"Giving birth should be your greatest achievement not your greatest fear." ~Jane Weideman

This quote could not have come across my computer at a more opportune time.  Ever since I made the bold decision to prepare myself for natural birth, I have been making some changes to get ready!  Recommended to me by my OB, I bought a book called "Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method" by Marie F. Mongan (foreword by Lorne R. Campbell).  I really like it so far, and the quote in my title is very fitting.  One of the first questions I get asked about being pregnant is "Are you scared/nervous?!"  I automatically widen my eyes and say "Well, hell yeah!"  Now I can honestly say "Nope, not really.  I'm excited!"  It may sound crazy to some, but with some knowledge and confidence, I know I can do what my body was created to do.  Conceiving a child is a miracle.  Creating an embryo and having that slowly evolve into a fetus and into a tiny little baby; is a miracle.  The fact that your body knows it needs to create an entire organ (the placenta) for the purpose of nourishing this little baby: is a miracle.  Your body knowing when it's time for said baby to enter the world by preparing your body: water breaking, contractions, dilation, etc: is a freaking miracle.  So why is giving birth any different? It's the final miracle that will bring a child into the world. It shouldn't be any scarier than watching your belly grow.  It should be fascinating and exciting!

Anyway, as you can tell, I'm pretty passionate about this.  Don't worry, I have not let my hair turn into dreads, exchanged my OB for a hippy midwife(they get a bad wrap) and a bathtub, and I'm not going to cloth diaper! The tree outside my house is too hot to hug, thanks a lot AZ summer heat.  I'm sticking with my awesome OB and feel safe knowing I'll be in a hospital.  I will be signing off to receive an epidural/medication, if deemed medically necessary. I am not ignorant to the reality of giving birth and it not going as planned.  All that I am 100% sure of, is that I will be doing what I can to achieve a goal I have set for myself.  Like Tony Horton says "Do your best. Forget the rest".  Gotta love it.

Time for some belly stats:
How far along: 29 weeks 5 days
Baby is the size of a: butternut squash (2.5 lbs/15 inches) **this is according to my baby app. Per my ultrasound: she weighs 3lbs 7 oz and is measuring a week ahead.

Total weight gain: 32 lbs, still. i guess my body packed it on and now I'm in hibernation? haha, who knows!
Maternity clothes: yesss. and i think i wanna buy one more skirt from Nordstrom Rack. they are SO comfy.
Stretch marks? belly is free and clear still
Sleep: Pretty good still. I had a dream the tips of my fingers were blue because the "tissue died" haha, whaaaa? my dang arms & hands keep falling asleep. boo
Best moment this week: Hands down, one of the best moments of this pregnancy was the ultrasound that I posted about. I have her "thumbs up" pic on my phone and just love her sweet face!
Miss Anything? I really missed going for a long/hard run to blow off some steam. and the usual: sleeping on belly, having more energy, moving faster than a slug, etc. haha
Movement: Yes, and i love it! I think she really knows when her daddy is near. she will be still, and when he puts his hand on my belly and talks to her she starts to move.
Food cravings: this is random, but thousand island dressing! salads have paved their way back into my eating regimen. hehe. oh and chocolate + pb candies (but, that's what i normally love) mmm reeses and pb m&m's
Anything making you queasy or sick: ginger, of course
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Symptoms: same ol: back aches, fatigue, the burps, and arms/hands falling asleep.
Wedding rings on or off? off.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! A little moody, but it's what I signed up for..
Looking forward to: Childbirth Education classes with Rob tomorrow, bring it! Baby shower and staycation next month, woo hoo!


Ok, so instead of making a new post or trying to figure out the widgets on this blog (i'm feeling particularly lazy at the moment) I wanted to share one of my favorite juices. Rob and I have consistently juiced everyday since we got back from vaycay. (there i go; easily impressed with myself...hehe). It's a  Mean Green Juice
 Ingredients:
handful spinach
3 stalks of kale
2 golden delicious apples (any apples, really)
small handful parsley
1 lemon*
1 cucumber
*A few quick/personal notes: 1. Start by using half a lemon and do a taste test once you juice it all and stir.  The first time Rob and I did this with a whole lemon, it made our mouths water. It was very tart.  (and if you know me, I love anything sour. Sour patch kids, sour skittles, sour punch straws; you name it. I've been known to eat lemons with salt. just like that.)
2. Peel or slice off lemon rind leaving some of the white pith
3. To juice small leaves such as parsley/cilantro, roll them up into a ball to compact the leaves. I also do this with spinach.
4. I like to add green grapes
What I love about juicing is trying new things.  Lately I have been mixing it up and it tastes delish, but looks pretty gnarly. Oh well. That happens a lot with my cooking/baking. All that matters is how it tastes! I will work on my presentation later.

Speaking of, I better go make our juices for tomorrow before this laziness consumes me.  TGIF and to all the sales peeps out there: best of luck on your end-of-the-month push.  Go team, go!

Besos,

Lex

Sweet baby girl!

Ok, so I just can't wait til next week to update about our ultrasound today. I'm too giddy!  First things first, this ultrasound was order by my doc to check my placenta (it was lying low) and the GREAT news is that it is sittin' nice and high; where it should be. Yay! Operation: Natural Birth is still a go. ♥  After our awesome tech (whom, btw, did our very 1st ultrasound when we found out we were preggers with baby Sofie) got all the necessary measurements, we had some fun in our attempts to get some good pictures of her sweet face.  As per usual, our little babe has her own agenda and apparently was in the middle of a somersault-position for her afternoon nap.  Her feet were up by her face blocking our vision, even her hands would go up there and add to our challenge. After turning from side to side and using this vibrating buzzer (funniest thing EVER! it definitely woke her little booty up) we managed to get some awesome face shots.  It was obvious we woke her up, because she kept yawning and we even got to see her eyes flutter open for a second. So cute! Rob and I are just head over heels in love with her!


Isn't technology great?! Such coool pictures.  We also found out that she is measuring about a week ahead of schedule (I think 9/28) and weighs 3lbs and 7 oz already.  WHOA MAMA! My baby iPhone apps says she should weigh about 2.5 lbs. Yay for a happy and healthy baby, that's what we want.  I'm not sure if this means she will come early, or if she will just be a little chunky monkey. Either way, as long as she is healthy; we are blessed!

I love my baby. I love myself. I am blessed.

Speaking of,  (loving myself, yeah i know...) I had my first experience with a stranger commenting on how HUGE my belly is.  Some lady said "Ooh girl, you look like you're about ready to pop!!!"  I replied "Wow, really? I still have at least 2 months to go, haha"  Anyway, it was kind of an awkward exchange and I thought maybe it would annoy me. But guess what? I love my belly! Sure, it gives me pretty bad aches and pains and I move slower than molasses...but my baby and I are both healthy and that is what matters. So hmmmph!  Haha, just thought I'd share. Oh man, the things people say to pregnant ladies....too funny.  That is a whole other post in itself. Am I right ladies?

Mmk, well I'm ready to start the weekend with handsome hubby.  Real quick: I wanted to take a moment of silence and pray for the victims and loved ones that were affected by the senseless tragedy that occurred in Aurora, CO.  And even though most will wish harm on the shooter, he needs our prayers too. He is twisted and could have used some professional help to avoid such a tragedy.

Peace & Love,

Lex

♫With peace in my mind. I got peace in my heart. Got peace in my soul.♫

So, I'm pretty sure I spend just as much time thinking about the title of the blog as I do on actually writing the post. Haha! I'm not sure why, I just feel like it sets the mood...or something.  This week is a lyric from a song called "Living in the Moment" by Jason Mraz.  It's such a happy go lucky song with an awesome message. I'm a sucker for lyrics, it's true. I find that I always find an album that I listen to incessantly and it creates a special memory.  I've been pretty obsessed with Jason Mraz's most recent album called "Love is a four letter word".  I just know it will remind me of being pregnant, I'm just that predictable.

Anyway, I picked this particular part of the song because it helps me put things in perspective.  No matter what happens to you in this precious life, you need to find peace within yourself.  It's a lesson I've recently learned , or maybe I've just been given a refresher course on(probably the latter).  I guess what I ultimately want to say is: Everything happens for a reason.  As cliché as that can sound, I truly believe this.  You may not see the reason why for a long while, but in retrospect, it will make sense to you. one day.  As long as you have made peace with it (the situation) and yourself.

For me? It was accepting God's plan for Rob and I to start a family.  It has been a challenging and heartbreaking journey, but I now know that this is our time and this is how it was meant to be. 07/13/12 would have been our Angel Baby #1's birthday and I was overcome with emotion. Words can't express having feelings of grief and gratitude at the same time; it's surreal.  Maybe that's why I turn to music to help express myself. I'm emo like that.

On a less emo note, this week has been pretty great! Rob and I have been religiously juicing and we can both feel/see the difference.  3rd trimester fatigue is starting to set in, but I think it would be worse if I didn't start eating better and doing some exercise/yoga. We have been loving this new "mean green" juice I found online. I will hafta share the recipe (still trying to figure out this blog-thingy-majig). Ahhh, it feels good to be healthy.  Oh, and now that we watched the documentary "Food Matters" (thank you Jason & Bre for the recommendation & hook up), Rob and I are pretty gung-ho about getting back to being consistent with our health. We also watched "The Business of Being Born" and it really pumped us up about D-day.  It was really interesting and just confirmed my decision to do everything I possibly can to have a med-free birth. Yikes!
Last week we got our bedding from Stacie with Lil Lainey Bug and it all turned out soo cute!  The collage shows the custom window valance, matching bed skirt, fitted sheet, quilt, pillow cover, and burp cloth. Can't wait to have Sofie in there to complete the room! Hehe. Oh yeah! (sorry, pregnancy brain at it's finest) I had my glucose testing yesterday. My drink was fruit punch flavored and it just reminded me of really sweet Kool-Aid (my favorite...the blue packet! hahaha) It kind of gave me a little headache, but it was NBD(no big deal, i love acronyms).  After an hour, they took some blood and hopefully that's the last I hear about that! No call=normal results. Now that we are in the home stretch, I'll have OB appointments every 2 weeks. And soon it will be weekly, whoa! I love that I get to see my actual OB every other appointment.  A special shout-out to Christine for referring me to True Harmony. I love their office and feel 100% confident with Dr. Brass. It makes a huge difference, especially as a FTM (first time mom, keep up people!) I have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday to check on my placenta. It was lying a little low on my last ultrasound appointment (2 months ago).  Hopefully it's in a spot that is considered safe and normal. I'm not worried about it, since I try not to worry about things out of my control. Just keeping my fingers crossed!

Ok, time for a belly pic and continued update..
How far along: 28 weeks 4 days
Baby is the size of a: chinese cabbage (baby apps are funny) 14.8 in and 2.25 lbs!

Total weight gain: 32, still.
Maternity clothes: Yup, Rob bought me 2 new skirts. THE most comfy thing to wear, hallelujah
Stretch marks? none on my belly, my doc even noticed
Sleep: Sleeping pretty decent still. My hands keep falling asleep and I hafta switch sides often, haha
Best moment this week: Last week was getting all the custom bedding and goodies for Sofie's room. I'm so happy with how it all turned out! This week was getting to hear her little heart beating at my OB appointment. 156 BPM!
Miss Anything? Having more energy. I'm starting to get pretty tired these days
Movement: Yup! I think I confuse Rob when he hears me giggle in the middle of the night (one of her favorite times to play)
Food cravings: Still pizza. Really love my muscle milk. Apple Pie with caramel drizzle (mmm!) Ooh and seasoned potatoes.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Don't say the word ginger to me (barf!) Oooh, I was brave enough to eat Chipotle and it didn't make me sick. phew!
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Symptoms: Can't complain (too much, haha) Nothing new, just feeling overly tired all the time. Props to the women who deal with this when they have other children and/or a full-time job/school to attend to.
Wedding rings on or off? off.
Happy or Moody most of the time: This week was emotional for me. Angel Baby #1's bday. Lots of tears, but most were happy ones!
Looking forward to: Ultrasound on friday! We get to see our little love. I wonder how big she really is! And of course to make sure all is well. OH! And watching "The Dark Knight Rises" in iPic Theater on Saturday!!! boom

Mmk, it's time to get off my booty and be a good housewife.  Gonna be creative and make up a new juice, it shall be glorious!

Until next time. I'll see ya then, or I'll see ya on another time! (gotta love movie quotes)

Lex ♥

Comments:

I love my baby. I love myself. I am blessed. Namaste.

The title of this post is a reference to this awesome prenatal yoga/workout video I've been doing. Yes, I totally wanna be a yogi! It's called "Yoga Booty Ballet" and it's a great combo of stretching, light cardio, and yoga. Best of all, Tanicka came over twice this week to join me. So awesome.

I'm a little late on my "weekly update", but all for good reason.  Rob and I decided to go on a last hoorah/babymoon trip for the 4th of July. It was SUCH a treat to escape this AZ heat and spend the week in Cali. le sigh. if only I could stay until baby arrives.  Rob's family also vacationed in SD, and we were able to spend time with them too. It was very fun and relaxing and well over-due!  And the weather was PERFECT. Oh man, I just close my eyes and pretend I'm still there. We went to LA for about a day and a half (did the tourist thing) and spend the remainder of the time in SD. Stayed at the lovely Dana Hotel and ate some delicious food.  Most notably, "La Playa Taco Shop" had some of the best mexican food.  Rob was obsessed with the Chile Relleno burrito.  I'm gonna try and make that one of these days. One of my favorite parts of this trip was partaking in a family tradition of Rob's family.  On the way back to AZ, we took a detour through Ramona up to Julian.  Made a pit stop at Dudley's Bakery for some lunch and some loaves of freshly baked bread. I've enjoyed a piece of Cinnamon Raisin toast with PB&J with my morning (halfcaff) coffee. Yum yum yum! Of course, the yumminess doesn't stop there. We stopped at Julian Pie Co. and had a slice of pie and took some home with us.  Apple crumble with caramel drizzle. O.M.G. Best pie everrrrr (maybe i'm a biased pregnant lady with a sweet fang) Seriously though, scrum-diddly-umptious.  Well worth the added 2 hours to the trip, man oh man.

Needless to say, after a week of over-indulging and laying by the pool/beach, it's safe to say this has been a week of getting back into the groove.  We are juicing again, thank goodness. I broke our last juicer somehow, so we invested in what all the kids are raving about.  Jack Lalanne's Power Juicer. It's amahhzing (pronounced Um-Ma-Zing). It has been so refreshing to eat better this week, I feel less sluggish and have a boost of energy right after my afternoon juice.  I will take any extra energy I can get.

Time to for a belly update!

How far along: 27 weeks 5 days
Baby is the size of a: Cauliflower (14.5 in & 2lbs!)

Total weight gain: 32
Maternity clothes: Oh yes, comfy dresses are the best
Stretch marks? a few on my girls, but my belly is in the clear
Sleep: Still sleeping a good 9-10 hours (with a 1-2 potty breaks)
Best moment this week: Gonna choose last week: R&R in San Diego
Miss Anything? Enjoying a nice, cold margarita (on the rocks, with salt please!) and laying on my tummy
Movement: Yes, yes yes! Best feeling in the world.  Her kicks are getting more fierce. Rob was able to feel some strong ones last night before bed.
Food cravings: Pizza (always) Crab legs, but I resisted the urge to spend $50 on a lb, ha. Chocolate flavored Muscle Milk, yum!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Cheezits! (seriously, not cool) The thought of ginger makes me shudder (probably from the 1st trimester of the nausea monster).  I put a TEENY bit in our juice yesterday and Rob thought I was crazy for being able to detect it at all. Gross!
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nope
Symptoms: Feeling pretty good overall, just the usual aches & pains (back aches, swollen feet and fingers) and random fatigue. praying that it's still smooth sailing for the next 12 weeks-ish.
Wedding rings on or off? off. The dude at Costco called me Miss Hegarty and i just had to say "I'll hafta talk to by HUSBAND about that" (he was trying to upsell me) haha, whatev
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy as a clam!
Looking forward to: Lots! Glucose test next week (just wanna get it over with) and Birthing classes at the end of the month. Yay!

Mmk, well that does it for this edition.

Until next time my friends,

baby mama lex