Little Lady O is Three Months Old!

"Her little hands stole my heart.  Her little feet ran away with it."

(author unknown)

My sweet, sweet girl, you are three months old.  How quickly we have gotten here my love.  The days are filled with so much laughter, so much joy, so much love.  It is difficult to recall a time where you weren't a part of my life.  My darling, you have filled a void I didn't even know existed.  I look forward to the rest of my life with you.

I extended my maternity leave for an extra five weeks.  My heart aches at the thought of leaving you.  Going back to work was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made.  However, for the time being, this is the best decision for our family.  

So, here are your updates.  Though I have tried, and tried, and tried to write this post on your ACTUAL three month birthday, you had entirely different plans.  The last three weeks (Almost four) have been a whirlwind of chaos in the sleep department (More on that in a minute).  

Weight:  Since your next well-visit is only next month, I can't pinpoint exactly how much your chubbiness weighs.  However, a few weeks before you turned three months I took you to the pediatrician because I thought you had a stuffy nose (You didn't, first time mom paranoia at its finest).  During that visit the nurse weighed you and you were a whooping 13 lbs 14 oz.  I think it is safe to say that right at this moment you are most likely over 14 lbs.  My little chubby bunny, momma can't resist your rolls.

Eating:  The week you turned 11 weeks old your eating habits were turned up a notch.  All you wanted to do was eat, eat, eat.  We are still exclusively breastfeeding, but this momma can't wait to feed you solids (Am I crazy?).  You have also taken bottles of expressed breast milk in order to get you ready for your days away from me.  So far, so good.  

Clothing:  Honestly, it really depends on the brand of clothes.  So, you are in a range of 3 months clothing and 3 to 6 months clothing.  Dressing you is one of my most favorite thing to do.  Grandma said I treat you like a living doll.  Can you blame me, you are just too cute.  Even though you have the most adorable outfits, I've begun to notice that you prefer to be naked.  Mostly it's because you think you are going to take a bath.  You love bath time and recently you've started to kick your legs in order to splash.  The bigger the splash the bigger the smile.

Sleeping:  Remember when I mentioned that little lady O was an awesome sleeper?  Well, I totally jinxed myself.  For about 3 and a half weeks now, the little miss went from sleeping through the night to waking up EVERY three hours.  Yes, you read that correctly, every-three-hours.  I am hoping that this is a growth spurt and that we will return to our normal programming shortly.  Shortly as in tonight.  Yes, I have tried multiple things, giving her a pacifier, rubbing her belly, rocking her but none of that works.  You know what does work?  Nursing her.  She only resumes her slumber once she is finished filling her belly.  Last night she went down at 8:30 PM, at 9:40 PM she woke up (I had to feed her), she went down and woke up once again at around 1:00 AM (I had to feed her), then at 5:00 AM she was up once more (I had to feed her), and then she was up for the day at 7:00 AM.  I am afraid I am creating a bad sleeper.  Am I creating a bad sleeper?  Say a prayer for me, this momma needs some sleep.

Little Extras:  Her little coos have become full on babbling.  It is the sweetest thing to hear her make sounds.  I think she is pretty proud of herself because she gets excited whenever she does it.  Also, she gets louder and louder every single time (Which makes my heart melt).  Toys have also become very interesting.  They are no longer something to just look at, but, something to grab and take directly to her mouth.  My little munchkin is also FINALLY enjoying tummy time.  She doesn't love it, but she tolerates it, which is much better than before.  

Parent Moment:  This past Saturday was the VERY first time we went out on a date without our little bug.  It was a day date (Lunch and a movie), baby steps people, baby steps.  My mom gladly took on the role of babysitter which set my nerves at ease.  However, little Miss O was not happy about it at all.  It was almost as though she knew I wasn't with her; when we were getting ready to go out she immediately started pouting (It broke my heart!).  She cried and cried some more.  I almost, almost made my husband turn the car around and come home.  However, he and my mother both reassured me that everything would be okay and that she would be absolutely fine.  Which in the end she was.  My husband and I had a great time together.  Now that it is said and done, I wish we had done it sooner.  Perhaps, Olivia wouldn't have been such a fuss monkey had she been a little younger.  

Olivia, we love you more and more each day.  You are our sunshine, our moon, our stars, you are everything.  My little love I can't wait to see you grow and become a little lady.  You are such a sass and every day you make my heart so full it may burst.  I can't wait till next month!

xo

The scent of Fall.

Below is what Fall is supposed to look like.

Below is what Fall actually looks like, if you are a Floridian, which sadly, I am.

Oh, the days of summer have finally ended.  Fall fanatics have grabbed September by the horns, excitedly welcoming all things Fall, which, if you are on the trendy train means all things pumpkin.  Don't get me wrong, I was once a happy passenger on that cinnamon, pumpkin, caramel scented locomotive.  Not anymore, friends.  Not anymore.  My days of pumpkin "errrthang" are over. 

Last Fall I was entirely too giddy about filling my home with pumpkin smelling everything.  Well, if I am being honest I filled my house with all scents associated with Fall.  Caramel, Caramel Latte, Caramel Brûlée, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Spice, you get the picture.  This was September.  The only thing I refused to do was consume those amazingly delicious pumpkin spiced lattes from Starbucks.  Have you seen the color of that latte? Yeah, I can't even imagine what that does to your insides.  No-thank-you.  

Since I couldn't actually enjoy the "real" Fall.  You know, red and orange leaves, chilly weather, basically New England in a nutshell, I figured I could turn my home into a Fall sanctuary.  September was followed by October.  And in this spooktacular (Ya like what I did there?) month I found out I was pregnant.  On the sixth week of my pregnancy morning sickness threw me for a spin.  My Fall scented home became my worst enemy.  

Now, it is as though my brain has permanently associated Fall and vomit (So very sad!).  Pumpkin, barf.  Caramel, barf.  Cinnamon, double barf.  Anything and everything that smells sickly sweet gives me the urge to rush to the restroom and stick my head in the toilet.  Excessive?  Sure, but it is absolutely true. 

So, here I am, permanently disembarking the Festive Fall Train.  Here I am, brokenhearted, knowing that I can no longer peruse the Fall scented aisles of Bath and Body Works.  Here I am, saying farewell, goodbye, au devoir, ciao.  Perhaps, one day we shall meet again.  Till next time.  For now, where is winter?

xo

Little Lady O is Two Months Old!

“Nothing you do for children is ever wasted.”

Garrison Keillor

Happy two months, my sweet little one!  

As of September 8, 2014 my bundle of joy is two months old.  Two whole months.  Goodness, I'm going to blink twice and she will be in college, two more blinks and she will be married (Lets not talk about that now).  It is incredible how much change has occurred in such a short period of time.  I am so blessed to be her momma.  Whenever I get a few moments alone (Those times are extremely rare these days) I thank our Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a perfect being.  She is absolutely perfection.  Her daddy and I could not love her more.  Here are her updates.

Weight:  At her two month well check our little lady weighed in at 11 lbs 1 oz.  We are all loving her extra thigh rolls.  And those cheeks!  Oh-my-goodness, my husband comes home and asks me all the time, "Have you bitten our daughter yet?"  If you don't know, I have a tiny problem with biting squishy babies.  I have assured him that all I have done is kiss, kiss, kiss.  Maybe, just maybe I have nibbled on her little arm rolls.  Maybe.

Eating:  Our little chunky monkey would eat all day long if I allowed her.  Currently, I am under the impression that our little bug is going through a growth spurt.  During the day she is eating anywhere between every two to every three hours.  There are days where she can only go one hour and a half between a nursing session.  Those days our little lady is so hungry that she will scream her head off if I don't feed her right-that-very-second.  She rarely screams, except of course when she is hungry.  It is difficult to say how many ounces she is eating since we are breastfeeding.  However, the last time she took a bottle  of expressed breastmilk, it contained about 4 oz.  Once she starts baby school, also known as "daycare" (sigh) I will have a better notion of how much she is consuming.  My goal is to pump for daycare and nurse her when I am home.  

Clothing:  As soon as the doctor announced we were having a little girl all I could think of was, "Bows, shoes, dresses, and more bows".  Thank God for my mother.  She put the brakes on the shopping and let me know that babies grow quite quickly.  So, I didn't go crazy buying too many newborn pieces.  Olivia has been in 0-3 months for most of these last few weeks.  However, just the other day her little leopard 0-3 month onesie wouldn't button.  I looked at her, smiled, and held back a tear.  I'm so incredibly happy she is growing and healthy.  Yet, why is the time going by so quickly? The dilemma.

Sleeping:  Let's just say that I am one very happy momma.  Schedules give me a bit of anxiety.  So, in order not to stress any one of us out, we are kind of letting Olivia do her own thing (For now).  However, we may have fallen into an accidental routine.  Completely accidental, but, it works.  This is what is working for us, at the moment, because babies are unpredictable little creatures.  My husband and I give Olivia a bath every night.  You may disagree, but, we were both given baths every night and are just fine.  I have found that Olivia is much more relaxed after her bath.  Surprisingly, she loves bath time.  We keep her bath time between 7:00-7:30 PM.  After bath time I nurse her, place her in the beloved rock and play, and let her fall asleep.  This allows that little time to finish dinner and actually eat it.  Sometimes she falls asleep, sometimes she just naps. Lately, she will fall asleep in her rock and play at around 9:30 and we will bring her up to our room to sleep in the pack and play at around 10:00-10:30 PM.  I'll check her diaper and place her in her halo sleep sack (She loves that thing).  The time she wakes up varies from 5:30 AM, to 6:30 AM, and most recently 7:30 AM (YAY!).  The days she woke up at 5:30 AM she would normally go back to sleep at around 6:00 and wake up anytime between 8:30-9:00 AM.  It has varied.  This isn't to say that she hasn't fussed at least once throughout the night.  We decided it was okay to give her a pacifier (lifesaver) and so, if she fusses I'll take a pause, give her the pacifier, and wait.  If she just turns and falls back asleep I know she isn't hungry and I will fall back asleep as well.  We haven't transitioned her to her crib and I'm not sure when that time will be.  I'm crossing my fingers that when the time comes, it will be smooth and easy.  Considering the pack and play is a flat open space much like her crib, I'm hoping it doesn't cause much trouble.  Wish us luck!  

Today I was even able to get my smush to laugh out loud (It was so quick and sudden that I couldn't believe it).  I tried desperately for an encore, but, she was determined to ONLY give me gummy grins and little squeals (It's okay, I love those too!).  Tummy-time is quite entertaining these days.  She much prefers to be on her back than on her belly.  However, we still put in the work.  

At the end of the month our time lounging around without a care in the world will come to an end.  My heart aches whenever I think that I won't be with her the majority of the day.  We'll talk about that later.  Today, this hour, this minute is my favorite.  I am soaking up all the love I can.  Because I know that in the mornings when she sees my face her smile is as big as mine.  

xo

Oh, me? I'm doing fine.

It has been 10 weeks (And one day), 71 days, 1,704 hours, 102,240 minutes, 6,134,400 seconds since the day I met my little love.  Translation?  It has been a little over two months since I've become a momma.  It has been the best two months of my life.  The best, most challenging, exhausting, frustrating, thrilling, amazing 71 days of my 28 years of life.  And, even though just today I was squirted with poop as I was changing a stinky diaper, I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Now, life with a newborn is similar to that of a chicken running around with its head cut off. A chicken that gets pooped on, puked on, and sleeps, actually scratch that, DOESN'T sleep.  Life.is.rough.  If you are one of the lucky ones you may sleep.  Just don't tell the rest of the new momma population.  Unless of course you want to get the stank eye of the century.  True story.  

 Let me get to the point.  When I was pregnant I read countless blogs on what the postpartum life would look like.  Even though I may not have followed all of the suggestions (Trust me, you eventually find what works for YOU) it was nice to have an overview.  Which is what I am going to gift to you.  A guideline of sorts as to how to maneuver the messy world of life after baby.  Well, at least in the newborn stage, because quite frankly I have no idea what the next stage entails.  Like I said, I'm no expert, I've only been doing this thing for 71 days.  

Here it goes, folks.

Take showers.  No, seriously, take a shower, take a bath, and make it a daily occurrence. Blog after blog, after blog I kept reading how being a new mom kept you from bathing.  The idea of not being able to take a bath gave me anxiety.  There was no way, no how that I could go a day without showering. Nope, nope, and nope.  Sure, there are people that can go without bathing.  I am not one of those people.  If we are being honest, I am more of a two shower a day kind of girl.  Cutting down to one shower was difficult enough.  Not showering?  It just wasn't going to happen.  Even if you are in there for only five minutes it will make a world of difference (I promise you).  I am a whole new woman after a shower.  Plus, spit-up is spit-up.  Even though it comes from a baby it still smells.  If you don't want to smell rancid, I suggest you take a shower.  Like I said, five minutes can do wonders.

Sleep when you can.  Sleep.  Everyone will tell you, sleep when the baby sleeps.  I'm here to tell you that sleeping when the baby sleeps is challenging. You see, there is absolutely nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby.  In hindsight I should probably not have spent all that time staring at my sleeping baby.  I should have slept.  My husband is a small business owner and was unable to take time off when Olivia was born.  Other than the few days after we came home from the hospital, off to work he went.  I was home alone with a newborn.  A newborn who had her nights and days completely confused.  However, instead of sleeping during the day when she actually would sleep, I would stay up and stare at her pretty face.  Ludicrous, I know.  You really have no idea how much sleep is important until you aren't sleeping.  After about a week of zero sleep I became delirious.  Zombie-mom?  That was me.  And as quick as that came it went.  To ensure that I would get at least three hours of uninterrupted sleep my husband and I came up with a plan.  After Olivia's nine o'clock feeding I would hand her over to her daddy, run upstairs, take a shower (You know how important that is to me), and go to bed.  At midnight my husband would bring her upstairs and our nightly routine would begin once again.  I am happy to say that we are sleeping much, much better.  Thank you, Jesus.

The cami with a built-in-bra.  Breastfeeding is not for the faint of heart.  It can be quite difficult.  Even if the breastfeeding Gods are on your side, it is still a challenge.  Nursing bras, nursing pads, nipple cream, nipple gel, breastfeeding pump, it can all become overwhelming.  If I could do one thing, one-single-thing, it would be to burn my nursing bras.  I truly disliked everything about the nursing bra.  Everything.  So, I went and bought myself a ton of cami's with the built-in-bra.  For me this worked perfectly.  I wear them underneath all of my clothes and when I have to nurse I just pull up my shirt, pull down the cami and ta-da, done.  Plus, it keeps my belly covered, which is a major win in my book.  I'm perfectly okay with nursing in public, having my belly exposed, not just yet.  We are getting there.  Also, the cami with the built-in-bra doesn't have these little snaps and clips.  Snaps and clips drive a woman bonkers when her baby is screaming because the boob is there but she just can't have it. 

Subscribe to Netflix.  This may seem completely irrelevant.  However, in the beginning you will be feeding your sweet little bundle of joy constantly, regardless of which way you choose to do so.  If you choose to breastfeed you may have a little nugget that wants to nurse all-the-time.  Those first few weeks were all about nursing on demand and those sessions could last quite some time.  Having Netflix kept me entertained and awake (My biggest fear was falling asleep while nursing).  Friday Night Lights kept me up during those hours where sweet little Olivia wanted to nurse every hour on the hour for twenty plus minutes at a time.  You can't really do much while you are nursing, so, why not binge watch your favorite television show.  My current favorite?  Parenthood, which is so, so appropriate.

Go out.  Believe me, there will come a time where you will WANT to get out of the house.  It may not be during the first week, or the second week, maybe not even the third week. Give it some time and then make your way off the couch and into the sunshine.  I was terribly afraid of taking out Olivia on my own.  Then one morning I really wanted Starbucks and there was not a single person who could bring my latte to me.  My inner voice just told me to do it.  I got up, took a shower, got dressed, nursed Olivia (I wanted to prevent any hysterics) and off we went.  It was only through the drive-thru but it made me realize that it was okay to venture out into public.  Her first real outing was to Target.  However, my husband was with me so that doesn't count.  Seriously though, go out.  If you want to keep your sanity take a walk on the wild side and go for a spin.  Just don't over do it.  If you are exhausted, take a nap, that adventure can wait for another time.

Patience.  There were nights where I thought I may lose my sweet mind.  Sleep deprivation can do that to you.  A part of me felt like I would never sleep again (I cried).  Yet, as the days went by we fell into a routine.  She started sleeping for longer intervals and slowly my mind and body began to feel more like the old me.  It didn't happen over night.  Be patient and remember, this too shall pass.

Mostly, just enjoy this time with your little one.  The life with a newborn is a chaotic but beautiful one.  I would relive all those first days with my little over and over again (This may be the lack of sleep speaking).  You will be frustrated.  You will question your ability as a mother.  You will feel like screaming.  Then your sweet one will fall asleep on a full belly, you'll get into bed, and wake up five hours later to the realization that your child ALMOST slept through the night.  You'll do a happy dance and get back into bed hoping she sleeps just a little-bit-longer.  She wakes up five minutes later, but it's okay, you are making progress.  It is all about that one-day-at-a-time thing people keep telling you about.

xo

Little Lady O is One Month Old!

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” 

Albert Einstein

Everyone said it, "It goes by so fast."  Did I believe them?  Nope.  Were they right?  Absolutely.  It-all-goes-by-too-fast.  I blinked my eyes and little Miss O was turning one month old.  Well, she's a little over one month old at the moment (I'm a little late with this post).  Today, this very second, little Miss O is six weeks & five days old.  Yup, I have become one of those mommas.  Ya know, the kind where when you ask how old her child is she says, "Oh, she is twenty one weeks, four days, seven hours, ten minutes."  I kid.  I kid.  Okay, maybe not.  

They were right.  The time goes by quickly.  Every day I awake to my little lady looking just a smidge different.  It is so bittersweet.  I am torn between wanting to see her grow and keeping her itty bitty snuggled in my arms forever.  Bittersweet, it is the only way to describe it.  I am so in love, I hope she can feel that.

Little Olivia's One Month Facts

At her one month well visit little lady was weighing in at 9 lbs 1.5 oz.  Go baby!  Her little rolls and chubby cheeks are getting more delicious by the second.  It takes all of my power to not bite her little face.  My little smush, you can't get any cuter.

At the moment little Miss O is exclusively breast fed. Well, except for that one day when we got home from the hospital and my sweet munchkin refused to latch.  Being a first time momma I entered into a state of panic.  Why wasn't this working like at the hospital?  What if she starves?  So, I gave her some formula.  She was content and I felt guilty.  Now, I realize that I did what was best at the time for my daughter and me.  The guilt has subsided.  You see, I've come to realize that it doesn't matter which way you choose to feed your child.  What does matter is that you do it with love.  I intend on breastfeeding as long as my body allows.  My maternity leave is coming to an end soon which means I will have to start pumping.  To say I dislike the pump is an understatement.  However, I've set up small goals and we will see how it goes.  

At one month old little Olivia likes:

Looking at her momma's silly face

Being talked to, sung to, and smiled at

Laying on a flat space so she can kick her chubby little legs

Bath time

Shnuggles (Then again, who doesn't)

Music

Smiling (She even let out a tiny giggle for my mom the other day)

At one month old little Olivia dislikes:

Being hungry (She is quite impatient and when she wants to eat she wants to eat NOW)

The moment where her onesie or shirt is over her face when changing her

Being burped

Hanging in one spot for too long (She's a little diva)

Having a dirty diaper

This past month and a half has been the best of my life.  The amount of love I have for my little family is completely indescribable.  Watching my husband transform into a father has melted my heart into a puddle of mush.  My heart is full.  I never knew a love like this.  

Amidst the chaos, the exhaustion, and the sleepless nights there is love.  I love being a momma.

xx  

The Truth about the First Trimester.

(The morning I found out I was pregnant)

No amount of advice, and trust me, there was plenty, could have prepared me for what the first trimester had to offer.  I was given approximately five days of bliss before morning sickness hit me like a big yellow school bus.  Don't you worry, just like every pregnancy is different, so is every woman's experience or lack of experience with morning sickness.  For example, my mother only felt nauseated in the mornings for a short period of time, with all three of her pregnancies.  Not I.  Not I.  

I should first tell you that I am a drama queen when it comes to puking.  Actually, the term "drama queen" doesn't accurately describe what I turn into when I vomit.  So, you can only imagine how afraid I was of being that woman.  You know, the woman that not only feels nauseated, but ends up puking her brains out along the way?  I'm sure you know where I am going with this, right?  You guessed it.  I was that woman.  

The morning of my 6th week of pregnancy it was like a switch went off.  As soon as I opened my eyes I knew something was off.  Very.  Very.  Off.  I slowly sat up in bed and realized that if I moved any quicker, I was going to barf all over my purple pajamas.  I dragged myself out of bed and headed to turn on the shower.  I've conditioned myself to believe that a warm shower cures everything.  I was wrong, it doesn't cure morning sickness.  At first I wasn't very alarmed.  I mean, how bad could this get?  The joke was on me.

Lucky for me, my morning sickness didn't just last the early hours of the actual morning.  Think more of morning, noon, and night.  The nausea, dizziness, and occasional vomiting lasted ALL.DAY.LONG.  It only subsided the moment I put my head down and closed my eyes.  Those days were rough.  A trip to the grocery store meant knowing exactly where the restroom was, and how long it would take me to get there, before losing my cookies all over the oranges.  There were several times where I pulled up into the driveway and never made it to the door; I puked in my front yard.  Such a pretty scene.  

Here's the thing, there was not a single remedy that helped soothe my nausea.  And, I didn't want to resort to taking medication, which meant I had to take it one day at a time.  Oh, and don't you fret, I tried almost every natural remedy that was suggested.  Sea-bands?  Tried it.  Ginger?  Ginger-ale?  Ginger snaps? Tried. Tried.  Tried.  Water and lime?  It worked for about a day.  After projectile vomiting lime and water the next day, well, that went out the window.  Saltine Crackers?  Ugh, I don't ever want to see a saltine cracker in my life.  There was one weekend I felt like I couldn't take it anymore.  All I did was spend my time on the bathroom floor.  

My meals were all extremely simple.  I realized that in the mornings eating pretzels and cheese helped ease my stomach.  For lunch I basically ate pizza for about 7 weeks.  I mean, you can't go wrong with cheese, tomato sauce, and dough. Dinner consisted of rice, chicken breast and a salad.  Which normally took me extremely long to eat because I had to take one tiny bite at a time.  I am already an incredibly slow eater, so, dinner usually took me over an hour to finish.  

My nausea began to subside around the time I was 13 weeks pregnant.  However, it wasn't over yet, my friends.  Around this time was when my aversion to brushing my teeth began.  For about a week and a half every.single.time I brushed my teeth, I puked.  True story.  Imagine how much fun that was when I brushed my teeth at least twice a day.  Yeah, amazing.  

There were also a couple times where I broke down and cried.  I told you, I'm a drama queen.  My mind couldn't wrap itself around the idea that nothing I did made me feel better.  Swallowing those prenatal vitamins?  Well, for awhile I had to take them with soda.  It was the only way I could swallow them without gagging or puking them back up.  Yes, it happened a few times.

However, those days did pass.  They were hard.  Yes, very hard.  Emotionally, mentally, and physically.  There were moments where I felt like I was going to be sick through my entire pregnancy (I wasn't, thankfully).  Yet, as the days went by, I slowly began to feel better.  And, after my 15th week that switch was turned off.  Just like that, I felt normal again.  My normal appetite had returned and I no longer wanted to barf when I walked through a crowd of people.  It was wonderful.  

If you are having a similar experience here is my advice.  Do what feels right for you and your body.  Have an open conversation with your doctor and be sure to not stress yourself out.  Try out different things, there will be something to help alleviate your symptoms, and it may not be the same as what helped your mother, sister, or friend.  It may not make them go away completely, however, even a little bit helps.  And, it will be over, it will.

xx

Happy Due Date to Me!

"Little Girls Make the World Sweeter"

I found out I was pregnant on October 26, 2013.  It was early on a Saturday morning, right before I left to meet my friend for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk.  My period was a few days late and I figured, "Why not?"  The next few minutes happened to be the longest of my life.  Should I look?  Should I wait till I get back from the walk?  What if it is positive?  What if it's negative?  Heart racing, mind racing, I decided to take a peek, and my life was changed forever. 

Originally, I had planned to share the news with Felipe in this elaborate "pinterest" way.  However, who was I kidding?  There was absolutely no way I could keep this secret for longer than a minute.  The first thing that came out of my mouth was, "Babe, babe, oh my God".  Of course the poor man woke up scared out of his mind.  I ran to the bed and just blurted out, "Babe, I took a pregnancy test, and I am pregnant".  We just sat there staring at each other completely dumbfounded.  It is true what they say, the moment in which you find out you are expecting a child is incredibly surreal.  We both had one of those cheesy smiles plastered across our faces.  WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!  

So, ever since that day in October, I have been counting down the days till July 1, 2014.  At first it was months, then it was weeks, then days, and now here we are.  My feelings are all over the place.  They are difficult to put into words.  Anxious.  Nervous. Excited.  A part of me knew deep down inside that she wouldn't come before her due date (A momma can dream, right?).  She was always meant to be a July baby.  Keeping my mind busy, so that I don't think of when it will happen, is getting increasingly difficult.  

Realizing that my little love will come on her time and not on my time, well, that is easier said than done.  So, I wait.  I'll wait, and wait, and wait.  Because I know, that the first time I lay eyes on my little girl, all the waiting will seem insignificant.  My heart feels like it may burst; what is going to happen when I hold her for the first time, my heart may actually, physically combust.  Sweet baby, momma will wait, however, if you decide to still come today, well that is just fine with me.

xx

I am still pregnant. Oy vey!

When my due date was set at July 1st, I was extremely giddy.  There are so many June birthdays in my family that I was determined that Baby O would NOT be born in June.  All I could think of was July, July, July.  Now, I am singing an entirely different tune.  I wouldn't mind one single bit if Baby O is a June baby (Currently, it is 9:48 PM on June 29th, and still, no signs of labor).  Ugh.

Last week Tuesday was the mark of my 39th week.  A part of me secretly hoped that I would go into labor.  Okay, it wasn't such a secret.  If you asked me how I felt, well, I gladly told you, " I AM READY, TODAY, NOW, THIS MOMENT".  It is a mixture of exhaustion and excitement.  The whole thing about being extremely uncomfortable during your last weeks of pregnancy, well, it is no joke.  

As my due date quickly approaches all I can think of is, "WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN."  My bedtime routine has quickly turned into saying a prayer that I go into labor.  Am I scared?  Would you believe me if I told you I try not to think about it too much?  Because I don't, think about it.  I do not think about labor and deliver.  Perhaps, I should.  It makes me feel better not to dwell on the inevitable.  We are all well aware that labor is painful.  However, constantly thinking of that pain, will not make it any better.

When you read this it will be Monday June 30th.  One more day till my due date.  One.  More.  Day.  I've hopefully gone into labor and am holding my sweet darling in my arms.  Hopefully.  If not, well, I guess I need to pray a little harder.

xoxo

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Are you having twins?

I am no stranger to weird comments and odd questions.  Yet, nothing could have prepared me for the endless amounts of nonsense I hear on a daily basis.  What is it about pregnancy that makes women and men blurt the most bizarre things?  Honestly, I think the only thing that should be said to an expectant mother is, "You look beautiful."

Pregnancy is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, if you know what I mean.  Women experience this journey differently.  We will not look the same, we will not gain the same amount of weight, and we will not behave in the same manner.  We are different.

Before you decide to direct your words towards a momma-to-be remember this:  Those hormones you are joking about, well, they may just be the reason you get your head chewed off.

Now, here are some of the most ridiculous things I have heard, some on more than one occasion. 

1.)  "Oh, my goodness, girl, are you having twins?".  Umm, no, I'm not, and who are you again? I can't decide if this question is more offensive coming from a total stranger or from a co-worker.  A co-worker who has asked you on multiple instances.  I mean, I have had the same man, ask me almost every time I bump into him, if I am sure I'm not having twins.  "No, dude, I am not sure, I've had just a couple ultrasounds and baby number two is just playing a mean game of hide-and-go-seek."  Unless you know for certain, do not under any circumstance ask if someone is expecting twins. Trust me.

2.) "Wow, you look like you are ready to pop right here in the line."  No, no I do not.  I still have six weeks left to go.  This is just wrong.  Wrong.  Wrong.  Wrong.  Don't make any references to the time a woman may or may not go into labor.  Again, strangers say the most darn things.

3.) "You look huge."  Thank you, I feel huge too.  How about just kicking me when I am down, why don't ya.  The thing is that you have no idea what that woman is going through.  Did she just have a really hard day trying to find an outfit that doesn't make her look like an oompa-loompa?  You don't know that.  Do not make it worse, got it?

4.) "Oh, how far along are you?  But you are so tiny."  This may seem odd to you.  You may be thinking, "Well, this person is saying you are small, isn't that what you want?"  No, no it is not.  I do not want to be told that I am too small, nor do I want to be told that I am too big.  To be on the safe side, do not make any comments directed towards the size of a pregnant woman's belly.  Just don't do it.

5.)  "You are carrying so high, you must be having boy."  Whenever someone says this to me I just want to roll my eyes.  The size and shape of a woman's pregnant belly does not in any way determine the baby's gender.  We are built differently.  Our bodies are not the same.  My pregnant belly will not look anything like your pregnant belly.  Stop telling me that I must be having a boy because I have a basketball for a belly.  I am not having a boy, I am having a girl.  Yes, I am sure.  

6.) "Can I touch your belly?"  Okay, now, asking to have my belly touched by someone I barely know is just weird.  Why would you even ask?  Why would you put someone on the spot?  No, you cannot touch my belly.  I barely know you.  This is almost as bad as someone who you don't know just coming up to you and putting their hand on your belly.  Almost.  

7.) "When is your due date.  Oh, yeah, you will definitely go past that day, at least by a week or a week and a half, definitely."  Listen here, it is summer, in Florida, why would you wish that upon me.  I mean seriously?  Isn't 40 weeks enough?  I am well aware that there are plenty of women that go days past their due date.  However, why say that to someone you clearly see is anxious to get the show on the road?  It's like telling a little kid that Santa won't be delivering his presents on Christmas day but two weeks from then.  Who are you?  Back away from the pregnant lady.

These are just a few of the things I have heard.  Many of them are asked on a daily basis.  Before getting pregnant I wasn't aware that suddenly everyone has something to say.  I actually had a man tell me that I shouldn't walk down the stairs.  Buddy, I have stairs in my house, am I supposed to restrict myself to the first floor only?  Since when are you my doctor?  

Most of the time I just smile and make a sarcastic but sweet remark.  All the while, I am imagining my semi-swollen right hand, smacking you upside the head.  It is truly poetic, I assure you.  The next time you see a pregnant woman and just cannot resist the urge to speak, say this, "You look amazing, congratulations."  Simple and brilliant, because truly, all expectant mommas are fabulous and deserve to be told, constantly.

xx

Five on Friday!

Hooray, it's Friday!

Yay, Friday, finally!  My days have been consumed with thoughts of, "Will today be the day, will I go into labor, will my water break."  It is all I can think about.  Say a little prayer that I do NOT go past my due date; I'm not sure I could handle that.  Five on Friday in five, four, three, two, one...

-One-

Yesterday was my 38th week appointment.  As difficult as it may seem to believe, thus far I have gained 37 pounds, it's okay, you can say it, "WOW."  Baby O, you can come out now. According to my sweet doctor I have not dilated even a centimeter, boo hoo.  The good news is that my cervix has begun to soften, too much?  I also learned that this doesn't mean diddly squat.  My cervix could be completely closed today and I could go into labor tomorrow.  I COULD GO INTO LABOR TOMORROW!  

-Two-

This new Essie summer 2014 nail polish collection is simply fabulous.  Fierce, no fear.  Even the name is spectacular.  My all white manicure lasted approximately three days.  THREE DAYS!  So, I just decided to bite the bullet and paint my own nails.  I could not love this color more than I do.  It will most-likely be my go-to polish this summer.  What do you think?

-Three-

This may or may not be the reason for those extra pounds.  I haven't had one of these ice cream cones in ages.  The other night as I strolled down the ice cream aisle at Publix these bad boys caught my eye.  "Eat me!  Take me home! I'm delicious," is all I could hear. How could I not grab the box?  Post-baby diet is going to be so boring.  It isn't as though I went all out with my eating, because I didn't.  I just know that these little indulgences here and there will be few and far between.  

-Four-

I confess, there hasn't been a lip gloss I could say no to.  Who would have though that these NYX butter glosses would be as amazing as they are.  They even smell delicious; it is so tempting to lick them off my lips.  Don't worry, I haven't.  Pictured below are "Creme Brûlée" and "Sugar Cookie".  If it were up to me I would have purchased the entire line.  Go out and get them, your lips will thank you.

-Five-

How impossibly cute is this "Hello" shirt?  Adorable.  I can't take it.  For thirty bucks it seems a little pricey for a baby shirt, but, I think I may just have to indulge myself.  It is the summer.  Baby O will be a summer baby.  She will look absolutely scrumptious with this on.  Should I do it?  Should I?  Should I?  

Source

Have a wonderful Friday!  And, if you don't already, follow me on instagram, username Rbarbie =)

xx

From my husband's mouth.

My sweet, sweet husband is quite the funny man.  If you know him personally you can attest to that fact.  Now, what he lacks is something called a filter, ya know, for your mouth.  The boy just says whatever comes to his mind.  Usually without thinking.  Which has made for some pretty interesting comments throughout this pregnancy.  Comments I will now begin to share with you, because, I mean, why not.

At this moment I can't think of every single absurd comment (Pregnancy brain).  Don't worry, I am going to start writing them down.  I can however, provide you with three Felipe originals.  Brace yourself folks, you are in for a treat.

It took us some time to finalize the details on Baby O's nursery.  We talked and talked and talked about what kind of crib we wanted, changing table vs. dresser, glider vs. rocker, you know, the usual.  At first we could not come to an agreement.  Which is when my husband turned to me and said, "Does she even need a crib?  Can't we just lay some blankets on the floor, put some pillows around her?  Or why can't we just bite the bullet and buy a twin bed?"  He wasn't joking.  He was serious.  I just looked at him and shook my head.  In case you are wondering, we have a crib.

Felipe and I go back and forth on what our days are going to look like once Baby O arrives.  The talks about chores and daily duties could go on for days, seriously.  One afternoon we started discussing a bath time routine.  My darling just responded, "Can't we just hose her down, ya know, like the car wash?"  Again, not joking.  I have yet to determine whether he says these things to shock me or to scare me into not asking him to do it.  Don't worry, he isn't getting away with any of this.

This past Friday I called Felipe after work and decided to pretend I had gone into labor.  He answers the phone and I immediately (In my most anxious tone) tell him that my water broke.  He proceeds to ask me the following: Am I sure?  Have I called the doctor?  Am I okay?  Am I driving? Am I joking, I must be joking.  After I assure him that I am not kidding and that I've called him before the doctor he says, "Ugh, this had to happen on a Friday night.  I was really looking forward to a relaxing evening.  Ya know, to have a beer, it's been a long week."  I'm sorry babe, this labor thing must be so inconvenient, for you.  I couldn't help but laugh, he must have known I was joking.  Hopefully.

Well, there you have it.  My husband the comedian.  Check back soon for more. 

xx

Let's Get This Show On The Road!

"There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one."

We (Baby O and I) have made it to 38 weeks! Yay!  I am over-the-moon ecstatic that at ANY moment, my sweet little love can make her debut.  I am more than ready to meet her, to look at her sweet little face, kiss her cheeks, and hold her hand.  Mostly, I am beyond excited to welcome her into this crazy but beautiful world.  Baby O, I am ready when you are!

According to some websites, baby weighs about seven pounds and is measuring around 21 inches.  It seems a tad bit crazy that it is almost go-time.  I wasn't checked for dilation at my last appointment, so, I have no idea whether or not I've made any progress in that department.  This Thursday is my next appointment, fingers crossed that something, ANYTHING, has changed.  

Everyone seems to have their own idea of when little Miss O will be born.  The other day, my mom said that she just has a feeling that I am going to go into labor on June 22nd.  To which I responded, hmm, June 22nd doesn't sound like such a bad idea.  I am hoping that I do go into labor on the weekend, or in the afternoon, or in the middle-of-the-night.  What I really do not want is to go into labor at work.  The thought of my water breaking while on the job, well, makes me a little nervous.  Having contractions every five minutes at work, well, that freaks me out too.  Mostly because I am worried about what will ensure afterwards.  Water breaking as I wait inside the elevator with four other people?  Not the way I envision the process to begin.

As to be expected, I am also feeling a little more tired as the days progress.  From the moment I am up in the morning, the only thing I can think of is when I will get the chance to climb back into bed (I crave my pillows something serious).  It isn't even the one bathroom break in the middle of the night that exhausts me, honestly.  I am just one big wobbling ball of tiredness.  No matter how much I rest, how much I keep my legs up, how much sleep I get, I could still use another 10-14 hours.  

Oh, and besides being absolutely ready to hold my sweet little lady, I am missing my old wardrobe (Is that selfish?).  Currently, I am rotating between the same pieces because I refuse to spend money on maternity clothes. Florida is also a huge furnace.  I feel like I may melt into a puddle of sweat on a daily basis (I wish I were kidding).  So, what I really want to do is walk around naked. That may be a dilemma with work, ya know?

Baby O, I am counting down the days, okay, maybe hours.  

xx

The Push Present Debate.

The debate has begun.  When I first brought up the idea of a "push present" to the husband, he kind of gave me this weird side-look (Furrowed eyebrows and all).  Of course, he had no clue what a push present was.  I didn't expect him to, I mean, he is still learning all the baby lingo.  But don't you worry, I filled him in.  A few days later he told me that he had done his own "research" and that this whole idea of a push-present is slightly ridiculous.  I gently reminded him, "Honey, will you be pushing out a watermelon out of a donut hole, or will I?"  It is safe to say that I pretty much won that argument.

You don't know what a push present is?  Well, according to an article on www.parents.com, it's a present your hubs gets you for carrying and generally pushing the baby out.  Obviously, I haven't actually experienced labor and delivery.  However, I will.  And yes, before you say anything, I know my sweet baby girl will be present enough.  Now, a little spoiling never hurt anyone, right?  Right!

I may or may not have sent my husband that photo on a random day.  You know, dropping small and subtle hints about what I would like to receive as a push present.  Too forward? Perhaps.  Being able to carry and sustain a human life is one of life's greatest blessings. There is no greater gift than that of being a woman, of being a mother and ultimately bringing a life into this world.  

A part of me knows that what awaits me is going to challenge me in ways I cannot even imagine.  The reward will be worth all the exhaustion, the sweat, and maybe even a few tears.  Women are strong, our bodies are made specifically for this purpose.  And, as I anxiously await the moment in which I will be called to perform the most difficult task of my life, I can't help but think that a little spoiling is more than okay.

What do you think?  To push-present or not to push-present?