35 Weeks and Counting....

 I"M HUGE!!!!
How Far Along: 35 Weeks. Trying to cram my head full of newborn knowledge. Feel like I have forgotten so much in such a short amount of time.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 20 lbs as far as I know, only weighing in at the doctor's office every two weeks. Crossing fingers that I haven't gained much more...

Maternity Clothes: I'm popping out of my regular person shirts as you can see above. All my loose tops are suddenly fitted. All maternity bottoms except for a pair of Abercrombie olive capris that I've had since college. Who knew that an article of clothing from Abercrombie would get me through two pregnancies?

Gender: Still a girl, I hope. I worry about this lately because strangers come up to me and tell me I'm having a boy!

Movement: Yes, but less. I think she is getting pretty crowded. She is definitely lower and head down. Without giving TMI, I worry that she is going to pop a hand out of my lady parts because she is so LOW

Sleep: Better! I had a prenatal massage this week (a Mother's Day gift from my sweet hubby) and it made a huge difference. I feel so relaxed.

What I miss: Being more active. I am out of breath so easily these days and it is quite annoying.

Cravings: Fruit, mangos and oranges

Symptoms: A few contractions here and there. And the ever present heartburn. I am sooo done with that.

Best Moment this week: My sweet girlfriends from Lily's playgroup had a little "girl's night" for myself and another pregnant mommy in the group at Chez Zee. (one of my favorites restaurants here in Austin!) It was so sweet of them to plan something for us and baby girl received some of the cutest clothes and goodies! What great friends we have!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!!!
I feel so blessed to share with this day with my mom and my daughter. I am so appreciative that I was given the gift of motherhood. There is so much I hope for Lily and baby girl #2 and I wish could write the perfect Mother's Day sentiment for them. But I think Miss Bossypants, Tina Fey, says it best in her prayer for her daughter. So funny and touching at the same time!

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.
May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.
When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.
Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.
Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.
What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.
May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.
Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.
O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.
And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.
And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.
“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.
 via

Nursery Rhymes

So my uber fab friends introduced me to Pinterest this week. Think of it as a virtual bulletin board where you can "pin" all the wonderful things you find on the internet. I wasn't sure how I would apply it to my cyber life, but so far I find it useful to catalog all my favs/inspiration photos without having to save them to my computer, taking up valuable hard drive space. Plus, it's a thrill when someone "repins" or "likes" something that you have pinned. If you are interested in joining, click on my profile link above to request an invitation or shoot me an email and I'll send you one. So far I've added a board for baby girl's nursery. 

Some of the inspiration pics for said nursery that I've already saved to my computer, but have no idea where they've came from...

This last photo is of Tiffany Amber Theissen's nursery

And in case you are following along:
How Far Along: 34 Weeks, I can't believe it!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 20 lbs, gained 3!! Yikes!

Maternity Clothes: Still bottoms, just had to buy a pair of maternity crop jeans. {sigh}

Gender: Still a sweet baby girl, as far as we know. No more ultrasounds for us, so I hope they got it right the first time!

Movement: Oh yes! She is head down, and it would seem that she rests her feet on my ribs and her elbows on her kidneys. She's just kicked back on my internal organs.

Sleep: What's that?

What I miss: Today? Margaritas.

Cravings: Still fruit, and most sweet things.

Symptoms: Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux, oh my!

Best Moment this week: Narrowing down the nursery paint colors to four. Yes, four. {{BIG SIGH}}

What I'm Wearing Wednesday: Preggers Edition

Here are a few things that are getting through these last few weeks of pregnancy....

Dorothy Perkins bandeau dress
Black Maxi dress is the comfiest thing to wear on a date night! (Mine is actually from Forever 21 last season, but this one is very similar)

American Eagle Outfitters camisole top
$40 - ae.com
I love this top! I usually wear a white tank underneath. 

American Eagle Outfitters ankle jeans
$25 - ae.com
I can still wear these (surprisingly) with a hairband, over course I have to wear with a long top so you can't tell

Tory Burch tan sandels
I LOVE Tory Burch sandal, but they are definitely a splurge.

Toujours Bracelet
$34 - stelladot.com
One of the new pieces for the summer, and it's already become a staple for me

Target Long & Lean Tank
I LOVE these tanks! Long enough to cover the belly and not too lightweight so they can be worn alone. They are on sale right now for $6 in stores-- $6!

Rio Chandelier Earrings--Silver
$39 - stelladot.com
Another favorite piece for the summer

TOMS Womens Canvas Classic
Who doesn't love Toms? They are comfy, cute, and they give you warm fuzzies because you know they donate a pair of shoes for every one you buy


What to wear after baby arrives? Check out my long established Mommy Uniform


My stats are as followed:
How Far Along: 33 Weeks, it's getting really real folks!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 17 lbs and trying to hold steady

Maternity Clothes: Ugh. Bottoms only at this point. I refuse to wear maternity tops.

Gender: Girl!! I am so excited about having another sweet daughter!

Movement: Yes! She isn't quite as much of a mover as her sister was, but she definitely holds her own. I feel her the most in the early evening, and she often responds to Lily's voice. I take this as a sign that they will be very close sisters

Sleep: I give up.

What I miss: Wine. And not having heartburn after everything I eat or drink. A glass of water will give me heartburn at this point.

Cravings: Lettuce and mangos... like a monkey.

Symptoms: Heartburn. Heartburn, oh and heartburn. Does waddling count as a symptom?

Best Moment this week: Don't know if there are really any "bests" at this point? I do love how Lily likes to touch my belly. If we ask her who's in there, she'll say "sis" sometimes. Warms my heart.

The Mommy Uniform

Realized that I wore this same outfit every day last week, just varying the color of t-shirt I was wearing... Maybe it's time to change things up a bit? 

Women’s Ts & Camis: long-sleeve T’s, short-sleeve t-shirts, tanks,...
$15 - gap.com
Cami tank tops »

Gap Petite Womens Dark Curvy Jeans (Saturated Dark Wash)
$70 - gap.com
Gap jeans »

Gap Petite Curvy Jeans (Over-Dyed Black Wash)
$60 - gap.com
Gap skinny jeans »

Tory Burch Reva leather ballerina flats
$195 - net-a-porter.com
Tory burch shoes »

Stella & Dot
$98 - stelladot.com

Stella & Dot
$59 - stelladot.com

Stella & Dot
$39 - stelladot.com

blinc Inc Cosmetics
blincinc.com

Happy Mothers Day!!

Happy Mothers Day to all my mommy friends! What a wonderful job we have!

My sweet little family made the day so special. It was so fun spend time with my adorable husband, my beautiful little girl and my amazing mom.

After church A grilled out for lunch and then he watched Lily while Lita and I went to see BABIES at my favorite Alamo Drafthouse. AND my Tory Burch sandals were a sweet treat too! My husband is the best!

We started off the day lazy as ever. Aren't Lily and her daddy adorable together in their pjs?! I had to snap a picture of them hanging out this morning.

 

On Saturday I had my FIRST Stella & Dot Party. YAY for starting a new business!

Here is my little set up. I liked the way it turned out, but it made me realize that I needed to invest in a LOT more jewelry samples. So I did. Good for business and the wardrobe. :)

What a great little weekend!!

It's 9pm, and I'm ready for bed.

Started back in Febuary, and finished up today:

Oh my gosh, life is sooooo different with a baby! I can barely remember what I did before Lily was born. I think I went out to dinner more, and maybe went to yoga on a regular basis, stayed up later maybe, but I can't be sure since I don't have much memory left at all.

I like to get things done fast. Super fast. I don't need any one's help, because frankly they can't do it as fast or as right as I can. That has completely changed: "Sure, Lita, you can put away the dishes for me. No, that pot doesn't go there, and I probably won't be able to find it the next time I need it, but that's okay. Same goes for that pile of laundry. I don't mind digging through A's drawers to find my gym socks. No, that's not usually the brand of detergent I buy, but sure I'll take it because I still have more dirty clothes than clean ones at this point."


The times that I have to myself these days feel like I've escaped from a life sentence. Last week, A watched Lily while I went to get a much anticipated pedicure, and as I turned the corner out of our neighborhood with my monster Diet Coke in hand, and my InStyle magazine in the passenger seat, I opened the sunroof, and yelled "FREEEEDum", at the top of my lung, a la Braveheart. I was downright giddy.

I also didn't realize that I could be entertained for hours with watching my baby's eyebrows move up and down: "Look, A, she did it again, no no watch, watch, she's doing it again!"

And exercise comes in all forms these days. For instance, Lily's first laugh came when I sat her on my belly while I was lying down, and when I lifted my head to get closer to her, she let out a chuckle. Every time I lifted my head, she would do it again. It's been the most consistent way to get her to laugh, and for me to get in an ab workout.

Some things have remained the same, or are much more enforced. Like obligatory picture taking. We have no less that 100 pictures from Easter. Lily's first major holiday. Also on Easter came the obligatory coordinating outfits. No, not matching, just colors that look compliment each other, like my silver grey dress, Lily's lavender dress, and A's silvery lavender tie. See? Cute, not cheesy. I'd show you, but I don't have the pictures uploaded from our camera yet. Again, something I would immediately do and post to Facebook, B.L. (Before Lily).


We do watch just as much TV as we used to, and drink almost as much wine because sometimes that is all we have energy for after Lily falls asleep. And we try to see our friends and family as much as possible if only so someone else will hold the baby. :)


All kidding aside, I really love our little family and all our new changes.

I make no promises...

I am not a good blogger. I am a bad blogger. I make no promises that this will change, but here is what I've had stored in my posts since March:

I would focus on the most important new transition in my life: motherhood.

I've explained this transformation to a few friends as starting a new job. A job that I didn't know I would be good at, not sure if I'm qualified for and comes with a very demanding boss. Said boss started out as a 6 lb 14 oz bundle of cuteness and has grown to the 10 lb center of my world. She is wonderful and scary all at the same time. Seriously scary. I was afraid to be alone in the house with her for the first two weeks of her life. I almost bawled when A had to go back to work because I was terrified of being the single caregiver for a whole 8 hours. Thankfully my mom lives near by, who will from here on be referred to as Lita, which is short for "Abuelita" the spanish word for "grandma".

When I start a new job, I need lots and lots of affirmation. I like to be told I'm doing a good job, and that gives me the confidence and motivation to work hard. Well a baby can't really provide that for you considering they don't even know where their hand is. But on top of that, they don't talk, smile, make eye contact-- nothing for the first few weeks. So, I had to rely on A and Lita for my encouragement and feedback. One piece of advice I will now give to soon-to-be fathers, kiss your wife's behind during those first few weeks. Remind her what an amazing woman she is, tell her what an incredible job she is doing, and make her feel special. She is going to need this from you, her co-worker, constantly. I have to give A credit, because he was A-MAZING at making me feel like I wasn't a bad hire. He showered me with support in the way of compliments, affection, and making sure that I had plenty of time for myself. And, he is an excellent baby soother and diaper changer on top of all that.

After he went back to work at his other job, Lita stepped in and was by my side constantly for the next two weeks. I know. I'm a very lucky girl. Not many new moms have a Lita that lives close by, and is willing to basically live at your house with you while you are an emotional wreck. I couldn't have done it without her. After that second two weeks, she started to ween me little by little until I felt comfortable with Lily, and her crying, and her eating, and her blank stares.

But, about that same time, Lily has started to grow more and more predictable, more and more interactive so that she's no longer as scary as a clown. She has her moments that make me feel like a complete fraud at being a stay-at-home mom (all of which I plan to share with you--ranging from problems with breastfeeding, the first time she screamed hysterically in public, etc, etc) but those became more and more manageable with time, and learned patience and bravery.

And I can say with confidence, I really love what I do. And if I were to receive a 90 day evaluation, I think she would keep me on staff.





I hope to chronicle this journey for me, for Lily, and for anyone who takes the time to read this blog. Not just Lily's milestones, but the emotions and experiences that I want to remember, and some I would rather forget.

Well, "the boss" will be awake from her nap shortly, don't want her to think I'm slacking on the job.


~M

She's Here!

Baby Lily has arrived!!

Jan. 7, 2010 at 8:17pm.

6lbs 14oz 19.5 inches long

She has the fullest head of hair, long curly eyelashes and the darkest brown eyes.

We are so in love with her.