My Favorite

So, baby post have been dominating the blog...with good reason.  Super exciting time, and want to make sure and document as much as possible.  BUT, I definitely want to take a second and recognize my amazing husband.  I am absolutely the luckiest to have a man like him to do life with.

We are on the brink of celebrating our one year anniversary.  It's crazy to think it's been a year! (And I know EVERYONE says that, but it's true!)  I've been telling everyone we've pretty much done everything they tell you NOT to do your first year of marriage...get pregnant, grow a new business, move, and change jobs (twice).  Whew!  Makes me tired just recounting it all!  It's been hard, but God really has been faithful.  We've seen some really really hard days, but we've seen some amazing days, making sweet memories.

Our anniversary is actually the 4th, but we're "hoping"  Miss Annabelle comes out before then.  The fact we're still waiting on her is not what we were expecting, but so goes parenting, right?  We celebrated this last Monday.  Travis took the day off, and planned a fun-filled day of activities.  I say day of fun, but really it was an afternoon of fun.  This huge pregnant chick really only has about 4 or 5 good hours in her, then I am in need of a serious break!

Back to Travis.  He has been a huge rock for me over the last year, in particular the last 10 months.  The first few months of pregnancy (16 weeks to be exact) were pretty intense and miserable.  Saw lots of vomiting with zero ability to eat, all equaling a really unhappy, crying pregnant wife.  He was so so so great throughout it all.  Really great.

For those that don't know, Travis is the chef in the relationship.  Really great cook.  Don't know how I got so lucky to get someone who not only loves to cook, but is really good at it, but I definitely did.  Our trade off:  he cooks and I am lifetime laundry person.  He absolutely HATES doing laundry, and I totally don't mind it.  Perfect trade off!  Beyond the cooking, Travis is one of the kindest people I know.  Incredibly patient, full of grace, and above all, he gets me.  He gets all my ridiculous, over-the-top behavior without making me feel ridiculous and over-the-top.  He takes care of me, makes me laugh, and encourages me.  He's super smart, and does not take himself to seriously.  He's completely selfless, and is so good at serving others.  Above all, he is so excited to be Annabelle's daddy, and he is going to be the best daddy ever.  So incredibly sweet and loving this man!

So here's to one year with my wonderful best friend and my love, Travis.  I love you more and more each passing year we share together.  Thankful for YOU!  And excited to begin this journey of parenting together!  Oh the memories to come!  Love you, love you, love you!

My hot groom one year ago!!

Another Preggo Rant

As I stated, yesterday was a hard day.  Actually, the last couple days have been hard days.  If I had done this update yesterday, I would have come across as the super bitter and annoyed pregnant lady.  I waited 24 hours so I could come across as the mildly frustrated and slightly annoyed pregnant lady.

As a personal trainer, it never fails that eventually I'll have the conversation with my client she's frustrated at the lack of results.  The number isn't changing on the scale.  She  just can't get pass this certain number...etc, etc etc.  It's the growing pains of breaking old habits, and giving time for the body to respond to the new ones being formed.  BUT, in each case I empathize and sympathize with the client.  I tell them I know it's hard, frustrating and you want to just give up.  It really can get discouraging.  I talk to them about THEIR struggle.  Validate their frustrations and, at times, tears and sadness.  It's hard!  

What I have found more annoying and baffling is the abundance of moms out there that give the ol eye roll/condescending smile to the frustrations, aches, and pains of these last days of pregnancy.  Carrying a child is A LOT on a woman's body, period!  And for some, it's way harder than others.  And I LOVE that I have mom friends out there that have had 2, 3, 4 babies.  Going to learn a ton from each of you.  BUT, what I need right now is not to get the ol "put your big girl panties on and deal with it" look/speech, or the smile that makes me feel like a child that says "yeah, yeah, it's just the way it is," OR the "but let me tell you how much worst I had it" speech.  

Good gracious, just try to remember what that first one was like.  The one before number 2, 3, or 4.  Remember the excitement, fear, anticipation, hope, and cluelessness you felt.  I'm sorry, but I am not looking for you to tell me the most horrific baby story ever about how you almost died, or the baby almost died, or just the most traumatic thing ever happened.  Why in the world do some women feel the need to go there?  I'm standing there after the story thinking to myself, "What in the world do I say right now, and what in the world is my face saying right now!?!?"  

AFTER sweet Annabelle is here, feel free to tell me all the super scary stories you like about giving birth.  But for now, just be a friend who remembers what it was to be scared that first time.  And if you were one of the lucky few that just had easy, breezy pregnancies and births, then just try to sympathize as much as possible.  I'm just asking for you NOT to tell me how awesome you were because  you had it so much worst than me.  I'm not asking you for a badge of honor right now for all the crap I'm going through, and I'm not going to give you a badge for what you went through.  I just want a little, "I know it's hard" maybe followed by a "You can do it!"

Thanks for sitting through some rantings of a 10 month pregnant lady that is super emotional right now.  I'm hoping to come back down to reality soon, so we'll see how that works out for me!

Back for yet another update...40 Weeks

So,  yesterday was a hard day.  Had my weekly baby appointment.  Did not get good news.  This little lady is comfy and cozy right where she's at.  Tears were definitely shed.

Today is her official due date.  Doesn't mean a ton if she doesn't decided to come out, which all signs indicate she does not intend to come out.   Sad, I know.  I didn't have a lot to say at my baby appointment yesterday, and definitely didn't stick around to chat and smile like usual.  Just wanted to get out and cry in my car!  My midwife pointed out to me (through a slight laugh) I wasn't even at 40 weeks, and I quickly interjected "Um, yes I am!"  She then came back and said, "Oh, I have tomorrow as 40 weeks."  Are you serious right now?  You're debating less than 24 hours with a 10 month, hormonal pregnant lady right now?  Sorry Amanda, wasn't a good day for me.

Pray I can make it each day this little girl decides to wait before making her grand entrance.  She's definitely making her momma (and daddy) earn it!  Now for the big ol preggo pic...enjoy!

How far along? 40 big whole weeks

Total weight gain: still at 32lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes.  Had to go buy a couple more shirts since my tummy is getting so big and sitting so low!  I'm up to about 4 outfits I can fit into these days...wonderful
Stretch marks? Nope.  Not yet
Sleep: Terrible.  Awful.  Not good.  My right hand pretty much stays permanently numb and tingly.  Annoying.
Best moment this week: Soooo hard to be positive right now.  Hubs and I had a movie marathon last night.  (I should note that "marathon" for us means 2 movies in a row.  Yeah, I know...we're crazy)  Trying to soak up moments alone, and enjoy each other.  
Miss Anything? Too many to name.  Sleep tops the list this week.  
Movement: Lots of movement.  Too much for a little girl who's suppose to be getting ready to come out!
Food cravings: Foods been harder still.  Getting more nauseous more often.  Trying to re-introduce chicken more, but was reminded again last night that might not be a great idea.
Anything making you queasy or sick: meat
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: Nope.  Absolutely none.  Stinks.  I went from quite a few braxton hicks to NONE this week.  So very frustrating.  
Symptoms: Some pain in my tummy time to time.  Swelling is not happening anymore, so that's nice.
Belly Button in or out? pretty flat still, but starting to look like it might want to come out some
Wedding rings on or off? Off
Happy or Moody most of the time: As I've mentioned, hard week....the last half saw some tears and sadness.  
Looking forward to: Her getting her, obviously.  Trying to enjoy these last day with me and Travis, but we are both just so ready to meet her, hold her, and love on her!!!  

Annabelle's Nursery

So excited to finally post pictures of Annabelle's nursery!  It's been a long, fun process, and I'm glad to say it's finally finished.  I kept finding myself thinking of little things  to add here and there...I finally had to stop myself!  Pretty much everything was a Craigslist or thrift store find.  My furniture total came to be less than $260.  That includes the crib, glider, dresser, and changing table!  Here are some before and afters of the dresser.  Found it for $30 at a thrift store.  Here is the dresser before...

And after...Well, not the complete after, but we'll get to that in a second.

Here is the glider minus the hideous material it came with and the crib before all the extras.

Found this in the dumpster of our Austin apartment.  Originally had other plans for it, but ended up using it for Annabelle's room.  I ripped the backing off, leaving just the frame.  

Then I painted it a vintage green.  See below for the final result. 

Now the afters...

LOVED the way everything turned out!  Used a tiffany blue for the $30 dresser.  Got knobs from Anthropologie on sale.   A friend of my mom's reupholstered the glider.  (She's really good and super affordable!  Message me for her info!)  Love the pillow I found on sale from Pier 1!

So fun finding vintage toys all over the city!  The book in the middle was actually mine as a child, as were the baby booties on the dresser.  My mom and I glued on buttons to the heart and added a wooden "A" we painted yellow. 

So much in this picture!!  The cute baby rocker was a find in Canton.  $10 I think.  Matched my paint perfectly!  My step dad made me some corner shelves, and I just painted them with leftover paint.  A lot of the books were mine from my childhood, as well as the Raggedy Ann doll, and another pair of my booties.  

The wall was fun to make.  My BFF and super creative friend Lacy helped a bit with that.  Found everyone of those gold frames at thrift storers.  They were all used in our wedding.  I just framed fabrics I had leftover from the room as well as a lace handkerchief.  I tore out a few pages from old children's books to frame as well.  For the center frame we backed it with burlap, painted some letters I got from Michaels, and glued them on.  Turned out perfect!

A more close up view.  My mom is sooooo good at antinquing!  She found the cute horse and made Annabelle's name out of old alphabet blocks.  

And the bed....I knew I wanted the Jenny Lind crib.  Found it on Craigslist for $40.  I could not find any bedding I loved without spending $500 and up.  Refuse to spend that much on baby bedding!  SO, my mom made the bed skirt.  I know, crazy talented!  I really wanted the tiered bed skirt with vintage fabrics.  She did an amazing job!  Out of no where we learned my mom can really sew!!  I made the bunting banner out of remaining fabric.  Just got a plain white crib sheet.  The bed might be my favorite!

Here's the full corner view. Backed the green frame I talked about earlier with burlap and added some vintage records I found and a cute baby dress.  

Found the Jenny Lind changing table for $25 on Craigslist.  My step dad again made me a small shelf for above the table.  Painted it a nice vintage green.  Used the same paint for the letters above the closet.  Baskets were found at Garden Ridge. 

I  loved this painting I found!  Went perfectly with everything!  Only $5!!!  Could not believe it.  The ceramic figure was mine from childhood, as were the booties.  Basket was from Garden Ridge.

So that was major picture overload, but who doesn't love seeing pictures!  Hope you enjoyed!  Now we're just waiting on sweet little Annabelle to finally get here!  

39 Weeks...She's still in there

Welp....she's still in there.  Obviously, not ready to come out yet.  Which is crazy to me, because I think it's DEFINITELY time to come out!  I've seen and heard of quite a few of you having your babies lately, and while I'm more than overjoyed for each of you...it's my turn!  In all honesty, all of you were due before me, so I know I'm kinda asking a lot...and yes I realize that I technically still could have at least one more week...BUT all that is besides the point.  This Mama is ready!  Hello puffiness!  So, here's to another weeks update.  Really hoping this will be my last before she gets here!!

How far along? 39 Weeks

Total weight gain: 35
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Pretty much the same as last week..EXCEPT for the night I happened to take a nap.  The catastrophe that is my 2-3 hour naps made sleeping that night not fantastic!
Best moment this week: Mani/Pedi I got, and hearing and seeing pics of my BFF in Shanghai having her sweet baby girl!!  We've been experiencing pregnancy 10 days apart and half a world away this whole time.  Pretty fun!
Miss Anything? Um, yes...too many to list.  Just staying focused on being grateful she's almost here!
Movement: She has her moments where she's pretty active.   It's kinda funny, and I'm not sure I've documented this somewhere, but anytime a man (dad, step dad, etc) touches my belly while she's moving she suddenly stops.  If it's a woman, not so much, but it's like she can tell it's a guy and kinda gets scared a second.  Interesting I think.
Food cravings: Sweets are still kinda high on the list, but this week cravings have been down, and feeling sick to my stomach has been pretty bad.  Reminiscent of first trimester without the vomiting all the time (thankfully).
Anything making you queasy or sick: meat
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: Lots of braxton hicks lately...few other things, so we'll see if it all adds up!
Symptoms: Some pain in my stomach from where her head moves around.  Still lots of pressure on my hips.  Lower back pain, mainly right SI kinda getting bad.  Lord, please don't let back labor be out of control!
Belly Button in or out? flat as a board
Wedding rings on or off? Off...feeling and looking so so very puffy!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Ready to meet her!!!
Looking forward to: Finally meeting her, seeing what she looks like, bringing her home!!!

38 Weeks...Are we there yet?!?!?!

I'm trying to wear similar shirts in all the pics so we can see more of the changes/progress.  My poor shirts  can hardly fit over my belly anymore!  She dropped a lot this week, so my belly tends to poke out of the bottom of my shirts quite often.  Kinda embarrassing, but at this point I really don't care!  It's so ridiculously hot outside, I'm just hoping not everybody is noticing the constantly sweating 9 1/2 month pregnant lady!   Crazy how hot you can feel...ALL the time!  We're getting so close!

How far along? 38 Weeks

Total weight gain: 32 lbs
Maternity clothes? Without question!  And, sadly, most maternity shirts can't even cover my belly anymore!  Travis likes to point out that my belly is sticking out...often
Stretch marks? none yet!
Sleep: Not good.  Not good at all.   The numbness and pain in my hands (specifically my right hand) is out of control.  Apparently, that's relatively normal for women in pregnancy.  Especially late in pregnancy.  I absolutely cannot sleep at night unless I'm laying on my back at an angle, which is as comfortable as it sounds (please note the sarcasm).
Best moment this week: Thursday was a big day.  She dropped big time!  We thought it was almost game time, but no dice.  I was having serious contractions all day, and she felt like she was trying to push her way out all day long.  Travis came home and couldn't believe the difference in my belly from when he left that morning.  She is certainly getting ready! 
Miss Anything? Sleep...wearing my wedding ring....remembering what it must be like to not have sausage toes and fingers by the end of the day...
Movement: Yep.  Kinda slowing down a bit.  She has active moments, but not as often.  Definitely getting harder for her to move in there. 
Food cravings: This girl wants some sugar!  So hard.  Fruit is definitely still on the top of the list, but wouldn't mind throwing in some cookies and cupcakes.  ;-)
Anything making you queasy or sick: meat
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: Kinda.  Contractions are more common.  Definitely have had to stop a few times and breathe through it.  One today literally brought tears to my eyes!  
Symptoms: She is really pushing down.  Still feels like she's cutting off my femoral artery in both legs.  Crazy the pressure.
Belly Button in or out? still pretty flat
Wedding rings on or off? Off
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy & EXCITED !
Looking forward to: Meeting her! SO  very ready for her to be here!

A Little Comparison

I decided to take a pic of the bare belly and compare it to the beginning and the half way point.  Pretty crazy the difference between the first 20 weeks and the next 17! 

So this is 12 weeks...

And 19 weeks...

And, good lord, 37 weeks!  I only wish I had been doing more belly shots throughout.  Doesn't it blow your mind what happens week to week?!  Insanity!

37 Weeks...So. Huge.

How far along? 37 Weeks

Total weight gain: 30 lbs.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: I have this new thing where my right fingers are going numb.  Yeah, crazy and scary.  I wake up and can't feel them.  Happens during the day randomly as well.  Pretty sure there's a pinched nerve in my shoulder/neck.  Seeing someone this week.  SOOOO lucky I'm married to a massage therapist/trainer!  He is soooo smart and good at what he does!
Best moment this week: Getting the last few things up on the wall and things getting more organized in her room.  I also would like to add I am loving that cleaning/nesting mode is in full effect.  Organizing and stocking up on everything right now!
Miss Anything? You mean besides ever really being comfortable and not hauling around a huge belly??  
Movement: Still tons and tons.  Poor thing is living in some tight quarters!
Food cravings: Still want fruit for every meal...other than that, not craving a ton.
Anything making you queasy or sick: meat
Gender: Girl 
Labor Signs: At 2cm dilated and 60% effaced, with some braxton hicks happening every so often.  Starting the all natural stuff to help start contractions.  
Symptoms: Just the braxton hicks really.  My feet are starting to swell by the end of each day.   Epsom salt bath is crucial at this point!  To all my preggo friends reading, it helps tremendously!
Belly Button in or out? flat
Wedding rings on or off? off
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy, excited, nervous....so much going on!
Looking forward to: Travis and I cannot believe she is almost here!!!  I mean, I am very aware of the fact I've been pregnant for the last 9 months, but it's becoming a huge reality real to me that she actually has to come out somehow!  Holy.  Crap.   I've loved her growing in my belly, but now she's got to make her way out...intense.