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