nesting

Last night Matthew and I painted birdhouses. They are going to hang in the corner in front of the windows in baby girl's room. They turned out quite precious.

30 week milepost

It's hard to believe but I am now past 30 weeks. I am ever-growing and find that carting this watermelon around is a little cumbersome and exhausting but I imagine I will miss it once she's here. She won't be with me, a part of me, in her safe little cocoon. Having said that, though, as the time to meet her approaches ever nearer I am getting flutters of excitement. I feel her moving inside of me and I have this intense longing to just hold her.
I am still feeling great- except for the heartburn. It is getting more difficult to eat and not pay for it 30 minutes later. I've found that the best relief is chewing gum, weirdly enough.
No new cravings- still can't get enough fruit but am limiting the amount I eat due to the 'burn. I'm looking forward to pasta and coffee post-labor!!

'loving the bump'

first mother's day

it's been a special day- breakfast in bed from the best hubby and daddy-to-be in the world, a beautiful Mother's Day recital by my amazing students, some fun baby gifts from said students, and a chat with my mom, sister, and two very special friends. now it's nap-time because this mommy-to-be is exhausted...
last thoughts as my eyes fight to stay open are how special it is to be a mommy and how madly in love I am with this little girl who has yet to make her debut...

third trimester thoughts

My belly is bigger, my energy is lower, and my heartburn is meaner, but so far I'm not finding third trimester too overwhelming. At my 28 week checkup appointment, I was pricked for glucose testing (everything normal) and measured in at 27 cm- a little on the small side but no concerns as of now. We heard her heartbeat again -sounding beautiful! - she was moving around a lot, enough that my dr even commented on how visible her movements are. I'm still loving the feeling of her little self inside me and have started capturing videos of her most active moments. Sometimes when she moves, she stops in a certain position where one side of my stomach is distended further than the other- it always makes me giggle because of how funny it looks. But pretty soon she is back to her squirming and my belly erupts into more wiggling all over.
Food is better than ever- I just can't eat very much at one sitting. So I eat mini meals. Fruit is still a huge craving; other than that, I don't have any sudden food urges. I am now avoiding tomato/pasta sauces, my occasional cup of decaf coffee, and spicy foods due to heartburn attack that always follows.
With only two weeks left of regular lessons and one makeup week following that, I am starting to feel the approach of summer. With only 11 weeks left, we have fun plans with friends and family, as well as a birthing class, photo shoots, and nursery completion to keep us busy as the month of July slooowwwlly approaches.

27 weeks... come and gone

so last Friday was 27 weeks-- and here I am on the brink of the third trimester. It's hard to believe...

yummy meals

due to the need for me to be eating healthy and for two, I have been trying out more creative meals. last night we had tofu 'crab'cakes with cocktail sauce and cucumber dill salad. yum!

24 weeks

24-week check-up: complete! we got to hear our little girl again yesterday, her heart beating warm and strong. this is the final month of our once-a-month appointments; next month i begin bi-weekly check-ups as i enter the third trimester. i can't believe how fast everything is going, yet how slow time seems to move...
the past few weeks have had their ups and downs - special moments include an increase in baby's activity including responses to things she hears; the creation of a baby registry with many instances of obsessively cooing over this darling outfit or gawking at the complexity of that stroller or pack'n'play; work on her room commencing with much anticipation of seeing the completed result (still to come!); continued joy and wonder at the knowledge that we have this special little being inside of me who is all ours; and many intimate talks over how we envision our first experiences as parents while maintaining our relationship as lovers, friends, and of course, always each other's favorite. sure we are idealistic - what soon-to-be parent isn't? but we are ready to embrace all the experiences, good and challenging, with an optimistic view.
downs are more personal as i do have moments of anxiety - what kind of mother will i be? what character will this little daughter have? how will having another member of the family, albeit tiny and precious at first, affect the idyllic and perfect relationship that Matthew and I have? this is probably my biggest anxiety, as the past six years of having this incredible man i call my husband have been the best years of my life and i can't imagine life getting any better. i have always dreaded change - this is one change that i welcome with open arms yet a part of me still worries that what we have now will be forever altered. the peace that carries me through these moments of fear is the knowledge of the incredible foundation we have created between the two of us and that this precious little girl is the result of that love and complete devotion we have for one another... an extension of ourselves, if you will. so i tuck these worries away inside, asking God to take them away as He wills, and focus on the beautiful feelings i continue to carry with me through it all.