Bumpdate - 35 Weeks

Here's to the summer and finding a suit in your drawer that fits your new pregnant body! YAY! I know this weeks photo doesn't really show my progression very well, but it certainly shows what I have been wanting to do lately! Lounge and relax! I almost fell asleep on that raft! So here is my brave (for me) bikini shot for 35 weeks!

What's baby up to this week? She is the size of a honeydew melon, measuring over 18" long and weighs around 5 1/4 pounds. Her kidney's are fully developed and her liver can process waste products. Her basic physical development is now mostly complete and all there's left to do is put on some weight. That's a relief to hear! At my doctor's appointment on Friday her heartbeat was 145 and my doctor thinks shes weighing in around between 4-5 pounds, so a little smaller than the baby center's averages.

What's been going on with mom? Still feeling really tired all the time. Naps were prevalent this past weekend as was hardcore indigestion. Finding cool outfits that fit is becoming increasingly difficult and my mood swings are getting harder to control. Hey, I'm hot, swollen, tired and PREGNANT! Give me a break! We are still working our way through Emma boutique but slowly and surely getting through all the adorable stuff we got for the shower!

Symptoms: Exhaustion, heartburn, acne, emotional, hip cramps, braxton hicks and swollen ankles and feet! Sometimes I think its a little bit of dehydration mixed with too much sodium, but lately it's been everyday.....I have a feeling its here to stay!

 
Yummy/Icky: Still loving me some ICE COLD water...and watermelon. The sweet tooth has kicked up, but mostly for things like ice cream and Popsicles.....probably because I'm so warm.

Clothing: Almost entirely maternity.....I miss my tee-shirts and shorts!

Movement: Definitely movements are more prevalent more of the day, although mostly just rolling around as opposed to kicking, but I love to watch my belly dance around.

Belly Button In/Out: I don't know how much longer I can call it a belly button.....more like a belly divot.

Wedding Rings On/Off: On, but tight..... :-(

Best Moment this Week: Getting to relax! Sometimes I just need a lounge day!

Looking forward to: Seeing baby girl in our ultrasound on Wednesday. Finishing going through all of Emma's stuff, packing her diaper bag and choosing a going home outfit, So many things to come!

Bumpdate - 34 Weeks

Please excuse the photo this week....not only is it excruciatingly late, but it was windy and hard to get this shot! We tried to go on the golf course to get a pretty shot, but it was ladies league night so it was impossible to do so! My hair just looks all disheveled! I will attempt to be on time next week.....and hopefully we can get a good chalkboard and photo locale! Things have been CRAZY around here.

What's baby up to this week? She is the size of a cantaloupe, measuring almost 18" long and weighs around 4 3/4 pounds. Fat layers, which help to regulate her temperature after birth, are filling her out and making her rounder. The central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

What's been going on with mom? Super tired! I get a lull around 2:30 everyday where I just want to take a nap, which doesn't always work out in my favor.....well most of the time it doesn't. We have entered the uncomfortable portion of the program! Sitting, lying down, breathing....it's all become very difficult. Baby girl decided to stretch herself out sideways over the past weekend and it was all I could do to find a comfortable position. I was able to get all of my thank yous done from my baby shower this weekend also.....just need to send them out. We started to go through "Boutique Emma" as I call it, to asses the items that still need to be purchased. We didn't count how many outfits, but we filled two 36 gallon tubs with clothes! Were also trying to decide if we should pay to do a maternity shoot. It's getting late in my pregnancy and finding time when both D and I, and the photographer are available seems unlikely.....with the two 3D ultrasounds, I'm kinda leaning towards the newborn shoot after she's born as opposed to the maternity session.

Symptoms: Exhaustion, heartburn, acne, mild charlie horses, emotional, hip cramp, braxton hicks have been around, but I just figured out that's what they were!

Yummy/Icky: ICE COLD water...and watermelon.....or berries in general!

Clothing: Mostly all maternity. Just trying to stay comfy!

Movement: Lots of rolling and stretching. Sometimes I feel the hard kicks and punches, when it's time for bed, but mostly shes just trying to find room, things are getting squashed!

Belly Button In/Out: Teeny tiny, almost to the flat point!

Wedding Rings On/Off: On, but tight when I don't get enough water or I'm hot. Soon it will be time to retire them to a necklace.

Best Moment this Week: Finishing the thank yous for all the guests that came to the shower, and spending a relaxing weekend just lounging on the couch and watching movies with my mom!

Looking forward to: A good nights sleep? Is that dumb? Last of our childbirth classes and packing the hospital bag. Also baby girls arrival!

Throwback Thursday - The Time I was a Beauty Queen

Do any of you use the Timehop app? I check it every Thursday in hopes that it bring up some interesting pictures to use for Throwback Thursday. This morning I looked and it alerted me to the fact that it has been 5 years since I ran in my local "scholarship program." Lets be real, Beauty pageant! It's been really great to look back at these photos and see how much I have changed, but to also remember the lasting friendships that I made along the way. I was new to the area and was hoping to meet some people and network along the way and really that's what I got out of the program. I did not win my category, but was still able to participate in the events and enjoy all the things that my not-so-little valley has to offer. I made lots of memories and even though there was some unpleasantness that occurred, it really was a fun thing that I did! Will I let Emma participate in one? Maybe or maybe not. We will see if it's something that interests her first! Please take a trip down memory lane with me as we take a look at some of the events I did!

Actual pageant! My and my momma!

Swimsuit Competition! Post baby body inspiration right here!

Evening Gown Competition.....loved this dress!

My proud hubby and I

Jazz Festivals, we did face painting for the kiddos!

Multiple Sclerosis Golf Tournament

Independence Day Parade with my girlie!

Photoshoots

Chili Cookoff!

All Corked Up Wine Festival!

I had tons of fun and made some lasting friendships! I also taught myself, and with the help of others, how to be a girlie girl.....before this curling my hair and wearing makeup was really not in my vocabulary! Just a little peek into my past for this Throwback Thursday!

Bumpdate - 33 Weeks (plus a bonus 3D U/S!)

As Emeril Lagassi would say "Bam!" and there's a bump! LOOK AT IT! It came out of nowhere!

What's baby up to this week? She is the size of a pineapple, measuring over 17" long and weighs a little over 4 pounds. She is rapidly losing that wrinkled look, by the looks of our 3D ultrasound we did she has the cutest chubby cheeks. Her skeleton is hardening, although the bones in her head aren't fused together which allows them to move and slightly overlap, making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood so they can grow as the brain and other tissues expand throughout infancy and childhood. At my doctor's appointment last Friday she had a good solid heart rate of 147 although my fundal height measurement was a little small, my doctor didn't seem at all concerned with. He thought she might be breech, but at our 3D they confirmed shes still got her head down by my bladder....which I can attest to frequently. 

What's been going on with mom? I am tired every day! As she grows larger, I just seem to get more and more tired. Sleep is better depending on the day, although it was awful over the weekend because of my excitement about my baby shower, I'll post on that soon I promise! Emotional times were had as well as just being completely overwhelmed! Baby girl is so blessed already!

Symptoms: Same story as last week: exhaustion, heartburn, acne, mild charlie horses, emotional, hip cramps (even with the pillow!)

Yummy/Icky: ICE COLD water...probably due to the 100+ degree temps that plagued the southland last week. At least it cooled off for the weekend.

Clothing: All maternity on the bottom! Mostly on top as well. I did find a couple of cute maternity tops at Ross, although their selection was crappy....at least I have some hot weather stuff to wear!

Movement: Lots of rolling and stretching. Sometimes I feel the hard kicks and punches, when it's time for bed, but mostly shes just trying to find room!

Belly Button In/Out: Teeny tiny!

Wedding Rings On/Off: On, can still get tight.....hopefully the will stay on! If the weather continues to be hot, I have a feeling they will be retired to a chain.

Best Moment this Week: Definite the baby shower and spending time with my mom and step mom!

Looking forward to: Resting! I know....lame. But this 3 day Memorial Day weekend is screaming my name "sleep and put your feet up!"

Below is this weeks chalkboard and some cute shots of Miss Emma from our 3D ultrasound! Of course in true fashion the arm was in her face the whole time! But the tech managed to get some good images!

Little grin, once she finally removed her hand from her face!

Rubbing her face! Look at that little hand!

Little ear....looks like daddies! Does this child have any of my features?

Chubby cheeks!

Baby Shower Preview

The day has arrived!! Today is the day of my long awaited (at least for me) baby shower. As I sit here thinking about the day and feeling our precious little one move around I cannot help but think how lucky I am to have such a wonderful support system around us. It's true what they say that everybody loves babies but so many people have told me just how excited they are to welcome little Emma into the world! She will be such a loved child and I am so grateful for that.

We kicked off the celebration by picking up my step mom from the airport yesterday afternoon. She had no idea I was going to be at the airport so when she saw me and the tears came for her, they did for me as well. We made the trek back in from lax, if you live in L.A. You know what an irritation that is on a Friday afternoon. We ran a couple errands and then relaxed at my cousins house to try and stay cool out of the triple digit heat. Apparently things for me are always planned on weekends where we have record breaking temps. Sorry family! We then told my step mom that we were going to dinner, wings and fries of course, but actually had booked another 3D ultrasound so she could see babes precious face on the screen. D's dad also came because he missed the last one as did his mom and my mom. Once we pulled into the parking lot I could see the perplexed look on my step moms face and I pointed to the sign exclaiming "obviously were not going to dinner yet, but here first." She instantly lit up and of course started to cry again. We enjoyed another 30 minutes of little miss stubborn with her hands in her face, but we did get some good photos and I will post those soon! :)

After that we made our way out to the local Bdubs (BWW) for wings not realizing that the Kings were playing the Ducks for game 7. The place was a zoo, but it was a buzz with excitement because they ended up winning 6 to 2 dealing the Ducks fate in the Stanley Cup race and moving on to defend their title! We got home and put together our car seat and stroller, both of us were so tired that it was interesting watching the hubby reading the directions how to snap everything in place. All in all it was such a great Friday and the perfect way to start off the weekend.

I know this post promised something other than a recap if yesterday so here's a couple of photos I was able to sneak in with regards to the shower. I can't wait to see what the ladies have done and I cannot say enough times how lucky I am to have such wonderful women in my life!!! Stay tuned for the whole recap (you know I'll be snapping away and the details!)

My Only contribution...the chalkboard layout!

The color scheme

Decor - Cupcakes made out of receiving blankets and onesies

Decor - Adorable diaper cakes

Decor - Popcorn boxes and cupcake toppers!!

Boys Behind the Blog - Final

I am so sad that this is the final Boys Behind the Blog. For the last year, once a month we have gotten to find out new and funny things from our significant others, and how they feel about this crazy world of blogging. I can honestly say that I am going to miss this link up, but sometimes good things come to an end.

Here are link's to Darin's answers in the past:

July 2013
August 2013
September 2013
October 2013
November 2013
December 2013
January 2014
February 2014
April 2014

So without further adieu.....D's final questions and answers, as usual I put in my two cents in purple.

1.What was your first job. Sadly my first job was Six Flags Magic Mountain. I guess a job is a job right. He loved it at the time! Free entrance to the park and first dibs on riding all the rides! C'mon that's one of the reasons I worked at Disneyland!

2.What's the biggest risk you've ever taken? Umm not sure what would be my biggest risk would be but maybe just trying things I have never done before such as Zipling. Which ended up being amazing. This was definitely a risk for me! I was utterly terrified to do this but my wonderful hubby got me to go and it was such a great experience!

3.What is one thing you cannot live without. I could never live without my family and friends being around. I am a social person so I love people being around. Such a true statement!!!!

4.What is your least favorite food. I would have to say my least favorite food would be anything with cheese and sushi. Ok I kinda feel him on the sushi, but honestly I have never understood and will never understand how a person cannot like CHEESE! It's amazingness abounds! I just love slicing off a big chunk of extra sharp! YUM! I love him anyways though!

5. If you could time travel where/when would you go. If I could time travel I would like to go back in time and see how living in the Wild West times would be like. Huh....interesting! Not wanting to visit Doc Brown in the 80s?!?

There you have it. I hope you all enjoyed reading thoughts from my hubby as much as I did. I might still keep on asking him questions every month, especially once he becomes a daddy, just to hear his perspective on things, also in his handwriting. (typing)

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

About a month ago, my bumpdate shoot was held at a pretty cool place. I was up visiting my parents for the weekend, trying to decide where to take it when my mom suggested the Antelope Vally Poppy Reserve. We drive through the desert and see the wild poppies all the time but I have never been to the preserve. It really only blooms in April so going for my bumpdate seemed like an ideal plan.

My mom and I loaded up into the car and made our way into the preserve, seeing all the wild poppies on the side of the road got me excited! People were out in full force taking their photos along the side of the road. Once inside the reserve we discovered that we couldn't go off the path and take photos in the field. It was also outrageously busy with tourists and gale force winds made it almost impossible to keep the chalkboard upright without recruiting someone to hold it from behind.

We took a couple shots in the Reserve as well as some fun artsy shots, which is the purpose of this post. We decided to stop along a concentrated area along the road, where you can get deep into the fields and take photos which is inevitable the one I chose for the update. My mom couldn't help herself and had me pose for a couple without the chalkboard, but the wind made it really difficult to get a good shot.

It was a fun afternoon and of course after this weekend the poppies really bloomed, so if you live in Southern California or are visiting in April, go and check out this pretty place and take some photos of your own! :-)