Labor Cake

"It's a BUNDT...T"

"THERE'S A HOLE IN THIS CAKE!"

Well, I'm posting this up from the comfort of my home office, so clearly, this didn't work. Or I didn't eat enough. One or the other. BUT! If you are looking for an amazingly moist and gooey chocolate cake recipe - look no further. It's rich and decadent and takes a simple box cake to a whole new level.

I found the recipe here when searching "labor cake"on Pinterest. I figured, the baby is due, and I'm not in labor. Best case scenario: I learn what contractions really feel like and maybe finally get to meet my little man. Worst case scenario: I get to eat some yummy chocolate cake. It's pretty much a win:win situation, don't you think?

I don't really believe that anything you do or eat is going to kick start labor. Baby Boy is going to make his appearance when he is ready, and I am learning to be OK with that. I also don't think that a chocolate overdose is going to do a darn thing to my uterus to jump start this. But I'm starting to get a little restless at home bouncing on my exercise ball all day and baking a cake was the perfect diversion for a good part of my day. Cleaning up the dishes afterward, however, was not.

So here it is: LABOR CAKE - or Labor Day Cake - if you need a recipe to take to that potluck this weekend!

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Butter Chocolate Cake)
• All the ingredients the box mix requires: usually water and eggs, maybe oil or butter
• 1 package of chocolate instant pudding mix (I guess if you wanted to get creative you could try a different flavor)
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Pour into a greased bundt pan and cook for about 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  

You can also make this as a sheet cake or in rounds, but the cook time will vary. 

If you are making a bundt, I used the same website's recipe for the glaze, sans the vanilla extract (because I forgot). If you're making a sheet cake or rounds, you can use canned frosting or another recipe. 

• 1/2 cups cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk because it's what we had)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a sauce pan heat all the ingredients together until smooth. Continue to stir until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat and allow to stand. It will thicken up a bit more. When it's the desired consistency, drizzle over the tops of your bundt cake for that extra chocolate rush that might just make your belly contract! 

Enjoy! And if anyone DOES go into labor from this cake, either don't tell me because I'll get frustrated, or tell me it was because you ate the whole darn thing. I had to stop at one piece because it's so rich and delicious. Baby Boy liked the sugar rush too, he was moving around all night. Just not moving out yet.

XO

Due Date!

Today's the day! It's been marked on my calendar since January and we've been counting down ever since. Every time I really think about it and realize that this is the last week of August, and here it is, and soon there's going to be a baby here and my belly won't be his home anymore, but he'll be in his room (or our room) and be a part of this family, it totally blows my mind. 

That being said, today is really just another day on the calendar, and Baby Boy has no idea how to tell time yet. He's not showing any signs of interest in coming out and joining us in celebration any time soon.  I'm happy to let him cook til he is ready, but I'd really like to meet him. I'd also really like to avoid discussions of inductions and c-sections at the next doctor's appointment.  Last week they said he'd had a growth spurt and was starting to measure a little on the big side (typical...he gets that from my side of the family and our big babies), so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll decide to make an appearance on his own before he gets too big!

So we're still waiting. Every time I get up from sitting I think, "maybe my water will break," and every time I feel my back start to ache or a pain under my belly I think, "maybe this is the first contraction." It's a trip not knowing what the heck your body is going to do and when, especially for someone who is typically really in tune with what her body is trying to say.  But, I guess that's just the first lesson in parenting and motherhood coming my way. 

As E pointed out to me last night, whether he comes tomorrow or he comes next week, it's all soon at this point. He'll be here soon. 

XO

Morning Routine

I wake up to a warm breeze coming in through the window. Sometimes the sound of birds chirping, sometimes the sound of the neighbors kids playing in the back yard. I roll my large belly over and check the time - later than when I wanted to get up. My body moves so much slower as I climb out of bed (really... it's a climb) and make my way to the kitchen.

I swore off coffee for the whole first trimester of this pregnancy. Not even one drop. Then only decaf for the whole second trimester. And now that we're nearing the end, I allow myself one cup. One very small cup. And most of the time I can't finish it. Talk about change. But I make it anyway, out of habit and something for breakfast before making my way to the computer. Emails, blogs, posts, facebook, I check it all and stay up to date. And on some mornings, I feel more inclined to share with the world, and some writing happens.

My body and my mind work so much slower in these final days of baby carrying. I bounce on an exercise ball instead of an office chair, hoping it will bring baby boy a little closer to meeting us. My thoughts are sluggish and I usually forget what I started doing, or typing, or...what was the point of this sentence?  My coffee gets cold by the time I go to take another sip, but trudging my body back to the kitchen to heat it up would just take too much energy, so I sip it cold, or forget about it.

These mornings are slow, and quiet, and so beautiful. They are short-lived.  It blows my mind when I think these are the last few mornings of my life that will be this quiet and this personal and this peaceful. I relish in them and soak them in, and then go lay down for a little while because while I've done nothing all morning, my body is aching again and because, well, because for right now, I can.

XO

Single Digits

This chalk board hangs on our kitchen wall - a fun place to write memos and quotes, ideas and messages to guests. We bought it sometime around last Thanksgiving, and used it for a message about the season. We hung it up in the dining room when we had our gender reveal party and asked family to vote "he or she" with tally marks. And then we started counting down. What started with "77" has now reduced down to just one single digit count down. When we started it seemed like we still had forever to go. And now there are 9 days left.

That flew by. 

And while every day that our baby boy is not here seems to drag on like eternity and I convince myself that I might be pregnant clear until Christmas. The days keep passing and each day that we mark off on the chalk board blows my mind as we get closer and closer to holding our baby.  

Oh the anxious anticipation.  

Everyone is placing their bets. We had bets for the 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th (today! maybe he'll be here!), lots of bets for the 21st and 23rd, and for some reason I originally said the 30th (probably more realistic but it seems so far away!).  Technically he might not be here until September. Though for some reason I just can't picture him as a September baby.  He's on the cusp of Leo and Virgo. It's up to him. 

I've heard people say, "oh he'll be here in the next few days," and I completely get my hopes up.  And them I'm crushed a bit every time someone says, "you haven't dropped enough, you still have time." And for every doctors appointment that shows no big progress my heart sinks a little.  I'm  not quite at that breaking point of "GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME!" but I do want to meet him.  I feel like he wants to meet us too. His kicks seem to say "I'm still in here but not for long!" to remind me just how much I love feeling them. And each time my belly tightens I feel like he's trying to tell me that it won't be too much more time before he makes his debut. 

I'm trying to be patient. 

XO

Life @ 38 weeks

My, oh my! 38 long weeks. 38 weeks that went by in a flash. Baby Boy is full term - and deciding to cook some more. It seems like these last few weeks have equally flown by and dragged on. I think back to the aches and pains I was having just five weeks ago and laugh. Back then I could stand up and sit down without wincing. It was hard to get shoes on, but I could do it. My feet were swollen but they weren't aching too. My hips didn't throb if I laid on my side in bed. Changing positions in my sleep was uncomfortable, but not impossible to do without waking up completely.

I know that everything I am feeling right now is short lived. There's only 12 days til our due date. Maybe he'll be here sooner, maybe a little later. We aren't too sure. We can't know ahead. That's part of the big surprise, I suppose. It's hard to not get excited and hopeful that maybe I'll be able to hold this little guy sooner rather than later, even though I know that he'll be here when he's ready. 

I'm still living for these little kicks. They aren't as strong any more in his cramped quarters, but I love those little reminders that this time is just for him and me and I like to think he's letting me know he's still in there waiting to meet us too.  

At 38 weeks daily tasks are harder and harder to finish. Dishes have to get done while I hunch over the sink resting on my elbows. But they get done. At 38 weeks it's (almost) impossible to but on tennis shoes without help. But I have help. At 38 weeks (especially in the middle of August) walking around the neighborhood (apparently) means shuffling around the neighborhood instead, and doing it only as the sun is setting because it's just too darn hot. But we still go walking. 38 weeks means we're enjoying our time together at 2 and basking in the quiet of the house for now. But it also means being really excited to become 3 and having another voice make some noise around here. 

38 weeks also means realizing just how much you are loved. We have family and friends surrounding us, calling us, checking in on us, coming over to just pass the time and visit while we're still just 2. It means appreciating everything that E does and has been doing for me these last 38+ weeks, and knowing that he's going to be the most amazing dad.  It means having your heart swell with emotions so much that you get teary watching a post-it commercial, and want to bawl every time someone calls or says something sweet and encouraging to you. It's a roller coaster, to be really cliche about it. 

But these 38 weeks have been amazing. I've grown physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and this is just the beginning. 

Baby boy, we're ready to meet you - ready when you are and so excited for all the growing and learning and adventures that are yet to come. 

XO

The Countdown

We've all been counting down for what seems like forever. While my pregnancy does seem to have flown by, when I think back to that first bit of news, the joy the excitement of telling family and friends, it seems like so long ago. We've all come a long way since then. So much has happened. My belly has grown, and grown, and grown. Kicks have gotten stronger and turned into rolling motions. My baby has hiccuped and flipped around and around and now weighs probably around 6 lbs or so. January 1st seems like ages ago, and yesterday all at the same time, and somehow I know that this is how the rest of my life is going to feel.

Yesterday we hit the 30 day mark. 30 days till our little guy's due date, though pretty much everyone thinks he is coming early.  I had a very real realization yesterday. If he is coming early, that means he could be in my arms like...in two weeks! Or sooner really. YIKES!

Not that I'm not totally ready to hold him and love him, but when you wait 9 months for something and realize you've only got a very little amount of time left before everything changes (for the better), it's a little nerve wracking.

Our baby's room is pretty much done. We might add a few little details here and there, and we're still looking for the perfect forest-y looking rug. I still have some baby laundry to do, but for the most part it's all ready for him. I'm trying to get the house as cleaned up as possible. I'm not sure if it's a nesting instinct that's kicking in, but I have a long list of things to get done around the house today. Since I've pretty much given up on the idea of keeping my feet from swelling, I might as well just go for it. The kitchen will be cleaned and the dining room table will be cleared by tonight, if nothing else gets done!

There's no picture for this post. We have 29 days until our calculations tell us he's going to be here, but we're getting ready. No picture can show that excitement (well, I could take one, but considering I'm bumming around in leggings and a tee shirt with total bed head, I'm going to pass). This was just an update and an official beginning to a new month of counting.

XO

Life @ 35 weeks

Hey guess what? I'm growing a human.  It's 7:30 in the morning on an average Wednesday in the life of a 35 week preggo lady. I've been up for an hour feeling baby kicks and trying to figure out what position he's in, deciding that he's just moving all over the place. I've also been catching up on Facebook and Instagram, blog posts I follow, and playing a game of Bejeweled. I then debated about what to have for breakfast for about 10 minutes. Life cereal and bananas for the win.

Sounds like the sweet life. I'm not going to lie. It's pretty great. Though I did sleep really well last night and that has a lot to do with it. Most nights I toss and turn and wake up sweating and then sometimes can't fall asleep. Most mornings (like today), I wake up when E is getting ready for work and then once he leaves, no matter how tired I am, I can't fall back asleep. So most mornings lately, start off like this...usually with some variation in breakfast. I'm enjoying the rest and relaxation while I can.

I stopped working two weeks ago due to a lot of back and pelvic pain. My shoes weren't fitting anymore, and frankly I'm pretty sure my IQ has plummeted. It's hard to stay focused on things for too long, and when I do, my sentences start to get jumbled and talking becomes a big task. Since stopping work, my back and pelvic pain has almost completely resolved, there's still pressure, but it doesn't hurt to stand up any more. My shoes still don't fit. I'm left with my trusty new Birkenstock sandals as that's all that fits my swollen, puffy, empanada feet. Some days I have ankles.

Now that I'm home things are started to get exciting. Yesterday I hit the 35 week mark with 35 days to go... now 34 days. It's so hard to believe. Sometimes it seems like it's flown by, but when I think back to first finding out, it all seems like so long ago. Now our baby's room is nearly ready (just a few hundred more loads of laundry to go....and he's not even here yet!), and walking by it makes me smile.  His book collection is growing and we're enjoying reading to him already!

My days stretch out in front of me. I don't have a lot to do, but I have a lot to do. And most of the time I only have enough energy to do a little bit of it. I'm prepping for the biggest thing that's ever happened to me, to us. It's a lot of work this baby growing business!  He's also decided on an acrobatic career in the last few days. Or Karate Stunt Double. I'm not sure which. I just hope he judo-chops his way into the right position before he decides to make his grand-entrance. I still can't tell what body parts are poking out where and when. They all just feel round like heads...or butts. But I love when he wiggles around to make his presence known. Little reminders throughout my day of just how much I love him.

35 weeks down. Just about 5 to go. So far the consensus is that he's going to come a little early. I'm not too sure about that, but who knows?  As long as he's ready, we'll be waiting!

XO

New Project Venture: The Ultimate Survival Kit

Last weekend my sweet sister-in-law hosted an amazingly beautiful baby shower for me. It was, as some of my friends said, "a Pinterest dream come true!..." and she doesn't even have an account!  Full of blue tulle and baby blocks, and choc-full of a picturesque baby blue candy bar - even blue punch, she totally aced a pin-worthy, beautiful shower.

So what's a girl like me to do to thank her for all her hard work?  I am always stuck when it comes to thank you gifts for things like this. What can you possibly get that makes someone smile and feel appreciated for everything they have done?  I was texting back and forth with my mom about it (as I usually do when I need advice, or just a sounding board, or...whenever) and she came up with a "survival kit" idea. Not only am I going to be a new-mommy, but my sister-in-law is going to be a new auntie. Why not put together a bag full of fun, useful, quirky, things she might need?

And the light bulb turned on. It took a lot of back and forth about what would actually go into the kit, but in the end it turned out to be a big success. I started out with a blue and white beach tote from Forever 21 (color scheme inspired by my little man), and then thought about the things that a new auntie babysitting for the first time might need... and then some funny additives for kicks! After a trip to a few stores, my bag was almost complete...it just needed a little explanation.   I was so excited to figure out my new Cricut (I got it for my birthday in May and hadn't had a chance to figure it out yet). With some trouble shooting I learned how to make a gift tag in the shape of a onesie, how to cut it in different sizes, and suddenly my bag looked way legit.

Here's a few of the items I put inside:

 A bib: to avoid changing his clothes after every feeding...

 Burp cloths: to keep your shirts spit-up free

 Honest Company Diapers: for changing those stinky diapers - in style!

 Ear plugs: to drown out those high pitched cries (not really of course!).

 Pacifiers: for when you need a mute button (really...of course!).

 Hand Sanitizer: so you can stay baby-germ free!

Also included in the bag:
-A travel pack of wipes: for diaper changes on the go
-A tub of bath salts: for scrubbing off spit-up and drool
-A bottle of body oil: for hydrating your skin after playing in the mud
-An eye mask: for getting some shut eye (after he's gone home of course!)
-Two packs of face masks: to relax after a long day of baby sitting

Here's the full package deal after it was all complete!

I'm happy to say she thought it was super cute and that she loved it! I tried to incorporate things that she could have on hand for the baby (sort of like her own personal diaper bag), and then a few things she could use for herself, and some with just a bit of humor.  I did want to add something a little more special for her so I included a gift certificate for a massage at a day spa...just a little pampering for her to enjoy.

What do you all think? I loved making this and had a lot of positive feedback. Would you gift something like this to someone? I am thinking of creating a few more and putting them up for sale on Etsy. I'm thinking of having bag options for bachelorette parties, bridal showers, babies, maybe even for new dads. I also thought of adding in a bottle of wine and some wine glasses, that's definitely an option. And the bag can be customized after purchase with something special like jewelry or a gift card, like I added. I can also include a few extra tags for you to do your own personalizing, or leave them blank for you to add your words the way you want them. I'm definitely open to feedback and suggestions though! What do you think? Send me your feedback in the comments, I'd love to hear it!

XO

The Baby Name Game

Preston, Weston, Will, Grant, Kaden, Bennett, Nicolas, Everett, Ryker, and Ashton.

According to BabyCenter.com, this is my child's competition.  These were the top 10 baby boy names of 2013. While I love that we've sort of shifted away from the more traditional John and Alexander toward the more unique names, I'm still at a loss. None of these names fit my little guy. I know this even though I haven't quite met hit yet.  But the kicks I feel are not the kicks of a Kaden. Definitely not a Preston. And Weston reminds me of the hotel we stayed at on our honeymoon.

There's a lot of pressure in finding the right name. I mean, you're making a huge decision for a little guy who will one day be a big guy with his name on a business card, or a book, a work of art, or a building. There could be a medical procedure named for him, or a newly discovered planet. The possibilities are endless and you want his name to work with all of them.

Not only that, but I grew up with a non-English name. ANI. It's short and simple, but did you know, it's pronounced "Ahh-knee"? Not Annie, like the little orphan. Not Anne-eye. And it's definitely not Arnie (though I have been called that, seriously). It's not Anne or Amy, either. And while I have spent the last 27 years correcting many, many people, I still love my name. I love that it's traditional - from Armenia. I love that no matter how American I am and how proud I am of that, my name ties my to my roots. And while it is mispronounced a LOT, it's simple enough to not be completely butchered. There are far worse things to be called than Arnie.

I was also not the only Ani growing up. Apparently it was the number 1 Armenian American name in 1987, because when I was among my Armenian friends, I wasn't just "Ani," I was "Ani B." There was also "Ani K." and "Ani M.,"  "Ani N." and "Ani S." We all banded together under a common name and identity. And while that had it's perks too, it leads me to my next issue with the top 10 list.  If these are the top 10 names everyone is choosing, why would I want to choose one? I don't want my kid to fall in a long like of Everett's or Ryker's at school.

It's a tough job this name choosing business. You want to but original and unique but not far out, but you don't want to be so common. You want something that carries your roots with you, but not something that will get butchered everyday. Your kid doesn't have to love it, but you'd like it if he didn't rush out to change it on his 18th birthday, and you hope that if he doesn't it will grow on him and he'll appreciate the love (and hours of thought) that went in to choosing it. It has to be a name you like saying, and one he'll like hearing. Oh the pressure.

We're working on it. No, we aren't telling! It's a tough enough game figuring this out with our two, often opinionated, very indecisive selves. We've decided to keep our mouths shut until our little guy is here to help us solidify our decision (that is... once we actually make a decision).  One thing I will say for sure. It's not on the top 10 list!

XO

Baby's Second Blanket

Oh how I love a good craft project.  Right after we had our first ultrasound appointment at 8 weeks I headed off to Joann's fabric store to get started on a blanket. It took several months and a lot of troubleshooting, but I completed baby's first blanket, and my first homemade quilt, and you can see it here. It was super fun (and often very stressful) but I love the end result and I can definitely see us using it all over the house and even on picnics and camping trips.

One thing I didn't know at the time was whether our baby was a boy or a girl, so I tried to pick some gender neutral colors and patterns. With the exception of the purple stripe and all the floral prints, I think our little guy will be OK with it, and if it's not his favorite blanket, it will still be super special. Even after we found out we were having a boy we had to keep it under wraps until our gender reveal party with our parents, and it just didn't seem right to start a baby boy project until I could share the news.

So literally RIGHT AFTER our gender reveal my mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law decided we needed to ditch the guys for a bit and head off to get a new craft project started. Back to Joann's where I found the CUTEST, fluffiest yarn in blues and creams. PERFECT! I wasn't too sure what kind of blanket I was going to make but I knew it was going to be just for him.

And this was the end result! I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I did it in the same stitching I used for my friend's baby's blanket, but the thickness of the yarn gave it a whole new look and feel. It's ultra soft and fluffy, and I can definitely see us using this to snuggle with while breast feeding or just rocking on our chair (double points that it matches the chair!).

Can you feel the fluff?  I'm so looking forward to snuggling with my little guy under this blanket! Just 10 more weeks!

XO

What not to say to a 7 month pregnant woman

I've heard many times that when you are pregnant, people tend to think of your belly as public turf. That they can just come up and rub your belly like you're the Buddha statue at their local Chinese restaurant.  I've always been cautious about this and am definitely not one to walk up to pregnant women (even one's I am close with) and start rubbing their bellies. If they ask my to feel a kick, I will, but I won't walk up and touch without asking first (not that I am really compelled to). I thought this would really bother me when I got pregnant, but surprisingly, I don't really mind it when people come up and touch my belly, at this point it just is something people do. We're all excited, and frankly, it happens too often to bother to get frustrated about it.

Real talk : What does really bug me is that people just assume they can say whatever they want about your size, and forget that they're actually talking about your body and not just a temporary baby bump.  It seems like at least once a week someone will ask me how far a long I am and when I say "6 months" or "7 months" they look at me in shock and say, "wow! you're so big  - and you're still going to grow!!"  Really? Thanks, I had no clue my belly was going to keep stretching for the next two months. I thought I was going to stop right here and just let my baby sit and do nothing in my belly until August.

Everyone's body is different, and everyone's pregnancy is different. Everyone carries their baby differently. Think back...do you remember how HUGE you felt at just 7 month? Do you still feel compelled to ask me if I'm SURE I'm not carrying twins? Uh uh...don't even go there. We saw only one baby on the ultrasound, and no, his twin isn't hiding behind him, I promise. That's not how this works.

So the next time you feel the need to mention that you think I'm going to have a "really BIG baby" or that I look like I'm ready to deliver any day now, please don't. Just stop. Remember that I have raging hormones. Just bite your tongue, it's the safer thing to do.

XO

baby kicks

Up until this year I had never felt a baby kick. I've had family and family friends who've been pregnant, but every time they'd grab my hand and hold it to their belly and look at me with this sense of amazement and ask, "did you feel that!?" I had no idea what they were talking about. To be polite I'd smile and say "yeah!" and think to myself, what are they talking about? I feel a belly.  

I'm also not a touchy feel-y person. I think it's a little strange that pregnant women's bellies sort of become public property and everyone and their mother think they can come up and rub like a Buddha statue in China Town. So I don't automatically reach out to touch bellies and feel kicks unless I've asked first. But a few months back my best friend was pregnant and I had just gotten the news that we were expecting too. We were at work when she told me to feel her belly and I actually felt the little guy kick me. It was pretty cool, and as a newly expectant mother I was pretty excited to finally "get" what everyone was talking about. I was so excited to meet her little guy. He'd kicked me and I felt a connection. I knew what it was like to feel baby kicks. 

Boy, was I wrong. 

Baby kicks from the inside are a completely different thing. My placenta decided to place itself in the front of my belly, which meant that feeling little 'flutters' that everyone talks about were non-existent. I don't remember the moment I first felt a kick, but I do remember that I had no idea what I was feeling.  At 22 weeks, we'd only just found out we were expecting a little boy, and suddenly I was feeling little bumps? bubbles? pulses? They were kicks, and they're not like anything you've ever felt before. 

Your baby boy is in there. 

At first they were all internal, meaning, the only thing I could imagine is that he was tap dancing on my bladder and my intestines. Not what you imagine baby kicks to feel like when you've only got everyone's smiling reactions to compare it too. I get what they mean when they say you can mistake them for gas bubbles. Sometimes it felt like I had to run to the bathroom, I'm not going to lie. 

But now when he kicks, 25 weeks and growing strong, I can see my belly bump up in places. I know that when I wake up in the early morning and lay on my left side, he'll say good morning with a few jabs of his sweet little foot. I know that walking around rocks him to sleep, but when I finally sit down at a computer to chart during a busy day at work, he'll kick and say, "hey, I'm here Mama!" (he also says, "feed me!" about every 2 hours). I know that when I finally rest on the couch after a long day he starts to wake up again and do his dance. He takes after his daddy and his grandpa. 

I know that I could spend all day laying down and feeling those little bumps. The word "kicks" make them seem like they'd be forceful and harsh. But they're the sweetest little love taps. Baby boy is reminding me that he's there with me all day, and my heart aches for the rest of the world because they can only feel a little tap from the outside. They don't feel the little rumble that comes before the kick, or the way it almost echos on my skin after it's done. They might feel them from the outside, but those kicks are mine all day. My baby boy is in there and I love him so. I can't wait to kiss the sweet little feet that give me those perfect little baby kicks. 

XO

Mid-Pregnancy Must-Haves

Being past the half way point is blowing my mind. There is a little baby boy inside me. I have been tracking his growth in sizes of fruit since it was only a mere poppy seed. Now you are a cantaloupe and becoming an eggplant next week! Pretty soon you'll be getting a driver's license and finding a prom date (yikes!).

But seriously, I can't believe the time has flown by so quickly. 21 weeks down, and there are a few things that were super necessary these last 4 1/2 months that I thought I would share with you!

1. Nature Made Prenatal Vitamins with DHA - I debated putting this one up there because it make me burp up a fish taste if I don't take it with enough food. In the early weeks I was taking it with my "breakfast" (usually something small on the way to work) and all morning I would be burping a nasty fish taste. But once I decided to switch it over to taking them with dinner, all is well and I haven't had an issue. I love them because while they're pretty large, they're smooth capsules that make them easy to swallow and don't leave a taste in your mouth. I thought about the chewable gummy kind but figured I would probably end up eating them all as a sweet snack.

2. My Snoogle - We bought this when I was about 15 weeks pregnant, sleeping with about 4-5 pillows and feeling super uncomfortable. I am so thankful that I did! Now I just use this and gave the rest of the pillow to my hubby. It helps me sleep on my sides more comfortably now that baby is bigger, and sleeping with the pillow between my legs has reduced lower back pain exponentially! Definitely a must!

3. Your Pregnancy Week by Week -  My mom bought me this book shortly after we broke the news to them and I love reading it every week. Similar to "What to Expect..." it goes through body changes and changes in your baby, but it's actually written by doctors. I love that it's simple to skim through and each section in labeled simply so if it doesn't apply to you you can skim over it, or if you're looking to read about a certain thing, it's easy to find. It tells it to you straight to keep you informed without freaking you out unnecessarily. I definitely recommend this to all my first time mama friends out there.

4. Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil - I love this stuff. I started the pregnancy off using Cocoa Butter lotion on my belly and hips and while it was super moisturizing it left me feeling like I was covered in chocolate and the smell was really nauseating to me (causing the closest thing I felt to morning sickness...which is fortunate). My  mom bought this oil for me at Sprouts and I've been using it daily on my belly. No stretch marks yet (knock on wood!). They say oils and lotions don't help, but hey, I'll give it a shot! This oil is hydrating and smells light and lovely. 

5. Bump Start Shirts - These shirts are so comfy and just the right fit. One of the things I really love about maternity clothes is that you're still the size you were before you were pregnant, the shirt just fits you better. I wear these shirts out and about, lounging at home, even with my scrubs at work. 

6. Eos Lip Balm - I was using this before too, but it seems like chapped and dry lips have been a big symptom of this pregnancy. Random, I know. I have one of these in my work bag, one in my purse, and one on my night stand (in pomegranate berry, summer fruit, and honeydew) and my lips would be so much worse off without them. Plus they come in fabulous flavors which is a plus. 

Not pictured must haves include lots of lemons and oranges. I love a tall glass with one whole lemon squeezed into it, water, and ice. Nothing else. Also came up with a drink of orange and lemon juice with sparkling water - perfect on the warm afternoons we have been having. Just writing this out is making my mouth water. I love that tartness. 

So those are my must-haves so far. I'm hoping to share a bit more in the third trimester too if there are a bunch of new ones! What are your pregnancy must-haves? I would love to hear about them!

XO

It's a...

BOY!

Everything has been non-stop. Work, work, work, and when we weren't at work we were making it to doctor's appointments and finding out some incredible news. We had our anatomy scan and were so delighted to see our baby moving around on the screen (I am still not feeling much movement, so seeing baby move was super reassuring!). But even more exciting than that is that we found out that our gut feelings were.... absolutely....WRONG!  We were so convinced that baby was a girl, so when the nurse said.... "you're having a boy".... our jaws dropped and we were like, "WHAT?!"  

Despite the surprise we are so extremely excited and blessed to have a healthy little guy on the way. Now we can stop referring to him as "it" or "he or she"  HE is really in there and he is super awesome. We didn't want to share the news with our family just over the phone or text, so we decided to have a gender reveal party on Saturday to make it a bit more exciting for them - after all this is their first grand child! (Side bar to my co-workers: if you're reading this, and piecing it together...yes, I really did know it was a boy on Thursday and Friday, I just knew that if you knew I was keeping it a secret I would so seriously blow it! Sorry!!)

It was so much fun to see everyone's anticipation. We had everyone tally their vote and wear a color-coordinating baby pin with their guess. I also wanted something for the baby's room as a reminder of the day and everyone who was there.  We had each person leave a fingerprint in pink or blue - whatever their guess was - and sign their name. The fingerprints turned into a bunch of balloons on some art the E and I both made together for our little guy's room. I was getting worried that he was going to have a bunch of pink balloons in his room, but it worked out OK in the end! 

We're so excited to share the news and so happy that we can really start getting ready now!

XO

Baby's First Blanket

A few weeks back I posted here about my latest sewing adventure. It's been a whirlwind of thread and needles, and learning of course, but it's finally finished in all it's glory (well, my glory, since I'm super thrilled about it!).

I can't believe it's finally finished.  The basic idea for this quilt pattern and method came from Elise Blaha Cripe's Get Quilty E-Course that I purchased last October. While I made the table runner to start, this blanket was really the reason I bought the course. And while I really couldn't say anything in my last post about sewing it, this blanket was made 100% with baby in mind.

Now, since we don't know yet if we're expecting a baby boy or a baby girl, I *tried* to be gender neutral in the color selection. Some of the patterns are a bit more floral and "girly" but hey, whatevs.  My intention with this blanket was not to make a "bed quilt" (SAFE SLEEP people - babies shouldn't sleep with blankets over them!). What I wanted this quilt to be is really, well, an "adventure quilt."  I want it to be something we can lay out on the floor to play on, something we can take to the back yard, or the park and play on. Something to build forts with and to hide under, and then cuddle up in bed with a good book and our quilt. Sure, newborn baby isn't going to care much about it, but this blanket will be with us for many years.

I followed the E-Course for the majority of the steps to make this quilt with a few exceptions. After having a lot of trouble with the binding on the table runner, I did some research and decided to invest in a "walking foot" for my Singer sewing machine. This foot allows the layers of fabric to feed through the machine together to avoid pulling of the material, and uneven fabric in the end.  I also read up more on bias tape because I didn't feel like I cut it well for the table runner.  I found this awesome tutorial on you-tube on making a continuous bias tape and made it happen. It took a few tries - the video has you cutting 2.5" bias tape, which I found to be too narrow for my imperfect stitching technique. So I tried again with 3.5" lines and loved the way it turned out (though with 3.5" you need more than 1/2 yard, probably about 3/4).

With the walking foot I still had some issues with my binding, but much of that stems from my own impatience. I'm really the only one staring at the flaws on the blanket, and I'm learning to love them.  To be really cheesy about it, I look at this blanket as a metaphor for what I imagine parenting to be like in the first few months: you try different techniques, you mess up, you fix it, you try your best, you get impatient, you want to cry, but you put your blood sweat and tears into it (literally because I cut my finger on a pin...) and in the end it may not be perfect but you made it with all your love and baby's going to love it because of that.

I can't wait for this quilt to become a part of our daily routine somewhere down the line. It's already full of memories of this pregnancy for me, and I can't wait for our little family to grow and keep making memories with it.

XO

My Life - March

thinking about baby boy and girl names.  we have a few contenders, but this is serious business.

so excited to welcome my friend Stephanie's baby boy into the world this week. he's so sweet.

loving fresh squeezed orange juice and making lemonade one cup at a time. i'm craving tart yumminess.

remembering why i don't like painting my nails at home. just did them and my thumb is already crashed.

moving boxes from what will be baby's room and trying to figure out where to put everything that's been sitting in there for the last year and half.

resting with my Snoogle. definitely a pregnancy must-have for sleeping on your side.

embracing my growing belly. it's an adjustment, but i'm excited it's starting to look like a baby's in there now.

watching the final episodes of How I Met Your Mother. i'm really not sure what we're going to do when it's over, but i'm pretty positive i will cry during the finale on monday.

anticipating  my next craft project. it's most likely going to be something for baby, for baby's room, but i can't decide what it will be yet. 

sharing my finished baby quilt on the blog soon!

sitting at our kitchen table and so happy with how it turned out in this space. so glad we finally bit the bullet and bought something. 

getting ready for another baby shower this weekend! so amazed at how many babies are coming into our lives this year - and more amazed that mine is one of them!

writing letters to baby in a "dear baby" book I started the night we found out we were expecting. thrilled that my little one will have something to look back on just like the one i have!

amazed that March is almost over. how did that happen?

a little freaked out that we're almost at the 1/2 way point of this pregnancy!

XO

New.

I'm sitting on our brand new kitchen table and writing this, feeling very much grown up because we have finally replaced the plastic picnic table with something that doesn't shake when I type.  The kitchen is definitely my favorite place in this house. That's me and baby enjoying this new space.

Since posting about our new addition, I've been going over blog posts in my head, deciding what to write about. And well, after announcing a baby in the works, blogging about other things just seemed so ... meh. I just couldn't get the words to flow out of me the same way. Not to mention that I've been super tired and dealing with some tired eyes as well, which makes sitting at the computer not-so-easy. But new glasses are on their way, and today has been my first duty-free day off in a while, so I've decided to embrace it and finally blog about something here.

Our baby is growing. Can you tell?  I am 18 weeks along now and I think I'm starting to feel him/her move around in there. I'm noticeably pregnant now, which means people actually ask about my pregnancy instead of just look at me awkwardly and wonder if I've put on weight (thank goodness, that was getting uncomfortable). I was lucky enough to avoid morning sickness (I think that's genetics working in my favor - my mom and grandma never got sick either), but this week the back pain and leg cramps have started up. I am hoping to get back into the swing of some pre-natal yoga. I tried it a few times and loved it until round ligament pain in the middle of it scared me out of doing more exercises. Now that I know what that pain feels like and where it's from, I'm a bit more open to the idea. Plus I think I need the de-stress/meditation part of it too. But all in all this pregnancy has been a fun ride. It's amazing watching my belly grow and change to fit the little human inside (that totally blows my mind!).

Other than baby growing, we're working on organizing our house and cleaning out what will be baby's room and making our office look a little less like a tornado hit. We also started working on our garden again, planting tomatoes, and hopefully some artichokes soon.  All of that takes a lot of work and energy, so it's a slow process. But hey, we got a new kitchen table, and I'm blogging again, so it seems like we're making good progress.

I keep wondering what direction this blog will go in. Will I focus on mommy-things? Will I keep crafting? I finally finished my quilt last week (more coming soon!) so I am waiting to figure out what my next project will be. I want to crochet, something, but maybe after we find out if it's a boy or a girl.

In the mean time, I hope to be back here soon, more posts with more energy that I am hoping will come back shortly. I think I need to catch up on a little more sleep.

XO

Exciting News!

Surprise! We're expecting! And we're over the moon about it!  I've been wanting to post something about it online but we've been waiting until the right time. And since we finally went public with our friends on Facebook last week, we wanted to include you in on the secret too! E and I talked about this a lot and we decided that while we'll share bits and pieces here and there about the baby, we do want to keep some things private. What we do decide to share, we will post here for you.

But really, if you didn't know about this, you would never know that the quilt I am making is actually a crib quilt, and when I said it would be used for picnics and adventures I meant that because we'll be using it when our little one wants to play on the floor or outside. I expect we'll be getting a lot of use out of it.  We're also hoping to do some fun DIY projects as we start to get baby's room ready, and we wanted to be able to share those with you as they come up. 

Sooooo... In August our lives will be so completely different, and we're ready to take it on. I can't wait to meet our little one but for now I am happy carrying him/her around in my growing belly!  We hope you keep reading about our adventures!