Barefoot and Pregnant

Cheerio!

2009-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ezra would like to share her Cheerios with you.

We Have Lift Off

2009-09-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Most of my mornings go like this: 7:30 my alarm sounds. I hop up, jump in the shower, and by the time I get out the baby is waking. I grab her, get her fed and dressed, and plop her down on a quilt in the middle of the living room where she gladly sits and plays in a basket full of toys while I finish getting ready for work. It's a routine that's worked great until practically the day Ezra turned 7 months.

That morning while I was making her bottles for the day when I heard CLANK CLANK CLANK from the end of the kitchen. I turn around to find the baby's got one of the dog's bowls in her hand and is banging it against the other one. She had followed me across the dining room and into the kitchen.

And each day since brings with it more speed and agility. And so goes my last little bit of freedom. And while I'm so happy to see the growth in my sweet baby girl, I don't know if I'm quite ready for the whirlwind that is sure to follow. The fall is always a busy time for us, and we've practically booked out every weekend for the rest of the year already. And I know what that means. It means before I know it, it's going to be February and Ezra will be a walking, talking one-year-old.

Ezra's crawling has provided Minnie with a full blown stalker. At present, Minnie's not too happy about this. And I don't really see that changing until Ezra learns to throw a tennis ball. This poor dog has no idea what's headed her way in the coming months: the loss of the freedom of a doggie door; no more food left out at her disposal; and no where left to hide. Bear down Minnie, it's going to be a wild ride.

Many Faces

2009-09-14T19:27:00.001-07:00

I've Got a Stupid Question...

2009-09-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

How do you dress a baby for fall and winter? I've found some stores with some winter clothes on sale and I'd love to go ahead and start picking up a few pieces here and there, but I'm not sure where to start. Now don't get me wrong, I have got some plans for the holiday season and they do include festive dresses, white tights and black patent mary janes. But what do you do for the normal everyday wardrobe? I imagine layers might work, because I'd want to keep baby warm, but be able to pull clothes off to keep her from overheating. And it really never gets too cold down here, so I know I won't need any heavy duty items. Of course convenience is a big deal too, I know the ladies at daycare aren't going to be too happy if I send Ezra to school in tights everyday. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

For the grandmas:

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

2009-09-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

As the Labor Day weekend draws to a close the husband and I sit back exhausted, but very satisfied. We spent much of the weekend on home improvement projects around the house, I suppose ours was a Manual Labor Day. We painted our dining room the most delicious dove gray. It's dark and luxurious and really makes our white plantation blinds and light fixtures stand out. We arrived at this color only after I painted practically the entire room a very wrong color, and the hubs dragged me back to the home store and re-picked the color himself. And I must say, I love it. He knows what I wanted more than I did apparently.

After applying the last coat and replacing all the old yellowed outlets with spiffy new modern ones to match the room, baby-proofed of course, we felt compelled to rearrange some light fixtures. See, this is how it happens, one thing leads to another and the next thing you know you've dropped more money that you would have spent on a weekend in Vegas and they're calling you by your first name at Lowe's. But it was great fun. At least I thought so. I don't think the husband was too excited to repaint all the walls, but hey, a little extra exercise can only be good for you, right?

The finished dining room, (night shot), the room is FULL of light during the day.

The fixture that was in the hallway, now in the nook.

Grams' Dresses

2009-09-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know my mother, know how talented she is. She's super resourceful, she's fantastic at planning and executing not only business projects, but swank suburban cocktail parties and huge holiday family dinners, she's creative, has great taste, and she's smarter than the average bear. Now that she has a grandbaby, she's dusted off the old sewing machine and has started churning out the cutest little numbers for our favorite chick.

Which brings me to the point of this post. She was laid off a while back, and has sent her resume out to a few people, but as the economy would have it, she's not having much luck finding what she wants. But I've got an idea! I think that she should just build on what she's practically already started...a homemade baby clothing and accessories shop from home. Come on Mom, do it. And this is why it would be pure awesomeness:

1. Websites like Etsy.com, Ebay, Craigslist, etc. make it super easy to upload your goods and spread the word.

2. I have a lot of friends having babies, and at work I meet a lot of families building homes because they're having babies. Hello!? Networking goldmine.

3. And this is the best one...you work at home, for yourself, for as much money as you want, and I'd say the hours would be flexible enough for you to still make plenty of time to drive to San Antonio to hang out with us. Besides, you'll be needing a fabulous young model for your frocks, and I think I know where you can find one!

4. Did you see how much that chic little boutique in downtown Corpus was asking for similar creations? I'll refresh your memory...$115!!! Now we all know that's just ridiculous. But I feel confident that you could put yours at a slightly more reasonable pricepoint and still make a pretty penny. The patterns that you have are very hip, and handmade is always better than store bought, but what mom of an infant has time to sew? Once you get going we can try selling in boutiques in Corpus and San Antonio and the world will soon be ours! Muah ha ha!

5. You've got nothing to lose. Make a few items, list them, see if you get any bites.

A sweet little dress that I commissioned for a friend

Her latest creation for Ezra

One of my favorites when paired with ruffled butt bloomers!

Hand stitched felted wool booties, these are truly delicious

Assorted baby blankets

These are great because they're lightweight and small enough to fold and fit into a diaper bag, but big enough to spread out for a play palette. I've also used mine draped over the stroller when it was raining.

6 Months

2009-08-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

In the blink of an eye 6 months have passed. Ezra's growing strong, she's eating all sorts of baby food, she's sitting up on her own, and while she can't quite crawl, (she's trying her hardest, the arms just aren't there yet), she's perfectly content to just roll where she needs to go. And she's fast. Which brings us to the subject at hand.

We bought our first house last year and were super excited to find just exactly what we wanted...a 1957 ranch in the city, a bit of a fixer upper, but with potential. Some of the quirks are small obstacles, like the fact that the previous owner thought that it would be a good idea to wood glue and screw the towel hooks into the wall, so when we started to replace the bathroom fixtures we inadvertently peeled a big strip of drywall off too. And some of the quirks are rather disruptive, for instance the house did not have central air when we moved in, only old moldy window units...some mounted in the middle of walls, which left us with gaping holes in the house to patch.

Our latest project was more of a safety concern that required some immediate attention. Our family room was added in the 60s or 70s, I'm guessing, because it includes a rather hip conversation pit in front of a giant fireplace, which, I suppose would be pretty freaking magical if you lived anywhere that the temperature dropped below 50 degrees. I imagine you could gather 'round the pit with your loved ones and sip cocoa while your faces were lit only by the twinkling Christmas lights and the glowing fire before you while your husband lazily strums the guitar. But since we live on the face of the sun, and I currently have no memory of the temperature falling below 100 degrees, the pit/fireplace proves to be more of a nonfunctional area of the room, and here recently it's more like a giant gaping 2 foot deep crevasse of a hole in the floor, inviting baby to roll into it and crack her head on the terra cotta tile.

Enter my hero-handyman of a father-in-law and my hardworking husband. The two took matters into their own hands and built a cover for said pit. They toiled tirelessly and got it built in one Saturday, all that's left to do is to cover it with a flooring material. It's sturdy and well crafted and best of all it's keeping the baby from plummeting into a world of pain. My sincerest thanks to PaPaw and Dad.

Before

After

Okay, So I've Been Lazy

2009-08-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

But I've been really busy, too. The husband is off for the summer and my stepdaughter is home, so we've been having lots of fun. Needless to say, I've been putting all my energy elsewhere. Here's a 30-second summery summary:

We celebrated Father's Day

Ezra met her big sister

We tried some baby food, she doesn't like peas.

On the way to Louisiana, Mady gave Ezra a stylish coiffure.

Ezra met her Aunt Janie

And Uncle George and cousin Courtney

Cousin Patrick took us sailing

We hung out with the Louisiana Whites.

Ezra got big.

We lounged around.

We went camping.

and hiking...

and spelunking.

We made some fig jam.

Ezra played PlayStation with Dad and Mady

We went swimming.

Uncle Nick changed his first diaper. (Note the gloves and the beer).

Whew.

We also took Mady to see The Phantom of the Opera in Houston for her birthday; we took both the girls to see our favorite cajun/zydeco band, Beausoleil; and we've got a trip to Schlitterbahn scheduled for next week. We're having a ton of fun, and we're so not ready for it to be over.

I promise to write again soon.

Sympathy for the New Mom

2009-06-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took Ezra on her first boat ride around Lady Bird Lake in Austin. It was a perfect day to be out...warm sun and a cool breeze. The babe was perfectly content during the hour long drive and and the five minute walk down to the boat, but as soon as we boarded and pulled up a chair next to the grandparents, she started belting out the screams. She usually only cries if she needs something...a bottle, a burp, a nap. Seriously, she's mostly a very happy baby. But that afternoon she was completely inconsolable. The list of possible irritants ran through my mind over and over again, it couldn't have been the movement or the breeze. Like most babies she likes a gentle rocking and she's already spent more time outdoors than most of her school age cousins, so I knew it wasn't the breeze.

After much rocking and pacing back and forth, fretting that my screaming baby was disrupting the party, my mother-in-law's sister-in-law, (really I don't know how else to explain it), walked up to me and very sweetly insisted that I hand over the baby to her, saying that she remembers what it's like to be a new mom with an upset baby, and that I return to my table and finish eating my lunch. Before I knew it she and a couple of other ladies were passing Ezra around, rocking and playing with her, and she and I were both as happy as clams.

It's true, what they say, that once you're a mom it's like all of a sudden you're part of some secret club. And it is great. Ours is an ancient, world-wide club of strong, compassionate, and understanding women that I am so proud to be a part of. And I can't wait to help out the next mom.

One Funny Dog

2009-05-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's official! Minnie, our jack russell terrier gets the baby's first laugh. If you're not at least smiling by the end of this movie then there is something wrong with you. {Please excuse the atrocious clash of color and pattern in this clip.}

Mother's Day

2009-05-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know it's like week overdue, but I had a fantastic Mom's Day. It started the evening before with Travis telling me to stay in bed if the baby gets up at night, that he'll take care of her. Yay, sleep! I woke up the next morning to him arriving home from the grocery store and starting breakfast in the kitchen. I wondered into the nursery to Ezra waking. This is my favorite time of day...she starts to fuss just a little bit, but as soon as I lean over her her crib and say good morning, her whole face lights up and she flashes the biggest smile of the day for me. I also notice on this particular morning that there is an envelope labeled "Mom" laying next to her with a gift certificate for a spa package inside. Just what I needed!

I scoop her up and head to the couch for some Sunday morning playtime and notice the beautiful bouquet of wildflowers. As soon as I sit down Dad delivers a plate full of smoked salmon, fresh fruit, and a mushroom omelette. I am completely wowed.

Saving the Galaxy

2009-05-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest pictures of Miss E. We've been having an awful lot of fun lately, smiling and cooing. She can officially say "goo" and "oh" now...only on her terms of course. I can also see the beginnings of her discovering touch with relation to her own hands. She's also turning into a slobber monster. Enjoy the pictures.

Air Ezra

2009-05-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Natalie made this picture, and it is awesome. I might start sending it around to all the major universities.

How Out of Shape Am I?

2009-04-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've always prided myself of being a relatively fit person. I keep a very active lifestyle. I replaced the basketball and track in high school with hiking, mountain biking and walking in college. But trying to get activity started post partum is turning out to be harder than I could've imagined. I had to give up my regular power-walk routine when I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant due to back pain, and I just haven't had the time or energy the first couple of months after giving birth. But last week the hubs bought me a bitchin' new Schwinn for my birthday. Banana yellow with white trim. So today I decided to give it a little test run around the neighborhood...and I was pathetic. I only made it about a mile before I started seeing stars. My legs started burning and I was completely out of breath. I guess they don't call the neighborhood Alamo Heights for nothing. I barely made it home and now my head is spinning and I've got jello legs. Please excuse me while I retreat to the enjoyment of the feeling of the cold bathroom floor on my face.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T11:30:00.001-07:00

"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children."

--Kenyan proverb

I have an Earth Day resolution in lieu of a New Year's one. I will no longer use individual use plastic bottles. I have a metal reusable water bottle that I've had for several months, I've just been too lazy to carry it around with me, but no more! I will put forth real effort. And while I'm sure that my discontinued use of water bottles isn't going to save the planet, it's a start. What will you do?

For My Favorite Yankee

2009-04-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

How Sweet It Is

2009-04-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

This morning, after a bottle, a burp, and a little silliness on my part, Ezra smiled for me. She gave me a big whole-face smile, a little giggle and everything. And it was divine.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-04-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Good:
Last night Ezra slept from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m, then from 3:30 to 8:00 a.m. Not too bad, I don't think I could ask for much more from her at this point.

The Bad:
She farts like a man. I mean like between the two of us, no one is going to believe that sound didn't come from me.

The Ugly:
Apparently pregnancy brain is replaced with post partum brain. When I was pregnant I would do little absent minded things like look at my calculator to see what time it was, instead of my cell phone. Calculators don't tell time, silly! Now I feel like I'm walking through a haze of needing to do everything...all at once. I don't know how else to explain it. Ezra started day care on Monday, and since returning to work I feel like on top of the fifty things that I need to do to get caught up at work, I need to hold, feed, and take care of my baby all day. This makes it extremely hard to focus on any one thing. And I'm sure the lack of sleep and the caffeine aren't helping the hazy brain. I now know why many women don't return to work after giving birth, it goes against everything that your mind, heart and even body tell you that you should be doing. Seriously, my arms feel empty all day.

America's Next Top Model

2009-04-03T18:10:00.001-07:00

Photo Shoot!

Two Things

2009-03-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

1. Baby hates Target. No kidding, every time we step foot in that store she starts screaming. Today I walked in, changed her diaper, sat in the little cafe and fed her, so I knew she was set...and she cried anyway.

2. People, especially old ladies, see any kind of blue on your baby, and automatically call it a boy. Ezra will have on a pink onesie, and pink socks...but if she's got a blue pacifier in her mouth, people ask: "He's precious, how old is he?" Here's a scene from our trip to the mall a couple of weeks ago:

[Grandad rests with Ezra on a bench in the mall concourse. Ezra wears a patchwork summer dress with some pink floral, some white eyelet, and some blue stripes. Enter old lady...]

Lady: Oh, how precious! It's a boy?

Grandad: Well, let me put it to you this way, I wouldn't let my grandson wear a dress.

Birds!

2009-03-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! My mom and I have been busy at work making Ezra her very own bird mobile. She sewed the birds and I assembled the mobile. We got the idea from spoolsewing.com where you can print out the pattern and make your very own! http://www.spoolsewing.com/blog/2008/05/16/bird-mobile/

New Pictures!

2009-03-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Ezra and Great Grandma

Ezra and Grandad

It's funny lookin' but it keeps her warm

Bouncy chair!

Not exciting, but pretty darn cute.

What do Babies Dream?

2009-03-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

At our two week checkup our pediatrician asked us if the baby's been smiling for us. Our answer was no, but I immediately thought, "What? At two weeks? The baby should be smiling? Maybe I haven't been working it like I should." Now I know that every baby progresses differently, but I don't think a little smile is too much to ask. Since that appointment I have admittedly been acting a damn fool for this kid. I dance like a monkey, I sing, I coo, I make little motor sounds with my mouth...for nothing. I usually just get a funny "What the heck?" look from her. She has recently smiled for I think all three of her grandmothers and I got nothin'.

I have, however, noticed that she puts on quite a show in the mornings. The last few days have gone like this: I wake up at a ridiculous hour for nighttime (or early morning, rather) feeding number two, sometime between four and five o'clock; she's usually a little more difficult to coerce back into sleep at that time, so once Dad gets up for work I place her in her boppy in bed with me and we nap the morning away. A little while later I wake up to her smiling and lauging in her sleep. I mean like real giggling, not gas. Like "tee-hee-hee...BIG SMILE". I love it! It's absolutely delicious and it completely fills my heart with warmth.

But what could a four-week-old possibly be dreaming of that is so funny? What could she have taken in during her life so far that could show up in her dreams? I wish I knew so that I could have some idea how to get this reaction out of her myself. For now, I'll selfishly hope that she's dreaming of me.

Sympathy for the Dairy Cow

2009-03-15T19:52:00.001-07:00

As soon as our little bundle of joy came into this world she took right to nursing...didn't have any problems or complaints really. She fed every three hours or so and would sleep four hours at a time each night. Not so bad, I thought, I can deal with this. For the first two weeks. Since then it seems like she wants the boob more often, like every two hours. And according to all of my nursing resources, you start timing from the beginning of each feeding session...and each session takes about 30 minutes usually. Which translates into incessant nursing. I'm seriously considering duct taping the child to my chest. And god forbid you try to push the time between feedings by fifteen minutes! She turns into a little baby zombie, clawing and sucking at your neck, chest or face, whatever's closest. All the books say that this can happen with babies having growth spurts around 2 and 3 weeks old, that it's just a phase and the baby will eventually feed more efficiently with a little more time between each session. Let's hope so, I hear duct tape can cause a nasty skin rash.

No, but seriously, I am enjoying nursing all in all. The closeness and the bonding really is a beautiful thing. It forces me to stop everything that I'm doing, and hold my little girl close for several hours out of the day which would honestly be spent doing mundane household chores and pointles errands otherwise, things that certainly won't be missed.

Watch this Video.

2009-03-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

Two Weeks!

2009-03-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is two weeks old now! She's gained a half pound since coming in to the world and she's doing great. Our pediatrician is very pleased. Travis and I are doing well too, adjusting to our new sleep schedules or lack thereof. Our friends and family have been taking excellent care of the three of us, bringing us dinner and offering to watch Ezra when we have somewhere we have to be. We are so incredibly fortunate to have such a great support system, and are eternally grateful.

Enjoy the latest pictures:

Grams preps Ezra for bathtime.

Nonnie loves on Ezra.

Daddy and baby.

Minnie guards.

Cacooned.

Monkey sheet!

Tummy time with Minnie.

Ten full minutes! Yay!

Ezra screams in Mommy's ear.

Buy This

2009-02-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

The Boppy is the best invention in the world. I advise all to purchase one of these for anyone they know that is having a baby. What does it do that is so great? What doesn't it do! It's a party in a pillow (just look at the above baby). It wraps around your waist to support the baby during feeding whether you're nursing or bottle-feeding. And it also holds baby in place for both back and tummy time. And it supports sitting up later on. Even my mom, who's been staying with us the last few days can't imagine how she raised two babies without one.

White, Baby Girl

2009-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

Please meet

Born 2.20.09

9 lbs. 3 oz.

22 inches

The Hospital's got Wi-Fi!

2009-02-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting bare-assed in my hospital bed, starting the third hour of oxytocin now, whoah, and here comes a contraction. We haven't checked dialation yet this morning, but my nurse says the contractions are coming along well.

Hospital Called, Baby's Ready

2009-02-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

I've been up since 3:30 this morning, ready to go to the hospital. We're scheduled to check in at 7:00. The baby's been really active this morning, and I'm feeling stuck between time and place at the moment.

February 19

2009-02-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

And waiting...

February 17

2009-02-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

What's in a due date anyways? It's totally just an estimation...that we all happen to hang all of our hopes and plans on! Well today mine has come and gone, and while I know that it's not uncommon for many first time mothers to surpass their due date, I can't help but feel a little disappointed. My doctor's appointment on Monday was just as uneventful. Little progress has been made, no further dilation, and I'm maybe 70% effaced now compared to last Monday's 60%. So now we just wait. Sill planning on starting induction on Friday morning.

Why it Would be Awesome if the Baby came by the 18th:

2009-02-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

This is the dawning of the age of aquarius...
Cue hot young people with afros and headbands dancing and singing their bellbottoms off.

I am an Aries, and Ezra would be an Aquarius. And according to babycenter.com, this is our family horoscope, sounds pretty great to me.

True Originals It's rare for you and your Aquarius child to spend a quiet afternoon at home. With your natural energy, your little one's love of the wide, weird world, and your mutual need for freedom, adventure, and independence, lazing around just isn't an option. There's too much to be discovered! You're both always ready for a new experience, and your little Aquarius is naturally social, so parties and playdates are a good time for both of you. This child is attracted to unusual friends and unique ideas -- the more out there, the better. You can help draw forth your child's innate genius by allowing him to explore life on his own terms. Take him to the library and let him investigate the world of books, or enroll him in classes in any subject that interests him. Don't be surprised if he's drawn to unconventional areas of study!

Let the sun shine in!

Burnin' Down the House!

2009-02-12T06:50:00.000-08:00

Oh the joys of owning an old house! I woke up this morning and stumbled into "my" bathroom, the one that is not scary and cavernous, and noticed a pretty strong smell of something burning. In my morning stupor I ask my husband if he smells it too, or if it's just my super pregger senses picking up on a brush fire in Helotes. He procedes to tell me that maybe we should just keep the light in the bathroom turned off today because he thinks it has something to do with the old wiring that he was playing with as he was trying to replace the light fixture several nights ago. That's just great. We will certainly have a baby with in approximately 1-9 days. However, our house may burst into flames and we may have to move in with the 'rents. Candy and Doug, if you're reading this, sorry, but you're the closest relatives.

Maybe now's a good time to install those smoke detectors that have been sitting on our kitchen counter for a week.

Almost There!

2009-02-10T05:50:00.000-08:00

I'm seeing my OB every Monday now, and my visit yesterday went well. I'm still only dialated 1cm, same as two weeks ago, but now I'm 60% effaced with a week to go to the delivery date. Apparently there's still a little room for the babe to "drop," although I can't imagine where, it feels like there's nowhere else for her to go. The plan: if I don't go into labor this week then I'll see Dr. R-G again on Monday the 16th when she'll most likely have a sonogram ordered to make sure that all is well and we can continue naturally. If labor doesn't begin that week, then we've got an induction scheduled for Friday the 20th at 7:00 a.m. So now the waiting game begins.

Our Nursery

2009-01-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

Yea! We've finished the nursery!

20 Days to Go--Yikes!

2009-01-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

It's funny, the closer I get to the due date, the more at peace I feel with the delivery. Maybe it's because the nursery's complete, and we have all the equipment that we could possibly need, more actually. Maybe it's that what's coming is just inevitable and I'm just resolving to sit back, do what I can, and let it happen. Or maybe it's that I'm tired of my back hurting every single day and this 25 pounds of stomach protrusion. Last night my mom-in-law came over for dinner and witnessed me coming dangerously close to setting my stomach on fire when I leaned over our gas stove, seriously.

Last Sunday my old girlfriends from Charlie Brown's got together to give me a little shower. It was relaxing to kick it with the girls, just like old times, but without all the beer and bull blasters.

A Picture Perfect Shower

2009-01-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

Candy shows the cake

Last Sunday my mother-in-law, Candy, and sister-in-law Sara, gave me a beautiful baby shower. It was held at Candy's house here in San Antonio, and Sara came all the way from Louisiana to help out. We had quiche, salad greens, and assorted fruit as well as a beautiful cake that said "Welcome Baby White." And we played several games, but for me the most fun was definitely the attributes game. Everyone is given a list of attributes and they check off whether they think the baby will have Mom's or Dad's nose, eyes, intelligence, etc. Then the player that matches mine the closest wins a prize. Some of my answers included Travis' eyes, my organization, and Travis' feet (he has a crooked toe, Mady has it as well, and I hope our baby has it too, it would be too cute). We were blessed withe the presence of old and new friends, as well as family.

Sara and Me

Megan, Mary, and Andi

Homemade Diaper Dresses

in the hippest fabric

Emery holds Boog the Bear

while I show off my beautiful

new curtain fabric

Daddy and Mommy

A Hometown Baby Shower

2009-01-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday my two aunts, Laurie and Janelle, threw me a fabulous baby shower in Corpus. It was so much fun, I got to see friends and family that I haven't seen in a long time and it was so good to catch up a little. There were all kinds of delicious goodies including finger sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries, punch, and a wonderfully delicious cake made by my famous Aunt Gorgeous (Estelle Havelka, see picture). Travis and I were both thrilled and grateful to receive such a multitude of beautiful baby gifts. I know I'm certainly starting to feel a little better about being prepared for the arrival of our little girl.

Aunt Gorgeous and me.

Coleen, Melissa, Janna, and Ms. Pat taste baby food.

McKenzie helps with the gifts.

Our Hospital

2009-01-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

Last night we took a tour of the hospital. This is something I didn't really feel like we needed to do, just something that we would fit in if we could. But I must say that taking the tour made me feel really good. We know exactly where to go during different times of day, we got to meet the nurses, see the Labor and Delivery rooms and the Recovery rooms as well as the nursery. All the rooms are really nice, they look almost like hotel rooms. Our tour nurse pointed out that there's a couch that folds out into a bed for Dad, and then I pointed out that Daddy can sleep when Mommy sleeps. And she also showed us how each room has it's own thermostat that MOMMY gets to control, so bring a sweater (or a parka), Mom and Travis!

I also got pre-registered while we were there and that's a bit of a load off also. All the nurses seem really nice and they appear to be flexible about letting your baby "room in," and they said that Dad can pick up and drop off the baby at the nursery pretty much whenever we like during our stay. And I'll also receive a post delivery massage, hell yes!

There's also a Starbucks downstairs in the atrium. Travis noted that we'll probably have to peel my mom out of there a few times a day, like he won't be right next to her downing espressos.

Here's a link to the website of the hospital that we'll be delivering at, ("we'll" ha, that's funny). There are maps, virtual tours of the maternity floor, etc. if anyone wants to come see me!!!

http://www.baptisthealthsystem.com/facilities_ncbh.aspx

And meet my OB, Dr. Evangeline Ramos-Gonzales (don't you just love that name, Evangeline?) She's spunky, and she don't take no sass. Nick and Marie, you'll be glad to know that I'll be in the capable hands of an Aggie. And what makes me feel better is that she's got three kids of her own, so she's been through this before.

Okay, I'm Done.

2009-01-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

This isn't fun anymore. My lower back hurts all day and everyday, and I can't seem to be comfortable in ANY position longer than about ten minutes. The waist of my pants will not stay up and many of my favorite maternity shirts don't quite cover the bottom of my belly like I'd like 'em to. I have found some beautiful dresses that may just solve the latter problem...

Happy Holidays!

2009-01-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

So I made it through the holidays with only some minor swelling of the feet (this is the first time that's happened and I'm contributing it to extra salt in holiday food...like the thirty olive cheese balls that I ate on Christmas Eve. Come on, it's any pregnant girls dream food: salty, crusty, and cheesy, and warm right out of the oven), and a heinous cold that I'm still battling. When your not pregnant, you can medicate yourself with whatever you want and sleep through the sickness. But when you are pregnant you work yourself into a panic when you're in the medicine aisle of Wal-Mart at 12:30 a.m. and trying to decide if the doctor telling you that it's okay to take "Tylenol Cold" means that any of the dozen different Tylenol Cold concoctions are okay. Then finally you break down and call the nurse that's on call that night to ask her, and then feel horribly guilty because you clearly woke the poor woman up.

Other than that we had a fantastic Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve with my family in Corpus and then my mother-in-law, Carla, came down from Lake Charles to spend New Year's with us in San Antonio.

We have taken some time in December to start getting the nursery going. Travis has got the walls painted, the pictures really don't do the color justice. It's the most beautiful rich peacock teal! And we received the crib for Christmas from Travis' very generous mom, and were so excited to get it! (Travis threw his back out that night assembling it...love to say that I had sympathy for the poor guy, but I think my back's been "out" for like the last two months. Is that mean?) And we've got some awesome curtain fabric on the way that's being provided, also very generously, by my other mom-in-law, Candy. It's a very hip and modern pattern of foliage and birds, sort of in a damask style print--white field and gold pattern. We'll be sure and post some pictures when we're finished.

My cousin Libby feels the baby...and is all about it.

Cravings

2008-12-10T20:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone seems to be interested in what kind of cravings I've had, so here's a list in no particular order:

MILK!! In an icy cold pint glass if possible. (This has been my biggest craving).

Sweet potatoes (baked like a baked potato or sweet pot. fries)

Buffalo Wings with bleu cheese

Chocolate (the darker the better)

Falafel

Weird, I know.

Alien Baby

2008-12-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

When I'm chillin' after dinner I can get some pretty crazy movements in the belly. I don't know if it's her fist or her foot, but sometimes she takes one of her appendages and pushes out hard and rolls it across my stomach. If I lift my shirt up you can totally see it. It protrudes about an inch. And it totally freaks Travis out. It's awesome.

28 Weeks

2008-11-23T20:06:00.000-08:00

Holy moly! How did I get to 28 weeks so fast? I spent the first half of my pregnancy thinking 9 months is a long time, and then when I hit the end of my first month I sprouted a belly all of a sudden, and every month seems to go by faster than the last. The kicks are starting to really pick up...and get more aggressive, I might add. I can actually see her movements through my clothes sometimes, it's kind of cool...now...ask me again in another month. And she's also decided to add a third workout to her two-a-day kickboxing training; I usually only get significant kicks after lunch and dinner, but now she's added a 3:00 a.m. routine.

This weekend I drove out to Halettesville to hang out with the new Mr. and Mrs. Nick Valenta and Mom, Dad, Gary, Nancy and Camey. Dad, Nick and Marie went hunting and the rest of us just took it easy and enjoyed the reprieve from everyday annoyances like news, noise, and cell phones. It was great, and I hope we can do it again sometime.

I'm still feeling really good, save for some fatigue in my lower back. The doc says I'm growing well, and I don't really have many complaints at this point. I sincerely thank everyone for all their thoughts and prayers and I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Me, Camey, and Mom

The Valentas Return to Corn Hill

2008-11-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the Valenta family descended upon the tiny little town of Corn Hill, Texas for our annual Fall Family Gathering. There was bingo, cards, a silent auction, an interactive family tree, washers, and entirely too much food. I managed to eat myself into oblivion that day, but all the home cooking was well worth it, (can you say kolaches?). And because my Uncle Danny is a sucker for pregnant chicks, and pregnant chicks are suckers for pickles, (and he loves me), he let me have one of the jars of homemade pickled okra that he won at the silent auction.

Nursery Furniture

2008-10-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I think we've finally settled on some nursery furniture. It's a little different than what we were looking at, but I think I like this crib better. And it's at a price that we can live with. The previous set that we were eyeballing was just a little on the high side, baby would by far have the best furniture in the house. And besides, Mama wants a new couch.

Amy Coe Westport Lifetime Crib (BabiesRUs), paired with the MALM dresser from IKEA.

Namaste

2008-10-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

I attended my first prenatal yoga class last night I am so stinkin' excited about this! It's free, I can go twice a week, the instructor is great...certified specifically in prenatal exercise, it's full of women that are all at different stages of their pregnancies...some of them are as far along as 38 weeks! And it was oh so relaxing. I didn't realize how tense my muscles were, I've never been particularly limber, but I think having to sleep exclusively on my side at night has added to the tightness in my neck, shoulders and back. And this is sort of hard to explain, but there's just something beautiful about a room full of pregnant women chanting the melodic ohm at the end of the workout. (And come on, working out barefoot is pretty awesome too).

On the subject of sleeping...I've been having some minor hip pain at night due to trying to sleep on my side more. Apparently I was a back sleeper before and the adjustment was kind of rough for a couple of weeks. So we went ahead and bought an old recliner for the meantime. My parents found one in Corpus for next to nothing at a used furniture store and were kind enough to meet us in Three Rivers with it. It's huge, like bigger than our couch, but it's super comfy and Minnie is especially fond of it.

The next project, (after my friend Megan's wedding this weekend, the Family Reunion next weekend, Nick's wedding on Nov. 8): Cleaning out the two spare rooms and preparing the nursery! Stay tuned.

It's a Girl!

2008-10-09T20:37:00.001-07:00

Yeah technology! Last Friday we learned that we are having a baby girl! Mother and mothers-in-law, all your prayers have been answered! Everything still looks really good, I'm either having a big baby or I'm a week further along than they thought. Unfortunately the sonogram photos don't scan well so the picture below didn't come out too great, but she's got a big fat belly and a beautiful profile.

It really was an amazing experience to see her moving around. The doctor's office had just installed a big flat panel television in the sonogram room so we could see everything big and bright. She was very active, flexing her fingers and kicking my bladder, (my full bladder). And unfortunately Travis was stuck sitting in Stone Oak traffic, so he made it right as I was walking out, but both of my parents were with me and I'm so grateful that they were.

It seems like my belly is getting bigger every day, but I still feel great at this point and hopefully that lasts for at least another month. The only weird thing now is that my hips hurt some nights. It helps a little to put a pillow between my knees, but with that, a pillow under the belly, a cat, a dog, and Travis, the bed tends to get a little claustrophobic. I never thought that I'd say this but I would kill for a recliner.

And can I just tell you that I've been shopping for a pair of maternity jeans and it is absolutely ridiculous what they try to charge for a decent pair that are long enough. I tried on at least a dozen today and there was only one pair that fit and they wanted $120. If I'm lucky I could get four months of wear out of them, I can't bring myself to pay that for a pair of non-maternity jeans. The next stop is the Old Navy online store. And if that doesn't work, Billy-Bob's Cover-All Shop.

19-20 weeks

2008-09-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we met Nick and Marie in Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. We heard some great music, had some delicious food, and enjoyed the balmy 91 degree weather, (past ACL Fests that we've been to have reached 108 degrees). And was super excited to see that one of my favorite artists, Erykah Badu, was sporting a pregnant belly. And she still got up on that stage and worked it.

As Long as We're Being Crude...

2008-09-18T15:49:00.001-07:00

Let's play create a caption! Who can come up with the best caption for the above picture? Get that creativity pumping.

Bad Vibrations

2008-09-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

So Nick's been staying with us through the duration and the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, and I'm very happy to spend time with him during the pregnancy. He seems to be enjoying the changes and the quirks in my attitude and behavior. But more than that I've been enjoying paying him back for all of his gag-inducing Valenta gas. This pregnancy gas is deadly, good god, I definitely feel something moving...and I don't think it's baby.

I'm thinking I may need to invest in a gas mask for Travis.

17 Weeks

2008-09-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

We've reached the 17 week mark and everything is going well. I had my last doctor's appointment on Friday the 12th and got to hear the heartbeat. I have to admit that I was a little nervous because I go a month between each visit and I often wonder if all is okay because it's too early to feel movement. So when you hear the heartbeat loud and clear it's a relief and it brings a big silly smile to my face. My doctor said I could start feeling movement soon and we scheduled an ultrasound for October 3rd at 4:30 p.m. As long as the kid cooperates we should be able to find out the sex at that point. My belly's starting to grow, I'm too big for my breeches now, and still too small for maternity, so finding something to wear everyday is definitely an exercise in creativity. Apparently I've gained six pounds and I guess that's okay, all my doctor said upon examining my belly was that it looked like I was growing well.

I've been feeling great though, and I'm still not getting any weird cravings yet, except for milk maybe, I've been wanting to drink several glasses a day. So I guess if I'm going to have one, that's a good craving to have.

According to babycenter.com our baby weighs about 5 ounces this week -- about as much as a turnip. (Length: 5 inches, head to bottom.)

A Modern Nursery

2008-09-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

We've chosen the color palette for the nursery, it will be the same whether it's boy or a girl. We're going to use peacock hues...like the image to the left. I'd like to find a fabric similar to the Ikat in the middle swatch, but with a little more whimsy to make it kid friendly, maybe something with bugs or animals. The color of the walls will be Sherwin Williams Intense Teal, (at right). And when we paint the walls we'll leave big white animal silhouettes walking around the baseboards.

We've been looking at nursery furniture too, we know we want something with modern lines and we'd like to have a 4-in-1 lifetime crib, one that will convert into a full size bed eventually. The modern cribs start to get a little pricey, so we haven't quite made up our minds yet. The one that we found at Babys'R'Us is by Baby Cache, and it gets great reviews, however they're so popular that apparently the manufacturer can't keep up with the demand. Babys'R'Us has a few others we like and Wal-Mart and Target do too, but they all seem to be 3-in-1 convertibles, not capable of becoming an actual bed. We're still shopping, let us know if any of you come across anything you think we might like.

Hot Cheetos with Cheese

2008-09-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Nick and Marie encourage my craving for Flaming Hot Cheetos by introducing me to an El Paso delicacy...Flaming Hot Cheetos with Queso on top. Mmmmm tasty.

Second Time Around

2008-09-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone that reads this blog knows that our last pregnancy ended in a miscarriage right at three months. We were both pretty saddened by the event given that we were finally getting comfortable with the pregnancy and with the idea of adding a child to our family. It took us a little while to come to terms with it, and honestly the complete avalanche of hormonal changes that followed certainly made it harder for me. But my doctor was great through the whole thing and she reassured us that one miscarriage didn't necessarily mean that anything was wrong, that they just happen, quite often actually, and most of the time we have no idea why. I was amazed with how many people, from old friends to my anesthesiologist, came forward to tell me that they had gone through the same thing and that they tried again later on and were successful.

So several months passed and just as we started moving into our first house I started feeling much more tired than I should and voraciously hungry again...the same symptoms that I experienced with my first pregnancy. One night as I was complaining about being too tired to eat and too hungry to go to bed, and Travis turned and looked me square in the face and said, "You are so pregnant." And I was like, yeah, I so am!

So I scheduled an appointment with my doctor, whom I'm still CRAZY about, we had our first sonogram before 3 months--everything checked out, and here we are today. A full four months into it, and I've got to say that I'm feeling really good. The lethargy passed with the first trimester and with the exception of feeling a little thick in the middle, I feel like my old self.

Our last appointment was at the beginning of August and we got to hear the heartbeat. Travis summed it up nicely saying that it sounded like someone chomping on cookies. I remain constantly concerned about the development, and though I wish I could have more checkups and sonograms, I'm trying really hard not to worry myself.

Our due date is tentatively February 17th, 2009. And I'll be sure and update this with as many pictures as I can. We're both so grateful for all the support from our friends and family!