Nesting Maybe?

Where did this energy come from!? Maybe THIS is nesting. I slept in 2 hrs later than I normally do and woke up in a great mood. Even though my Husby had to go to campus and I knew I wouldn't see him all day. But I have been able to get so much done!

Baby girl's clothes are all finally washed and I only have the last load to put away, I did more laundry, I  cleaned the kitchen, dusted, vacuumed, I even fixed our bar stools that were getting wobbly. I find myself wanting to hang pictures we still have yet to put up since moving back into our house, take on projects that I have thought about but didn't touch for months and.....mmm what should I bake? I REALLY want to bake!

My family comes into town next week, my due date is 11 days away..

I can hardly contain my excitement! 

I'm going to be a MOTHER soon!

Days like this

"Is it normal?"

 This seems like a question I have asked myself, and others all too often in the last 9 months. "Is it normal for ____ to happen?" "Is it normal to ____?" Lately It's been the same start to my questions with a slightly different ending..

"Is it normal for my energy levels to be high one day and low the next?" 

It can take hours to fall asleep one night, I hardly sleep, get up early and then I'm out and about all day and just fine. The nights I actually get more sleep I find myself needing naps throughout the day and I can barely muster up the energy to make myself some food. 

Today, is one of THOSE days.

I feel like I'm sitting in clutter, laundry needs to be put away, I should probably vacuum..etc. 

I have the WANT to clean just not the UMPH to clean. At least I got the dishes done last night. That is until we had dinner and now there are dishes from that. Is this part of "nesting"? Because I was under the impression I'd be high in energy for days at a time scrubbing floors and re folding laundry. So not the case. But I know this is really only the beginning to days like this. I'm just looking forward to the day I have a baby here and she will be my good excuse for my house looking and feeling the way it does. Le sigh. 

Okaaay, venting done.

Precious gifts

Sooo...I'm an aunt...again! My brother and sister in law had their precious baby girl, Anne Christine Fletcher. She is completely adorable and I'm so excited that she is here. I'm even more excited that my little lady will be here soon and they will be cute, loving, best friends/cousins. PERFECT!

My babe just needs to decide it's time and get out of my bellleehh!! I'm 38 weeks today, have a dr appt and STILL showing labor signs but nothing is coming from it yet.

I know of 3 babies born in the past 3 days. Ugh! Not "Ugh!" as in how disappointing or terrible. More like "Ugh!" my patience is totally being tested to the FULLEST degree. I asked for this. Well, I asked for patience in life and God always does deliver what you ask in HIS time and in HIS own very special way.

Welp, here is a little tid bit of my cute new niece.

There's still a growing and cramped gal in my tummy

This week has been fun...or something like that. I've started going to the doctors office once a week now instead of every two weeks. I thought that would help me be a little more patient but boy was I wrong! The weeks d..r....a......g onnnnn now. We went on Wed, 37 weeks means full term and this baby won't be stopped if she decides to come now! My body is OFFICIALLY over pregnancy and just plain tired.

I literally can't get to sleep at night for hours and toss and turn when I finally do. I can't eat without my tum tum cramping and I'm just plain sore. Who knew pregnancy brain could get worse too? Pffff. Well, it does. Ok, ok, I sound like a major complainer. This pregnancy really was a walk in the park compared to others I have heard about. I'm just anxious to meet this small gal and feel we have waited long enough!

We ended up calling our dr yesterday due to some um....wetness dripping down my leg when waking up in the morning and they said it could be my water, even though it wasn't very much and I didn't have any contractions that followed. They told us we should get checked in case it was amniotic fluid because we could run the risk of infection if it was. NO THANKYOUUU mam I do not want to add something like that onto my list in these last few weeks. So we went. Everything looked just dandy, it wasn't fluid, or fluid we should worry about but turns out I was having slight contractions. GOOD NEWS! They didn't hurt! But I know they will soon enough. Also good  news, I'm a whopping 80% effaced (thinned out) and just over a cm dilated (opened up). Nurse said I had a "favored cervix". TMI? Sorry. OH THE EXCITEMENT THOUGH!!!

Found this on someone's blog and I hope they don't mind I took it. Thought it was cute and fun! 

total weight gain: 21 pounds. Sha bing! Im impressed with myself. My mom gained 60 with me!

maternity clothes: I have 3 maternity shirts I wear occasionally and one skirt that has that elasticky thing on it. Over all I say I've done pretty well in the getting massive dept. Or you could say I'm too cheap to buy "maternity" clothing..

stretch marks: i went up until a few weeks ago with none. Can't say no anymore. Boo.

sleep: Exhausted during the day. Sometimes I can get a cat nap in but I try not to because it makes sleeping at night even harder.

best moment this week: Hearing that my due date may not be reached :) Also, my baby shower is tomorrow!

missing anything: Husby cuddle time. It's not very easy anymore to cuddle up when you are so hot and have to toss and turn all the time.

movement: yes...but just a little because there is almost no room for the poor gal.

food cravings: Sweets! Super unusual for me too..I love eating cherry tomatoes and choc chips together though haha

anything making you queasy or sick?: Nope, I had that easy this pregnancy. The only thing that made me sick was my pre natal vitamins so I was put on Flinstones vitamins way back in my first couple months and been fine since.

are you showing?: HA! Is that a serious question?

gender: a sweet baby GIRL!

labor signs: Craaaamps, I'm dilated and almost all the way effaced and a few other details I won't bother to go into details with. You can thank me later.

belly button in or out: Still in! Husby and I took bets on when it would pop because it looks like it wants to...but its exceeded our expectations. 

wedding rings on or off: Off. The ring fits, but it's just not comfortable right now.

happy or moody most of the time: Happy. But I'm kind of bipolar, my mood can change real quick! I cry (happy tears) over..mmm, well, just about everything now. I cried when a guy fell off his mo ped the other night and we were across the intersection at a stop light and we couldn't help him. But others were able to run to his side. I felt so terrible! And I teared up for a girl at my obgyn office when she had to take that terrible glucose drink and threw up in the sitting room. I was so embarrassed for her. No one should ever have to consume THAT much sugar in that little amount of time. I felt for her. I also cry when I hear ppl sing really well. Embarrassing but my husband gets a kick out of it.

looking forward to: to not being pregnant! amen!

One year engagement anniversary!

Happy engagement anniversary to us! A year, and a few hours ago, my sweet husby asked me to be his one and only for all of eternity. This was after waking me up super early on a Saturday morning and making me hike in the cold to a beautiful waterfall. I got over that real fast :)  He had all our close friends and family there participating and making it the most memorable experience I could have asked for! Our lives have changed drastically since this day but only for the better. I love him so much and I'm soo incredibly grateful for such a kind, hardworking, understanding and love-able husband and soon to be baby daddy!

Thanks again to everyone who helped and for all the creativity and thought put into this. You all helped make it so special! And not to mention, one of THE BEST ENGAGEMENT STORIES EVER!

Eviction Notice is UP!

Time to put up that eviction notice. We may have less than 30 days before baby is due but I feel like I'll try to be a nice land lady and give the sweet babe a little cushion for when she can leave. Though, the sooner the better.

I'm 1 whole cm dilated and quiet possibly even more anxious for this kid than I was before. If that is even possible.. I think I will pack our bags some time this week just in case. We already have our car seat installed and ready to go. I know that there is a chance I could stay at 1 cm for weeks and nothing will happen but hey, a month before the due date and the doc is saying, "You're making wonderful progress!" cant be a bad thing!

Boy if this appointment didn't have such good news, I may not have had all the "umph" to take more frequent and longer walks, or get more things done. Before, doing these things just made me feel like I was prepping for Christmas at Easter time. But it's getting so close now!!

Baby Practice

I've had some great baby practice this last week and a half.

I got the opportunity to watch our friend's baby girl, Olivia.

Here's what I learned and was refreshed on:

1. Headbands are pretty cute.

  I used to think that now a days every baby girl had to wear one or she would be mistaken for a little man. But I've really come to really like them. Therefore, my baby girl will probably wear them.

2. Rockers are AWESOME.

Plop baby (gently of course) in there and make funny faces-entertained for hours! Well at least, a fair share of minutes.

3. You really are on diaper dooty (duty) All. The. Time. 

Everyone has said you go through diapers faster than you think. True story. Very true.

4. Binkies are better cold.

It's hot these days, let's face it. Pop a bink in the freezer a minute or two and shabam! Instant refreshment.

5. Some days are just easier than others.

Giggles and naps one day, crying for hours the next. Either way, how could you not love the littles?

6. Babies like to be held and rocked.

Only when doing this you have to be standing. At least for me this last week. As soon as they fall asleep and you think it's ok to sit or put them down-it's not. But it's going to happen anyways! Haha

7. Burp cloths are a must.

Spit up is inevitable. At least it's better than poo on you. But that also is going to happen eventually.

8. Swaddle = life savor!

If only I knew how to do it correctly and perfect it. One day. But for now, the simple burrito roll works just fine.

9. Feeding time is favorite time.
Of course next to nap time. They don't eat a lot at a time, but frequently. Plus it's super adorable when they are still making the little sucking motion even after you have taken away the bottle and they are sleeping haha. Ahhhh love.

10. What do I do with myself now?
Even after this short time I've come to find that once the baby is not around, I find myself with more time on my hands and I'm not sure how to use it. I know I'll appreciate this one day. In the meantime, I have no excuse for the funny and weird faces I probably still make. 
Ps, the whole making faces at babies and weird sounds is TOTALLY NORM. It just happens, when in the presence of cuteness such as a small tike, the faces are just going to happen. 

Maternity Pictures Cont.

My good friend Natalie Larsen offered to take some pictures of Emmett and I (and baby) this past weekend so we accepted. I was excited because Emmett took great ones for me a couple weeks ago but I wanted some WITH him. Here are just a few of my favorites.

Sundays & Foooood

I loooove Sundays. Not just because of church and the wonderful spirit you feel there, the amazing and strong people you meet, the fact that the whole day is to just relax and be home with the people you love, or the rejuvenation you get to kick start another week but because for some reason, the food on Sundays always tastes better!

Emmett and I always seem to eat more and eat better on this wonderful Sabbath day. Today we are slow cooking 7lbs of pork smothered in delicious hickory bbq sauce with some added tid bits of other things and making pulled pork sandwiches. YUM much!?

I'm also making a (hopefully) delicious raspberry cobbler for dessert. Since marrying Emmett, I eat desserts like I never have before. I thought he was the one that was supposed to gain weight after marriage!? Well I'm pregnant....that's my excuse. But really, I used to never eat sweets. I was all about the chips and salt. But I've discovered my love for baking. Even if sometimes I don't eat what I make. I know I'm weird.

Anyways.... I came up with the idea this morning to do a crock pot challenge. It'll take a lot of food, make a lot of food but we figure it'll be good to have frozen left overs once baby is here and we don't have as much time to cook good meals. So starting in the next week or two I will slow cook a meal a day for a week. CANT EVEN WAIT!

Sorry this post is lacking pictures. I'll be sure to add some next time of the meal(s) so you can drool to your hearts content.

Do yourself a FAVOR and RELAX today! Put those feet up and those wallets away. 

Happy Sunday!