Saturday's Copy and Paste

YESTERDAY'S COPY AND PASTE

Yes, I'm a little behind. Cut me some slack! I've got a lot going on.

Today's Copy and Paste was inspired by Creativity. The following are things I'd like to make for Bria at some point during her life. So excited!

I hope she enjoys baking sweet treats with me!

Every kid needs a dinosaur tail.

Tissue paper pom poms -- decor for her room (not in gray).

Bria's future mobile.

Melted snowman cookies.

A bapron!

Cute headbands.

Embroidery hoop wall art (not these colors/fabrics).

Baby sling!

Butterfly snack bags -- for packed lunches.

Teether necklace.

That's it for now folks. Once I actually get started on these projects I'll post my process and final products. Wish me luck!

Today (*yesterday =  Friday June 24^th) was another huge reminder that I receive more than I deserve. I am blessed.

Here’s a recap of Friday’s and Saturday’s events:

FRIDAY

-I turned 25! Michael and I are now the same age for about three months, then my sweetness will be 26. It’ll be an extra special birthday for him because he’ll also be a daddy by then. We’ll get to celebrate with our little peanut!

-We had our last shower! My wonder coworkers at CBRE threw Michael and I our last shower – and it was great! They went so far as to theme the party a tropical theme – leis were passed out, flowers were put into hair, the cake even had a tropical theme. It was great. :) We received many of the items that we still needed, including the following:

Graco Snugride Infant Carseat Plus Stroller Frame

We're gonna probably use this one the most -- its compact/light weight enough for everyday use. We still plan on getting a jogging stroller, too.

We still need to buy the carseat base (x2). Will be doing that shortly.

And we're also looking forward to buying this swing base!

-I also received a lot of other useful gifts. Bottles, nipples, feeding spoons, sleep sacks, teether toys (sign all you have had is a dog: I called teether toys “chew toys”), some adorable clothes, and great gift cards.

-Because it was also my birthday I received some great birthday presents as well. Gift cards to restaurants, beautiful flowers, chocolate covered strawberries (plug: Shari’s Berries), Adele’s new CD 21, and a Williams Sonoma cutting board.

-The shower took a lot out of us (being the center of attention for that long is exhausting!) so we ended up going home, taking a nap… which turned into sleeping all night (for me. Michael still had to go to work in the pm).

SATURDAY

-We felt compelled to get a lot done. I woke up and organized the presents we had gotten the day before, and some existing. There were about 5 bags of return items that I separated out by store, and added gift cards to the bags – ready to go back and get used for things we still need. First we hit Target. After all of the returns and gift cards we had enough to get ourselves our first camcorder! I love home videos and I can’t wait to re-watch the videos we’re going to record within the next few months. Michael will be playing with our newest gadget so that he’s camera-ready on the big day!

-Next stop was Walmart. After returns we had enough to buy the crib mattress! I don’t know why but I’m really stoked about his mattress. It’s pretty to me (?? I dunno…).

-Although only making 2 return stops, we decided to call it a day. We went to eat at

TOMORROW

-We plan on making a few more return stops: Kohls, Children’s Place, and Babies R Us.

OTHER NEWS

-I pretty much finished packing our hospital bag (will write more another day about what all is inside).

-I’ve had a few more Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing of note. They weren’t as bad as that first one.

-I’m not sleeping well. The weight of my belly makes it difficult to stay asleep for very long. We’re trying to get a side-sleeper pillow but haven’t had any luck finding one yet.

-Next week we will be spending lots of time narrowing down the search of houses/apartments.

-The next doctor’s appointment is Wednesday July 6^th (T Minus: 11 more days). The doctor will be checking to see if I’m dilated, if the baby has lowered, and will let me know if I will be back every week or every other week until August 2^nd.

-I’m treating myself to a pedicure tomorrow. I’ll document how wonderful it is and hope to persuade some other pregnant women to follow in my footsteps (pun intended). I have a feeling it’ll be the best thing for pregnant feet since cushioned house shoes.

Okay so I think I have officially entered the “Feeling Uncomfortable” phase of trimester three. If it’s not one thing then it’s another, lately.

-lower back pain

-swollen jiggly feet

-nausea

-fatigue

-groin pain (when I try to move too fast)

-constantly hot and sweaty

-my butt/legs hurt (when sitting too long at work)

-headaches

The list continues.

And there’s STILL so much to do!

(Watch out: crabby insert) My goal for this next weekend is going to be to pack 3 more boxes and view at least one apartment complex. It sucks that all I want to do is sleep, but I have to work every day, pack all my things, [hopefully] find a new home. Then comes the unpacking, and getting ready for baby. It’s another form of torture to keep a pregnant woman from nesting; I feel like I have so much to do but I can’t do any of it because we don’t have a house! (okay, crabbyness done)

Baby update:

We are 43 days away from our scheduled due date! (Which makes me 34 weeks pregnant)

She weighs about 3 ¾ lbs. – about as much as an average cantaloupe.

My daily pregnancy emails have told me: to change positions slowly and deliberately (especially when getting up from lying flat). I need to make sure my blood sugar doesn’t drop too low, so I need to eat regularly. I need to sit in well-ventilated areas, and try to maintain a comfortable body temperature.

Although we are getting closer and I feel like so much is out of my control, I need to remember to pray and to appreciate everything. EVERYTHING. I need to count it all joy (James 1:2 says Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds). All of these loose ends, and physical frustrations, are all bringing me to a final chapter.

So, in an attempt to consider it all joy I’m gonna stop complaining (right now), and start the optimism. Here are some beautiful pictures and thoughts, to start it off:

1.       I am alive and well. You never know when things will just end for you one day and so far I have been given another gift of daily life. Can’t take that for granted.

2.       Bria is alive. But I want her to kick me more; I am starting to feel that she doesn’t enough. I’d rather she bruise my insides than not “talk” to me at all.

3.       I’m gonna get a pedicure this weekend, as a birthday present to myself. Just thinking about the foot and leg massage that comes with it makes me drool. I can’t wait!

4.       I’m officially finished paying off the Baby bill!! That monthly installment can now go towards my stupid car, and getting it fixed, or moving into our new house (when we find it).

5.       Michael is wonderful. I couldn’t ask for a better partner. I know that he tries his hardest, every day, to make me happy. He wants both Bria and I to be happy, healthy, and taken care of. This is the kind of love people dream about!

6.       Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream. Or any flavor of ice cream. This cold, sweet treat makes me happy.

7.       Fresh flowers. Michael gave me my first ever bouquet of peonies this weekend and wow. I had been told they are pretty and they smell wonderful -- I'm now a peony lover! (the below picture is not of peonies. But I love all pretty flowers)

8.       Puppies. Especially my puppy, Rigby. He reminds me to be happy every day because there really are so many reasons to be!

9.       Daydreaming about beautiful weddings.

10.   Looking forward to getting more sleep (one day, some day...)



Today was Father's Day! We celebrated because Michael is indeed a father -- Bria may not be here yet but I can tell you right that she's alive and kicking (literally).

Synopsis of Father's Day -1:

Michael worked this morning so I took advantage of the free time to finish up my planned father's day project, based on the picture below:

Are those not adorable gift bags?????

Well, I thought so too but they're definitely -NOT- Michael. He looks great all jazzed up in a button-down shirt and tie but his natural element is in a Peyton Manning jersey.

THUS...

Front.

Back.

Michael liking his P. Manning gift bag.

The gift bag doesn't look quite as professional as the inspiration bags, but it was my first go-round at something like this and it was super easy. I already had all of the supplies at home (gift bag, scrapbook paper, glue stick, and xacto knife).

Inside the bag:

Pay no attention to the mess. We're in the process of packing.

Michael's very own Daddy shirt. We're planning on packing this in the hospital bag so he can strut his stuff the day/night she arrives.

This was another easy DIY project. All that's needed is a blank tee shirt (I was looking for a baseball tee, but couldn't find one) and iron-on letters. Don't tell him (//kidding... he reads this blog) but I think I'll continue my search for a blank baseball tee and make him another shirt. :)

There was also a pack of boxers -- needed because our beloved Rigby went thru a phase of destroying Michael's boxers.

After opening the gifts, we took a nap -- four hours of uninterrupted sleep. Was nice!

Then we went to dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse (and lemme just say that the place has gone down hill). I might complain about that experience later. *grumble

Finally we saw The Green Lantern!

All in all it was a great day and I hope Michael (and all the other dad's out there) realize how much they are appreciated. Us women may be carrying the child but the men have to deal with us and our shenanigans. My Michael is a saint and I couldn't ask for a better fiance/future hubby (and Brianna couldn't ask for a better daddy).

We love you, baby!

Bytheway, check out the beautiful peonies Michael got for me as an early birthday present this weekend!! :D

Saturday's Copy and Paste

Saturday's Copy and Paste

(Yes, I realize I'm a little late but I couldn't just OMIT this stuff!)

I may have to make these to put into our new house, at some point. Because they're both true. I especially love the "In this house we do..." list.
Perfection.

Belly Laughs

Rosalind Russell. So gorgeous.

Rosalind Russell once said “Taking joy in life is a woman’s best cosmetic”.

I concur. And this is one of many things that I want to teach my little Bria. I want her to know that “happy girls are pretty girls” (thanks Audrey Hepburn for that quote). I want her to know that she is gorgeous. Because I do remember being a tween/teen and feeling nerdy… not pretty.

Funny #11 (see the other funnies: here)

Swollen feet.

No, it’s not that the actual swelling of the feet is funny, it’s that swollen feet – just like other swollen body parts – jiggle. Try walking around with an obviously swollen right foot (the left wasn’t as bad), that jiggles with every step. It’s the funniest feeling I’ve felt all these seven months!

So, I tend to complain a lot. I try to keep this blog complaint-free but sometimes they sneak on here. It’s natural, I think. I mean – my entire body has already changed, and its gonna continue changing until I won’t be able to recognize myself in past pictures. Things happen so fast, and in such extremes, that it’s hard to keep y our eye on the prize.

But today is not a complaining-kinda day. I was inspired by the below picture to purposefully write 10 things about pregnancy that makes me happy:

10. Dreams. They’re radical, man. Nothing quite compares to the imagination of a pregnant woman. They are unexpected, sometimes scary, often foreboding. I have seen her face a million times in my dreams, so until she arrives it’s my favorite place to be.

9. Nice Strangers. Everywhere I go my belly draws smiles, and extra courtesy. What touches my heart most is a man, whom I’ve never met, being as gentle and as kind as if he were my own brother. Those walking in our society who are supposed to be the rough and tough have the most tender hearts.

8. Nice Friends. And family! It’s overwhelming how wonderful people are during this time of pregnancy. I’m not used to the whole shower-thing so opening presents, given by all of my wonderful friends and family members, has given me a whole new level of humbledom (made up word! Yess!).

7. Sustenance. Food and water – the source of mine and my baby’s growth and development – has never tasted so good. These cravings I’ve talked about are some sort of blessing given by God himself for all of the hard work it will be to become a mother. It’s my lifelong goal now to cherish every meal like I have been cherishing it during pregnancy.

6. Getting away with it. I’ll have to say I never thought I’d be the type of woman who uses “the pregnant card”… but I do. There’s no guilt anymore for all the things I do while pregnant (can we say: ice cream? Laziness?), but really its because these treats only last a while and there’s a reasoning behind the madness. Pregnancy is a gift, and it could terminate at any moment. Taking care of mom should be everyone’s top priority. So if that means she flashes the pregnancy card and says she wants a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream (BECAUSE she’s pregnant), then daggumit Give it to her!

5. Humor. Laughing may not come to mind when you think of pregnancy. More often it’s the crying and the bitchiness that people think of when they’re talking about being preggo. Let me tell you right now: your attitude is a choice, hormones or not. Everyone is allowed a few collapses into tears/bursts of anger… but for the majority of the time YOU can choose HOW you view this period in your life. So I may have chosen this, or it may really be a pregnant-thing: I love to laugh. I’m learning to laugh with life instead of fight it. Take all of these changes and find the humor instead of the trauma.

4. My Body. I may be gaining weight and my doctor may disapprove but, I love my body. The extra boobage is super awesome (although short lived) and the luscious hair is pretty cool too. But even my bulging belly and swelling feet make me feel sexy. I may have to roll rather than walk, but this is the first time in the history of my physique-conscious-life that I have ever loved every physical part of myself.

3. Michael: fiancé to father. Watching Michael transform from boyfriend to fiancé to father has been beyond touching. The way he holds my hand, the way he touches my belly, the way he talks to Brianna. It’s his protective and loving instinct and it keeps me falling further and further in love with the man every day.

2. Baby Movements. Nothing is quite as magical as feeling your baby toss and turn inside your belly. I can be lost in computer screens at work, dealing with a stressful situation, saddened by the world… and suddenly I feel a kick and a twirl. It’s like Bria’s and my own private conversation and it’s wonderful.

1. It’s all worth it. Knowing that although this list of happies is short, the list of complaints is long. I know this and understand that I’m an annoying whiny baby. But I also know that it will ALL be worth it in the end. I’ll take on feet the size of watermelons, heat flashes from hell, and heartburn without a cure if it means bringing Brianna happily, safely, and as healthy as can be into this world.

FIRST: I woke up early this morning, with right lower back pain and a stiff stomach. Considering I have never felt the pains of labor before I was concerned that I was feeling just that. But after a few minutes of rubbing my back and breathing it out, the pain faded and my belly returned to its less rock-solid phase… and it’s all stayed that way.

So I’m guessing I felt my first Braxton Hicks contraction today. The body’s getting ready!

But anyway,

They say a couple should find a plant, take care of the plant, and if that plant survives and thrives for a year they should graduate to a dog.

Find a dog, take care of that dog, and if that dog thrives and survives for a year, they should graduate to a baby.

Michael and I skipped the plant part (and to be honest I’ve never had much of a green thumb. Try as I might, potted plants tend to die when they belong to me). We did, however, do the dog bit. In case you haven’t met him yet… meet Rigby. He is my first child; my little boy. And WOW has he challenged us!

Rigby’s Life in Summary: The Rigster is a Cajun dog; he was adopted from Michael’s mom who lives in Louisiana, when he was just a few months old. He was the largest pup in the group, and the most friendly – which is what prompted Michael to bring him to me as an early birthday present in May of 2009.

Rigby on his first drive up from LA to TN.

We’ve had our share of speculations on what type of dog Rigby is. All we can say is that he obviously has German Shepherd and Lab in his blood. Others have guessed at Boxer (he has the energy for this), Rhodesian Ridgeback (looks a lot like these dogs, and has the raised fur down the spine), and Great Dane (he’s goofy, clumsy, and friendly).

Young Rigby.

I can definitely say we have lived thru the trials and tribulations of having a dog. We’ve experienced it all: housebreaking, biting walls, jumping on people, not minding, teaching him basic commands, even some snapping back when being disciplined. In many ways I can see how having a dog before a baby can teach you about what is to come. Some lessons I’ve learned while teaching, loving, crying over my dear boy:

Larger Rigby.

-Bribes get the job done… but now you’re stuck for life. For a while we used a clicker to train Rigby. The concept is easy: Make a demand and click the clicker when the dog obeys. This is immediately followed by praise and a food treat, and eventually the clicker will not be needed. We’ve taught Rigby enough so that he doesn’t need the clicker any more, but we have said device. To this day, if you click it, he will expect something delicious. Lesson learned: think before you bribe. You may be in over your head!

-You can never have enough patience. There are days when you sit down and bawl, because your dog just crapped in the back seat of your car for the millionth time (or he ran off and won’t come back to your whistle, or he wants to play when you want to rest, etc.). There are those days when you kick yourself for praising your high-patience attitude because really, there’s never enough to go around.

-You’re not going to be a perfect parent. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes with raising Rigby and I always wish I could give him more. For instance: I take Rigby’s collar off when I give him a bath, and am generally never in a rush to put it back on. Recently Rigby escaped the backyard, and it happened to be a day after a bath – and I had no put his collar on. He was out, he was lost, and he was unidentifiable. I was a mess. WHAT KIND OF PARENT AM I???, I kept asking myself. A terrible one. But people are good, and a nice man had found him, held him, and taken care of him until we could meet up. Rigby is back and that damn collar is on 24/7. Parents are constantly learning too.

-We can learn from dogs; probably more than they can learn from us. Just like children dogs see the world in a state of innocence (except for those that come from broken homes). Rigby is beyond joyful when I come home. He forgives quickly. He enjoys simple things like good food. He is loyal to those who love him most, and hurt him most – and I know he always will be. Can’t we learn a little from that?

One of Rigby's first baths.

-We truly do learn about our "children" like no one else can. I know what Rigby's various vocal mumblings/grumblings mean (I'm having a nightmare/Someone is coming into the house/Let me out, I wanna play/I'm tired). I know that he loves to swim and his favorite game is fetch -- especially if he's fetching out of the water. I know an emergency whimper when I hear one (Note: He whimpered once before when he had a thorn stuck in his paw. Although he has fake whimpered before to get something he wanted, I knew that this whimper was serious). I know that he loves to get his ears cleaned out, and what kind of noise Michael can make that will drive him completely nuts (I know it but I can't mimick it). I know that he has birth marks on both cheeks (two on his right cheek), and one under his chin.

Rigby may be one of the roots of my madness, but it’s Good Madness. Why would I want anything less?

(In celebration of our doggie babies, here is a plug for a friend of mine who has dedicated a blog to her "little monster": Click)