sure.

I definitely started showing much earlier this time around and I definitely feel bigger, although looking at pictures I don't necessarily look bigger.  

Time is definitely going by faster and I can't believe it's almost halfway. Hopefully we will be finding out baby's gender this week! I really need to start brainstorming ideas for the new nursery/room. And we need to start thinking of names!! Man, February is gonna be here before we know it! So exciting :)

It's Official.

So I've been told that once you post something on Facebook, it's "official." So for those that haven't seen the Facebook post:

Look at that gummy bear...so cute! Hehe

So now that means it's totally legit & "Facebook official."

Week 36: Almost Ready

We only have a handful of weeks left until our big arrival gets here. I feel like I'm ready physically and mentally...well, as ready as I'll ever be...but I don't feel like our house (mainly her room) is ready. There were so many different things I had wanted to finish around the house before she got here and we've only done about half of them. Oh well, I guess I need to let it go. Her room is almost finished so I guess the other projects can wait a few more weeks months.

This will probably be our last "pregnancy update" so I'll leave you with these stats:

- weight gain: 9 lbs
- as of Monday her amniotic fluid levels were at their highest (guess 2 gallons of water a day really helps)
- noticed she is sitting lower...making that drop
- feeling bigger/stronger movements from her but she still doesn't move for anyone else (sorry B)
- she enjoys letting me know when my bladder is full...less room in there for her I guess

That's about it for now. Gonna try to work on a few "small" projects (while drinking water, of course!)...

Baby Shower:: Part 2

I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends!! Today I had the pleasure of attending baby girl's third shower thrown by some of my closest friends. It was nice to be around friends...ok, let's be honest, people in general...but especially nice to be around people you love and appreciate and have fun with! We had a great time and the girls did such a fantastic job putting the whole thing together!! Thank you ladies! Baby girl and I had a fabulous time...it was perfect! Here are a few pictures, but for more you can visit Carrie's or Marisa's blog to see what they have posted.

(College roomies...plus a new addition :) )

 (One of many a.dor.a.ble outfits for baby girl)

(My girls from high school)

Thank you again for such an amazing day filled with good food, great friends, and fantastic memories! 

♥ you all! 

Picture Day

A few weeks back...before the days of limited activity...Bri and I ventured down to San Diego to meet up with one of my old high school friends who is now a FAN.TAS.TIC photographer. Jackie and I played volleyball together and even though she was a year (or two?) younger, we always had fun hanging out. She was always so funny and sweet and nothing has changed to this day. You have to check out her blog or website! She is just phenomenal. Thanks Jax for making this time around a wonderful experience! ;) hehe

Anyway, here are a few shots from the day:

To check out a few more, visit her blog and give her some love!

Status Update

First of all I want to say thank you for all your prayers, comments, emails, and calls! It's so reassuring to know that we have so many people praying for us and supporting us through all of this.

Ok, back to the update. I saw the Dr. last Friday and he said baby girl looks good. She's weighing in the 40th percentile for her age which is good since moms with gestational diabetes can have babies who grow too large, causing complications and usually c-sections at birth. The amniotic fluid levels are still within "normal" range but on the low end of normal. This means I'm still on limited activity and need to stay well hydrated which will hopefully help the fluid levels rise. I am being monitored every 3-4 days so we have MANY appointments lined up for the next 7 weeks already!

I'm feeling good, kinda lazy from just sitting around all day, but I know it's better for her health. I really want to work on a few projects but I can only do ones sitting down...which really means, there's not much I can do. Perhaps I will have to catch up on all those movies I haven't seen yet. My next appointment is tomorrow and hopefully they will say that my fluid levels are up! That would be great news!!

I was able to get out of the house this last weekend for one of my baby showers (more to come on that) so that was fantastic. It was good to see family and friends and be surrounded by people who love on you constantly! :) Thank you again for all your encouragement and support. We truly appreciate all of you!

these are the "babies" that were at my shower :)

Prayer Request

So for those who know me really well, you will know that I am not one to be forthcoming when it comes to my feelings. I'm one of "those people" who pretty much just internalizes everything and thinks I can handle it all. I don't really think the blog is the place to let it all out, but I do want to let you all know that we are going through some sensitive issues right now that could use your prayers. I haven't been in the mood to do any projects around the house which is good since the Dr. just put me on a "limited activity" order. Baby girl is ok for now but he wants me to lay low and he is monitoring us closely. It's hard to feel so helpless, knowing there is nothing I can do at this moment but wait and trust that God is in control and He is watching over her. Keep us in your prayers if you can. I'll keep you updated on our progress.

 (from her ultrasound on Friday)

Week 31: Getting Closer

It was nice to be slightly unplugged for a bit. For those who didn't notice my absence, whatever, you're not loyal followers anyway! Hahaha, just kidding. For those who are reading this, thanks for sticking around to see if I'd come back!

In other news, we're at 31 weeks which means we are in the single digit countdown (in weeks)...only 9 more to go! It's crazy that the further along I get, the faster time seems to go by. Well, for now at least. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune when it's the middle of the hottest day of summer and I'm even bigger than I am now. Until then, though, time is just flying as we try to get everything together for her big arrival. Here's a quick update on the pregnancy at 31 weeks:

- my weight gain is about 7lbs.
- at her 3D ultrasound baby girl weighed in at 2lbs 11oz which was just about average
- still no pregnancy cravings :)
- miss sleeping on my stomach, still not used to the whole side sleeping thing
- feel her movements more distinctly, but they don't hurt yet
- anxious about her arrival, feeling a bit overwhelmed and underprepared
- still haven't decided on a name...

That's pretty much it for now. Still working on her room and hopefully it will be ready for its reveal soon!

Well Hello There

Here's what we saw on our FUN and EXCITING outing yesterday:

Baby girl was snuggled up to my placenta so in most of her pictures, her face was all smushed, but we were still able to see her smiling face.

Kinda jealous of those lips! :) 

She was a bit camera shy...or maybe we were interrupting her nap. Either way, she cooperated for the first five minutes or so then she started moving away from the camera and closer to the placenta. Gross, kid. Unfortunately it made taking still shots a bit more difficult. Definitely a girl on our hands. We got a DVD and a ton of pictures that we can look at until she finally gets here though so that was cool. Can't wait to meet you baby girl! We ♥ you already...

Baby Girl's Treasures

Yes, I know I'm supposed to be showing you my "surprise" project but the last two days have been too hectic to even think about finalizing it. It's just gonna have to wait until tomorrow, sorry!

In better news, I was totally blessed today with a small baby shower at work. It was really sweet and thoughtful and everyone was so generous. I told B that baby girl is getting spoiled already...and she's not even here yet! :) His reaction when he opened the back of my car to unload: "Whoa." Man of many words, that one.

A few of the gift bags we unpacked:

A glimpse into her closet...I think I'm in trouble, girl clothes really are soooo cute! And no I did NOT pay $17 for that dress!!

Thank you to everyone who was a part of our shower today. We are very grateful for all the generous gifts and acts of love and kindness. I guess it's time to get a dresser to start putting her clothes in huh? Hmmm, maybe we should start with a crib? Yeah, furniture might be a good place to start...

A Little Story

The last few days have been emotionally draining for me. It started Sunday while at B's baseball game. I usually feel baby girl right around the same time everyday. She's usually predictable and somewhat active. Well by Sunday afternoon I hadn't felt her move, which was weird. So I did all the things they say to do: drank something cold or sweet, laid on my side, walked for 5 minutes then laid on my side, did cartwheels and drank a liter of coke (just kidding!) then laid on my side, etc... Still nothing. Well by this point it's Sunday evening and I'm starting to get cranky. I can tell because I'm being short with B and getting emotional over some random tv show. Anyway, we had dinner then I (yup, you guessed it) laid on my side. I thought I might have felt some movement in there but by this point I'm so paranoid that I'm second guessing everything. Well we head to bed and pray over her like we do every night and I felt a little better. Well, I tossed and turned all night because I couldn't sleep...

The next morning I get up and head to work, still don't feel her, so I call my dr. He tells me to come in for an ultrasound so we can check things out. At this point I'm past paranoid, I'm so emotional I can't sit at my desk without crying. Geez, get a grip lady. I pull myself together and head for the hospital where they proceed to make me repeat four. different. times. who I am, whether or not I have any paperwork, and why I am there. So not efficient. What if something is horribly wrong with my baby and you're wasting my time asking me inane questions?!?! No, I didn't yell that, but believe me, I really wanted to. After all that, I'm asked to wait in the waiting room. As I sit and anticipate all kinds of non-helpful scenarios, who decides to make herself known? Of course. Baby girl starts kicking as I sit there trying not to cry. Ultrasound tech chooses that moment to call my name and sees me holding back tears. Man, they probably thought they had a basket case on their hands! I go through with the ultrasound because hey, I'm already there, and hey, I wanna make sure her heart is beating normally and there's nothing else to be worried about.

As soon as I hear her heartbeat I start crying all over again. (I probably scared the ultrasound dude forever) Her heartbeat is normal and she's fine. Whew! Relief. I start to relax and enjoy seeing her squirm around during the rest of the ultrasound. She's a character, that one. I felt kinda silly afterward, but hey, I'd rather be safe than sorry. So, you ask, Why was she so lazy calm? Who knows?! But I gave her a talking to and told her she needed to let me know at least once a day that she's ok in there. I think she understood me because she has been kicking non-stop all day today. Thanks, baby girl. I'm glad you're having fun in there! 

And because a blog post is not a blog post without a picture, here's a pic of B giving his girl a kiss:

Welcome to parenthood, right? I'm sure it's just the beginning...

Week 26: Feeling Good

It's been a while since I posted a pregnancy update. I've been so busy with projects around the house that I keep forgetting to take update pictures. B nagged reminded me to take a picture tonight so you have him to thank. Yeah, because I know you have all just been waiting impatiently to see what the belly looks like these days! Ha! I've been feeling pretty good (hence the projects around the house) and don't really have any complaints. Hopefully this lasts for a bit longer while I finish start baby girl's room. Guess what?! I finally picked a fabric!! More on that later though. Time for bed. Here's the latest pic B took:

Don't mind the stain on the belly...apparently baby girl was trying to get a taste of whatever I was eating! ;)

♥ Happy Mother's Day ♥

Anticipation

For a couple of weeks, B has been really anxious about feeling the baby move. I have been able to really feel her for about a month and I think he was feeling a little left out. Every time she would kick, I would put his hand to my belly in hopes of him sharing the excitement. We even tried laying on the bed with his face to my belly (we heard faces are more sensitive than hands) to see if that worked. No luck. All the websites (shhh, don't tell my doc that we were looking at pregnancy related items on the Internet...he won't be happy!) said we still had a few more weeks before the dads were really able to feel the baby move. So we just waited and he kept asking, "What does it feel like?" or "Does it hurt when she kicks/moves?" I knew he just couldn't wait!

Well last night (during one of her more active times-11:30pmish-yes, I know I'm in trouble if she keeps up this pattern) B finally got to feel his baby girl move!! Yay! I was in bed and he was getting ready for bed and she was just movin' and groovin' which makes me laugh a little...not sure why. Anyway, he comes running and lays down with his face on my belly and we just wait. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she said "hello" to her daddy by kicking him in the head. He just looked at me and said, "Was that her?" Umm yeah, unless there's something else in there I don't know about. Hehe. It was so precious to see how excited he was to be able to finally "share" in the experience with me. He was able to feel her a few more times before she decided she had enough of playing and calmed down a little but to see him so excited was such a treasure! ♥ it!

here he is waiting to feel her...

Be still my heart.

Week 22: Just Past Halfway

So according to one of my books, I am officially into my 6th month! According to a different book, I was into my 6th month at week 21. Seriously, these book editors need to get together and get.on.the.same.page! How frustrating is it to read one thing in one book and something different in another book. Ugh. Almost makes me want to stop reading them...almost. Well regardless of what month I'm in, I am 22 weeks in and slightly more than halfway. Yes, I know I have so much more to come...everyone keeps telling me that...but I'm going to enjoy my milestone anyway. So, at 22 weeks I:

• Have gained 4lbs so far (although after this vacation that might no longer be the case!)
• Started feeling baby girl moving around A LOT more
• Don't really have any cravings or weird requests (much to B's relief!)
• Don't get as much sleep as I would like due to the tossing and turning at night
• Am feeling pretty good

This pregnancy has been smooth sailing so far and we pray daily that it will continue throughout. Here's to the second half! Oh, thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday...it was a good day! ♥

Don't mind the messy hair (yes, I do own a brush). It was late and I was heading to bed right after this...

Week 18 Update

We went in for our fetal anatomy ultrasound today. It took much longer than we expected because the baby would.not.keep.still! There were flips and turns and B swears he saw a fist pump in there. No, we don't watch Jersey Shore...not sure where the kid got it from. The ultrasound technician asked if I had any sugar before going in. Hmmm, I didn't think it was a good time to tell her about the strawberry milkshake we I had to have. Anyway, here is my favorite picture of the bunch.

Just a thumb's up to let you know she's doing just fine! Thanks for all your prayers. ♥ Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! (yes, E, I am part Irish!)