week 35 | baby shower recap

so thankful. every day.

I felt was so spoiled over the weekend — all I did was open gift after gift for myself (well, for the baby?). Not only was it my baby shower, but my [immediate] family and I also celebrated a faux Christmas together since Cory and I didn’t venture to northern MN this year for the holiday. For years, I’ve been wondering when I would stop being spoiled by my parents [on Christmas]. When I graduated high school? No. Surely then, when I got married? No. Said goodbye to my 20s? No. Then it must be when I give them somethingone else to love more than they love me (a granddaughter!), right?? I’m close to finding out if that’ll be the case (I’ll keep you posted)! But, the weekend definitely was no indication of it happening. I will be perfectly ok with becoming an official adult not being spoiled anymore and know that if my daughter is spoiled (because obviously she will be), it’ll feel like I am too. 🙂

The night before my baby shower brought back visions+memories of the chaotic+insane+exhausting week before our wedding… Good memories of course… mostly. My parents and I (Cory would have been along for it all had he not been working) ventured to about seven different places in three hours… picking things up, returning things, and buying supplies+food for the next day. My Mom and I had our own personal chauffeur as my Dad dropped us off at the door of every place we went before coming in (thanks, Dad!). The rest of the evening was spent preparing delicious foods, cleaning, and putting up the most lovely decorations, with a brief break to devour pizza at 9pm! Huge thank you shout out to all who helped: Mom+Dad, sister+Nick, & cousin Margaret+Jake! THANK YOU! There is no way I would have gone to bed by 1am without each person’s contribution!

(Who loves pictures?!)

More sweet baby goodness from the weekend:

only a preview of all the fabulous gifts I was given…!

And, the conclusion of the curse of the curtains saga! Are you ready? I’m in love love love with how our sweetie’s room is turning out. A modern twist with just the right touch of girliness. When I run upstairs for something, I pause for a good 30 seconds to stare at her room before running back down [with a smile on my face]. Still working on the finishing touches but here’s where we’re at..

Here’s a close up of the artwork above the crib (printed on a metallic-sheen paper and designed by me (although kind of a knock-off of things I saw online)… 🙂 The middle frame will eventually have a B+W photo of her [or all of us] in it after she is born.

And take a peek at this ah-mazing baby quilt my equally amazing mom made for us.. I am so in love with it!! It’s perfect. She even hand quilted it! I’m going to love it forever and I think little baby girl will too. 🙂

(did I mention that she made the curtains for us as well? Complete with black-out liners to keep it nice and dark while naps are in session…)

Today is January 23, which means that I am exactly one month from my due date — February 23! Let the countdown begin. 🙂

35 WEEKS!

weeks 33+34 | countdown is on!

I wish it was true that I feel like I’m 90 years old because I just did a kick-ass workout at the gym yesterday (a girl can pretend, right?). Nope, instead it’s due to falling on my arse (thanks, invisible ice) and a little preggo bowling over the weekend. The good news: I didn’t hit my head or baby bump whatsoever (kept the bambino safe!). Bad news: a hole in my beloved Lulu Studio Pants. So, so sad. As for bowling.. I figured it would be interesting to try to bowl with what seems like an actual bowling ball attached to my mid-section already. I was right. I took bowling form to a whole new level. To be on the safe side, I used the lightest ball I could find and I threw the ball so gently (really, it was all I could manage!) that sometimes it barely knocked down the pins! (I’m happy to report I did bowl a 105 despite my goofy pregnancy form!)

We took another step towards making this whole baby thing real life last week — a crib! I made Cory wait until I got home from work to put it together because I wanted to help watch.  With each new thing we do, I think Lucy knows something is seriously up. She made sure to be part of the process from beginning to end…

building the crib.

love it.

I had been waiting for this day for a long time, dreaming of putting Lucy inside the crib for a little photo shoot. Usually she’s not impressed with being forced to sit in random places for photos, but she seemed quite content with the crib. In fact, she ended up laying down and gazing out the window. It’s like a giant dog bed! If I’m not careful, we might find her snuggled next to her baby sis sometime in the future…!

just chillin’ in baby sister’s crib.

Doesn’t she look so freaking adorable in there!? Especially with the pink bow around her neck… 🙂

More sweet baby girl goodness:

Hat from Bekima Knits  |  Baby Sling from Zulily

I can just imagine a little chubby-cheeked, 6-month old in that hat! Hello, photo opps when that day comes… 🙂

More on Week 33+34:

Whacky Pregnancy Hormones: I blame it on pregnancy. It has to be. Lately, the smallest, dumbest things annoy the crap out of me! Even the fact that I get annoyed by things annoys me because I can’t control it.. Yikes! Cory gets the joy of hearing about what’s bugging me. So do my mom+sister, usually. [Thanks for hearing me out!]

Germaphobe: Something I totally am not. Usually. I’ve never been the type of person to get all worked up by a few germs. (Heck, I feed Lucy bites off my spoon (don’t judge!) and give her licks of my ice cream cone.) But this whole influenza nastiness going around has given me a change of heart. I am terrified of getting sick during these last six weeks of pregnancy, not to mention the weeks (+months) after bringing the babers home! The other day, for the first time ever, I grabbed one of those “cart wipes” at Target and wiped off my cart before shopping. And I won’t use stair railings in public and find myself getting really grossed out at the thought of who may have touched something before me. (The absolute worst might be going into a public restroom stall immediately after a stranger comes out… gross gross gross!!)

In addition to be especially germaphobic right now and simply using common sense as a pregnant woman, I finally got a flu shot! I don’t think I’ve ever gotten one, but this year it was imperative. I feel so much better knowing I got it, but will continue to cross my fingers I don’t get sick during the two week window it takes for the vaccine to take effect.

01.12.2013: Little did I know on this day exactly five years ago (2008), I would meet the man who would now be my baby daddy (I use this term as a joke, just FYI). I told him that was the luckiest day of his life (totally was). But really, it was mine too. I couldn’t be more grateful+blessed+happy to have him as my husband and don’t know what I’d do without him.

Baby Fever: Over the weekend I had two photo shoots that involved FOUR newborn babies! Talk about making me super duper excited to meet and hold my baby! Be sure to pop over to my facebook page to see photos of the sweet babies…

What’s next?: My last bi-weekly doctor appointment and then I move on to weekly appointments… How did this happen so quick!?

This weekend is my baby shower! I’m so excited. My sister and I are having so much fun planning all the details — decorations, food, etc. Photo recap of the event coming next week! In my next life I’m totally going to be an event planner…

As [super] excited as I am to meet this little girly, I also am a little freaked out just how quickly it’s approaching. I still feel like I have a million things to do before her arrival and am not sure I’ll have enough time to get it all done. Lets hope this so-called “nesting” business kicks in sooner than later! One thing that I always remember and keep in mind is that there is nothing that is going to make me feel “ready” to bring home an infant and know what to do with her. It will just happen, we’ll take it as it comes, and learn as we go. It’s going to be an amazing+crazy+emotional rollercoaster+gratifying+sleep deprived+heart warming+pure joy+unconditional love overload! Bring it on.

Check out my 34-week bowling ball…

34 Weeks | bowling!

WEEKS 30+31+32 | Happy New Year!

What I didn’t think would happen, happened: It saddens me to report that I no longer can sleep soundly. I had been sleeping so great — so comfortably — and then just like that, it was over. Now I toss and turn and think about my position and if I’m hurting the baby in my half-sleeping state, wake up to pee multiple times, and get irritated by Cory and Lucy snoring (or even just breathing heavy) and Lucy stretching out, pushing all four of her paws on my back (but I love her so much, it’s actually kinda cute). I was sleeping on my back up until all this started as well. Now I don’t feel comfortable on my back and get anxiety about cutting of the blood supply (or whatever scary thing it is you read about on the internet) to my baby if I lay on my back too long. Oh, how I miss my good sleep!! I took a nap on the couch the other day and I’m quite sure it was the hardest I’d slept in a week. Naps should be encouraged more, don’t you think? Like in the workplace. They should be required like in Kindergarten.

Sugar: Ummmmm, given my behavior over the holidays, I might be the perfect candidate for the next episode of Intervention. Peanut butter balls, melt-in-your-mouth frosted sugar cookies, white chocolate peppermint bark, ooey-gooey-homemade caramels, classic spritz cookies. This year there was no stopping me from indulging in multiple bites of each one [as if I’d never get to enjoy another cookie again in my entire life]. I know it’s a problem bad when I’m dying to get my hands on the Smorbakkles and Krumkake my sister brought back from my family’s Christmas in Hallock. This month: This sugar madness will subside. If there is one thing for certain, this little girl is going to have one wild sweet tooth, thanks to her mama+daddy’s genes combined. Poor girl…

Say it ain’t so: I’m pretty sure I am starting to walk funny, you know, the pregnancy “waddle”… As much as I try not to and don’t feel like my belly is big enough for it to happen yet, my body just does it!

Reality Check: I cannot believe that in less than five weeks, I will be considered full term. [holy crap!] I technically could have this baby girl in my arms in as little as five weeks (or one week for that matter, but lets hope not!). I have an inkling that she will come a little early, but the longer she cooks in there, the better. I’m (we’re) beyond excited to meet her and see her little face!! My actual due date is February 23. If she comes sooner than February 19, she won’t be a Pisces…

Pisces: Strengths: accepting, adaptable, compassionate, devoted, imaginative. Weaknesses: escapist, indecisive, lazy, oversensitive, self-pitying. Baby/Toddler Characteristics: childish, dreamy, friendly, gentle, magical, sensitive, warm-hearted. Sounds like a pretty sweet baby to me! 🙂

Baby Goods: I don’t think it would be possible not to do a little bambino shopping over three weeks time…

I can hardly stand the cuteness!

1. BabyGap beanie+mittens. On sale, how could I resist?

2. H&M Heart Onesie. H&M has baby stuff, heck yeah!

3. Magnificent Baby Gown. For the first time during my pregnancy, I went to Destination Maternity at Mall of America. Where has this store been for the last seven months!? I bought myself a few things and found this for the babers. I didn’t even care what the price tag said ($30), I knew I had to buy it. So fricken cute.

4. After The Bump Knit Baby Beanie. ($36) I am so in love with this and wish I could have it in multiple sizes for her! Assuming the “newborn” size fits her in the hospital, she will be wearing this home for sure.

5. BabyGap Striped Sleeper. Newborn size = going home outfit. I hope she fits into the newborn size, otherwise I have plenty of options for 0-3 months that I will have for back up. 🙂

6. Sophie the Giraffe. A baby essential, am I right?! I’ve been wanting this thing long before even getting pregnant.. It’s so cute! We are going to have to battle Lucy on a daily basis though because she wants this like nobody’s business. It’s totally a glorified dog toy anyway…

7. BabyGap Leggings+Tutu. I’ve had my eye on this little number for awhile now and it just so happened to be on sale the other day ($13)! So excited for her to fit into it! (6-12 mo.)

8. Rockabutt Baby Shoes. A co-worker of mine gave Baby Koch these for Christmas. Unbelievably adorable!

9. Socks [that looks like shoes]. One of the couple pairs she got for Christmas. I wonder how many times I can use the words “cute” and “adorable” in one blog post??

I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of the crib (+mattress) this week! Once that is put together, things will feel even more real. (as if feeling her stretch out and kick me in the ribs isn’t real enough..!)

Baby bump update:

Work holiday party | Christmas | New Years Eve

On a recent Target run, we had a shopping trip to remember: bought our first [of many] boxes of diapers. 🙂

Then, when we went to Buy Buy Baby, we took advantage of the “expectant mother” parking spot. I felt like a total slacker doing this! By the looks of [my giant-ness] in this photo, a walk from the back of the parking lot wouldn’t be a bad idea… I look huge!!

So much to look forward to in 2013.. Happy New Year!!