1 week of mommyness

My sweet baby girl is one week old today! Ugh. It's almost heartbreaking, just thinking about how fast the days go by. This is how it will always be with her... she'll grow so fast. I already think she looks completely different than she did a week ago.

I know I'm probably biased, but I just can't stop staring at her. She is just so beautiful, so sweet, and despite feeling mildly sleep deprived, every time I look at her I just fall more in love. I knew I would love being a parent... I just had no idea how much.

My favorite things about you so far:

- Your beautiful little red lips, and how you love to purse them out and make everyone drool over your cuteness
- Your tininess. You just smoosh up into a little ball, and you're so dainty and perfect yet somehow holding you feels like I'm cradling the entire world in my arms.
- How your fingers and fingernails look exactly like mine. How is that even possible??
- The way you constantly smile in your sleep. Reflex or not, it's pretty adorable.
- How you made me laugh till I cried when you peed on daddy while getting your bath... and then pooped on my bright white brand new fluffy towel.
- The random configurations of hand gestures you make in your sleep. Some of my favorites include warrior, praying mantis, bodybuilder, karate kid, and philosopher (all termed by mommy)
- How you're such a good baby. You only cry when you're hungry, getting your diaper changed, or getting a bath. Once that's taken care of, you're back to the sweet contentment that makes me smile.
- How quickly you've taken to nursing. You picked it up like a champ, and now all I can think about is how you'll master everything you do in life. And for such a tiny little peanut, boy you are hungry! I'm glad you learned your appetite from mommy ;-)
- That somehow just being picked up by me makes all of your tears and sadness go away. I love being the one who makes you happy with just a hug and a cuddle.

Today is our first trip out of the house. Nothing fancy, just going to the pediatrician. But I'm so excited to start showing you the world!

She's here!!!

I've been MIA lately, but with a VERY good reason...

Emerson Elizabeth was born on Wednesday, December 14th, 2011. She weighed 7lbs, 4 ounces, and is 20 inches long. We are absolutely, unconditionally, head over heels in love with her and everything that she does.

I'll update with more pictures later, but here is the love of our lives :)

Eating for two

I recently confessed my new addiction, Pinterest. Well, if you take a glance at what I've been "pinning," it's not hard to guess that I'm pregnant. I keep finding recipe after delicious recipe that I can't wait to try.

My first attempt happened last night. Below is the recipe for a dish that I saw pinned over and over that was just begging to be replicated. It looked super simple, super delicious, and spicy (which I've been craving like mad for the last few weeks).

Source: joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com via Audra on Pinterest

The result??? HOLY COW, this dish was thebomb.com. It took no time to cook, and I had most of the ingredients at home already. I only had to buy a rotisserie chicken and a small can of green chiles... dinner for the two (and a half) of us for $5.89? Score!!

Here are some other yummy recipes I can't wait to try!

Source: cookingwithcarrie.blogspot.com via Audra on Pinterest

Hibachi restaurants are my favorite, and I could literally eat this soup by the gallon. This will be a perfect warm winter treat while on on maternity leave.

Source: rhodesbread.com via Audra on Pinterest

There are no words for this.

Source: justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com via Audra on Pinterest

Mmmm, love homemade pretzels. When I worked in the mall I ate an Auntie Anne's pretzel every.single.day. No exaggeration.

Source: luuux.com via Audra on Pinterest

You put Nutella on/in anything, and I'm gonna love it.

Source: luxefinds.com via Audra on Pinterest

What a cute idea for our friends Christmas party next weekend. If I haven't had a baby by then, I am going to try this!

Source: skinnytaste.com via Audra on Pinterest

One of my favorite veggies, with a new twist!

Source: jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com via Audra on Pinterest

Crispy baked cheddar chicken, smothered in sauce. Yup.

Source: budgetbytes.blogspot.com via Audra on Pinterest

Coconut chicken. I strangely only like coconut flavoring on chicken and shrimp, otherwise I think it's gross. Weird??

Source: cupcakeproject.com via Audra on Pinterest

I love chickpeas!! These look sooo tasty!

This is only the beginning... I feel like Martha Stewart in pursuit of the next best recipe. Thank you Pinterest for opening up a world of food possibilities. Now instead of eating for two, I'll be eating for two adult football players. Oh well!

Feeling lazy

I was going to write a whole post about how much I love Prenatal Pilates, but I'm feeling lazy today;..... soooooo I'm going to sum it up with some quick word association:

Prenatal Pilates. Awesome. Eliminates back pain. Helps sore hips. Keeps muscles strong. Helps control rapid weight gain. Easy to do. 10 minute intervals. Pick and choose your own workout. Can do everyday or once a week. Feel strong like bull. Soothing pilates-voiced instructor. Purchased super cheap on Amazon. If you're pregnant, get this. Won't be sorry. The end.

Progress?

So it's December and I'm having a baby this month. No big deal right!?!?

In between "nesting" all weekend a.k.a. cleaning our entire house from top to bottom, and finishing up some minor last-minute must-have items (4 boxes of garlic bread, helllllo), I decided to look back at my Baby Bucket list from October and see how I did.

Audra's Baby Bucket List

1. Create a baby bucket list. Done. Success already! I am only holding myself accountable for the items placed on the list back in October. Anything else is negotiable.

2.  Watch "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD with Jon. Many, many mommas have told me this DVD saved their lives when their babies were first born, and helped them achieve longer stretches of sleep in those early weeks when you're basically a zombie. DONE! Watched it last Monday. That man is a magician. I highly recommend watching this DVD. The book is good, but the DVD is way more helpful because he actually demonstrates the techniques, and you can clearly see them working.

3. Take a mini babymoon with my husband. Went to Chicago in October and had a blast!

4. Read at least 3 non-baby books. I already have Until Tuesday and The First Husband on my reading queue for Book Club, but I'll take other recommendations! I will count this as done. I did read the First Husband, and I listened to two non-baby books on CD, so that counts right??? Hey, it makes my commute more effective. I "read" Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me and Last Night at Chateau Marmount. I think Chelsea Handler is hysterical, and this book was no exception. I was "that"girl who was laughing to herself in the car. People passing me probably thought I was nutso. 

As for the other book... I was really excited to read it, since it was written by the same author as the Devil Wears Prada. Loved that book, loved the movie, so no brainer right?? Wrong. The main character was a weak pushover, and I didn't like the ending. Not on my list of recommend books; however, I'm still counting this one as complete!

5. Re-organize the following places in our home: Master bedroom closet, attic, basement, dining room and let's throw in the garage if I'm feeling crazy. All but garage are done, and that's Jon's cave/domain, so I'm letting him handle it. Baby girl won't be out there assembling cars anytime soon, so I'm not too worried.

6. Put up a Christmas tree by December 5th. Done by November 29th. Success!

7. Go see at least one movie in the theater with Jon, and one with my friends (Good thing I already have a date with Holly and Jess to see Breaking Dawn in November). We meant to go this weekend, but there was nothing out that looked very appealing (and shockingly, Jon didn't want to go see an encore of Breaking Dawn with me.) But we DID subscribe to Netflix, so we've seen a few newish movies together over the last few weeks. Like the Lincoln Lawyer - great flick, and who doesn't love Matthew McC??

8. Continue working out at least 4 days a week, including prenatal pilates. Um, yeah... about that....

9. Write a blog post about the amazement that is prenatal pilates. Tomorrow seems like a good day for this.

10. Have all Christmas shopping/wrapping done by December 5th. Haha, self. Good luck with that. Actually, we were done on the 2nd. Boo yah!!

11. Figure out how to use Skype and video chat. Pretty much. It's downloaded and ready to go. I want the grandparents to be able to see kiddo on weekends when it's too snowy for them to visit.

12. Make and freeze 2 weeks worth of meals. Meh, after eating one frozen meal and gagging, I have abandoned this plan. I just don't care for leftovers, especially when they taste like freezer. I do have lots of meals planned out, and Jon can handle all of the grocery shopping. I am okay with this.

13. Take a "Baby Prep 101" class. Scheduled for 11/6!  DONE! Now I know everything there is to know about being a parent. Bahahahahahahahahahaha.

14. Enjoy sleeping in while I can! Everyone gives me that advice, but since I really don't sleep in now, I am finding it hard to force myself to do it. Maybe once the 3rd trimester fatigue kicks in I'll feel differently. Still sleeping like a... wait for it.... baby. Thank you God.

15. Get at least one video of baby girl moving around in my belly. It's so cute to watch, but she seems to move alot more when no one is around. Done! Check out her escape attempt from a few weeks ago.

16. Update my iPod with some new tunes. I honestly don't even know where my iPod is. Whoops.

17. Find the local publication that advertises family-friendly things to do around the area. I know it exists, but I can't find it! And I want to make sure she gets to experience as many cool things as I did as a kiddo, from pumpkin picking to hiking to cheesy festivals and the like. Found Columbus Parent Magazine at my library, and it's pretty nifty. most of the things will not be applicable for our little one until next summer at the earliest, but it's nice to have a heads-up and get some things put on our calendar... Circleville Pumpkin Show 2012, here we come!!


Phew... I'm tired just looking at this list. I feel so accomplished. That means I'm ready to be a parent now right???

Fill in the Blank Friday

the little things we do

 1.   The holiday season is   a magical time that reminds us to be with the ones we love, reflect on the past year, think about what we are grateful for, and how things will change in the year to come.

2.   Snow makes me   giggly and happy faced. It adds to the "romance" of the holiday season... until New Years, and it turns black and slushy and gross and I'm so over it. I do enjoy watching snow fall while sitting by the fire, but it loses it's appeal after December.

3.  The best comfort food to eat when it's cold out is    chili. I make turkey chili about once every 10 days in the winter, but Jon doesn't complain. Here's a super easy chili recipe I love that you can substitute any meat product (we even tried it with sirloin one time; I hated it, but my husband the carnivore thought it was great) .

4. Winter is the best time for    catching up on reading, sleep, and your DVR.... baby, it's cold outside!  

5.  I can hardly wait for    the birth of my daughter, sometime between now and Christmas :)

6.  When it comes to holiday gifts I prefer to    give!!! I don't like coming up with a "list" of things for people to buy me. I don't need much, and if I really, really need something I go get it. It's so much more fun to come up with cool and unique ideas for friends and loved ones. Although Santa, if you're reading this, baby girl reallllly needs an iPad 2.

7.  If I were to rate my excitement about the holiday season on a scale from 1-10, I would say I am at about a   well since my daughter is due on Christmas, I'd rate my excitement level at a 10, since she is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to us. I looked back at some of my posts from this time last year, and I just can't believe what a difference a year makes. I remember the sadness I felt as I typed out those words; I had always loved Christmas, but last year I was in no mood for celebrating. Somehow, the fact that our little one is due on Christmas does not seem like a coincidence....

Happy weekend everybody!

Letter to my daughter... by me

My sweet baby girl...

Today is December 1st, and sometime this month, I will be holding you in my arms. I hope you don't feel overwhelmed by all of the love that is about to spill forth in this letter. Hopefully some day you can understand for yourself.

You are the sweetest little miracle I could ever imagine. Though we haven't "met" yet (on the outside anyway) I feel like I know you better than anyone. And that's probably because I do.

For example, I know you are kind and considerate. You've given mommy the easiest pregnancy I could imagine. Sure I was nauseous in the beginning, and sure I may get uncomfortable some times, but one tiny little nudge from you and I realize how minor these discomforts are compared to the life you have ahead of you... a life that I get to witness, nurture, and in which I will play a critical role.

You are playful and fun-spirited. I love watching you move from one side of my belly to the other, and watching you react to my singing voice (You either love it or hate it, but either way you let me know you can hear me).

You are adventurous. You can eat lemons one minute and crave milk the next. I hope this translates to a hunger for life and spontaneity that surpasses what your daddy and me can show you (and believe me, we want to show you ALOT). I hope you always appreciate any opportunity in which you can learn more, see more, do more.

All these things I know about you already, sweet girl. I know this because you receive more of my attention than anyone else. I know this because I know your daddy so well, and you are SO truly blessed to be half of him; you will learn over and over again that he is one of the best ones. And I know this because we have wished, prayed, and hoped for you, our beautiful miracle, for so long. You will never fully understand how loved you are, but let's just say that if love could move a mountain... the Grand Canyon would be in our backyard.

There are so many things I wish for you baby girl... mistakes I've made that I never want you to make; experiences I've had that I want you to have; experiences I've had that I want you to avoid. I wish I could protect you from every person, place, and thing that will every cause you any type of harm, pain, or sadness. While you're here in my belly, I can keep you safe... but once you're on the outside, I feel like I will be able to protect you less and less with each passing day.

But without those experiences, mistakes, regrets... I wouldn't be me. And daddy wouldn't be daddy. And therefore, you wouldn't be you. Sometimes I think about the path that our lives have taken... what if I had made one different decision? Every single thing that has happened to me and to daddy has led to this... has led to you. So even though I know I can't protect you forever, I know that you have a lifetime of joy and happiness in front of you.

I am equal parts excited/scared/nervous/anxious/elated and everything in between. I just want to meet you so badly, but I know that day is coming so so soon. I am going to miss rubbing my belly, and watching you squirm all around in there. Even when I'm by myself, you're always there... but not for long. I'm going to have to share you with the world, and even though I'll miss carrying you, I'm even more excited to watch you grow.

I love you princess... see you soon.

~ Momma

She's trying to escape!!!

The stripes must make her think she's in prison....

A Mother's Prayer for Her Daughter.... by Tina Fey

The following is an excerpt from Tina Fey's bestselling book, Bossypants. It is hilarious, and this "prayer" for her daughter was too funny and appropriate not to share. Warning: Do not read if you're easily offended!!

“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the crystal meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half and stick with beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it.

May she play the drums to the fiery rhythm of her own heart with the sinewy strength of her own arms, so she need not lie with drummers.

Grant her a rough patch from twelve to seventeen.

Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, for childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers and the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, for I will not have that shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a mental note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.


Amen.”

-Tina Fey, Bossypants

It Happened

I tried to resist, but I couldn't.

I held out as long as I could, but I gave in.

I said I didn't need another time-waster, but now I am addicted.

..................I found Pinterest.

What is Pinterest you ask?? Well, I can't really explain it other than to say it's looking at other people's pictures, and coming up with your own inspiration boards.

Ok, let's say you find a cool recipe or a cute picture whilst surfing the 'net, and you want to remember it. But what do you do if you're like me and the number of Bookmarks you have in Internet Explorer are a mile long? Well friend, you just "Pin It."

You can also search other friend's and strangers pin boards for inspiration. Within 30 minutes, I had an entire board dedicated to my daughter. Here are some faves :)

Some cute ideas for her newborn photo session:

Precious

Source: flickr.com via Audra on Pinterest

Must get this shot

Source: imagesofgracephoto.com via Audra on Pinterest

So adorable

Source: blogs.babble.com via Audra on Pinterest

Teeny tiny feet!

Source: Uploaded by user via Audra on Pinterest

Not naming her Baker, but we do have blocks with her name :)

Source: google.com via Audra on Pinterest

Unbelievably cute.. birth announcement maybe?

Source: sarahjordanphotography.blogspot.com via Audra on Pinterest

So so sweet

Source: teresabergphotography.com via Audra on Pinterest

And so begins the addiction I guess!

This...is...hysterical

For your daily LOL'ing...

"Lady Gaga Terrifies a Baby"

Courtesy of People.com

It's Ok Thursday

Link up!

.... to have a 3.5 page "To-Do" list of things that have to completed before your daughter is born and she's due in a month.

... to register for a Panera frequent buyer card just so you can get the complimentary chocolate croissant that comes with your registration.

... to think that men who cheat on their fabulous, gorgeous, amazing wives are the scum of the earth and are contributing to the downfall of our society.

... to have 7 lip glosses/balms/sticks in your purse, when all you use is the Blistex.

... to deny Facebook friend requests from people you haven't spoken to in 5+ years. Do you really care about getting back in touch with me, or do you just want to snoop in the hopes that my life is less awesome than yours?

... to admit to yourself that you are a nail-biter (for the 100th time in 27 years).

... to eat twice the amount of mashed potatoes at dinner than your husband. One for me, one for the baby. It's just math.

... to ignore the reviews of Breaking Dawn and be super excited to see it with your besties tomorrow. What critic is going to give a tween flick at the end of a 5-movie series a 4 star-review?? They would be laughed out of the break room, and they're only trying to save face, but you know they secretly loved it.

Sleep now (or forever hold your peace)

When you are pregnant, you get all SORTS of unsolicited advice.

Don't eat this, eat a bunch of that, don't walk too much, don't forget to walk everyday, you're not gaining enough weight, you look huge are you sure you're not having twins, use cloth diapers, don't use cloth diapers, pacifiers are the devil, pacifiers are a necessity and here's the best kind, you're carrying high your doctor is wrong that must be a boy, you're carrying high you're having a girl aren't you, you won't be able to breastfeed because it's too hard, breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your child, how can you eat that piece of cheese don't you know that babies hate cheese?!?!!?!?

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

For the most part, I just smile and nod and say thank you when someone offers me advice that I haven't asked for. I think people mean well, and want you to learn from their wisdom (or their mistakes). I get that. I take everything with a grain of salt though, because, as demonstrated above, advice is often contradictory.

In fact, the one thing I've truly accept about parenting advice?? What works for one baby may not and probably will not work for another. Humans are unique, complex creatures with varied temperaments, and I for one am grateful that this little girl bounding away in my belly is, literally, one of a kind.

One piece of advice that I have been hearing non-stop lately: "Oh, you're having a baby?? Sleep now."

via

Um, what?? I do sleep now. I sleep every day in fact. Though my daily routine varies, the one constant in all of my 27 years has been that every single day, I sleep. It's necessary for survival.

However, as we know because science tells us, you can't "bank" sleep, nor can you truly catch up on lost sleep time. If you pull an all-nighter and crash the next day, you may be able to function, but you're still not going to feel as good as you would have with 8.75 hours of sleep on both of those nights.

So, as well-meaning as the "Sleep now" advice is, honestly, it's not helpful. I completely understand that, as a new parent, I am going to be sleep-deprived. Like, more tired than I've ever been in my life. I am not that naive. But am I willing to be a zombie for a few months/years in order to take home a sweet, healthy baby?? You bet your ass I am. For me, there couldn't be a smaller price to pay.

And speaking of sleep... I have heard so many horror stories about the end of pregnancy. How you're miserable, uncomfortable, and all you want is for the baby to get out. Somehow, I think the universe has decided to give me a thumbs-up on this matter, because I am sleeping like a CHAMP these days. Even better than before I was pregnant I think. Knock.on.wood. Of course, I have a solid recipe of conditions that I think contribute to my blissful slumber:

Me, minus the "Beauty" and asleep for 100 years part

- Dark, cool room
- White noise
- King-size bed with a plush matttress topper
- A hubby who doesn't snore, bed hog, or steal the covers
- Four, yes four, pillows. One of each side of me, and two behind my head.

Ahhhhh, just thinking about it makes me sleepy.

Oops

My weekend productivity?

I accidentally bought this:

and this:

for the baby. That makes four Christmas outfits that she owns. FOUR. Did I mention that she's due ON Christmas Day? And that the majority of babies who are delivered naturally are overdue? So she could very well be born in January?? Yep.

But when I rationalized to myself that the baby needed a Christmas dress, because what else would she wear on Christmas day, surprisingly it just landed it my cart. I mean, we can't bring her home in regular old pajamas right?!?!

And so it begins....

It's Ok Thursday

 To go to The Melting Pot and only order the melted cheese and chocolate, and consider that a meal.

To want my baby girl to talk/act like Agnes from Despicable Me. I realize she's animated and not real, but she's just soooo cute. See, look!



To not care when people give me the side-eye for carrying around a large Starbucks coffee whilst pregnant. It's called DECAF, Nosy McNoserson.

To care more than a little bit that my engagement ring is getting snug and I might not be able to wear it at the end of my pregnancy and I AM worried about the side-eye I'll be receiving from meddling old bitties in the supermarket who think I'm an unmarried harlot.

To ignore the comments I get when I waddle around the gym. "Haven't you had that baby yet?" or "You look like you're about to burst!" are my favorites. I credit staying active during my pregnancy for how good I feel and sleep, so I'm not gonna give it up just because my pregnant belly is only slightly larger than some of the beer-gutted men who make those comments.

To think Cinnamon Toast Crunch is a fantastic dessert.

To drink 3 glasses of skim milk per day. What my baby wants, my baby gets ;-)

To have $4.20 in fines at the library. Whoops.

To be selling my Friends DVDs on eBay. I am an anti-hoarder, and the boxes are taking up precious real estate in my attic. Besides, you can catch any episode re-run you want on TBS or basically any cable channel. It's fine. We were on a break.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

This Kind of Love

I'm loving....my new breakfast treats! Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal and Morningstar Farms veggie bacon strips.

Oatmeal made me sick in my first trimester, so I didn't touch it in my second, but now all of a sudden it's delicious again and keeps me fuller. And I recently re-discovered the bacon strips. I ate them all the time when I was a vegetarian, but forgot about them. Till one day I was walking in the frozen foods section and BAM! They called to me. Delicious, with the texture of a Beggin' Strip (like, the one for dogs) but I like 'em.

I'm loving.... the new single "Heartbeat" The Fray. They are one of my favorite bands, and I am probably biased because this was the first show Jon and I saw together, and we danced to one of our songs at our wedding, but I just love their music. I have a soft spot for the piano, so you can pretty much guarantee if a piano is playing in the background, I'm gonna like the song. Just ask Mr. William Joel. Big fan.



I'm loving....That all of my sweaters from Express STILL fit, even at almost 8 months along!

Thank goodness for super long sweaters and tunics that are still in style, they have saved my budget and have kept me from being the frumpy pregnant woman! I hope that by the time belly shirts come back in fashion, my child-bearing days are over. Actually, I just hope they never come back.


I'm loving.... The First Husband by Laura Dave.

It's the required reading for our book club this month, and sometimes, you just need a little chick lit in your life. It's so nice to break away from reading finance documents (at work) and reading parenting and childbirth books and feeling inadequate (at home). I'm only about 1/3 of the way in, but I am really enjoying it so far and just want to know what happens!

I'm loving... my 4 day work week! We have Friday off for Veteran's Day so I am treating myself to that prenatal massage Jon bought us for Sweetest Day, and I'm also getting a haircut. I'll be a brand new woman! Any hair suggestions?? I don't want to chop too much length off but I'm kinda bored with what I've got going on now. These bangs need trimmed for sure, I look like the Hamburgular.

Yes, YOU need a haircut!

What are you loving today??

Nerd Alert!

SUPER excited about the fact that Breaking Dawn Part I is coming out next Friday.

And I LOVE this song from the movie by Christina Perry:



I am geeked out on Twilight-related things right now, and I don't care. Who's with me?!?!?!?! Anyone?? Anyone?!?

This is what my weekend consisted of

Making this alfredo sauce and pairing it with spaghetti and bacon. A fat-filled dream come true.

Walking at a glacial pace on the treadmill at Snap Fitness while watching Serendipity. John Cusack is a cutie, in that weird, was probably a cute guy in your high school but you never noticed him, kind of way.

Discovering that we still own both a Playstation 2 AND the Family Guy video game for it and wasting 90 minutes of my day playing it. And then I painted a giant L on my forehead.

Spending TWO HOURS at Lowe's helping Jon pick out lumber for baby girl's closet. And when I say help, I really mean I sat on the industrial cart and looked at my fingernails while he painstakingly chose the best quality items for her nursery.  I knew I married a handyman, but seriously... the stuff this man knows how to do blows me away. I'm excited to share nursery and bathroom pictures once those projects are complete... hopefully in the next few weeks!

Taking a trip to Buy Buy Baby to buy buy some essentials for our sweet little nugget. I picked up some Carter's newborn-sized long sleeve bodysuits with matching pants. Some people tell me not to bother with newborn size, because most babies grow out of them quickly. Others say that their little ones wore them for over a month before switching over to the 0-3 month size. So I'm keeping the tags on just in case. But aren't they sweet??

I also bought her an infant-sized Santa hat, just to further her humiliation when I bring her baby books out on prom night.

Mexican food and fro-yo with my friends Heather and Skye, and her two little ones (who are adorable and are excited to meet their new friend!). We went to a place near here called Spoon Me, and though it is no Orange Leaf by any means, it did hit the spot.

Annnnd, since I have a slight problem... I may have ordered two more infant headbands for baby girl. Whoever told me it was an addiction was NOT joking. But I bought these two from an Etsy shop of a friend's cousin, so I feel like I'm just supporting entrepreneurship and am therefore justified.

Also, thanks to good old DST, I slept 10 GLORIOUS HOURS on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. I really need to knock on a giant piece of wood, but as of now (33 weeks and counting) I am still sleeping wonderfully and feeling really, really good. The pregnancy gods are being kind to me, so now I need to come up with some sort of sacrifice to keep them happy for the next 48 days.

What fun/awesome/unproductive things did you do this weekend??

You know you have issues when....

... your search terms on Etsy include "vintage infant headbands"

... you eat 4 chicken legs and don't even feel full

... you're bummed you have to work tomorrow because you won't be home until 9:30pm tonight but you really want to wash your sheets because the fabric softener smell is gone and you just sleep sooooo much better when Downy is invading your lungs

#pregnantwomanissues

Yep, that's happening

Today is November 1st....

...which means we're having a baby NEXT month!!!!!!!!!#$@$^%%#$%^

 ...which also means that it's socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music now.

Here's a favorite of mine if you're in the mood too ;-)

Public Service Announcement: The Be Band

Ladies, if you are pregnant, bloated, will ever become pregnant, or will ever become bloated, read on:

I just have to give a shout-out to one of the best products I purchased during my entire pregnancy. I've used it for months now, but it came in handy SO greatly this morning that I almost kissed it. Ok, not really, but close.

What is a Be Band, you ask?

BeBand, $16.99,  Target

Well friend, the Be Band is a crafty invention sold at Target (there are more expensive ones on the market, but this one works just fine) and it is designed to save your money, tears, and agony on those days when your pants just.won't.button.

Let paint this picture for you. It's Friday morning. I'm already running 15 minutes late for work because I snoozed 3 times (ok 4- it's so dark out in the mornings, and I can't wait for DST to kick in next weekend). I find a shirt to wear. Then I realize that ALL THREE of my maternity dress pants are in the laundry. I realize quickly that a) I need to do laundry more often and b) I might have to go to work pant-less. I've only purchased 3 pairs of maternity pants because really, they're not that great, and you only wear them temporarily. Maternity jeans, on the other hand, were sent directly from God.

So anywhoo, I'm panicking because I'm already running late, and I have no pants to wear, and I don't want to wear a dress to work because it's freezing outside and my legs look like Casper's. What do I do?!?

Then I remember the Be Band. Essentially, this thing is just a stretchy tube top. It allows you to wear your regular pants unbuttoned. It creates this seamless look and no one is the wiser. So I pull out a pair of non-maternity dress pants, put a tube top around my hips, and voila! Problem solved!!! And no one needs to know that not only are these regular person pants unbuttoned, they're also completely unzipped. I am 32 weeks pregnant and certainly not getting any smaller.... there is no reason I should be wearing non-maternity pants. Haha! Take that, universe! The Be Band is tight enough so that your pants stay put, but it also doesn't need to be constantly readjusted. I actually forget that I'm wearing regular pants.

Check it out:

See?? Look how happy I look in regular pants!

And that my friends, is the most interesting thing I'll have to share all day.

October Showers bring... December babies??

I am horrible about taking pictures. No really, one of my New Year's resolutions is to get better at it. I have a good memory (I think?) but there's something so wonderful about capturing a moment in time via a digital copy. So thankfully I had some good friends on hand this past weekend to document the baby shower my sisters-in-law held for me and baby girl.

We actually had two baby showers in the month of October, but for some reason I can't get the pictures from my first shower to transfer from my phone to my computer. So once I become more technologically saavy, I'll make sure to update with those pictures too!

Update: I got a few!   Not sure why they're so small but here they are!

Pink-themed food, naturally

Amazing homemade candy apples for a take-away present

A "Christmas" Tree full of baby items, a nod to baby girl's due date :)

I was so overwhelmed with happiness, emotion, and gratitude on Saturday, for many reasons. First and foremost, I can't believe the caliber of friends and family I have. No one had to come, and no one had to bring a thing, but instead, they showered our little princess with literally every single thing she could possibly need for the first year of her life. Honestly, between the two showers, there is not ONE thing that I think she still needs. (Mommy might want to buy you some more embarrassing and ridiculous outfits, but those can wait) I just can't believe how many people truly care about me, my daughter, and our little family. It's so humbling, and appreciated more than they will ever know. I just wanted to hug every single person over and over again, because there's just no way for me to say thank you enough. I wish there was another word for thank you, because I feel so much more than thankful for having each and every one of you in my life.

Also, I just can't believe we've made it to this point. After everything we've been through over the last year and a half, I can't believe that my sweet little girl will be here in just two short months. I feel like it has taken an eternity to get here, but I am so grateful for the journey, because it has made me a better wife, a better mother, and that much more sure that I am SO READY to take this baby girl home with us.

Sometimes it's hard having such good looking friends ;-)

The living room was taken over by baby-ness

The belly dominates the picture. I am HUGE!! And I love everything about it :)

The lovely spread

The taco bar was a HUGE hit!! :)

My friend Kim made the coolest stroller/baby gift contraption I have ever seen. Warning: If you're my friend and pregnant, you are probably going to get one of these as my gift because it is just so cool!

Her first pair of jeans!

Wings for our angel :)

It's a Girl!!! :)

 

A cookie bar for the shower guests... all homemade because that's how Lindsay rolls

The aftermath

How could someone so tiny need so many things??? We are so grateful and BLESSED!

We can't wait to meet you sweet girl!