Little Bits of Happy

These last few weeks seem like they are going be incredibly fast and ridiculously slow at the same time. It probably has something to do with the fact that a majority of my time is spent wondering if Eleanor is going to come today or not, or if that weird campy thing is a contraction or not.

To take my mind off of all of the what-ifs, I'm trying to make an extra effort to focus on things that make me happy. I thought I would share a few.

- This Corgi on Stilts Embroidery Hoop Art  Fair warning, I have an obsessive amount of love for animal with tiny, little legs. Corgis included.  When I was still working, this saying was basically my mantra. It was a lot harder to achieve that level of happiness while sitting in an office. It's a little bit easier in my house, where pants are optional and there are is almost always a cat willing to cuddle. One day, when I have extra money, this will be mine. It will hang above my bed, or maybe it will greet people when they walk in the door.

- Sonic Trip! There are no Sonics in Los Angeles and it makes me sad. I talked D into taking a trip to a nearby one this weekend, mostly so I could get a cherry limeade with that delicious crushed ice. So looking forward to it!

- This website where a mother names and describes Pokemon I loved Pokemon as a child. I'm not that familiar with any of the newer stuff but this website cracks me up.

- The above picture. I found a whole set of pictures from when D's mom was here last summer. We took her to the farmer's market that was by our old apartment and it was such a pretty day. She will be here again next Wednesday, but this time it's to meet her first granddaughter! I'm excited to have her here and for it to start feeling more like summer.

38 Weeks - Update (a day late)

Countdown: 13 days! So close

Baby size: She weighs anywhere from 6.5 to 7lbs and could be 22in long. 

Symptoms: I'm hot all the time. I feel like I am sitting in a 90 degree sauna while everyone else wants to turn up the heat or close the windows that I have opened. 

Cravings: The appetite of an Olympic swimmer is still present... I could eat all day. Unfortunately, there is not that much room in my stomach so I feel both stuffed and hungry. That said, I am still drinking milk like crazy and would love fried green tomatoes at the moment. Does anyone know where I can some in LA? 

Best Moment of the Week: Friday night was a pizza night. The roommate, D, and I went to a pizza place called Uncle Ernie's. It was a pretty cute little place with pretty yummy pizza. I've been trying to find a go to pizza place since moving here almost 2 years ago. Uncle Ernie's might be in the running for that honor. It was fun to just kind of sit with both of them while stuffing my face with food and talking about our very different high school experiences. 

Worst Moment of the Week: Sunday, D and I needed to return some things to a Disney store. He did all the necessary research and found the closest mall with a disney store. We had to walk across the entire (huge) mall to get to the store, only to find out that it has apparently went out of business. It wasn't the worst thing ever but it was annoying, and it's one more thing that is still on our to do list. 

What I am Looking Forward to: On Saturday, the roommate is celebrating her birthday at one of my favorite places- an improv comedy show in Hollywood called Comedy Sportz! It's always a good time and probably one of our last nights out before Eleanor arrives. 

Remembering our Wedding

On October 13, 2012, D and I got married. It was the best wedding I have ever been to (Granted, I have only been to two, including mine). I know that I am completely biased but I was so happy on that day. It was nice to be surrounded by friends and family from both sides. I cherish those memories so much because I realize it will most likely not happen again.

We got the last of our wedding pictures back earlier this week and it's been nice to go through them all and relive all of the best moments. Our photographer, David Braud, was wonderful. I highly recommend him if you are in the Nashville area. We used his wife as a second shooter and she was a really calming, comfortable presence for me while I was getting ready. All of our friends and family (some of whom were incredibly uncomfortable being photographed) raved about how much they enjoyed our photographers, which meant so much to me. I wanted everyone to be comfortable at our wedding.

Below is a sampling of some of my favorite pictures. Enjoy the glimpse of our day.

One Last Trip

With Eleanor's arrival getting closer and closer, I find myself getting more and more nervous about, well, everything really. But today, I am going to focus on my nervousness surrounding my relationship. D and I weren't exactly planing on getting pregnant when we did. I have known I wanted to be a mother my entire life, and am so excited that I am getting the opportunity to do so. I'm just really nervous about the effect that it's going to have on my role of wife. I love my husband, obviously. That's why I married him. I'm just scared that with a new baby our relationship might get pushed aside for a while.

I'm sure that Eleanor will cause some changes in the relationship that I have with my husband, but I want to try and minimize those changes as much as possible. The only way I have come up with doing that so far is frequent talks about life after she gets here and taking some last minute time for ourselves doing things that we enjoy and won't be able to do after she arrives.

Last Saturday, the weather in Southern California was beautiful. It was too pretty to stay inside, so we decided to go for a drive. D bought a convertible before I moved here... for a long time it was our only car, so we have a lot of memories in it. Many of my favorite memories involve driving up the coast, including the weekend that D proposed. There is no room for an infant seat in a convertible  so I know that it's something that can't happen as often after the baby comes.

We drove up to Santa Barbara and walked along the pier. We had ice cream and watched some dolphins and browsed through stores looking for things that said Eleanor on them. Nothing was over the top, but it was really nice to just be out in the sun and by the water. I'm going to miss getting to ride along side my husband with the top down and the sun shining. He loves getting to really drive his car and I love getting to snap pictures of the pretty landscapes we pass. It was a perfect thing for the two of us to do it together.

37 Weeks - Update

Countdown: 20 days -- I'm full term so Ella is now welcome to exit whenever she pleases. 

Baby size: She weighs upwards six and a half and could be 22in long. As of this week, I am full term so her growth is pretty much minimal at this point, although, her brain and lungs are still developing. 

Symptoms: I've been noticing more false contractions than before, so helpfully that's a good sign and my body is preparing for labor.  Her movements are also getting more uncomfortable. Poor girl is probably very cramped.

Cravings: No crazy cravings this week. I have been extra hungry though. 

Best Moment of the Week: Valentine's Day was pretty sweet. Not to mention, we ended the night by coming home and unpacking our infant carrier and stroller frame. So far, we still love both. 

Worst Moment of the Week: Wednesday at my doctor's appointment my blood pressure was higher than normal. It had been higher at home so it didn't come as a shock to me, but it did mean I had to go to the hospital to be monitored. Everything turned out okay so far, but I'm never a fan of being stuck in the hospital. 

What I am Looking Forward to: We have our last labor class on Wednesday. I have kind of mixed feelings about the class, but either way, I'm excited to be able to say that we are done with them. 

Love, Love, Love.

It's my first ever Valentine's Day as a married lady. I have mixed feelings about the holiday, but really, I can't turn down a day where I get to have lots of pinks and hearts and mushy sentiments.

Last year, D and I were living together, but he was super sick. The year before we were still in different states. So, not only is this our first Valentine's Day to be married, it's kind of our first Valentine's Day that we get to celebrate together. I was excited.

My night started with being greeted by a beautiful bouquet of roses, some chocolates, and a sweet card. The roses smell delicious. They are making our entire living room smell better.

Then, D helped me zip up my dress, which I can just barely squeeze into. I bought it around this time last year, and never seem to find an occasion to wear it, even though it is one of my favorites. It was nice to have a reason to get all dressed up since I haven't been doing that much lately. I should do it more often really. It makes me feel better and more confident in myself, which is something I can totally use right now. Plus, D would be happy to get the 50's style housewife routine for a while I'm sure. Heck, I may even greet him with a drink when he gets home.

We then headed off to dinner. I wasn't sure where we were going and the route D drove gave me no clues, at least not for a while. We ended up at one of D's favorite places. Chick-fil-a.

It was kind of cute actually. I know it's one of his favorite places to eat and they were doing a special Valentine's date night thing. Table service, decorations, live piano playing, and a free milkshake were included. I guess it could have ended badly for him, but I thought it was funny. And really, I don't need much to be happy. A date night, some chocolates, and an excuse to dress up are perfectly fine with me. I'm just glad that he put some effort into making this a special night and the location of said night would never change that.

I hope you all had a wonderful day with your loved ones. I know I did.

36 Weeks - Update

Countdown: 27 days 

Baby size: She weighs somewhere around six and a half and could be 22in long. Roughly as big as a watermelon according to my what to expect app! I'm not sure if the fruit comparison can possibly get any bigger. 

Symptoms: Nothing out of the norm this week. All the normal symptoms of being 36 weeks pregnant are present, but in moderation.  

Cravings: I had a strong brussel sprouts craving over the weekend.  

Best Moment of the Week: My baby shower was pretty awesome. We skyped in some family and it was just nice to get a bit of home for a minute. All of the gifts were so sweet, and we are just about set for Eleanor's arrival. 

Worst Moment of the Week: Thursday night we took the c-section portion of our labor class, and I had pretty bad dreams about it. I am so terrified of a c-section. I know that my fear is a bit extreme but I can't help it. 

What I am Looking Forward to: Valentine's Day! D was sick last year and all of the other years we have been apart. It will be our first actual date on the day. I'm excited for a night for just the two of us, especially since I worry about how our relationship might change after the baby comes.